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Call for Suggestions #100: The Whistling Monolith
🕑 Added 2022-09-21 13:48:06 +0000 UTCWelcome to Yazur Island!
For those just learning about Omeria, Yazur Island is a 900-square-mile island off Omeria's northeastern coast. It's approximately 50 miles from Imfe Caan Asaari, the "capital" city of Vaskil Valley. Once the site of a few noteworthy Pressonian settlements, Yazur Island now serves as an arcane prison for Omeria's most dangerous spellcasters; that's because 20-foot-tall, mouthless, horned cyclopes that call the island home generate fields of antimagic that extend up to 15 miles off the island's shores. Furthermore, the quickest passage back to the mainland, the Straights of Libby, is riddled with dangerous creatures.
The Whistling Monolith
I just finished drafting the second area on the map above, the Forest of Faces. The last poll we held chose The Whistling Monolith as our next destination.
Here's what we know about it so far:
- Six clever worgs guard the monolith.
- Unbeknowst to the people of the island, the monolith is a musical instrument that keeps the cyclopes on the island.
- If the Whistling Monolith were to ever stop functioning, the cyclopes might move to the mainland and cause untold havoc.
- It owes its origin to the dulons, the ancient aliens that created Omeria and most of its species.
- Runes carved onto parts of the monolith explain how to use it. But without comprehend languages on the island, there are very few (if any) who can read it.
Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas for the monolith. I ended up choosing a few different ones from that list and combined them, specifically: Jason Kearey, Nicholas Simpson, Aldarana, Phillip Mayhew, and Charles Martin.
Factions and the Monolith
We recently worked together to create some great factions for the island. Our pal and long-time DMDave Patron, Darrion Nutter, helped us invent the militant faction, Blood of the Cyclopes.
"Blood of the Cyclopes, a radical military force who has realized the danger of magic and banded together in worship of the Cyclopes to spread Antimagic wherever they go and rid Omeria of magic once and for all. They use weapons and armor carved from the bones of the Cyclopes and in some cases even ingest powdered Cyclopes bones to give themselves counterspell like abilities or strange antimagical null attacks."
So likely we'll see these guys involved with the monolith. They figure out that the monolith is all that keeps the cyclopes on the island and want to destroy it.
What else is at the Monolith?
Okay, now that we've got the basics out of the way, what else should I know about The Whistling Monolith?
In the comments below, offer up a person or thing that the characters might find at The Whistling Monolith. These could be NPCsFeel free to mention any sub-sections, too, which will go onto the final map.
Usual rules apply:
- 1) One suggestion per patron
- 2) Keep it clean
- 3) Make sure you have at least a passing familiarity with how Yazur and the monoith works
- 4) Gold and platinum tier suggestions get added in automatically (so long as they don't conflict with the above rules)
- 5) There is a strict limit to OCs added into the lore, usually no more than 1 or 2 per adventure supplement (gold and plat get preference).
I look forward to your suggestions!
Comments
DM Dave
lol
Philip Mayhew
A hidden room containing a miniature and manual monolith: a barely portable instrument that, if played correctly, can either attract or repel cyclopes in the immediate area. If played incorrectly, it drives them into a murderous frenzy.
Succotash, The Comedy Soundcast Soundcast
There is a treasure trove of Dulon artifacts buried near to the Monolith.
Colin Harasti
The monolith stands guard over a vault of the most unrepentant criminals, and even powerful magical creatures such as demons, locked in some form of stasis (chamber? Pods?). This vault also contains powerful magical items deemed too dangerous to remain in circulation, but also unable to be destroyed by conventional means. Not every item here is an artifact, and not every item is truly dangerous in the current sense, but, as the island has been in use for generations, societal norms have changed throughout the decades, and some items might have downright silly effects—such as an amulet capable of removing all of a targeted creature's clothes—or the legendary (among certain low-brow, sophomoric comedians and jesters), well-sewn and sealed leather Cushion of Flatulence that self inflates and takes on the appearance of any surface it is placed upon when its command word is spoken, and makes the disproportionately loud sound of passing gas when pressure is applied to it... Much to the chagrin of the late King Alston Scheppen. Despite the attempts of the king and his retinue, the Cushion appears to be immune to all forms of molestation, including but not limited to: puncturing, tearing, immolation, dissolution with acid, freezing, or effects from spells such as Shatter. Some legends say the the Cushion possesses greater powers, with rumors telling of it being an extra dimensional space or containing a permanent portal to the Elemental Plane of Air. King Scheppen had the Cushion of Flatulence transported to the island at a great cost in gold and blood to be deposited within the vault.
Charlie Rhodes
Well it can't be magical bc of the anti magic then Island creates and traditional golem have anti magic vulnerability, buuuuttt the mechanical aspect is really cool, a golem that is not magical but completely nature, mechanical or both. It would be a sought after creature
Colin Harasti
Could maybe be an iron golem (or similar) bound to the monolith? Magically or physically.
Gavin Felt
There is a large tree within the worgs territory that is home to a dryad who once moved about the island freely. The anti magic field does not affect her in the typical way due to her Being a fae. But it especially weakens her and leaves her vulnerable to the worgs who like to mark their territory on her tree and there’s nothing she can do about it. Her name is Kalomoira and she is growing weary and tired of the disrespect to her tree. Maybe these bad feelings corrupt her and she snaps? Or maybe they cause her to soften her pride and ask somebody else for help.
DM Dave
I love it. Giannetto is now head of the adventurer’s guild
Sean P Havern
forgot lol.
DM Dave
Nice
DM Dave
Can't cast spells on Yazur. ;)
Chris Spradlin
"treasure" - somewhere near the monolith is hidden a translation of the runes on a scroll by a former adventurer.
Michael Giannetto
I feel like this is the crux of the campaign. Maybe the PCs potentially get duped into destroying it/setting it’s destruction in motion by Giannetto, the purveyor of currently pointless spell components, hoping to be the one to sell the most evil wizards stuck on the island “a forked, metal rod worth at least 250 gp, attuned to a particular plane of existence” so they can plane shift off the island. The rod suddenly becomes priceless, and Giannetto plans to become rich beyond his wildest dreams. Obviously the wizards would just explode his head like a cantaloupe instead of paying him.
Sean P Havern
A cache of Cyclopes powder hidden in a buried vault. The vault can be opened by casting silence or a similar anti-magic spell upon the door.
Charlie Rhodes
Oh maybe if possible there is a giant on the monolith that has a very big bow that shoots anyone that gets to close to it. Their armor could look worn and rusted as if they been there since the beginning. They work with the worgs, and the bow does an 10ft AOE as it hits the grown. Gives a main obstacle that , that faction could trick the party into dealing with.
