Dominance Pact

Plot points/Scenes

The Cult of the Hanging Tree have used their agents to manipulate the order of the Cedarwood Valley into turning against the cult of the overlord.
The opening scene involves the adventurers entering the town and getting tipped off by a mysterious source (Paint Drop the Changeling) of the Overlords into clearing the catacombs of mercenaries and monsters in exchange for a reward, when in fact the aim is to trap them, dress them as wizards and make the warriors of cedarwood believe they had been betrayed by the order and that they had gone back on their word.
The adventurers clear the lower dungeon and then are trapped by a godly powerful mage, and they are forced to scramble together  a defence in 15 minutes ready for the oncoming assault of the convicts. They then fight off the on comers and eventually repel them.
The assault on the main cathedral is a complete disaster for the men of cedarwood and they are utterly annihilated by strong magic. They are forced to withdraw when, following the discovery that the main contingent of the cult of the hanging tree had assaulted and captured the village, retreat towards the main city.


So Cedarwood assaults Overlords Base due to manipulation of the hanging tree. This is done to bait the armed contingent out of the village so they can seize it and mount supplies ready for their own assault on the cathedral. They provide weak mercenaries as support which they know will be annihilated but need to encourage the ill fated attack.
Meanwhile a mole leaks the initial part of the plan for a joint offensive on the cathedral, and the overlords invite a party of their own mercenaries (the adventurers) to assault the bandits lurking in their catacombs, which are in fact the mercenaries of the hanging tree, and once their are dealt with they are framed to look like a betrayal, unaware the hanging tree is already betraying them.
The cathedral stands, the village is captured by the hanging tree, the warriors of cedarwood retreat towards the capital.


The adventurers are confronted by Anran and his minions, and can choose to side with the cult of the overlords, or they can kill him and run, joining either the cult of the hanging tree.

Plot type

Introduction

Subplots

• The Reclaiming of the Wilds