VoidstateCampaign

Here's an introduction to the campaign I'm currently running. I'll post the stories of the first few sessions once I get a chance.

Brokencliff Before The Circle Arrives

Brokencliff lies in the far southwest of the Realm, only town of the Lantern Peninsula. It is bounded to the West by rocky cliffs and damp fens, to the south by crashing seas, to the North are the Four Maidens, inhospitable mountains cutting off the peninsula from much of the Realm and home to wild spirits of rock and air. To the East a narrow strip of habitable coast allows land passage to the rest of Eagle Prefecture, but winds at points through papyrus marshes frequented by river dragons and venemous spiders the size of lions.

To most Dynasts the port of Brokencliff is known only for its wines and it’s hallucinogenic brandy, blue ruin. It is commonly joked that the only reason this backwater produces such good wines is that there is nothing better to do there than get thoroughly drunk.

The Dynasts

Traditionally two dynastic families have called Brokencliff home: V’Neef Halak and her daughters and Cynis Mariat and his one hundred concubines. Between them they have played the games of power for over a century. So long, in fact, that two recognised factions have developed named for the local wines: the Purples (supporters of House V’Neef) and Yellows (the Cynis faction). Currently V’Neef Halak has the upper hand, controlling more of the vineyard-villages scattered across the foothills to the north, holding the governorship of the town and using her command of the merchant navies to skim wealth from all the town’s trade. Cynis Mariat is not idle though. He has guild connections and through them influences the valuable commodities brought into town. He has also recently opened up a slave brothel; and already many local patricians have sordid activities they are very keen to keep undisclosed. It is even whispered that V'Neef Halak's youngest daughter, Solomis, has been seen slipping into the brothal in disguise.

Using her ascendancy, Halak has organised a crusade named The Retributive aimed at freeing V’Neef holdings in the Western Isles. A wicked anathema known only as Dawnwalker has seized the island of Hollowswoop from the satrap of the coral archipelago and all forces sent against the island have never returned. Hoping to claim the income from jade mines on Wavecrest as well as to confiscate booty taken by Dawnwalker in pirate raids throughout the archipelago, Halak has provided a thousand House V’Neef troops, twenty vessels and rations for three times that many soldiers and invited Immaculates and hot bloods wanting to prove themselves to join her in purging the anathema from the island. The fact that her troublesome daughter, V’Neef Solomis, will be kept occupied for several months is an added bonus. As is the fact that the famous Anathema hunter and master of the Fire-dragon path, Ravens of Heaven, is soon to arrive with his retinue.

Ragara Foldel

Notable among other dynasts residing in the area are Ragara Foldel, the Castellan of Saltwash Keep. Saltwash controls landward access to Brokencliff where the coast road crosses the Bitterflow 30 miles east of town. Foldel has been appointed as a compromise between the V’Neef and Cynis factions – once a general, he was forcibly retired when it was discovered that his personal retinue was being forced to perform duties no soldier should endure. His family brought him the post of Castellan and made him promise never to return to society to embarrass them again. As long as he keeps to his slaves and doesn’t hamper Cynis or V’Neef caravans he is left in peace.

Tepet Albastor

One mile out from Brokencliff is the island of Rogue Point, a jagged obsidian shard barely rising above the seas. Tending the manse-lighthouse is the sorcerer Tepet Albastor. He has not returned to town for many years, V’Neef Halak preferring to have supplies shipped out to him so he will not pollute the town with his sorcerous ways. Recently a bank of mist has settled over the island and the fisherman sent with supplies report crazed chitterings whispering form within it.

Tepet Rubol

In the House of Five Dragons, a cliff top monastery west of the town, hides Steel Orchid, Tepet Rubol, a famous magistrate and spirit hunter. His last mission was to imprison a god of darkness, loneliness and night winds in the manse of Black Fane. This god had ambitions to rule villagers dwelling in the remote valleys of the northern peninsula. In revenge the god’s angry wind spirit servants are hunting Steel Orchid. Only within the sanctified grounds of the temple can he rest easy. Compounding his troubles is the fact that he found against Cynis Mariat in a case ten years past and refused the advances of V’Neef Halak some time after. Both owe him a debt of vengeance. Recently the monks have become suspicious of a figure glimpsed with the Steel Orchid in the catacombs of the temple. No-one has seen the figure clearly, except a novice by the name of Empty Hand of Plenty, who recalls glimpsing eyes as deep as a starlit sky before Tepet Rubol barked at him to leave.

Other powers at play

There are other powers at play in the area: Who is Blaroon, the beggar in the winestained rags who the blackhelms can never catch and who occassionally gives large gifts of jade to struggling families? Who is the tall man with straw-coloured hair who has resided at the Seven Eyes Tavern for the last month, and wanders each night alone in the papyrus marshes? Are the reports of a golden dual-hulled ship pulled by four black-scaled half-snake demons merely fishermans’ tales? Why have the river spiders multiplied so much this season and started to venture out from the marshes? Who is behind the Shroud Tithe Cult – dark figures who descend on remote villages and spend hours in a frenzied orgies of violence and debauchery leaving not a soul alive? Is it true that the Night Quill, masked contact for the demon-assassin Shadow of a Thousand Venoms, has been discreetly approaching local patricians to enquire if they have any enemies - and the funds requisite to remove them? Why will no-one talk of the golden tower in the centre of the town?

Next, Prelude 1, Tepet Xoba Javi: VoidstateCampaign2