July 2018 Challenge: A Thief of Nix and Naught

[Shenanigans]

I'm planning a new D&D campaign, so I've decided to merge the challenge this month into my campaign (a fairly standard treasure hunt). The primary adventure plot focuses on the restoration of a journal that belonged to a legendary (and presumed deceased) adventurer, known to have single-handedly discovered hundreds of ancient temples. Despite bypassing even the most difficult hazards, they never plundered any treasure, unless it was a specific item that would benefit a large group of people. It's the PCs job to recover parts of the journal to serve as "guides" that will help overcome the deadliest traps and encounters (or they can attempt to have a go on their own, if they prefer). The ultimate fate of the missing adventurer remains a mystery, and this journal may just lead to their final resting place.

Anyway, here's my Donjon list! Currently leaning towards option 4, as I think it best fits the style of the campaign and the setting, but most of the options are pretty viable.

1. A brothel in the town of Medale, in a nearby kingdom.
2. Ondorien, an elemental realm of silver peaks and deep canyons. The realm is the domain of Pengali, a deity of stonecarvers, and is populated by blue dragons.
3. Arbas, a sealed realm of trackless wastes and vast seas, where all magic fails. The realm is the prison of a forgotten earth goddess, bound by chains of magical ice.
4. A torchlit corridor on the 2nd level of the Temple of Sunless Chaos. A company of skeleton warriors lurks here.
5. Gulone, a medieval plane of shadowed woodlands and stinking mires, illuminated by a golden sun. The plane is primarily populated by kobolds, with smaller numbers of other monstrous races. The kobolds of Gulone are ruled by a cruel nobility of devils.
6. Arem, a fallen realm of iron hills and ashen battlefields, filled with the howling spirits of the damned. The realm is the domain of Arbach, a demigod of seduction, and is populated by efreet. It is also the location of the Castle of the Fallen, a bastion of evil sorcerers and wizards.
7. A kitchen in the Palace of Alladr, in a distant realm.
8. A hewn tunnel on the 15th level of the Pit of Bumuta the Baleful.
9. A narrow corridor on the 7th level of the Undercrypt of Cnagaro the Unspeakable. A horde of ravenous ghouls lurks here.
10. Near a thundering waterfall in the Scarlet Jungle. A black dragon tears apart the undergrowth, searching for prey.

No WIP, unless you want to see a blank piece of paper.

[Shenanigans]

Change of plans! I was having some trouble coming up with good ideas for option 4, so I decided to go for option 7 instead. The "kitchen" is to serve as the primary base of operations throughout the campaign.

Ulate's Kitchen
High atop a desert cliff, Ulate's Kitchen is the last rest stop before traversing a wide desert. Every year, millions of people travel the road below the kitchen as part of a regular pilgrimage. For all travellers, regardless of reason, food from Ulate's kitchen is free. In addition, all guests are expected to bathe and launder their clothes in the provided pools prior to receiving a meal. Despite its size and apparent services (including smiths, tailors, and other trades people), Ulate's Kitchen is not an inn or a city. Travellers and non-volunteers are expected to depart after their meal; hundreds of volunteers live and work in the massive complex, often sleeping in shifts.

Although it is still attached to a palace, no one occupies Alladr's former stronghold, and the ancient structure is sealed against incursion. Those that live in the kitchen frequently gossip about the secrets and treasure that they believe to be held within its walls. Due to the fact that the palace is almost entirely within the cliff, and is warded against extra-dimensional travel, it is believed that no one has entered the palace in over a century, a fact that has only heightened the absurdity of the rumours that swirl among the staff.

My inspiration for this kitchen comes from the Golden Temple in India, which provides free food to ~40,000 people every day. I've mostly finished the basic sketch, which means time to start inking!

### Latest WIP ###
palace-01.png

[Shenanigans]

I'm proud to say that I screwed up the countour lines only once!

Still need to label it, and hopefully add some colour. I'm gone on vacation starting this weekend, though, so it might need not get that far.

Current progress:

### Latest WIP ###
palace-02.png

[Tonquani]

Fantastic linework Shenanigans! And respect for all those contour lines. Can’t wait to see more!

[Ilanthar]

Oh yeah! This is looking great !
The characters makes me think of the Discworld.

[Shenanigans]

The characters makes me think of the Discworld.

That's actually the style I was going for! I did not expect anyone to notice.

[jshoer]

Wow, this is wonderful! Excellent work on the contour lines, and I like how you inked in the ocean.

[J.Edward]

Very cool. This will be fun to watch.

[MistyBeee]

Excellent !! I love how natural and architectural parts works together : good job !

[Shenanigans]

Unfortunately, it is time to pack some lunches for my road trip, so this is as far as I can go. I'll probably try to colour it later, but no time for that.

I hope it's okay that I did a little collage. I was having trouble getting a good resolution picture with good lighting and I didn't have time to play with it any longer (I really need to get a large format scanner).

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out, with one exception; I'm not a fan of some of the calligraphy script. It was new to me, and I think I just need more practice.

### Latest WIP ###
ulates-kitchen.jpg