(Multi)Yearly Setting Write-up! Year of Shadows!

Moderators: Moderator, DM

User avatar
DM Soulcatcher
Posts: 8571
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2016 3:40 pm
Location: Always in Your Shadow

(Multi)Yearly Setting Write-up! Year of Shadows!

Unread post by DM Soulcatcher »

1356-1357-1358 DR Campaign Overview
The Year of the Worm, Year of the Prince and the Beginning of the Year of Shadows

State of Baldur's Gate and Beyond


The City of Baldur's Gate has witnessed turbulent times these past two years. First, in 1356 Dales Reckoning, rumours spread of a strange suicide cult dedicated to an ancient evil serpent that forced ritual sacrifices in form of taking one's life away. Adventurers were, apparently, involved in this matter, as was Candlekeep, House of Spades, the Red Wizards of Thay and the Order of the Radiant Heart. Though to the society at large the details of this matter are unknown, beyond an explosion that has happened inside the Temple of Ilmater, a similar explosion at the Thayan Enclave and, supposedly, a suicidal death in the middle of the city square, everyone says that the Cowled Wizards of Amn appeared and put an end to this.

Then, a short-lived yet considerable terror arrived in the countryside in form of a cabal of malarite werewolves which attacked farmers and even broke into the city, at one point. When a simple citizen becomes a potential target for a hunt organised by crazed, blood-thirsty followers of the Beastlord- people often ask each other "Where are the Fist?" "Why is the city not safe?". Though the threat has passed, silently, as do rumours tend to die out, the unnerved atmosphere had remained.

As if Beshaba placed her gaze upon the Gate, the city was struck once again by a sudden threat to its citizens' lives.


Baldur's Gate became abuzz with news of vampire attacks. As it turned out, an old vampire house has chosen the city as their internal civil war's battleground- kidnapping citizens and turning them into their spawn in an effort to raise their power against one another. A good number of adventurers, paladins, druids and otherwise have taken it upon themselves to eradicate the threat- making plans as to how to best handle this undying menace. Be it through diplomacy or sword and magic. Unfortunately, the City and its surrounding farmlands have suffered noticeable casualties and even the Order of the Radiant Heart was put to shame in one battle against the leadership of the vampire clan in the Farmlands, during their nightly raid. That, however, was swiftly corrected by combined forces of House Darius, Vale and the Order of the Radiant Heart finding out and destroying hideouts on Balduran lands.

Though the danger has lessened, rumours swiftly spread of the Black Network supposedly striking a deal with the vampires- one that swiftly had led to the end of this undying menace. However, it was not without dubious deeds of their own, as several minstrels and adventurers began to spread the word that they have forged an unholy alliance with them and even taken over their vampiric clan with one of their own- a man known as Bueroza to some, to others as Boris Vyacheslav. Though the threat has passed, and the Temple of Ilmater with Hosue Darius had managed to rescue many presumably citizen which was lost to the vampires, one can't help but wonder in what position does that leave Zhentarim and Baldur's Gate.


The men and women of the Gate have breathed a sigh of relief, hopeful that next year would bring more promise for the better. Instead, dusk had only begun to settle in.





A year after, in 1357DR, came yet another danger that threatened the existence of Baldur's Gate and its people. As if by a snap of fingers performed by a dark magician, temporary Gates to Abyss have been opening across the Sword Coast- undead and demons pouring out of them to sow terror and destruction to those unfortunate that have met them. Though the battles were severe and difficult, with the help of various organisations and adventurers, the tide of fiendish forces was broken and stemmed away in such a way that their presence has been condensed to a region abandoned by all but monsters and desperate few which choose to live in the High Moors.

It wasn't long before a talk of strange crystals recovered from those battles appeared. Tongues are wagging across inns and taverns that those were some sort of demonic relics which could summon other demons from the Abyss. Such an event happened, as an example, at the Lewd Lyre- the House Darius mansion and bar- where twin demons of enormous power have razed most of the building to the ground. Though at first some cynics and people less favoured to the merchant-nobles began talking that this is the outcome of House Darius being a nest of demonic cultists. the Trading Company has since regained its status among the population and rebuilt since from the loss of one of its two main headquarters.

