Ortish colony

Garren Styn is a colony town with high walls of stone brick, embellished with gleaming reinforcements of steel and patrolled by numerous guards with firearms and crossbows. The makeshift streets are likewise patrolled, and many of the foreign residents have armed themselves as well. Near the edge of town lies the Bitemark Tower, where Falarth, who is both the town's ruler and captain of the guard, lives.

The Orts are pale, mottled people with long sharp teeth and small round eyes. Their clothing usually leaves the arms bare, especially the upper arms, and fine Ortish dress often comes with elaborate armbands or gloves that go no further than the wrist.

They have come seeking a mythical city of silver, and Falarth currently holds 2d6 Tula captive to interrogate. He secretly harbors a deep fascination with native weapons and battle tactics, but otherwise holds little respect for locals or the land. They will offer a blunderbuss and abundant ammo to anyone who can offer a usable (or convincing enough) map to the mythic city, or a gun can be purchased for around 100 gold.

Besides the soldiers there are a group of merchants led by Sacruul, who do not support Falarth, but hope to profit from the natives being driven away. They plan to build farms in the nearby lands for valuable crops, namely an Ortish drug called blueheart. It is a cactus with heart shaped leaves and a mild numbing toxin which is highly addictive and turns the skin blue. Usually the leaves are cut in half and placed on the upper arm, near the shoulder. Sacruul will usually offer a leaf to newcomers who seem like they could make for reliable customers, but is highly allergic themselves.

Visitors are most welcome at the Red Sails inn, run by a former priest named Millimen. The priests generally have a good grasp of the common languages, unlike the rest of the colonists, but desire to bring converts back to Roaz, the Temple City. Millimen is also a skilled tooth-sharpener.

Encounters

1. A lone Ortish thief tries to knock down the strongest-looking member of the party, then grab something valuable and run off.
2. Guards demand the party's purposes in town. Their grasp of common is sorely lacking, but they are well armed.
3. A foreign priest demands the group 'purify' themselves through either humiliating rituals, hefty donations, or flagellation.
4. Blueheart addicts offer to sell some of the foreign drug for a high price.
5. A richly dressed, noble-looking Ort presents the party with a sealed package and tries to hire them to deliver it somewhere, but is impossible to understand without speaking fluent Ortish.
6. Some soldiers drag a young villager from the local area through the streets. The captive is shouting for help, but none of the Orts respond more than to glance at the noise.