Friday Encounter: Follow That Mule!

This encounter is best suited to the road, but could work in a town as well. Its goal is to challenge the PCs to confront a situation that requires creative thinking and can't easily be solved by combat, but nonetheless offers some tense action. It is adapted from my previous Stampede! encounter, but with the twist that now, the PCs are doing the pursuing rather than being pursued.

While the PCs are traveling a road, they suddenly hear the beating of hooves coming from behind them. The next thing they know, a laden packmule gallops by, speeding into the distance - and right behind it is a stout man in fine clothes, his legs pumping at the air and his chest heaving as he pushes himself to run as fast as he can.

The man is Irakles Konstantinidos, an itinerant merchant who was traveling the road with his mule, Primrose, when she suddenly spooked and broke free of his control, taking off down the road. The mule is carrying a valuable load of merchandise, as well as the wealth Irakles has obtained from the last market he visited - a fact that is quite evident from the sounds of jangling coins coming from the beast's saddlebags. He implores the PCs to help him catch the mule, and retrieve the loot.

If the PCs decide to join the chase, enter Action Time. The party begins 90 feet away from Primrose, and she always makes the first turn of each round. She is in a panic, and will try to move as far away as she can from the party, taking a Dash action on each turn (moving 80 feet away) unless otherwise impeded. Irakles joins the initiative order as normal; he has the stats of a commoner. He emphasizes to the party that the mule is carrying valuable cargo, and he needs her for his profession. The PCs must catch up to the mule and slow her down without harming her or the treasure she carries.

The PCs may try to catch up to Primrose with their movements, or use items, magic, or other effects to try and slow her down. A PC may attempt an Animal Handling check opposed by a Wisdom save from the mule to try and calm her down. If this check succeeds, she does not move on her next turn, allowing the PCs to close the gap some. As usual, you should allow the PCs to come up with logical solutions to the problem and use your judgment in determining whether or not they would work, and the ramifications thereof.

At the beginning of each round, roll 1d20 for a complication that must be dealt with (by both Primrose and the party) that turn:

1. Poor visibility (such as dust clouds or wind). All creatures must make a DC 10 Perception check or have their speed halved for the round.

2. Obstacles block the path (such as logs, trees, or large rocks). All creatures must make a DC 13 Acrobatics or Athletics check to bypass the obstacle or have their speed halved for the round.

3. The ground becomes rocky and uneven, acting as difficult terrain. Creatures must move at half speed for the round unless they have some way of circumventing the terrain.

4. One creature determined at random must make a DC 13 Acrobatics check or trip and fall prone for the round.

5.  The path is straight ahead, and could easily be traversed in a sprint. Each creature may move two times their normal movement speed this round (four times if using a dash action!), but must make a DC 12 Constitution save if doing so or take one level of exhaustion.

6. One creature determined at random must make a DC 13 Acrobatics check or get their foot stuck in a hole. They gain the Restrained condition until they can make a DC 13 Acrobatics or Athletics check on a future turn.

7. The path takes a steep slope upward. All creatures must make a DC 13 Athletics check or have Disadvantage on all actions for this turn. Alternatively, they may take one level of exhaustion to bypass this effect.

8. A barrier blocks the path forward (such as a fallen tree, stone wall, or fence). All creatures must make a DC 12 Acrobatics or Athletics check to jump over the barrier or lose a turn as they waste time climbing over it.

9. A hazard of some sort (like falling rocks or brambles) is in the path. All creatures must make a saving throw appropriate to the actions they are taking to avoid it; on a 1-9, they take Dangerous damage; on a 10-14, they take Setback damage, and on a 15-20, they take no damage.

10-19. No complications arise this round.

20. The PCs are unusually lucky. Each PC may take an extra action this turn.

If the party manages to catch up to Primrose, they are able to grab hold of her and she grinds to a halt (optionally, the DM may require a PC make a successful Grapple check in order to do this). If more than 200 feet elapse between Primrose and any party member (including Irakles), she is lost and nowhere to be found. Optionally, there may be tracks left, which may lead the party on another adventure to find the beast.

Note that Irakles insists it is very important that Primrose be returned alive, and with the load intact. As he puts it, he would not be a very good merchant if he had neither wares to sell, nor a means to carry them. If the mule is harmed, or the merchandise lost, he will not be happy.

A less scrupulous party may realize they could obtain a mule and some treasure for themselves if they could find some way of dealing with Irakles! Primrose's saddlebags carry in total 4,110 GP's worth in coinage (1,000 copper coins, 8,000 silver, 2,100 gold, and 120 platinum), plus 14 rolls of textiles worth 50 GP each. The textiles will need to be taken to a market to trade with, and they are cumbersome to carry; each weighs 5 pounds.

If the PCs do recover the mule unharmed, Irakles will be thankful for their efforts. They may run into him again in another market; if so, he will sell them his goods at half price as a show of gratitude. He also may have knowledge of surrounding areas to share.

Islands of the Great South Sea

Golnir is known for its rugged coastline, and the Golniri people for their mastery of ships and sailing. They have charted many a route through the Great South Sea, and Golniri traders can be found in many foreign ports. Just about all of them know stories of strange and mysterious islands out in the Sea - places of wonder and mystery, and often great danger as well.

