Mossbridges was a town in the Vast, lying where the Coast Road between Ravens Bluff and Tantras crossed the Fire River, over the bridge of the same name. Feldar's Trail began at Mossbridges and joined to Highbank Forest.[6][7]
Description[]
The village of Mossbridges was divided into two areas known as New Town and Old Town. These were distinct from each other in terms of their inhabitants and the age of their architecture. New Town in particular hosted a variety of shops. Bordering Old Town was a pair of old, but sturdy bridges, which were said to be the namesake of the village.[4]
The village's main landmark[7][8] was a newer bridge built around the 1350's DR.[4] This massive, multi-span bridge stretched across the Fire River and beared the Coast Road. Formerly called the Fire River Bridge, it was more generally known as "Mossbridges", and claimed by some to be the true namesake of the town[7][8] despite the fact that no moss covered it like the older bridges.[4] It was also known as the "Great Bridge",[9] but the engineers and stonemasons who worked on it simply called it "the Bridge".[7][8]
Geography[]
The village was located roughly 8 mi (13,000 m) northeast of the city of Ravens Bluff.[10]
Government[]
In the 14th century DR, Mossbridges was home to Lord Thalmir,[11][12] one of the wealthiest petty lords in the area.[12] and the sole descendant of a long family line to have residence in the village.[11] From 1370 DR, Mossbridges was incorporated into the city-state of Ravens Bluff, and held allegiance to it.[13]
Law & order[]
Around 1370 DR, Mossbridges was policed by Rulisqer of Tyr, a paladin of the god of justice Tyr, together with his fourteen followers. They believed that public safety and lawful behavior would bring happiness and prosperity to all. Through diligent, expert policing, they broke up brawls in the streets and kept out thieves' guilds. Those who drew a weapon would soon find themselves subdued, disarmed, and marched out of town. The Tyrrans seemed to always know when and where there was going to be trouble. Thanks to their efforts, Mossbridges saw very little crime.[7]
Economy[]
Mossbridges in the 14th century largely served Ravens Bluff as a warehouse district, a staging area for caravans, and a center for horse trading and stabling, as well as through its stockyards. Consequently, a great deal of wealth passed through Mossbridges, but this was kept safe by the efforts of the Tyrrans.[7]
The good security led to Mossbridges being utilized as a neutral, "no swords" meeting ground for those who would otherwise come into conflict, such as traditional foes who needed to trade or negotiate. Some merchants who preferred not to stay in Ravens Bluff—a few of who had made enemies there—based themselves in nearby Mossbridges instead. They arranged for clients and creditors to meet them in the town.[7]
Both the Tyrran security and the neutral ground encouraged investment and even banking in Mossbridges. A fledgling but prosperous banking industry had sprung up by 1370 DR.[7]
The civic authorities of both Ravens Bluff and Tantras paid a corps of engineers and stonemasons based in Mossbridges to maintain the bridge over the Fire River, which they simply called "the Bridge". They could never be persuaded to risk or sabotage the bridge, but were corrupt in other areas. For a hefty bribe, they would conceal bodies, treasure, and telltale items in the bridge pilings, where they might remain for a good long time. Both the corps and the stashing operation were led by the foreman, Klonalogh Umesker, in 1370 DR.[7]
History[]
The bridge over the Fire River was built during the kingdom of Roldilar, a dwarven surface realm founded in the Year of the Spellfire, 610 DR. The bridge lay a few miles upstream of the secure trading center of Sarbreen at the mouth of the river. Although Roldilar and Sarbeen fell to orcs in the Year of the Bloody Crown, 649 DR, the bridge survived.
As humans began to settle the coastline of the Vast, Sarbreen remained dangerous but the river remained useful. So local farmers and merchants gathered instead at the Fire River Bridge, as they called it, where they traded their goods and coin. A settlement grew, and bridge and community came to be known as Mossbridges. Sarbreen was eventually resettled, becoming the city of Ravens Bluff in the Year of the Horn, 1222 DR.[8]
Late in the Year of the Spur, 1348 DR, a rash of cow killings occurred in Mossbridges. The superstitious villagers all suspected Alice Clarkson, a retired adventurer and mage who was living in the village, of being responsible and believed she was a witch intent on using their cows in evil experiments. On Eleint 13, the villagers stormed her home as an angry mob, pulled her out, and had her burned at the stake. When another cow disappeared later that night the villagers organized a posse to patrol the surrounding farms over the coming nights, until eventually a figure was spotted carrying away a slain cow.[14] Tracking the figure down to a nearby cave, the true culprits were revealed to be two trolls led by a gnoll.[14][15] Archers kept the three humanoids pinned down inside the cave whilst the rest of the villagers pelted it with Greek fire, eventually killing them.[15] Afterwards the people of Mossbridges, feeling tremendous guilt and shame over what they had done to Alice, erected a tombstone for her in their cemetery and vowed never to speak of what happened to her ever again.[14]
The part of the village that would become known as New Town would have most of its buildings constructed during the 1350's DR,[16] as would the Fire River Bridge.[4]
In the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR, Ravens Bluff was working to establish a regional government in the Vast by taking a number of neighboring towns and villages under its control. Mossbridges and the newly settled New Hope were the two communities to be incorporated into the city-state.[13] After suffering eight sudden attacks within three months, the people of Mossbridges pleaded with Ravens Bluff for protection. The town had barely enough time to rebuild between humanoid and mercenary attacks and was desperate for protection. Thankfully, Ravens Bluff and Mossbridges had longstanding friendly relations. Acting Mayor Belanor Fenmarel of the Bluff responded swiftly and pledged a force to Mossbridges' defense in exchange for a tariff reduction agreement for Ravenaar goods entering and exiting Mossbridges. The Acting Mayor assigned a group of mages to magically transport goods, supplies, and food in town's aid.[17]
