1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

The "Year of the Crown" Campaign

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DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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A large troop of ten plus adventurers was seen by many going into the Cloud Peaks with a gnome leading them. When they returned later, some gossiped of a riches gained, but the gnome was no longer with them. It is said that the gnome no longer recruits adventurers to combat undead in the peaks.
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Touri
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Somwhere at the slope of Auril's Crown

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A party of two fighters, two knights, two druids, four rangers, a priest, a magic-user, a rogue, a wanderess and a hin followed the call of Clonifop Dippledop. The Gnome lead them into the Cloud Peaks where they encountered a powerfull lich and his army of around 200 skeletons. The plan of the undead was to press an Netheril artefact from Clonifop's master, a ancient white dragon. Therefore they had kidnapped her babies. But the well balanced group together with the giants of Auril's Crown destroyed the undeads and killed the body of the lich. Relieved having her brute back, the White Dragon rewarded the warmbloods well.
DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Two adventurers wearing Lathanderite garb may have been seen in Gullykin meeting with the hin mayor there. Some may also speak that there has been reported unusual undead activity in the crypts below the village as of late. Those gossiping are not sure whether the undead reports are related to larger undead forces allegedly at work farther north in the Western Heartlands or an unrelated cause as was the case in years past.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Teleport attacks continue, with skeleton raiders striking unexpectedly in the regions around Baldur's Gate. One set of raids seemed aimed at cutting the Chionthar as a route for supplies into the city, with a vessel heaped with grain being wrecked and much of the cargo spoiled.

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But a group of adventurers bested the raiders, located a fortified base they had set up in the south of the Fields of the Dead and destroyed it. The enemy were defeated and apparently, none escaped. The Chionthar is safely navigable, for now.
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Touri
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Far away in the Troll Hills where the teleport encampment is located a mighty lich observes the doings of his minions. The air smells of arcane energy as lightnings flash around the teleporting fields. As the lich watches the well guarded conjurers casting their teleportation spells a small group of well-camouflaged scouts slowly ranges through the wasteland close to the camp.
DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Some humanoid appearing scouts main have been seen recently venturing in the direction of Kheldrivver and not returning the same way. A Hellrider and Flaming Fist soldier allegedly near Kheldrivver may have been overheard later on leave at a tavern in Baldur's Gate speaking of running into such stranger scouts on their way allegedly to scout undead positions deep in the Troll Hills.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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DM Golem wrote: A great wall of radiant flame rises up around the edge of the glow; the undead host surrounded and trapped within a great dome of light. Unable to attack, and unable to be attacked, for as long as this miracle lasts.
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Reports come in from the Hellriders still in the Troll Hills. The strange, miraculous radiance that surrounds the General's army is changing.

It is fading, growing dimmer and dimmer. Its not a rapid shift, but the overall effect over the past ten-day is noticeable. If it continues on like this, it will be entirely gone soon.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Deep within the Troll Hills there was an ordered marching camp, surrounded by wooden stakes and filled with serried ranks of undead soldiers in perfect order; perfectly still.

Within the camp was a cluster of tents lined with ancient military markings, arranged according to ancient Netherese practice.

Within the largest tent at the centre there was a throne.

On the throne sat the General.

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Burning solar fires trapped his army in a timeless day, unable to march or even communicate magically with his officers in the teleport camp to the rear. The outside world was as far distant as another plane of existence. He was caged. He was foiled. His lightning campaign had ground to a halt.

Fear was meant to teach them the price of endangering Orbedal. Yet there is little to fear while I am stuck here.

Everywhere in the camp was touched by the blazing sun. His undead legions wilted under it, he could feel their necrotic vitality fading. His own wards were assailed by this mysterious radiance; he had to pit the art of a millenia against it so he might maintain his form.

Sometimes, in this endless day, something felt familiar about the incandescent prison. He felt urges to revisit the gemstones storing his memories. He would revisit older memories, not the burning of Seventon, or the destruction of the orc bands as he tracked them down, or the desperate fights to protect the successor states from plague and war. Instead, he'd go back to the memories of a feast for a comrade's promotion, or having his biography of General Matick published, or the pride on his father's face when he was first decorated. Once he even had the urge to revist a walk along the lake shore on a summer's afternoon.

And along with the images he would catch something, the ghost of a ghost of a feeling of grass underfoot and the breeze on long rotted away flesh.

He almost felt his anger slipping.

And then...the radiance was gone. He felt the burning heat fall away. He felt himself and his army unchained.

Hieronaima's voice sounded in his head through their telepathic link. ::The burning light is gone, General::

::I know:: He replied in the same manner.

A swift order to Hyspaspist Derenshar ::Marshal for the march::

::At once:: Derenshar replied.

His mind reached out to the teleport camp now, a commanding intrusion into the consciousness of his teleportists ::I wish a report on the campaign of fear. Bring it to me at once::

One of them mustered a reply, surprised, the distance rendering the connection reedy and faint ::It will be done, General::

Then he reached out to Asmoniath, the Hyspaspist commanding his vanguard. Asmoniath had been commanded to seize the passes lying ahead, and dig in until the main army arrived. He had been trapped outside the burning radiance.

::Asmoniath, report::

Silence.

::Asmoniath::

Asmoniath was no more.

You served with me from the start. Another son of Netheril sent on to oblivion. There will be reckoning.

Striding out of his tent, the General's mind reached out to the pickets surrounding his army, those troops he had made endure the worst of the radiance, so he would have eyes on what surrounded his force at all times. He forced his way in so he might see through their eyes, searching each time for the familiar sight of the horsemen who had dogged his army's advance, watching but never fighting.

