Session 375 - Empire's End

General Summary

The Story So Far

The King is dead. Long live the King.

King Minigath Elendsa, who had ruled the Kingdom of Kaldor well for thirty-three years, has been assassinated. His nephew, Sir Conwan Elendsa, has been crowned King, but the former King's bastard son, Sir Maldan Harabor, has contested this and made his claim.

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While the kingdom is embroiled in a civil war, the mysterious Esoterical Order of Lothrim has struck. Armies of orcs, many thousands strong, have invaded the fractured realm.

This is the continuation of Session 374 - The City Burns.

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Location - The City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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20^th Morgath 727TR

The New Empire of Lothrim is crumbling. With its leadership eliminated, lower-ranking captains, now self-proclaimed warlords, have attempted to control their massive orc hordes, some successfully and others not.

Sir Romlach, art by Artbreeder

In the east, two large hordes butchered their human masters and turned on each other near Pendeth. Sir Romlash Ethasiel's forces broke the remaining disorganized, weakened armies.

Sir Maldan Harabor, art by Artbreeder

The western horde lifted its siege of Getha Keep and retreated to the occupied Castle of Gardiren.

Meanwhile, in the northwest, the usurper Sir Maldan Harabor's army emerged from the Kathela Hills and, aided by a popular uprising, recaptured Olokand Castle and Setrew Keep. He easily crushes a large, hastily gathered, relieving orcish swarm at the Battle of Elendsa Bridge. The former bastard son of the late King quickly attempts to negotiate a peace deal with King Conwan Elendsa, taking advantage of his majesty's offer of amnesty for the former rebels.

However, near the freed City of Tashal, two warlords, each commanding massive foulspawn armies, are a serious threat, and they have decided to cooperate.

Part 1 – Orcs in the Sewers

When Castle Eland collapsed in flames, three orcs tainted by a powerful curse escaped into the city sewers. A week later, when the city was trying to rebuild itself, the trio emerged, half-starved, with bloodthirsty intent. The curse has made them larger, stronger, and much more savage than before. The bestial gargun burst into a busy market, terrorizing and butchering a dozen stunned innocents. The heroes are nearby and find panicked, traumatized people running from a bloodbath. Dismembered corpses are scattered everywhere, surrounding three deranged, deformed, and gore-splattered foulspawn.

The orcs are tough, and any near-lethal injuries they take are ignored. They catch Blaine and Rycon in deadly grapples and bite at exposed flesh furiously, creating bloody injuries. Eventually, they are hacked to pieces, but their twitching parts take some time to die.

10^th Nuzyael 728TR

Part 2 – Battle of Ternua

Now, the heroes start scheming, and the two nearby massive orcish armies could quickly recapture the city if they put their minds to it. After scouting, they learn that the armies are working well together but are being kept separate, given the orcish tendency to quarrel and kill each other.

Dryueh sneaks into one of the camps and steals several of their banners, distinctively marked weapons, and clothing. When the marshal of the other army leaves the camp with his entourage to scout Ternua Bridge, the heroes prepare an ambush. It goes perfectly. Marshal Riklic is a skilled warrior, but caught by surprise, he and his men stand no chance. All are mercilessly killed.

The party then stages a murder scene, making it look like the opposing orc army was responsible for the massacre. Without human leadership, Riklic's foulspawn horde is outraged and, as a disorganized rabble, attacks the nearby blameless orcish army but is defeated in a massive, bloody battle.

Baron Orsin, art by Artbreeder

Nearby, Baron Orsin Firith, leading the Kingdom's southwestern army stationed at Kolorn Keep, sees an advantage and attacks the significantly reduced orcish survivors. The brutal engagement ends in a near stalemate. However, the desperate orcs butcher their human masters and decide they have had enough of war and retreat to their stronghold in the northern mountains, devastating any villages they pass on their way.

Nuzyael to Agrazhar 728TR

Aftermath of the Invasion

The New Empire of Lothrim is finished, but it takes many months to destroy the remaining petty warlords and roving bands of foulspawn.

Even then, there are isolated holdouts. Mercenaries, volunteers from Melderyn, Chybisa, and Kanday, and a Dwarven contingent led by Crown Prince Khazar Tarazakh of the Kingdom of Azadmere arrive in late spring. They are a welcome sight to the depleted and war-wary armies of Kaldor.

King Conwan, art by Playground

King Conwan, having almost recovered from his injuries (refer to Session 366 - A Journey Through the Shadows), tries to restore his shattered Kingdom. Tens of thousands are dead, and immense economic damage has occurred. However, he proves to be an able, if somewhat stern, administrator. His truce with Sir Maldan Harabor holds; however, negotiations for a final peaceful arrangement are painfully slow.

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Dame Afaewynn, art by Artbreeder

But the King has not forgotten his debt to Rycon, one of the great heroes of the bloody war. He would not have the crown and his life if not for Rycon and his friends. With the agreement of Earl Declaen Caldeth of Minarsas, Rycon is named Baron of Baseta with nine vassal manors (Rycon having saved Baseta Keep from falling in the previous year, refer to Session 342 - The Foulspawn Invasion). With peace now secured, the now Baron Rycon marries Dame Afaewynn Barthy.

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Meanwhile, Dryueh creates another false identity and administers medical services to whoever is willing to pay while dealing justice to the criminal underworld as the vigilante called Set.

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Valeria continues researching the strange magical event that allowed her to wield shadow magic and the great shadow Dragon Zykayda, the Twilight Calamity, who has been the bane of her existence for years. She must deal with this threat and return to the Dancing Shadow Inn in Melderyn, where everything began.

To be continued.

Related Reports

King Conwan Elendsa - Updated.

Temple of Larani - Basilica of King Aidrik IV - Updated.

Player Characters

Valeria - Human - L19 Shadow Sorcerer

Background - Magical Experiment.

Archetype - Beastmaster/Wizard.

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Rycon - Human - L19 Fighter

Background - Rebel Knight.

Archetypes - Liberator Champion/Dual Weapon Warrior/Swashbuckler.

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Dryueh - 1/2 Elf - L19 Thief Rogue

Background - Scout.

Archetypes - Vigilante/Medic/Shadowdancer/Wizard.

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NPC Companion

Blaine - Human - L19 Fighter

Background - Bodyguard.

Archetypes - None gets in the way of drinking.

Next Session

Session 377 - A Tangled Web of Shadows.

Campaign

Legacy of the Foulspawner - Campain Complete

Protagonists

Rycon

Dryueh

Valeria

Report Date

09 Sep 2024

Primary Location

City of Tashal

Related Characters

• King Conwan Elendsa

NPC Companion

Blaine

A capable fighter, bodyguard, and occasional tavern owner. He likes to kill orcs and drink alcohol.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos

Esoterical Order of Lothrim

A secret society of wizards bent on creating a mage-ruled empire on the isle of Harn. They are led by a skilled mage claiming to be the daughter of Lothrim the Foulspawner and control numerous powerful orc nations.