Tumbleweed

**Tumbleweed** or in Parthian **Tumulus Vallis** is a town in the region of Popularis, Parthia. It serves as a starting location in *Campaign 1* and a quest hub for levels 1-5.

## Overview

Tumbleweed is a major frontier town in the ongoing conquest of the Parthian Imperium. Strategically located South-East of Stone Creek and North-East of Rust Ridge, Tumbleweed is a valuable stronghold for the Imperium and serves as the closest town to major trade hub Cornith that borders the Continental Railroad.

The town is the only settlement in the region to have its own designated Phoenix Rail station, and is located right in the middle of the central continent in a semi-arid desert environment. Many residents of Tumbleweed see themselves as citizens of the independent Consolidated Colonies on account of the connected railroad and their role in the Guerre de Resistance, a famous battle that won the colonies' independence. As such, vendors will serve and operate with the colonies' currency the Chi-Rho (☧) as well as in Parthian currency (galleons and denarii). It also means that some NPCs such as Ali Mar and his children, speak in colonial accents.

## Parthian Occupation

Tumbleweed was one of the first territories to bow to the Parthian Imperium, opting to become a puppet state rather than engage in war with the Parthian Legions. Although some citizens consider themselves members of the Consolidated Colonies, Tumbleweed is officially under Parthian occupation

### **Roads**

**Road to Cornith**

Road to Parthia occupied Cornith. This port city, once famous for its philosophy and art is now, the pride of Parthia's colonial efforts; bringing civilisation of the Imperium to their brutish human cousins in the barbaric City States. Cornith functions as a major trade hub for import and export of goods in the Parthian Imperium but unfortunately suffers with a terrible pirate problem.

**Road to Thespia**

A direct road bypassing the Parthia occupied city of Cornith and bringing travellers on a perilous route directly to the walled city of Thespia. Thespia is one of the last remaining City States to neither be conquered or made dependant on the Parthian Imperium. It boasts being the only true *independent* cities left on the continent. It also claims to have invented theatrics and happens to be the home of the continent's most celebrated theatres and opera houses.

**Road to Rust Ridge**

The road into Tumbleweed from the South by which the party entered the town in Session Three

### **Buildings**

**Abandoned Wizard Tower**

As the adventurers entered the town they noticed a tall dilapidated tower that could have once been home to a wizard.

**Barthens's Bombastic Beautiful Bargain Bin (B^5)**

Elmar Barthen's main store Barthen's Beautiful Bombastic Bargain Bin or B^5 is located on the right as the adventurers entered via the road to Rust Ridge. It's a humble cottage with a large and fully stocked cart in the yard.

**Abandoned Vineyard**

An old abandoned vineyard that undoubtedly once grew beautiful wine grapes but is now as barren as the rest of the land around Tumbleweed. This is the location of Gul-ik-Garak-Po'Dar's Spelljammer shipwreck and was once crawling in Spider Fang Goblins... until Po'Dar changed that.

**Hidden Hag's Hut**

[Content Hidden]

**Stables**

The stables are owned and operated by the management of the adjacent Tavern "Tumbleweed Saloon"

**Tavern and Inn**

The Tumbleweed Saloon is a western style tavern and inn run by a family of flying kobolds

**Haunted Tree**

A tall glowing tree that the more superstitious locals believe to be haunted and don't dare approach.

**Village Well**

One of the oldest structures in Tumbleweed, the well which provided the residents of the town (formerly a village) with fresh water has recently become contaminated. The Parthian government have promised to provide the townspeople with a new source of water in the form of their city spanning aqueducts and claim to have drained a large portion of of the lake and river systems north of Stone Creek for this endeavour. However, it's been years now since construction allegedly began and still no aqueducts have reached Tumbleweed. Moreover, the stores in the water tower are dwindling. Some of the locals believe the Haunted Tree to be the reason behind the curse that has befallen the village well.

