This is an adventure path I would appreciate some thoughts on. I'm posting the general setup first.
Background: In the course of the war between the Republic of New Edom (and allies) versus the Celt/Humanoid alliance it has come to be known that their enemies have created a place of power called the Shrine of the Dragon. This is a last desperate effort to summon devilish allies to swamp the alliance. Others have been thwarted, but it is said that this one could bring forth Tiamat herself. (This is untrue--the intention is to do a powerful contact and gate rite that will enable an important servant of Tiamat to come out of the realm of Hell and start building the devilish army in question)
Setup: The pcs must travel incognito into Goblinland (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?24252.30)
and accompanying a trade caravan move through an area where the Forest Towns (neutral, largely human) Orc settlements (neutralish though evil tendencies) and Goblinoid realm (lawful evil) meet, reach the gathering area of a humanoid/human horde and slip into the shrine to find out what is going on and prevent it if necessary.
Adventure Start: The Ruins of Nala
Nala was once a splendid port city but it fell to chaos and is now a haven for pirates, humanoid and human renegades and all manner of criminals and evildoers. It is a sort of neutral port in the area. Remnants of splendour still exist there--carved marble pillars and stairs, statuary and so on, but much of this has fallen to ruin or is used to repair the dismal dwellings that its people make from driftwood, thatch, mud and even dung.
A caravan consisting of a slave coffle, a herd of cattle, some salt merchants, a few peddlers, a travelling down and out bard are heading into Goblin territory to sell goods to the gathering forces there. The caravan master is a human rogue called Ungreth, fat but tough, who is also the owner of the slaves, and has a few guards. However he is eager to hire people who are a bit tougher and cannier than the louts he has.
The guards: (6) these are a handful of orcs and half orcs who were caste out of their tribes and therefore are actually not ready to fight to the death for the caravan if it comes to that. They more or less hope to be able to make enough to keep living in Nala and have a horror of being recruited for the horde.
The slaves: there are basically a couple of different sorts here. The first is an overseer called Labash, a half orc who looks fairly human but has a shotgun like nose and is vilely lecherous. He is servile to those who are able to dominate him and cunningly sadistic with those beneath him, though wary of the value of the other slaves to his master. Labash is assisted by a half ogre brute called Dorgan who is basically the muscle. He is not a bad sort and is only interested in serving his physical appetites and not suffering too much.
The second sort are those for sale. There are four male slaves for sale, basically captives from the recent war, then broken recently by hard labour and punishments. They are like wary beasts, they would escape if they could but are bewildered by being far from home, by their chains and by the constant humiliations. Mostly they are at a stage of being watchful of Labash's whip and hearing their commands.
There are also six female slaves. Three of them are resigned to being enslaved and are mostly frightened of their circumstances, humiliated by their treatment and just not wanting things to be nastier than they already are. One is a female overseer, long since trained to slavery and mostly concerned to see her charges get to where they have to go in one piece. She has a soft leather cat o' nine tails that stings painfully but doesn't leave permanent marks. The fifth is a sullen girl with well healed whip marks who was taken from a wealthy household in New Edom when her city fell to the enemy; she was a pampered well loved servant girl there and was badly mistreated. She is brave but has no sense of where she is or what to do. The last is a bandit woman who was taken somewhat recently and is not quite broken yet. Her band was broken up but she knows the area well.
Bard: Angarat is a one eyed rogue of a bard who is more of a storyteller than a musician. He is an excellent source of rumors and a good person to seek them out. If recruited he might be a useful ally but unfortunately he is likely to betray people at a sign of great peril if he thinks it would save him. At heart he is also a decent man and would be good to have as an ally if truly won over--if he felt he would be witness to acts of great heroism.
This sounds like a fine plan, as usual Tybalt. The cast of characters in the caravan is varied and detailed.
One thing that occurred to me that you might want to be wary of is whether your PC's will attempt to free the slaves. This woul compromise their cover, although achieve a moral victory.
The second worry I have is whether or not the PC's will eb able to successfully infiltrate the shrine. I mean, it would be carefully guarded and protected against outsiders, right? Or would the goblins feel that it is far enough in their own territory that it is safe? It seems that with the previous enemy-territory missions your group has accomplished previously, the enemy would be a bit warier about leaving resources unprotected.
Anyway, good luck and good gaming.
~ Rose
The details you have here are great. The personalities of the slaves and overseers and even the guards. By having their motivations planned you know how they will react in game.
Good job.
