The Merchant's Prize

Superficially, Duumaba appears to be a rugged desert wasteland: dry, desolate roads cross a harsh, empty landscape with threat of brigands by day and horrors by night. But Duumaba is a land of underground cities, lush oases, rich resources, and lively culture.

Although Duumaba has no ocean ports, it is a land of wealthy merchants as Dwarf and Drow empires bring the rich wealth of metals, gems, fine craftsmanship, and magical enchantment to the Queendoms.

At the center of this trade is the great city of Mandara, at the hub of roads to Khalri, Quumla, Mataga, and Bagali. Supplied by abundant clear, fresh water from underground sources, Mandara is a city of diverse peoples, guilds, and factions. It has the only reputable University outside Mataga, and is renowned for a great industry of metalworkers, stoneworkers, gemcutters, jewelry makers, and artists of all sorts.

The dense streets and alleys and the terraced levels of residences also lend themselves to a thriving assortment of cutpurses, pickpockets, swindlers, urchins, pilferers, footpads, grifters, larcenists, and prowlers.

“The Merchant’s Prize” takes place in the aftermath of a fiendish incursion in the remote provinces of Duumaba, the result of some lower-realm opportunism consequent to the great Fey/Fiend wars of Buvaresh, and other tumult there. A group of heroes, having participated in the challenging work of liberating the oasis towns of Il’vaneth from crafty invaders under the direction of Gaknulak, make their way to Mandara – with new skills and stories, but without much in the way of wealth to show for their heroism.

Traveling with a merchant caravan, these heroes hear stories of Mandara, and tell their own stories of the war with the infernal kobolds of Gaknulak, noticing that one frowning old merchant by the name of Eskal keeps largely to himself. When other caravan members press him, Eskal only mentions that he has long-overdue, but very important business with the feared Guild Traffault. Rather than looking nervous about having dealings with this merchant guild—which is rumored to make much of it’s wealth supporting criminal enterprises both within Mandara and around Duumaba—the old merchant seems to have a rather smug air about him, when he’s not looking on at the evening games of dice and cups with his disapproving gaze.

Eskal travels with the finest looking desert schooner of the caravan, which he carefully locks when he leaves, and again when he enters.

“The Merchant’s Prize” is a one-shot adventure with connections to other stories of Duumaba set in the time of the “Live Campaign.” It takes place in Mandara itself, so characters with urban skills and abilities will have the most fun.