Snakecross

Snakecross
also known as Snakepass
Kind	Barony
Region / realm	Rosereach County
Ruler	Baroness Bella Worthmore
Population	~28,000
GM canon
first cited: [heralds-a#3]

On the world map: this place exists in the map data as town Snakecross.

Snakecross is a barony and town of Rosereach County, built around dormant volcanic mountains and serving as a passage to the sea and to a beautiful landscape. ^{[last-winter#300]}

Overview

The barony is known for its beautiful rose gardens. ^{[last-winter#300]} Even through winter its soil gives flowers, a trait unusual enough to draw researchers' notice. ^{[last-winter#399 · last-winter#401]} The town is also rumored to hold precious gems. ^{[last-winter#401]} At the edge of town lives a druid who takes the dead and makes them bloom into roses, honoring them this way. ^{[last-winter#306]} That druid is Elowen Starbloom. ^{[heralds-b#164]} Snakecross has a population of roughly 28,000. ^{[last-winter#375]}

History

House Rosemen, an old bloodline skilled in mind-affecting arcane arts and in enchanting roses, were long the stewards of Snakecross. ^{[heralds-b#55]} Their influence has since waned under Baroness Bella's rule, and House Rosemen members now mostly serve the town as advisors and arcane scholars. ^{[heralds-b#55]} Baroness Bella Worthmore has ruled Snakecross for two hundred years. ^{[heralds-b#55]} Snakecross belongs to Rosereach County but functions as a largely self-governing barony. ^{[heralds-b#57]} The Golden Leaf Company, which sells flowers across the empire, is based in Snakecross. ^{[last-winter#318 · last-winter#322]}

Power and politics

Beneath the town lies a sealed crypt. ^{[heralds-a#39]} It is tied to a Worm God whose crypt and cult are bound entirely to Snakecross and to Baroness Bella's authority here. ^{[heralds-b#152 · heralds-b#153]} On the road to Iceverf, sealed tunnels beneath the pass were dug by a colossal worm and had never been seen by anyone before. ^{[heralds-b#116]} Within the county's bounds, the party once came across a wild creature beneath the town that had been transformed into a plant monster. ^{[heralds-a#128]}

Players, stop here. What is hidden behind this point is game-master material. The full detail is on GM:Snakecross.

North of the town, the Baroness once redirected the party west off the road for no stated reason, and rumor speaks of a hidden passage there. ^{[heralds-b#446]} An artificial tunnel wide enough for five or six people to walk abreast runs from a hidden elevator; its markings are straight and parallel, no magic could be detected, and the air is stifling. ^{[heralds-b#446]} It ends at a large graveyard holding old-language parchments, the remains of Legion soldiers, and a cleric's notes, with the bodies unclaimed. ^{[heralds-b#446]}

The undead crisis

Rosereach has become a Hollow Desecrated Zone where undead and vengeful spirits roam freely. ^{[heralds-a#5]} Naevys, the region's Arcanum war-manager, commands these undead and has begun sending forces to destroy Snakecross. ^{[heralds-a#5]} Having lost the baroness who once protected it, Snakecross is now in a state of full zombie survival. ^{[heralds-a#3 · heralds-a#5 · heralds-a#6]} After Snakecross, Naevys plans to press on toward Grayhost, held by the Winter Elves. ^{[heralds-a#5]}

In play

Veladrin left Snakecross for Hollowbridge with his officers and soldiers, twenty in total, to destroy enemy forces that might come from the south. ^{[heralds-a#81]} Kaelen came to Snakecross searching for Draven. ^{[last-winter#375 · last-winter#378]} Marcus Virelius comes from a village near Snakecross and tried to escape there. ^{[last-winter#464]} The Frozen Claw Tribe waits at the town's winter edges, watching for a chance to raid. ^{[last-winter#316]}

The Baroness's next move

Players, stop here. What is hidden behind this point is game-master material. The full detail is on GM:Snakecross.

Related pages

• Bella Worthmore — the baroness who has ruled Snakecross for two hundred years
• House Rosemen — the town's old stewarding house, now reduced to advisors
• Golden Leaf Company — the empire-wide flower company headquartered here
• Rosereach County — the county Snakecross belongs to
• Frozen Claw Tribe — raiders watching the town's winter edges
• Naevys Duskbloom — sent undead forces to destroy the town
• Hollowbridge — where Veladrin's expedition marched
• Kaelen — came here searching for Draven

Unconfirmed ideas

The source conversations contain proposals for Snakecross that the campaign owner never confirmed. They are collected on Idea:Snakecross so they cannot be mistaken for canon.