Greater Bayport & Twin Forks

This is a rocky and treacherous land, rising steadily and directly out of the deep ocean to towering mountains full of cliffs, heavily wooded ravines, and extremely difficult travel. Still, the shoreline around most of Barmet Bay is of a much gentler nature, with broad expanses of open pasture and rolling hills nestled snugly between the deep waters of the sheltered bay and the ring of cliffs looming over the entire area. The southern shores of the bay feature rolling moors stretching south for miles, but abruptly dropping within meters of the water’s edge to a shelf just above the tides. This shelf houses regularly dispersed fishing villages along the bay, with alternating beaches and rocky shores along the jointure of land and sea. In the stretches between them are cliffs riddled with caves.

To the east, the Willow River winds through the long valley stretching east, narrowing as it rises away from the sea and disappears into the forests and hills southward. The rolling farmland around the city of Bayport, located near the mouth of the Willow River, is fairly heavily settled, and features regular trade within the city itself. There are regular trade routes upriver, overland across the moors to the south, and out of the port itself across the open sea. Local transports connect the southern fishing villages with the city, and larger ships commute passengers and goods out of the bay, across the sea to Sidney and Lenay to the west.

Most of the trade with Bayport comes from across the bay with Lenay, and with the greater southern kingdom through the ports of Mussel Harbor at the southern edge of the great sound. Bayport rose to significance by connecting the lucrative overland routes out of Waynesburg, Farmington, and Dassal safely with the ports of Oceanside and the Kingdom. There is also a brisk trade with the fjords of Northern Wingmar, located over the towering mountains north and west of the city. While the distance over the mountains is not great, the terrain is extremely severe and constantly endangered by beasts of the wild, making the longer sea journey around the mountainous peninsula preferable and more profitable. Unfortunately, the mountains are home to many fringe outlets of society that relish the wastelands and unmanaged paths. Also, the waterways are vulnerable to piracy crossing barren waters bounded by open sea and immense, uncharted cliffs.

Two day’s journey northeast of Bayport, along the High Road that leads up into the mountains towering over the valley and bay, lies a long valley following the East Branch of the Willow River. Leaving the valley, the road winds upland through scattered copses of trees, along and through several ridges and valleys that divide the seemingly flat area of the lower hills. Following the east branch of the river, the road runs to the village of Twin Forks, nestled in a small valley. Rising over the village of Twin Forks to the northeast, the Monastery of Kord commands a view of the surrounding valley from high on Monk Hill, and overlooks the Mill Lake and Hammer Falls.

Twin Forks is a small village, named after the two branches of water that join at its shores to become the main river. One bright, young stream rushes down out of the western hills, which steeply rise into the mountains. A rough track follows it up into the desolate peaks, leading miners and adventurers alike into the dangerous and wild reaches of the high mountains. The other branch is the Hammer Stream, and stems from the Mill Lake further up the valley, crashing down the Hammer Falls before slowing and broadening above the fork.

The village is small, tough, and sparse. There is one inn, one general store, and one trading post. The store caters more to the mining crowd, offering foodstuffs for all, and basic adventuring kit along with the usual mining gear of shovels, picks and rope. The trading post attracts more hunters and river men than miners, and features hides, ammunition and simple weapons. The inn is a catch-all melting pot, always on a slow boil.

Mining and trade keep this town alive. Their traffic and business are essential for bringing people and gold together within it. Anything threatening the safety of travel and activity around the town jeopardizes the safety of the city itself. Since Bayport is the primary downriver connection with the rest of the area, the livelihood of much more than Twin Forks relies on safe passage through the valley.

Lately there has been an increase in nefarious activity throughout the valley surrounding the town. Ambushes have occurred between Twin Forks and Bayport, as well as on the other feeder roads leading into town. Take your pick on the identity of the bandits… some claim river pirates, some claim orcs, others insist they are dark elves, failed adventurers, etc. Who knows? Maybe they’re all right?

Trouble has come to the valley. There is unrest everywhere, and it is spreading quickly. The trails are threatened, the mill pond is threatened, the monks are shutting out the world, and dark things move in the night.

Townsfolk - talkative, but not much information.

“Sure its rough out here. Always death and crime. Always some new hotheads rushing through to clean things up… just like you. Always new ones coming in soon.”