There. I see your curious eyes.

For a moment the General thought of the relics, safe in a pouch at his belt.

No. I will deal with this personally. Asmoniath deserves this.

Without a word, Hyspaspists fell in behind him. A half dozen, more than enough.

It was easy to tug on the weave, a teleportation to where the Hellrider patrol was watching, dumfounded, the static undead soldiers once again revealed by the falling divine prison. They barely had time to react as the General's armoured form appeared before them.

::A prisoner:: was his only command, before he lept forward, a killing weapon in each hand, once again tasting that only part of life left to him, the hate and sorrow and rage that fuelled his undeath.

Men died, trying to buy time for their comrades to withdraw. But even horses could not outrun killing blasts of energy.

The last man standing screamed his defiance, sword raised.

Brave.

But a powerful mage can bend others to his will. The General dominated his mind, soulless orbs boring into his.

"What happened at the passes?"

"Knights and dwarves and...druids...they crushed your soldiers...blew the passes...sealed" To his credit, the man fought as hard mentally as he did with the blade.

The General reaved his mind and took what he needed. Then, reached out a gauntlet and snuffed out his life.

A quick death was deserved for his bravery.

The command echoed out to the entire army. ::March.::

Back in the camp, skeletal feet began to stamp in time even as the cold of the coming winter began to harden the ground. Black armoured forms filed out, beginning the advance on the plains below Kheldrivver. Serried rank after serried rank. Excavation equipment being moved to the front to commence the digging out of the sealed passes. The deathless stride of Netheril's risen dead filing past the General as he once again affirmed his purpose.

I will fulfill my duty. Orbedal will be preserved.


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DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Undeathly cheers of "The General is Back!" break out at the General's teleportation portalist camp in the Western Troll Hills, which had been outside of the magically sealed area of the General's main army, on word that the General and his main army have been freed to continue their march south. The lich portalist operatives of the camp then may seem to waste no time in revving up the teleports anew to raid and terrorize the living into submission in lieu of their supreme commander's mass assault. Many warrior eternals would enter various teleports with "FOR ORBEDAL" "FOR THE GENERAL" shrieked from their rickety skeletal jaws. Any close by would see unusually high teleportation flash and magical activity versus previously in the Western Troll Hills, but otherwise would not know of what is transpiring in the camp.

...

Many many miles away south, in the hin and gnome village of Gullykin, local hin and gnomes report strange rumblings and flashes from the earth below their village. Perhaps some claim, it comes from the underneath crypts? Is it the raid of annihilation of small folk that the Mayor of Gullykin and some Lathanderties of Beregost are rumored to have feared might come to pass? If so, will a Gullykin that so bravely survived the horrors of Amnian siege in final be destroyed by the horrors of the General's undead out for an easy extermination of hated little folk?
Face
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Jim Hedge can be seen more and more around the house of his parents in Gullykin.
He often walks around the walls and can be seen talking with many other halflings seems he is trying to set up a meeting with the mayor.
#onlyorclivesmatter.
Be hin be great
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Mac
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Jim Hedge finds Belladonna skulking about the docks in Roaringshore. In short order Jim recruits the Pirates of Nevermore to help defend Gullykin. How? So quickly? Some may say he called in a favor.
Former DM Creo 2017 CC Appointed Jul 27 2016 Removed May 21 2017
Sara Denton "Ashley" Fled the Swords Coast
Macgar Blackbrew Returned to Tribe Raymar
Belladonna (Dead) Once Captain of the Dragonwing Outlaw, Pirate & Friend
Nroc Living a life at sea
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Duster47
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Subject: Rumors of the Sword Coast
Duster47 wrote:Some stories may or not be reaching southward, of skirmishes along the north edge of the High Moor near Secomber. Travel along the Delimbiyr Route and Secomber Trail was never considered free from potential peril, but stories allude to more danger than usual. The local militia, re-enforced with northman warriors of the Greyfox Tribe, are said to be keeping themselves more occupied than just fending off the occasional troll or other wild thing. Stories of undead and plague-infested masses are becoming more prevalent. Locals speak of lively council meetings and decision by Lord Selarn to send an emissary south. Perhaps the southlanders know more about this new scourge on the Moor?

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Photoshopped from The Vikings on The History Channel.
PC1 = Nerys, Emissary and Skald of the Greyfox tribe, roaming north near Secomber
PC2 = Valqis Sanejmeh; far away cartographer, Oracle of Nut at chaltin QulDaq, former navigator of the Sea Seeker, Reader of Candlekeep and sometime performer.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Many hands make light work.

Hellrider scouts bring news that skeleton work teams are clearing the first blocked pass, blown by Kraak Helzak engineering teams, in the Troll Hills. The undead use simple excavation techniques of shovel and skeletonpower. Yet, skeletons to not tire.
DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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There are foul rumors that undead teleport raiders of the General have been spotted anew after a period of respite anywhere from nearby Gullykin, to the trade roads to Waterdeep from Baldur's Gate, to the Troll Claws near Kraak Helzak, to the outskirts of Kheldrivver, to the north shore of the Chiontar east of Baldur's Gate, and perhaps elsewhere still in the Western Heartlands.
DM Dialectic
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Re: 1351 Campaign - Act 3: The Army Eternal

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Rumor spreads that undead raiders of the General coming from the Gullykin crypts upon Gullykin were defeated by a force of adventurers aiding Gullykin. The aiding force is said to include some members of War Council, some hin adventurers of Gullykin or sympathetic to their fellow kin, some independent adventurers, and some adventurers of the Ebon Blade Mercenary Company as well as special defensive units loaned to the village from the Song of the Morning temple in Beregost.
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