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  VILLAGE BACKDROP: 
  RAGING SWAN PRESS
  Y’TARIS 2.0
  OSR
  
  	
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  VILLAGE BACKDROP: Y'TARIS 2.0 
  A stone circle marks the conﬂuence of ley lines in this bleak and broken place. Among the ancient runes and onyx pillars burn secret powers 
  hidden by gods and men alike. But to the people of Y’taris, the stone circle is just a tourist destination for the rich. Every year, hundreds of 
  spellcasters make the long pilgrimage to the stone circle high in the Broken Mountains. The villagers provide food, shelter, baubles and 
  entertainment, all for exorbitant prices. Merchants bleed visitors of their gold, while pickpockets and scam artists take the rest. Y’taris is a nest 
  of thieves. Anyone is welcome, until they run out of coin. 
  C RE DI TS 
  Design: Jeff Gomez 
  Development: Creighton Broadhurst  
  Art: William McAusland and Dean Spencer. Some artwork 
  copyright William McAusland, used with permission. 
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, 
  stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any 
  means, without the prior permission in writing of Raging Swan 
  Press or as expressly permitted by law. 
  ©Raging Swan Press 2020.. 
  CONTENTS 
  To contact us, email gatekeeper @ragingswan.com 
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press, visit ragingswan.com  
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press on Patreon, visit 
  patreon.com/ragingswanpress 
  Credits 
  1 
  ....................................................................................................
  Contents 
  1 
  .................................................................................................
  Y’taris at a Glance 
  2 
  ..................................................................................
  Village Lore 
  2 
  ......................................................................................
  Villagers 
  2 
  ...........................................................................................
  Whispers & Rumours 
  2 
  ......................................................................
  Notable Locations 
  3 
  .................................................................................
  Notable Folk 
  3 
  ....................................................................................
  Life in Y’taris 
  4 
  ...........................................................................................
  Trade & Industry 
  4 
  ..............................................................................
  Law & Order 
  4 
  ....................................................................................
  Customs & Traditions 
  4 
  .....................................................................
  Village Dressing 
  4 
  ..............................................................................
  The Surrounding Locality 
  5 
  .....................................................................
  Notable Locations 
  6 
  .................................................................................
  1: The Grey Market 
  6 
  .........................................................................
  2: The Conﬂuence 
  6 
  ..........................................................................
  3: The Pit 
  7 
  ..........................................................................................
  4: Gibbering Stone Inn 
  7 
  ..................................................................
  5: Raven’s Reach 
  7 
  .............................................................................
  6: Griffon’s Call 
  8 
  ................................................................................
  7: Mage Society 
  8 
  ..............................................................................
  8: Trading Post 
  8 
  .................................................................................
  9: Onyx Hall 
  8 
  .....................................................................................
  OGL V1.0A 
  9
  .............................................................................................
  OSR
  
  Y’TA RI S AT A GL ANCE 
  Rulers: Ayred Guilespire, Girmark Flaskgut and Mulgin Kulon 
  Government: Secret Syndicate 
  Population: 189 (57 humans, 16 dwarves, 24 elves, 39 gnomes, 
  14 half-elves, 7 half-orcs, 32 halﬂings) 
  Alignments: LE, NE 
  Languages: Common, Elven, Giant, Halﬂing 
  Resources & Industry: Tourism 
  A stone circle marks the conﬂuence of ley lines in this bleak and 
  broken place. Across its storied past, Y’taris has hosted 
  spellbinding wizards and apocalyptic cultists, angelic battles and 
  fey outcasts, abyssal legions and eldritch incursions. Among the 
  ancient runes and onyx pillars lurk secret messages, spells and 
  powers hidden through ages past by gods and men alike. 
   
  But to the people of Y’taris, the stone circle is just a tourist 
  destination for the rich. Every year, hundreds of mages and 
  necromancers make the long pilgrimage to the stone circle high 
  in the Broken Mountains. Between meditation and study, these 
  spellcasters need a place to eat, relax and play. Y’taris provides it 
  all, for exorbitant prices. Those who are unwilling to pay may ﬁnd 
  their wallets missing all the same. 
   
  Despite this, visitors are in no rush to leave. Besides the ever-
  elusive call of enlightenment and power, the journey back to 
  civilisation is harrowing. Trolls and goblins infest the mountains, 
  and rumours of cursed dwarven holdfasts abound. While Y’taris 
  provides caravans up the mountain, escorting the rich safely over 
  Kuldor Pass, no such escort is offered for the return. 
   
