recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
1448

## **The Troll Bypass Attack**

### **1448 DR: The Hugheshire Assault**

Trolls from the Trollclaw hills reach out to maul Hugheshire, the SE county. Adlington was the county seat. Instead of the usual southern overland route, the trolls made a wide berth around Fort East, taking the north route, over the south-pointing “river peninsula.”

The trolls used the driftwood principle to cross the river, masking themselves surprisingly well. It was later determined they had advisers that were likely out of the Troll Hills to the north, including illusionists that were providing camouflage cover. *Thanks, Larloch…*

The troll army seriously bloodied some of the outlying villages before the Adlington Arms could intercept and eliminate the threat.

After an incredibly violent encounter, there is hardly evidence the trolls ever there as the giants’ bodies are harvested for potion components.

### **Lessons Learned and Best Practices**

In the 14 years since the creation of the baronies and counties, the Stonehearth College of Arms (CoA) had been training the collective troops. They’d also been studying tactics and strategy at large, the local enemy and the results of the marquisate’s own response to the threats. Was it effective?

After the Hugheshire Assault, two major lessons learned and corrective actions taken.

* First, a dedicated body was required for both tactical and strategic surveillance and reconnaissance. The marquisate operated the Sergeants-at-Arms, but their size and scope was limited from strategic to diplomatic-level response. They needed eyes (and steel) for the small-to-mid range level. The marquisate had the answer to that, too: a ranger company.

* Second, the countryside needed to be prepared. They needed to know how to respond, even if they never personally drew steel. This called for militia training.

The four county battalions already had three infantry companies and one marine company. They would now expand to include a ranger company as well.

The ranger companies were well-equipped to fill that instruction gap. The individual platoons would rotate through the jurisdiction the same way the primary forces did. As the infantry also acted as sheriffs, policing the area, the rangers would act as instructors, training the area.

Militia training would include basic fitness, awareness and reporting (local patrol), military structure and tactical command, hand-to-hand, melee and basic ranged combat.

With five operational platoons to a ranger company, one platoon trained the populace at the seat, one platoon trained populace in the greater county, one platoon scouted the greater county, and one platoon scouted over the threat-side border. The fifth rotation was recuperation, recovery and additional training.
NPC Pirate

**Pirate**

* *Medium humanoid (any race), any non-lawful alignment*
* ***Armor Class** 12 (leather armor) **Hit Points** 11 (2d8 + 2) **Speed** 30 ft.*

* **Senses** passive Perception 10
* **Languages** any one language (usually Common)
* **Challenge** 1/8 (25 XP)

### **Actions**

* ***Cutlass.** Melee Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.
* ***Light Crossbow.** Ranged Weapon Attack:* +3 to hit, range 80 ft./320 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

**Pirates** are bandits of the high seas. They might be freebooters interested only in treasure and murder, or they might be privateers sanctioned by the crown to attack and plunder an enemy nation’s vessels.
1335

## **Increased tensions between Stonehearth and the Council of Four…**

The sects that once protested the Candlekeep Calculators caught up with Stonehearth in Baldur’s Gate. By **1335**, there was unquestionably open hostility. It rarely sunk to the level of unchecked violence, but it was drama and tension that was frankly bad for business. In the Gate, unlike the Candlekeep era, Stonehearth was well-armed and well-practiced.

Once Stonehearth simply accepted there would be tension, the gloves were off for a dozen other points of friction. The House was actively hostile with groups engaged in the slave trade. This was aimed squarely at Thay, who seemed to have long-range designs on expanding into the Sword Coast. In that respect, if one is going to pick an enemy, Stonehearth picked a doozy.

High Imaskar was in roughly the same slaver estimation. Anyone from the Underdark (especially drow and duergar) was automatically suspect, though that was common among the surface population.

Mulhorandi interests didn’t generate the same level of red flags, but it was no secret that they were unwelcome by the SMC. Closer to the Sword Coast, Athkatla of Amn didn’t even bother with direct connections, though they often went through more neutral intermediaries.

Likewise, House Stonehearth was prickly with the likes of the Zhentarim, but would tolerate certain categories of trade with residents of Zhent lands.

### Baldurian Turbulence

It was Stonehearth's rock-the-boat activism that flipped the Baldurian Council of Four into a standing refusal to allow House Stonehearth to make it a council of five. This was sour grapes payback: Stonehearth had already rejected the Council after the collective dukes rejected Stonehearth's plans to police and tax the Lower City.

Still, the Council was in no position to command Stonehearth to much of anything: that kind of authority didn’t exist in the city charter. Even if it did, Stonehearth’s operations in the lower city were the only reason that lawless pocket didn’t devolve into pure anarchy.

