Part II: Into Acheria...

The second half of this adventure takes place after the PCs have successfully repelled the Acherian forces wreaking havoc in northern Denia. Now that Duke Azgar's troops have been twarted the heroes must enter the Acherian region of Blackdale and begin to undermine enemy forces there.

This means having a whole new set of possible missions for the PCs to choose from. Like the last set of missions there are missions here which cannot be undertaken if other choices are made. But to mix it up a bit we're going to change the conditions of them. Like Part I's missions, Part II's has different points for each mission for different characters reflecting, again, their motivations and backgrounds. This time though, there are two different either/or missions and one mission that only can be undertaken once all other options have been completed. The first either/or choice involves what to do about the outpost of Eladrin at Annaral. The PCs can either choose to eliminate them since, even if the PC take over this region by defeating the Acherians, they will still have to deal with the meddlesome Eladrin. Or they can choose to side with the Eladrin in order to strike more of a blow against Acheria (an enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of situation). The second either or is also the finale of the Adventure and can only be done as the last mission once Acherian forces in the area have suffered a serious blow. The intereting bit about the ending is that only one PC can come out on top, so to speak.

What do I mean by this? Well, only one PC can win the points for how the very last encounter of the last mission goes - the big question: Will the PCs kill Duke Azgar, or turn him into an ally? Once the last mission is finished take a look at the total points of each PC. The highest one has the most influence over what happens next for this region - the most say over what it becomes, that is, for future campaigns set here. Or, if you do not set another campaign here, for bragging rights. Maybe rename the region after them or something ego-stroking. It's up to you. The second highest point total gets the next say in the shaping of the region and then the next highest and so on.

So, without further adieu, let's take a look at Part II. The final mission details and such will be posted only after I have already run my group through the end of the adventure so it might be a week or two, FYI.

Part II: Into Acheria - DMs notes

Typical villages not listed on the map:

250' x 800' for city block

Small Village
one acre (about a football field's worth of land or 1/5 a city block)
One half square mile of surrounding farmland
Population: 60
Livestock: 90 fowl, 30 pigs, 10 sheep
Houses: One dozen
Services: None
Guards: None

Medium Village
Four acres (about one city block)
Two square miles of surrounding farmland
Population: 360
Livestock: 500 fowl, 200 pigs, 75 sheep, 25 cattle
Houses: 60
Services: Shoemaker, Furrier, Tailor, Barber, Tavern
Guards: 2 (or in enemy territory there will be 4 = to 2 levels below the PCs)

Large Village (wooden walls optional)
12 acres (about two city blocks)
five square miles of surrounding farmland
Population: 1000
Livestock: 1500 fowl, 400 pigs, 200 sheep, 100 cattle
Houses: 200
Services: Shoemaker, Furrier, Tailor, Barber, 2 Taverns, jeweler, bakery, masons, carpenters, weavers, chandlers, merchant, coopers, minor craftsman, wine seller, hat maker, saddler, butcher
Guards: 6 (or in enemy territory there will be 10, 5 as minions = to PC's level -1, 4 = to PCs level -1, one = to PC's level)

Small Town (walled - wooden)
20 acres (about four city blocks)
11 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 1.5 miles out from town)
Population: 2000
Livestock: 2500 fowl, 1000 pigs, 500 sheep, 200 cattle
Houses: 400
Services: as above only: 5 Taverns, fishmonger, beer-sellers, craftsmen, blacksmiths, painter, 1 inn
Guards: 15 (or in enemy territory there will be 25, 20 as minions = to PC's level, 5 = to PCs level)

Medium Town (walled - wooden)
30 acres (about six city blocks)
25 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 2.5 miles out from town)
Population: 5000
Livestock: 6500 fowl, 2500 pigs, 1200 sheep, 500 cattle
Houses: 400 (multi-level)
Services: as above only: 13 Taverns, 2 inns, inter-city merchants, all services save a university as those only exist in the nation's capitals (save Denia which has no true capital).
Guards: 35 (or in enemy territory there will be 60, 40 as minions = to PC's level, 10 = to PCs level +1, 5 = to PC's level +2, 5= to PC's level +3)

