The Duchy and Beyond: A WotI Compatible Campaign Adventure Path
by JTRThis Campaign Adventure Path starts with a traditional basic campaign in Karameikos, but as the Wrath of the Immortals slowly comes into play, the characters will navigate nearly every nation of the Known World and a few to the north. In the Wrath's aftermath, the characters assume positions of authority within the core nations of Darokin, Karameikos, and the Shires. Troubles with Canolbarth and agents of Hule drive the campaign until Darokin takes the fight to Hule (X4-5) and deals with the Master. Several years later, troubled by prophetic dreams, the characters assemble once more to create an alliance - and a weapon - capable of dealing with a resurrected Master and his numerous allies.
Estimated Length: 20-25 years
Ultimate Baddy: Hule and the Master
Bad Guy Objective: Conquest of the Known World
Bad Guy Objective: acquisition of the Gem of Thanatos
PC Goal Tokens: The Bell of Chardastes, the Elvenstar, The Heartstone, The Dagger of Cytorakk, Instructions from Sargon, Sand of the World Mountain, Tome of the Nameless One, The Song of the Tonals
The Leptarians (1000-1001 AC): An ancient Traladaran cult re-emerges. The cult seeks to locate the Hidden Valley of Hutaaka and release the Child of Leptar (Kartoeba). The party, in service to either the Church of Karameikos or Traladara, must unearth this plot. Unbeknownst to the party, the Iron Ring is also seeking to unravel the mystery for their own purposes.
1 Elwynn's Sanctuary (Spring 1000): a renegade cleric (Elwynn, a Leptarian) is believed to be in possession of the Bell of Chardastes, believed lost over a century ago. The party must recover the correct Bell.
2 King's Festival (Early Summer 1000): Reports of strange goings-on in the west have Church Officials concerned, and they send the party to investigate. Enroute to the Keep, the party passes through troubled Stallenford (treat the evil cleric as a Leptarian)
3 Keep on the Borderlands (Midsummer 1000): the party must locate and destroy the evil shrine, and evidence for the larger plot.
4 Homestead and Excavated Ruins (B10) (Fall 1000): Travelling downriver back to Threshold, the party stumbles across the besieged homesteaders and, if they follow the clues, the Iron Ring's excavation sites.
5 Excavation of Lavv (Winter 1000-1001): The party has learned much in their travels. They reach Kelven at the same time the ruins of Lavv are unearthed. This cannot be a coincidence, so they must investigate the underground, death filled ruins.
6 Foam Fire and the Hidden Valley (B10) (Early Spring 1001): The party reports to the Church at Threshold. Once winter breaks, the party heads up the Foam Fire Valley in search of the Hidden Valley of Hutaaka.
7 B6 plus the Davinos Complaint (Early Summer 1001): as a Coda to their campaign, the characters are to be honoured in Specularum. While there, they run afoul of the local Mafia families, bitterly engaged in their private war.
The Hunt for the Prince (1002-1006): Occurs as the hostilities of WotI heat up and Hule invades Darokin. The youngest son of Duke Stephen was recently sheared. Word has just reached the Duchess that the protectors she sent behind him have been murdered. The party has been sent to track him down before the Iron Slavers do. The initial trail leads to Thyatis and the Karameikos ancestral land, Machetos, but the journey will eventually circumnavigate the Known World.
8 Thyatis Grande: Iron Ring Assassins in Machetos (party led into a trap, Summer 1002), Humanoid invasion near Biazzan (IM3, Fall 1002), DDA1-2 (party kidnapped and sent to the gladiator pits, Winter 1002- Early Spring 1003), Drums on Fire Mountain (X8, the emperor offers to make his spy networks available if the party helps, Summer 1003)
9 Thyatis Wererats and the Shadow-Hand (Late Summer - Late Fall 1003), Alphatian Assassins (Winter 1003-1004), Bread Riots (Early Spring 1004)
10 Emirates (Summer 1004) and the Soderfjord Coast (Fall 1004): The Emperor's spies believe Lord Valen travelled into the Emirates before disappearing (including the spot where Thanatos fell)
11 Curse of Xanathon X3 in Rhoona (Winter 1004-1005)
12 Garald the Blue (Early Spring 1005), Through the Territories (Summer-Fall 1005): The characters get too nosy in Rhoona, so they are kidnapped by Garald the Blue. Escape leads them to Freiburg on the eve of Ethengarian invasion. Rumours say a boy matching Valen's description joined the Order and shipped out to one of the commanderies in the west. [Mini-campaigns from the Heldannic gaz can be inserted here]. There at the end of their journey, the find a teen's body buried with similarities and objects that convince them (incorrectly) that the Duke's son has died.
