Arvban Keep Strike
A n c i e n t Blood – A Living World storyline Set in the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms.
Ancient Blood’s Due > Ancient Blood – A New Dawn > Arvban Keep Strike
Current Year: Common Year of the Steel Realms, 9169
Historical Events of Relevance:
Defining Moment: All of the Riverdans were devastated when, in CY 7950-7986, the Nanford River changed course during the Storm Times and Dwindor Swamp became a living thing itself and gained the appellation of “Mighty Dwindor”.
Aftermath of Gruxxand the Necromancer’s ascension to Lichdom: CY 9168/q3 > The Guild of Solars recorded everything they could about The Soul Scourge and the Dreams Leading Up To It and they and others used their skills to interpret the meaning or significance. Afterward, Orrish attacks increase… across the entirety of the Steel Realms.
- No Other relevant specific historical events known.
Scouts have gotten reports of lights at night in the ancient ruins of Arvban Keep. Arvban was a high foothills keep that was once used as a base of operations for patrolling the Mistveil Hills in the east of the Riverdan of Bondeu when the Orrish incursions were bad 800 years ago. It was sacked by the Orrish, re-taken, and sacked at least twice more. There is nearly nothing left of it now, and it is too isolated and the Riverdan of Bondeu too poor to maintain it. However, scouts are saying that the Orrish might have taken it for a base of their own – a fire has been seen in the hills near it twice in the last month. That means the Orrish are planning something close by – probably trying to extend their terror from their recent base 30 miles east in the Hawktail Hills and Blue Willow Valley of the neighboring Riverdan of Pelmon. Its likely to be an advance party of just goblins and their minions from the Dark Lands.
But the The Interloper is bright in the night sky… this bodes ill… The Church of Darkness may be planning a Rite of the Interloper’s Defiance!
Little is remembered about this specific fort – it had only military significance (like most of its kind), it was not large, and it was used for defense against the Orrish only. The entire upper story is gone. There are just broken ruins of the main floor from the last reports a hundred years ago. It is assumed that there is an underkeep, but no maps exist of it. There was a water source nearby (obviously), and a stream flowed below the crags it sat on. Rumors say it was named for Lady Celia Arvban, niece of one of the Burren family rulers of Bondeu – but there is no known significance to that.
It was once one of the Picket Keeps of the Heartlands, and nearly all in the Riverdans are in ruins and uninhabited.
MISSION: If there is an advance party there, it needs to be taken out to send a message, inventory their potential forces, and any tunnels made by the Rock Worms of the Underlands noted and marked for later collapse.
- ADV: Approx. 3-4th level, 3-5 characters for i20™ variant
- Resources = Whatever the current characters can bring on foot (roads are long gone) + a crude map of the area and old trail & each character receives: 2 firebombs (6+2d6), 2 weeks trail rations, 1 honey healing salve from the Red Bees of Tufflim (8+d6), meager trekking supplies (if needed)
- A rudimentary cartographer kit, if the party does not have one (wax sealed map case, grease pens, ruler, and heavy parchment)