The Fishing Village of Silnithiniv
by Sean MeaneySomewhere near the centre of Blight Swamp (Well...perhaps not too near the centre) is a small cluster of interconnected Longhouses supported above the black poisonous waters of this fouled bilge sump by an assortment of cut log pylons and trees. Here, in the shadow of the Lair of the Black Dragons who dominate this region, a clan of Hobgoblins survive on Carp, Snake, and giant Spider Eggs. They are a suffering people who enjoy the quiet life and struggle to appease the Black Winged Gods who demand so much from them and routinely take what they want.
POPULATION (134 Hobgoblins)
GOVERNMENT: Geriatocracy (Family Elders)
DESCRIPTION: 12 Longhouses
A Hero Indeed
Alvar the Paladin knew he was being stalked by some creature from the Blight Swamp. Somewhere out there in the darkness a predator was stalking him. He released the catch holding his sword in his scabbard and silently drew the shimmering blade and raised the blade tip to the Fiterlari Pose.
"Now foul thing meet thy doom!" It came suddenly from behind him, the force of the impact like a child colliding with him in a hug. The aroma was distinctly foul.
"SeesYemenyen! Tolds you he was a mighty heroe! Heel Sav us! Heel Sav ur villag!" A second shambling mound of faeces and other assorted things emerged slowly from the brush where he had expected the attack to come from.
"U sur? E luuks lik ever uder Human wit a Swerd!" The dung pile doubted Alvar's heroic credentials...
"What...Wait! Ge' off!" Alvar suppressed the urge to kill them both.
"Korse hey es...Wuda keeled us uderwis!" The second pile of foul over came his doubt and went in for the hug.
"Oh! Gods no...off, off!" Nausea from the smell struck home.
DM Briefing: The Adventurers are recruited by definitively neutral and under age Hobgoblins who want them to free their people of some Black Dragons. They wont be able to take the Heroes to the Village because they know the elders will betray them to the Dragons out of survival, but they will guide them as far as they can to the Ruins which hide a subterranean Lair entrance to the Dragon's Cave. This is a chance to be heroes to a people who need it - even if no one else would ever know or care.