Here are a few islands that travelers on the Great South Sea might discover. The list is formatted as a d20 table so that it could be used to randomly determine encounters, but if any islands interest you, you can pick from the list to drop them into your campaign as well.

1. Zefira. The entire island serves as a convent, with a number of chapels and dormitories where nuns live their lives in seclusion, meditating on the divine. No men are allowed to set foot on the island.

2. Lythion. This island was settled by pirates as a hideout, thanks to its extensive cave systems for hiding treasure, and its name passed into maritime lore. Over time, as more and more pirates hid from the law here, it grew into a town in its own right - if a lawless and cutthroat one, where stolen goods flow freely in the market and no one will question it if someone disappears for angering the wrong person.

3. Dragonspine Island. This island is built upon the skeleton of a dragon that died among the rocks here millennia ago. Over time, sand and plant life built up around the skeleton, but bones still jut up from the ground - and it is said that one who rests within the cave formed by the dragon's eye socket may receive visions from the beast's memories.

4. Hawksfeather Pillar. A sea stack that rises sharply from the water, with caverns all along its cliffs. It is home to several nests of harpies, who prey upon ships that draw too close.

5. The Isle of the Dead. By day, this island seems to be nothing more than a lonely, deserted rock, but at night, it is populated by ghosts - spirits of those who died at sea and never received a proper burial, now having found a community in each other.

6. Kardemion. This island is not tethered to the seabed, but floats atop the water like a gigantic ship. When storms rock the waves, it drifts from place to place.

7. Chelonisia. This island is in fact the shell of a gigantic turtle, so huge and so old that grass and trees have grown on it. The creature is normally dormant, sleeping floating in the water, but woe betide anyone who wakes it.

8. Magazi. The only inhabitants of this island are a coven of three hags, who tend to an ever-bubbling cauldron in its center. The can see into the future, but their prophecies are always delivered in riddles, and they will only tell the fortunes of those who bring them an offering - usually one that requires a great undertaking to obtain (such as the egg of a dragon or the hair of a giant) to prove their worthiness.

9. The Isle of Splendors. This island sits in a space where the realm of Faerie bleeds into the mortal world. It appears constantly lush and bucolic, even in winter; its inhabitants are cheerful and eternally young and beautiful, and the trees are laden with fresh fruits. However, one who leaves the island after more than a day will find that many years have passed in the outside world, as time here flows faster than normal.

10. Phyteia. The inhabitants of this island are wise scholars and philosophers. They spurn outsiders, who they deem as foolish and short-sighted, unworthy of the enlightenment they enjoy.

11. Korbovos. The inhabitants of this island are fools; they are so stupid that any inhabitant would be considered the village idiot in any settlement on the mainland. Nevertheless, they consider themselves to be learned wise men, and that everyone else simply does not understand them.

12. The Island of Wise Beasts. On this island, animals can speak the languages of men, and rule over humans, who they use as livestock to plow their fields and carry their burdens.

13. Kolasis. This island is formed by a ring of cliffs surrounding a great pit, like a giant funnel. The people refuse to descend into the pit, which they believe leads straight to Hell. 

14. Trihendron. This island is wreathed in great vines on which grow grapes the size of melons, so potent that they can make a man drunk just by eating one. They are tended to by a giant named Athros, who will guard them fiercely.

15. Obria. On this island is built a tower that juts high into the sky. At the top floor, a rope hangs through the window, to which a castle in the clouds is tethered.

16. Khoremi. The inhabitants of this island revere a meteor that has fallen right at its center, believing it to be a holy treasure of the gods. They will direct any outsiders to it so that they may be blessed, but in truth, the meteor holds no special powers.

17. Psithrios. This island is home to a great volcano, and its lava is used as a forge by a community of dwarven smiths, who craft magical treasures.

18. Mesaria. Just off the coast of this island is a powerful whirlpool. The inhabitants fear it as an all-devouring demon, and throw captives and criminals into it to try and sate its wrath.

19. Prosipion. This island is inhabited by doppelgangers; everyone here seems to be a perfect copy of someone the PCs know...including themselves. They have no memories or knowledge of the PCs or the people they resemble, and insist that nothing is unusual.

20. Dolania. A genie lives on this island, and offers to grant wishes to those who can prove themselves worthy of his favor. In reality, he doesn't want to be bothered with mortals, and leads them along by sending them on great quests in the hopes of getting rid of them.

The Metal Men of Golnir

Art by DoctorChevlong

There are many artifacts of the old, bygone Fedreline Empire that speak to the mark they had on the world in their day. Fragments of mosaics in crumbling floors, black-figure vases with elaborate scenes, and the corroded bronze helmets of their soldiers, to name a few. Some artifacts are of value beyond being mere historical curiosities - the Fedrelines, it is known, were workers of magic, and many enchanted treasures still sit beneath the earth today, waiting to be discovered, preserved through the ages by the spells woven into their craft.

But other discoveries are harder to explain. Largely in Golnir, but occasionally in surrounding areas, there have been found peculiar constructs dating to the Fedreline era - figures of men, forged of bronze, iron, and orichalcum, bearing arms and armor. Though they may appear to be suits of armor, the pieces are almost always found riveted to articulated frames with gears and joints, and all of them possess a hollow chest, in which is stored a clay jar or a box of some kind, inlaid with runic inscriptions.

