Apprehend the Infiltrators
--- Ironclad Citadel Fortress Map ---
[GROUND FLOOR] [Main Gatehouse (1) - Entrance] --- [Outer Courtyard (2)] --- [Guard Barracks (3)] | | (Stairs Up to Watchtower) V [SECOND FLOOR] [Watchtower Landing (SF1)] --- [Armory (SF2)] --- [Training Yard View (SF3)] | | (Stairs Up to Officer's Quarters) V [THIRD FLOOR] [Officer's Quarters Landing (TF1)] --- [Captain's Study (TF2)] --- [Mess Hall (TF3)] | | (Stairs Up to Command Level) V [FOURTH FLOOR] [Command Level Landing (FF1)] --- [War Room (FF2)] --- [Intelligence Chamber (FF3) - Objective]
--- Ground Floor ---
--- Area 1 (Main Gatehouse - Entrance) --- Description: The massive, iron-bound gates of the Ironclad Citadel stand slightly ajar, overseen by watchful sentries. The air is cold and smells of damp stone and stale iron. Torches flicker in wall sconces, casting dancing shadows across the rough-hewn stone. This is the primary point of entry for the "false recruits." Exits/Connections: To Outer Courtyard (2) (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: soldiers).
--- Area 2 (Outer Courtyard) --- Description: This spacious, cobbled courtyard is a hub of activity, with soldiers drilling, quartermasters taking inventory, and laborers moving supplies. The sounds of clanking armor and shouted orders fill the air. Scattered barrels and crates offer limited cover. Exits/Connections: To Main Gatehouse (1) (South), To Guard Barracks (3) (East), Stairs up to Watchtower Landing (SF1). Creatures: It has creatures (type: soldiers).
--- Area 3 (Guard Barracks) --- Description: The communal sleeping quarters of the fortress guards are cramped and functional. Rows of simple cots, footlockers, and weapons racks line the walls. The air is heavy with the scent of unwashed wool and old leather. A few off-duty guards might be resting or polishing equipment. Exits/Connections: To Outer Courtyard (2) (West). Trap: It contains a trap (type: tripwire connected to a clattering pile of armor). Perception DC 13 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Sonic/Alarm.
--- Second Floor ---
--- Area SF1 (Watchtower Landing) --- Description: The spiraling stone staircase opens onto a narrow landing. Arrow slits in the outer wall provide a glimpse of the surrounding lands, but the focus here is on the inner workings of the fortress. The cold stone radiates a perpetual chill. Exits/Connections: Stairs down to Outer Courtyard (2), To Armory (SF2) (East).
--- Area SF2 (Armory) --- Description: Gleaming weapons and polished shields hang on racks in this well-organized armory. Rows of pikes, swords, and crossbows stand ready. The air smells of oiled steel and beeswax, and the silence is broken only by the occasional creak of settling metal. Exits/Connections: To Watchtower Landing (SF1) (West), To Training Yard View (SF3) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: soldiers). Encounter Type: Battle Area (if stealth fails)
--- Area SF3 (Training Yard View) --- Description: This chamber features a wide, grated opening overlooking the main training yard below, allowing officers to observe drills. Benches are set against the inner wall, and a large chalkboard lists training schedules and duty rosters. Exits/Connections: To Armory (SF2) (North), Stairs up to Officer's Quarters Landing (TF1). Secret Passages/Areas: A loose stone in the floor beneath a heavy bench (Perception DC 17 to find) conceals a small, hidden recess, perhaps used for smuggling small items or secret notes between floors.
--- Third Floor ---
--- Area TF1 (Officer's Quarters Landing) --- Description: This carpeted landing feels more refined than the lower levels, with tapestries adorning the walls and warmer torchlight. The sounds of the fortress are muffled here, replaced by hushed conversations from behind closed doors. Exits/Connections: Stairs down to Training Yard View (SF3), To Captain's Study (TF2) (East).
--- Area TF2 (Captain's Study) --- Description: A large, oak desk laden with maps and military reports dominates this private study. A roaring fire in a stone hearth casts a warm glow, illuminating shelves of ancient tomes and framed military honors. The scent of parchment and old pipe tobacco fills the air. Exits/Connections: To Officer's Quarters Landing (TF1) (West), To Mess Hall (TF3) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: soldiers). Encounter Type: Battle Area (if stealth fails)
--- Area TF3 (Mess Hall) --- Description: This large, high-ceilinged hall serves as the primary dining area for the fortress's officers. Long, polished tables are set with pewter tankards and simple wooden trenchers. The air carries the lingering smell of stew and ale. Exits/Connections: To Captain's Study (TF2) (North), Stairs up to Command Level Landing (FF1). Trap: It contains a trap (type: pressure plate activating a loud alarm bell within the kitchen). Perception DC 14 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Sonic/Alarm.
--- Fourth Floor ---
--- Area FF1 (Command Level Landing) --- Description: The highest landing in the fortress, offering panoramic views through reinforced glass panes. The silence here is profound, punctuated only by the distant calls of sentries from the battlements. Only the highest-ranking officers typically access this level. Exits/Connections: Stairs down to Mess Hall (TF3), To War Room (FF2) (East).
--- Area FF2 (War Room) --- Description: A massive strategic table dominates this room, covered in a detailed, three-dimensional map of the surrounding territories with miniature army formations. Various war council notes and commander's directives are pinned to a nearby board. The air is charged with unspoken tension. Exits/Connections: To Command Level Landing (FF1) (West), To Intelligence Chamber (FF3) (North). Creatures: It has creatures (type: soldiers).
--- Area FF3 (Intelligence Chamber - Objective) --- Description: This heavily guarded chamber is filled with classified documents, cipher wheels, and arcane instruments for message decoding. The walls are lined with locked cabinets containing sensitive dossiers. A small, hidden compartment or a specific document among the clutter might reveal the identity or the next move of the "Whisper Cultists." Exits/Connections: To War Room (FF2) (South). Objective: This area is the key to completing the mission. There is no traditional "boss fight." Instead, the challenge lies in successfully navigating to and infiltrating this highly sensitive area to "identify and apprehend the infiltrators before they can sabotage the fortress's defenses from within." The objective is to find the specific intelligence (a coded message, a list of cultists, a subtle piece of saboteur equipment) that unmasks the infiltrators. The "apprehension" would happen once their identities are known, possibly outside the dungeon structure.
