Castle of the Veiled Queen

Quick overview - module in numbers:

• 85+ rooms with detailed maps to explore
• 25+ NPCs to ally or antagonize
• 25+ Unique magic items to be found
• 5 legends with 3 additional story hooks to bring your players to the castle 

After the release of BEYOND CORNY GROŃ – ADVENTURER’S GUIDE, the time has come to give you the first adventure module set in eponymous mountains - CASTLE OF THE VEILED QUEEN.

BEYOND CORNY GROŃ – ADVENTURER’S GUIDE was written by me, Kuba Skurzyński (hello!), and its publication was made real with tremendous help from 665 backers of our Kickstarter campaign, who helped to fund a print run of the core game book containing everything required to discover the fantastic land of Karpaki. As promised then, now we are continuing exploration of this setting with the first volume of Other Paths zine - 44 B5-pages-long OSR adventure module. It expands the plots, rumors, and legends outlined in core book, but does not require it to be played. If you haven't heard about Beyond Corny Groń yet, check out link above, or just browse through itch.io to find it!

Our goal was to create a module based in Corny Groń universe, but universal enough to be easily adaptable to other settings and to be used as a - well - plug-in module. Although it wasn’t designed with any specific character level tier in mind, it should work well as an adventure for low- and mid-level characters in any role-playing adventure/OSR game. This is reflected in universal statblocks and in the way of describing challenges. It won't give a set of scenes to play out on the session, but a living location for many kinds of adventures to took place in.

Eren Castle is one of the oldest and biggest fortifications the Karpakian Valley. Its foundation roots down to the time of half-mythical rulers, who built a rampart on a high and steep peak. Popular local tale speaks of Eren as the founder of the castle, who settled here after years of adventures. When he was looking for a place to hide from his enemies, an owl pointed him this safe haven. After adventurer trusted the bird, it turned into majestic, masked woman in a broad mantle with a pale-blue halo, and asked Eren to build her a shrine in his refuge. Later residents of the castle, followers of allmighty solar deity, Fair Mother, interpreted the figure and her bluish glow as attributes of the saint Honegund, associated with salt and alchemy, but it is not clear if Eren ever thought the same.

To protect St. Honegund’s holy site, stone wall and tower were built. Tower became inhabited by owls over one, full-moon night. From that date onward, the full moon was a special moment for the inhabitants of the fortress, as during these nights the foundations of the so-called Moon Tower would light up with a blue glow, as a sign of the divine providence over the castle. Imperial guards still repeat a frightful prophecy to each other, that when no more owls will be nesting here, the whole Karpaki shall be flooded by the infernal heat of the Eastern Sun. So far, legend has never been verified, as despite many sieges of the castle, the Moon Tower has not fallen to ruin, and owls have always been around.