The Solarium of Rose Keep
-Deep within the bowels of the small keep is a magical solarium, and the origin of the name of the Red Wizard Enclave. Long ago, in 1370 DR, the Year of the Tankard, the keep outside of Velprintalar, Aglarond, was home to a wizard, Thaernval "Greenthumb" Alrazah. Thaernval had always been interested in botany, and left his home in Suzail, Cormyr to travel the world, to learn about the fauna native to Faerûn, and the Hordelands of Kara-Tur. Upon returning from western Kara-Tur, he settled down, and had the keep constructed.
-Thaernval enchanted the soil around his home to be especially conducive to growing healthy plants. Using the seeds he collected from all across the world, he created a garden rivaling that of the garden of Queen Simbul's palace. in the basement of his home, Thaernval created a magical solarium to house his favorite plants: roses. The wizard magically augmented these plants as well, to have them grow larger than normal varieties of roses, stronger than normal varieties of roses, hardier than normal varieties of roses, and in colors not normally found in roses.
-For years, Thaernval was content to grow his plants, wanting nothing else from the world. That is, until the Spellplague hit. In 1385 DR, Mystra, the deity of magic, was killed. The Weave was torn asunder, and the magical catastrophe of the Spellplague hit. The magical chaos effected Thaernval's keep in an unique manner.
-One of his oversize roses growing in his magical solarium in the basement gained a sentience of it's own. The once-red rose turned a brown-black color, and it's vibrant stem turned a brown color. Sages, now, speculate that the chaos of the Spellplague might have sealed the essence of Moander, or perhaps Zuggtmoy, into this particular rose. Whatever the case may be, the intelligent plant became malevolent, and extended it's taint into the groun around it, corrupting other plants. Slowly, it's area of influence grew and grew.
-Thaernval Alrazah only became aware of this when it was too late. As the Wizard slept one night, a malevolent tendril of thorned vines slowly crept up the side of the stone structure, into the his own dormitory. Like a cat pouncing upon it's prey, the evil vines lashed out, encircling the Wizard's neck, both choking his and biting into his skin. Though he escaped the initial assault, Thaernval eventually succumbed to the venom within the vine's thorns.
-The Malevolent Rose went into dormancy, but awakens every time Rose Keep gains a new resident. Many an adventurer have been killed by the evil plants inhabiting Rose Keep, and those who have miraculously escaped have given the keep the moniker it has today.
-Since the Red Wizards moved into the keep, the Malevolent Rose has stirred, and awoken. It is currently biding it's time, as it recognizes the power of the Red Wizards. And yet, it will suffer no one living in it's abode...
Secret society inside the Red Wizards? I'm sure that ther're plenty of wizards who wouldn't mind seeing Szass Tam get deep sixxed after what he apparently did to their homeland (and has planned for his neighbors if the rumors are correct) in his quest for godhood.
Some local color for the Keep itself? A small community that has grown up around it, spawning adventurers like the PCs themselves who get sent on all sorts of component gathering journeys?
So what sort of Realms flavor would you like?
-Anything to make the article seem more Forgotten Realms related than it does just by itself. Tie plots to people, tie plots to places, tie people to places, tie whatever to whatever...
That doesn't sound at all like what we came up with in the other thread.
-No, I build upon and changed the ideas in my head. I needed a rose. Mind you, that's only the solarium, however. There could still be very much more "evil" foliage in the gardens elsewhere.
-No, I build upon and changed the ideas in my head. I needed a rose. Mind you, that's only the solarium, however. There could still be very much more "evil" foliage in the gardens elsewhere.
That a good set up for a musical.
That a good set up for a musical.
-Perhaps one of the Red Wizards is secretly a Lovitarian, and has a "little shop of horrors" where he/she commits deadly atrocities, such as live vivisections?
-You tell me, people. I already wrote something. I don't want to write anything else.
I'm thinking now that the Keep is just part of a larger compound, and will have at least one connecting passage.
That way, we can keep the interesting 'dungeon' aspect seperate from the operational Enclave part.
Get ready for Rose Manor.
the problem with much of the guide is the lack of realmsian touches
-Right. This was a DRAGON article, though, and not an excerpt for the official books. But, still, the same problem. So, we're on our own...
the problem with much of the guide is the lack of realmsian touches
The book was written that way on purpose - they want people to be able to easily port stuff into any world or campaign.
The Realms have become core, no matter how many times they denied it.
I just want to see if they do the same to their beloved Eberron.
-You tell me, people. I already wrote something. I don't want to write anything else.
-Butt we want you to do all of the work o'almighty one! :P
18DELTA :D
-Butt we want you to do all of the work o'almighty one! :P
18DELTA :D
-No.
About you Solarium Lord Karsus, I have to say I am a bit split about it - it´s good writing seen on his own, but together with the Rosekeep Article it feels tacked on. The plot about a murderous plant (never really liked the TV show about the flesh eating one) doesn´t mesh well with he existing flavour of the keep, especially since the dungeon seems to be in regular use and such a garden most likely not have survives especially since the Red Wizards are in the keep since a long time.
However I would adapt it a bit. so that Tharna is actually the Rose creators doughter and that after his death his spirit/ghost was drawn into the roses and now protect her - but regard everyone and everything else as an intrusion and threat to his family. Ever since Kalarel left to be eventually killed in H1, The roses became dormant. but after haring Dorim Craigwatcher plot against his blood he searches for a way to deal with him, but is not strong enough to do it alone.
That way it would actually add another plot option, and the characters could potentially ally themselves with the rosewizard to kill the dwarf and maybe the warlock. ..... Well I guess I´ll add my own, but first I´ll take the time to read the FRCG.
They have become a 'hive-mind' with the evil essence of the Master Rose at its core. The only way to kill them all would be to find the 'Heart Root', somwhere down in the sub-cellers...
And now lots of little Roses are growing all over the place? People think they are beautiful, but they are just bidinbg their time..
They have become a 'hive-mind' with the evil essence of the Master Rose at its core. The only way to kill them all would be to find the 'Heart Root', somwhere down in the sub-cellers...
Thats actually more to my preference, if you want you could add that sometimes the roses actually spring from the keeps stones (even though I initially wanted to explain that the keep got his name from the rose coloured stone it was build off).
One could even add a potential plot hook that someone, mabe the mage apperentice collected some roses and used them for alchemy with interresting results...
Someone walks past a wall some roses are growing up (this special breed grows like vines), and suddenly they feel a sharp pain. They look down and notice a small thorn; "thats funny", they think, "I don't remember brushing the wall as I swept past..."
Three days later he dies, a bloated corpse, and no one can figure out what happened. The othe Red Wizards suspect poison, and start casting accusations at each other...
But what they don't know is that they should be looking to the couple of roses sitting in a vase on nightable... roses he picked just a few days before he fell ill....
The Solarium of Rose Keep
-Deep within the bowels of the small keep is a magical solarium, and the origin of the name of the Red Wizard Enclave. Long ago, in 1370 DR, the Year of the Tankard, the keep outside of Velprintalar, Aglarond, was home to a wizard, Thaernval "Greenthumb" Alrazah. Thaernval had always been interested in botany...
I like, I like!:D
-I simply find it odd that with such a name, there is no obvious or veiled reference to man-eating flowers.