These metal men, as they are called, have not been explained, despite many inquiries by the sages of all the lands. In their construction, they most resemble, if anything, the automatons of the learned Quel'Ahman engineers, but no mechanisms have been found to power them, nor have been recovered any manuals or blueprints that would describe their function. Furthermore, the automatons of the modern era spray water and play music for the amusement of noble guests, but all of the metal men that have been found are equipped as warriors. Some have proposed they may have performed mock battle scenes, but if that was the case, this must surely have been a popular pastime, due to the sheer number of such creations that have been found.

The most curious part of the metal men is surely the vessels contained in their chests. In light of the Fedreline conflicts with the Nuwapians, with their knowledge of necromancy, a connection to the lich's phylactery is inevitable. So too, a number of metal men have been discovered in Quel'Ahma, often amidst the ruins of Nuwapian cities, many of them bearing the scars of battle. Some have posited, then, that to combat the lich-lords, the Fedrelines may have pursued similar arts, using bound souls to animate suits of armor as a new kind of soldier - one that would never tire, nor have to eat or drink, and would not be affected by disease or the desert heat.

If such magics gave life to the metal men, the rituals involved in their creation have long since been lost. No one has seen one of these beings move, let alone fight. At least, no scholars have documented such a thing - but rumors will always abound, and there have been occasional sightings of silent figures dressed in archaic armor lurking around the ruins. Some, it is said, have even slain those who came too close.

Friday Encounter: Traveling Court

This encounter can be used on the road or in a town or city. The main purpose is to provide the party with some leads, rumors, and adventure hooks - as well as to potentially throw a couple of NPCs with competing interests into the plot, which could complicate matters.

If the PCs come upon this encounter on a road, they will notice a camp set up by the side of the road, with a number of large tents pitched. If it is taking place in a settlement, there should be crowds gathered around some sort of public space for assemblies, such as a basilica or a town square. Either way, the banners of the nearest royal authority (or the closest equivalent) should be flying outside, and there should be guards standing nearby who can explain what is going on: a meeting of the traveling circuit courts is in session.

The crown has appointed a court official to travel between stops along this route, where the people can bring disputes and criminals before them so they may pass judgment. In fact, the party has come upon this magistrate during a hearing.

The magistrate is Kyriakos Aristaios. He is a stern man who is strictly devoted to the law, and is ruthless in his judgments. He believes that those who commit crimes deserve no mercy, and they must be punished harshly in order to set an example for law-abiding citizens. However, he is quick to pass judgment on others, and is far from impartial, often being swayed by his personal feelings. He tends to make his mind up before he is presented with the full story, often basing his verdict on his assessment of the accused's character.

The courts allow the public to spectate, and they are not discouraged from voicing their opinions. However, the magistrate has the final say in all matters, and Kyriakos is not shy about throwing this fact around, staunchly holding that he will not allow himself to be swayed - as he puts it, the court entrusted him with this position, not anyone else. The PCs can certainly try to make him change his mind, though, and with good roleplaying and logical arguments they should be allowed to attempt it. If matters get out of hand, Kyriakos will not hesitate to deploy his twelve guards to enforce order - beating any hecklers into silence, or even dragging them before his podium for "contempt of the court."

Needless to say, the PCs may take issue with Kyriakos's approach to judgment. It is also possible they will take his side, and perhaps make enemies among the accused. Depending on how things play out, it is possible this will embroil the party into further drama with NPCs - and perhaps even court authorities.

A list of NPCs that Kyriakos may try is listed below. You can roll 1d10 to determine who is being tried when the party arrives, or choose one that looks interesting to you. More than one NPC may be tried at a given session - feel free to use more than one if the PCs decide to stick around.

1. Zosimos Antipatros, a baker who was discovered digging around a cemetery. He claims that he was told there was buried treasure present, but now insists that he was set up by his friend considering he did not find anything. In reality, there is a hoard of 272 GP in coins and jewels and a Fear spell scroll buried in the cemetery; Zosimos just wasn't looking in the right place. Unless otherwise swayed, Kyriakos will sentence him to public humiliation; he will be forced to ride a donkey backward through the street crying out "I am a fool." Kyriakos also warns him the punishment will be more severe next time.

2. Timaios, a slave who ran away from his master after he was whipped harshly for letting his sheep escape; he was caught by some guards a few days later. Kyriakos will insist that he be returned to his master, citing that to lose a slave on top of the sheep would be an undue burden for the man.

3. Eunomia Argyris, a bandit chief who preyed on caravans in the area for many years, slaying many men and waylaying treasure. Kyriakos will sentence her to hanging, though she remains stoic, vowing that her men will avenge her.

4. Soterios Metaxas, a cobbler accused of stealing a horse. He insists that he didn't steal it; the horse ran away from its stable, he came across it in the wilderness, and he was keeping it in his shed until the owner could be found. He is telling the truth, but Kyriakos does not believe him and will sentence him to hanging.

5. Aristarchos, a beggar who was caught pickpocketing traders in the market. Though he has barely anything to his name, Kyriakos insists that adherence to the law is absolute, and will sentence him to have his hand cut off.

