THE ABANDONED STRONGHOLD 1

 

Hook: Tucked away at the very edge of the limestone hills to the north, miles from the safety of Lantern Falls, lie the ruins of The Stronghold, the former home of the four greatest heroes of the Borderlands region in recent times. Garherd the Warrior from the Steadlands, Madrûn the Priest of Law from the far Southern Desert, Lyricas the Thief from the City of Empire, and Gŵron the Wizard from the City of Sages... They, together with their retainers, settled and built The Stronghold in an attempt to help protect the Eastern Borderlands and Lantern Falls from the threat of evil and chaos. You have heard these stories... Tales abound about the Heroes of the Quaterfoil. Famed for their uncanny luck, their settlement in the Eastern Borderlands seems to have been where it just ran out. Few have dared The Stronghold, but, if the map you received from that bandit's belongings is any indication, you might have a better chance than most... It seems authentic. The bandits were holed up in a nearby cave, probably scouting the place for their own benefit.

Details: 60 years ago, The Stronghold was an active redoubt for a group of renowned heroes of The Borderlands. They traveled all over the region and had many grand adventures. They were mercenary in their efforts, and always sought a treasure big enough to settle down with. They finally managed to do just that, and, with the help of their retainers, labourers and engineers from Lantern Falls, and pockets deep enough to get the job done right, they dug their fortress and watchtower from the very rocks of the limestone hills to the north in the heart of the Eastern Borderlands. For a few years, they managed to hold the place, and succeeded in dispatching and bringing to justice countless bandits and monsters, and helped keep danger from the walls of Lantern Falls, all the while continuing to adventure, now and again, when the need arose. They maintained their mercenary ways and often left The Stronghold in the capable hands of their retainers and steward, and went to the aid of others in The Borderlands region.

After about 10 years, however, all activity from The Stronghold suddenly ceased... No one really knows why. Some say there was a falling out, and the Quaterfoil disbanded. Some say some evil befell the group and now slumbers within their fortress. Some say they marched north to do battle with Chaosmen... The truth is far simpler. They grew tired of being heroes, and disbanded, leaving the fortress unguarded. Garherd stayed, because he loved The Borderlands. They were his home. He, unfortunately, was slain fighting monsters, not long after. A few of Garherd's retainers and wife did their best to protect the place, but, eventually, monsters raided it, and killed those remaining, or took them away into slavery. Madrûn went home to the Southern Desert and built a monastery. There he died an old man and left many followers. Lyricas wanted a free life, and so stayed in The Borderlands, as well, settling in the wilderness of the Southern Borderlands, and lived as a hunter, a friend of animals, until he died. Gŵron, perhaps the most mysterious of the quartet, tired of adventuring, entirely, and yearned for safety within warm, reliable walls. As he was a devout scholar and man of some knowledge he wanted to share, Gŵron returned to the city of his birth and took over as Master of the Library as a member of The Guild of Wizardry, working on transcriptions and collecting obscure knowledge, until his death by natural causes. The Quaterfoil parted as friends, and stayed in communication, as much as possible.

Currently, The Stronghold is under the control of agents of the Goblin King, a mysterious warrior overseeing the caves in the Ancient Hills to the northwest of the Eastern Borderlands. From there, the King has eyes on Lantern Falls as he prepares to invade and conquer. A long ways off, yet, but, he is preparing, and using The Stronghold as a foothold from which to launch a northern assault. Anyone venturing there for romantic reasons, or greed, has yet to return, though rumours abound about what goes on inside its walls... A frog demon sleeping in the depths of a lightless cavern nearby has awakened in the last few years, and, though his power is not great, he is beginning to desire worshippers, again... Giants living to the northwest of The Stronghold use the footpath the goblins patrol as a hunting ground, and menace the guards visiting the rear entry.