Somewhere at the same time, a sudden, massive storm destroyed a small patch of woodland in Balduran countryside. This, combined with a particularly harsh winder last season, also brought with it the threat of the poorest being threatened with hunger this year, as the element has destroyed several important food stories and ruined crops on the surrounding fields. This, in turn, was averted with help of various druids living in the region and some merchant groups, such as House Darius and Rocky Creek Trading Company, that spent some of their budgets on helping those downtrodden farmers- though not entirely without having some gain out of it. Despite this, some countryfolk can be found making small offerings to Talos, the Stormlord, in order to divert his wrath ever since.

Days went by as the demonic threat still yet loomed over the Sword Coast, being one bad week away from spreading out of control once more. During this time, Zhentarim, House Blackrose of Soubar and the Order of the Radiant Heart have reached an accord based on which they would fortify their presence at the Bridefort Tower to repel the undead and abyssal incursions into (more than less) civilised and populated regions. Several minstrels, which now compose poems and tales about this event, mention that a certain ranger named "Flint" has embarked on a successful task to retrieve a demon-slaying weapon that was later used in a battle with demons at Troll Claws. In this fight, an angel called Batharius, was said to come to the aid of adventurers and with his aid- they have closed the last remaining abyssal gates which spawned upon the Sword Coast.

Though it had seemed like that is the end of it, later it came to daylight that a group of yuan-ti, lead by their matriarchs called "Broodmothers" have established themselves in the High Moors and used the power given to them by the Demonic Lord Orcus to summon a demonic undead army of their own and conquer the northern part of the Trade Way in this region. Though the threat was considerable, it was nonetheless thwarted by the combined force of Zhentarim, Order of the Radiant Heart and House Blackrose, with aid of numerous adventurers that took part in the final battles against the Yuan-ti. With the Broodmothers' deaths confirmed, it cemented the end of this long and exhausting evil which came to terrorise the Sword Coast.

The people of Baldur's Gate have noticeably grown cynical- dark humour becoming more common in face of numerous adversities which had come to haunt Baldurans in recent years. They remember the Undead War with Larloch, the rising of Tiamat, the Devil War which had happened and claimed its victims not so long ago as well. Many commoners across taverns note that the recent years have been SO horrible that it forced sworn enemies such as Zhentarim, Paladins and, probably, the Harpers to work together in order to secure at least a shaky future for everyone else. That, combined with seeming lack of presence from the Grand Dukes of Baldur's Gate in the matters (or their unhelpfulness, as some snark), has enforced a grim outlook for the future of living in Baldur's Gate.


In an event that started and then followed the substantial problem with the cults of Orcus, another danger loomed on the southern borders of Balduran lands. It started with woodsmen and a few more outgoing druids noting that animals in Cloakwood have begun to migrate and leave their territories much sooner and unexpectedly than they should. Not long after, the real had shown itself in form of a powerful servant of Bhaal that had made a home in the ancient forest- converting a large population of gnolls to its master's cause. This had resulted in a platoon of Flaming Fist, commonly known as "The First Company", having been attacked by the said gnolls outside of Baldur's Gate and, in retaliation, Grand Duke Eltan had sanctioned for the commanding officers of the military company to launch an offensive battle against these beasts and their lairs in the Cloakwood.

That which had promised to be a simple military offensive turned into somewhat of a political and societal hurdle. Due to various deeds committed by the Flaming Fist soldiers within the forest, the druids presiding over the Cloakwood, as it is likely expected from priests of nature, have taken offence and thus engaged in many talks and meetings- be it with the Grand Dukes or the soldiers themselves. Though initial hostility and tense atmosphere had remained on the side of the soldiers, it's said it was greatly lessened and turned into an alliance after some sort of a druidic internal conflict ensued.

In the following days, the First Company was reported to have met in battle with a considerable force of Gnolls- these showing their power true in the fight. As a direct result of the confrontation, the Flaming Fist soldiers had begun to fortify their defences in Cloakwood and send scouts and hunting parties for any gnoll presence. Though they have, supposedly, managed to make a working alliance with druids of the forest- people across taverns and inns often remark about "those bloody, insane tree-lovers" having splintered into separate factions which either aimed to help the First Company, or sabotage and drive them away completely. This unkind sentiment towards druids is quite common in Baldur's Gate city itself, as it is based on commerce and progress- a place where Gond's innovations and progress take priority over something called "respecting the nature" or "living in harmony with the natural world".

