The Swordlords of Restov have organized several large expeditions into the Stolen Lands, each consisting of a number of experienced adventurers. The four of you have been given the simple task of exploring the region of the Greenbelt, which comprises the large hilly expanse of the Kamelands and the primordial forest of the Narlmarches. The mountain range known as the Tors of Levenies forms the eastern bounds of the area you have been granted purview over, as that region, along with the Dunsward, has been granted to Maegar Varn, his daughter, and a couple of knights sworn to his service. To the west lies the vast swampland of the Hooktongue Slough, which has been promised to Hannis Drelev and his companions. To the south lie the River Kingdoms, notably the kingdom of Mivon, which you should avoid provoking.
The Shrike River flows through the city of Restov and into the Greenbelt region, past Fort Serenko, which stands as a bulwark against monstrous invasions from the wilderness. Further west, just past the effective border of Brevoy, lies a fort abandoned decades ago which used to serve much the same purpose. Last year, the Swordlords gave funding to a merchant named Oleg Leveton to renovate the old fort and convert it into a trading post, so as to encourage more Brevic citizens towards the southern border. They have suggested that you follow either the Shrike River, charting the course it takes through the vast Kamelands, or to take the South Rostland Road west to Oleg's Trading Post, and set out from there. You of course can choose any course of action you desire, but your goals are simple:
1. You must defeat the bandits who have become a menace to trade in the area.
2. You must deal with any monsters making their lair within the region.
3. You must select a site for establishing your new fiefdom, and then return to Restov to lead the caravans which will carry settlers and supplies to that location so you may establish a new barony.
As the group rides through the gates of Restov toward the Arisl'arial brushes a loose strand of green-blonde hair back behind her ear and reaches into Bruidal's saddlebag for a rolled-up map. I do hope Juney listens to me and keeps my belongings safe. She unrolls the map, trusting the grey mare beneath her to follow the others, and begins scanning it for details. After a few moments, she gives up in disgust, muttering to herself.
"This map is indubitably the least useful map I have seen of this region. At least the others had rivers on them, but this one doesn't even have that. And the forest boundaries! They don't take into account growth or time or anything, they're perfectly identical to the Taldan map I found in that Swordlord's cellar. I should have kept that, not bought this one from that snake of a mapmaker."
After a moment or two, she gives Bruidal the lightest of taps with her feet, and he speeds up to pull even with the others. She shoves the map back into her saddlebag and buckles it securely. "Our map doesn't show any of the rivers or streams. I would like to talk to one of the locals and perhaps learn something about the area before we plunge recklessly into poorly-charted lands. I think it would be wise to go to this Oleg's and learn what we can learn. Oh! Almost forgot. I'm Aris. Arisl'arial Tathmir."
"Ma'am" Astor nodded to her as she road up. "Astor Bastion." he supplied after a moment, letting his eyes wander around the immediate area,
"Any sort of civilization is a welcome place to start." He would have prefered to start further north and follow the rivers to get accurate maps; the waterways would be of more strategic and commercial importance. But that was neither here, nor there. Especially since the Narlmarches weren't on the list of approved lands, to his knowledge.
More to the point, Aris was responsible for the maps, and more likely had a very good reason for choosing this route. For example, the fact that things further north would be beginning to turn into frozen and not-so-frozen mud this time of year... or nearing it. Even still, "Most likely anyone who lives here will be capable of guiding us towards the bandit situation, or at least that which presses them most. So, a wise choice." He favored her with another nod.
Arisl'arial pulls a book from her belt, detaching the leather strap securing it before flipping it open. "My notes say quite a bit about the region. I would not want to make assumptions, but perhaps what I know could be of use, and it's a long journey. What do you wish to know about the Greenbelt?"
"Anything that comes to mind. It's a long trip, and will take much longer the further we go, so anything conversational will be useful. Moreso, things regarding strategic positions that we should attempt to explore first. I feel the rivers are more valuable, but there may be reasons to look elsewhere. As it stands, I'm most interested in minerals and ease-of-trade once we get set up. That is, after we deal with the local bandits. What do you know of local commerce? And what does everyone believe we should do about the bandits?" He continued to ride, at apparent ease in his armor. That, or his mount was better able to compensate for him, it was hard to tell, really.
