Friday Encounter: The Leprechaun's Drinking Contest

This encounter could work either in the wilderness or in a dungeon - really, anything far enough removed from civilization.

The PCs come across a little man with pointy ears, all dressed in green, seated on a rock with a large pot of gold beside him. He introduces himself as Fachanan, a leprechaun, and welcomes the PCs to his domain. If asked about the pot of gold, he will explain that, like all leprechauns, he watches over great riches and will not allow mortals to take them for themselves. If he is accosted, he attempts to dazzle the party with a hypnotic pattern spell before turning invisible and scurrying off; the pot of gold will also vanish.

However, he will offer to part with the gold as long as he is defeated in a fair competition - and he proposes a drinking contest, producing a large flagon of ale almost too big for him to have any right to carry. He will face each member of the party, one by one, and if any are left standing by the end of it, then the treasure is theirs.

Such a task might seem simple, but it is no easy task to outdrink a leprechaun. If a PC wishes to engage in Fachanan's contest, they must take turns drinking from the flagon with Fachanan, and whoever surrenders or passes out is eliminated from the competition. Make a note of the PC's Constitution score (the entire score, not the modifier). Every time they take a drink, they lose 1d8 points from their Constitution score until the next long rest. When their Constitution score drops by half, they take 2d8 damage from each drink and have Disadvantage on all attack rolls and skill checks. For the purposes of the contest, Fachanan's Constitution is 20, and he heals 1d4-1 points every round. If he manages to beat one of the PCs in the contest, his Constitution returns to its maximum value.

The flagon is bottomless and will not run out, and Fachanan will not allow anyone to interfere in the contest. If they do, he will accuse them of cheating and curses the entire party with ill fortune; they have Disadvantage on all rolls until the next long rest. He then disappears, taking the pot of gold with him.

If Fachanan is beaten in the contest, he will give the PCs his pot of gold. The pot contains a total of 6000 GP in gold and jewels, but it weighs 10 pounds and is cumbersome to carry, so getting it to a place where the treasure may be spent may be a challenge in and of itself. If all the PCs end up passing out, they may well awake to find they have gotten into all sorts of escapades while drunk on fey liquor...

Saga of the Ortegids: The Nine Gods, Part 2

Here's the other half of the main pantheon of The Saga of the Ortegids. See here for part 1.

Gaius, the Forgemaster, is the god of the sun, fire, and the forge. He is the patron god of the dragons (and Dragovians), who - as beasts of fire - regard him as their forefather, but he is also a patron to the dwarves thanks to his association with the forge. Legend has it that he taught the secrets of fire and metalworking to mortals. His temples tend to be placed in areas of volcanic activity, as volcanoes are revered as the chimneys of his workshop buried deep within the earth; when a volcano erupts, it is because he is drawing on its heat to forge fantastic treasures. Gaius has created many magical artifacts, but the most celebrated of all is the Sphere of Light, a ball of congealed radiance and the most sacred treasure known to dragonkind. He originally created it as a gift to the dragons of Erdland, but it has since passed into the hands of the Kingdom of Alefgard, who use it to control the Inner Sun of Torland.

• Gaius's appearance varies depending on who he appears to. He tends to appear as a stout bearded man or a dwarf when dealing with humanoids, and as a dragon with scales that flicker in the colors of fire when dealing with dragons and their kin. Depictions of the god in artwork likewise reflect the culture of their origin.
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral
• Domains: Forge, Light, Nature
• Oaths: Crown

Astrella, the Eternal Muse, is the goddess of love, beauty, music, and the arts. She taught mortals the secrets of music, and delights in striking them with the inspiration to compose great works. Her temples often exhibit paintings, sculptures, and tapestries donated by the faithful, and her prayers are always sung, some of them incorporating instruments. She also has power over romantic attraction, and presides over all marriages and oaths of love - though legends say that she is not afraid to compel people to fall madly in love with animals or inanimate objects simply because the act amused her. As befitting of a goddess of such passion, she is not afraid to encourage roguish tendencies in her worshipers, and her creed urges that one must follow their heart's true desire, regardless of ethics or the law of the land. This has made her cult popular among thieves and criminals, and a controversial one among many authorities.

