The Falconhall

Continuing from yesterday's post about the Duchy of Wichard, I will sketch out the primary adventure location for the first few sessions of new parties and characters.

Inspired by my hometown, the Falconhall is built on top of ruins of an ancient Auroran fort that held the northern border of the Imperium against the barbarian Teutonic tribes and the eldritch might of the Elven Courts. Legend tells that an ancient general ascended to godhood here but was stricken down before his divine essence could manifest fully. Others say the place was cursed by the Elves. Whatever the case, there is no denying that the castle is haunted and ghosts and ghouls prowl its halls.

The current gothic castle was constructed in relatively recent centuries, atop chapels and forts built by the first Valar emperor over the Auroran ruins and expanded upon by Teutonic Grafs and Herzogen (counts and dukes). In the present century, the castle slowly fell into disuse and disrepair, until a fateful night a few years ago.

A lone dark figure entered the abandoned castle and that same night, the characteristic green nimbus that spreads from its tallest tower and can be seen all around sprang into life. Accompanied by ghostly whails, the castle took on a darker aspect. The castle then fell silent. The identity of its squatter was never determined, not even by the mightiest scrying prayers of the most devout priests of the Radiant Church. One of the contesting noble families of Wichard attempted to besiege the castle but gave up as soldiers encamped outside of its walls slowly went mad.

Only a month ago, the castle occupant lowered the drawbridge for the first time since the Night of Green Lights. Immediately, soldiers of the former besiegers entered the castle, followed by scouting parties of the Sentinels of the Radiant Church. Most were never seen again. Those that returned from their exploration of the castle's halls report green flames lighting its halls, scores of living dead wandering its corridors and a feeling of dread and horror wrenching their guts. Rumours speak of insane cultists and priests of forgotten ancient gods that have entered its walls to enact vile rituals.

Both the monotheistic Radiant Church as well as the Stadsraad (city council) of Numaga have put up rewards for the arrest of the cultists and dark priests. Both institutions would also pay hefty sums of gold to ascertain the identity and motives of the dark master of the Falconhall and to bring him to justice.

Duchy of Wichard

Taking a page out of the best practices of Jeff's Gamblog, In Places Deep and the ever-illustrious Hill Cantons, I have decided to refocus my campaign-building efforts on a small area sandbox, modeled after my home region in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.

The Duchy - or Herzogentum in its native Teutonic - of Wichard is named after the knight who founded the domain, Wichard, some 600 or 700 years ago. He and his brother (whose name is sadly lost to history) defeated a Green Dragon that was terrorizing the region. With its dying breath, the Dragon declared Wichard and his heirs to be enemies of dragonkind untill the end of time. Howerver, Wichard's line still reigns in the Dukedom, albeit in a haphazard line of descent.

Wichard lies on the northeastern frontier of the Mittelreik, the middle empire of Man over which presided the Radiant Emperor. With Emperor Vaelor's disappearance however, the consituent regions have been enjoying their own freedoms more and more in recent years.

Just three years ago, the lands of the Mittelreik were swept up in a cataclysmic upheaval as the undead plague by the name of the Grim Death stalked the lands. Today, many towns and smaller cities lie abandoned and most cities still suffer from the Grim Death, its dead rising from their graves just a few hours after passing away. Wichard is no exception, and the presence of undead is further amplified by the ancient castle known as the Falconhall in its largest ciy Numaga.

Just as it is the westernmost expanse of the Mittelreik, Wichard in ancient times was the northernmost province of the Empire of Aurora and ruins dating back to the beginning of human civilization still dot the region. Most remain unexlored and may harbor gold or ancient artifacts of that eldritch empire. And while the southern half of the Duchy is fairly civilized, the northern frontier still remains untouched by man and harbors Elven communities.

The area in the center. But with more magic and elves and ghouls.

Key Conceits

Continuing from the previous post, wherein I describe my next campaign setting in 25 words, this post is intended to give the design of the setting more body.

One of the ways in which 4th Edition D&D renewed setting design was through the use of so-called "Key Conceits". In the 4th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, and then continued in the setting guides of Forgotten Realms, Eberron and Dark Sun, the World of D&D was described in a few powerful statements. Here is the original list from the DMG:

In just one page, the writers manage to evoke a whole world. They also establish some ground rules about the setting. The relationships of gods with mortals, the prevalence of adventurers, the reason dungeons exist, etc.

Expanding on the 25 words, here are my Key Conceits:

• The World Was Created Mundane: In the current age, wizards, sages and scholars are starting to infer that this world was not created with great magic. Rather, the first ages of this realm were mundane and saw no great feats of magic. The remnants of the past speak of barbaric peoples and simple, martial traditions.
• Magic Flows From The Land: The Elves brought the knowledge of Magic to this realm. Espousing knowledge of the natural realm and arcane sigils, they raised Man from barbarism. By working their will, intelligence or wisdom on the natural world, spellcasters can coax the vital energy of life to staggering effects. This energy is most prevalent in ancient, undespoiled forests or high, unconquered mountains. Wherever civilization takes hold, this flow is diminished.
• Civilization Is Young And Fragile: The Elves that raised Man up to the foundation of Aurora, the Dawn City, are still alive in the present age. The world has only lived through one great empire and is about to live through another. Civilization is a force only tested twice, and it is still fragile. In the current Interregnum, the once-unified Radiant Empire is once again split into innumerable fiefdoms, each a prey for monsters, warbands or darker forces.
• Good And Evil Are Real: This world is no place of grey-and-grey moralities or relative viewpoints. Evil encompasses corruption, vileness, temptation and remorselesness. Good is constituted by redemption, exaltation, sacrifice and healing. Two fundamentally opposing cosmic forces vie for the souls of mortal beings, and the world is their battleground.
• Forces Out There Want To Claim What Is Here: This world is but a speck in the dark curtain of the night sky. There are thousands of other inhabited worlds around distant stars. The Elves hail from one such world, destroyed by their own folly. The divine Celestials hail from another. The savage Orcs have come from yet another realm to invade and despoil this one. All seek to control the flow of magic or souls of mortals from this world.
• Men And Women Of Power Are Commonplace: The Thousand Fiefdoms are ruled over by rough men and women, each capable of holding their own in a duel, whether it be magical or mundane. Adventurers are common in this age of endless strife and powerful explorers lay claim to a fief of their own.
• Small Bands Striving For Good Can Make A Difference: The dangers that confront the Thousand Fiefdoms are many and varied. Demigods from other worlds, insidious Elven plots, savage warbands and horrendous monsters. Yet small bands of dedicated defenders can overcome these challenges. By embracing hope and turning the hearts and minds of common citizens, the darkness can be averted and the light preserved.