Lands of the Seven Barons

Lands of the Seven Barons, on the world of Old Oarth

The lands of the Seven Barons is a geographical region located on the western coast of a large landmass currently referred to as the smashed lands on the world of Old Oarth.

What the characters know:

The following is general knowledge that any PC with an intelligence of at least 10 would know about the lands they live in. The history of the land is divided into two main historical eras; the pre apocalypse era and the post apocalypse era, each of which is marked by the number of ages.

The pre apocalypse era has the following ages:

The Age of Legend and Myth: A time of high adventure where heroes walked the land carving out great kingdoms, empires, and continent spanning nation states. Also a time of powerful forces of evil and chaos, demons, devils, and dragons, surged across the land for the heroic to battle.

The Age of the Great Conflicts: Powerful wars ravaged the lands laying waste to most of the civilization created during the age of legend and myth. Dragonborn and Tieflings are seen as the principal provocateurs of the wars and the collapse of world order.

The Age of Divine Rebuilding: The very gods themselves intervene in worldly affairs and assist the humanoid races to reestablish order and prosperity.

The Age of Arcane Perfection: Rise of the arcane powers, great cites of spiraling towers are built across the land, a life of ease is enjoyed by most and most evil (dragons, demons, other monsters) are eradicated or pushed to the fringes of the world. But the arcanists got to greedy for more power (at least that is the common belief) and are blamed for bringing about the Age of Desolation.

The post apocalypse ages:

The Age of Desolation: Earth quakes, Tsunamis, violent weather, and a series of meteor impacts devastate the land and push the humanoid races to the brink of extinction, the Fey leave the world and the divine seems to have abandoned the world as well.

The Age of Chaos (current age): Humanity begins to rebuild and reassert itself, martial warlords and primal tribes war across the lands, history is a blur, and “chaos storms” sweep randomly across the land often mutating those caught within, thus accounting for strange new humanoid races (goliaths, changelings, shifters, etc). Humanity has lost faith in the divine powers, and still holds arcanists in suspicion. Along with the humanoid races the monstrous forces being to regain strength as well.

The local region:

The land the characters live in is known locally as the Seven Baronies. A loose confederation of seven Barons and their land holdings that sometimes cooperate, sometimes war, but for the most part have an agreement to leave each other's lands alone. The history of the land that has been preserved holds that during the Age of Arcane Perfection the land was once divided into two great kingdoms, Borrealia to the North and Qua-Austor to the South.

The population is sparse and fragmented. Most towns, if they can be called that, resembled little more than refugee camps. Even the Baronial capitals consist of either little more than armed forts with wooden palisades and long houses providing shelter to the struggling population or rough settlements built on destroyed ruins.

The Seven Baronies:

Official Name: The Baronial holdings of Clan Baldersen
Current Baron: Baron Bjorg Baldersen (human barbarian) son of Freig Baldersen
Principal city(s): Kings Crossing (built upon the ruins of old Borrealia), Hazelwood
Characteristics: Viking like, very clannish, honor bound warrior culture, shield maidens, martial/primal/bard.

Official Name: The Freeholds
Current Baron: Baron Samadie Kane (human swordmage) and the Arcane Council.
Principal City(s): Highwater
Characteristics: Arcanists, artists, and a growing merchant class, most tolerant of arcane wielding. The arcane council consists of six arcane practitioners, three wizards, two sorcerers, and an artificer.

Official Name: Barony of Qua-Anovis
Current Baron: Baroness Lady Anielia Hoff (human warlord/bard)
Principal City(s): Ruins of Nie-Del
Characteristics: Clings to the old ways and claims ties to ancient aristocracy of Qua-Austor. All female line of Baronesses. Baroness Anielia is slowly trying to restore the splendor of ancient Qua-Austor and has is rebuilding on the ruins of the arcane city of Nie-Del.

Official Name: The Baronial Republic of Wellspring
Current Baron: Baron "Grandfather" Rath (ancient by human standards assassin)
Principal City(s): Wellspring
Characteristics: With the exception of the den of iniquity that is the city of Wellspring, the lands are overrun by thieves, bandits, and bravos, all of whom pay a grudging respect to Grandfather Rath and his cabal of assassins.

