13. The Gallows Table

The village green of Nulb is more aptly described as yellowish and brown. Most of the grass here is dead, and the ground itself is soggy as a result of small rivulets that run in from the Imeryds. Here is where most village criminals face their punishment. Such occasions draw a large body of spectators. The village green has a platform with three hangman nooses and a large iron cage big enough to hold up to three well-fed men. A sign post stands in the village green. This is where village proclamations are nailed for all to read (or have read to them, as the case may be).

The center of Nulb is dominated by a patch of open space known as The Gallows Square. It is a place of both foreboding and occasional bustle, serving as the site of public punishments, sparse commerce, and fleeting entertainment. Despite its centrality, the square reflects the decay and hardship that defines much of the village.

“A grim heart for a grim village, where justice and desperation meet in equal measure.”

The Gallows Square is an open, irregularly-shaped clearing, more mud and despair than green. Its unkempt ground is riddled with puddles and soggy earth, fed by rivulets that snake in from the nearby Imeryds Run. At the square’s center stands a weathered wooden platform, its once-sturdy planks now warped and rotted from years of neglect.

"The Gallows Square sees more blood than coin these days—fitting for a town like Nulb."

The Execution Platform

At the festering heart of Nulb squats The Gallows Square, a warped and sunken clearing where justice is nothing more than theatre and power plays out in splinters and rope. The ground is uneven—stone, mud, and swamp muck churned by decades of boots, blood, and silence. Moss creeps up the platform steps. The gallows themselves, long since blackened by rain and age, groan like old bones when the wind shifts from the Fens.

• Three nooses sway in the marshlight, ropes stained with mildew and old blood.
• A large rust-caged gibbet squats near the edge, built to humiliate thieves or suspected spies before they die from exposure, madness, or rats.
• The wood is soft and rotting in places. No one repairs it—it still holds weight, and that’s all that’s required.

“You’ll find more truth nailed to the signpost than spoken in any tavern.” — Roobal, gravedigger of Nulb

Surroundings

• Crooked Taverns and Sagging Hovels ring the square like vultures around carrion.
• The Boatman’s Tavern, Waterside Hostel, and a few crumbling shanties peek out from rotted planks and boarded windows.
• At the edge stands a half-dead tree, its roots wrapped around the stone foundation of a forgotten well—locals claim it’s cursed, but it makes good shade during hangings.

The Signpost

Locals call it "The Stick"—a warped timber stump driven into stone, so pockmarked with nails and rusty hooks it looks like a torture victim. Bits of rotted parchment, bloodstained scraps, and faded charcoal scrawls flap in the breeze.

• Proclamations from Constable Malvaar are posted here—almost always ignored.
• Hidden among official notices are symbols of secret pacts, cult runes, or marks left by bandit gangs.
• Sometimes, a jawbone or skinned rat is nailed there—a warning from someone who doesn’t post in writing.

Atmosphere

• Smell: The acrid stink of tallow smoke, sour booze, wet rope, and distant decay wafts from the nearby graveyard.
• Sound: Carrion crows nest on the rooflines. They caw when someone’s about to hang, as if summoned.
• Feel: Oppressive, tense. Every eye here watches, every conversation half-whispered. Justice here has no blindfold—only favored targets.

Role in Nulb

Public Punishments

• Hangings are arranged by Madame Selentis or Commander Feldrin, then rubber-stamped by Constable Malvaar.
• The condemned are often bandits who crossed the wrong faction, pirates who skimmed off Temple goods, or spies from Hommlet foolish enough to get caught.
• Crowds gather, more out of fear than morbid joy. Bets are taken. Wagers placed. Children are told to watch and “learn consequence.”

Power Rituals

• Execution orders bear no seal from Verbobonc. This square answers only to Nulb’s shadows.
• The Temple’s presence is felt in every nailed parchment. Selentis’s bandits sometimes flank the gibbet—guards in all but name.
• The gallows are a tool, not of law, but of message. A corpse swaying here says: “This is Selentis’s street. This is Hedrack’s town.”

Market on Slaughterday

• Traveling merchants still stop here—one day a week, if they’re brave or desperate enough.
• The square fills with crates of dried meats, cracked pottery, flint, cheap wine, and pilfered relics.
• Temple agents sometimes move among the stalls, buying quietly, recruiting silently.

Performance and Distraction

• Entertainment is rare.
  If a bard sets up with a fiddle or drum, it’s often because someone paid them to watch something else burn behind the square.
  Puppet shows are mostly used to scare children or mock rivals.
  Laughter here sounds strange—like a crow mimicking a scream.

Background and History

The Gallows Square has existed as long as Nulb itself, its origins tied to the swampy land’s tendency to pool water and resist development. Over time, its role evolved into a place of judgment and occasional commerce.

