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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Daztur" data-source="post: 5845232" data-attributes="member: 55680">Sanglorian: that is simply beautiful, let me add a little bit to it...The map and compilation have been updated. We now stand at nearly 19k words and Cragsend is now connected in some way with ten other hexes. I think that's our record, that sort of dense web of connections between various hexes (along with the weird and melancholic slant) really makes this setting stand out from other hex crawls I've seen. We've made a great start, I hope that this keeps on expanding and getting denser and denser for a good long time to come. In another month or so I'm going to hack the map up into regions. Perhaps along the lines of:-The Bitter Coast (west).-The Westmarches (the area between KFE and the dwarven monastery).-The Freeholds (the area between KFE and the Kingswood and the area SW of the Kingswood).-The Kingswood.-Any other region that gets fleshed out between now and then.-Miscellaneous areas.-Plus a quick entry for history, theology and cosmology.The Last Ride of the Wild HuntThe night the storm giantess fell was the last ride of the Wild Hunt. In the centuries that followed the Unseelie Court was not heard from again, neither their haunting music or the sounds of their hunting horns. All that remains of them are motes of purplish light that emerge from the trees after the sun falls away to the west. Since then, humans have begun to encroach upon the Kingswood at night, knowing that the Bloodied King remains bound by the treaty signed with the Prince of Men and would not bring forth the hosts of the Seelie Court from their Holt except for when the sun is in the sky. Some men grew too bold, like the Verlimes, and were struck down but other men encroach nightly into the forest of the elves.Hook: what happened to the Unseelie Court?Olmsted KeepHex 31.04Note: most of this post comes from a post by "drek."All of the keeps of the land of the night cattle are well away from the woods, except the one inhabited by Lord Olmsted and his daughters. Any trade or communication with the elves of the Kingswood must go through the half-elven Lord Olmsted, who is said to be a great-great-grandson of the Bloodied King himself -- though almost all requests are denied without any recourse.The destination of many of the caravans traveling the Welt Road, Olmsted Keep is a somber, squat fortification sitting at the very edge of Kingswood. It is divided into three parts -- the outer walls, the market yard, and the Olmsted manor.The outer walls are sparsely defended by (confirmed) half-elven archers, as well as strong wards against magical attack that are renewed daily by the resident wizard Sala Olmsted.The market yard is covered with layers of leather tarps, to blotch out sunlight, and managed by an metal-masked unseelie elf who refers to herself as "Faceless." Others more commonly refer to her as "the Drow." The Drow manages not just the yard, but trade between the lands of men and the elves of the Kingswood Court. It's hard to miss the iron shackles binding her feet, but it's a certainty that anyone who mentions them or stares too long are denied the right to trade.The elven Court, through the Drow, barter for cows, leathers, finished metal goods, well crafted jewelry (dwarven make is a favorite), as well as any unique treasures. In exchange they offer fae-wines, rare herbs with potent medicinal/arcane qualities, the mostly finely crafted bows and arrows, and charms. Most of the charms are simple contracts protecting the bearer from faerie mischief for a year's time, but a few have more potent effects. Or at least they are touted as having more potent effects. Buyers beware when dealing with elf-goods.Olmsted Manor is the fairly posh living quarters of the current Lord of the Keep, a half-elf who has seen three generations of men -- Lord Zeem Olmsted. To become an member of Olmsted's clan or retainers, a half-elf must journey under elf-sold license and protection to the Mirror Lake, and stare into it's waters. If the petitioner is truly in equal parts both elf and man, the still waters of the Mirror Lake will bear no reflection. In this rare case, the Court declares the petitioner an Olmsted, and brands him or her with a moonsilver tattoo. He is now Olmsted and a resident of the manor.Those who are less than pure are killed on the spot or taken away for mysterious purposes. It's therefore rare for a half-elf outside of sons and daughters of the Keep to even make the attempt.Hook:-Why does Nara Olmsted live so far from her family's domain (she's the lieutenant of a small mercenary crew commanded by the bastard son of the lord of Cragsend)?-What's the deal with the Faceless?</blockquote>

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