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Rand's
Travelogue
More
Lake of Steam and Dragon Coast!
By Rand Sharpsword

Rand
Sharpsword, collector of bits of travel and geographical information,
brings you further details about the Lake of Steam and Dragon Coast. Rand
provides these to supplement the information found in the Forgotten
Realms Campaign Setting.
Dragon
Coast Locations
Priapurl (Small
Town, 2,000): Priapurl is a sleepy town along the Traders
Road. It is notable for three things: its tavernkeeper, its absentee
ruler, and its local mercenary company. The barkeep is a former priest
of Bane known as Zo who runs a tavern named Lord Cyrics Bane.
He always claimed to have tired of Zhent politics, felt the call to
change his ways, and reformed into an honest citizen. Now that Bane
has returned and Zo still runs his bar, most folks in Priapurl fully
believe in Zos reformation, though none are eager to cross him
or try stealing from his establishment.
The absentee ruler,
Tar Hurara (LN female human Ftr1/Nbl4), is descended from bandits but
aspires to true nobility. She spends all her time at the court of Cormyr.
The Mindgulph Mercenary
Company commanded by Lady Gayrlana Bloodsword (LN female human Ftr13/Rog1)
occupies a large keep to the south of the town. The Mindgulphs are a
unique company of monstrous humanoids, aberrations, and magical beasts
including wemics, centaurs, dragonkin, treants and even a beholder.
Lake
of Steam Locations
Ankhwood: Once
part of the Winterwood, this forest suffers from a strange magical effect.
For many years a wild magic zone and a dead magic zone orbited each
other within the wood, but this effect has faded. Unfortunately, this
only increased the other odd effect of the area that mutates animals,
insects, and plants. The resident elves are trying to discover the cause.
Outsiders speculate about a failed mythal.
The Neth Stand:
People from nearby towns dislike this light forest both for the sulphurous
mists that arise from underground volcanic vents and for the dangerous
creatures, primarily a tribe of semiaquatic trolls and a rival group
of canny and aggressive weresharks. Its high-quality wood (valuable
even though it requires treatment to get rid of the smell) draws local
loggers who arm themselves or hire guards to ward off monster attacks.
Yeshpek (Large
City, 23,000): This fortified city exports chains of various sizes
and strength. Many people from here become mercenaries, although they
have a reputation for recklessness and defying authority. The locals
consider flamboyant spending and ostentatious display of wealth to be
wasteful. The people are critical of others but proud of their crafted
goods.
Tulmon (Metropolis,
25,000): This city is built almost entirely out of stone and has
little to fear from fire. Its leader is Arkanuirr Tchallem (LN male
human Sor11) who has used magic to prolong his life to over 300 years.
The nearby Crypt City, part of the older original Tulmon, is haunted
by undead and used as a neutral ground for criminals and the black market.
The city is intolerant of visiting wizards and sorcerers, especially
reckless ones.
Plots and
Rumors
Sorcerers Beware:
Sorcerers are especially scarce around Tulmon recently. Rumors have
it that someone in the town is trying an experiment of sorts that involves
the blood of a sorcerer. There is even a bounty for every vial of sorcerer
blood, regardless of race, that a person brings to a couple of storekeepers
in Tulmon.
Oaken Trials:
The one, young stand of oaks in the Neth Stand has acquired a dryad,
but she ails from the mists that have inundated the wood. Loggers fear
to bring down her trees for she is very protective of them, but she
seems to be suffering. No druids know of the situation as of yet, and
the loggers don't particularly want to deal with the druids anyway.

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