This details an adventure set in Western Karameikos and
based on ***
NOTE: throughout this adventure, any time the party speaks to Traladarans,
they should focus on the dastardly behaviour of the Fury--they are cowardly
and cruel, focusing their attacks on women, children, and the old.
Thyatians should describe Traladarans as dirty, uncivilised thieves without
honour.
The party is travelling toward Riverfork Keep when they see a tiny
Traladaran village named Vijohrid. There are only 12 buildings, just off
the road, in a semi-circle around a public well. As the characters watch,
a band of goblins (or other appropriate humanoid) mounted on wolves ride up
the road from the other side. If the characters interfere, one goblin per
character attacks the party, while the others go to attack the village.
People run screaming from the houses as the goblins set them on fire and
begin attacking those who flee. The characters should probably deal with
the goblins attacking them fairly quickly, or else simply ignore them. If
the characters try to protect the villagers, make sure that the Thyatian
character is simply in the right place at the right time to save the most
Traladarans, including one tall, lanky young man. A minute or two after
the last goblin dies, a group of Fury soldiers (members of the Fury in the
West, the overwhelmingly Thyatian division of the Karameikos militia based
at Riverfork Keep) comes slowly riding up the road from the direction the
goblins came, casually walking their horses toward the burning village.
When they see the party and the Traladarans, but no goblins, they rush
forward to attack the party. If the party survives, the soldiers claim
they thought that THEY were the ones who attacked the village, but the
Traldarans will claim (out of the soldiers' earshot) that the Fury is
lying. If the soldiers survive, they say that the PCs may rest up a bit,
but then they must head directly to Riverfork Keep. If not, the party
should head there on their own. Before the PCs go, the Traldarans thank
them for saving them and insist they stay the night. The young man saved
by the Thyatian character,
Lino, offers to go along as their guide. He claims to be from the
countryside very near Alba-Collia, and he knows all the short cuts and
hidden trails in "All Achelos' Kingdom." Try to get the party to accept
him.
***
The next day the party leaves after a night of feasting, travel a full day,
and arrive at Riverfork Keep in the evening. They should probably choose
to stay in the inn, where their room, the "luxury suite," is about the size
of a broom closet. This evening they should also report to the keep as
instructed by the fury soldiers. They are granted an audience with the
General the next afternoon. If they don't want to worry about their
papers, have everyone they talk to warn them that they will be quickly
executed if caught without the proper documentation.
***
They should explore the village surrounding the Keep the next day. Lino is
nowhere to be seen all day. As the characters explore the Traladaran
market, cries of "Achelos, Achelos!" break out, and a massive riot begins.
The characters witness mounted Fury soldiers beat Traladarans with clubs
and other (mostly) non-lethal weapons. The party has to join the mass of
fleeing people to avoid being trampled
to death. The Thyatian PC notices a blind old woman who had been selling
flowers in the market about to be trampled by a horse. Assuming that he
(or she, but I'm just gonna say he from now on) goes to help her, he gets
attacked by a Fury soldier. The party should all be attacked by a couple
club-wielding soldiers, but the neutral character should get a massive
knife wound in his arm from an unseen assailant. A great number more
soldiers appear , these ones armed with lethal weapons, not just clubs.
The party should try to retreat, saving themselves and the old lady. They
will succeed in escaping into the crowd.
***
Later, they should go to the Keep for their audience with the General.
Nizar seems a genuinely good man, and he enjoys speaking about the
scholarly aspect of the party's mission. Suleiman (his assistant who is
also present) keeps returning him to the idea that it would be very
dangerous for these
"outlanders" to venture into the Cruth back country due to the civil unrest.
Show the personalities of both here fairly accurately and in-depth (but
don't tell the characters that the character descriptions are necessarily
true). Make the party work for it, but the final conclusion is that Nizar
will provide them with the papers, although he recommends against the trip.
If they insist upon going, he will provide them with a temporary pass.
Nizar also volunteers without the players asking that the army will provide
them with supplies, including horses and a carriage to carry the characters
and all the equipment necessary. The necessary visa, travel papers, weapon
permits, and archaeological permits will take a couple days to process, but
the characters, carrying only one weapon each, may head for Fort Gustos, a
small outpost just below the first cataract of the Gustos River, the
nearest outpost to Alba-Collia. The fort is about 30 miles away, but since
the wagon will have to follow an indirect path, it should take them about 4
days. A couple of horsemen would be sent to the Fort as soon as the papers
were in order, and they would meet the party at Fort Gustos, and the party
will receive fresh supplies, as well as their weapons, at the fort. The
General gives them a warning about "Ethnic Troublemakers," suggests they
speak to Natasha, the Keep's magist, and wishes them well.
***
Natasha has a fairly common Traladaran first name and an unmistakably
Thyatian last name, and she could easily pass as either Traladaran or
Thyatian. The neutral character is the only one to notice that she grows
slightly pale at the mention of the "Magic Army." She is friendly and
seems interested in the party's mission, but she tells them from the start
that, although she has a small library of book with local significance, she
fears they will find nothing of particular interest to them. Her words are
true, and the characters find nothing that will help them.
