TEXT: Copyright © 2014 Michael Prescott -
  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://patreon.com/adventures
  v1.0 p.1/2
  THE EXTENT OF GAMANDES
  An adventure location by Michael Prescott
  horizon). Taller features can be seen further:
  large structures +1 hex; highlands +2; peaks +4.
  Maximum viewing distance is the height of the
  viewer's terrain plus that of the target feature.
  The Gull Emperor's Fortress, for example, is a
  large structure (+1) on a mountain peak (+4), so
  it can be seen 8 hexes away (3+1+4) from the
  lowlands,
  or
  12
  hexes
  away
  from
  another
  mountain peak (3+1+4+4).
  A RUST-STAINED DESERT
  The lowland areas are lifeless wastes. The
  light is constant but diffuse, as if overcast
  but bright and pulsating, sometimes
  flickering.
  IMPRESSIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE
  In various places: slate-like
  bedrock
  eroded
  into
  sharp
  flakes;
  coarse
  sand;
  windblown grit; puddles of
  undrinkable, rusty water;
  sponge-like rock crunches
  underfoot, leaving visible
  footprints; a pile of iron
  hoops, each d20 yards in
  diameter and rusted to
  near nothingness; burn
  marks;
  a
  deafening
  noise
  tears
  the
  sky,
  source invisible (flying
  Harbingers);
  the
  sky's
  glow
  intensifies,
  then
  subsides; earthquakes.
  EARTHBLOOD
  The
  lakes
  are
  murky,
  reek of tar and have patches
  of
  rainbow-streaked
  oil
  floating on the surface, the so-
  called blood of Gamandes. It is
  drinkable, but anyone consuming it
  will soon emit the same stench.
  The lakes are rich with simple life:
  jellyfish and sticky, red algae.
  There is no other potable water in the extent.
  In the dry air, lack of drinking water will
  cause total incapacity within three days, and
  death soon after.
  THE SITUATION
  The shattered remnant of a demigod's home
  plane spins through the void. Having slain the
  demigod Gamandes, alliance of invaders turned
  upon itself. Surviving bands from all sides
  struggle as the landscape falls apart.
  THE EXTENT OF GAMANDES
  The Extent is a circular region roughly 66
  miles in diameter (3 miles per hex). It is ringed
  on most sides by jagged mountains, except in the
  north, where the void has overcome them and is
  devouring the plains.
  FACTIONS AND GROUPS
  There are four factions within the extent:
  *
  Carreg still loyal to Gamandes and the great
  works of the extent
  *
  Rust Soldiers, the Carreg's servitor golems
  *
  An invading group of Void Gulls and their
  Emperor
  *
  Carreg that have turned to savagery, even
  allying with the invaders out of desperation
  KEY LOCATIONS
  THE GULL EMPEROR'S FORTRESS
  A squat, striped tower bulges from the rim of
  the
  crag-ringed
  lake.
  Within
  are
  30
  gulls,
  including 6 of the emperor's elite guard. d6 gulls
  will glide out to intercept those who approach.
  The emperor covets an Artifact (determine
  randomly).
  ERUS RES
  A cleft in the plateau shelters a quarantine
  camp for partially erupted gulls, set up in the
  days after the Nuss betrayal, but the guards
  have been slain and the erupted wander freely,
  2d4 still lurking in the camp.
  A gull deserter lives in a cavern above the
  camp; it will eagerly trade what it knows for
  food. Other gulls avoid the whole area.
  THE MACHINE
  A massive, rusted sphere (120') sits atop a
  granite slab, black smoke pouring out. As the
  wind blows it emits a bass drone that carries for
  miles. Inside is thick with ladders and huge cogs.
  A band of 2d6 Carreg occupies the sphere (see
  random outlook table, below).
  Once hourly, a huge nozzle at the top shoots a
  barrel-sized bolt of hissing magma into the
  heavens, slamming down on the northern plain
  and doing considerable damage. If the machine's
  three boilers are stoked, it can be turned and
  aimed (albeit slowly). It fires up to 12 miles.
  An Artifact (determine randomly) has been
  stashed in its cavernous lower level.
  OSTIUM TREMENS
  On a small islet, a castle-sized iron
  head with a shattered neck has fallen
  to earth on its side. Sculpted with
  Carreg features and a great helm.
  Save for a network of hollow
  channels
  connecting
  its
  mouth, nose and eyes, it is
  solid
  iron,
  rusted
  and
  radiating holiness.
  The
  channels
  once
  produced
  the
  Song
  of
  Gamandes, a drone that
  filled the entire plane,
  evoking life and peace.
  A
  band
  of
  2d6+3
  Carreg have defended
  the
  islet
  since
  the
  death of Gamandes at
  the hands of the Nuss.
  (The remainder of the
  demigod's body was lost
  to the void.)
  Anyone
  standing
  in
  an
  eye
  and
  facing
  outward can 'step' to any
  place that once heard the
  Song.
