----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE HOUSE JACK BUILT "Is that the moon or just a light that lights this dead-end street? Is that you there or just another demon that I meet?" The House Jack Built seems a normal house with a gothic appearance. However, the house is much more. Although who or what Jack really was is unknown, it is believed that he was a powerful demon given the evil nature of the house and it's link to the abyss. As far as the town is concerned, the house is abandoned and has no real owner. However, the house and it's grounds are maintained but by who is unknown. Also, the appropriate taxes are paid which is received by a courier (who doesn't know who his employer is). A person who enters the house (whose doors are always open to visitors), will eventually fall victim to its magic (save vs. magic at +5 penalty each round). A person who becomes a victim of the house will become very scared. The victim will close his eyes, begin to shake, and seek out a place to hide as his environment becomes a nightmare. The victim can open his eyes just to close them again as he witnesses horror that is "reality". The nightmare is so real that it swallows the victim. The real world gets swallowed up as Jack's world takes the victim in. The house gets control and takes the victim down and down again. The character must make an Insanity ability check every turn with a -3 penalty or lose 4d4+1 Insanity Points. Each turn the character gets a save vs. death magic and if successful, he may escape the house. "The higher you walk, the farther you fall. The longer the walk, the farther you crawl. My body my temple, this temple it tells. Step into The House Jack Built. Yes this is the house that Jack built" So why do people enter The House Jack Built? Quite simply it is like a narcotic drug. Although it contains nightmarish horrors, all pain subsides. Also, the fear is so intense that it washes away all other feelings that overwhelm people like love, hate, lust, etc.. If a person survives the house without going insane, he leaves a better person; a person in control of his life once again. "Yes I am I am I am." Another interesting feature of the house is that it has some portals to the various levels of the abyss. Some are only one-way but a few are two-way portals. However, very few bad things come from the Abyss. why is unknown? Let the show begin... The House Jack Built from Load ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE KEEP OF THE METAL MILITIA After the Humanoid Incursion, the Metal Militia disbanded, mainly because there was only five survivors. A decade ago, it was decided that the militia should be revived for protection, law enforcement, etc.. Threaten no more, to secure peace is to prepare for war. And so the Metal Militia was re-established by the citizens of The Rock. Of course, they need a cool place to hang out so the Keep of the Metal Militia was built. Most of the keep was built from the ruins of Castle Rock as there was still good stone work left. The keep has three floors and two basement levels. It was decided that each year a leader would be chosen by the militia. The leader is considered the sheriff of the town and takes care of day to day law enforcement. Other duties of the sheriff is to head the militia meetings (once a week), command soldiers assigned to The Rock (see below), and watch prisoners. A typical militia man wears armor and wields heavy metaled weaponry. The first floor is used as a meeting hall for the Metal Militia. It contains a large oak table and chairs, an assorted collection of weapon racks with weapons, and of course tapestries of how great the militia is. The second floor is the barracks. It has 12 bunk-beds so 24 soldiers can live here normally. Typically the barracks are empty. However, occasionally the country assigns a few (3d4) military soldiers (1st or 2nd level) to the Rock. These soldiers are under the charge of the sheriff and stay in the barracks. The third floor is currently not used. A trap door leads to the roof. The first level of the basement contains the prison, which is usually empty. The second level of the basement is used for storage. It contains a well of fresh water. Also, there is a obligatory secret passage to an underground cavern which is by the lake. From the cavern, a person may enter the lake. Metal Militia from Kill 'Em All ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE LAKE The lake is normal as far as its boundaries goes. Its unusual only in it's depth which is deep indeed. The lake is also the site of a fallen city that now lays in ruin at the lake's bottom. The Thing That Should Not Be from Master of Puppets ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MEMORIAL HILL History The biggest and last battle during the Humanoid Incursion took place on a hill now referred to as Memorial Hill in remembrance of those that died there. The men fought bravely on the hill. Those that did not die suffered great wounds. A few went insane from the pain. Only five men who fought in the battle lived; two of which are Patient 65 and Patient 44. The humanoids had no mercy for what they did; no thought to even what they had done. They never felt sorrow; no remorse for the helpless ones; no remorse; no repent. Humanoids fight war without end no matter the cause. Another day; another death; another sorrow; another breath; its all in the life of a humanoid soldier. The only true gift the soldiers got was the blood of