p1, Arrival in Trillolara and travel to Fondfield

(This merchant is from Dank Forest, Chestran Longshan)

Day 1) Arrival at Dtillan Orsti by ship.

Not much to talk about, typical port arrival. Paid duty on goods, smaller tariffs than most nations. Easily found a reasonably priced wagon and team for this year’s trading route. My trade items and gear was unloaded from the ship and loaded into the wagon. Was able to hire 4 guards for part of the trip. When they left just before Far Seeker tower, they said the rest of the way was heavily patrolled and I didn’t need them anymore. I didn’t see any sign of patrols, just wagons. Kept my sword handy.

There is a slow and sometimes steep rise leading out from Dtillan Orsti towards Farseeker Tower. Probably needs several more switchbacks on the road.

It is good to be on the road again. The clean air of the trail and road. This trip I have a light chain mail shirt sewn into my travel shirt. It is probably very obvious. Doesn’t clink like last trip though.

I see that most Trillolarans are well fed and well clothed. Cook fire smells tells me they have a variety of food, I hope that works for a desire to have a variety of goods. If so, I stand a chance to make many sales along the way.

Day 2) Second morning out from Dtillan Orsti.

The stop at Far Seeker was definately a bad idea. Too much for the room and the food. Next time I’ll stop at Dtranyo and ask if they have rooms for rent.

The road has flattened out, if you ignore the ruts. The trees certainly seem healthier in this area than along the coast.

I was told there is a North gate to Fondfield, but all merchants have to use the West Gate as North Gate is for military use only.

Saw my first light cavalry patrol slightly after mid-day today, heading North, they told me the guards were only partially correct. There is some patrolling, but it would be better if I had guards. The Nomads sometimes raid across the border and there are brigands and thieves about, but they are dealt with quickly. Being on guard is better than not waking up though. They sent a group of cavalry back to Dtranyo Keep and returned with 5 guards. They had an invitation from the owners to stop there next time. No charge for the guards if I stopped on the way back to port and I had some silk cloth. Otherwise the stay would be 5 gold per night, meals included.

I asked the 5 guards about such a low price, they laughed and told me the owners of Dtranyo were former adventurers and that is why they didn’t charge much. They treated the nearby villages fairly and provided medical care. They had to put up signs saying no more villagers due to the big jump in people moving there.

Trillolara, I found out, is much easier about villager movement, but some land owners get upset around harvest time if people start moving away. Most seem to stay put anyway. Apparently Dtranyo was an evil place some years ago and had no nearby villages. Three villages started up after the castle was cleaned out.

We camped along the road. Must be off the road no later than one hour after dark. Mostly in case a fast cavalry response is needed for an emergency, doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. Apparently they hold drills to keep their defense skills sharp.

Day 3) Should be at Fondfield about dusk, but the gates close before then. We will camp outside the West gate, but not near it. I will have to hire extra guards, sometimes there are pickpockets in the crowd. Around once or twice a year brigands or nomads try to raid these encampments. They always lose, but it is better to be prepared than not.

The road slopes down gently into a small valley, I can see that it slopes back up as it approaches Fondfield.

Two mild mannered women named Ora and Panzader over take us, and join our group. The guards acted very polite to them, but Ora raised one eyebrow and they relaxed. She said they had her own supplies and didn’t want to intrude.

Odd. I was going to write something into my journal, but I don’t remember what. Hopefully it wasn’t important.

One of the guards tells me strange things happen to those who wander off the road here. Krini Forest evidently has secrets that most Trillolarans don’t want to know about.

They seem to ignore the woman…

After 3 of them go to sleep and the other 2 go on guard duty, she tells me they are good guards. She would have preferred the cavalry had let her know they were being hired. She was offended, because she does like to make sure nothing happens to those who work for her.

Then she went to sleep in her blanket.

The next day she and Panzader rode slightly ahead of me. Three guards behind, and the other two beside the wagon.

It was over almost too quick for me to see what had happened. Three dead brigands, 2 of the guards were injured.

She did cures for poison and disease on all of us.

We were joined by 15 others. Several of them had out bows, others staffs, wands, and swords. Some smiled at the woods… evidently very confident. They all nodded to her and took up guard positions. Our wounds were cured completely as well.

She apologized and said that evidently me having 5 guards from her castle had decided the brigands that I must have some of the riches associated with them. Much of it was spent building the castle and surrounding villages. But thieves and brigands believe rumors, so this happened.

I asked her about last night and she said she hadn’t arrived like that. Evidently that was some sort of illusion. One of the others cast a spell and several trees close to the road vanished. Illusions. Her and two others borrowed the inside of my wagon for a few minutes, closed the canvas, a dim light shined within. Not a torch or lantern. It faded and they came out. She told me messages have been sent, hopefully word will get out quick enough to stop these road side illusions. Evidently the brigands had spell casters with them again and were using illusions to mentally calm or confuse those they were about to attack.

My guards have doubled, she and the rest went back to the castle.

Interesting. A quick response saved my life. I am glad of it.

We arrived just as the earlier guards had figured, we are camped outside the gates of Fondfield for the night.

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