Megadungeon Musings
This is a slush post for ideas I scribbled down last night for my dungeon I'm working on.
Level 1: Catacombs of the Lost City
Dungeon Lord: The Forgotten King. Once the king of a long dead empire, now a spectre of his former nobility. He presides over a court of skeletal advisors and servants, and his bony minions keep traitors to his Throne at bay. In a fierce rivalry with the Bone Devil that hides in the catacombs.
Vibes: Kings, crowns, lineage, loyalty, the throne, succession, revolt, court gossip, pipe organ music, Gothic architecture, dry tunnels, golden embellishments, bone magic, spider skeletons, zombies, undead, Danse Macabre, flickering torches, funeral dirges, skeletal Bride, poisoned wine, fated ballroom dances
Factions: The Forgotten King and His Skeletal Court Bone Devil Ordo Osseo
Ordo Osseo: religious sect that uses bones for divination and divine communication with their gods, wheel and deal for bones from rare and powerful creatures. Quite pushy when it comes to proclaiming adventurers to be dead, for some reason. Have healing magic but will refuse to use it unless cool bones are given in exchange, would rather just have the skeleton of your dead friend though
The Surgeon: Did autopsy and embalming. Knife obsessed freak, really wants to take a look at your insides and bring them to the outsides
Monsters: Skeletons, bone spiders, zombies, ghosts, goblins, skeletal arms grabbing from the catacomb walls, other level 1 monsters. Weird bone growth powers
Need areas with lots of light maybe, to contrast all the dark theming
Skeletal torchlighters keep the ambience on this floor, if too many are killed torches in wall sconces won’t be re-lit, impacting light level
The Skeletal Court takes great pride in their appearance, wear lots of lavish clothes and valuable jewelry to vie for the favor of the King The King stalks his domain on occasion, wary of intruders. Prone to fits of violence, his subjects are terrified of him but will never admit it, want to stay in his good graces
Bone Devil: Solo powerful monster, continuously stalks adventurers from early on. It offers great powers in exchange for an arm or leg bone, rendering the limb useless. It adds the bones to its body, increasing in size, strength, speed, and horror with each grafted limb. Is not aggressive, but very explosive, in your face, always wanting your bones. Jumps around the room suddenly, without warning. Perches and stares from high places like a cat in a playful mood. If a deal for power is ever struck and broken, will pursue with impunity
Garden of petrified trees and flowers, pale subterranean moonlit sky above
Ballroom, throne room
Fungal forest, mushroom guys. Mycologist wizard here