Game Groups & Campaigns > Promiseland Rising

Adventure: The Red Hilt Reckoning

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JohnLS:
This adventure will, one way or another, determine much of the large events in the upcoming campaign. Summer is coming, the orcs are marching on the Babronians in Grooble's Pass, the Shanians, the Northern Alliance, Promiseland and Liacia prepare for war. The Lindorians get ready to move. The massive bloodshed starts soon...

We will go over this the next session. The situation:
The Supreme War Council received a message from Prince Cao Cao of the Pole Star Kingdom (an ally of the Liacians). The message said he wished to negotiate to avoid war. He asked the Council to send a delegation. The Council offered the job to the party. They party's job is: (1) hear out his offer, (2) find out what the best deal Promiseland can negotiate and (3) find out anything else important you can learn. He is meeting in the Red Hilt marches near the borders of Babronia, Lindor and the Liacian Empire. He wishes to give the delegation a mission to do something that is important, the right thing to do and that he is not allowed to do himself.

The party heard from the Gypsy/Vistani spies that Cao Cao's heart was sought by one of the Emperors of the Eastern Dark Empire (part of the Northern Alliance) as a component to make a powerful dracolich. Supposedly this emperor came to Promiseland (if the spies are to be believed).

The Pole Star Kingdom supposedly helped the Liacians conquer western Ohai Arkhosia and the easterners the party met seemed to have a profound dislike for the Pole Stars.

The Babronians have not heard much about the area in the past 2 and a half years, for obvious reasons, but they describe the Red Hilt marches as a rebellious place around the small city of Red Hilt on the highest point of the Lindorun River navigable by deep water barges. The river forms part of the border between Lindor and Lower Babronia farther upstream and is a tributary of the Lilac River. It runs into the swamps of the Lirelli Delta. The area around Red Hilt is fairly swampy. Red Hilt has been a thriving commerce center in the past, but it has had trouble since the periodic wars between Babronia, Lindor and Liacia. The area has been plagued by hostile fey and centaurs.

The party has two ways it can travel there. One, the party can meet a group of escorts from the Liacian military who will take them through Babronia to meet Cao Cao. Two, the party could sail to the mouth of the Lilac River in the Lirelli Delta and catch a river ship to Red Hilt. A neutral group (some Myrceans) will transport the party (oddly enough, such activities are normally done by the Shistrans, but they do not seem to be willing to do the job this time). The party will have to choose which route since this could have a significant effect on the adventure.

Hijon's contacts will have some further information.

On a further note, remember what Haley said about Xykon's deception in attacking the Azure city:
"A ruse the relies on the target's innate acceptance of the rules presented to him? Against a league of paladins? Easy money."

Just because someone tells you that you have two options or that you have to accept something does not make it true. Others will try to dictate the rules you must abide by. This is not the GM telling you that the characters must abide by them. The options before the party on this one are limitless (but not necessarily desirable).

A final note, if the party had not decided to take the adventure, the Supreme War Council would have considered Cao Caos offer and...

Keyoke:
Notes on Red Hill:

Red Hill was a march on the republic of lirilly (changed names frequently).  Always disputed between Lindor and Liacia.  Elves, Gnomes, and Orcs as well as highplains tribesmen (humans, dwarves, and halflings), Centaur tribes (troublemakers), Swamp tribes (take in anyone, descendants of exiles).  Red Hill encloses several towns and villages, twelve miles across and surrounded by walls and enchantments.

Last intelligence report (1 year ago): Centaurs and Ogres had largely disappeared, those that remained were in the Southwest.  Led to increased encroachment from the north (humans) into lands the elves claimed.

None of the area was converted when Lindor was converted.  Constant proxie war between the two sides (humans vs. elves). Try not to get involved.

Solvarn:
The Capulets (elves) had two dragonborn soldiers prisoner that were formally soldiers in the Promiseland army. They were taken prisoner and taken east to Ohai Arkhosia. They believe that it is a perfect place to live. Apparently the land is infused with divine favor and it affects the land and those within it (they seem brainwashed). The Capulets told us that Cao Cao is on a blessed quest to bring piety to Promiseland however possible and has a large army to do it. The Montagues (humans) told us much the same thing, they are able to help us however we can.

Capulets have used much of their divine favor for the vine hydra and control the waterways in.
Montagues have divided the divine favor among their troops, etc.

Even combining forces would not be enough to tip the balance to fight Cao Cao.

