The chinked stone imagery of the yard map (and indeed all maps) is considered to be a solid wall and cannot be moved through. This pattern represents a fill of the solid wall up to a fifteen feet height. These are not the maps I sold, but maps I created for my own use. They can't be sold because they're full of proprietary material.
Yard Map Notes
2. Entrance Way. This is a square area twenty-two feet wide and eighteen feet deep, with two evident reinforced doors, one at each far corner to the left and right. The ground between the doors and throughout the yard is littered with bones and scored with tracks of dried blood, the latter being dry for years. This would seem to suggest that bodies were dragged over the surface and butchered here, then eaten and the bones broken apart. This is precisely what happened. The various skeletons have since been kicked apart and mixed together. It is a grisly scene.
The door on the right leads down via stairs into the guard’s lounge (see Lower – 1, below) on the north side of the Lower Map. The door on the left leads down via stairs into the armory (see Lower – 16, below) on the south side of the Lower Map.
4. Drain. This is a very wide hole in the ground of the yard, about four feet wide and covered with an grate. The bottom of the shaft is about twelve feet below the surface; the inner walls of the shaft are made of mortared stone; there are many chinks and cracks in this and the hole is quite dark.
There is a 10ยบ slope in the yard immediately surrounding the drain and the north yard does generally slope towards it. The remainder of the yard has shallow grooves everywhere throughout the yard to help flush the surface towards this drain.
Near the drain is a very large pile of bones, with plenty of dried blood that remains despite what must have been many rainfalls. The bones are about a foot deep here and the blood that was let here is much darker than elsewhere in the yard.
A close inspection of the drain, tapping the metal or trying to remove the grate, will awaken four snakes (one per round) that will rush out from where they like to rest in the inside walls or in the clay pipe that runs below ground from the kitchen to the drain and thence to the well (see Lower Map). The snakes will not attack immediately upon coming out, unless the characters outside give ground.
5. Well. This is a very wide shaft that goes right through the keep. The well is 30 feet in diameter and has a lip around the outside that is about three feet high. Though drawn in a perspective that suggests the bottom is smaller than the top, this is for visual effect; the walls are vertical. There are many chinks between the stones, which support the nests of more than one hundred finch-sized birds. These serve as prey for the snakes (which also prey on mice and sometimes giant rats). A close investigation of the well sides will reveal a snake sitting in the stones about five feet down; there is little chance the investigating character will be bitten unless the DM wants it. Of course, if the characters begin to descend into the well, they will probably be attacked.
The plank that reaches over the well seems to have no immediate purpose. In the early days of the Keep, it was used to rid the residents of criminals, but it hasn’t been used for that purpose in two centuries (if the party tries to speak to the dead about it). It is strong and will support a very heavy weight throughout. Opposite the plank there is evidence that there was once a windlass that reached over the well, but this is now gone; all that’s left are the metal fixtures bolted into the well’s edge. This was done by the harpies.
Though it would seem useless, the magic of the Keep – the same magic that keeps stone floating in the sky – will cause water to collect in the bottom of the well, enabling it to serve as a cistern. It will be difficult to see, but there is two feet of water suspended in the bottom. The well will not hold anything but water, so that persons and things falling in the well will drop right through. This dweomer also has the effect of purifying water, as impurities fall out while leaving the water behind.
6. Water Trough. The trough itself contains nothing but some bad smelling damp sludge in its bottom. However, next to the trough will be hiding a single harpy, that will be aware of the party moving into the yard through the main gate. If the party enters by ship, landing in the yard or moving down from the ramparts, simply place the harpy on whatever side of the central tower best hides it. The harpy will want a single victim to attack, if it can get that. Otherwise, it will wait until discovered, then it will attempt to flee towards the yard entrance’s south door (see 2, above) or to seek shelter in the ramparts. It will sing once there, if anyone comes as close as 60 feet from it. If pressed further, it will fly off the Keep completely, seeking to reach the door already mentioned by flying under and entering the yard through the gate.
It knows well what is waiting behind the central tower door (see 9, below). It hopes that in the melee there will be one victim that can be attacked by surprise.
If the harpy finds itself facing only one opponent, it will always seek to attack, counting on its claws and teeth to charm its victim. The purpose of the harpy being here is to cause as much trouble as possible, so the harpy should not make any attempt to enter a stand-up fight; if someone approaches to help a single victim, the harpy will cause damage but will flee rather than fight two opponents.
7. Cages. These are shallow cells with stone floors and sides that were used for keeping animals for food and sometimes for unusual biproducts, such as rhino horn or bear claws. They were also once used for human prisoners. The top of each cage is a frame of heavy wooden timbers. This frame opens in two ways; half the frame can be unlocked, though it requires two persons to lift the frame and roll it to an open position. On the side that can’t be opened, there is a human-sized trap door.