They offer a few nuggets though, mostly common sense.

“Stick to the road… don’t wander around the warehouse after dark… purify the water before you drink it… be careful around the monastery, weird doings out there.”

Adventurers - mining look. There is a certain naiveté about them. New to the life, in all likelihood. They want danger & excitement. Much talk of roads and mines and hitting it rich. 

“It’s odd though… the raids seem to be centered around the monk’s mountain. You’d think it would be more in the hills, around the mines. There’s nothing exciting about a bunch of monks, right?”

Magic - two dark elves, sticking to the shadows, very secretive. Likely they will learn more about you from you than vice versa. They are dismissive of most topics, but will pay careful attention to any talk of magic or the monastery.

There are three things situated north of Twin Forks, the Monastery of Kord, the Dwarven mills at Hammer Falls on Mill Lake, and a whole lot of unexplored wilderness! As a result of this, the road is not heavily travelled as a rule, but because of its importance remains in good repair. It is wide and firm, enough for two carts to pass along most of its way, but one can travel for miles without encountering anyone. At least, they hope to be able to…

After five miles out of Twin Forks, the road leading to the Monastery of Kord splits off to the right, crossing a pleasant meadow, filled with wildflowers, before rising gently up the side of the lone hill where the monastery sits. Once it starts to slope upward, the road disappears into the heavily wooded sides of Monk Hill. Unlike the main road to Hammer Falls, this is barely more than a trail. The road itself is heavily overgrown, and narrows significantly as it crosses to the trees. The monks maintain a solitary life, seldom venturing far from their own walls, and only rarely coming off their mountain to interact with the greater world. Much of what they need they produce, and the rest can be traded for weekly with passing supply wagons. Even so, they are known to be vigilant in defense of their isolation, and will not allow access unchallenged. They are averse to fighting, but will ask intent of any visitors, and defend against assault or particularly egregious actions.

The fifteen miles from this branch into Hammer Falls is a dangerous road, with many bandit attacks along the way. Mostly, these are goblin and orc raiders, but occasionally they will be the result of highway robbers who move back and forth throughout the countryside preying on exposed travelers. Consequently, wagons running from Twin Forks into Hammer Falls and the return travel in groups as much as possible. Otherwise, they recruit any willing sword-arms to ride along as protection. If this were a busier route, officials from the greater Bayport militia would be sent out to locate the goblin hideouts and rout them all, but as important as the trade route is to Hammer Falls, it is low on the priority list of the greater region. There are far more concerns in the city about pirates and river smugglers than inland bandits. On land, they are more interested in keeping the roads open from Bayport to Waynesburg and the traffic on the Great River.

The Monastery of Kord sits atop a slight peak rising above the surrounding ridge. It is nestled among the natural pine trees crowning the hill, concealed from obvious notice from the High Road running around the base of Monk Hill. There is a small, but clearly used, path leading away from the road, criss-crossing the exposed stone face of the hillside for several hundred feet before its slope levels. At that point, the path swings back across the hill in a broad gentle track, disappearing into some oak trees and scrub brush set back from the edge of the cliff. Access to the monastery is allowed during daylight hours with a donation to the gate wardens. These wardens remain hidden in the cover of the brush, with one sentry placed at the top of the switch-backs.

The monastery inhabits an abandoned castle situated atop the mountain peak rising above the town of Twin Forks. The original builder of the castle is lost knowledge. It has a dark and foreboding exterior that speaks to a possibly sinister demise. There are rumors of its destruction in some cataclysmic act, and hints that a dangerous magical power once was held within its walls.

“Consarn it! There’s supposed to be gold in them there hills… so why can’t we find it?”

The road out of Twin Forks is a fairly narrow, rough track, but it is heavily travelled, and well worn. The weather has been very wet of late, and the road is deeply muddied. The underbrush is heavy, and branches overhang the road. 

The road east is a wild and dangerous trail. It passes through a narrow and steep valley, overlooked on the north by the Monastery of Kord, before winding up into the mountain passes. The road leads up and over the mountains, eventually running into the Golden Lake on its western shore, where it intersects with the roads running north to Fireball Gulch and south to Dassal. The passes are known as the Mage’s Vale.