Salusa

Salusa, the bountiful city
Ruler: Viscount Hororin Gellantara and Viscountess Alustina Gellantara
Size: 25,000
Population breakdown: Human (70%), Dwarf (7%), Elf (7%), Halflings (5%), Goliath (4%), Other (7%)
Garrison: 8,000 (city watch: 2,500)
Major Organizations: Druids’ Circle, Hunters Guild
Landmarks: The Temple of Pelor
Regional Population: 25,000 (Salusa); 5,000 (Other)

Background/History:

The city-state of Salusa was founded after the formation of the nation of Almaren. It is located west of the capital of Exmoor and northeast of Devonshire. The surrounding landscape is extremely fertile with arable soil occupying the regions southeast of the city and forests stocked with game and beasts northwest of the city. For some time, however, the region was considered indefensible due to the open terrain and lack of military forces in the area. After the regions surrounding Devonshire were made secure by the Almaren Army, several fortresses and small garrison towns were constructed to secure the passes north of Devonshire. The construction of these fortifications allowed settlers from Exmoor to establish a city at the meeting of the forest and plains.

House Gellantara, noted for their hunting and tracking skills, was charged by House Pelagrir to tame and cultivate the fertile (and sometimes feral) landscape. Many druids relocated to the city to help guide its growth so as to be in harmony with the surrounding landscape. However, the hunting bias of the Viscount’s House has sometimes resulted in imbalance. For this reason, there are many hunting lodges throughout the forests of Salusa.

As the city’s agricultural output increased, the Almaren Trade Authority established one of its district offices in the city so as to better direct the distribution of resources. The agricultural output of the City of Salusa accounts for one quarter of the nation’s domestic foodstuffs. The surpluses from Salusa are traded primarily to the dwarves of Morduruk, but recently the Almaren Trade Authority has located buyers across the Crystal Sea. For this reason, the ATA has begun investing heavily in Salusan agricultural operations in order to boost production.

Current Events:

The city has been conquered by a large force of dragons, kobolds, drakes, and wyverns. The invading force was led by an ancient red dragon.

Campaign Significance:

Following their adventures in Faircastle, the party arrived safely in the City of Salusa. They made significant improvements in their overall abilities and are now better equipped to deal with the trials ahead.

The party made their way to the Salusan garrison, where they met Colonel Averon, the garrison commander. After reading the rather cryptic note from Agent Ylaren, the Colonel suggested that the party take some time to meet several prominent figures in the city. They were encouraged to go see the master of the Hunters Guild, Theodore Clayton; the head druid of the Druid’s Circle; and Coordinator Lorso, of the Almaren Trade Authority.

The party chose to seek out the master of the Hunters Guild first. They were pointed to a well appointed lodge in the lower districts of the city. They seated themselves and initially declined any refreshment, until a well dressed regular of the lodge arrive at the bar and requested his “usual”. Sarcenn immediately declared that he also desired this, though he desired the one served the gentleman. Unfortunately, the man was Theodore Clayton and he, being the master of the lodge, would not be insulted in his own establishment. Though Sarcenn came very close to being a quarrel pincushion, Astrid and Vorlexian, along with the help of two of the lodge patrons, were able to diffuse Clayton’s anger. To make up for the insult, Clayton demanded that Sarcenn and his party kill some fearsome beasts that roamed south of the city. He also requested that the two patrons, a dragonborn rogue and a human fighter, escort the party out and help them on their hunt.

Though the dragonborn and human did not introduce themselves properly, they were Bog Tooth, a rogue from Exmoor, and Cameron Couteau, a lieutenant in the Salusan Militia. The party initially called them Supreme Commander and [placeholder].

The party then chose to seek out the druids. Cameron led them to a wood walled encampment on the western edge of the city. After exchanging pleasantries, the druids asked the adventurers to take care of several predators that had been recently driven from the forests by hunters and had begun disrupting the natural balance in the plains south of the city. The predators to be put down were tigers, wolves, and some shadow hounds. Having received their instructions, the party asked for information regarding any “fearsome beasts” that roamed south of the city. The druids informed them of two gorgons, elemental monstrosities, which had recently been seen in the southern plains. The druids gave them a potion that could be used should a member of the party become petrified.

Finally, the party sought out the representative of the Almaren Trade Authority. Bog Tooth and Cameron chose not to accompany the party to this meeting, as Bog Tooth had had some less than kind dealings with the Almaren Trade Authority.

The Trade Authority’s headquarters is located in the upper districts of the city within the inner wall. The majority of the structures in the upper districts are constructed of stone with many high quality finishes. The party arrived at the outer gates of the complex and is then passed from clerk to clerk to clerk as they attempt to locate the representative they needed to speak with. After a lengthy walk through nearly all the common areas of the large complex, they were finally led into a large atrium with a single ornate desk piled with scrolls and ledgers. Behind the desk was a world-wise woman who seems more than capable and bored with her current task. The party tentatively approached the desk and attempted to speak with her regarding any tasks that she may need handled. Clearly unimpressed with the party, despite their letter of introduction from the garrison commander, Coordinator Lorso blithely directed them to an area west of the city where a survey team has apparently gone missing. She then dismissed them and they were escorted quickly from the complex by Trade Authority guards.