  When visitors spend their last copper, Y’taris takes the rest 
  piece by piece, the destitute sell themselves to Onyx Hall to pay 
  off their inevitable debts. A liver here, a spleen there, until ﬁnally 
  they are claimed wholesale. 
   
  For there is true power in Y’taris, and it is fed by a willing 
  horde. Necromancers seek the Pit beneath the circle, and shower 
  the populace with riches for access. Greedy citizens are all too 
  willing to indulge these richest guests. Where else can you sell a 
  human body for 10 copper a pound? 
   
  This is Y’taris. Anyone is welcome, as long as they are rich. 
  VILLAGE LORE 
  A character may know something about Y’taris, its history and 
  surrounds. Determine how knowledgeable the characters are and 
  then impart some (or all) of the information below: 
  •
  Y’taris is ruled by a council of three merchants: one for the 
  inns, one for the shops and one for the thieves.  
  •
  Beneath the Conﬂuence festers a pit of dark magic and great 
  power. Only the citizens of Y’taris know how to ﬁnd it. 
  •
  The powerful lich Xthelis has taken up near permanent 
  residence at the Pit, and the villagers provide her with a 
  steady stream of corpses. 
  VILLAGERS 
  Appearance: The inhabitants of Y’taris are as stark as the 
  surrounding mountains. They wax between cold annoyance and 
  obsequious ﬂattery, depending on if they have something to sell. 
   
  Dress: Y’tarians dress in blacks and greys, and often wear 
  cloaks or hoods. Many do not wish to be identiﬁed when out and 
  about, while others simply mimic the muted landscape with their 
  choice of clothes. 
   
  Nomenclature: male Belzor, Garhace, Hortran, Jodak, Kaswan, 
  Panbul; female Arﬁn, Breni, Faybyn, Idalile, Yezlyn; family Calziver, 
  Greyhand, Magespire, Totix, Uriwor. 
  WHISPERS & RUMOURS 
  While in Y’taris, a character may hear one or more rumours. The 
  PC can learn this information in several ways: perhaps by 
  overhearing two locals gossiping, chatting with regulars over a 
  few drinks at the local taverns and so on. Use the table below, to 
  determine which rumours the character learns. 
  *False rumour 
  D6
  RUMOUR
  1*
  The Conﬂuence has no true power, and is simply a 
  means to draw visitors to the village.
  2
  The Onyx Hall sells corpses and human sacriﬁces in 
  addition to other necromantic materials, but you have to 
  be ready to pay—and sometimes the price is 
  uncommonly high.
  3
  In ancient times, a powerful necromancer created the Pit 
  to summon forth an undead army. Raising powerful 
  undead, in the Pit is easy for a skilled necromancer.
  4
  When visitors outstay their welcome in Y’taris, and can 
  no longer pay their bills, they are sometimes delivered 
  to the necromancers.
  5*
  In the sky above the Conﬂuence, an invisible celestial 
  structure bestows divine power on those able to ﬁnd 
  their way inside.
  6
  Raven’s Reach has secret passages so the staff can more 
  easily rid the guests of their possessions. Exploring 
  these passages is punishable by a steep ﬁne.
  2
  
