Post by TheZebraShakes™ on Feb 28, 2008 19:44:41 GMT -5
Some people may have already read this, but I wanted to post it here so that it's easier for me to find.
And of course, ya'll can feel free to read it too.
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Description
Copper Crossing is a mighty stone bridge that allows caravans to cross a major river that separates civilized areas from wilder areas. Merchants are always looking for new ways to profit, so even though the areas beyond Copper Crossing are dangerous, the bridge was built to make contact with far off kingdoms that could not be traded with by sea. Merchants are not the only ones known to use this bridge. Immigrants brave the wilder regions to reach new homelands, and on occasion, adventure-seeking nobles will embark on treks to explore the more uncivilized and uncharted areas or to visit relatives or associates in the regions beyond. The bridge is accessible for use by practically anyone, though like many long distance journeys through somewhat savage lands, making the trip over Copper Crossing is not one to be taken lightly. Most who chose to travel the region either travel with guards or travel quickly.
The river is a little less than half a mile wide and the bridge, including the supports that run into the land, brings the entire length of the structure to 2,600 feet. The bridge is forty feet wide. At each end a solid support section 100 feet long protrudes from the bank of the river. These supports are made of solid grey-speckled stone blocks, each one 4 by 4 by 4 feet in dimensions. The rest of the bridge over the water is made of 100 foot long arching sections with a supporting column at each end that disappears under the water. The supporting columns have no noticeable masonry as they were crafted by magical means, but the arches and the bridge itself were made of a variety of hand-shaped stone.
While not decorative, the stonework was built with aesthetics in mind and the pattern of bricks flows symmetrically over the whole structure, giving it an organized beauty. All of the stonework of the arches consists of very lightly colored bricks, while the sides are a much darker solid grey. A four foot high ledge lines either side and is made of the same dark grey stone. These run consistently down the entire length, only slowly declining at the end sections until at the edge of the bridge they slope down and vanish into the land.
Every 100 feet there is a support column. It is forty feet wide and six feet thick. This column reaches down to the riverbed and out of the water, suspending the bridge ten feet above the water’s surface. Each support column is unbroken, forming a solid wall separating the bridge’s underbelly into twenty-three nearly identical sections. This design makes it impossible to climb across the bridge lengthwise on its underbelly or swim directly beneath the bridge from one shore to the other. The stonework has a break DC of 50, a hardness of 8 and 1080 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. The climb DC for these columns is 22. The bottom sections are often wet and have a climb DC of 27. The support sections at each end of the bridge are made from reinforced stone. The sections are eight feet thick. They have a break DC of 45, a hardness of 8 and 1440 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. If someone attempts to climb the sides, the DC is 15. The pathway on the bridge is five feet thick and made from regular masonry. It has a break DC of 35, a hardness of 8 and 450 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. The ledges on the side are one foot thick and made from regular masonry. It has a break DC of 35, a hardness of 8 and 36 hp for each 4 foot by 10 foot section.
The bridge path is made of small, flat cobblestones that are in various degrees of wear, some having been replaced more recently than others. The color of the stone depends on when it was placed. The original stones are brownish, but newer stones have reddish or grey hues. The bridge itself is forty feet wide, making it an extremely impressive and costly structure, but as one of the few bridges across the river and the only one strong enough to support an entire train of carriages, it has traditionally been of economic importance, though it is not tolled.
A sign is placed on either side of the bridge. It is wooden and painted in orange-metallic lettering, standing three feet off the ground, two feet high and three feet wide. The sign reads “Copper Crossing” and has a feel and workmanship that makes it appear to have been painted by an eight year old. The wood is poorly cut and the calligraphy is readable, but far from artistic. A DC 5 Spot check reveals that the sign directly covers another sign of similar proportions. If the trouble is taken to move the sign, which is easy as the “Copper Crossing” sign is barely hammered into the ground, an excellently crafted and painted steel sign with the words “Righteous Run” engraved into the metal is revealed.