  Accidental
  travel
  within the extent is likely.
  With experimentation, PCs
  will be able to see from the eye
  into a vast, dark place: the Ur-Menig
  (see the Steeps of Ur-Menig, Though
  Flesh Be Vast), and step to it. The head's
  defenders know this, and consider it sacred.
  THE TEAHOUSE
  A three-storey teahouse of polished black
  wood, reputed through the planes for catering to
  exotic tastes. A low wall encloses a garden of rare
  fungi (most savory and edible, some medicinal).
  2d6 gull deserters (originally an elite scout
  wing) have been here for weeks, holding the
  terrified Carreg staff in thrall. The teamaster
  has hidden an Artifact in the kitchens.
  THE FINAL TEMPLE
  A circular, brass ziggurat towers over the
  lowlands. Deep within, saints fritter over a
  golden orb, its fractalline clockwork surface
  shivering and ticking.
  Carreg guard it: d6 saints and d8 faithful, for
  it is the Seed of Gamandes. Once blessed by a
  circle of 14 saints,
  it will blossom into
  an extradimensional plain: a new Extent which
  will grow by several miles in radius per day.
  TRAVEL IN THE EXTENT
  Adventurers can make out low-lying features
  up to 3 hexes away (beyond that, the tight
  curvature of the extent hides things over the
  
  Copyright © 2014 Michael Prescott -
  - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ - Find more adventure locations at http://patreon.com/adventures
  v1.0 p.2/2
  THE EXTENT OF GAMANDES
  MIASMA
  The two great bogs are hard to cross: floating
  mats of wire-like moss, open water, expanses of
  soft, yielding mud, pools of liquid tar.
  THE VOID
  In
  the
  north,
  the
  mountains
  are
  gone
  completely, replaced by a ragged cliff. Beyond
  the crumbling edge is what looks like more sky -
  a featureless, diffuse void, source of a steady
  north wind.
  The void cannot be travelled normally; those
  who fall in are surely lost to an airy demise.
  AT WORLD'S END
  The extent is shrinking as the void advances,
  tearing away its edges. The ring of mountains
  bordering
  the
  extent
  are
  thrust
  up
  as
  a
  protection, the final reflex of a dying plane.
  When near them, great cracking noises shake
  the ground as the plains rise up to join the
  defense.
  Winds howl up from the valleys, over the
  peaks and into the void. At the craggy edges, the
  outward gale can drag climbers off the extent
  completely.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  Roll for a random encounter every 8 hours
  spent in the extent. On the plains, an encounter
  occurs on a 2 in 6. In the highlands or miasma, 1
  in 6. At lake edges, 4 in 6.
  Roll d8 to determine what has been met:
  1.
  d6 Patrolling Gulls
  2.
  d2 Rust Soldiers
  3.
  Band of 2d8 Carreg, 25% of d3 Carreg saints
  4.
  d3 'Eruptions' of Nuss
  5.
  d2 Harbingers of Nuss
  6.
  Partially erupted gull flopping, in terror
  7.
  d2 Dust Bears (as grizzlies, but scaly)
  8.
  Two parties (roll twice) in an encounter
  CARREG OF THE EXTENT
  The extent was once filled with worthy,
  ascended Carreg, brought into the service of
  Gamandes. Reduced to scattered bands, they
  roam the landscape seeking (d6):
  1.
  saints for the temple
  2.
  allies to help survive
  3.
  to raid for the means of survival
  4.
  someone to blame
  5.
  to be left alone in their grief
  6.
  to defend the extent from invaders and
  looters
  Roll (d6) to determine their attitude toward
  the party (1: hostile, 2: demanding, 3: wary,
  4: curious, 5: friendly, 6: delighted).
  Carreg saints once had clerical powers, but
  these disappeared with Gamandes' defeat.
  THE RUST SOLDIERS
  Servants of Gamandes sustained by the Song,
  these 7' iron golems are rusting and failing.
  Near water, they are usually netting jellies to
  feed Carreg; elsewhere they travel with haste or
  wander
  aimlessly.
  They
  have
  a
  dog-like
  intelligence, but can speak clearly.
  RUST SOLDIER MALFUNCTIONS (D6)
  1.
  legs seize for d3 rounds
  2.
  when moving, falls prone on a 1 in 3
  3.
  every d20 minutes, flips from hostile to
  friendly or vice versa with a loud clang
  4.
  immediately forgets everything it can't see
  5.
  thick black smoke pours out
  6.
  a limb begins to glow red hot, setting fire to
  whatever it touches
  THE MANY FORMS OF NUSS
  In the void beneath Gamandes is a region of
  chaotic, vital energy. There is scant matter
  there, and the dwellers of that place, the Nuss,
  clamor for material existence.
  They are jealous of the selfish mortals that
  express only one stable form during their long
  lives, resisting every change. Worst of all is the
  mortal
  habit
  of
  producing
  near-identical
  offspring - an act of supreme selfishness.
