Nightfall said:
MD,
Yeah well he does some rather unique twists I'll say. Maybe if you tell us more about your campaign we might help kick out the sluggishness.
Nightfall, I'll just copy and past the outline that I have written so far... beware... this is a LONG post. I was hoping one of the players would play a would be vigilant to act as Vesh's voice in the game.
Act I: The Siege of Durrover
1. The Heroes are contracted by the Vigils of Vesh to infiltrate Durrover, which is currently under attack by the army of Lageni and being guarded in places by Ashen Legion mercenaries. A land route would take them through harsh and foreboding mountains, not to mention the Mourning Marsh. Also it could lead through the dangerous blood rain forest. The safest route would be a sea approach via Corean’s Cleft, but it is guarded by a Cohort of the dreaded Ashen Legion.
2. Upon reaching Durrover the heroes must take the supplies they are carrying to the king of Durrover, Jeddard III. Unfortunately since the fall of the capital few people know where to find him. One person who knows is a priest in the order of gold but he won’t let the heroes know until he’s sure he can trust them. In truth he is in hiding with a group of Highland Warriors. They are distrustful of the Heroes and admitting to having the king among them is the last thing they want to do. In truth he’s masquerading as an old, and insane, Shaman among them.
3. Upon gaining the King’s trust he brings them up to date on the situation. Since the fall of the capital Lageni has installed a governor, one Baron Elmedor. A man of strange powers, and seemingly limitless resources. A legion of troops, an honor guard of Black Dragoons, The Duke of Lageni’s eldest daughter, Lady Marya, and a pair of expert trackers accompanied Elmedor to the capital. These trackers, twins, are to hunt down anyone resisting Elmedor and bring them back for his very special brand of questioning. The next morning the heroes are initiated into the Highland group (which consists of a Berserker with a Claymore, A stealthy spear wielding scout, a one eyed sorcerer and of course the saber wielding king) when they come upon a small patrol burning a village, pillaging, and raping the women who live their. Despite the patrol’s “small” size they still greatly out number the 10 or so highland warriors. If the heroes succeed in defeating the force their commander, a Vicious Half-Ogre, arrives with reinforcements. It is then that they are in turn saved by the Widow’s legion. Women who have lost their families to Lageni’s oppression and have vowed revenge. They also get to meet the Legion’s leader; a fiery Archer named Jorna.
4. With the sudden appearance of the Widow’s legion it becomes apparent that despite Lageni’s successful military operations in Durrover a sizable resistance still exists. It’s up to the heroes to try and get the Widow’s legion to join with the Highland warriors. This isn’t an easy task, Jorna is vehement about pretty much everything, and the King’s traditionalist views on women make such a match difficult. If the heroes can convince the two factions to join forces they form the beginning of an army, but more is needed, especially when a small group of Widow’s Legionnaires fail to return from a patrol. The culprits turn out to be the twin hunters, ruthlessly efficient killers they lure the heroes away from the camp and into an area that they’ve riddled with poison coated traps.
5. After the fiasco with the Twins the forces of Durrover agree that they’ll need to separate for the time being and garner more support. The King agrees to return to the highlands and rally as many clans to his side as possible. While Jorna agrees to use her legion to search for smaller and scattered resistance groups. The King requests that the heroes travel to the Dwarven Fortress of Burok Torn and plead their case to the mountain Dwarves. He knows that if the Dwarves can be convinced to join in the Cause that they would make powerful allies. Unfortunately Lageni dogs the heroes’ steps the entire trip and even upon arriving at the Mountain City they find the Dwarves to be unreceptive to the idea of allying with Durrover. It might take a lot of convincing, or a massive good deed, to get the Dwarves to change their mind.
6. On the way back from Burok Torn an especially deadly team of Calastian Dragon Knights waylays the heroes. The heroes should flee into the ruins of a remote church. Unfortunately the church’s ruins are home to a small group of monks, dedicated to the brotherhood of the four winds. They may prove to be powerful allies, however some blame the heroes from leading the dragon knights to them. Either way the adventure should end in a pitched battle between the heroes and monk versus the dragon knights.
7. Upon returning with the Dwarves’ response the heroes get some startling news. A Veshian Nobleman is trying to wed his daughter to the King. The King refuses citing his inability to keep a bride safe in the current political climate, but the Nobleman also offers the King the use of his honor guard if he accepts. The Heroes have two tasks here, convince the king that taking a bride will not result in her instant death, and to return to Vesh to fetch that same bride and bring her back to Durrover. Not simple tasks when Elmedor has gotten word of the marriage and sent a squad of Black Dragoons to kill or capture the bride to be.
8. Whether they successfully deliver the bride or not the heroes are faced with a difficult task. The troops promised by the Noblemen cannot take a land route to Durrover or they would face heavy losses. He’s mobilized a fleet of ships, but they too much breech the Ashen Legion’s blockade. While one ship might slip through four won’t be as lucky. The heroes must infiltrate the Ashen Legion’s twin bases and disable their ability to stop the ships, not an easy task when faced with hundreds of highly trained fighters. When the troops arrive they turn out to be Crimson Legion mercenaries discretely hired by Vesh, using the Nobleman as a funnel, and a convenient reason not to be held liable. Among those mercenaries is a Bounty hunter in search of Baron Elemador’s head.
9. On the Eve of the battle to take back Durrover King Jeddard approaches the heroes. If his bride to be has been kidnapped he will ask the heroes to rescue her. If not he will ask the heroes to sneak into Durrover and run interference sabotaging the enemy efforts and killing key personnel. They are aided in this effort by the masked Bounty Hunter; this could amount to a suicide mission for the heroes if they approach this wrong. One way to handle it is to use the tunnels underneath the city to cover their entrance. The mission should end however in a knockdown drag out fight against Baron Elemador and several of his elite Guardians. In the end he attempts to make his escape but Lady Marya who informs him that he’s served his purpose and drags him back to Lageni in chains. She then sets a group of Black Dragoons, led by Captain Drake, on the heroes.
10. One thing remains before the King truly has complete control over his land. Calastian forces have had fortress under siege for the past 3 years. The heroes are given the task of leading an army to the fortress and to scatter the Calastian forces. This will prove a perfect time for the heroes to prove their intelligence and to make use of the rules in Cry Havoc.
11. With the capital back in the King’s hands he begins setting matters in order. First order of business is to lead a large procession to the palace and for the King to wed his new bride. The respite proves brief however as the heroes are asked to take place in a conference between the King and the leaders of Durrover’s allies Burok Torn, Mithril, and Vesh. It becomes apparent that the victory over Lageni was temporary at best, and it’s only a matter of time before they mount a new assault, one that the over worked rebel army of Durrover would be hard pressed to fight back.