  N OTA B L E L OCATION S 
  Most of the village comprises peasant homes. A few locations, 
  however, are of interest to adventurers: 
  1.
  The Grey Market: Filled with vendors, beggars, panhandlers 
  and pickpockets, all magical goods can be found here (at 
  exorbitant prices). 
  2.
  The Conﬂuence: The reason mages ﬂock to Y’taris, this stone 
  circle intensiﬁes magical ability and enhances arcane study. 
  3.
  The Pit: A conduit of necromantic power, the Pit draws 
  powerful liches and other unsavoury spellcasters from across 
  the world. This location lies under The Conﬂuence and, thus, 
  does not appear on the map. 
  4.
  Gibbering Stone Inn: This inn epitomises everything about a 
  cheap tavern, except for its prices. 
  5.
  Raven’s Reach: Raven’s Reach inn provides wealthy visitors 
  with opulence and a reason to spend far too much gold on 
  frivolities and distractions. 
  6.
  Griffon’s Call: This gambling hall is the third best place to 
  lose money in Y’taris.  
  7.
  Mage Society: Within the Mage Society, novices pay hefty 
  dues in hopes of arcane revelations that never come. 
  8.
  Trading Post: At the trading post, the merchants of Y’taris buy 
  alchemic ingredients from travelling salesmen. 
  9.
  Onyx Hall: Onyx Hall, which sells necromantic goods, is 
  perhaps the only shop in Y’taris selling it merchandise for its 
  true worth. 
  NOTABLE FOLK 
  Most of the population are nothing more than hardworking 
  peasants. A few, however, are of interest to adventurers: 
  Ayred Guilespire (location 1; LE male elf cleric 2) owns nearly all 
  the stalls in the Grey Market. He speaks for all shops and 
  panhandlers, ensures their prices and methods are in line, and 
  represents their interests in council meetings. He is gaunt and 
  impossibly pale. 
  Davyn Highhall (location 5; N male human wizard 1) seeks to 
  enhance his pitiful magical ability by studying the Conﬂuence. 
  Instead, he is being cheated out of his entire inheritance. 
  Girmark Flaskgut (location 1; NE female dwarf thief 3) teaches 
  and organises Y’taris’s pickpockets and burglars, and 
  represents their interests in council meetings. 
  Mulgin Kulon (location 5; LE male gnome) oversees operations at 
  all the village’s taverns, inns and gambling halls, and 
  represents their interests in council meetings. Mulgin is a 
  disgusting, boil-covered gnome who spits when he talks. 
  Stockmaster (location 9; LE male gnome cleric 6) runs Onyx Hall— 
  Y’taris’s premier provider of necromantic goods and services. 
  Taciturn and precise, he expects the same of his customers. 
  Xthelis (location 3; NE female human lich) spends her time almost 
  exclusively at the Pit, studying runes and practicing her 
  necromancy. She showers the citizens with gold and they give 
  her whatever she needs. She is one of the few individuals 
  actually worthy of the Pit’s fell power. 
  3
  
  L IF E I N Y’ TARI S 
  Y’taris is a stark, grey place. To call it corrupted would imply there 
  is a still some good left. Y’taris is built on evil and consumed by 
  greed. In the end, the village’s only purpose is the exploitation of 
  the rich and foolish, and the villagers work single-mindedly 
  towards that goal. 
  TRADE & INDUSTRY 
  There is only one industry in Y’taris—tourism. Luckily, the 
  Conﬂuence draws wealthy tourists. They come in droves, pay 
  handsomely for every expense and extend their stays when 
  arcane power remains tantalisingly just out of reach. 
   
  Often these magi run out of money and must resort to crafting 
  arcane items as payment. As a result, Y’taris has an unusually high 
  number of magical items to keep the citizens happy. A decanter of 
  endless water provides clean water for drinking and bathing. 
  Continual ﬂame torches light the streets. Potions of healing and 
  cure disease keep the inhabitants healthy. Some traders and 
  merchants even store their goods in bags of holding. 
   
  Such a preponderance of magical tools might make a better 
  settlement into something of a utopia. But in Y’taris, these items 
  only drive greed and a desire for more. 
  LAW & ORDER 
  There is no organised law or guard within the village. Conﬂicts 
  between citizens are resolved through council meetings or 
  violence. However, the villagers are united in pursuit of gold. They 
  work together to rob visitors of their riches, then divide the 
  rewards unevenly. The powerful, such as the council and other 
  successful merchants, take the lion’s share. The weak are 
  intimidated into subservience. 
   
  There are, however, a host of archaic laws which apply to 
  outsider, almost all of which result in a hefty ﬁne. Brawling results 
  in a ﬁne. Mixing potions outdoors results in a ﬁne. Visiting the 
  Conﬂuence at sunrise results in a ﬁne, though special permits are 
  available for a price. For the curious or sceptical, there is no 
  rulebook available for perusal, and no government building at all. 
  Instead, citizens impose these rules as they see ﬁt to drain the 
  tourists’ wallets. The powerful and generous are, of course, 
  immune to such tactics. Y’tarians know better than to provoke 
  liches or suffer the wrath of powerful archmagi. 
  CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS 
  Faux-festivals and rites abound in Y’taris; lunar festivals, solar 
  festivals, seasonal greetings, historical remembrances, “secret” 
  pilgrimages, political holidays, religious customs, arcane rites and 
  much more. Nearly every other day, the citizens of Y’taris 
  improvise moving speeches and gather willing crowds. 
   