Alexis follows within the group on her hip hangs a well made dueling sword, on her back rests a light shield decorated by a golden crown insignia, and if you watch carefully you can catch glimpses of a very light armor under her clothing. Most of her other belongings are being carried by a dark black horse.
"Alexis Crownguard." She says her last name with pride."I also agree with finding the trading post first, we'll need allies in a hurry out here and like Astor said bandits are most likely to be set up near trading posts.
"Bandits aren't our only problem, but I did have an idea to deal with them already and they will likely be the easier to find. Once we deal with them, we'll still have kobolds, lizardfolk, trolls, and likely others to deal with; I've even heard there might be Fay in the Narlmarches.
"The only river I know of is the Shrike River. Before we get too far into this I'd like to make why I was hired clear and ask for you all to help in the matter; To make it simple I'm here to keep track of our supplies but I can do a bit more than that. Once we get to the trading post, if that's where we decide to go, I'd like to make a list of any gear or equipment you'd be willing to share with the party so I know what all we have, I have a small amount of magic so if any of your items break come see me and I'll see what I can do. I can also make some things if given the time and supplies, Not weapons and armor but other helpful things like magic amulets."
Aris listens to Alexis intently, determined to absorb as much information as she can. Once the human falls silent, she turns a few pages in her book. "Let's see here...the best maps I could find in Restov were so old I couldn't copy them for fear of them breaking, but they showed the course of the Shrike. I wrote that there were a pair of lakes somewhere in the Kamelands. That's the hilly part of our charter. They're freshwater lakes, obviously. I would speculate that these lakes were why the Taldans tried to settle here. Oh, yes! The waterfall. It's up near the border with Brevoy, and it makes the Shrike a poor choice for river navigation. We should be on the lookout for other barriers to travel like it."
She turns a few more pages, skimming quickly over the page. "As for the local residents...hmmm. It seems the youngling over there covered most of what's in my notes." She gestures at Alexis with a hand. "It's a bit outside our purview, but the Hooktongue Slough is the responsibility of Hannis Drelev. He has to deal with some sort of a boggard infestation. I for one am glad to not be in his shoes. The swamp sounds miserable."
Astor smiled at the information that the two were able to provide. "I also have some magic in the form of Iomedae's blessings. Most of them are personal, though I can heal others in a pinch. A very serious pinch. Otherwise, simply treat me as you would any oafish warrior with a stick and a horse. Unless I say something like 'get behind me', then it's very likely a good idea to listen. Once we solve our initial problems, is there anything in the charters against us trying to secure routes into Hooktongue to aid this Drelev?" He seemed very much like a soldier-on-duty in demeanor. He was more than happy to share, but he was taking everything perhaps a little -too- seriously. "Do either of you know the history of the settlement that failed? I'm afraid that wasn't disclosed to me."
Faun rides alongside her companions, the conversational pace allowing her to more easily take in the landscape. They were discussing... something, but it was difficult to pay attention when there was so much sound around her. It was the song of the trees, how they swayed and danced and made sweet music in the wind. Before she might lose herself in it, the blonde human says something to snap her out of it.
"Did you say something about the fey?" she asks. Ornmeil'lon, her ever present companion, looks up at her expectantly. Sensing his scrutiny, the elf sighs and continues. "I'm sorry. I've been riding along and haven't introduced myself. My name is Faunlara Daedys, Faun if it pleases you. And this," She gestures to the treant. "Is Ornmeil'lon, my friend." The sapling bows his head, leaves rustling.
Faun turns to Alexis again. "I have these." Reaching into her pack, she produces a pair of wands. "These should aid us if we are wounded or to return our strength. They were given to me by our employers, so I suspect we have enough healing supplies for now."
Alexis nodded once Faunlara had finished."Just rumors but it's possible there are some Fey here, I've a curing wand as well but it's best to wait until we get to the trading post so I can write everything down."
"Nice to meet you both. I'm certainly glad they saw fit to send a medic. It would have been nice to have had larger numbers, though. It'd have made a significant difference in controlling the situations we come across." Astor said as they continued to ride.