Large Town (walled - wooden/stone)
40 acres (about eight city blocks or 1/4 mile sq.)
40 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 3.5 miles out from town)
Population: 8000
Livestock: 10,000 fowl, 4000 pigs, 2000 sheep, 800 cattle
Houses: 600 (multi-level)
Services: as above only: 20 Taverns, 4 inns, all merchants and services save a university as those only exist in the nation's capitals (save Denia which has no true capital).
Guards: 55 (or in enemy territory there will be 100, 50 as minions = to PC's level, 30 as minions - to PC's level +2, 10 = to PCs level +2, 5 = to PC's level +3, 5= to PC's level +4)

In enemy territory the guards on the outer walls are predominantly undead. This is because they can watch all day and all night without a break, if need be. A group of living guards are stationed at the towers in two shifts to direct the undead. A shift of living guards roam the streets in the day time, meaning that for large towns three groups of five patrol the streets at day, passing major points of the town every twenty minutes or so and fully covering all streets over the course of the day. At night a curfew is enforced and the night watch - undead - roam the streets with impunity to kill any who are not members of the guard. Should the population rise up or the town come under attack a separate group of 20 undead lie in wait in vaults under the town.

The real military might of Acheria isn't found patrolling the streets and walls of its nation's towns though. Instead armies of giants and undead and demons are kept in strategic fortresses throughout the realm to be ready for invasions or uprisings or to march to war. Some of these fortresses are in cities and towns though but they do not share the burden of keeping the peace. Humans, dwarves, elves, etc. are much easier to keep in line using human forces and the threat of undead and other horrible forces than to put them under the direct supervision of these monstrous beings, for the most part.

You enter into the Acherian town through the gate in the stone wall. Acherian soldiers keeping a watchful eye on those entering. Atop the stone walls surrounding the town undead soldiers patrol the walls kept separate from the townsfolk within save at night when they roam free and the townsfolk seal themselves within their homes. Leaving the wall behind you, you work your way through the narrow 15' wide streets winding in between two and three story half-timber buildings which tower crookedly overhead.

Acheria:
2.75 million total population
55,000 sq. miles (roughly 50 people / sq. mi.)
90% Human, 3% Dwarven, 2% Elven, 2% Halfling, ≥2% Other races, ≤1% Giant
32,000 Troops (5% conscription rate of eligible 25% of population) Undead troops: 32,000.


Largest city population: 25,000 (Fallmage)
Second largest city population: 12,500 (Shadowfall)
Third largest city population: 9,000 (Mornesse)
3 Large Towns (Blackdale, Ostbarrow, Ashmount) 200 troops
9 Medium Towns (Coldkeep, Witchdell, Clearford, Wolfbridge, Mareville, Noignar, 3 others -Cavorna, Chorak, Aridun)
15 Small Towns (named as needed)

The object the Enemy seeks is in this other region of the Evil Nation.

The information was extracted from the Head of the Order's mind by the Elite Evil Group of the Evil Nation. So the enemy knows the region they need to scour and have some general ideas of where to search. Their forces concentrate there and seek to unite that volatile region to stabilize their nation enough to provide aid to another area which is now under attack by the Conquest Nation.

Quest points are indicated in the following order, always: Weak Nation (Denia), Holy Nation (Hionia), Martial Nation (Torion), Republic Nation (Eldunmark)

Quest 1 (3, 0, 0, 1 - 0 magic items) - Stage an attack between two rival enemy forces, furthering the infighting there
Quest 2 (0, 0, 3, 0 - 0 magic items) - Counter the Elite Evil Group's efforts to unify the forces
Quest 3 (0, 0, 0, 0 - 0 magic items) - Strike directly at the forces in this region to weaken them
Quest 4 (0, 3, 0, 0 - 0 magic items) - Find the Holy Item
Quest 5 (0, 0, 1, 3 - 0 magic items) - Help Establish a 4 nation colony within the territory


The Duke whose shipment was intercepted seeks his treasure back. He sends out a group of assassins after those responsible. The players can try to frame a group of troglodytes living in the region to throw the Duke off the trail and keep him busy.

