Chapter 4: Mountains and Valleys: Difference between revisions

Chapter 4: Mountains and Valleys (view source)

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 '''''Read Aloud:''''' ''An angry shriek rips through the air. As you scramble to the hilltop to see what caused such a noise, you witness a terrible clash of kaijan. An enormous, four-legged creature with tusks sprouting from its face and a cloud of stinging wasps pouring from its back gallops across the rolling hills, the sound vibrating through the earth like thunder. A short distance away, a gorilla the size of a small mountain braces itself with a spear-like pine tree in hand.''
-If the party watches, then the kaijan battle one another for some time with no clear victor. The wasps seem to annoy the gorilla, but wear it down over time. The gorilla gets a few good shots in with its pine tree, maiming the hive tyrant, but both are very resilient creatures. Eventually, as they continue to fight, they trample far enough away from the heroes that the sounds of their combat gradually fade.
+If the party watches, then the kaijan battle one another for some time with no clear victor. The wasps seem to annoy the gorilla, but wear it down over time. The gorilla gets a few good shots in with its pine tree, maiming the hive tyrant, but both are very resilient creatures. Eventually, as they continue to fight, they trample far enough away from the heroes that the sounds of their combat gradually fade. By the end of the travel day, the heroes may reach Cavesafe.
+A prosperous farming village amidst a series of rocky hills, Cavesafe sits near the base of the mountains that lead to Kareis, capital of Lachonhet. Its bountiful supply and proximity to Kareis make it an important strategic location for the region, but its size and lack of any major trade roads keep it low profile and quiet, more prone to routine and work than glorious adventure.
+Most of Cavesafe’s 150 inhabitants are farmers, friendly in nature, but wary of outsider intentions. Nevertheless, they tend towards a merciful nature, allowing the few travelers they come upon to rest within the village’s confines, and are willing to share their resources, plentiful as they can be.
+==== Military Presence ====
+Cavesafe has no standing military. The village chief, Lutek Gaisk, keeps a small retinue of soldiers that act as both garrison and [[guard]], twelve or so armored individuals that see to common disputes and defend the village from immediate threats. Otherwise, several of the townsfolk keep arms and [[armor]] in their homes, able to muster a presentable militia of 30 or so spearfolk in times of need.
+== NPCs ==
+==== Lutek Gaisk ====
+Gaisk is an older [[human]], somewhere in his late 40s to early 50s, having dueled the previous Cavesafe chief, or Lutek, to assume the position himself after serving as a Kareis Sisaptum. Despite his age, he is physically impressive, bearing several decades of scars that only add to his quiet, yet demanding presence. He is ultimately loyal to the people of Cavesafe, willing to make hard decisions, but never at the expense of the village’s goodwill.
+ With his previous service in Kareis, Gaisk is a solid source of information to the inner workings of the city, especially the Cheran, and was a direct lieutenant of Kessara. He is an inherently suspicious person, but if the adventurers prove themselves as friends to Lachonhet (and Cavesafe), he is willing to fill them in on the city’s inner workings, or more specifically the Cheran.
+ Once they gain 5 Fame with Cavesafe, Gaisk will reveal Kessara’s secret motivation, and he decry Periak as a selfish snake who is easier to replace rather than deal with. He can drop information leading to the [[merchant]] Amarik in Kareis, saying he would make a much more suitable replacement
+ Gaisk has the stats of a '''[[Veteran Soldier]]''', complete with iron weapons and armor from his time serving with the Sisaptum.
+==== Lutesh Naustis ====
+Witty, sharp, and decidedly odd, Naustis is a village wise woman, or Lutesh, that helps organize and oversee daily life in Cavesafe, settling arguments, match making, and seeing to the minutiae that keeps a village safe and prosperous. Her position is rare, as Naustis is no older than 19, a wiry [[halfling]] with a wild head of hair and a non-nonsense attitude, whose sharp eyes and even sharper tongue can knock the sense out of a [[trollkin]] twice her size.
+ She is initially friendly to everyone, until they prove themselves fools, at which point she endeavors to make them feel as such, especially should they point out her age. More than one elder has suffered the wisdom of Naustis at their insistence that she lacks proper experience.
+==== Lutesh Mikartis ====
+The counterpart to Naustis, Lutesh Mikartis is an elder human, somewhere in her late 60s, frail, but well versed in Lachonhet the cultures of Cavesafe. She acts as the keeper of local traditions, officiating bonding ceremonies and overseeing the local harvests as a kind caretaker. She is often with Lutek Gaisk, adding a charm and care to his diplomatic dealings, especially during the annual tributaries to Kareis.
