Aberrant Ruins 8

Posted:April17,2014inBrassTacks
Tags:aberrant,Adventure,D&D,D&Dfifthedition,D&DNext,DnD,dungeon,dungeon
crawl,dungeonsanddragons,magicitems,ruins,worldbuilding,worldbuilding

Thesethingsareallovertheplace!TakealookatthemapofCanus.Anythinglabeledorangeisanaberrantruin.

Anythinginorange.Checkitout!

MuchlikethetribesinVerda,IwanttomakeallofExplorationAgesvariousruinsofitsfirstinhabitantsvariableandeasytouseon

thefly.ThismeansthateveryoneplayinganExplorationAgegamewillhaveaslightlydifferentexperiencewhichmakesevery

campaignfunandunique.TakealookatthisexcerptfromtheExplorationAgeCampaignSettingandletmeknowwhatyouthink!

Aberrant Ruins
Thoughmuchoftheircultureandhistoryremainsmysterious,thereisevidenceaboundthatCanuswasonceruledbyaberrants.Even

remoteGlaciuswasoncehometothesebizarrecreatures.Variousruinedcitiesandsettlementsarenowhometodangerouscreatures,
mindbendingdungeons,andfantastictechnology.Itemsdiscoveredexploringaberrantruinsledtothecreationofairships,siege

weapons,firearms,andtheJackrabbit.

Aberrantruinsmakeperfecthomesforwildanimalsandmonsterswhichhashelpedearnthemadangerousreputation.Thewell

designedarchitectureoftheaberrantsmeansmanyoftheirwalls,ceilings,andtunnelsarestillstandingmillennialater,providing

shelterforthesecreaturesandbanditsontherun.Certaintypesofaberrantruins,suchasmilitaryinstallations,researchfacilities,and

prisonshavetrapswhicharestillactiveormayevenbehometomillenniaoldbeastswaitingtobediscovered.Despitethedanger,

strangeandwonderfulitemsfoundamongsttheruinsattractarchaeologicaldigs,cultists,andadventurersbothgoodandevil.

Oneinterestingfeatureallaberrantruinsshareisthattheirstructuresarebuiltdownintotheground,ratherthanhighintotheair.

Sincetheaberrantsmainenemieswerehighflyingdragons,itwasbetterfortheirdefensetoburrowintotheground,ratherthan

buildstructuresthattoweredintothesky.Sometimesthecomplexescouldbemanystoriesdeep,liketheapartmentcomplexesthat

occurinruinedaberrantcities.

BelowisalistofknownaberrantruinsonthemapofCanus.

Findalay

Aeranore

AlcarachMine

DulkarashRolltodeterminefunction

KalusareRolltodeterminefunction

XaltithRolltodeterminefunction

Bragonay

BearickTurCity

JaxinothRolltodeterminefunction

VayvixtusRolltodeterminefunction

XikhulitarRolltodeterminefunction
 Marrial

CaramaynorRolltodeterminefunction

FeraDunPrison

HildarMynktorRolltodeterminefunction

XarutketchRolltodeterminefunction

Taliana

BelnogasthMilitaryInstallation

TelamachraRolltodeterminefunction

ZarutorRolltodeterminefunction

Glacius

IllfibratasRolltodeterminefunction

OlhydanaResearchFacility

Parian

AllutbruRolltodeterminefunction

DulGataRolltodeterminefunction

FeltabulRolltodeterminefunction

HurnuraRolltodeterminefunction

NaraGoonRolltodeterminefunction

ViaturRolltodeterminefunction

YulushRolltodeterminefunction

Verda

NewAeranore

HulzalRolltodeterminefunction
 ShuzalRolltodeterminefunction

NewBragonay

KondaconRolltodeterminefunction

NumoraskRolltodeterminefunction

OrrathokRolltodeterminefunction

WolturakRolltodeterminefunction

NewMarrial

GullalRolltodeterminefunction

HivitokurRolltodeterminefunction

RostalaRolltodeterminefunction

VigunkilRolltodeterminefunction

XittarRolltodeterminefunction

NewParian

AratzhurRolltodeterminefunction

CagremachRolltodeterminefunction

EldkazhulRolltodeterminefunction

NoonishtarRolltodeterminefunction

TunishibulRolltodeterminefunction

XaxatactacRolltodeterminefunction

NewTaliana

KumtarRolltodeterminefunction

LurararagushRolltodeterminefunction

MurgadurRolltodeterminefunction
 TarongalRolltodeterminefunction

UvalorMerrithRolltodeterminefunction

PCsmaycomeacrossunlistedaberrantruinswhileexploringblankspotsonthemapofCanus,ortheymaycomeacrossoneofthe

