The party's home village was located in the foothills of the Ring Mountains, to the south of Dragon Lake. The Fish Kingdom fell some months ago, and since then, the village has been quickly depopulating. It is abundantly clear that there is no future for them there, and they must seek a new path.
They have received a letter from an old friend named Nweng who left some weeks ago. Unlike most, who headed towards the southern heartland and the capital city of Rock Town, she ventured into the hills, to a fortified settlement known as Bordland Keep. She says that life there is no picnic, but there is good to be done, and wealth & glory to be won for those bold enough to claim it. Enclosed in the letter is a simple map.
The party has been following the map for days. Through rain and sun they have ventured by foot. At last, as the sun sets over the western Ring Mountains, they catch sight of Bordland Keep, smoke rising from hearths obscured by a great wooden palisade. Just in time for dinner.
A ditch has been dug around the fort and a sturdy drawbridge leads to the gate. The gate is still open. Two guards stand upon the battlements, and another two stand upon the bridge. As the party approach, the latter two approach, spears in hand.
"Halt! State your business, strangers!" Fineas, whose demeanour is typical of his western heritage, removes his wide-brimmed hat and sweeps it across the floor as he bows. He states that he has received word from his friend, Nweng, who resides within, that Bordland Keep is in need of brave souls. The guards know the names of all that dwell within the keep, and are satisfied that these newcomers are friends with a citizen of good standing.
They are satisfied, but they bear ill news of their friend, who suffered injury during an altercation, and is bedridden. The guards escort the party into the keep. The keep's scribe takes their names and adds them to his ledger. They ask for the whereabouts of their friend. She is lodging at the inn.
The party arrive to the inn--The Golden Toad--and are greeted by an elderly woman named Jayarintung. Upon hearing the name of the party's friend, she escorts them to her. She is asleep and unresponsive, and it is agreed that it would be best to allow her to rest.
In the meantime, the party go downstairs and are treated to a boiled spider and breadfruit sticks. They scoop the meat out of the spider's carapce using the breadfruit. It goes down well after their arduous journey. The 'locals'--if they can be called that, for this is a fort rather than a village--are intrigued by the new arrival. They are quickly put off by Fineas' chattiness, which never goes down well in the south, and are fascinated by Nimbus' alien appearance.
It is Ryka who strikes up a conversation, and brings a jug of mead to another table. She asks what happened to Nweng. They had surmised, judging by the nature of her wounds, that she was attacked by wolves, which are particularly aggressive in these parts of late. They say, with hushed voices, that the attack took place during a rainstorm.
After a few drinks, Ryka extracts that the locals believe that anyone injured by a wolf can be tranformed into a werewolf, and that wolves are always to be feared when encountered under black clouds. Fineas is quick to dismiss this superstition, and Nimbus views the whole exchange with an aloof curiosity, while Brindar is deeply affected.
Tensions rise between the locals and Fineas, who has offended them, and the party decide that it is best if they all rest. The next day, they eat a breakfast of rice and tea. The fort is teeming with soldiers, civilians and adventurers. A party, dressed in fine clothes and shining metal armour, rides in on bridlebirds. As they trot through the crowds, the party jog after them to hear what they have to say.
The adventurers clearly consider the party to be beneath their station, but deign to give them a tip. They should follow the path that leads east and north. There, they will find a valley inhabited by troglodytes and other monsters besides. They also warn them to beware of the hermit, for he is quite mad. A gate which leads to the upper part of the fortress is opened, and they trot in. The party have found their goal: to explore that valley and attain the prestige required to enter the inner keep.
After some more research, the party calculate that the path is around 40mi to the caves. In good weather, that's a 2-day journey. They stock up on food to make sure they are well-fed on their journey. Then, on a fine, sunny morning, they set off into the mountains. The journey is fine and uneventful. They travel 40mi and consume 8 rations. Next time, the party will encounter the first of the Caves of Chaos.
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