Birds of a Feather (Dungeon)

Happy GLoGmas! This is a dungeon made for Epistellar of Routes and Routs, using his wonderful dungeon generators.

*** 

The Doomed City of Oberlyn had been leveled to the ground by many petty wars and other outgoing conflicts in the region a good 30-something years ago, hence the moniker. Considered mostly unimportant even before its razing, now all that remains of it is a pile of rubble in the rough shape of a city. Occasionally, an especially desperate group of vagabonds or criminals will pop into the ruins in a futile attempt at marauding. At best, those attempts end in disappointment. At worst, someone breaks a leg by stumbling over an inconveniently placed brick.

Roughly two miles away from the city gates is the Oberlyn Post Tower, which, unlike the city, actually stands to this day. In its heyday, the tower maintained vital communication between the Southern Marches and the rest of the Empire, as well as within the region. As far as anyone knows, it's been left abandoned with the fall of Oberlyn and stayed like this to this very day.

The tower solemnly persists on a rocky outcrop, overlooking the cliff side and the Summer Sea down below. No longer connecting to any of the main routes, it became but a peculiar landmark on account of its height among the ochre rocks and dry shrubbery.

It is also the current supposed residence of Lanza's Lancers, a mercenary regiment of dubious renown on the account of their recent desertion, and captain Lanza herself. If you come seeking the post tower, chances are you're looking to claim the bounty on the deserters' heads (60 sp for every mercenary brought alive, 400 sp for Lanza, half of that if dead).

The Dovecote, François Boucher

EXTERIOR

The post tower is made of large stone bricks covered by a layer of clay straw plaster. Due to time and lack of maintenance, some of the plaster started crumbling, exposing the stonework beneath. Rickety-looking wooden stairs spiral up the sides (see 6. Spiral Ascent), terminating in a wide platform on the top floor (see 7. Viewing Platform).

At any time of the day, flocks of pigeons and crows can be seen around the tower, occasionally flying in and out of the endless bird-sized holes built into it. Nearby ground is covered in noticeable amount of bird shit.

On the ground floor, a single entrance is visible, covered by a couple of broken, propped up wooden doors. This entrance leads to 1. Waiting Room.

(Grey-colored "walls" are not actually walls and signify a lack of physical barriers)

INTERIOR

The tower is divided into two distinct parts, each one has its own encounter table:

• The CELLAR, currently occupied by Lanza and her mercenaries, as well as the Bloodfiend. This includes room 1, as well as rooms 8-12 (marked in blue on the map).

CELLAR Encounter Table (d6):

    1. Bloodfiend ambush!
    2. A lone mercenary pretending not to sleep.
    3-5. 2d6 mercenaries on patrol.
    6. Captain Lanza accompanied by 1d4 veteran mercenaries (max HP).

Note: there are a total of 36 mercenaries left in Lanza's regiment at the moment of the PCs' arrival. Every night, the Bloodfiend will hunt down 1d4-1 more of them if left undisturbed. It already killed 2 last night.

• The DOVECOTE, where the Harpy and her flocks of omen birds reside. This includes rooms 2-7 (marked in yellow on the map).

DOVECOTE Encounter Table (d6):

    1. A flock of 1d4 purebred birds (d6: 1-3 piebald pigeons, 4-6 recorder crows).
    2-5. 1d4 flocks of omen birds, loud and agitated.
    6. The Harpy herself. 

GROUND FLOOR

1. Waiting Room
Dry plaster walls, creaky wooden floors, dust in the air. Broken wooden benches are strung around the room (all the non-broken benches were hauled into 9. Sleeping Quarters by the mercenaries).

In the north-west corner there is a big wooden counter which once was used for shipping and receiving of letters and parcels. Behind the counter is an old package wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string that was never delivered to its destination. Inside is a bolt of genuine silk (30 sp) wrapped around a tacky emerald brooch (fake, looks at least 100 sp) and a love letter.

The corner cabinet is full of stacks of old yellowed paper, wax sticks, a set of three brass seal stamps (10 sp each), and bottles of mostly dried ink.

Right behind the counter is a large wooden archway leading into 2. Post Office.

In the north-east corner is a set of big stone stairs descending into 8. Cellar, with many dusty and dirty footprints going both up and down (left by the mercenaries). 