The Stonehearth Arms were predominantly security for the business venture, but they were known to throw their weight around. After a few search and rescue favors for city allies, they had a reputation for efficiency and lethality. In other words, for a mercenary, *professionalism*. Unlike a mercenary, they couldn’t be bought – hence bordering on a resident *Army*. Considering that army was outside the influence of the Gate’s Council, it was considered very, *very* dangerous.
Magic items: summoning items

Magic Item Pricing and availability

more stuff

> *Summoning items give their users shiny new friends to help them destroy their enemies or solve problems. With the exception of the Onyx dog, the Silver Raven and the Ivory Goat of Terror, the value of these items is heavily dependent on how expensive mercenaries are in your campaign world. The basic rules makes hiring even quite competent allies startlingly cheap, and while these items aren't based on the ridiculous 2 gp/day rule, they do assume that hiring combat ready minions is a relatively cheap activity that most players will be doing a little bit of if the situation warrants it. Adjust the below prices accordingly if this is not true in your campaign world.*
>
>

> **-Saidoro**
>
>
NPC Bandit Captain

* ***Armor Class**15 (studded leather) **Hit Points**65 (10d8 + 20) **Speed**30 ft.*

* **Saving Throws**Str +4, Dex +5, Wis +2
* **Skills**Athletics +4, Deception +4
* **Senses**passive Perception 10
* **Languages**any two languages
* **Challenge**2 (450 XP)

### **Actions**

* ***Multiattack.***The captain makes three melee attacks: two with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers.
* ***Scimitar.**Melee Weapon Attack:*+5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:*6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
* ***Dagger.**Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:*+5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit:*5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.

### **Reactions**

* ***Parry.***The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
* It takes a strong personality, ruthless cunning, and a silver tongue to keep a gang of bandits in line. The **bandit captain**has these qualities in spades.
* In addition to managing a crew of selfish malcontents, the **pirate captain**is a variation of the bandit captain, with a ship to protect and command. To keep the crew in line, the captain must mete out rewards and punishment on a regular basis.
* More than treasure, a bandit captain or pirate captain craves infamy. A prisoner who appeals to the captain’s vanity or ego is more likely to be treated fairly than a prisoner who does not or claims not to know anything of the captain’s colorful reputation.
Self-propelled wagons

## Rise of the Horseless Carriages

Since the early 14th century DR, Stonehearth has been blazing trails over paved streets. Following the science and engineering of harnessing steam, the concept quickly grew. In comparison to what we know of earth history , the evolution of Baldur's Gate horseless carriages and self-propelled wagons was greatly accelerated by applied magic.

As arcane crystals were developed, and started to power high-horsepower  motors to accomplish mechanical work, there was an industrial revolution that started in (and was largely limited to) Baldur's Gate – and later across the Stonehearth Marquisate. One of the few other groups to enjoy this mechanical mastery was the technically-minded people of Lantan.

The Stonehearth-led revolution is only now slowly growing outside of the Baldur's Gate-Marquisate area, though points such as steam power and limited internal combustion are finding experimentation through the Lords' Alliance and in some technically-oriented areas such as the Shou region of Kara-Tur.

### Changes in Baldur's Gate

As horseless carriage and carts rose in the Gate, especially in the Stonehearth zones, a funny thing started happening: traffic patterns changed. Foot and horse-drawn traffic started sharing the cobble-stone roads with increasingly larger self-propelled wagons and carts.

Behemoth wagons weren't a problem outside the gates, bringing in the wondrous invention of toiletpaper, but inside, traffic got cramped. This led to widening certain thoroughfares from the Gate's gates. Most of the streets in Stonehearth neighborhoods were also widened, though not all of Baldur's Gate embraced the change. Some campaigned to keep the streets, partially out of spite against the growing influence of the SMC.

### Urban Planning in the Marquisate

By the time the marquisate was chartered and North Point was founded, horseless carriages were common anywhere Stonehearth was. It fit, especially with the sheer volume of cargo the Stonehearth Merchant Company shipped and transported. It was more than just the SMC, though: it was every merchant and manufacturing house in the Stonehearth halo. It was the Arms. It was the private citizens that didn't want to ride a horse in the regular rains of the Sword Coast.

Now, in 1489, there are brick-paved highways the length and width of the marquisate, and cris-crossing Stonehearth baronies in Tethyr and Cormyr. Even with the advent of the Marquisate portal network, there is still traffic on the highways from the cities to the half-way points between.

## Horseless Carriages: *Available Today!*

It is within the realm of any professional in the Marquisate today to be able to own and operate a horseless carriage. There is a driver's test. There are fees, maintenance and upkeep – just like there is with owning a horse – but a PC could conceivably purchase an off-road capable cart and drive it across Faerûn. They'll want a supply of arcane crystals, and maybe the skill to create their own (even if low level), but Lollar the Bard could drive a Jeep-like self-propelled wagon from Baldur's Gate all the way to the far corners of Kara-Tur.
Teziir

## The City of Teziir

The City of Teziir is a well-established port and competitive trade location that provides considerable market competition to Westgate. On the west side of the "neck" that defines the separation between the Inner Sea and the technical Dragonmere, Teziir is the preferred choice of many east-flowing merchants from Western Heartlands and Sword Coast.

The city was still considered a frontier town by most people. Its growth had been haphazard. Very few roads ran straight for any considerable distance. There was also a considerable population that lived outside the town in shacks and tents. They provided many services, both legal and illegal, to the inhabitants of the city proper. The Astorians thieves' guild, which had been infiltrated by Night Masks of Westgate, plagued the city for some time.

## Government

Teziir was mainly a trade city, run like a business by a council of merchants. This council's membership consisted of many of the same men and women who founded the city and they ran the city like it was their own personal property. These merchants hired a variety of people to administer, guard, and otherwise service the city; they treated them like employees, dismissing them if they didn't produce results.

