1st Shift (7/18/17): The Secret of Pisspot Alley

Octavius 7, 340 EE.

On their way back from the Alpha Dig, while a storm seems to be brewing on the Marrow Flats, the PCs and several other salt miners run across Praetex Protho, one of their seniors, urgently riding his llama Raf to the Foothold dig site. Eleon 'Elf-chin' Strachys, one of foreman Straps' sons, has gone missing, and did not return to Iosyne with his crew. Praetex picks the PCs to go along with him, some more begrudgingly than others, and they trek three hours to the East and the Foothold.

While rummaging through the empty camp, the PCs are assaulted by three raggedy humanoid rodents, who use daggers and light crossbows, but not very effectively. They manage to nick a few of the PCs, but are slaughtered within a few rounds. After being picked over, the PCs decide to go into the dig tunnels themselves, and more thoroughly search through the tents at the site. The South Tap and Dankel's Ditch appear empty, apart from a few oddities discovered by Kai, like a bloody boot, an abandoned mining pick, and a chunk of silver ore.

Praetex instructs the PCs to explore Piss Pot Alley, the third of the dig tunnels that has long been abandoned for use a a latrine, and Klytus becomes nauseous. Despite that, Lucretia discovers a natural illusion in the rock face that leads to a hidden network of caves, and soon they find tracks leading off to one of the exit tunnels. With Timon sneaking in the lead, the PCs press on and find several low-ceiling caves and corridors, plus a large untapped salt lode that could be very helpful to Iosyne's yield. Timon crawls into a very low cavern and finds a suspicious pack hanging from a stalactite...and decides to reach for it.

PCs: Kai Flintcoat, Klytus Bassa, Lucretia Tertula, Timon Bassa,
Experience: 600

NPCs

Praetex Protho (human male): Praetex is a tall man with an unusual beard, braided off a half dozen times on his chin, and each braid ending in a stone arrow-head that he carved himself from rocks in the Flats. He shaves his head apart from some stubble, and has a solid physique for one early in his 30s. He possesses naturally sharp teeth, or files them in secret, to create a frightening effect when he smiles, but is otherwise in a jovial mood most of the time, and really fond of bad jokes.

Calendar & Timeline

Cycle of Months

The Ekrysian Empire uses a calendar similar to that of modern times, save that the months are aligned more centrally to seasonal changes, and there are only 364 days counted as part of them, the 365th being given to the 'Primus Imperium', an anniversary of the day the Empire was first founded centuries ago, which is accompanied by much revelry and memorial.

Ianarus (30 days, midwinter)
Secundus (31 days, winter's end)
Tertius (30 days, spring)
Quartius (31 days, mid-spring)

Quintilus (30 days, spring's end)

Sextilus (30 days, summer)
Primus Imperium (1 day)

Septimus (30 days, midsummer)

Octavius (30 days, summer's end)

Nonius (31 days, fall)

Decimar (30 days, mid-fall)

Undecimar (31 days, fall's end)
Duodecimar (30 days, winter)

Cycle of Days

Ekrysians also use the seven-day week cycle, with six-day work periods and the seventh day devoted to worship, family and rest.

Solis (1st work day)

Lunis (2nd work day)

Bartis (3rd work day)

Mercedius (4th work day)

Iuppus (5th work day)

Alurus (6th work day)

Satarus (7th work day)

Cycle of Years

Years are denoted with an 'EE', or 'Ekrysian Eternum', which begin with the first year (1EE) as opposed to a zero (OEE), memorializing the foundation of the Empire and, in a nationalist sense, meant to disregard most that had come before. While it's not morally approved by the Senate or the Emperor, scholars do tend to use negatives on the role of years, for purposes of research and dating ruins, artifacts, and historical records. It's also important to note that the cycles of days, months and even seasons often run in contrast to those calendars used elsewhere in the world, such as the agreed upon Accordant Timeline (AT) used by the nations of the Accord, the Marchland and independent city states across the continent of Euristaz.

Timeline of Iosyne

167EE. A team of Imperial explorers and surveyors first uncover the Huguelid Ruin in the northeast of the Marrow Flats, half-submerged in the salty soil. Only three survived the experience, but over the ensuing century, scores of archaeologists and looters would arrive, picking clean much of the old city, and clearing out many of the threats that must have taken out the original explorers.

191EE. Another Huguelid ruin is found in the Saltspine Mountains, and a team of scholars is sent in to explore and catalog the place, which would eventually be known as the Nine Idols' Rest.

265EE. The year Castle Autarkes was built along the coast of the Scything Sea. No precise date is given, so it isn't clear whether construction was started or ended at this time. The castle was named for a famous Imperial myrmidon who helped quell the Molphagoras Uprising far back in 53EE.

278EE. Prospectors establish a tent town in the foothills of the Saltspine Mountains, near the border of the Marrow Flats. Once it's uncovered that the rock salt crystals these pioneers were digging up were no coincidence, plans are put before the Senate to establish a more permanent settlement that can be responsible for exploring and tapping the resources of the Flats in their entirety, and in the meantime help bolster the Ekrysian economy since they can rely less on imports.

283EE. The Senate approved the plans, and Iosyne was built of stone deeper into the flats, still using the Saltspine mountains as a natural shield against the more volatile storms in the region. The earlier residents of the hamlet had a much harder time dealing with salt storms, and often had to shovel themselves out of several feet of dust and salt, or find shelter in a nearby cavern. Damian Drastor is the first Tribune assigned to Iosyne.

286EE. A pair of lepers carrying the Violet Fever attempted to find refuge in the new village, but were burned alive by Drastor and his soldiers, in an act that caused a lot of horrified chatter among the residents for decades, even though the Tribune tried to rationalize and justify it.

288EE. The last officially recorded sighting of the blue dragon that purportedly lairs in the Old Azuredark caverns. The creature briefly terrorized several communities along the Eastern coast of the Empire, including the freshly founded town of Ykklesias, before retreating to its hidey-hole somewhere in the Marrow Flats. There have been plenty of 'reported' sightings in the ensuing decades, until around 330EE, but these were never confirmed, rarely investigated, and might have involved a different dragon entirely, the original's mate, perhaps even its offspring.

