Campaign Timeline: Chapter 1 (Scourge of the Malefic Seven)

June 12th

•    Session #1: On the Outskirts of the Val Némor Woodlands
Royalist Agents fight on behalf of House Arcadeus during the Battle of the West-Harbour. Commander Nefarion Furyborn, and Signifer Ysera Furyborn are tasked with the protection of the Arcadeus Prince; Rhed. They are aided by Hel the White Necromancer, who is a hireling). They fight fiercely against the Renegade forces of House Villeroy however they are eventually routed after a surprise attack from House Villeroy’s War Automata.

•    Session #1: Val Némor Woodlands
Led by his bodyguards, Prince Rhed barely escapes with his life, and the four of them retreat through the Woodlands of Val Némor. As they proceed deeper into the forest they are attacked by Ursamanes. They are saved by a traveling alchemist called Seltyiel Garrott, who then merges into the party to help them out of the woodlands.

•    Session #1: The Mountain-Vein River
Their journey forces them to cross the Mountain-Vein River, at which point they encounter a fellow Royalist Agent by the name of Mélanie Van Scherade – who is escorting the Vampire Malefactor known as Cynthia to Bastion Zenith. The two parties agree to merge as it would be safer travelling in a larger group.

•    Session #1: The Merchant Road
While travelling along the Merchant Road, the party of seven come across a highwayman trap, which they swiftly repel. On one of the highwayman wagons sits an imprisoned Samsaran monk by the name of Sij – whom the party liberate and welcome into the fold.

•    Session #2: City of Kentonborough (Royalists: House D’Arcy)
Weary and battle scarred,  the party find refuge within the walls of Kentonborough; the seat of House D’Arcy (who are Royal Family’s closest, and most powerful allies). They meet with Lord Stanford D’Arcy, who provides food and shelter for the Prince and his retainers.

June 13th

•    Session #3: The Merchant Road
At first light, the party collects essential supplies from the City’s market district and departs for the Royal Capital of Rhuen in a purchased wagon. Along the Merchant Road, they sight a huge, ominous figure on the horizon, seemingly looking towards the party. They pay it no heed, and progress further. In the night, they stop the wagon to rest, and sometime during the night, the Prince goes missing. The party scour the forest and find the Prince at the mercy of an assassin. He is dealt with swiftly but not before he can severely wound the Prince – cutting his vocal chords with his dagger. They notice a bizarre enchanted tattoo on the assassin’s, and Nefarion collects the head to take for inspection at a later date.

June 14th

•    Session #3: Rhuen, the Royal Capital (Royalists: House Arcadeus)
In the late evening, the party arrive at the Royal Capital where they meet the Prince’s belligerent aunt; High Queen Karyn Arcadeus. She is most grateful to the party for bringing her nephew back safely, and has her physicians tend to his wounds. We learn that Ysera has acquired an infatuation with the Prince, and she is sad to be parted with him.

June 15th, and 16th

•    Session #4: Road to Bastion Zenith
With Nefarion, Ysera and Hel having completed their contract of protecting the Prince, they needed only to return to Bastion Zenith and claim their reward. Along the way they encounter and kill some poachers, and at this juncture it is revealed that the moment; Sij, is not so much of a pacifist after all.

•    Session #4, Session #5: Bastion Zenith, the Last Hell-Knight Stronghold (Royalists: Cabal of Vigilum)
Upon entering their resident castle, Nefarion is insulted by one of the Gate Guards (called Heinrich) and the two of them fight to the death later that evening. Nefarion triumphs over Heinrich, but with aid from Hel. The party reconvene in the Hall of Blades where they meet the Arch Lictor of the Cabal; Jean-Matisse Emmerich. He rewards the party, and has the vampire prisoner; Cynthia, questioned. He punishes Hel for her unlawful participation of the fight by branding her face, and gives Ysera a stern warning on account of her failure to dispel the magic Hel used. Nefarion takes the assassin’s severed head and has it reanimated momentarily by a Signifer named Xenastasia. He interrogates it, demanding the motives behind Prince Rhed’s attempted murder. The response is vague, but points them in the direction of the city of Ostenheim, and naming an otherworldly client known only as the ‘Dark Master’. Furthermore, Sij and Nefarion perform a blood ritual at the Bastion’s ancient chapel, in which the faceless statue speaks the words ‘Two Days’ - and nothing more. In order to provoke this response however, they require blood which they extract from two prisoners; Séverine (a girl of six), and Ayres. The blood is provided by the Bastion’s resident torturer; Xzavier.