Teziir had an active militia which was aided by a mage named Azala. Despite this, the city had never been involved in an actual war, though it did suffer from brutal pirate raids.

## Society

### Population

Teziir had a normal population of around 40,000, which swelled to over 50,000 in the summer period. There was also a population of prospectors and miners who plied their trades in the mountains outside the city. Their success was minimal, at best.

### Religion

Several churches established temples in Teziir, including: Azuth, Chauntea, Helm (whose faithful had the largest temple in the city), Torm, Tymora, and Tyr. There was no "official" religion of the city, though most of the ruling council worshiped Helm.

They regularly built temples and shrines to benevolent deities, believing that divine offerings and traveling pilgrims were beneficial to business.

### History

Throughout its history, Teziir had been repeatedly assaulted, set aflame and sacked by raiders and pirates. By the late 15th century DR, Teziir had become a protectorate of Cormyr.

## Demographics

 **Races**
 Demonym
 **Imports**
 **Exports**
 **Religions**

## Travel Advisory

**CAUTION**
 While the random criminal threat has declined, this now politicizes Teziir in a way that makes it a target of enemies of Cormyr. This includes, as of 1489, Sembia and it's proxies. Teziir is now a possible *strategic* target of kingdoms and possible empires, not the least of which includes the growing intrigues surrounding House Stonehearth.
1431

## **The First Bend Battle**

From the Troll Hills, minor mountains, an absolutely massive army of giants were seen gathering. War was coming, again...

This was north-shore intelligence: Stonehearth rangers spotted unusual activity among the troll tribal kingdoms, with gatherings at the base of the south side of the Troll Hills. Most importantly, they were gathering trees and dragging them to the shore.

It was an impending invasion.

### **The Best, *with what you've got*...**

Stonehearth knew what they *wanted* to do, but didn’t have the forces for *that*. Plan B it is…

The Stonehearth Naval Arms gathered, protecting a massive merchant-run cross-river sea-lift, pouring martial might onto the north shore, just down the river from the troll staging area. This included the complete Forward and Highland rotation companies, as well as part of the North Point Keep company for additional rear-guard protection.

With the combined forces of soldiers and naval cannons backing them up, there was a massive battle just at the first bend.

The Mageweave baronets were included in the offensive and acquitted themselves well.

### **Not only were the trolls routed, but their dead were harvested (again)…**

Harvesting the beasts, especially in their own backyard, was a bit of turnabout on the trolls that they didn’t expect. It was later discovered that they knew what was happening and handled it poorly, with fear, anger and recriminations among their own kind.

For their part, most of 3d Battalion had been brought close to guard the southern border while garrison troops were focused on the local threat.

After the battle, a resounding technical and tactical success, there were major celebrations from the civilians – but it was surprisingly subdued from the Arms. Where most enemies would be vanquished, even where this wave of trolls was destroyed to the point of not regenerating, there were still “seeds” of trolls, buried deep in the hills, that would quickly grow a militarily significant force – *and attack again*.

**1431 DR** would mark the fourth major area conflict in five years. It was an interesting study on both strategic and tactical levels. It was easy to see how such local settlements like Roaringshore and **Kheldrivver** would wear out. Even kingdoms like Shavinar would eventually crumble, much less the remote, unsupported forts that had been built and ruined at Trollclaw Ford.
1470

## **The Arms put a Wand in the Hand**

Since the public release of Wands of Casting in 1465, the utility of the wands was so potent that even those traditionally wary of regular arcane practice couldn't ignore the advantages. By 1467, parliament was campaigning to the House seniors that the *first* place those wands had to be was in the hands of their own troops.

This itself had mixed reception from the Arms. The Mobile Infantry lived by their *projectors*, and while those had only a singular purpose – *to kill* – they did their job with deadly efficiency. The infantry was somewhat resistant to muddying the waters with the WoCs.

The specialists, however, the Marines and Rangers, were all for it. So were the Marshalls, the proto-defensive specialists that were beginning to rotate through in place of infantry in their gendarme role. As for the Sergeants-at-Arms: *they'd adopted the WoC the day after their creation*...

### **Limited Deployment**

With the exploding rise of "Wandism," sparked by the *Wands of Casting*, Wandism became a replacement for most (and supplement to some) learning *Use Magic Device*. Instead, this gave specialist soldiers, including the Marshalls, a device that could replicate the Wand of Truth (with practice), and allowed Wandist study in a new type of combat that gave their investments a potent and flexible sidearm.

So it was: by 1470, military-grade, crystal-powered *Wands of Casting* were issued as sidearms for *certain* Stonehearth units. This also meant a massive training effort as thousands of soldiers now needed to be instructed in *Compel Truth* quasi-spell, with the addition of mage hand and magic missile spells (and others) to cast through it.
Redsbridge

A cleverly-named bridge village over the Red River, and about 12 miles south of Reddansyr, it was effectively a distant suburb and effectively part of the same community.