Official Name: The Barony of Greenthorn
Current Baron: His August and always Illuminated Baron Delonious of the Thornwood Tribe (elf ranger)
Principal City(s): None
Characteristics: Rustic and primal forest land of primitive tribal elves and gypsy like criminal oriented halflings. The elves are mostly isolationists and have reverted to an almost primitive state. No established towns or cities.

Official Name: The Barony of Rockridge
Current Baron: Hyjinx Messerschmitt (dwarf fighter) the 4th, Baron of Rockridge, Mayor and Sheriff of Gorgetown, Master Brewer of the finest Ales of the Seven Baronies.
Principal City(s): Gorgetown
Characteristics: Kind of fantasy wild west, a touch of steam punk. Gorgetown is a split level city consisting of caves on a ridge overlooking the ramshackle town below, it has a mixed population of most humans and dwarves.

Official Name: The Barony of Caepyra Crags Home of the recently self proclaimed Overbaron.
Current Baron: His Magnanimous Sir Krius the Overbaron (human warlord?)
Principal City(s): Camptown (where the adventure begins), Godsforge
Characteristics: Largest and most chaotic of the seven Baronies, home to warlords, mercenaries, barbarian clans, and traveling missionaries. Adjacent to the region know as the Chaos Scar.


Campaign Guidelines:

Races:

I tend to like the anything goes approach, but I also dislike the image of groups of PC's that resemble a motley collection of refugees from the Star Wars cantina more than a classic fantasy assembly of mostly humans or easily recognizable/relatable characters. That being said the races that exist within the context of the campaign are as follows:

Common (Human, elf, dwarf, halfling), humans are the most prevalent, elves and dwarves tend to isolate themselves in their tribal or clan lands, halflings are wanderers with no established homeland:

Uncommon (Goliath, Shifter, Changeling, Kalashtar, Deva), the following races are humans affected by the chaos storm; they mostly mix freely and appear as exaggerated version of humans. Rules wise just treat them as the race they are, from a campaign perspective and how others see you, you are a human.

Rare (Dragonborn, Tiefling, Eladrin, Half-Elf, Gnome, Drow, Half-Orc, Wilden), it is believed that an island empire of dragonborn exists to the west across the Serpent Sea, the fey (eladrin, gnome, wilden) races left the world during the apocalypse, the drow are half insane murderous psychopaths and despise surface dwellers, they live in the underdark and are killed on sight. Half-Orcs live on the fringes of the civilized lands, the product of selective breeding experiments during the height of the Age of Desolation.

Note: These races are available for play, but it would be cool if you wrote a compelling background for how/why your character (who will stand out) ended up in the Seven Baronies.

Special:
Revenant, this race will be available should tragedy occur and a PC dies and wishes to come back.

Classes:

Martial, steel rules, exists everywhere, most common. Fighters and warlords, rampage across the land drawing others to their banners. Rogues prowl the cites, and rangers the woods.

Primal, in the post apocalyptic world the primal spirits are reasserting themselves; also fairly common across the lands. Barbarian tribes raid into the civilized lands, often led by shaman or druids. Warden and Seekers are seen as protectors of tribal lands.

Arcane, there is a bit of stigma associated with practitioners of the arcane arts due to the apocalypse. Wizards, Artificers, and Sorcerers are tolerated as long as they make no ostentatious shows of magic. Warlocks should keep their identity secret. Swordmages and Bards are recognized more as martial or holders of old tradition and not as shunned.

Devine, the gods (use the standard deities from players handbook) no longer involve themselves directly in worldly affairs. Humanity has lost faith in their divine intervention thus divine classes are rare. Any divine PC would be expected to adopt an almost missionary like outlook, attempting to recruit followers to reestablish temples and the like.

Psionic, the psionic power and classes have never existed in the world. There are no monks. However something mysterious has started to stir, some children born in the past 15-20 years have strange sparks of psionic insight...thus the Psion is not out of the question but the PC must be 15-20 years old.

