20. Grammarly East

This is another mud brick building covered in a yellowish plaster façade with a roof of green tiles. There is a spot for a bell on the roof, but it appears to have been removed (the bell was moved to the Town Hall at area 12). The building is longer than it is wide and sits about three feet high on a stone foundation. Wooden steps lead up to a front door that has been boarded shut. Above the door is a sign that reads: Grammarly East. Of particular note, this building has glass windows. Real glass, a definite rarity. It’s unfortunate that many of the windows are shattered and boarded over.

In the heart of the troubled village of Nulb lies Grammarly East, an old school building that stands as a relic of both ambition and desolation. Once a beacon of learning, it now serves as a stark reminder of the village's tumultuous history and the dark undercurrents that flow beneath its surface.

Inside of Grammarly East, the place is a mess. The front door, though boarded closed, would normally open into a small vestibule that would then lead into the classroom proper. The classroom is filled with old broken desks, tattered papers, and makeshift bedrolls comprised of disgusting blankets and foul smelling clothes. In one corner of the room is a stack of black, leather bound books. This is what’s left of the study materials that used to be available in the schoolhouse.

Physical Description of Grammarly East

Grammarly East is a structure that bears the marks of Nulb's harsh environmental and social climate. Its architecture and current state tell a story of neglect and forgotten purpose.

• Exterior: Constructed from mud bricks and coated in a yellowish plaster, the building is characterized by its elongated shape and sits elevated on a stone foundation. The roof, adorned with green tiles, features a vacant spot where a bell once hung. What used to be real glass, many of the windows are shattered and boarded over.
• Interior: The inside of the building is in disarray. The main classroom, once filled with the lively sounds of learning, now hosts broken desks and makeshift bedrolls, signaling the desperation of its current inhabitants. In one corner of the room is a stack of black, leather bound books. This is what’s left of the study materials that used to be available in the schoolhouse.

Background and Historical Significance

Grammarly East represents more than just a derelict building in Nulb; it embodies a brief but significant chapter in the village's tumultuous history. Founded by Asmoroth Eastrife, a figure whose ambition extended beyond his allegiance to the Temple of Elemental Evil, the school was an attempt to cultivate a foundation of knowledge and indoctrination in Nulb.

Foundation and Purpose

Twelve years ago, Asmoroth Eastrife, an archmage and a high-ranking leader within the Temple of Elemental Evil, saw potential in the rough and tumble village of Nulb. Recognizing the power of education to shape and control, he established Grammarly East, the first and only school in the village.

• Educational Mission: Aimed to provide a structured education as a means to elevate Nulb from its squalor.
• Name Significance: The school was named "Grammarly East" as a homage to Asmoroth's vision of enlightenment and order coming from the east.

Curriculum and Indoctrination

Under the guise of education, the curriculum at Grammarly East was meticulously designed to blend conventional learning with the doctrines of Elemental Evil. Asmoroth personally oversaw the development of the school's program, ensuring that it served the Temple's long-term goals of recruitment and indoctrination.

• Academic Subjects: Children were taught essential skills such as literacy, mathematics, history, and rhetoric.
• Astronomical Studies: The school also introduced students to astronomy, teaching them about the constellations which had significant mythological importance in the Temple's theology.
• Religious Indoctrination: Integral to their education was the study of the Temple's scriptures, where children memorized passages praising the Elemental Evil's might and the virtues of its lesser temples.

Decline and Closure

The ambition behind Grammarly East was short-lived. The school operated for just two years before the political and military upheaval led to its abrupt end.

• Asmoroth's Downfall: The archmage's defeat in a spell duel on Pilgrim’s Way marked the beginning of the end for both him and the institution he founded.
• Impact of the Temple's Fall: Following the sacking of the Temple of Elemental Evil, the village of Nulb fell into further disarray. Without Asmoroth's influence and in the absence of the Temple's support, the school was quickly abandoned.
• Shift in Community Priorities: Post-closure, the villagers, struggling with survival and disillusioned by the promises of a better future through education, reverted to teaching their children practical skills necessary for daily life.

Legacy

Today, Grammarly East stands empty of its educational promise but filled with the remnants of its past. The building, with its shattered glass and decaying books, continues to hold the secrets of a time when it was poised to forge a new destiny for Nulb.