  It’s easier to ﬂeece sheep when the ﬂock is gathered in prayer. 
  VILLAGE DRESSING 
  Use this table to generate the minor sights and sounds the 
  characters experience as they move about Y’taris.   
  D20 DRESSING/EVENT
  1
  When a mugging victim calls weakly for the guard, the 
  crowd only laughs and moves on.
  2
  The characters overhear a group of ne’er-do-wells 
  planning a heist in the nearby village of Gloya’s Bridge.
  3
  Another lunar festival? Even the preacher seems unclear 
  about the signiﬁcance of this waning gibbous moon.
  4
  An old blind man begs for a scrap of food. Those who 
  help him are rewarded with an “exclusive” invite to the 
  Mage’s Society.
  5
  A wealthy wizard and entourage arrive in Y’taris. They 
  shower copper pieces on the crowd as they pass, and 
  head directly for Raven’s Reach.
  6
  A storm of hail strikes the village, breaking windows and 
  scattering the crowds.
  7
  A spellcaster goes missing from his room at night. No 
  ofﬁcial investigation takes place, and the market sees a 
  slight inﬂux of human body parts over the next few days.
  8
  A pickpocket is caught, but charismatically deﬂects the 
  accusations. His mark passed the test of the third eye!
  9
  A man carrying a large bag of onyx emerges from an 
  alleyway. His vendor is nowhere to be seen (he has just 
  emerged from the clandestine Onyx Hall).
  10
  A low moan shudders from the earth beneath the 
  Conﬂuence; it rises in pitch and then dies away entirely.
  11
  A juggler spices up his act with ﬂaming sausages.
  12
  A group of ragtag bodyguards stumbles into Y’taris. They 
  lost their charge to trolls in the ﬁnal days of the journey. 
  Luckily, they recovered his purse.
  13
  A golden eagle croons atop a nearby building, before it is 
  shot for lunch.
  14
  A ﬁght breaks out between shopkeepers over fair pricing—
  apparently one was doing it! Unless the characters 
  intervene, both merchants suffer mortal wounds.
  15
  A drunk sorcerer stumbles from Gibbering Stone Inn, 
  shooting cantrips with wild abandon.
  16
  A council discussion explodes into the streets. The issue: 
  competition with the nearby village of Lanthorn for the 
  production of magical items.
  17
  A cold wind brings snow from the nearby mountains.
  18
  A child regales his peers with the tale of the dwarves that 
  once lived here, and the curse that befell them. If the 
  characters listen in, he requests a 6 cp fee from each.
  19
  A blindfolded Mage’s Guild acolyte is led through the 
  streets in sombre procession.
  20
  A bard sings of the evils of Y’taris before a band of 
  villagers pulls him down and drags him off.
  4
  
  T HE S UR ROUN DIN G LOCALIT Y 
  Y’taris is not the tallest peak in the Broken Mountains, but it does 
  have excellent views. Protruding over a deep glacial valley, the 
  conﬂuence overlooks cliffs, snowy peaks and icy ravines. From this 
  commanding plateau, visitors can trace their harrowing journey to 
  this most “holy” place. 
   
  Caravans start in one of the many green foothill towns: 
  Riverwharf, Talltree, or even the masked village of Gloya’s Bridge 
  for those seeking a thrill. While far from civilisation, these brief 
  stops are verdant utopias when compared to this stark 
  place. 
   
  From here, the path makes its way out of the 
  gentle forests and into the rugged hills. This was 
  once the land of a great clan of dwarves. They 
  plundered the range of its riches until a terrible 
  curse drove them from their homes. Now, all that 
  remains are empty lead and silver mines and 
  crumbling sculptures. 
   
  The path passes near the village of Azagirn 
  before heading along God’s Bow gorge. The 
  strange, sky-loving dwarven inhabitants 
  sometimes act as begrudging guides, but take 
  their leave before the mountains proper. 
   
  As the caravan climbs into the Broken 
  Mountains, trolls become the greatest 
  threat. They squat in caves and on cliffs, 
  attacking any deemed too juicy a target. 
  Nature is also against the travellers. 
  Autumn and winter bring snowstorms. 
  Spring brings torrential downpours. In 
  the summer, hot winds from the lowlands 
  scorch even the mountaintops. 
   
