AOP:Journey Segment 02

## Out of the Frying Pan...

Distance, **Thunn's Garden** to **Hillsbrier**: 30 miles over the **Grand Ride**.

The party should be able to make it from Point A to Point B on any of the **available mounts** within the safe, 8-hour travel window. Reminder: you're looking at the first value of the daily/speed column. Note this is at the limit of the mastiff, pony and donkey mounts.

Note the departure and arrival times as that will affect what the PCs can accomplish on arrival (office hours at the Town Hall, etc.). The 8-hour stretch includes breaks for mounts and riders, but does not include any unscheduled delays or diversions. Travel blocks can be split without penalty assuming the PCs aren't on their mounts during interim time.

The chance for weather change (∆) depends on current conditions. If it is clear, chances are it will stay clear. Party sunny has a higher chance of becoming clear... or becoming partly cloudy. Cloudy WX has an even higher chance of change. Windy is a special category as windy can overlap any other WX condition, and if so, determines the chance to change over the rest of the prevailing conditions.

#### **Day 03 Campaign Weather**

If the PCs are "on schedule," this should be the morning of the third in-campaign day. If that's the case, use the "Campaign Weather" cues to give texture to the player experience.
In this case, PCs with Nature Skill will note wispy-puffy clouds high in the sky that indicate the approach of possible weather. It's unlikely to roll in during the transit, but there may be rain as early as tonight and definitely tomorrow.

If you're not on that schedule, stick with the random WX chart.

 As you continue, just beyond that gentle, curving intersection, traffic begins to bunch up a little. As you look ahead, you begin to see why...

### **...And Into the Fire**

Just beyond the road that branches south the Redshore, Cormyr holds the right (North) side of the road, reinforced by a redoubt, while Sembia holds the left (South) side of the road in a near-mirror (that looks some Sembian combat engineer assembled it while taunting Cormyr with a "anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better").

Both Cormyr and Sembia have at least a company of troops visible, and likely more just out of sight. Fighters or characters with a martial background who bother to review the forces may note Cormyr averages six (6) **"Purple Dragon" soldiers** to one **officer**, while the Sembian ratio leans seven (7) **infantry soldiers** to one **officer**.

 If you followed this route on your way to Westgate, this is a chilling reminder that this whole east-west trade highway is the border between fighting kingdoms.

#### **First Checkpoint**

About a mile past the dueling redoubts, there is a Sembian checkpoint that stretches across the road, with the heaviest presence on the south (left) side.

The Sembian Army stops travelers, asks travelers their business and assesses a minor fee to merchants. The merchants who pay the toll are given a travel token.

The party are couriers and won't be assessed a fee, but Sembian officers will ask their business. This is the time for the PCs to break out their House Stonehearth livery badge.

#### **The Militarized Zone**

A mile after the Sembian checkpoint, there's an extremely tense "interface zone." This is essentially a mirror of the dueling redoubts. It's hard to believe they can maintain this, yet not say they are at war with each other.

#### **Second Checkpoint**

A mile past the interface zone, there's a Cormyrean checkpoint to funnel and inspect traffic. They're on both sides of the road, though the heaviest presence is on the north (right) side.

Similar to the Sembian checkpoint, the army asks travelers their business and assesses a minor fee to merchants. The merchants who pay the toll are given a travel token.

Cormyrean officers won't confiscate the Sembian travel coin, and vice versa, but if they see it, they'll note it with disdain.

Once past the Second Checkpoint, the road is essentially clear of military interference for the rest of the 22-odd miles to Hillsbrier.

### **Random Encounters**

{FILL IN HERE}

 As you see farmers fields start to dot the countryside again, the planted rows growing ever closer to the road itself, you see the first signs of a much larger settlement. Minor cross roads and local traffic begins to pick up as you approach the village of **Hillsbrier**.