Current Campaign State @ Start – What the PCs Know

Steel Realms
Campaign Pickup date: 9168, May 3rd

Brief state of the world: The frontiers of Gladnor are kept busy with constant attacks, though lacking the usual zeal of the darkspawn. Raids are never followed by swarms any more. Is there a blight among their ranks? It would not be the first time… but their numbers in the usual places seem constant, and there is no evidence of any on any bodies. In fact, Pledius, the priest of Darupet, returned to Mev recently from a pilgrimage to the fallen east and says the Curtain of Night is not the same – it’s not as dark. The Lightbringers ring their bells and burn their candles… they warn of dire times coming – as they always do. Does the evil in the east merely bide its time? Inland, there have been nearly no attacks from the Orrish in their usual fashion from the underearth in a generation. Nearly no ambushes, no raids for metal or food, no swarms in the night, no creeping shadows that murder in the night. How much longer can this relative calm last? It’s hardly worth thinking about without knowing more. That does not keep it from your thoughts though, for you have heard your elders talk about when times were different. The last decade has seen a decline in mercenary companies as the Orrish have been quiet. Many have shifted to the wars being fought with Gwinn having become expansionist in the last couple decades, and adopting “Imperial Gwinn” as a hearkening back to the days of their fore-bearers, the Empire of the Sea-Kings. Assistance (tribute) from the lands west, over the sea, has slowed to a trickle. The Lich Lords are also comparatively quiet. All the quiet has allowed an opportunity for the old hates and enmities to spring up. Internal strife is on the rise across the kingdom of Gladnor and the Pacification Garrisons of the High King are slowly filling.

[Time for Questions]

Brief State of Barony of Crestwold: Late spring has come to the southernmost Barony of the Earldom of Bar-Innis, the season of war upon the land going into its 3rd year locally. The war between Gwinn and Dunstrand has partially shifted from the deadlocked Gillman Pass into Tarmysia to the shores of the Earldom of Bar-Innis. Most of the fighting is now being done in the Barony of Crestwold, where Gwinn has established a beachhead in Sabin Bay. The Barony of Lilymarch is also under assault, to the north of Crestwold along The Black Shore. It seems Gwinn may have found way through Scar Flow to make landings. Saltwater surges, cold weather and darkness grasp at the land from the sea – Elancil nearly violates the Godspeak accord with several divine interventions for her chosen people. Soldiers from the Duke’s army pour into the area around Bar-Innis in the hundreds, as the manpower and losses continue to mount in the worst year of the war since its start decades ago.

Brief State of Torrelson’s Ford: Locally in Torrelson’s Ford, the spring camp was broken and the first clash of forces has been recorded on the shores of the Pranin Moorswood. The enemy has mobilized the local Troglodytes of the marshes, though they are easily spooked. The old forest path to the ancient spring west of town is open again, though many rumors abound about why it was closed. Only a few know of the ancient burial site and the few Orrish that were trying to uncover it. It lies sealed now, forever. The wizards of House Malor have been interviewing many people. No Orrish have been in this area in decades, and the Order wants to make sure the burial site was not attracting more. It is unknown how deeply connected to Gwinn it might be – but its collapse has shut down any excavations. House Malor has an excessive presence in Torrelson’s Ford – 4 of them, all looking the same in their plain, mysterious robes working under Tal Beckam. The henchman who survived the death of the remainder of the Blackwell squad (the chapter of the Annals of the Gallants on this group is officially closed) told his tale, collected his reward, and left.

A strange dark shape has been seen in the sky at night, traveling west to east. Umbak has sent a few more missionaries to rebuild the destroyed church and aid the White Sisters. Among them is at least 2 more of the Ghosts of Conscience. The burned out Briarwood has begun to be reconstructed by the local parish. There is talk of actually building defensive positions in the town. Rumor has it that Goblins have been seen in the east AND on the edges of the swamp at night – though no attacks reported. There has been multiple members of House Malor using magic to teleport and and out – many rumors abound since a group of them met Druids from Pranin Moorswood a week ago. The stormy sky off the coast is quieter than normal – theres almost a strange darkness and cold creeping over ally and foe alike.