  An exhausting ﬁnal climb takes 
  visitors to Kuldor Pass, and the fortiﬁed 
  village of Lanthorn. A day or two of rest 
  among the strange goblins and 
  artiﬁcers prepares the caravan for the 
  ﬁnal stretch. 
   
  At Lanthorn, Y’taris pilgrims 
  abandon the main road and snake their 
  way east along the ridge-line. Here, the 
  cliffs themselves are the true enemy. The 
  group exchanges horses for sure-footed 
  donkeys, and follow glacial streams 
  and ancient dwarven 
  paths. 
   
  Any respite is 
  welcome from 
  this treacherous 
  hike. Silver Bluff and 
  other desolate mining 
  villages are wary of visitors, 
  but open their doors to 
  enough coin.  
   
  All in all, the journey takes the better part of two weeks. Some 
  pilgrims go broke before even reaching Y’taris, bargaining with 
  the caravan masters for an extra blanket or cup of soup to stave 
  off the cold. The weak, poor or unprepared may not make their 
  destination at all. 
   
  For all of this journey and hardship, visitors to Y’taris are 
  rewarded with pickpockets, trinkets and the pleasure of knowing 
  their corpses may fetch a high price. 
  5
  
  N OTA B L E L OCATION S 
  1: THE GREY MARKET 
  The Grey Market is unusually bleak for a bustling centre of 
  commerce. Magi and sorcerers move between the shops and 
  stalls, comparing goods, prices and the integrity of the vendor. 
  Everything can be found here, and everything is overpriced. 
  Dragon blood, fairy wings, troll ﬁngers and other ingredients all 
  sell for far above their actual worth. Basic necessities like food, 
  boots and weapons are equally expensive. Their increased cost is 
  justiﬁed by woven runes, magic crystals or whatever else the 
  merchants can say to scam gullible marks out of their money. 
   
  Anything can be purchased in the Grey Market, as long as a 
  customer knows where to look. In the back alleys, taciturn halﬂings 
  offer human eyeballs, elf ears and living pixies in jars. Merchants 
  hide less savoury stock below trapdoors or chained up in 
  basements. Such dark items are rare, difﬁcult to get and perhaps 
  the only thing in this foul place worth the price. 
   
  Crooked vendors aren’t the only danger. Pickpockets and 
  panhandlers roam the plaza, looking for easy prey. Merchants 
  often get in on the deal, expounding verbosely as a dagger opens 
  the customer’s purse. The vendors and thieves work in tandem—
  distracting and ﬁlching—and split their proﬁts accordingly. 
   
  In addition to all manner of magical trinkets and arcane 
  ingredients sold at twice standard rates, the following magical 
  items are for sale: 
  •
  Potion: Extra healing (800 gp). 
  •
  Scrolls (Cleric): Divination (1,200 gp), glyph of warding (900 
  gp), locate object (600 gp). 
  •
  Scroll (Wizard): detect magic (300 gp). 
  •
  Wands: Magic detection (25,000 gp), negation (15,000 gp). 
  Common Fines: Selling without a license (1 gp), touching wares 
  (1 sp), haggling (1 sp). 
  EVENTS 
  Use this list, to determine what events occur while the characters 
  are at Grey Market: 
  1.
  A tourist tries to pay for a bottle of troll dust, but realises his 
  coin pouch is missing. 
  2.
  A shady merchant hocks artefacts from the abandoned 
  dwarven mines near Lanthorn. 
  3.
  The phoenix feathers on sale look suspiciously like large dyed 
  pigeon wings. The same “rare goods purveyor” is selling a 
  selection of bird pies. 
  4.
  Two large (unconscious) trolls are brought into the market, 
  carved up for parts, and auctioned off. 
  5.
  A tan dwarf from nearby Azagirn and her trained wolf buy 
  potions from a local “love vendor.” 
  6.
  A group of miners from nearby Silver Bluff arrives to hock 
  wares: silver ore and shards of adamantine. 
  2: THE CONFLUENCE 
  Without the Conﬂuence, Y’taris would not exist. Nobody knows 
  who built this stone circle, or if it was built at all. The structure itself 
  is impressive: thirteen jagged obsidian pillars, some up to 20 feet 
  tall, each covered in runes from a thousand different forgotten 
  scripts. Glowing green symbols trace ley lines running from the 
  columns to the sacriﬁcial slab in the ring’s centre. At certain 
  sunsets throughout the year, including the solstice and equinoxes, 
  the runes burn and smoke with green ﬂame. 
   
