Rise of the Runelords

The Lost Coast road winds its way lazily along the southern coast of the Varisian Gulf. It leads from the great city of Magnimar to the south, through beautiful grassy hills and farmland, up to the Fogscar mountains in the north. All along the road, there are inns for travelers, traditional varisian campsites, and small stone shrines to Desna, the goddess of wanderers.   About midway along the road, curled up between the low forested hills, is the cozy little town of Sandpoint. The peaceful little town started as a larger-than-average Varisian campsite in the shadow of the Old Light, an ancient and crumbling stone tower that still stands on the coast today. The people of the town live peaceful lives, as they are largely left alone by bandits and monsters. But the town is not unfamiliar with tragedy. Only five short years ago, a great fire broke out, burning down the town’s church, a number of other buildings, and taking with it the lives of the head priest and his daughter.   Today, on the Autumnal Equinox, Sandpoint celebrates its annual Swallowtail Festival. Merchants and travelers from all over the land visit on this day to sell their wares and take part in the festivities. This year’s festival is special, as the town’s newly constructed cathedral has finally been finished, and its ground is to be consecrated at the end of the day’s festivities. On such a joyous day, with the scars of the past healed at last, the people of Sandpoint hope to be able to finally put their past tragedies behind them.