Known more colloquially as "Smuggler's Run," it also maintained a river marina and was a frequent departure point for merchants looking to avoid gate fees at Westgate (where the dock fees were lower).
ACA Traditions

## **When it Absolutely, Positively Has to Be Destroyed *Right Now*...**

The Stonehearth Arcane Corps can arguably trace its organizational roots to 1301, giving it nearly two centuries of heritage and tradition. This is atop the pedigrees of Cormyr and Candlekeep, whose own history and best practices were influential at the founding.

The Arcane Corps, Arms, began it's own traditions in 1305, when the ArCorps began specializing in logistical and creative spellcasting versus martial magic. Since then, the ACA has been a lawful good organization with a sinister, some would say chaotic evil purpose: *know how to kill everybody in the room*.

The traditions of the ACA have been evolving with the reach and scope of House Stonehearth itself, and especially with the reach of the Stonehearth Arms. The current split between the Tactical and Support branches trace back to the growth of the Arms, achieving its modern form in roughly 1368, during (and partially because of) the Iron Crisis in Baldur's Gate.

The greater House has, in the diplomatic arena, consistently proven itself a student of Ilmater, siding with peace and charity. Its run-ins with organizations that embody the opposite have revealed that the House has sought to preserve the peace by preparing for war. The ArCorps Arms have since become a feared deterrent to targeting House Stonehearth and its people.

Beyond reputation and legends, few know exactly how large the ArCorps is, much less the ArCorps Arms. Details like personnel rosters, budgets and most specific projects that might give hints to their true capacity are strictly confidential. The details below are *not* common knowledge.

**Tactical**
 Level
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 14
 ***Enhanced damage:*** spells that have multiple damage die, including cantrips, have half their dice maximized, rounded up.
 ***Maximized damage:*** any one spell's damage can be maximized, with a minimum one-hour recharge interval between maximizations.
*Example:* a 7d6 damage spell will automatically count as seven sixes, or 42 points
The Grand Ride (Dragon Coast)

## Inland Connections

The well-traveled highway stretching roughly 115 miles between the inland town of Reddansyr and the coastal city of Westgate. Most of the route is actually paved in flagstone, a testament not just to the success of the merchant flow through the area, but to the absolute necessity of such paving because the road would be impassible due to wheel ruts if it were anything less.

### Resident Settlements

There are five recognized settlements on the Grand Ride highway, all of which are considered as southern Dragon Coast communities. From West (inland) to East (coastal), those settlements are:

* **Reddansyr**
* **Morningmyst**
* **Hillsbrier**
* **Thunn's Garden**
* **Westgate**

On larger scale maps, usually only Reddansyr (as a cross-roads town) and Westgate (as a port city) will be visible.

### 1489

By the late 15th-century, the eastern third outside Westgate was the only peaceful stretch. The western two-thirds was generally safe for merchant traffic but otherwise suffered as the primary Dragon Coast dividing line between competing Cormyrean and Sembian territorial claims.

It's a complex political map, and while merchant travel through the area continues, they now pass through checkpoints which can become complicated depending on the cargo and destination. Obviously, arms shipments or other freight with a tactical or strategic value that appear to be destined for the territories or affiliates of the opposing force are detained, and possibly confiscated.

While Westgate is a sovereign city-state, and itself isn't at war with either kingdom, the local encroachment by both has been unwelcome. It has reached the point that both border on "unwelcome" inside a city that it otherwise the definition of laissez-faire. As a result, the trade passing through Westgate to either Cormyr or Sembia suffers extra levies if not other measures.

This is list is subject to change based on the Cormyr-Sembian conflict but this is the average territorial hold in the inner Dragon Coast as of 1489:

* **Reddansyr**: *Cormyr*
* **Morningmyst**: *Sembia*
* **Hillsbrier**: *Cormyr*
* **Thunn's Garden**: *Westgate*
* **Westgate**: *Westgate*
AOP:Background 4

## Stonehearth's Own Investigation

This is sensitive for House Stonehearth (the political arm, not the mercantile branch) because House Stonehearth has trade agreements with both Cormyr and Sembia.

*They need to maintain neutrality*.

Stonehearth's assistance in the recovery is for the sake of hunting down the leak.

The assault seems more like the work of assassins rather than bandits, and Sembia is professional enough to know that. They would avoid any "special" touches to keep from drawing attention to themselves.

There is a suspicion, then, that this may be a very enterprising third party who either intends to use the scrolls themselves or possibly sell them on the black market. At a starting bid of 87.5k gp, that's a literal king's ransom in a box... and for Stonehearth scrolls, fourth parties would kill each other to bid on just part of that batch.

As long as that fourth party isn't Sembia, House Stonehearth is officially disinterested. *Unofficially*, they want to know how somebody knew.

Basically: *where's the leak?!*

### Fast Reaction Team

Stonehearth Arms are well-respected around Faerûn, and for good reason. They're also known to teleport from time to time, and that teleportation tool was used as word filtered in of the attack. This led to rapid developments to the situation:

1. Stonehearth Rangers arrived at Easting four hours after their constabulary found the wreckage. Prior, the constabulary arrived on-scene an estimated 8-10 hours after the attack. The Easterling Constabulary noted footprints went northwest toward the hills, but they were not in a position to send a posse after them.
2. The Rangers tracked those prints and found an abandoned staging area in the hills to the immediate north. The staging area had a burn pit-turned-mass grave with more than a dozen charred remains found within. Unlike the caravan burn, this was enough to destroy evidence and identities.
3. The Rangers followed tracks back down the hills. While the Stonehearth team was very, *very* good, the rogues who executed the attack were consummate professionals. Given the logistics of the ambush, this had been carefully planned.
4. After massive storms blew through from the Dragonmere, the Stonehearth Rangers lost the trail. They'd tracked it east 150 miles, likely closing on the surviving assailants, but losing them as they were heading into the southern Dragon Coast.
5. While Stonehearth is likely to share relevant intelligence with Cormyr down the line, they want to interrogate these assassins without Purple Dragon reps looking over their shoulder. Therefore, Stonehearth is *not* sharing these developments.