  If they had the chance, they would use the
  material realms more wisely. They want bodies,
  to share if they must, so they can show the
  selfish the joy of eruption!
  ERUPTIONS OF NUSS (LESSER FORM)
  Lesser foms of Nuss, each eruption uses the
  body given to it to express its unique form.
  Common motifs:
  *
  Warty spheres
  *
  Tough, rope-like umbilicals
  *
  Tentacled mats
  *
  Branching worms, with many legs or none
  *
  Toothy, stud-like protrusions
  *
  Dozens of tiny, bead-like eyes
  Eruptions with sufficient legs move as rapidly
  as
  humans,
  or
  faster.
  They
  meander
  the
  landscape, happily chasing, cuddling, or eating
  whatever they encounter. Those with mouths
  may proselytize the selfish, for who would
  wilfully turn aside joy?
  They are erratic and short-lived, 'erupting'
  into new configurations every few days.
  HARBINGERS OF NUSS (GREATER FORM)
  Harbingers resemble 8', walking bats with
  trilateral symmetry (three wings, three legs,
  three arms), topped with an eye-encrusted mass.
  Ungainly on the ground, they fly as invisible
  lightning, tearing the sky with a deafening noise.
  Their hollow-tipped spears inject the essence
  of a Nussan form; anyone stabbed
  must resist
  with restorative magic or heroic fortitude, or
  begin 'erupting'. Beginning at the wound, the
  complete change can take as little as 6 days.
  The harbingers are not interested in martial
  glory, only bringing forth new eruptions. They
  will retreat from stiff resistance and wait for a
  chance for an ambush, but they are determined:
  unworthy Harbingers are recycled.
  Each Harbinger carries 1 dose of Nussan
  essence, but can fetch more from below the
  extent in a few hours.
  THE VOID GULLS
  An alien race long exiled to the void, they
  engineered the downfall of Gamandes by allying
  with the Nuss.
  The Nuss viewed them as just another selfish
  species, and so betrayed and attacked them as
  soon as the invasion began.
  THE GULLS
  3'-4' high, 7' long, with a rubbery, 15' 'wing'
  span. More suited to the void, gulls are passable
  gliders but weak flyers. On flat ground, they
  move quickly by 'glide-hopping', but tire easily.
  Alone, they are nervous and inclined to keep
  their distance. When two or more are present,
  they revert to their military training, seizing
  victims with their hands and delivering axe-like
  blows with their bony 'bills'.
  Gulls check prisoners carefully for Nussan
  contamination.
  THE GULL EMPEROR
  Their leader is vain, fickle, and rash. It has
  lost nearly everything in the extent, and is
  determined to extract something of value.
  It is desperate for useful allies, but distrusts
  everyone. It is identical to other gulls, save for its
  large size, platinum sceptre and gnomeskin cowl.
  ARTIFACTS OF THE EXTENT
  BITTER OINTMENT (GULL ARTIFACT)
  A
  striped,
  copper
  carafe
  containing
  12
  applications of a thick ointment. It will cure
  eruption, or prevent future infection for 2 days.
  Nuss can smell it, and react with hostility.
  SEEDS OF DOOM (GULL ARTIFACT)
  A striped beaker contains d3+3 glowing white
  pellets.
  If
  one
  touches
  ground
  (here
  or
  anywhere), it will rip a 10' hole, revealing the
  glowing void below, expanding by 100 yards per
  day until it reaches d10 x 100 yards in diameter.
  (The extent is 30 yards thick in the lowlands.)
  GLARE OF THE CONQUEROR (GULL ARTIFACT)
  An ebony lantern with d4 pots of enchanted
  oil. Its pale light turns Carreg (and other
  earthen beings) into an edible slush favored by
  gull soldiers.
  STRIPED CONE (GULL ARTIFACT)
  A soft, rubbery cone. When squeezed, the
  wind briefly shifts to the direction of the narrow
  end.
  ROD OF PEACE (CARREG ARTIFACT)
  A hollow staff, blown as a cornet. The eerie
  droning noise is reminiscent of the Song of
  Gamandes and deadens aggressive intent. Sadly,
  joyful Nuss are unaffected by the sound.
  HOW TO REACH THE EXTENT
  As a pocket plane, adventurers could arrive at
  a random point in the Extent through any
  number of ways:
  Astral travel gone wrong; teleporting to that
  comet; being blasted by eldritch fire; looking into
  an efrit's bottle; through a magician's telecope;
  from the top room of Stellarium; overdosing on
  cyldwort; through one of the walls of Zeichus'
  studio; from Yorta's Pool of Seven Ways.
  LEAVING THE EXTENT
  This is potentially more difficult. Adventurers
  who have forged their own way here may be able
  to do the same in reverse.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Trilemma Adventures/Trilemma 13 Extent of Gamandes.pdf