***
That evening a petty officer delivers the equipment, horses, and a
beautiful, sturdy-looking, comfortable carriage, as promised by Nizar.
***
The next morning the party learns that Lino has sold their carriage and
purchased a much cheaper Traladaran wagon. Lino is terrified if any
characters yell at him, but he sold the military's gift because the axle
was nearly broken and only a couple of big bumps would make it completely
undriveable. Lino kept the horses, saying that they were really top-notch,
and he gives the party their change.
***
The journey to Fort Gustos is marked by a barrage of irrelevant Traladaran
proverbs intermingled with an occasional folk song performed by Lino. He
leads them on many "shortcuts" through the back country. Any character who
rides in the carriage gets covered in bruises from the incredibly rough
trail, but the DM should determine some unpleasant weather condition
(constant rain, snow, humidity, oppressive heat, mosquitos, etc.) to make
it horrible to walk.
***
The third day on the road should have some sort of minor wandering monster
encounter.
***
The group spends the third night out in a small village on the banks of the
Gustos. This village has an inn, Lino has a long conversation with a few
rough-looking men and women, including one huge Traladaran fighter named
Durlasan. Lino soon disappears, and the party should probably go to bed.
***
The party is awoken by Lino 2 hours before sunrise. He warns them that
there has been some trouble with ethnic insurrection, and the Thyatian
soldiers are heading their way. Lino is afraid that some of the people he
was talking to last night may have had something to do with the attack, so
he feels that it would be best if they simply left as soon as possible. He
seems very sincere and there is an extreme sense of urgency in his voice.
The characters should agree. But remember that they probably cast some of
their spells the day before (the wandering monster encounter), and they do
not get a chance to rememorise spells.
***
About an hour after sunrise, the group is bumping along one of Lino's
shortcuts, and they suddenly pop out onto the main trail, right in front of
a company of Fury soldiers! Unless the party wants to fight 60 soldiers,
the company stops the wagon and searches it. They abuse Lino and give him
grief, but they finally agree that the temporary papers given by Nizar
allow the party passage. They apologise, state that they can not be too
careful with these Traldaran dogs, and that they fought a band of the
rebels only a few hours before. Because of the danger of travelling this
area (there are rumours spreading around this area that Achelos is in the
region), the militia offers the characters an escort the rest of the way to
Fort Gustos.
***
The soldiers are very boisterous and even fairly friendly, but they
occasionally spit on Lino or mock him. In the late afternoon, a scout
returns to the company and reports that another band of rebels has been
sighted to the east, and the company whoops and hollers, and everyone rides
off without even saying good-bye.
***
Lino is rather quiet the rest of the day and until the next morning, when
he brightens up and becomes friendly and outgoing again.
***
After two more days (yes, the 4-day journey took six) of shortcuts,
proverbs, and songs (and perhaps a wandering monster or 2), the party
finally arrives at Fort Gustos, tired and sore.
***
The fort is a small affair: a wooden stockade against the river, with a
few wooden buildings, a couple tents, several horses grazing, and two
rowboats of the dock. The rapids are visible upstream, and a very faint
roar is constantly heard. Several gaunt looking Traladaran servants tend
some goats grazing inside the stockade.
***
Lino stays outside to watch the wagon and tend the horses while the
characters go in to talk to Lieutenant alJusif, the commander of Ft.
Gustos. The party must wait to see alJusif, and a few Fury soldiers (who
appear to be receiving less than the standard military rations) tell the
party that ever since an entire company was captured , stripped, and tied
naked to trees in the hills south of the fort a couple days before, the
lieutenant has been very busy. The characters learn that there was only
one company of soldiers patrolling the Gustos region at the time, so battle
with the rebels must have gone badly for the party's military escort.
***
The lieutenant is an obscenely fat, oily man with slicked back, jet black
hair. He informs the party that no riders have arrived from Riverfork in
over a week. He does not have their papers or supplies, and he refuses to
give them any supplies. He also tells them that, though their papers
permit them freedom and one weapon each, they would not be permitted to arm
themselves any further or receive any more supplies from the fort until the
horsemen arrived. He then rudely indicates that the audience is over.
***
Upon returning outside, they find Lino sitting with their packs in the
dirt. The horses and wagon are gone. Lino sadly looks up and says,
"AlJusif's orders." Although the lieutenant refuses to see them again,
his assistant tells them that their papers cover them and their personal
equipment, not their horses or wagon. There is no place to sleep in the
fort, so the party has to either camp out or walk to Allia-Colba (which
should take all day). They should choose the latter, ford the Gustos, and
head Northeast.
***
After a brutal day of whatever weather condition is antagonising the party,
as well as the equally-agonising Traladaran proverbs, the party finally
arrives in the small, dusty town of Allia-Colba (about 120 inhabitants in
the town, more in the surrounding countryside). This villa also has a
small inn, and the characters get a tiny, cramped room and go to sleep.
Journey part 1
by Patrick Sullivan