Bould Hill

Bould
Hill

2/10/98 - 8/25/98
My Side of Bould Hill
by Abrac Adabra, v. 3.01

History of the Hill

In the dimly seen past, the Hill was a sacred place for the worship of Nature. There was a pool at the top, which was sustained above the natural water table by Druidic Magic. Humans and smaller folk honored Nature in ceremonies at the summit.

Since then, something happened, and the worshippers of nature disappeared. The summit became wild, the pool subsides, and trolls came to live at the hill's base.

Appearance of the Hill

Bould Hill lies about 30 miles east of New Avalon across the Great River. It is a singular landmark visible for miles around. The hill rises 500 feet from the jungle floor like a huge stone bundt cake. The summit was formerly smooth, just covered with grass and a little scrub, giving the hill its name. Now the hill has been crowned with green as Abrac has fostered the growth of a ring of trees at the summit.

The surrounding jungle is thick, and a foot path used by Jungle people and adventurers passes about 5 miles south of the hill.

Abrac's Changes - the Pool

Originally the top of the hill was nondescript, with various grades of steepness and rock and grass. Mice, rats, and rabbits naturally live here. Towards the top is a narrow depression which was rock and boulder filled, where the sacred pool was in ages past. The bottom most part of the depression is 50 to 60 feet below the top rim lip.

Abrac spent time excavating this depression enough so that the he can now place the Top into a hole such that its rimmed outside floor is level with the ground. Anyone seeing it from the air would think it a regular building with a surrounding stone walkway, all even with the ground, if there is no water in the pool.

Abrac has moved and shaped the soil that accumulated in the depression of the former pool, using Rock to Mud and Mud to Rock, with many Stone Shapes, to recreate the basin at the summit. Now water collects with rain and remains so long as it is replenished. Evaporation into air and seeping into the rock sometimes empties the pool in dry seasons.

The water level of the pool rises greatly if the Top is parked in the center.

Abrac would like to create a valve or trap door at the lowest point of the pool, which could be used to drain the pool into the cracks and very narrow channels below. A Stone Shape might help do this. The flow might somehow be regulated. This project has not yet been achieved.

The water collected in the pool serves two purposes: It supports the trees that Abrac has planted and nurtured on the top of Bould Hill. And it supplies water for any of the larger animals that he may leave here for periods, along with the naturally occurring ones as well.

Abrac's Changes - the Summit

The lip of the upper rim of the hill is lined with a ring of 12 castings of Hallucinatory Forest (at 9th level). The spell is permanent until dispelled or reversed. Movement is slowed, vision is blocked. This makes the hill appear to be crowned with trees.

46 oak trees have been grown from acorn seeds and are being nurtured in the inner ring. Next to each oak, 7.5 feet away, is a small holly bush. A Plant Growth (of the second variety) has been cast at the center of the summit. It extends for one mile square area and improves yields by 20 percent to 50 percent for a full year.

Each of the oak saplings are protected by a Snare spell. When these trees are mature enough they will be used to help anchor and set a tougher (damage causing 1D6) Snare spells. Currently, these Snares will be un-achored, and they will encircle and protect each of the oak saplings. Each Snare is 3.5 ft in diameter and 90 percent undetectable. There is no save; the cord tightens upon the appropriate member (limb/head/etc.) and then wraps around the entire creature causing no damage but tightly binding it. In the first hour, a 23 Strength is needed to break free; in the second, 22; in the third, 21; etc. After 12 hours the loops open. The magical snares can be cut with any magical edged weapon.

Next to the pond, in the southeast corner of the glade, is a simple mud building, with its height half underground. It was hand-formed by Abrac and built into the side of the rising hill. It has a sod roof. Abrac cast a Reverse Rock to Mud on it and made the building into an incredibly solid sandstone structure. Stone Shape made the doors. There are very few possessions here, mostly household items and a bed. The leopards live here when on the hill.