290EE. A tower is built south of Iosyne, to oversee a new prison labor camp that will be populated by thieves, rapists, political criminals and Accordant spies. It is later named for the first Imperial officer assigned to govern it, Haulix Hekaline.

294EE. Damian Drastor disappears somewhere Iosyne. His true fate is still unknown. Gallus Rex, a former myrmidon and war criminal, is pardoned by the Emperor (a distant cousin), and named second Tribune of the village. It was at this point the locals started to believe that they were having shady officials dumped upon the post to get them out of the way of big city life and social intrigue. To reinforce this suspicion, Gallus soon drinks himself to death after raping one of the miner's wives. Or at least that was the official story. At any rate, the position would not be filled for several years, it was left upon the local soldiery to report back to the Empire and distribute pay to the workers.

299EE. Tiro of Thessalon is named third Tribune of Iosyne, and sure enough, he's a former Senator with a nefarious past that involved gambling on illicit activities like gladiatorial slave rings, which had by that point been outlawed through the Empire. Tiro certainly had his problems with the locals, not to mention the other Ekrysian officers stationed at Castle Autarkes, Ykklesias, and the Haulix Prison Camp, but would end up serving in the role for quite some time.

308EE. Two of Iosyne's most reliable salt mines are starting to 'dry up', and have to be filled in and abandoned. A new location is briefly established south of Drastor's Delve, but soon infested with predators, in particular gnoll scavengers who sic pet jackals and death dogs on the hapless diggers. A few patrols are stirred up form Castle Autarkes, at the insistent nagging of Tribune Tiro, but they are unable to solve the problem, and tell the miners to just find someplace else to work.

313EE. Alpha Dig site discovered. Within weeks, it becomes the focused source of much of the salt flowing into Iosyne and beyond to the Empire. Soon after, the Foothold camp is established, but its yieldings are fewer and further between, even though the salt is higher quality once refined. Tiro also commission an encampment to be assembled far south at the Brack Tarn, to study its waters and potential as a backup water supply if a purification process could be perfected.

318EE. After repeated threats and attacks over the years, Tribune Tiro and the other local Ekrysian officials manage to pinpoint the location of Vozz Rotboot and his clan of gnoll bandits, hiding in a series of subterranean caverns below the Saltspine, in the northwest corner of the Flats. A war party of two dozen soldiers and miners marched upon the place, slaughtering all the gnolls and pets they came across, in a bloody conflict now known as The Boot's End. There is no telling if all the bandits were accounted for, but to be sure, an agent of the Adeptus Sorcere used magic to blast rubble over the cavern entrances. The death toll was 10 men, 26 gnolls, over 30 jackals; the severed, stuffed head of Vozz Rotboot himself now hangs over the hearth in Castle Autarke's rec room.

325EE. Gavia Tertula first arrives at Iosyne, and immediately begins to make some improvements to how the hamlet is protected and the salt is processed. She brings with her the plans for the protective pylon system, which can screen the walled-in structures against harsh sunlight or salt storms, and with the help of local laborers and masons, she has the Rainfall Duct built into the Saltspine in 18 months. She is rewarded handsomely for her ideas, and likely could have retired early, but instead chose to stay on with Iosyne and continue to develop the community, even if she had to shrug off repeated marriage propositions from the Tribune.

329EE. Aylish pirates sack Ykklesias, killing three dozen men, occupying the town for about a week, and eventually stealing off with half as many women and children. The soldiers at Castle Autarkes weren't warned in time, or simply responded too slowly on purpose. At one point, the buccaneers might have sent scout runners to survey the environs, and one was purportedly captured and killed by the Krispos family on a dig, or so they claim.

335EE. The Commissary of Iosyne is bought out by the Dewfoots, a small clan of Ambruzzi expatriates who decided the err on the side of caution and pledge loyalty to the Empire now rather than later. Under Lily Dewfoot, they stock the place up as never before, and offer all manner of goods both useful and leisurely to the rugged locals.

337EE. After nearly four decades, a senile Tiro of Thessalon steps down from his office of Tribune, and bids a fond farewell as he is carted off to his home city, presumably to pass away at his family's estate or a mental home.

338EE. Crathis Kallimachos, the fourth Tribune assigned to Iosyne, takes up his office, replacing Tiro, and urges Simo Strachys to take over as head Foreman of the mining operation.

339EE. A merchant and two hired guards are murdered en route to Iosyne along the Salt Road, their horses and good stolen, and their corpses strewn out together in a ditch. Thravian Sura ran across the scene while on a water-survey, and discovered that they had been maimed and pierced by claws and spears. More disturbingly, carved in the Gnoll tongue (which only Thravian seems to speak), across the three corpses' torsos, was "SON OV VOZZ RETURN ALL UR FAVORZ, WAYSTE ALL UR KNIGHTZ".

340EE. The present year.

The Village of Iosyne

Statistics

Iosyne
LN Hamlet

Settlement Modifiers
Corruption: No adjustments.
Crime: -3 Sense Motive checks to avoid being bluffed, -3 Sleight of Hand checks to pick pockets.
Economy: -1 Craft, Perform and Profession checks made to generate income.
Law: +1 Intimidate checks, +1 Diplomacy against the Tribune, +1 Diplomacy to call on guards.
Lore: -1 Diplomacy to gather information, -1 Knowledge checks to research requiring library.
Society: -2 Disguise checks, -2 Diplomacy checks to alter mood of non-government official.

Quality: Insular
Danger: -5
Government: Colonial
Population: 75 (62 humans, 6 dwarves, 4 halflings, 3 oreads)

Notable NPC: Crathis Kallimachos (Imperial Tribune)
Base Value: 200gp
Purchase Limit: 1,000gp
Spellcasting: 2nd level
Magic Items: 200gp base, 2 minor items.

Important Features

1. Salt Road Gatehouse: This is a 10' x 10' x 10' brick building which grants all access in and out of Iosyne, via a thick pair of wooden double doors which are opened throughout the daylight hours, then closed and barred shortly after nightfall. At least one solider from the Imperial garrison is present at all times, watching for merchants and drivers in off the Salt Road, who are then welcomed and ushered in to the Stables and Shipping Area. The village builders had the foresight to install two murder holes in the gatehouse, as they did at several other points along the village walls, but these usually have to be covered up in the case of a salt storm.