On the path near the ledge on the eleventh 100 foot section of the bridge is chiseled a list of names of all of the bridge’s former guardians. However, no title or epitaphs are listed, just the names. A DC 15 Knowledge Religion check reveals that some are names of paladins, former and present. A Gather Information check against the same DC reveals similar information, if the names are asked about in any town nearby.
Surrounding Area:
The river is a wide, slow moving body of water. At its center, the river reaches a depth of fifty feet. The current makes it easy to swim across, imposing no penalties to a Swim check. However, the length and depth makes it an effective natural barrier for many creatures that lack the ability to swim long distances. The water is relatively clean, having a slight green tint from plant life. There is plenty of life in the river, with ample opportunities for fishing. On occasion monsters have been known to take residence in the river and it is certainly possible that a scrag (see page 248 in the Monster Manual) or merrow ( see page 199 in the Monster Manual) may move into the river to take advantage of its abundant food sources.
On one side of the river lies a relatively open and peaceful area. Towns dot the landscape, and forests with mostly benign dwellers color the countryside. Some larger cities also reside there, as well as large patches of farmland. A notable path leads to the bridge from many of these cities, beaten in by years of travel and weather. The path changes in width, but is usually around twenty feet across as caravans moving goods travel down it often.
The other side of the river is a whole different environment. The banks are similar enough, but the swampy wetlands do not cease. A great deal of the terrain is wooded marshes, which are notorious for their troll (Monster Manual page 247) populations. The caravan trail continues in a winding fashion, weaving through the relatively dry areas. Mosquitoes are a common nuisance. The area has a moldy smell to it that never seems to dissipate. The occasional gray ooze (Monster Manual page 202) is also a creature of the area to fear. Merchants who use this path tend to travel in large caravans for protection and hire adventurer guards. Wealthy people also hire guards when traveling. Those without disposable resources often travel in small groups with fast horses to outrun any monsters. A black dragon is sighted on rare occasions; however dragon attacks on merchant caravans and travelers are unheard on.
Secret
The presence of the guardian of the bridge, Oleander, is not much of a secret. The copper dragon goes out of his way to make himself known to the local travelers and loves talking to people. See below for a complete description of Oleander.
The bridge has two secrets associated with it. First, Oleander has dug a hidey-hole under the fourth arch of the bridge from the civilized side. In here, he keeps his stash of treasure, which is modest for a dragon, as he doesn’t do much in the way of hoarding. Mostly made of gifts from merchants and things lost by travelers, it mostly consists of metals, weapons, and some jewelry. See below for the contents of the hoard.
The second secret is the purpose of the bridge. While its most practical function is allowing the transit of goods cross-country, it also serves as the training ground for a good church devoted to protection. The church keeps its training facility tucked away in the marshland, hidden from society where it can shape and guide its members. The church trains a great deal of paladins and clerics to take the mantle of the protector and most find their calling early in life. Some, like Oleander, get this calling later in life and are not particularly suited to being a Lawful Good defender of the faith. For these people who honestly show a devotion to goodness, but have a meandering or chaotic heart, the church uses the bridge as a trial of loyalty. Many people have guarded this bridge over the years and the people who cross the bridge have been grateful to them, though the variety of guardians has been baffling to say the least and no sort of connection to each other or the church has been discovered. Oleander is the first dragon of any kind to serve this function and has been serving for two years. He has not made much progress, but keeps trying.
The service is simple: the guardian’s job is to keep trolls from crossing the bridge, get people safely across and to restrict known fugitives and smugglers from passing. As this is dangerous work, only very talented or powerful individuals who show signs of devotion to the righteous way are sent to take on this task. Success is measured by keeping the post diligently for a set period of time. Each failure to keep the position resets the amount of time required to achieve the successful completion of the task, and thus, the privilege of receiving proper training within the church. The usual time frame is one year and an applicant is allowed as many failures as is needed, until they succeed or give up. The only exception is if the applicant commits an evil act, in which case the position is forfeited and the church may seek to levy a punishment. Once the year of continuous service is complete, the guardian is invited into the church to receive formal training.
