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, has 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’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 expanse of the Stolen Lands has not, in Brevoy’s recent memory, been accurately mapped, and part of the task set before the PCs is to rectify this gap. As they explore the region, they and their companions are expected to keep track of what they find in order to keep Brevoy informed of strong and weak points of defense and to determine possible sites for roads, towns, and other fortifications.
Each hex on the map of the Stolen Lands is 12 miles across (between opposite corners) and covers just under 150 square miles of area. These hexes are provided not only as a way to help define the land (and eventually aid in defining the territory of the kingdom the PCs are destined to rule), but also as an aid in tracking travel through the Stolen Lands.
In this Adventure Path, though, characters will also be taking time to fully explore hexes on the map—doing so takes much longer than
simply walking through a hex. To determine how long it takes the PCs to travel through a hex or to fully explore it, determine the group’s speed (which is set by the slowest member of the group) and consult the tables above. For traveling, the amount of time it takes to cross one hex is listed. For exploring, the amount of time listed is to fully investigate the hex. Until the PCs spend money to create trails and roads, all of the Stolen Lands are considered to be trackless. In some hexes, more than one terrain is present in a hex. In such cases, calculate that hex’s effect on travel as if it were a hex of the dominant terrain type.
Exploring the Stolen Lands:
Traveling (Time to cross 1 hex)
Party Speed. . . .Plains. . . . All Other Terrains
15 feet. . . . .11 hours. . 16 hours
20 feet. . . . .8 hours. . . 12 hours
30 feet. . . . .5 hours. . . 8 hours
40 feet. . . . .4 hours. . . 6 hours
50 feet. . . . .3 hours. . . 5 hours
Exploring (Time to fully explore 1 hex)
Party Speed. . . Plains. . . Forest or Hill. . Mountain or Swamp
15 feet. . . . 3 days. . . 4 days . . . . . . 5 days
20 feet. . . . 2 days. . . 3 days . . . . . . 4 days
30 feet. . . . 1 day . . . 2 days . . . . . . 3 days
40 feet. . . . 1 day . . . 1 day . . . . . . . 2 days
50 feet. . . . 1 day . . . 1 day . . . . . . . 1 day
Quests!:
You have unlocked the Quest feature! I will place a new spoiler in the header for you to keep track of quests. Please be aware that some quests may be expected to range over a long span of time in this campaign while others will be more time sensitive and require quick action. Any time you wish me to add a clue to a quest, please call it out and I will place it inside the header. See example below.
Quest: Deliver a fair amount of fangberries to Bokken.
Clue: Fangberry thicket 50 miles or so to the southwest of Bokken's hut.
Quest: Locate Bokken's "crazy" brother.
Clue: Man turned bandit may have encountered someone fitting this description. Rumored to be part of Kressle's gang.
Clue: Last rumor places Bokken's brother somewhere to the south.
Quest:Special (Ali) Locate a dragon gizzard and a golem keystone.
Quest: Wanted: Bandits! The bandits in the Greenbelt need to be shown that their actions will not be tolerated!
Reward: The Swordlords of Restov are offering 400 gold once proof that bandit activity in the region has been driven down.
Clue: Capture or defeat several to help cull the threat of banditry in the area around Oleg's Trading Post.
Quest: Find the lair of the Sootscale Kobolds and ensure that they aren’t going to continue being a threat any way necessary.
Reward: The Swordlords of Restov will provide a reward of 800 gp once the kobold activity is under control.
Clue: The Sootscale Kobold Clan dwells in a cave somewhere in the Kamelands.
Quest: Wanted: Tatzlwyrm Head!
Reward: 600 gp for a relatively undamaged tatzlwyrm head.
Clue: Grub claims to have seen one in the forest to the southeast.
Quest: Wanted: Slay the legendary Tuskgutter!
Reward: My prized masterwork longbow and the last of my enchanted arrows for hunting to whoever can finally kill Tuskgutter. If you can bring me the monster's head, I promise I'll even share the head cheese I plan to make out of this trophy.