2. Iosyne Stables: The stables are large enough to host up to two dozen oxen, llamas, or horses, some of which are owned by the miners, the others belonging to traders. Hay is shipped in as often as possible to provide bedding and freshness, and the rainfall duct provides plenty of nourishment; offal and refuse are buried outside in pits around the Salt Road as it winds westward. As well as they're trained, if the stables become too heavily stocked, they can create a lot of noise and smell, especially when the tarps are up to protect the community from a surging salt storm. In rare cases, excess animals can be penned up out in the Gatehouse or in a makeshift pen outside the village walls. Some of the young men and women of Iosyne who don't accompany the miners are expected to tend and clean the pens, but there is no 'official' stablemaster as of yet.

3. Salt Shipping Area: The most important area of Iosyne, this is where the rock salts off the Marrow Flat digs are broken down, refined, packaged and loaded onto the wagons which will carry them far and wide across the Ekrysian Empire. Roughly 70% of the Empire's salt is supplied from this very location, so the workers are kept busy all year round, and a steady stream of Imperial coin is arriving to fill out the laborers' pockets. There are a few warehouses and lots of stacks of wooden crates that are wheeled in by merchants for distribution. The local engineer, Gavia, is currently building a small mill wheel which can help with the refinement, and machinery has been requested that can one day expedite the export process. In any case, there are usually around a dozen villagers here at any given time during the daylight hours, with at least one Imperial soldier in attendance.

4. Imperial Garrison: A network of medium-sized tents are propped up along the eastern and southeastern inner walls of Iosyne, and in these reside the small detachment of Imperial soldiers under the guidance of Tribune Crathis. They've got their own food supplies, armory, a kitchen tent and gaming den, and there is enough space that most of them can sleep in their individual structure until such a time that the ranks swell up. The locals have discussed the establishment of more permanent buildings for the Imperials, but they have held back, since they might require room for more salt miners, in which case the Imperials will have a small fort or tower constructed nearby.

5. Protective Pylons: A series of thin but strong stone support turrets, these are laid out so that they increase in height closer to the center of the village, all topped off by a series of hooks. In the four corners of Iosyne, there are massive tarps of greased leather which can be slid along hooks on the walls and stretched with poles to attach to the pylons, creating a taut tent covering to the entire community, which can offer shade in the harsh summer months, and even more importantly, create a line of defense against the frenzied salt storms which can arrive at a rapid pace through the Saltspine valley in which the village is located. This covering is consistently maintained by engineer Glavia and several of the locals that she has trained for that purpose. To lose it would seriously hamper the operation's production, and endanger the residents.

6. The Bath and Tap: A two story structure, the Bath and Tap dominates the roof-line of Iosyne, and stands slightly taller than the surrounding walls, but not so much that it can't be covered by the tarp in times of desperation. The bottom story features a large tap room suitable for up to 50 customers, a sizable kitchen, and a set of baths out back that are fed by the rainwater duct. Upstairs are over a dozen single and double occupancy rooms, most of which can be rented by merchants and visitors, although a few are used by the Bassa family themselves. Themis Bassa is quite a cook, and keeps the seats filled, especially for suppers, while her husband Aristan tends a bar that is as well-stocked as it can be through imports, and regales the customers with friendly banter and rumors from abroad.

7. Rainfall Duct: A low, covered stone structure, the Duct is about 5' wide and 10' high, and set at a slope, where fresh rainwater pooled up in the nearby Saltspine mountains can make its way down into the mouths and bellies of the villagers. The duct is large enough that a man can fit in there to clean it and deal with any problems, and often the runner Thravian Sura does just this to visit the pools and check the water levels up in the heights. The Duct feeds into a narrow channel around the interior walls and through the center of Iosyne, which can later empty out in a ditch south of the village if it is ever too overfilled. The engineer Gavia is constantly thinking up new ways to use the system, from hooking it up to the Bath and Tap to building a water wheel in the Shipping Area. Villagers are not permitted to use the channel for waste, under punishment from the Imperial soldiers, but a few small fish miraculously end up there from where a mountains stream might feed one of the highland pools, and the children enjoy pursuing these endlessly about the village.

8. Iosyne Commissary: The general store of Iosyne, the Commissary is run by the Dewfoot halfling family and sells mostly domestic goods, clothing, rations, and other supplies that the villagers can't or don't provide for themselves. It's a large building with a second story balcony, and the halflings only occupy 1-2 small rooms in the back for personal living space, so the rest of it is choked out with all the items locals might need. While a lot of Iosyne's tools and weapons are created or repaired by the dwarf Gori Flintcoat at his home-forge, the Dewfoots still have their share brought in as a backup. Taslo has also hinted that his mother keeps a closed off-chamber on the second story, full of rare baubles, charms, and other exotic items, at higher premiums, that might interest certain parties, if they can 'convince' her to grant them access.

9. Office of the Tribune: A trio of tents sectioned off for the Tribune himself. One is used as his private bedchamber and living quarters, which nobody is allowed to enter. Another serves as his personal armory, in which he cleans his armor and sharpens his weapons. The last is a 'war room' of sorts, in which Crathis keeps maps, compasses and Imperial correspondence, and often meets with his subordinates to plot out duty shifts, local patrols, and disperse pay. In addition, there is a large, covered object just east of the Tribune's tents, which is only attended to by Crathis and Alektryon, and seems to be some sort of anti-siege device, though it's never shown to the public and does not appear to be functional for the time being.

Other Businesses: The Flintcoats have converted the lower story of their residence into a foundry and forge, just north of the Commissary, in which Gori and several of his younger family toil away to produce many of the tools and weapons used in Iosyne. The dwarves' sleeping quarters are accessed above in a loft by ladders. Ventor Sylo, along with his wife and apprentice, offer hospice and healing to the best of their abilities, right out of their own home in the northeast corner of the village. Gavia Tertula has part of her home set up as an engineering laboratory, with a lot of charts, blueprints, books, tools and devices strewn about.

