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This details an adventure set in Western Karameikos and based on by Lloyd Alexander:

Journey part 1

by Patrick Sullivan

***

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.