[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - The Trade Outpost, Part I

As the "home base" of the wilderness exploration arc and the seed of their later colony, the Trade Outpost - officially "Nardhome Company Outpost #5", though commonly known as "The Hole" - requires extra detail. At this stage, it is also very much a work in progress, and ideas for fleshing it out are highly welcome - I need "complete" this location by the 18th of January, when our campaign starts.

The Trade Outpost is built on the site of an Old Native settlement at the mouth of the river. As this settlement was already at the coast, it was simply reoccupied by the Coastal Tribes when they returned from the ocean, though at much diminuished numbers. For a while, Green Seal Village was the largest and most prosperous of the Coastal Tribe settlements in this part of the Cold Frontier, although their prosperity and better access to the northern plains meant that they had to deal with frequent raids by Inland Tribe raiders, leading to a series of fortifications and lookouts along the river. Several generations ago, most of the villagers were killed by entitites coming out of the oceans. The survivors' tales that circulate among the other villages are contradictory, but currently I am envisioning something like the story The Horror At Martin's Beach by H.P. Lovecraft. As a result, the Coastal Tribes were unwilling to resettle the area, leaving this prime real estate open to the construction of the Trade Depot by the Far Shores Trading Company.

A number of NPCs live in the outpost itself, in addition to the prospectors, trappers, and native visitors who frequently visit. The following is an incomplete list, and suggestions for further NPCs will be greatly appreciated.

• Factor Richard Byrne (male, human, middle aged): The official leader of the Trade Outpost drinks himself into a stupor regularly because he resents having been sent to this post in the middle of nowhere. In fact, he is drunk when the PCs arrive, stumbling around the pier when they get off the ship and likely vomiting on the first character to confront him. He has a wife and three children back home in Dartmouth who refused to follow him to Nardhome and he frequently writes letters to headquarters in which he begs to be recalled. Whenever he is drunk he makes frequent allusions to various "scandals" which allegedly triggered his transferral to this outpost, but his stories will vary and he will refuse to comment on them when sober.
• Madug Kobrog (male, hobgoblin, mid-twenties): The bouncer of the pub, doubling as guard and general laborer. He had to leave the Flannish Cities in a hurry due to some "misunderstanding". He misses genuine goblin food, the kind that you can only get back home.
• Gorog Khordukr (dwarf, male, middle-aged): Raised as a member of the lowly farmer caste in the dwarven realm of Gol Grungor, he escaped by boat to the Flannish Cities to search for a better life. He has worked odd jobs ever since, and he never discusses his past. Eventually, he ended up in Nardhome, where he works as a cook (ask for his "house specials"...) and general repairman at the Trade Outpost. He has a side business of distilling whiskey... made from special dwarven mushrooms which he grows in an abandoned kiva in the ruins outside the Outpost. He his deeply paranoid about his mushrooms and his distilling process, believing others want to steal his recipes, and keeps both his distillery and the kiva under lock. The spirits of the kiva are talking to him in his dreams, but as he doesn't speak the native language Inquat he doesn't understand them.
• Tessa (human, female, late twenties): One of the two prostitutes working the inn. She grew up on a farm in the Dartmouth Protectorate, but her parents died while she was still young and the farm was taken over by a rich plantation owner, leaving her destitute. She left for Dartmouth and drifted into a life of prostitution. There she befriended a young man who dreamed of making his fortune as a gold digger in Nardhome, and used her meager savings to get the two of them there - but he vanished into the wilderness before striking it rich, so she returned to prostitution to make ends meet. She found that she actually makes decent money here (prospectors and trappers tend to spend a lot after a long time in the wilderness) and plans to save up until she can buy a small farm - which might be in the new Colony, once it gets established. She also maintains a small herb garden as a source of side income.
• Jacob Krol (human, male, middle aged): An immigrant from Torburg, Jacob is also secretly a cannibal who preyed on the poor and destitute of his city. Eventually he felt that staying in Torburg would be too risky, and somehow he felt drawn to Nardhome and moved there. Upon arrival, he quickly came across the Wendigo cult and was inducted as a member. He regularly partakes in their rites at the cult site to the west of the Trade Outpost, disgusing his absences as one of his frequent hunting trips, and he spies on all the coming and goings at the outpost, informing his fellow cult members via minor magics on which lone trappers and prospectors they might prey upon. His presence is what triggers the first major event of the campaign - one of his victims reanimates as a zuvembie and sends its undead minions to attack the outpost. If Jacob survives the assault, he will become a recurring villain. Until then, he plays the role of the affable, simple-minded hunter and laborer to the hilt. He is also in charge of preparing all the furs for export.

