Outside the City of Atlantis itself, the only forms of public transport
available are:
The riverboats on Many Demons River (details may follow in due course).
The continental stagecoach network.
Local stagecoaches (details may follow in due course).
This file describes the continental stagecoach network.
The continental stagecoach network is owned and run by Julkia of Marcon, a retired adventuress who also owns the Bearded Man Inn, the largest and best run inn in the city of Marcon. The stagecoach side of the business barely breaks even, but it makes sure that any visitors to Marcon stay at the Bearded Man, and that side of the business is profitable.
Travel by stagecoach is not cheap, but it is within the means of the middle classes.
Travel by stagecoach is not fast. Even in the best circumstances, using flat, well maintained roads (maintained by private contractors but at the expense of the Atlantean taxpayer), coaches only manage 15 miles per hour. Through the mountains, this can drop to 6 miles per hour or even less.
Local stagecoaches, which do not have the advantage of such well maintained roads, rarely manage more than 12 miles per hour even in the best circumstances, and this can drop to as little as 3 miles per hour in out of the way areas. It is often quicker to walk.
Travel by stagecoach is not comfortable. Each stage of the journey lasts about two hours. There are usually five stages (about ten hours) per day, although on some parts of some routes it is four or six stages. There is a ten minute break between stages, except that the break nearest midday is longer, about half an hour, allowing time for a meal.
Travel by stagecoach is relatively safe. The roads are supposedly kept free of monsters by the contractors maintaining them, but even when they are not, stagecoach drivers are capable of defending themselves and their passengers (all are fighters of third level or above). Additionally, when there is reason to expect trouble, Julkia or her local representative in one of the other cities will hire a second adventurer to accompany the coach, and allow that adventurer's friends to travel with him free of charge. This is what makes the stagecoaches interesting to player characters.
Stagecoach Drivers
Stagecoach drivers are NPC fighters of at least 3rd level.
The stats (if needed) for a stagecoach driver are as follows:
Class: fighter
Level: base 3rd level. Roll 3d6, and add one level for each 6 showing.
Strength: 14+1d4
Dexterity: 12+1d6
Constitution: 12+1d6
Intelligence: 5+2d6
Wisdom: 5+2d6
Charisma: 6+2d6
Hit dice rolls: 10 at first level, 1d10 counting all 1s and 2s as 3s at
each subsequent level.
Alignment: any, lawful preferred
Sex: male
Most stagecoach drivers are from the middle class. Some (about 1 in 6) are impoverished aristocrats. Since driving a stagecoach through the mountains is technically "adventuring" rather than "employment", an impoverished aristocrat can take a job as a stagecoach driver without a serious loss of social status.
A middle class stagecoach driver regards his job as a job. He will defend the stagecoach and its passengers as best he can, but not at the risk of his own life.
An impoverished aristocrat will have a strong sense of honour. He will defend the stagecoach, and particularly its passengers, even at the cost of his own life.
If the player characters should enquire, there are currently no vacancies for stagecoach drivers.
Hiring Lookouts
If the stagecoach company is expecting trouble, they will hire an adventurer to accompany the coach. The company prefers spellcasters (priests, wizards or bards) of lawful alignment and at least 5th level, but it will take whatever it can get.
The company will pay a reasonable rate for the job.
Although the company will only hire one accompanying adventurer for any journey, part of the deal is that any adventuring companions who wish to accompany the adventurer can travel for free provided that there is room in the coach.
The Routes
Atlantis to Karianton (coastal route)
Karianton is 462 miles from Atlantis as the crow flies. The route is 919 miles along good coastal roads, spread over 31 stages and taking 6 days.
Atlantis to Karianton (second route)
Karianton is 462 miles from Atlantis as the crow flies. The route is 1290 miles, most of which is along good roads. There are two short sections through mountain passes. The route is spread over 46 stages and takes 9 days.
Atlantis to Marcon direct (avoiding Karianton)
Marcon is 549 miles from Atlantis as the crow flies. The route is 943 miles, about three fifths of which is along mountain roads. The route is spread over 61 stages and takes 12 days.