2. Post Office
Yellowed wallpaper is mostly hidden by rows of wooden shelves that line the walls, each one divided into many sections of various sizes. A couple of big sturdy tables are set in the center of the room, covered in dust and scattered unsorted letters.

Upon further examination, each shelf section has a small plaque right underneath it that has a name written on it. Most names are of nearby settlements, with the biggest section being reserved for Oberlyn. Smaller sections have names of local noble houses instead.

Some of the sections contain undelivered letters and parcels of various, but mostly negligible importance. Very thorough (at least 1 full day) search reveals 50 sp total scattered inside various letters, postage stamps from the no longer existing Duchy of Caragod (25 sp to a collector), a never-delivered inheritance notice of 30 gp and a small cottage in the nearby village of Kirkwall, and a letter full of rather orderly gibberish (is actually an encoded message detailing the assassination of the current empress that was supposed to happen 30 years ago).

Hidden in the dark south-east corner behind two shelves is a locked safe with a big "CONFISCATED ITEMS" label. If unlocked, its contents include 50 sp in assorted jewelry, 2 vials of poison and a poison ring, a bottle of expensive brandy (20 sp), and what looks to be a perfectly normal chicken egg (further examination reveals intricate grooves in the shell; if given time and warmth, will hatch into a highly illegal pickchicken that will automatically open the first lock it sees).

The shelves next to the north wall are brought down and piled up into an improvised barricade blocking the way into 3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor. There is enough of a gap for someone small to squeeze through, but otherwise the barricade would need to be removed to pass.

The door in the north-east corner is lightly swaying back and forth on the wind. It leads outside to 6. Spiral Ascent.

3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor
The interior walls are riddled with tiny holes which house various breeds of pigeon. The wooden floor is covered in straw, rotten grain, and bird shit, and the air smells of the same. The only sources of natural light in this room are the same holes in the walls, making for a gloomy atmosphere.

Anyone who enters will immediately be subjected to many voices (including their own) from above screaming things like "CURSED! YOU ARE CURSED!" and "DOOM UPON YOU!".

In actuality, these voices are coming from the roosting omen birds. The Harpy taught them these phrases because she thought that it would be a) a good way to deter intruders, and b) funny.

There is a ladder alongside the north wall leading through an open hatch in the ceiling into 4. Dovecote, Middle Floor.

MIDDLE FLOOR

4. Dovecote, Middle Floor
The interior mostly resembles the bottom floor, with the one exception being a large mesh cage in the center of the room. 1d3 flocks of omen birds are always present here, ready to fend off trespassers.

The mesh cage door is open, and has no lock other than a simple latch. Inside is a rather well-preserved postmaster's table and a cushioned chair. The only items of interest are the big ledger book on the table, which shows who was sending/receiving mail (last entry dated 25 years ago), a large iron key (opens the safe in 2. Post Office), and a full falconry set (30 sp).

The weight of the cage and furniture in the center of the room coupled with the rotten planks makes the floor here treacherous. If, at any point, there are three or more people in or near the cage, or if anyone jumps, the floor will break, loudly dumping anything on top of it down to 3. Dovecote, Bottom Floor and dealing 2d6 falling damage, save for half.

The ladder continues upwards to 5. Dovecote, Harpy's Roost.

 

TOP FLOOR

5. Dovecote, Harpy's Roost
The interior, once again, resembles the two floors below. There is a larger and more varied concentration of birds here, with noticeable piles of down and feathers everywhere. The air is loud with squawking and cooing.

To the side, there is an improvised nest of sticks and broken furniture, lined with straw. If not encountered yet, the Harpy (also known as postmistress Mariette du Roc) will be here. Hidden away under a layer of straw are 2d4 big fist-sized eggs (1 sp each). Mariette would rather not talk about the eggs.

Hanging from the rafters above the nest is a tiny brass key and a ring on a chain. The key opens the hidden lockbox from 10. Pantry. The ring, made to resemble a circle of metal feathers, is magical, and grants the wearer the ability to speak and sing in Birdsong (the language of birds), as well as understand it.

Among the birds present there are 1d6 piebald pigeons (25 sp each as exotic pets) and 1d6 recorder crows (10 sp each, can "record" and "repeat" sounds on command).

