Carolac - a setting sketch for a Moorcockian phantasy

Carolac

The planet of Carolac hangs deep in the void of space. It is surrounded by a nimbus of cold light. Some say it is divine, but most philosophers are in doubt.

The world of Carolac is caught in the grim of struggle of Law and Chaos. On each side there are powerful factions.

Aklamakan – the Forbidden City

The forbidden City of Aklamakan was home to last school of necromancy and still the dead may walk in this city. In the past it was run by the brotherhood of the powerful necromancer Chi’ing until the armies of the Theocracy destroyed the brotherhood.

The mercenary bands

The mercenary bands consist mostly of the remnants of lost armies crushed by the Court of the Sun God. Most of their leaders are favorable to Chaos.

Many of the bands have disbanded in later years, and there are now only three banners that still fly with any pride.

The Northern Earls

The Northern Earls are declining in power and influence. Their raiding ships and their dwarfbuilt submersibles are no longer a threat as most coastal settlements have built strong fortifications against the sea. The Earls of the north’s growing wealth also led to jealousy and infighting.

Typical Northern Earl

In twelve years, thirteen Kings of the North have been slain by rival Earls. So, the Northern raiders remain neutral. The older earls have now become toothless fools, some younger Earls plot with other powers to regain the former glory in the face of laughter and ridicule from their elders.

Tarentus – The city of Thieves

Tarentus is flourishing as its grip on both trade and larceny strengthens their monopoly on trade. Not paying taxes to the Sun Court also helps.


The traditional arms of Tarentus

Spilling out of its original walls, order within Tarentus is only whisper thin. Might makes right in many quarters of this city, yet the most excessive transgression is shackled by a deep-seated common interest and a leeriness against the outside world.

The nominal rulers of the city, the adjudicators, keep the city neutral in outlook, but it is obvious that the city has much to fear from the armies of the Sun Court.

Suspected demonists the adjudicators probably also face dismal personal fates should Tarentus fall.

The Court of the Sun God

The Court of the Sun God is a theocratic feudal republic, built on military might and the repression of free thought. Heretics by the dozen are burned in huge ovens in the Circus of Saint Carla-Sissy. The Sun Council is allied to Law.

The great church-lords of the Sun Court control large territories where both commoners and knights swear a personal fealty to them. The armies of the Court have conquered lands and quashed most of their rival sovereignties.



I am in debt to the rules and guidelines for creating your own world in Black Sword Hack - Ultimate Chaos Edition by Kobayashi. Black Sword is an awesome game, it has awesome art and you should check it out.

Worlds of the Alba system: Novus Albion

The Alba system is a small Stars Without Number setting i'm presenting on this blog.

• Alba system index page

The primary planet in the Alba system is Novus Albion.

Novus Albion

The largest planet of the Alba system is a temperate world, rich in water and reminiscent of Old Terra in many ways.

A vast agricultural continent stretches on both sides of the equatorial line, like a belt between the water covered poles of the planet. This belt also settles much of the planetary population in farming towns and smaller towns.

In addition to foodstuffs, there are large mineral deposits on the planet as well.

Population

Total population reach several millions. Humans comprise about 60% with the rest being the native Shisa.

Tech level and society

Tech level on Novus Albion is 4, with a few specialties like hydroponics and agricultural science.

Like all the Alba worlds Novus Albion society is ambitious and honorable, but Novus Albion is somewhat more conformist that Novus Victoria and Novus Virginia.

Pastoral life on Novus Albion

Religion and politics

Religious life on Novus Albion is dominated by Marian Catholicism. Most parish priests are women with the men serving a handful of monastery orders dedicated to the saints.

Among the elites of Novus Albion there is conflict between those that maintain isolationist policies and those that advocate seeking interstellar contacts. Due to the continuing Civil War the isolationists have thus far won out, but the continued de-escalation of that conflict might shift the political winds.

New Camelot

New Camelot is both the planetary capital and the spaceport. It is located on a foggy island north of the main continent. Control with peripheral settlements on the planet is accordingly weak.

One of many spaceport bars in New Camelot

The spaceport on Novus Albion is the only full spaceport in the system.

The Civil War left much of New Camelot in ruins after bombardments. Its architecture is now a mishmash of neo-victorian remnants from Old Terra and newer functional buildings of steel and glass.