The sixth overnight stop is at the inn of Sudes the Simple. Before becoming an innkeeper, Sudes was one of Julkia of Marcon's henchmen. The inn is not well run, but he saved Julkia's life on several occasions in their adventuring days so she ensures that he receives regular custom.
The eighth overnight stop is in the town of Adorgos. The inn here is also called the Bearded Man, and is also owned by Julkia of Marcon.
Julkia of Marcon also runs a number of branch routes which connect with this route from Atlantis to Marcon. These are more reliable than typical rural stagecoaches.
One of these connects Adorgos with Silver Dragon Watchtower. This route is spread over 8 stages and takes 2 days. Silver Dragon Watchtower has recently declared itself independent of Atlantis.
Another branch route connects the inn of Sudes the Simple with Gold Dragon Watchtower. The coaches on this route are non-stop. The route is far from being as straightforward as it looks on the map. The journey is uphill all the way and takes between seven and eight hours depending on weather conditions. The return journey, downhill, takes about four hours.
Marcon is 188 miles from Karianton as the crow flies. The route is 258 miles, mostly through the mountains. The route is spread over 20 stages and takes 4 days.
Caljanat is 90 miles from Marcon as the crow flies. The route is 233 miles, winding through some spectacular mountain scenery. The route is spread over 15 stages and takes 3 days. The view from the inn on the first overnight stop is breathtaking.
The second overnight stop is at Sickle Granary. A major druidic college is nearby.
Xenby is 131 miles from Caljanat as the crow flies. The route is 332 miles, winding through some spectacular mountain scenery. The route is spread over 24 stages, the last of which takes 3 hours rather than the usual 2, and takes 5 days.
Zeljan is 199 miles from Caljanat as the crow flies. The route is 341 miles, mostly through the mountains. The route is spread over 24 stages and takes 5 days. The bridge spanning North Gods River is an amazing piece of civil engineering, but don't look down as the coach crosses it.
Zeljan to Old Jantheny and New Jantheny
Old Jantheny is 279 miles from Zeljan as the crow flies. The route is 1057 miles, more than half of it through mountainous countryside. The route is spread over 71 stages and takes 15 days. An optional 72nd stage on the 15th day takes the passenger on to New Jantheny.
Julkia's coaches go no further than New Jantheny.
Bradispan is 266 miles from Karianton as the crow flies. The route is 354 miles, about half of which is along mountain roads. The route is spread over 21 stages and takes 4 days.
Bradispan to North Suhewab and South Suhewab
North Suhewab is 39 miles from Bradispan. The coach journey is non-stop and takes about three hours. South Suhewab is a further 22 miles. The coach journey is non-stop and takes about two hours. It is possible to do both journeys in the same day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Julkia's coaches go no further than South Suhewab.
Travelling from Atlantis to Omnatia
The easy way is to travel by coach from Atlantis to New Jantheny, and by boat from New Jantheny to Omnatia. The boat journey of 70 or 80 miles takes around eleven or twelve hours, depending on the boat and the weather, and can be done in a single day (the return journey is slower as prevailing winds are from the south west). The total travelling time is thus 36 days (Atlantis to Marcon, 12 days; Marcon to Caljanat, 3 days; Caljanat to Zeljan, 5 days; Zeljan to New Jantheny, 15 days; New Jantheny to Omnatia, 1 day).
A faster way is to travel by coach from Atlantis to South Suhewab. The journey from South Suhewab involves riding to the coast (about 40 miles), taking a coastal boat across the bay (about 40 miles), riding across country (about 150 miles), taking a boat across the lake (30 miles), another short ride (20 miles) and finally taking a boat along the lake to Omnatia (140 miles). A good rider could do it in two days, and even a competent rider could be on an overnight boat by the end of the second day, in order to arrive in Omnatia the following morning. The total travelling time is thus 13 days (Atlantis to Karianton, 6 days; Karianton to Bradispan, 4 days; Bradispan to South Suhewab, 1 day; South Suhewab to Omnatia, 2 days).