The Marrow Flats Region

Regions

Marrow Flats: A large wasteland region on the Eastern coast of the Ekrysian Empire. The place is so named for the pale white composition of its soils, since it is seated upon a massive salt deposit left behind when the Scything Sea receded many millennia in the past. It's broken up in places by a range of low mountains known as the Saltspine, which was once believed to be an island chain; otherwise, the land is largely flat, occasionally marred by hills, pits or cracks. Though located well within a temperate climate zone, the dryness of the Flats can often lead to extreme temperatures, severely hot in the summer and chillingly cold in winter.

Apart from the hostile weather, there are a wide variety of dangers in the region which keep most settlers out. Winds off the Scything Sea can whip the top-soils of the Flats into a biting frenzy, and these 'saltstorms' can penetrate as far inland as the commune of Iosyne or the Haulix Prison Camp, so many of the structures there need to be protected. The saline properties of the coils can create strange mirages in the heat, and leech the moisture from travelers' skins at an alarming rate. There are a number of ruins and caverns which have claimed the lives of many who have attempted to explore them, including some left behind by the Huguelids, the human civilization which served as genetic precursors to much of the population of Euristaz. While some information about their customs and technologies have been gleaned across the continent, there is still much to be learned.

Lastly, the laxness of the Imperial garrison at Castle Autarkes has ensured that the region is still crawling with natural predators which can easily take out unsuspecting miners or soldiers. Ghost scorpions, giant vultures, death dogs and gnoll brigands are all common threats on the lowlands, while even deadlier beasts are purported to lie beneath the earth, occasionally striking out from the enigmatic darkness in which they reside...

Saltspine Mountains: Rumors have it that the Saltspines were once an island chain sitting just off the original coast of Euristaz, but after some cataclysm or natural event drained the land, they were suddenly sprung up as a series of low mountains circling and piercing through the Marrow Flats. The highest of these peaks is rarely 500' over the current sea level, but they are still large enough to dominate the landscape view from many miles away, and possess a stark complexity to all their sharp angles of slate and granite that they hide elaborate natural passages and cavern networks, including a few notorious mines and lairs that have given the Ekrysians trouble over the centuries.

While some of them are tapped for ore lodes, gemstones and rock salt deposits, the mountains are almost entirely uninhabited by men, with the exception of the Nine Idols' Rest reliquary built out of an ancient Huguelid keep up in the northern edge of the Flats. Like the wasteland below, the Saltspine is plagued with treacherous obstacles and dangers...razor sharp ridges, rockslides, collapsing tunnels, and they're also home to a collection of starving, desperate creatures including wyverns, dire bats, and giant species of cave insects that hide in wait for daring climbers and explorers to brave the heights.

Scything Sea: One of the largest oceans in the world, the Scything Sea is dubbed for its capacity to claim the souls of so many willing to traverse it. Chaotic whirlpools are known to appear from out of nowhere and harass vessels, while rocky reefs and mist-enshrouded islets abound in both the depths and coastal shallows. A myriad of formidable wildlife, from stinging jellyfish flotilla to schools of saw-sharks, giant squids and even the occasional kraken, occupy its waters, and if they weren't treacherous enough, fleets of Aylish reavers terrorize smaller coastal communities or those marine merchants with guts enough to cross. As far as pirates go, these are among the most highly trained in the world, employing time-tested naval tactics and weaponry that can run them head on against even a hardened Imperial naval detachment.

Settlements

Castle Autarkes (Pop. 100): With its 40' high walls, a quartet of 60' towers, and finely crafted defensive battlements stocked with anti-siege weaponry, Autarkes would seem a bastion of hope for such an isolated region of the Empire. However, due to the lack of serious strategic threats off the Eastern coast that aren't naval-based, the place has been left to only a skeletal garrison, with around 50-60 soldiers and a multitude of wives, families and castle staff stationed under one officer. As the ennui has set in, patrols have grown sparse, and thus monster populations have picked up, but one will occasionally encounter a small detachment of scouts. When requests for assistance are sent directly from either Iosyne or Ykklesias, the Imperial staff will occasionally send out a detachment of 8-10 mounted soldiers, but help is never guaranteed. They will, however, consistently refresh the guards at the Haulix Prison Camp, who work there in monthly shifts before swapping out for duty, and a lot of relaxation, at the Castle proper.

Haulix Prison Camp (Pop. 50): While most of the Empire's most violent and dangerous criminals never survive long past trial in more urban settings, there are work camps strewn about the regions in which the 'lesser' offenders are placed, with a carrot of freedom dangled before them should they serve out some overblown labor sentence. Thieves, rapists, black marketeers, court martialed Ekrysian troops, and foreign spies often populate such camps, and the Marrow Flats has its own, located in the south of the Marrow Flats under the eaves of the Saltspine. The camp itself consists of a small tent village of several dozen structures, dominated by a large tower in which the Imperial guards exchange shifts and get a good view of the prisoners below. 'Inmates' are given a limited degree of personal freedom to wander around between work shifts at the nearby Slakestones mine, converse and prepare meals, but they are chained down in their tents at night. Rarely, prisoners will be sent along with a few guards to assist the salt miners of Iosyne when they're short hands or a particularly steep quota needs to be met.

Iosyne (Pop. 75): A small community centered entirely around its salt mining laborers, who make daily treks, divided into teams, out to satellite digs where they harvest the rock salt from the Flats. The workers aren't paid very well, but it's a living, and the Empire provides some amenities for their families, like a resident engineer who has built several architectural improvements. A covered stone duct runs fresh rainwater from the Saltspine into a series of sluices, and a network of tall pylons and hooks can be used to raise a tarp that can offer both shelter from the brutal summer sun, and a total lockdown against an encroaching saltstorm from the East. Iosyne also features a small inn, stables for the wagons and llamas used both by the pickers themselves, and the salt-drivers who take shipments along the road west, back towards the more heavily settled Empire, and bring back supplies and food stuffs in return. A Tribune and small garrison of soldiers are assigned to the village for long lengths of time, and they oversee any of the troubles or threats while leaving most of the work organization to the local foreman.

