Something I've been tinkering with on the side: a spot under the tropics where one can relax with a margarita, enjoying a marine breeze and the sight of a turquoise sea crashing on the nearby beach. Since vacations aren't in the cards these days, I figured I'd dream a bit and make it a Calidar feature as well. Those of you with PG1 "Players' Guide to Meryath" will recognize this place. Feel free to adapt this material to your game.
Moana's Stingray Cove is a greasy spoon for pirates and thieves rather than a vacation resort. Its bar faces a wooden deck. The front and sides are open, save for fishing nets and ropes adorned with sea-themed decorations like shells, bits or coral, and ship gear. An old sail stretches overhead from the main building to surrounding wooden posts. Beach bums often sit out front at sunset, by a campfire. Sturdy shutters above the bar's countertop can be swung down and locked after business hours to close off the deck area from the building. The entire structure sits on posts, about two feet above the sandy surface. The ground floor includes a kitchen, a pantry, and staircase to the upper level. The area beneath the stairs is walled off, although a removable panel may conceal ill-gotten gains stored there, as well as a one-way passage leading under the house.
Odd detail: A woodstove is used to prepare hot meals. The fireplace, though a pile of ashes lies within, is not in use. A cauldron sits inside, with some bone-dry, crusted mealy remains. The reason for this is that a tall mast stands inside the chimney conduit. It is invisible, therefore someone would have to search the ashes to feel the mast's presence. Reaching well above the building's roof, it supports a crow's nest (equally invisible). It is used to keep an eye on the neighborhood.
The staircase runs past a gallery on its right hand side (going up). In case of trouble, rogues might stand there, ready to shoot their crossbows over the railing, down at unwanted visitors. A number of eye symbols show the position of peep holes to spy on various places on that floor. The main room is a place where those in the know meet to plan future missions. The owner's bedchamber opens on a balcony. Ratlines connect its left side railing to a trapdoor in the crow's nest floor. They are invisible like the mast. Two unusual features might catch the eye of observant PCs. Three large metal bolts protrude from the railing (securing the ratlines' lower end). A part of the building's roof is indented to make room for the intervening ratlines.
Anyone investigating the bolts can feel the unseen ratlines. Anyone climbing the ratlines also becomes invisible, and can plainly see the hidden structure. Yardarms jut out from under the crow's nest. From there, it is easy to push open the trapdoor and climb onto the platform. Gunwale-like railing secures the spot, and a wooden roof protects occupants from the tropical sun. A watcher always occupies the crow's nest, relying on a magical scroll to communicate with the cove's owner. If alerted of a potential piracy target sailing by, the owner uses a similar device to tip off nearby pirates. I'm sure you got the idea.
Fighting on the roof is definitely an idea. Someone trying to flee could easily jump into the fronds of an adjacent palm tree, or leap onto the sail stretched above the bar's deck. It is old, but it might still hold someone's weight, or at least soften a fall.
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| Click on the map for a full-res view |
Odd detail: A woodstove is used to prepare hot meals. The fireplace, though a pile of ashes lies within, is not in use. A cauldron sits inside, with some bone-dry, crusted mealy remains. The reason for this is that a tall mast stands inside the chimney conduit. It is invisible, therefore someone would have to search the ashes to feel the mast's presence. Reaching well above the building's roof, it supports a crow's nest (equally invisible). It is used to keep an eye on the neighborhood.
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| Click on the map for a full-res view |
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| Click on the map for a full-res view |
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| Yardarm, Ratlines, Roof Indentation |
