<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/nq8qayz.png)</div><div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 24pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">Gunsmoke Golarion: Prologue</span></strong></span></span></div><hr/><br/>Daggermark had been a useful place for your company to stay for many months. The area formerly known as the River Kingdoms had become a loose confederacy of neighboring rogue nations—now known as the Confederacy of Ways. While they typically worked together, they also frequently worked against one another just like any other competing criminal empire. It meant it was easy to find work if you didn’t ask too many questions about who it was for or what it was about. It was tiring even for less morally stringent members of the group. With morale on the decline it wasn’t long until you all began to discuss the possibility of travelling somewhere else. Unfortunately the uncertainty of such a trip kept you from moving anywhere for some time.<br/><br/>Business was beginning to dry up as the neighboring nations began to retaliate against the Confederacy of Ways’ tactics of banditry and taxation—better called extortion. Many people were beginning to doubt how much longer Daggermark would be able to hold out. As luck would have it a Varisian caravan had arrived near the town and had sent in some people looking for supplies and guards for a long trip.<br/><br/>Urd in particular showed a characteristic excitement at the prospect, relating it to something she had found in her book of prophecies. Or book of madness depending on one’s point of view. The entry read:<br/><br/><div align="center"><em><br/>Marching wagons stand on a dagger’s edge<br/>     Dust in the bones, sand in the mouth;<br/>Between rise and fall southern sheathed pledge<br/>     Invisible cities yield fruit to mountain’s death<br/></em></div><br/>While she didn’t entirely understand the whole of the passage, it seemed clear to her—and others admittedly—that the marching wagons must have referred to the caravan. Being the premiere mercenaries of the city it wasn’t difficult to ensure your passage with them, along with some other independent agents. In particular a Chelish Tiefling by the name of Corvus Macatulum, a man of ill repute. He obviously wanted to get away from the city as well, but with past dealings your group has had with him you know he would just as soon sell you out to save his own skin if it came down to it. He was put in charge of most of the other guards while your group was left to fill out any gaps that you noticed, giving you mostly complete freedom regarding where you decided to patrol.<br/><br/>The caravan itself left a few days after arriving to Daggermark. It was a convenient excuse to pick up and move, particularly because it was very well defended and reasonably well stocked. When they left it was only clear that they were heading in a vaguely southern direction, it wasn’t until a couple weeks later that it became more clear where they were going.<br/><br/>Madame Morjiana Alecsa, an older Varisian woman, was apparently an oracle of some skill, and was a practitioner of Harrow Card reading. She is the matron of the caravan, the eldest of all other members, though she seems to be only between 50-60 years of age. Many within the caravan have distant familial ties to Morjiana, but she does have one direct descendent: a daughter named Celestina Alecsa. Celestina doesn’t seem to put much faith in her mother’s predictions, but follows along without questions for the good of the caravan, she hopes that they eventually find a place where they can stop and be safe.<br/><br/>Morjiana finally explained that they were heading towards what was originally called the “invisible city”. It was a city in the elven nation of Kyonin, and Morjiana seemed to believe that they would find a place that they could settle down there. She seemed to believe that there was a large, magical tree within that old city that still bore fruit—a claim that was as surprising as it was almost insane sounding. The full journey would take nearly a month of travel, so it became clear that Morjiana’s revelation was paced when it was on purpose.<br/><br/>Mercifully there has been nothing of particular interest to defend the caravan from. A few wild animals had approached, but they were easy enough to scare off, aside from a coyote that Corvus killed—mostly to show off his skill. It wasn’t until about a week and a half out from their destination that they began to notice something amiss…<br/><br/><hr/><br/>“Tribe of Bleachlings,” Corvus explained in his gravelly voice between mouthfuls of soup, “been following us for ‘bout a day and a night now at least.” Why he had waited to tell everyone until now was anyone’s guess. It was the evening meal, a plain soup heavily seasoned to help make it more palatable.<br/><br/>Celestina raised a brow before scowling at the red-skinned tiefling, “And you only tell us now?” she asks, giving voice to everyone else’s concern. Celestina frequently joined in on watches or patrols, it seemed that she was more comfortable on her own and not cooped up in the admittedly cramped caravan construct. The caravan itself was “perched” nearby, they were all sitting beneath the canopy of the mess tent that they put together every night. Space in the caravan was tight so the hired mercenaries had to stay outside.<br/><br/>“They’ll keep their distance,” he explained, seeming thoroughly unconcerned. “They wouldn’t attack something so well defended, they’re waiting to pick off stragglers,” he said, just shrugging one shoulder. He was mostly right, anyone familiar with the Bleachling tribes knew that they were more opportunistic hunters, it would be odd for them to risk a direct fight with the caravan.<br/><br/>Still, perhaps it was worth discussing, especially considering it was almost time to draw lots for night watches.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Post Header:</strong><br/><div class="codeheader">Code: <a class="codeoperation" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return smfSelectText(this);">[Select]</a></div><pre style="margin: 0; padding: 0;"><code class="bbc_code">[floatleft][img height=200 padding=5]character-image-here[/img][/floatleft]<br/><br/>[b][font=arial black]NAME:[/font][/b] [url=url-to-character-sheet]Name[/url]<br/>[b][font=arial black]AC:[/font][/b] <br/>[b][font=arial black]HP:[/font][/b] XX/XX<br/>[b][font=arial black]EFFECTS:[/font][/b] <br/>[b][font=arial black]PERCEPTION:[/font][/b] <br/>[b][font=arial black]TAG:[/font][/b] <br/>[hr]<br/></code></pre>