Nine Idols' Rest (Pop. 10): The most isolated settlement in the Marrow Flats region, the Nine Idols' Rest is a reliquary built out of an old Huguelid ruin in the northern Saltspine. Roughly 300' up the mountainside, it's accessible by only a treacherous, narrow path and a pulley system which lowers a cage capable of carrying 3-4 visitors. Too few have seen the structure up close to really describe it. Little is also known about the monks and scholars at the Rest, but they have either been exiled or assigned to the place to pursue some long lost knowledge, and often receive sealed shipments from couriers sent specifically to the site. Once in a great while, one of the residents will be seen out on the Flats, or even visit Iosyne or Ykklesias, but these are usually just to pick up specific supplies, and while polite, they don't say much about their purpose.

Ykklesias (Pop. 500): The largest community in the Marrow Flats area, Ykklesias is a fishing village built primarily from Saltspine stone and some imported timber. While they're too distant from most other coastal towns and cities to do much direct trade, the harbor of the village features a 75' high lighthouse which helps pierce the oft-foggy nights on the coast, and it can easily fit a couple dozen small ships including a few Imperial vessels. Like Iosyne, the village is governed by a Tribune who is attended by a score Imperial soldiers, and the populace is largely self-servicing, with a number of small businesses that meet their needs, and if not, collect goods from the visiting trade and fishing vessels who stop over there. Trade between the salt miners, fishermen and Castle Autarkes is scarce but it does happen when necessary.

Other Sites

Alpha Dig: The primary site where the salt miners of Iosyne extract their product from the earth before bringing it back to the village, for breaking up and shipping off to the Empire. Northeast of Iosyne. There are some tents set up for shelter and a place for a fire pit and cooking, and it's all located about 20' deep in the ground, so some protection from the elements is granted. A ramp has been carved out to allow access for the wagons that move the rock salt crystals in their larger form, and there are a few dozen tributary tunnels leading off the main ditch which haven't been fully tapped or explored, some of which were natural, others the product of a few too many pick strikes on the walls of the Dig. In general, 50% of Iosyne's laborers will be assigned to this dig.

Drastor's Delve: Drastor was the first Tribune assigned to Iodyne, sixty years past, and oversaw the salt mining operation for a solid decade before disappearing mysteriously while outside the village gates. Some time later, notes were discovered that incriminated the officer as a smuggler who was excavating and exporting gemstones from a nearby site, possibly with the help of local soldiers, or even a handful of slaves, before that practice was abolished. An official investigation was launched out of Triskelos, and many of the current families' grandparents or great grandparents were among those interrogated harshly by the Imperials. Whether or not Drastor's secrets were fully uncovered is not known to the public, but a somewhat hidden cavern network south of Iosyne was later collapsed by the soldiers, and until only recently remained sealed. Then, about five years ago, someone or something managed to clear out the rubble at the entrance...

Foothold: As its name states, this is a camp located at the Western slope of a detached segment of the Saltspine in the midst of the Marrow Flats, due East of Iosyne, across some of the wasteland's more rugged, hilly terrain. It's set up much like the Alpha Dig, only with less tents, since there are rarely more than a half-dozen men assigned to work here. Unlike its larger sibling, however, excavation takes place directly into the mountainside. The rock salt crystals here are not in as much abundance, but richer and finer when broken down back at the village, and this product is usually shipped off to more affluent regions or families of the Empire. Laborers usually consider it a punishment to be sent to Foothold, as the heights of the Saltspine are thick with giant buzzards here, and there is suspected to be at least one family of cave giants living in the area...who are often hungry for something other than raw vulture.

Huguelid Ruins: While the ages have worn most of its architecture away, the foundations to an ancient, moderately sized Huguelid settlement lie within a salt pit roughly the size of the Alpha Dig. Explorers and scholars have long since come and picked what they could find dry, and much of what remained has been defaced by the salt and climate, but the place is still the subject of many curious rumors, and the leaning stones and empty verandas that remain are plentiful enough that they might harbor some remaining mysteries. One must be careful picking through them, however, due to the propensity of such structures to collapse, and of the more monstrous Marrow Flats denizens who enjoy the shade and privacy that some of the more intact buildings still provide them.

Mereside: This small camp site is an 'exploratory' dig site for the residents of Iosyne, since the local engineer and water runner are interested in coming up with ways to dredge the briny Brack Tarn and extract its wet salt. They will often make journeys here for research, accompanied by a wagon and a handful of laborers who can carry their samples and perhaps score some good salt while they're out there. Though it's not good for drinking without purification, the waters of the Tarn are peaceful and fed by rainwater runoff from the surrounding Saltspine. That is, until larger predators show up and decide they'd also like a 'drink', and maybe a 'meal'. Basilisks, death dogs and other beasts are often prowling the banks for just that reason.

Old Azuredark: Considered off limits to most locals, the Old Azuredark is a network of caverns which is reputed to be the lair of a centuries-old blue dragon, whose name is either unknown or forgotten across the years. The creature itself has not been seen for at least a decade, and thus might have died off or flown to take residence elsewhere, but the savagery such a thing could inflict on such a small population is a major deterrent to trespassers. Which is a shame, because some whisper that the Old Azuredark contains a number of sapphire deposits that could make a salt miner mighty rich, mighty quick, should he or she risk the place. But those few who have attempted it have either not stepped back out the cavern entrance, or been caught in advance by Imperial soldiers and sentenced to some punishment to dissuade them, perhaps even a stay at the Haulix Prison Camp.

Slakestone Mines: These mines are another one of the Empire's local ventures, producing no salt whatsoever, but a steady stream of ore, some of which is reportedly silver, and possibly even some gems of moderate value. Most of the 'proceeds' of this dig go straight to Castle Autarkes with the changing of the guard from the Haulix camp, and what happens after that is anyone's guess. The Mines are supposedly several levels deep, having been tapped for close to a century, and they've also claimed their share of laboring prisoners. Whispers have it that some of the walls and ceilings of the place seem alive, and can snatch up and devour a man before his shift-mates even know he's gone. The Imperials wave these away as idle chatter, and claim instead that men have tried to run off deeper into the unknown, to unknown fates, or even that a few escaped successfully to the woodlands south of the region after giving some incompetent soldiers the slip. Either way, the Haulix inmates do not seem overjoyed at the prospect of working them, and consider it almost a privilege when they are instead sent to complement the salt miners out of Iosyne.

