(OC)The Red Waystation

Outpost TC#2

A Caravanserai in the Great (or Shand Tûlaim) Oasis, on the Northern edge of the Velzhat Harj hills. It is 'run' by a friendly non-evil ghostly innkeeper, named Ehudi. It has been purged of efreeti, medusae and mephits by The Party and is being reworked into outpost TC#2

• The name 'Red Waystation' also suggests a duality: it could once have symbolized the warm glow of welcoming fires for travelers, now corrupted into the dangerous heat of the efreeti dominion.
• No big cities nearby
• Historical Salt Mining to the East
• Historical furthest desert-ward extent of Harshandatt culture, with the fertile Nuar River running SE to the Bight of Exile. Lesser roads once skirted the central Harad 'Mirror of Fire', going North towards Barony Tranth and Southwest towards Chennacatt and Tul Poac.
• Settled under an Imperial WATC outpost charter,beginning with:
  • Dwarven Artillery squad from Argentum Capita under Smash
  • 2 squads Imperial Military
  • 2 Squads Lady Vana's Vinerunners - protection and training as seconded to Rathkeeps Corps
  • 2 Squads Rainbow Barbarians young beast riders to train and breed Bulettes
  • 2 Squads Church of Eru Ilùvatar young paladins & rangers to train and breed Bulettes
  • 2 Squads Peacekeeper Rangers with camels to scout/befriend/advertise
  • 2 Squads Peacekeeper Badgers for ongoing construction and fortification
  • 10 Home/Support PK types for innkeeping and labor
  • Post Office - 5 employees
  • Signal Company tower 3 employees - direct to/from suborbital or local traffic only, 1 person per shift
  • WATC staff - 5 people
  • Church of Eru - 3 clergy
  • Biological Section of Field Engineering Corps - 3 to study/promote harmonious herding/irrigation/micro agriculture with focus on magical/medical
  • Flame Imperishable - 2 newspeople
  • Request a Druid
  • Request a clergy person from Churches of Aslan, Bahamut, a Dwarven cleric for the artillery squad, etc
  • Request 3 students and 1 initiate from Order Magika
  • Request 2 squads of Solamnic draconians; possibly as clergy
  • Invitation to a Solamnic Brass Dragon if interested
  • Schedule working visit from Fortification Initiative and Rathkeeps training corps
  • Fort in overlooking huge palm trees
  • 30 Imperial settlers to run herds/agriculture/smithy/etc, train into safety levies and careers via Rathkeeps program, 1 year tax exemption for settlement
  • Camels, some horses, kine, goats, sheep

Preliminary notes:

Solitary predators of animal intelligence, a mating pair traditionally shares a territory. They presumably drive off their young as they come of age. Sensitive to vibrations in the earth, excellent burrowers.

The loyalty and intelligence boosts available to ranger animal-friends, paladins with bonded mounts, and Barbarian beast-riders will be key to managing them. To begin with Eltán recommends outposts ringing the settlement at a distance where territory conflicts are minimized, with mated pairs for breeding. A full-time rider/handler should be assigned to each.

This will coincidentally provide marvelous perimeter awareness and security.

Nahre Lotus culture can be expanded from Paurgiliath Peacekeepers Fortress PK#3 as feasible.

Local species should be carefully investigated, with attention to high value farmable species. The palm trees are of giant size, and should be fortified and studied further for breeding and export.

We might hope to find useful Aloes, Agaves, Cochianel, or medical/magical herbs. Eltán claims that there are rumors in the histories of desert growing organic crystals which cure stat loss.

The Bulette riders and rangers are also to study and report animal life.

The histories record large (4-6') burrowing lizards, desert lions (some bred into lion wargs by desert orcs), oversized vultures, and tower building ants with corrosive bites.

Legends of 'were worms', possibly distantly related to the dragons of Morgoth, are variously described as burrowing sepents or scaly clawed 30' humanoids, though even in the time of the histories these seem to be viewed as myths.

They also mention Maiar of Yvanna known as Gahgys who bound themselves to the region before Morgoth withered it to desert, many of whom remained friendly if disoriented. They may appear as wandering men or visions.

The hills to the South may have once housed hidden tombs, already ancient when the histories were written.

Whether any of these still exist is unknown.