Papa Laz's Hextor Campaign Setting

[papa_laz]

Greetings

Now that my exams are over, well the important ones anyway, I've decided to post the campaign setting that I've been working on. It is intended for a Church of Hextor oriented campaign that I will be DMing sometime in the near future. The pc's will be members of the Church and assigned tasks to further the its influence. I will be posting the continent, the realm and the specific town that the campaign begins in, and also matters relating to the clergy.

I also have made some maps and will be posting them aswell. Sorry about the large image size but I couldnt get them much smaller with photoshop.

Here goes

The Dominion of Narras-Caer
The Dominion of Narra-Caer (Na-Ra-Seer) spans over a vast and ancient continent situated between the Topian and Estealean Seas. The geography of the continent varies greatly, ranging from the frostbitten wastelands of the south to the oppressive heat of the northern deserts. An arid and volcanic mountain range, known only as the Peaks of Doom, seperates the northern and southern halves of the kingdom.

Both the southern and northern lands are divided into numerous realms, each ruled over by a Noble House in a system akin to Feudalism. The nobles are given their positions of power by the king, and are expected to uphold his laws and fulfill his demands. The Kingdoms capitol lies in Asyrun, one of the many realms of the Northern land. And it is in this realm that the almighty King, Azar IV resides. From his great palace of gold the king commands the vast armies of Narras-Caer and oversees the furtherment of his domain.

The Northern Lands
The realms of the northern lands are industrious, and its towns and cities constantly bustle with activity. Cultures and races too numerous to name exist in relative harmony, and the king holds prejudice only against those who denounce his rule or resist taxes. While a large portion of the population still remain commoners who are in effect the property of the aristocracy, a strong influx of middle class artisans and merchants has begun to take root, indicating the beginning of a golden era in commerce and growth.

The north eastern realm of Clameran shares its eastern border with an un-named power, with which a state of war has existed for an indeterminant number of years. The war has been an on and off affair riddled with years of relative peace followed by sudden bursts of hostility. How the war started or why it still continues is unknown to the average commoner and likely will remain so, unless he is conscripted for duty.

The Southern Lands
While the northern lands are ordered and consolidated centres of power, the southern lands, colonised only for their plentiful resources, are by comparison, wild and untamed. However they are by no means barbaric or even uncivlised, but simply lack the massive population and grand nature of the north. Over the years various factors including the resurgence in the war, and more recently the eruption of the Peaks of Doom, have led both the commoners and nobles of the southern lands to become isolated both physically and idealogicaly from their northern counterparts. A gradual, if not visible, breakdown in communications and heirarchy has become apparent amd many would agree that the lack of communiques with the king has allowed the noble houses to slide into corruption and apathy.

While all still pledge allegiance to the king, isolation from the ways of the northern lands has led the noble houses to take a more independant approach to their rulership. Due to his duties the king rarely leaves the palace on non official business, and only a miniscule percentage of the population has ever seen him. Many inhabitants of the southern land doubt that he has even set foot in their realm and some even doubt his existence. As such the impression may be given that this isolation lends itself to a unique brand of liberty, unatainable to those under a strong monarchical influence. However, the lack of regulation and subsequent corruption, often allows for more...insidious forces to manifest in the minds and hearts of the people.

Attached: Map of Narras-Caer

 

[papa_laz]

Korvell
A realm of windswept planes and hills, Korvell is the only region of Narras-Caer in which the rare Darkwood forests can be found. As such, the realm has built a lucrative trade industry from the export of the prized lumber. It is often said that the warships of King Azars mighty navy are constructed from this wood, a fact that merchants are always keen to share with prospective buyers. The silver mines found in the mountains that line the south and west borders of Korvell also contribute significantly to the realms wealth. Specifically the coffers of Van Zandt.

