Lords of RPG

A thin man, with dark hair and a sharp features approached Timm in Riverbend.  “Timm?  Of Survey Team 13…correct?”

Timm hesitated.  He had never seen this man before, and Timm was unsure why anyone would approach him in this way.  “Who’s asking?”

The thin man smiled in a disarming way.  “Sorry...very sorry.  My name is Jonas.  I work for Chief Surveyor Brower.  I bring a message.”

Timm thought it through.  How would the Chief Surveyor know where to find him?  “What’s the message.”

Jonas pulled a scroll case from here it was tucked into a pocket in his shirt.  “It is all in here.”  He handed the case to Timm.

Timm clutched the scroll case without opening it.  “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you know to find me here?”

Jonas let out a long breath.  “Well, it is not the first place I’ve looked!  I’ve been traveling here and there for a couple weeks.  You weren’t any of the other places I looked, so I thought I’d try Riverbend.  After all, your longest mission for the Surveyors took place right here.  It was sort of a long-shot.  But, here we are.”

Timm faked a smile.  “Yes, here we are.”

Jonus rubbed his hands together nervously.  “Um...well, if you could look the document over with the team, I’m supposed to take back word as to which mission you’ll be pursuing next.”  There was a pause.  “Um, meanwhile...I’m going to get a bath, a meal, and a drink, not necessarily in that order.  I passed a tavern called the Brass Lantern when I came into town.  I’ll be there when you have something for me to take back to the Chief Surveyor.”

Timm nodded, and Jonas took this as a sign to take his leave.  “Just let me know.”

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When Jonas was gone, Timm opened the case and read through the open cases that were available.  There was no personal note from the Chief Surveyor, though his signature and wax seal were present at the bottom of the parchment. 

Case 49-878-52
The Red Gate of Philoso

Recently upgraded from historical legend to a possible survey opportunity, the Red Gate of Philoso is a long standing myth in the northern reaches of Oth.  Perhaps the myth is based on reality?

Reports have come in from Fort Moss along the Northern Road.  Townspeople from the town of Nomville came to the Fort asking for assistance recently.  Several teens had been up to no good amid the ruins of a castle believed to have once belonged to the great mage Philoso.  They had been warned many times to stay out of the ruins, but teens being teens, they ignored the warnings.

Only 2 of 6 teens returned to the town, and the remaining four are either injured or dead within the ruins.  The townspeople, simple folk, and a superstitious lot, refuse to enter the ruins.  Adding to their apprehension, are the incoherent ramblings of the two surviving teens.  They report being attacked by monsters in the ruins, and that when they ran and hid, they came across a glowing red gate leading to another world.

The gate was reportedly in the basement of the ruins, and was round, with incomprehensible glowing red runes around its border.

The two surviving teens were separated from the four that are missing, and do not know their fate.  These two survivors have not been themselves since their return, and have been acting oddly.  This has only added to the fear among the townspeople.

The soldiers at Fort Moss decided this was a job for a survey team, and outside their mandate to protect the Northern Road from bandits.

Case 53-112-98
The Legendary Town of Shadowhaven

Most maintain that the legend of Shadowhaven is just that...a legend.  A myth.  A story told by thieves to other thieves about a safe place for all manner of rogues and criminals.  It is an old tale, and considered by most to be a fool’s dream, rather than a real place.

But, a thief known only by the moniker Blackheart Bill was caught red-handed in Bassot-Garmon a few months ago.  He was charged with a grand theft against one of the city's many temples.  The punishment was to be hanging.  But, he attempted to strike a deal.  He offered to give the location of Shadowhaven in return for his life.

The guards went to tell the warden of Blackheart’s offer, but when the returned, the thief was dead.  Murdered in his own cell.  A nondescript knife sticking out of his heart.  At the request of the Surveyors, all the known lore regarding the location of Shadowhaven was gathered, and a general location was identified in the north-eastern portion of Othamar where Shadowhaven is supposed to be located.

The goal is to locate Shadowhaven, find out who is in charge there, and then return to Bassot-Garmon.  From there, a contingent of Rangers of Oth and soldiers of Othamar will wipe out the town.  That is, if it exists.

Case 48-576-11
Castle of the Lord of Dreams

A shepherd in the eastern portion of Othamar, near the town of Hare’s Run, says that he stumbled across an ancient ruins up in the hills.  He took shelter with his flock in the ruins to escape a rather nasty storm.  The shepherd reports that while in the castle ruins, he was transported to the Dreamlands.

The scribe that took this report did a poor job of hiding his distrust of the shepherd’s judgement, to the point of adding a note at the bottom of the report that he believe the shepherd simply fell asleep and had a spectacular, though mundane, dream.

But, there are details identified in the story, that suggest at least the possibility that the shepherd stumbled across the legendary castle of the Lord of Dreams.  This lord was a powerful wizard with the power to travel the Dreamslands, enter people’s dreams, and influence the real world through this other-worldly realm.

The location of the ruins is given in some detail, but due to the scribe’s disbelief in the shepherd’s story, the case-file has sat dormant and without investigation for a number of years.

Is there something special about the castle ruins.  Can the Lord of Dreams be located?  Is this a portal to the Dreamlands?  These are the questions that must be answered.

Case 47-333-21
The Magic Mirror of Morlabund

In the town of Morlabund in the north, there is a mirror with quite a history.  No one is quite sure where the mirror came from.  But, as the story goes, it appeared in the town about 35 years ago.  The first owner was Sonny Neenan, a well-to-do business man who owned several well-producing mines.  It is said that 7 years after acquiring the mirror (no one is clear how where he obtained it), Sonny disappeared without a trace.

In the 28 years since Sonny’s disappearance, four more owners have disappeared on the seventh year of their ownership of the mirror.  One could excuse the second owner for not believing the mirror to be cursed, for he had no way of knowing he would also disappear without a trace.  One could even excuse the third owner for dismissing the “cursed mirror” narrative as superstition.  The fourth owner of the mirror was generally described as an idiot, but after him no one would claim the mirror and it fell into the possession of the town hall of Morlabund.  Seven years later, the mayor of Morlabund disappeared.  It is theorized that the mirror claimed the mayor as its defacto owner, since the town in general now owned the mirror.

The current mayor, Falco Braun reports to the Surveyors that all attempts to break the mirror have failed.  When they have tried to move or transport the mirror out of the town, it magically reappears back in the town’s hall.  Wisely, the current mayor requests that a Survey team be sent to investigate the cursed mirror, and remove the mirror or the curse at all costs.