The harpies keep their freshest kills here, so there are half-eaten bodies in one of the three cages that were caught on the surface within the last few weeks. At the time of the party’s approach, this will be the cage farthest from the gate. The nearer cage on the right will have corpses that are several months old and the nearer cage on the left will have corpses that have been picked clean. Each cage is about one third full. The harpies change which cages they’re using as the dark ooze will clean the bones of one cage before deciding to move to the next (once the new bodies are ripe).
At present, the ooze is in the cage nearer to the gate, on the right (where the bodies are several months old). It will not be a hazard so long as the cages are left alone – however, it is evident that the harpies are not removing valuables from the bodies, so there are visible holy symbols, prayer beads, scattered coins, necklaces, weapons in scabbards, armor, gemstones set into helmets and so on. The DM should decide how much value would serve as an enticement – and whether the cage with the ooze has the best visible treasure in it. I wouldn’t myself; once the party tried one cage and found treasure without any threat, they would definitely enter all three cages.
The ooze will surprise 3 in 6, due to it being hidden under the bodies and refuse.
8. Pillory. The platform with its gibbet (hanging cage) is empty of any victim. There is nothing at all of importance in the southeast corner of the Keep, though there are many bones and bloodstaines here.
9. Guard Room. The reinforced door that leads from the yard into the central tower will open easily – into the tower. Once open, however, the zombies inside will grab hold of the door and keep it open, rushing out to attack the first person they can reach.
There are six zombies in the guard room and six more crammed together on the spiral stair. All of these have 2 HD and will move into the combat until they are all dead. If the party tries to keep them trapped in the open doorway, they will press together and force the party back through overbearing (treat the weight of three zombies as one creature). The zombies attack without thought or organizing. They move fairly fast, about 20 feet per round (or 10 feet with an attack).
This door to the Lord’s Room (see 10, below) will have a glyph on the door that will cause 10-21 fire damage (2d6 +8) to anyone who touches it. Before the door is touched, if a thief is present, the thief’s detect traps should be rolled (even if it is not stated), simply because there are scorch marks around the door a thief would probably see. If the thief does look for traps, then presume the chances of seeing the glyph are automatic.
10. Lord’s Room. Because of the glyph on the outside, this room has not been desecrated by the harpies (well, except for the fireplace). The DM may choose to imagine a last resident whose skeleton is found here, perhaps slumped in the chair, dead of starvation, or on the floor with a dagger in its rib cage. I chose to leave the room empty. There are books, chests, a desk and chair, a writing desk, an ornate and fabulous bed, a carpet worth considerable coin and a barrel next to the bed.
There are glyphs in the room here, too, like the one on the outside door (see 9, above), which much be searched for (no scorch marks). There are four in total: if the chair is sat on, if the ink well is moved, if a book is removed from the bookshelf and if the far chest by the bed is opened.
The barrel next to the bed will have a dipper and be well sealed. It is filled with red wine, about two thirds full. At the bottom of the barrel is a magic wand that can be detected if the barrel is searched for magic and brought to hand if the character possesses palm object as a cantrip. It is a wand of dispel magic with 5+, one of which will be sufficient to clear the room of all glyphs (because the Lord designed these glyphs to be taken down in this manner).
It is probable the characters may not realize the wand is there; they may even sell the wine after succeeding in clearing the Keep without ever realizing it held a wand.
A close inspection of the drain, tapping the metal or trying to remove the grate, will awaken four snakes (one per round) that will rush out from where they like to rest in the inside walls or in the clay pipe that runs below ground from the kitchen to the drain and thence to the well (see Lower Map). The snakes will not attack immediately upon coming out, unless the characters outside give ground.
5. Well. This is a very wide shaft that goes right through the keep. The well is 30 feet in diameter and has a lip around the outside that is about three feet high. Though drawn in a perspective that suggests the bottom is smaller than the top, this is for visual effect; the walls are vertical. There are many chinks between the stones, which support the nests of more than one hundred finch-sized birds. These serve as prey for the snakes (which also prey on mice and sometimes giant rats). A close investigation of the well sides will reveal a snake sitting in the stones about five feet down; there is little chance the investigating character will be bitten unless the DM wants it. Of course, if the characters begin to descend into the well, they will probably be attacked.
