The sudden bit of strife between the softskins is dealt with handily, and you all settle down to get some rest before continuing further along. Hunger necessitates eating some of the rations you found to keep everyone in good spirits and strong enough to keep hiking through the caverns beneath Kenabres, but you're not out of food yet, and places like this shrine indicate there might be people actually living down here. The heavy stone doors are excellent protection against any creatures wandering the cave system, but nothing disturbs your rest and you're all able to sleep quite peacefully and uninterrupted. It's impossible to tell the time of day down here, but Apsu has never been especially particular about when one prays to him, so long as the devotion is true, and so you are all able to freshen up and be ready to set out at full strength once again.
Is there anything anyone would like to do while at the shrine, before delving further into the cave system?
Sorry, I'm here, I'm alive, I just got home after a long day at work and totally forgot to check in all weekend. I have a map and icons and everything, I'm just exhausted right now, so please bear with me and I'll have stuff up soonish.
And... it appears that none of you needed to make Stealth checks after all, because you could have all been frolicking around a bonfire and the bandits wouldn't have noticed... anywho, I'll have a map up with tokens tomorrow, but I'm sleepy right now and y'all definitely have a surprise round to cast spells and shoot arrows and stuff.
Svetlana changes into the clothes offered by Aris, returning her shirt to her husband, and then the couple hide inside the tent, insisting that there's nowhere safe for them to run if you four cannot protect them, and nowhere they could hide in the open plains.
When the brigands from the fort approach, there's half a dozen of them in all, and they must surely be drunk given that they're only barely more stealthy in approaching your camp than Oleg and Svetlana, and don't seem to notice any of you laying in wait. Indeed, it's even possible to overhear one of them say, "Right, you lot into that tent and slit their throats before they wake up, I'll deal with anyone on watch."
Oleg shakes his head sadly as Astor offers him the bow, responding, "I could maybe hit a horse at twenty paces if it were standing still, but I'm afraid I'd just be wasting your arrows against anything more difficult to hit than that. Looks like quite a strong pull too, even old Vekkel never used a bow with that much draw, and he hunted wild boars."
Svetlana pleads with Arisl'arial, "Just please don't call him that, he'd likely be too angry to actually surrender then. I can't bring myself to hate him, so I'd rather he lived, but he'd probably fight to the death if a stranger taunted him so."
Please make Stealth checks if you wish to prepare an ambush.
Neither of the two appear to radiate any magic, near as you can tell, and you can see more than enough of Oleg that he couldn't possibly be anything other than a burly human male without significant magical intervention.
"Green and white?" Svetlana looks confused by this and looks to her husband, then back to Faunlara, "I guess they might be flying a flag over our trading post, but it was dark when Akiros let us out and we'd been kept indoors every since they showed up. I guess so that the other brigands wouldn't get untoward ideas. And um, I guess some of the other bandits occasionally called Akiros 'Sir Ismort', but he really didn't like that. Seemed personally offended like someone had accused his mother of being a trollhound."
Oleg speaks up after Svetlana trails off, saying, "Not to rush you all, but they really can't be all that far behind us. You're all awake, so at least you won't have your necks slit in your sleep, but there's at least a dozen men who took the fort, and no telling how many are coming out here to try and kill you lot. Are you good in a fight, or do we need to run?"
Neither of the two actually appeared to be injured, even the young woman, who in spite of the poor condition of her clothes doesn't appear to have a single bruise on any part of her skin which is visible, nor is her clothing at all stained by blood. They appreciate being allowed to ride the remaining hundred yards to the camp all the same however, their feet clearly tired from the long trek in the dark.
The young woman is the first to speak up, "It was those damned bandits! They been preying on us for months, stealing all our trade goods and making all sorts of horrible threats, and now they've gone and taken the whole trading post from us!"
The bearded man, who appears to be her husband, hugs her comfortingly from behind and fleshes out the story, "I got a charter from the Swordlords last year giving me ownership of this old border fort so long as I fix it up into a nice trading post and as an inn for travelers along the South Rostland Road. Married Svetlana here and made the move, never once thinking there'd be any real trouble once we were all settled in, but not two months went by before a local band of brigands learned about my new trading post. Once a month they would come by, clean me out, and then be gone until the next month, but then a week ago they came back early, and in force. Hadn't been so many since the first time they came, and now there was a man in charge, instead of that vile woman that stole Svetlana's wedding ring right off her finger."
