Storm Keep

The Mountaineer Militia and Storm Keep

This elite group is based at Storm Keep, so named because the small lake north of the keep has a weather system all its own, lying as it does in a deep narrow valley. The mists and rain can sweep down from the hillsides very unpredictably.

The Mountaineer Militia has a force of 86 men in total, as follows:

• 40 “ordinary” militia (as per Cairn Hills garrisons) with minimum Con scores of 13, all with bow proficiency and suitable nonweapon proficiencies (Endurance, Mountaineering, etc.).
• 20 skymen-fighters of levels 3-7 who use griffons as mounts to spy out the lands. One of these skyriders is Rhuandyr Fallonis, a half-elven fighter/wizard (levels 6/6) who is rather overeager with the wand of fire he carries, if a suitable monstrous target can be found.
• 10 “stablers”: fighters and rangers who attend to the griffons, train them, keep them in good condition, and suchlike. Many of these men have singular secondary skills and talents such as Herbalism, Astronomy, and Weather Sense, so that this group is almost a set of irregulars unto themselves.
• 12 officers: sergeants and lieutenants of levels 4-9.

In addition, a 12th-level fighter, Carstane Geronten, commands the garrison. It also boasts a 9th-level priest of St Cuthbert, and two wizards-one an 8th-level mage, and the other a 7th-level specialist Diviner.

Camaraderie is high among this force, which has superb morale (16) and is very well paid.

The Mountaineers are well equipped, with single-use magical items such as potions of invisibility and invulnerability, and a ring of featherfalling available to pilots on flights. A posting to Storm Keep is much sought after by many militiamen.

Storm Keep boasts 12 mature adult griffons trained for flying, and four young that are currently being reared and trained. The remit of the griffon riders is to spy and map, to seek out uncontacted groups of demihumans and adventurers, and to identify powerful monsters (such as giants) that may present a threat to the area. The Mountaineer Militia does not go out looking for trouble, however.

The Mountaineers are always on the lookout for anyone living in the Abbor-Alz who might be friendly to Greyhawk, so that a treaty of protection in return for taxes can be established by an agent of the Directors of the Free City. So far, six gnomish groups and one dwarven clan, all within 30 miles of Storm Keep, have proven amenable to such approaches. When apreements spreadfurther afield, the Mountaineers may well have a second keep established to enable them to travel farther. Information from aerial spying is given to friendly groups. Foot patrols of 8-12 men also visit allies and give protection if the need arises.

Storm Keep itself is a stringhold that has been largely repaired from its state as a ruined and abandoned wizard's keep. The outer walls are now fully repaired, while work continues on internal buildings. Twelve dwarves oversee work on the site. It may not be the case that all the dungeons below it have been fully explored, however!

The Mountaineers also use Karistyne Castle as a stopover point for flights north to Fort Gellner; this location is described fully later.