Legacy of the Ur-King
Campaign Summary
Legacy of the Ur-King will be a D&D 4th Edition campaign following the story of a group of heroes against a backdrop of war, corruption, and an approaching invasion by dragons. The PCs will begin the campaign as associates of Lord Kilrane, a noble as yet uncommitted to a side in the impending war between two camps of human nobles.
Geography
The realm of the Isles comprises four main islands, with a few smaller islands throughout the area. The main islands are Tarnell in the north, Gunnhier in the west, Weilland in the east, and Hollenhorn in the south. The southern island of Hollenhorn is the largest, forming a sort of "U" shape with the horns pointing north. The northeastern edge of Hollenhorn is separated by a narrow strait from Weilland, and both islands have high cliffs marking the edge of the strait. As one travels into the center of Hollenhorn the terrain becomes mountainous, covered with a primeval forest in the Craw at the center of the "U." A spine of mountains branches from the craw to go up the center of the western horn, which slopes down into lush forested valleys on both sides of the mountains. Weilland is somewhat triangular with one point southeast and the other two northeast and northwest. It has cliffs along its southeast edge -- the edge of the strait -- that lead up into the central highland area of the island, the land known as Highfield. This slopes gently down into lowlands on the western and falls off sharply in cliffs and bluffs on the eastern side of the island, and drains into a swamp at the south corner. The northern part of the island continues to rise up into the Needle, Weilland's only mountain, and slopes down slightly behind the Needle to fall off in sharp cliffs to the ocean along the northern edge of the island.
The Nobles
The most powerful rulers among the humans are lords Barca, Auvenroth, Lannamere, and Kilrane. The dwarf city-state on Tarnell in the north has been ruled for over a century by King Yrnkrag. The western isle of Gunnhier is ostensibly ruled by the eladrin Emerald Ivy Court, though their hold on the lands has become tenuous, and the feywild of the southern isle of Hollenhorn is home to the Moon Lily Court. The fey Ryth Annwyn have taken over the castle of Wellington on the eastern isle of Weilland and have sway over the surrounding Wending Wood. The elves and halflings follow community or tribal leaders, and the tieflings and dragonborn have no unified leadership, with the former being scattered among other peoples like so many seeds in the wind and the latter adhering to a clan structure that relies on rule by tradition and consensus.
The History
About 450 years ago, two major human tribes immigrated in large numbers into the islands. At first only raiding and trading, they soon began to settle in the wide plains of the southern and eastern islands and to treat and conflict with the halfling, elf, and eladrin natives. Over the course of the next century humans spread throughout the islands, settling among the dwarves of the northern island and building towns along the shores of the western. The humans rose to prominence as the most powerful force in the islands, and their tribal structure developed into a feudal system of nobles and vassals. Over the course of several small wars, the house of Kammany emerged as the most powerful rulers of the land and claimed the title of Ur-King. The Kammanies already had a storied history of heroes, and they began a great campaign to tame the wild lands of the islands. In the tradition of their mighty ancestor Harell “Giantsbane,” the Ur-Kings battled even the most terrible monsters of the islands, and during the reign of Gatan the Fearless they finally succeeded in driving the last of the dragons into the remote island chain now known as the Dragons’ Reach. All great empires come to an end, however, and the dynasty of the Ur-Kings was no exception. Try as they might, the Kammanies never fully subdued the primeval forest known as the Craw on the southern island. A mighty titan gathered giants and other primordial forces in the Craw and unleashed devastation upon the civilized lands. Though a unified effort by the people of the islands finally broke the army, the Titan’s War caused irreparable damage to the empire and sowed the seeds of its destruction. Rule became decentralized, with the Kammanies losing more power every year to local lords. Bereven the Black became a lich and his fief of Highfield a haunted land, and Eliam, the last of the Kammany kings, went mad and took his own life in his ancestral fortress of Highcastle. It is rumored that his restless shade still stalks its cursed halls.
In the century since the Ur-Kings’ fall, a number of human lords have attempted to fill the power vacuum and claim dominion over the remaining civilized lands of the isles. These so-called pretender kings have met with varying degrees of success, but none has yet managed to claim and hold rulership over the islands. As the human lords wage their petty and increasingly irrelevant wars, the darkness without continues to encroach upon the land. Most of the southern island has fallen into wilderness, as have vast tracts of all three others. Highfield has fallen under the sway of the restless dead and Wellington under that of hostile fey. The dwarf cities of the northern island have become increasingly insular, and their rule now extends to little beyond their mighty walls. Hostile tribes of barbaric humanoids and bandits of all races roam the lands and accost travelers, making trade more and more risky and expensive. The islands have become a dark and dangerous place, a place awaiting a group of heroes to light the way through the long night.