And of course, ya'll can feel free to read it too.
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---------------
---------------
Description
Copper Crossing is a mighty stone bridge that allows caravans to cross a major river that separates civilized areas from wilder areas. Merchants are always looking for new ways to profit, so even though the areas beyond Copper Crossing are dangerous, the bridge was built to make contact with far off kingdoms that could not be traded with by sea. Merchants are not the only ones known to use this bridge. Immigrants brave the wilder regions to reach new homelands, and on occasion, adventure-seeking nobles will embark on treks to explore the more uncivilized and uncharted areas or to visit relatives or associates in the regions beyond. The bridge is accessible for use by practically anyone, though like many long distance journeys through somewhat savage lands, making the trip over Copper Crossing is not one to be taken lightly. Most who chose to travel the region either travel with guards or travel quickly.
The river is a little less than half a mile wide and the bridge, including the supports that run into the land, brings the entire length of the structure to 2,600 feet. The bridge is forty feet wide. At each end a solid support section 100 feet long protrudes from the bank of the river. These supports are made of solid grey-speckled stone blocks, each one 4 by 4 by 4 feet in dimensions. The rest of the bridge over the water is made of 100 foot long arching sections with a supporting column at each end that disappears under the water. The supporting columns have no noticeable masonry as they were crafted by magical means, but the arches and the bridge itself were made of a variety of hand-shaped stone.
While not decorative, the stonework was built with aesthetics in mind and the pattern of bricks flows symmetrically over the whole structure, giving it an organized beauty. All of the stonework of the arches consists of very lightly colored bricks, while the sides are a much darker solid grey. A four foot high ledge lines either side and is made of the same dark grey stone. These run consistently down the entire length, only slowly declining at the end sections until at the edge of the bridge they slope down and vanish into the land.
Every 100 feet there is a support column. It is forty feet wide and six feet thick. This column reaches down to the riverbed and out of the water, suspending the bridge ten feet above the water’s surface. Each support column is unbroken, forming a solid wall separating the bridge’s underbelly into twenty-three nearly identical sections. This design makes it impossible to climb across the bridge lengthwise on its underbelly or swim directly beneath the bridge from one shore to the other. The stonework has a break DC of 50, a hardness of 8 and 1080 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. The climb DC for these columns is 22. The bottom sections are often wet and have a climb DC of 27. The support sections at each end of the bridge are made from reinforced stone. The sections are eight feet thick. They have a break DC of 45, a hardness of 8 and 1440 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. If someone attempts to climb the sides, the DC is 15. The pathway on the bridge is five feet thick and made from regular masonry. It has a break DC of 35, a hardness of 8 and 450 hp per 10 foot by 10 foot section. The ledges on the side are one foot thick and made from regular masonry. It has a break DC of 35, a hardness of 8 and 36 hp for each 4 foot by 10 foot section.
The bridge path is made of small, flat cobblestones that are in various degrees of wear, some having been replaced more recently than others. The color of the stone depends on when it was placed. The original stones are brownish, but newer stones have reddish or grey hues. The bridge itself is forty feet wide, making it an extremely impressive and costly structure, but as one of the few bridges across the river and the only one strong enough to support an entire train of carriages, it has traditionally been of economic importance, though it is not tolled.
A sign is placed on either side of the bridge. It is wooden and painted in orange-metallic lettering, standing three feet off the ground, two feet high and three feet wide. The sign reads “Copper Crossing” and has a feel and workmanship that makes it appear to have been painted by an eight year old. The wood is poorly cut and the calligraphy is readable, but far from artistic. A DC 5 Spot check reveals that the sign directly covers another sign of similar proportions. If the trouble is taken to move the sign, which is easy as the “Copper Crossing” sign is barely hammered into the ground, an excellently crafted and painted steel sign with the words “Righteous Run” engraved into the metal is revealed.