Poverty and crime exists in New Camelot, most prominently at the spaceport where workers and refugees from the other Alban worlds seek a livelihood. Policing of the spaceport is weak since security resources are usually spent protecting governmental installations from Black Brigade-terrorists.

Aliens of the Alba System

Aslans

Lion Warrior by Demarcos

The Shisa are lion-like bipedal humanoids. They populated Novus Albion before the humans arrived but their medieval technology level was no match for the First settlers and the Shisa were quickly pacified.

The Shisa have about the same height and weight measures as humans. They have a slightly longer lifespan, up to 140 years, but reach sexual maturity after only six or seven years.

In the centuries since they have either lived on closely observed reservations maintaining their traditional way of life or have served as slaves for affluent humans. Lately Shisa have regained some of their position on Novus Albion, but many Shisa are hesitant of becoming to integrated with a human society viewed as too technologically focused.

Honor and tradition are very important to the Shisa. Their society is democratic and democratic participation is tied with honor. Breaking the trust of the community are one of the worst sins in Shisa communities.

Shisa architecture is dominated by a fascination for stone circles and pagoda-like structures. Their dress is reminiscent of Asian cultures on earth and so is their expertise in sword-making. This art form almost died out during the first years of slavery, but swords have lately become fashionable among the elites of New Camelot.

The Alba system Shisa are inspired by the Aslan-race from Traveller and the Rakasta from the D&D module Rage of the Rakasta.

Pechs

These green-greyish humanoid bipeds live mainly underground on both Novus Virginia and Novus Victoria, but on Victoria they are believed to be close to extinction.

Pechs have large heads and large eyes on top of spindly bodies. They are species of sentient fungoid and don’t have a circulatory system. Pechs have a single sex and reproduce by planting spores into decaying plant or animal remains.

Goblin Necromancer by NetherRealm

Growing conditions are important to pech size and lifespan. Most pechs are between 0.9 and 1.2 meters tall with a mass of about 20 kilograms, but smaller versions (even under 0.3 meters) have been encountered and the largest pechs observed have been over 2.5 meters tall with a mass of around 150 kilograms.

Pechs have developed crude steam technology used primarily for mining and warfare purposes. Still they do not pose much of a serious threat to the human colonial populations on their home worlds. However, occasional abductions and subsequent ritual murder of people and livestock, for the purpose of growing new Pechs, have made them both feared and hated by the humans.

The fact that such a low-technology species appears on two planets have continued to puzzle the science community of the Alba system. No definite answer has been given, but in popular media theories of an ancient space-faring race moving the Pechs from one planet to another have grown popular despite the lack of evidence.

Pechs are inspired by the standard D&D goblins with a steampunk twist and the "get out of the way peck!" line from the movie Willow (1988).

History of the Alba System

The Alba Sector's history of Civil War has almost depleted the
fleets of the Queen of Alba and the Republic of Novus Victoria.

I developed the Alba-sector setting for a one-shot Christmas game of Stars Without Number.

As the setting for a one-shot i went somewhat overboard, but that means more blog posts.

• Check the Alba Sector Index Page for more

I will start with some history for the Alba system.

Settling the system

The Alba System was settled late in first wave of humanity’s expanse into the stars.

Its primary settlers were born on the British Isles and the first city founded on Novus Albion was named New Camelot. The second and third habitable planets of the system were named Novus Virginia and Victoria.

A unique system with three human miscible and rich planets the Alba star- system grew quickly into an important trade hub after the indigenous alien races, the Shisa and the Pechs, were pacified.

The construction of a jump gate in 2320 solidified the system’s economic standing.

The ruling oligarchy of First settlers kept immigration to a minimum and developed a stratified social system support their own economic dominance, but still allowing later rounds of settlers to prosper.

The Scream

Following the Scream the Alba systems economy faltered as their interstellar connections disappeared. The First settlers tightened control over resources at first, courting an uprising of the lover classes, but in 2695 Genevieve “Ginny” Rassendyll, the President of the First Council, opposes the First Council’s policies by refusing to sign legislation that would condemn both Third settlers and the Shisa minority to extreme poverty and possibly starvation.

After this President Ginny continues to push liberal agendas, ensuring cooperation by all classes in maintaining economic safety and social order for all inhabitants. She even included policies that would give the Shisa full citizenship and remove settler status or species as requirements to hold public offices.