their victims. Blood fed the war machine as it ate it's way across the land. With war machines going, Blood started flowing. No mercy given to anyone. The furious fighting; swords were like lighting. It all became frightening to know death was near. Only the strong survive. No one to save the weaker race. The Humanoids were ready to kill all comers like a loaded crossbow right in the face. People were dying with madness surrounding. All hell broke loose. Soldiers were hounding. Bodies were mounting. No remorse was the one command. The majority of the militia was ordinary soldiers, mere servants until they died. Most soldiers were young (around 21 years of age) and because they were born male, had a duty to enter the military at an early age. When they joined, they learned to kill, learned not to care, and learned to take orders. A soldier is molded like clay never living life. The more stripes (military ranking insignia) the more a man a person is. What they became were disposable heroes, their bodies filling the fields on the hill. The Hill Today, the hill has graves for all who died during the Humanoid Incursion. At the base of the hill is a wall of polished black granite. Upon the wall is the carved names of those that died during the war. The wall is roughly 25 feet long. Phenomenon A constant mist covers the hill. As one walks on the hill, a constant chill exists (even on the hottest summer days). During summer thunderstorms, the hill is not a safe place to be as lightning rips through the sky to the hill as if the gods remind all of what happened here. It is recommended that a character on the hill run for safety as cowardly as possible. In game terms, a character on the hill has a 75% chance per turn of being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Lightning does 5d6 points of damage (save vs. electricity for half damage). Sacrifice Way before Castle Rock, the hill was a sacred place to some culture (Egyptian-type) that either no longer exists or is far away (depending on the GM's world). The most popular activity on the hill was the stabbing of harlots to pay for their sins. Also, the virgin sacrifice was common. And the occasional self-sacrifice made its way to the hill. A sacrificial stone alter still exists on top of the hill and the aged chains used on the victims are still imbedded in the stone. Rumor has it that 1009 people were sacrificed on the hill. Although a legal, public execution has never taken place at The Rock, the laws of the town state that such executions shall take place by the Metal Militia atop Memorial Hill at the sacrificial altar. The Holiday The 30th day of the fifth month of the year is the anniversary of the battle because it was this day when the battle finally ended. This day is a local holiday in which people remember and morn. It is believed that a caring family member (especially a mother) who burns a candle in the window while a soldier is at war can sense the soldier especially when the soldier is in pain or at death. One custom of the holiday is to burn a candle in the window. The window burns to light the way back home for soldiers. A light that warms no matter where they go. When soldiers leave to go to war, it is as if they are going to find the hero of the day. That is, to see which one of them will become a hero. Another part of the holiday is to honor a hero whether living or dead. This person becomes the hero of the day. Typically the honored is a soldier that has served god and country. When this honor first became part of the holiday, the first hero of the day was Johnny (patient 44). Veterans spend the holiday discusing how they feel. The horrors of war they lived is to many soldiers still real. Many veterans deserve their easy chair. Unfortunately there are those that are totally against war and like to use the holiday to speak their mind. These people protest war with anti-war demonstrations. These demonstrates dislike the veterans who participate in war. Thus, the veterans really dislike the protestors and have even been known to start fighting the anti-war people. After all, why would anti-war believers fight back? Disposable Heroes from Master of Puppets For Whom the Bell Tolls from Ride the Lightning Metal Militia from Kill 'Em All No Remorse from Kill 'Em All Hero of the Day from Load ----------------------------------------------------------------------- METALLICA MINING COMPANY MINE History The Rock was a prosper mining town until the effects of Metallica were discovered; then mining operations severely declined. Most claims were sold. Those that went inactive for ten years reverted back to the town. The abandoned mines became home to many monsters. Eventually, adventurers cleared them out and the mines were sealed. The original mine entrance remained active as there still is a demand for Metallica by some. The mine is operated by the Metallica Mining Company. Some people/organizations who own shares in the company are Damage Incorporated, the township of The Rock, and Miner 49er (Patient 67). Staff The staff of the company consists of four miners one of which is the manager. The manager is in charge of operations. Besides managing the crew, he makes all the mining decisions like where to dig. Another part of his job is to handle the selling of the ore. Also, the manager is an accomplished miner and spends much of his time mining. The manager answers to shareholders monthly. The current manager of the company is a retired adventurer of