The Dragon Coast is now Stonehearth's target area to start their search... and apply pressure.

## Where To From Here?

* **Background Notes 1:** the scene of the crime
* **Background Notes 2:** What's in the crate?
* **Background Notes 3:** Why Stonehearth cares about Cormyr's crate
* **Back to the Overview**...
1388

## **Mundane healing comes to the forefront**

Now 30 years after the Era of Upheaval – and virtual silence from the divine conduits of power – followers of deities are just barely hanging on to their faith. By **1388**, one of the keys of the turning away is the failed expectations in the relationship: clerics and their ilk, those who carried the banners, had neither healing, nor defense, nor utility magic to convince followers or otherwise offer followers much of anything.

Healing was the major issue, leading to folk seeking other ways around that. The 1359 Stonehearth Medical College had been founded to address exactly this – and 29 years later, they started teaching the technique to everyone they could, from Stonehearth internal training, to the Flaming Fist security partners to Cormyr and places far and wide.

This was the rise of the now-recognized medicine feat.

Stonehearth was instrumental in the discoveries and inventions necessary for mundane healing: being able to use a healing kit not just to stabilize the dying, but heal a limited amount of trauma.

The state of medicine continued to evolve – and with Oghma in town and answering prayers of mundane insight, it was a field that grew very, very quickly…
Stonehearth Logistics Archetype

Stonehearth Logistics is a wide category of support soldiers, both mundane and arcane. By number, the majority are the pilots of the war wagons, their gunners, and the loadmasters who tend the interior of the larger wagons. It also technically includes Stonehearth ArCorps who create portals, repair the arcane crystal-driven equipment, including parts of the cannons themselves and so on.

In terms of playable roles, most of the logistics remain with their vehicles, but it's an excellent assignment "to be from." Very similar to the Cavalry in that respect, the logistics tend to be a half-step removed from the infantry because the nature of the vehicles, but this can on occasion, reverse. The war wagons are equipped with heavy guns and mortars which have a direct-fire support function.

The war wagons can and do occasionally act as tanks, placing themselves in the line of fire for the sake of saving the lives of the soldiers. This is a salty, grizzled crew who are very good at what they do and tend not to stray far from it...

**Cavalry Soldier Archetype - The Driver**
 7
* You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
* You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
 10
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AOP:Background 2

## CONTENTS OF THE CRATE

While the whole cargo was valuable, including the treasure lockbox itself, the most valuable item stolen by far was a crate of charged Stonehearth Mercantile spell scrolls. Most of the spells in there, per order, were meta-maximized military ordnance scrolls.

Fireballs.

*Max-damage* fireballs.

Cormyr's war wizards can make their own, but not at the power and cost efficiency of Stonehearth Mercantile. For Cormyr, at bulk discounts, they make maximized Fireball spell scrolls for 100 gp/scroll. Normally, that's a 250 gp cost to a standard Level-3 spell scroll, then throw in another 100 gp fee for maximizing it.

On the open market, bidding *starts* at 350 gp for a maximized spell scroll. *There were 250 scrolls in the crate*.

25,000 gp is enough to run a small kingdom for a year, and that was with Cormyr's special pricing. With a street price starting at 87,500 gp...? *Military contracts are big, big business*...

Given the extra effort, and the actual success of finally taking down this long-running caravan, it's highly likely that somebody knew about that crate. It is a *safe* assumption that it was the primary target of the attack.

## Where To From Here?

* **Background Notes 1:** the scene of the crime
* **Background Notes 3****:** Why Stonehearth cares about Cormyr's crate
* **Background Notes 4:** Stonehearth's own investigation
* **Back to the Overview**...
1330

## **Stonehearth devised a new way of calculating business figures…**

Even among the literate in **1330**, counting was not a strong suit. Stonehearth devised a modified abacus system that had both a decimal and zero function. Importantly, it was possible to do far more than just count. Using an evolution of the Kara-Tur Suanpan system, it was possible to efficiently execute multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, square root and cube root operations at high speed.

This “Stonehearth abacus” system was an incredible improvement over tally stick techniques previously used (the same memory sticks that would burn down Baldur’s Gate eventual House of Parliament). Stonehearth Company-trained accountants and mathematicians would soon be in demand around western Faerûn.
AOP: Post Placement Politics

## Quid Pro Quo

Need to do a favor for a Hillsbrier mayor to get bill in a visible location.
The town sheriff has been overwhelmed lately and hasn't been able to attend to every nuisance. One of the shopkeepers has an issue. Solve it, and you'll get top placement for the post. Otherwise... you get the back side of the bulletin board.

