The Umeshti Jungles

Cadfan has been talking to Tygot, the antique merchant, about this map he has of the Umeshti Jungles west of Cauldron. With the possible addition of Alton to the party, a trek through the jungle seems more likely to succeed.

Tygot tells you that many years ago he used to buy the odd relic from an adventurer who used to explore the Umeshti. Alek Tercival was his name. He was certainly brave for someone who looked like a scholar. Alek said that ancient civilizations had been swallowed up by the jungle and that there were many powerful artifacts to be rediscovered. Alek claimed he was able to travel somewhat freely in the jungles because reptiles feared a special longsword he'd found as well as his magical net.

His travel companion was a mysterious, red-haired woman. Tygot doesn't remember her name, maybe she never gave it. She was a cautious person, who didn't speak much. When she did, she had this husky voice that was strangely alluring. Tygot suspects she was a spellcaster.

In any event, Tygot hasn't seen them for years. That wasn't so unusual. The pair and their small entourage would be gone for 12-18 months at a time. Hard to say really. Then they'd turn up and see if Tygot wanted to buy any of the relics they'd found.

The last items Tygot had bought were a statuette of a small goose made from polished basalt. The craftsmanship was exquisite. Then there was this gold-plated darkwood mask of some baboon-like divinity. Alek claimed that the mask belonged to a demon cult that had been cursed by lycanthropy.

In that last visit, Alek told Tygot that they were pushing deeper and deeper into the jungles towards some lost civilization that had untold wealth based on the minerals from a meteorite crash. Alek was concerned enough that he gave Tygot a rough map of where it was-- just in case he hadn't been heard from in a long time.

As your party have shown yourselves to be of good character and as Alek and the red-haired woman seemed to have disappeared, Tygot is giving you the map to this place in the Umeshti Jungles. He wishes you well and hopes you'll bring him word of Alek as well as something fantastic from the jungle ruins.

You've been able to gather more information about the trip from Cauldron to Redgorge.

Even though there's a road between the two, it's a rocky trip through the mountains and foothills. It takes about 2 1/2 days. If you still to the road, you're generally pretty safe, though that's not assured.

The southwestern slopes of Cauldron are known to shelter hobgoblins and goblins in its many caves. Bandits have managed to hole themselves up on the southeastern slopes between the Redgorge and Hollowsky roads. Occasionally, both groups can be bought off. Sometimes, they're intimidated by a stronger force and at other times they try to subjugate the weak.

In the foothills and mountains south of Cauldron's slopes but north of the Redgorge road are a tribe of hillfolk. They generally don't bother travellers who are willing to exchange gifts. Anyone who ventures off the road into hillfolk territory are considered enemies and will be attacked mercilessly.

Hill giants are known to have a territory in the foothills and mountains east of the Redgorge road south of Cauldron's slopes. Their behavior is unpredictable. Most flee, others try to negotiate and some beg for their lives.

Note: There's a No Man's Land in an high valley between Cauldron and the next set of mountains. This hilly region can be quite dangerous.