June 17th - 19th

•    Session #6: Road to High-Haven
With the Royal Agent members of the party being given time off duty, they decide to follow up on some party side quests. Mélanie stays at the Bastion, but allows Cynthia to travel with the party. They depart southwest to deliver Sij’s royal letter to Emmon, Lord of High-Haven. Feeling sympathetic, Nefarion also smuggles the six year old prisoner; Séverine, out of the Bastion. Along the way, they encounter an escaped prisoner named Matheus, and when they question him, they learn that he was a former monk, and a skilled lock picker.

•    Session #6: City of High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
The message is delivered to Lord Emmon, who explains that his Houses’ allegiance to the Royalists has had to cease in order to avoid a siege from a massive Von Heltzer host. The party agree to assist in repelling the siege, so that the House Hyegarl may continue to serve the crown’s interests. The party decide that a stealth mission is the best way to defeat such a force, and they acquire armour and disguises from dead Von Heltzer scouts. Prior to this, Nefarion and the others empty the High-Haven dungeons looking for all available men to defend the walls. The former Hyegarl Lieutenant Mack is employed to venture out with the party beyond the walls.

•    Session #7, Session #8: The Von Heltzer Camp
Under the cover of nightfall and Von Heltzer disguises, Nefarion, Ysera, Hel, Cynthia, Seltyiel, and Lt. Mack locate and slay Adelbern the Ordnance Marshall, and Field Commander Hoyt.

•    Session #8: City of High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
Back at High-Haven, Lord Emmon and Sij are in turn both slain by Wolfgang, a Von Heltzer assassin disguised as an ambassador.

•    Session #9, Session #10: Outskirts of the Ransacked Village
The third and final Von Heltzer commander sits at the base of the invasion force in a ransacked village. The party maintains use of disguises as they proceed towards the village. Along the way they discover a ruined windmill and are attacked by a conroi of Von Heltzer Paladins. A third party is involved in the fight however. A glaive-wielder named Ramos Eldnacht. He helps the party defeat the Paladins and explains to them that he has been sent to kill the very same Von Heltzer Commander as the party. They ally themselves with Ramos for the time being until their mutual goal is achieved.

•    Session #11: Ransacked Village
Through teamwork and strategy, they locate Paladin-Lieutenant Heidi; the third and final Von Heltzer Commander, and defeat her in the Village chapel. In the aftermath, many of her regiments catch wind of the infiltration and search for the disguised party members. The party is forced to separate temporarily.

•    Session #12: Ransacked Village
The divided party make their way back to High-Haven, they discover that the leaderless Von Heltzer army is withdrawing back to their homeland to consolidate their forces. It takes some time, but the party members are eventually reunited (with the exception of Hel, who had passed out near the coastline). The party’s efforts had saved the city from Von Heltzer invasion – albeit temporarily at least.

•    Session #13, Session #14: City of High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
The party catch up on some much needed rest. A passed-out Hel is picked up by someone or something, and carried away. Ramos splinters off from the party to meet a member of his Order in the city, a man by the name of Wolfgang (the very same Wolfgang who had murdered Sij and Lord Emmon) – it transpires that Wolfgang was not a representative of House Von Heltzer in anyway, and is in fact an agent of the rebel Order of Libertorius, the same as Ramos. Their conversation is cut short after they hear screaming from the room next to them. They learn that Hel is inside, and break in to help her. Inside, they see a hideous, withered creature dangling from the ceiling, and a terrified Hel under the bed. The creature bursts out of the window, and the party assist Hel to her feet. In the night, Nefarion is woken by a woman’s sinister laughter, and he follows its source. He finds a woman in a green cloak. She explains that Nefarion’s ‘Two Days’ are up, and gives some vague information about the Dark Master she served. She encourages him to seek out her Master by participating in the Knightly Tournament in Dunfarg in a week’s time. The party reconvene the next morning to leave the city, however they are denied exit on account of Lord Emmon’s murder. The Guard Captain; Vissaeus overrules this, seeing as the party had been the ones to repel the Von Heltzer siege army. Separate from this group, Ramos searches for clues as to the whereabouts of his missing gold. He learns that Matheus had recently come into a large sum of money, and had been given a high ranking position in the reformation of High-Haven. When he confronts Matheus about this, he denies all part in it, but Ramos is not convinced of this. Ysera also stays in High-Haven to seek out Tobias Glyph (whom she had learnt had dealings in ancient symbols like the one seen on the assassin’s neck.)