Faiths & Religions

Amaun
NE Lesser God
The Still-Tongued Sage; The Keeper of Hidden Truths

Portfolio: Lost knowledge, secrets, riddles, enigmas.
Symbol: Open book with a collage of warped, screaming faces on either page.
Worshipers: Sages, mystics, wizards, illuminati.

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE.
Domains: Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Rune.
Subdomains: Arcane, Education, Language, Memory, Wards.
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff.
Sacred Animal: Mouse.
Sacred Colors: Gray, blue.

Apshai
LN Lesser Goddess
The Swarm-Matron; The All-Witness

Portfolio: Insects,swarms, drones.
Symbol: Scarab's head with many eyes.
Worshipers: Insect folk, shamans.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN, N.
Domains: Animal, Community, Earth, Law
Subdomains: Caves, Cooperation, Insect, Loyalty
Favored Weapon: Chakram.
Sacred Animal: Mantis.
Sacred Colors: Green, black, gold.

Arbaleen
N Greater Goddess
The Mother-Root; The Blossoming Eternity

Portfolio: Forests, glades, plants, sylvan beings.
Symbol: Uprooted oak with roots that form into dryads and varying woodland creatures.
Worshipers: Elves, sylvan creatures, woodsmen, faeries.

Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NE, NG.
Domains: Animal, Healing, Plant, Protection, Sun.
Subdomains: Day, Feather, Fur, Growth, Insect, Restoration, Thorns.
Favored Weapon: Club (or shillelagh).
Sacred Animal: Squirrel.
Sacred Colors: Green, yellow.

Azeesh
CE Greater God
The BlazeBorn; The Immolator

Portfolio: Sun, flames, drought, volcanoes, magma.
Symbol: Searing black skull impaled on trident, with two eyes on the trident barbs.
Worshipers: Arsonists, cultists, farmers, fire type creatures.

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE.
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire, Sun.
Subdomains: Arson, Ash, Catastrophe, Day, Light, Smoke, Thirst.
Favored Weapon: Trident.
Sacred Animal: Phoenix.
Sacred Colors: Red, yellow.

Bartan
LE Greater God
The WarBastard; The Storm of Strife

Portfolio: Slaughter, war, violence.
Symbol: Bearded helm with one shorn horn, above 5 bloody drops in a 'v' pattern.
Worshipers: Barbarians, emperors, kings, soldiers, evil humanoids.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE.
Domains: Destruction, Evil, Law, Strength, War.
Subdomains: Blood, Fear, Ferocity, Hatred, Rage, Tactics, Tyranny.
Favored Weapon: Battleaxe.
Sacred Animal: Warhorse.
Sacred Colors: Black, red.

Daematra Lyzande
CE Greater Goddess
The Queen of Hell; The Devil-Mother

Portfolio: Hell, devils, temptation, dominion.
Symbol: Six-breasted, six-armed succubus with goat skull head, wielding lashes, daggers and blooded hearts, two each.
Worshipers: Cultists, devils, masochists, the ambitious and corrupt.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE.
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Fire, Law, Nobility
Subdomains: Arson, Corruption, Devil, Fear, Hubris, Night, Tyranny
Favored Weapon: Scorpion whip.
Sacred Animal: Bat
Sacred Colors: Black, red

Denzemuth
LE Lesser God
The Man-Thrasher; The Lost Maw

Portfolio: Wild beasts, hunger, cannibals.
Symbol: Chimeric, three-headed beast (hawk, tiger and wolf) with slathering, entwined tongues.
Worshipers: Beast folk, cannibals, primitives, feral humans.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE.
Domains: Animal, Evil, Law, Strength.
Subdomains: Cannibalism, Fear, Feather, Ferocity, Fur.
Favored Weapon: Claw razor.
Sacred Animal: Hawk, tiger, or wolf.
Sacred Colors: Brown, gray.

Deovast Parthalyn
LG Greater God
The King of Heaven; The Angel-Sire

Portfolio: Angels, heaven, mercy, atonement, redemption.
Symbol: Symmetrical, conjoined Cyclops/angels, one wielding a sword, the other a flame.
Worshipers: Clerics, supplicants, preachers, healers.

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG.
Domains: Air, Charm, Glory, Good, Law.
Subdomains: Archon, Captivation, Charm, Heroism, Judgment, Love, Redemption.
Favored Weapon: Lance.
Sacred Animal: Eagle.
Sacred Colors: White, gold.

Edifice
LG Greater Goddess
The Shieldmaiden; The Unbreachable

Portfolio: Structures, defenders, protection, shelter.
Symbol: Clutched gauntlet over tower.
Worshipers: Castellans, lords, kings, soldiers, cityfolk, townfolk.

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG.
Domains: Artifice, Good, Law, Protection, Strength.
Subdomains: Defense, Fortifications, Industry, Loyalty, Redemption, Resolve, Toil.
Favored Weapon: Shield.
Sacred Animal: Ox.
Sacred Colors: Gray, gold.

Elendrykar
CG Greater Goddess
Queen of Tempests; The Cloud Burst

Portfolio: Clouds, rains, wind, air.
Symbol: Eagle with spears crossed in talons.
Worshipers: Aeronauts, aerial humanoids.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG.
Domains: Air, Animal, Chaos, Good, Weather.
Subdomains: Azata, Cloud, Feather, Monsoon, Storms, Wind.
Favored Weapon: Dart.
Sacred Animal: Condor.
Sacred Colors: Green, blue, white.

Eshebel
NE Lesser Goddess
The Sinstress; The Witching Womb

Portfolio: Pleasure, pain, lust, rape, sexual torture.
Symbol: Crooked saber with phallic shaped hilt between bared breasts.
Worshipers: Cultists, sex slaves, corrupt nobles, prostitutes, perverts.

