Arrival in Zelcor's Ferry

The Adventurers arrive in Zelcor’s Ferry, begin exploring the area and find Castle Calaelen in ruin.

Written by Kay with a few edits by myself. It is based on our March 22, 2023 session.

Date: April 28, 3517 I.R.  
Just past new moon
Location: Borderlands Provence, about 100 miles up the Canyon River from the coast.

We took the Old Path down the shore of the Canyon River to Zelcor’s Ferry. It took us about four days and we avoided any encounters along the way.

On the final day we came across a stone marker with a “50” on it, it was the first marker we had come across. Alain examined it closely, but was only able to say it was a stone marker, probably a milepost of some sort.

We went to a small delta to cross a small river where it flowed into the much larger Canyon River; there were signs that there used to be a bridge there, but it was long gone.

The path faded out but we could see it on other side of the river. Elron & Alain tied ropes together to go across. Three others hung onto the rope to anchor it. Alain went across first; he got there and tied it off to guide people across. Paraselene noticed a demon statue nearby, with ram’s horns and with an arm pointing to the southwest, on the east side of the river. 

Blaze put another rope on as a travelling rope to cross over. The water was over Artie’s head, so he went with Blaze. Elron crossed last and we pulled him across. Then we examined the statue; bat wings, ram’s horns, one arm points to the south-southwest. It was old like the milepost stone. We looked along its arm and saw a forest in the distance with a hill behind it, maybe 5 miles away. We think it is pointing at the hill. Sinis cleared brush away from its base, but there was no visible writing.

We followed the path and passed a couple of farms in good condition; then one that was burned to the ground. The next farm was in good condition and animals in pens, but we didn’t see anyone there except pigs and a boar.

Mid-afternoon.
Next, we came to a graveyard. It was a short stroll from the main path, with a small spot-split rail fence around it. Markers at regular intervals; 4 fresh graves, each marked with shields, dug at the same time.

From the graveyard we could see the walls of a town about 1,000 feet away; made of crumbled stone with wood reinforcements.

The path led directly to a pair of battered but solid looking gates flanked with a crumbling curtain wall that extends to the north and south walling off the small peninsula that is Zelkor’s Ferry. As we drew closer, we saw two crossbow platforms each occupied by a human in chainmail, each holding a crossbow at the ready. While they seemed alert, they did not seem alarmed by our approach. As we approached within 25 yards or so, the fellow of the left called out – “Halt! State your business in the Ferry.”

Elron replied, “We’re here for food and an inn for the night; we’re just passing through.”

They opened the gates and let us in. The gate has a wooden platform built on older stone; the place is rundown and a sense of damp pervades the entire town.

The first thing we noticed was the sound of metal being hammered coming from our left, we assumed that was the town smith.

To the south was the largest building in town, what looked like an inn. Above the door, an older sign with a boar on it says “Bristleback Inn.” Past it are stables. To the north past the smith, is the river flowing left to right.

Blaze and most of the rest went to the inn, it had been a long four days on the road.

Elron checked the stables and then visited Rasmus Pye’s Trading Post. From there he checked out a windowless stone building and found that it is an apothecary shop that sells spell components, and healing potions.

The shopkeeper is human, thin, with black hair, simple clothing, and a furtive demeanor.  He claims he can raise the dead, and has antidotes for poison.

Continuing on, Elron opened a door to the guard’s barracks and introduced himself to the startled guards. He noticed the ferry out in the middle of the river, with people fishing from it.

Back at the inn, we checked the place out.  There are five tables, mostly empty except for one with three guards chatting with a barmaid. There is a 5-stool bar with a Gnome sitting at the counter, sipping a drink.

There is a fireplace with a huge axe mounted over it.

Behind the bar we noticed a burly and black-haired man of middle years with outrageous lambchop side burns who was nearly half as wide as he is tall. He had apparently been in conversation with a younger sandy haired woman wearing an apron. As we assembled inside the common room, he called out in a friendly and rich voice – “Welcome to Zelcor’s Ferry and the Bristleback Inn. I am Odo Bristleback, proprietor of this fine establishment. What can we do for you today?”

Blaze ordered ale and stew and most of the rest followed, some ordering the fish. The inn serves a lot of fish.

Elron asked about the nearby hill; it’s called the Mouth of Doom, many adventurers died there and others left, never to return.

We chat with the Gnome who introduces herself as Breena Ku. She told us she heard that the Mouth of Doom has passages miles long and connects to Rappan Athuk, the infamous Dungeon of Graves, to the east.

We also found out that there are bounties on bears, panthers, and wolves have; but boars will get nothing.

We asked about the castle on the hill, it was originally built by elves; they abandoned it over 100 years ago. Someone moved in after that, but didn’t stay long. It is empty as far as everyone knows. It is on the south side of a hill southeast of town.

Blaze & Alain go to the apothecary and meet Ulman Dark, the proprietor. Blaze asked for poison antidote for green dragons, no luck. She did find a twig hit by lightning as a spell component for her Witch Bolt spell. (the component has five uses before being used up).

We find that Ulman is a necromancer; Alain wonders why he’s not in a bigger town; he’s poor and can resurrect but wants money up front: 3,000 gp, no guarantees; for healing potions, he charges 280 gp each.

Back at the Inn, someone asks about the four graves; they were four adventurers, most of the party got killed, two escaped alive.  They were in the Mouth of Doom, nothing clear about what killed them.

April 28, 3517
The inn charges 1gp/day for room with food included. We have a long rest; next morning breakfast was fish, eggs, and pancakes.

Zelcor’s Ferry’s population is currently 24 people, not including us. Odo Bristleback owns the town and ferry. They get their food from farms nearby and a couple of gardens around town. Boats come in for trading.

Sinis went to the outfitters trading post. Rasmus Pye is the merchant and a low-level wizard. He supplies adventures with gear and buys most of what they find in the dungeon. He doesn’t sell horses, that’s Bristleback’s domain.  He doesn’t sell potions or spell components, for that he directs people to Ulman Dark.

Rasmus’s wife, Meregan, makes clothing items and custom items. They have a 12-yr-old son who helps out in the shop.

Elron checked out the blacksmith; he repairs wagons, shoes horses, and makes utensils and tools; his wife sells pottery at the trading post; she has a kiln built into the back of his forge.

Blaze can’t find armor she can afford here. Alain showed his magic sword to Pye; yep it’s magic; he has no idea what it does.

All rested up, the party went back across river to the hill looking for a castle. Along the forest edge we find ruins of a road that goes into the woods to the southeast.

10 AM
Two hours later we found Castle Calaelen.  As we suspected, the castle has fallen into ruin, outer walls have crumbled; the moat is a muddy ditch. Two Gnolls on cross-bow platforms stand guard at the gate on either side. After surveilling for a while, we saw a goblin in a human-sized shirt and wearing a sock on his head chat with the Gnolls. We moved under cover. Alain suggested making ranged attacks. The castle is built against the face of a cliff; the drawbridge is down, and level.

We gather at a point under cover away from the castle and start to make plans.


Continued in Castle Calaelen.