Freedom's Landing

History

Located on the western border of the Emerald Kingdom, Freedom's Landing straddles the line between The Tamed Lands and The Culverwood and is exactly what you would expect from a group of artisans thrown together, who decided to build a city.

Freedom's Landing was founded by the most unlikely of groups when a handful of slaves and one oppressed orc overthrew their oppressors -- the leaders and warriors of an orc tribe -- and sought a new life where they could start over. Joining with the freed slaves were the also-formerly-oppressed remnants of the orc tribe -- women and children. All of these, while being skilled craftsmen and artisans, had been treated treated only slightly better than the captured slaves. Among these founders, chief are a group of adventurers, who ironically and self-deprecatingly call themselves the “Champions of Culverwood.”

Important NPCs

Hilia Nighttongue

Female Human Bard. In her youth she toured with a group of talented entertainers, including Laney Windwood. They were mildly popular and successful, but nothing spectacular. Along the way she picked up some minor magical knowledge but never had the interest or focus to really develop it, only knowing a few spells useful for the show or in general. Knows how to fight - traveling in the Wold is never safe and they went to some pretty rough places to perform. Shortly after Laney got pregnant with Lothlo the group parted ways. Still filled with wanderlust she continued to travel on her own until she got pregnant with her own daughter in Dirt City. She settled down and got a job running an inn for travelers coming to the city. It was a dangerous job, exposed to raids by the demi humans, but guards from the town helped keep them safe and she made it work for almost two decades before an overwhelming attack by orcish slavers captured everyone inside late after closing one night. No doubt the callus crime lords have already replaced her and the guards, not caring of the people lost as long as the money and goods keep flowing into town.

Tianna Nighttongue

Female Human Expert. An extremely charming and talented young woman Tianna is the daughter of Hillia the innkeeper. She’s spent her whole life in the inn helping her mom run things. She’s learned a lot from her mom about both the business and entertainment, becoming as good as or better then her mom at both singing and playing her mom’s lute, something her mom is extremely proud of. Talkative and outgoing she is great at keeping the customers entertained and loves asking them about their travels, especially any passionate romances they may have had.

However the recent events with their capture has deeply affected her. Though many of the travelers she saw were rough, even dangerous people this was her first real experience with the harshness of the world and watching the guards she befriended die in front of her before being dragged off to slavery has left her shy and withdrawn. Hopefully with time she’ll again regain her eager and energetic outlook.

Jamril "Jigger" Serpenthelm

Male Human Expert. A bitter and cynical man he has just enough expertise in a wide variety of skills to be useful, but not enough to make any one of them a profession. He’s made a living as a handyman and general purpose helper, but his lack of specific expertise and unpleasant attitude have made it difficult to find steady employment, which has just made him more bitter and grumpy. He took the job at the inn as a last resort and his wide variety of skills were incredibly useful at keeping the place in good repair. As such Hilia has kept him on the payroll for many years despite his unpleasant personality and combination of gainful employment and the charm of her daughter has helped make him a little less bitter and jaded. Their capture and enslavement just reinforced his negative worldview, but the unexpected freedom and second lease of life has given him distant hope yet.

Codru

Male Minotaur Bard. Codru mostly looks like your average Minotaur. Black furred with a single white horn (the other broken in an escape attempt) he doesn’t really stand out in a crowd. This is fine with him as he much prefers fading into the background, until action is called for then he can step forward and demand attention until the problem is solved, upon which he’ll hang back and fade into the background again.

Cordu was born outside of the Taur Islands to parents who were traveling merchants. He’s been most places in the Wold and is very well traveled. He’s seen most places and most things and has dabbled in this and that all his life. HIs parents died a decade ago and he inherited the business but he wasn’t nearly the merchant they were and it didn’t take long before he got in debt to some bad people who captured him and sold him to slavery to pay off his debt. Since then he’s been bouncing around, traded about or captured by one slave ring or another until he ended up in the Izen, a prisoner to the same tribe as Ash, who he made fast friends with.