+==== Fasik ====
+A tall, thin trollkin, Fasik is an oddity within Cavesafe, mostly due to his gung-ho attitude and absolute fascination and obsession with dinosaurs. He is the local wrangler, tending to the herd of Stegosaurus that the farmers use to plow their fields. With his limited [[psionic]] abilities, those of which he is unaware he possesses, he tames and handles the local dinos, training them, and keeping the more hostile sort away from the village.
+== Points of Interest ==
+=== The Safewells ===
+Near the outskirts of Cavesafe, between the village proper and the fields, are the safewells, a series of stone wells that fetch plentiful, purified groundwater that serve to sustain both the town and fields. There are some dozen wells that see regular patrols from Gaisk’s retinue, if just to ensure their continued operation, and many of the villagers gather here between long work days to exchange rumors, happenings, and gossip.
+=== The Krickcatham ===
+A mile or so from the village itself lies the Krickcatham, a series of sharp, rocky hills with a natural tunnel system that links most of them together in a complex network. The residents of Cavesafe have long since reinforced and mapped this network, using it as a shelter against rampaging kaijan and dangerous dinosaur stampedes, or even local raiders. They also use the confines as the village’s major storage, keeping harvests cool, dry, and safe, within granaries built into the foundations of the hills.
+=== Flooding Fields ===
+The fields outside of the village benefit from a perpetual source of renewed ground water thanks to the Kareis mountains, the snow melt from its caps retreating to the base where it supplies natural, underground aquifers. This interaction creates the flooding fields, where intense spring-bound rainstorms flood a massive swath of land, replacing nutrients on a regular, yearly cycle. The bountiful harvests of Cavesafe come after, as they plow, sew, and work the fields year-round, using their domesticated dinosaur flock to do so.
+=== Sisas Barracks ===
+A solitary barracks near the front of the village, this building acts as a home for Gaisk’s retinue, albeit it is built for a significantly larger force. The village uses it to house patrolling Sisaptum and tribute collectors from the Tyrant King. Travelers are offered beds here as well, separate enough to not do much harm, and it is a safe, dry space for them to rest and recover. There are no services offered here other than free beds.
+=== Harvest Table ===
+At the center of Cavesafe is the harvest table, a stone table arrayed with carvings from locals that depict and mark important events: families joining in bonding, unusually large (or small) harvests, or terrible tragedies. The villages of Cavesafe hold their local celebrations at the table, gathering the entire community to feast, remember, and record new events as they occur.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|
+==== '''Cavesafe Celebrations''' ====
+If the adventurers arrive in Cavesafe during an appropriate season, such as during a harvest or flood season, they can participate in the local antics and ceremonies, eat, and be merry. If adventurers choose to participate, they can earn fame with a relevant skill check to engage, such as telling a story, playing music, participating in a dance, cooking, providing food, or entertaining in any number of ways.
+A DC 10 earns them +1 Fame, then they earn +1 additional fame with Cavesafe per 5 over that DC they roll. A DC 20 would earn them 3 Fame, for instance.
+|}
+== Side Quests ==
+=== Pests of Unusual Size ===
+Both Lutek Gaisk and Lutesh Naustis will offer this quest if spoken to by the adventurers. Despite their best efforts, insects have burrowed into the Krickcatham and are eating into the village’s stores, befouling the food. If they help, the village will pay 300sc, which is the most they can muster, and earn themselves 2 Fame. If they accept a lower payment, at least half, the Fame gained increases to 3, and if they forgo payment entirely, they earn 4 Fame.
+The adventurers should travel to the Krickcatham and traverse the tunnels. With the pests posing a threat, one of Gaisk’s retinue can [[guide]] them to the granary, but will let the adventurers do the fighting, as once they arrive, they’ll find several '''Dire Ants''' gathering food. They are hostile and will attack on sight.
+==== Pests Initial Encounter ====
+{| class="wikitable"
+|'''Players'''
+|'''Creatures'''
+|-
+|3
+|1 Warrior Dire Ant, 4 Worker Dire Ants
+|-
+|4
+|2 Warrior Dire Ants, 4 Worker Dire Ants
+|-
+|5
+|3 Warrior Dire Ants, 3 Worker Dire Ants
+|-
+|6
+|3 Warrior Dire Ants, 6 Worker Dire Ants
+|}
+Once the ants are dealt with, the adventurers will notice a hole in the side of the granary. They can either collapse the tunnel and rubble to seal off the entrance, or they can follow the tunnel and break into a Dire Ant Hive. Collapsing the tunnel is enough to satisfy the job, but if they adventure in they’ll be accosted by the ant queen and her burgeoning hive. This encounter is optional , but dangerous.