Following the War with Myrkyssa Jelan, the newly-elected mayor Amber Lynn Thoden presented Lorien Keltree Darkarrow with the title of Baron of Mossbridges, along with a title to the lands and estates of Fort Thoden.[18][19]
Notable Locations[]
- Mossbridges Cemetery, a rather cramped graveyard. By 1358 DR this graveyard had around a hundred gravestones, made of either marble or sandstone, with some dating back as far as the 11th century DR.[20]
- The Blushing Gynosphinx, an inn and tavern. Three doors south, past two rooming houses, was the office of the bridge foreman, on the east side of the road. For much of the 14th century DR, it was the only inn in Mossbridges.[7]
- Darkarrow Keep,[21][note 2] formerly known as Fort Thoden,[10][18] was a large fortified estate outside of town[10][19][21] that was gifted to Lorien Darkarrow by Amber Lynn Thoden following the War with Myrkyssa Jelan.[18][19]
- General Store, a shop that traded in common goods and most basic weapons and armor.[2]
- Gladragon's Gold & Gems Exchange, a very posh jewelry store in New Town[16] and center of the village's gold and gem trade. Gargoyles lined its roof; these were more than mere statues.[7]
- Golden Goblet Inn, a bustling inn that offered food, lodgings, and entertainment, opened in the late 14th century DR.[2]
- Matilda's Boarding House, the only lodgings alternative to the town's inn in the late 14th century DR.[2]
- Merchant House, the local trade outpost of the Company of the Ravens that purchased goods from the local crafters and trappers.[2]
- Temple of Chauntea, a simple temple run by a fallen paladin of Tyr in the late 14th century DR.[2]
- Temple of Tyr,[22] a temple located in the center of Old Town.[4]
- Traveler's Paradise, the agency that sold services of the nearby vacation chalet in the late 14th century DR.[2]
- The New Town section of Mossbridges was host to a cart maker, a bakery, a general store, and a stable.[16]
Inhabitants[]
Mossbridges was inhabited by a combination of farmers, wealthy merchants, and various workers related to the commerce that traveled through the village. The farmers,[4] their families, and farmhands largely inhabited the area known as Old Town,[4][23] whilst the merchants and various other workers inhabited New Town.[4][16] The older generations among Old Town were superstitious of magic-users,[23] which was cause for mockery among the far less superstitious people of New Town.[24] The people of New Town also considered themselves to be Ravenians and petitioned for the city to annex Mossbridges[16] until its eventual incorporation in 1370 DR.[13] The two groups rarely intermingled, safe for inside The Blushing Gynosphinx.[16]
Notable Inhabitants[]
- Earl Kassin, a blacksmith in Old Town.[4]
- Jim Wilson, a local farmer.[16]
- Lord Thalmir, one of the most wealthy humans of the Vast in the 14th century DR.[25] He rarely concerned himself with the villagers.[11]
- Rulisquer of Tyr, a paladin who policed the village[7] and ran its Temple of Tyr.[22]
Rumors & Legends[]
Rumor had it that the only successful criminal in Mossbridges was a semi-retired smuggler who still dealt with pirates. Supposedly, she was some kind of amphibious shape-changer who would take the form of a giant octopus to swim out to pirates when they signaled from offshore. It was said she kept her loot stashed underwater, not far from land. One drunken fellow in a tavern claimed it was kept inside giant clams and that they snapped shut on and trapped unauthorized people, though this was given little credence, of course.[7]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Dark Harvest takes place on the 10th anniversary of Alice Clarkson's death, which is stated to have occurred on Eleint 13, 1348 DR. And the date given for Cedric Clarkson's last journal entry is Eleint 11, 1358 DR. This would place the adventure between the 12th and 13th of Eleint in the year 1358 DR.
- ↑ While Darkarrow Keep is not directly stated to be Fort Thoden, their shared proximity to Mossbridges and ownership by Lorien Darkarrow suggest they are likely meant to be the same estate.
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 David P. Santana (March 2001). The Good, the Undead, and the Ugly. (RPGA), p. 10.
- ↑ David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 18.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 13.
- ↑ David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), pp. 9, 34–35.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 154. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 3. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ David Samuels (July 1997). Fire's Eye. Living City (RPGA), p. 4.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 A Primer on Vastian Geography (HTML). Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2003-04-22.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), pp. 29–30.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 146. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 5. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), pp. 8–9.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 29.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 20.
- ↑ Uncredited (July 1996). “The Ravens Bluff Trumpeter”. In Scott Douglas ed. Polyhedron #121 (TSR, Inc.), p. 31.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 47. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Daniel S. Donnelly ed. (June 1998). The Trumpeter 2, no. 6 (link). (RPGA).
- ↑ David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), pp. 28–29.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Template:Cite organized play/LC/Luck, Law, and Life
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), pp. 27–28.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 19.
- ↑ David W. Baker (August 1994). Dark Harvest. Living City (RPGA), p. 21.
- ↑ Jean Rabe, et al. (August 1990). Inside Ravens Bluff, the Living City. Edited by Jean Rabe, Skip Williams. (TSR, Inc.), p. 52. ISBN 1-56076-048-6.