Santicorn 2019: The Trackless Peaks

Lejeune from the OSR Discord has requested this prompt from the Secret Santicorn this year: “something including the works of nicholas roerich maybe nordic inspired go hog wild”.

Since, I've never heard of the name it was time to do some googling around. Found out Nicholas Roerich was a Russian painter (mostly, though he multi-classed into other things as well) from the turn of the twentieth century. At brief glance his works seemed to focus on Nordic and Russian themes and later in his life on the Himalayas.

Mountaintops stretch as far as the eye can see. It all used to be ruled by the Drin Empire. Before the Spider Princess died. Now people come here to find enlightenment. Carving gods into the stone. Storm Raiders travel the clouds on their longships. Burning the monasteries to the ground and forcing captured to be oarsmen on their ships. Hermit shamans of old raise wooden totems and fuse their bodies with animal skin. Many ancient wonders lie within the Trackless Peaks, ready to be taken by bold and foolhardy.

When you travel into the Trackless Mountains roll 3d10 for each half a day of travel. First d10 determines location you find. Second d10 determines detail modifying the location. Third d10 determines current event happening in the location. Also roll for an event whenever player spend night in a location. Add distance from the starting location (depth) to the first and second d10 but not to the third. Each even roll on the three d10s is an additional path (exit) from the location. Place your starting location in the bottom-left (SW) and always give it 3 paths (instead of counting even rolls). Paths can go north, north-east, and east. This way you should end up with paths splitting and later joining again.



Location (d10+depth)

1. Eight Thousand Steps - Carved ages ago. Small shrine built by Mason Monks stands at each thousandth step. 4-in-6 chance of encountering monk seeking enlightenment. 2-in-6 chance he is dead.
2. Monastery - Their culture varies as much their outlook towards strangers. Roll d12 on the reaction table (instead of 2d6).
3. Waterfall - Water is crystal clear and ice cold. 2-in-6 chance of encountering shape shifting water spirit playing a simple fiddle. They like to drown lone wanderers but can be persuaded to teach someone for a treasure or a life. If they teach you how to play an instrument you’ll be able to stop water and make trees move at your command.
4. Burial Towers - Storm Raiders lay their dead to rest aboveground. It’s bad luck for your bones to touch the ground. d4 towers. Each tower is locked and has d4 treasures inside.
5. Circle of Totems - Carved from ancient wood. Covered in dried blood. 2-in-6 chance that d6+2 hermit shamans are sacrificing someone here. They don’t like to be disturbed and they can fuse with bearskins they wear, turning to bears.
6. Wall - 40’ tall and stretching as far as the eye can see. 2-in-6 chance of the wall being breached. Guardpost at every mile. It contains ancient arms and armor.
7. Old Battlefield - Mostly ruined armor and weapons. If you sift through the remains for hours you’ll find d4 treasures and 2d6 skeletons.
8. Lone Statue - Over 20’ tall statue of a humanoid, possibly with animal features and multiple arms or legs. Half finished. Abandoned. Carving tools and remains of scaffolding still scattered around. It can speak to you in dreams. It wants to be worshipped and finished. Promises great power in return.
9. Long Bridge - 100’ long, spanning an impossibly deep chasm. 4-in-6 chance of being blockaded by brigands, mason monks, storm raiders or mountain troll. Either case, they want their toll.
10. Rapids - Bit too fast flowing for comfort and the rocks don’t look inviting either. There is a path of worn rocks you might be able to skip over. If you’re nimble enough. 
11. Glacier - 60’ tall and stretches to either side as far as you can see. Climmable if you have the right equipment but probably won’t hold much weight (2-in-6 chance of cracking if you carry a lot of treasure).
12. Bottomless Canyon - 20’ across and no obvious way to pass it. Treasure glitters on the opposite side.
13. Storm Raider Camp - They’re gruff and keep to themselves but they’re not outright hostile when not on a raid. They favor those who can handle themselves in a fight.
14. Lake - Pristine and ice cold. Treasure glitters on the bottom. 60’ below the surface.
15. Dark Cave - Something dangerous lives inside but it might be the only way forward. Whatever inhabits the cave also guard d4 pieces of treasure.
16. Old Tree - Lone tree with old gnarled branches. Ancient treasure grown between its roots. You can cut it out but the tree will fight back.
17. Quarry - Built by mason monks to mine some specific type of stone they required. They’ll pay 100 gold coins x current depth if you take a really heavy load of stone to a monastery d4 locations away. 2-in-6 chance the quarry is currently overrun my the Storm Raiders.
18. or more. Re-roll (d10+d6+1)

Details (d10+depth)

