Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Redbadge" data-source="post: 5968039" data-attributes="member: 61463">4 Neth 4709, Dawn (6:55:06)  Town of Kassen, Nirmathas    Introduction            It is late autumn, in the small town of Kassen, and the winter winds have already begun to blow. Dawn is beginning to break on the 4th of Neth, and this is a special day for this hamlet of lumberjacks and woodworkers. This is the day in 4535, over 170 years ago, that the founder of the town, Ekat Kassen, set out with his men to locate and destroy the camp of a group of relentless raiders. The raiders’ camp, located deep in the heart of the Southern Fangwood, was an ancient crypt later to be called the Crypt of the Everflame.           Though the villagers of Kassen were victorious, their beloved leader died during the battle at the crypt. Ekat Kassen was interred inside, alongside the other villagers and raiders that were slain. Today, the place serves as a memorial, with an eternal flame having been placed above Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.  [sblock=History of Kassen (DC 10 Knowledge (History))]Almost 200 years ago, when the land that was to become Nirmathas was still a vassal of the empire of Cheliax, the northern reaches of the Fangwood were a wild and untamed place. The crusades that laid low the Whispering Tyrant to the north were a distant memory, and those who remained were intent upon keeping the orcs of Belkzen and the remaining undead from Ustalav in check. As a result, the great forest was full of danger, from marauding orcs to deadly predators, making it unsafe for merchants hoping to trade with the growing community of Skelt in the foothills of the Mindspin Mountains to the west.      Ekat Kassen was a crusader and fortune seeker who came to serve Lastwall in the year 4515 AR. While he fought with distinction, he soon realized that he wanted more from life and left the Lastwall military to find his fortune elsewhere. His travels took him all over the region around Lake Encarthan, and he decided to settle down in 4522 after a very profitable adventure. Using a sizable portion of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the Fangwood on the banks of the Tourondel River, making it a natural stopover for those traveling up and down the river to Skelt. For the next 10 years, the town, which was then known as Kassen’s Hold, grew and prospered.        All that changed when Asar Vergas came to Kassen’s Hold with a host of mercenaries under his command. Asar was an old companion of Ekat, and the two had traveled together for some time before splitting up just after Ekat’s last adventure. Over the years, Asar became sure that Ekat had cheated him after that adventure. Promising great wealth to his mercenaries, Asar raided the town relentlessly for 2 months. Finally, the townsfolk managed to locate Asar’s camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest, and Ekat himself went out to deal with his old companion. The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Asar was slain and his mercenaries scattered, but Ekat suffered a mortal wound. He died 2 days later, on the 11th day of Neth, 4535. In honor of their beloved founder, the townsfolk buried Kassen in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place of honor, above the simple sarcophagi used to inter Asar, his mercenaries, and the townsfolk that lost their lives in the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above Kassen’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.[/sblock]  [OOC]Normally, you want to avoid reading spoilers such as these until after you’ve confirmed that you’ve succeeded on the required roll in a later post. If you fail the roll, but still choose to read the spoiler, remember that your character does not know the information unless someone later tells him about it. If your character is truly interested, she can ask another PC or NPC that knows about the history of the town. Note that normally Knowledge checks cannot be used untrained, but since this is a DC of 10 or less, anyone can attempt the check. Also, since you are each citizens of Kassen, you get a +2 bonus on your Knowledge (History) check.[/OOC]         Over the years, the Crypt of the Everflame has become an important part of the history of the town. The townsfolk view the crypt as a testament of those difficult first years of the town’s history. Every autumn, a few of the townsfolk make a pilgrimage to the crypt to light a lantern from the flame and bring it back to town, where it is preserved all winter, a symbol of the town’s resilience. Most years, the town mayor and a group of dignitaries perform this quest. Every few years, however, a handful of younger townsfolk are given the honor of lighting the lantern. Many see this as a passage into adulthood, a taste of adventure before settling down to work and marriage. The quest starts out as a solemn ceremony in town, where the townsfolk gather to wish the adventurers luck, just as it was when Kassen himself left to fight the raiders. When the adventurers return a few days later, the town holds a great celebration in their honor. This also marks the final harvest celebration before the long winter. Over the years, this ritual has grown more and more elaborate, and the town has prepared something special for this year.            It has been four years since the mayor last decided to send a group of young heroes to the crypt. This year, it is your turn to reclaim the fire from Kassen’s crypt, a quest you’ve been waiting for over the last several weeks. Your adventure will begin during a solemn ceremony in the town square, in which you will be sent out to retrieve the Everflame. The quest itself is a relatively simple one. You must travel to the tomb (about 40 miles south of town), venture inside, light the lantern, and return home. With the morning sun starting to peek in at the town, you’ll soon be able to begin your journey. The ceremony will begin at noon.</blockquote>

Verification