A faction led by Count Dennis Victor, commander of the Albion Defense Fleet, from Novus Victoria tried to oust the President in a coup in 2699, but were stopped by the Albion Constabulary Forces in a firefight inside the Council Palace itself. The incident left Count Victor himself dead and his faction in disarray. Following the Count’s death his daughter Beatrice Victor, commander of the ADF cruiser “Belfast”, ordered an all-out air strike on the New Camelot spaceport nearly crippling it before she returned to Novus Victoria.

Civil War

Civil War within the Alba system was now a fact and on Novus Victoria Beatrice declared herself president and denounced the First Council on Novus Albion. In a somewhat surprising move Ginny Rassendyll declared herself Queen of the Alba system and the First Council instituted a monarchy after a hastily organized referendum.

After about five months Novus Virginia also recognized Queen Genevieve following an armed uprising instigated by the Victorian government. Although the instigators and some of the leaders of the uprising were executed, while others were imprisoned, many with Victorian sympathies were allowed to leave Novus Virgina.

The first year of fighting saw the decimated Albion fleet repel three invasion attempts by the Victorians. Both sides had lost much of their fleets and the space war was reduced to defensive posturing.

Groups loyal to the opposing side on both planets formed irregular military units that fought ground wars with the local forces. The Albion loyalist militia on Novus Victoria was the most successful and threatened Capitol City at one point. This success prompted the first cease fire and negotiations between the sides in 2702.

Although negotiations put an end to planetside warfare it left the larger issues unresolved. Both sides claim the right to rule and have not been reconciled over the centuries. The sides have continually been in a state war since 2699, but active warfare has only been occasional.

The current state of affairs

There is a continual defensive posturing of space fleets. Most interstellar ships were destroyed during the first bombardment and early fighting. The Victorians only have access to a handful of spike drive ships, the Albions only a few more. The system frigates and fighters exchange torpedo fire from time to time, but there is no real space war between the two sides.

Both governments have adopted isolationist policies and have funneled resources into building defensive systems against the other side. Exploration of the region surrounding Alba is limited to a couple of systems.

On Novus Albion the isolationists have been challenged by a growing movement that supports more interstellar exploration. It is rumored that this movement has gained support from royal circles lately, but this is unconfirmed.

Proxy- and low-intensity warfare have been conducted by both sides. Espionage and industrial sabotage operations are the most common.

The Victorian sponsored Black Brigade have been the most active on Novus Albion the last decade.

The Victorians have been blamed for an attack by Hochog mercenaries on Novus Virgina, although they deny the charge. There have also been terror attacks, usually bombings, on New Camelot which have caused tensions between the government in Capitol City and the monarchs of Novus Albion.

Star - Princess of the Federation

The spaceship Zodiac holds the remnants of the Federation after they had to flee their homeworld of Æonia. The Federation was the leading power in an alliance of good planets that valued freedom, friendship and law.

Æonia was destroyed in a surprise attack by the Directorate, under the evil leadership of Director Orthotron.

Star is a young princess of the Federation thrust into a leadership role as the spaceship Zodiac travels through space in search of home. On their way they encounter dangerous space pirates, strange alien cultures and must always look out for their archenemy – the Directorate and it's droid forces.

Sci-fi Princess Nori by Angryspacecrab (CC-BY.3.0)

Star is, luckily, not without helpers. Commanding the Zodiac's bridge is Captain Baker, a stern and brave woman with effective control of her subordinates. In the ships hospital wing the eccentric doctor Egold Brookson cures disease and advocates for peace in a universe hellbent on war. Star's private teacher is Mrs. Mason, a widower with a heart of gold, warm tea and an infinite amount of homespun wisdom to share.

With all these allies what could a princess want?

Of course... There is also young federation cadet Brusse Jenkin, a young man just as confused and just as brave as the princess. Will Star and Brusse find their way through the galaxy? Can they escape the evil Director, or defeat the vicious Space Pirate Queen Lustria and can they trust the trust the mysterious light beings called the Archons?

Kvitstein

Between the coastland of Central Norway and across the border with Sweden there are large remote areas of wide forested valleys, mountains and highlands.

These are borderlands, undefined and lawless. The people make the law themselves here. Any central authority holds little relevance here.

