Redgaard
Campaign
Ruins of Redgaard blends cosmic horror with political intrigue in a dark, desperate tale of making incremental progress against impossible odds. By balancing factional relationships, gathering like-minded allies, and surviving delve after delve into the bones of Westemär's bygone capital, the campaign will push players to consider the following central theme:"What actions do people take in the wake of disaster?"
Redgaard was the cosmopolitan capital of Westemär, ruled by the imperious House von Kessel. Now it is a ruin. An eldritch storm of falling stars devastated the city on that woeful eve, leaving behind a meteorite that would have long-lasting effects. A decade of bloody civil war erupted after the city’s destruction. The realm was left shattered and the royal line broken. Now, the political order of the wider domain lies in shambles, torn apart by religious schism and military conflict, and only a faint hope remains that the city can possibly be rebuilt and the nation restored. Fifteen years later, Redgaard is a dismal urban wasteland contaminated by otherworldly magic and haunted by strange, 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 Redgaard may not return unmarked by its terrors!
Characters
The following player characters have appeared in this campaign:- Cecil Goldmane
- Mizzryn Ironheart
- Eldemir Barling
- Evelyn
- Freddy
- Grimgar Boomshot
- Hutch
- Kragan Blacktusk
- Peter von Drakkan
- Sarlen Broadwing
- Smooth Chalk of the Dry Slopes
- Tim Ward
- Vik'r Praug
- Zendrel "Zena" Inaro
Description
Nestled in dense pine forests and bisected by the wide Drann River, Redgaard was once the jewel of Westemär, a sprawling cosmopolitan city known for its prosperity, military might, and natural resources. Now that the Haze has settled and shards of delerium have split the earth, the city is more akin to a monster-infested, open-roofed megadungeon, with loot and legends in equal measure.Economy
Trade
With accessiblity to the sea via the Drann River and the resource-rich heartlands surrounding the city, Redgaard could easily trade goods from Westemär to nearby Caspia and Elyria. After the Cataclysm, the forgotten treasures of the city, particularly delerium shards, are still traded in abundance in the nation's surviving settlements and frequently smuggled into Caspian and Elyrian port cities.Government
With Redgaard as the seat of Westemär's power, the nation's king sits the throne in the historic Red Keep.King of Westemär
When six seals, items entrusted to the king's council, are gathered, the Crown of Westemär can be reforged. It is said that the crown will be enchanted with three gemstones of wishes, the first of which is needed to complete the crown's forging and officially reinstate a new king.- The Lord Commander's Badge
- The Steward's Seal
- The Chancellor's Crest
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
Inhabitants
Before the Cataclysm, Redgaard was a popular destination for Elyrian and Caspian travelers, merchants, and sailors, as well as acolytes of the Churches of Hope and the Sacred Flame.Factions
Many adventuring parties, mercenary companies, and treasure hunters have banded together to claim what they can from the ruined city, often carving their names into the Eckerman Mill before their first delve. More often than not, none of them return. The following factions are currently operating within the city:- The Amethyst Academy
- The Candle Colony
- The Followers of the Falling Fire
- The Hooded Lanterns
- The Queen's Men
Flora & Fauna
Since the Haze first settled, the people and creatures in and around the city have mutated in horrifying, unpredictable ways. Some intelligent, some bestial, all are imminently dangerous.Locations
Divided into the Inner City and Outer City by a ring of titanic walls, the cosmpolitan city and its many structures still stand. However, the lines between districts and tenements that were once determined by noble houses' political power are now reshaped by factional disputes and the hunting grounds of deadly mutants.Society
Religion
Before it was turned to ruins, Redgaard had many buildings named in honor of saints of the Church of the Sacred Flame, such as St. Brenna, St. Selina, and St. Vitruvio. Although branded as heretics by the church's leaders, the Followers of the Falling Fire actively live and worship in the Inner City, specifically in St. Selina's Monastery.History
Approximately 500 years before the Cataclysm, House von Drakken established a petty kingdom along the Drann River, based out of the rebuilt ruins of King Xandor's Red Keep. After two centuries of von Drakkens, the king and his sons were mysteriously murdered, setting off 150 years of succession crises where the ruling family (or families) split and fractured almost yearly. Eventually, House von Kessel claimed the throne and founded the kingdom of Westemär with Redgaard as the shining capital. Fifty years after the rise of the von Kessels, Redgaard's clocktower abruptly stopped working. Notably, this happened at precisely 11:11:11. After the meteor struck the city, Redgaard changed forever. In an attempt to reclaim the city, thousands of soldiers died from Hazeborne contamination, with the few who returned stricken with madness. In nearby Elyria, the priestess Lucretia Mathias interpreted the starfalls as the early return of Tarna's Comet. Inspired, she published the Testament of the Falling Fire, and the accuracy of her predictions attracted her a significant following. After two more expeditions failed disastrously, the succession crisis between the survivors of House von Kessel boiled over, setting off the Westemär Civil War. As the conflict raged on, several adventuring parties scoured Redgaard for riches. Those few who survived spoke of gut-wrenching monstrosities and returned with strange purple crystals. After completing her pilgrimage to the Crater's Edge, Lucretia returned to Elyria to spread her teachings. Meanwhile, the Amethyst Academy began hiring adventurers to collect more of the meteor shards for study; they dubbed the crystals delerium. With Mannfred von Kessel's assassination and Cecilia von Kessel's mysterious death, the war of succession fizzled out with no clear successor. At the same time, Lucretia was branded a heretic and excommunicated by the Divine Matriarch of the Church of the Sacred Flame. Thus, she returned to the ruined city and founded the Followers of the Falling Fire. As more adventurers sought forgotten and unclaimed riches in Redgaard, Emberwood Village became a haven for treasure-seekers and cutthroats alike. Meanwhile, faith in the Falling Fire spread rapidly; more pilgrims made the dangerous voyage to Redgaard, but few succeeded. The Hooded Lanterns were established and began their first expeditions into the ruined capital. With the aid of the Candle Colony's knights, they captured Shepherd's Gate and the Redgaard Garrison as their bases of operations but were unable to further progress into the city. Warded by the Sacrament of the Falling Fire, a few acolytes sheltered in St. Selina's Monastery, in the Inner City, where they encouraged fellow pilgrims to join them before seeking the Crater's Edge.
The falling stars changed the city forever
Type
Large city
Location under
Included Locations
Related Materials
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