PC roles
The PCs should all be attached to, employed by, or allied to Lord Kilrane when the campaign begins. The following are a few suggestions; feel free to get creative in your character's relationship to the noble house. Also be thinking about what relationship your character might have with other PCs: you're perfectly free to develop your character alongside someone else's and have them be (for instance) family, lifelong friends, or recent acquaintances.
Bastard -- the PC may be the bastard child of Lord Kilrane, or alternately 2 PCs might share such parentage and be twins.
Retainer -- the PC may be an important retainer of House Kilrane, such as a Huntmaster, House Wizard, Guard Sergeant, or the house priest.
Vassal -- a PC may be a knight or other vassal bound by fealty to the house. This may include having a limited holding such as a small manor.
Hostage -- this PC would be a minor noble from another house, held as a "guest" to keep the other house from betraying the Kilranes.
Friend -- the PC may be a close friend of the Kilranes, or of one of the other PCs. Such a character would likely have a greater attachment to a specific person than to the house as a whole.
Servant -- the PC may be a household servant such as the smith or gardener.
Hireling -- the PC could be an "adventurer-for-hire" who has done freelance work for the house, such as a bounty hunter or soldier of fortune, or even a hedge wizard or local healer.
House Kilrane
Kilrane remains one of the most prominent dominions of the Isles. Its aging lord, Hollis Kilrane, is well-regarded by the other lords both as a diplomat and as a warrior. Along with his staunch ally Lord Wellington, Kilrane was once in a position to take control of the Council of Lords, possibly even to put a candidate of his own choosing on the throne. However, Kilrane's power was much diminished when Wellington fell under a fey curse and disappeared from the world of politics and Barca was invaded by undead from Highfield -- an invasion that Kilrane was unable to stop and that cost Barca some important and valuable land. Nonetheless, House Kilrane still has a good name with the lords of the Isles.
* Hollis Kilrane -- The aging lord of Kilrane. Known as the Young Wolf in his halcyon days as a knight, Hollis is now called the Gray Wolf. Hollis is an adept diplomat and war leader, a charismatic individual with a strong personality. Hollis remains a staunch ally of Auvenroth, and is a bit cold toward Barca since the previous Lord Barca blamed Kilrane for not defending his realm against the undead of Highfield.
* Wencel Kilrane -- Hollis's older son, Wencel is a skillful administrator, if something of a bookworm. He has more interest in securing his own dominion and reclaiming Wellington than in his brother's political ambitions.
* Albrond Kilrane -- Hollis's younger son is much more of a social butterfly than his older brother. Albrond enjoys the finer things in life and the company of the mighty, and is more than a little ambitious regarding Kilrane's role among the lords of the land.
* The Kilrane Holdings -- While the Kilranes lay claim to a sizable chunk of land as their realm, much of it is "frontier." The area around Kilrane Castle, including the town of Kilrane itself, is secure, as are the areas around a couple of forts they maintain. The Kilranes and their knights and soldiery cannot, however, secure all of the smaller hamlets and lumber and mining camps within their territory -- there is simply too much land to patrol it all constantly.
The Kammany Regalia
The Ur-Kings wielded a number of important symbols of authority to show their dominion over the isles. Anyone who wishes to take up their mantle would do well to gather these symbols; some are necessary for such a claim to be taken seriously. The symbolism of the Kammany regalia is both powerful and dangerous -- to use it openly is to claim the throne of the Ur-Kings, a proposition that is nearly guaranteed to win one the enmity of many, if not all, of the nobles in the Isles.
* The Eagle Standard -- The Kammany arms, as displayed on a shield or standard, are a black crowned Germanic eagle against a background of gold. To raise such a standard is a proclamation of dominion in the isles -- and frequently viewed as an act of war. Such a claimant usually displays their own colors on the banner as well, often in a "chief" or band across the top.
* The Royal Signet -- A powerful symbol of authority if displayed, the Royal Signet is thought to be in the possession of Lord Auvenroth, who of the lords of the isles has the strongest blood tie to the Kammanies.
* The sword of Gatan -- The blade wielded by Gatan the Fearless. This symbol of Kammany power is a mighty magical weapon in its own right. Its location has been lost to time.
* The Throne and Scepter -- The Royal Throne and Scepter of the Ur-Kings rest in the throne room at Highcastle, the Kammany ancestral seat of power.
* The Royal Crown -- the crown, a crucial symbol of authority, was never recovered after the Trovelles (the most recent pretenders to the throne) were driven from Highcastle. Its whereabouts are unknown, and while a would-be king could have a new crown made, the Kammany crown would be a boon to one who wished to cement a claim to the throne.
* Highcastle -- any claimant who truly wishes to be viewed as the legitimate King of the Isles must control Highcastle, the Ur-Kings' ancestral seat of power. This poses difficulties of its own (beyond the obvious contention of the other lords), as the castle is known to be haunted and rumored to be cursed.