• Astrella appears as a striking woman - it is said that everyone who beholds her sees their ideal of beauty. Other legends say that this is only a guise, as beholding her in her true radiance would cause a mortal to go blind.
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Domains: Trickery, Unity, Zeal
• Oaths: Devotion, Treachery

Wyrdpater, the Father of Fate, is the god of fate, prophecy, and magic. He alone knows the ultimate fate of all beings, and sees to it that they play their part in the grand scheme of reality. He keeps the secrets of fate closely guarded from mortals, fearing that if they know of their destiny they will seek to work against it; to that end, he is known to place curses upon those who know too much, and sends his agents to bring them into line. He has, however, entrusted certain mortals with the ability to see into the future, or even manipulate reality itself - this is in itself a means to further the plan in mysterious ways that only he truly understands. Through this he imparted mortals with the secrets of magic, though his teachings have spread far beyond his original selection, and magicians conducting their own research have discovered further secrets independent of his guidance. Some say there are some spells even Wyrdpater refused to teach to mortal man, such as the pursuit of eternal life. To pursue these forbidden magics is a dangerous pursuit, but one considered the ultimate goal of sorcery among some circles.

• Wyrdpater is depicted as a wizened old man with a long beard, dressed in the garb of a wizard. He is usually shown carrying a scroll, upon which is written the fates of all mortals.
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Domains: Arcana, Fate, Knowledge, or use a Diviner to represent a pilgrim of Wyrdpater.
• Oaths: Ancients, Watchers

Verina, the Beastmatron, is the goddess of animals and nature. She is the mother and mistress of all beasts, and her priests are gifted with the ability to commune with them. The forest is her domain, and her ceremonies are often held in the open air at sacred springs or groves, many of which are said to be the dwellings of her nymph daughters. In part, this is because she opposes any intrusions on the balance of nature, considering artificiality and construction to defile the sanctity of the natural world. Her worshipers will fiercely guard her sacred places from outsiders, and she will rally wild beasts to fight alongside them in their defense. According to legend, she does not dwell with her divine brethren; instead, she prefers to wander the world to witness the beauty of nature up close, though only select mortals can see her. Unexplained breezes are attributed to her running by.

• Verina is often shown as a young woman barefoot and dressed in simple animal hides, with branches tangled in her hair, or a crown of leaves. She is sometimes depicted as a beastman (especially among beastmen).
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Domains: Nature
• Oaths: Ancients, Watchers

Hesper, the Hearth Mother, is the goddess of hearth and home. She does not have any major temples - instead, she commands the faithful to worship her over the fire, during everyday tasks, and before going to sleep at night, thanking her for their good fortune during the day. Keeping the home orderly and providing for one's family is considered a worshipful act. She commands her followers to respect the sanctity of hospitality, and commands them not to take up arms unless attacked first. Despite her homebody nature, her cult has many pilgrims, as she inspires them to go forth performing acts of charity to the poor and downtrodden who have no home or family to call their own, standing in the defense of those who have no one else to care for them. Other priests run hostels for weary travelers and the poor to rest.

• Hesper appears as a stout, matronly woman in an apron. Despite her divine nature, she does not favor the grandiose pageantry of other gods, and prefers to present herself modestly and humbly. As such, depictions of her are difficult to distinguish from those of ordinary people.
• Alignment: Neutral Good
• Domains: Life, Peace, Protection
• Oaths: Redemption

Saga of the Ortegids: The Nine Gods, Part 1

Following up from last post, it's high time we began to lay out the pantheon we're working with for The Saga of the Ortegids. For the primary religion of the setting, I've arbitrarily decided on a set of nine gods, all of whom are traditionally regarded as siblings. These gods are worshipped more or less universally throughout Erdland and Torland, and any holy man will likely know a few prayers to each of them, even if they may focus on a single patron (though some are generalists). There are other gods that coexist with the Nine Gods, and may even be worshiped alongside them in some temples, but are not considered a part of the same group; these will be discussed in a later post.

The Dragon Quest games do give us some gods to work with, but most of this is me filling in the space between the broad strokes with my own creations, and striving to create something with a suitably sword-and-sorcery feel. There will inevitably be some overlap with the gods of the Lunar Lands, but I've done my best to make this pantheon feel distinct.

