Cortello Writes

This place is rather quaint :)

You find yourself standing at the rail of a large sailing vessel, the sun shining down on you, the sails booming and creaking above, and a warm breeze following from behind. Gellan lies two days behind you, far over the Eastern horizon, and today you'll make land-fall on Orinthal. For two days you've eaten the simple food with the other passengers and slept on the open deck; all your 20 gold would pay for. The merchant vessel sits heavy in the water, weighed down with goods to trade in Orinthal, a land that they say is filled with gold. Just one of the wild rumours of this unknown land. Do they really ride dragons? Are they really in league with the cruel Jamdak? Is there a war brewing between Gellan and Orinthal?

Now, as the call of "land ho" booms down from the crow's nest, you join the others crowding the rails to catch your first glimpse of this new land. From the haze on the horizon emerges a green, verdant isle; the sheer black cliffs topped by overhanging trees, or in other places by neat farmland. As the ship approaches the southern tip of Orinthal you begin to make out the small port city of Pegason, it's well-maintained harbour and walls containing a boistrous jostle of houses, shops, markets, townsfolk, traders, soldiers and settlers. Smaller than the cities you've left behind, Pegason seems to be a prosperous home to humans, dwarves, eladrin and elves who crowd the busy little streets, wearing anything from brightly coloured silks to grey woolen robes. A large warship with red sails, moored at the long granite quay, looms behind a flotilla of small fishing vessels swarming around the harbour walls. This is a place of opportunity, trade, danger and adventure.

A man's voice speaks from behind you, strong and confident: "You look like you're here on common purpose". You spin around to see who spoke, noticing that the others close to you do the same. A tall man, dressed all in black with a robe adorned with black feathers, is leaning on his staff as he looks at you and your companions. You can't remember seeing him on your voyage: perhaps he was below decks...

The Orinthal Campaign

Introduction

Background to the region:

The empire of Gellan is a federation of warring states, recently brought into compliance by the ambition and strategic brilliance of Emperor Bellamin. You come from a village or city somewhere in this empire. Humans, eladrin, halflings, and dwarves come from the areas near the coast. Elves come from the vast forests to the North, and the deserts to the East and South are populated by wandering tribes of dragonborn and half-orcs. All are familiar with each other.

There has been peace in the empire for five years, except for occasional raids along the coast by the vicious and bloodthirsty Jamdak tribes from far across the Dragon Ocean. Thirty years ago there was all-out war in the region, a war which included the island nation of Orinthal, which lies to the West of Gellan across the Sea of Melora. Since then there has been little contact with the island, except for a steady stream of merchants drawn by the promise of wealth.

Now that there is peace in Gellan, Emperor Bellamin may turn his eye to his wealthy neighbour across the Sea of Melora...

Player options

You can choose a character from any Class, and from the following Races:

Human

Half-orc

Elf

Eladrin

Dwarf

Dragonborn

Halfling

Please have a first and second choice of Class in mind, as we want a balanced team.

Contact me to discuss ideas for character background.

The gods, planes, races and fauna are as in the D&D literature. Probably excluding Gelatinous Cubes...probably.