Svetlana picks the story back up after giving the gruff-voiced man a quick kiss on his bearded chin, after quickly saying, "Better they took that ring than you. That new leader's probably the only reason we're alive though. He had the whole lot of them convinced he was uh..." She blushes and avoids finishing the thought, instead simply moving on after a brief silence, "...when really he was making sure we stayed fed and healthy. It's right odd how such a decent fellow could fall in with a lot like that, and end up in charge no less, but I guess he's got his own troubles and can't keep them under control, because he set us free tonight, pointed us in this direction, and said to warn you that some of his men would try and slit your throats in the night!"
Taalik unfortunately isn't able to turn up any useful clues about the shrine or the dwarven creature that is now naught but a pile of dust and ragged old vestments, and doesn't have any real insight into what is troubling Anevia, but with the aid of the far more insightful Ixen, is able to defuse the situation, with Anevia and Horgus both humbly apologizing for their outbursts, and Anevia adding quietly, "You're right, I am bothered. My wife is a paladin of Iomedae, and I have no idea whether she's even still alive. I hope that she's still okay and helping to defend the city against those demons, but I fear that..." She shudders and leaves the thought incomplete, unwilling to voice her fear, which surely must be that her wife has died in the attack.
Horgus shrugs at Malzii's words and thinks for a long while before responding, "I would like to think my actions speak better of Abadar than my words. Tact is certainly not my strong suit, unlike other nobles of Kenabres, but unlike them, I keep my word. I may not a good man, but never have I broken a vow or backed out on a deal I have agreed to. I swore to pay you lot to see me to my home, and even if it lies in ruins and all my fortune gone, I shall see you paid if it's the last thing I do. That is how I show my devotion, and it pains me to have it belittled by others. But your friend is correct, what matters is that we live, that we survive, and that I get back to the safety of my home and my vault."
Sorry, was planning to post last night, but I checked the thread before Arisl'arial had posted and decided to wait a bit longer and give our two elves a chance to post.
One of the two, possessing a feminine voice you might guess to be just a few years into adulthood, calls back in response to Alexis, "H-h-hello? Are you the ones who came calling at our trading post? Oh please, you have to help us, and they can't be far behind!" As the two figures stumble closer, the elves can clearly see by the starlight that one is a burly man with a well-trimmed beard who, in spite of the cool night air is shirtless, probably because the second figure, a young woman, is wearing what must be the man's shirt over a tattered dress, ripped in several places, her decency maintained only by the shirt. Neither appears to be armed or carrying anything that could be a weapon, unless it's concealed under their clothing. Despite the woman's claim that others are likely close behind, Astor sees nobody else approaching, either from the same direction as these two, or from any flanking direction.
Anevia insists that, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine after some rest. Um... are we continuing on? This does seem like a nice place, and I don't see any cracks in the walls."
Malzii's reply to the fat human, draws him in, the elf clasping the man's shoulder as Anevia had left him outside. Horgus looks a bit sheepish, equally chastised by Ixen pointing out that other creatures might hear such yelling, "My apologies, I shall remember to keep quiet. You found potions? This looks like some sort of shrine, were you killing the priest or something?"
Anevia's expression grows dark and she glares at Horgus, "Of course it's a shrine! Why must you always pretend to be so impious instead of taking pride in your faith? Being ashamed of your faith is nearly as bad as worshiping the demons!"
Horgus and Aravashnial are both quite visibly taken aback by Anevia's outburst, though only the fat human does anything about it, saying, "My faith is my own business, and if I keep it private, it's for my own good reasons! Not every deity demands public professions of faith like your Iomedae." He then huffs and stomps off out of the shrine, sitting sullenly on some of the rubble outside.
Sorry about the lack of posting. I was a klutz and dropped my tablet, which then cracked despite the protective case it was in, and it's how I've been posting almost every single post here on Paizo, which made a bad week worse. Luckily it's going to be okay and I'm 'borrowing' a short-term replacement from work until the glass is repaired on my own. Anywho... postings!
The rest of the day is rather uneventful as you put a good amount of distance between yourselves and the fort. The sun sets soon after you set up camp and make arrangements for the watch, but the sky remains mostly cloudless, so the elves among you should be able to see quite well in the bright starlight even before the moon rises or after it sets.