• Current Use: The building now shelters the "Dirty Faces," a group of orphans who have claimed the abandoned school as their makeshift home.
• Cultural Impact: Despite its failure, the existence of Grammarly East continues to be a topic of whispered conversations in Nulb—both a symbol of a failed grandeur and a cautionary tale of manipulation under the guise of education.

Services and Functions

Despite its current abandoned state, Grammarly East once served multiple educational and community functions, aiming to uplift the village's youth.

• Literacy and Knowledge: Provided basic education, which was a rarity in such a remote and troubled area.
• Community Gatherings: Served as a place for community meetings and events during its operational year.

DM-Only Section

The "Dirty Faces" of Grammarly East

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Orphans of Nulb

In the abandoned Grammarly East, a group of twelve orphans has found a precarious sanctuary amid the crumbling relics of a once-promising educational establishment. Known colloquially as the "Dirty Faces," these children symbolize the resilience and forgotten casualties of Nulb's turbulent struggles.

Survival and Society

The Dirty Faces navigate their world with a blend of innocence and street savvy, born from the necessity of survival in a community that often overlooks the weakest among its ranks.

• Daily Life: Their days are filled with scavenging for food and usable materials throughout the village, transforming the detritus of Nulb into life-sustaining resources.
• Community Interaction: To supplement their scavenged finds, the orphans perform odd jobs for the villagers, exchanging labor for food, though often only receiving minimal sustenance.

Social Dynamics

Despite their visibility when scrounging or working in the village, the Dirty Faces exist largely on the periphery of Nulb's social consciousness.

• Public Perception: The local populace, struggling with their own hardships, largely ignores the orphans, whose dirty and disheveled appearances reinforce their marginal status.
• Lack of Support: Few villagers are in a position to offer substantial help, as the pervasive poverty in Nulb limits the community's capacity to provide for additional dependents.

Shelter and Security

Grammarly East provides more than just a roof over their heads; it offers a semblance of a home that the orphans have adapted to their needs.

• Secret Entry: The orphans use a crawl space beneath the school to enter and exit, keeping their living quarters hidden from most of the village.
• Makeshift Living Conditions: Inside, the space is divided into crude sleeping areas marked out with old blankets and salvaged furniture, creating a patchwork of personal spaces.

Relationship with Yatik

Yatik, the village lama, stands as a singular figure of benevolence—or manipulation—depending on one’s perspective, in the lives of the Dirty Faces.

• Patron and Protector: Yatik provides the orphans with food, clothing, and basic medical care, asking for nothing more than recitation and memorization of the scriptures of Elemental Evil in return.
• Hidden Motives: Beneath his acts of kindness, Yatik’s intentions involve grooming the orphans into future acolytes for his cause, seeing them as seeds for the resurgence of his beliefs.

Reflections on the Orphans' Plight

The existence of the Dirty Faces at Grammarly East is a poignant reminder of the broader socio-economic issues plaguing Nulb. While they have adapted to their harsh environment with remarkable resilience, their reliance on the dubious generosity of figures like Yatik highlights the complex interplay of neglect and exploitation that characterizes their lives. This dynamic not only shapes their daily existence but also poses questions about their future roles within or against the currents of power flowing through Nulb

Political and Secret Dynamics

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Influence and Allegiances Grammarly East sits quietly at the center of several converging forces within Nulb, each with its own agenda and influence.

• Lady Lmag and Nulb: The building and its occupants are under the indirect influence of Lady Lmag, who oversees much of Nulb's affairs.
• Relations with Bandits and Pirates: Situated in a village that often shelters various outlaws, the school's current state of neglect makes it a non-threat and thus mostly ignored by these transient groups.

Secret Plans and Machinations

• Yatic's Influence: Yatic, a village lama with deep ties to the dark past of the Elemental Evil, uses the orphans for his own ends, subtly indoctrinating them into the cult under the guise of offering aid.
• Long-Term Goals: Yatic plans to rise in power, using his knowledge and the children's loyalty to eventually reclaim and purify the Temple of its current corruption.

Yatic's Background and Ambitions

• Origins and Discovery: Originally from the Wild Coast, Yatic's journey to Nulb was driven by disillusionment with the Temple's corruption and his devotion to the Elder Elemental God.
• Strategic Withdrawal: After distancing himself from the Temple, Yatic has been biding his time in Nulb, waiting for the right moment to restore the true doctrine of his faith.