* The Dwarven Rings -- When the Dwarf Kings recognized the Kammanies as the Ur-Kings over the Isles, they ceded them a dwarven symbol of authority. Traditionally the Dwarven High King wore four rings of iron on one hand and four of gold on the other. Upon recognizing the Ur-Kings, the High King gave them his four gold rings, keeping the iron ones as a sign that he submitted to the dominion of the Kammanies but retained rule of the dwarven city-states under them -- and that the dwarves had been conquered through diplomacy rather than military might. From that event forward the Kammany kings were called the Ur-Kings, after the gold rings that cemented their reign over the entirety of the Isles. The whereabouts of the gold rings given to the Kammanies are currently unknown, and the Dwarf King had a new set made for himself after the fall of Highcastle. None of the so-called Pretender Kings has as yet attempted to claim sovereignty over the dwarven city-states by wearing four gold rings.
The western isle of Gunnhier is ostensibly ruled by the eladrin Emerald Ivy Court, though their hold on the lands has become tenuous
I'm assuming the eladrin city is built in the Feywild version of this island (or at least is in the Feywild part of the time)? Are the other islands occupied in the Feywild? If so then why do the eladrin seek to rule the normalWorld version rather then the Feywild version? Do the Feywild inhabitants of the other islands have access to the normalWorld?
The fey Ryth Annwyn have taken over the castle of Wellington on the eastern isle of Weilland and have sway over the surrounding Wending Wood.
Who are the Ryth Annwyn?
Highcastle -- any claimant who truly wishes to be viewed as the legitimate King of the Isles must control Highcastle, the Ur-Kings' ancestral seat of power. This poses difficulties of its own (beyond the obvious contention of the other lords), as the castle is known to be haunted and rumored to be cursed.
Why? Is it a show of power?
Also you mention how all of the races except the dragonborn came to the islands, I'm interested in how they did ;) Also do you have any plans to work Shadowfell into your campaign? You certainly don't need to, but its one place that danger can come from.
Also this might be a bit much to read for your players. You might want to cut it down to the bare essentials (4 lines on history, 4 lines on Geography, 1 line for where each of the playable races live and then the PC roles section), with the extra information available in addition if they want it.
All in all it looks interesting. Although please tell me this doesn't start with the death of Lord Hollis :P
A map (no matter how poorly drawn) would help tremendously with the geography part.
I have a map, which I've shown to most of my players. Forgive the internet ignorance of this grognard, but I don't actually know how to post it so board readers can view it.
I'm assuming the eladrin city is built in the Feywild version of this island (or at least is in the Feywild part of the time)? Are the other islands occupied in the Feywild? If so then why do the eladrin seek to rule the normalWorld version rather then the Feywild version? Do the Feywild inhabitants of the other islands have access to the normalWorld?
I'm thinking the Emerald Ivy Court is based in a city that exists either in the Feywild, or (more likely) in both the Feywild and the world, but with the grander version in the Feywild. There are concurrent landmasses in both the Feywild and Shadowfell to at least all four main islands, and likely to most or all of the smaller islands as well. In the case of Gunnhier, the island as I have conceived of it currently in the world is relatively pacific, making it an easier path of expansion for the Emerald Ivy Court than the concurrent area in the Feywild, where I think PoL will hold true even more than in the "world."
Who are the Ryth Annwyn?
They are a hostile Faerie Court, in a similar vein as the Unseelie Court. To be specific, the Ryth Annwyn are a group of fey nobility on the island of Weilland, who have chosen to expand their power into the world through a kind of "shallows" that exists between the Feywild and the world in the fief of Wellington.
Why? Is it a show of power?
Possession of Highcastle is both a show of power and a demonstration of divine right, as the Ur-Kings were said to rule by not only their own might, but the providence of the Gods.
Also you mention how all of the races except the dragonborn came to the islands, I'm interested in how they did ;) Also do you have any plans to work Shadowfell into your campaign? You certainly don't need to, but its one place that danger can come from.
As far as player knowledge is concerned, the dragonborn have always inhabited the islands. They are more concentrated on the northern island of Tarnell than on any other, but they exist on all of the islands and have since time immemorial. The Shadowfell certainly coexists with the world on all of the main islands, and likely all of the smaller ones as well. Most of the thought I've given to the Shadowfell is regarding Highfield, where the fortress of Shadowgate at the foot of the Needle serves as a gate between the world and the Shadowfell and as a strong point for the lich lord Bereven the Black.
Also this might be a bit much to read for your players. You might want to cut it down to the bare essentials (4 lines on history, 4 lines on Geography, 1 line for where each of the playable races live and then the PC roles section), with the extra information available in addition if they want it.
