While trading Octavius stumbles on a trapper that operates in Oleg's Trading Post.
The trading post is located in the southwest of the Rostland Hinterlands along the South Rostland Road. This grassland wilderness sits just outside the border of Brevoy. While not technically part of the nation, its proximity to Brevoy and relative lack of valuable resources means that banditry is relatively light. South Rostland Road was built ages ago by eager engineers, but money eventually ran out, leaving the road to slowly degrade into little more than a glorified trail.
The old trapper tells a story about Oleg and Svetlana;
The daughter of a minor noble in Restov, Svetlana Beyavin grew up amid wealth and splendor but hated every minute of it. Without the skill at swordplay that might have allowed her to make a name for herself, she was forced to learn to navigate the lavish parties and decadent gatherings of her peers just to fit in. But where she hoped to find friendship, she found only manipulation, and her efforts at kindness and honesty served her poorly in the world of politics. Finding her life in the city stultifying, she longed for something more suited to her sensibilities. She found what she was seeking when she met Oleg Leveton.
The son of a carpenter, Oleg Leveton grew up in a small village before heading to Restov to make his fortune, but his stubborn pride made success difficult. He refused to compromise his work or try to appear humble to curry favor with the nobility. The gentry had no qualms about cheating him, or even refusing to pay for work, leaving him sullen and angry. Despite his best efforts, the success he desired never materialized as the years passed. Afraid he was failing, he longed for a chance to make something of himself.
When Svetlana was tasked by her father to find a gift that could swing a trade deal in her family’s favor, her search led her to Oleg, whose work gave Svetlana’s house a crucial edge in the hotly contested deal. It led to further work for Oleg, which led to a friendship with Svetlana and eventually—to the delight of both—to love.
It wasn’t long before the couple realized that life in the city wasn’t for them, and they eloped and left Restov after securing the rights to an old fort in the hinterlands. They managed to rebuild the fort into a proper trading post before long.
