TCotBO - Pyramid of Lux the Mad - Level 1

February 9, 1978 Original Concept

The Pyramid of Lux the Mad has a 10 foot central building on it's top that features twin sealed floating doors. This structure is surrounded by water, which falls down the front of the pyramid, passing between twin steps on its descent and disappears into a 10 foot building with a single wide sealed door on the Southern face.

The water flows in an endless stream, and seems to be permanently clean and pure. Mages have pondered the water for years, but it was a child that gave them the first clues of it's mysterious cycle; he dropped a wooden toy boat into the stream and it appeared back at the top, continuing its journey back down to the delighted boy.

The pyramid is made of a black cobalt, while the doors - stucco-yellow in appearance - are surrounded by deep golden frames. Writing adorns the doors, in a language scholars believe is of an ancient dialect.

Thus, presented below are 3D side and top views of the 1st level of the Pyramid of Lux the Mad:

Presented below is a perspective view of the 1st level of the Pyramid of Lux the Mad: 

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Pyramid of Lux the Mad

February 9, 1978 Original Concept

B4:The Lost City became one of my favorite modules because of the Egyptian flavor when it was released in 1982, but years before I had envisioned a structure that was partially above ground, which also provided adventurous groups with an enclosed environment. Thus, The Pyramid of Lux the Mad came to be.

The entrance and first level are above ground, on a large mound to the west of the Castle, within the inner walls. Black Basalt stone was the source of inspiration for the construction, and over a 3 day period I finalized the structures lower levels.

Thus, presented below is a side and top view of the Pyramid of Lux the Mad:

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Garden Sub-Level 1

December 10, 1977 Original Concept

The Garden Sub-Level was designed as a place where crops are grown and harvested for the Castle's occupants, while the resulting seed is stored/maintained for next season. Fresh water is collected via the natural sandstone filter in the ceiling, which slowly drips down into the deep central collection chamber.

Ventilation, sunlight, and some rain water is filtered down to the 80 foot tall chamber via two vertical Columnar Basalt shafts who's entrance is housed in twin open air buildings on the surface. These shafts have steep vertical stone steps, and while only the steadfast dare to use them on a regular basis, most prefer the twin Guard Tower stairs.

A grove of trees serves as a reminder of the deep connection to the Older Faith, while the outer walls keep the residents safe and secure during wartime. Other secrets remain...

Thus, presented below is the Garden Sub-Level:

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Castle Complex: Level 3

December 09, 1977 Original Concept

Level 3 is the main living quarters of the family. This is the only level that is separate from the guards towers, and gives total privacy. In this instance, I'm not including a roof level, given the simplicity of the design and to save space for more important maps.

Of note here is the two outer buildings, of which the 3rd level is shown. Both are open air structures and thus no roof is needed.

Presented below is the third floor of the Castle Complex:

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Castle Complex: Level 2

December 09, 1977 Original Concept

The second level of the Castle was quick and simple to create, using just the roofs of the courtyard buildings, and focusing on the living quarters for the staff and owners. On my original drawings, I had tree stumps on the first floor, and full leaf foliage on the second to show detail by leaving (ahem) the road off for clarity.

I felt early on that a simple design would work well because I didn't feel a full blown castle with all the trimmings fit TCotBO. My original map has a scrawling script across the top:

"Twin circular towers with square central building"

Presented below is the second floor of the Castle Complex:

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Castle Complex

December 09, 1977 Original Concept

The Castle Complex was first laid out on a brown roll of paper, and then transferred to graph paper three months later. Ideally I envisioned the castle as being a network of smaller buildings that dealt with day-to-day operations, and because it would (hopefully) fade out of this existence, it needed to be self sustaining. From blacksmith and fletchers, to food stores and a couple smoke houses, the courtyard quickly filled up.

In design, I originally considered the entire complex, including outer walls to be able to "faze out", but then I thought about a section of the outer walls that would remain behind. Perhaps even one of it's "homes" would be nothing but rubble, due either to the passage of time or some catastrophic event. So the "Ruins of the Bloated One" remained a future project., while this current layout became my primary focus.

Presented below is the main floor of the Castle Complex:

Cheers,

The Castle of the Bloated One - Earthmaster Site Level 4

December 04, 1984 Original Concept

As with level 3, level 4 requires a condition to be met prior it becoming available to explore/use. Once the requirement is met, then the four walls slide silently into the floor, opening up a massive structure. Like the previous rooms, this entire structure is made of Psuedo-stone, and the floors, walls and ceiling are perfectly smooth. 

There are seven main paths within the Vargas Earthmaster site that can be explored. Each leads upwards to a perfectly circular room, that contains a rotating 10 foot sphere. Each sphere is of a specific element, in this case, one of the seven prime of the world. The known elemental stones are:

Diamond
Amethyst (quartz)
Emerald
Ruby
Sapphire (star)
Labradorite
Opal  

What other secrets this site contains have yet to be discovered...

Included below is the Vargas Earthmaster Site, level 4 in original black, and for those that prefer an easy-on-the-pocket-print-version, simple white:

Cheers,