The party then regrouped with Bog Tooth and Cameron and departed the city toward the plains south of Salusa. On their journey, they encountered a pack of dire tigers. The party swiftly dispatched them with little difficulty. After a mile or two of walking, the party came upon a small cave that was surrounded by animal statues. Upon further investigation, the party came to the realization that these had once been living animals that were petrified. Inside the party discovered two gorgons. The gorgons charged the party members with the intent of trampling them into the dirt. However, Cameron’s fighter training allowed him to halt the gorgons’ advance despite getting knocked down and trampled. As the battle progressed, the gorgons’ putrid breath began to fill the cavern and petrify the party. After several tense moments, the party managed to overcome the petrification effects. As Bog Tooth and Cameron focused on downing one of the gorgons, the other circled around to hit the squishier members of the party. As one gorgon fell, one party member went up in the air. Vorlexian teleported himself and Sarcenn out of danger; unfortunately, Astrid was left in the way of the gorgon’s goring charge and she was thrown through the air. Despite being thrown, Astrid managed to sear the gorgon with her sacred flame. Finally, after fighting off the effects of petrifying breath again, the party managed to kill the second gorgon. They took their hooves and scales, hoping that the scales might have some use to Cameron’s blacksmithing friend, Hogarth.

As night fell, the party began the trek back to Salusa. Along the way, they spotted a dire wolf. As Cameron and Bog Tooth moved in to dispatch the dire wolf, they were ambushed by a second dire wolf and a fearsome looking worg. Astrid, Sarcenn, and Vorlexian formed a firing line on the opposite side of a small river and began raining arcane and divine destruction on the wolves. However, they were suddenly ambushed from behind by a pair of shadow hounds. As the casters disbursed and Cameron attempted to rush back to help them, Sarcenn summoned forth a cloud of noxious fumes that obscured vision and scent, preventing the hounds from tearing the casters to ribbons. The hounds teleported all over the field of battle in an attempt to escape the cloud, but despite a few chance bites against the party, they were easily dispatched. One even had the misfortune of teleporting above Cameron and falling to its death on his radiant blade. Through judicious use of the cloud, the party managed to subdue the hounds, wolves, and worg. While Bog Tooth was rather slashed up from the worg’s claws and teeth, the majority of the party was unharmed. The rest of their journey to Salusa passed without incident.

Facing the kobolds

Fighting Ceralanxun

The Raid and flight from Salusa

Meetings in Devonshire

Defending Salusa

The Evacuation

The Fall of Salusa

Astrid: A Rendezvous with the Raven Queen

Sarcenn: An Intrigue with Maleficent

The DM’s Summary

While in the middle of a fun filled evening with beautiful courtesans, Sarcenn is suddenly whisked away to a mysterious location. As he gets over the initial shock of going from the arms of a beautiful lady to the cold runed floor of a tower with tiefling cadavers all around him, he finds that he is in a tower filled with alchemical devices, hundreds of magical scrolls and books, several tiefling corpses, and a single, somewhat matronly looking, woman. Through the warded tower windows, he can see several other ornate towers that are shielded with spherical magical wards. Sadly, he can see no doorway that would lead him out of this place.

Before Sarcenn, can do much, the woman identifies herself as the warlock Maleficent. Apparently, she has something to do with the reason that Sarcenn is in Almaren. In her attempts to summon him back, she made a few errors…this accounts for the tiefling bodies that are all strewn about. She tells him that she intends to do some experiments on him and the first one requires his soul to be removed from his body so that he will just be a mindless minion. Clearly, she is quite mad.

As Maleficent prepares to cast a spell that could possibly involve a lot of pain for Sarcenn, he reacts quickly and casts Stinking Cloud…wait, that one has yet to recharge…another power on her to disrupt her casting. A wizard’s duel commences and the two combatants are bruised and battered by all sorts of arcane forces. After a short while, Maleficent seems to tire of the battle and Sarcenn suddenly finds himself ensconced in a void. Almost immediately, he begins to experience a quite painful sensation as it feels like his conscious self is being ripped from his physical being. When the pain seems to reach its climax, such that Sarcenn is almost ready to pass out, he feels suddenly empowered. Miraculously, he has the ability to remove himself from the void-space.

Sarcenn suddenly reappears in the warlock’s tower. Maleficent is unaware of his arrival and appears to still be casting her spell as she faces the runed circle. Seeing his chance to catch her unaware, Sarcenn conjures a spectral ram which charges Maleficent and bashes her against the far wall. Before Sarcenn can determine whether or not she is still alive, he is suddenly hurtled back to his room in the company’s Devonshire villa and finds himself in possession of a mysterious ring that had been stuck in the void.

The courtesans that he had been frolicking with just ten to fifteen minutes before are just at the door preparing to leave. Before they can walk out, Sarcenn calls out, “Come back ladies, there’s still plenty of Sarcenn to go around!”

Sarcenn’s First-hand account:

Steve, if you want, feel free to write a little from Sarcenn's perspective or embellish the tale for the other’s enjoyment.

Bog Tooth: A Dragonborn Bruising

Vorlexian: A Fateful Meeting

Cameron: Three Long Weeks

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