6. Melainia, a wise woman living as a hermit not far from town. People always suspected her of being a witch, but never felt threatened by her presence until a plague swept through the town, and the villagers blamed her for putting a curse on them. In reality, this was merely an incident of bad timing. Kyriakos will sentence her to hanging, even though she insists that she was innocent, as "a witch can surely not be trusted."

7. Cassiopeia Aristantos, a political rival of the local lord caught conspiring against him. The problem is, she is loyal to the same royal authority Kyriakos is employed by. Kyriakos will, in fact, pardon her and cast suspicion on the lord instead, believing that he is guilty of treason against the crown if he would accuse a loyalist this way.

8. Sielenos, a blacksmith who confessed to murdering his brother Leto over a love affair. Kyriakos intends to have him hanged, but in truth, Sielenos was geased into committing the murder by Semele, an enchantress who he and his brother both loved. Finding both men to be intolerable in their pettiness toward each other, she forced Sielenos to kill his brother and then confess to the crime to get rid of them both.

9. An unfriendly NPC previously encountered by the party, now having got themselves into some other scheme that didn't go well for them.

10. A friendly NPC previously encountered by the party, now accused of a crime they didn't commit. Can the PCs clear their name? 

Monks of the Mountains

The terrain of central Golnir is cut through by the Thasos Mountains, dividing the coastal plains from the more rugged inland plateaus. Anyone traveling from one end of the kingdom to another would be wise to know of the routes that pass through the Thasos, for it is a land of steep peaks, treacherous cliffs, and wild valleys so isolated from the Queen's rule that tyrants and wild men are free to assail travelers. One of the most intriguing sections of this range, however, is the formation dubbed the Rocks of the Gods.

Around the village of Daphanon rise a series of great pillars of rock, and boulders as large as hills. They have stood here since time immemorial, and local legend speaks that they are all that remains of a mountain shattered in a battle between gods in a bygone age. Whatever the case is, these pillars stood out not only as a geologic curiosity, but as an appealing site for hermits to take up residence. Perhaps inspired by the tradition of the stylites, but seeking something more substantial than a carved pillar to sit upon, monks were drawn to the Rocks as a place of meditation and seclusion. They were, after all, cut off from the outside world - being so high and so difficult to reach from the ground, they would ensure no secular intrusions could disturb the monks' introspection on the divine, and they also proved to be easily defensible in times of strife.

The earliest settlements on the Rocks were those of lone hermits - the stone that makes up the Rocks is porous, and their length is lined by caves. Holy men moved into these caves, and over time, some communities formed among them. Some larger caves would form into small monasteries in which multiple monks dined and slept together, while other times, paths were carved between caves so that monks could travel from one cell to another. Other communities would accept one another as brothers but live in solitude, only descending from their caves on holy days to come together at a chapel built at the foot of the rock.

As the monastic communities grew, it became clear that the caves could not sustain them forever. These days, most of the monks of the Thasos dwell in complexes built on top of the pillars, some of them built to hug the contours of the sheer cliffs. Today there are fourteen monasteries and three convents in total that span the Rocks of the Gods, honoring all manner of gods and practicing all sorts of traditions. The most accessible of these is the Convent of Saint Merope Antigonine, which houses an order devoted to Marseah and accommodates pilgrims traveling the Thasos. In order to better serve the people, it has a winding spiral staircase cut into the cliffs that leads up to the top. The rest of the monasteries, however, are only accessible via ladders, and in some cases visitors must be hoisted to the top in the same rope nets that are used to haul donations. The monks believe that the ropes must only be replaced when the gods show them a sign by causing the rope to break - which means that there is always a very real risk of unfortunate pilgrims dropping to their deaths, should a rope break as they are being lifted.

Though the monks and nuns of the Rocks largely live as ascetics, many monasteries do boast great collections of literature, with their scriptoria meticulously copying texts as old as the Fedreline era - and some of these texts may hold arcane secrets. Then there are the relics - some are valuable for their holiness, others by virtue of the jeweled reliquaries they are housed in, and a few have mystical powers, such as the Radius of Saint Sophos, housed at the Monastery of the Six Holy Veils- this saint was revered for the miracle of producing water from his pores in order to save a village from a drought, and his bones still produce water when cracked. The monasteries, of course, keep these treasures closely guarded - and getting to the monasteries in the first place is a challenge unto itself.

But the caves of the old hermits, and the tunnels between them, still go deep into the Rocks. They may have been abandoned by the orders today, but beneath the eyes of the holy they have been taken over by spiders, goblins, and stranger things yet, some of which make incursions from their lairs into the outside world. And there are always rumors that the monks may have forgotten a few relics when moving out of the cave systems...

Lygos

Lygos the Glorious, Lygos the Golden - its praises are sung all across the land. Lygos is the capital of Golnir, and one of the largest and oldest cities in the known world. The land it sits upon has been inhabited since Fedreline times, and through the centuries it has known many masters. Here are some of the sights visitors to Lygos might expect to see.

