The Quality of Gold

Part 8: Stonehaven – The Dark Citadel

Comments in Blue have been added after publishing.

Details

Chapter 5: Stonehaven, The Dark Citadel (what is REALLY happening here)

When the Whispering Tyrant was freed from his prison in Gallowspire, he released a wave of powerful necromantic energy that awakened the dead through the former country of Lastwall. Opportunistic dealers in death, evil priests and necromancers found their businesses flourishing. One powerful necromancer named Osanna Cadell was living among the minor nobility in Stonehaven Citadel when the Tyrant was released. Emboldened, the woman completed her plans to ‘enlist’ her family and strengthen her stronghold. She now secretly rules the Citadel with a powerful ally named Lady Rowena, who portrays herself as a righteous paladin of Iomedae, but in reality is an anti-paladin of Zon-Kuthon.

Rowena is the main figure who manages the garrison, the leadership of the villages and hired mercs ‘in the know’ including the group that found the party. Just outside the main gates and wall of the Citadel are houses, stores and barracks for the defense of the Citadel, but the main gates have not been opened since the fall of Gallowspire four years ago. The Cadell family was reclusive, but they would make the occasional foray into the village. However, they have not been seen in years. Lady Rowena says that she has spoken with the Lady Osanna, but has been given autonomy in the decision-making for the city and serves as a de facto mayor. In reality, she is very active in recruiting select corruptible people to her cause, triaging refugees to be delivered to her boss and managing both enterprises all the while keeping up the façade of a peaceful village of useful idiots.

The operation works as follows:

Refugees who are strong, mostly healthy and capable, but not threatening are brought to the Citadel Terrace where their skills are assessed and if they seem to be tradesman-worthy, are assigned housing in the barracks.
Refugees who are weak, too young or too old are housed in the barracks, but are eventually moved to a nearby refugee camp where their needs can be met by other volunteers. See refugee camps below.
Refugees who seem capable, talented or show competence are allowed to integrate into the town and observed by the conspirators there. They are assessed for their ability, morals and possible corruptibility. If they are thought to be capable but corruptible, they will be invited to join the Citadel patrols. Once there, they can prove their worth and intent. If they show high morals and resist corruptions, they will be told that their services may be useful in a nearby city or will be invited to help at one of the local farms.
The Pipeline – the main purpose of the scouting groups is to filter refugees into one of the local camps if they are weaker or bring them to town if they are more competent. From there, they can be assessed and separated.
Camps – there are 3 camps in the surrounding countryside, all about 1 day’s journey from Stonehaven. All are in secluded locations. Each camp contains sleeping areas for the refugees and a hidden area where the refugees are eventually taken to be converted into various types of undead. The conversion process depends on the type of undead involved (ghoul, plague zombie, ghast). Osanna makes the rounds to these camps about 2x per week.
The newly formed undead are penned at the camps until Osanna comes about once per week, gains control of the lower undead and carts them back to a secret entrance to the Citadel where they are kept for a plan to invade this region of Ustalav when she gets enough. Currently, she has about 300 ghouls and zombies ready and is working on creating higher-level undead via her necro-craft from the live prisoners in the dungeons.

Types of Villagers – there are three types of villagers in Stonehaven:

Conspirators: These are the main baddies who know the whole truth and are aiding and abetting in the nasty deeds of the necromancer
Complicits: These people know about the sinister nature of the village, may know all or some of the operation, but are wise/afraid enough not to divulge what is happening
Clueless: Mainly in the Lower Village, these people are oblivious to the nefarious deeds happening under their noses. They may entertain the odd suspicion but quickly convince themselves that such thoughts are just silly childish anxieties.

In the Lower Village, only Nate Leeds and Thad Dugger are Conspirators. Tolin, Inbrus and Dundali are Complicit but conduct their business as usual to maintain their livelihoods.

In the Upper Village, most of the residents have lived here for decades, so they are aware of the history and are Complicit, at the least. The exceptions to this would be the newlyweds and their servants and the students. The teachers are all conspirators, but more out of fear of Lethia/Osanna than true avarice.

The next part of the adventure took place in the town of Blackcross in its own mini-adventure