dwarven decent. One of the miners is Miner 49er. He tends to go about his own way. as he prefers to look for gold than Metallica. Because he is very knowledgable, a good miner, and very dedicated; Miner 49er is a valuable member of the staff. Mining Camp The area around the mine entrance is the mining camp. The camp is fenced off as a minor security precaution. At the entrance to the camp is an office in which the manager handles company business. Nothing of value is kept here unless records of mining operations are considered valuable. There is a cabin where the miners reside. As would be expected, the interior of the cabin definitely show signs of male living. Through the mess, a person can find four bunk beds, many chests, two tables, two stoves, and lots of mining gear. One building is the smelter where the ore is processed. Cart tracks from the mine entrance enter this building. The building was built with a hill behind it. The rock from the smelting process is dumped down this hill. After years of this, the hill is slowly losing ground. The building closest to the entrance is the supply shack. Within a person can find large quantities of mining supplies. The Mine Many of the old mines that existed have been linked together with this main mine to create an extensive network of shafts and tunnels. No mining tunnels have tapped into the caverns mentioned THE CAVERNS section. It is believed that the company has secret chambers somewhere in the large mining network. This belief is based on the fact that nowhere in the camp is a secured place in which the company's wealth is stored. Load ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE PIERS The piers on the lake are typical of any piers. There are 10 piers entering the lake to be exact. Attached to the piers are various boats (mainly fishing boats). The Boys prized fishing boat is called "Orion". It is docked at Pier #1. Damage, Inc. Warehouse Damage Incorporated maintains a warehouse for storing various items that accumulate from many business transactions. Master of Puppets Warehouse Master of Puppets works out of an old warehouse near the docks. From this warehouse, The Master runs his drug syndicate. He only deals with outsiders so as not to draw the attention or wrath of the locals. The locals are familiar with The Master but believe him to be only a merchant of little talent dealing with odds and ends. Little do they know that these odds and ends are clever containers for his illegal drugs. He also maintains a cavern complex far underground. There is no known entrances into the complex. Teleportation is the entrance way of choice of The Master. The complex is used as The Master's home. A few of the chambers simulate his home on the Abyss, hot and nasty. Some caves are used as storage for his contraband. Most of the complex is a never-ending maze. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SANITARIUM The Sanitarium is the second oldest building next to Castle Rock. After the first settlers moved in around the castle, the insanity began. A psychological doctor, Dr. Johnny Fever, noticed that the area (the load of Metallica underground) caused insanity and saw a great opportunity for his work on the mentally ill. Thus, the Sanitarium was built. Unfortunately, Dr. Fever was affected by the Metallica as everybody who stays to long in the area does. Although insane, Dr. Fever still "works" in the Sanitarium and is still "in charge". After all, he owns the place. The Sanitarium is very popular to those that wish to understand the mind, psychological doctors, psionicists, mind sages, etc.. Because few can last a few months at The Rock without going insane, most physicians take sabatical at the Sanitarium for four months at a time. Of course, they must pay the Sanitarium a nice fee for use of its facilities. This is the main income of the Sanitarium and it is plenty. The Sanitarium is home to many residents of the town. No one seems to leave and no one seems to want to. Most patients are labeled mentally deranged. One of the costs of being a patient is the invasion of privacy. Doctors are always trying to see what makes the patients tick. Its the price they pay for being insane. Many techniques are used in "treatment" of the patients. It seems that every new doctor that shows up on sabatical brings with him a new technique. Some build fear in what's out there. Some whisper things to the patient to induce paranoia. Some tie up patients to make them well. Of course, insanity cannot be cured as long as the insane is near Metallica so all attempts at a cure is futile. The only thing most doctors in the Sanitarium do is assure the patients that their insane. After all, they think the patients' heads are in their hands. They see it right, they see it well. Except for a few patient rooms, there are no locked doors or no windows barred. As most people in the town are insane, the Sanitarium developed a open, revolving door policy where patients can come and go as they please. Of course there are some patients who need total supervision and are locked up (usually in cages). EFFECTS Welcome to where time stands still - When inside the walls of the Sanitarium, a person does not age. It is as if time stands still. The cause of this magical effect is unknown. One theory is that the Metallica in the earth, a strange compound in the walls of the building, the position of the moon, and the placement of the Sanitarium has formed a magical-null in time and space. Why