The Mind-Palace of Kurnacht-Te - A Location for Volmusia

Tags: Perilous, Lawful, Barren (Outside), Bountiful (Inside), Enchanted (Otherspace, Idestructable), Ruins, Personage (Kurnacht-Te), Monsters (Psionic Ghosts)

          On a secluded, snow-swept plateau high in Maaglurtet's Range is a strange sight indeed: The decaying skeleton of a stag-horned Storm Giant, fastened to a massive ornate stone throne by chains of tarnished adamantine. Surrounding the site are the tumbled, weathered stones which once made up a manse which seems to have once taken up the majority of the elevated plain. Even though it is utterly deserted of both plants and animals, visitors inevitably begin to experience the sense of being watched by dozens of eyes, and of being surrounded even though there is no one in sight. This feeling is compounded the longer one stays, and by the closer one nears to the skeleton - most find the sensation to be overwhelming and leave in short order. Owing to it's obviously eldritch nature, braving the area has become something of a dare among the local furred folk, but beyond that fame as an oddity no one has plumbed it's secrets. This is due to the fact that no suitably powerful practitioners of the Way have been in the area for centuries, the portal into the mental-manse takes an immense amount of will to drag open. 

Inside the Mind-Palace

          If someone were somehow to do so, they would find themselves in a place even more fantastic than the one outside - a finely appointed palatial estate, sized for giants. The grounds are fairly limited (by Giant standards at least) and only stretch for about five miles in each direction, but are of a gorgeous southern climate perpetually locked to noon on a sunny day; everything is there, the birds, the trees, the flowers in spring, the whole nine yards. Aside from the "wilds", there's a hedge garden, a giant-sized rock-garden, and an ornate fountain - all well maintained and finely crafted. The main attraction however is the mansion itself, it is huge, and is of a gothic and almost overwrought architectural style. Inside it is appointed with fine furniture, abstract art, a smorgasbord laid out upon a table, and a throne sculpted from Mithril, all sized for the massive inhabitants. There are perhaps three dozen Giants in residence in this place, mostly Storm, though there are a few Cloud and Stone Giants mixed in, all of whom are disciples to the Kahraman Kurnacht-Te, Master of Immortals. The inhabitants have been driven mad by their captivity and their memories have decayed over the long centuries of their confinement. The only thing that ties them to the Mind-Palace are their own wills, and the prodigious mental powers of the Kahraman. Kurnacht-Te is in effect a Psionic Lich, though he long ago pulled his phylactery into the Mind-Palace, and destroying the Mithril throne of which it takes the form of would be quite difficult.

Kurnacht-Te, Master of Immortals

• The inhabitants aren't violent per se, but their understanding of the permanence of harm has been warped by their long isolation within their otherspace. Kurnacht-Te himself is made of sterner stuff, and has kept a much firmer handle upon his worst impulses.
• Dourage-Te was Kurnacht-Te's instructor, and the pyschic lich knows of his former master's actions against the Slaad & It's army, and their imprisonment in Joramir's Concert Hall. He might even be willing to part with the information if he were to be suitably convinced that it would be vital.
• The Otherspace, as well as Kurnacht-Te are both well known by Giant sources, Nugash, Memnor's Steps & The Index of the First Scholar all have records or memories which contain references to the Mind-Palace, though they all neglect to mention what is required to enter.

          Treasure & More: Lucre is seemingly easy to come by, but any of it that is taken back through the portal simply disappears. The true riches of the Mind-Palace are in the elucidation of The Way, the beings living inside of it have had centuries to develop their mental powers to an edge nearly unmatched by the outside world. The problem of course is convincing the mad psychic ghost to teach you, and surviving the strange 'lessons' that they will occasionally try to impart upon their students. Training with Kurnacht-Te and his disciples (provided one survives) would grant a non-mystic character a basic psionic ability, usable once per day. Mystics however gain an extra psionic point per day, and access to an Immortal power of the player's choice, barring prerequisites.

Skoraeus' Brothers - an encounter for Volmusia

Unsafe, Enchanted (Genius Loci), Personages (Skoraeus' Brothers, Diodotus, Valley Keepers)

          Located far into the northern, snowy reaches of Maaglurtet's Range, nestled in a deep gulch, are what appear to be two massive faces carved into the sides of the stone. At first it would seem they are like many other monuments to the Nameless Empire, until one of the heads begins to query any interlopers in a low, rumbling voice. The questions are frustratingly focused on the minutiae of the geographical features of other places (they're especially interested in Ingram's Tangle) that the visitors have been to, though sometimes they'll shift to the make-up of whatever gems or stones that they happen to be wearing. Named after a Stone Giant deity, the Brothers are slightly different in personality, the face on the Left is pointed and brusque in their speech, while the one on the Right is diplomatic and oblique - they will not argue with each other however, they've long since outgrown that trick. Anything that happens within the underground reaches, the Brothers know about, from how long ago the last cave-in happened in the Cernunokian Depths to where a coin was dropped in a stream flowing through The Mushroom Forest. They are a fantastic source of information, the problem is getting them to talk about it in terms that mortal beings can parse, and of course keeping them on task. The Brothers are also exceptionally good at puzzling out the details of interpersonal relationships, if they're given enough information. 

