Preview #2 for Hopeless One-Shots: The Beast of Brisborough - Welcome to Town!

Last week I first discussed in a little more detail the adventure I've written for Dragon Age. It's my first shot at actually writing something, and I'm excited to say that today is going to be my first time running it and testing the actual structure of the thing. My intent is to write Dragon Age adventures that can be run in one sitting for a one-off story or as a con game. Next week I should have some feedback to post about what it was like running the adventure - where it succeeded and what fell flat - but this week I want to introduce you to one of the most important towns in all of Ferelden. Brisborough is actually quite small, but keep reading to explore what makes this town so vital to the country's economy as the king has called banners and the men muster to fight off the fifth Blight!

Note: if you plan on playing in this game at any point (AHEM - EVERYONE IN MY GROUP), you will likely want to skip reading into this post as this selection is pulled straight from the GM's background on the town.

Brisborough is located just about halfway up the Draken River in central Fereldun. The land is quite arable, and the farms surrounding the town tend to grow barley, onions, leeks, and garlic. Some farmers keep herds of sheep, but most rely on fresh fish from the river for protein. Brisborough maintains four separate major docks, including the central dock which also contains a ferry, making the small town one of the safest places in all of Feralden to cross the river, if you can pay the toll of course. The Blackwood Forest surrounding Brisborough has only recently gained a reputation of being a true hazard to the fool-hardy. Before the recent animal attacks, parents would tell their children ancient fairy tales about packs of wolves roaming the Blackwood and stealing children and sheep alike for dinner. Parents don’t tend to tell such stories anymore. 


Brisborough maintains about five dozen armed soldiers including the 15 men, known locally as the Swornswords, in direct service of Ser Robert Reese and his household. The town contains a chantry on the south side however there currently is no Sister residing over it, and the people tend not to be overly-religious. It is maintained by a group of dedicated followers who work to make sure there is a place of worship for those passing through the town. There is a blacksmith, Jack Renald who has increasingly been receiving fine weapons and armors from an unknown benefactor to repair and refit to the soldiers in town on the direct orders of Bann Lorric. 


The town is known most for its three taverns. The Bann is the main patron of the largest tavern, The Leaping Trout which serves mainly those who are just passing through. The remaining two taverns, The Grape & Current and The Frogsbreath cater more towards the local clientele. Still, all three serve a variety of patrons, and it is not unusual to see strange faces in any of them. Since the animal attacks have become more widely-known outside of Brisborough, the taverns have taken a hit as more and more travellers go out of their way to avoid the dangers in the surrounding forest. 


Lorric Keep sits on riverfront property and maintains a private dock. It’s a large wooden structure with a tall defensive wall surrounding the three land-based sides of the keep. The current runs swiftly past Brisborough and the natural defenses against trying to land an attack force on the river-facing side have always been considered enough security. Bann Lorric employs only a few servants to perform cleaning and maintenance duties and since receiving the call to muster his forces to aid the King’s cause, houses 25 of Brisborough’s trained soldiers in the on-site barracks. 


As a result of Brisborough being a major crossroads, the Traveller’s Market has developed and has slowly taken over the south eastern portion of the town. Vendors pay a small fee to the Bann for a spot on the square, and every day brings in new merchants and traders with wares from across Feraldun. Since the attacks began two months ago the market has shrunk as fewer and fewer merchants are willing to stop in the town long enough to set up shop. 

And there you have it - your first introduction to Brisborough is complete. Of course there are many secrets hidden away, and soon enough I hope to release and share the adventure with my fellow darpg fans! (Picture borrowed from the Old Northolt website. Check it out - it's actually pretty neat!)