I'm also trying to figure out all the individual locations of the Trade Outpost. Again, this is an incomplete list and any help with fleshing out the details would be greatly appreciated.

The main building:

• Entrance hall: There is a "notice wall" to which people can glue their own notes (the outpost charges 1 silver for each notice, paper included). Many are on the lines of "You owe me money, you bastard!", "Have you seen XY?", "Tessa, I love you! Marry me!" and so forth, but others should be genuine adventure seeds. I could use some suggestions here - ideally I want to present the notice wall as a printed handout.
• Pub: There is a wall with the stuffed heads of various animals the hunters brought in, the strangest-looking being probably that of a snallygaster. There are also all sorts of carved figurines and other wood carvings tucked into the various corners of the pub - the prospectors and trappers who stay during the long winter frequently take up carving as a hobby. Finally, there are three chess sets lying around - one of which was manufactured by professionals back in the Flannish Cities, but two are hand-made. All three have seen heavy use - again, something the trappers and prospectors occupy themselves with during the evenings.
• The Factor's office, filled with a lot of paperwork. There is also a safe which contains money (partially in the form of bank notes), gold nuggets, and particularly sensitive papers. Only the Factor has the keys to the office and knows the combination.
• Several guest rooms upstairs, as well as living rooms and the two rooms used by the prostitutes.
• Supply store run by the Factor which also takes in furs and finds of precious metals. Behind it is a warehouse storing the furs as well as other supplies sold here. The Factor, Madug, and Jacob all have keys.

Outside:

• A distillery shed run by Gorog, who has the only key and won't let anyone in.
• An outhouse, where the Weirdness Magnet will first encounter the Mothman (after having just used it).
• A stable, for prospectors' ponies, as well as the goats and pigs kept by the Outpost.
• A guard tower, used for spotting approaching enemies as well as sniping at them. Only staffed when danger is suspected - there just aren't enough people here, normally.
• Wooden palisades surrounding the compound.
• Gorog's mushroom kiva - outside of the actual compound, and secured by a newly installed, padlocked door.
• Tessa's herb garden.

Any other suggestions?

Continued in Part II. Note: A full list of Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - The Stone Pillar and Drake Graveyard

The Inland Tribes have a custom of carrying "luck stones" which are supposed to absorb some of the bad luck of the wearers. These are then added to the numerous small, artificial stone pillars dotting the landscape, as adding them "earthes" the bad luck safely and confines it to the pillar. However, accidentally or deliberately toppling such a pillar of stones causes all the accumulated bad luck to transfer to the person who caused the collapse. The biggest stone pillar of them all, which has probably existed for more than a hundred years, stands in the plains north of the Coastal Mountains, and adding a stone to it is considered especially lucky... but no one wants to be the person causing its collapse, and it has begun to sway in strong winds as of late.

The rivers and the canyon lands are home to large numbers of drakes. Many of them die of violence, but those who feel old age approaching fly one last time to a remote valley in the northern forests where they land and wait for death. As a result, numerous drake skeletons are scattered across the valley, which might be worth a lot to the right collector.

Note: A list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - Stone Totem Valley

Upriver, where the plains end and the canyon lands begin, there is a series of enormous stone totems 4-6 yards in height on both sides of the river. These were erected by the Old Native civilization and include many inland animals which are no longer commonly venerated by the Coastal Tribes. Several kivas are located in the cliff sides and are commonly used by aspiring shamans for vision quests and all tribes for communicating with the totem spirits, though these days members of the Inland Tribes visit more frequently.

If the PCs want to use the kivas and fast and meditate for them, they will work for them and the spirits will contact them - which may lead to initiation as shamans or totem warriors if the spirits find favor in their personality, though for that they must be willing to be true protectors of the land and its people.

It is possible and even likely to find tribals and even a shaman or two here. What's more, the Stone Totem Valley serves as neutral ground to the tribes - no violence may be done here, upon pain of curses by the totems.

Note: A list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - Jellyfish Bay and Owl Mountain

The bay leading to the Trade Outpost is frequently lit with fluorescent patches that move with the waves, ranging in color form green to yellow to orange. If the water is examined closely, this will turn out to be the work of innumerable tiny jellyfish which are attracted to the runoff from the river (in particular, all the magical nutrients from First City artifacts). These jellyfish are harmless, though they in turn attract numerous fish, which in turn will attract larger predators, and from time to time an observer might spot creatures like cecaelia in the depths. Whales are likewise common in the bay, feeding on the abundant krill.