Session 31: Rooftops and Rock Hurlers

Sensing a presence behind her, the Witch queen Kyleth turned in the air to face Morrainna. She uttered an oath cursing the drow and then flew to the rooftop to do battle one warlock verses another. Kyleth spoke a dark and demonic invocation and Morrainna felt her flesh wither and begin to smell of decay, the drow knew that if she were to take so much as a step closer to the witch queen the pain and decay would worsen.

On the parapets, rather than fighting on the gnolls terms, Elarios backed away and let loose with an arrow sending into the enraged gnoll. He then ran along the parapet and leapt up on top of the roof of the forge building joining Morrainna staring down the vile witch.

The witch's bodyguard, Bakra the Sharpener, ran off clutching a key in his hand and entered a small storage chamber adjacent to the forge building. Krius decided that whatever sinister ends the goblin had in mind needed to be thwarted so he gave chase. Entering the building he saw the wretched villain attempting to open a large lock on a door that led to the forge. Eerie cold blue fog was rolling out from under the door the goblin was attempting to open. Krius knew something evil lurked beyond and wasn't going to allow Bakra the chance to release whatever that abomination was. He challenged the foe and made a bold attack with his long sword. The crafty goblin dodged under the paladins sword and ran for the exit determined to lock the foolish paladin in the storage room.

Back out in the courtyard Mannon decided to take to the high ground as well, climbing up the wall of the building that Krius was fighting the goblin in. The halfling was determined to make it to the roof of the forge and help Morrainna and Elarios against the witch queen.

While Mannon was climbing the wall of the forge Lash delivered a finishing blow to his dwarven foe. Surveying the scene of battle and seeing Bakra attempting to lock Krius in the storage room of the forge he decided to descend the parapets and help the paladin. No sooner had he caught up with the well armed goblin than Krius managed to batter the door open and the two of them surrounded the vicious foe.

Kobarr seeing that Krius and Lash had Bakra under control decided the best way he could help out was to track down the kobold Torgo and see what mischief he was engaging in. As he was about to bolt off to investigate the witches young apprentice got off one last spell, causing thunder to go off inside Kobarrs head. Standing dazed for a second or two he soon recollected his senses and was off.

As the dragonborn fighter reached the back of the witch queens compound he saw Torgo and a hapless kobold miner furiously winding a crank on a large boom crane that was lifting a giant cage from the depths of the corrupted crevasse in the earth. In the cage was a foul corrupted earth elemental. Once the cage was fully above ground the foul beast dripping with rot and foul earth kicked open the cage door and emerged. Torgo placed a stone crown on his head and seemed to direct the monsters actions.

Kobarr decided it was time for an ally. He pulled out his mechanical magical hound and activated it. It enlarged in size and joined him by his side, he then braced himself to do battle with the stone monstrosity.

Back on the rooftop of the forge Mannon, Elarios, and Morrainna combined their efforts to drive the witch queen from this world. Arrows, spells and sword play took their toll on the witch who fought back with hellfire and necromancy. Knowing the rooftop wasn't the most strategic location she decided it was time to retreat to her inner sanctum and make a final stand, with that she uttered a taunt and flew to the ground and entered her magical inner sanctum.

Krius and Lash had Bakra surrounded but this seemed to only increase the creatures recklessness. The goblin lashed out in a fit of self destructive blood lust landing a wicked blow to Lash, this however proved to be the end of Bakra the sharpener as both the rogue and the paladin finished off the vicious monster.

The corrupted earth elemental let out a blood curdling moan that shook the very ground. It then used its earth magic to summon a huge boulder in its hands that it hurled at Kobarr and his mechanical hound. The boulder exploded, sending shards of razor sharp stone into their armor while leaving leaving behind a pile of jagged rock at their feet. Both hound and warrior took many wounds and decided that putting some distance between them and the creature was a wise course of action.

Morrainna seeing the witch queen retreat from the roof top decided to follow. She jumped upon the magical disc of force supporting the box that contained the demonic skull rode it to the ground almost falling off in the process.

Mannon and Elarios, unsure of what to make of the drow's seemingly suicidal plunge to the ground, decided to turn their attention to the earth elemental. Both of them leapt from the roof of the forge to the nearby roof of the witches sanctum so that they might determine their next course of action. Seeing the wretched Torgo seemingly control the foul monster with a crown of stone it was determined that he must be taken out.