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE.
Domains: Charm, Destruction, Evil, Liberation
Subdomains: Captivation, Corruption, Freedom, Lust, Torture
Favored Weapon: Cat-o'-nine-tailes.
Sacred Animal: Fox.
Sacred Colors: Black, red, pink.

Favikh
NE Lesser God
The Prince of Lost Purses; The Shadow-Baron

Portfolio: Thieves, liars, swindlers, burglars.
Symbol: Black cat wearing a coat of dangling coins and baubles.
Worshipers: Rogues, charlatans, con men.

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE.
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Luck, Trickery.
Subdomains: Corruption, Espionage, Imagination, Night, Thievery.
Favored Weapon: Dagger.
Sacred Animal: Cat.
Sacred Colors: Black, gray.

Flume
N Greater God
The Brine Lord; The Keeper and Weaver of Currents

Portfolio: Oceans, rivers, lakes, sailors.
Symbol: Crab clutching a ship in a bottle.
Worshipers: Sailors, marines, aquatic humanoids, fishermen.

Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NE, NG.
Domains: Animal, Plant, Strength, Travel, Water.
Subdomains: Exploration, Ferocity, Flotsam, Flowing, Growth, Oceans, Rivers.
Favored Weapon: Cutlass.
Sacred Animal: Fish.
Sacred Colors: Blue, green.

Gidyon
CG Lesser God
The Righteous Fist; The Street-Saint

Portfolio: Courage, humility, self-sacrifice, every man heroes.
Symbol: Profile of man impaled with seven spears.
Worshipers: Heroes, folk heroes, penitents, do-gooders.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG.
Domains: Chaos, Glory, Good, Strength.
Subdomains: Fist, Heroism, Honor, Resolve, Riot.
Favored Weapon: Brass knuckles.
Sacred Animal: Ibex.
Sacred Colors: White, brass.

Glare
N Lesser Goddess
The AeonSight; The Dream Teller

Portfolio: Fate, omens, dreams, prophecies, time.
Symbol: Staring female eyes within hourglass.
Worshipers: Oracles, prophets, adepts, mystics, kings, emperors.

Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NE, NG.
Domains: Knowledge, Luck, Magic, Repose.
Subdomains: Aeon, Ancestors, Divine, Fate, Memory.
Favored Weapon: Light mace.
Sacred Animal: Peacock.
Sacred Colors: Blue, white.

Luure
CG Lesser Goddess
The Child-Giver; The Love of All Who Spy Upon Her

Portfolio: Romance, fertility, lovers, newborn children.
Symbol: Infant suckling mother in the arms of two men that form a dais.
Worshipers: Mothers, lovers, breeders, sex cultists.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Charm, Chaos, Good, Healing.
Subdomains: Captivation, Friendship, Love, Lust, Restoration.
Favored Weapon: Sap.
Sacred Animal: Flamingo.
Sacred Colors: Red, white.

Miraglee
NG Lesser Goddess
The Hearth-Lighter; The Hearts' Bond

Portfolio: Kindness, compassion, good will, friendship.
Symbol: Clasped hands bearing star pendant.
Worshipers: Townsfolk, cityfolk, commoners, friends, altruists.

Cleric Alignments: CG, LG, N, NG.
Domains: Community, Good, Healing, Protection.
Subdomains: Cooperation, Family, Friendship, Home, Purity.
Favored Weapon: Short sword.
Sacred Animal: Dog.
Sacred Colors: Red, white.

Molvanir
NE Lesser God
The Lightning Liege; The Hoard-Lord

Portfolio: Greed, wealth, lightning.
Symbol: Smiling skull with a golden crown, gold coin eyes, and a necklace of lightning bolts.
Worshipers: Misers, nobles, princes, kings, crime lords.

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE.
Domains: Air, Evil, Nobility, Trickery.
Subdomains: Corruption, Deception, Greed, Hubris, Lightning.
Favored Weapon: Javelin.
Sacred Animal: Shrike.
Sacred Colors: Gold, silver, blue.

Mourn Dryr
LE Lesser God
Subjugator Prime; The Lord of the Leash

Portfolio: Dominion, slavery, oppression, torture.
Symbol: Scowling mammoth with spiked chain hanging between tusks.
Worshipers: Bigots, slavers, evil humanoids.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE.
Domains: Destruction, Evil, Law, Strength.
Subdomains: Corruption, Hatred, Slavery, Torture, Tyranny.
Favored Weapon: Mancatcher.
Sacred Animal: Elephant.
Sacred Colors: Black, gold.

Odhinnei
CG Greater Goddess
Mother Moon; The Soul-Stalker

Portfolio: Moon, hunters, wolves.
Symbol: Crossed arrows behind a wolf's head with crescent shaped eyes.
Worshipers: Hunters, woodsmen, trappers, moon cults, beast folk.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG.
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Darkness, Good, Trickery.
Subdomains: Ambush, Fur, Loss, Moon, Night, Redemption.
Favored Weapon: Longbow.
Sacred Animal: Wolf.
Sacred Colors: Green, black, white.

Odystos
LN Greater God
The Celestial Mechanic; The Great Design

Portfolio: Progress, invention, machinery.
Symbol: Man spread and splayed across the face of a gear.
Worshipers: Inventors, entrepreneurs, architects, builders, dwarves, gnomes.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN, N
Domains: Artifice, Community, Earth, Knowledge, Law.
Subdomains: Construct, Cooperation, Education, Industry, Legislation, Metal, Toil.
Favored Weapon: Light crossbow.
Sacred Animal: Spider.
Sacred Colors: Gray, blue.

Prizm
NE Lesser Goddess
Great Goddess Hex; The MoonSpell

Portfolio: Sorcery, spells, witchcraft.
Symbol: Crow slain and pinned to a pentagram.
Worshipers: Witches, warlocks, sorcerers, evil magic users.

Cleric Alignments: CE, LE, N, NE.
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Luck, Magic.
Subdomains: Arcane, Curse, Fear, Moon, Night, Rites.
Favored Weapon: Sickle.
Sacred Animal: Owl.
Sacred Colors: Purple, white.

Pspew
CE Lesser Goddess
O Formless One; The Quiver-Queen

Portfolio: Vermin, oozes, low things.
Symbol: Arm emerging from puddle, wrapped in slimy tendrils.
Worshipers: Amphibious humanoids, cultists, alchemists.

