Credit: Thanks to Ptolus Discord user davemus for posting this idea! I edited it to flesh it out a bit and added a graphic for Macreal.
If you’re players are asking about the story behind the Old Greyson House from the Interlude 1 : Trouble with Goblins, this is a perfect drop in story!
Old Greyson House Owner’s Backstory: Macreal Mingo
Behind the peeling paint and shuttered windows of the old house in the North Market lies a story of fallen glory and drunken obsession. Macreal Mingo was once a proud warrior of his kin, but by the time he settled in the city, he was a ghost long before he actually died. An asocial exile, Macreal spent his final years drowning his shame in potent ale, hiding from a neighborhood that barely knew his name.
The Recluse and the Rumors
Mingo was rarely seen. Ashamed of his status and exiled from his race, he lived as a hermit. However, a dwarf’s needs are simple but specific: alcohol and iron-rations. Adventurers looking for information on the “Mad Dwarf of North Market” can find clues by questioning local brewers or the grocers who sold him bulk salted meats. They remember a shabbily dressed dwarf with shaking hands and eyes that darted toward the floor, always paying in ancient, tarnished dwarven coin.
“He didn’t say much, just pointed at the strongest cask I had and threw a gold piece on the counter. I haven’t seen him in months, but the smell of sour mash still lingers around that old cellar door.”
The Descent: A Quest for Dignity
Driven by a desperate need to redeem himself in the eyes of his nation, Macreal discovered a secret: a passage in his cellar that linked to the sewers and, eventually, the ancient Ghul’s Labyrinth. He became obsessed with finding a way into Dwarvenhearth, the ancestral home of his people.
Macreal succeeded where many failed, breaching a forgotten entrance to the Great City, but his triumph was short-lived. He fell victim to the eternal guards of the deep. Now, his spirit remains trapped below. He is a drunken ghost, eager for someone to find his remains and restore his dignity. However, death has not cured his condition; he remains unable to speak clearly, communicating only through mournful, slurred moans and gestures toward the dark tunnels.
Adventure Hook: The Crumpled Ledger
Should the players investigate Mingo’s cellar, they won’t just find dust and empty bottles. Hidden throughout the house and the initial tunnels are Macreal’s crumpled notes. Written with a trembling hand and stained with ale, these journals detail a treacherous route:
- The Cellar Breach: A hidden trapdoor beneath a stack of empty crates.
- The Sewer Bypass: A path through the city’s filth that avoids the main Watch patrols.
- The Ghul Tunnels: A dangerous trek through the ancient labyrinth leading toward the gates of Dwarvenhearth.
Hidden Caches & Supplies
Macreal was paranoid but prepared. Along the route, he left several supply caches. While some contain little more than spoiled dried meat and barrels of skunky dwarven ale, others are a goldmine for low-level adventurers. These caches often include:
- Standard adventuring gear (rope, torches, pitons).
- Precious stones and relics Macreal scavenged from the Labyrinth.
- The Final Map: Crucial scraps of parchment that, when combined, provide a +2 bonus to Navigate checks within the Labyrinth toward Dwarvenhearth.
To help Macreal is to finish his journey. Will the party carry his story back to his kin, or will they simply loot the caches of a dwarf who died trying to be a hero one last time?