Regardless of this, it is known that the First Company has severed its ties with the druids once more and moved out of the forest itself- settling their war camp on the outskirts, clearing many trees, bushes and other vegetation to build their fortifications from their wood. The merchants and peddlers which travel past Friendly Arms Inn often note that while they feel more safe, knowing the Flaming Fist soldiers are so near and ready to fight any monsters or other adversaries, they now are forced to give an even wider berth from the forest than before. Or else they become food for gnolls, evil, sentient plants, gigantic spiders, malicious druids or worse.


To add more salt to the already festering wound that is the morale of Balduran citizens, wild rumours have spread among the populace that a strange and terrifying sea creature has made itself a home in the sea off the coast of Ulgoth's Beard. It is known that some merchant and fishing ships, that either sailed out or were on their way to the harbour, have never come back and the word of them was lost. To a port city that mostly relies on naval routes for trade, this has been a considerable hit due to the rumours and stories of the sea monster becoming more popularised and believed in. Several groups of wealthy merchants have decided to put their shipments on hold and out of the daring, less wealthy traders that see this as an opportunity to strengthen their position, a few lose most of their wealth due to a missing ship.


Crescendo to the Choir of Screams

In the recent past seasons, bodies of homeless individuals had been found in the city. The Flaming Fist dozens of reports indicating missing persons around the city of Baldur's Gate. Stumbling upon these grizzly displays some of the city watch were put on record describing obvious deep wounds in each of the bodies.

Local temples and collective groups found themselves looking further into the deaths of the vulnerable populations. These searches were accompanied by indisputably strange occurrences around the city. Voices in the sewers, whispers in the woods, the crackling of set fires in the morning after a fresh sacrifice. Their investigations would prove to extend from the poorest of the poor to some of the more wealthy families of Baldur's Gate. Few were spared as it was difficult to determine a pattern. Even those who were most faithful to the god of mercy were said to have their vision blurred by the strange voices of whispers asking for death in place of suffering.

As time went on, survivors began to speak the horror of their return from the clutches of the voices. It had become clear over the passing tendays that the disturbing images had originated from a cult dedicated to the cruel angelic creature known as the Choir of Screams. The true faithful of Loviatar had orchestrated the deaths and falling of any of those that were unfortunate enough to find her before finding help.

As House Darius and the churches of the triad worked together with Candlekeep they were able to find the residence of the cruel siren. Entering the temple they witnessed the horrors of cruelty beyond imagination. Sorting horrific creatures and abominations, they brought they found the angel with the cracked face. Upon the destruction of the cruel mistress, the deaths of the vulnerable citizens seemed to end. The tendays once again went on without incident.

Image

The Purge of the Undercity

The machinations of the hin priestess, Batibat, led to her creation of three gems with the power to control the undead within the undercity. She and her cult spent months crafting these powerful artifacts, infusing them with negative energy until they were complete. However, word of her designs upon the Undercity came to the attention of the Dukes and their agents. Gathering their forces in secret, the Dukes moved upon the hin priestess at the height of her power, on the day of her very self-coronation as Queen of the Undercity.

While the Flaming Fist invaded the Undercity, the Duke's agents infiltrated the tunnels, coming to the aid of the Fist at a pivotal moment: a shadow beast, in the form of a dragon, had wrecked havoc upon the soldiers in their attempts to invade the Cult of the All Seeing Eye's temple. The agents moved quickly, and with their aid the Fist defeated the shadow beast.

Upon entering the temple, the Duke's agents battled the priestess' Cult with both spells and blades flashing, warriors on each side sustaining wounds. After the dust settled, the Lords and Ladies of Baldur's Gate were victorious, or so they thought. At the moment of defeat, a red skeletal figure appeared and offered the Cult refuge in the Fields of the Dead. Agreeing to the creature's terms, the Cult vanished in a black haze.