### The Situation

The [SHOP] has a spider infestation in the basement. LARGE spiders...

### Rumor Mill

While scouting the pub for the second bill, the rumor mill is flying fast and furious.

* Based on messages from one patron's cousin, who lives in Proskur, the "Proskur Free Trade Association" has just burned to the ground and people were sealed inside the building. Proskur is a large town that was recently annexed by Cormyr, and they don't like their new masters.
* PC's may recognize Proskur as a town near where the attack happened.
* Some say it was Purple Dragons that did it.
* Some say it was a thieves guild that committed the atrocity.
* Others say the "Proskur Free Trade Association" itself was a thieves guild.
* Cormyr is tilting for a possible insurrection in Proskur and surrounding areas.

 The field team of the PFTA, having suffered their own losses and injuries, still hadn't made it back and has now been disenfranchised (and is likely wanted for questioning). Nor do they know who sealed in their brethren and burned them down, so western turbulence is expected – and that can play a role through the eastern Dragon Coast as well.
1378

## **Arcane Revolutions** *– **and accusations***

The powerful SMC Potions Division formulated a concoction and used it successfully for 6 months before giving limited release to other adventurers. It was no less than a ***Potion of Mana***, allowing spell casters of memorized spells to reenergize those memorized spells. **1378**was forever marked as a day the arcane world shook.

The mana refresh didn’t allow wizard types to cast new spells, only what they had set to memory after their last long rest, but wizards were suddenly sorcerers and sorcerers were suddenly bottomless flamethrowers.

Just as Western Faerûn was getting used to the alchemical, slug-throwing firepower of Stonehearth, this magical creation tilts the balance of power back to the arcane.

### The Word Spreads

The rumors had been flying even before the release, the demonstrations of SMC casters had been very potent and very public.

When the SMC Potions Division allowed some for sale, independent adventurers were coming from as far Kara-Tur. The War Wizards of Cormyr were ready to arrange a land trade for a steady supply, though their authority to bargain was curtailed by the Cormyran Crown after a scandal. The Red Wizards of Thay risked renewed contact (unsuccessfully), while the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors out of Waterdeep were gifted a case of the potions.

So potent was this new formulation, that there were conspiracy theories where it was coming from. This was only two years after the fall of Luskan, and the associated dispersement of the Arcane Brotherhood, so there was some thought that Brotherhood survivors might’ve landed in Baldur’s Gate.

While that much was almost certainly true, the implication that they could’ve been a part of this development was outrageous. Even more, Stonehearth had been allied with Lantan during the Brotherhood’s botched war against the island tinkers. If anything, it reinforced why the Brotherhood lost.

Some thought that the house had a secret instructor of elven High Magic. Others shot that down as inadequate: *or the elves would’ve used it themselves (and clearly didn’t)*. The replacement theory: House Stonehearth had obtained the set of legendary Nether Scrolls. *Except the Netherese had never done this, either*.

Theories got wild at this point, but given the times, seemed totally plausible. Those included the secret resurrection of Mystra, or the favor of Midnight (or any of the other Chosen of Mystra). There were other, crazier theories: *like Stonehearth was bypassing the Weave to tap directly into primal magic*, but those were dismissed out of hand...
1325

## **Stonehearth leads a Standardization Concord…**

This was a **1325** engineering concept that gave rise to the principle of Standardization.

After the Concord, Stonehearth led the conversation to create standards for interchangeability, something that could be practically applied to nuts and bolts. This led to taps and dies that would become industry standards… *in Lantan*.

There was limited interest outside this compact, *but there was interest*. Some came from northern tinker dwarves, some came from as far as Shou, in the eastern lands of Kara-Tur.

## Baldur's Gate joins the Council of Lords

The organization of merchants cities that would come be known as the Lords' Alliance is formed. Its members were from the Sword Coast, the North and Western Heartlands, including Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Baldur's Gate, and Neverwinter, as well as other free cities and towns in the region, which made up the bulk of the organization. It was formed to oppose the growing influence of the Black Network in the North, as well as the Shadow Thieves of Amn.

With their arcane consumables business now more than a decade old, House Stonehearth was already a dominant merchant in Baldur's Gate, and the most powerful patriar short of the dukes themselves. Stonehearth was instrumental in motivating the dukes to agree to the Council of Lords and was often the Gate's patriar representative, as well as a significant underwriter of Council initiatives.

Taking time as the Gate ambassador on behalf of the dukes encouraged a form of public service humility that would be formative in House Stonehearth's own non-interventionist policy. This was even as they funded and coordinated a substantial portion of both military and humanitarian missions.
1308

## ***The Scribe business moves into the realm of magic*…**

As drama unfolded in 1308 DR Waterdeep, Stonehearth was quietly expanding the family business. Oghmason’s Scribe business had been on the receiving end of two decades of suggestions to expand to cater to magic users. In this case: produce magical scrolls and sell them.

*It's on paper, what’s the problem…? Easy, right? It’ll be fun, they said*…

Merrywine had been both a cleric and a sorcerer, but he was no wizard – nobody in the family was (yet). That meant hiring several competent wizards and combining their talents in a way that could be captured, learned, taught, studied and improved.