And kudos for the Salt Merchants! I think we often forget that Salt used to be the most valuable resource on the planet and that even today we would die with out it. Who knew that combining two poisons made a life needed element?
Getting Started:
The caravan moves off beyond Nala towards the trade route that leads deeper into Goblinland. Ahead are known to be the following:
The Forest Town of Cadria, mostly human but also some humanoids and other nonhumans
Siltcross, a former human town now occuppied by orcs of the White Horn tribe.
A semi-permanent town (Four Trees) that is mostly a point of convergence for caravans and travellers
The Muster at Mount Unwas. This is where the enemy army is gathering.
Day One
The first day is mostly just travel, and a chance to get to know some of the npcs. The bard Anharat will amid boasting talk of his amorous conquests and famous nobles who were his patrons possibly provide knowledge about the road ahead. Most importantly he can be a possible interpreter as he knows a number of local dialects and can help with etiquette for dealing with possibly touchy folk.
The slaves do all the normal hard work around camp, including setting up and cleaning and cooking and so on. Ungreth will grandly inform the pcs that they may have the use of any of the slaves for personal pleasure purposes provided they don't cause any damage to them. Labash spends this time trying to figure out what kind of people the pcs are and if they can either be manipulated or intimidated.
Day Two
It is a rather cloudy day. The pcs come across a group of shepherds with long staves and slings, looking for some lost sheep. They are wearing ragged garments of wool and leather and seem fairly humble but dignified for all that. In fact they are bandits, scouting for a larger group to scan the caravan for weaknesses and such. If followed by any means successfully without being noticed then they are seen to walk off about a mile or so before mounting shaggy ponies and riding away--ultimately in half a day's ride or so on the way ahead meeting up with a gang of about 20 bandits.
Day Three
Arriving at the wooden walled town of Cadria it is raining. Here they will find that one of the village elders is a local master spy for the enemy--and himself. Essentially he was once a successful bandit leader--so successfuly that in fact he bought himself some respectability. When the current chief elder kicks the bucket--by whatever means--he intends to be in his place. Meanwhile he keeps his oar in by raiding caravans occasionally and also by now and then tipping off the more roguish humanoid bands to juicey targets. Recently he was asked (for a nice sum and some favours) to keep an eye out for New Edomites, Elves, Dwarves, Lizardfolk and so on who might be enemies of the goblinoids. Any conversating that indicates such allegiances will be noted if they talk at an inn or in the public stables or to the elder himself. If this happens then day four instead of being without incident results in the twenty bandits being joined by a rogue specializing in assassination accompanied by a small group of hobgoblins including a cleric of Tiamat who ambush the caravan.
The town is a rough and tumble place with logs, shaped rock and mud forming most of the buildings and basic services such as blacksmith, a small livestock market (enough to buy normal quality horses up to normal riding horses, pack animals, etc), normal foodstuffs and travel equipment.
A large tree in the town is dedicated to blessings of the sidhe. While the town elder is willing to betray elves the locals are rather in awe of the fae and will not bother them. This on the other hand doesn't mean they like them either. Dwarves will be received with a different awe--they are all assumed to be master smiths, weaponmakers par excellence and extraordinary engineers. They may get mobbed by friendly folk wanting work from them. Half orcs and other humanoids blend in but may get suspicious looks from visiting tribal hunters.
Incident: a travelling Yasg merchant, fairly tough but dandyish by local standards in his elaborately braided hair, bright costume and large escort, wants to buy at least one of the more attractive female slaves. This is something that is a shock to the slave-less New Edomites, seeing a human being treated like cattle.
Day Five
Siltcross is a small village hugging the Siltwash River, a normally brownish swift but somewhat shallow river. It is fortified with a log pallisade and has two towers on the north and the sound end. The population is 500 orcs, of which 180 are warriors. They conquered the village about five years ago but then made peace with the rest of the Forest Towns. It acts as a kind of crossroads between the orc settlements and the human ones. While still clannish proud and cruel these orcs have begun to recognize the importance of allowing travellers, particularly merchants, to travel through. They demand a tribute which the caravan merchants haggle over but pay, clearly expecting this.