Whatever happened to the Cult of the All Seeing Eye is unknown. What is known is that the undead forces that had stalked the upper levels of the Undercity retreated back down into its depths, and the city was safe once more.


Baldur's Gate - State of Affairs


Currently, Baldur's Gate is faced with trials and tribulations of various degrees and forms. The morale of the society is continually low- similar to the times of the Undead War and its toll taken on the city. Many have lost their family members, their loved ones or their entire wealth as a result of the events of the previous two years. Many come to question the competence of the Grand Dukes of Baldur's Gate and how exactly is anything to become better if they are to still remain distant and aloof.

Right now, there are factions forming within Baldur's Gate composed of nobles, merchants and commoners that aim to create enough pressure upon Grand Dukes so that they can influence and force actions being taken to the troubles as they happen. A few examples are: The House of Cards, The Chalice of Siamorphe, The New Commons, The Triadic Collective, The Prosperity League and The Merchant's League.

In the current uncertain time, there's a noticeable trend of fewer merchants coming to the city on seasonal trade and more people that have lived here all their lives- leaving the city in search of a better life elsewhere in the Western Heartlands. The food scarcity which had hit the city has kept the society on the edge of a knife, though thankfully many charitable souls have worked tirelessly to dissuade any unrest and provide enough support for even the most downtrodden. Temple of Ilmater had become popular amongst younger families due to the work of its members and allies in supporting newborns and pregnant women, while other groups such as House Darius, Order of the Radiant Heart, Halls of Inner Light and even House Divine have been arranging and providing relief effort in terms of the general food supply situation.


Recent Developments on Trade and Economy in Baldur's Gate


Peddlers and wagoners that come hail mostly from Berdusk, Iriaebor, Darkhold and Elturel. The trade between north and south has been stalled and stagnated, even if it hasn't outright ceased. The situations with the demonic hordes, the uncertain situation with Dragonspear Castle and the problem of Bhaalite gnolls in Cloakwood have severely limited travel as many merchants prefer to live and possess wealth than die and lose everything they worked for in their lives.

The naval trade routes have been hampered by the tales of a sea monster prowling around the edge of where the Chionthar River meets the Sea of Swords. Merchandise from Waterdeep and Calimshan, especially, was damaged as a direct result of it- fewer ships coming and going in both directions. The other cause are the rumoured problems that Waterdeep and Northern Sword Coast face from a freshly formed alliance between Ruathym and the Pirate Lords of Luskan- which resulted in frequent and much more dangerous raids across the sea and coastline settlements.

Prices on the Market:
  • Food and Drinks - The prices have risen due to recent problems in the Farmlands lowering the amount of storage food per citizen overall.
  • Arms and Armour - The prices have been lowered due to the rise of weapon production in the last years as a result of the Devil War, the demonic invasion and the Vampire Clan infighting. Likewise, the constant influx of magical weapons sold by adventurers has made the market price for enchanted weapons to plummet and be the lowest in the history of the last twenty years.
  • Magical Potions, Wands, Scrolls and other Trinkets - The market price has gone up as the demand for such trinkets had risen considerably because of the recent troubles that have befallen Baldur's Gate. More people want to have access to SOME kind of magic in order to protect themselves. The traders in such magical goods enjoy earning more gold.
  • Luxury Textiles and otherwise - The prices of silk, velvet, linen, wool, cashmere and cotton all have gone up due to fewer merchants from more distant lands coming to sell the textiles at Baldur's Gate. The luxury has become even more luxurious and owners of such fabrics can earn more wealth through re-selling them.
  • Metals and Minerals - The prices of those mostly remain the same, though with a visible loss of value in Iron, Steel and Alchemical Silver.
  • Wood Products and Furniture - The prices remain the same as they were, well balanced and stable.
Notably, the Merchant's League decline in trade value has come to threaten the organisation with bankruptcy. Lord Aldeth Sashenstar, the current leader of the Merchant's League, has been struggling with an uphill battle against the growing number of competitors and the economical hurdles that have intensified in past years. The few contractors which supported the company, one notably of Jon Smythe, have managed to keep it afloat long enough for the return of the heir to the Sashenstar House and its legacy- Dabron Sashenstar- to turn the Merchant's League' fortune around. With the heir's return, along with his discovery of new trade routes leading to the fabled realm known as Sossal, the business has witnessed a major upturn in investment from many interested parties wishing to explore a previously unknown and untouched market.

