by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)
This level can be reached only by going down from room 3 of Level 2 B (the former Akropolis of Kotesh and later temple of Ixion, in Issue 3 of Threshold magazine). PC’s will find themselves in Level 2 A, Ancient Kotesh:
Random Critters table and Wandering Parties table of the level above still apply here. On a roll of 1 on 1d6, roll 1d20 on the Random Critters Table. There is also a 1% chance on 1d100 in each room that a Wandering Party will be encountered.
This city was inhabited by ogres, giants and followers of Nyx, humans and otherwise, for 7 centuries from 603 BC to 95 AC. Its layout is very particular as it had no streets:
Dark green areas were once courts and other spaces open to the sky, i.e below roof level, while part of thel life of the city took place over the roofs of the houses (depicted below in white). The wooden stairs once connecting the roofs with the courts have collapsed long ago. The courts are mostly buried by earth and debris and therefore impassable, or mostly so.
White areas are the houses of the ancient city, that normally only had access from the rooftops, except for areas 2 and 3, that were under the Akropolis (Level 2 B) and therefore had doors. They were sliding stone slabs doors, so could be difficult to spot (1-2 on 1d6) and many are jammed, so are depicted in the map as secret doors.
As the city is now buried under level 1, many houses obviously no longer have access from the roofs. There are however, several passage between the houses that didn’t existed in the original city: they were created during the battle between ogres and Ixion’s followers, usually by clerical or wizardly magic, so they are no door but only rubble from fallen and broken walls. White areas are the ones whose walls were broken, so can easily be accessed.
Light green areas are a particular case: these are the houses that, like the white ones, had access from the roof, but lost it when The Last One buried the city in 227AC. Their walls however were not broken down when the Followers of Ixion conquered the city, and many were only partially sacked or left exactly as the ogres and giants had abandoned them, so if PC’s are somehow able to break into these houses they will find the original objects of 8 centuries ago (if humans reused the house) or even of 1000 years ago (if they were abandoned by the ogres or giants and never used again by the humans). Random critters could still have found a way to enter any of these rooms (1 on 1d6 as above), as well as Wandering Parties.
1 - The North East tower. A fireball was thrown inside the tower during the battle between the ogres and Ixion's followers. The remains of the five ogre warriors that died here were never removed. The Last One has animated them as zombies, waiting for intruders to enter.
2 - The Under Palace. This area was underground even before the landslide that buried ancient Kotesh, as it was under the Acropolis with the Ogre King’s palace. It housed mostly kitchens, storerooms and servants quarters. As troops of the ogre kingdom fought hard here to avoid the fall of the palace, the rooms are heavily ruined and buried. Ixion's followers however cleared them of bodies, so just common objects and random critters (see table for Level 2 B) may normally be found here. There are sliding stone doors between the rooms of this area, but they are often difficult to spot and jammed. These are indicated as secret doors in the map, even if they really aren’t.
3 - The Barracks. This area housed ogre soldiers at the time of the Ogre Kings. It was almost destroyed completely during Ixion's invasion and left so. Now burnt skeletons can still be seen among destroyed arms and the usual debris.
4 - The Former Gate The entrance of the ancient city was completely buried by the landslide. The ogre-built gatehouse was demolished in the attack by the followers of Ixion, and without giant and ogre workers it was rebuilt in much smaller proportions, and evidently with a much less sound structure. The area is impassable.
5 - The South East Tower. The tower was taken during Ixion's invasion and the defenders killed, their bodies later removed. The tower is completely empty.
6 - The Foundry A center of power in Kulfan’s kingdom, the Foundry was the siege of the metalworkers, ogres who combined massive strength with quasi-magical knowledge of metalsmithing. It was gutted with magic by the followers of Ixion, although the massive outer structure resisted. Thus, the area looks blasted and scorched. The large amounts of metallic ores stored in nearby warehouses have attracted Rust Monsters, which can be found in both areas. There are a total of 12 Rust Monsters in this level. 2d6-3 of them can be found here at any time.
7 - The South Court. The former court is completely buried under the earth. Here ogres were killed during Ixion's invasion and priests and soldiers were buried during The Last One’s attack, so there is a good supply of skeletons under here, ready to be animated. Some can be seen partially emerged.
8 - The Great House. This place was the common house of the metalworkers. Many were killed here when the human followers of Ixion invaded, their possessions and remains long gone. Later humans used the house as a barracks for short periods. Now critters and rust monsters often wander here.
9 - Ore Warehouse This large building served to store metallic ores during the days of the Ogre Kings, which were then transformed into weapons and tools in the Foundry (area 6). Rust Monsters have since consumed all of the iron ore, although some copper and tin ore can be still found here. 2d6-5 Rust Monsters are encountered here at any time.
10 - The Darkers house. This was the main headquarters of the Darkers at the time of the Ogre Kings, then it was used by Ixion’s followers, then by the Darkers of Lord Vudar again, then by priests of Ixion (see level 1). Over the centuries The Last One managed to capture some of these folk, much to their misery, deforming their bodies and turning them into intelligent undead. There are now 22 of them, they look like sick gremlins or goblins and are capable of speech, but difficult to understand (treat as ghouls). If turned there is a 50% chance they will be freed from The Last One’s bond.