Clue: (?) Every Greenbelt hunter has a story about Tuskgutter, each wilder than the last! Look at me! I lost my leg to the accursed Hog from Hell. Whoever manages to kill the ill-tempered beast will get a nice reward from me old, retired Vekkel Benzen.
Quest: Oleg’s been under a lot of stress lately, and Svetlana would love to cook him his favorite meal (moon radish soup) to help him relax. Unfortunately, moon radishes are relatively rare. Bring Svetlana a basket of moon radishes.
Reward: Svetlana is ready to pay a 250 gp reward to anyone who can bring her enough moon radishes to make soup.
Clue: A whitish radish which locals say glows during the lunar equinox. This is just a myth.
Clue: A patch grows somewhere between 15-20 miles south of the trading post.
Quest: Although his wife claims it’s not a big loss compared to what the bandits could have taken, Oleg knows the theft of her wedding ring has distressed her. She’s forbidden him from risking life and limb to recover it, but if anyone else can find the ring and return it to him, he’ll be very grateful.
Reward: Oleg promises 1,000 gp in trading post credit if his wife’s ring can be recovered.
Clue: A plain brass wedding ring set with a single pearl.
Clue: The bandits were the last to have it, but they might have lost or sold it already.
Quest: Capture Falgrim Sneeg, alive if possible.
Reward: Kesten can arrange a reward of four masterwork weapons of the capturer’s choice if Falgrim is delivered alive. If he’s delivered dead, Kesten can only promise two weapons.
Clue: Falgrim fled into the Greenbelt to become a bandit.
Clue: Falgrim is described as an older Varisian with graying hair and an very unruly beard. He is a former mercenary, and those who fought with him say he possesses an unnerving calm in the face of violence.
As you can see, definitive clues and uncertain clues shall be listed as black and light blue respectively. Once you're certain of a clue, tell me, and I will update the color.
Ciri scans the man's cart and person. "You deliver goods way out here all by yourself? I can't tell you how many dangerous characters we've run into. How do you keep from being overrun by goblins and trolls and bandits?"
Though he looks like a normal kind of workman, she can't help but be suspicious.
For those examining him, Ianto clearly desires a swift answer to his offer. His eyes are steady, and his breathing is even. He taps a finger on the draft horse's reins, but the motion would seem to be more impatient than nervous.
"Oh no, it's not all of this. Most is for my other deliveries that I'm late getting to," Ianto replies to Roswitha's concerns. "For Windhorn, a couple small barrels and crates and these three sacks is all. You could put one each on your own riding mounts there, and you'd feel no burden at all, I reckon."
Gruffley raises a bushy eyebrow at Ciri's comment.
"Eh? Haven't had much of that in these parts in...gods, 25? 30 years?" He shakes his head. "I was a wee lad the last time we had a goblin raid. That was the last time before my Pappy and the rest of the town's forefathers tracked them down in the forest and razed their den."
He gestures to the north. The path the expedition has been following has been winding up into the hills approaching the forest beyond. From their current elevation, everyone can see a small town of maybe a dozen buildings nestled in a valley approximately five miles to the northeast.
"If you have time, once your business at Windhorn is concluded, come on down to Barleton and try the boar stew at the Wizard's Winding. No better this side of the Kamelands." Gruffley pronounces it like "BAR-lee-tun" and the traces of accent denote that -ton was surely once -town.
"What do you say? Twenty gold marks to make forty?" he prompts.
Sorc (protean) 2; Init +4; Perception +0; Fort +1 Ref +3 Will +3; protoplasm: 6/7, spells remaining: -, 5/4; RC 14; AC 18/t 14/ff 14 hp 17/17; Whistling man's blessing: Cha rolls -1, concentration -1, +1 to Perception vs ambush, +1 to Reflex vs traps, +1 init, act in surprise round as long as any party member can.
Ciri rolls her eyes and begins to say something (probably nasty or scornful), but is cut off by Roswitha.
"I can front the gold. Anyone who helps by taking some of the cargo on their own horse can split the profit with me, if you like. If not... well, I'm sure Stem can handle the rest for this little distance, and I keep it all. What do you say, friends? In for a share of the profit?" Roswitha starts digging her purse from her saddlebags.