It is here that the Witchunter arrived in the Year of Our Lord 1601. A grim and somber man leading a pack of dirty disheveled mercenaries. No one knew why he came. What god could lead him here?

At a small farm called Kvitstein the Witchunter and his men make a stop. The farmer and his wife makes them some food. The men are quiet. The couple's young daugther is curious but afraid.

Suddenly the sky fill with dark clouds.

By Daniel Thilas (1712-1772)

Suddenly the Witchunter claims that the mark of the Underworld on the little girl. He points to his powers as a servant of God and the King. He wants to kill the girl. The parents, desperate, protest but are overpowered by the Witchunter's men. The girl, all of nine years old, tries to run but is caught.

Black smoke twirls towards the dark sky. A mother wails for her lost child. The father is unable to utter a sound. The Witchunter and his men leave.

A dark year passes.

A woman now lives alone at Kvitstein. She is the wife of a man condemned to die for attacking a servant of the Crown. A woman who lost his daugther in a witches pyre.

By Rama CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons

The woman works hard to keep the farm going. She tills the earth, feeds the animals and maintains the houses. She is happy, but lonely. Only the ghost of her daughter to keep her company. The ghost, the Devil and the creatures of the Underworld.

Then one day a man arrives. A grim man carrying a large sword and a haunted sad look in his eyes. He is traveling to execute a man imprisoned. He is going to kill her husband. Travelling with the executioner is his ten year-old daugther.

Inspired by the lonely places where i grew up and Hammer Horror-films.

Encounters at the Slaugthered Rose

I previously posted an inn called the Slaugthered Rose.

Fashion plate from Costume Parisien, 1823

I will be using that inn to lauch my players into my 5e version of the Isle of Dread module (released for D&D Next as part of the playtest).

Here are a couple of encounters that I'm planing to run for my players that i figured i might share with you:

Encounter one: A cryptic warning from a cloaked stranger

This encounter should run within minutes of the PC's entering the Slaugthered Rose.

A cloaked elf with shortish hair in a Small pony-tail approaches the PC's. «I need to warn you» he whispers to a random PC and then signals for all of them lean closer. «A foul wizard is in town. He is searching for you», he points a finger at a PC, «and you would do well to stay clear of him». After speaking his piece the elf moves off.

The PC's will probably try to question him further or even try to stop him. He will repeat the above information, but refuses to elaborate, tell them why he is warning them or give his name. A DC 10 Wisdom check reveals that he is clearly very determined to keep it this way.

The elf makes no aggressive moves, but reveals a shortsword beneath his cloak if he feel threatened. Should the PC's attack he will spend a round or two dodging their attacks, using a bonus action to disengage and appeal to the other patrons for help.

• There is a 1-in-6 chance that 1d4+1 commoners will come to his aid. 
• There is also a 1-in-6 chance that the barbarian Dhuin will become emotional and assist the elf with his best violence.
• Finally there is 5-in-6 chance that mr. Blacksail will send for the guards.

D3+1 guards will arrive in 10 rounds after being summoned. When they do there is another 4-in-6 chance that 2d4+1 commoners will assist the guards in subduing the characters. Another 1d6+1 guards will arrive after five minutes.

As all of this goes on the elf will defend himself to the best of his ability: Elven rogue 3; Spd 35ft;  AC 15 (leather armor); hp 16, Melee attacks Shortsword +5 to hit; Hit: 4 (1d6+1) and Dagger +5 to hit; Hit: 3 (1d4+1). S 12 (+1), D 17 (+3), C 11, I 11, W 12 (+1), Ch 12 (+1). He is also quite Acrobatic (+7) and Athletic (+5) which he will use to keep is distance from the PC's.

Unless this encounter ends with the PC's in chains or somehow on the run the elf will leave and they will have to ponder his strange words to them.

Pirate Girl by flo-moshi at deviantart (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Encounter two: The pirate lady

This is a role-playing encounter and, as such, it requires the DM to tweak it's details to the setting and the campaign. It's focus is to introduce an NPC that has an interest in the PC's, but given the mistaken identity plot she may also have mistaken the PC's for someone else.

An elegant lady dressed in breeches with white long socks, a silk blouse and sporting a red bandana approaches the PC's. She introduces herself as Sorine Pavel and asks what the characters are up to or simply if she could join them for a drink.

