The Quality of Gold

Part 2: Introduction & Arrival in Stonehaven

Comments in Blue have been added after publishing.

Details

The Quality of Gold

Outline (12/14/23)

Party awakens together in a recovery tent
They feel weak and disoriented
Will remember travelling by ship along the southern coast of Lake Encarthan, heading toward the city of Kerse in Druma
Remember running into a huge freak water spout and ship being tossed about in the air
Party meets leader of a refugee camp on the shores of Ustalav
Leader gives brief update on situation in the area – not yet welcome in Caliphas, treating holdout refugees from Lastwall
Party will find out that there is much more going on here than a simple refugee camp
Inferred that some refugees being taken to slavers, others to a necromancer
Escape from Camp
Find freedom fighter faction who takes them to a safe location called Stonehaven
Group is allowed to recover and help around town to build money (motives being observed)
Begin to discover strange occurrences and hints of sinister dealings (wandering undead, etc.)

Things start to get weird

The group will discover the cursed town of Blackcross and solve the mystery (Level to 3)
The party will discover the nature of the refugees’ plight – they find an escapee from one of the 3 undead-maker camps
The party should investigate one of the camps to free the prisoners and learn more
The party may opt to find more camps, but they would have to either interrogate a guard who may know or someone in Stonehaven. (Level to 4)
Eventually, discover an operation run by a necromancer who is doing experiments on refugees who are being led to multiple ‘safe places’ throughout countryside
Party may discover that the Necromancer is funneling (fooling/kidnapping) the weak and vulnerable to the camps, then once they are converted to undead via disease, she picks them up and brings them back through secret entrance at base of Citadel to store them to await her time to conquer the area from here to Grayce and Anactoria.
Meanwhile, an enterprising dwarf has tunneled out of the prison and is taking advantage of the clueless guards by moving people out of the prisons in small groups. The party may meet some of these escapees through the Opera house.
The Necromancer has gotten word of the party’s exploits in and around town and after “failing” their corrupting tests, is trying to decide what to do with them. Once she gets definitive word that they have discovered her operations at one of the camps, she will take more drastic action and attempt to capture them to be converted into more powerful undead in her labs.
If the party can thwart the Necromancer’s plans and either kill her or force her to flee, they can enlist the real authority in Caliphas to wipe this area clean of the taint of evil and will be rewarded with passage to the city of their choice on the Lake.
Party will need to enter the Necromancer’s labs via the prisons or the underground escape route
Last safe days in Stonehaven
Party will need to enter underground and work their way toward the dungeons and labs
Once they are through the underground River, they will advance to level 5 – there may be time to return to town
If they spend too much time in town, or poke around too much, they will be arrested/detained for questioning.

Success!

If party can put a stop to the necromancer or severely cripple her operation, they can gain passage back to Druma via Caliphas

Chapter 1: Shipwrecked! – see separate file

Chapter 2: Off to Stonehaven

The Citadel and village of Stonehaven is about 30 miles from where the Knights meet the party and about 12 miles south of Anactoria. A wide low valley gently rises in three different terraces. The lowest level has a small village of about 13 buildings with a winding road beyond it leading across a stone bridge over small river and then to another set of buildings. Past these, the road leads to the imposing Citadel.

The party will see the whole countryside out before them as they crest a low rise just before entering the lands. Posrick will tell the group that they can trade, sell and purchase most mundane items nearby and possibly gain work or do special errands at some of the local establishments to replenish their money. He tells them that they are welcome to stay in the village or they can possibly stay in the Citadel, but if they do, they will need to sign up for at least 3 patrols a week that keep the countryside secure, in exchange for a bed and 2 meals per day plus free martial training.

Once they arrive at Lower Stonehaven Village, Posrick suggests that the group explore the village, meet some of the locals and find a room at the Crow. They may even be able to find some side work to build up their funds. He tells them that the next plateau up the road is where the lower nobility and people with family wealth live, but there are no shops up there.

Your escorts lead you down the well-travelled trail to the area they call Stonehaven’s Lower Village. A few locals are standing in small groups chatting and peer over at your big group as you enter. There is a low plaster wall surrounding most of the village although it looks very old and probably just keeps the stray cows from wandering in.

“We’re going to head up to the Citadel to check in and then back to our quarters there. We’ll let you settle in and explore. People are friendly here and you may even be able to do some minor chores to make a little coin. We’ll check back in tomorrow to see how you are faring, but you are welcome here as long as you need. As with most places, your actions speak louder than your words, so keep the peace and you will find Stonehaven a welcoming place to rest.”

With that, the group continues out of the Lower Village and towards the Citadel perched on the hill.

About the Weather

Weather in Stonehaven can be hard to predict, but in general, the closer anyone gets to the Citadel, the more rain, wind and fog are present (and stronger). The weather reflects the mood and relative danger of any area.

The Lower Village is mostly pleasant, sunny and warm and this area is usually a safe place for its inhabitants and visitors. The Upper Village is rainy and cool, mainly due to the appearance and potential danger of the Necromancer in her disguised form at Molentide. The Citadel Terrace has the most severe weather due to its proximity to the source of the evil in the region. The Terrace itself is rather innocuous, but the dirty deeds and complicit leaders gathered there, as well as the close proximity to the Necromancer’s practices keep the place nearly always in a dark, stormy gloom.

The party will also run into a strange phenomenon outside of Stonehaven; the mysteriously mobile town of Black Cross. When the weather is pleasant, the town disappears and reappears about the same distance from Stonehaven in a new location. The source of this ‘darkness’ is left up to the party to discover.