The South Rostland Road stretches northwest from Restov, passing through Nivikta's Crossing, past Fort Serenko, and then skirting along the southern border of Brevoy proper all the way to the East Sellen River, where it turns north towards New Stetven. A smaller route splits off to head north toward the mining town of Brunderton in northern Rostland shortly after Fort Serenko, but otherwise it simply leads a leisurely route through the grassy plains of southern Rostland. Few farmers make their homes this close to the Stolen Lands, but you still pass occasional cottages, home to hunters, trappers, and others who make their living off the land without having to worry about waking up to find that their crops have been set ablaze.
By horse it is a three day journey from Restov to Oleg's Trading Post, or four days if you wish to stop at Nivikta's Crossing and Fort Serenko along the way.
"Could we conduct business with Drelev?" Aris thinks for a moment, scrunching her brow. "We could, since we are, in theory, all part of the same overarching plan. However, as he has, arguably, the most difficult region and the one of most importance, we would be negotiating from a position of weakness. It may be best to concentrate on the task at hand for the time being and worry about our relations with our neighbors after a few summers and winters have passed.
We do need to think about stops along the way to this trading post. Nivitka's Crossing and Fort Serenko could be our last visits with civilization for a long while. I have no opinion on stopping; what's a day either way?"
"Stopping in towns will help us to maintain our supplies, and will be arguably safer than roaming directly across the country-side. On the other hand, if we're going to be mapping things anyway, is it not wiser to travel overland, mapping as we go?" Astor asked of the others.
"I'm willing to try and work with anyone we can but I don't think many will take us serious until we setup at least a small area to work within.
I've enough rations for four days travel for one person so stopping could be a good idea but it also leaves us open to bandits for longer, tough call."
Aris pulls Bruidal closer to Astor. "You asked about the history of the Greenbelt and the Narlmarch, young one? Well, the first settlers were my people, the elves. Between the constant warring and the sky quite literally falling, we retreated through the elfgates, and so abandoned much of our territory. But I suppose the settlement you're interested in is probably the old Taldan one. What happened to it is what happens when any empire begins decaying; the periphery was abandoned first. Taldor withdrew its support and, left to fend for themselves, many of the colonies in the region were overrun by trolls, sabotaged to their dooms by kobolds, or simply failed. The only one to succeed without help is the one we just left."
"As for the mapmaking, while I am eager to begin, the area we have been tasked with does not include Fort Serenko or Nivitka's Crossing, so it would be best to make good speed into the Greenbelt, rather than map that which has already been well-documented."
"Ah." he nodded, his face turning grim. "So then, we must ensure that we can stand on our own. Defenses will be a priority, so that we can defend our lands in the event that Brevoy repeats its previous choices?" he asked. Of course, a soldier would think of defense first.
Aris frowns for a moment. "Actually, I believe our priorities should be to see what we have to work with in terms of resources. I anticipate a lot of trees, but how much we can take without angering the fey is unknown. A mine would be nice, or a way to bypass any rapids and possibly circumvent the East Sellen River. Our benefactors will be looking for a return on their investments, and we will have to provide that before we can think about becoming self-sufficient.
This is all far in the future, however, and our priority should be the local banditry and exploring the area. It will be our task to suppress their activities before anything else. Do we know anything about them, besides that they are here?" She falls silent, looking at the open journal in her lap. These children, always concerned with warfare and battle. Are there lives not short enough?
"I agree with Arisl'arial," Faun adds. "These criminals should be our first priority. As well as finding a suitable place to establish a home. Let us worry about feeding ourselves and keeping warm at night before we decide on anything else."
"Perhaps this Oleg knows something of the bandits," the druid offers. "Somebody that lives under their shadow must have some idea of the threat."
"The bandits are attacking more than just traders now and they may be united in an attempt to create their own rule, I doubt they will be common thugs so we should approach them with caution."
Astor inclines his head. "Very well." He nods as each of them speaks. "Bandits, secure resources, then worry about being able to stand on our own. How long ago did the colonies fail? I've a feeling with little or no outside support, if the ruins of the old colonies are still prevalent, then the bandits would have set up there and tried to renew fortifications. It would be much more efficient. If this was all too long ago, however, then the ruins' tactical advantage would probably have long-been-destroyed by nature."
