B in Peril: Escort
Junction Telker: 34 hours ride out of Beryl in the Highlands.
They run long range patrols in the lowlands and highlands from here – on the edge of the highlands
A ranger station is here + shrine to Rastur and Green Church Beastwood
rumor: Something is happening on the borders of the deadlands
Less traffic from the south
shadows are lengthening when the sun sets – longer than normal
Signs: “A new life awaits you in the frontier colonies”
Dark Hills = the taller hills that border and ring the deadlands.
Viscount Braythen of Beryl
“The ‘dark hills’ have stood silent forever. The raiders of yore have vanished and the druids have watched the deadlands, making sure the evil that is said to dwell there is dormant. The farmlands near the deadlands are blessed with an abundance. But now, farmers and workers that live near these borders swear that the hills are growing – that the shadows they cast are lengthening. Fell creatures have been seen in the shadows and hillmen, fallen humans given over to darkness, once the bedtime story of wicked children are now seen in the hills, gathering about bonfires. Random patrols in force are no longer enough to keep the peace should something happen – and all signs point to an ominous force stirring in the dark hills. I fear that some nightmare is about to be unleashed under the cover of the cool shadows of the dark hills. You must go and discover the source of our trouble, report back if you cannot stop it. You will be rewarded handsomely.”
Reward: 1000 sc, 500 sc in jewelry, cavalry horse for each person…
He does not say: Several patrols and farmsteads have lost people over the last 3 months.
This has actually been going on for 8 years – no one has done anything about it. The Viscount does not want to spend the money.
Missions:
1) Survey the hills and discover if they are indeed rising – what is the effect?
1.5) Nobleman needs an escort – optional job that pays. Follow up with a rumor that a farmstead was attacked a fornight after 2 of his hands went missing – he thought they ran away, but they returned as undead things and attacked his family.
2) Patrols to see what can be seen in the dark hills – what forces gather?
3) Find the source – stop the attack.
Lt Kerill (VIT 7) of the Viscount’s guards; Melee 5+1=6
Captain Mar Homent of the Viscount’s guards (SIZE 14, VIT 6, MUS 7, WPR 8) Melee 6+1=7, Fend 8
– comes from Pern and is a veteran of many wars in the south
SURVEY:
Surveyor: Hazif
3 guards + Lt.
On all farms and homesteads defenses are being made – windows blocked and boarded, sharpened stakes, firewood and torches, axes and knifes sharpened.
5 days in: “for 8 years now we been losing territory. The shadows cast by the dark hills are out of reach – a no mans land. We don’t plant there and whatever is in there do not come any further than the edge. The edge been getting further in shorter time! Whatever is in there wont come far, full darkness it loves not either. Now though, the hills get taller and the shadows are getting close to homes and livestock – some have even disappeared. Bad things move in the shadows each night they get closer – the rangers know it, but when they go see, they never return. Sands are blowing at night, and fires are being made – we can smell the ashes and see the sparks – though they be miles away. Each night, the tops of them hills push further up – i swear it.”
You can feel something watching at night…
one night
encounters and rumors from farmsteads
1) 2 people dragged away in the night, screaming
2) At night a dragon’s roar is heard
3) Lions with red eyes are prowling in the day
4) goblin patrol at night; fire arrows
5) slavers (going or coming)
6) Long range Nakrian patrol (archers, javeliners, horsemen/spears)
7) Wandering ‘knight’; returning from the dragon caves – his saddlebags bulging. He says he has seen things he cannot speak of. He is Sir Valin Greatheart (of the Stormfront Fastness – legendary). He is in his 40’s and looks well beaten.
pursuers of his will approach the party the next night; dusky skinned and scaled, The Seared – the off-spawn children with draco-blood in them, children given over to the dragons to appease their thirst for blood – sometimes the dragons merge their offspring with their own blood. They never venture far from the masters they serve – there are too few to risk them. Their leader Bakhu Tut. Their flesh is burnt from birth and hardened scar tissue develops. Many run away from their masters during one of their long sleeps – they typically find service to one of the Shadow Lords.
– These are hunting Sir Valin
Shadow blight – once in and it affects you, you cannot go out in daylight.
Encounter: Ranger leading a band of wounded adventurers to a farmstead where the grandmother was once preistess of Aerna – remove the Shadow Blight before sunup kills them. They have torches and are being pursued
They are the “stake Points” – a southern merc band (adventurers) that was promised a fortune (about twice what the party is being promised). Half their number is dead, including the legendary Torbald Shieldbreaker. Crushed by a massive rock slide from above a narrow gorge they were traveling to. Look for the Flaming Gorge they say – its red walls glow in the setting sun- but many tribesmen abound there.
Orrish
Hillmen (Nurth)
Black Nurth
Shades
Black Vurm: nightmare snake
the Last Kingdom: Promised to ___ of the Coellos – the black ones fallen (black nurth)
Vision granted to him of a kingdom as far as the shadows of the dark hills could stretch.