JohnLS:
A few extra notes:
The vine hydra qualifies as a "giant monster" that appears to combine traits of Gazurt (beast/dinosaur), Umberlee (aquatic) and Adella (plant). Its body appears to be about 20 x 20 and has 6 visible heads elevated that are each 4 x 4 monsters. The party was not in a position to see the entire body. There might be more heads. It looked like it could reach across the river. A few elves with serpentine and vine themed staves chanted and banged their staves on the deck and the Bowl of Cherries sailed past then disembarked. They did not charge for passage. Garney has wondered if they charge for going downriver but not upriver.

Lady Montague offered to help speed Cao Cao's attack on Lindor because Red Hilt represented the easiest path of invasion of Liacia from Lindor. She did NOT offer to help the party with any course of action the party might take.

A human lawspeaker named Cochran rode out to meet the party and told them he would take the party to Cao Cao when they were ready.

The party will get a message from a gnome wearing a tabbard with a rose blossom motif delivered a message for the party. The scroll says:

"Arvin bids you greetings, foreigners. I have a proposal for you that could earn you money and the gratitude of many locals. A group of orcs working for the Axes (a local gang of ruffians) experimenting in vampirism are causing trouble. Children of light north of the river are experiencing strange bouts of narcolepsy and night terrors. This is disguised as an incubus attack, but I am sure these vampires are responsible. If I move against them, the Axes will sue us and Lord Rondel will have to bring the Blossoms and Axes before him and this would result in court records of activity ruffians north of the river would use as an excuse to cross the river and make trouble. If nothing is done, the Cavaliers (the ruffians north of the river) are sure to cross and may attack people randomly. However, a group of foreign mercenaries can move against these orcs as long as I say they are undead and therefore not citizens.

"I can handle the tricky parts of the operation. All you have to do is enter their lair, kill no citizens and cut out the eyeballs of as many vampires as you can find (knock them out and cut them out, else they will turn to brine and sink down to their coffins in a deep cave underwater). Without their gaze to drain the arousal out of creatures, they will fall into slumber until they starve and can be used for garden fertilizer. I must emphasize no citizens can die or you will be called to court, must pay a weregild and the will be court papers the Liacians and the ruffians will use to make trouble.

"I offer a bounty of 600 gold for each pair of vampire eyeballs. There are 10 vampires all together, so this could be lucrative. You would also earn my gratitude, the gratitude of peace-loving folk on both sides of the rivers and make an example out of trouble makers who promote cross-river conflict. If you are interested, come to the Shrine of the Mender in Temple Square and ask for Arvin."

If several things said in this message seem strange (vampire eyes and such), they are strange. The party may make some knowledge checks next session.

The party will also find itself in possession of another scroll case. It has shown up in one of the PCs packs (not Alarin or Sylva's). The scroll inside has a comic. Written inside in goblin:

Panel One - a group of villagers of indeterminate humanoid race are going about their daily lives. Caption: The world was obviously in shambles. People would WORK! Grow food! COHABITATE (because you know they were not really husbands and wives)! Something had to be done...

Panel Two - a robber fly carrying a dagger stabs a star. Caption: The only solution was to recruit them to swat bugs and stop enjoying their meaningless lives.

Panel Three - goblinoids and the indeterminate humanoids are battling in their villages. Caption: So they fought the EEEEEEEEEE - vile creatures of darkness who had the evil nerve to fight back!

Panel Four - a man in robes covered with star and moon images points to a man and a woman. Caption: "You two are to marry and have six children," the astrologer commands, "You are to work as a carpenter and a weaver. You will live with his parents. Disobey me and you will be thrown to the necromancers!" So the world was finally right again with everyone happy and safe from the EEEEEEEE - vile darkness.

Panel Five - a whirlwind, a bleeding woman in torn robes and a woman with a glowing halo about her are performing a ritual. Caption: "Then a group of stupid gods decided they didn't like the world being perfect and told everyone they did not have to listen to the astrologers. The people started dying. Idiots."

Panel Six - essentially identical to panel one (hand drawing does not reproduce perfectly). Caption: The people went about their lives, married instead of cohabitating, innocent until they said a dirty word or whatever, and miserable about having to make their own choices in life.

Bottom of page caption: Whose side are you on? Don't tell me you are on your own side, for nobody with real power will ever offer you that choice, you arrogant little twits.

JohnLS:
The party attacked the vampires' mestaba. They fought some ghouls in the water-filled passages below the mestaba and inside they defeated 7 vampires and took their eyeballs. They defeated and killed 3 flame skulls, a snake-headed gnome and a gnome-headed snake. They defeated and tied up an elf. They looted the vampires, the snake/gnomes, the elf and some library.

While Siegfried snuck off to collect the bounty, the party crossed the river and waited for him. Philippe lied to some investigators south of the river, claiming to know nothing about what happened at the mestaba and saying the investigators must be mistaking them for someone else. It is currently the middle of the night.

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