Fear To Tread

Ninevehn's 5E D&D game.

Characters

Malvolio Ioricci

Noble Tiefling Blade Pact Warlock - played by Richard

Count Peter Selmy

Noble Human Battlemaster Fighter - played by Britain

Darrak Fireforge

Dwarf Eldritch Knight Fighter - played by Griffith

Lutra D'Nyl

Hermit Human Land Druid - played by Michelle

Leandar

Outlander Half-Elf Beastmaster Ranger - played by Mica

Adelin Lihol

Human Wizard - played by Ross

Loot

• Watchtower and Wizardtower

• Gruumsh Temple on an Island

• Trolls and Goblins

• Madhatter and Manor House

• Beanstock and Beyond

• Goblin Tribe

• Hobgoblin Tribe

• Mummy Lord & Wyvern Riders

• Unclaimed Loot

Chargen

• Races
  • Dwarf. Short, rugged people with a talent for metal and stone work.
  • Elf. Tall and pointy-eared, with a mystical bent.
  • Halfling. Short and less rugged, but sensible and optimistic.
  • Human. You know what these are.
  • Dragonborn. Metallic-scaled descendents of Bahamut.
  • Gnome. Dimunitive herders and crafters, with a penchant for clockwork and devices.
  • Half-Elf. Rare mix of human and elf.
  • Half-Orc. Represents both civilized orcs and their human hybrids.
  • Tiefling. Humans tainted by their ancestors' pact with Asmodeus. Often nobility.

• Classes
  • Barbarian. Mighty thews, giant axes and berserking. Mostly melee striker with some tank.
  • Bard. Singers, loremasters and manipulators. Mostly healers with some control via enchantments and illusions.
  • Cleric. The followers of their chosen god. Healing casters with some tank and melee.
  • Druid. Followers of an older, primal magic. They heal, do animal stuff, shapeshift and have a decent mix of spells.
  • Fighter. Masters of war. They're very flexible, with options for tank, melee, ranged, buffs, control and even some wizard spells.
  • Monk. Disciplined warriors of the empty fist. They're self-sufficient, do solid melee damage and have a lot of interesting abilities.
  • Paladin. Righteous warriors and defenders. Melee tanks with some cleric casting and healing.
  • Ranger. Patrollers of the wild places. They're flexible scouts with some druid-like spells and mixed melee/ranged options. Can have a beast ally.
  • Rogue. Sneaks and backstabbers. Stealth, lock-picking and mixed melee/ranged game, with a wizard-casting option.
  • Sorcerer. Natural spellcasters. They're mostly damage spells, with tricks for customizing their spells on the fly.
  • Warlock. Make pacts with things from beyond your world! Mix of melee and offensive casting, with spell buffs and a potential familiar.
  • Wizard. The learned caster. They have a great deal of utility magic, as well as solid control and damage.

Custom Material

Mercenaries

• Medium Infantry- These stands are decently armored and carry shields and a mix of axes and swords.
  • Recruited Troops- You can recruit any number of stands from these. They are of mediocre skill and cost 5gp a day when marching and 10 gp a day during combat, plus the promise of land when the fighting is finished. They have no solos.
  • Kattegat's Men- These come as a unit of 10 stands. They are somewhat more skilled, and cost 100gp marching/200gp combat a day, and want no land. They have a unit commander, Kattegat, as a solo.
• Missile Infantry- You can recruit up to three of these stands. They have light armor and either self bows or slings.
  • Recruited Troops- Mediocre skill, 5gp/10gp daily, plus a promise of land. They have no solos.
• Light Cavalry- You can recruit up to three of these stands. They have light armor, self bows and a spear.
  • Recruited Troops- Mediocre skill, 10gp/20gp daily, no desire for land. No solos.
• Heavy Infantry- Splint armor with two-handed melee weapons.
  • Recruited Troops- 1 stand freely available. Roll a DC 10 Persuasion check. Success allows one additional stand to be recruited, plus further stands every three points the DC is exceeded by, to a maximum of four stands. Each stand costs 20/30gp daily, with no desire for land. They have no solos.
  • Alborg's Steel Wall- 5 stands, 125/200gp daily, no desire for land. Darbash is a solo and their unit commander.
• Heavy Cavalry- Heavy armor, barding, lances and axes.
  • Recruited Troops- Roll a DC 10 Persuasion check. Success allows one stand, at 30/60 daily pay. No solos.

Downtime

• It takes 3 months to gain proficiency in a tool set, 6 months to research a magic item formula and three weeks to build a common/uncommon magic item if you have the appropriate tool proficiency and any needed spells (half the time and cost for consumable items). Time for other things will have to be estimated as it comes up.