The inside of Miyari's ears redden with embarrassment when she realizes the likely gap between her wealth and Roswitha's. "Ah, yes, I would be happy to help you carry it for a share of the profit!" she says, a bit too quickly.
Ciri spurs her horse to the wagon, points at a sack and waits for the carter's nod, then hauls the sack across the saddle in front of her and rides away without speaking. She sits her horse, staring stonily towards their destination until the rest are ready.
Male Goblin Investigator (Cipher)/2 HP 15/15 AC 19 Inspiration 4/4
The little goblin furrows his brow hearing about the goblin raid and razing of the den "Goblins... Glen is pained to hear you have had such unfriendly confrontations. Many goblins can be rather... difficult."
Glen smiles looking up at Roswitha's suggestion "Much appreciated Roswitha, Glen has no funds he can offer, but would be happy to assist he also does not take up much room on a horse. There should be space to share with some cargo."
Sorry everyone, for some reason Paizo didn't indicate there were any new posts, I didn't realize we were full steam ahead again.
Sorc (protean) 2; Init +4; Perception +0; Fort +1 Ref +3 Will +3; protoplasm: 6/7, spells remaining: -, 5/4; RC 14; AC 18/t 14/ff 14 hp 17/17; Whistling man's blessing: Cha rolls -1, concentration -1, +1 to Perception vs ambush, +1 to Reflex vs traps, +1 init, act in surprise round as long as any party member can.
Roswitha hands the man 20 gold and hauls a couple of the sacks the man indicates to the back of Stem, atop the goods already there. She pats the mule's nose. "Good beast. I'll get you something nice in town. Whatever you eat. Is there special grass or something?"
Human Oracle of Life | HP 11/13 | AC 14, T 12, FF 12 | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | CMD 13 | Init +2 | Perception +1 | RC 17
Ali goes over and helps Roswitha load the goods onto the various pack-animals and leans in saying; "If the goods don't make a profit, I've got 5 gold to recompense you with. It ain't right you taking all the risk."
Then he turns to the merchant; "So where is this Barleton? Down south?"
Gruffley gives Ali a queer look and then once again gestures to the north.
"Er, like I said a moment ago, Barleton is there. You should be able to see it from here." He blinks and looks out over the valley as to reassure himself. "Can't you see it?"
He shakes his head. "You have my thanks for the help. I don't like having to dip into my own profits, but I would have had penalties on account of being late, so it all evens out."
Gruffley maneuvers the horse cart to turn back the way he came and gets the animal into a quick trot.
Sorc (protean) 2; Init +4; Perception +0; Fort +1 Ref +3 Will +3; protoplasm: 6/7, spells remaining: -, 5/4; RC 14; AC 18/t 14/ff 14 hp 17/17; Whistling man's blessing: Cha rolls -1, concentration -1, +1 to Perception vs ambush, +1 to Reflex vs traps, +1 init, act in surprise round as long as any party member can.
"Windhorn, Windhorn, Windhorn," Roswitha repeats. "My tutor told me to repeat things three times out loud if you want to remember them."
She remounts her horse and urges him into motion towards the town, tugging gently on Stem's lead rope to get him to follow.
Human Oracle of Life | HP 11/13 | AC 14, T 12, FF 12 | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | CMD 13 | Init +2 | Perception +1 | RC 17
Ali mutters softly to themselves; "Ain't my fault I don't see far away too good."
Then the youth goes over to Roswitha and makes sure the packs are distributed between the animals before saying quietly to her; "If t' goods don't make a profit, I'll take some of the burden." Tapping the money pouch in a corner of Ali's pack.
Then Ali calms the animals and leads them down towards the big house by following the path.
Miyari's ears perk to alert as she tries and fails to hear all this quiet talking that Ali is doing, but she shrugs and helps to check that everything is secure before heading Windhornwards. "It's nice to have the opportunity to make some money relatively easily... I'm afraid that a clerk's wage did not provide me much in the way of savings."