To the east there is a mountain notable for its unusually high population of owls, whose hoots will likely keep explorers awake at night. Many of these owls specialize in preying on the fish of the nearby bay. Its most prominent resident is a giant owl, who is very knowledgeable about many events of the Cold Frontier, but unless the explorers have some way of understanding beast speech, there is little it will be able to tell them. Many of the local shamans do not have this problem, however, and frequently consult with the owl. When not hunting, it rests on top of a small rock spire. The area surrounding the rock is littered with seal bones (its primary prey). It will observe those who approach it quizzically, but otherwise wait for them to make the first move.


Note: A list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - The Crystal Mountain

A mountain close to the coast used to house one of the main defensive fortresses of the mothmen when they colonized the continent. Unfortunately, their enemies learned of the fortress' location deep inside the mountain, and used one of their most powerful weapons to destroy it and everyone inside of it. The hypergeometric shockwaves of the weapon hit the side of the mountain, causing parts of the rock to liquefy in geometric patterns and turn into a multitude of small crystals. The side of the mountain where the weapon struck is still largely denuded of vegetation even today, and careful examination will detect both the crystals and the fact that they emit a slight hum when struck with a hard object. Analysis by a competent thaumaturge will verify that these can be used as components for any sonic-based ritual magic or enchantments. While this is not necessarily the most popular field of magics, the sheer quantity of the crystals and the ease of their extraction will ensure that a mine at this location will be very profitable indeed.

Eventually, the miners will stumble across the hidden fortress. The mothmen and pretty much everything else inside were shredded by the weapon (though other monsters may have crept into the fortress from the local Underdark). However, careful examination of the ruins will discover a strange metallic cylinder 4 feet in length and one foot in diameter in what used to be the armory. Pressing the top and then twisting it will cause Aklo symbols to appear on it. These will turn out to be numbers, and the numbers will be lower the longer the cylinder was twisted. If the explorers do not twist and pull the top of the cylinder back, the numbers will count down to One and then release a swarm of self-replicating metallic insects which will devour any metal and anything organic within a radius of five miles. Extreme haste in evacuating the area is recommended.


Note: A complete list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Locations of the Cold Frontier - The Parliament of Animals

The First City colonists were masters at the magical manipulation of life, and they conducted many bizarre experiments. In this forest region where the Coastal Mountains transit into plains they had a research lab where they manufactured a magical artifact which continually extrudes a milky substance. If an impregnated mammal, bird, or reptile drinks from that milk, her offspring will have enlarged craniums, human intelligence, and extended lifespans (though still shorter than those of humans). After the First City colony collapsed, the lab was abandoned, but the artifact remained. Wildlife began to drink from the milk and their offspring eventually figured out the cause for their intelligence, eventually developing societies of intelligent animals which sometimes cooperated and sometimes fought for access to the artifact. Each species developed its own speech, and while most of them were incapable of speaking the language of other animals, they were able to learn them.

The Old Native civilization came across these animals, and eventually established peaceful contact and trade with them, ceding them the forest surrounding the lab in perpetuity. They also bound a powerful spirit to the site which was charged with protecting the artifact and the animals from harm - and unlike most other guardian spirits left behind by that civilization, this one has not become insane due to the veneration of the animals.

The society of the animals has now largely been stabilized, thanks in part to the influence of the spirit. No creatures which primarily prey upon other mammals or birds are tolerated other than avians, who must promise to hunt elsewhere - so no wolves or wolverines are represented here, and such animals are quickly chased away as soon as they enter this forest. Omnivores are tolerated, as long as they hunt mammals elsewhere and restrict themselves to plants or insects within the forest.

When the animals need to discuss matters relevant to all of them, one old and wise member of each species (often a powerful druid) goes to the lab to represent its people. This "Elder Council" also maintains contact with several human shamans in the surrounding areas, who use their influence to keep other people away - usually warning the various tribals that this forest is inhabited by powerful and vengeful animal spirits who will take offense at intrusions.

The PCs will likely learn that something is amiss when several mice stage a carefully coordinated raid on the supplies of the Weirdness Magnet.