A shoddy door in the eastern wall leads outside to 7. Viewing Platform.

6. Spiral Ascent
Wooden stairs without railings spiral upward to the top of the tower, wide enough to fit two people shoulder-to-shoulder. Some planks are missing, while others are bent or covered in a slick layer of bird shit.

Anyone trying to go up or down the stairs faster than a crawl will need to save to avoid slipping, and on a fail save again to avoid falling down.

At the top, the stairs end once they reach 7. Viewing Platform.

7. Viewing Platform
The platform expands from the tower into the open air, providing a breathtaking view of the Summer Sea and the ruined Oberlyn in the distance. Shoddy wooden railings provide an illusion of safety.

A weathered wooden bench is placed against the wall, two sacks of bird feed propped alongside it. A tarnished spyglass (25 sp) is wedged between the sacks. This is the only place Mariette can truly relax in. Those who spend an evening here watching the birds fly in the light of the setting sun have a [evenings]-in-6 chance to gain an innate understanding of a single technique or stance of Aderran.

At the center of the platform a long wooden post sticks out, with something covered by cloth hanging on a rope from the top of the post. Under the cloth covering is a small mirror (10 sp) that once was used to send signals.

Looking back at the tower, one can see a brass weather vane (15 sp) in the shape of a flying bird at the top of the shingled roof.

BASEMENT

8. Cellar
Cool air, uneven stonework of the walls and the floor, big wooden beams propping up the ceiling. Smells of mildew and sweat. Military tents are pitched haphazardly across the floor, surrounding smoldering campfires. 3d6 mercenaries of Lanza's Lancers are present here at all time, exhausted and paranoid.

Stacked around the tents are barrels of stale water, sacks of barely edible hardtack, and piles of weapons: 2d6 spears (medium), 2d10 sabres (medium), 1d4 crossbows (heavy).

In the north-west corner, two bodies lie covered by cloaks. If examined, they are completely bloodless, their skin is pale and waxy, faces frozen in grimaces of terror and pain. The corpses have deep claw marks all over, similar to a bear's, with the exception on a single deep puncture wound in the chest area.

All broken furniture that originally occupied the cellar is piled up near the southern wall and the two (quite uncharacteristic for a post tower) iron doors leading to 11. Holding Cell A and 12. Holding Cell B. Noticeably, the door to 12. Holding Cell B is bent and broken open from the inside, its latch lying somewhere in the debris.

The company banner (120 sp, depicts a winged snake wrapped around a skeleton) is draped over the stone archway in the northern wall, which leads to 9. Sleeping Quarters. Another archway can be seen between two tents in the eastern wall, leading into 10. Pantry.

9. Sleeping Quarters
More uneven stonework. All of the pilfered mostly-whole furniture has been placed here, including actual beds with mattresses. This is where Lanza and her veterans rest, and where they set up their field headquarters.

If not encountered yet, captain Lanza will be here, accompanied by 1d6 veterans. They would either be discussing the desertion situation, the Harpy situation, or drinking and playing dice.

One of the beds has a box of high-quality wine (2d6 bottles, 5 sp each) hidden underneath, a trophy brought by one of the veterans. Further investigation reveals a total of 68 sp in jewelry stuffed in some of the mattresses, which was acquired in similar fashion.

A wooden door in the south-east corner leads into 10. Pantry.

10. Pantry
Mostly empty wooden shelves line the walls. All of the original post tower provisions have either dried into dust or melted into foul-smelling slime (and besides, most of them were for the birds and not the people anyways). The mercenaries store their own supplies here as well, but those are running low too.

All in all, the mercenaries have around 6 barrels of somewhat drinkable water (not counting the ones in 8. Cellar), enough hardtack and salted meat to last them a week, and 2 barrels of cheap ale (10 sp per barrel).

A small iron lockbox banded with brass is stashed behind one of the sacks of rotten grain, poorly hidden by the mercenary who found it here. If opened, it contains notes in Mariette's handwriting from a thesis on the "...Malleability of Ursine Flesh...", each stamped with an elaborate seal; and a decorative bronze syringe with the engraving "UBI STIRPIS IBI PATRIA" (50 sp, selling might bring unwanted attention).