+==== Ant Queen Encounter ====
+{| class="wikitable"
+|'''Players'''
+|'''Creatures'''
+|-
+|3
+|1 Queen Dire Ant, 2 Warrior Dire Wants
+|-
+|4
+|1 Queen Dire Ant, 3 Warrior Dire Ants
+|-
+|5
+|1 Queen Dire Ant, 3 Warrior Dire Ants, 3 Worker Dire Ants
+|-
+|6
+|1 Queen Dire Ant, 4 Warrior Dire Ants, 4 Worker Dire Ants
+|}
+If the adventurers defeat the queen ant, Lutek Gaisk will reward them an additional 500sc from his personal treasury, and the adventurers gain +2 Fame.
+=== Nearby Loneasaurus ===
+Should the adventurers meet, and engage with Fasik, he will offer to hire them to protect him while he wrangles a lone, wild stegosaur separated from its herd. He intends to bring it back to the village and add it to the domesticated stock. If agreed, he’ll pay the adventurers 500sc, half up front, and half if the animal makes it back safe. He doesn’t seem to care much for himself.
+Adventurers can have Fasik lead them, or if they prefer they can track the stegosaurus with DC ~15-18 AWR/Tracking. It takes an entire day to locate the dinosaur, as it's about 10 miles outside the village. Once found, Fasik will approach and calm the stegosaurus, then mount it, guiding it back to the village. If they’d like to try instead, adventurers can calm the stegosaurus with a DC ~18-20 AWR/Animal Handling. If successful, Fasik will still do his trick to make it willing to be mounted, and the adventurer who calmed it can ride the stegosaur back.
+The stegosaurus is weak, and currently only has 30 maximum hit points, can only take 1 action, and will only fight if its forced to defend itself.During the return trip, adventurers can roll DEX/Sneaking to avoid notice from hostile fauna. Have each roll against a DC of 15. If at least ½ + 1 of the adventurers pass, they make it back after a day of travel with no issue. If not, they’ll be hunted by some hungry dinosaurs.
+==== Hungry Dinosaur Encounter ====
+{| class="wikitable"
+|'''Players'''
+|'''Creatures'''
+|-
+|3
+|2 Velociraptors
+|-
+|4
+|2 Velociraptors
+|-
+|5
+|3 Velociraptors
+|-
+|6
+|4 Velociraptors
+|}
+The Velociraptors in this encounter are much more interested in attacking the stegosaurus than anything else, and will only engage adventurers if they are blocked or are attacked. They will also attempt to ambush the adventurers if they can, requiring DC 15 AWR/Perceiving checks to notice. Any adventurer that does not succeed this check begins combat Surprised.
+Fasik will not fight, he can’t really, but will try his best to protect the stegosaurus. So long as the dinosaur is not killed, the adventurers can return safely back to the village. If the creature survives, Fasik will pay them the rest of the money, and they’ll earn 2 Fame. If it did not, he won’t pay the rest, and the adventurers will lose 1 Fame.
+== Cheran Opinions ==
+The villagers have a plethora of opinions of the Cheran and the city of Kareis. Speaking to them individual, including the Luteshes, will offer the following insights or opinions:
+'''Lutek Gaisk.''' “The Cheran are too busy with their own ambitions to be of much help. Maybe the King will see and start acting on his own will.”
+'''Lutesh Naustis.''' “Kareis? They keep bandits away. Otherwise, why bother. They don’t help us, we don’t help them.”
+'''Lutesh Mikartis.''' “Cavesafe could flourish under the Cheran’s protection, even if it means paying tribute. We have grain to spare.”
+'''Faisk.''' “Who? What? They got different Dinos up there?”
+==== '''Villager Opinions''' ====
+“We’ve always cared for our own, let it stay that way.”
+“Who even are they? I think they’re a myth.”
+“Limitless iron up in those parts. I heard they’ve tamed fire, somehow.
+“Wouldn’t trust a Kareisian as far as I can throw’em. And I can barely lift a stone!”
+“Once before I’d die I’d like to see one of those hot baths of theirs.”
 [[Writer drafting: Heroes travel to Lachonhet village