PCs can earn extra points for leveling in each quest by coming up with an additional encounter that pertains somehow to the rest of the adventure.

The Good and the Bad of Each Nation
-The holy righteousness of good versus the vengeance against those who have wronged you.
- The value of freedom versus the chaos of lawlessness
- The unifying power of conquest versus the horrific brutality of war
- The foundation of structure versus the oppression of another's will


Quest points are indicated in the following order, always: Denia Chaos (James), Hionia Holy (Josh), Torion War (James), Ealdunmark Order (Josh)

Differing setups for quests.
8 quests, 3 will disappear (2 from choices, one from the advancement of time)

Quest 1 (3,1,1,2 - 0) Chaos vs. Holy & War (destroy a "holy" artifact of war used by the enemy but which would be a boon in the hands of others - the 3 beacons of Anirion)
   - Take out the Southern Beacon
   - Take out the Central Beacon (The Northern beacon will effectively be neutralized once the Central Beacon has been disabled)
Quest 2 (1,3,2,1 - 1) Holy vs. Chaos & Order (Lead some peasant dwarves to take over a wild area to restrict trade for Acheria - destroy demon overlords there so they can establish dominance)
   - Kill off Dwarves now aligned with the demons (Dreugar)
   - Kill Demons
   - Close Demonic Gate to prevent further incursions of Demons




The dwarves of Cavorna are enslaved by demons. A gate to the abyss has been opened here and many of the native dwarves of the Ruby Clan have been transformed into dreugar, seeking a better caste in their lives under the cruel demons. While the dwarves of the Ruby Clan are fierce fighters their best soldiers were lost when the demons took over in the Last War and they have been unable to throw down the powers which enslave them, nor able to the seal the rift, though they believe they know how to accomplish this.

1-rescue miners (PCs told the secret to defeating the demon gate)
2-outer guard
3-inner guard (told the miners have the secret to defeating the demon gate) - triggers encounter 5
4-gate (locked & cannot be defeated without info
5-Head Demon (holds the key to 4)

2 --- 1
|
3 --- 4
|
5

so you go 1,2,3,5,4 or 2,1,3,5,4 or 2,3,5,1,4 - no rest between 3 and 5?

Key NPCs:
Princess Torberyl Flamesmiter - a young dwarven female, the only remaining member of the royal family. She's a figurehead under control of the demons. Golden-haired and thin - unhealthy-looking for a dwarf. Dark circles under her eyes.
Venerable Elder Harnad Cairnender - advisor to the royal family - now a slave in the mines. Grey-bearded and frail with tired-looking eyes
Feror Keyforge - Head of the rebellious dwarves in the inner guard. Small, even for a dwarf, black beard and long hair. Preferred weapon is a knife. He was a convicted thief before the demons came and opened up a portal to their realm and enslaved the dwarves. Now he plays both sides to stay alive.
Hilid Cairnender - Matron of the princess, now separated from her. Not strong enough to toil in the mines she has been forced to breed with the dreugar. She is the one who tells the PCs of the importance of Elder Cairnender (her father) when they find her in the inner guard.
Quest 3 (1,1,3,2 - 1) War vs. Holy & Chaos  (convert a evil warrior to Torion's banner (errant knight?) when the invasion reaches his area)
   -
Quest 4 (1,1,2,3 - 2) Order vs. Chaos & Holy (Create better trade network - eliminate a rouge power within Acheria)
   - Attack an Acherian force to provoke more attacks against the Eladrin
   - Attack the Eladrin to hamstring their ability to fight back
Quest 5 (2,2,1,3 - 1) Order vs. War (Assassinate a rogue knight of Torion who creates chaos in this region)
   -
Quest 6 (2,2,3,1 - 1) War vs. Order (Hit a caravan carrying goods for Acherion forces)
   -
Quest 7 (2,3,1,2 - 1) Holy vs. War (Distribute a hidden cache of food to the needy instead of sending it for Torion troops to use when the invasion begins.)
   -
Quest 8 (3,2,2,1 - 1) Chaos vs. Order (Ensure the survival of an independent power in Acheria (eladrin) by defeating Acherian forces that hold them at bay )
   - Take out pass guarded by Acherians.
   - Take out forces that raid into the elven lands.