  While the Conﬂuence was once a meditative and awe-
  inspiring place, it is now overrun with magical tourists seeking to 
  enhance their skill. They come from across the realm to study the 
  powers at work here, often boorishly and with little respect. At any 
  given hour at least a dozen spellcasters loudly hypothesise, 
  practice garish cantrips or carve their own arcane signets into the 
  ancient rock. Meditation or true magical insight is impossible with 
  these distractions. 
   
  The use of the conﬂuence requires the payment of various 
  license fees. These costs are not always clear, and are often 
  collected as a ﬁne after the fact. 
   
  Spells cast within the stone circle operate as if the caster were 
  two levels higher than his normal level and have a 5% chance of 
  not using up a spell slot. For each additional spellcaster ritually 
  involved, the spell’s range, duration, effect or area of affect is 
  increased by 50%. Alternatively, an additional spellcaster can 
  reduce the cost of material components required to cast the spell 
  by 10% 
   
  Occasionally, large groups of spellcasters gather to attempt a 
  particularly powerful ritual. These rituals provide access to higher 
  level divination and teleportation spells unknown to any 
  participating individual. Though the exact mechanics are not fully 
  understood, they generally require a number of participants equal 
  to twice the desired spell level, a number of hours equal to the 
  spell level and some sort of sacriﬁce. Even with these precautions, 
  success is not guaranteed.  
  •
  Common Licenses: Entering the conﬂuence (1 gp), speaking 
  loudly (1 sp), spellcasting (5 gp per spell level), touching the 
  runes (1 gp), groups of ﬁve or more (5 gp), expensive 
  material components in spellcasting (1 gp), material 
  components bought outside of Y’taris (10 gp). 
  EVENTS 
  Use this list, to determine what events occur while the characters 
  are at the Conﬂuence: 
  1.
  A destitute wizard dressed in rags breaks past the guards and 
  begins to desperately cast a spell to further his research. He’s 
  quickly dragged away. 
  2.
  A group of young students lean on a pillar, drinking and 
  discussing their genius. 
  3.
  For a split second the Conﬂuence erupts into searing green 
  ﬂame. Any creatures within the ring take 2d6 ﬁre damage 
  (successful save against breath weapon halves). 
  6
  
  4.
  Faery lights and strange, translucent images of battle dance 
  above the stones. 
  5.
  A wealthy sorceress offers to pay license fees for anyone 
  willing to help her in a ritual of scrying. 
  6.
  A group of eighteen druids work for nine hours to call forth 
  the god of nature.  They fail. 
  3: THE PIT 
  The Conﬂuence is a well-known arcane wonder, but fewer 
  individuals are aware of the Pit. Situated deep within the caverns 
  below the famous circle, the Pit plunges through the bleak stone 
  into oppressive darkness. Here, the runes adorning the onyx walls 
  smoke black and red. Partially fossilised skulls of ancient 
  primordial beings litter the cyclopean spiralling steps. Whispers of 
  madness echo from the darkness, and the screams of trapped 
  spirits erode the listener’s sanity. 
   
  This place writhes with arcane evil, and it attracts a certain 
  unseemly breed of visitor—necromancers and liches, blood 
  sorcerers and death speakers; only the foulest study in the Pit. 
  Unlike the tourists above among the Conﬂuence’s stones, the 
  denizens of the Pit are often powerful and sometimes even equal 
  to the darkness they seek. They mingle with the rest of the visitors 
  during the day, then hire citizens to lead them, torch in hand, 
  through the underground labyrinth to the Pit. The villagers are all 
  too-willing to oblige these masters of evil for a handful of gold 
  and a blessing of arcane favour. 
   
