"Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by the Swordlords of Restov, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Regent of the Dragonscale Throne, and hereby granted the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Greenbelt. Exploration should be limited to an area no further than thirty-six miles east and west and sixty miles south of Oleg Leveton's Trading Post. The carrier of this charter should also strive against banditry and other unlawful behavior to be encountered. The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope. So witnessed on this 24th day of Calistril, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne.”
The area the charter requires the PCs to explore includes hexes 2A-2F, hexes 3B-3F, hexes 4B-4F, hexes 5B-5G, hexes 6A-6F, and hexes 7B-7E. Each hex is either made up of primarily hill country or primarily forest country, with each requiring a different amount of time to travel across or fully explore. Note that traveling across a hex is not the same as fully exploring it, and just traveling is much faster.
Also note that survival checks will be required to avoid getting lost while moving in a hex that has not been explored (aid another is possible in this case). As a group, the PCs can decide how best to move through the Stolen Lands, what areas to focus on, or where to head. The overarching goal is to fully map this area, including all landmarks, resources, and so on.
Hexes Explored To-Date:
Hexes 2A-2D;
Hexes 3B-3E;
Hexes 4B-4E; and
Hex 5F.
The Chartered Six have traveled through part of Hex 6F, but have not fully explored this hex.
MAJOR NPCs:
ALLIES:
Oleg and Svetlana Leveton - Owners/Proprietors of Oleg's Trading Post.
Raninr "Rani" Alford - Original member of Chartered Six; Priestess of Erastil; Restoring re-discovered temple of Erastil.
Berenkor Trandoran - Original member of Chartered Six; Andoran Bard; Permanent fixture at Oleg's Trading Post.
Harther Medvyed - Original member of Chartered Six; Brevic Noble/Ranger; Trade caravan leader.
Eseldra - Original member of the Chartered Six; Elf Conjurer; Left Stolen Lands to search for grandmother in Mendev.
Tyr Thordinsjon - Original member of the Chartered Six; Brevic Noble/Fighter; Accompanying Eseldra to Mendev.
Gilbert and Mik - Reformed Bandits; Indentured servants at Oleg's Trading Post.
Kesten Garess - Brevic Noble; Leader of soldiers sent by Swordlords fo Restov to guard Oleg's Trading Post.
Willem, Stefan and Petros - Soldiers; Kesten Garess' men.
Jhod Kavken - Wandering Priest of Erastil; Helping to restore re-discovered temple of Erastil.
Chief Sootscales - Leader of the Sootscales kobold tribe.
Mikmek Scarygrowler - Kobold of the Sootscales tribe; Rescued from mites by the Chartered Six; Convert to the worship of Erastil; Helping to restore re-discovered temple of Erastil.
Bregan and Dorn - Reformed Bandits; Helping to restore re-discovered temple of Erastil.
Twyllyn, Queeg, and Fenna - Grig musical trio.
Ol' Nell Hardesty - Elderly moonshiner; Grandmother of the Hardesty girls; Rescued from bandits by the Chartered Six.
Vianne Hardesty - Eldest granddaughter of Ol' Nell; Rescued from bandits by the Chartered Six.
Vala and Vanna Hardesty - Twin granddaughters of Ol' Nell; Rescued from bandits by the Chartered Six.
Hiram Salatin - Former member of Chartered Six; Farmer and Paladin of Erastil;
Jamison Walker - Former member of Chartered Six; Farmer and Priest of Erastil; Re-settled with wife in Nivakta's Crossing.
Cinders - Former member of Chartered Six; Varisian Oracle of Flame and mercenary; Accompanying Eseldra to Mendev.
ENEMIES:
Happs Bydon (deceased): Bandit; subordinate of Kestra.
Kestra (deceased): Bandit; sister of Kressle.
Kressle (deceased): Bandit; lieutenant of Stag Lord.
Tartuk: Former gnome, reincarnated as Kobold; Former shaman of Sootscale tribe.
