Irongate Keep

NOTE: The following material is an homage to the Basic D&D module: B2 Keep on the Borderlands. In adapting it to my 5e campaign, I took liberties with the original document (some of which I intend to discuss in a future post), but I tried to keep much of the flavor and phrasing of Gary's original text. This module taught me what a dungeon setting was all about, and, to some degree, has influenced every adventure I've ever created.

Classic illustration from B2
by D. S. LaForce (Diesel)

This sturdy fortress sits at the southernmost edge of human civilization. Built along an ancient trade road, atop a high bluff at the head of a wide canyon between two steep ridgelines, the keep's purpose is to defend the remote border of Remedios against invaders from the Red Desert. A village has sprung up within its walls, catering to the needs of those intrepid enough to brave the wild frontier beyond. The village will serve as the characters’ base camp as they adventure in the Badlands.

The keep's Castellan is a no-nonsense, law-and-order man. Though loyal to the king, he expects his ailing liege to die soon, so he is careful with his alliances and keeps his troops close by to fend off ambitious rivals. Despite the tenuous political situation in the northern capital, he is duty-bound to his sworn mission: maintaining the keep’s standing strength and defending the pass from incursions. 

In recent years, it was discovered that the craggy hills around the keep are rich in ore and gems, prompting an influx of itinerant prospectors and treasure-seekers. As a result of the mining boom, the Castellan's coffers are filled with gold. He has received credible reports, however, that trouble is a-brewing in the hills to the south: witnesses claim to have encountered various bands of hostile humanoids roaming the canyons, and perhaps gathering together into a bigger force.

In order to protect the keep—and his new source of revenue—without risking his own troops, he has decided to fund an operation off the keep's books. His closest advisors and officers have orders to find trustworthy mercenaries willing to brave the wilds and root out the source of this growing menace. Several parties have been dispatched so far, but none have returned. 

There are many such opportunities at the keep for brave souls willing to handle dangerous threats, particularly those who first make names for themselves among local residents and officials.

Campaign Prologue

Session 0 for this campaign consisted of rolling up characters and then giving the players the following background information and encounter.

Seeking adventure, the characters have signed on to escort a merchant caravan across more than 700 miles to Irongate Keep on the southernmost border of the kingdom of Remedios—the edge of the civilized world. Each was paid 50 guilders (gp) to sign on, plus another 150 guilders upon arrival.

During the trip, each character learns two of the following rumors about the area, overheard from the merchants (roll 1d8, no repeats)…

1. The Badlands region was once the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Thera—matriarch of the Solis pantheon, and the goddess of earth, life, and hearth. In the distant past, her temple priests fought a war with an evil cult. The ruins of both the Theran temple and the cult’s former lair are hidden somewhere in the hills below the keep.
2. The keep’s castellan is a former Remediosi knight, a righteous man of law and order.
3. The keep’s doctor pays good money for animal and plant specimens for his studies.
4. The broken hills of the Badlands are rich in gold and silver ore, but there are also many reports of caves and ancient ruins dotting the region, chock-full of treasure and artifacts.
5. There is a fountain in the keep with a statue of the water-goddess, Luvia (daughter of Thera). Supposedly, its waters invigorate any follower of the Solis pantheon. When the moon is dark, the statue is said to whisper secrets to the faithful.
6. There is a secret morgue beneath the castellan’s fortress, where the doctor conducts grotesque experiments on the dead. Some say he is a necromancer.
7. The vizier of the keep is one of the castellan’s closest advisers. He is said to possess a magical eye that sees everything that happens in the keep.
8. Many unsavory characters pass through the keep’s village...especially now that so much ore is coming out of the hills. Be careful what you say and to whom you say it.

It is up to the players as to what rumors they share with the rest of the party (or don't).