isn't the Sanitarium used as a beauty spa for those who wish to stay young forever? Well, the Sanitarium has other effects that aren't quite as pleasant. Any prolonged stay in the Sanitarium by a person should be recorded by the GM as actual calendar age and biological/magical age will slowly grow apart. Dream the same thing every night - Another eerie effect of the Sanitarium which may be related to the time nullification is the sleeping disorders that effect those that sleep inside the Sanitarium. A person that sleeps inside the Sanitarium will have the same dream night after night even if he leaves and comes back. The repeated dream also tends to be a nightmare (and not a good one). What really makes the dreams startling is how real they seem. But violent use brings violent plans - Every 24 hours, a person in the Sanitarium must make a Sanity check or become violent for a number of turns equal to his Sanity score. THE CURE With a person losing Insanity Points while living in The Rock for a long period of time, that person should have a large quantity of insanities. Without the use of magic to cure insanity, a person's only hope is the Sanitarium. When an insane person begins going to "therapy", he can begin to regain lost Insanity Points. A person who goes to therapy once a week for a month gets back 1 Insanity Point. If he continues to go, the person gets back 1d2 points for each weekly session (which amounts to 4d2 points a month). If a person misses more than two weeks, than the process must start over. For an intense insane person, daily therapy is recommended (five days a week, two days off). A person who goes to therapy once a day (5/2) for a month gets back 6 Insanity Points. If he continues to go, the person gets back 1 point for each daily session (which amounts to 5 points a week, 20 a month). If a person misses more than one week (five sessions), than the process must start over. If a person brings his Insanity Points to it's maximum and he has gone to therapy for a minimum of three months, then that person has recovered from an insanity. For every addition 2d4 months, the person can be cured of an insanity. Note that the GM should adjust the time based on the severity of the insanity. Also, note that there should be a chance for a relapse (it is suggested that this chance be equal to the Sanity Ability Score). The GM may adjust the allowance of Insanity as necessary. After all, therapy isn't foolproof and some may be better than others. In fact, some therapy may make matters worse (if a GM is creative). Welcome Home (Sanitarium) from Master of Puppets ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TEMPLE OF THE GOD THAT FAILED The temple wasn't big but it serviced the community. When the god failed the populace, they ransacked the temple. The temple still stands but the rooms inside lay in ruin. When the followers lost the faith, the god lost his place on the heavenly planes. He now lives in the temple. He never leaves the temple and it is speculated that he is imprisoned there until he can regain power. The broken windows and the smashed doors are boarded up. Carved above the old doors it reads, "follow the god that failed." Main Hall This was where the followers would worship. Now the room lays in ruin with broken pews scattered about. The altar was broken into four pieces during the destruction of the temple. Priest Chamber This chamber is where the priest lived. A small vestibule off the chamber is where the priest prepared before his service. The priest fled in disgrace after the god disgraced him. Now the chamber is used by the god. Basement The basement was used as a storage place for the town. After all, what could be more safe than holy ground. Now the basement is just another place for the god to be. The God That Failed from Metallica ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TOMB OF A BOY KING A few centuries before the culture of today existed, another culture used the surrounding area. In particular, what is now known as Memorial Hill was considered sacred ground back then. The ancient culture was like the real-world Egyptians (or even Aztecs if the GM prefers). It seems that in this ancient culture, slavery was popular. Slavers were born to serve the pharaoh (king). The slaves lived in fear for four hundred years. Eventually they developed faith in an unknown deliverer. The deliver wanted to take the slaves out of the land of the pharaoh. The pharaoh wouldn't allow it. And so the pharaoh was punished by magic of the deliverer, power of a deity, or maybe just coincidence; it is unknown to time. The rivers turned red like blood, the days turned to night, hail of fire fell from the sky, and a plague of locust infected the land. And the pharaoh still wouldn't give. In fact to teach the slaves a lesson, the pharaoh decreed that the first born of every slave shall be killed, so let it be written so let it be done. And so that night a cloud of creeping death covered the land and killed the first born of all non-slaves which included the pharaoh's son. The slaves won... The pharaoh was so ashamed and felt so guilty over the loss of his son that he could not bury his dead son in his homeland. Instead he took the son to sacred land known to him. Near the sacred hill, an underground tomb was constructed. The tomb isn't as elaborate as was the custom of the ancient culture. No monuments mark the spot so as to protect it from tomb robbers. Also, it only contains a few chambers some