The Eladrin village of Annaral exists here because of a weak point in the planes. Here the feywild touches the earthly realm though only occasionally. In the Feywild a great nation of Eladrin was overthrown by the Fomorians and the Eladrin scattered. One group settled in an area that contained a tree fortress which moved back and forth across the planes, staying for months at a time on an irregular pattern. Protected from the horrors of the Feywild while they when they were transported to the Acherian hills the Eladrin managed to survive, unlike many other refugees fleeing the Fomorians. Stranded now for the past several years the Eladrin believe that the portal to their world will no longer function.

Stranded here, they have taken to roaming farther out of the hills and raiding caravans and small villages to help sustain themselves and thus have become a nuisance to Duke Azgar. Seeking to end their menace, the duke has a batallion of giants and undead patrolling the pass they have been known to raid out of, effectively sealing them in their valley. The Eladrin have decided to wait out the blockade knowing that should the Acerians press their attack they can defend themselves within their fortress and cripple the Acherians. But they hesitate to provoke them knowing that should the Duke decide to send more troops to bolster the ones blockading the pass they may be done in, though the strong among them will survive, the community would not. So each side waits for an outside advantage to come their way...

Quest 4 and Quest 8 oppose one another as they involve the same rogue power
Quest 3 and Quest 5 oppose one another as they involve the same rogue warrior
Quest 6 and quest 7 involve the same origination point for the food. in 6 some of the food is bound for Acherion forces


Rouge power group - Eladrin village in the Blackhollow hills
Evil Warrior - Duke Azgar of Blackdale
Food origination point - city to the north
Beacons between city to the north and Blackdale
Peasant group capable of warfare - Dwarves of Cavorna

Torion - enough successes and the invasion can begin.
Hionia - balance save refugee successes with fund Hionia successes
Denia - create enough chaos in the western Border of Acheria to protect Denia through Acheria's own infighting.
Ealdunmark - enough successes to create an Acherian trade network sympathetic to Ealdunmark

Duke Azgar of Blackdale
Duke Azgar of Blackdale is none other than the legendary fallen knight of Torion, Arik the Conquerer. In Torion his life story is a morality play on how pride comes before the fall and on the dangers of might ruled by ego. In the Great War he led Torion troops in to the west, conquering as far as the Untold Sea - expanding Torion's empire - for a brief moment - from sea to sea. But then Acheria swept south and cut off Torion. Arik the Conquerer fought eastward to try and regain the territory he had helped to conquer but Torion could not match this feat and was beaten back. Arik the Conquerer was cut off from aid and, by war's end, ruled a nation of his own for a brief moment. But when Acheria shook off the last injuries of the war its first move was to bring Arik into the fold by catering to his ego while threatening him with sure destruction for even so mighty a knight as he could not stand against the unified might of the Demon Kings. And so the mightiest knight of Torion fell due to his pride and became a warrior for those he once despised.



For the Duke Azgar encounter I used Kas the Betrayer from out of one of the DnD 4e supplements. Mainly because this not only fit the idea of a fallen knight who was okay with using undead and such for ruling his conquered nation, but also because my group had long ago established the Vampire Blackguard as one of the toughest opponents you could go against (Storm Giant Ghost being a close second). So when they faced him, frankly, they would know it was fricken ON and that they were in for a difficult fight. And they were. In fact they nearly lost.

But in addition to Arik/Duke Azgar's physical might he had intellectual power as well and this is reflected in how he tried to woo each player over to his side first and then, if they chose not to be wooed how he could easily talk down to them regarding their affiliations. These are presented here:

Arik's Speeches

Only I can keep the kingdom of Blackdale going.

On Denia:
They are what the other nations could be if they had less ambition. Denia is composed of selfish families more concerned about their standing in relation to one another than they are about doing any sort of good. Hionia starves to the north while Denian noble families dine on pheasant. Eldunmark will be allowed few in-roads into their precious territories because that might diminish their own power.