1. Signpost - Points to 2d4 nearest locations.
2. Terraced Gardens - d4(fallow/worked by monks/filled with ripe crops/filled with healing herbs).
3. Bodies of the Less Fortunate - Contains few pieces of random adventuring gear and 2 treasures.
4. Snow covered - Fresh snow going up to your knees and higher. Movement here is slow. Add another half a day of movement for getting out of here. You also move only at half the speed in combat. 2-in-6 chance that buried beneath the snow are remains of less fortunate travellers. They’ll have one treasure on them.
5. Windswept - You have to yell to be heard over the wind. -4 to all ranged attacks.
6. Foggy - So thick you could cut it. Visibility drops to 10’-15’.
7. Sheltered - Thick growth of trees or a convenient rock overhang provides safe and dry place to camp out. Camping here negates nighttime chance for random encounters and resting here replenishes additional d3 hp.
8. Shadows - Shadows stretch long in this area. Barely noticeable whispering voices gnaw at your mind. Only restless nights await you here.
9. Narrow - Whatever this area is, it’s so narrow you’ll have to travel single file and even then it’s quite a squeeze. -4 to attack rolls with swingy weapons (two handed hammers, swords and axes).
10. Large - Any humanoids (excluding the party) and structures made by them are twice as tall as normal in this area.
11. Burned - Fire has swept through this area recently. Ground is blackened and smell of smoke still hangs in the air.
12. Volcanic - Sulfuric odor hangs in the air and the ground is burning hot. Lava spouts in places.
13. Forested - Ancient trees grow tightly here. The visibility is limited to around 30’. Great spot to replenish your firewood. Great spot for ambush (4-in-6 chance of brigands laying in wait here).
14. Thousand statues - Path is lined with statues ranging from couple inches tall to ones that are 6’ tall. Some are free standing some have small roofs built above them. One of them has a wooden donation box. Inside there are 3d6 golden coins worth of coins in various denominations (mostly coppers).
15. Bird infested - Massive flock of carnivorous birds nest in this area. They’re not hostile on sight but loud noises and touching their nests sends them into a frenzy.
16. Altered gravity - Gravity here is gradually twisted to point in a random direction (forward/backwards/sideways/up). Direction gradually changes over about 24 hour period with a short period of no gravity within the area. This is all caused by veins of peculiar mineral some 100’ beneath the surface.
17. Electrified Lodestones - Bright blue mineral growths cover this area. Electricity sporadically sparks from one to another. Dexterity check is required to pass or you’ll take 2d6 points of damage. If you’re wearing chainmail or plate armor the electricity is somewhat safely rerouted around your body and you take only d6 damage on a failed check.
18. or more. Eternal Blizzard - Constitution check or take d6 damage. 4-in-6 chance to get lost moving through it (start where you came from or in random location one depth back). They say the Tomb of the Spider Princess is trapped somewhere within one of these.

Events (d10)

1. Procession of the Mason Monks - Several dozen monks wearing colorful robes. Repeating mantras and burning incense as they go. In the middle of the procession two monks carry beautiful stone statue embossed with precious stones (worth 250 x current depth golden coins).
2. Lost Traveler - Dehydrated and starving and quite possibly half mad. Went to seek enlightenment in the Trackless Peaks but found only grueling hardships. Will promise you anything if you can get them back to civilization. 2-in-6 chance they are actually able or willing to keep the promise.
3. Solitary Monk - Pondering nonsensical riddle. Will point towards treasure d4 locations away if you can convince them you know the right answer.
4. Earthquake - Inevitably causes landslide or an avalanche. Save vs Petrify to avoid. 3-in-6 chance it opens up a small ancient tomb containing d4 treasures and d6 skeletons.
5. Falling Star - Meteorite falls d4 locations away. It’s made of high quality pure steel suitable for creating magical weapons. Worth 200 golden coins x depth on it’s own.
6. Crashed Longship - Crashed cloudfaring longship of the Storm Raiders. 2-in-6 chance the crash is recent and there are some survivors (d12 indentured oarsmen, d6 raiders and single captain). It contains spark core which can be sold for 500 golden coins but if Storm Raiders see you have one they won’t be too happy about it.
7. Eclipse - Followed by sickly green fog. Ghostly apparitions reach out from the fog and try to drag you into the land of dead. They stay away from holy symbols and can be turned. Lasts 2d6 turns. Each turn a random person from the group is targeted and has to make Save vs Death or be stripped of his soul.
8. Storm Raid - Storm clouds darken the sky unexpectedly. You can hear raider horns in the distance and see the silhouette of their ship. There are 3d6 raiders on it lead by a captain. They throw nets at their prey then slide down from their ship on ropes. If possible they want to capture their prey alive to 
9. Hermit Shamans - d6 shamans lead by a chief shaman. All wear bearskins. Not much stronger than usual brigands but can turn into bears freely. Normal shamans might turn into black bears while chiefs might turn into grizzly bears or even polar bears.
10. Awakened God - Giant with flesh of stone. Fully awakened by the prayers of their worshippers. Inscrutable intentions. Arrogant and rarely friendly.

Treasure (d10)

1. Map containing 2d4 nearby locations.
2. Map leading to a stash of treasure d4 locations away. Stash is buried beneath the ground or otherwise undetectable without knowing where exactly it is. It contains 4 treasure items.
3. Thin silver chain shaped like a hunting net. Never tangles. Weighs almost nothing when thrown but it almost can’t be lifted when you’re tangled in it.
4. Ornamental set of full plate armor. Works as normal plate armor but is worth twice as much.
5. Healing tinctures. Heal d8 health upon ingestion but cause minor dizziness for one turn (10 minutes, -2 penalty to attack rolls and movement related checks/saves). d6 uses.
6. Incense stashed in small wooden boxes. Worth 50 golden coins x current depth.
7. Twin daggers - +1 magic daggers. Can redirect one random elemental type of damage if both wielded by the same person. If wielded by two people, they always know each other’s current location.
8. Brass knuckles decorated with engraving of clouds. Deal damage as daggers. On successful hit throw enemy 10’ backwards and make sound resembling that of a thunder.
9. 1 foot tall bronze bell. Rings super loud (caused d4 damage if you don’t protect your ears). Cracks and crumbles stone within 15’ radius when rang.
10. Small wooden box decorated with floral patterns. Inside, on a velvet cushion, d4 white pills. Ingesting a pill restores all hp, immediately heals any disease or mutation and adds 3d10 years to your lifespan.

Having written this, I doubt it's particularly playable. It could really use another editorial pass or two and then couple playtests. Also looking at it now, it ended up being weird mix between Nordic and Tibetan themes. Not sure if that's what you expected... I hope it can at least server as a bit of noggin sustenance. In either way happy solstice and mild winter to you!