Overall, however, the current economical situation of Baldur's Gate is very poor compared to previous years.


The Political Affairs of Baldur's Gate


The disastrous events which have happened in the previous and current year have led to a new political development- largely unseen before. The various people and organisations of Baldur's Gate have come together and unified themselves into joined organisations which's goal is to influence the Grand Dukes in decision making and thus force specific directions for the city to take. The most notable ones, as previously mentioned, are:
  • The House of Cards - A collective of merchant-noble houses which aims to open the economy outwardly towards adventurers and smaller businesses.
  • The Chalice of Siamorphe - A group of nobles of various degrees of wealth that are unified by the returning faith in Siamorphe. They put an emphasis on the noble traditions, obligations and Siamorphan values in human nobility.
  • The New Commons - Commoners of various trades and practices, united under the banner of social reforms that allow the people of Baldur's Gate have more freedoms, social responsibilities and financial support provided by the Grand Dukes.
  • The Triadic Collective - As the name suggests, a collective of worshippers of the Triad- knights, paladins, judges, traders and craftsmen that live their lives by the credo of Triadic order, law and morality.
  • The Prosperity League - A somewhat of a black sheep upon the political scene, the Prosperity League is an association of citizens that can be best described as disillusioned-with-do-gooders and "fearful" believers. Their primary agenda is religious reforms such as getting rid of the banned worship of evil deities, establishing shrines to the Gods of Fury and overall promoting societal changes through appeasement of evil gods that they believe to be the cause of the dramatic situation of Baldur's Gate.
These groups having been formalised and, as some say "fortunately", recognised by the Grand Dukes- they will now attend the open and private Court Sessions of the Grand Dukes of Baldur's Gate. The political vie for power and influence appears to be in full swing.

The State of Religion in Baldur's Gate

The following faiths remain in strong primacy:
  1. Gond
  2. Ilmater
  3. Tymora
  4. Tempus
  5. Umberlee
The faiths of Ilmater and Gond have seen a rise in worship due to the loosely-called catastrophes which visited this region of the Sword Coast. Likewise, the faith in Tempus has seen a constant upturn ever since the Undead War with Larloch and even more so during the Dragonspear War. Tymora remains in a strong 3'rd position, neither becoming more prevalent nor weaker in her presence of worshippers.

Of the important developments, however, is the widely spread rise on wanton appeasement of dark deities such as Talos, Talona (which was seen as unthinkable ever since the Undead War) and Auril. Due to the many deaths which were incurred among the citizenry living in the city and outside, a considerable- and somewhat unexpected rise in an open admission of prayers and sacrifices given to- is seen with Myrkul. Many folks admit, either privately or more publically (though not when the City Guard is near) to offer sacrifices to Myrkul to ensure their dear ones reach the afterlife safely and soundly.

With the rise of faith in gods of war, fury and death, it is to be expected that the local faith in deities of beauty and peace, such as Sune and Lliira, have dropped noticeably, though not significantly enough to threaten the existence of their temples and shrines.

A new emergent faith returns to Baldur's Gate, as the city was historically tied intimately with it. Siamorphe has seen an increase in following and new priests ordained into the faith among the nobility of Baldur's Gate. With it come statements and declarations of Siamorphe's dogma- about the importance of nobility and their obligation to the people.

The non-human deities, such as elven, dwarven, gnomish or halfling ones, remain at an all-time low and personal for the members of the mentioned races- they have no bearing on the society of Baldur's Gate.

The Sword Coast and Western Heartlands Region - State of Affairs



~Waterdeep~
The news from Waterdeep indicates that the City of Splendors is currently occupied with pushing back the joined forces of Ruathym and the Pirate Lords of Luskan, which (after a brief war with each other) have forged an alliance and began raiding the Sword Coast in full force. Waterdeep, likewise, supposedly puts more emphasis on internal politics and diplomacy since a few years ago- in wake of Baldur's Gate signing the peace and trade treaty with Darkhold and, by extension, Zhentarim.

