The Temple of Chaos Divided: The Village of Lymewood

8 miles per hex, original cartography by Thorfinn Tait, source

Lymewood is the nearest civilised settlement to the megadungeon known as the Temple of Chaos Divided, and is a village of about 220 inhabitants, nearly all Alphatian human. It is in northern Alphatia, about 23 miles north of the city of Shiell along the main road, and is also a day's travel from the towns of Sanaz and Naughwayne.  The infamous temple is only 6 miles southwest along a rough track and most folks can reach the temple on foot within 2 hours of leaving Lymewood. 

As described in the background to the temple, in AC 760 (1760 Alphatian Reckoning) a vicious army of monsters and chaotic humans emerged from the Temple of Chaos Divided and began laying waste to the surrounding countryside, with Lymewood being its first objective. Fortunately for the inhabitants the local archmage was able to evacuate them to Shiell using a Polymorph Object spell to increase the size of her magic carpet so that all 80 villagers could climb on. The livestock and buildings of Lymewood were mostly destroyed by the horde of Chaos. 

The army of monsters and chaotic humans was defeated at the walls of Shiell and then the counter attack was launched against the temple. Although the surface structures (described in the previous blog post) were cleared out and burnt, the underground dungeons were a different matter. So the authorities of Shiell decided to keep a watch on the Temple of Chaos Divided, and the best place to do that was Lymewood. Assisting with the rebuilding, two new major buildings were added: Lymewood Outpost, for mages who oppose Chaos, and the Lymewood Bastion, where lawful clerics could maintain a strong presence. While this was going on the farmers and other common folk rebuilt their cottages, shops and barns. 

Key to map of Lymewood

1) The Lymewood Bastion. This imposing church is actually built on the ruins of the old Lymewood chapel that was sacked 240 years ago. It is surrounded by a 10ft high stone wall with battlements and has several wooden buildings (including a stable and a privy) within the compound. The clerics are primarily there to keep an eye on the ruins of the temple in case chaotic creatures emerge again. However, Mother-Adjunct Melrania has become the de facto vicar of Lymewood and some of the clerics posted here have joined her in assisting the community. The clerics will provide magical healing and other helpful magic for a moderate fee of 100gp per spell level, unless it is clear the recipients are combatting the forces of Chaos (in which case spells are only half price, 50gp/spell level). The resident clerics include:

• Mother-Superior Aquillia, 10th level cleric, human female, lawful
• Mother-Adjunct Melrania, 8th level cleric, human female, lawful
• Curate Munroth, 5th level cleric, human male, lawful
• 3 priests (3rd level clerics, all human & lawful)
• 6 Adepts (2nd level clerics, all human & lawful)
• 5 Acolytes (1st level clerics, all human & lawful)

2) The Lymewood Outpost. This is a circular tower about 100ft tall in the style of the classic wizard's abode, with four bulging buttresses reaching up to support the tower for the first 30ft. The mages within have been tasked with keeping an eye on the Temple of Chaos Divided, but generally will not go into the dungeon except perhaps to rescue one of their own. They tend to not hold adventurers in high esteem, and often expect them to die in the dungeon, so they require payment up front for any services rendered. The mages include:

• Mage Trandocious, 16th level magic user, human male, lawful
• Mage Ballanfest, 13th level magic user, human male, lawful
• Mage Carrolina, 13th level magic user, human female, neutral
• Mage Torrdol, 11th level magic user, human male, neutral
• Junior Mage Parra, 7th level magic user, human female, lawful
• Junior Mage Morkoth, 7th level magic user, human male, neutral
• Darathain the Wanderer, 8th level spellsword, elf male, lawful
• 10 mage neophytes (2nd or 3rd level magic user, all human, either lawful or neutral)

3) The Shady Oak Inn: Run by Dellegin the Opportune (6th level fighter, human male, neutral), a retired adventurer who made enough of a fortune plundering dungeons to know what's involved in dungeon exploration. He is perhaps the most sympathetic in the village to adventurers as long as they are well behaved and pay their bills. 

4) Myrtle's General Store: selling most things on the equipment list as long as it is below 45gp, so no plate mail or transportation. Myrtle (NM, human female, neutral) regularly makes trips into Shiell to pick up more stock so she can advise those looking for more specialised items where to look in the city. 

5) Village Well. This has an unusually deep shaft, about 100ft down to the water. There are several buckets attached to ropes here as well as a winch mechanism. Those who have descended the shaft have found themselves on the surface of a large underground lake that stretches at least across the area covered by the village though because of its highly irregular and convoluted shape it is difficult to tell from the bottom of the well just how far the underground lake stretches. Some say that it reaches all the way to the Temple of Chaos Divided. 

6) The farmyards hold several buildings each, including cottages for the farmer's family, sheds for livestock and barns for holding hay and gathered crops. Each farmyard is surrounded by a fence robust enough to contain horses, cows and goats. 

7) Algenon's Magical Supplies, selling vellum, ink, books and the more easily acquired spell components. There are even a few basic magic items for sale in the vault such as potions of healing and scrolls of low-level spells. Up in the attic are books of lore and esoterica which Algenon considers his personal collection rather than stock for sale though he may allow respectful and trusted customers to read these books. 

8) The Windmill is run by Balshir (4th level thief, human male, chaotic) and Vagnar (4th level magic user, human female, chaotic), a married couple who are quite crotchety and reclusive. They are in fact spies for the Temple. Generally they just keep an eye on the village and won't do anything too risky. They also charge the farmers a high price to mill wheat which makes them unpopular. 

9) Bornax the Butcher (2nd level fighter, human male, neutral) provides the meat for the villagers. He will also keep any worthwhile hides and sell them to a tanner and leatherworker in Sanaz. 

10) Belrid the village blacksmith (NM, human male, neutral) currently relies on a mundane coal-fired forge but wants to upgrade to a magically heated one. He has heard there may be one deep in the dungeon but certainly cannot retrieve it himself, and would struggle to pay for it if adventurers brought it to the village. 

11) Nanthe's Knitting. Nanthe (NM, human female, lawful) is skilled at preparing and spinning wool then knitting the yarn into a variety of clothing, and many villagers and some clerics wear her knitted garments. Mages consider her knit-ware rather gauche. Most of the wool is sourced from within the village. 

12) Obdool the Beekeeper (NM, human male, lawful) provides the village with honey. He has a magical Ring of Insect Avoidance that means that bees don't sting him, even when he is collecting their honey. His home has a walled flower garden that has four large beehives and a range of flowers for all seasons so the bees can produce honey for most of the year.