• Lygos is perhaps most famous for its extensive harbor, dubbed the Purple Harbor after the purple dyes prized in its markets. Built as Lygos is around a lagoon, it controls a long section of coast, and one that welcomes ships from all lands. Galleons from Valossa, dhows from Quel'Ahma, and even Northman longboats moor here, and when their crews descend from the decks, they form great and multifaceted crowds where every language can be heard spoken. The harbor brings in plenty of trade, and the streets here are lined with stalls selling foreign goods - as well as pickpockets taking advantage of the activity to go about unnoticed.
• The Royal Palace spans a stretch of the coast, with elaborately carved piers of marble jutting out into the water for dignitaries to dock their ships. The palace complex itself has grown over time, enveloping public squares and streets as porticoes and hallways were built to link the royal household to the buildings set aside to house nobles and court officials - which only grew more numerous as Golnir's power grew. Walls inlaid with mosaics and porphyry rise from the shore, their ramparts lined with gold leaf so as to reflect the light of the sun to incoming vessels as a show of the kingdom's riches. Here lives the royal family, including the reigning Queen Eudokia XII - though her name is renowned throughout Golnir, she is little more than a puppet of the scheming nobility, who allow her to live in luxury away from their plans. It has, in fact, been a while since anyone has tried to make an assassination attempt on her, on the grounds that she might be replaced by someone more competent.
  
• The Golden Pantheon is certainly the largest temple in Golnir, one of Lygos's most striking landmarks, and perhaps even among the greatest temples on the continent. As the name suggests, the temple is devoted to no particular god. Beneath its towering minarets and golden domes are statues of all major divinities, and priests of many stripes see to sermons and offerings here.
• The Grand Baths are more than a mere bathhouse, exhibiting extensive public gardens that the people of Lygos meander through at their leisure to admire the finely-trimmed hedges and statuary. Inside, water is provided by an aqueduct that has watered the city since the Fedreline era, and fine incense hangs in the air. Poets and musicians often perform here, some coming from afar to do so.
• Of course, the public Baths cannot possibly compare to the splendors of the Royal Harem, the living quarters of the Queen's concubines. Men and women alike, from many lands, live in idle luxury, tended to by eunuchs. Many have envied the consorts for the lives of perfect bliss they seem to live - but in fact, some of them are entrusted with highly sensitive information by the royal household, making them a target for spies.
• The Hippodrome is a grand arena at the heart of Lygos, and one attended by all walks of life - it is here that all citizens, rich and poor, Golniri and barbarian, can come together to attend public functions. Even the Queen has a private box here, linked to her palace by a covered hallway. As such, it is a place where many rumors can be heard, and people can listen in on the intrigues of the upper classes. Usually it is used for chariot races, but holy ceremonies and theatrical productions may be seen here too. The people can be fiercely loyal to their favored racing team, and this has underpinned both riots and political tensions.

  

  Art by Raphtor

• Philosophy has a long history in Golnir, built upon the teachings of Fedreline scholars, and the Square of the Learned is a testament to that fact. This plaza is set aside so that philosophers may stand here and preach their creed, no matter how heterodox or unconventional, and anyone may come and listen so that they may be inspired to pursue their own intellectual development. Some of these scholars are great magicians, and they may seek out an apprentice here - sometimes in secret.
• The Square of Four Lions is dominated by two brazen lion statues, believed to be of Fedreline origin. As the name implies, there were once four, but two of them were stolen in a war with the city-state of Fiora long ago, and now adorn one of their temples. Both powers would be quite interested in seeing the set complete, but smuggling statues of their size is no easy task.
• 
  As Golnir attracts many foreign visitors, it is only natural that it would develop a number of foreign enclaves. There are several foreign quarters in Lygos - the Vardessian Quarter, the Quel'Ahman Quarter, the Lescatian Quarter - where immigrants tend to congregate, and where visitors who may be lost may find something resembling home. Some of the city's guilds are based out of here, and some of them hold close loyalties to their kinsmen.
• The Fedreline Empire was long at war with the Nuwapians, and Lygos bears many monuments of those conflicts. In addition to several triumphal arches commemorating victories over the Nuwapians (joined by later arches celebrating the Kingdom of Golnir's victories), one square is home to a great obelisk plundered from the Nuwapian city of Dol Gormah. No one has been able to decode the ancient hieroglyphs that adorn its surface, but they hide a prophecy that could well lead to the fall of Golnir.
• Bustling with activity as Lygos is, those who seek solace and introspection must separate themselves from the common rabble. The College of Ivory, Golnir's premier center of scholarship, is built on a hill, in a series of towers that extend high above the walls. While the children of noble houses are sent here to pursue higher learning, it is also here where Golnir's order of court mages make their homes, living a secluded life of study in the mystic arts.
• No discussion of Lygos would be complete without mentioning the ruins, of course. Like many Golniri cities, Lygos is built on ancient Fedreline ruins, and though more of the city's area is intact compared to some, there are still many crumbling walls and lonely pillars on the outskirts of the city. Some of these conceal buried vaults, and some brave souls have delved into the depths to retrieve lost treasure...though not all have returned.
  

Friday Encounter: Dueling Stylites

This encounter is best suited either on the road or in the wilderness. It was written under the assumption of being set in Golnir, where the practice of stylitism is at its strongest, but it could easily fit in other settings with character names and details being modified accordingly. Though the Byzantine stylites were the most famous, there is certainly evidence that the practice was carried on elsewhere.