Note: A complete list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier - The Coastal Forests

The coast of the Cold Frontier is mountainous and covered by dense forests. Compared to the rest of the region, it is fairly warm and humid. It is also the domain of the Coastal Tribe civilization. As the Trade Outpost the PCs start the campaign at is located in this area, the PCs will likely start to explore this region first.

Based on my earlier notes, the following encounters seem appropriate for this region. While I am not using the Pathfinder rules for this campaign, I will nevertheless add Pathfinder Challenge Ratings (and levels, where appropriate) to the entries to give a rough comparison of power. As the "starting area" of the campaign, the Challenge Ratings should be fairly low. The precise encounter will be determined by 1d100:

• 1-6: A lone Coastal Tribe hunter. Roll d6: On a 1-3 the hunter is a warrior 1/expert 1 (CR 1/2), on a 4-5 a warrior 2/expert 1, and on a 6 the hunter is a ranger 3 (CR 2). There is a 50% chance that the hunter is curious and approach them to see what they are doing, while the rest of the time the hunter will be wary and attempt to stay out of sight. 25% chance of being female, otherwise male.
• 7-10: A Coastal Tribe hunting band, consisting of 1 ranger 3 and 1d4 warrior 1/expert 1 (CR 3). Each member will have a 25% chance of being female, otherwise male.
• 11-12: A Coastal Tribe Eagle Scout (ranger 3) sitting on a giant eagle circles overhead, observing the explorers. If the explorers give some sort of signals or if there is a fight, there is a 50% chance that they will swoop down and investigate (CR 4).
• 13-14: A lone shaman gathering herbs and other supplies. Roll 1d20: 1-5 adept, 6-8 sorcerer, 9-11  oracle, 12-14 druid, 15-17 summoner, 18-19 witch, 20 wizard. Level is 1d6. 50% chance of being either male or female.
• 15-16: A Coastal Tribe Skinwalker shadows the explorers for a time to divine their intentions. There is a 50% chance that the Skinwalker will do so in either animal or human form. The Skinwalker will avoid revealing shapeshifting abilities unless there is no other choice. The Skinwalker is a ranger 4, with the type being determined by a roll of 1d6: 1-2 werewolf, 3-4 werebear, 5-6 werebat. 25% chance of being female.
• 17-19: A lone Flannish trapper (warrior 1/expert 1, CR 1/2) who will approach the PCs and ask for the latest news. 10% chance of being female.
• 20-21: A lone Flannish prospector (warrior 1/expert 1, CR 1/2) with a pack mule. 20% chance that he will return from a successful gold or silver find and be wary of strangers whom he fears will steal. 10% chance of being female.
• 22-28: Bear. 50% chance of either black bear (CR 3) or a grizzly (CR 5). There is a 25% chance of it being a female with 1-3 cubs, which will attempt to flee instead of fight but make the mother's disposition worse. 
• 29-32: Bat Swarm (CR 2). There is a 20% chance that the PCs have disturbed them somehow (such as making camp in front of their lair) and that they will be aggressive. Otherwise they will swarm around the PCs but not attack.
• 33-34: Dire Bat (CR 2). This bat will attack a lone scout or a single person standing guard, but not if two or more humans are up and active.
• 35-40: Wolf. 50% chance of either a lone wolf which will not attack unless it finds a lone and injured or small straggler (CR 1), or an entire wolf pack with 2d6 members (CR 3 for 2 wolves, CR 4 for 3 wolves, CR 5 for 4-5 wolves, CR 6 for 6-7 wolves, CR 7 for 8-11 wolves, and CR 8 for 12 wolves). They will use intelligent wolf pack tactics, but they can be driven off through sufficient displays of magical prowess.
• 41-42: Dire badger. Will attempt to threaten intruders away before attacking unless startled, in which case it will attack immediately. 4 in 6 chance of lone individual (CR 2), otherwise small clan of 1d4+1 individuals (CR 4 for 2, CR 5 for 3, CR 6 for 4-5 dire badgers).
• 43-46: The explorers will come across a skunk (CR 1/4), with a 20% chance of it being a dire skunk (CR 3). It will refuse to back away and hiss, but not attack unless the explorers refuse to back away. Note that the explorers have likely never seen a skunk before.
• 47-50: 1d6 dire weasels will fiercely defend their territory against intruders. CR 1for 1 dire weasel, CR 3 for 2, CR 4 for 3, CR 5 for 4-5, and CR 6 for 6 dire weasels.