Rubiss, the Allmother, is the goddess of life, creation, and fertility. One of the most popular of the Nine Gods, idols dedicated to her can be found throughout the two worlds, and there is at least one temple devoted to her in just about every major city. Fittingly, her portfolio is broad, and she is favored by farmers, craftsmen, midwives, and healers - just about anyone who creates things or preserves life. It is said that she created all living things in the worlds, and treats them as a mother does her children - with nurturing respect, and with discipline for those who misuse the gift of life. She is one of the patrons of the legendary Ortegid Dynasty, who carry a sacred crest gifted to Erdrick the Aliahanian by Rubiss herself as a family heirloom.

• Rubiss appears as a beautiful woman with red hair - people with red hair are regarded as having the blessings of Rubiss. Her symbol is a set of three rubies laid in an upside-down triangle, typically worked into an amulet.
• Alignment: Neutral Good
• Domains: Life, Peace, Protection
• Oaths: Devotion, Redemption

Estark, the Eternal Swordsman, is the god of war and battle. According to legend, he dwells atop a mountain (where exactly this mountain is varies from region to region) on a throne of iron awaiting a worthy challenger, and the souls of all warriors who die in battle must face him in a duel. Though no mortal can beat him, if he is impressed with their strength, he will let them into Valhalla; if he is not, he throws them down the mountain, where they must fight their way back up against all other hopefuls to earn another chance against him. Estark is not usually called upon in battle, as it is considered a sign of weakness to rely on him; nonetheless, he does bless weapons and sword-arms, and his clerics often study martial magic.

• Estark takes the form of a giant clad in armor, wielding a weapon in each hand and bearing two horns on his head, along with a third eye that beholds all battles in the world. His symbol is a set of brazen horns hung from a pendant, either worn or dangling from the hilt of a weapon.
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Domains: Strength, War
• Oaths: Conquest, Glory, Vengeance

Melisine, the Queen of the Night, is the goddess of night, the moon, the dead, and the underworld. She rules over all the sun does not touch, including both the night (and nocturnal creatures) and the underground (and any creatures that dwell there). She also rules over the souls of all those who do not die in battle. Note that while she is the goddess of the dead, she is not the goddess of death; she only has sway over those who have died, not the means of their death. Though her portfolio is a macabre one, and she is often worshiped by subterranean clans of beastmen, she is not regarded as one of the Forbidden Gods, and offerings made to the ancestors pass through her. She is also a patron of dwarves, hobbits, and gemcutters, as gems come from the earth.

• Melisine is depicted as a pallid woman in dark robes and the veil of a mourner. Her symbol is a skull with gems set in the eye sockets.
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Domains: Grave, Twilight
• Oaths: Ancients, Watchers

Art by Juan del Pino

Boros, the Tidefather, is the god of the sky, the sea, and the storms. He dwells beneath the waves, and the merfolk are of his blood, but he is also a god of thunder and lightning, calling down storms and winds for his amusement. As he is of a tempestuous and unpredictable nature, his clerics are sought out by merchants and sailors to protect their vessels, and he has a large temple in Ashalam, as well as in the Torlandic port city-state of Lianport. It is held that anything that falls into the sea belongs to him, and retrieving treasure from shipwrecks may garner his wrath. For that matter, there are many unique beasts of the sea and air that are Boros's favored children, such as the Condors of Hades, which are capable of summoning a great gust of wind from the beating of their wings that can divert the course of ships. Those these beasts are great and deadly, he will not take kindly to any of them being harmed.

• Boros appears as a weather-beaten man with a long beard, often with either the tail of the fish or the lower legs of a bird. He always has bird-like feathers along his arms, or wings on his back. His symbol is a set of wings.
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Domains: Nature, Tempest
• Oaths: Ancients, Open Sea

Friday Encounter: The Sky Opens

I've long maintained that most campaigns overlook the value of mundane travel complications for random encounters. Not every danger the PCs face has to come from magic and monsters - throwing in things like natural hazards and road conditions can help the world seem more realistic, and keeps the fantastical rare, mysterious, and, well, fantastical. A big example of this: weather. I don't think I've ever seen a campaign that even acknowledged the weather; it seems that in most gaming sessions it just exists in a quantum state of unremarkably clear skies that have no positive or negative impacts on the party. I'm not saying you need to meticulously track weather patterns for your setting (unless that's your thing), but I do think that having weather events happen as a random encounter every once in a while can do a lot to spice up travel. Here's an example.

This encounter can be used in any outdoor environment, but to get the most use out of it, it's best used while the PCs are traveling, either on a road or through the wilderness. This means they can't simply go underneath the roof of a nearby building to take shelter.