Krius and Lash heard the forlorn howl of the earth elemental and ran off to investigate each taking a different route to the scene of battle. Lash skirted an out building attempting to sneak up on the beast without being noticed. Krius took a more direct route and caught up with Kobarr and Morrainna who was muttering arcane words to open the portal into the witch queens inner sanctum. Deciding the witch queen was of higher priority he and Kobarr left Elarios, Mannon, and Lash to deal with the monster.

As the valut like doors to Lady Kyleth's inner sanctum opened Morrainna, Krius, and Kobarr were greeted by the witch queen who had summoned a cadre of small squat frog like demons. Four of the beasts croaked and hopped towards the trio fangs driping with vile ichor...


The characters present:
* Morrainna (Aaron), drow dark pact warlock
* Mannon (guest played by John), shire halfling warlord
* Squire Krius (Matt G.), human paladin
* Kobarr (Witt), dragonborn fighter
* Elarios Amanodel (NPC, played by Matt R.), elf ranger
* Lash (Jeff), human rogue

Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* None this session

Treasure found (this session):
* None this session

Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 3 Gnolls (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold guards (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold miners (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Dwarf crossbowmen (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Duergar slavers (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Maeve (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Kyleth the Witch Queen (No XP, fight on going)
* Torgo the Eye gouger (No XP, fight on going)
* Bakra the Sharpener (No XP, fight on going)
* Corrupted Earth Elemental (No XP fight on going)
* 4 Chub demons (No XP fight on going)
* Kyleth's Imp (No XP fight on going)

Experience gained (this session):
50 each player

Session 30: Enter the Witch Queen

Hans, the gnoll captain of the guard shouted orders for his dwarven crossbowmen to concentrate fire on the bloody elf while the duergar guards were ordered to enlarge and hold the line and keep the intruders from regaining the high ground on the parapet walls.

As arrow fire was exchanged between Elarios and the gruff dwarven crossbowmen Lash found himself surrounded by a group of kobold warriors. Teetering on the edge of a deep slave pit, he executed a masterful maneuver and managed to shove one of the warriors into the pit while setting himself up to quickly dispatch another.

On the other side of the courtyard Mannon found himself surrounded by a menacing group of kobolds as well. The reptilian beasts chattered among each other and raised their miner picks wanting to impale him.

Krius surveyed the state of the battle. Knowing Lash and Mannon were in need of assistance but nowhere near to help either of them he directed Elarios to fire a volley of arrows at the kobold warriors surrounding Lash, while suggesting that Kobarr aid Mannon. In the meantime he kept the now giant duergar slavers busy.

Meanwhile, Morrainna had followed the craven kobold known as Torgo the Eye Gouger out of the battle back to the witches inner sanctum. She found herself before a large edifice with no discernible doors or windows that was completely covered in arcane runes and demonic symbology. Torgo led her to what he claimed was a "door" Morrainna quickly realized the arcane portal and activated a series of runes to open a passageway inside.

The magical door opened and the scene that befell Morrainna's eyes even made the drow take pause. Inside was a large chamber dedicated to one task, summoning and binding of demons. Morrainna was able to determine that the four magic circles in each corner of the chamber were minor circles of summoning, but it was the magic circle in the center of the room that turned her already cool blood cold. In the center was a gigantic headless demonic body. Standing behind the large body was Lady Kyleth, her bodyguard Bakra, her apprentice Maeve and her small imp familiar. Against her better judgment Morrainna boldly stepped into the summoning chamber.

Back in the courtyard Kobarr and Mannon quickly dispatch all but one of the kobold miners who chose to bravely flee rather than face down a portly halfling and what appeared to be a giant lightening breathing kobold. Seeing Krius fending off two giant duergar it was clear where they were needed so they ran off to join him.

On the parapets Elarios had dispatched one of the dwarven crossbowmen but had taken a vicious crossbow bolt of his own. He ducked under the crenellations to tend to his wounds. The gnoll captain had had it with these interlopers and took off at a mad charge across the parapets to engage Elarios in hand to hand.

Down on the ground Lash finished off the last of the kobold warriors and seeing Krius and Kobarr fighting back to back against the duergar brutes rushed off to assist his newly found adventure companions. While Krius and Kobarr kept the hammer wielding foes at bay Mannon snuck up behind one of them and managed to give it a shove right into Krius's long sword.