Rolltodeterminefunctionruinslistedabove.GMsmayroll1d20onthetablebelowtodeterminethefunctionoftheaberrantruin

orchoosewhatevermakesthebeststoryfortheircampaign.

d20 RuinFunction
19 Town
1014 MilitaryInstallation
1516 City
1718 Mine
19 ResearchFacility
20 Prison

Ruin Functions
TownTheseruinswereoncesmallsettlementsoflessthanathousandaberrants.Itismostlyruineddwellingsandfarms,though

therecouldbeatemple,shop,smalllaboratory,library,orinnhereandthereamongstthedestroyedhomes.

MilitaryInstallationThesecondmostcommonstructuretheaberrantsleftbehind.Sincetheirwarwiththedragonslasted

thousandsofyears,theaberrantsbuiltmany,manyforts,barracks,keeps,towers,castles,etc.Theexactnatureoftheruinisup

totheGM.Amilitaryinstallationmayhaveremnantsofsleepingquarters,trainingrooms,guardposts,messhalls,holdingcells,

andevenstablesformorehumanoidaberrantswhichmightrideamount(suchasillithids).Uniqueaberrantweaponanddefense

technologycansometimesbefoundintheseruins,butbewarethetrapsandconstructsthatmaystillbeactivehere.

CityLikethetowns,aberrantcitiesaremainlydwellings.However,thesedwellingsgomuchdeeperintotheground,ascity

aberrantshadbuildingssimilartoourrealworldapartmentcomplexes.Inaddition,mostaberrantcitiesweredividedinto

neighborhoodsbasedonrace(e.g.beholdersinonearea,ettercapsinanother).Acitywillusuallyhaveseveralshops,inns,guard

houses,politicalstructures,monuments,libraries,labs,temples,oranythingelseonemightfindinaplacewherehugegroupsof

individualslivetogether.

MineAberrantsminedironforweapons,gemsformagicandpsionics,andpreciousmetalsformagicitemsandcurrency.The

exactnatureofthemineisuptotheGM,butinthetunnelsofoneofthesestructuresadventurersmayfindstrangemining

equipment,aveinofuntappedore,apassagetoTheUnderdark,orthingsuncoveredbytheaberrantseventheywerent
 expecting.Aberrantminesareextremelydangerousandcouldbecrawlingwithallsortsofmonstersfromdarkmantlestoundead

aberrantminers.

ResearchFacilityAberrantsspentthousandsofyearscreatingnewtechnologiestofightthedragons.Theirlabsareamongstthe

mostdangeroussitesinallofCanus.Fullofstrangeblueprints,prototypeweapons,andbizarredefenses,thesearethecomplexes

manyscholarsandmagesdreamofseeinganddiewithin.Traps,dangerouslivingexperiments,crazedconstructs,andunstable

inventionsarejustafewofthehazardsthatawaitthosewhotrespass.

PrisonDuringtheirthousandsofyearslongwarwiththedragons,theaberrantscreatedafewmassivestructurestoholdthese

beastsandtheirminions.Withinthesewallsaresmallerholdingcellsforthedragonsshardmindandteiflingallies,devioustraps,

dragonsizedtorturedevices,andenormousholdingcellswithenormouschains,enchantedtopreventthoselockedinthemfrom

usingmagicandbreathweaponattacks.TodaytheseruinsholdevidenceoftheugliestpartsofTheAberrantDragonWar.Asthe

aberrantsbeganlosingthewarandpulledbackfromtheirprisonstodefendtheirsettlements,theykilledthedragonsandtheir

allieswhowereimprisoned.Theirremainscanbefoundthroughoutthecomplexes.Undeadbeastscouldroamthehallsofthese

complexes,orperhaps,sincetheyareimmortal,adragonorshardmindcouldhavesurvivedaprisonspurgeandhasbeenwaiting

forfreedomforhundredsofthousandsofyears.

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