Angharad Campaign (2012)
Contents
Campaign Materials
Materials for the 2012 Angharad campaign using Pathfinder rules.
PDF PlayerMap1_Ceirin_Rhan_Fionn.pdf
Campaign Log
The Characters
The original characters: Drust the Bard/Barbarian, Nemsey the Druid, Rowan the Rogue and Aed the Cleric
Campaign Start
The players competed in the annual regional Fianna Competition for the privilege of joining the famed Fianna. A local Clan Elder Laithan Fionn induced the party to take his foster daughter on their team in exchange for free room and board for six months at the Four Winds roadhouse (which is a Fianna hangout anyway). Their main competition was from a group headed by a younger son of another powerful Clan Elder named Farne. During a multi-day endurance race through the wilderness the PC's encountered and killed a patrol of Serpent's eye goblins with a map, indicating they were searching for a "deep cave". Goblins are not normally found in organized bands on a mission in this territory. Nearby they found a cave with an Owlbear nest (along with a number of dead goblins). They won the competition and became local celebrities.
Later back in the local town of Ceirin, they were with Aed visiting the local Temple of Lugh when local guardsmen came to the temple for assistance. The scene they were brought to was a local drug deal gone bad with a twist, dark religious implements were found charged with negative energy which killed a guard. Channeling positive energy dispersed the auras. Among the implements was found a broken amulet or holy symbol.
Clan Fionn Politics
Clan Elder Laithan Fionn invites the party to his manor house to celebrate their victory, where he explains the three factions among Clan Fionn. Normally a suitable and capable Queen is chosen to lead a Clan, but Clan Fionn has a prophecy that the original bloodline must rule for the clan to prosper. The trouble is, (according to Laithan) the current Queen of the bloodline is spoiled and mismanaging the clan wealth and politics with other clans. One mostly urban faction supports the Queen, the Prophecy and the status quo. Another faction, mostly rural, wants a new queen and screw the prophecy (Lathain is a leader in this faction). The third wants to be left out of it, but generally supports the prophecy. Laithan lobbies for the support of the new Fianna, not directly in the conflict, but the gist is by 'I think the clan is in for hard times and I want to be proactive... by doing good things for the clan under my direction, my faction can gain prestige'. The group defers, choosing not to be seen as supporting one faction over another.
Owlbear Cave
Returning to the Owlbear cave, it was found to be very extensive with unusually large fungal and insect growth. Found in the cave was evidence of old and also ancient construction and a somewhat recent expedition by unsuccessful spelunkers of some type, one was found to have a complete amulet similar to what was found in the drug dealer's house. They also found access to a hidden shelf in the mountain above the cave with a monolith left by the Ancients, still filled with mysterious power and thought to be source/reason of the unusually verdant cave systems. At the far end of the caves an aqueduct system left by the Ancient's was also found.
Goblin Raid
Back at the Four Winds for rest and resupply, they receive word of a goblin raid at the nearby Brin Quarry. Several dozen serpent's eye had attacked and some the miner's/quarrymen were trapped. The PC's arrive just as the goblins are pulled out, this time they are accompanied by several of their hobgoblin masters. They are driven out, but a band of nearly a dozen escape. The players pursue even after finding out the raiders receive reinforcements. The goblins are defeated again, but again a number escape, in particular the hobgoblin leaders, and they flee into the wilderness.
After many days they manage to track them to a cave, and find even more goblins, very much deeper in human lands than should be expected. After a week or so conducting mixed success raids, the group heads to the nearby fort Crosswatch to resupply. Fort Crosswatch is communal Angharad defense against goblins and humanoids from the mountains, manned by Angharad from most Clans in the region. At this point Aed the Cleric is now an NPC.
Brand and Nefer
While resupplying and sharing their findings with the fort commander, they are joined by Brand the Ranger and Nefer the Mage. The reinforced party conducts several more raids and notices the goblins receive substantial reinforcements from coming from someplace to the north. Leading the reinforcements is a Serpent Eye Warmaster, a terrible general of the goblinoids which has a serpent's head. Undaunted the players stage a daring raid through an alternate entrance directly into the hobgoblin leader's lair. They manager to slay two shaman and several hobgoblins as well as gather some loot and intel before the enemy could rally and block their escape.
Fleeing the goblins through the forest they decide the brave the Old North Road (rumored to be troll territory) and escape to Fort Cam (a wooden stockade manned by forces from Crosswatch). At Fort Cam the commander there informs the party that there has been trouble at Crosswatch, and while they are not under arrest, they are to be escorted back to Crosswatch under guard for questioning.
At the gates Nefer "the heretic" has some trouble with an old rival, but the party closes ranks and trouble is avoided. There is dual trouble at Crosswatch, first, hostilities between Clan Moryan and Clan Fionn have escalated over some disputed grazing lands. Clan Moryan is withdrawing their troops which will probably be followed by a withdrawal of Fionn, substantially weakening the fort just before harvest raids on goblin farms. Second, a crow was shot by a hunter at the fort and it was found to be carrying a note in an unknown language. This happened right after Nefer left abruptly with the Fianna and suspicion fell on him (he is a foreigner wizard with a raven familiar who speaks many strange languages who was not popular with many people in the fort). However, the commander trusts him and after getting information about their goblin fighting he asks Nefer to translate the note. It is vague but seems to be carrying information about the forts readiness.
