Trail Cairns of the Merchant Minders
The Merchant Minders have been supporting trade caravans large and small along the coasts of Icefell Bay and the The Farsea for 134 years. In the past 25 years or so, a growing part of their business has involved merchants plying a route between Endmere and the city of Karnstown deep in the Feywood. Many years ago, the Merchant Minders started developing a method of ensuring that any team on the road knew what was ahead. At first, the open roads along the coasts had only limited hazards to worry about, but the recent ventures into the Feywood have introduced whole new threats. Nevertheless, the Merchant Minders have a system to ensure that they are always prepared for what is ahead.
To be effective, we learned long ago that it was important for every team to know what was ahead on the road... where danger was likely... where terrain became difficult. But we also know that warning the world of all this would be bad for business. So we have developed a code, written with small, unobtrusive piles of stones placed along roadsides. To become a Captain of the 'Minders requires a complete understanding of this code. So study well... there will be an examination.
Types of Cairns
There are seven basic cairn designs, though it is possible to combine elements of them to provide information beyond what a basic cairn can tell. The components of each are two mandatory "base rocks", and one or more optional "small rocks". The seven basic cairns are as follows:No Good Camping Ahead
This cairn is the only one that does not use the extra small rocks. It consists of placing the larger of the two base rocks on top of the smaller one, forming a "mushroom-shaped" cairn. This cairn indicates that the terrain ahead (for at least 5 miles) is not suitable for making an evening camp. This could mean the ground is swampy, or covered with sharp, broken rocks, or be too barren for animals to graze. If a Captain sees this cairn at any time after mid-afternoon, he will call an end to the day's travel.Dangerous Predator Ahead
This cairn indicates that the caravan is about to enter a region patrolled by a large, dangerous predator. One small rock is placed atop the two base rocks to indicate this. Typically this refers to natural predators and beasts; there is a separate cairn for creatures with discernable evil intent. The captain will assume that the next two miles will be dangerous; if the predator's range is larger, another cairn will be placed farther down the road. Bears, Great Forest Cats, Marsh Alligators are examples of the creatures marked by this sign. The small rock can be placed upon the "no campsite ahead" cairn as well to indicate the extra threat of a predator prowling the unwelcoming terrain.I know we've got a few more hours of daylight, but we need to stop here for camp. A few more hours and we'll be in a fen with no place to set up a camp - a fen with Marsh 'gators just waitin' for a meal. Why am I so sure? Trust me... I know. It's what you pay us for.
Pack Predators Ahead
While the earlier cairn usually represents a solitary large predator, this one indicates the need to beware of a pack of smaller - but equally dangerous - hunters. Instead of the one small rock for a large predator, this cairn has four small rocks placed atop the two base stones. This could be a pack of wolves or a flock of Bloodsuckers, or any of a number of other hunting creatures. Once again, the cairn denotes two miles of danger; if the predator's range is larger, another cairn will be found down the road.Poisonous Predators Ahead
If the dangerous creature ahead is capable of delivering venom or other poison into its victims, the cairns will have an additional pair of small, pointed stones propped up against the two base stones facing the road. This additional warning can be used with either the large predator (one top stone) or pack predators (four top stones) cairns. The Merchant Minders experience tells them that knowing a venomous enemy is ahead allows for extra care if combat is needed, and to have antidotes ready at hand just in case.Evil Creatures Ahead
If the threat ahead is due to a creature with intelligence and evil intent, there are two notable adjustments to the cairn. First of all, the top smaller stone is specially selected to have a noticeably different color (usually darker) than the base stones. Second, two narrow, pointed stones are arranged leaning against the top stone. The threat represented by this cairn could range from a small group of bugbears to a green Forest Dragon. When this cairn is found, assume the worst. The customary two mile rule should be assumed.Components of a Cairn
Each Cairn consists of at least two base rocks, one larger than the other. These are rougly flat to help ensure they stay where they are placed, and are typically about two inches thick (tall). The larger is generally around 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23cm) in diameter, while the smaller one is about 6 inches (13cm) in diameter.All but one of the signal cairns requires the inclusion of additional stones beyond the base stones. These additional stones are always much smaller - 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7cm) in diameter and are either rounded or pointed. Some cairns require both rounded and pointed be included.
Maintaining the Cairns
All Merchant Minder Captains on the roads of the Frontier Regions, and between the Frontier and the Kingdoms, are expected to not only be alert to notice the cairns, but are also tasked with making sure that they remain readable, yet unobtrusive. Storms, passing creatures, and errant wagon wheels will occasionally disrupt a cairn, or weeds and other growth may partially obscure them. When a Captain finds a cairn that is in need of attention, he is expected to repair the cairn so the next team passing through will be able to read it. This is not as easy as it sounds, because of the secrecy the Merchant Minders expects with regard to the meaning of these cairns. One cannot simply stop a caravan for the sole purpose of the Captain repiling a bunch of rocks on the side of the road. Such behavior would elicit questions.The proper procedure would be for the Captain to call a short halt within a mile of the damaged cairn, and during that halt, she should ride back to the cairn alone to repair it. If it is a cairn that suggests significant danger, the next senior 'Minder should accompany the Captain. If this is not feasible because of dangers to either the caravan or captain, the cairn can be left alone, but in this instance, the Captain must remember to include the damaged cairn in the trip report.
The last aspect of maintenance involved being prepared to recommend when old, obsolete cairns should be removed, and when new cairns must be placed to represent new threats. From time to time, a solitary predator may no longer be a threat either because the creature has been dealt with, or it has moved to a new area. Other times, an unmarked area may suddenly become the scene of an engagement suggesting that warnings to other trains should be necessary. Once again, the trip report is crucial.
The places would be fantastic to have links to (or tooltips) - Icefell Bay, Farsea, Endmere, Karnstown, Feywood. I would also love some historical uses of the cairns - has anyone ever manipulated the cairns, faked them to mislead travelers, etc. etc. and how the 'Minders keep the cairns from being manipulated. Overall, I enjoyed this article (sorry I didn't get to it during my stream)