Unknown kobold summoner: Ally of Tartuk.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CHARTERED SIX:
-- Defended Oleg's trading post from bandits.
-- Defeated bandits encamped at Thorn River ford.
-- Defeated mites.
-- Helped Sootscale kobolds drive away evil shaman.
-- Forged alliance with Sootscale kobolds.
-- Retrieved Svetlana's wedding ring.
-- Obtained moon radishes for Svetlana.
-- Discovered potential gold mine.
-- Discovered old barbarian burial mound.
-- Discovered lost temple of Erastil.
-- Threw an epic party at Oleg's.
-- Defeated MORE bandits encamped at Thorn River ford.
-- Began restoration of lost temple of Erastil.
-- Discovered a ruined hut/shrine formerly devoted to the Hag Queen, Gyronna.
-- Befriended a band of grigs.
-- Rescued an elderly moonshiner and her three granddaughters from bandits.
NEW CHARTER FROM THE SWORDLORDS OF RESTOV: STAG LORD - WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE!
This thick parchment bearing ornate flowing script and the seal of the Swordlords of Restov states that the bandit leader known as the 'Stag Lord' is wanted "Dead or Alive," and that if he can be removed from power, the chartered explorers of the Greenbelt will be greatly rewarded. Word of the Stag Lord’s defeat must be sent to Restov — if his body is not available as proof, an agent of the Swordlords shall be dispatched to confirm that banditry in the Greenbelt has been eliminated.
REQUEST FROM KESTEN GARESS:
"A few months back my men and I worked with a mercenary, a Varisian named Falgrim Sneeg. One night while he was on watch, Sneeg killed his watch companion and robbed our group. We're lucky he didn't kill all of us in our sleep. We've heard word that he fled into the Greenbelt and became a bandit. I'd like to capture him alive so that I can return him to Restov for punishment. If you come across Sneeg while you're out in the wilds and can capture and deliver him to me alive, I can arrange to have you rewarded with four masterwork weapons. If he's delivered dead, I can only promise two weapons. You'll recognize him by a scar he's got on his right cheek - it's shaped like a crescent moon. That, and his right hand has been replaced by a steel hook."
NOTICES AT OLEG'S:
Several posts are still tacked to the bulletin board outside Oleg's house:
An old piece of worn leather bears the following message in jagged script:
Wanted - Fangberries:
If anyone comes across a particularly rare (and delicious!) type of raspberry known as 'fangberries,' I would be more than happy to offer a hefty discount on any of my potions you would care to purchase from me in exchange for a basket of these berries. If interested, please bring the berries to my hut, about a day's ride east and slightly south of Oleg's Trading Post.
Signed - Bokken
A curling piece of parchment bears a well-rendered drawing of the head of a draconic creature, and the following message in neat flowing script:
Wanted - Tatzlwyrm:
Tatzlwyrm's are rare creatures, even though every trapper and his mother claims to have had a run-in. That being said, a tatzlwyrm head would make a great trophy for my trading post main hall. Bring me one intact and I'll give you 600gp in credit for any goods I have here or requisition from Restov.
Signed - Oleg
A weathered scrap of parchment, just barely hanging onto the board by one tack, bears the following faintly legible message in large blocky letters:
Wanted - Tuskgutter:
EVERY GREENBELT HUNTER HAS A STORY ABOUT TUSKGUTTER, EACH WILDER THAN THE LAST. A NASTY GIANT BOAR, THIS ONE IS. TOOK MY LEG NEAR A YEAR AGO, AND NEAR GOT MY LIFE. BRING ME HIS HEAD AND I'LL GIVE YOU A FINE CRAFTED LONGBOW AND SIX MAGICAL ARROWS. PLUS, I'LL SHARE THE HEAD CHEESE I'LL MAKE OUTTA THE BASTARD'S NOGGIN!