This was likely the first systematic application of the *Naturalist Method* to the arcane arts. As they soon discovered, the arcane was an expensive laboratory – *but extremely responsive to a scientific approach*.

It was a modest introduction, but it quickly grew. Cantrip, first and second level spell scrolls filled the shelves. This was high cost to produce, but the market for it was bottomless – and word instantly spread.

The Stonehearth Merchant Company was working to create a massive catalog, but there were two categories that were consistent instant sellers – even at premium prices.

* First were combat spells. Simple, potent and a life-saving backup.
* Second were high material-component spells. Those materials had to be used to make the scroll, but weren’t required to cast from it. The convenience alone made the premium mark-ups worth it.

The SMC was now applying the Naturalist Method to magic on an industrial scale. Something was bound to break – and break through. What started with very traditional methods and product quickly started evolving.

By 1315, completely novel magic was coming out the SMC arcane labs. Some of the biggest of the early sellers were scrolls of temporary enchantment, such as adding an increase to hit and damage that would fade after a fight, or a day, or a week… With extended durations or greater advantages costing more money.

## **Meanwhile, at the Stonehearth College…**

The society of transplanted “Candlekeep Calculators” invented a form of Symbolic Logic. It was nearly a form of math in its notation, but strictly a method of problem deduction.

This even touched on the principles of Semiotics, including Semantics, Syntactics and especially Pragmatics. Thinking about *how to think* made thinking more efficient.

## **Where the "Special Scrolls" totally wipe out *Gate* society…**

As mass-produced paper took off, the SMC introduced a kind of scrolling paper *everybody* could use. The company refined and introduced "toilet paper" to Baldur’s Gate.

This creation turned out to be *wildly* popular. Not only was there immediate demand, given the nature and sources of local paper, it was an absolute SMC monopoly…
AOP:Background 1

A Cormyrean merchant out of Suzail, who is an overland certified trader known for regular runs to the Sword Coast, recently made an authorized purchase from Stonehearth Mercantile in Baldur's Gate. He travels in a heavily-defended caravan and has reliably made his runs on the well-traveled High Road for two decades.

Four days ago, that caravan was assaulted in the flatlands south of the Sunset Mountains, north of Easting, south of Proskur. There were no survivors. There was obviously a battle, but no bodies of the belligerents were found. Based on the scorch marks, flaming arrows were used. The bodies of the victims were burned but the Easting constable's excellent forensics was still able to determine that most attacks were cuts to the throat and stabs to the back.

The caravan was looted. Authorities out of Easting were unable to find a freight manifest. Mere hours later, a Cormyrean attaché inquired with Stonehearth Mercantile as to whether that merchant made the pick-up.

The Stonehearth clerks confirmed that they did.

As fast as they could ride after that, from Proskur and Suzail beyond that, Purple Dragon gendarmerie teams flooded the Easting-Proskur area.

While Cormyrean Royal Heralds "visiting" Easting state they are there to bring justice to the killers of a beloved subject of Cormyr, the massive flood of military search teams suggests to residents, in both Easting and Proskur, that the stolen cargo may have been particularly sensitive.

## Where To From Here?

* **Background Notes 2****:** What's in the crate?
* **Background Notes 3****:** Why Stonehearth cares about Cormyr's crate
* **Background Notes 4:** Stonehearth's own investigation
* **Back to the Overview**...
Y2K Ready Style Pack

> "*More butterflies, more denim, more 90s inspo!*"
> ― Y2K Ready Style Pack - In-app Shop
>
>

* Icon
* Title Card

The Y2K Ready Style Pack is the first Style Pack. It features funky and Y2K-styled hairstyles, clothing, headwear, eyewear, and accessories. It was released on August 30, 2023

## Style

The Style packs features items inspired from the 2000's, generally with hints of pastels, simplified flowers, butterflies and sneakers or Chelsea boots. Exceptions include (1) an outfit of a bright violet sweater with a green alien printed and a pairs of jean and white sneakers; and (2) an outfit of a striped sweater over a black top with khakis and green loafers.

Y2K Ready Style Pack CHARACTER CREATOR 4Y2K Ready Style Pack CHARACTER CREATOR 3Y2K Ready Style Pack CHARACTER CREATOR 1Y2K Ready Style Pack CHARACTER CREATOR 2
## Items

The Y2K Ready Style Pack includes 12 outfits, 10 accessories, six hairstyles and one facial detail. Ten for the default and short models, two for the toddler/babies models in the Character Creator.

Y2K Ready Style Pack - Clothes ViewY2K Ready Style Pack - Hair ViewY2K Ready Style Pack - Accessories View

## Y2K Backpack

On September 1, 2023, the Y2K backpack was released in the Post Office. It is a standard backpack with assorted hints of pastels, alongside pastle-colored prints and a heart on the front, and a beetroot keychain. It was a gift after the release of the style pack.

## Y2K Phone

> "*The 2000s are calling!*"
> ― Y2K Phone Post Office Gift | Toca Boca[[source]]
>
>

On September 9, 2023, the Y2K Phone was released as another gift in the Phone Office. It is a pink slideable cellphone with keychains with pastel accents.

## Trivia

* The first short stars the Voxella idol Iva Blue. Others include one of the members from TBD (not Moon) from Voxella.
* Y2K Ready Style Pack is the first Style Pack, which are themed packs of items that can be purchased separately and be added to the Character Creator.

