Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Session 1 Aftermath

Red: Party Location     Amber: Current Destination


Following the Royalist defeat at the Battle of the West-Harbour, Prince Rhed and the survivors were forced to flee. The Prince is a long way from home however, and he is surrounded by enemies.

The party must bring the Prince safely to the Arcadeus Capital City; Rhuen, in Greater Nibellion. It's a four day trek, and there will be many dangers ahead.

Current Party Members:
Commander Nefarion of the Cabal
Signifer Ysera of the Cabal
Seltyiel Garrott
Hel the Necromancer
Cynthia the Malefactor
Prince Rhed Arcadeus (NPC)
Mélanie Van Scherade of the Cabal (NPC)

Political Map of Elmunred


Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Session 1: Battle of the West-Harbour

Date: June 12th, 1486 RE, 5th Era
Location: Outskirts of Val Némor Woodlands

On a deceptively tranquil summer day, across the peaceful,
Prince Rhed Arcadeus
Son of the late John Arcadeus
Nephew of Queen Karyn
green flat-lands of the
Verdant Coast sound the marching feet of twenty-five thousand men. The arena is set for tense confrontations and inevitable bloodshed . On the flat-lands outside of the forest of Val Némor and mere leagues from the ocean waters, Villeroy soldiers have marched from Palisade on the Royal Capital and an Arcadeus defense force has been mustered to intercept them, aided by D’Arcy allies. The ‘Crimson Prince’; Rhed Arcadeus (the late King Max’s nephew) has also joined the battle to provide morale and vows to personally defend his home-realm from the Villeroy legions of his treacherous uncle, having achieved victory in many battles and skirmishes previously.


In light of the recent deaths of Arcadeus Royal Family members and nobles, The Cabal of Vigilum has assigned Hell-Knight Agents to act as Bodyguards for the young Prince Rhed (by the royal order of Queen Karyn). They arrive to fight at the Battle of the West-Harbour in Prince Rhed’s personal guard. The Cabal has chosen Commander Nefarion, and Signifer Ysera to perform this task. They are half-siblings, and are decorated and skilled Hell-Knight agents. The mysterious and violet-haired Necromancer; Hel, has also been employed to assist the Royalist Forces on this day.

The Cabal of Vigilum
An Ancient Order sworn to
the Royalty of Elmunred
The two armies meet at midday, and seem evenly matched in number. As war drums beat, the Renegade army of House Villeroy begins to march steadily on the defending Arcadeus defense force. There seems to be a medley of races among each armies soldiers, and all manner of armament and magics have been gathered on this day. 
 
After a few hours pass, the battle seems to be going well, the Royalists are fighting ferociously and morale is good. The renegades seem shaken and are being pushed back metre by metre. And yet at this turn-point in the battle, there seems to be a strange new formation at the base of the Renegade Army. The soldiers are changing formation and position, and there seems to be a number of large grey objects, each being pulled in by about 20 men. At first you think them to be boulders, however something makes you realise that they may be something different entirely, something a whole lot worse. You hear a whirring noise, a release of steam, and a crunching metallic chorus as vaguely humanoid shapes fold outwards from the large grey objects. Two long metallic arms extend outward and a metal head sits above it’s center of mass with a cyclopic red eye, staring intently at you. No-one could have predicted that the Lord-Meister would employ such terrible, mechanical artillery into his own garrisons.

Mélanie Van Scherade
An Independent Agent of the Cabal

 At the sheer destructive might of the Villeroy Battle Automatons, the Arcadeus forces are decimated and scattered. The Prince and his personal guard barely make it out with their lives. They flee north through the Forests of Val Nemor in an attempt to better evade the Villeroy war machines. They walk as far north as possible hoping to reach the nearby township of Tahm, when they are stalked by Ursamanes. The Prince is badly wounded, and when he and his guards are cornered, an explosion lands behind the beasts, sending them off retreating back into the woods. The party then meets Seltyiel Garrott, a a deformed and maniacal humanoid that once resembled a Tiefling. The party must make their way safely to the Capital City of Rhuen with a disguised Prince Rhed. It is a 4 day journey by foot. Since the Royalist Defeat on the Battle of the West-Harbour, there are Villeroy Soldiers and spies in many corners of the Verdant, and if the party isn't vigilant and hasty in their venture to Rhuen, they will likely be captured by Villeroy Forces. Kentonborough, Brandinweld and, Kite-Nest will be safe enough for the time being.