June 20th – 22nd 

•    Session #14: Bastion Zenith, the Last Hell-Knight Stronghold (Royalists: Cabal of Vigilum)
Nefarion returns to Bastion Zenith to report his recent successes, he is joined by Hel, Seltyiel, and Cynthia. The Arch Lictor informed Nefarion that in two days’ time, a boat would be waiting to take him to Val Némor, where he would be undertaking his next mission. Until then however, Nefarion was given another unexpected task to complete. Despite the Von Heltzer army being repelled, High-Haven had betrayed the Crown, and the Queen had ordered it’s expropriation by way deadly force. Nefarion would be in command of this force, aided by the others in the party.

•    Session #14, Session #15: Glyph’s Tower, High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
Ysera learns of the location of Prof. Tobias Glyph and proceeds to the tower. She finds her way inside however the library within seems to be abandoned. She proceeds upstairs but is attacked by an enchanted mannequin, stitched together out of sack cloth. Facing great peril, she retreats into a study on the top floor where she meets the eccentric Halfling known as Professor Glyph. He orders the Rag Man to cease hostilities, and he converses with Ysera for some time before some cloaked individuals arrive to escort him out of the city. The professor asks if she would like to join them in escaping the besieged city, and she accepts.

•    Session #14, Session #15: High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
Ramos returns to Wolfgang and they initiate the former Hyegarl Lieutenant Mack into the Order of Libertorius. The three of them pay the guard captain a visit at his house. They perform a home invasion, holding Vissaeus’ family hostage. Ramos demands his prized glaive (which Vissaeus had taken away from him earlier) and accuses him of being in cahoots with Matheus, and when Vissaeus doesn’t comply, Ramos kills his wife, and Wolfgang kills his son. The newly initiated Mack deals the final blow to the guard captain himself. Ramos then confronts Matheus again this time with Wolfgang and Mack. In Matheus’ private chambers they interrogate him. After one of his fingers is chopped off, he gives in and admits that he stole gold and riches from the city’s townsfolk (Ramos being one of his victims). He reveals a treasure chest, and Wolfgang goes to bind him but he is stabbed by Matheus. Matheus sprints out into the city and scales a building with impressive speed and dexterity. They pursue him along some rooftops but he manages to elude them when he makes an inhumanly far jump over the street to another building. During pursuit, Mack falls from a roof and is killed instantly from the impact. Shortly afterwards, Ramos and Wolfgang discover that the city is being under attack by Royalist Agents, and they abscond from the city via the northern gate in a horse-drawn carriage. Before they leave, two more Libertorius agents get into the carriage along with a peculiar Halfling man.

•    Session #15: High-Haven (Formerly Royalists: House Hyegarl)
A Hell-Knight regiment led by Nefarion sacks the city of High-Haven, facing minimal resistance. Nefarion’s Lieutenant Gabriel Salvo is assigned as governor of the city. During the siege, we learn that A.) Hel has pyrophobia, B.) Séverine is nowhere to be seen despite Nefarion’s best efforts to locate her. C.) Matheus has fled the city. D.) Mack is dead, and he learns that Ramos was somehow involved. E.) Lieutenant Salvo challenges Nefarion’s authority as acting Regiment-Commander.