Background

The party should come upon a region watched over by two stylites - members of a peculiar monastic tradition. The stylites live as hermits, climbing to the top of a pillar and living their life in lonely meditation, without the distractions of worldly life to keep them from focusing on the divine. Stylites survive off of rainwater, insects, and the donations of the faithful, and many have become sought after for their wisdom, with some attracting pilgrims who seek out these sagely masters for spiritual guidance.

At least, stylites are supposed to live in solitude. But sometimes, things don't go according to plan. This particular stretch of ground happened to be the site of a ruined Fedreline city, with many pillars left over from where the foundations crumbled. By sheer coincidence, two stylites each happened to find a pillar at either end of the city and claimed it as their station. The only issue is, they have rather different, and incompatible, theological outlooks on things...

The Encounter

There are a number of different ways the PCs might encounter the stylites. They might come upon them by happenstance, or they might be sent to seek them for guidance on a quest, or perhaps from following a rumor. If the PCs enter the ruin without looking for a specific stylite, they have a 50-50 chance of encountering one or the other first (alternatively, the DM can decide which monk seems more interesting for a first impression).

Abreas is a stoic old monk who has watched over his pillar for many years. In his years of deprivation, he has grown a long beard, which he wraps around his neck like a scarf. He sits atop a pillar that has broken in half, the capital laying on the ground beneath its foot. Abreas is a staunchly faithful man who entrusts himself fully to the whims of the gods, and he refuses any ideas that do not come from his visions. In particular, he believes that the gods are perfect beings, and thus incapable of creating evil. Therefore, if the universe and the creatures in it were created by the gods, evil must have been introduced by an outside force. Abreas holds that anything that causes harm to others must have been influenced by demons, and a proper devotee of the gods must refuse any such temptation. He sternly cautions others that they must only live a life of perfect virtue.

Leosthenes is a younger monk, but in cutting off all earthly desires, he has let his body wither away and appears much older, with a gaunt frame and hair that is falling out of his scalp. He sits atop the capital of a pillar that is decorated with the carved heads of lions. Leosthenes believes that all things in this world - good and evil - were created by the same gods; he holds that demons are not enemies of the gods, but in fact they work in tandem to achieve a predestined end. Because of this, he has come to the conclusion that whatever happens is a part of the divine plan - even if misfortune may befall innocent people, it is because the gods will it so. As such, he takes a lenient approach to morality; he thinks that if one is tempted to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, steal, or even murder, it is because the gods want that to happen, and to try to avert that path is to invite their wrath.

The two pillars are far apart enough so that from the ground, one cannot be seen from the location of the other. However, the two hermits can see each other in the distance from their heights, and they can speak to one another if they project their voices. They have long known about their differences and have taken to trying to convert one another - in fact, they have a habit of loudly announcing any visions they receive to one another, always insisting the gods have delivered them revelations in defense of their viewpoints. Abreas believes Leosthenes is a dishonorable cad who makes excuses for sin, while Leosthenes believes that Abreas is a stick in the mud at best and actively meddling against the gods' intentions at worst. However, they are too firm in their viewpoints to change. Whenever the PCs arrive at the ruins, there is a 25% chance they can hear the two hermits engrossed in another argument. Each stylite would be happy to see the other driven off, but neither is willing to step down from their pillar in order to do anything about them.

If the PCs seek guidance from either of the stylites, the monks will try to use them as pawns in their debate, trying to use their actions to prove each other wrong. For instance, Abreas may send the party on a quest to prove their incorruptibility, hoping that if they succeed, it will prove to Leosthenes that virtue is a strength. Leosthenes, on the other hand, might point them to treasure if they express any interest in it, feeling that their greed is what the gods want of them, and that their success will prove his point, for why would the gods allow mortals to steal if they truly did not want it?

Of course, even if the PCs do succeed in a particular stylite's tasks, the other hermit will try to spin the results in defense of their point - for instance, Leosthenes might reject Abreas's quest as merely proving that the gods wanted the PCs to refuse temptation in this particular instance, and Abreas might slam Leosthenes's directions to the treasure as a blatant show of hypocrisy when he has rejected the pleasures of the flesh, undermining his position.

Ultimately, the stylites hope that they may be able to sway the PCs to their side so that the tasks they send them on may lead to their rival conceding to their points - or, failing that, to ensure they disappear. They might not be able to act directly, but if the PCs' actions end up serving their goals they certainly wouldn't complain...

Golniri Fire

Golnir may not have needed to wage a major war in years, but that does not mean it is without a military. The wealth brought in by its trade routes attracts no small amount of piracy, and the nobles with holdings on the coasts command great fleets to protect themselves - and their investments. Inland, the ruins of the Fedrelines have been adopted as hideouts by bandit gangs and marauding orcs. And the feuding of rival nobles inevitably leads to conflicts ranging from border skirmishes to the odd civil war. Every Golniri noble of any respectable power commands an army, and they are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

One important innovation that has given Golnir an edge in battle is the development of Golniri fire. Devised by the royal alchemist centuries ago, this compound has seen uses in many a conflict. A combination of pine resins and sulfur is loaded into a vessel of some sort - such as a small clay pot either wrapped in burning cloth or with a wick attached, or a siphon linked to a pump that blows the resin past a flame (these are often built into the figureheads of warships, but handheld examples exist). When the resin is ignited, it produces a potent flame. So great is the power of Golniri fire that it even burns on water - it can only be put out by packing it with sand, or using an acidic substance like vinegar.

