Mayhaps you could tell us something about Kvirasim?
What for? Just take a look around, and you’ll see you just can’t help loving this town.
Did you know the town name comes from the Norbadian?
Just between us convent girls: Among Elves, Kvirasim is called Quillyana.
Just as it does to Elves, this true gem of a town gives shelter to Men as well.
What do you know about Gashok?
Take care, strangers. That is a town where not everybody is welcome.
There used to be the only miller far and wide here. But take a look for yourselves.
Gashok? There’s everything here, from a temple to inns and taverns. Even some merchants have settled here.
Gashok? Keep away from the market square. I mean, at night.
Would you happen to know anything about that burnt-down mill?
Yeah, that was a short while ago. Artherion, the miller, moved away from here after that.
Well, I guess tha’was a really hot night fer ole Artherion.
It’s a flippin’ disgrace! Artherion was the only miller around here, and not a soul lifted a finger to help him just ‘cause he’s an Elf!
Rumor has, it was arson. Whatever the truth, the miller, Artherion by name, left town the very next day.
Is there anything of particular interest within Lowangen?
Well, the market building used to be the social center of the town, but these days it’s just a hideout for various lowlifes.
Besides the two academies at the market square and in the Colorful Flight, there’s the old refuge castle of the Grey Staves up in the extreme north of town.
Everything is scarce in Lowangen these days: weapons, food, herbs, you name it…
If you need some weapons, go and see Dragan in the Svellt Wash — that guy can organize anything.
I’ve heard about this fellow who supposedly managed to drive his horse cart through the Orcish lines without losing his life in the process.
Why should I tell you a lot of things about Lowangen. Just take a look around and see for yourselves what the Flower of the North has come down to.
They can’t house any more refugees even in the temple of Travia. If the gods have forsaken us, we are all doomed!
Actually, Lowangen consists of three separate settlements: There’s the Colorful Flight up north, then there’s Eydal in the south — that used to a small village of its own — and anything on the island is part of Lowangen’s Old Town.
Could you be so kind as to part with some information about Tiefhusen?
It is said the priests of Phex are the true lords of the town. Or at least they were before the Orcs came.
From what I’ve heard, the town weathered the Orcish attack better than any other.
Oh, it’s a wonderful little town, especially now!
That’s what you get when a moneybag proclaims himself king! As hard to believe as it is, the only explanation I can find for what’s happened is that the Orcs are the instrument of Praios’ wrath.
The Orcs are there now, but at least the town still exists.
All inhabitants of Tiefhusen have resisted the Orcs with utmost bravery, but it was absolutely no use.
Oh, you’re treasure hunters, too? All the treasure hunters go to Tiefhusen. The gods know why.
A real hick place this is, a total dump. What brought you to Tiefhusen?
Have you heard any news from Tjolmar lately?
There used to be almost fifty Dwarves living in Tjolmar up until a short time ago. Nowadays, there are only about ten left.
Things went too far when the Orcs appeared. Apparently, it was something to do with an ancient artifact of Umrazim.
You have to go see the pileworks there. I’m telling you they’re a real landmark.
They have this establishment there, the “Red Lotus”, where you can get some real entertainment with your drinks.
Could you maybe give us a few hints about the Finsterkoppen?
Now, the Finsterkopp is the highest mountain of the Finsterkamm range.
They say there’s a Dwarven smith in Lowangen who hails from those parts.
I heard that the Dark Cape is located near the Finsterkopp.
Not far from the Finsterkopp, there is supposed to be a city below the ground.
Could you give us some advice for our travels? We want to go to Ansvell.
There are only Lizards in Ansvell. You better keep away from there.
There are enough swamp-holes elsewhere. So why would you want to go there?
I don’t know, Lizard Men and buildings resembling an ant hill aren’t exactly attractive, are they?
No Lizards without a swamp is all I’ll say.
So what’s so interesting about the Salamander Stones then?
Elves. I have big doubts about anything else remotely interesting existing there.
The Elves live in the Salamander Stones.
Folk coming from the plains should give the Salamander Stones a wide berth!
The Elves react none to kindly to trespassers!
You know we would really like to get to know some more about the Finsterkamm. Would you be able to help us there?
The highest peak of the Finsterkamm range is called the Finsterkopp. No man has ever climbed to its top because a whole colony of Harpies is nesting there.
In the Finsterkamm, the worst kind of scum abounds, creatures of the blackest magic as well as eternally damned worshippers of Him Without a Name!
There is a Dwarven city below the ground in the heart of the Finsterkamm. Its citizens can only rarely be glimpsed in the towns of the surrounding area.
Things aren’t the way they should be everywhere in the Finsterkamm. There’s a lot of talk going around, you know.
There are very few paths through the Finsterkamm. There used to be a cartway there from Lowangen to Nordhag, but no travelers have used that for decades. And anyone with their wits not completely lost yet will give a wide berth to the pass between Nordhag and Yrramis as well.
Many have been lost without trace in the ravines of the Finsterkamm. There are areas there where probably no man has ever set foot yet!
There are large ore deposits in the mountains of the Finsterkamm, including a number of rare ores. It is said that there were a lot of Dwarven mines there once, but these days, only one or two of them are still in business.