While the PCs are traveling, the sky suddenly turns overcast. A moment later, with a peal of thunder, the clouds open into a torrential rainstorm, with water coming down hard all around them. The storm lasts for 1d4 hours. Until then, the party will have to figure out some way to deal with it.

The obvious answer is to go off the path and try to find shelter, such as in a cave or beneath a large tree, and wait it out. Perhaps this would be as simple as moving to a nearby location you already have on the map, or perhaps you could have a Survival check to find a suitable shelter. This side trek could lead to other encounters or discoveries - perhaps, in looking for shelter, the PCs come across something else. If the party is in a hurry, or if someone is under the effects of a spell with a limited duration, the delay could cause them to lose valuable time.

If the PCs decide to press on despite the effects of the storm, they take one level of Exhaustion for every hour they travel. Additionally, if they traveled through the rain, they must make a Constitution saving throw or come down with a cold, which will take them out of action until they sleep it off. They gain the Incapacitated condition until the next long rest, or if some magical means to cure disease are employed. The DC for this save starts at 5 and increases by 5 for every hour the PCs travel through the rain.

Don't forget other effects rain could have on the PCs or other creatures. If they're carrying torches, they may run the risk of going out. Scrolls, books, and other objects that could be damaged by water might become unusable if not properly stored. An invisible creature could be detected in a rainstorm by how its body displaces water. Like I said, there's a lot that can be done with weather, so don't forget about it in your toolbox.

Saga of the Ortegids: Thoughts on Religion

Art by chuckcg

Religion does not play a very big part in the Erdrick Trilogy. Remember, these games belong to an era where the difference between a JRPG and a western RPG had more to do with presentation than anything else. The trope of the corrupt church hiding a sinister conspiracy had not yet been established, and temples in the Trilogy play pretty much the same role they do in old-school D&D - they're a service you go to to resurrect dead party members and remove curses for a fee. However, there are still some implications we can overanalyze in the name of worldbuilding, and I feel it's possible to make some assumptions about the role of religion and the divine in The Saga of the Ortegids.

The predominant religion, in both Erdland and Torland, is that of the aforementioned temples. Its trappings appear to be grounded in your traditional fantasy Catholicism - priests wear miters; temples have stained glass windows. There's some ambiguity as to how many gods are actually worshiped here. The only deity mentioned by name is the goddess Rubiss, who plays an important role in the plot of Dragon Quest III.

Most discussion I see on the subject seems to assume that the temples belong to a monotheistic cult worshiping Rubiss alone, but I feel like this has more to do with people projecting the trope of JRPGs depicting a Catholic-like organization worshiping a goddess instead of a male god onto Dragon Quest. The Erdrick Trilogy never actually makes this explicit, and it's something that probably owes just as much, if not more, to The Legend of Zelda. Modern localizations lean into this, having priests invoke "the Goddess" in NPC dialogue. As I have previously stated, I am very much not a fan of the modern localizations. They make so many changes to the game script and terminology that I don't think this says anything about the canonical intent. Besides, we're basing this on the NES-era localizations.

Art by darksouls1

As a matter of fact, the Dragon Quest novels (yes, there are novels - I told you that no matter how big you think this series is in Japan, it's bigger than that) do depict multiple gods existing in the world of the Erdrick Trilogy, most notably Gaia, a Hephaestus-like forge god (just go with it). I'll only be taking light inspiration from this lore, because not only were these novels not available in English at the time the NES games were released in the West, they aren't available in English now. Still, the Japanese Dragon Quest wiki is fascinating to poke around in, and takes Google Translate reasonably well.

Anyway, the version of DQ3 I played as a kid has the priests very specifically mention "gods," plural, and as such, I'm inclined to make the people of The Saga of the Ortegids worship a polytheistic religion. This does, however, mean I'm going to have to make up most of the pantheon out of whole cloth. Some gods I can get away with borrowing from later entries in the series, but that's still not enough for a realistic pantheon. More on that in a future post. I'd also probably use more pagan imagery to add to the sword-and-sorcery atmosphere, so temples would have more sacrificial pyres and strange rituals of dancing and chanting. The miters and stained glass can stay, though.

