Attachments
Hab’raman Delar was conceived as the ultimate solution for criminals too dangerous to be held anywhere else. It was an international prison in purpose, accepting prisoners sentenced by many nations rather than any single authority. The complex was constructed deep underground, deliberately isolated, protected by a single entrance, and surrounded by lethal traps meant to make escape impossible.
Every inmate was stripped of magical power. Anti-magic bracelets and arcane tattoos severed all spellcasting, divine connections, and supernatural gifts. Even the guards were formidable, trained not only as elite warriors but as disciplined spellcasters. Order was maintained through strict structure, alchemical sedatives brewed from cultivated herbs, and a brutal reward system. Prisoners could earn rare privileges through combat in a central arena, including brief access to a sanity ward where real trees and living plants offered a moment of peace.
The prison’s downfall came decades ago during a massive riot. Somehow, the inmates disabled the anti-magic systems and overwhelmed the guards. The final stand was led by Archmage Captain Liysonne K’rinthal, who defeated the rebel leader at the cost of unleashing a catastrophic magical surge. That surge destabilized the prison’s entropy orbs, triggering a chaos storm that killed nearly every living being inside and twisted others into undead horrors or warped monstrosities.
The prison was abandoned after that night. Its halls remained lit by a faint, unnatural glow. Traps still functioned. Monsters now roamed freely. Adventurers who entered in search of legendary weapons, lost artifacts, and forbidden knowledge were said never to return.
Hab’raman Delar endured as a place where time felt broken, where justice had failed, and where the remnants of absolute authority had rotted into something far worse.
Using Hab’raman Delar in Ptolus
Option 1, A Second Prison Beneath or Near Ptolus
Hab’raman Delar could have been an older, forgotten precursor to the known Prison beneath Ptolus. Built by a coalition of powers fearful of magical criminals, it may have been sealed and erased from public records after its collapse. The modern Prison would then represent a more “controlled” attempt to replicate its function, learning from catastrophic mistakes.
In this version, the prison exists deeper, older, and far more dangerous than the publicly known Undercity Prison. Its chaos-scarred halls could explain why parts of the Undercity are unstable, cursed, or warped by lingering magic.
This option works well if you want:
A hidden megadungeon beneath Ptolus
A dark secret the Commissar and Inverted Pyramid deny
Ancient artifacts predating modern magical law
Option 2, A Remote Prison Outside Ptolus
Hab’raman Delar could exist far from Ptolus, perhaps beneath an uninhabitable wasteland, badlands, or magically scarred desert beyond the city-states. Ptolus would still be tied to it through politics, history, or surviving prisoners who were transferred before the collapse.
This option allows:
A long-range expedition or campaign arc
Political intrigue tied to extradition, cover-ups, or missing records
A reason legendary criminals simply “vanished” from history
It also fits well if Ptolus authorities quietly deny knowledge of the prison while secretly hunting anything that escapes from it.
Option 3, A Hidden Extension of the Existing Ptolus Prison
Hab’raman Delar could be a sealed lower section of the Prison in the Undercity, officially condemned after a disaster the city never acknowledged. The visible Prison would be only the upper, maintained layers, while Hab’raman Delar lies beneath, locked behind collapsed tunnels, ancient gates, or magically concealed passages.
In this version, the prison riot and chaos storm explain:
Why parts of the Prison are forbidden
Why certain prisoners were “executed” without records
Why guards refuse to speak about lower levels
This approach integrates seamlessly with existing maps, allowing GMs to expand downward rather than outward.
GM Notes
Hab’raman Delar worked best as a high-level, high-risk location. It combined brutal security design, psychological horror, lingering chaos magic, and the remains of absolute authority gone wrong. It functioned equally well as a forgotten truth, a buried crime, or an active threat slowly bleeding back into the world.
Image / Module Credit : The Flying Goblin