  Necromantic spells cast within the pit operate as if the caster 
  were two levels higher than his normal level and have a 5% 
  chance of not using up a spell slot. For each additional spellcaster 
  ritually involved, the spell’s range, duration, effect or area of affect 
  is increased by 50%. Alternatively, an additional spellcaster can 
  reduce the cost of material components required to cast the spell 
  by 10% 
   
  Rituals may be performed within the Pit just like the rituals of 
  the Conﬂuence, but they provide access to necromancy spells 
  instead of divination or teleportation. Attempts to awaken ancient 
  kings or dead gods are common (and sometimes successful), but 
  rarely disturb the village above. 
  4: GIBBERING STONE INN 
  Gibbering Stone Inn is Y’taris’s cheapest inn, and it shows. A thick 
  layer of grey dust coats every surface, black tar leaks from the 
  walls and the thin smell of sour beer permeates the rooms. Yet 
  the inn costs more than even the most luxurious inn in a major 
  city. After all, the guests are paying for proximity to the 
  Conﬂuence, not comfortable beds or clean living quarters. 
  •
  Food & Drink: Meal (typically soup or stew with bread) (5 sp), 
  ale (1 sp), wine (5 sp). 
  •
  Accommodation: A room costs 2 gp a night, is sparsely 
  furnished and smells of sour beer. 
  •
  Common Fines: Mimicking or talking poorly of the stone (5 
  cp), sleeping two in a bed (1 sp), waking another guest (2 sp), 
  complaining (4 sp). 
  In the taproom, a rough stone about the size of a hound emits 
  sounds not unlike the babble of a broken mind. This is the 
  eponymous gibbering stone, an ancient relic from an experiment 
  gone wrong. Angard (LE male half-orc thief 4), the inn’s proprietor, 
  endures its ceaseless babbling while taking orders and serving 
  drinks. He’s a busy man, but still has the time to mark the wealthy, 
  notice hidden purses and direct his staff to where guests 
  mistakenly believe their possessions lie hidden. 
  5: RAVEN’S REACH 
  Raven’s Reach is an opulent inn designed for the wealthiest of 
  travellers. Black satin curtains cover walls and windows, and the 
  building itself is made of rich mahogany. The effect would be far 
  more grand if the trappings were not stained and dusty. 
  •
  Food & Drink: Meal (typically meat pie and vegetables) (1 
  gp), ale (2 sp), wine (1 gp). 
  •
  Accommodation: A room costs 4 gp a night and comes with 
  a large bed, dresser and table on which to perform 
  experiments. Alchemical equipment and arcane books are 
  available for a price. Each room also has a secret passageway 
  for the staff to sneak in and out, stealing away possessions 
  one item at a time. 
  •
  Common Fines: Consuming liquor not purchased at bar (4 
  sp), reading a book from the library (1 gp), exploring secret 
  passages (11 gp), casting a spell (3 sp). 
  Mulgin Kulon (LE male gnome) owns the Reach, but leaves most 
  of the day-to-day work to his employees. This disgusting gnome 
  spends his time at the bar, drinking ﬁne liqueurs and smoking 
  cigars. The bar is the manifestation of luxury, complete with 
  serving girls, magic lanterns and crystal cups. Through smiling 
  women and well-dressed competition, wealthy patrons are 
  pressured into throwing their money away on frivolities. Once a 
  guest runs out of money (which happens  quicker than they 
  expect), they are ejected from the inn. Whatever they leave 
  behind becomes property of Raven’s Reach. 
  7
  
  6: GRIFFON’S CALL 
  After crooked merchants and clever thieves, Griffon’s Call is the 
  third best place to bleed gold in Y’taris. Apprentices and hedge 
  mages toss dice to relieve stress after a wasted day at the 
  Conﬂuence. Within these stone rooms, dealers and croupiers 
  distribute rigged cards and collect the winnings. Magic of any 
  form is forbidden, a rule which is frequently broken and more 
  frequently punished. 
   
  Griffon’s Call stinks of sweat and beer. Weak torches discharge 
  oily smoke into the air. Those who work the tables expertly harass 
  their customers, provoking them into irrational spending and 
  frustration. Brawls are a nightly occurrence, an encouraged 
  disobedience punishable by a hefty ﬁne.  
  •
  Drink: Ale (1 sp), wine (3 sp). 
  •
  Common Fines: Brawling (2 gp), accusing another of 
  cheating (1 gp), using personal dice or cards (3 gp), 
  spellcasting (3 gp). 
  EVENTS 
  Use this list, to determine what events occur while the characters 
  are at the Griffon’s Call: 
  1.
  Griffon’s Call is closed to outsiders for a few hours for the 
  weekly council meeting between Kulon, Flaskgut and 
  Guilespire. 
  2.
  A group of adventurers drink heavily, bragging of their quest 
  to kill Atarmajeir the elder wyrm. 
  3.
  The room goes cold as a dark ﬁgure strides to the bar and 
  orders a drink. No payment is asked for or given. 
  4.
  A brawl breaks out between a croupier and a patron. The 
  patron loses badly, and is summarily ﬁned. 
  5.
  A local blatantly cheats at cards, but the staff refuses to ﬁne 
  him. The players are outraged. 
  6.
  A bard croons a lonely tale of loss, abandonment and 
  searching for love in all the wrong places. 
  7: MAGE SOCIETY 
  The Mage Society is an immense waste of time. Peel away the 
  empty rituals, obtuse rulebook and eye-watering membership fee, 
  and all that’s left is an overpriced bar and social club.  
   