11. Holding Cell A
Steep stone steps descend a bit, placing the door a good couple of feet above the floor. High (20 ft.) ceiling. Piles of straw are scattered around the floor, manacle chains bolted to the wall. This room is noticeably colder than the rest, and the mercenaries, superstitious as they are, have been avoiding it.

A small wooden table is set in the north-east corner. Tucked into the table's drawer are water-damaged notes listing and comparing statistics of different pigeon breeds, such as their flight speed and navigational capabilities, but also general intelligence and understanding.

Animal bones are everywhere in the room, from random shards and fragments to partial skeletons hidden underneath the straw. Most belong to birds, but an expert would recognize the remains of a horse, lion, ape, and bear among them.

This room used to be Mariette's, for lack of a better word, laboratory.

12. Holding Cell B
Same as 11. Holding Cell A, except in an even bigger state of disarray. The walls are covered in scratch marks (tally marks?) and dried bloodstains.

This is where Mariette originally kept the Bloodfiend. This is also where the Bloodfiend sleeps during the day, high up on the rafters, where it made itself a nest of straw and torn fabric.

Inside the nest are 200 sp in shiny objects it managed to accumulate over the years, including a silver locket with the portrait of a young woman with raven hair (in actuality, Mariette before her transformation) and SIGNS IN BIRDS, a magic smallsword (medium). 

 

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ANNELY LANZA, Captain of Lanza's Lancers
HD 4 AC chainmail Attacks 1d10 winged spear, 1d8 sabre Morale 10
Tall middle-aged woman, with a single long braid and features so sharp you'd think she was cut out of granite. Her helmet is decorated with wings, and her chestplate has the grimacing face of a goblin on it.

• She is a proficient user of Tamburo, attacks twice per round, and may follow up a successful attack with a bash of her figure-of-eight shield round the head (target must save or be stunned for a round, having to choose between moving without acting and acting without moving).
• Her choice to desert was more of a sudden, panicked decision rather than anything she planned in advance. She buried the lockbox with the pay for her company's services (600 sp) on the way here, near the walls of Oberlyn, and carries a map to it at all times under her shirt.
• Unlike her men, she's smart enough to recognize that the Harpy and the Bloodfiend are two separate beings, and considers the "haunting" of the Dovecote to be the Harpy's doing, thinking she's some sort of a witch (neither of which are that far from the truth).
• She is willing to pay 150 sp (taken out of her company's pay) to anyone who brings to her the head of either the Harpy or the Bloodfiend, and can be persuaded to offer her mercenaries as hirelings.
• If the issue with the Harpy is not resolved, by the end of the week she will gather the remaining mercenaries and try to take the Dovecote by storm. Then, once her forces are well-rested, she plans to change her name together with her company insignia and continue mercenary work elsewhere.

Mercenary of Lanza's Lancers
HD 2 AC leather Attacks 1d8 sabres or 1d8 spears Morale 7
Yellow beret, yellow sash over a simple chestplate, boots of black leather. Empty stomach, tired eyes.

• Mercenaries who have max HP are veterans, and have a 1d10 crossbow in addition to other equipment. Veterans can be recognized by their epaulets and missing digits/eyes/noses.
• Most genuinely believe the Dovecote to be haunted after hearing the vocalizations of omen birds, and claim that it's a spiritual punishment for their desertion. Thus, they are scared shitless of going in there, and would rather leave the tower as soon as possible. The recent killings don't help the overall morale of the company.
• Scattered sightings of both Mariette and the Bloodfiend made them think that both of the winged figures are the same "Harpy", of which they are also scared shitless. 

The BLOODFIEND, aka Hypodermic-Snouted Taloned Bat
HD 4 AC leather Attacks 1d8 sharp talons, 1d10 proboscis, screech (see below) Morale 9
A giant bat-like creature with a wingspan of 10 feet, nose and fangs twisted together into a sharp, mosquito-like proboscis. 