On the path near the ledge on the eleventh 100 foot section of the bridge is chiseled a list of names of all of the bridge’s former guardians. However, no title or epitaphs are listed, just the names. A DC 15 Knowledge Religion check reveals that some are names of paladins, former and present. A Gather Information check against the same DC reveals similar information, if the names are asked about in any town nearby.
Surrounding Area:
The river is a wide, slow moving body of water. At its center, the river reaches a depth of fifty feet. The current makes it easy to swim across, imposing no penalties to a Swim check. However, the length and depth makes it an effective natural barrier for many creatures that lack the ability to swim long distances. The water is relatively clean, having a slight green tint from plant life. There is plenty of life in the river, with ample opportunities for fishing. On occasion monsters have been known to take residence in the river and it is certainly possible that a scrag (see page 248 in the Monster Manual) or merrow ( see page 199 in the Monster Manual) may move into the river to take advantage of its abundant food sources.
On one side of the river lies a relatively open and peaceful area. Towns dot the landscape, and forests with mostly benign dwellers color the countryside. Some larger cities also reside there, as well as large patches of farmland. A notable path leads to the bridge from many of these cities, beaten in by years of travel and weather. The path changes in width, but is usually around twenty feet across as caravans moving goods travel down it often.
The other side of the river is a whole different environment. The banks are similar enough, but the swampy wetlands do not cease. A great deal of the terrain is wooded marshes, which are notorious for their troll (Monster Manual page 247) populations. The caravan trail continues in a winding fashion, weaving through the relatively dry areas. Mosquitoes are a common nuisance. The area has a moldy smell to it that never seems to dissipate. The occasional gray ooze (Monster Manual page 202) is also a creature of the area to fear. Merchants who use this path tend to travel in large caravans for protection and hire adventurer guards. Wealthy people also hire guards when traveling. Those without disposable resources often travel in small groups with fast horses to outrun any monsters. A black dragon is sighted on rare occasions; however dragon attacks on merchant caravans and travelers are unheard on.
Secret
The presence of the guardian of the bridge, Oleander, is not much of a secret. The copper dragon goes out of his way to make himself known to the local travelers and loves talking to people. See below for a complete description of Oleander.
The bridge has two secrets associated with it. First, Oleander has dug a hidey-hole under the fourth arch of the bridge from the civilized side. In here, he keeps his stash of treasure, which is modest for a dragon, as he doesn’t do much in the way of hoarding. Mostly made of gifts from merchants and things lost by travelers, it mostly consists of metals, weapons, and some jewelry. See below for the contents of the hoard.
The second secret is the purpose of the bridge. While its most practical function is allowing the transit of goods cross-country, it also serves as the training ground for a good church devoted to protection. The church keeps its training facility tucked away in the marshland, hidden from society where it can shape and guide its members. The church trains a great deal of paladins and clerics to take the mantle of the protector and most find their calling early in life. Some, like Oleander, get this calling later in life and are not particularly suited to being a Lawful Good defender of the faith. For these people who honestly show a devotion to goodness, but have a meandering or chaotic heart, the church uses the bridge as a trial of loyalty. Many people have guarded this bridge over the years and the people who cross the bridge have been grateful to them, though the variety of guardians has been baffling to say the least and no sort of connection to each other or the church has been discovered. Oleander is the first dragon of any kind to serve this function and has been serving for two years. He has not made much progress, but keeps trying.
The service is simple: the guardian’s job is to keep trolls from crossing the bridge, get people safely across and to restrict known fugitives and smugglers from passing. As this is dangerous work, only very talented or powerful individuals who show signs of devotion to the righteous way are sent to take on this task. Success is measured by keeping the post diligently for a set period of time. Each failure to keep the position resets the amount of time required to achieve the successful completion of the task, and thus, the privilege of receiving proper training within the church. The usual time frame is one year and an applicant is allowed as many failures as is needed, until they succeed or give up. The only exception is if the applicant commits an evil act, in which case the position is forfeited and the church may seek to levy a punishment. Once the year of continuous service is complete, the guardian is invited into the church to receive formal training.