          The only constant visitors to the site are the nearby members of the Valley Keepers Clan (Stone Giants if your setting supports it). Numbering perhaps a few dozen, the clan is extremely religious and devoted to Skoraeus Stonebones; it was they who named the faces after their deity and they who guard the Brothers from interlopers who would do them harm. The Valley Keepers are led by the towering Diodotus, a man of few words, with an intense, burning gaze and mastery over the elements of fire and ice. The Keepers live in a cave system a short walk away from the crevasse where the Brothers live. Their home is a spartan place of little more than a fire pit, some mats for sleeping and larder full of salted meat & preserved produce.

• Asking a question requires giving out information first. The information itself is mundane, but it usually has to be quite in-depth for the Brothers to be satisfied enough to answer in turn. Responses are couched in terms that refer to geological features, rather than any sort of conversational terms.
• If insulted, screamed at, or attacked, the pair will simply clam up and wait for the offending party to leave. They'll help in the future, but they will certainly bring the outburst up and ask for some sort of apology. They'll also be quite offended if any one leaves during their long-winded questions or responses.
• The area has been the site of several small-scale battles over the centuries, as rival tribes or parties stumble upon another as they arrive to ask their questions. The Brothers find all of this terribly immature.

          Treasure & More: These guys are basically treasure detectors, but they aren't able to go out and grab any themselves, nor is there a tradition of votive offerings to them from the Valley Keepers or their other visitors. Outside of their obvious use, they would also be helpful in training a character who is focused on stones, mountains or other close proximity to the elements of earth. Meditating with the Brothers long-term could give a character advantage on a skill pertaining exclusively to geography, or perhaps a divination or locomotive spell based around a Terran element.

Five Merchants!

          These are a quintet of merchant NPCs from my Fifth Edition Westmarch. Some of them travel around, some are in a fixed location; the ones in fixed locations have their base of operations in their write-up as well. My campaign setting is broken down into nine distinct regions, roughly dominated by a few different biomes. So far I have merchants finished for five of the regions.

Ylrhan the Slippery & The Old Lighthouse

         One of the better known landmarks on the coast, The Old Lighthouse was commissioned by the first Chapmaster of the Order of the Sword and Crown to come to the area. The stones used to build it were enchanted, the whole surface of the building issues a steady glow a soon as night falls completely. While not bright enough to blind or daze, it is certainly bright enough to read by if one was within a couple of dozen yards. The light counts as day or sunlight for the purposes of repelling undead, and it has long been known as a place of refuge and safety as a result. While abandoned for many years after the Sword and Crown were forced out of the area, it has recently been taken as a residence by a priest of the sea god Xerbo named Ylrhan the Slippery. Ylrhan is something of a jack-of-all trades, befitting a follower of the Lord of Coin and Waves, he is a merchant, sailor, pirate, fisherman, fortune-teller and more. The old priest will certainly offer services to any who seem both friendly and not likely to rob him. He has amassed a large stock which he keeps underneath the waters, using his ability to breathe underneath the waves as a defense against theft. A miser by heart, Ylrhan sees every interaction with another as a means to enrich himself, from his work as a merchant to that as an information dealer. He will not let anything go without a mark-up unless he absolutely has to.

Juzzek, Fishman Merchant

         Exiled from his home, Juzzek now plies the craft of a wandering merchant in the depths of Ingram's Tangle. Setting his shop up in any community that will have him, or simply on the side of a trail if need be, Juzzek's colorfol orange and red tent and equally colorful giant dragonfly mount Darner is sure to be a welcome sight to any party who has made his acquaintance before. Juzzek is a fast-talking fishman shaped vaguely like a catfish. He hails from far to the south, past even the Sivardian Plains and in the land of Doru. He stockpiles currency in an attempt to buy his way back into his old position as a member of the nobility, having lost his status and last name after his dissatisfied wives bought his place in the peerage out from under him. He charges fair prices and is willing to make a deal, as he tries to play the long-game and hopes for repeat business. Juzzek's wares focus primarily on arms and armor, both mundane and magical, but he will buy nearly anything if it catches his interest. Juzzek can be seen in Semuanya's Stone, Seven Willows, and the Lily Pad Villages.