Ancient Days

The world and the many planes that surround it are ancient beyond belief. In the earliest of reality's days, Tiamat and Bahamut willed each other into existence and for a time, they lived in harmonious companionship, a cosmic joining of order and chaos. Both were proud and mighty, and the fruit of their union were the dragons. Bahamut took great pride in their children and grew to love them, and this love revealed to him the nature of Good and elevated him. Tiamat . . . felt otherwise, and remained true to her original nature. In time, this rift between them became impossible to bridge, and the two separated. Their children split also, the ones loyal to Bahamut shedding their colors, while Tiamat's children shed their metallic gleam.

Of course, pride and a wounded heart seldom lead to a happy ending. Tiamat and her brood struck at their now despised family. Bahamut was wounded in the surprise attack and ascended to the heavens, while his children were slain over a bloody millennium of war. Once that was done, Tiamat and the chromatic dragons bent their will to subjugating the world, which did not work out as planned.

The metallic dragons are thought to be lost to time, but hope persists, and they left remnants of their power and lives behind.

Triple Alliance

History

Halflings brought savage orcish and human tribes together under one banner to defend each other against the chromatic dragons. Over centuries, this union has created an intermingled culture and population that is both vibrant and strong.

The final turning point in the War Against Dragons is central to the current state of the Triple Alliance. Despite heroic efforts and generations of fighting and sacrifice, the alliance was unable to break the power of the dragons, largely because any time they got close, Tiamat would descend from the heavens and incinerate everything. In desperation, many of the human leaders joined a secret cabal to find the power necessary to keep The Queen of Dragons out of the fight. They found the answer in the dark flames of Hell, and made pacts with fiendish powers up to Asmodeus himself, pacts that altered their very flesh and blood. They wielded the terrible power they'd bought to curse Tiamat, sending her crashing from the skies and crawling back to her island in tatters. At this moment, the paladins of Bahamut struck, not at the Queen, but at the human nobles, bringing them low before the evil they'd sold their souls for could infect the world. They spared the children of these nobles, and from them are the tieflings descended. This act of seeming betrayal is known as the Sacrifice of Saints, and is generally accepted in the stories to have been a fate the infernal nobles planned on.

Demographics

• 30% Halfling
• 30% Human
• 30% Orc
• 4% Tiefling
• 2% Dwarf
• 1% each of Gnomes, Dragonborn and Elves (including Half-Elves).

Halflings dominate the agrarian river valleys, orcs are most common along the northern coast and western foothills, while humans are dominant along the southern coast and eastern woodlands and plains.

Geography

There are foothills and low mountains in the west, two broad river valleys in the center, rugged coasts in the north and south and rolling forests that taper into flat plains in the east. There are few good ports, and no deepwater ports at all in the north. The Triple Alliance is roughly in the center of the continent.

Government

Feudal electorship. Archdukes, Dukes and Counts vote to elevate a Duke or Archduke to the High Kingship, a position held for life. Barons serve viscounts or counts, who in turn serve Dukes or Archdukes. Some barons and counts are styled 'free', and swear fealty directly to the High King. Archdukes, Dukes and Free Counts may attend the Council, an advisory parliament with little hard power (but substantial influence), as may several high-ranking clerics, important guild leaders and powerful mages.

Religion

Religion is an important part of life in the Triple Alliance, and religious tolerance is considered an important civic ideal. The primary religion centers on the Neufiad, which contains nine gods, three from each of the founding Races of the Triple Alliance.The orcs contributed the Ishtar, Goddess of Love and War; Bau, the Goddess of Fire and Irkalla, God of the Spirit World. Humans put forth The Raven Queen, Goddess of Death; Anu, the God of Walls and Enki, the God of Knowledge. Halflings added Pelora, the Goddess of the Sun; Tammuz, the God of Agriculture and Avandra, the Goddess of Luck. A number of minor gods are also associated with this pantheon, including Melora, the Goddess of Nature; Nanna, the God of the Moon; Malara, the Goddess of the Hunt; and Corellon Larethion, the God of Magic.

Elvish, Gnomish, Dwarvish and (metallic) Draconic religions are also practiced in the Triple Alliance by members of those races, in far smaller numbers. The Paladins of Bahumat are notably integrated tightly into the nation.

The Dwarven pantheon consists of the Forefathers, a set of founders and teachers who are worshiped only together, though some dwarves unofficially acknowledge a particular deity as a patron or matron. These include Moradin, the creator of the dwarves, and the Forefathers of Learning, the Hearth, Smithing, Stonework, Trade and Tempests (including earthquakes and avalanches).

