Prospit Trima
Brother Prospit Trima
Current Location
The Approach
Species
Year of Birth
99 YS
18 Years old
Children
Aligned Organization
A Letter to Sister Raenira
59th of Autumn, 117YS
To Sister Raenira,
by way of The Shield in Heraldsport,
I have received news related to your visit to Dyramar in mid-Summer. I cannot recall if we related this detail, but during our visit to the robing chamber, we found a signet ring with a hunting fox crest in the pocket of a robe. (Sketch in margin.) At the time, this meant nothing to us, but an acquaintance has written me that this is the crest of the Ilvasser family of Northweyr, sworn to High Lord Honera. While I trust his word without hesitation, his letter spent many weeks unattended in a tavern owner's neglected desk and shows signs of opening. So the words of the letter may not reflect the words of the man, and the ownership of the crest should be verified.
Possibly unrelated, I would also draw attention to any patrons of agents known as Novia The Keen, and Kurta The Blunt. If they are known to you, I would appreciate learning who set their directives this Summer. If it was the Ilvassers or a close ally, I have significantly more to relate. But the world is large, and the sharp and the dull may have nothing to do with our mutual concern.
As the weather will soon be a hindrance to venturing into hostile territory, I believe I can offer you some faces never seen in Northweyr, if they would be useful as hands and eyes to help sort the good grain from the moldy chaff.
Yours in faith,
Brother Prospit Trima
Keep Dyramar
59th of Autumn, 117YS
A Letter to Aeda Virenni
52nd Autumn, 117YS
For the Scholar Aeda Virenni,
I hope your return to the College of Ages was safe, interesting and free from unwanted complications. Since you left our band, we have had a couple of adventures which touch on historical lore, so I thought to write you on these matters.
We came to the NW shores of Dain Lake, with some thought to recruiting settlers for the Northern Approach among our other activities. I grew up in Stoneswale, considerably south of this area, and was sent to Heraldsport as a boy, so did not realize how sparsely populated and exposed it is here. We smirked to hear the locals describe their region as the wild frontier, but in fact it is, and the Northern Approach is truly no-man's land. We were asked to look into raids on a major road running south from Dormir, and quickly found bands of kobolds operating well within the territory held by Keep Macairna. These were issuing literally from a hole in the ground in the Lornish Hills, with a cavern complex adjoining a navigable underground river. With the generous assistance of the Keep (although their seneschal is a tight man with a penny) we were trained and equipped for an expedition up this waterway. The journey was not without incident -- I enclose details of several creatures we encountered and my best map of locations separately -- but I digress. The first point of historical interest was a stone complex built at a juncture of the underground river. It was in poor repair, but apparently was constructed there, not buried as part of the great Collapse. Grimbould does not believe it was dwarven in origin, but we could find no carvings or remaining insignia to suggest the builders. I got a faint impression it might have been a temple complex, but cannot say who worshiped, or was worshiped, there. Proceeding further up the river, we found a landing (much of the river being bankless but having iron rings driven into the walls at intervals, obviously for the benefit of travelers like us) which let into an underground level of what proved to be a small tower. We encountered a mixed force of kobolds and gnolls and surely a Divine hand sheltered us, as the kobolds had a shaman or somewhat similar with a spell prepared. If he had caught us before we caught him -- in the very first exchange -- it could have gone very badly for us. Ascending to ground level, we encountered more gnolls with animal auxiliaries. Much to my astonishment, the gnolls asked to withdraw in good order. As we were nigh exhausted from the fight below, we did not press another fight above ground. In comparison to the orcs we've encountered, I found this brief interaction with the gnolls disturbing. Orcs are savage, but undisciplined and impulsive. I would rather fight them than a more thoughtful or cunning adversary. But I go astray once more. We had emerged from underground into an antique outpost, apparently of human construction, with remains of two short towers and a fence-like barricade around it. This is outside the territory of Keep Macairna, but not so far from it. I make it about 10 leagues west of the Northstrand watchtower. We have reported all this to the Keep, and made sure they understand the significance of a well-travelled covert route from outside the patrolled territories into the heart of the "safe" area.