There is currently a call out to assemble in Mev – the capital of Bar-Innis. It is said that new Bannermen may be assembled there.

What’s Come Before

Sent into the Barony 2 years ago now was the newly recruited mercenary band of the Black Hounds. Defeated by The Gallants fighting in the Tarmysian campaign, they were given the option of a standard guilded mercenary company of mustering out. Additionally, they were given the option of joining the Gallants – a seasoned band of veterans. Almost all battles they fought in were executed in formation keeping Crestwold safe and they explored the strange temples that resurfaced and were sending ghost legions across the land to fight each other. These ghosts have (seemingly) recently been put to rest by another band of adventurers. The initial group revealed a traitor among them and was destroyed from the inside out after several amazing adventures and Gwinnish insurrection influences. The remainder in the baggage train and the Duke’s wizards of House Malor put an end to the traitor. The group had served as a scout, strike force, tax collectors, and vanguard force in the fight against Gwinn, among many other treks. They made an alliance with a local witch-woman named Bella, who got the local Lizard folk to stay away for help in their war with Troglodytes. A hidden library was discovered and its odd ogre-like academic guardian set free. They rescued a White Sister of the church of light and did several quests for the Lightbringer’s burgeoning presence – though managed to avoid the visit from the elder Justicar in the process. In town, they uncovered an old grudge war between smuggling factions, choosing the newest one fronted by a halfling “merchant” named “Lucky”. He has ensured they stay supplied during the shortages of war. A burgeoning trade struggle was discovered, and they also chose a side in this, going against the Twin River powers and finding out their ally was an agent of the League of the White Lily. The mercenary wizardess “Star” assumed control of the group, added recruits, and embarked on a series of events that led to revealing an ancient Bronzemen settlement with great success. In total, alliances with the Druids of Pranin Moorswood and Bella, the Lightbringers, the Green Church and even House Malor (the ducal wizard order) were forged.

The Blackwells (as they were known now) returned to the ancient Bronzemen ruins and were dealing with the massive ring buried in the earth in the hopes of gaining significant aid of the druids of the Moorswood (long a cantankerous bunch in dealing with local loggers and hunters). Gradually, they were led further from the material realm of Helca through strange happenstance. In one mission for the Lightbringers, one of their number had acquired a link to a power they did not understand completely – but its weak nature meant that it was not being noticed. However, this Blackwell decided to awaken a patron he himself was siphoning power off of to get more. What they thought may have been a Lich Lord patron turns out to be Mog Creoch – the worm that devours all. In exchange for this power, they are teleported south to deal with an existing agent’s (who knew Mog Creoch had any agents!?) betrayal and seek the destruction of a necromancer seeking a new way to become a lich and violate the cycle of life and death. The group foolishly threw their lives away directly fighting the necromancer, leaving only a single henchman to return with news weeks later (and items that Star had wisely decided to send with him) of their death. The Blackwells were the last group directly associated with the Witch of Dwindor, who actively assisted them. Only the enigmatic and rebellious “Feather” – a Gallant and daughter to the now dead Geraldine Aelishan (once a Gallant, a vampire, and briefly the Witch of Dwindor herself) – who serves as her mouthpiece, still hovers around the edges of the group, making herself seen. She is… unstable, yet powerful.

The death of the Blackwells is news that cannot be contained. No new faces are sent from the Gallantine Academy to take their place. The duke sends word across the duchy and a gathering is nigh. The capital of Bar-Innis, Mev, is teaming with mercenaries, heralds, bards, law-minders, and World Watchers. This bodes of something serious. All the western fiefdom rulers of the duchy are arriving, including the duke. The soldiers get ready for a massive push – perhaps the High King has finally made judgement against Gwinn and is assisting in earnest.

Lightbringer trilogy
fix the owsara reference