Painter

Female Elf Fighter. Tall, thin, and scarred, Painter has a history of fighting and it shows. Tanned by long hours in the hot sun and with the muscles of a gymnist she’s fit and dangerous and it shows. Frequently ritually paints herself in the blood of dead orcs and always tries to stay armed and armored for a fight.

Painter was born into slavery and has spent her life fighting to escape it. At first all she knew were the woods and backbreaking work under Parnath. Eventually she saw an opening and escaped, fleeing the woods entirely and ending up in the Izen, where she was promptly captured by orcs and forced right back into slavery. The cruelty of the orc slavemasters exceeded even that of those under Parnath, imparting her a permanent hatred of the entire race. The orcs, in turn, were impressed with her strength and she was often made to fight others, orcish or otherwise, and has become comfortable with a wide variety of weapons and styles. Any time she fights an orcish opponent she goes out of her way to draw blood and paint herself with it, further increasing the enthusiasm of the orcish crowds. Her upbringing gives her a confident command of common and orcish, but her elven suffers from long disuse leaving her speech stuttering and broken.

Brother Matthew

Male Dwarf Cleric. Solemn, almost always wearing priestly vestments and with a perfectly groomed black beard and hair. He grew up in and around the priesthood and he takes all of his duties very seriously, intent on being the best shepherd he can to the living and the dead.

Brother Matthew was orphaned at a very young age in a small city. His parents were entirely unknown in the town, with no way to contact distant relatives or even a known name to the small baby. He was taken in by two human clerics of Gargul who oversaw the funeral and gave him a human name. He was raised as much by the temple as by his parents, for though they did their best to care for him the lifespan difference between the species meant his adoptive parents died before he was even an adult. Still, he was happy, and the priesthood helped him understand that everyone has to go eventually and it’s best to cherish the time you have. Eventually he left the local temple and his extended family to travel to join a pilgrimage where he met Niall and was captured and enslaved. Resilient in the face of adversity, he found a way to sneakily carve new holy symbols for himself and his fellow clerics, ready to help when the time came to find freedom.

Murzush

Female Orc Sorceror. The orc sorceress who helped them escape. She accompanies the group and trusts them to vouch for her to the elves so she can make a new home in the woods. Reserved and determined. Key representative of the orc population and a kind of unofficial leader.

Mike

Male Half-Orc Adept. Part of Ash's coven though will soon be NPC. He looks young and a little rough, brown haired and with off-white skin and brutish features. Orphan. Seen as Briana's brother.

Briana

Female Halfling Adept. Part of Ash's coven though will soon be NPC. Young. She was probably plump once, but long hardship has thinned her and made her blond hair long and ragged. Orphan. Seen as Mike's sister.

Parvati

Grumpy older woman. Highly skilled engineer who now lives within the settlement

Buggo

Dire Cricket. Buggo is living like a king in a cloth-lined cage, fed leaves by fascinated children who take turns looking after him.

Demographics

The population currently consists of:

• Approx 65 orcs - All women and children
• Approx 65 non-orcs - Various races. Random ages. No children.
• Livestock: Chickens, Goats, Cattle

Appearance

The sentry towers mark the corners of the village. On the river, the bridge and quay provide a welcome for travelers. A road or path has been worn up the bank there in a sweeping curve, which leads past the little building set up as a harbormaster or possibly trade office. There's no call for one now, which is why Zazu has set up temporary residence there, but the "Welcome to Freedom's Landing" sign hints at things to come.

Next, the road sweeps past the brand-new inn, to end in a village square of sorts, bordered by the town hall, the shop building, and a few wattle-and-daub houses. The kiln is set back a ways, for safety, but visible from the square. The remaining houses are scattered in among the trees, all snug and ready for winter. It seems like only yesterday this place was a collection of tents, but now it looks like a real home.