The adventure begins

It is the sixth of Avrel in the year 1260 after The Wanderer's Fall and King Aerric's 24th year in office as King of the The Realm of Irimond. The last decades have been peaceful for the Realms as the last large military conflict occurred in the year 1199 at The Battle of King’s Mountain . There the free folk of the Realms, Humans, Elves, Halflings and Gnomes among others, rallied under the banner of King Gwylym and the elven ruler Gweyir Lithë Imryll to aid the dwarfen kingdom of King Hyangolgraem against invading orcish and goblinoid forces. The attack was successfully repelled but left the dwarfen people depleted, as there were many points of attack and many casualties among the sturdy folk.

This trial though strengthened the bond between the nations and relations have been stable and amicable since. But unrest is stirring at the borders of the Realms and indeed one can feel tensions rising not just in the Realm of Irimond. Rumours of sinister forces at work can be heard throughout all of the lands: Travellers tell of troubling otherworldly apparitions, which can be seen at night, out of the corner of one's eye, every so often occurring afar. Eerie and wailing voices rob the weary travellers of their sleep when breaking camp for the night. Druids and individuals attuned to the land feel nature “tensing up” and even the animals seem more wary than usual.

Politically The Kahanaht Dominion seems more active at the borders as of late and there have been reports of small, stealthy Kahanati exploration teams venturing into the Realms. And who knows what volatile Trade Prince Akil Tibeshu is up to. The The Usefari Trade Empire is ever industrious and never idle.

But for now all is well here in the north. You find yourselves in the small town of Bastow in the Duchy Carhyrst in the north of the Realms. Situated among prosperous trade routes between the provinces of the Northmen, Carhyrst by the Sea to the west and the Dwarfen realms to the east, the people of Bastow are able to carve out a comfortable and secure life for themselves. Surrounded by lush pastures and farmlands, having access to plentiful timber from the north and game to hunt in the nearby Gloomwood Forest, resources are bountiful for this small community. It is the late afternoon on the 6th of Avrel, the day before Eheruna's Blessing, the annual festivity celebrating spring in rural communities. Your travels have brought you north to this Duchy and you are on the road towards Bastow, which you should reach by early evening. You round a bend in the road and come upon a man next to a lopsided cart and its hind wheel seems to have broken. The man has his back turned to you and unsuccessfully tries to lift the cart up and mount a new wheel at the same time. As you approach, he turns with a start…