2.9 KiB
type, region, kingdom, population
| type | region | kingdom | population |
|---|---|---|---|
| location | Southern Aethrune | Valdris and Kethra (border) | ~2,000 |
Eastmarch
Overview
A frontier town at the border of Valdris and Kethra, built around a crossroads of the Old Salt Road. Eastmarch is a waypoint for merchants, travelers, and soldiers — and, lately, cultists passing through unnoticed.
Key Locations
Marshal's Garrison
A stone fort at the town's center housing 50 garrison soldiers. Marshal Aldren Voss commands from here. Contains a small armory, jail cells, and a war room with regional maps.
The Bent Anchor (Inn)
The only inn in Eastmarch. Run by Hilda Stonekettle, a dwarven widow who serves passable ale and excellent meat pies. The common room is the town's de facto social hub. Room: 5 sp/night.
Mira's Apothecary
Mira Thorne's shop and clinic. Stocks common healing potions (50 gp), herbal remedies, and alchemical supplies. She treats townsfolk for free and adventurers at modest rates.
The Old Mill (The Sinking Chapel)
An abandoned grain mill on the river's edge, two miles outside town. The basement connects to a natural cavern that the The Hand of Ruin has converted into a hidden ritual chamber — the The Sinking Chapel. Contains: cultists, guard drakes, a blood altar, and a direct tunnel to the Seal Anchor hilltop.
The Hilltop (Seal Anchor)
A bald hill 3 miles northwest, struck repeatedly by unnatural lightning. The hilltop is a dormant Seal Anchor — a stone obelisk covered in First Sage runes, now cracked and bleeding elemental energy. Cultists have been performing rituals here nightly.
Moongrove Shrine
Elder Ylara Moongrove's druidic sanctuary in the eastern woods. A stone circle with a natural spring at its center. Ylara lives in a hollow oak nearby. The shrine is warded against fiends and undead.
Rumors Table (d6)
| d6 | Rumor |
|---|---|
| 1 | "The caravan wasn't attacked by bandits — people heard chanting from the hills that night." |
| 2 | "Old Ylara's been acting strange. Says the earth is 'weeping.' Crazy druid talk." |
| 3 | "There's a noble from Valhold staying at the Bent Anchor. Won't give his name." (Cult informant) |
| 4 | "The lightning hits the same spot every night. Has to be a sign from the gods." |
| 5 | "Mira's last patient died screaming about 'spirals in the dark.' What does that mean?" |
| 6 | "Marshal Voss sent a rider to Valhold last week. Rumor says he's asking for more soldiers." |
Encounters
| Encounter | CR | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Bandit ambush (6 bandits + 1 bandit captain) | 3 | Old Salt Road |
| Cult patrol (3 cultists + 1 cult fanatic) | 2 | Old Mill outskirts |
| Lightning mephits (4) | 2 | Hilltop approach |
| Cult ritual (2 cult fanatics + 1 cult mage + 4 mephits) | 5 | Seal Anchor |
| Guard drakes (2) + cultists (3) | 4 | The Sinking Chapel |