Ancient Blood (Steel Realms Campaign)

Part of the Ancient Blood Campaign Author: Kelly Berger 2015 / System: Incarna ver. 2.0/3.0
This is part of the PnPG Steel Realms Destiny group, and tied to the Dunstrand Rising – The Beginning campaign…

The group will be venturing for a prolonged trek into the ancient lands along the river, on a mission for The Surefoot Merchant Coster. See an Overview of the Riverdans…

OLD RIVERDAN MAP

Riverdans - OLD

Riverdans – OLD

This is part of the PnPG Steel Realms Destiny group, and tied to the Dunstrand Rising – The Beginning campaign…

[AB logo]

Backdrop of Dunstrand: War has been brewing in the north for years. The forces of Gwinn have taken islands and coastal communities and is at war with the Norther Merchant Cities and Umbak. Dunstrand remained neutral until the Tarmysian Peninsula was invaded. Tarmysia and the rest of Dunstrand are separated by a thin neck of jagged hills, with seasonal access only through a place called Gillman Pass. The Scar Flow and Dwindor Swamp provide an impenetrable barrier after that. The forces of Gwinn have held onto Tarmysia for a year or more now. The old Riverdan territories may have a role in what happens to Dunstrand – a key part in a [[plot|plot which involves the party]]…

The group will be venturing for a prolonged trek into the ancient lands along the river, on [[Dunstrand City and Pekki|a mission]] for [[The Surefoot Merchant Coster]]. See an [[Overview of the Riverdans]]…

Events Preceding the Campaign

  • 9141 CY, Month 5, +8 days; Belim arrive in Bar-Innis on order of his superiors to find out more about what’s going on there and a group called The Band of Crows
  • 9141 CY, Month 5, +10 days; Belim travels with the crows and finds Troubles in Mosshaven
  • 9141 CY, Month 5, +25 days; Belim leaves The Band of Crows to return to Dunstrand City for the Faire.
  • CY 9141, Month 6, Day 1-7; The Dunstrand Faire
  • CY 9141, Month 6, Day 20 – Hareen Bladeheart, of the Crows of Bar-Innis, has a vision and is chosen by Rastur, lord of Lions, to go north and do try and defeat The Confessor – high priest of Elancil. Many flock to his standard.
  • 9141, Month 8, Day 6; The Crows enter the north lands on their quest; some have stayed behind to divide the agents of Gwinn.
  • 9141, Month 9, Day 19; The Band of Crows kill The Confessor (The Gwinnish forces religious leader) in an epic bloody battle
  • 9142, Month 1, Day 4; Holy War is declared by Gwinn
  • 9142, Month 2, Day 25; Bounty for the Band of Crows posted by the forces of Gwinn
  • 9142, Month 3, Day 7; Word comes out from the north that Northgate Garrison is under full scale attack, somehow a cult of Malek is involved
  • CY 9142, Month 4, Day 24; The Rosewood Vase, symbol of the north’s salvation, is miraculously returned to the Temple of Aerna at Karolak
  • CY 9142, Month 4, Day 25; Signs of famine in the north; military campaigns slow in the north
  • 9142, Month 4, Day 27; News of Hareen Bladeheart’s death at the hands of one of the Lich Kings himself; heroes of the previous generation died trying to save him from the fallen lord of undeath.
  • 9142, Month 5 – The forces of Gwinn retreat from Bar-Innis (though still occupy Tarmysia) and the bounty is rescinded; things begin to calm down.

Elements of the Adventure Cycle

Ideas

OTHER IDEAS:
Fey-Born; darkling ferralings – crazed animals, berzerker powered in defense of mystic woodland and natural sites; often grow to 5x their normal size Enokian = ancient language spoken in the east; the source for the three main languages of the realms

Lilliana Grantfell (Baramatchu) in county Faer taken hostage- must be freed; they are claimant on an old
riverdan territory, the 7 other houses still exist to this day. If the victim is killed, that last possibility of
Dunstrand Restored will be forgotten. Its been 60 years since the line was thought to have died out
Documented lineage (the Malek library + confirmation from library at Port Towne – research required)
Richfield – strange creatures Like a rallying cry that keeps echoing, lord Culahey’s banner flies again. Goblins and men rally to the standard and bring darkness into the lands of light. Castle sacked by Umbakians long ago – Go to Fort Harvina looking in the archives of Balthazaar for records taken. Bribed to act as bandits against rival merchant organization missing span w/another family – blood not gone just married into another line; only look at the records if they solve a bandit problem.

GATELINE

Main branch ended and split. Bastard son of of the last ruler Lord Verrick Groostmaen, entered a monastery and died childless. Verrick’s young cousin Sophia Daneforth assumed the mantle of Viscountess and her branch has since then lead the fief, and done well. They have kept their independance from East River Run – being close enough to Dunstrand City to be shielded from the worst of politics and outright war. However, the scattered nature of the territory has made it unstable – those in the north claiming the ancient title as well, and a tense rivalry getting more violent over the centuries. The Daneforth family is split into northern and southern branches – the northern Daneforth’s taking on the title of ‘Sheriff’ to support their blood allies which rule nominally from the south side of the river – securing the bridge at Gatesmount against the politics of the Riverdan.

Very few of the neighbors of the Riverdan territories want any effort to upset the status quo to succeed.

Baron Grus Sherwald

agent of Count Griswold – He has employed three other sets of spies

  1. Steel-Eyed Pete – in Belmain, he has paid to have a local bandit outfitted with better arms in order to harass him.
  2. The acting troupe called ‘Blue Dragons’ (claim to be from Dunstrand City)
  3. The bard Bithmor (claims to be from the Merchant Cities)
  4. The ‘independent’ merchant Grouze Stevens (claims to be from Faer)
  5. The merchant Anton Lemay – he is from East River Run and operates because of his connections. He is often used as a diversion, since who he works for is known by all.
  6. Marcellus, priest of Ikribu – a wanderer through the ‘Dans, trying to gain converts.
  7. Robert Glass – An evil assassin, agent of Sun Stealer, and ‘agent’ of baron Sherwald directly. He will shadow the party, arranging for forces to harass them and try and kill them… he will never be directly involved, but has a great deal of wealth at his disposal.

    Robert goes by “Mr. Glassman” and uses poison. He prefers simple clean up jobs (not killing major players) and no direct confrontation.

When baron Sherwald finds out who killed Steel Eyed Pete, he will be very interested. He will try and send his agent Anton Lemay first and see if the party can be bought.

Realizing that this new group must have something to do with the warnings he has been given, he will test them with faith, sending Marcellus to try and pressure them as worshipers of the Light to do the right thing for the faith.

Harpher Knap

CRD 6/RCT 8, CHA 7; Kinetic 4

Less Sleep

Melee 3, Evade 6, Soak 6