Of other news, Lord Piergerion has supposedly strengthened the number of gryphons in the Waterdhavian military, as well as hired well-renowned adventurers as official agents of Waterdeep- serving both as military and special units for the good of the City of Splendors.

In terms of economy- Waterdeep as it was rich, so it remains wealthy and prosperous as per usual.


~Berdusk~
The Jewel of the Vale, Berdusk, has likewise enjoyed mostly calm years. With the "business as usual" in regards to bandit attacks and monster incursions, the city continues to be an icon of interracial cooperation, art and magic.

High Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast, ("May her beauty never fade"- being a common saying amongst bards whenever she is mentioned), had expanded the number of Shieldmasters of the City Guard and the garrison has swelled in its numbers as more and more people of various origins that call Berdusk their home wish to defend it and its promise for future generations. The number of priests of Tempus and Helm has, likewise, gone up within the ranks of the Berduskan military. The city and their Gauntlets (Berduskan military bands of mounted archers, adventurers, militiamen, mercenaries and even convicts) are ever ready to take on any threat that comes to the Jewel of the Vale- be it bandits, monsters or agents of Zhentarim.

The faith of Deneir and Milil continues to enjoy selfsame popularity and, if to be believed, are in cooperative harmony with many worshippers of non-human deities and their priests, who reside in the city.

The Jewel of the Vale's trading output has risen towards Baldur's Gate, seeing an economic void that the many peddlers and wagoners seek to fill for their own profit. As a result- wool, wine, lesser finery and magical trinkets hailing from Berdusk have been more frequently appearing on the Balduran market.


~Elturel~
Elturel has enjoyed vast support from adventurers, minor merchants and downright noble houses in its effort to fortify its position in Triel. The Hellriders have made a permanent outpost and works are underway to create a small castle from which the soldiers of Elturel can resupply their units and mount defensive raids against any of their enemies- be that Darkhold or monsters.

The Elturelan official decree of successful fortification includes a list of worthy contributors who are thanked for their unwavering support: The Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply Co., House Darius and Darius Holding Company, Order of the Radiant Heart, The Whitewood Vanguard, Halls of Inner Light in Baldur's Gate, Rocky Creek Trading Company; and a good host of adventurers unaffiliated with any organisations, such as: Finn MacAllister of Hoar, Niyressa Dawncrown and Emmanuel of the Green Enclave.

The city, enjoying a good measure of peace and prosperity, is one of the places where some Balduran citizens resettle.


~Iriaebor~
The City of a Thousand Spires continues to be in aftermath of the internal turmoil of the civil war. It seems that even after Lord Bron, a former paladin of Eldath-turned-ruler, has taken the city over with the support of the common populace and imposed draconian laws in order to stop the fights amongst merchant nobles, the city still faces some struggles. Though, in past years, peace has returned to the streets of the city proper and trade once more began to flow westwards, not a month goes by without word spreading of conniving nobles fighting out their private wars outside of the city or, in fact, behind not so closed doors.

One such rumour, incidentally, reaches Baldur's Gate as it involves a rather peculiar group. Apparently, a rich merchant was met in a fight with his bodyguards by masked and cloaked individuals in an open battle on the streets. Brief, though flashy, the fight ended as soon as it happened- leaving only the dead body of the merchant with a pinned list of his crimes against Iriaebor, such as smuggling slaves, assassinations of competitors and, worst of all for all Iriaeborians, having previously-hidden deals with Zhentarim. Besides him lay a symbol of the Harp and Crescent Moon immolated into the stonework. Lord Bron had supposedly commented that while he appreciates the help of the Harpers in uncovering traitors, he remarked heavily that they themselves shouldn't feel beyond the law of Iriaebor.


~Candlekeep~
Image
A local legend by the name of Lyvinicus Drycus visited the keep on a late afternoon. His presence most notably noted by the guards that slept peacefully at the gate. When asked for the reason to the visit the old brass dragon asked for the safe return of a book most precious to him. Unable to give him the original the studious keep offered a scribed copy of the dragon's property, but the stubborn dragon refused.