Worldly Tue

         A goblin wizard and merchant from far to the east, Worldly Tue makes her way through the world from atop the shoulders of her magical beast of burden and guardian, Yultij. Specializing in scrolls, spell components and other assorted necessities of spell casting, Tue plies her trade not for profit (which she considers a crass motivation) but for the opportunity and means to experience and purchase new spells and methods of casting magic. As such she is not swayed by coin in the same way that most traders are and will routinely turn down offers of gold, gems or artwork in lieu of more of what she herself sells, provided that it is different from what he already has in stock. Though she is a Diviner by training, Tue is interested in any kind of magic, from divine, arcane to pact magic and weirder things besides. Items aren't valued by their absolute worth to her, but rather how novel and interesting she finds them; a clever or conniving party could certainly talk up the eldritch nature of their goods, but she is possessed of a fine discernment for value even without the aid of her revelatory magic. In business dealing the goblin does her best to affect a disinterested or otherwise apathetic attitude to the wonders she is presented with, but this facade quickly drops once something truly enticing crosses in front of her and while she will stop short of actual violence or threats, she will cajole or otherwise badger the potential purchase even after they've told her off. Tue is a short, sandy-skinned goblin with golden eyes and sharp, prominent teeth. She favors thick red & yellow robes, adding more layers of them as the weather grows colder, topping it off with a stiff, red peaked-cap. Yultij is an imposing orge-like creature who is nearly as wide as he is tall, he has a leahtery hide covered in stiff-bristled brown fur and a set of jaws large enough to eat his mistress in one bite. Tue has crafted a tented howdah that rests on Yultij's back, and she only gets out of it when he absolutely has to. The pair frequent most of the major settlements in Maaglurtet's Range, even going so far north as Hoaridga's Perch.

Doric Fortin

         A wandering trapper and merchant, Doric Fortin can sometimes be rarely seen at Ambershore Watch, but he is most often found wandering about The Rainwood and visiting the friendlier settlements, Aedui, Houndhall, The Iron Pine & Muz to trade. They tolerate the woodsman due to his fair prices, honest nature and the connections to the outside world that he provides. Most of the old man’s stock are pelts of animals he's hunter or goods helpful in wilderness survival. Doric is always looking to increase his profits and knowledge of the terrain, so he’ll trade in both goods and news. The old ranger is always dressed in deer furs, and he’s unusually burly and hirsute for a half-elf, an indication of his nature as a true-born Werebear. Doric partially chose his profession due to his ‘curse’ and he has no love for other lycanthropes. Any hint of others of his kind send him into a furious state, and he will offer goods in return for help in tracking them down.

Suxra Goldspinner

         A wanderer hailing from the Chasm of Glowing Webs and one of several merchants plying the gloomy trade routes which link the Mushroom Forest together. Suxra was originally one of dozens of giant spiders which had been been bred by the inhabitants of the Chasm, while smaller than most of his siblings he managed to stay alive long enough that the members of the Sprakling Recluse Tribe responsible for training spiders noticed the gleam of intelligence in his eyes. Intrigued, his handlers began to give him increasingly complex and abstract tasks and watched with great amusement when the runt managed every one, but they were stunned when Suxra began to haltingly speak in their own language back to them. Unable to recall such a thing happening before, the alarmed trainers brought Suxra to the Spinners for questioning. The elders of the Chasm found themselves in a conundrum with the spiderling, if they were to acknowledge him as an equal to the Ettercaps, they would be undercutting the labor their society functioned on, whereas if they were to deny him and treat him merely as another beast of burden, they would be denying themselves a potentially useful tool. Unwilling to make such a choice, the council used their connections with Alojos' Quiet Caravan to send Suxra there as a foster. Initially dismayed by the creature living among them, Suxra's naturally amiable personality and flair in artistic pursuits (specifically weaving) were enough to slowly win the Svirfneblin tolerance and eventual cold acceptance. After an abortive attempt to train him as a scout ended with him attempting to befriend a Quaggoth, he was apprenticed to a merchant. A natural friendly being, Suxra thrived in his new position, using his novel appearance as a means to strike up conversation and closing deals with a shrewd eye for value and the needs of his customers. 

         It only took the spiderling a few years to build up a small fortune, which he used to strike out with a caravan of his own. Gathering several of his closest friends from his adoptive home, Suxra began to ply a route between the Chasm of Glowing Webs, Iszra's Rest, N'kai's Embrace and Alojos' Caravan. Well known on the road for helping travelers and , he also acts as the eyes, ears and occasional agent of both the Chasm and his original Caravan. Suxra's Caravan takes the form of three large and covered sleds with nine members, including the spider himself. Travelling relatively light on guards, the caravan relies on Suxra's outgoing demeanor (and abilities at bribery) and the Svirfneblin's abilities of illusion and enchantment to keep the group safe. The spiderling himself is only of moderate size, perhaps the size of a large dog and is covered in fine brown fur with streaks of yellow running through. Though clothes are of course unnecessary, Suxra enjoys the idea and particulars of fashion a great deal, so he's made or has commissioned a bevy of different outfits for himself. In personality he is extremely outgoing, and he prefers to run, hide, bargain or bribe than to fight. His inventory is fairly general in nature, though he usually has some choice bits which he's managed to wrest from Juhuyutir's clutches.