13 Monsters Spill Over and across to Glantri (Winter 1005): The situation in Heldann has become untenable, and the defeated party must dodge Alphatian released monsters to reach Glantri City and then caravan to Corunglain. There, they encounter the real Lord Valen.
14 Relief (Spring - Summer 1006): Lord Valen, now a young man, refuses to abandon the people of Darokin. Reinforcements from Alfheim, the Shires, and Karameikos (including the Black Eagle, Baron Ludwig von Hendriks) join in the campaign to push Hule east. Hamstringing efforts, the Alfheim forest is twisting, sending out monsters to the party's rear, and a meteor strikes the Broken Lands. If Darokin survives the war with Hule, Valen will return home with the party and his uncle.
Coda Years 1007-1009: Humanoids invade Glantri and Darokin (Summer 07), Alfheim Falls (Fall), Plague in Freiburg (Winter 07-08), Alfheim refugees enter Karameikos (Spring 08), Alphatia takes Cubia (Winter 08-09). Alphatia invades Thyatis (Spring 09), Takes Tel Akbir (Summer), and Thyatis surrenders (Fall), Week with No Magic (Fall), Destruction of Alphatia (Winter 09)
Characters' Role: Thyatis asks for Karameikan aid, Alphatia wants neutrality, need to absorb elven refugees. In the aftermath, Darokin needs characters to take over Borderland administration. Selenica is cut off and declares independence.
The Armistice (1010-1015): The characters take on the roll of dominion rulers and leaders in Darokin, the Shires, and Karameikos during the aftermath of the Wrath of the Immortals.
15 Administrative Headaches and the diplomatic row (Spring 1010): The Characters have grants in Karameikos or the Republic (or both). They must deal with courtly intrigue amid a rebuilding world and prepare for any blowback by Thyatis. Floods and other natural disasters hit Darokin particularly hard.
16 CM9 Legacy of Blood (Summer-Winter 1010): let the Black Hand be a Hulean or thuggee group. The hostile elves are now shadowelves.
17 The Shires and the Black Eagle, M1 Blizzard Pass, DDA3 The Eye of Traldar, Korzigy Keep, The Great Escape (Spring-Fall 1011): Difficulties between the Shires and the Black Eagle threaten to engulf the central Cruth Mountains. Criminal agents of the Black Eagle are hitting the Shires via Darokin, and Lord Valen urges support of the Black Eagle while his siblings urge seizure of his title and lands. Darokin owes both the Shires and Baron Ludwig for their aid against Hule.
18 CM4 Earthshaker (Spring 1012): The giant machine appears in the character's domain as political matters pull their attention elsewhere.
19 X11 Saga of the Shadowlord (part I) (Summer 1012): The Canolbarth/Aengmor forest is becoming too unstable for even the shadowelves. Joint cooperation will be needed, but half of the Alfheim elves are in Karameikos, with the other half in Wendar. Characters seeking the northbound elves enter Wendar after two years of devastating plague and the loss of the Elvenstar. Before the Alfheim elves will leave, the characters are dragged into Wendar's conflict with Denagoth (use the Wendar and Denagoth gazetteers to extend the jewel raid).
20 CM7 Tree of Life (Spring 1013): It is time to restore the forest at the source: the uncorrupted original tree of the Sylvan Realm. The Feadiel lead the party to the Rainbow Bridge.
21 The Selenican Problem/ B6 Rahasia (Winter 1013): With Alfheim's healing begun, attention can be turned to the Free City of Selenica. It abandoned Darokin and has been causing trouble for Karameikan trade to the Emirates.
22 X13 Crown of Ancient Glory (Spring 1013): Duke Stephen Rhoona calls upon the characters to return to Vestland and help with the missing death of the King and his heir.