• Has a fly speed of 40 feet, a screech attack (targets with unprotected ears nearby save or go deaf for 1d4 rounds), and can suck blood with its proboscis (target must save or lose an extra 1d4 HP, with the Bloodfiend healing for the same amount). May attack twice with talons or once with proboscis.
• Mostly nocturnal, relies on echolocation to navigate within its surroundings. Bright light stuns it. 
• Uncharacteristically high intelligence and understanding. Cunning in tactics, preferring to single out and ambush its targets, but not actively malicious. Obsessively collects shiny objects like a magpie.
• Hunts the mercenaries by creeping on them from the rafters way up above, squeezing through holes in the walls near the ceiling to traverse rooms without being seen. 
• Is a chimera created by Mariette through the rite of the Outer Cross, combining the features of a mosquito and a vampire bat to see how their bloodsucking abilities will interact. It's been terrorizing the countryside for the last 30 years, but never touching Mariette due to ingrain filial affection.

Postmistress MARIETTE DU ROC, the Harpy
HD 3 AC unarmored Attacks 1d8 peck, 1d6 wing slap Morale 8
A human-bird chimera. Patches of monochrome feathers, long hollow-boned limbs, human arms halfway turn into wings, avian head with a sharp beak (think crow demons from Dark Souls). Dressed in a once fancy and colorful, but now faded and thread-worn dress. Not an actual harpy.

• Fly speed of 30 feet.
• Adept at mimicking any sound (let alone voice) she's heard, will fully use this ability to her advantage to confuse and frighten intruders.
• Previous (and arguably current) postmistress of the post tower, still fully committed to the position.
• High-ranking member of the Dovecote Transom Club, which naturally makes her an expert on monster and animal biology. Oversaw the pigeon breeding efforts that took part here back in the day, in addition to more personal projects (including her Hypodermic-Snouted Taloned Bat).
• When Oberlyn fell, out of desperation performed the rite of the Outer Cross on herself, gaining both wings (from her carrier pigeons) and vocal mimicry (from recorder crows) in addition to prolonging her lifespan. Surprisingly, the rite went exactly as expected (her current fragile mental state was caused more by time spent in isolation rather than her metamorphosis).
• Lost her sense of purpose due to years of not being able to perform her duties. Territorial and protective of her flocks, but deeply lonely inside. Would love nothing more than restoring the post tower, re-establishing contact with the club, and delivering mail once again.
• Willing to share her expertise, club connections, and prized purebreds (like the piebald pigeons and recorder crows) with those who help fend off Lanza and her mercenaries (peacefully or otherwise). 

Omen Birds
HD 2 AC unarmored (see below) Attacks 1d4 beaks and talons (see below) Morale 7
Birds with dark feathers that shimmer with oil-slick colors in certain light, bone-white crests that puff up when agitated or vocalizing, eyes surrounded by rings of exposed grey skin, and sharp black beaks.

• Fly speed of 40 feet.
• All attacks automatically hit a flock of omen birds, but melee and ranged attacks deal a maximum of 2 damage. Spells and area-of-effect attacks deal full damage.
• Omen birds automatically deal 1d4 damage to all targets caught inside or nearby the flock. A target may choose to cover its eyes and mouth to reduce this damage to 1, at the cost of not being able to attack or perform other complex actions (but still be able to move normally).
• Have morale of 11 when in presence of Mariette. 
• Can mimic human voices, and will use this ability to voice various portents of doom (save vs fear the first time you meet a flock of them, realizing that it's a trick afterwards) as taught by Mariette.
• Another product of Mariette's rite of the Outer Cross, this time a chimera of her prized carrier pigeons and recorder crows, made in hopes of pioneering the idea of "speaking mail". The resulting creatures were more viable than originally expected, and all members of the current generation were born perfectly naturally.

Recorder Crow
HD 0 (1 HP) AC unarmored Attacks 1d1 peck Morale 5
A bird visually indistinguishable from a regular crow, but noticeably smarter.

• Fly speed of 40 feet.
• Perfect vocal mimics. All recorder crows present in the tower innately know how to follow commands "Record", "Stop", "Repeat", and "Pause". Remember up to 1 hour of audio.

Piebald Pigeon
HD 0 (1 HP) AC unarmored Attacks 1d1 peck Morale 5
A beautiful purebred pigeon, the discoloration of its feathers causes the appearance of a white "hood" and "socks" on its dark body, alongside the more intricate layering of dark and white on the wings.

• Fly speed of 60 feet. These are especially prized by Mariette for their speed alone. 
• Great navigational abilities. A letter entrusted to such a pigeon has a 5-in-6 chance of being swiftly delivered to its destination, or 6-in-6 if it was entrusted by Mariette specifically.