Liminal Ark

Health issues meant that unfortunately I'm not going to be able to keep up as is but I'm going to continue to follow this dungeon at my own pace and see where it goes. D23 lives on. So, without further ado... THE POOL A gymnasium of polished marble and concrete dominated by a large diving pool. Shining waters reflect the hazy blue light from a fathomless ceiling. Bright red diving boards creak remembering patrons from the past. Birds In The Pool 1-2 FLOCK OF FLAMINGOS (AS SMALL ANIMAL): Obnoxious and loud. Will eat anything thrown in the pool. Colored bright blue from feeding on the ethereal shrimp at the bottom of the pool. 3-4 PAIR OF GHOST SHOEBILLS (AS CRANE): A mated pair. Appear to glide over the water and make no sound unless disturbed. Their call is deafening but they are otherwise non-hostile unless provoked. Will hide at the bottom of the pool if frightened after defending themselves. 5-6 ONE GIANT CASSOWARY (AS BEAR): Highly territorial. Waits in the pool before ...

THE CONCIERGE The manager’s right hand on the first floor gifted power to lord over the guests who vexed him in life. Looks out for the interests of the hotel and its reputation over the individual desires of any guest. Exceptional manners. Useful out of spite. Attentive and petty. Desires only for you to check in, follow the rules, and check out. What’s so hard about that? HD: 6 Armor As Chain Strength Of The House: While on the 1st Floor the Concierge has several abilities granted by the Manager. Each must be invoked by configuring the esoteric clockwork gears on his wristwatch. Can teleport anywhere on the 1st floor and take anyone or anything in his grasp with him. Visitors who make themselves pests (Or at least their luggage) are often dropped in the Gullet for the house to sort out. Can lock / unlock any door on this floor or portals leading to the outside. Staircases can be made to vanish but this power does not extend to the elevator. Cannot die. If this body is slain, re...

WRAITH HOUND Carrion creatures of The Path leashed and taught to beg by the stewards of the hotel. Shaped like malefic canines with leathery cracked skin and slit-like wounds for mouths. Blind but smells fear, desperation, and weakness just as well as any bloodhound. Pack hunters whose howl isolates their prey in a labyrinth of shadows and false exits using their foreknowledge of the winding Path all around them. Feeds on blood with lashing tentacles emerging from their mouths ending in suckling proboscis’. Can be “domesticated” with a steady supply of fresh kills and companionship. HD: 2 Armor: As Leather Claws 1d6 / Proboscis 1d4 (Damage heals the Wraith Hound) THE CHASE: The howl of a Wraith Hound forces a target to make a save or else become Isolated. While Isolated, the environment becomes a winding maze of shadows and repeating corridors blinding the victim from anything happening in the outside world. All they can see are the false walls and the Wraith Hounds. While a victim ...

  The Channel Hall The deck of a wooden frigate acts as the path between destinations affixed with sails that flow in a non-existent wind inside of a massive glass bottle that encases the whole ship. Just outside of the glass sea creatures flit about in an artificial sunlight while coral and algae grow on the ceiling. Gulls and sea swell fill your ears while the smell of the fresh ocean air contrasts sharply with the perfume of the rest of the hotel. The “bottle” has two narrow necks connected to the deck of the ship with hatches on either side connecting adjoining rooms stylized to look as cork caps. Upon closer inspection, the sounds of the sea are coming from discrete loudspeakers in the corners of the chamber while the sea smells are emanating from diffusers hidden inside of the wooden barrels on deck. There are several cracks in the glass bottle though none are yet large enough to spring a leak in the surrounding aquarium.               ...

Birthday Party The double-doors to this room are bound in a fine red ribbon bow secured with a heft iron padlock. An envelope bound by fanciful pink string is dangling from the doorknob. Inside, is a perfume scented envelope with a short message written in a flowing cursive. The message reads, “Happy Birthday [Character Name]! Your present is inside!”. Regardless of the time before arrival any time pieces or other devices register the time and day as being their birthday down to the minute. When the door is opened gears begin to shift in the walls rhythmically like the sound of a clock ticking down. The room is the size of the other dining halls but contains only a single buffet table covered in a sheer white tablecloth with a redwood wardrobe trunk haphazardly thrown on top almost as big as the table. The trunk is secured with an array of numeric keypads made from chains and typewriter keys with a kitchen timer secured to the center ticking down. The clock will go off in a minute w...