As the fight raged on in the courtyard Morrainna found herself standing before the witch queen and her retinue. Lady Kyleth gave a small wave of her hand and the door behind Morrainna closed on its own and sealed itself shut. She then leveled her gaze at the drow and simply said "I believe you have something I want".

Lady Kyleth then went on to explain that she was just a business women trying to make her way in this world and that she merely provides a service to those willing to pay a fair price. She then offered Morrainna a cache of treasure including the large gold ring a party of adventurers had foolishly left behind in exchange for the demonic skull floating gently on the drow's magical disc.

While Morrainna was exchanging pleasantries with the witch queen Krius was fighting for his life. Taking a powerful blow from one of the giant dark dwarves caused him to stagger back, but the paladin still had a few tricks remaining, he quaffed a potion of healing and was soon back in the fight. No sooner had he recovered than Lash's knife scored a paralyzing hit on the duergar while Kobarr and Mannon kept the other giant busy.

Up on the parapets the remaining dwarf crossbowman and Hans decided to charge Elarios and put an end to his unending stream of deadly arrows. Lash, seeing the gnoll and the dwarf bolt after the ranger decided to intervene, he leapt up the ladder to the top of the top the parapets intercepting the dwarf mercenary, but he was too late to stop the gnoll who dropped his bow and charged Elarios ready to do him in using a spiked mace.

In Lady Kyleth's sanctum some spark of conscience caused Morrainna to reconsider her bargain with the witch but before she could speak the witch's young apprentice decided to blurt out that the drow had arrived with the same group of adventurers who had killed her blacksmith and waylaid half of her kobold guards. Fed up the situation the witch glared menacingly at Morrainna, told her group of cronies to follow her, and walked right past the drow telling her to stay put.

Morrainna chose to slip out behind Kyleth and her followers. The witch didn't seem to be bothered by this and merely looked at Morrainna, tapped her staff on the ground, said "you are a minor nuisance", and with that Morrainna found herself helplessly suspended five feet in the air. The witch then turned and walked to the courtyard.

Seeing her kobold guards slain, her mercenaries decimated, and a general air of anarchy and destruction in the calm that should be her lair the witch queen was not pleased. Fire lit her eyes, she rose high into the air, directed her apprentice to let loose, and then proceeded to lay a vile curse on Krius lifting him into the air poisoning his very blood.

Kobarr sprang into action, seeing the witches apprentice standing near the edge of the slave pit he made a mad charge at her and tossed her unceremoniously to the bottom. Up on the parapets the enraged gnoll captain caught up to Elarios and was fighting him hand to hand, Lash was keeping the last dwarf guard engaged, while down on the ground Krius and Mannon were finishing off the duergar guard.

While Lady Kyleth surveyed the battlefield from the air Morrainna still had a trick up her sleeve, invoking the power of her spider goddess she crept up the wall to the top of the forge ready to attack.

At this point seeing her forces in disarray Lady Kyleth ordered her goblin body guard Bakra to "unchain the ogre" while directing the craven kobold Torgo to "bring up the earth elemental" and telling her imp to "begin summing the chub demons"...


The characters present:
* Morrainna (Aaron), drow dark pact warlock
* Mannon (guest played by Matt R.), shire halfling warlord
* Squire Krius (Matt G.), human paladin
* Kobarr (Witt), dragonborn fighter
* Elarios Amanodel (NPC, played by Matt G.), elf ranger
* Lash (Jeff), human rogue

Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* The Witch Queen wants the demonic skull for some ritual even Morrainna was unable to discern but likely involves unleashing an extremely powerful demon into the world.

Treasure found (this session):
* None this session

Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 3 Gnolls (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold guards (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold miners (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Dwarf crossbowmen (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Duergar slavers (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Maeve (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Kyleth the Witch Queen (No XP, fight on going)
* Torgo the Eye gouger (No XP, fight on going)
* Bakra the Sharpener (No XP, fight on going)
* Good use of tactics and terrain
* Morrainna's attempt to negotiate with the Witch Queen

Experience gained (this session):
100 each player