As the days went on it became clear this dragon's book meant more than he may have led on. The presence of the ancient being was accented by visitors from the desert regions including a blue dragon by the name of Azurel Sunderspark. The temperamental blue dragon demanded information on the brass guest. The first meeting ended in bloodshed as one of Candlekeep's acolytes were knocked into unconsciousness by a single strike of the furious dragon's fist.

Working through what information they had on the individual the situation grew to be more dire than expected, and it was clear Azurel needed to be dealt with. The scholars found out the Blue dragon was working with another dragon of Green colour and unknown name; a green dragon notable for its many good deeds. This was not uncommon for its kind, as history is often written by the victors.

After long efforts to track the green dragon paid off, Candlekeep was able to secure the necessary leads to begin planning measures to face the blue dragon. In return Candlekeep was promised a dragon's library of books. The fall of Sunderspark had begun as the keep organized a group to break into the dragon's lair and disable his forces. With the assistance of the Brass Dragon, Candlekeep was able to defeat the cruel blue. Months later three wagons pulled in front of the keep.


~Darkhold~
News from Darkhold, at least what can be learned, is that the supply chain of soldiers and merchandise has been considerably disrupted due to a couple of events. First, a Dragonflight happened at the border of the Moonsea and Dalelands, the result of which was the near-complete destruction of the Citadel of the Raven. Due to that, a lot of resources are being used to quickly rebuild the Citadel and replenish lost numbers during the draconic attack. Secondly, Cormyr has reputedly joined Dalesfolk and its smaller nations in the war against Zhentil Keep- adding to large-scale disruption of westward trade.

Due to Zhentil Keep being busy with the wars it wages on two fronts, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Darkhold may remain more isolated than not until the military struggles are resolved.

Others, especially courtiers and frequent tavern-goers, wonder how does the word of a former general-turned-vampire of Zhentarim stationed in Darkhold and his leadership of an entire clan of evil undead is going to affect Balduran-Darkhold relations. So far, the Grand Dukes and their closest entourage have been silent about it.


~Boareskyr, Soubar, and the Northwestern Heartlands~
With the depopulation of the lands west of Boareskyr Bridge following the combined effects of the Dragonspear War and the demon armies of Orcus summoned by the yuan-ti broodmothers, Boareskyr Bridge, Soubar, and other northern settlements have seen a surge in refugees fleeing from the chaos. Though Soubar still faces lower populations during the winter months, its reputation as a secure trading hub, protected by Ebon Blade and Blackrose mercenaries, has resulted in more and more residents choosing to make it a permanent home. Several temples, including the imposing tower of the Black Abbey and a shrine to the Hunter, Malar, have sprung up in the town, and a recent Blackrose trade fair saw an investment by several prominent local groups to sponsor the construction of a sturdy house for the town's wererat population.

Soubar isn't the only place to see growth, though. Boareskyr Bridge itself, long a place of siege by the western fiends, has become heavily fortified. With that promise of safety, and the presence of refugees, soldiers, and those enterprising individuals seeking to profit off of them, Boareskyr Bridge today is turning into a settlement in its own right. An expansive tent town has risen within the walls of the abandoned Radiant Heart camp on the eastern side of the Bridge, while the forces of the Zhentarim, the Order of the Blackrose, and their allies continue to occupy the Bridgefort on the western side. Both sides are in regular contact and trade, though there is word that the Lords' Alliance is quite concerned with the entrenchment of the Zhentarim so far in the west.

West of Boareskyr, life has finally begun to settle. The occasional fiend still roams the emptied lands, but the biggest cause of chaos in the region now falls to more mundane sources: bandits, highwaymen, and goblinoids, all seeking to find profit off of those foolish enough to travel through this wild stretch of the Trade Way.


~Kraak Helzak~
The dwarfhold in Troll Claws had seen yet another war with Trolls these past two years. Led by a remarkably (and miraculously, for trolls) intelligent leader, a self-proclaimed King of Trolls, the army of these monsters was dead set to bring the destruction of Kraak Helzak and later spill over to the southern lands. The trolls were fierce, said to even possess strange devices which nullified magic to some extent, winning many battles before a cunning plan was formed and their absolutely hideous king was brought low.