Having chased off the kobolds and gnolls (for now), we were contacted in Dormir by an agent looking for experienced wilderness escort for a destination north of Keep Macairna. I will have more to say about the agent later on, but we were led a considerable distance into the true wilderness (see attached maps). There was disturbing sign of large movements of subhumans, and circling flocks (no doubt of leathery winged avians) around not-sufficiently-distant mountain peaks. I felt as if I were back in the very young novice's dormitory listening to Sister Gilda's tales of terror petrifying her listeners. But without comforting blankets to hide behind. Aside from a run-in with giant spiders (in this region, it seems best to stay in open ground, and avoid wooded areas), we reached our destination safely. Here I will return to material of possible historical interest. In a sparsely wooded glen we found a paved pavilion, not out of place as a rich man's garden patio, with a large ornate seal worked into the pavement. Our employers, using notes given them by their patron, activated the obviously magical seal and opened a shaft into a multi-level tomb. We were told they sought a plaque of some sort on behalf of their patron. There were three levels connected by the shaft, which was effectively unclimbable. Using the ropes we came equipped with, and locally harvested trees, we improvised means to descend to each level in succession. We quickly learned that the tomb held members of the Thaehrun family. The third level contained the plaque, which we were urgently urged not to manipulate until certain names were gathered elsewhere in the tomb. There were several sarcophagi on this level, none of which we attempted to open, but the names of these dead did not seem to be the crucial ones. On the floor of the third level, below the shaft, there was another seal, and it will not surprise you that it also needed magical activation before we could descend to the fourth and final level to gather the needed names.
Before proceeding, I should say that this tomb, like the others we have encountered, had a definite abundance of undead guardians, many of which emerged from the walls. As the walls were decorated with bones, there was a persistent feeling that something might lunge out of the wall at any moment. Equally disturbing, these guardians seemed to be constructed from bones of many sorts of creatures. They were not natural skeletons or zombies, if any one can apply that term to an unnaturally motivated creature of death. There were also -- dare I say -- whimsical things, like a horde or swarm of small undead snakes. So when we entered the final level, it did not come as a complete surprise to be met with a final guardian. One of us described it as an "eldritch insectile abomination", which is entire accurate and woefully inadequate. It was obviously a construct, rather than any sort of reanimated corpse, and very, very annoyed with our disruption of its slumber. Edlin once again displayed his penchant for melee-range combat magics, and Grimbould did his usual alarmingly effective axe routine, and we dispatched the monstrosity to find ourselves in a chamber with six statuary columns and six tombs with grander sarcophagi for lords and ladies of the family, and a final sarcophagus in a surprisingly obscure chamber for the founder of the line, Damishad Thaehrun the Sylfbane. I have attached on a separate sheet the inscriptions on the columns and the sarcophagi, but the names seem to be 1st Lord Damishad, 2nd Lady Tae'mor, 3rd Lord Baradal, 4th Lord Elias Nare, Lady Ethiala, unknown, unknown firstborn. The inscription on Damishad's tomb is partially defaced, removing one or more of his titles, while the statue and plaque identifying the occupant in the tomb to the north have been deliberately obliterated.
I know nothing of this family, but find some of the circumstances mysterious. From the various inscriptions, the family arrived as conquerors and drove out or oppressed the elven prior inhabitants. It is understandable that such a family would produce many locals with a grievance. But only select inscriptions were defaced, and the tomb was thoroughly sealed when we arrived. This selectivity suggests a motive more specific than long-standing rage against an oppressor. Or perhaps even an internal family struggle of some sort. Also, the final guardian was free to roam the final level when we arrived, which would have worried me if I were the one with hammer and chisel in hand, defacing a family tomb.
All of the foregoing and the accompanying maps and descriptions I would have sent you regardless, and perhaps this is all old news to the scholars of the College of Ages, but I have a favor to ask in return. Actually, two favors. First, what is known of the family Thaehrun, and in particular were they affiliated with the worship of the Elderwraths, or with the worst of the Vices? Second, for whom were Novia the Keen and Kirda the Blunt, our guides and employers, working? Do they have a consistent patron? Can you put out a discrete word through the bardic fellowship to see where they might be? Here is an explanation, and a confession. In our enthusiasm of exploration (and celebration of surviving the final guardian), we let Novia and Kirda out of sight. They then retreated to the upper levels, leaving us stranded in the lowest level, to manipulate the plaque, seize whatever they were sent to retrieve by their patron, and leave. Their parting message was "No offense, but we don't want any interference. It's just business." Through brute force, stacking of massive tomb doors, a discarded rope and Alleas' fortuitous choice of a grappling hook, we were able to escape the bottom level of the tomb, but were so exhausted that regaining the surface might have required a 2nd day without the intervention of an unexpected ally (more on that in a later letter, I promise). We are now on the surface again, but I am concerned -- very much concerned -- that Novia and Kirda have retrieved some artifact of chaos or necromancy that does not belong in the hands of their patron. I mentioned the exploitative and whimsical necromancy which pervades this tomb. I do not want to see such things on the streets of Heraldsport, or anywhere else. They will arrive back in settled lands several days ahead of us, even if our remaining business here goes quickly, and I am sure my letter will not reach you for weeks after we return to Dormir or Keep Macairna. But we don't need to track them if we can figure out where they went or establish that what they carry is of less dire import. Their patron was obviously very well informed about the location, contents, and magical seals on the Thaehrum family tomb. I don't know if this would be obscure or common knowledge among those with historical or arcane knowledge.