June 23rd  

•    Session #16: The Road to Ascentium
Ramos, Wolfgang and the newly acquired Professor Glyph continue east to Ascentium in their horse-and-carriage. Along the way they pass Bastion Zenith (the fortress of their sworn enemies; the Cabal). One of the other Libertorius Agents – named Duncan – mocks it from afar, and belittles the Cabal in general. Unknown to all of them aboard however, they were in the presence of one such Cabal agent. Ysera. To protect her identity, she removed her Signifer mask, and stowed her distinguishing items away. She took on the alias of ‘Aresy’ and adopted the persona of a simple farm girl from the south. The carriage also passes through the aftermath of the Battle for the Pike-Road, where the carriage faced scrutiny from some blood-spattered Arcadeus Legionnaires. Ramos gives them a convincing lie as to their destination, and they are granted passage. Wolfgang’s stab wound seems to have festered badly (clearly Matheus’ blade was poisoned), however Aresy is able to patch it up temporarily.

June 24th   

•    Session #17: The Port of Sworn Swords
After resting up at the newly assimilated City of High-Haven, Nefarion and the others make for the Cabal docks (known as the Port of Sworn Swords). It had been nearly two days since the Arch Lictor had instructed them to be there, and when they arrived, they found a Corsair Dromund awaiting them as planned. The party board the sea-faring vessel, and endure the company of the unsavoury pirates aboard.

•    Session #17: The Path of Amnesty, Road to Ascentium (Rebels: Order of Libertorius)
Along the road to Ascentium, the carriage is attacked by a pack of gnolls, but the Order Agents are able to fend them off without too much trouble.

June 25th – 28th

•    Session #18: The Open Ocean
Nefarion, Cynthia, Hel, and Seltyiel pass the Floating Island, and also sight an old castle ruin claimed by nature. Atop one of the battlements, Nefarion spots a strange figure, much taller than a man, but the figure is gone once Nefarion turns away. They proceed further west, and arrive at the coast of Val Némor, docking at the Port of Zeiduch.

•    Session #18: Port Zeiduch (Renegades: House Rommedal)
Nefarion and the others are stowed away into storage crates, and smuggled off the boat onto the pontoon. When nightfall arrives, they break out and head to the Squid and Anchor tavern. They all take new names and occupations so as to protect their identities (because the rulers of the Port are allies of the renegade House Villeroy) Inside the tavern they meet the Royalist Agent Mélanie van Scherade once again, under the alias of ‘Astrid’; a shipwright’s daughter. The party learn of their mission: seek out the Dark Master. An interesting coincidence, seeing as Nefarion had been told how to reach him - they had to enter the Tournamentum of Dunfarg, and prove themselves as proficient warriors. Mélanie sees this method as being their best opportunity to locate the Dark Master.  Seltyiel speaks to a contact of his in the city (Black-Hand Gregor), who arranges a stagecoach to take them to Dunfarg.

•    Session #18,  Session #19: Ascentium the Mountain-Fort (Rebels: Order of Libertorius)
Ramos, Aresy (Ysera), Wolfgang, Prof. Glyph, Duncan and the others arrive at Fortress Ascentium; the base of operations for the Order of Libertorius (a rebel force dedicated to unseating the royalists, and bringing an era of true democracy, and equality.) They meet Lord-Commander Johan Geist. Geist welcomes newcomer Aresy into the Order, and suggests that she becomes the apprentice of Professor Glyph, seeing as they have a good rapport already. We learn that A.) Aresy takes interest in the reprogrammed friendly Automaton called FRANK, and buries her Signifer Mask, and Dagger outside of the castle walls. B.) Ramos plots to destroy Bastion Zenith and plans are set in motion by Johan. C.) Prof. Glyph teaches Aresy Ancient Abyssal. D.) Ramos and Aresy are taught about the threat of the Malefic Seven. And are quoted the Prophecy of the Malefic Seven. The Lord-Commander highlights seven ‘hot-spots’ in Elmunred where terrible events are occurring – the lairs of the Dark Masters must surely lie within these regions. Johan has selected Ramos to seek and destroy the Dark Masters, and Ramos decides that the Western Reach will be his first target. (Aresy agrees to go with Ramos to lend her assistance.) E.) Before they leave Ascentium, Ramos encounters an unusual bounty hunter by the name of Mister Quinn (he and his gang are sympathisers to the Order, and he extends an offer of cooperation in the form of a marble-sized green ball. Ramos seems perplexed by this, but keeps the offering regardless. F.) On their way to the Griffin Pen, they pass a heavily-fortified door and hear inhuman noises behind it. John explains that it’s best to give the huge locked door a wide berth, and does not elaborate on what lies behind it.