The Golniri typically spray fire from specially-made ships built to accompany siphons, though it is used on land as well, often in siege warfare. It is a weapon of great power, and has made the Golniri navy rightfully feared. Because of its destructive potential, the crown of Golnir takes great pains to ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands. The ingredients necessary to manufacture Golniri fire are a closely guarded secret, as is the construction of the siphons used to blow it - in fact, it is policy that those entrusted with the making of each component of the apparatus never have contact with one another, so that capturing one would not compromise the entire secret. Only the royal household is trusted with the manufacture of Golniri fire, and they rent it out to trusted allies - though, the fluid nature of Golniri ambitions means that those allies do not always stay loyal, and many noble houses that rival the crown have stockpiles of Golniri fire.

Nevertheless, a few treatises on making Golniri fire have slipped out of Golnir and found their way into the hands of alchemists elsewhere. Some of these are forgeries and won't work at all, but in other cases, alchemists have managed to successfully reverse-engineer weapons that work similarly to Golniri fire, though not always possessing the same properties. It is no secret that Golniri fire has made the kingdom's navy the envy of other powers, and surely they would pay handsomely to have the secrets shared.

New Items

Note that Golniri fire is not the same as alchemist's fire. In the Lunar Lands, alchemist's fire is a catch-all term that describes all other incendiary weapons - most of them were created as an attempt to reproduce Golniri fire, to varying degrees of success.

Golniri Fire, Flask

This sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when exposed to air. As an action, you can throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the Golniri fire as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. Dousing an affected creature in water will not put the fire out.

 Weight: 1 pound.

Golniri Cheirosiphon 

A cheirosiphon is a handheld version of a ship-mounted siphon used to project Golniri fire. It cannot be bought at stores and must be obtained from a quartermaster or looted from enemies. Using a cheirosiphon requires its own proficiency; characters must be trained in order to use it. With a DM's permission, a character may replace any of their starting weapon proficiencies with proficiencies in cheirosiphones. If you wish to use a cheirosiphon for a character's starting equipment, get your DM's permission in order to do so.

Damage: This weapon fires in a 10-foot cube area within a 30-foot range. Every creature in the area must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 fire damage. Additionally, on a failed save, they catch fire and take 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of their turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. Dousing an affected creature in water will not put the fire out.

Weight: 10 pounds.

Properties: Ammunition (Golniri fire), Reload (3 shots), Two-Handed.

Golniri Siphon

This weapon is designed to work with the rules for ships found in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. It was, in fact, created in response to something I pointed out on the Ghosts of Saltmarsh subreddit on the lack of rules for alchemist's fire siphons. All credit to Reddit user level3kobold for this one, hope you're doing well out there.

This rotating nozzle is mounted on your ship's deck, and has room for a pressurized tank of alchemist's or Golniri fire. As an action, a creature may aim the nozzle and throw a lever, causing the tank to shoot a 60 ft long, 5 ft wide line of fire. Any creature caught in this line must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 14) or be set on fire. Objects automatically fail their saving throw. While on fire, creatures and objects take 2d4 (for alchemist's fire) or 2d6 (for Golniri fire) fire damage at the start of each turn. A creature can extinguish themselves or a 5 foot square within their reach by spending an action to make a DC10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. Large objects take damage for each 5 foot square that is ignited. Golniri fire cannot be extinguished by water.

By itself, this ship-mounted nozzle costs 1,000 gold to construct and install.

Each pressurized tank for this weapon also costs 1,000 gold. In between firing, the old tank must be unloaded, requiring an action, and a new tank must be loaded, requiring another action. Empty tanks weigh 8 lbs, while full tanks weigh 32 lbs. Refilling a tank requires 1,000 gold worth of alchemist's fire or Golniri fire.

You'll notice this is an extremely expensive weapon to use. Still, it's a deadly weapon in ship-to-ship combat, as it deal massive continuous damage to ships, as well as burning low-level shiphands to a crisp.

Compared to regular alchemist's fire, it deals twice the damage and covers twelve times the potential targets (reaching our goal of 24x strength). The cost works out so that it's more expensive until you use the weapon 5 times, at which point it starts to pay off and become less expensive.

As a bonus, players might get creative and try filling the empty tanks with liquids other than alchemist's fire...

Barbarians in Golnir

The term barbarian, in much of the settled world, is understood to refer to any number of pastoral peoples living outside of feudal society who are perceived to be rough and brutish in character - Northmen, Ukians, Levics, orcs, hillfolk, and Sonderlunding Highlanders, to name a few. In Golnir, however, the term refers more generally to foreigners of any sort, or more specifically, anyone who does not speak Golniri - early traders noted that foreign languages sounded like "bar-bar-bar" noises. The Golniri elite hold that their kingdom is the epicenter of splendor, culture, and sophistication in all the known world, and have come to look down on outsiders as backwards and crude - it is this attitude that gave rise to the negative connotations of the term.