• 51-55: A wolverine will attack to defend its territory (CR 2). 20% chance of a dire wolverine (CR 4).
• 56-60: An owlbear attacks (CR 4). 25% chance of a mated pair (CR 5).
• 61-64: A sasquatch passes nearby (CR 2). The PCs might never catch a glimpse, but they might hear its howls, knocks, or footprints.
• 65-68: A lone decapus (CR4) either attempts to ambush lone stragglers from above or lure the explorers into a ravine with the aid of its illusions and mimicry.
• 69-70: If the PCs are inattentive, one of them will be attacked by either a lone gryph (50% chance, CR 1) or a flock of 2d4 of the creatures (CR 3 for 2 gryphs, CR 4 for 3 gryphs, CR 5 for 4-5 gryphs, CR 6 for 6-7 gryphs, or CR 7 for 8 gryphs). In each case the creatures will fly away to their fetid and overgrown lair after they have deposited their eggs into the explorers' bodies. 
• 71-74: One of the PCs will step on a slime mold (CR 2) unless succeeding on a perception check. If avoided, the mold will still attack anyone nearby.
• 75: A tendriculos (CR 6) ambushes the PCs.
• 76-79: A snallygaster stalk the explorers (CR 3). Will prefer to ambush lone individuals unless it smells alcohol, in which case it will go berserk. 50% chance of mated pair (CR 5).
• 80-81: A skulk (CR 1) will shadow the PCs and attempt to steal whatever it can from their equipment. It won't hesitate to murder any PCs in their sleep, but it also won't engage in any unnecessary risks to do so.. 20% of a small gang of 2d4 individuals (CR 3 for 2 skulks, CR 4 for 3 skulks, CR 5 for 4-5 skulks, CR 6 for 6-7 skulks, or CR 7 for 8 skulks).
• 82-85: A mothman (CR 6) will stare at one of the PCs and then vanish.
• 86: A faceless stalker (CR 4) attempts to befriend the party by posing as a native hunter and then luring lone PCs away to drink their blood and steal their skin.
• 87: A lone chaneque attempts to ambush a lone explorer (CR 1). If their soul is stolen, native shamans might be able to help with finding it.
• 88-92: 2d4 fey creatures are frolicking in a meadow. Their base mood towards the explorers will be either shy or playful (50% chance of each). Roll 1d6 for the base type of fey creature: 1 for mice (treat as rats, CR 1/2), 2 for fox (CR 1/2), 3 for racoons (CR 1), 4 for toads (CR 1/6), 5 for weasels (CR 1), and 6 for squirrels (CR 1/6). Adjust the CR for the number of creatures. There is a 20% chance that they will fight a conflict for territory with another fey creature. If the PCs speak Sylvan, they may be asked to mediate.
• 93-95: Twigjacks attempt to sabotage the explorers' equipment. 70% chance of a lone twigjack (CR 3),  otherwise a group of 2d4 individuals (CR 5 for 2 twigjacks, CR 6 for 3 twigjacks, CR 7 for 4-5 twigjacks, CR 8 for 6-7 twigjacks, or CR 9 for 8 twigjacks).
• 96-97: A group of 2d4 leaf leshys protects a small region of the forest containing a multitude of useful herbs and berries created by a local shaman. Anyone just passing through will be observed, but anyone attempting to pick the herbs will be harassed until they leave. CR 1 for 2 leshys, CR 2 for 3 leshys, CR 3 for 4-5 leshys, CR 4 for 6-7 leshys, or CR 5 for 8 leshys.
• 98-100: Special encounters.

 "Special encounters" includes creatures that only exist once in the region, as well as unique NPCs the explorers have encountered before. If the explorers defeat those particular creatures, they won't show up again. Examples (roll 1d4 to determine which one);

• 1: A solitary wyvern (CR 6) swoops down and attacks a party member. Only one wyvern lives in this mountain range.
• 2: A sudden thunderstorm occurs, and a thunderbird (CR 11) can be seen soaring in the clouds. Only one thunderbird lives in this mountain range.
• 3: A Worm That Walks (sorcerer 9, CR 10) observes spellcasting explorers for a while. If discovered, it buries into the ground and escapes rather than attacking. Only one Worm That Walks lives in the region - a native shaman who discovered this unnatural method for prolonging his life.
• 4: A pukwudgie is in search of more lone victims to add to its undead retinue (CR 7). There is only one pukwudgie living in this area. There is only one pukwudgie living in the region, but the tribes have fearful legends of the creature.

Note: A list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.