The Tower of Mok

Information Dump

The Tower of Mok basic information

The Tower of Mok was built as a monument to the achievements of the men of the Kingdom of Ashkimar. The Ashkimari built many towers of this type during their reign, but the Tower of Mok was deserving credit above many of the other monuments raised. Rather than praising a battle, siege, or great leader, the Tower of Mok is a monument to the Giant Mok, whom the warriors of Ashkimar slew. They took the giant's head and mounted it atop the tower so that far and wide the death of the giant would be known.

Khelthaczil Low Country

The Low Country is notable for it's expanses of untamed swampland, water logged forests, insular people, and a long history of rugged independence and a strong distrust of magic users. As a former territory of the Ashkimar Kingdom, the Low Country was largely ignored due to it's low population, limited economic value, and the relatively large number of unpleasant things that lived in the fens and bogs of the region. The faith runs strong through the Low Country and even the smallest of villages and hamlets have a house of worship.

The largest town in Khelthaczil is called Myjol. The township of Myjol is named after a long deceased member of the Faith who lived among the swamp folk, converting them to the faith after driving out the Swamp Hags. Sister Superior Myjol is not recognized by the faith as a Saint, and outside of the region she is completely unknown. The township is not well defended, and lacks walls or other military fortifications. It relies on being not important and having a small contingent of Dar-Dars, local men at arms who are versed with melee weapons predominantly spears, and using small boats to navigate the waterways and swamps. Myjol has a small cathedral, a superstitious population, and a strong local culture with its own patois language, customs and such.

The township is notable for the buildings being built on struts and stilts to keep them out of the frequent floods. Almost all have large decks around them suitable for tying off small boats and rafts to.

Dar-Dars

The Dar-Dars are an old quasi-military tradition of the Khelthaczil Low Country. The origins of the Dar-Dars come from ancestral hunters and rangers who foraged through the swamplands and used their wits, skills, and spears to not just bring home food for the cooking pots, but to ward off the giant serpents, lizardfolk, swamp trolls, and other hazards of the fantasy swamps. The Dar-Dars rose in prominence as those who were strong warriors had more food and fewer enemies and could support more wives and more children, strengthening their clans. The modern Dar-Dar no longer hunts for food, but is a man-at-arms, armed with a long spear notable for it's hooked shape (similar to fishing spears used by the modern trappers and hunters), a collection of knives and daggers, and the very obvious very prominent Dar-Dar macana. The Dar-Dar macana is a wooden club like weapon that is set with teeth taken from vicious animals. The more dangerous the animal, the more competent the warrior, or at least that is how the status is supposed to go. The leaders of the Dar-Dar carry macanas claiming to be studded with dragon's teeth, handed down from father to son.

The road to Myjol is long, and well off the regular path. Few traders and merchants pound the roads down to the Low Country. The swamp folk are poor, and the things they offer for trade are not all that valuable. Their food goods are quick to spoil, and even when fresh, few people are adventurous enough to eat things such as the oversized insects or ghastly hot peppers. The most common traffic on the road are tinkers who buy and sell the oddities among the Low Country folk, local musicians and local area merchants, and the favorite merchants among the Dar-Dars, the traveling Daggermen, merchants who specialize in buying, selling, trading, and making interesting and exotic knives and daggers.

Nogoa (No one gets out alive)

Breadcrumb trail to Voddor, from 30 Fantastic Locations the city of the gods of death

The Hook and the Dingus

Aka Why Go Looking for the Tower

1. Search and Destroy: undead minions and monsters have been harassing the outlying farms and outposts in the vicinity of the Tower of Mok. Two patrols and a previous team of adventurers-upon-return have vanished investigating these events.

2. Hunt and Collect: There is something generally valuable required for spellcasting, making potions, or otherwise to be searched out and collected. The most common place to find this material is the vicinity of the Tower of Mok.

3. The Golden Dingus: There is an artifact of great importance supposedly housed in one of the Ashkimari Monuments. Lore indicates that the Tower of Mok is the most likely location.

4. For the Greater Good: The Tower of Mok is rumored to be the lair of a necromancer, this must be investigated, undead must be destroyed, the black mage put to the sword, and the tower destroyed.

5. All that Glitters: There is a rumor that there are very valuable treasures hidden in the Tower of Mok, ranging from the mundane (Ashkimari gold) to the fantastic (Mok's eyes are gemstones so large they require two people to carry).

6. Grist for the Rumor Mill: Tiring of all the buzz about the Tower of Mok, the Adventurer's Guild is petitioned to send a team to investigate, and if need be exterminate undead, necromancers, and retrieve relics and treasures therein giving proper tax and tithe to the Crown, the Guild, and the Temple.

First Impression

Reaching the Tower of Mok is no small task. It will require several days slow travel, starting in a large swamp raft, then switching to pirogues, one person small boats. After riding, paddling, and some swimming, the adventurers-upon-return will have to travel the remainder of the distance on foot. There are no horses or other mounts in the deep swamp of the Low Country. Initial encounters should be typical swamp fair, but as the would be heroes draw closer to the tower, the encounters become more dangerous and more necromantic in nature.

Swamp Monster Enounters: Horrific

Necrodile - the reanimated corpse of a massive crocodile, fearless, hostile, and requires cooperation to outflank and permanently kill. Necrodiles are very aggressive zombie type undead.

Swamp Trolls - low level magic users, man-eaters, armed with clubs or improvised weapons.

Swamp Hag - akin to a Loru Valsharris, the Swamp Hag is a nature spirit but is much more attuned to water plants, decay, poison, and other nasty swamp things. No two hags look the same, but they have the ability to kill a creature, skin it, and then use it's skin to assume it's shape. Some Swamp hags look like local women, others look like swamp trolls, and the most dangerous look like humanoid masses of plant matter and swamp water.

Death Hag - A swamp hag that has been corrupted by necromantic magic. Can raise and control lesser undead, and they are the force that is creating undead versions of normal swamp wildlife.

Dar-Dar Raiders - A band of deep swamp dwelling Dar-Dars, possibly exiles or criminals, working with a practitioner of black magic (primitive witch doctor/shaman style magic). Looking to steal supplies and gear, as well as fresh meat for the cook pot.

Blood Hunter - giant mosquitos also known as gallinippers

Vlostriels - giant carnivorous bats. Vlostriels are as large as eagles and hunt at night. A pack of the creatures can attack and take down solitary travelers. They dislike fire and the ringing of bells. They predominantly consume blood. There are a few zombie vlostriels, but these creatures are blind and have lost the ability to fly.

Entrance/Guardian

Double-take

Puzzle/RP challenge

Getting to know you

trick/setback

getting to know all about you

Climax/big battle

what's in the closet

reward/revelation/plot twist