Of course, someone with a flying carpet could do the journey in 2 days, stopping overnight at Xenby, Caljanat or Bradispan, and a wizard with a teleport spell could do the journey in no time at all.
This scenario is for no more than three player characters of reasonably high level.
The player characters are travelling in by stagecoach somewhere along the route from Atlantis to Adorgos to Marcon to Caljanat. There are three passengers in the coach.
Two of them introduce themselves as Ocket and Zixza Loudevon. Ocket is a very large man, big-boned rather than fat, and Zixza, his wife, is a very beautiful half-elven woman.
The player characters happen to know that Ocket Loudevon is the secular name of Poris the Great, the recently-appointed Great Druid. Perhaps they have been hired by his druidic colleagues to protect him - he has strong and controversial opinions and his friends think that he may be a target for assassination. Or perhaps the player characters are the assassins, hired by dissident druids who disagree with Ocket's reformist agenda. Or perhaps one of the player characters has the obscure knowledge trait, and knows the secular names of all major religious figures on the continent. At this stage, it doesn't matter.
The third stranger in the coach just gives his name as Tannekar and doesn't say much. He avoids attempts to engage him in conversation.
The player characters do not know much about the driver. They know that his name is Kyrmug Chyedsum, and if they were with the coach when it stopped at the Inn of Sudes the Simple they will know that Sudes and Kyrmug are old friends.
Coaches are designed to seat ten (although they can really only seat eight in comfort), so there are four spaces in the coach.
At one of the coaching inns between Adorgos or Marcon, four people, three men and a woman, ask if they can join the coach that day. Since their money is as good as anyone else's, the driver allows them on. They are Miat, Aimedsus, Lazaur and Parnyva, described below.
One of them, Miat, is large and fat, so it is possible that the player characters might protest about this. There is barely room for ten people of normal size, and both Poris and the tall, fat newcomer are far from normal size. If they do protest, the driver will reply that if the player characters don't like the inside of his coach they can get out and walk.
If the player characters do get out and walk, they miss the rest of the scenario.
Shortly before the coach sets off, another man approaches the driver and asks if he can ride in the coach. This is Temar, described below, but if he gives a name at all it will be something else.
The driver replies that he cannot as the coach is full. The man then asks the driver if he can ride on top, alongside the driver, and offers money. The driver refuses, saying that it is against company regulations.
Several hours later, the coach stops so that its passengers can eat. As they are eating, who should ride up but the man who was refused a place on the coach? He dismounts, pulls out a horn of the sort coachmen use to signal to one another, and says the three words coach passengers don't want to hear:
Stand and deliver.
At this point, the man does not draw a sword. But three of the passengers do. Unfortunately for everyone else, the three passengers who draw their swords are the three men who joined the coach this morning, and it is soon clear that they are allies of the highwayman.
Then a fourth man draws his sword. It is the passenger who gave his name as Tannekar. He says:
Temar the robinhood, I have a warrant for your arrest, dead or alive. Lay down your weapons and surrender, or I shall be forced to kill you.
Unless the player characters are very quick off the mark and cast a silence spell, the highwayman, Temar the robinhood, blows his horn.
Tannekar is not the sort to take no for an answer. Unless the player characters do something to restrain him, Tannekar engages Temar in combat.
The player characters must now make up their minds what to do.
Oh, and by the way. Five to ten rounds after Temar blows his horn, an entire outlaw band, over two hundred of them, will turn up. Won't that be fun?
NPCs:
Ocket Loudevon, known as Poris the Great, human male, Str 12 Dex 9 Con 15 Int 11 Wis 16 Cha 15, Align N, Hp 100. Age: forty-something. Druid, Level 14.
Poris the Great has only recently ascended to the title of Great Druid, and is on his way to Sickle Granary to be confirmed in his new position. He has strong and controversial opinions on changes which must be made to bring druidism in line with the practices of the modern world.
When the outlaws declare themselves, Poris will find himself in a serious dilemma. He approves of outlaw bands much more than he approves of paladins, and, other things being equal, would happily side with the outlaws.
But other things aren't equal. Firstly, he has with him various sacred regalia of his faith. If he doesn't still have them with him when he arrives at Sickle Granary, he won't be confirmed as Great Druid, and the changes to the faith which he wants will not come about.