23 The Horror of Ithel Isle and The Thuggee of Sind (Summer 1014): Darokin asks the party to investigate the demon-cursed isle in the middle of Lake Amsorak and determine if the Master is involved. Sindhi assassins sent by the Master now target the party. The party can trace the source of the cult to Raneshwar in the Gunjab province of Sind.
24 Master of the Desert Nomads (Fall 1014 - Summer 1015): While the party was off dealing with the Thuggee, the Republic hit Hulean forces in Nagpuri, Sindrastan, and Shajarkand. As allied forces prepare to push across the Asanda River, the characters run X4-5.
The End of the Beginning (1018-1020): All seems right with the world for a time. Glantri seems strange, but the middle nations have righted their ship and enjoy prosperity. The Master, assumed dead, has resurrected and now seeks complete war with the Known World. He rebuilds Hule far from the seeing eyes of Darokin. His forces arm with Red Steel Weapons, legacies, and wild beasts. Possible allies: the Orcs of Thar, the Ethengar Khanates, the Kin of Ylaruam, shadowelves, Denagothians, humanoids of the Northern Wildlands, the shark-kin and devilfish and Ierendian aquatic lizard men. Even a monster-infested Glantri, Alphatian exiles, or angered Thyatis might join. Once the War starts, its open season.
25 Vision Quest (Summer 1018): one or more of the party members has troubling dreams that cannot be recalled in the morning. To remember and understand their dreams, the characters must have a vision quest under the watch of the greatest shamani of the Atruaghin clans.
26 The Black Sands of the World Mountain (Fall 1018): The characters know that the Master yet lives and that Hule will return, but the war-weary nations want no part of such talk. The PCs must quest on their own the ingredients to destroy the Master and his new weapon, the Gem of Thanatos, once and for all. The first item to retrieve is sand from the top of the World Mountain in Ethengar.
27 Instructions from Sargon (Winter 1018): Items recovered from X13 provide clues to the next item. They must locate the mysterious Lion Castle of Sargon, within which are hidden clues (in ancient Nithian) that explain how to make a weapon to destroy the Gem of Thanatos.
28 Visitation to Landfall (Spring 1019): Even with the aid of magic and commune spells, the texts taken from the Lion Castle are difficult to understand. To progress any further, the party must consult with the members of the Association for Antiquities and Acquisitions in crime-ridden Landfall.
29 Consultation with the Nameless One (Summer 1019): The AAA has help with parts of the translations and preparations, but for the process to work, they still need a special tome - one that is in the possession of the Nameless One of Denagoth.
30 Recovery of the Blade of Cytorakk (Fall 1019): While the characters were busy hunting documents, Hule launched the first steps of its war. The PCs must split their time between recruiting nations to war and finding pieces of the new weapon. First up is the Blade of Cytorakk (sp?) from X10.
31 Recovery of the Hilt of Cytorakk (Winter 1019-1020): Next item is the corresponding hilt.
32 Acquire the Elvenstar (Spring 1020): For the weapon to work, the characters need the Elvenstar of Wendar, which won't give it up willingly (if it hasn't already seen the gem wink out and obscure).
33 Acquire the Heartstone (Summer 1020): Another crucial component is the Heartstone of Ghyr. Again, the host nation is unlikely to give up its national treasure. It too could have its own problems, but the Ghyrians might be able to make new Elvenstars and Heartstones (quests in their own rights).
34 Forging the Weapon (Fall 1020): The blade, hilt, sand, and gems need to be made into a new weapon in the original Forge of Power in Rockhome.
35 Song of the Tonals (Winter 1020): To use the new sword to destroy the Gem of Thanatos, a specific melody must be played upon the Bell of Chardastes - the item the characters recovered in their first adventure. The keepers of the Song are the outer planar creatures known only as the tonals.
36 War with the Master (1021): War touches every nation of the Known World, with individuals making common cause or using opportunities to strike at enemies. The characters must lead the forces of the Alliance against the master, use the sword and bell to destroy the gem of Thanatos, and end the threat of the master once and for all. Should they survive, its time to bring a lasting peace to the region.