Map for Land's Edge
Land's Edge Castle

   Land's Edge is a now deserted town on an isolated peninsula. The town was established by shipwreck survivors, and later settled by fisherman's families due to the abundance of the brown crab population.

   Land's Edge existed this way for 200 hundred years. It was ruled lightly from its parent country with appointed governors who charged taxes and provided soldiers to fight any raiders or the occasional giant crab who came ashore.

   All this changed when the wizard Serek was appointed to the post of governor. Serek saw the posting as a punishment for an indiscretion committed in error. He botched a spell at a party while drunk and summoned a horde of large black rats that got into the food and such. Serek conspired to find a way out of his punishment, which indeed it was for him, and gain revenge.

   He used his wealth to fund certain expeditions and researches. Eventually he discovered the spell to summon the fiend Castilus. Realizing the demon could grant him more power and gain his revenge for him he attempted the summoning.

   History repeated itself unfortunately, Serek had been drinking more and more since his posting and his judgment became clouded. He miscast certain portions of the spell and the fiend killed him when it entered the known world. However, Serek had taken certain other precautions by inscribing spells to bind the demon to that room. With that he could extort the fiend for extra services, and these spells held fast.

   The fiend Castilus realized he could not free himself from the room, but was free to exercised his powers. He then tried to tempt the inhabitants of the castle then later the town into freeing him. He failed and in his rages he summoned other creatures to slaughter the townsfolk and to free him. Once again he was thwarted. The seals could not be passed by those creatures he summoned, or any extra-planar being. Only a native of this plane could free Castilus from his confinement.

   Those towns folk who escaped the fiend's wrath brought home stories of a town overrun by creatures from hell. The government, never caring for the area that much, declared it a loss and covered the matter up. Nearly 50 years has passed since the abandonment of the town. The rest of the world has not noticed as Land's Edge was never a major port, since it was surrounded by rocky shallows on all sides.

1. The Castle: This is detailed in Land's Edge Castle.

2. The Pier: This is the first area that visitors coming from the sea observe, the pier is still in good condition but empty of all signs of life. It is not completely a void however. Some of the murdered townsfolk lie under the pier now transformed into 8 Laecedons MM 97 3E. They will awaken by the presence of life and crawl from the sea to seek the living to devour.

3. Far Edge of Town: When the party enters the town this is likely the section they will see first. It will be quickly obvious the town is abandoned, those who check the houses and such will find some signs of violence and perhaps old dried blood. No corpses are to be found however.

4. The Hanging Tree: This tree is home to a group of 20 stirges MM 173 3E that nest in its tops. The stirges seek out a meager existence on small animals and such. As soon as the party is sensed the whole flock will take flight and attack. Any that become full will fly back to the nest abandoning their friend to feast for themselves.

   Anyone who investigates the tree discovers that 1 rope still manages to swing in the breeze. 2 desiccated and drained corpses lie at the base of the tree as the ropes still tie around their necks. If anyone checks these corpses they can tell that though old they are perfectly preserved and that the bodies show signs of having been drained by the stirges at some time in the past. Neither body has any valuables on them. If the corpses are left unburied after having been disturbed they will arise later in the night to attack the living as 2 ghasts MM 97 3E, no treasure.

5. The Tavern: This building has no sign anymore but is obviously a tavern/inn. The building is 2 stories tall and made primarily of wood. Upon entering the building it is obvious that a battle was fought here. The tables and chairs are broken and scattered. Blood stains are everywhere, an ax head pierces a table top and a broken sword lies on the floor.

   Suddenly a board upstairs will creak, those checking up stairs will find nothing. Those checking the bedrooms will make a discovery however. One of the beds is covered with blood as if the inhabitant was killed while lying in the bed. Their belongings still litter the room also: a pouch containing 65 gp. and 4 of 20 gp. trade gems. Some silk bales also litter the floor but have since rotted.

   Those checking the kitchen will find the door to the cellar is stuck, actually boarded up from the other side. Forcing it open will reveal the boards and a corpse, a woman it seems, who starved to death rather than leave the room.

6. Map Maker: This shop is hard to find since it is fairly nondescript. The inside of the shop is still intact, the map maker died before he could pack up his goods and leave.

   Searching the shop will take several hours. The players will eventually uncover the shop's ledger (record of sales) and the maps that are needed. According to the ledger Edmund Vargas was looking for the location of an underwater temple, no mention as to what god or race.

   He bought a map giving the approximate location of this temple and he requested a map going to "The Island of Eternal Vigilance". No map was available for such a place so he then left port and headed for the temple. The map shows that the temple is approximately 2 weeks journey from here by boat. It is noted that he traveled to the castle to consult with the governor concerning the island.

7. Ruined Temple: This ruined building was once a temple to a good aligned sea god, that much is obvious but the building lies completely in ruins. It appears to have been pulled down brick by brick.

8. Abandoned Wagon: A wagon lies here in the middle of the street. It appears it was once used to sell fruit or vegetables. The cart is overturned in the street and the horse that pulled it seems to have died right here. The animal's corpse lies right where it died, the bones fractured as if it was stabbed over and over again by several small blades.

9. Commoner's Houses: These 3 houses seem to have caught fire, it also seems that no one attempted to put out the blaze. It looks like it just burned itself out. Any search of the rubble will uncover several old burned corpses. It appears they stayed inside choosing the burning building to whatever was outside.

10. Market Place: This was the marketplace and the town's center. Now there are only scattered empty stalls, overturned carts, and the occasional corpse. Its bones picked clean by some predator. On one wall is a charcoal drawing of the castle. It is circled and underneath is drawn another large circle crossed by a triangle. This was an attempt by Castilus to get the townsfolk to come to the castle. He possessed a half-wit and forced him to draw the picture of the castle and of the circle that must be broken to free him, he wasn't to successful.

Random Encounter Table:
   1in 6 chance every 2 hours, then roll 1d6 for type

1: Stirges 2d6
2: Wolves 2d4 MM 204 3E
3: Castilus's Summon Table MM 173 3E
4: Wild dogs 2d3 (non-threatening)
5: Ghouls 1d4 +1 MM 97 3E
6: Zombies 2d4 MM 191 3E