Duchies and Major Cities

• The Archduchy of the Stone Shore.
  • The archduchy stretches along the northern coast of the Triple Alliance, west of the Jadube River. Most of the population is orcish, and they maintain many orcish customs that have been integrated into modern Alliance life. They also maintain both the principle fleet of the north and a series of fortified cities and sites along the coast to guard against the savage orcs to the east. Farming here is not very productive, though the fishing prevents the population from relying on food imports. There are abundant resources for local stone construction, and both glassware and pottery are made in quantities for export, as is salt.

Major Figures

• The Lady Neega Prowbreaker, Third of Her Name, Archduchess of the Stone Shore, Admiral of the Northern Fleet.
  • An aging orc noble, a powerful leader and warrior. Tall, robust and strong, her hair is marked by swatches of iron grey. She traces her descent back to Holg Peacemaker himself, and carries the magical great ax her house is named for. A talented strategist and skilled sailor. She assumed control of House Selmy's lands when they fell.
• Archduke Salazar of the Sand Coast.
  • A human man who was involved in House Selmy's downfall. His house is wealthy and a trade rival to the Ioricci's.
• Duke Milo of the Upper Jadube.
  • A scheming halfling who engineered the destruction of House Selmy for reasons unknown.
• Duke Volerio Ioricci of the Midlunds.
  • A tiefling lord of great wealth and power. Malvolio's father. He acquired House Selmy's ancestral regalia when they fell.
• Duke Jonathan of the East Marches.
  • Religiously intolerant of druids and those who worship the wild gods.

NPCs

• Free Count Gell of Grey's Manor.
  • An orcish noble whose future was saved from goblins by Ser Peter Selmy.
  • Lady Yevelda, the damsel daughter Peter rescued.
• Baron Holg of Grey Tower.
  • Orcish vassal of Count Gell. His son (a half-orc) is squire to Peter.
• Lady Elann.
  • Human, Baron Holg's wife, and no small master of the halberd.
• Nocthis, a wizard turned into a creature that absorbs spells and guards an arcane library. Has strange insights.

Military

The armed forces of the Triple Alliance are a patchwork of feudal and national forces. Each Lord maintains their own force of armsmen, with larger forces the greater the title. Of course, each noble can also levy the troops of their subordinate vassals. Most peasant populations and cities maintain their own militia to protect their homes. These localized forces comprise the bulk of the army.

Outside of this, the High King commands the Royal Army, which is comprised of several parts. The first part is the Royal Guard, which supplies the High King with bodyguards and secures his residences. The second part is the Royal Post, which secures royal messages and guards the roads, keeping them clear of bandits and monsters. The third part is the Royal College of Magic, which trains military wizards and sorcerers for both direct combat and support roles. Lastly, the High King commands the Otomies, a professional army loyal to the office of the Kingship. They are not terribly numerous, but are very well-trained and well-equipped. In addition, the High King can levy the Free Barons and Counts, and has whatever troops he brings to the office via his ducal titles.

Finally, there are the knights. Knights are essentially professional adventurers and mercenaries bound by ethical and feudal obligations. They are technically nobility, though knighthoods are non-hereditary and come with no land grants. The average knight is styled simply a Knight of the Realm, and is raised to his position by a noble of count or higher title. There are also several knightly orders, including the famed Pegasus Knights and the Paladins of Bahamut, that generally recruit from knightly petitioners but may contain noble members capable of knighting a person directly into the order.

While the Triple Alliance limited port cities, it does maintain two fleets. The Stone Fleet is stationed along the northern coast and, due to the lack of deepwater ports, consists almost entirely of longships. It is kept busy escorting shipping and sparring with the savage orcish raiding squadrons from the east. In the south, the Fire Fleet guards against the dragon ships. It maintains a powerful core of well-built warships, backed by troop carriers and fast longships for scouting and courier service.

The Cloud Republic

Dwarves on the mountaintops. With a surprisingly tough navy. And skyships. They are located west of the Triple Alliance, on a mountainous and arid peninsula.

The Elven Isles

North of the Triple Alliance, across the Narrow Sea, are the elves. They are reclusive and rarely send trade ships to the mainland, but are recognized as the masters of the sea. Their fleets still periodically patrol the draconic coast.

Tiamat's Dominion

The long island and surrounding archipelago south of the Triple Alliance and stretching east below the hobgoblin lands, is ruled by the Queen of Dragons in the flesh. Lizardmen, kobolds and chromatic dragons and dragonborn control the land here, and they await the day their royal goddess frees herself from the wasting curse set upon her so that they might once more reave the lands to their north.

The True Empire

East of the Triple Alliance lies a rapidly growing militant empire of hobgoblins. While they've long been a threat, their increasing organization, unity and tactical acumen is a cause for concern. They make regular use of conquered goblins, bugbears, savage orcs, trolls and other large humanoids in their regiments.

Maps