A game set during the war between Arkhosia and Bael Turath

[Nikosandros]

My AD&D campaign has gone on hiatus and last week, since we hadn't yet decided what to do next with that group, I prepared some Essentials characters and whipped up a couple of encounters in order to run a 4e one shot.

On a whim, I decided to set the adventure in the remote past of the PoL setting, during the war between Arkhosia and Bael Turath. I briefly told them that there was a massive total war going on, with giant moving fortresses and mighty rituals being unleashed by both sides. The PCs were a dragonborn paladin (who was in charge of the squad), an elf scout, a half-elf sentinel and a drow hunter (this last one a male renegade, who had fled to the surface). I told them that they were part of the III Expeditionary Corps and that, according to recent intelligence, a tiefling warlock was corrupting is some way a river within a forest close to the area of operations. The squad was sent on a seek & destroy mission to terminate this threat.

Due to some RL-related issues we were only able to complete the first encounter, but the players rather liked both the characters and the setting and they also expressed the desire to play 4e again. Tonight, I'll be running this game again, but at this point I'm considering expanding this short adventure a bit and also considering making it into a small campaign.

So, I'm now turning to the collective genius of ENWorld in order to ask for suggestions and ideas that I can pillage for this game.

So, what's the warkock really up to? What kind of nasty creatures might be running amok in the old forest? Where is the warlock doing her wicked work? Perhaps some corrupted primordial shrine?

And, if this really blossoms in a campaign, what kind of missions could a "special forces" squad be involved? Infiltration stuff (under the cover of some powerful illusion ritual) certainly comes to mind.

There is also the possibility, if the game lasts long enough, of the squad going rogue, should they disagree with some of the brutality the Arkhosia High Command might deem necessary in order to pursue a just war against the hell-tainted scum of Bael Turath.

 

[Kelvor Ravenstar]

The best background for the Arkhosian - Bael Turathi wars (there was more than one) I've seen so far was in the recent novel The Seal of Karga Kul. In that novel it details one major battle that took place at a strategic bridge between the two empires. While this book may not be directly applicable to the adventure you're writing right now, it might have ideas you can plunder for later in the campaign.

 

[Fkewl]

I used the Wolves of Maldeen article for establishing my own special forces for my campaign (Scales of War adventure path)

 

[LostSoul]

So, what's the warkock really up to? What kind of nasty creatures might be running amok in the old forest? Where is the warlock doing her wicked work? Perhaps some corrupted primordial shrine?

Here's an idea. There's a creature in Open Grave... ah yes, a Rotvine Defiler.

Open Grave pg 130
[Religion] DC 26: A rotvine defiler is the profane remnant of an immortal devoted to nature or agriculture. The corrupted immortals were slain and sealed under the ground, where the seeds of evil caused them to return to life and outwardly manifest their malevolence.

[Religion] DC 31: A rotvine defiler arises when a creature makes a sacrifice over the monster's earthly tomb, breaking the seals containing it. The creature usually retains none of its original intelligence or memories.​

It's a level 26 Solo.

My idea is that the river has been turned to blood from all the sacrifice that the warlock is doing on the rotvine defiler's "earthly tomb" in order to break the seals.

The "river of blood" isn't actually tons of blood, it's just gone insane with necrotic energy. You can use other monsters like Offalians, Blood Aminotes, scavengers that feast on the dead, etc. around the river. The warlock has some allies of his own, especially devils - though he's not picky.

You might want to add some kind of potential ally - I'd go with some kind of ancient smart spider, to play off the elf/drow thing - who has access to the seals that held the defiler in place. This thing is ancient, totally bored of life, and thus cares little if it dies; it doesn't much care if the defiler kills it.

If the defiler is unleashed, I imagine the PCs will die. Make it clear that the PCs have "lost" - the defiler goes wild, killing thousands of Arkhosian soldiers until an elder dragon sacrifices itself to kill it - but don't run an encounter with the thing.

 

[Nikosandros]

The best background for the Arkhosian - Bael Turathi wars (there was more than one) I've seen so far was in the recent novel The Seal of Karga Kul. In that novel it details one major battle that took place at a strategic bridge between the two empires. While this book may not be directly applicable to the adventure you're writing right now, it might have ideas you can plunder for later in the campaign.

Thanks for the suggestion. Book Depository had it for a decent price and I snatched up a copy. As you said, it isn't likely to be too relevant to the current adventure, but it certainly sounds intriguing for further development...

 

[Nikosandros]

I used the Wolves of Maldeen article for establishing my own special forces for my campaign (Scales of War adventure path)

I haven't payed any attention to Scales of War, but since I have a DDI subscription, I'll definitely take a look. Do you remember the issue number?

Here's an idea. There's a creature in Open Grave... ah yes, a Rotvine Defiler. [...]

Intriguing ideas. I've decided to go with the primordial and the blood sacrifices. The monsters you mentioned are far too powerful for a 1st level group, but I was thinking that the whole deal with the imprisoned primordial can become a recurring problem...

I'm getting a bit stoked about this...

Between large scale battles, commando strikes, infiltration missions, counter-espionage and political intrigue there's definitely a lot of potential.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Do you have [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Vor-Rukoth-Ancient-Ruins-Adventure/dp/078695549X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300482068&sr=1-1"]Vor Rukoth[/ame]? It's set in the "current" years, so the city is a ruin. But it is full of interesting Tiefling stuff.

 

[Nikosandros]

Do you have Vor Rukoth? It's set in the "current" years, so the city is a ruin. But it is full of interesting Tiefling stuff.

Yes, I have it and I also have the Dragonborn and Tiefling booklets, so those three will definitely be mined for inspiration.

 

[invokethehojo]

If you end up running this campaign for awhile it might be worth checking out George R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire series. Books 2 and 3 had the best description of what life was like for regular people during a medieval war I have ever read. It gave me all kinds of ideas of how to run a military campaign that eventually finds the PC's separating from the army and becoming champions of the local people largely forgotten by the powers that be in their struggle.

 

[Nikosandros]

If you end up running this campaign for awhile it might be worth checking out George R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire series. Books 2 and 3 had the best description of what life was like for regular people during a medieval war I have ever read. It gave me all kinds of ideas of how to run a military campaign that eventually finds the PC's separating from the army and becoming champions of the local people largely forgotten by the powers that be in their struggle.

I bought the first three books quite some time ago and I read the first two. At the time I was under the mistaken impression that it was a trilogy and when I realized that there would be three (actually four, as it turned out) more books, none of which had yet been published at the moment, I completely lost steam and stopped reading the series.

That said, it is an enjoyable series, but I'm not really going for a medieval feel. Rather it's more of an anachronistic total war, somewhat inspired by the Easter front in WWII, with massed troops, shock armies and concentrated artillery barrages.