The Noble House of Van Zandt
Kirov, the realms largest town, is home to the esteemed Noble House of Van Zandt. Many centuries ago an ancestor of the family, Legio, one of the Kings favoured generals, led his armies in a series of glorious victories over the nomadic hordes of the south-east. As a reward for his success, the King awarded Legio the title of Duke of Korvell, giving him control of the kingdoms newest realm. Legio was a brave and loyal man, and quickly set about making Korvell as productive and wealthy as possible. However, as time passed he became increasingly unhappy with his life of nobility, and longed to rejoin his men on the battlefield. Legio approached the king, asking for a dismissal from his position, but the king angrily denied his request, ordering him to carry on with his duties. Frustrated by the Kings stubborness, Legio returned to Kirov. He grew steadily more depressed with the mundane duties and frippery of the aristocracy and longed for the glory of conquest and victory. It was said he would often dissapear from his mansion for hours at a time, brooding up a storm of agony and woe.

After three months had past, Legio appealed to the king once more for a release from his position. Outraged that one of his most devoted soldiers should go against his wishes, the King branded him a traitor and ordered the Duke of nearby Federan, La Gile, to arrest Legio and bring him to the royal palace. A day after the order had been given, La Gile arrived at the Noble house of Kirov with twenty of his finest knights to find Legio, waiting before the majestic entrance of his palacial mansion. He stood shirtless, his long blonde hair blowing in the wind. In his right hand he held a sword that glowed a dark and malevolent red. He had reached the frayed ends of his own sanity, and the kings unexpected betrayel had sent him far beyond the point of return.

As La Gile began to read the warrent for his arrest, from behind his back Legio drew a small throwing star that shone with an unholy aura, and hurled it at the mounted warriors. The star flew keenly through the air, and with an ear piercing shriek, sliced through La Giles' neck. Clutching the gaping wound, La Gile collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his mouth. The knights gathered round their dying lord and he gargled incomprehensibly before dying with a look of absolute terror in his eyes. With a terrifying roar, Legio launched himself in towards the heavily armoured knights. His sword flashed through the air, severing limbs and heads with unmatched ferocity.

Only one knight managed to escape the carnage, but by the time a larger force had returned to the mansion, Legio had vanished. Days before, his family, fearful of Legio's brooding rage, had fled with a number of his retainers to a secluded manor house in the east of the realm. Nothing else has ever been discovered about the plight of Legio. However, many believe he fled into the shadows of the southern forests to live a secluded life. Rumour has it that he still stalks the woods to this very day, ambushing unwary travellers. But that is just a rumour...

Generations passed and soon the story of Legio became nothing more than a forgotten legend, known only to bards and madmen. However, centuries after, the dark shadow of their predecesor still hangs over the head of the reigning noble of the House of Van Zandt.

Attached: Map of Korvell

 

[Existence]

Very nice Papa Laz, very very nice. Seems you got off track a bit with that last tall Keep that stuff coming!

 

[papa_laz]

Next up will be the town of Moraki. Im too tired to write it at the moment due to post exam celebrations, but it should be up by tommorow.

So what do you guys think? Any comments are welcome.

 

[papa_laz]

The Church of Hextor in Korvell
While the centralised and coherant governing policies of the northern land would undoubtably make the acceptance of a deity such as Hextor highly improbable, the southern land yields a more independant and less structured ruling class, providing an easier means of establishing the churchs dominance. At present, the Scourges influence in Narras-Caer is relatively small. However, since the first of the imposing fortress-temples took root in the desecrated grounds of southern Korvell, Hextors power has grown at a steadily increasing rate.

It was nigh on ten years ago, in the depths of Korvells harshest winter to date, that the name of Hextor was made synonomous with calculated brutality and unrivaled military prowess. As the icy gales and devestating blizzards of the winter had reached their peak, the southern towns of Korvell found themselves victim to a seemingly endless onslaught of barbarian raids. From the southern steppe they came, whirling their greataxes with psychotic abandon and howling, like wolves, for blood. The tribes, whos warriors had centuries ago been slaughtered by the merciless forces of Legio, had reformed, grown in strength, and now saught vengeance. They came in the night, unleashing a whirlwind of merciless slaughter upon the populace, before vanishing into the darkness, taking with them many of the towns vital supplies. In their wake the Barbarians left only the smouldering remains of razed buildings and the bodies of their victims, usually maimed beyond recognition.