They may become suspicious of her, in which case she will back off, but she is also very charming and will quickly hint that she has something to offer the PC's.

If they accept her company Sorine will tell them about a sea journey she has just returned from.

The captain of the Lamprey wanted to stay well clear of the isles in the Dread Sea. Some of them may be haunted you know and their inhabitants are wild men... flesh eaters.
Still we came close to one after a hard night fighting to stay alive during a vicious storm. We could hear the sounds of drums... It gave me the creeps. Then later we heard a roar. A terrible roar.
There are stories of brave adventurers exploring some these isles. A few have even returned, some with gold and some with arcane secrets.

Sorine is clearly interested in any rumors about historical expedition to these islands, or even better to hear of current plans for an expedition.

Sorine is on a secret mission to find an expedition to join or possibly to initiate one herself. Her taskmaster is the court of the Empress of Bavmoria for whom Sorine is a spy.

The DM has to decide if Sorine is mistaken about the PC's indentity or if she's not. In my campaign she is not. (Stats wise (5e) she is a Rogue 3/Figther 1 human with a +6 bonus on Charisma (Deception & Persuasion) tests. If i might a nice way to do it i might publish her full stats later)

In Cyberland...

We are gutter punk...

Cybergoth Designs by Atomik Reaktion, Death Guild, San Francisco (CC BY-SA)

We are the Ruling Angels and the Sons of Doom. The Chosen of Pain and the Bringers of Vengeance.

We were born to rebel against your luxury lifestyle, your corporate high-rise and your money bubble economy. 

We are not the elite. We are scum.

Music, drugs, ugly sex and blood like milk is the way we live. Unstoppable, like runaway trains in the night. 

Runaway in a tunnel of fright.

In a forgotten part of the metropolis a saga transpires.

Street gangs face off in a duel of life and death over drugs and turf. In the shadows a vicious corporation looms. Power-people in a megacorp high-rises has a stake in this fight.

Will someone shine a light on the shadow?

On the streets it is all about survival of course. But survival makes for strange bedfellows. When a small gang of punks are approached with a job offer that can save them they might find themselves on a path to discovering more than they wanted to know. This is their world.

The Gangs*

The Ruling Angels

The Ruling Angels are a strange all-female gang. This tiny gang of guardians are extremely well-armed for any street gang sporting power armor and heavy weapons. The Angels protect and watch over the local population, keeping down internal strife among the gangs and resisting outside influence. Their true agenda may be a hidden one or maybe they really are angels.

Power Armor by Chaosbringer at deviantart.com (CC BY-NC-ND)

The Rulings Angels hide their identities and are known on the streets only by their street names. Their commander is Ariel and her sisters are: Iofiel, Nanael, Rachiel, Suriel, Zophiel and Bath Kol.

The Sons of Doom

A large gang of hoodlums and punks. Their activities are loitering, rumbling and some small time theft.

The Sons of Doom is fairly loose organization with some democratic tendencies. It is led by Xiao «Chew» Xiu-Hsu, a Chinese kid with brains and social capital enough to get this army of punks to pull in the same direction.

The Bringers of Vengeance

These guys are thugs who hate the world and love profit. They are drug dealers, run loansharking operations and several robbery crews.

The Bringers of Vengeance are led by a triumvirate of senior gang members. Cash, cred and inter-gang politics are important factors in determining the gang-leaders. Triumvirate members are nominally for life, but turnovers are frequent and sometimes violent. Current leaders are; German Dewitt, Tatu «White Eye» Berrett and Isaias Kerensky.

The Chosen of Pain

A medium degenerate gang of action-jacks. The Chosen are into violence and drugs, especially drugs that are conducive to violence. Like the milk that has knives in it.

Andrian Vinosty leads the gang with an iron-fist. The rumor is that he used to be an academic, but something happened to him. Something dark. He is covered in scars from unnumbered fights now and some on streets say he can't be killed.

Red Angels

Fetish Fashion Designs by Perish Dignam - Photo by Glenn Francis (CC BY-SA)

A tiny degenerate gang of sex freaks. The Red Angels hang-out, protect their abandoned radio-tower sex-club and have sex. They are into all that extreme paraphilic sex, sadomasochism and bondage, cybersex, transhuman sex and sometimes just plain old vanilla sex for the hell of it. Some of them do drugs as well, but most of them just want to fuck.

