Cam's Well

[Erol of Backford]

So if a PC were to obtain some special Hero Quest Powers related to snakes, had a special mirror in their pocket (attracts snakes) and a particular flute/pipe that looked like a snake (allows them to command snakes) and went to Cam's Well what sort mischief could they get into?

Reading TotRM 15 about Cam's Well there are limited scenarios/plot links besides one for Raus needing holy water and a census. Did anyone try to tie the scenario Hell Hound to Cam's Well or are there other suggestions as to links?

How might the snakes at Cam's Well be related to Genert (His lower torso and tail appear to be serpdentine?) and could there be possible clues as to resurrecting Genert in the holy of holies at the temple there?

There are a few caravans which could bring the PC's through as guards or apprentice traders, etc. was thinking from Kight's Fort after being posted there for a bit as an ease into Prax?

Spoiler

Also there are catacombs under the temple, does anyone have good suggestions as to what they look like, not Chamber of Secrets though its likely about the right size of monster?

What do the occupants of Cam's Well want that they are to timid to obtain, what helps them become stronger, Genert possibly?

Spoiler

Does one of the Cam shamans somehow obtain animate dead powers and use the catacombs bones to begin to create a skeletal army? There are a lot of bones in jars down there, 100's of years of bones? If there are about 500 residents you'd end up with a few 1000 skeletons... it's a sizable army I suppose for Prax?

 

[Snugz]

Cam's Well has lots of potential as written up there. I haven't done Hell Hound. Characters could get enmeshed in politics w/nomads, traders and Oasis folk et al. That's more mundane, but like you say could have broader potential w/caravans etc.- easy for PCs to get started on a trade route to various sites. Maybe get looped into defending town vs. a raid (See: many classic Western films).

IMG I saw the snakes as the usual tie to the Earth rune. Cam's Well is where the Earth (well/ground above the water) meets the Water (inside the well/connecting waterways). Also, rivers tend to be called serpents in Prax so there's that secondary tie-in. We just finished a long set of sessions where the PCs went into the temple well, met the Son of the Goddess, learned of a heroquest into the Greater Darkness to get insight into some information they needed, and via that retraced some of Cam's wanderings in the Darkness before she settled down. They followed an expanded version of the myth on p37.

Spoiler

The catacombs could pretty huge; it's a Godtime place. And very well could extend back into the Godtime. Genert would strengthen the people, sure. I don't see the shamans as creating a skeleton army. They're more about life than unlife IMO. But that's your call as GM. An army of snakes would be more likely, but I see the Cam's people as remaining more isolationist and waiting for others to come to them, than acting far outside their oasis. 

 

[soltakss]

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

How might the snakes at Cam's Well be related to Genert (His lower torso and tail appear to be serpdentine?) and could there be possible clues as to resurrecting Genert in the holy of holies at the temple there?

I had the chief snake as a wyter and a part of Genert that could be recovered as part of the process of resurrecting him.

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

What do the occupants of Cam's Well want that they are to timid to obtain, what helps them become stronger, Genert possibly?

In my Glorantha, the Oasis Folk do not know of Genert. They do know of Earth King, Allfather, Snake Lord and so on, with each Oasis having their own version of a long-lost king of the earth.

 

[Erol of Backford]

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

It is, perhaps, one of the reasons that nobody managed to bring back Genert, if they balked at the idea of sacrificing a thousand people.

I rather like the idea that the snakes at Cam's well are somehow parts of Genert and as Seolinthur was her husband she also looked out for his lord, Genert? Maybe the sacrifice isn't really a sacrifice but a gathering of the skins and the snakes (I don't like them anyway).

Spoiler

Maybe the Giant King Cobra at Cam's Well is actually part of Genert somehow?

I was reading in Book of Resolutions Prax about Camenura but she isn't mentioned elsewhere that I could find on line unfortunately. (Mr. Stafford's ex wife?)

When I think on the mirror and the piper going to Cam's Well and then moving to the hidden cave in the Copper Sands (maybe) to resurrect Genert with all the snakes following, it seems that Genert may not need to flex his muscles but rather take some sort of revenge against Chaos by jumping into the Eternal Battle, tipping the scales and causing it to ultimately by won over Chaos?

Spoiler

Maybe the skins are secretly being gathered and stitched under Cam's Well in the catacombs there and partly on the Hero Plane?

With 1000's of jars of bones the catacombs must be always increasing in size...

   

From GtG - Cam’s Well: This deep, covered well is the remains of a God Time palace. Inside, it consists of white pearlescent walls with a double helical ramp large enough for herd animals to traverse.

Drastic Resolutions and TotRM have more material but where might there be more if any?

I also like the idea that Purify Water as a ritual would eliminate chaos for the affected water but the notes in Drastic Resolutions state that is specifically doesn't. YGWV I suppose...

Thank you all.

[David Scott]

15 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

From GtG - Cam’s Well: This deep, covered well is the remains of a God Time palace. Inside, it consists of white pearlescent walls with a double helical ramp large enough for herd animals to traverse.

FYI, when I wrote this for the Guide, the model for this was St. Patrick’s Well in Orvieto, Italy. Here's my full version:

Quote

Cam’s Well (oasis): This deep, covered well is the remains of a God Time palace. Inside, it consists of white pearlescent walls with a double helical ramp large enough for herd animals to traverse. The well is about 50 metres deep and unusually there are a dozen or so herd animals to carry water up in hide bags. Although hard work, the animals thrive here. It is not unusual for a whole herd to be led down here as the structure isn’t damaged by their passing. A few often want to remain and help for a while. A large cistern at the top is used to hold water for the plants. The oasis folk grow a variety of cucurbits here that thrive on the animal dung. The well exists in the Spirit World and has many dangerous spirit paths, one leads to Heart Lake in the Krjalki Bog, whilst another is known to go to Ronance Well.

 

[Erol of Backford]

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

The well exists in the Spirit World and has many dangerous spirit paths, one leads to Heart Lake in the Krjalki Bog, whilst another is known to go to Ronance Well.

So the PC's get some dwarves or good carpenters with a little knowledge of fluid dynamics to custruct troughs and a whole bunch of purify water spells. Reprime the pump so to speak for Seolinthur as Camenura is his wife... Heart Lake sounds as good as any a place to do CPR on Seolinthur.

What happens when you cast purify water on a gorp? How would Camenura be linked to a Hero Quest that would result in Purify Chaos or something like that so the chaos tainted water could be cleansed?

No one has commented on bringing the snakes of Prax together to recreate Genert's lower torso and serpentine tail. 

So we just need to locate Genert's hidden hyena skin cave...

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

St. Patrick’s Well in Orvieto, Italy

 I like this a lot as the center point. Thank you Mr. Scott.