About three hours into the first watch, Astor (and his watch companion, should they roll at least a 20 on Perception) spies two figures approaching from the direction of the fort, moving close together and traveling at a fast walk almost approaching a jog. Neither has a light, and they stumble every now and then in the darkness, which helps to give away their approach.
The surrounding terrain is a broad expanse of plains, stretching off endlessly into the northwest in the direction of Brevoy's capital at New Stetven. Finding somewhere suitable to camp is quite simple, although it might be more difficult to find somewhere that isn't surrounded by waist-high grasses, shrubs, and other flora, which means it would still be possible for someone to sneak up on your camp if they're willing to crawl slowly enough to not give themselves away. As you turn around and head off to make camp elsewhere, the man named Happs jeers and calls out, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Come back when we're open for business!"
How far away from the fort (and in which direction) do you wish to camp for the night, and who is taking which watch?
Purely random roll, surely meaning nothing at all:1d100 ⇒ 51 Also rather quite random, who knows what it means:1d100 ⇒ 92 This one might not be random, and yet maybe it is:1d100 ⇒ 61
The new man, apparently named Happs, given the earlier discussion, seems quite impatient with the quiet conversation you have, but perks up quite a bit when Alexis offers coin, "How about five crowns apiece, and another each for the horses?" There isn't a fine enough inn in all of Restov as to get away with charging such outrageous prices for a single night's stay, but he continues, "As for Sir Ismort, he's... busy. Already having a meeting and no idea how long it might last." He leers at this last bit, and looks as though he's told some sort of joke, though it's hard to say what might be so funny, which is even more disturbing since the two others up on the tower laugh at what he said, the woman adding, "But he might make an exception all the same!"
Okay, new post up, and just a quick reminder, I'm often applying the Advanced simple template or using a similar but higher CR monster to make sure that everyone gains the same amount of xp from each encounter that would be gained if there were only 4 PCs in the group. Generally I prefer to stick to simple templates, since they are the least likely to result in a creature gaining powerful abilities beyond the scope of what characters at your level should be able to handle. (It doesn't grant or improve DR, SR, etc.)
Taalik utterly decimates the creature as his longsword pierces the dwarf's chest and holy light shines out through cracks that appear in its skin as it crumbles to mere dust, filling the room with the stench of decay. All that remains now are the tattered priestly vestments it had worn, an old leather pouch tied to a belt, which contains two glass vials marked with the symbol of Torag and both containing amber liquid. A knotted gold ring can also be found among the dust, likely once worn on the creature's hand.
Anevia is drawn inside the shrine by all of the commotion, then takes a seat on the bench in the entryway, complaining that her leg is bothering her extra. The fat human, Horgus, calls from outside the stone building, asking, "Is everything alright in there? Did you find anything to eat?"
DC 16 Spellcraft check:
The potions are both cure light wounds.
DC 15 Sense Motive check:
Anevia appears to be attempting to deflect attention from something which is bothering her by complaining about her leg, as she doesn't actually appear to be in any more pain than normal, despite her claims, and looks far more introspective and worried than anything else.
Since it appears that the last time I awarded xp was for the maggots in the first encounter, everyone gains 600 xp apiece, for a total of 700 xp now. (100 per each of five encounters, 200 for befriending the softskins)
I went and crunched the numbers, and Taalik's successful crit brings the creature down to exactly 0 hit points, which slays it, since it is undead. Also, I forgot to mention in my post that Dra'zaak hit, but his attack bounced off, as he didn't overcome damage reduction. Expect a new post up tomorrow.
Yeah, but you outnumber him and it's not like he can channel negative energy or anything, it just keeps him alive longer. Sorry I've been slow on posting, work has been crazy this week, and I need to also tally up xp because I've only awarded xp once so far and should be doing so at a minimum every time we change maps.
The woman is clearly being deceitful, but also seems a bit less hostile as she continues refusing, "Look, I can't let you in, right? Orders is orders, and the Post is all closed up. Why don't you go make camp and I'll go talk to uh... Sir Ismort?"
The man also standing up on the tower growls at her and says, "He hates being called that, and he's busy. Go bother Happs instead." He then continues glaring at all of you while the woman vanishes to somewhere else in the fort, returning with a man wearing much the same uniform, a medallion of some sort, and with a large longbow slung over his shoulder.