The orcs do not offer to buy anything--they believe in exchanges of gifts between equals seeking truce, tribute from those weaker and giving tribute or obedience to those who are stronger. It becomes clear through Anharat or successful uses of diplomacy with the orc leaders that the orcs give tribute to the Fire Giant kingdom to the south. Apparently two whole tribes of orcs were enslaved by the giants when they refused to bow to them and give tribute. Now and then the giants walk through orc lands like they owned them. (this is obviously a warning--you may encounter giants on the road ahead)
The orcs also make it clear that they are reluctant to join in the war. They don't want to just follow a lot of hobgoblins and goblins on a feckless adventure that doesn't concern them, and they are wary of sending many warriors away when the giants are still stomping around. Added to which they have heard that a number of younger fire giants and some hill giants have gone to join the army.
Giving away who they are alerts the orcs to something being wrong...they will try to capture obvious spies and send them to the hobgoblins who generally lead the enemy forces, to make it plain that they are if not allies at least friendly. They only want one war at a time.
Day Six
The army. This is a gathering of some 300 hobgoblins of the Black Hammer warrior society, 800 goblin warg riders, 30 ogres, 10 fire giants, 20 hill giants, and 500 human and half orc mercenaries. This is actually indicative of something--the enemy numbers are starting to dwindle. This is in fact a desperate effort.
A sea of humanoid and human bodies, a stench rich with the smells of latrine trenches, cooking food, spoiling food, animal dung and sweat rises like a miasma from the horde. While the hobgoblins attempt to impose some order it is difficult and it is all they can do to prevent fights breaking out, let alone impose proper camp hygiene and messes. Accordingly the pcs can if they are discreet fit right in among the rogues, mercenaries, peddlers, prostitutes, slaves, expert hirelings who actually outnumber the army itself.
This encampment is below the mountain. Every day apparently livestock have been driven in. The salt is much coveted for preserving the meat being slaughtered. Slaves are needed for labour, army brothels and dark purposes only hinted at.
Above it all looms the mountain. Somewhere in there according to intelligence is the lair of the cult of Tiamat.
Tybalt,
As always, a pleasure to read your work.
I need to ask how much the the players are going to play in Nala, and if you have stuff planned for them there. Sounds like an interesting port of call.
I am really glad to see the other human and half-breed mercs. It lends a lot of versimilatude to the attempt. of what make or manufacture are the weapons and armor? Of what makeup are the leaders of this desperate outfit?
I'm writing this stuff to flesh out this part of the adventure--I had already worked out Nala from a couple of sources but one in particular is a place called Scuttlecove set in Greyhawk, which is the site for a couple of Dungeon magainze adventures. By happy chance I found several such adventures that fitted what I wanted for my game. Specifically I wanted Yuan-Ti involved in local intrigues.
So essentially when the pcs arrive in Nala to begin with they are there to get the second part of the book (they have embarked tonight on a quest to go to the ruins of the college town of Lookinghaven to get the first part and the next few sessions will deal with that) from a rather nasty magician and drug dealer called Kedward Bone (I didn't make him up, I'm sad to say--just made up that he has the second part of the Book of the Dragon) who will only trade the book in exchange for the pcs helping him eliminate some of his local competition, a brothel owning group of Yuan-Ti (not immediately known to be such) who have gained a local monopoly on whorehouses and seem about to do the same with drugs. The drug they are selling, Demon's Breath, apparently gives one fiendish qualities for a short time. Little does Bone know that they are actually planning to use this to create a fiendish army. Much of this is taking from the dungeon magazine adventure "The Porphyry House Horror" but I have adapted it to my game.
Some of the arms and armor being used by the horde were taken in battle from New Edom; others are a little worn out from many sharpenings and polishings, long ago raids or dug up from old battlefields and given to lower ranking arrow fodder. Crude arrows, axes and spears in the hands of some humanoids, others having been given good steel swords and chain armor by the Celts or the dark elves. The chieftains and captains have master work plate mail, long swords and composite bows. In the case of the Fire Giants and more elite members they have brought their own excellent gear.
Leaders of the Army and the Cult of Tiamat
Kalikazan (the lich--not present at the moment, in disguise and with the Celtic King)
Talavar (a young adult blue dragon, soon to be a favoured champion of Tiamat)
Alarion (a dark elf high priestess, a leader of the cult of Tiamat. Alarion sounds so sweet and good and kind--it is all the more shocking when she is exactly the opposite. Alarion sees humanity and their allies as disgusting filth and the traitors who support them. She would willingly swim ten leagues in a strong soup made from the blood and marrow of the people of New Edom in particular for tricking her people into believing humans and elves can get along--for this deception they will pay.)
Clewerdas (dark elf commander of the high priestess' guard. Clewerdas is the epitome of a proud human despising elf--cold, almost alien, ruthless and cruel.)
