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Rumors of Exploration (or, Researching the Rift)
Darwin's Realm Campaign Journal
Session Date: November 28, 2003
Game Master: Dave P.
Journal Entry by David K.

Our intrepid adventurers, Def Lenard, Fen, Hollicar Demnon, Johnathon Greaves, Kelson Delsonari, and Landriss, had just returned from a dangerous expedition into the drow controlled mountains east of Trazarra. Winter has been upon the land for approximately a month now with snow and freezing temperatures beginning to invade the warmer low lands.

John and Def Lenard had utilized their share of the profits from the expedition to purchase a modest house in one of Trazarra's less reputable neighborhoods and were in the process of renovating it when Hollicar brought the party a rumor of possible exploration and profit.

According to a bar wench/prostitute, who was paid by Hollicar to gather information from a drunk "adventurer" in the Wild Geese Inn, there is a land to the east where the ruins of a lost civilization can be found. Realizing that his source was not the most reliable one could hope for, to say the least, Hollicar presented the information to the rest of the party as simply being from a "reliable source". Somehow he was able to say that with a straight face.

Regardless of the dubious origins of this rumor, however, it turns out to have a good basis of fact behind it. Kelson and Lenard were able to unearth some more specific information from research at the library and from asking around on the docks. All of this information was relatively easy to gather for someone who did a few days worth of basic research. Here is what they found out combined with Hollicar's "research":

Approximately 1,000 years ago, give or take a century, the central region of a large, semi-tropical island was wracked by a cataclysmic earthquake. The result was that hundreds of miles of real estate sank far enough to become flooded. Now the entire region is swampland with an infamous "mountain with fire inside" in the middle of the swamp. The north of the swamp is bordered by a steep, mile-high mountain range that then gradually slopes down into the northern lands. The lands to the north and south of the swamp seem to be civilized, but to what extent was not determined.

There is a large river, called the Rift, that leads from the sea into the swamp's interior. It seems like it may lead toward the volcano but this is just speculation. The expedition that the afore mentioned drunk adventurer belonged to apparently followed the Rift inland. They chartered a boat for traversing the river after taking a ship to the region. Most of the expedition died on or near the Rift. The dangers mentioned, and substantiated by sailors and other dock workers, were primarily poisonous snakes, dragons, and ghosts. Other horrors were alluded to but were not specifically classified.

The appeal of this vast swamp to adventurers is that the island was ruled for centuries by a very prosperous and powerful nation. The nation's reign came to an abrupt end with the earthquake which sank the land. Evacuation is rumored to have been abrupt with "everything" being left behind as the citizens tried to save their lives. If accounts can be trusted this means that a great deal of treasure, and possibly magic, can be found within the ruins.

Little information about the civilization itself could be discovered. The rumors indicated the presence of wizards but there were no mentions of exceptionally high levels of magic use. Some speculation exists that the cataclysmic earthquake could have been some form of divine punishment for "practicing sacrilegious magic".

The party was able to find the name for the ruined capital. They also found that an ancient wizard, is rumored to maybe be living in the volcano since the time of the earthquake.

Further investigation revealed that the voyage to the island will take about 3-4 weeks depending upon weather and other conditions. The trip is along well established trade routes with about 5-10% of ships being accosted by pirates. Roughly 5% or less ships are lost.

Passage will cost approximately 50 gold per passenger depending on the ship.

Once this information had been discovered and discussed everyone except Hollicar quickly agreed to take the voyage to the Rift despite the dangers involved (or perhaps because of the dangerous involved).

Though he had just met the companions a few days earlier, Landriss was invited to join the companions on their voyage with promises of excitement, profit, and a chance to test his mettle. A few days after the decision to voyage to the Rift was made and preparations were under way Hollicar finally told the party he would also join them, though he did not give a reason beyond saying that he was growing bored after lounging in the finest inn in Trazarra's for the past three weeks.

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