"What's going on? This is a trading post, not an inn. You got anything to trade?" He seems especially interested in how well-provisioned you all are, stroking his beard thoughtfully, "I could maybe make an exception for a few crowns though..." At this point, Alexis is absolutely certain something fishy is going on, and that his offer is entirely insincere.
(Sorry for the delay, work before play. Looks like nobody objected to riding on up...)
As you ride closer, it's possible to see that the flag is two figures crudely painted onto a large piece of green cloth, rather than a properly made flag, some sort of rampant elk or stag facing what is almost certainly meant to be a woman, depicted in a lewd manner. The gate to the fort is closed, and it looks like the earth was recently dug up nearby, as though the gates had long been left wide open.
A head pops up on one of the four towers which make up the corners of the fort and a woman's shrill voice calls out, "Who goes there? The Trading Post is all closed up today." The face the voice belongs to looks unwashed and far too unkempt for the parade-quality leather armor she appears to be wearing, a uniform if ever you saw one. She vanishes for a moment and then a second head appears, a man wearing the same uniform, with a bow in hand. The woman then calls out again, "Camp out for the night and we'll maybe be open for business tomorrow!"
Ixen's first bolt bounces off of the dwarf and the second barely even scratches him, and Gunnarrex finds his flesh about as unyielding as stone, causing reverberations up his earthbreaker. When Dra'zaak invokes Torag's name, the dwarf screeches loudly and turns, slashing out with his claws and delivering a nasty wound (6 damage).
Nothing seems to happen as Gunnarrex draws closer to the figure, although he is able to detect the unmistakable odor of decay, something long dead, and then the figure turns to face him, the cowl of its cloak falling back to reveal the face of a male dwarf whose mouth is frozen into a silent scream as he rakes at Gunnarrex with claws protruding from otherwise normal-seeming dwarven hands. It seems Gunnarrex's caution has paid off, however, as he is able to easily dodge the clumsy swipes from the dwarf-like creature.
DC 12 Knowledge (religion) check:
From the scent of decay, its presence within an old, otherwise abandoned shrine, appearing to still be alive and yet having a face frozen in rictus after who knows how long, you would guess this to be a huecuva. The result of heretical priests blaspheming against their gods and renouncing their faith shortly before death, they are able to pass (poorly) as the creatures they had once been in life, and prey upon those who remain faithful to the deity they once served. (If you exceed the check by 5, 10, or 15 points, you also know 1, 2, or 3 things extra about huecuvas.)
You manage to coax one of the soldiers into mentioning that they've seen the tell-tale shape of a dragon soaring over the Tors of Levenies to the south, and that they're actually glad to be recalled back to Restov. The walls of the fort can be defended against bandits easy enough, even bandits with oil and torches, but against a dragon it would be folly to think Fort Serenko well-fortified.
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.
Feel free to continue introductory conversations, perhaps in spoilers, but I am going to go ahead and move us forward again since all actual actions seem to be dealt with for Nivikta's Crossing.
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.
DC 10 Diplomacy check:
The guards on duty are easily persuaded to confess that they've been ordered to mothball the fort and return to Restov. They are under the impression that the Swordlords have abandoned their responsibility to guard Rostland's southern border now that tensions with Issia are increasingly flaring.
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 (the 4th of Desnus), 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.
DC 15 Knowledge (nobility) check:
Not a single major house of Brevoy has for their flag a white sigil against a green background, nor any minor house of Rostland, and the only River Kingdom with a green field for their flag is Cordelon, which has a black raven for its sigil. Whomever has raised this flag, it is not any noble you're familiar with or who has any business being within hundreds of miles of here.
As a quick reminder, it is presently Desnus of 4710, so late spring. Blankets aren't a bad idea, but it's not going to be getting especially cold at night for several months unless you get some freak weather, so rain is more of a concern than cold. For the exact date, I am going to arbitrarily rule that you all met with the Swordlords on the 1st of Desnus and set out the following day, so you reach Nivikta's Crossing in mid-afternoon on the 2nd of Desnus.
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.