As his own soldiers proved themselves useless against the guerilla tactics of the barbarians, Sario, the head of the Van Zandt Noble House, partitioned the King to send aid in the form of his elite royal gaurd. Unwilling to divert his soldiers from the war, Azar refused the dukes request, leaving him with only one option. Sario had heard little of the dreaded mercenaries whom he was about to strike a deal with, and knew only that they worshipped the evil god of war and massacre, Hextor. He contaced the elusive cleric Dreznar, who he was told, would be able to summon the mercenaries within a matter of days. In exchange for the services of the Firsts of Hextor, Dreznar demanded the construction of fortress temples in the towns of Moraki, Hess and Tsaris. Desperate to end the mayhem that was quickly spreading across the realm, Sario reluctantly agreed to the demands and the contract was sealed with the blood of both men.

The next morning a unit of the elite, black cloaked mercenaries thundered into Moraki on massive dark steeds. They numbered only thirty, and the hearts of the people, huddled inside their houses, sank when they realised their saviours would be vastly outnumbered by the barbarian tribes. Into the town centre the Fists rode, and as the representative hurried to greet them, they dismounted. Their leader, Nassar, removed his deathly black helmet, and at that moment all doubt of the mercenaries abilities vanished. He had the face of a demon, his skin pulled taught across a gaunt face that had no doubt seen more carnage and bloodshed than any man should in a hundred life times. His shaven skull was crisscrossed with the ritualised scarring of the Fists' grueling initiation ceremony and several of the townsfolk swore his eyes gleamed a deep and malevolent red. On his back he carried a composite long bow of obvious magical power, and from a scabbord on his belt he drew a long and deadly looking sword. Its serated blade was a dark grey colour, and in his gauntleted hand Nassar swung it, with the casual confidence of a master. Nassar spoke a few words to the representative before donning his helmet and climbing back on to his horse.

As the Fists mounted their steeds and thundered off into the wilderness, the representative was left to ponder the solitary command given to him by their demon faced leader. One hundred wooden poles, each 6ft high, were to be hammered into the surface of a nearby plateu that overlooked the town. Fearful of angering the mercenaries, the representative ordered all able bodied townsfolk to set to work gathering the poles and hammering them in. By nightfall the job was done, and the townsfolk gathered round, staring at the bewildering sight they had created. That night they slept in peace.

The next morning the Fists returned, bringing with them the spoils of war. One hundered prisoners; men, women and children, were pulled behind the immense black steeds, their arms bound with crude rope. On to the staked plateu the Fists dragged them, screaming and writhing at the realistion of their fate. As the townsfolk looked on, hatred in their eyes, the captives were tied one by one to the poles.

"These are the ones who wished to kill you and drink your blood!" yelled Nassar in a deep and booming voice.
"The ones who burnt your houses and slaughtered your loved ones. Do you wish to show them mercy, to reward their barbarism?" He paused, looking over the hating, tearful eyes of the townsfolk.
"Mercy is for the weak. And weak you shall be, lest you slay those who wish to do you harm." He knelt before a small boy whos tearful eyes betrayed the loss he had faced at the hands of the barbarians, and drew a long serated dagger from his belt. Handing it to the child, Nassar led the boy through the ranks of captives, until he found a child of similar age. The children stared at each other, their eyes filled with terror, and Nassar knelt again whispering into the boys ear. Suddenly, the child, his face distorted by anger and hatred, plunged the dagger deep into the stomach of the captive standing opposite him. The child thrust the dagger again and again into his enemy and his victim screamed louder with each thrust. The blade cut deep into the flesh and the boy hacked and sliced at his victim, rending meat from bone. The victims screams disolved into gurgles as blood began to gush from his mouth, and eventually he died, his own intestines wrapped crudely around his bloody neck.