Harpies, that’s all I’m going to say. Harpies!
What can you tell us about the Svellt Dale?
Well, the Svellt is navigable from Svellmia down to Tjolmar. You’ll always find a boat to take you on along there.
You won’t be able to use a boat between Norhus and Tjolmar. The Peraine Water has swept along too much stone and mud, and the shallows are simply too dangerous for boating.
From Ansvell, you can go all the way to Enqui by boat in theory, but in practice, you won’t find anybody willing to take you along on their boat either in Ansvell or in Enqui.
At Svellmia, the river road changes sides to the right bank via a ford. If you stay on the left bank of the Svellt, you go into the mountains — a wide detour, that, but on the other hand, there you can travel without being seen.
Between Lowangen and Svellmia, you better travel via Arsingen. The riverside road through Ansvell disappears in the swamp.
The road from Yrramis to Lowangen is quite good, and what’s more, the Orcs haven’t reached it yet.
There’s a ferry between the banks of the Svellt at Tiefhusen.
Well, for one thing, there’s a ferry across the Svellt at Hilvalla.
Hilvalla is the last opportunity to cross the Svellt before you get to Tjolmar.
There’s no road along the left bank of the Svellt north of Hilvalla, but it’s possible to get to Tjolmar by crossing the mountains. It’s a bit of rough going, though.
There used to be a path along the left bank of the Svellt between Sibra and Tiefhusen, but since nobody cared for it, the Svellt has swallowed it by now.
If you do not want to be noticed, you go from Hilvalla to Tjolmar west of the Svellt though the mountains. You can’t exactly call that a shortcut, that’s true, but at least you’re safe from brigands.
There’s a small ford between Yrramis and Lowangen. You can go up into the Thasch Mountains that way.
Traveling along the Svellt Dale has never been especially safe. Before, you had to be on the watchout for a robber ambush all the time, and now, the Orcs are everywhere.
In Norhus, the trade road to Riva and Kvirasim meets the riverside road along the Svellt.
You can go into the Rorwhed from Hilvalla and Tiefhusen.
Could you clear things up regarding the Svellt swamps a bit for us?
Nobody dares enter the swamps. It’s much too dangerous there…
There’s nothing there but swampholes, disgusting beasties, swamp rantzies and lots of lizard scum. I don’t know what’s worse, actually, the Orcs or those blasted Lizards…
There’s something wrong with those swamp rantzies. They’re not normal animals in any case. I’d bet it’s some kind of Lizard magic.
There is nobody living there, believe you me. All that talk about a town in the swamps is nothing but stupid myths and fairy tales. Who’d want to live there but midges and Lizards, anyway? Well? See?
No one goes there who’s got all his marbles. ‘Course, that can be an advantage. At least you can be sure nobody is going to go look for you there.
It’s not as dangerous there as people tell you. I knew someone once who had gone in and come out alive. Mind you, he contracted some kind of fever there or something. Didn’t do him much good that he came back out again; died within a fortnight, he did.
Suicide. It’s pure, unadulterated suicide going there.
Yes, well, it’s a swamp, you know? You have to watch your step.
What can you tell us about the Thasch?
There’s an abandoned Dwarven mine in the vicinity of Yrramis. My guess is the ore deposits there were either used up or too difficult to get at for mining to be profitable.
There is a number of passes across the Thasch.
From Yrramis, you can go all the way to Arsingen through the safety of the mountains if you want to avoid stumbling over Orcs.
Just about all the headstreams of the Svellt flow down from the Thasch.
There’s a riverbank path from the Svall into the Thasch mountains. To the north of the stream, you can go up into the Blood Peaks.
There’s a small ford between Yrramis and Lowangen. On the left Bank of the Svellt there, you can go up into the mountains. The path goes through to Arsingen.
There are a lot of Dwarven mines in the Thasch, but judging from what you hear about it, most of them have collapsed.
There’s nothing of note happening in the Thasch. It’s a fine place for hunting, but that’s about it.
What about those Blood Peaks?
When the golden sun sets behind the mountains, the peaks glow in the light like coal — ehm — I mean, like blood.
Those mountains deserve the highest respect from all the creatures in Arkania.
Where there are peaks, there are canyons. Travelers beware.
And a one, and a two: As I was a-walking in the Blood Peaks one fine day, a pretty little filly on my path there came to stray…
Is there anything we need to know about the Rorwhed you could tell us?
The Orcs have infested Rorkvell, and there’s talk going around about one of their generals being there.
The Rorwhed has always been avoided by decent folk, for there are all sorts of riff-raff hiding out in the mountains.
They say there’s a cult site of the One Without a Name in the Rorwhed, but who knows. The Orcs may have done at least one good deed and burned that temple down to the ground.
There are a number of paths through those mountains. Courageous travelers use them as shortcuts when traveling to Kvirasim or to Riva.
Rorkvell doesn’t exist any more — the Orcs have razed it.
There’s a cave quite close to the Nuran Springs where Dwarves are supposed to be living.
From Tiefhusen to Rorkvell, the way along the Ror is quite decent, actually, but apart from that, you have to find your own way within the Rorwhed most of the time.
What do you want in those mountains?! It’s much more comfortable to travel along the Svellt.
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