Denalz

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Hey so I see now I need to be careful what synonyms I use for naming enemies. I've been calling them bandits but they're actually using thug stats. I think that, to keep you from needing to change anything, we'll just retcon and pretend they are in fact bandits. I do apologize for how easy this encounter is. That being said, bandits wouldn't have put up much more of a fight anyway, they just wouldn't die as quickly, lol.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

I'm sorry. What I meant was that the farmstead is 30 yards behind the bandit who lies alone. As for how far the bandits are from you, that would depend on how close you intend to get. They are lying on opposite sides of the road which is maybe 20 feet wide.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

You creep up upon the group on bandits. Two dirty and haggard looking men lie in wait to the right of the road. The third man lies with his back to the farmstead which is perhaps thirty yards away. He signals something to the others, gesturing in the direction you just came. None seem aware of your presence.

OOC

You may attack with surprise should you so choose. Each has an AC of 11. You attack with advantage in melee, disadvantage at range due to the targets being prone.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Eren slows the draft horses at once and lowers his voice. "Ambush? What are you going to do?"

OCC

I don't think Maxwell will be able to sneak up on them in the open road as there is precious little cover. Still, if you want to roll for it the stealth DC is 22. Otherwise you will be spotted as you approach. Let me know if you need more to go off of. I'm trying to find the balance here between giving you a chance to act and still giving you something to work with.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

“On the road toward vengeance then, eh? I see. I see. I’d say it’s a just cause, if not a bit foolhardy. If your quarry is headed into the ruins there’s a fair chance that fate will solve your quest before you get the chance. But who am I to argue? If you plan to do any prospecting while you're there you should let me introduce you to Armin Gainsbury. He runs a a supply company for adventurers like yourself out of Emberwood and can likely offer you some good advice." The caravan driver takes a breath. "You know I had a brother myself once. Not a twin, mind you, but we were thick as thieves back in the day…” Eren Marlowe can talk, and talk he does for two long weeks.

Eventually the countryside turns dreary and desaturated. You pass many abandoned villages with dilapidated homes, crumbling farmsteads with sallow empty fields, and forests of dead trees. Thorny brambles and harsh scrub grass are all that grow along the mudslick road. Drizzling rain fills most days, and the wind howls at night. Aside from the creaking wagon wheels, you only hear the calling of crows.

The draft horses huff as Eren’s incessant voice drones on. Overhead, Many Colors cries out into the overcast sky. In your mind’s eye, an image flashes of three men with crossbows lying in wait on either side of the road up ahead. An old farmstead looms in the near distance behind them.

OOC

I'm not sure how this is supposed to work but, make an initiative roll just incase. Combat is not required, I just want to save time incase your actions steer things that direction.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Chapter 1

The Road to Drakkenheim

Wooden wheels rumble upon the dirt packed road that leads to Emberwood Village. A pair of vultures circle the overcast skies above. A humble caravan of a single wagon is led by Eren Marlowe, a lean man in his mid forties with shoulder-length brown hair under a leather cap. He wears a slightly shabby woolen traveler’s jacket and well-worn slacks. Chatty yet professional and with an opinion about everything, the man seems to enjoy having company on the road as much as he enjoys having the extra protection of his hired guard.

“Drakkenheim, eh? What god-forsaken business brings you to that dark city?” He rubs at the scruff of his beard. “I’m only in this for Emberwood myself. The village Flamekeeper puts coin in my pocket so long as I keep supplies in hers. Fortune-seekers, mercenaries, prospectors. The old priestess has her flock to feed and I have mine. Six little ones back home. Every one of them’s as stubborn as their mother. Maybe that’s why I spend so much time on the road. What about you? Have any family? Looking to start one?”

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

Dungeons of Drakkenheim

DRAKKENHEIM IS NO MORE. An eldritch storm
of falling stars devastated the city on that woeful eve,
leaving behind a meteorite that would have lasting
effects. Fifteen years later, Drakkenheim is a dismal
urban wasteland contaminated by otherworldly magic and
haunted by hideous monsters. Fantastic wealth, lost knowledge,
and powerful artifacts lie ready for the taking by adventurers
brave or foolish enough to venture into the ruins. However, even
those who survive the dangers of Drakkenheim may not return
unmarked by its terrors!