On the subject of localization, the NES version of DQ3 actually - unintentionally - solves the issue of the discrepancy between adventuring clerics and the priests that play a role in society. At the time, Nintendo was so afraid of offending anyone that religious references in games were usually removed in translation, and the class later translated as "Cleric" or "Priest" was called "Pilgrim" in the first English release. However, considering the term already carries connotations of travel, I think this presents a great opportunity. In The Saga of the Ortegids, "clerics" are divided into two traditions, perhaps indicating a schism in thought - priests stay in temples and conduct rituals for the benefit of the community, while pilgrims walk the roads in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and to aid the weak so that they may become closer to godliness. They likely have similar abilities if the services temples provide is any indication, but this would explain why a cleric would ever go dungeon-delving.

An interesting point of the setting is how universal many things seem to be. Although Erdland's geography superficially resembles Earth's, all continents are available for exploration, and all of them seem to be on equal footing in terms of development and power dynamics. There are no places that are presented as unexplored frontiers or colonized subjects, even if their real-world counterparts would have been in the Middle Ages. The same temples, with the same services and aesthetics, are present whether you're in Romaly or Baharata, and even between the overworld of 3 and the hollow earth of Torland. Part of this is surely due to game limitations - it lets you reuse the same assets in each town, after all - but I think it has some interesting implications. After all, the same game also features a class of martial artists who are always drawn in Chinese clothing and who use katars and other such exotic weapons, yet can be found in a medieval European setting with no one batting an eye. I think it's interesting if we assume that traditions have disseminated far further and contacts have been more thoroughly established than they had in the real world by medieval times, and perhaps it means that Erdland is much smaller than Earth, even if the continents have recognizably similar shapes.

Art by Biel Bahi Pla

In the case of religion, though, it is quite interesting that the traditions in Erdland and Torland are seemingly identical, despite the two realms being on opposite sides of the planet's crust and having no way to contact one another. I'd personally interpret this to mean that the qualities of this religion are a fundamental part of how deities are worshiped, and that the same deities are worshiped universally (accounting, of course, for the possibility of sinister cults worshiping evil, forbidden gods - that's still pantheonism, just worshiping certain parts of the pantheon mainstream pantheonists don't want you to). Other religions exist, but they seem to worship different forces entirely.

Satorism, given its obvious comparisons to Buddhism, is likely a religion that focuses on internal spiritual growth, meditation, and the pursuit of knowledge over external divinities (and, with regards to the universality of religions, likely has adherents all over the world). Thus, it doesn't share much in common with Pantheonism, as it rejects the pantheon entirely. The only other hint we see at another religion is in Zipangu, the equivalent of Japan; as an isolationist culture, it does not worship the same gods as other lands, as noted by a foreign priest stationed there. They might instead worship animistic nature spirits, or they might be Satorists. If we look at real world precedent, it's probably both.

Friday Encounter: The Curse of Feebleness

This encounter could be used in a variety of situations, including in a town, on the road, in the wilderness, or in a dungeon. The idea is to use it wherever the PCs could be impacted by a curse. The simplest way to do this would be for the party to accidentally bump into a witch (perhaps knocking into her from a carriage while on the road and injuring her, or bumping into her on the street in town and causing her to spill what she's carrying) who, feeling vindictive, decides to place a curse on them. But it could just as easily be the result of a cursed treasure in a dungeon, or inflicted upon the party by a recurring villain. Feel free to use it wherever and however you think it would be enjoyable.

Some way or another, the PCs are all stricken with a curse that penalizes them in a fashion that is detrimental to their class and general play style, making it hard for them to fit their typical role in the party. For example:

• Martial classes have Disadvantage on all Strength checks, to-hit rolls, and damage rolls, and their carrying capacity is halved.
• Magic-users have Disadvantage on Knowledge checks, any checks to successfully cast spells, and saves against magical effects.
• Rogues have Disadvantage on all Dexterity checks, and their footsteps become loud and conspicuous, making it harder for them to sneak around silently.
• Bards become tone-deaf and have Disadvantage on Performance checks. They also lose proficiency in any musical instruments until the effects of the curse wear off.

You get the idea. Feel free to tailor these to your party - if any of the PCs wouldn't be affected much by these penalties (for instance, if you have a Finesse fighter), come up with an alternative effect that would negatively affect them.

The idea is to make it harder to play the PCs the way the players normally would, forcing them to act outside of their comfort zone. This could present a fun opportunity to challenge players to think outside the box if their typical strategies wouldn't work, or to give them a chance to experiment with play styles they aren't used to. If you have a player who always plays one class, this might be a way to force them to branch out.

