Ivae Orr Campaign

Introduction

This adventure is set near the Ivae Orr forest, an area rife with criminal and political intrigue. The purpose of the adventure is to introduce the players to major NPCs and issues of the realm they have just been granted. As in real life, all is not as it seems or clear-cut when it comes to deciding how to run a kingdom. There are subplots involving each of the groups the players will interact with that should result in multiple moral quandaries for the party to resolve. Remember, ACTIONS LEAD TO REACTIONS; there is a strong emphasis on character interaction, and events at the "national" (aka realm or strategic) level occurring in the background will be intersecting with the players' choices.

Dungeon Master's Background

This campaign story arc is broken up into multiple acts that will occur over the course of one to two game years.

Baron Eddard Dunthmore is the players' primary nemesis. A 14th-level cavalier and Captain of a mercenary company of heavy infantry, he took Oleg Keep in the tumultuous years after the Greyhawk Wars on behalf of Duke Grenell of North Province and intends to retain title to it. He has played the three major warring powers (Nyrond, North Province, and the loose coalition of humanoid tribes holding most of Bone March) against each other for the past 10 years while slowly consolidating his hold on the area surrounding the keep. Duke Grenell and Count Dunstan have both tried to leverage Dunthmore's geographic position to their advantage, as the Keep straddles a wide pass between the Ivae Orr Forest and the old North Road connecting the region's silver and iron mines both to the County of Knurl and North Province.

The former silver and iron mines of the northern half of the Blemu Hills are held by the hobgoblin Ripper tribe, who are intent on securing better resources (arable lands + slaves to work them) to sustain their growing tribe. The lowlands of Bone March have been the traditional agrarian home of the Flan people for millennia, and the area is dotted with many small villages ripe for the picking. The tribe has a loose alliance with Dunthmore and initiated a series of attacks against the villages not under Dunthmore's control. Dunthmore, for his part, then follows up with harassing attacks to drive off the humanoids, garnering goodwill from the populace who would rather serve a human than a humanoid liege. In parallel, Dunthmore allows brigand activity orchestrated by the local thieves' guild (also sanctioned by Dunthmore) to rob merchant convoys moving wool and whiskey through the region. A percentage of the profits are then split between Dunthmore and the hobgoblins.

Count Dunstan has suspected Dunthmore's treachery for years but has been unable to prove it and convince the population their benefactor is really the one behind their misery. Dunthmore's and the hobgoblins' alliance has never been great, and now the hobgoblins have decided to move aggressively into the lower March. Dunstan's forces are capable of defeating the hobgoblins, but they are spread thin and he knows the other humanoid tribes would likely follow their advance, leading to Knurl's forces being overwhelmed.

As the last rightful ruler of Bone March, Count Dunstan has decided to bestow minor nobility status as Knights of the March and grant the players title to Oleg Keep as a reward for their service. By doing so, he buys time to gather his forces and those of the Dwarves of Clan Darzog to reinforce the defense of Knurl and potentially unseat Dunthmore from the keep, provided the players can capture it. With his northern flank secure, Dunstan will have powerful allies (the PCs) to launch a counter-offensive. If the PCs fail, the humanoids solidify control over the Blemu Hills and end up right on the border of Knurl.

Rumors

There are many rumors circulating about current (and past) events that have an impact on the various factions the PCs will be interacting with. In some cases, the rumors reflect elements of the greater campaign setting and can affect how NPCs act if not perturbed by the PCs' actions. Refer to the timeline section for additional information.

Random Encounters

Wilderness - Blemu Hills

Prominent Locations

Business

• Greysmere Covenant
• Osgood Smithy
• Taggin's General Store

Temples & Religious Sites

• Ruined Temple of Obad-Hai
• Barad Rusay

Residences

• Dourstone Residence
• Gansworth Residence

Coach Houses, Inns & Taverns

• Green Witch Coach House
• Brighams Coach House
• Hungry Gar
• Lazare's House
• Midnight Salute

Other Notable Sites

• Bronzewood Lodge
• Twilight Monastery

Notoriety & Black Points

The PCs will be interacting with various individuals and factions who have a vested interest in seeing that events go the way they planned. The PCs' actions will be noticed and, as situations permit, be responded to directly or indirectly. Keep track of the PCs' Notoriety as the campaign progresses because it will act as a trigger event to aid in making decisions on behalf of the larger factions. Generally speaking, a localized disruption by the PCs—say attacking or even killing 1-2 low or mid-level NPCs associated with the Ripper Clan, Dunthmore's insurrection, or the criminal underground in a routine encounter—will not necessarily result in a heavy-handed response from the organization. However, if they discern what could be considered a systemic "house cleaning" or major disruptions to their plans, it will be noticed and investigated, potentially in force.

Goal of the Adventure

Capture Oleg Keep and prevent the Rippers from invading the low country.

Beginning the Adventure

The adventure begins with the PCs, having been granted their titles as Knight Protectors, directed by the Count to march a company of 50 infantry north to take Oleg Keep.

Chronology of Events
Planned Adversary Activities		Allied Activities
CY 618	Undead army under a cleric of Nerull advances towards Knurl
CY 618	Logeth Hold falls
CY 619	Ruusk Keep falls to treachery
CY 619	Darzog Hold falls		Baron Diesku sends a party of adventurers to aid Knurl
			Battle of Talvor's Manor - undead routed
CY 620		CY 620	Ivae Orr and Darzog Clan reinforce Knurl
CY 620			Darzog mines recovered by a party of adventurers
			Quest to the demi-plane (Vellor's Prison) campaign
CY 621	Rippers establish raiding camp at Wanborne
		CY 621	Dunstan grants titles and land around Oleg Keep to PCs
		CY 621	PCs destroy the Ripper raiding party at Wanborne
	Capture the harvest; supplies leave via wagon to Ripper Mines
Fireseek CY 621	Rippers move towards Knurl
CY 622	Rippers hold the lowlands

Organizations

Knights of the March