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE.
Domains: Chaos, Earth, Evil, Vermin
Subdomains: Caves, Corruption, Demodand, Entropy.
Favored Weapon: Net.
Sacred Animal: Toad.
Sacred Colors: Green, purple.

Sanctos
LG Greater God
The Night's End; The Sacred Blade

Portfolio: Healing, resurrection, holy light, destruction of the undead.
Symbol: Robed, hooded man bearing a lantern & sword.
Worshipers: Exorcists, healers, preachers, inquisitors.

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG.
Domains: Glory, Good, Healing, Law, Sun
Subdomains: Heroism, Judgment, Light, Redemption, Restoration, Resurrection, Revelation
Favored Weapon: Longsword.
Sacred Animal: Firefly.
Sacred Colors: Crimson, silver.

Sha-Adiin 
LG Lesser God
The Eye of Heaven; The Desert Wind

Portfolio: Sun, stars, nomads, dervishes, deserts.
Symbol: Daystar ascending behind stylized, squarish rukh.
Worshipers: The Solar Temple, nomads, dervishes, Tartiin, desert folk.

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG.
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Law, Sun
Subdomains: Day, Judgment, Light, Redemption, Thirst
Favored Weapon: Scimitar.
Sacred Animal: Camel.
Sacred Colors: White, gold.

Shroud
N Greater God
Veil-Lifter; The Visitor of Shades

Portfolio: Death, souls, afterlife, silence.
Symbol: Pendulum hanging from a skeletal, outstretched hand.
Worshipers: Necromancers, death cults, those honoring their dead.

Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NE, NG.
Domains: Darkness, Death, Knowledge, Repose, Void.
Subdomains: Isolation, Loss, Memory, Night, Psychopomp, Souls, Undead.
Favored Weapon: Butterfly knife.
Sacred Animal: Moth.
Sacred Colors: Black, silver.

Sigurd
CG Greater God
The Storm Hammer; The SunderHeart

Portfolio: Strength, storms, forges, battle.
Symbol: Skeletal smith beating sword with hammer.
Worshipers: Soldiers, officers, heroes, adventurers, smiths.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG.
Domains: Chaos, Glory, Good, Strength, War.
Subdomains: Competition, Duels, Heroism, Honor, Legend, Resolve, Tactics.
Favored Weapon: Warhammer.
Sacred Animal: Bull.
Sacred Colors: Blue, silver.

Sleeper
N Greater Goddess
The Gemstone Bride; The Great Leveler

Portfolio: Caverns, stone, earth, minerals, gems.
Symbol: Impassive, statuesque woman's face with brow and chin of stalactites.
Worshipers: Dwarves, underground races, miners, jewelers.

Cleric Alignments: CN, LN, N, NE, NG.
Domains: Artifice, Darkness, Earth, Ruins, Strength.
Subdomains: Caves, Fist, Metal, Petrification, Resolve, Toil, Trap.
Favored Weapon: Pick.
Sacred Animal: Mole.
Sacred Colors: Brown, silver.

St. Acres
NG Greater God
The Crop-Master; The Lord of Plenty

Portfolio: Crops, harvest, travelers, fortune.
Symbol: Spade wrapped in ribbons including bouquet of fruits.
Worshipers: Farmers, travelers, merchants, commoners, rural folk.

Cleric Alignments: CG, LG, N, NG.
Domains: Good, Healing, Plant, Sun, Travel.
Subdomains: Day, Friendship, Growth, Medicine, Restoration, Trade.
Favored Weapon: Scythe.
Sacred Animal: Crow.
Sacred Colors: Orange, brown, green.

St. Rictus
CE Lesser God
The Grinning God; The Living Mockery

Portfolio: Chaos, insanity, madness.
Symbol: Cleft, cracked, smiling skull.
Worshipers: Anarchists, harlequins, madmen.

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE.
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Liberation, Madness.
Subdomains: Fear, Insanity, Nightmare, Revolution, Riot.
Favored Weapon: Flail.
Sacred Animal: Hyena.
Sacred Colors: Any which contrast or contradict.

Stryde
CG Lesser God
The Reveler; The God-Muse

Portfolio: Song and dance, poets, drunkenness, revelry, feasts, celebrations.
Symbol: Grapes and lyre.
Worshipers: Musicians, poets, artists, drinkers, celebrants.

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG.
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Glory, Good.
Subdomains: Captivation, Friendship, Legend, Revelry, Whimsy.
Favored Weapon: Rapier.
Sacred Animal: Canary.
Sacred Colors: Purple, yellow.

Suluk
LE Lesser Goddess
The Coiled Queen, The Gorgon-Mother

Portfolio: Serpents, dragons, reptiles.
Symbol: Winged serpent around crooked dagger.
Worshipers: Cultists, evil dragons, scalykind.

Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE.
Domains: Animal, Evil, Law, Scalykind.
Subdomains: Dragon, Fear, Saurian, Tyranny, Venom.
Favored Weapon: Spiked chain.
Sacred Animal: Snake.
Sacred Colors: Red, green.

Taalon Qesh
CE Lesser God
Father Misery; The Bane of All Flesh

Portfolio: Plagues, pestilence, sickness, suffering.
Symbol: Desperate hands grasping out from a heap of intestines.
Worshipers: Necromancers, shamans, evil humanoids.

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE.
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Death, Evil.
Subdomains: Corruption, Entropy, Fur, Insect, Plague.
Favored Weapon: Morningstar.
Sacred Animal: Rat.
Sacred Colors: Red, brown.

Talastir
LG Greater God
The Oath-Lord; The Judge Over All

Portfolio: Justice, judgement, oaths, honor, laws.
Symbol: Wheel of hands clasping gavels.
Worshipers: Judges, magisters, constables, barristers, cityfolk.

Cleric Alignments: LG, LN, NG.
Domains: Community, Good, Law, Nobility, Rune
Subdomains: Aristocracy, Education, Judgment, Leadership, Legislation, Redemption.
Favored Weapon: Light hammer.
Sacred Animal: Lion.

Sacred Colors: Cream, slate.