"Since the Taldan settlers? It has been several centuries. What ruins we find will be mostly that; ruins. However, castles and larger settlements may still have some structure to them, and with some work they could be rehabilitated. If there is anything other information you require, please, do not hesitate to ask. I have studied the region a bit, only fifteen years. No more than a dabbling, really, but perhaps it will be of use."
Aris pulls Bruidal away from Astor's horse and closer to Faunlara's. "Tha ril eln rdesr rhaila ul dha huis ull uis naadailr. Ill I neirr erc e wiardaiul ull fasruler ledisa, esa irrui Fusrusl er warr? I erc ulrirr du rad du cluw nirr cailrwunel, eln shinranald air lud du fa ferran." She pauses for a moment, unsure whether to continue. "At least, not by me. I...I like your tree."
"I feel compelled to tell you that I speak eleven, and still have no idea what that was about." Astor supplies, not looking back over his shoulder. "Though I'll definitely bear in mind that your studies of just this area extend beyond my career as a soldier. Thank you for sharing."
Faun smiles at Aris. "Tu irrui er warr, rairdas. Yar, I en Fusrusl. I heair llsun Rarduy, er nu nish ull uis cail ail dhair suslas ull dha wusrn. Whasa esa irrui llsun?" She looks to Ornmeil'lon, striding impassively alongside Faun's horse. "He likes you too. I can tell."
She turns to Astor, but now her smile has a tinge of sadness. "Do you not know of the Forlorn? It means..." The druid searches for words. "We are orphans. Separated from Kyonin, we live among the younger peoples. Where did you say you were from, my lord?"
"Certainly not a Lord. Northeastern Brevoy in my youth, but when Surtova came into power, My family was sent to Mendev to aid in holding back the World Wound. We still support Orlovsky, but... we also have our duties." he shrugged. "I'm sorry for your loss. How exactly does one become orphaned from an entire people?
Aris shoots a quick glance at Faunlara. "Varisia, originally, but I have done a lot of traveling in my studies. Since I left Magnimar, I think the longest I have lived in one place is Restov."
She fiddles with her notebook while thinking about how to respond to Astor's question. "To be Forlorn...we were not born with our people in Kyonin, and we were not raised with the elves.
Hear this, Astor. If we survive and prosper out here in the wilderness, if we raise cities and bring civilization and peace to the Stolen Lands, I will watch you die of old age. I will watch your children, and their children as well, pass on to the Boneyard. The woman I called mother died over sixty years past, my brothers and sisters are now grown old and bent somewhere, if they haven't found a grave of their own.
There is more, of course. Elves from Kyonin do not see Faunlara and me as true-raised elves. Our kind sees those like us and pities us for what we can never be, and mistrust us for what we have no control over. In their eyes, we are closer to half-elven than to what we so plainly are. While I long to visit Kyonin, I fear the worst from my people; after all, I have experienced it before.
Sometimes I feel abandoned by everyone. My people do not acknowledge me or my accomplishments, and...my family has outgrown me. That heartbreak, watching those you love die for centuries and being abandoned by your people, is what it means to be Forlorn." A few tears run down her cheeks, and she slams her journal shut, securing it to her belt again and nudging Bruidal with her heels. The horse speeds up, moving quickly down the road. "We should get moving a bit faster. There are many leagues to cover still today."
If she was trying to be condescending, it was wasted on the cavalryman. "Sounds a lot like the Fourth Crusade. Never knowing when the next person is going to die, having to watch children become men in weeks and watch men die in moments. Yours has certainly lasted longer, but try to remember the high points. Good family, good friends, and the sacrifices you make for others will be their own rewards. In that our people do not recognize us, we likewise remain united. Again, you have my condolences."
Your movement along the road brings you first to the small village of Nivikta's Crossing. Though not nearly as well fortified as Restov, the village is encompassed by a wooden palisade which appears to be well-manned, as you can see guards patrolling along the walls, and a low bridge stretches across the Shrike River here, allowing access to the Stolen Lands to the south for those interested in journeying to the Dunsward. A pair of guard towers flank the southern end of the bridge, giving the clear impression that the people of this village are far more worried about threats from the south, unlike Restov which is more concerned about the threat posed by the Surtovan usurper these days. This is probably where Maegar Varn will cross into that territory to explore the region under his own charter, as Restov notably lacks any such bridges.