## Videos

### Trailer

THIS is what dreams are made of! 🦋 - Y2K READY STYLE PACK TRAILER - Toca Life World
### Shorts

NEWS FLASH! ⚡️ -shortsAre YOU ready to go back to the year 2000? 🪐 -shortsGrab your bestie 👯 and get ready for a fashion show 🎀 -shortsA week in outfits! -shorts -tocalifeworld -tocabocaThe class of ‘23 has STYLE! ⚡️ -shorts
## Images

#### Trailer

Trailer Key 4Trailer Key 2Trailer Key 3Trailer Key 1Trailer Key 5Trailer Key 6Trailer Key 7Trailer Key 8Trailer Key 9Trailer Key 10Trailer Key 11Trailer Key 13Trailer Key 14
#### Shorts

Visual Key 1Visual Key 2Visual Key 3Visual Key 4OOTD on a MondayOOTD on a TuesdayOOTD on a WednesdayOOTD on a ThursdayOOTD on a FridayOOTD on a SaturdayOOTD on a SundayClass of '23 in colored, wearing items from the style packClass of '23, black and white, in their past clothing
1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uugw79vB36k
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uugw79vB36k
1479

## **Arcanoscopes are released…**

### **1479****DR: Getting a view of Arcanoscopes**

In principle, an arcanoscope was the cross between a two-way camera and screen. A viewer could look through the lens and see pictures from a paired arcanoscope. One number of arcanoscopes could be paired to each other, allowing people to see what the other saw.

Displays were either in-line, like a looking through a telescope, or expanded: like a magic mirror (or a television set).

### **The Study of the Plaguelands**

The areas of Toril still affected by the Spellplague were referred to as Plaguelands – and the Commonwealth collective had been studying them from both the Abeir and Toril sides.

In much the same ways that Halruaa had foreseen the event and attempted to save their land, the three-party Commonwealth now attempted to reverse the damage. Instead of using the energy of the blue flames themselves, the idea was to create raw-magic powered one-shot portals to reverse the trip back to where they came from.

The arcanoscopes were key elements in the study and preparations…
AOP:RRE Gond's Apron

## Gond's Apron Trading Company

Gnomes *Brizoo Kyri*, *Iviss Faskotesk*, *Pello Penabwa* and *Eriss Tavartarro* are joined by human *Newton Szalinski*, all of whom are artificers who work for the Gond's Apron Trading Company, based in **Baldur's Gate**.

Gond's Apron is an independent but Stonehearth-licensed manufacturer that makes a variety of arcane-mechanical devices authorized for sale everywhere. Their specialty, at least outside of the Commonwealth, is timepieces ("*Drop your socks and grab our clocks!*").

They just finished selling their stocks, as well as making a maintenance visit to the Westgate Municipal Authority, where they proudly maintain the chronographs the city uses to time their hourly bells.

While most of their load home is coin, they did purchase Westhavian wine. The airtight cash lockboxes are inside the wine casks.

## Where To From Here?

* **AOP: Random Road Encounters**
* **AOP: Mission Progression**
Gelligaer

## Southern Cormyr West

Gelligaer is a self-sufficient village that also happens to service merchant traffic along the **Trader's Road**. Nestled between **Elversult** (to the west) and **Giant's Run** (to the east), it was the main connection to **Pros** before the receding waters turned Pros into a ghost town.

Notable for it's cultural connections to Cormyr, Gelligaer is largely populated by Cormyrean descendants and expatriates. Towns like Gelligaer and Caerwen are strong among the reasons that Cormyr has moved to the south side of the Dragonmere. It's not simply an expansion, it's a protection of Cormyrean people and culture.
Magic item: combat items

Magic Item Pricing and availability

more stuff

> *Combat items are primarily good for killing things. A few have other uses as well, like the luckstone or the Ioun Stone Mastery, but their biggest effect is making their owner better at killing or not getting killed. Increase the price of these items if you want your players mostly getting oddball magic items that don't interact much at all with combat. All items which are weapons or armor add the cost of the base weapon or armor that makes them up to their price.*
>
>

> *-***Saidoro**
>
>

### Discount Notes

A few items could be useful for lower level characters in theory, but have high prices due to their usefulness to high level characters. Alternate versions are presented here for the GM who wants to use them.

* Ring of shooting stars: A version of this item where the areas of the shooting stars cannot be overlapped would cost only 4000 gold.
* Wands of Magic Missiles/Lightning Bolts/Fireballs: A version of one of these items that can't use multiple charges to cast at higher levels would cost 3000 for magic missiles and 8000 for lightning bolts or fireballs.
* Instruments of the bards: Cost 20,000 gold less without the ability to grant disadvantage on saves against charm effects.
* Rod of the pact Keeper: Rods which grant a warlock spell slot of a fixed level rather than whatever level you happen to have cost less.
* Rods limited to 1st level cost 3000/7000/19000 for +1/+2/+3
* Rods limited to 2nd level cost 4000/8000/20000 for +1/+2/+3
* Rods limited to 3rd level cost 6000/10000/22000 for +1/+2/+3
* Rods limited to 4th level cost 9000/13000/24000 for +1/+2/+3