The Fists observed with pleased looks as the crowd of townsfolk began to seeth with fury and vengeful hatred. "Weapons for all!" yelled Nassar, and the Fists quickly began to distribute daggers, swords and axes to the murderous commoners. It was said that upon witnessing this act of despicable depravity, Hextor smiled, and for for the first time in months, rays of sunlight shone through the slowly dissipating clouds of the southern skies.

The Barbarian raiders of the southern steppe had been all but eradicated by the Fists co-ordinated battle tactics and combat prowess. The people of southern Korvell, eternally grateful to their saviours, swore allegiance to Hextor and renounced the worship of any other Deity. Hateful of the King who refused to defend his own people, the townsfolk of Korvell declared him a selfish weakling worthy only of death. The Champion of Evil had been the only deity who saught to save the people. And for this he would be worshipped eternally.

 

[papa_laz]

The Church of Hextor in Korvell Part II
Quick to capitalise on their popularity, the Fists took up position in each of the newly constructed temples. The people of Moraki, sworn devotees of Hextor, adopted the mantra of the church with zeal, adhering absolutely to the expectations placed upon them. The ranks of the Church began to swell, and soon the imposing fortress-temple that loomed above the town became home to over one hundred members.

Fearful of unleashing a veritable Pandora's box on a realm still recovering from the savage Barbarian raids, Sario maintained a policy of appeasment with regards to the expansionist tendencies of Hextor. Slolwy the control of southern Korvell slipped from his grasp, and soon even his own representatives were being ursurped by the Church and relegated to 'ambassador' status. As construction of the realms fourth temple-fortress to Hextor began in the southern town of Callitas, the Duke realised the folly of his plan, as now fully one third of Korvell was under the control of the church. Faced with the prospect of losing his own position, Sario held council with the king, hoping that Azar X would intervene and send forces to eliminate the encroaching threat. Furious that Sario had let the situation spiral so out of control, Azar denied the dukes request and ordered that he solve this problem as he had the last one. Spiteful of the Kings stubborness and disregard for his own lands, Sario struck a deal with the patriarch-general of the church. In exchange for a cease in expansionist policy, the duke agreed to forfeit all taxation rights and allow the church to form an independent theocratic state.


Opinions anybody?

 

[papa_laz]

The Fortification
As the patriarch-general and his subordinates basked in the power they now held, it was clear that they would not hold it without a decisive plan of action. Recruitment was doubled, and soon the Church's armies numbered thousands of supremely trained and equiped soldiers. Fortification of the state began shortly after, and the towns of southern Korvell found themselves enclosed by 12ft high walls. Watch towers dotted the countryside, providing both garrison for troops and an effective means of long distance communication.

The Cleansing
Whilst the majority of the populace was by now totally dedicated to the worship of The Scourge, not all members of the community were so willing to adhere to the totalitarian ideals of the Church. It was during the period of fortification, shortly following the decleration of the states independance, that the process of "cleansing" was carried out. Anyone who denied Hextors divine right over their souls was declared a dissident and thrown in to the vast dungeons beneath Hextors imposing fortress-temples. Here they were interogated, tortured and eventually killed. Those imprisoned included intellectuals, criminals, worshippers of deities other than Hextor and anyone else who was deemed a threat to the Church's power. A ban was declared on any organisations that held power, and all guilds were quickly abolished and their leaders killed. Any temples dedicated to deities other than Hextor were burnt to the ground, and their priests imprisoned and subsequently executed in bloody public ceremonies.

The Crusade
However, these actions did not go unnoticed by the outside world, and soon the Church was faced with the wrath of an army of crusaders. Numerous good aligned faiths had gathered their forces in Nothern Korvell, intent on avenging their bretheran and freeing the land from tyranny. This was much to the delight of Sario, who despite being too afraid to contribute to their efforts, saw in the crusaders the opportunity to reclaim power of the rogue state. But they had underestimated the Church's might, and after heavy casualties on the open battlefield, the crusaders resorted to a prolonged campaign of guerilla warfare. After perhaps a month of bloodshed, the remnants of the crusading army fled from Korvell with their morale in tatters. The crusaders had held little chance against a force who commanded the hearts of the people so thoroughly, both on and off the battlefield.