  The Society entices novices with promises of arcane secrets 
  and access to hallowed halls. Instead of power, they ﬁnd an 
  entrance fee, the rank of "Initiate," and a secret handshake. 
  Increase the donation, perform an absurd pseudo-ritual, and the 
  Initiate can increase his rank to "Probationer." Probationers are 
  taught the ﬁrst word in a "fantastical" rite that will, they are 
  promised, grant incredible power. They then ascend to 
  "Conjuror," where they must solve a simple puzzle (and pay an 
  increased entrance fee) to proceed. Then "Scion." Then 
  "Clairvoyant." Then "Runewatcher." Then "Arcanum." 
   
  There is no end to the intermediary ranks within the Mage 
  Society, though with each step and increase in price the member 
  feels closer to greatness. They are allowed to spend additional 
  time mingling with the higher ups at the Silver Staff bar. They are 
  given additional words of a secret arcane phrase. They are receive 
  an ever-widening view into the complexities of the order. 
   
  It's all a ruse. There is no way to progress to any meaningful 
  level in the organisation because there exists no meaningful level. 
  Most Mage Society members are not spellcasters at all—merely 
  practiced con artists who embrace this as the most effective 
  method to separate marks from their gold. 
  8: TRADING POST 
  Nearly two miles from Y’taris proper, the small wooden structure 
  of the trading post overlooks the road. This is the only place in the 
  village where trading is done fair and square. Traders come from 
  across the land, bringing spider venom, phoenix feathers and 
  hundreds of alchemical goods. Corpses and other unsavoury 
  items are not uncommon. Here, the Y’tarians pay honest rates for 
  high quality material, either trading in gold or magically crafted 
  items. They double these prices at the Grey Market. 
   
  Once the cargo is unloaded, it is covered in tarps or placed in 
  mundane wooden crates. Then vendors use horses or donkeys to 
  cart the merchandise up to Y’taris. It is crucial to keep the traders 
  and the tourists far apart, out of sight and out of mind. If the 
  spellcasters were allowed to purchase directly from the traders, 
  the economy of Y’taris would be irreparably damaged. 
  9: ONYX HALL 
  Onyx Hall is situated far from Grey Market, down a dismal alleyway 
  and behind an unmarked door. Interested customers are met with 
  gruff responses, but if they can show enough gold they are invited 
  inside. The shop ﬂoor is small and almost completely barren—all 
  merchandise is kept in a locked room in the back. A one-eyed 
  gnome, who goes by the name “Stockmaster” (LE male gnome 
  cleric 6), stands behind the counter. He expects his patrons to 
  have speciﬁc needs, order speciﬁc products, pay with precise 
  coinage and leave before they cause trouble. 
   
  Onyx Hall provides goods and services for necromancers and 
  the undead. Its primary resource is onyx, but shadow-laden 
  ingredients and corpses are also popular items. Stockmaster asks 
  no questions as to the use of such items. Why bother? He knows 
  the answer, and as long as it doesn’t disrupt trade in Y’taris there’s 
  no need for concern. 
   
  If Onyx Hall values its secrecy, it is not for any fear of legal 
  retribution (the council member Ayred 
  Guilespire owns Onyx Hall, along 
  with most of the shops in Y’taris). 
  No, Onyx Hall does not 
  advertise because it does not 
  want to attract weak 
  spellcasters and mere 
  dabblers in the dark arts. 
  It seeks only the most 
  powerful and wealthy 
  necromancers—the types 
  of individuals who would 
  be annoyed to wait for 
  service. 
  8
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Raging Swan - Gloamhold/Raging Swan Gloamhold/Raging Swan Town, Village Backdrops/Raging Swan Village Backdrop Y'taris 2.0/Raging Swan Village Backdrop Y'taris 2.0.pdf