11 - The Long Court. Between the temple of Nyx, metalworkers and stonemasons, this court was an important centre of the daily life at the time of the Ogre Kings. Later it was used for training by the followers of Ixion, but now is completely buried.
12 - The temple of Nyx. The main temple of the town at the time of the Ogre Kings also was the burial place of rulers for centuries. Indeed, in the crypt were buried Kulfan and several of his successors. The temple was partially destroyed by the followers of Ixion but they left the crypt undisturbed. Now it is a big room, eerily empty and silent.
13 - Ogre King’s Armory This area was originally the lower level of the Ogre King’s palace, dug into the acropolis. It was used to store weapons and armor used by the King’s élite warriors. This, and the adjacent areas, were preserved from the landslide, since they were already underground. The last battles of both wars were fought near, and in, this area. The Last One left a big Bone Golem (HD8) here made of ogre and human skeletons.
14 - The General House. This was the house of top officials under the Ogre Kings and was used for the same purpose by Ixion followers afterwards. The Last One has used the bodies of a former ogre general and of a former Ixion general to build an unintelligent, but very scary, undead (As Nightwalker, HD15).
15 - Soldiers Court. In this court ogre soldiers practiced and trained, some died here during Ixion's invasion and their bodies were burned.
16 - The Rain Market. This huge area was divided into several stalls and served as a covered market for the city. It was abandoned and sacked when Ixion’s followers invaded, and never cleaned or resettled. Centuries old remains of merchandise still litters the floor.
17 - The Tailor House. This was a warehouse containing cloths of all kinds, a workshop and a store at the time of the Ogres Kings. Ragged remains still lie around in the room, and oozes have several lairs here.
18 - The Leather House. Here leatherworkers had workshops and stores at the time of Ogre Kings. Strangely enough, among the occasional beetle and giant rat, there is still an ogre cobbler working here.
19 - The Workers Houses. Mostly ogre workers lived here or in the level below the room at the time of the Ogre Kings. Not much is left of the bedrolls and the meager personal possessions that once were here.
20 - The Small Palace. This was in the past city the only thing similar to a tavern and an inn, as is evident from the many ruined bed rolls still lying around. It was partially burned and not much is left intact here. Some rhagodessas, with eggs and larvae too, have chosen the place as their main home and will try to chase intruders away.
21 - The South West Gate. As the other gates, this too is now completely buried. The two small towers on its side still have corpses of fallen ogre soldiers.
22 - The Great Tower. This tower is the only part of ancient Kotesh that surfaces outside on the left side of Koskatep hill, but the old access in the roof is blocked by debris and earth.
23 - The West Court. Here was the biggest town market at the time of the Ogre Kings. Now it’s a favorite place for centipedes and carrion crawlers.
24 - The Rich Houses. This area of the city was decorated with wall reliefs and paintings, and the houses well furnished, as it housed ogre and giant chiefs, shamans, and wizards, at the time of the Ogre Kings. It was heavily damaged during Ixion's followers invasion but partially repaired, as some priests lived here using the old furniture. The Last One animated 1d8 human acolytes as ghouls to roam the area.
25 - The Guildhall. This building was originally a stonemason's guildhall. Ogres employed a small number of Stone Giants as stonemasons, and the giants built this hall as their own quarters. Thus, the hall is built in grander proportions than the rest of the city, and has withstood the destruction much better than other buildings. There is little of value left in this area, although signs are evident of a past splendor -- holes in the walls hint at massive chandeliers, and large bas-reliefs are still visible here and there.
A single stone egg can be found among the rubble -- it is an unhatched Stone Giant egg1. The egg is now dead, but it can be sold as a curio to scholars, collectors, or perhaps to a circus.
26 - The Workshop. This building was the stonemason's workshop. It is full of large slabs of stone in various stages of crafting. The Stone Giants fled the workshop when the city was attacked, so no remains of them are left here.
During the Darkers initial invasion, The Last One will send against them some zombies (room 1), wraiths (room 3, but they’ll turn against him immediately), skeletons (room 7, 11, 23), rust monster skeletons (room 9), the intelligent ghouls (room 10, but they’ll turn against him), the Bone Golem (room 13), gelatinous skeletons (room 21), and ghouls (room 24).
When The Last One strikes back, he’ll use the Six Vampires (room 2, but they could have already encountered the Darkers and gone with them, or be able to escape his control and flee), more skeletons (room 23), Wights and Wraiths (room 8, who could turn against him) The Body (room 12), the Nightwalker (room 14), Chuv (room 22, but he’ll be unwilling to fight and could flee), and The Stone Golem (room 26).
The Darkers however in the meantime could have gained the allegiance of the vampires (room 2), the wraiths (room 3), maybe the apparition (room 5) the intelligent ghouls (room 10) and Chuv (room 22, if they can free and convince him). They’ll also probably have on their side the Incorporeal (room 7), Kulfan (room 12), the rhagodessas (room 20) and some ogre and hill giant sentries (room 22).
Humgr (room 18) is a special case as he’ll not fight for either party.
1 Stone Giants, according to AC 10, lay eggs, as they were created by Ka the Preserver, who was more familiar with oviparous biology