All in all it looks interesting. Although please tell me this doesn't start with the death of Lord Hollis :P
I disagree that it's too much info for the players. My gaming group are used to a story-heavy, immersive gaming style, and every time I provide them with information on the world they hound me for more
. As to the fate of Lord Hollis, at the beginning of the campaign he is already aged to the point that his sons have taken over his role as a ruler and politician. That his passing will occur during the course of the campaign is pretty obvious.I have a map, which I've shown to most of my players...Possession of Highcastle is both a show of power and a demonstration of divine right, as the Ur-Kings were said to rule by not only their own might, but the providence of the Gods...I disagree that it's too much info for the players. My gaming group are used to a story-heavy, immersive gaming style...In the case of Gunnhier, the island as I have conceived of it currently in the world is relatively pacific, making it an easier path of expansion for the Emerald Ivy Court than the concurrent area in the Feywild, where I think PoL will hold true even more than in the "world.".....As far as player knowledge is concerned, the dragonborn have always inhabited the islands. They are more concentrated on the northern island of Tarnell than on any other, but they exist on all of the islands and have since time immemorial. The Shadowfell certainly coexists with the world on all of the main islands, and likely all of the smaller ones as well. Most of the thought I've given to the Shadowfell is regarding Highfield, where the fortress of Shadowgate at the foot of the Needle serves as a gate between the world and the Shadowfell and as a strong point for the lich lord Bereven the Black.
Fair enough
They are a hostile Faerie Court, in a similar vein as the Unseelie Court. To be specific, the Ryth Annwyn are a group of fey nobility on the island of Weilland, who have chosen to expand their power into the world through a kind of "shallows" that exists between the Feywild and the world in the fief of Wellington.
Aaah okay. my ignorance of 3e is showing up here
As to the fate of Lord Hollis, at the beginning of the campaign he is already aged to the point that his sons have taken over his role as a ruler and politician. That his passing will occur during the course of the campaign is pretty obvious.
Heh, as long as it isn't suppose to be some grand surprise ;)
Sounds good all in all
Aaah okay. my ignorance of 3e is showing up here
Oh, the group isn't something from 3E. It's completely my fabrication.
Tim: The Exiled Lord
probably human, either paladin or warlord
The current Lord Wellington was away being taught in the ways of the faith when his homeland was attacked by the fey court called the Ryth Annwyn. Few of his family and household escaped; his older brother -- the favored son who was to inherit the title of Lord Wellington -- was killed in the attack. Unable to return to his ancestral lands, Wellington is now a permanent guest of his family's traditional allies, the Kilranes. He and Albrond Kilrane are at the center of a group of young nobles known for their political ambitions and rambunctious ways, dubbed the Young Bloods by some of the older lords.
Ernie: The Bastard Son
human warlock
Lord Kilrane's bastard son was sent with his mother to live in Wellington, to keep them out of the public eye. Still but a toddler when the Ryth Annwyn attacked, the boy was spirited away by a warlock who took him to another island to train him in the ways of the Arcane. He has returned to Kilrane only within the past year, to an uncertain welcome from his family. He lives in Kilrane castle, where he is well taken care of but given no official duties or title. His older brother Wencel has taken note of the young warlock's knowledge of the arcane and extensive knowledge of the fey, and has provided him access to the castle's library as well as asking his advice on mystical or fey-related matters.
Benj: The Dragon Knight
dragonborn, either paladin, warlord or fighter
The knight is a vassal of the Kilranes, with a small estate and a fortified manor house. As a landed vassal his responsibilities include providing tax income and fighting men for his lord when called upon, but his main duty is his own combat prowess. The knight has little personal interest in politics (though he does understand its importance); his turn of mind is more suited to war. He is something of a war hawk and has a reputation for brutality in how he deals with enemies. The knight is closer to Wencel than Albrond, being himself studious and interested in history and the study of warfare and tactics.
Mort: The Retired Assassin
dwarf fighter
This character is the castle blacksmith, who once worked for the elder lord of the house (Hollis Kilrane) as an assassin. He has retired from this role, having lost the taste for such killing. Despite the fact that his main service to the house is now as its master smith, he is still a skilled fighter and still willing to do battle for his lord -- but now he faces his enemies openly on the field of battle. The blacksmith has developed a relationship with the lord's recently returned bastard son, taking the young warlock under his wing and bringing him along on trips around the province.
Jake: The Con Artist
probably human, rogue
A thief by profession, this character has conned her way into membership in Albrond and Wellington's circle, the Young Bloods. Bold as brass and a consummate high roller, she has a penchant for living beyond her means -- a penchant funded by high-profile thefts that usually involve stealing jewelry or other valuables and replacing them with a counterfeit. The thief envies the life of luxury that the nobles live, and sees joining the Young Bloods as a potential means of conning her way into that life.