•    Session #19, Session #20,  Session #21: Dunfarg (Renegades: House Bosnager)
Nefarion and the others travel to Dunfarg via the stagecoach of an individual called Umberto Kasteel Esq. Along the way, they pass the Villeroy Capital of Schuteberk, giving it a wide berth. The party locate the Tournament grounds, and both Nefarion and Seltyiel enlist into the Melee Free-for-All. Hel is chosen as Seltyiel’s squire, and Vycktor is chosen by Nefarion (Vycktor was a rogue hitchhiker the party had picked up en route to the City.) The party encountered a bumbling squire by the name of Oscar, who desperately sought Nefarion’s employment, and the would-be Knight begrudgingly accepted. The tournament official warns the party that Oscar is a terrible squire, and that bad luck and ill-fortune seems to follow him. The Melee begins on the morning of the 28th, and while Nefarion and Seltyiel participate, the rest of the party try to sight the Dark Master, who had promised to witness the whole event. Vycktor abandons the party during the arena battle, but still no sign of the Master. After an hours battle, Nefarion is unexpectedly slain by another fighter. Seltyiel bests this opponent, and goes on to win the Tourney for the party. With the party leader dead, and the trail going cold, the four remaining members stay at Oscar’s family house in the slum district of the city. Hel kept Nefarion’s body as a keepsake - she might have been able to make use of him somehow through her White Necromancy. They are led inside Oscar’s house, but something doesn’t seem right when Oscar introduces the party to his father – a man who has clearly been dead a while – he then brings out a pot of stew for the weary party, however on closer inspection, the stew contains meat chunks of human resemblance. Without warning the four of them are trapped in a dungeon, and the Dark Master makes his appearance – unveiling his true form, Osamorté the Unholy, he speaks through the young, naïve squire. He reveals some of his plans and intentions for the four of them. He means to imprison them, torture and ‘transform’ them, until such a time where he could utilize their abilities for his own unspeakable gains.

•    Session #19: Espire Airfield (Royalists: Sworn to House Arcadeus)
Ramos, Aresy, and Duncan travel west on the backs of Griffins along with Lord-Commander Johan himself, until they reach the outskirts of the township of Espire. Their intention; to appropriate a Royal Airship to aid in Ramos’ travelling within Elmunred. The Western Reach was on the extreme opposite side of the realm, and time was also against them. With little complication, they infiltrate the airfield, and commandeer an Arcadeus Scout-Class Airship Prototype – deceiving Knight-Sergeant Ernst, who was the acting Royalist authority in the area. After a night’s flight, the Airship arrives at the Western Reach, just outside the village of First Harvest.

•    Session #19,  Session #20: First Harvest, the Western Reach (Neutral)
Ramos, Aresy, and Duncan venture into the heart of the Reach, while Johan tends to the airship, and keeping the Arcadeus prisoners under control. Their fears were true; the Reach was a wasteland of emptiness, seemingly devoid of most life. The plants and trees were wilted, as if drained by a malevolent force. The village of First Harvest was unsurprisingly abandoned, as if everyone had packed up and left. Ramos discovered that their footprints led seemingly into the waters of a nearby lake. When Duncan swam out into the lake to inspect a floating corpse, something grabbed him, and when the others pulled him out of the lake, his right foot had been ripped clean off. They return to the village, and stabilise his wound. Ramos finds information in the journal of Tirandell Garrott that link the lake to the strange goings on in the Western Reach. Perhaps the Dark Master lives below its surface? Later that day, they encounter an individual named Exalis Grimdark; a travelling inquisitor who also had been drawn to the Reach, he claimed that his deity had guided him here, and from what the party could tell, his intentions seemed pure. The next morning, they ventured out into the lake, using a fishing kayak. (Duncan remained at First Harvest on account of his missing foot) Employing the use of Aresy’s magic, the three remaining party members descended into the lake where they encountered a great dying aboleth which was known as the Lake-Keeper. They put it out of its misery and followed a cable that had been connected to the creature (a sort of leash). The cable led them along the bottom of the lakebed to this huge underwater ‘facility’.