**Kraigok's Blacksmith & Opal's Herbalism**

The homestead of the half Gnome-half pixie family of Matriarch Agaria. The pixie Matriarch's husband Kraigok is a deep Gnome and the town's local blacksmith. He deals mostly in common hardware and tools for the townspeople but can repair just about any damaged weaponry or armour that the adventurers loot. He and Agaria's daughter Opal is a herbalist and sells all sorts of potions. Opal has a crush on Lowen.

**Rubymane Manor**

Home of Lady Rubymane, the only one of the four matriarchs yet to be mentioned to the party and a complete mystery. Lady Rubymane lives in Rubymane Manor with her two children Varwise and Rosarra.

**Ali Mar's Family Compound**

Homestead of the Mar family, and storehouse for the excess stock that comes in for Ali Mar's general store. Ali Mar is the owner of the general store and runs the shipping business that supplies it. He carries with him always a Staff of Defence. His son Drelin is a former wizard's apprentice who works at the store and sells Dust and other magic items of his own creation. Ali Mar's daughter and Drelin's sister Ekorra is the Sherriff of the town and surrounding farmland,

**Temple of Radiance**

The town's local temple, the Temple of Radiance is a temple dedicated to the elemental powers of the sun around which Faeia orbits (whom the temple's fanatics characterise as a female despite not having a name or any other characteristic to describe this "goddess") and a comet that they refer to as Selune (pronounced Saloon) which co-inhabits this star system and occasionally shares the same orbital state vectors as Faeia. These two astral bodies are represented symbolically in the temple by the symbols of the many pointed star and the crescent moon. The temple is populated with a host of elves, mostly drow but one High Elf among them, with dark sun-kissed skin, she is T'rissa, the Sun Speaker. T'rissa is one of the 4 village Matriarchs and is one of the two main Priestesses of the Temple of Radiance. She can cast Lesser Restoration and Remove Curse but only within the confines of the temple from which she derives her power. The other Priestess of the temple is a beautiful and deathly pale drow woman named Xylanna, the Moon Speaker.

**Manor Silverrook**

???

**The Barrows**

???

**Shooting-Ironsmith**

A narrow, two-story vendor of ammunition and firearms (Shooting Irons). Has a cash register that could be robbed. This store is a chain location of Kaz Co. Firearms

Kaz Co. Firearms sells the finest ranged weaponry crafted from the original blueprints of famous artificer Kazuhira

**Doctor's Office**

A single story red shop that sells tonics, medicines, and even performs check-ups. Has a register that can be robbed.

The resident doctor is a pragmatist and a cynic. He is a fan of neither the Temple of Radiance or Opal's Herbalism, believing in a more scientific approach to medicine.

**Ali Mar's General Store**

A small single-story shop that carries a wide assortment of items, including Consumables and pouches, Ali Mar's general store is the finest and most consistent general store in the region. With weekly shipments from the consolidated colonies by rail and carts coming from Cornith at least once a month, the store and nearby family compound are always stocked with whatever the townspeople or wandering adventurers might need. Has a cash register that can be robbed.

**Bank**

A mid-size marble building with several layers of barred doors to block out potential outlaws. The backside of the bank is vulnerable to being blown up with explosive spells. Four small bank vaults sit in the back of the bank.

**Tumbleweed Saloon**

A massive orange two-story building with a large deck. Above the sturdy saloon doors, weathered signs hang proudly reading "Fine Food", "Rooms Available", and "Since 82 AE". First story has three tables, a cash register that could be robbed, To the side of the bar, nestled against a wooden support beam, sits a worn-out piano. , and a storage closet. The second story has three board rooms for guests.

**Barber**

Narrow yellow building with a few chairs and a cash register that can be robbed.

**Tumbleweed Station**

A tiny dark-gray shack, lined with outside benches, with a reception desk and a stash box inside. Here's a place for outlaws and adventurers alike to hop onto oncoming Phoenix Rails.

**Post**

Empty brown building, advertised as having sending stone communication inside.

**Tailor**

Two-story yellow building with a cash register, advertised as being a vendor of fine clothes, shoes, and custom orders. Has a cash register that can be robbed.