THE GALLERY A room supported by four pillars depicting various gods and goddesses of justice on frescoes. Each exhibit is mounted on a star shaped stage with a large spotlight hanging overhead. On stage, a ghostly scene is played out endlessly over a loop. Most are oddities but some few are prisoners who crossed the Manager or spirits who have no other place to go. THE SAFECRACKER - A casino worker looks both ways before attempting to crack the safe. After a few moments, she rises and turns around before holding out her hands. She draws a gun but then falls, two bullet holes in her torso with a flash of blood. When the scene repeats she simply stands back up fixes her dress and acts it out again. A drunken lout often hangs around here watching her. His name is Carl and he’s the one who ratted her out. He’d do anything to free her from this except turn on his boss. THE FUTURE - A set of mannequins depicting the player characters with chalkboard signs hung around their necks. It would ...

THE SITTING ROOM Mottled and faded couches pulled together around a pile of televisions hooked to the same haphazard monstrosity of an antenna which bursts through the ceiling. A group of watchers, people wearing strange animal masks are transfixed by a blurry bright red image burned into every screen and not the open bag of silver dollars on the broken set in front of them being used as a rudimentary table. THE WATCHERS: Six humanoids in party clothes wearing animal masks of various styles. Will continue focusing on the television screens until a command is given after which they will perform that command until asked to sit back down. Do not respond to outside stimuli unless their view of the television is blocked after which they will rise and surround the disturbance slowly with barely contained rage before softly but firmly asking the offender to please move out of the way. If attacked, will only fight back to defend themselves and their television. THE TELEVISION NETWORK: A brig...

  Trashed Ballroom Description: An opulent center piece reduced to ruin. Every wall is riddled with countless bullet holes of varying calibers. Catering tables split and splintered covering the marble floor with shrapnel. Smashed chairs covered in dried rust colored blood. All that survives is a single violet banner hanging off of a wedding arch and a grand piano who’s player remains as a translucent spirit. THE PIANIST: Plays music befitting the mood, which upon arrival is a melancholy piece fitting for the gloom but as things change or tensions fray will speed up or slow down his playing. Cannot be stopped unless banished. THE WEDDING MASSACRE At a random time throughout the day the ballroom will slowly begin to heal itself. The arbor will regrow its branches, the chairs will mend, the feast will be remade. Spirits of the former wedding occupants (and their assailants) will return and perform their last moments once more ending with the bullet ridden massacre. The emotions he...

  Supernaturally talented performers who wear the guise of an attractive humanoid in order to protect themselves and feed their appetite for flesh. Their song is intoxicating causing those under its spell to become devoted entirely to the wants and needs of the Siren even if it means sacrificing themselves to protect their façade to authorities. If desperate, the Siren will eat the flesh of their servants but if given time or opportunity prefers to devour the lonely most of all. They will use their guile and mystique to isolate prospective morsels from family or friends before sinking in their teeth which can put victims into a dreamless sleep where they await the Sirens last gift. Siren’s Song: Creatures who can hear the Chanteuse Siren’s Song must make a save or become Beguiled. While Beguiled by the Siren must obey their every word until dismissed. The spell lasts for 24 hours unless renewed by listening to the song again. An hour before the curse ends the victim will do anyth...

  Adjunct Lavatories Description: A narrow L-shaped hall with three sets of double-doors marked “Ladies”, “Gents”, and Maintenance. The Maintenance doors are secured by iron chains that zig zag across with dozens of padlocks of various metals and designs. Well-lit. Portraits of fountains, waterfalls, and other natural scenery. GENTS There is a 50% chance when the characters arrive that the facilities are currently being cleaned by the SLIME JANITOR otherwise it’s just a fancy bathroom. LADIES A woman can be seen from underneath one of the stalls but if the door is knocked on there will be no response. When the characters leave, a loud bang will be heard, and the stall doors will all flail open with the sinks switched on, but there will be no-one there. MAINTENANCE ROOM Heavy iron shelves filled with various cleaning supplies and replacement parts for the toilets and sinks along with a giant gaping hole in the center of the floor. The walls of the hole are slick with some kin...