Hidden Knowledge within Grammarly East

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Within the decaying walls of Grammarly East lies a treasure trove of forgotten knowledge that can serve as both a boon and a potential catalyst for deeper darkness in the campaign. Here, Dungeon Masters will find details on the two pivotal texts found in the old schoolhouse, which could significantly impact the players' interaction with the world and the unfolding narrative.

"Grammarly East, First Edition, A Beginning Study"

This textbook represents a well-preserved compilation of knowledge that was intended to form the intellectual foundation of Nulb's children.

• Contents and Utility: Covers a broad spectrum of subjects with particular depth in mathematics and history, including an insightful section on heraldry that can provide players with valuable context about Veluna, Furyondy, and the Knights of the Hart.
• Learning Opportunities: Characters spending time with this book can gain historical insights or even temporary boosts in knowledge-related skill checks, particularly in deciphering heraldic symbols or understanding regional politics.

"Grammarly East, First Edition, A Spiritual Foundation"

Far more insidious than its counterpart, this text delves into the chaotic and destructive philosophy of the Cult of the Elder Elemental God.

• Contents and Ideology: Filled with convoluted scripture supporting the doctrine that destruction and chaos are natural and necessary states for cosmic evolution and rebirth. It presents a worldview that glorifies entropy and the relentless competition among the elemental forces.
• Symbolism and Power Structures: Introduces an elemental hierarchy with symbolic representations that could serve as clues or keys in various quest lines: Fire (eight-pointed star), Water (square), Air (circle), and Earth (triangle). The text hints at a deeper connection between these elements and the Abyss.
• Acolyte Recruitment: Offers a dangerous path for those inclined toward the darker aspects of magic and faith. Reading and understanding this book can lead characters to initiate as clerics of the Elder Elemental God, provided they meet the necessary spiritual and moral alignments.

Core Philosophy of Elemental Chaos

The book posits that the universe's very fabric is woven from elemental forces that inherently possess a volatile and chaotic nature. This primal chaos is not depicted as a malign force but rather as a vital agent of change and truth.

• Elemental Forces as Catalysts: It suggests that elemental forces, by their very nature, drive the cosmos toward constant upheaval, which is crucial for the cyclical renewal of creation.
• Natural Phenomena as Evidence: The text draws parallels between elemental behavior and natural occurrences, such as storms and volcanic eruptions, to illustrate how destruction is often a prelude to new formations.

Destructive Creation as a Cosmic Good

The doctrine elaborated within the pages frames chaos and destruction as beneficial phenomena. This perspective is rooted in a belief that through destruction, the elemental forces are realigned and rejuvenated, paving the way for superior states of being.

• Cyclical Process of Renewal: According to the text, the universe is in a perpetual state of flux, with each cycle of destruction leading to increasingly perfected creations. This process is described as inexorable and fundamentally good, aiming towards a climactic moment of perfection.
• Competitive Dynamics Among Elemental Forces: The narrative extends this concept to the social organization of the cult itself, suggesting that just as elemental forces clash and reform, the followers and the temples must also engage in continual conflict to purge weakness and achieve a purer state.

Strategic Use in Campaign

Influence and Corruption
The knowledge contained within these books can act as a double-edged sword—providing critical insights and advantages but also exposing characters to the corrupting influences of the Cult of the Elder Elemental God.

• Quest Hooks: Discovering the books can lead to quests to secure, destroy, or exploit the knowledge contained within.
• Character Development: Characters may face moral dilemmas or the temptation of power, especially when exposed to the radical philosophies of the second book.
• Lore Expansion: Use the texts to deepen the campaign's lore, linking local events in Nulb to larger cosmic battles and planar conflicts.

Potential Conflicts and Resolutions

Handling the books' discovery and the knowledge they impart can lead to internal party conflicts, dilemmas about the use of such knowledge, and interactions with factions either seeking or opposing the doctrines described.

• Factional Interests: Different groups might seek the books for their own purposes, pulling the characters into larger conflicts or political intrigue.
• Moral Quandaries: Characters aligned with good might struggle with the use of knowledge from "A Spiritual Foundation," which could lead to rich role-playing opportunities.

These elements make Grammarly East not just a derelict building, but a pivotal location in your campaign, laden with the potential to significantly alter the course of your players' journey through revealing or concealing its secrets.

Grammarly East by 3orcs

Type

School

Parent Location

Nulb

Owner

Matty

Owning Organization

The Dirty Faces

Characters in Location

• Matty