On Hionia:
Priests in golden robes preaching the way of kord yet paradoxically suppressing in-fighting amongst its overpopulated and constantly breeding poor population. Even the most casual observer could tell you that the priests of Hionia are not following the way of Kord as they preach. Instead they alienate those outside the faith and turna blind eye to the suffering of their own people so long as they can wear jeweled rings on their fingers and be worshipped as gods on earth. The are about as uncaring and cruel as many of them so in that sense they have succeeded.

On Eldunmark:
Here at least is an empire forged in a democratic process... one that shows just how little that structure really does to help. The senators  are unable, like a king, to turn on a moment's notice and respond to threats but they are too busy bowing to all other countries in the aim of furthering their trade routes for that to matter too much. The senate does one thing - it curtails the whims of a bad individual leader. Unfortunately, the will of the senate is such that it cares only for its own interests. While its population has a higher standard of living than other nations it still ultimately has no real say in the decisions and the senators grow rich furthering their own empires... not unlike Denia, ironically.

On Torion:
Ah, my former country which abandoned me, it's greatest warrior, at a moment's notice when lesser men weren't capable of holding captured territories that I myself conquered outright. It was a great lesson to me. That only the strong can hold onto territories and that the royal family, long inbreeding, have all but lost the stomach for what it takes to conquer.

On the Party:
So here, at long last, is the group of  warriors who have recently been manhandling my warriors. You are not the first to do so so don't be too proud of yourselves. For the most part you have done me favors. You have culled the weak from my upper ranks, yes... But you have also eliminated a thorn in my side - the eladrin of Annaral. You have also done me the favor of eliminating the demons in Cavorna and closing the gate there, I hear.

It might surprise you to hear a so-called "Demon King" admit to wanting to have demons eliminated from his kingdom for surely they were my allies, yes? ... How little of me you really know. For certain... delicate... balances of power, the demons were a thorn in my side. The dwarves made good weapons and that ceased when the demon gate opened. Demons being so... unpredictable... unreliable.

So you have, unwittingly served my ends and made my kingdom stronger, not weaker, as you have imagined. And now here you are. Ready to supplant me. But do you all seek the same resolution? Are you here for the good of Blackdale or are you here to further the ends of your lords? And are those ends the same? I doubt it. I sense the division in your ranks. What's to stop you turning on one another should you even do the unthinkable and eliminate me, the only man who has kept this unrecognized kingdom together for the past hundred years?

On his past and crimes:
I have been forced by outside events to make some tough choices to ensure the safety of the people of the Kingdom of Blackdale it is true. I've had to let some suffer to benefit the greater good The Hionians I killed because they were rising up against me. Any of your countries would have done - HAVE done, in fact - no different over the years. In pursuing the Hionians so fiercely I drove them out of the region. If they had stayed I would have been forced to kill even more of them. You say I murdered Hionians, I say I have sacrificed few to save many.

As to my affiliation with Acheria... well... there is more to it than you know. Acheria considers this kingdom to be part of their territory and considers me to be one of its vassals. But that is only partly true. The demon kings supplant one another regularly through deceptions and the lust for power. When they come together on an issue - which is rare - I have been called upon to aid them. And I have done so because to deny them is to invite their wrath. It is an act that would bring war - real war - to the lands of Blackdale. In that war there would be no one who would be saved. I am only one king. I cannot fight all the forces of Acheria by myself though against any one of them I would prevail. But my kingdom... and its people... would fall.


His plea to each character:

To Idrial:
House Vanya is strong and proud. It has suffered a blow by my hands at the burning of the Denian cities to the north but I will seek no conquest there. But Hionia will. They are overcrowded and in need of Denia's resources. Already they swim across the river to settle in your lands. Will you battle them too? Or seek to enfold them? Making a deal with me to not raze the area again in exchange for a truce between your house and mine will save many lives.
If she refuses:
Ah, yes, well they are not elven lives, of course, so why should you and yours care? How ludicrous of me to expect magnanimity from you. You see, Jamal? She cares nothing for your people, only her own vainglory.

