Dartmoor

Dartmoor,the very name strikes fear into the heart of young and old alike, for in this valley lies the home of Golestandt the Dragon. The untamed Dartmoor ponies and the giants walk this land freely. Only the most skilled warriors have dared to venture here.

Lore
In the times of Uther Pendragon, Articus, son of a Roman dignitary left his homeland to get away from the politics of Rome. He and his family settled in an area in the Cornwall region known as Dartmoor, a beautiful moorland with wooded valleys and windswept Tors. They had built a castle and established a respectable holding in the rugged area. About ten years had passed and still little was known about Lord Articus and his family, since they often preferred to keep to themselves. Duke Marcus of Cornwall dispatched a messenger to his quiet neighbor with invitations for them to attend an upcoming celebration. When the messenger never returned, a second messenger was sent. The second one, like the first, was never seen again. Whether out of concern or suspicion, Duke Marcus sent his son along with a contingent of knights to both investigate the disappearance of the messengers and the welfare of Lord Articus. Two weeks later, Duke Marcus' son returned alone. He was badly injured and his armor singed. He never told his father or anyone else what he saw. Some say it was fear. Others claim that it was his pride. The only thing he did convey was that Lord Articus, his family, and his servants were all dead. Until recently, people of Briton were warned away from Dartmoor. However, the people have grown restless and hunger for adventure. Their memories fade, and most have forgotten the warnings.

Last month, Sir Arward and 30 of his best fighters ventured deep in to the depths of Dartmoor. Two days ago, Sir Arward’s scribe’s journal, slightly singed and stained with blood fell out of the sky and landed in front of the guards at Prydwen Keep.

A summary of the journal explains a bit of what the party discovered. At first, all they found were wild ponies, small but tough little beasts. The group, thinking that they’ve been afraid to venture to the area because of a bunch of wild ponies, relaxed their guard considerably. Sir Arward ordered one of his scouts to climb a nearby granite tor so that he might see further in to the distance. However, as soon as the scout approached the giant granite mass, it turned and faced them. It was a giant, made entirely from granite, carrying a giant shepherd’s staff. The poor scout never had a chance. The armored fighters engaged the massive creature and managed to defeat it. Their need for caution had been restored.

As they moved deeper into Dartmoor, it became immediately obvious that the giant they fought was neither unique nor alone. What had previously been mistaken for giant rocks seemed to come alive with movement. Trying to avoid the behemoths (though some fights were unavoidable), the group found themselves in a giant granite quarry surrounded by a group of ogre-like creatures. Surprisingly, they didn’t attack the party. In a limited, barbaric grasp of the Briton language, the ogres claimed to be the Stonecrush Clan. They mined and ate granite, which angered the granite giants to no end. It was obvious that there had been some hostilities between the giants and the ogres, and the Stonecrush Clan considered Sir Arward’s group as friends since they had fought and killed giants.

The journal contained little more information. The next page seemed to have been partially burned. Only one large word near the bottom could be read: Golestandt.

Adjacent Zones:


 * Cornwall (North)

Trivia
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers 954 square kilometres (368 sq mi)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmoor