Castle Hellsgate sits atop a rocky outcropping deep within the heart of desolate Whitemarsh. The castle fell to ruin a hundred years ago when its lord and master, sick with despair at the demise of his beloved bride, gave himself up to the study of profane and wicked knowledge and the pursuit of the secrets of life and death. He drew to his side followers of evil creeds and tales spread of blasphemous rites performed in the depths of the castle dungeons. Thus were the seeds of the baron's downfall sown and calamity visited upon him. The servants of a righteous god besieged the castle, allowing none to enter or leave, and remaining through the bitter winter months until they were sure that all within must have starved or perished from cold. The castle itself was left to the creeping chill of damp marsh winds and the inevitable rot and decay that time and neglect visit upon the works of men.
Those who nowadays have reason to journey into Whitemarsh may, while passing close to the castle ruins, fancy that they hear the mournful groans of unquiet spirits. Or perhaps believe they catch a glimpse of yellow, sulphurous lights dancing behind the cracked and broken walls. Wise travellers choose to pay no mind to such figments and instead hurry briskly along their way. And when they at last reach home and the comfort of a warm bed their sleep is peaceful and untroubled by dreams of the dead.
Castle Hellsgate is a horror-themed dungeon crawl using the Old School Essentials Basic Rules. Its influences include the weird fiction of of C.L. Moore, Clark Ashton Smith and H.P. Lovecraft plus Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Machen and Hammer Horror.
This message was last edited by the user at 19:04, Mon 20 Apr 2020.