Next to the pond, in the northwest corner, cut into the side of the hill, is a flat grassy hexagonal area. A simple stone altar, a block 10 x 10 x 3 ft [in height] centers the Druid's dais of worship. Surrounding the table, 20 feet distant, at the 6 hex vertices are 10 x 10 x 10 ft blocks of stone. The eastern-most stone block contains, via Stone Shape, a secret hollow space which Abrac's plans to keep the second copy of his spellbooks (when complete). As each volume is finished it is added to the collection. The dimensions of this space is 3 x 3 x 3 ft and the walls are lined with a thin sheet of lead. The books are located in a solid cedar wooden box that is locked and has a Fire Trap spell placed upon it. Inside the box along with the books are various herbs and substances to prevent damage from moisture, insects, rot grubs, silver fish, etc. In addition, the cedar box contains the following:

A very small wooden container which houses fresh Mistletoe, Holy and Oak leaves.

The box may contain extra magical items, the list to be determined.

The stone block does not have a secret door to this hollow -- instead, to access it (and to close it), a Stone Shape spell must be used each time.

Abrac's Changes - the Slopes

The climb up Bould Hill is difficult. Abrac has made it more so by blasting away any trails or apparent egresses. It is a steep climb up cracked and craggy stone walls. Abrac has also encouraged his snake friends, via Speak with Animals, Snake Charm, and his dynamic personality, to make natural homes here. This is an ongoing project. Currently there is a general 10 percent chance per day of a snake encounter on the slopes of the hill.

At the base of Bould Hill is cave previously occupied by a troll tribe, several families of these creatures. Abrac (with NPC Chiefling) drove off this menace in a glorious battle. Abrac has placed his brown bear friend (trained via Animal Friendship) here and has encouraged all the other brown bears in the region to call this place home.

Abrac's Security Measures

Abrac always transforms into a bird (he varies the species) when coming to or going from the hill. When he plans to be away from the Top for more than a day, he puts the following security measures into place:

Primary defense is the non-mobile Top Invisibility mode. The Top is mostly shielded by the ground and invisible. Even if there is water forming a pond, the Top will not be seen, nor will there be a un-filled gap of air.
Lock and seal all outer doors, remove all but one power crystals from the main board and one from the teleport controls. The other gems are hidden in the Library, in a false book labeled Advanced Studies On Mollusks. All control boards are locked down. All lights in the Top (except where noted) are off. All doors are locked sealed.
Wizard lock the four outer doors.
Fire Trap (save vs. spells or 1D4 + 9 points damage) all four outer doors, with animals attuned to pass. Knock spell does not trigger it. If opened, the trap discharges. A thief has 1/2 the normal chance to detect. Failure to remove detonates it -- 5 ft radius, save for 1/2. This is a PUD spell (permanent until discharged). Fire Trap all normal inner doors (which are also locked). It will take quite a few Knocks and Dispels to penetrate this nested facility.
Attach a Continual Darkness coin to the floor/wall/ceiling near each of the outer doors. Those opening the doors will not be able to see beyond. This is a minor deterrent.
Sepia Snake Sigil on a scroll on the table of in the main living room. Triggered by reading, save vs. spell or be trapped for 1D4 + 9 days. The light panel in the ceiling of this room will be lit. This will ensure that the intended victim can properly read the trap. This will also be the viewing site of the daily Clairvoyance spell that Abrac casts [as well as the outside of the Top]. The lit ceiling will help with this the Clairvoyance as well.
Next to the scroll will be a magical potion vial. There will be no potion in it, only oil. There will be a label on the vial and it will have an Explosive Ruins cast upon it. Upon reading the label (and really who can resist?) the explosion will trigger. 6D4+6 points of magical fire damage to the reader who gets no saving throw. Those with 10 foot radius may save for half. The item is destroyed. 5%/level of magic use experience of the reader, thieves have only 5% chance.
Animal guard in the Top: Snake with a few rats let loose so that he may feed. Attack strangers.
A Magic Mouth located in the Library. "Who goes there?!? Guards! Friends! Help me, we are under attack! Over there! Kill Them All! Kill Them All! Kill Them All! Kill Them All!" 25 words. Trigger/detection range = 45 yards. It will be triggered by people who do not make the appropriate sign in the air. A second Magic Mouth that goes off when it hears the phrase "Kill Them All" and it will say, "Yes! I will help you my friends, Tim-Zoltan, Marvin, John Whorfin, Nomad arise, arise! Stand by for Fireball! Aiiiiiggggghhheeeeeahhh!"
On the Lab table rests a fake magic spellbook. The outside cover has Abrac Adabra's magical visible Wizard Mark cast on the cover. This is also Fire Trapped.