Signed - VEKKEL BENZEN
RUMOR - THE TOLLKEEPER'S GHOST:
"Well now, that was some disturbin' news," Oleg says, slowly shaking his head, his face pale. "Messrs. Fellin and Burge there told me the rumors are true, that poor Davik Nettles' unquiet spirit haunts what's left of his bridge there on the Shrike. Said they saw his rottin' body, walkin' on the water, callin' for vengeance against the Stag Lord!"
”The Shrike runs a good bit to the south and east of here. Runs west from Restov, then turns southwest. Eventually flows into Tuskwater Lake, way to the south of here, they say,” Oleg explains. "Davik Nettles. Now there was an odd one. Retired engineer from Brevoy, he was. Came to the Greenbelt with a crazy scheme to build a toll bridge across a narrow reach of the Shrike, down to the southeast a-ways from here. 'Nettles' Folly,' we called it. Wouldn't you know, but he built the durn thing, and made it turn a profit too! The man made no judgments on them who wanted to use his bridge - just so long as they had coin. Yep, turned out to be a pretty smart idea, what with it bein' the only real crossing to be had over the Shrike in the whole of the Kamelands." Oleg pauses, scratching one of his fiery red muttonchops. "Of course, it wound up gettin' him killed in the end, didn't it? 'Nettles' Folly'..." he muses.
"Oh yes!" Mikmek pipes up. "Big-feet Nettles-man always good to Sootscales. Let us cross bridge if we gave coins. We liked. Bad bandits killed him and broke his bridge. Now no good place to cross."
Oleg studies the kobold for a moment. "Like I said, he let anyone use the bridge if'n they had coin," he says, his tone implying just how crazy he thinks Nettles was. Then he points to an unexplored region to the east of where the Sootscales' lair is marked on the map (Hex 5G). "Nettles' bridge is in this area. Like I said, it's the only real crossing over the Shrike in the Kamelands. Why, I guess the next possible crossing would be either the Cascade or the Crooked Falls, way to the east in the Nomen Heights. And neither would be easy, I can tell you that!"
THE TALE OF TARTUK:
Tartuk was not born a kobold, but a gnome. His journal tells the tale of how he was killed in a fight against a group of ogres who were tormenting the village in which he grew up. The village, sorrowed by his death in bravely defending their village, unanimously voted to restore him to life - so they decided to use a scroll of reincarnate that had sat in the village treasury for years. In an ironic twist of fate, poor Tartuk came back as a kobold.
Scandalized, the village didn't know how to react. Tartuk knew, however. He hadn't meant to give his life to save the village. He'd actually been trying to surrender to the ogres and offer to help them destroy the village for sparing his life, but the ogres crushed him before he got his offer out.
Once he was brought back, the fact that his scales were the same deep purple color as his hair only ensured his shame. Enraged, he fled into the woods near his village, nursing a deep grudge. He found a tribe of kobolds, joined them, used his magic and manipulative lies to rally them, and led his new army in an attack against his old village. The resulting battle was fierce, and only Tartuk survived the fighting.
Since then, Tartuk's journal tells of how the mad gnome/kobold has drifted through several of the River Kingdoms, periodically haunting towns and murdering gnomes he finds. It also goes on to speak of how he has insinuated himself into several other kobold tribes, taking them over from within, and forcing them into wars they can't possible win.
The journal details his frustration that the Sootscales seemed to be winning their conflicts with the mites. Tartuk smuggled the statue of Old Sharptooth out when most of the other kobolds were sleeping in order to place it somewhere the mites would surely find it. Two kobolds spotted him, but Tartuk killed them and used a prestidigitation cantrip to make their scales turn yellow. After he removed the statue, he used their bodies to add weight to his story of a ‘curse.’ Once he found out the Chartered Six was going to help recover the statue, he decided to provoke a fight between the the Sootscales and the adventureres, hoping the tribe would be wiped out and he could escape to terrorize another day.
