Southland: Mount Connor

THE SOUTHLAND

A Fantasy Core Setting

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Southland Index

Humanoid Lands Index

Mount Connor (Ancient-Atila)

[This area is essentially a place to drop in your favorite mega-dungeon.  Pretty much anything goes inside.  While very dangerous, there should be plenty of treasure and magical items within.  The characters should have some opportunity to find out that the various tribes inside are constantly at war with one another, and that this could be used to their advantage.]

Seven Sisters Myth: The Sisters sought shelter in a giant mountain where survivors from the war had gathered.  But once inside, all they found were monsters.  The Sisters cursed them to fight over the mountain forever and fled deeper underground.

The Ancients called this place Atila.  Whatever purpose it served before the Civil War, it became a giant survival bunker during it.  The hollowed out mesa was a mecca for refugees fleeing the conflict.  Attackers unsuccessfully besieged it throughout the war.  Unfortunately, it didn’t save them during the Catastrophe.  Atila would be emptied of human life. 

It was not, however, emptied of all life.  Various Humanoid tribes immediately moved in and began to war on one another for control of the massive “City in the Rock.”  Perhaps akin to their reverence for Ayers Rock and the Olgas (also in the area), the Humanoids have attached some very important cultural significance to it.  The dominant clan of the Rock attains some measure of prestige amongst the others.  At least the large presence of Humanoids and constant warfare ensures a steady food supply for the carnivorous inhabitants.

There are a multitude of entrances into the rock and at various levels.  Most of the unguarded ones have been buried in rockslides, but can be uncovered.  The interior is a maze of rooms and chambers.  This was originally a large living space, including farm and livestock areas with artificial sunlight, but it’s unknown what the original inhabitants were doing there.  It was clearly expanded for refugees during the war. 

A large, well-stocked and organized adventure company has a base camp outside of Mount Connor.  An aquifer has been struck in an attempt at starting a permanent outpost, Camp Connor.  They are constantly recruiting new members, offering a 50% cut of any treasure recovered.  So far, they have brought out an impressive amount of treasure and magical items from even limited incursions inside.  The large number of Humanoids there are fighting over the Rock itself, so the camp outside hasn’t received focused attention.  There are also enough high-level adventurers there to make it a prickly site to assault.  As long as they don’t try and hold territory inside, the Humanoids perhaps don’t care about their presence.   

Other created creatures have made their homes inside.  They may have migrated there or been there with the humans.  Some have made deals with various tribes, some are in hiding, even a few are strong enough to take on all comers.  (The Humanoids would dearly like those last creatures taken out by adventurers, perhaps by maneuvering them into conflict.)  One pervasive type of resident in the Rock is the so-called “Gelatinous Cube.”  These ravenous ooze-based creatures range all over the inside of Mount Connor, seeking organic matter to absorb (and there’s plenty of that).  The Humanoids have a curious reverence for the Cubes and never attack them, even leaving scraps of the dead out for them.

Gelatinous Cube

HD 4 (d10), Hp 20, AC 10 (Natural)

Fort +9, Ref –4, Will –4

Melee: Slam +4 to hit 1d6 + DC 12 Fort Sv or Stun 1 Turn, stunned victims are then Engulfed the next rd and absorbed within 1 turn (6 damage each rd).

Stealth +5 (Cubes are nearly transparent)

Engulf: With a successful Stealth check on an unsuspecting victim, the person has inadvertently walked into the Cube.  Automatic hit and 6 damage, DC 18 Fort Sv or stunned.

Bane: Will retreat from fire and magic attacks

Cubes may be holding various victims’ treasure inside them, until it passes them an hour later (leaving a trail of random goods).  Sometimes valuables are clearly visible (Stealth ability goes to +0).