The plank that reaches over the well seems to have no immediate purpose. In the early days of the Keep, it was used to rid the residents of criminals, but it hasn’t been used for that purpose in two centuries (if the party tries to speak to the dead about it). It is strong and will support a very heavy weight throughout. Opposite the plank there is evidence that there was once a windlass that reached over the well, but this is now gone; all that’s left are the metal fixtures bolted into the well’s edge. This was done by the harpies.
Though it would seem useless, the magic of the Keep – the same magic that keeps stone floating in the sky – will cause water to collect in the bottom of the well, enabling it to serve as a cistern. It will be difficult to see, but there is two feet of water suspended in the bottom. The well will not hold anything but water, so that persons and things falling in the well will drop right through. This dweomer also has the effect of purifying water, as impurities fall out while leaving the water behind.
It knows well what is waiting behind the central tower door (see 9, below). It hopes that in the melee there will be one victim that can be attacked by surprise.
If the harpy finds itself facing only one opponent, it will always seek to attack, counting on its claws and teeth to charm its victim. The purpose of the harpy being here is to cause as much trouble as possible, so the harpy should not make any attempt to enter a stand-up fight; if someone approaches to help a single victim, the harpy will cause damage but will flee rather than fight two opponents.
7. Cages. These are shallow cells with stone floors and sides that were used for keeping animals for food and sometimes for unusual biproducts, such as rhino horn or bear claws. They were also once used for human prisoners. The top of each cage is a frame of heavy wooden timbers. This frame opens in two ways; half the frame can be unlocked, though it requires two persons to lift the frame and roll it to an open position. On the side that can’t be opened, there is a human-sized trap door.
The harpies keep their freshest kills here, so there are half-eaten bodies in one of the three cages that were caught on the surface within the last few weeks. At the time of the party’s approach, this will be the cage farthest from the gate. The nearer cage on the right will have corpses that are several months old and the nearer cage on the left will have corpses that have been picked clean. Each cage is about one third full. The harpies change which cages they’re using as the dark ooze will clean the bones of one cage before deciding to move to the next (once the new bodies are ripe).
At present, the ooze is in the cage nearer to the gate, on the right (where the bodies are several months old). It will not be a hazard so long as the cages are left alone – however, it is evident that the harpies are not removing valuables from the bodies, so there are visible holy symbols, prayer beads, scattered coins, necklaces, weapons in scabbards, armor, gemstones set into helmets and so on. The DM should decide how much value would serve as an enticement – and whether the cage with the ooze has the best visible treasure in it. I wouldn’t myself; once the party tried one cage and found treasure without any threat, they would definitely enter all three cages.
The ooze will surprise 3 in 6, due to it being hidden under the bodies and refuse.
8. Pillory. The platform with its gibbet (hanging cage) is empty of any victim. There is nothing at all of importance in the southeast corner of the Keep, though there are many bones and bloodstaines here.
There are six zombies in the guard room and six more crammed together on the spiral stair. All of these have 2 HD and will move into the combat until they are all dead. If the party tries to keep them trapped in the open doorway, they will press together and force the party back through overbearing (treat the weight of three zombies as one creature). The zombies attack without thought or organizing. They move fairly fast, about 20 feet per round (or 10 feet with an attack).
This door to the Lord’s Room (see 10, below) will have a glyph on the door that will cause 10-21 fire damage (2d6 +8) to anyone who touches it. Before the door is touched, if a thief is present, the thief’s detect traps should be rolled (even if it is not stated), simply because there are scorch marks around the door a thief would probably see. If the thief does look for traps, then presume the chances of seeing the glyph are automatic.
10. Lord’s Room. Because of the glyph on the outside, this room has not been desecrated by the harpies (well, except for the fireplace). The DM may choose to imagine a last resident whose skeleton is found here, perhaps slumped in the chair, dead of starvation, or on the floor with a dagger in its rib cage. I chose to leave the room empty. There are books, chests, a desk and chair, a writing desk, an ornate and fabulous bed, a carpet worth considerable coin and a barrel next to the bed.
There are glyphs in the room here, too, like the one on the outside door (see 9, above), which much be searched for (no scorch marks). There are four in total: if the chair is sat on, if the ink well is moved, if a book is removed from the bookshelf and if the far chest by the bed is opened.
The barrel next to the bed will have a dipper and be well sealed. It is filled with red wine, about two thirds full. At the bottom of the barrel is a magic wand that can be detected if the barrel is searched for magic and brought to hand if the character possesses palm object as a cantrip. It is a wand of dispel magic with 5+, one of which will be sufficient to clear the room of all glyphs (because the Lord designed these glyphs to be taken down in this manner).
It is probable the characters may not realize the wand is there; they may even sell the wine after succeeding in clearing the Keep without ever realizing it held a wand.
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