The village consists mostly of tradesmen, hunters, fishermen, and trappers, but possesses an impressive stone church dedicated to Pharasma and a well-stocked general store managed by a gregarious dwarven proprietor who is happy to sell any extra supplies you might want or need, and always has plenty of ready-to-eat trail rations. A small inn offers stabling, a hearty meal of hunter's stew and ale, and a bed in communal lodging for five silver links per night. Alternatively, stabling, a meal of roasted pheasant with wine, and a private room can be had for two gold crowns per night.
Riding into the village, Arisl'arial is struck by the guard towers and the wooden palisade. "They must get a lot of trouble around here. Some day I will have to compile the history of one of these small villages instead of that of the Swordlords."
At the gates of the village, Aris stops Bruidal. "Faunlara, Astor, Alexis...if we need any last-minute supplies, this looks like the place to buy. I, for one, am interested in that inn. It may be a long time before we enjoy the warmth of one, and it may be they have a berry wine. Shall we meet here in an hour, press on, or stay the night?"
"From the looks of it, we each have bedrolls, there's no way to hide those away. What of blankets? It looks as though we have two sizable tents. Which is very good; we'll have a backup tent in the event something unfortunate occurs. I haven't brought any ready sources of light, because I felt it probable that magical light would be abundant. If this is not the case, we certainly should restock. I have plenty of extra water, and a fortnight's rations. I'm also able to summon water, so that is a nonissue. Unless none of you are skilled as hunters, I've no need to stay. That is, unless one of you simply needs a warm bed for one last night in civilization before we head off into the wilderness."
"Staying for an hour to make a last minute supply run is fine but I think we should get moving as soon as we can, each day we aren't helping the trading post runs the risk of bandits fully taking it over, I can produce magic light and I should have enough supplies to make it to the trading post but I'm not a very able hunter."
"Very well, Bruidal and I will see you here in one hour."
Riding up to the small inn, Aris dismounts slowly from Bruidal's back, looping his reigns around a hitching post. After a moment of stretching out, she wraps herself in her blue cloak and cautiously steps into the inn's common room. She makes her way quickly to the bar and waits for the tender to notice her.
"Excuse me. Do you carry berry wine? I would pay a fine price for some, and for any rumors you might have regarding the Kamelands and the Narlmarches. They do not need to be very current, but my associates and I are traveling there, and any information we could procure would be helpful. The names of friendly locals, any problems they may be having, anything?"
Astor, for his part, will stick with the horses, and do what maintenance and grooming he is capable of doing for them in the short time they're allowed. Giving them a chance to drink, and getting them out of their armor, even for a short time, will make for a better temperament (even if they likely don't mind the barding).
Aris, the inn is run by a family of gnomes, with the bar run by the eldest daughter, just barely an adult by gnomish standards and yet, like most elves, already older than any human in their prime. She shrugs when asked about the Kamelands and Narlmarches, insisting that most travelers through town prefer to stick to the Dunsward. However, she still gladly shows you down into the inn's wine cellar, allowing you to inspect a few different vintages of bramble wine, varying in price from a single gold crown per bottle up to five gold crowns for a vintage from Silverhall which she insists is a favorite of Irven Revanisu, the town's lord mayor. They're far more affordable than the grape vintages she has available, some of which would cost twice as much per bottle.
Astor, there are plenty of places in town for you to hitch your horses to a post and let them rest, and one near the town's public well has a drinking trough available if you'll take the effort to draw water and fill it.
"I can make light as well. I can also feed us, with magic or my bow. I can't, however, make berry wine." She offers Aris a wink. "I'll stay with Astor and Ornmeil'lon for the hour. I don't need anything."
When Astor and Faun hitch the horses, she'll try to relax them, offering them water and bits of dried apple.
Aris pays for the wine, choosing the Silverhall vintage, which smelled wonderful. "Could you put it in a skin, rather than a bottle? I fear it breaking on our journey." Once she has the wine, she leaves, heading to the general goods merchant to buy a blanket and a few extra rations, both for herself and for Bruidal. She also buys a carrot. Once she gets to the rendezvous point, she feeds Buidal absent-mindedly while re-reading a book on the tracks of wild animals and waiting for the group.