of which are a false chamber, an antechamber, and a burial chamber. However, the tomb is well guarded from unwanted visitors. Because it is located out of the homeland, the pharaoh wanted to ensure that his son's mummy would be well protected. No mining has reached the tomb because of its close proximity to Memorial Hill. No mining is allowed near or under the hill so as not to disturb the special site. Creeping Death from Ride the Lightning ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST CLIFF BURTON MEMORIAL PARK When Cliff died, the music group and Damage Incorporated designed and built a small park in his memory. In the center of the park is a larger-than-life statue of Cliff. Cliff was never buried. His ashes were spread over various points of the lake. DAMAGE INCORPORATED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION With all the riches that pour into The Rock, the only safe place for a person to keep his wealth is in this impenetrable bank built by none other than the famed Damage Incorporated. All residents with any bit of wealth have an account at this institute. It also comes in very handy for merchants who rack in money during the music festival. Not only does the institute handle savings, it also manages loans, engineers investments, and other banking needs. Thus, Damage Incorporated Financial Institution brings a fair and equitable money managing system to a somewhat medieval world. Crime syndicates don't target this institute for the main reason that they use it for various reasons. First, it's a great place to launder currency. Also, a person can have a private anonymous account that nobody including the government will know about. Its a crime lords banking dreams come true. The intricacies of the institute's theft-protection is unknown but it is believed that Metallica is used to prevent magic use. Also, inter-dimensional and extra-planar sites are used within the bank. Another interesting tid-bit is that mineral trades are believed to be taken place with financial institutes at other dimensions. METALLICA CLUB HOME OFFICE Metallica formed a fan club worthy of their fans. The office is a small stone building at the Rock. Among offices for use by employees of the band, the building contains a nice store of Metallica merchandise. This club is completely owned and overseen by the band, so it maintains the vision and intend of the band. Far more than the name "fan club" would imply, The Metallica Club exists so that the band can keep a two-way line of communication open to the people who have helped and supported them over the years. Metallica has always hesitated to even use the term "fan", feeling that it believes the strength and depth of dedication and support held among the very folk to whom the teeny, flaccid word might be applied. What with being on the road so much, James, Lars, Jason, and Kirk have entrusted the care and feeding of The Metallica Club to their friend and road manager, Tony Smith. As such, Smith is a man with a mission: to make sure The Metallica Club is operated in a way that reflects Metallica's deep commitment to and appreciation for their friends and supporters - the fans. Metallica Club produces an annual shirt and prints their own magazine called "So What!" for members of the club. THE ROCK ARENA The Rock Arena is so named because it is created by carving into the lake side rock. The result was a beautiful arena that seats thousands of people. Clever architecture design allows for excellent acoustics that don't cause annoying echos. THE SMITHY The local blacksmith is a master blacksmith, weaponsmith, and armorer. His specialty is working with Metallica. The blacksmith's name is ironically Smithy. It might seem strange that Smithy is so masterful unless the fact that he was struck insane at a young age is known. When smithy was a child, he went insane and became obsessed with blacksmithing Metallica. Of course, the more he worked with it, the more insane he got. But the insanities he accumulated just made the Metallica obsession worse. The second insanity drove him to learn the art of weaponsmith of which he only worked with Metallica. His next insanity made him learn how to make armor. With each insanity he got, he learned a new way to use Metallica. Now he is a master of the metal. The Smithy is typical of any blacksmith. In addition to the blacksmith area, there is a shop connected in which Metallica merchandise can be bought. Anything made with Metallica tends to cost 10 times as much as the same item in regular metals. The shop contains weapons, armor, jewelry, etc.. Note that Smithy will gladly create custom items for customers. SNAKE PIT The Snake Pit is a large pit in the center of town which contains snakes. These snakes are considered the town's pets and most of the community helps in the care of the snakes. TOMMY'S JOINT Tommy's Joint is a Hoffbrau. It's specialties are meat, potatoes, and beer. It is one of Metallica's hangouts. On a historical note, it is the place where Jason was asked to join the band. YE' OLE MUSIC SHOP A town known for it's music must have a place to buy instruments and the best place in town is this place. The music shop's proprietor is Mister Gibson. He is a Master Bard who has turned his talents into producing quality musical instruments. His specialty is string instruments. His insanity is that he is consumed with crafting musical instruments. -----------------------------------------------------------------------