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e (I'll DM)

***Campaign Closed***

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e (I'll DM)

@Guardian Angel Haruki Thanks so much for thinking all of that through and for your character sheet.

A couple of things...

Before the Edicts of Lumen, the type of behavior you're describing from Sir Brutus would have been much more likely. In present day the actions of Sir Brutus would have had him branded a criminal by the church and removed, not cheered on. If he has an entourage, it would be very difficult to find other Silver Order knights who would be willing to be branded as criminals alongside him. What your describing sounds more like a group of frat boy malcontents than an organized order of professional knights who have sworn to uphold compassion. Unless Sir Brutus is a complete idiot, he would know that he'd needs to leave no survivors to his crime or else run the likely scenario in which he is tried and convicted.

Based on the lore stated in the source books, the religious orders operate in a certain way and therefore would not tolerate this type of behavior. My concern is, based on your character's backstory, you need the church itself to be corrupt rather than a mere stray paladin. Otherwise Im afraid you'll be disappointed when, virtually all people within the church, are behaving entirely different from what you've described above.

Dungeons of Drakkenheim 5e (I'll DM)

I still would like to keep my Paladin secular and separate from a religious faction. I imagine that my character has met at least one person who justified their atrocities with faith and religious quotes. That is something that she despises the most.

@Guardian Angel Haruki

Fair enough. Though if your character is going to have strong, negative feelings towards religion it would be important to consider who in her past hurt her and what religion they subscribed to. Which brings me to explaining the three religious sects in this game...

Note: If you haven't read my Drakkenheim History In Brief yet, please do so before reading these summaries I typed up. The context is pretty crucial. I promise it isn't too long. You can find it on Page #1

The Faith of the Sacred Flame

The dominant religion of the continent. Its deity is a faceless/formless flame (more a force than a being), monotheistic, and morally good aligned. This religion is credited with causing the downfall of the tyrannical Sorcerer Kings in ancient times. The different nations on the continent are bound together by the mutual subscription to this religion. Its doctrine holds that any light, no matter how small, can lead the way through darkness (Major tenants include compassion, truth, justice, and redemption). This faith's holy city is based in Elyria and they are led by a divine matriarch (think of the pope for comparison). They command The knights of the Silver Order which is a group of paladins and one of the five major factions in this game. The Silver Order has been sent to Drakkenheim by the divine matriarch to destroy delerium at its source as they believe it, the haze, and contamination to be an unholy abomination.

For more info, please see this link...https://www.worldanvil.com/w/drakkenheim-stevensummers96/a/faith-of-the-sacred-flame-organization

The Followers of the Falling Fire

A new offshoot of The Sacred Flame (and one of the five major factions in this game), The Followers of the Falling Fire are sometimes regarded by outsiders to be more of a fanatical cult than a legitimate religion. That being said, the faith is gaining steam across the continent. Led By Lucretia Mathias who, after being passed over to become the newest divine matriarch, had a vision foretelling the destruction of Drakkenheim by a falling star. A vision that came true. Now she lives within the city itself, calling for the pilgrimage of thousands, if not millions of faithful followers to the crater's edge to "take their place within the divine plan". She states that "Perhaps if taken up by righteous souls, the crystals might become an earthly vessel for the Sacred Flame itself." Lucretia has revealed herself to be carrying a piece of delerium which she implanted into her chest. This has led to Lucretia being branded a heretic by the church of the Scared Flame.

For more info, please see this link...https://www.worldanvil.com/w/drakkenheim-stevensummers96/a/the-falling-fire-organization

The Old Gods

The old gods are all the deities who made up the various pantheons that held power in the time before and perhaps during the Sorcerer Kings. However, these gods have been fully silent since that primordial age. If they ever existed at all is unclear though there are some fringe groups and individuals here and there that still worship them.