(note: all dark elves in this game look rather like pale normal elves but they conspicuous avoid daylight and all of them hate and loathe humanity for usurping what they see as their rightful place in the world)
Ugorodas (Pit Fiend--he hasn't arrived yet because he hasn't yet been gated in. Once he does arrive he will gather other devils to form a hellish army. Ugorodas is a coldly clever, ruthless monster who wants to see Tiamat's revenge upon the world stolen and changed to suit the gods--to see Hell visited upon the Earth. But carefully, shrewdly and so as to gradually create a devastating despair.)
Karzag (Spear Leader of the hobgoblins and top humanoid, in effect like a sort of regimental sergeant-major of the forces gathered, responsible for discipline, training and carrying out the orders of higher command. A tough battle scarred veteran who talks with a throaty rasp from a well healed wound, he is feared even by the ogres and bugbears. To fall out on a march is weakness--weakness is for slaves. He is busy culling his ranks for those who are ready to eat iron and spit nails, ready to kill the soft skins for the true people!)
Nidbjorg (Fire Giant shieldmaiden. Though young she is tough and determined, she has studied war all her life, and knows better than to despise the insidious cunning of the sneaky little folk. Accordingly she is ready to listen to advice from humanoid leaders and even the suspicious slinking dark elves in order to conquer. For her it is part ambition, part adventure and part religious devotion--after all are not the giants children of the first of all gods, Tiamat? Nidbjorg is always accompanied by one or two members of each race present who are her staff officers, each carrying an emblem of a fiery five headed dragon. She herself carries a huge warhammer made of solid steel called Bonecrusher that can three times a day have a heat metal effect that of course doesn't harm her at all)
Loving Nidbjorg, sounds like what could become a great villain if she survives the war. I also like that you've characterized the pit-fiend, rather than making him just a faceless entity of destruction.
Good job as always, Tybalt.
So, the army of Goblinland/the celtics might or might not have a Pit Fiend and a legion of Demons.
Sounds a like a dealbreaker to me. Will they march on some area without it? Or if the PC group manages to destroy the gate, will it delay things? It looks that way, by the desperation you wrote into this band.
[blockquote+Tybalt]Alarion (a dark elf high priestess, a leader of the cult of Tiamat. Alarion sounds so sweet and good and kind--it is all the more shocking when she is exactly the opposite. Alarion sees humanity and their allies as disgusting filth and the traitors who support them. She would willingly swim ten leagues in a strong soup made from the blood and marrow of the people of New Edom in particular for tricking her people into believing humans and elves can get along--for this deception they will pay.)[/blockquote]The characterizations of the foes is, as always, a welcome break from the typical. This is a really intersting motivation. Racial betryal? Boy, I like that.
The war is taking on a nasty turn already--Touchstone is strongly besieged, the farm country of the east is desperately defended by a small army that is outnumbered and exhausted, and Fineberg, Verity and Highport (the key defensive points along the Silver River) stand alone. So the enemy plan is to try to pin down the forces along the river to prevent any kind of recon in force so that the Hellish Army can gather and then move on Finberg, crushing the last big fortified city apart from Touchstone. Ideally the gathered horde will move quietly through the wilderness then attack by surprise. If the pcs can warn their countrymen then surprise will be lost--I decided that if they do a good accurate count and get the info back in good time that General Carmel will defeat the enemy. If it is just in time to allow for preparation then there is a retreat of the enemy. If it is too late then Carmel will be forced to abandon one position to the enemy. If they don't bother then two positions are lost and Fineberg ends up besieged again.
The other aim for the players is to steal the remaining part of the Book of the Dragon. They might very well accomplish this while the Pit Fiend and the dracolich are being added. While it might seem like preventing these rituals is the main thing i'm deliberately trying to make their enemies too powerful to deal with as yet. If they are smart they will grab the book and hope it pays off. If they do it steailthily and while their enemies are focused elsewhere then they won't even notice ideally until the pcs have fled with it.
Having the book of the Dragon shifts the campaign from being about preventing the enemy from doing things to being a little more proactive, using the book to find resources and allies that might help with the war.
Of course it is POSSIBLE that the pcs might succeed but I've placed the following security at the secret shrine:
2 Erinyes
2 Horned Devils
24 hobgoblins under priests
5 hobgoblin higher priests
11 other dark elves
4 Fire Giant priests and priestesses.
8 Hell Hounds