•    Session #21, Session #22: Dungeons and Crypts beneath Dunfarg (Malefic Seven: Lair of Osamorté the Unholy)
Trapped beneath the city, Seltyiel, Hel, Cynthia and Melanié explore the subterranean network of dungeons and catacombs that make up the Lair of Dark Master Osamorté. They progress further, encountering a number of undead foes along the way, and one living – Arcturus the Dragon Slayer – who they unshackle from his cell. The grateful knight accompanies the others as they press further in the hope of stopping their malevolent captor. The party encounter three cloaked individuals who had been eagerly awaiting them. (The Afflicted Trinity) They become hostile and a short yet vicious battle commences. The party manage to overwhelm the trio, and slay them all. In the next room, they find the Hell-Knight torturer Xzavier (doing what he does best). His shackled victim is none other than Nefarion. The torturer uses his newly acquired gift to resurrect him time and time again so that he may keep peeling off his skin, even after he expires from the pain. After they deal with the torturer, they put their former comrade; Nefarion out of his misery (for he was mutilated beyond reprieve). In the final chamber they confront the deceiving squire who was called Oscar, except now he had taken his true and ghoulish form as Osamorté the Unholy. The boss fight ensued, although the Dark Master was bested by the combined strength and determination of the party, and they acquired his Malefic Item; the Covetous Skull.  After the fight, they noticed a wounded young girl behind an altar, they recognise her as the missing girl; Séverine, although when Arcturus attempts to heal her with his holy magic, she bursts into flames and dies (for it seemed she had been afflicted with un-death by the Dark Master previously). Triumphant, they had defeated one of Malefic Seven, and headed up and out of the dungeons and back onto the city streets of Dunfarg.

•    Session #21, Session #22: The Sanctuary, Aegis Lakebed, the Western Reach (Malefic Seven: Lair of Dr. Lang, the Machine Lord)
Ramos, Aresy, and the newly acquired inquisitor Exalis make their way to this hidden, and bizarre underwater ‘facility’ at the bottom of Aegis lakebed. They arrive at a metal hatch door, and it opens for them. Inside they meet a friendly human man called Miles (who has robotic legs). Surprised at how pleasantly they were being treated, the trio, are led further into the Sanctuary by this Miles individual. A mechanical face comes out of one of the walls, and ‘speaks’ to the party through its synthetic feminine face. It introduced itself as ‘C.E.L.I:A’ and seems to have a form of artificial intelligence - the advanced technology of which has not been seen by anyone in Elmunred previously. ‘She’ extends a wish of welcome, and Miles lets the trio stay in his chambers until suitable ones are prepared. When they reach Miles’ chambers, he tells them more about the facility, about the one who owns – an individual he refers to as the Machine Lord, whom the sanctuary inhabitants revere as a god. He tells the trio of three Levels that make up the facility; Level 1 being comprised of residences, amenities, and a place called the ‘Leisure Dome’. Level 2 was an occupational level, where the inhabitants would go to work, and Level 3 was the Machine Lord’s personal chambers. The trio decide that keeping their composure was paramount, and they were certain that the Machine Lord was the Malefic Dark Master operating in the area, although his ‘followers’ seemed completely oblivious to the dormant horror they served. Ramos and the others decide to bide their time, and over the course of a few days they explore the facility. They manage to persuade Miles onto their side, and eventually they execute their clandestine raid of the facility to confront the Dark Master in his chambers. They even kill three inhabitants in order to forcibly acquire their cranial implants, gaining access to Level 2, however as they crawl through a ventilation system to Level 3, they are hit by a cloud of gas, rendering all of them  unconscious.