  Overview: Hidden in the back of the taproom is a well guarded entrance to the office of The Outfits capo Vincent Valdini. Most of the hotel furnishings have ben ripped out or replaced with bits and pieces of seemingly random décor from different places and times. Dour white lighting from a single hanging bulb and the low glow from the terrarium of his pets casts the room in a dreamlike haze 50% chance he’s here doing business with a client. WEAPON RACK: On the back wall is a strange assortment of weapons both mundane and exotic in a disorganized mess. A double barrel hunting shotgun with black bone furniture and cast iron barrels. An ivory karambit fitted to the hand of a giant. A crystalline staff with a large red gemstone at its tip affixed with what could only be a scope. GHOSTWRITER: A spirit writes down the capo’s every word on an old typewriter. As pages fill up mails it off through the nearby chute after stamping it with his seal. GUEST COUCH: An old and ratty looking...

  A sign on the gilded double doors reads, “No weapons, no funny business, tip your waitress.” The Beauxclair Taproom is alive with the sounds of the big band playing and pillars of tobacco smoke rising into the balcony. Shadows dance between the bright yellow spotlights rhythmically strobing across rows of amphitheater seating while cloaked private booths harbor hushed conversations interrupted by the occasional whooping or call for more drinks. On the clamshell stage at the center of it all a crooning siren weaves a song while the crowd moves rhythmically with her every flutter and flourish. THE BAR: The bartenders (Twins with slicked back hair and blue heterochromia on opposite eyes) know everyone’s name and their favorite drink. If you don’t like yours, you are asked kindly but firmly to leave. Can find any liquor you could want here. THE BOOTHS: Private party’s looking to conduct private business for the most part except… A trio of masked Players looking for a few more to...

The Lobby Courtyard Description: A wide perfectly squared lawn surrounded on all sides by tall hedge rows. In the center, a triumphant ice sculpted elephant stands atop a marble fountain. A wildlife scene is posed near the hedge rows populated by topiary animals while a large pavilion rests atop a manmade hill secluded from the rest of the courtyard. THE GLASS ELEPHANT / FOUNTAIN The fountain is shrouded in mist emanating from the elephant sculpture but glimmering coins can be seen at the bottom. Once a day, a coin can be sacrificed to the wishing fountain to grant a boon of luck (Advantage or a fortuitous event as decided by the GM). If a coin is taken, a curse is laid upon the thief until the debt is returned to the fountain ten-fold. For the rest of the day, they become terribly unlucky suffering constant negative consequences when attempting even the most mundane actions. (Stubbing your finger when opening a door, arriving just a second too late to see something important, saying...

  Room 3: The Cloak Room Description: Buzzing electric lanterns affixed to stylish sconces provide ample light to a hexagonal hall. with standing redwood coat racks, a check in desk, a changing room, and a laundry chute with exposed pneumatic tubes underneath lie wheeled aluminum bins. THE COAT RACKS: Rows of towering coat racks cover a full half of the room. Each is adorned with capes, coats, and jackets of a hundred styles and a hundred more sizes from the contemporary to the truly bizarre. Searching the pockets yields…1d6 - 1-3 Pocket Lint. 4. The Ire of the Concierge who arrives next round. 5. A Random Room Key 6. 1d12 Casino Chips. CHECK-IN DESK: A long L-shaped table with a small bronze bell with a well-worn button. Fresh pressed dry cleaning waits in laundry bags on the far end. Behind the desk are shelves containing books and a corkboard with a framed photograph of Employee of the Month(It’s Hobbes of course). If the bell is rung there is a 50% chance Hobbes appears. I...

  THE GRAND STAIRCASE A wine stained royal red carpet flows down from gossamer white wooden steps that creak in the silence of the hall. Red velvet streamers are tightly wound along the railings like coiled snakes and a massive fraying banner suspended just below a tilted swaying chandelier says, “Welcome to The Elysian Solstice Jamboree”. The whole affair is dotted with more pastel glitter and confetti. Leads from the Lobby to the Ballroom, Basement (Sealed), and the roof (Locked). THE ADJUNCT STAIRWAYS A lavish spiral staircase of hardwood with ivory railings decorated with gold leaf and more red carpet. Leads to the guest floors and office wing. THE STAFF CHANNELS A large hall decorated spartanly with few chairs and one large globe shaped chandelier suspended above the Hotel Replica Repository. Large vacuum tubes similar to the luggage tubes worn their way through this room from all directions marked with numbers denoting floors. Hotel Replica Repository. A dollhouse lik...