"So, What brings you out here, Faun? What allegiance do you owe to Brevoy?" he asks, absentmindedly as they work. "And What are you hoping to find out here?"
Like Aris Alexis would try to find information about the lands they were traveling to but not knowing their customs made it difficult, she'd also buy a waterskin before returning to the party and sharing what she'd learned if she had even learned anything.
Alexis, you don't have much time to ask around, by you're still able to find a couple villagers willing to spare some time and chat. They say that in the past couple months the village has gotten a sizable influx of 'come-and-goers', who don't really have a home and just stop through town every couple of weeks to sell their findings, spend maybe a night in the inn, stock up, and then head back out into the wilderness. It seems most of them used to hunt boars and elk in the Greenbelt, but fled for the relative safety of hunting in the Dunsward. As one puts it, "Them centaurs are a menace, but they don't come lookin' fer you in the night while you're sleepin'."
With Aris having completed her shopping and the matter of watering and relaxing the horses attended to, you continue further west along the South Rostland Road, rarely far enough from the Shrike River that you cannot at least hear it. The night passes uneventfully after you stop to make camp, a few hours out from the sleepy little village, and the next day you pass Fort Serenko around noon, making it a decent landmark for stopping to have lunch. The wooden walls and sentry towers of the fort appear even more robust than those of Nivikta's Crossing, though still just as flammable, and across the river you're as close as you can get to the Tors of Levenies without venturing south into the Stolen Lands. The place is running on a skeleton crew, barely enough soldiers to man the walls, and it looks like most of those still here are busy packing up and boarding up, as if about to abandon the fort altogether.
After Fort Serenko, the South Rostland Road veers off to the northwest while the Shrike River plunges into the Kamelands to the southwest. The foothills you've been riding through since leaving Restov give way to gentle plains by the time you break camp for the night, making for easy riding but hindering attempts to easily gather firewood, as stands of trees are sparse here, and often are lonely towering giants it would seem a sacrilege to harm. By early afternoon the following day , you can spy in the distance another fort, similar in construction to Fort Serenko. Drawing closer, you can see that something is clearly wrong, as there is a green and white flag flying over the fort. The sigil of House Rogarvia and thus all of Brevoy is a two-headed red dragon on a quartered field of white and gold, and the Swordlords favor a similar flag but with a sigil of crossed swords. You all remember the Swordlords' sigil flying with pride over Fort Serenko, Nivikta's Crossing, and even Restov, though it was hardly notable at the time, aside from representing a clear rebuke of House Surtova's claim to the throne of Brevoy.
Alexis spots the flag and quickly Identified it as out of place."Seems we have unwelcome guests,That crest isn't here from any lord I know of."
Astor calls his horses to slow to a trot at the revelation of the unusual flag. "I haven't seen anything involving heraldry that wasn't mine in so long, I wouldn't be able to tell you if I ever knew. If what you're saying is true, though... that suggests that the fort flies a flag of someone else, that isn't recognized. A new party? Or simply not something you've studied?" he cast a glance to her.
You are absolutely certain that you've never seen heraldry like the flag flying over the trading post, but you would have to get much closer to make out exactly what is depicted. It appears to be two figures though, which is exceedingly uncommon for heraldry in Brevoy unless impaling two separate sets of heraldry together, which is almost never done for a flag. Indeed, if you had to guess, the flag is the invention of someone untrained in heraldry who simply chose a device that suited their tastes.
"Perhaps we should meet these locals? They may be able to provide help, provided we do not tell them who we are. If they are not Brevic, it is likely they will take our endeavor as an insult, or a threat." Arisl'arial pulls her horse up next to Astor's. "Or perhaps a more militant front is in order? I am unsure how to proceed." She thinks back to her experiences working for the Swordlords for clues as to heraldry, but can't think of anything.
Alexis would tell the others what the guards said if they hadn't heard.
"I'd Like to think I know the noble families fairly well and whomever made that flag has no idea what a proper one looks like or at least doesn't care enough to mimic it."