 Upon reaching the Mountain-Vein River, the party encounters the Hell-Knight Agent; Mélanie Van Scherade - who is escorting a Vampire Malefactor named Cynthia, to Bastion Zenith. The two parties agree to merge and continue to travel north towards the capital. As they walk along a merchant road, they are met by a woman in distress, who desperately seeks help from the party. But something is not as it seems...

Campaign Introduction

Royal House Arcadeus
High Kings and Queens of Elmunred
For the last seven hundred years, the Kingdom of Elmunred has been ruled by the Arcadeus Family bloodline. Considered by most to be fair and honorable rulers, Arcadeus monarchs have garnered much wealth and stability for the realm throughout their dominance.


After many years of peace, tension between the royal bloodline and the surrounding Noble Houses had started to stir, until finally in the late 15th Century RE, The Kingdom of Elmunred had descended into a state of Civil War, exacerbated by treason, assassination, and political corruption. The Civil War erupted shortly after the unexpected death of the ruling High King; Max Arcadeus.

House Villeroy
'Shadow Meisters' of Val Némor
He had been out on a hunting expedition, when the trip had taken a turn for the worse when the King and his bodyguards stumbled across a cave of ursamanes, and he was mauled to death. It was a most unfortunate and tragic event, and King Max was greatly mourned, for like many of his ancestors before him, Max was a good ruler and was much loved. Prior to his death, it was announced that he was infertile, and could not produce any heirs in his lifetime. Max’s younger sister Karyn is his only living relative and rightful heir to Elmunred, however many chastised her, and thought her too young, and too overwhelmed by the death of her brother to rule effectively. A royal tribunal was gathered to decide on a suitable regent to take on the throne until Karyn was more emotionally stable, however their priorities were swiftly redirected. With the royal family in a vulnerable and compromised position, many powerful and influential individuals became Usurpers, with the desire to inherit the throne for themselves. Lord-Meister Hermann of House Villeroy among the main up-risers, despite being previously married to the late Tygara Arcadeus. He is Karyn and Max’s uncle.

What started out as negotiation quickly cascaded into bloodshed and House D’Arcy, Lords of the Verdant; whose head is Marcel ‘The Raven Lord’ - He is also the husband of Karyn, and Prince Consort of Elmunred.
House D'Arcy
Lords of The Verdant
war. Previously united noble families have turned on each other in a struggle to either defend the crown or seize it for themselves. The conflict has also drawn in nations and races outside of Elmunred, many of whom have fixed their gaze on the throne as well. The Great Houses of Elmunred are preparing for war. the Royal House Arcadeus have gathered great armies to defend the kingdom from the usurpers and invaders. They are aided by

House Von Heltzer
'Paladin Kings' of Meridiangard
The influential and antagonistic noble House Villeroy are set on an insurrection against the royalty - whose liege Lord-Meister Hermann seeks to destroy them completely. The Knightly and Militaristic House Von Heltzer also seeks to overthrow the royalty, and yet they remain hostile to House Villeroy also, George, the Arch-Paladin wants House Villeroy vanquished as much as he wants the royalty gone.

We are now a few months into the Civil War of Elmunred. The High King of Elmunred is dead, and there are two distinct sides forming; Royalists and Renegades. The Kingdom is at stake, and all Four Great Houses of Elmunred are involved in the War, along with their vassals and bannermen from the many Lesser Houses.