Ruins of Azlant: The Lost Outpost [IC]

[lostsole31]

The colony of Talmandor’s Bounty is first and foremost a financial venture. The desire to spread freedom and democracy across Golarion is definitely part of the settlement’s mandate; nevertheless, the resources necessary to settle an island far from the mainland are not inconsiderable. Talmandor’s Bounty has two primary sponsors: the Andoren government, and a newly formed finance company named the Bountiful Venture Company. The Bountiful Venture Company is co-owned by House Naran and House Vaylen, two of the three merchant houses running Andoran’s major banks. Managing the colony through a company in this way protects the assets of both houses’ banks should the endeavor prove unprofitable and the Bountiful Venture Company go bankrupt. If the company were to go bankrupt, the colony’s business assets revert to the Republic of Andoran, subject to the People’s Council.

The Venture Company also provides both merchant houses a relative degree of anonymity. The Bountiful Venture Company wishes to export natural resources, such as agricultural staples, lumber, mined ore (especially lucrative skymetals), and recovered artifacts, relics, and other antiquities.

Spoiler: Kaen, Roran, Zeferin

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House Naran, however, also provides banking services for the Andoran-based Lumber Consortium, and its investment in a colonial lumber operation could be a significant conflict of interest—hence the need for anonymity. Were the Lumber Consortium to become aware of the relationship between House Naran and the Bountiful Venture Company, that conflict of interest would be exposed.

The individual colonists each have their own motivations for joining the colony, but certain incentives and potential rewards appeal to just about anyone. If the Bountiful Venture Company successfully exports goods from Ancorato, each settler in the first few groups of colonists is entitled to a small share of the profits. This occurs only after the initial costs of the settlement are recouped, which may take years. Additionally, these early settlers receive a land grant once the colony becomes self-sufficient. These benefits serve to make early settlers feel invested in the venture while motivating them to work hard to quickly build an infrastructure for future settlers and industry. Colony leaders Rayland Arkley (from the first group to arrive on the Liberty’s Herald) and Ramona Avandth (on the Peregrine) are promised marginally larger shares.

Ramona Avandth is the acting leader of the colony. Ramona’s role is to facilitate the adventure and not impinge on their character’s agency during the course of events in the upcoming adventures.

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The Peregrine is a three-masted sailing ship with a spritsail on the bow. The vessel is 100 feet long and 25 feet across at its widest point. There are three decks and the ship can accommodate a cargo volume of 180 tons. Two ship’s boats, used to ferry passengers and cargo ashore, are stacked on top of each other on the top deck. Each ship’s boat is 10 feet by 20 feet, and is capable of transporting eight Medium creatures without squeezing.

The Peregrine’s cargo manifest is not listed in detail and will be handled in an abstract manner, particularly if the items are mundane and common in nature. The Liberty’s Herald brought numerous tools, such as wood axes, shovels, saws, barrels of nails, and an anvil—everything necessary for multiple work crews to perform carpentry, farming, masonry, and smithing work. Foodstuffs, including grains, hardy vegetables, preserves, and salted meats, were also transported to help the colonists in their first few months while they planted crops, assessed the lay of the land, and located reliable game. The Liberty’s Herald also left one of its ship’s boats at the colony so the first group of colonists could move around the island by water. The Peregrine also carries supplies and materials, but as it was anticipated that the tools from the first ship are still available, its cargo contains much more food and a small herd of goats.

If the PCs require basic tools like hammers, rope, and iron spikes, they should be available within reason. Though the supply of materials is not inexhaustible, as long as the PCs don’t take advantage of their fellow settlers, these items are loaned out to them for the purpose of helping the entire colony. Specialized equipment like alchemical weapons, rarer adventuring equipment, and magic items are typically not available except where specifically described, although individual PCs can certainly bring those items along with them as part of their starting equipment (and most of you have).

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There is no societal infrastructure to support the PCs in their endeavors on the island beyond their fellow settlers. There are no taverns, inns, or merchants, nor anyone to buy their treasure and sell them equipment upgrades. After 6 weeks, the Peregrine is scheduled to return to the colony (or another vessel if the crew of the Peregrine has cause to decline). Captain Jacob Markosi will anything the PCs wish to sell, and will purchase any equipment and magic items they want from Almas to be delivered on the next return trip. This can even include new formulae or spells transcribed into spellbooks from city-based arcane casters and alchemists.