Pre-Event Story:
Bolstered by the success of the August expedition and encouraged by the information it brought back, the Marquess Madeline d’Argent has once again raised funding and material support for an excursion deep into the Dirge Swamp. However, this time it will take place during a time when expeditions have not been sent… in the dead of winter.
Simultaneous expeditions will set out from the Order of Arnath controlled village of Serai, the Clan Shattered Spear village of Direguard, the Pack Longfang village of Onsallas, and the Whiteoak village of Salthollow. These four expeditions will jointly endeavor to locate the safest routes through the southern reaches of the swamp, and will attempt to chart northern areas if able. She has put out a call that those of exceptional talent who wish glory, adventure, and silver should meet with her forces going north from Onsallas Village. This expedition will travel first to the Pack Blackwing outpost where they will regroup and push further north. They will be tasked with gathering information on the winter habits of the Mordok as well as their primary task of charting the north-central region of the Dirge Swamp. The Marquess has also advertised for ships and crews willing to round the northern end of Mardrun and create detailed charts of the shoreline and any possible landings north of the swamp. Additional bounties are being offered to crews willing to put in at the two suspected landings to the northeast and northwest of the Dirge and field exploratory units of their own to determine what lies beyond the shore.
As the mordok presence continues to be a threat to the northern borders of Ulven territory even as the snow begins to fall in earnest, these expeditions have the chance to venture into areas previously untouched by ulven or colonist alike. However, these four small expeditions have drawn negative attention from around the continent… some feel that these dangerous expeditions will become suicidal in the frigid conditions and the resources and manpower put into them are better suited to working on other obstacles.
Post Event Story:
As the 3rd Logistics Expeditionary Unit, accompanied by several adventurers and hired hands passed the previously discovered Blackwing Outpost, the swamp itself seemed to reject their presence. Ice turned to mud as the group pressed on, determined to find the safest route through the harsh terrain. The warm weather, a poorly timed anomaly so far north, made moving the supply wagons painfully slow. The Mordok, often assumed to be mostly hibernating during the winter, seemed to be out in greater numbers than expected. As wave after wave of the native creatures crashed against the warriors defending the caravan, the decision was made that to continue deeper into the Dirge Swamp would prove suicidal, and the retreat began. Fighting for their lives against the Mordok while trudging through hostile terrain spelled the end for more than one soul along the expedition, though fortunately, the bulk of the group made it out alive. Some of the adventurers hired on were able to study a few things such as the surrounding area, the strange buildings that were old and of unknown origin, and the findings of an area that was strange and different in regards to how the mana stream flowed through it.
The reported findings to the Marquess Madeline d’Argent, while not as thorough as she had hoped, will likely fuel the fire in the noblewoman to finally push all the way through the desolate landscape to the north. A similar fate was noted for the other three expeditions and some believe that the only way to get the rest of the way through the swamp is to send a well supplied army and fight through it.
Click here to see pictures from the event:
http://s489.photobucket.com/user/Wolf-Recon/library/01_21_2017_LH_DirgeSwampExpedition