To address a question asked of me privately, you may always take 10 when circumstances allow it (not rushed, not in combat, etc) however you can never achieve a 'spectacular' result, regardless of your modifier, whereas a high enough modifier can achieve that with a poor roll, and a low modifier is always guaranteed a 'spectacular' result on a natural 20, even if the result isn't high enough to achieve the best result. Note that 'spectacular' means your check results in something extra, such as information not on the chart for a knowledge check, or determining not just the translation of a document with Linguistics, but also the dialect or that the writer was left-handed or something else which might prove relevant.
The hooded figure remains perfectly still, like a statue, and Dra'zaak can easily see that it is just as covered in dust as the rest of the room, though the draft caused by the cold tomb-like air rushing out has disturbed plenty of dusty and made the air less than pleasant to breathe. Dra'zaak and Malzii (as well as anyone else who rolls as high as them) both notice the outline of a large warhammer lying on the floor near the altar, the thick layer of dust making it difficult to see at first without physically entering the room.
Dang, you lot are really active. Far more so than the other campaign I'm running. Not used to so many gameplay posts in a 24-hour period! I might have to rethink turning in early like I did last night and actually stay up and get a second post up each day. And also, I love what you're doing with the languages, and will have to try doing the same thing now.
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 (SP) per night. Alternatively, stabling, a meal of roasted pheasant with wine, and a private room can be had for two gold crowns (GP) per night.
You can attempt to gather information here, but these folk are far more likely to know about recent events in the Dunsward or Tors of Levenies rather than the Kamelands or Narlmarches.
The large stone door creaks open as Dra'zaak pushes on it, stirring up the thick layer of dust inside and causing a gust as the stale, utterly frigid air inside rushes out, chilling you all. The shrine's nave is a small room, filled with broken stone benches oriented towards a large altar at the far side of the room, also bearing the now familiar sigil of Torag's faith. A stocky hooded figure appears to be seated on one of the few intact benches, right next to the altar, but it is every bit as motionless and covered in dust as the stone fixtures.
It's actually kind of funny, but you're more likely to find Elven ruins from 10,000 years ago than Taldan ruins from 300 years ago simply because the elves who lived in the area built with magically reinforced stone, whereas the Taldans used mundane wood.
That's just Hexographer. Took me about half an hour to slap together, whereas I've been spending more hours than I want to think about working on my handcrafted map over in Inkscape.
I can draw up a key if you really need one, but...
Kamelands are hills (hills come in grassy and non grassy variety)
Tors of Levenies are mountains
Narlmarches are heavy evergreen forest
The forest south of Mivon is heavy deciduous forest
The Hooktongue Slough is a swamp
Oleg's Trading Post is located in a grassy plain
The green hexes with no icons on them are cultivated farmlands
There's a few regions of hilly forests in eastern Brevoy
The red cities, such as New Stetven, are capitals
The black cities, such as Restov, are regular cities
Nivikta's Crossing is a village
Fort Serenko and Oleg's Trading Post are forts, whereas Stoneclimb is a fortress
The Feasting Hall of Cayden Cailean is a large temple and major landmark
Since it seems you want to go the traditional route of heading to Oleg's first...
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.
Whether you choose to take 3 days or 4 matters, since it will affect what time of day you arrive at Oleg's. Also, one last note for Aris:
Arisl'arial:
While the swamp does sound terrible, and fighting against boggards is indeed quite unpleasant, especially as they're known to use poison and other nasty underhanded tactics, the East Sellen River flows through the Hooktongue Slough, so control of the area is extremely vital for trade. Drelev probably took on the most difficult region, but possibly also the most lucrative if he can figure out how to exploit that strategic position. Also, more history stuff: What happened to the Stolen Lands is mostly that Taldor withdrew its support for the colony here, and many of the settlements in the Stolen Lands were overrun by tribes of monsters. Restov persevered under the leadership of the legendary Baron Sirian Aldori, building strong stone walls and training an elite fighting force unmatched in the region. As a result, Restov is generally considered the southernmost tip of civilization in the area, still to this day. (Certainly to citizens of Restov.)
edit note: you're still perfectly free to take a different route though! But if you want to follow the Shrike River into the Greenbelt, you'll ride past Fort Serenko anyway, as it overlooks the river.
