Preparations for the Village

The founding and expansion of the village Willehad-im-Wald happen before the first major event. When and what the player characters learn of this depends strongly on the interest and dedication of their scouts — if any — in the area. Hunters, gatherers, or natureoriented magi roaming the countryside may pick up the first signs of settlement. No rolls are required for this; it is a tool that the storyguide can use at her own discretion to kick things off. Players who have their covenants and magi take interest in their surroundings and use spies and scouts generously should be rewarded with a bit of information. The initial scouting and surveying of the area has been quite discreet, but not impossible to notice. The storyguide can kick off with what is most likely a story involving grogs and companions concerning the mystery of strangers sneaking about.

A little later, the use of gentle landscaping magic might be noticed. After carefully selecting a good location for the village, the Soterists flatten or slope the ground as needed. They might alter the course of the stream to allow for a future waterwheel and for the building of a dam to flood the lower pastures. They remove undesired plants and shrubs, and magically bring young trees to maturity in short time. Most of these effects are noticeable but hard to investigate magically due to the short durations – detecting sigils and determining the specific spells from the magical traces left is difficult.

These activities threaten to destroy a minor vis source and, however trivial it might be, this spells trouble for the future. Most of the information here can be gathered by simply observing the area at regular intervals. Some things are visible at a casual glance, while others require hours or even days of observation to notice.