• Originally a meeting place for traders navigating the Imeryds Run, the square became associated with punishment as lawlessness gripped the region.
• The platform and nooses were constructed by the constable's predecessors, solidifying the square’s role as a symbol of control.

Decay and Decline

As Nulb fell deeper into corruption, the square became more synonymous with despair. Public executions outnumbered market days, and the once-vibrant hub of trade devolved into a grim clearing.

DM-Only Secrets

Merchant Stalls in The Gallows Square

A. Garrick’s Rusty Armory

A rickety wooden stall held together with frayed rope and hope, Garrick’s Rusty Armory displays an assortment of battered weapons and armor. The merchant, Garrick, is a grizzled ex-mercenary with a missing ear and a perpetual scowl. His wares are displayed on crooked wooden racks and an uneven tabletop, with bits of rusted chainmail dangling precariously.

Dialog (Garrick):

"You there, adventurer! You’re not planning to brave the swamp with that excuse for a sword, are you? Have a look! Everything here’s seen action—well, maybe a little too much action—but it’ll still cut when it counts! For the right price, of course."

Items for Sale

• Rusted Shortsword: 12 sp
• Dented Helmet: 8 sp
• Patchwork Chainmail Shirt: 15 gp
• Cracked Buckler: 6 sp
• Tarnished Dagger: 5 sp

2. Hilda’s Rotten Delights

Hilda, a squat woman with a loud voice and a dirt-smudged apron, runs this shabby stall. Baskets of wilted vegetables, bruised fruit, and questionable meats are arranged haphazardly on her table. Despite the poor quality of her goods, she has a sharp tongue and a knack for haggling.

Dialog (Hilda):

"Hungry, eh? Well, I’ve got the finest produce you’ll find in all of Nulb—or at least, the best you’ll find without leaving town! Don’t mind the spots; they just add flavor. And for you, a special price, because I like your face!"

Items for Sale

• Basket of Wilted Turnips: 4 cp
• Bundle of Bruised Apples (5): 7 cp
• Piece of Salted Mystery Meat: 10 cp
• Sack of Moldy Grain: 2 sp
• Bottle of Sour Swamp Wine: 6 sp

3. Magda’s Trinket Trove

Magda’s stall is an explosion of color amidst the gloom. The aging merchant wears a patchwork cloak of mismatched fabrics, and her stall overflows with strange odds and ends—charms, baubles, and items of dubious origin. A faded banner above her stall proclaims, “Curiosities from Across the Land!”

Dialog (Magda):

"Step closer, traveler! Feast your eyes upon treasures of the world, rare and unique, just waiting for the right owner! A charm for luck? A bauble for love? Or perhaps something… stranger?"

Items for Sale:

• Wooden Lizard Carving (good luck charm): 8 sp
• Jar of Glowing Mushrooms: 12 cp
• Rusty Compass: 10 sp
• Old Map of the Fens (inaccurate): 15 gp
• Bottle of "Cursed" Ink (just swamp mud): 3 sp

Notable Rumors Heard in the Square

• “They hanged a boy last week. Picked a Temple pocket. His boots still twitchin’ when they turned away.”
• “Selentis hanged her own man last month. Not for disobedience—just to remind the rest she could.”
• “The gallows are built from wood taken from the old Temple’s altar. That’s why no moss grows on ‘em.”
• “They say when Hedrack’s ready, we’ll see five nooses. One for each Prophet.”

Adventure Hooks

• A Rare Performer: A travelling bard is set to perform in the square, but they secretly carry a message for the adventurers, slipping it to them in plain sight during their act.
• A Public Execution: The party arrives in time to witness a public execution—but the condemned claims to have crucial information that could change Nulb’s fate.
• The Merchant’s Plight: A travelling merchant is being harassed by a group of Crimson Reaper Brigands in the square, and the adventurers must decide whether to intervene.
• The Cage’s Contents: The party hears strange noises coming from the iron cage at night and investigates, uncovering an unsettling secret.
• Ghostly Apparition: The spirit of a wrongly executed man occasionally appears, warning adventurers of hidden dangers in Nulb or pleading for justice.
• Smuggler’s Meeting Spot: The square is used by Felix Fahnor and the The Crimson Reapers as a neutral meeting place for arranging trade routes and bribes.

Conclusion

The Gallows Square serves as both a grim reminder of Nulb’s corruption and a focal point of intrigue for adventurers. Its dual role as a place of judgment and rare commerce makes it a versatile location for roleplaying, exploration, and conflict. Whether the adventurers witness a public hanging, uncover its secrets, or use it as a staging ground for their plans.