Secondly, if he comes out of this alive and Tannekar does not, the Atlantean authorities, no friends of druids, will assume that he collaborated with Temar, and will decimate the druids of Atlantis.
N.B. Ocket Loudevon is his birth name. Poris, his religious name, is also the pseudonym he used as an adventurer.
N.B. The three 11th-level druids who are supposed to serve Poris are already at Sickle Granary, preparing for the confirmation ceremony, and play no part in this scenario.
Zixza Loudevon, known as Zixza the Fey, half-elf female, Str 8 Dex 12 Con 15 Int 15 Wis 10 Cha 17, Align N, Hp 41. Age: fortyish. Enchantress, Level 11.
Zixza is Poris's wife. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Enchantment of Atlantis and a member of the Learned Society of Conjuration, Binding and Enchantment.
Zixza will follow her husband's lead.
Tannekar the Brave, human male, Str 17 Dex 14 Con 13 Int 12 Wis 17 Cha 18, Align LG, Hp 41. Age: twenty-something. Paladin, level 5.
Tannekar the Brave is a virtuous warrior in the service of Teus the Wise. He has a warrant for the arrest, dead or alive, of Temar the Robinhood, and he means to go through with it, come hell or high water.
Kyrmug Chyedsum, human male, Str 17 Dex 15 Con 17 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 9, Align LN, Hp 48. Age: fiftyish. Fighter, level 4.
Kyrmug Chyedsum, the coachman, is a loyal employee of the Marcon Stagecoach Company. He is an old friend of Sudes the Simple, whose recommendation got him the job, and he does not want to let his friend down. He will not fight to protect passengers' property, but he will side with the passengers if they put up a fight against the outlaws.
Temar the Robinhood, human male, Str 12 Dex 9 Con 13 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 8, Align CN, Hp 71. Fighter, level 12.
Temar the Robinhood is useless at most things, including leading a band of outlaws. What he is good at is staying alive. His principal "weapon" is his horn: when he blows it, the entire outlaw band will appear within the next five to ten rounds.
Temar and his band rob from the rich. Not the very rich, who can afford bodyguards, just the moderately rich. And they keep the proceeds for themselves. What did you expect? Give it to the poor? Only Na the Foolish would be silly enough to do that!
Miat Smallpenis, human male, height 6'8". Str 16 Dex 12 Con 11 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 12, Align CN, Hp 29. Fighter, level 6.
Miat Smallpenis is Temar's trusted lieutenant. He looks as if he is enormously strong.
Aimedsus the Fat, human male, Str 13 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 17 Cha 10, Align CN, Hp 33. Cleric, level 6.
Aimedsus is a priest of Nobody. Why is he a member of Temar's outlaw band? Well, who thinks Temar is a good leader? Nobody, that's who.
Aimedsus is allowed the use of edged weapons, and has weapon specialisation in longsword.
Lazaur Redface, human male, Str 13 Dex 11 Con 15 Int 11 Wis 11 Cha 13, Align CN, Hp 41. Fighter, level 5.
Lazaur Redface is the second lieutenant of Temar's outlaw band.
Parnyva the Mouse, human female, Str 11 Dex 9 Con 15 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 15, Align CN, Hp 16. Transmuter, level 4.
Parnyva is the daughter of a respectable merchant in Caljanat and a graduate (not an outstanding one, it must be said) of the Institute of Transmutation in Atlantis. So what is she doing here? Can she really be in love with Temar?
Temar's band of outlaws, the drunken louts, comprises:
ten 3rd-level fighters, male, armed with longsword and longbow
two hundred 0th-level bandits, male, armed with shortsword and longbow
Deliberate omission: when the coach stops for everyone to eat, the horses are changed (old horses unharnessed, and fresh horses harnessed to the coach). This is done by someone at the staging point, not by the driver.
Depending on how lethal you want to make this scenario, the guy with the fresh horses might be a friend of Kyrmug's, or a 0th-level nobody who doesn't want to get involved, or another member of the outlaw band.