We will not learn until we return to Dormir whether we have been cheated of payment, as well as abandoned at the bottom of a tomb. I will confess to some unfilial desires for petty vengance, but once my initial fury subsided, I have become more concerned with finding out what Novia and Kirda retrieved, and to whom they are taking it. Ironically, if they had dealt with us honestly, I would not be pursuing this course of "interference" they so wanted to avoid!
With respect for dangers and lore shared,
Brother Prospit Trima
Roughly 25 leagues north of Keep Macairna, west of the Auran River,
52 Autumn, 117YS
A Letter to his Mentors
60th Summer, 117YS
To Brother Ernst and Sister Tuolla,
As you know, I left Heraldsport for Keep Dyramar on the northern frontier. It is as raw a settlement as I was warned, but the territory beyond that frontier post lacks even that degree of vigor and civilization. At the moment, the adventurous band to which I have become attached is the only such group active at the Keep. When my companion Geller the Ranger and I arrived, there was another such band in residence, but they soon vanished without a trace. We have had considerable turnover in personnel during the months since we arrived, but by the grace of the Gods no casualties, and currently have 6 experienced adventurers and 2 local hirelings.
We have spent this time exploring the plains running east from the Auran River, and a small section of the Sallow Hills. I am enclosing a clean copy of the maps we have made. I doubt we have traveled further than 20 miles from the Keep in any direction. Geller, who is a woodsman to the bone, finds both the plains and the Sallow Hills unnerving, and we have some hint that a curse or evil force still affects the area. Both areas are entirely treeless, with varying quantities of scattered grass and occasional stunted and wispy shrubs. In correspondence with the limited plant life, there is little game, even at the level of vermin. Geller asserts that, given the rainfall we observe, the pre-Collapse fertility of this land, and the passage of centuries, there should be groves of trees 50 to 75 feet tall even if the Collapse turned the entire region into nothing but a jumbled pile of gravel and dirt. That it has not recovered is a symptom of an affliction which still remains, and we have had arcane advice to this effect as well.
Indeed, piles of gravel and dirt are what the Sallow Hills most resemble. Imagine the most enormous and long-established mine, and the heaped piles of its waste tailings. Now shrink your perspective to that of a mouse, and those piles become the Sallow Hills. One band of adventurers could scour the region no more effectively than a family of mice, or ants. This is one reason I write you. If the Reclamation is to be successful, we need a sustained effort from more than a chance-met band of individuals with diverse motives. It is not just the exploration beyond the frontier that needs more hands and eyes. We need to encourage settlement up to the line marked by the Keep. This is the true heart of Reclamation, for without a self-sustaining presence of the civilized races, we have not brought anything within our grasp.
I expect to visit Dainmouth soon, and will see if there are opportunities for recruitment of both settlers and additional adventurers. Geller has been talking (for such a taciturn man, almost loquaciously) about buying tree seedlings to begin groves on the slopes of the Northern Hills, between the Keep and the barren plains further north. I suspect we will need the assistance of a druid, or a cleric gifted with divine influence over growing things, as there is no shortage of seeds but a distinct lack of fertility. We have made inquiries locally, but if you can direct someone our way, it would be greatly appreciated.
Some words about the hazards we have encountered. There is a nest of bandits of mixed race settled in a tower at the west end of the Sallow Hills. They make free of the plains, which offer no cover to the honest traveler, and have mounts which can outpace any party on foot. I find these men and elves most aggravating! They have taken initiative which could place them in the very front ranks of the Reclamation, but they prey upon the civilized races and hinder, rather than advance, the divinely directed activity needed to regain what was Taken. They also traffic with slavers, about whom I know relatively little, save that they pass through this area regularly. Worse, they apparently have some dealings with orcs, about whom much more below.
The plains have relatively few points of interest, but do have a few monstrosities that surely do not survive by preying on the limited wildlife. We found the lair, but fortunately not the resident, of a snake that would entirely fill Weavers Alley in Heraldsport, from wall to wall and flagstone to thatch. Lest you find that a fabrication, this beast lairs in a stone outcropping that also holds a tomb of the servants of Vorkas (may his gaze pass over us), in which said servants give service even after death. From that place of sorrow and misery I gained a vision of a land far to the north (perhaps a hundred miles or more), either swamp-like or submerged, associated with Vorkas and some terrible fate. A defeat? A sealing-away? I don't know if this is associated with the Collapse or entirely unrelated. If you would set some of the students to researching what, if anything, is known of this place, and write me of it, I would be very grateful.