In retaliation, the Church launched a series of attacks against the organisations who had dared defy the might of Hextor. In the months following the incursion into southern Korvell, the skies of the southern lands were blackened by the smoke that billowed from the temples of Heironeus and Kord. So decisive was the actions of church's infamous Hell Hounds, that never again was the divine right of Hextor tested. And within the black fortress's his minions schemed, for when the time came, the armies of the Scourge would march across the continent, carving an empire from the blood of martyrs. And utop the pyramid of skulls they would sit. And then they would laugh, for all the domain of Narras-Caer would be theirs...

 

[papa_laz]

Moraki Town Centre
One of Korvells largest towns, the people of Moraki suffered greatly at the hands of the Barbarian raiders. It has been estimated that fully one third of Moraki's population was slaughtered in the devestating raids of ten winters ago. Under the totalitarian rulership of the church of Hextor, the town has flourished and is currently home to 4,000 people.

Key to the map below:

1. The Marketplace: a great variety of goods can be purchased from the numerous stalls located here.

2. The Stables: Horses can be purchased and stabled here.

3. Gaurd House (abandoned): The gaurd house became obsolete as the church took control of the town. All law enforcement is now based in the fortress of Hextor.

4. The Lockup (abandoned): Once used to imprison criminals, Moraki's crime rate has been all but eliminated by the church's regime of fear and frequent use of the death penalty.

5. The Distillery: A shop specialising in magical items.

6. The Devils Armoury: This shop sells arms and armour, some magical.

7. The Colluseum (abandoned): In the past the colluseum was used to hold various shows of public entertainment, now it lies in ruins. Several subteranean levels are located under the colluseum.

8. The Fountain of Blood - Shrine of Hextor: Each morning the populace of Moraki gather here to pay hommage to their dark god in a ceremony led by a high ranking member of the church. Outside the shrine A large fountain in the shape of Hextor stands in a large pool of blood.

9. Fortress-Temple of Hextor: Inside the mighty walls of this looming fortress the patriarch-general and his subordinates rule over the theocratic state of Southern Korvell. The fortress acts as both a garrison for troops and the central base of operations for the church.

10. Lords Manor: Juan Christof, the local member for the house of Van Zandt lives in this manor. A tenuos relationship exists between the noble house and church, however the patriarch-general believes that the presence of the representative serves the church well in its dealings with the rulers of Korvell.

11. The Tannery: Items of leather can be purchased and ordered here.

12. The Emporium: This shop caters to expensive and unusual tastes, many rare and wonderful items can be found here.

13. The Boars Tusk: Once a drinking hole notorious for its frequent, largescale brawls, the taverns patrons have of late adopted a more lawful approach to life, fearful of the churches dislike of trouble makers.

14. The Red Kobold Inn: Musicians from around the continent once flocked to this Inn, however the flow of entertainers has dropped dramatically over the past decade. Every now and then one may find a bard sitting in the corner of the Inn, plucking out a melancholy tune on his harp.

15. The Snake Pit: In the past this Inn was an infamous criminal hangout and the unofficial base of the local thieves guild. However, since the abolition of the guild the Inn has kept a low profile.

What do you guys think?

Attached: map of Morakis Town Centre

 

[Existence]

It's all coming together quite nicely, a larger map would do, as the background suggests that the town is much larger. Perhaps make the arena fully functioning.

 

[Silver Moon]

Nothing else has ever been discovered about the plight of Legio. However, many believe he fled into the shadows of the southern forests to live a secluded life. Rumour has it that he still stalks the woods to this very day, ambushing unwary travellers. But that is just a rumour...Attached: Map of Korvell [/B]

This is wonderful stuff! I would like to work Legio into my "League of Assassins" campaign, the tread being plotted on this board. I haven't quite figured out how, but this character and his origin are way too good to pass up.

A few quick questions - What are his spec's? What is his releationship to the Church of Hextor? Hextor is one fifteen deities worshipped on my continent, so I would like to tie this all together if I could.

Thanks....Silver Moon