Bear Cave

At the base of the hill on the southern side is a large cave. Once occupied by Trolls, this is now home to a family of brown bears, led by Kloppu the Jungle Brown Bear. Here is a map of these caves.

Underlings

There is a network of caves that lie underneath Bould Hill. Within live a tribe of Underlings - in essence, a clan of cave hobbits. There are two entrances to their caves: through the ceiling of an un-climbable Bat Cave and through the rear of Bear Cave. They very seldom venture into the outer world, and then only at night. Underlings actually live in a series of caves. The largest cave is long and the Underlings have leveled the floor. All the other caves are twisty and very narrow. Here is a map of their caves.

There are about 120 underlings beneath Bould Hill. 10 have levels - four 1st level fighters, one 2nd level fighter, three 1st level rogues, one 2nd level rogue, and one 3rd level rogue. Underlings have the following characteristics:

They have all the abilities of Stouts.
They suffer a -1 on attacks and saves in daylight or continual light.
In addition to normal hobbit thief adjustments, they also incur:
+25% when hiding or moving in caves.
+50% when hiding or moving in familiar caves.
-50% for all locks.
-20% for all traps.

Underlings tend to use poison darts - same damage as standard darts, with a bonus of 1d3 damage if a poison save is failed. They also use stone knives - treat as a standard knife, but it breaks on a roll of one. They tend to attack with surprise from hiding, throw darts, and then flee. If cornered, they tend to fight with a knife in each hand. Recently, Abrac has given them knives and some other goods.

Underlings don't live long. They are prone to illness. They know little of healing. They worship no god. They cannot read. They do not use light or fire. They do practice simple dances and singing. They usually wear primitive loincloths. They eat raw bat, fish, rats, insects, and fungi. They are very pale skinned. All are blond and blue-eyed.

Around the Hill

The jungle surrounding Bould Hill is thick and deep, just the way Druids like it. When away for more than a day, with the Top in the pond, the animals are in the following positions:

Tonru the Tethian Leopard

Default Location: The entire top of Bould Hill. His den will be in the small stone structure. If appropriate Tonru will take the Hawk #3's place and accompany Abrac on a trip/mission.

Esten the Lotharian Leopard

Default Location: He will guard the base of Bould Hill, making the regular forays into the jungle whenever necessary.

Kloppu the Jungle Brown Bear

Default Location: He will guard the base of Bould Hill, making the regular forays into the jungle whenever necessary. Soon, after the Trolls have been eliminated, he will occupy the caves below.

Sutek the Destroyer, Large Poisonous Snake

Default Location: Inside Top, guarding. He strikes at the most opportune time.

3 Large Lotharian Jungle Hawks

Default Location: Bald Hill area, guarding area.
One, Large Lotharian Jungle Hawk, patrolling the hill and the surrounding area.
Two, Large Lotharian Jungle Hawk, patrolling areas further away from the Hill.
Three, Large Lotharian Jungle Hawk, accompanies Abrac if appropriate.

Each roaming animal will have various check in times and locations, places (like dens, nests etc.) where Abrac can most likely locate them with relative ease.

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