For maximum fun, don't have the curse take effect right away. Instead, the effects should start to become apparent 1d4 days after the inciting incident. Don't tell the players that the curse takes effect, either - just start asking them to reroll their rolls and take the lower result, without elaborating. Eventually, they'll figure out something's wrong, and this could kick off an investigation of what might have placed the curse on them. If you have the curse placed on them by an NPC, it's probably best if it's obvious that some sort of spell was cast even if it doesn't take effect immediately. The players will be a lot more likely to draw a connection between the little old lady they knocked over and the fact they can't hit the broad side of a barn if that old lady started waving her hands at them and speaking in tongues before they saw a bright flash. Otherwise, they might end up on a wild goose chase that leads nowhere.

Because I've left things open-ended as to what triggers the curse, I'll also leave it open-ended as to what breaks it. If the PCs attracted the ire of a magician, for example, they may need to find them and right their wrongdoing. Or potentially kill the mage that cursed them, but that might not be possible if they're in polite society. If they picked up a cursed artifact, it may simply be a matter of disposing of it - but cursed artifacts have a habit of turning up again, unless the curse is passed on to someone else. One fun option would be to have the curse be broken for a given PC when that character performs a great deed or overcomes a great challenge without having to fall back on their area of expertise, proving that they can thrive on their own merits even if their greatest assets are taken away from them.

Dharma Abbey

Of all the locations in Dragon Quest III, Dharma Abbey is the one most tied to in-game mechanics. It's here that you unlock the ability to multiclass your characters, allowing them to keep the features and abilities of their current class while gaining access to those of another. The Saga of the Ortegids is not supposed to be a "meta" setting, and one of my goals in creating it was to reimagine the world of the Erdrick Trilogy as a classical fantasy setting that doesn't depend on its roots in a video game. However, in spite of all that, I do think Dharma Abbey has a place in the setting. It's an evocative location, and one that could have a lot of potential in a tabletop campaign.

Dharma Abbey is located in the mountains north of Baharata, in the area corresponding to the Tibetan Plateau. It's populated by reclusive monks who have little contact with the outside world, but there are a few outsiders there who have sought the Abbey for guidance in their personal journeys. Though termed an abbey, the pseudo-Christian iconography of the temples in most cities is lacking, and the place instead has a Buddhist feel (if you couldn't guess by the name).

I plan on addressing the subject of religion in another post, but I feel it's quite apparent that the monks of Dharma Abbey practice a different religion than the rest of the world. Of note, Dharma Abbey is the only way to make one of your characters a Sage - they're the strongest class in the game, with access to the best healing and offensive spells, but in order for one of the party members to become one, they must pass a test involving retrieving a sacred scroll from a dungeon to the north - if the scroll is located there, this is likely the ruin of another temple of the same faith. This item is called different things in pretty much every release of the game, but the NES version calls it the Book of Satori, which is a nice evocative name, so I'm calling the religion Satorism. I would also presume that the Sage class thus represents people who have been taught in the mystic arts at the Abbey, and who have mastered the teachings of Satorism. This also means the monks are likely powerful magicians, versed in different disciplines of magic.

Art by Leland Klanderman

Taking all of this together, I feel it's quite natural to imagine Dharma Abbey as Erdland's Shangri-La, an inhospitable place shrouded in mystery home to mystics and sought out by outsiders, but guarded by considerable danger that one must brave in order to prove their worthiness of their teachings. For a campaign, I think a place like Dharma Abbey would work best as a place to meet mentors or gain information needed for a quest. The sages of the Abbey would be useful allies thanks to their magical prowess and their great knowledge and wisdom, but they clearly do not share their secrets with just anyone, and there would be other quests needed to earn their respect. This would be a great way to gatekeep character progression to in-universe accomplishments, rewarding PCs with resources or abilities for completing quests, or even for undergoing personal growth as a character under a teacher at the Abbey.

There isn't too much in this area of the map besides the Abbey, but in the interests of fleshing out the world, I'd likely put some nomadic tribes in the surrounding hills. Most of the overworld's equivalent to Central Asia is covered by forest (again, more on that in another post), so this seems like the best place to work steppe nomads in, because I have to have steppe nomads somewhere. To maintain the Shangri-La allusions, these people would likely know of the Abbey through local rumor, but those who had laid eyes upon it would likely be few in number - PCs would have to seek them out as guides just to get to the place.