The Sallow Hills have a greater proportion of monsters and aberrations, some of which none of us can identify. I was nearly killed by a pitch black beast which attacked at night, hidden not only by its color on a moonless night but also by some magical distortion of vision. Six-legged, or perhap four-legged and two-armed, in the general configuration of a great cat. We have found tracks of canines apparently the size of ponies. We have been ambushed by a trap-door spider with a stance almost 10 feet across. We prevailed without casualty in that encounter, and have been using the spider's lair as a base, as the Hills offer almost nothing for cover or shelter. We were attacked by a pair of giant fast-flying insects we could not identify, and found (and avoided) a nest of 3 foot hornets. And these are merely the non-sentient menaces.
There are bands of goblins mounted on large wolves, possible Dire Wolves, which regularly patrol the area indicated on the map. They may patrol elsewhere, too. Our observations have been limited. We do not know where they are based, but they are clearly organized.
Somewhat to the east of that area, we found a pre-Collapse complex which had been infested by orcs. And not just any orcs. We found clear and immistakeable evidence these were Mauk-lok-ur, the flesh eaters (and wearers). Our resident scholar says during the Taking this tribe was far to the north of here, and their presence in the Sallow Hills is highly significant. We were able to clear the complex with some difficulty, removing 13 orcs and 3 uroks from the world of the living, although one or two escaped which may present problems for us in the future. I am certain these are just a small part of the orc presence here, although we have as yet no idea where the bulk are located. Early in our campaign, we were hunted by a group of orcs many miles west of the Sallow Hills, practically to the banks of the Auran River, but we don't think they lair nearby.
I was able to bring the blessings of the Divine Triune to the souls of the civilized folks slaughtered and eaten in that complex, so there should be no shades bound to that place. We found evidence the orcs had been killing and eating goblins as well, in numbers comparable to their human victims. The possibility of driving a wedge between goblins and orcs prompts me to ask what Church doctrine allows for dealing with goblins. Is there any distinction made amongst the subhuman races? What are the ethical constraints on negotiating in good faith with such folk?
We have encountered a couple of ogres, one foraging within a short hike of the Keep, and another kept chained for bloody amusements in the orc-infested complex.
Moving from the live to the undead, while I was occupied with healing from that cat creature's attempt on my life, the other members of our band found and opened a barrow. There were twelve undead attendants, easily dealt with, and a much more powerful lich, wight or similar creature which has passed through death but not left the world. The party was unable to take on this creature, and successfully fled, bringing back drawings of the runes of its resting place. Local inquiry about these runes confirmed they are vile, but did not identify their source or meaning. (There is no library here, Brother, Sister! At times this is a greater burden than sore feet, bad food and combat wounds!) The creature is either animated by, or constrained by, a lamp casting a brilliant blue light. I heard all this 2nd hand, and was gifted with a nightmare of this creature wandering the night with a blue lantern in one hand and death in the other. I pray that the lamp constrains it, rather than empowers it. The barrow was obviously constructed post-Collapse, and the attendents were clearly not of subhuman races. But we have no clue as to who the barrow builders were, if they served the creature buried there or sought to confine it, etc. If any of the histories shed some light on this topic, please direct a ray of that light in our direction.
Moving from the animate to the inanimate, the Sallow Hills may conceal an entire kingdom, but little can be found wandering like mice among the mine tailings. A serious search for pre-Collapse sites probably requires an arcane or divinely gifted ability to seek out buildings buried under rubble with little or nothing visible on the surface. In more than a month of searching, we found precisely two: the complex already mentioned, and a residence which we accessed through a non-descript crack in the side of a hill. Our band has two good trackers, but buried buildings leave no trail, and neither I nor the two users of arcane spells have any applicable skills.
To summarize: The scope of Reclaiming even the region within easy reach of the border is daunting. More hands and eyes are required beyond the border, and more settlement is required inside the border. We could use the advice and assistance of a druid or cleric attuned to plant and animal fertility, but the reasons for the local infertility is probably yet to be discovered. There are significant numbers of goblins, orcs and other subhumans in the vicinity, not all of them across the border, and evidence that notoriously vile tribes of orcs have continued to move south since the Taking. There is evidence of civilized, or at least not subhuman, presence in the Sallow Hills following the Collapse, but no sign of these people now, which may be for the better as at least some of them were not nice people.
Yours in the service of the Divine Triune,
Brother Prospit Trima
Keep Dyramar
60th of Summer, 117YS
-----
To Sister Raenira,
I have enclosed a copy of a letter I'm posting to some of my mentors in Heraldsport. I hasten to add that we have not come across any additional information about the problem we discussed earlier in the Summer.
Recently the Gods have gifted me with the ability to heal somewhat more serious wounds, so I am a little less anxious about my ability to properly support my comrades. The scope of the work ahead of us will be the work of generations at the current pace, so I am considering ways to recruit and apply more hands to the problem. Any advice you might have on that subject would be gratefully received.
Yours in faith,
Brother Prospit Trima
Keep Dyramar
60th of Summer, 117YS
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