The Varisian Army Encampment

Up - Varisian Wanderings

The groups making up the Varisian army have separate areas within the main encampment, although most groups seem more or less content to take at least some direction from Hall Verhalft.

The portion of the army that is going to be on foot (or hoof) is encamped at Wolf's Ear. The portion that is going by water is at Galduria. It will take a week for the foot-travelers to get to Viperwall, and those going by water are scheduled to arrive at the same time.

The army is preparing to leave the encampment the following morning, so preparations are being made. The encampment is on a plain outside the town with few trees and a lot of mud. Between the military units, the animals and the cook fires, the air is thick. All the pools left behind by melting snow has produced conditions that are perfect for insect life. It thrives, much to the annoyance of nearly everyone.

When the party arrives, they are taken to meet Hall Verhalft. He is personable, although not especially open. He treats the party with respect. His tent is busy with the comings and goings of scouts, guards, messengers, and advisers.

As they come in, Takor (a short, slim male human with gray-green eyes and really badly cut light brown hair, leading the rangers) is just giving Hall a report. "Upriver and in the surrounding area, everything looks quiet. The sailors are staying as far away as they can from the west side of the lake, as they say that the poison mist is back. There is also a report of a missing barge. A scout sent to look around the area near Viperwall says that everything looks quiet, but that he thinks it is a little too quiet. There are a lot of rockfalls, and the terrain is really rough. It will be slow going for a large army. The scout wants to go back, and I want to go with him."

At this point, there is a commotion outside. Hall gets up to look. The captain of the guard, a swarthy fellow with mutton chop sideburns, calls out, "Did you get him?" Finally, he heads over to Hall and says, "A watchman reported a suspicious looking human hanging around camp. Apparently, he'd been asking a lot of questions. When they tried to capture him, he bolted, and it looks like he got away for the moment. We've got a couple of rangers after him, though."

Hall goes back inside and talks to Takor and the party. Hall's concerns:

• the kobols probably won't be too much trouble, but that half-dragon serpent folk concerns him
• the portion of the army that is crossing in boats will have to expect issues with the poison mist, maybe the casters can help with that
• the terrain will slow the army down, which could leave them open to guerilla attacks

They have a map of the area drawn by rangers.

After all the questions are answered, Hall agrees that Takor and his scout should return to Viperwall to see what else they can discover. Hall asks the party what they would like to do. Takor says that it will take at least a week for the army to reach Viperwall. If the party would like to join him and the scout, they are welcome.