Despite this, barbarians have their place in Golnir. The kingdom has not needed to fight a large-scale foreign war in many years (civil wars are another story, of course), and the nobility has grown lax in enforcing their borders, believing that they have attained such a glorious peace through their wealth and unity as to make further military action unnecessary. As such, standing armies are rare and small in size, paling in comparison to those of their neighbors. But the strife between Golnir's feuding nobles is well-attested, and no Golniri of any notable power would be so foolish as to leave their holdings unguarded. Many have thus turned to the barbarians to supplement their ranks. Foreign mercenaries may come from far afield to enjoy respected careers in Golnir, and many bands have found steady employment under Golniri masters. For some nobles, barbarians form an important component of their forces. Some have entire companies from foreign crowns in their service, and more than one noble has found that it was more efficient to pay the neighboring clan of orcs to raid their rivals on their behalf than to deal with them themselves.

In Golnir, it is understood that there are some tasks too unsightly for the nobility to sully their hands with. They may be too dangerous, like clearing bandits from a pass, and threaten the safety of important officials should they get involved. They may be considered too lowly and dishonorable for the upper classes, like thievery, blackmail, and assassination, and it would surely be a scandal if word of such deeds got out, no matter how well they may advance one's standing (in Golnir, it is considered acceptable to go the low road to get ahead, but it is shameful if you are found out). They may be both, such as recovering loot from the catacombs of the Fedrelines. In any case, it is preferable to turn to foreigners to handle the dirty work. There is no risk to the noble Golniri sorts that way, and who cares if a couple of barbarians die in the process?

In effect, the customs of Golnir have given rise to a strange sort of economy, where barbarians are sought out to do the kind of work that the elite cannot or will not engage in openly, and this has led to many wandering mercenaries and landless knights-errant in seek of work and a roof over their heads flocking to Golnir to find a patron. Many large Golniri cities have sizeable communities of barbarians, descendants of those who came to the kingdom under such pretenses.

Another benefit of hiring barbarians is that foreigners have no stake in the cutthroat politics of Golniri nobility. Golniri citizens may be loyal to a particular count or prince, and this may prove troublesome if the nobles they are in service to develop competing interests with those whom they support. But barbarians only need to care about who is paying them, which is usually a matter where allegiances are far less fluid and there is less worry about people climbing over each other. The personal bodyguard of the queen of Golnir is made up of Northman mercenaries, chosen not only for their ferocity in battle but because there is little worry of putting people with axes so close to the head of state if they can't possibly come from families with royal ambitions.

Kingdom Among the Ruins

In ancient times, the lands now known as Golnir were conquered by the Fedreline Empire. Where such an empire came from, and why, is a matter that is lost to time - what is known is that they settled the lands well, and waged war against the Nuwapians of Quel'Ahma to the south, becoming a fierce rival of the lich-lords of the desert. However, centuries pass, and empires crumble. All things must come to pass. Eventually, spent by war and internal strife, the Fedreline Empire collapsed, leaving behind the ruins of its great halls across the lands they once ruled over.

In the years to come, what would emerge in the shadow of the bygone empire was the Kingdom of Golnir. The descendants of the Fedrelines moved into the ruins of their forefathers, taking crumbling stone and toppled pillars and using them to construct homes, walls, and cities. Soon, the regional chieftains and petty nobles squabbling among the ruins saw fit to elevate themselves. They wished to become worthy successors to whatever power could possibly be great enough as to leave its mark on the world so thoroughly. Many ambitious powers set their sights on such a position, but Golnir - already among the wealthiest and most powerful of the local city-states thanks to its control of a strategic harbor at its capital of Lygos, and the trade routes that entailed - was the one to unite the realm and bring its rivals to heel.

Golnir is a land of wealth and opulence. Thanks to its proximity with Quel'Ahma, it enjoys close trade with the southern land, and the palaces of its nobles are awash in incense and draped in silks. Its temples are splendorous in gold leaf, and wine flows freely in the taverns. However, for all the prosperity Golnir claims, it can only hope to be a pale shadow of the magnificence of the Fedrelines. Many of that empire's arcane secrets are lost to time, and even to this day their ruins dot the landscape. Some of Golnir's greatest cities sit at the center of ruins that far eclipse them in size, with more ruined buildings than ones currently in use.

Golnir prides itself on its hard-fought unity. It holds itself as a bastion of peace, having conquered its rivals and brought its people together under a single banner. The Golniri have not needed to fight a large-scale land war against another kingdom in generations. However, though Golnir may look stable from the outside, it is a hotbed of intrigue, backstabbing, and conspiracy within. Many of its dukes and counts exert considerable power, relics of the autonomy of the old city-states, and they plot against each other for control over their own little empires. Even within the courts, powerful families compete against one another for a claim to the throne - or, sometimes more importantly, the influence to sway the head of the household's word while staying behind the scenes safe from the assassin's blade. The nobility of Golnir is renowned for their cruelty and ruthlessness, and it is not uncommon - even accepted - for political rivals to be exiled, castrated, blinded, or any combination of the above, should their fortunes turn.

To outsiders, Golnir may seem a paradise, where gold is as plentiful as water. To those in the courts, the life of a noble can prove even more dangerous than that of the commoner. And even through the ages, there are still secrets to be revealed beneath yet-unturned stones...

Levic Marches Hex Map

With the end of another month comes another hex map for the Year of the Gazetteer! Each hex equals six miles.

Click here to enlarge