Chapter 5: The Journey North
Outpost Piton is one of the many frontier forts charged with watching over the northern border of the empire. The outpost is located within the upper most region of the King's Wood where it connects to the greater Jotun Forest in the lands that border both Veturstein and Forstmarken. It is a large compound with many square and circular towers that jut up 30-40 feet into the air, with the highest tower topping at 60 feet above the top of the trees. It is stationed by roughly 300 soldiers of the empire and is commanded by a one Bren Grosf, he is the captain of the guard at the outpost and the head ranger of those in service to the king.
Plot points/Scenes
Scene 1, As the party arrives at the outpost they are met with a nightmarish sight, the outpost lays in a smoldering ruin, its outer walls torn asunder, some of its towers lay toppled in still smoking heaps. All around the ruin and within are scattered dozens upon dozens of bloodied and mutilated bodies, some with large bight marks taken out of them and others pincushioned with large gnarled arrows. Among the dead men are strewn the corpses of large, white furred creatures resembling that of a large hyena.
Scene 2, A series of investigation checks reveal different clues about the attack that accrued at the outpost. Focusing on the walls, a DC 13 investigation check shows how the walls have been ripped down, as if a set of massive hands tore them down, the front gate shows similar damage but some of the rocks within the rubble appear to not be the same as those found within the still standing walls. A DC 12 investigation of the general area will note some of the bodies appear to have been crushed, laying in broken heaps within the silhouettes of giant faded footprints. The Main keep of the outpost suffered the least amount of damage, but much like the rest of the fortress is strewn with bodies, inside the central tower of the keep is a room with dozens of gnoll bodies covering the floor, propped up against the wall is the arrow ridden skeleton of an armored human with a large jagged sword imbedded into its sternum. This is the body of Bren Grosf, the commander of the outpost and the first ranger to the crown, a DC 15 investigation check will allow the players to find a log journal buried below some of the rubble.
Scene 3, A final investigation check (DC 12) will reveal a large number of faded tracks moving north, deeper into the Fenris Tundra, The surrounding wood line will be marked and damaged from the battle, with frozen blood and arrows dotting certain trees, while others have been ripped out of the ground and now lie atop of the crumbled walls of the outpost, large holes in the ground that are now partly filled with snow appear to have once been the homes of large boulders that now lay within the courtyard or within the walls or keep of the fortress.
Plot type
Chapter
Parent Plot
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