A place for tears, remembrance, mourning, quiet thoughts, reminiscing… and for really creepy adventurous narratives!
The cemetery or graveyard is a great place for adventuring. Of course, there’s the undead, but there are also secret vaults, rituals, magic, strange messages, grave robbers, hideouts, gargoyles, and so much more!
Environment
- trees, bushes, shrubbery, flowers, flower bed, herb garden,
- pond, pool, pit,
- mausoleum, tomb, crypt, catacomb, grave, lichgate, temple, circle, sanctuary, sacrificial altar, dias, shrine, grotto, burrow, columns, pillars,, crematorium, pyre, monastery, library, cloister, gallery, vault, chamber, church
- tombstones, monuments, statue, fountain, grave markers,
- path, boulevard, colonnade, trail, dirt road, cobblestone road, shale path, boardwalk,
- grotto, gazebo, bower, pergola, arbour,
- dandelions, weeds, milkweed,
- butterflies,
- torches, lanterns, posts, stakes,
- dirt piles, rough hewn stone, marble, sod,
- iron fence, wooden pickets, stone wall, hedge,
- rain, drizzle, sleet, cloud, fog, mist, humidity, dank air,
- gloomy, twilight, dusk, night, midnight, the witching hour, the dimming, evening, sundown, an eclipse, the blood moon, solstice, equinox, full moon, new moon,
- wondrous magical lights,
- chirping birds, whistling wind, tinkling chimes, running water, hideous laughter, ominous moaning, growling, shuffling, clinking chains, whimpering, cawing crows, whispers, distant battle, marching,
Stuff
- bucket, shovel, wheelbarrow, planks, chain, nails, mortar, trowels, picks,
- wood coffin, stone crypt, sepulcher, sarcophagus, ornate casket, pine box, crate, urn, vase, casket stand,
- flowers, dead chrysanthemums, dried roses,
- candles, incense, censers, hearths, braziers, a pot of lamp oil,
- goblets, cups, flutes,
- ointments, tinctures, pastes,
- glyphs, wards, talismans, runes,
- evidence of vandalism, painting, smashed urns, graffiti, urine, fire, carving, defacing, broken headstones,
- a pot of lamp fuel,
- a chest of souls, box of spirits, dybbuk box,
- offerings, necklaces, jewels, gems, locks of hair, trinkets, fetishes, mirrors, beads, bones, teeth, skulls, feathers, bark, statuettes, idols, blood, moss, gifts, rings, tokens, book, scroll, diary, map,
- buried treasure in one of the graves instead of (or alongside) a body
- portraits, paintings, statues, busts, gold inlays, metalwork, patterns, writing, relief cameos, monoliths, inscriptions, memorials, tapestries, models, stained glass
- carriage, carts, hearse, wagon, horse & buggy, mule,
- birds (sparrows, swallows, chickadees, hawks, vultures), vermin (mice, rats, snakes, spiders), squirrels, gophers, badger, fox, coyote, wolverine, wolves, bees, mosquitoes, hornets, wasps
- ectoplasm,
Characters
No doubt, the undead could lurk here, so a bunch are listed below to choose from, but there are others to meet as well, so change it up! If the undead are present, you could also have a powerful leader amongst them – a vampire or lich or wraithlord, for instance – give them some magic spell power as well to make them more daunting!
- caretaker, grave digger, guard, undertaker, mortician, toothless gatekeeper, one-eyed handyman, bell ringer, guard, constable, embalmer,
- families, visitors, townsfolk, farmers,
- old ladies, war vet,
- one lonely dog who keeps his distance, rabid dog who doesn’t keep his distance, mangy dog with tail between its legs and and odd pendant on its collar,
- skeleton soldiers, one of which is a commander of some elevated status
- someone blaming themselves, remorseful spouse,
- a forlorn voice on the wind,
- lich, vampire, wraithlord, demon, angel, devil, Death himself (or his brother Darrell)
- ghoul, zombie, flesh eater, lycanthrope, doppleganger,
- ghost, ghast, spectre, phantom, poltergeist, shadow, lost soul, wight,
- voodoo priestess, shaman, holy man, cleric, monk, sage, elder, council member
- cultists, acolytes, madman, deranged sorcerer,
- nomads, bandits, gypsies, tomb raiders, grave robbers, hobo, bum, drifter, peddler, beggar, leper, miscreant
- a mournful lover, weeping family, distraught mother, repentant duelist, sorrowful soldier, vengeful son, guilty second party,
- medium, ghost hunter, psychic, soothsayer, seer
- coven of good witches, council of holy men, necromancers, evil lords
- chaotic tentacle beast, carrion worms, undead spiders, malevolent birds or bats,
- disembodied arm, foot, head (animated, of course… and not happy)
Activities
- peruse the gravestones, pray at an altar, make an offering, pay your respects to the dead, defile an enemy’s grave, place flowers,
- fish in a pond, relax in the shade, snooze in the crook of a tree branch, lounge by the brook
- join a royal funeral procession (complete with the mournful sounds of N’Awlins!)
- interrupt a funeral rite being performed, a sacrifice about to be made
- intrude on the robbery of a crypt, the sacking of a tomb
- partake in a wake – singing, dancing, drinking, “celebration of life”
Developments
- one tomb is covered heavily in chains and locks; there are warning signs in many languages saying “stay away” “do not disturb”
- one fresh grave mound has footprints leading to it but not away from it
- at the back of a mausoleum there is secret passage leading down to some ancient underground crypts
- some graves have been vandalised and one of those so mistreated is that of a relative of one of the characters (or high ranking noble that can pay the characters to “catch” whoever did this)
- there is a colony of bees being farmed here.
- secret door found in the back of a crypt or mausoleum.
- a magical sword or ring (or whatever) is found, but of course, it’s cursed!
- four gambling ghosts are arguing again over a card game they continue to play for eternity
- a medium will contact any of your ancestors for a price (may or may not be B.S.)
- a beautiful woman is looking for her lover; turns out she’s a ghost; he had left her for dead when their carriage was robbed, and now she wanders for eternity until she finds him again.
- there is pandemonium because a body has been stolen
- the characters, looking for a place to sleep for the night stumble upon a wrought iron gate. Swinging it open, they make their way into what appears to be a park, but soon, the growing moonlight reveals the stones of the dead.