Setting: Town northwest of the Skull, South of the citadels
Cast: Townsfolk, Party
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Neither consumed nor undead require traditional sustance, so one would think that farming communities would have little use in Olivantia. Nothing could be further from the truth. The vampyr required living servants to tend to their housholds. They used entire battalions of living troops, and of course their vast numbers of serfs also required food.
Brenner’s fields was created to feed the armies of the vampyr. They grew corn, wheat and potatoes and also raised sheep, cows and pigs. However, their most controversial livestock was humans. Many vampyr liked live prey, so thousands of slaves were funneled into Brenner’s Fields from the coastal cities bordering the South Sea.
These slaves were held in vast pens erected just west of the town proper, and their wails were a constant source of inspiration to the serfs tending the fields. They had no wish to end up like the slaves, cattle for the insatiable thirst of the vampyr.
After the purge the cages were converted to use for livestock, and Brenner’s field supplied food to much of the nation. They became the largest exporter of livestock, grain and corn and unlike most of the surrounding towns they propsered rather than shrank.
They even exported to the Hasran military at the three citadels, though this practice stopped after the Olivantians ceased all trade with Hasra. This greatly harmed the economy of Brenner’s Field, but they were able to recover by way of trading with the rest of Olivantia.
In the decade since Brenner’s Field has changed little. It is a small industrious town that sends a steady stream of wagons throughout Olivantia to bring food. The only difference from years past is that now those wagons are battlewagons, designed to fight off rampaging consumed.
Brenner’s Field also has a high wooden wall built around it now, as the town is occasionally assaulted by wandering groups of consumed. The well armed militia responds quickly to such attacks, and they rarely breach the walls.
The farmers who tend the fields outside of town often keep redwood lined bolt holes, or tightly barred cellars to flee into when the consumed attacks begin.
The townsfolk are largely uneducated, and only about one in twenty can read at all. They are a supersitious lot, and very distrustful of strangers.
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Events
- Martos will change his garb and hide the fact that he is a follower of Aelianna. He will explain that magic is illegal, and suggest that Terwynn especially hide his allegiances and battlemage status. This will mean storing his staff if they come to a town.
- When the PCs reach the walled gate a gruff faced man will call down to them to state their business in Brenner’s Fields. Then he’ll ask their origin. If they admit to being from Hasra he’ll tell them to come back the way they came. If they claim to be from Olivantia he’ll open the gate.
- There are four functional inns in the town. The Olive Branch, The Stake, The Muddy Rudder and Tarl’s Tarts. The last is also a brothel. All of the inns are along the main road, which bisects the town north to south, cutting through from the northern to southern gate.
- There are also a number of shops that sell everything from food to weapons. The PCs can frequent any of these shops to procure anything they might need.
- Regardless of what inn they stop in they’ll hear tales of consumed swallowing entire towns throughout Olivantia. They’ll learn that wagons have been replaced by battlewagons, because travel on the roads simply isn’t safe. There are too many consumed. Even the Orokh tribes seem to be retreating from Olivantia. Some say they are heading north into Hasra.
- One of the inn patrons is a Knight of the Dawn, sitting in the corner with a snowy cloak and silver armor gilded in gold. None of the patrons will meet his gaze, and he frowns disapprovingly at the lot of them. He seems especially interested in the PCs, particularly the half-orokh.
- When the party leaves the inn the knight will follow them. A DC 20 perception check will reveal him tailing them. He doesn’t approach too closely, but will follow the PCs until they leave town.
- If the PCs confront them the knight will be quite honest. He will give his name as Daken, and will tell them that half-orokh are evil, and that he is ensuring that they cause no mischief in the town. Were it not for the fact that the town is open to all he’d already have judged them guilty and administered punishment.
