BANDIT'S BRIDGE


Hook: The shadow of the mountain engulfs the whole of the path and far out over the icy river threading its way along the ravine... It's cold, late fall... You gather your cloaks and garments about you, rub your hands and faces and legs to further warm you up... The thin trail meanders along the rock face, but, quite abruptly, opens to the left where a water source from somewhere inside the yawning dark meets the river... A narrow stone bridge ahead of you crosses a break in the path in front of the cave mouth. A splashing sound can be heard inside. Likely a waterfall... You draw up a hand to warn the others back, and approach with one of your retainers... The old man looks about, guardedly. No attack can come from behind, or from the river side, which he indicates to you in the way he moves and positions himself behind you... But, something has your hackles raised. His, too... You don't even look at one another. Both of you know what to do... He has your back covered, and you have his. He's been with you a while, now... through many campaigns. You inch alongside the cliff, backs to the stone, and peer into the darkness... Around the splashing of the waterfall, you hear a gruff, muffled curse, a 'clink' of metal on stone, and a light splash as of something falling into water... You stifle your own response, and hear a grunt of affirmation from your companion. Bandits... 'Well', he whispers with a touch of amusement in his gravely voice - you always wondered if he were chewing rocks, or something - 'I was just starting to get bored...' You can hear your friend thinking in the pause that follows, and wince, as he mumbles with a chuckle, 'So... Who's bait?'

Details: This old cave and bridge is a renowned bandit hideout. No one stays here. It's too enclosed for a permanent bandit camp. But, monsters and brigands use it to ambush travelers. It's also a place many have come to rest, depending on their group size. Caravans keep moving, but, small parties often camp for the night, as it's easily defensible. The paths act as pinch points and it's not easy to smoke the cave out as the wind action sucks anything right back out to the river. Since it's so well used, no animals shelter here. A thin waterfall crashes down from an opening in the ceiling, fed from a water source further up the moutain.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MAZE OF ADVENTURE

Image
  Hook: The four rune stones, when placed into the bases of the minotaur caryatids located int he tomb chamber, trigger a release somewhere nearby... A grinding, moaning scrape of stone-on-stone fills the room. Turning, you see the entirety of Rŵnos's sarcophagus, as well as the stepped dais it rests upon, moving slowly backward. After it retreats about ten feet, a hole in the granite flagstones is revealed. A stone stair spirals down into the darkness. Stale air drifts upward as you peer into the opening... No sound emanates from it. It is eerily silent... Details: The ecology, here, is unique. There are forces opposed to and allied with one another within, struggling for a place and dominance in the maze. A clan of imps led by their aggressive leader, a larger imp of impressive stature and strategy (but, still an imp, and still a coward), rules a portion of the upper maze. The imps are ultimately controlled by the Rat King and his pestilent, cruel, rat people living in the caves ...
Read more

THE LANDS OF KELTIKA SETTING PRIMER (DRAFT)

Image
SPECIAL NOTE  - This is the setting primer and map for the world I designed to accompany Heroes of Yore: Advanced (Basic) Rules set I'm kickstarting. I decided to share it, in-process, when it was done enough to show real progress, in case I die or I lose something. I am still very much in danger, from many angles, since I've been abandoned in this city with no friends or family. I want people to 1. Know who I am and what I have done (that I lived and accomplished this, along with other things I love doing); 2. In an attempt to save myself, I think it's a good way to show my potential, skill set as an ad, designer, writer, and world-builder (I designed and wrote this (including the map) in 10 hours - most of the writing in 3-4, tops), in the event someone decides to help me; 3. I want people to know what goes into things like this. This is mostly put together, but, I'll be combing through it, editing it to the best of my ability, so that I can playtest the setting. Ther...
Read more

MAZE OF WAVES

Image
Hook: Wandering down the granite stairs to the water maze is much the same experience you had descending the steps that led to the air maze. There is a light ahead that seems but a pinprick at this distance. It's warm, steady, like a pole star, only below you instead of above. The sound of rushing water greets your senses, as well. Using the light as your guide, like a moth to a flame, you descend until you reach the light, the rushing water sound becoming a thunderous sound that fills your ears and blocks out most other noises the closer you get. You approach the light through a portal flanked by the minotaur statues you have grown accustomed to seeing. Like the other maze entrances, it leads into a natural granite cavern that opens wide. Before you stretches a vast chamber filled with a tumultuous sea, and a sky hanging over it that is much like that from the mountain chamber, only less cloudy, at present. Sun light beams down pleasantly upon you, and the air, though cool, is ple...
Read more