Not only are you aware that the original Taldan settlers named the two lakes 'Tuskwater' and 'Candlemere', but you're also aware that one of the Shrike's tributaries in the Kamelands is a large lake named after a mighty silver wyrm named Silverstep, believed to have inhabited the area from before the first Taldan settlers came to the area over a thousand years ago until Choral's conquest of Issia and Rostland. You are also aware that long before the original Taldan settlers, the area was home to elves, as their forested kingdom stretched far beyond the modern boundaries of Kyonin in the ancient past before Earthfall.
Alexis:
You have heard rumors that the bandit problem is actually far worse than the Swordlords have given credit. It is rumored that the various gangs preying upon homesteaders, hunters, merchants and others who brave the wilds of the Greenbelt are all united under the banner of a single bandit lord, who some believe may be attempting to carve out a new River Kingdom right on the Swordlords' doorstep.
Hmm, I can't find any data on weights for treant saplings, and when I tried to derive their weight from full-sized treants, I discovered that the average weight for a treant is only 10% of the weight of a hardwood tree of the exact same size. Using that 10% multiplier gives us a weight of around 200 lbs for a 6' tall, 1' diameter treant sapling, or about 30 lbs for a 5' tall, 6" diameter treant sapling. (Hurrah for the square-cube law!)
He set up shop last year, and would have had the place in livable condition just in time for the onset of winter, so he's not been there long, but still a 50/50 chance, and you might even have known him from before he started up the trading post, as he has lived there on the border all his life, though he only married Svetlana the same week he received the charter to convert the old fort into a trading post. If you want to know him from either before or after, I'll leave that up to you... though maybe he should have appeared in your ten minute background? =P
And yes, you can make the checks untrained, but cannot exceed a DC 10 result, and failing that all you know is what was detailed in the original post, as that was all information discussed when the Swordlords explained your task.
A few small details you might happen to know (all checks are cumulative):
DC 10 Knowledge (geography) check:
The Shrike River flows through the Kamelands on its way down to Mivon, where it meets up with the East Sellen, which flows south through the Hooktongue Slough.
DC 15 Knowledge (geography) check:
The Shrike River isn't fully navigable between Restov and Mivon due to rapids and a large waterfall, somewhere not far from the Brevic border.
DC 20 Knowledge (geography) check:
There are two large lakes somewhere in the Kamelands, which the Shrike River feeds into before making its way to Mivon. The shores of such large freshwater lakes would probably make for an ideal location to found a new city, and was probably a major appeal of the region to early Taldan settlers.
DC 10 Knowledge (local) check:
Nobody really cared about all the monsters inhabiting the Stolen Lands until boggard tribes in the Hooktongue Slough shut down trade along the East Sellen River between New Stetven and Mivon, which attracted bandits to the Kamelands, shutting down the best overland trade route between Rostland and the River Kingdoms.
DC 15 Knowledge (local) check:
Aside from bandits, there are rumored to be tribes of kobolds, lizardfolk, and even trolls living in the Greenbelt region, though none have waged war against Brevoy in recent memory, unlike the centaurs of the Nomen Hills east of the Dunsward.
DC 20 Knowledge (local) check:
Powerful fey are believed to make their home in the primal forests of the Narlmarches. It is believed that a powerful tree spirit rules over the lesser fey of the region.
Let me know if you're interested in any other checks, and if you roll a natural 20 or score a 25+, I'll throw in something extra.
Oops! Was kinda blegh yesterday and today and then forgot to post anything!
Taalik doesn't hear anything at all from inside the next chamber, though the thick stone walls and doors might have something to do with that. Certainly there is no way that anything living inside could have failed to hear the grinding sound of the outer door being pried open though, so it is entirely possible that this underground shrine is abandoned.
Regarding the holy water, Malzii is also aware that storing the water in a mundane vessel which has not been specifically prepared for the purpose will cause the blessing to fade after about one day, and it will simply become perfectly normal yet still pure water. The basin maintains the blessing upon the water indefinitely, and Malzii suspects that if the basin were emptied and filled with fresh water, it would become blessed if prayed over by a priest of Torag. Unfortunately, you don't have any such priests, and the basin is large, made of stone, and probably weighs more than any of you.
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.
Okay, temporary map is up. It shows what little is known of the region, which is why the area encompassed by Brevoy is well-defined with rivers, but you'll need to chart out the flow of the rivers to get a better map. Mostly you know simple things like that the Tors of Levenies are a mountain range, the Narlmarches are a huge forest, etc.