The Red Angels' spiritual guru and leader is Heidy Croyle, a 80-year old medical doctor and anarchist artist who, thanks to a few medical enhancements still actively partakes in gang activities. Heidy's twin sons Helmut and Werner run the day-to-day activities of the gang.

The People

The people are poor. They live on a knife's edge. There is no work. No welfare except for handout's by the rich and willing. Crime pays top-dollar. The black economy is the only economy.

Not everyone is a criminal though. Some make a living selling what they find, fixing broken stuff or bringing food from up-town into the slum.

Still, everyone depends on the gangers having the money. Without the gangs, without the crime, everyone starves.

Jessia Stoyer fixes street tech and sells meat burritos to the gangers, mostly the Bringers of Vengeance outside the Bülowstraße station. She is good with the tech and never asks her supplier where the meat come from.

The Soul of Gari Nova (Public domain)

The Corporations

There are no corporations out here. Only their shadows looming from the high-rise skyline of better world.

Gari Nova looks out south from the 66th floor. The H-B suit is a perfect match. The glass of scotch in his hand feels warm. His palms are sweaty. The millions of credits he just spent is gone now, but a piece of this city belongs to the corp, and the corp belongs to him now.

The girl in the bed behind him wants him again. Wants him because he can keep her with food, speed and clothes for a lifetime.

He just needs to make two more calls. The bulldozers and the mercenaries.

*Gang names created with the gang name generator  in Interface Zero 2.0 by Gun Metal Games.

The Slaugthered Rose

The Slaugthered Rose is a waterfront dive in the docklands of Occularum. The tavern is run by a named Mormo Blacksail, an old pirate with nerves of steel.

As the PC's enter the Slaugthered Rose there are 28 patrons in the place. There are four available table and one available room.

The Slaughtered Rose (made with Archivist Elements app)

At the tavern

The sailors come here to drink and play some Floating Sting and drink the innkeepers own brew known as the Angry Squall. (Which isn't very good, but cheap.) Mr.Blacksail also imports a rather good ale called the The Stag's Own Seed, which is good but also very expensive.

In addition to rowdy sailors a fair number of Occularum's thieves and rogues like to frequent the Slaugthered Rose. This is a place where it is advised to remain on guard and don't flash your gold, if you've got any...

The local storyteller and adventuress Jhes Silkbuckle (H brd 8) frequently entertains at the tavern with stories and ballads about the various deeds of Occularum rogues. To frequent patrons of the inn it is a known fact that Jhes also knows a number of ribald stories and tales. She usually waits until late at night before performing any of these.

Mr. Blacksail has some hired staff as well:

Esveele is a middle-aged widow with graying blond hair, that works the bar and is responsible for preparing the food. She is extremely interested in buckles and stitching and examines clothing closely.

Gorme is a vapid old dock-hand that helps out with maintenance, deliveries and keeps the cellars
stocked. He covers his face with a fitted metal plate to disguise horrible burn injures to his face.

Evemegan is a careless barmaid and a sex worker. She is a brunette, dresses in men's clothing and sports a fake moustache.

Tesse is a black haired barmaid and a sex worker. She is courageous and an eternal optimist.

Alwan is a server and a sex worker. He is a bit paranoid and has several gold teeth.

Patrons and rumors

Dhuin, an emotional barbarian of the northern steppes
Use Berserker stats (5e DMG: p344) but swap armor to scale mail and weapons to a pair of scimitars.

Oludael the Jinxed, a taciturn criminal known to be unsuccessful

Dayoet the Painted, an argumentative falconer covered in tattoos from head to toe.

Kendsa Silverhill, a banker with delusions of being a spy

Cleg, a criminal with a respectful demeanor

d10 rumor table

1. A secretive woman trying to hire a group of mercenaries
2. A merchant organizing a manhunt to find an extremely dangerous killer outside of town. They say he kills for sport and is quite powerful.
3. A book found by a nobleman leads to a grove in the east where a rare herb grows.
4. A harlot has been arresting for assaulting a noble 
5. A possible spy is working within the town guard
6. A war has broken out between the giants, trolls, ogres and cyclops in the region
7. There is a plot to murder the local undertaker in four days
8. There is a brawl over at the Blind Crow Inn
9. An undead creature lurks in the crypts beneath the city
10. A group of assassin are out to murder a foreign noblewoman in the city