To Jamal:
So you are here to strike me down in retribution for the crimes done upon your people? I have already told you how my actions against your people have saved them from necessary retaliation and yet you find yourself doubting my words. I cannot say as I blame you. But whether or not you find it convenient for your quest it IS the truth. My existence here has saved Hionia from direct confrontation with the worst of the Acherian Demon Kings to the west. Strike me down and the war will begin. And it will be worse than you can possibly imagine. Acheria still sees this kingdom as theirs. They will seek to reclaim it. And you will not have the might to hold it. Denia lies at your doorstep - a lush an verdant land to the south. Lead your people there. They cannot live under my banner without injury to their pride and they will simply replay history. I drove them out once. Do you really think I don't know how to do it again?
If he refuses:
Self-destructive... just like the rest of your people. Rush headlong into combat and bear the brunt of its force. Very well, holy warrior... you will meet your fate soon enough. Though I think your allies here may take issue with your thirst for vengeance.

To Alec:
You come seeking a vassal... I offer you this, instead: an ally. I am deep in the heart of the enemy's cousel and there is much I know that could be used against Acheria to both of our benefits... but declaring my allegiance will do naught but trigger a war. Before one can strike, one needs a plan. And a plan should be informed if it is to have a hope of being successful. I will ally with you... but I will not bow to your king. His grandfather abandoned me to this fate first, not I him. He must re-earn my trust at the very least but fealty is out of the question. Stay here and work with me on ridding the world of our common enemy.
If he refuses:
So you will stick to the letter of the law rather than use your common sense? Is it any wonder I will not bow to your liege if you are the best diplomat he can summon to treat with me? You're as useless as your king.

To Delia:
I have already signed a trade contract with your empire so there is no quarrel between us.
Once Delia reveals that she has other plans for the Empire:
So Eldunmark has hedged its bets. Typical. Tell me... do you really think eliminating me and having a war for succession in these lands will be good for business? Your empire makes such a display of their trade bringing peace and prosperity but they really only care about gold. A war will need to be funded. Supply trains will need to get through. A profitable venture... but you pay for it with the lives of innocents. Aren't you better than that?
If she refuses to back down:
So you would have a bloodbath even though the contract with your empire with my signature on it is already on its way to the senate? So be it. Prove too much of a thorn in the senate's side and you'll be targeted next. Or maybe you already have and this was intended as your suicide mission. Either way you're sure to come to a sticky end at the hands of your superiors.

Damn, I'm goo- er... evil.
Arik is, in my opinion, my best villain yet. He is headstrong, powerful, informed, eyes wide open evil and apologizes to no one for it. He still seeks his own continued power right up to this, the very end. The interesting bit here you do not know is that Arik Stormcrowe was actually, once upon a time, my character from 1st edition DnD. He was one of my two characters I played in going through the Temple of Elemental Evil. He was a Cavalier, actually, and his inability to run from a fight brought about the death of the entire party and the end of that campaign. Taking this trait and making him undead made for an excellent villain, I'd say, and was an excellent end for his character's enduring legacy in our gaming group.

How it all ended:
The very best part about this adventure was the ending.

And this was all because of the players and how we had established strong back stories and motivations for each of them. The character from Eldenmark (Delia) was killed in the fight - thus fulfilling the Duke's words that she would come to a sticky end at the hands of her superiors. The rest survived long enough to kill the Duke. But before he died, the knight of Torion (Alec) offered him an alliance with Torion (see speech above) which he refused, in Alec's eyes, by not being willing to bow to his king. Needless to say the rest of the group wasn't very happy about this deal making and after Arik died the combat continued. Alec was slain by Jamal and Idrial for his betrayal at offering the Duke a truce.

Keep in mind that the points gained by each character ws a reflection of the overall power the nations would have in the aftermath of this whole war so the fate of the region (and to a lesser extent the power balance of the world) rested on who came out ahead in this adventure and the end result of that came down to who was ahead the most at the end of this combat. By eliminating Alec, Torion came in third (fourth place being Eldenmark since the player died at the hands of the villain). So now there was two.

And as they were walking away from the battle, Idrial stabbed Jamal in the back, killing him and thus ensuring that the region fell to her rule (Denia's) alone.

Can a DM ask for a better ending to an adventure than that? I honestly don't think so.