King Dovkin Battlehammer, the current ruler of Kraak Helzak, has extended his thanks and appreciation to groups such as the Order of the Radiant Heart, Doron Amar and, albeit some say reluctantly, the House of Spades as well as many unaffiliated adventurers.


~Elves of the Sword Coast and Western Heartlands~
What numbers of elves have been in Baldur's Gate have all but nearly fallen to zero. Some are rumoured to have moved to Berdusk where more of their kind resides, while others to the mythical land of "Evermeet".

Other than that, the Fair Folk hasn't done anything largely notable past these two years.

Tales From Around Faerûn


AMN

The northernmost Amn settlement of Nashkel and the surrounding lands faced a period of mania in 1356, when an ancient evil, said by some to be an aspect of Dendar, the Night Serpent, rose within a ruin in the Cloud Peak foothills. The evil spread its influence over the region, driving residents mad. People were abducted from their homes, never to be heard from again, and the site of a mass sacrifice to the creature was found in the basement of the Belching Dragon tavern by a group of adventurers from the Whitewood Vanguard. A collection of druids and their allies attempted to assail the evil in its lair and cleanse the lands of its corruption, but they were driven back. Eventually, a detachment of Cowled Wizards from the south banished the creature back to its own plane, though not before its influence had claimed the lives of dozens of local residents.

Things settled in Nashkel over 1357, but on the turn of winter, a large number of trolls were reported in the area. Local governments have been working with Amnian forces to push the trolls back. Several of the villages outside of Nashkel have been put in harm's way, and as a result outside vanguards have been hired and recruited to extend aid to these isolated villages. In the next few tenday reports of Kossuth Zealots have been realized by burning wagons of undead pushed up to the Nashkel Gates. The current issue has yet to be entirely resolved.

In other news, the Everwatch of the Temple of the Guardian have been regularly seen patrolling the Trade Way between Nashkel and Beregost, and other nearby locales, attempting to keep the peace between Amn and the north and Beregost's neutrality, as per the Everwatch's role in The Beregost Accords, as well as attempting to ward against disorder in the region.


CORMYR

The word carried by travellers and merchants reaches the Sword Coast that King Azoun IV'th of Cormyr has ordered his troops to annex Tilverton and set a fortified garrison at the town. It was not long after that Cormyr has, supposedly, sent its knights and soldiers to Dalelands in order to attack Zhentil Keeps army positions and join Shadowdale and Daggerdale in their war against Zhentarim's offensive and occupation of Dalelands.

As a result, the trade route from Zhentil Keep to Darkhold is greatly disrupted, as it's said the Cormyreans are raiding all Zhentilar caravans they can find.


THE LORD'S ALLIANCE

With the ever-closer presence of the Zhentarim and organisations aligned or associated with them, rumours are that Lord Piergeiron Paladinson is receiving more and more pressure to lead the Lord's Alliance to take a stance against the relentless encroachment towards the Sword Coast. In particular, Lord Dhelt of Elturel has been quite vocal about the matter. But now even the northern cities of Neverwinter and Silverymoon are beginning to worry about the situation.

Rumours also circulate that the Grand Dukes of Baldur's Gate may be under heavier and heavier pressure due to their treaty with Darkhold. Some speculate that this will end in an ultimatum presented by the Lord's Alliance: Either the treaty is made void, or they are removed from the alliance.

With Cormyr at war with the Zhentarim in the east, rumours are also spreading that the Lord's Alliance is sending agents to aid in those efforts.


SEMBIA

Rumours circulate from peddlers and adventurers from far away that Sembia has, supposedly, banned any and all Fair Folk from entering and being upon the lands of the said country. Whether it is a political movement against the remaining elves of Dalelands, Cormyr or otherwise remains up in the air.

One thing is sure, though. Any elves found in Sembia are not going to meet a happy end as of now.
~All Their Days are Numbered~
~Campaign Coordinator for 1353DR, 1354DR and 1355DR Metaplot~
Post Reply

Return to “The 1358 (2022) Campaign”