DRAGONBANE
Quickstart Rules available here
IN THE OLDEST TIMES...
It was in the oldest times, before the world was covered in forest and iron was tamed by dwarven masters. Before the advent of humanity and the mastery of the bread and ale-making arts.
The world was then ruled by dragons and demons. Yes, draconic serpents and demonic
creatures were the princes and princesses of the oldest times. They were the primordial forces through which the world and its primeval matter was formed: the sky, the mountains, and the fiery oceans of magma and unthinking life.
They were opposing principles that made the world complete. Law and order versus chaos
and madness, the stable and fixed versus the wild and eternally fluid.
Dragons versus demons.
The most ancient records tell of a draconic empire that once spanned much of the known
world, where the emperor’s peace was upheld by cruel dragon-mounted
knights. But the texts also contain traces of another great power from a different age, governed by demon princes who shrouded the world in madness and savage rage.
Remnants of these realms still rest in the earth beneath our feet. In the depths of the great
forests and the chasms of the mountains slumber memories from ancient eras when vicious
beasts reigned.
The hostility between dragons and demons has brought death and ruin upon their ancient
civilizations. It seems almost like a fundamental law of nature – that anything created by dragons alone is corrupted by demons, and that anything born of demonic will is burned to ashes by dragonfire.
However, this basic and incontrovertible truth also gives cause for hope, for it has created
the conditions for other nations, where humans and other races have been able to flourish and go their own way.
But the ancient guardians of order and destruction will never leave the world to its fate.
As sure as night follows day, the time will come again when dragons and demons contend for
power over humanity, nature, and the eternal mysteries.
THE PLAYER CHARACTERS
PC HEROIC ABILITIES: +2
BALDWIN, KNIGHT OF THE IMMACULATE FLAME - Max
Baldwin is a far travelled knight from the Grand Kingdom far to the south and east, who spent time adventuring with Tymma the Loud on the high seas. He is a recent recruit to the Order of the Immaculate Flame that reveres Eledain, the Dragon Emperor, and defends the world against the Cult of Sathmog. The Master of the Order of the Immaculate Flame is Sir Torius Goster at Halaway, the elder son of Baron Vaer Goster. Baldwin also knows the Baron's sister, Abbess Fangrid of the Sisters of the Righteous Lady, who are skilled in both healing and battle.
BRAGE THE MAGE - Tony
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| Brage the Mage |
Your mother was a powerful and evil witch, Ravenna Braga, who sought to induct you into her Demonic coven of Sathmog cultists at an early age. You were supposed to seal the pact with the Dark One by sacrificing your childhood sweetheart Helena to the Demon Lord. Instead you fled, becoming a wanderer. Years later you tried to settle down in the peaceful village of Woodvale as their healer, and the decades passed, but ultimately your past could not leave you behind. Two years ago demon cultists led by the cult fanatic Leanara found you and attacked the village, killing many. Realising they would always hunt you, you packed your bags and left, becoming a wanderer once more.
TYMMA THE LOUD, KNIGHT-MUSICIAN - Kimberly
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| Tymma the Loud |
A far-travelled Knight-Musician, daughter of Okald, recently returned home to Outskirt after a decade away having many adventures on the Western Sea. Short and stocky, like all dwarves, but hair worn in elaborate plaits. Cranky if she doesn’t have time to do it up.Tymma spent a decade having many adventures on the Seven Seas, where she met Brage the Mage a couple years ago after he fled the massacre at Woodvale. Markus was a mercenary landsknecht of Tilea, a city state on the shores of the Western Sea, where Tymma met him on her way back to Outskirt. She knew Baldwin of the Grand Kingdom, a fellow knight, when they sailed the Sunrise Sea.
ARCHMASTER AODHAN, MAGE - Bill
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| Aodhan |
From an early age you have been fascinated with fire. Your sorcerous mother
brought you to a school of magicians after you accidentally burned down a barn
on the family farm. At school you learned the secrets of magic, but the thirst for
deeper knowledge made you restless. Now, after a few years of extensive travel,
you have joined a company of adventurers for an expedition to the Misty Vale.
Ronnie Duckering, Mallard Knight - Rich
Lothar “Ironfist” Greycloak, Human Mentalist - Matt
Frostbite Morningcloak, Wolfkin Knight - Jelly
Blisandina Nightstabber, Mallard Thief - Joell
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| Orla Moonsilver |
ORLA MOONSILVER, ELF HUNTER - Jelena You grew up in the lush forests of the south, always in search of adventure, but also humbled by your family’s expectations of discipline and reflection. After a troll attacked your village and killed many of your kinsmen, you decided to find a new future for yourself. Still seeking your destiny, you have concluded that journeying is your goal. Together with a group of fellow adventurers you have traveled to the Misty Vale to see what it has to offer.
BASTONN BLOODJAW, WOLFKIN FIGHTER - Philippe You have come from the northern wastelands in search of work, joy, and the finer things in life. Tired of your people’s tribal feuds, you dreamed of something bigger and traveled south. There you worked as a mercenary, gladiator, caravan escort, and guardsman, before banding together with a company of adventurers. You are now on your way to the Misty Vale, enticed by rumors of demons, monsters, and mighty foes.
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Bastonn Bloodjaw
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THE MISTY VALE
According to legend, the valley was once the heart of a powerful dragon-worshiping empire. But this great civilization fell into ruin and the valley was overrun by orcs.
The Misty Vale is surrounded by high mountains – the Kummer Mountains in the south and the Dragonfang Peaks in the north. Remnants of an ancient road system can sometimes be seen in hollows and passes between the mountaintops. But getting down into the valley is a hazardous enterprise that requires skilled pathfinders and brave swordsmen. The dangers are many and the paths treacherous.
The valley spans roughly 150 kilometers (100 miles) in both length and width. Its was named the Misty Vale because of the impenetrable haze that often lies thick over the area. The terrain mainly consists of dense old-growth forests, but near the Kummer River are two large lakes and a vast wetland known as the Haunted Marshes. Around Outskirt, which in recent years has emerged in the southern part of the valley, there are rolling hills and partially cultivated plains. Fragments of the imperial roads that long ago connected the different parts of the region can be seen in the valley as well, with crumbling and overgrown paving stones occasionally peeking from between moss and ferns. Cracked stone pillars and strange milestones – with jagged, horned crowns at the top – also rise out of the terrain at regular intervals.
Approximate Timeline
Ancient History
ca -200 AI: The Demon Sathmog |
| Azrahel Koth |
enters the world, and founds the demonic Empire of Sathmog, ruling an enslaved humanity. The Inhuman Kin - the elves, dwarves, halflings, ducks, wolfkin, mallards - are generally persecuted, and driven back to their remote fastnesses.  |
| Sigil of Sathmog |
1 AI (Anno Igni): With the aid of ancient dragons, the human hero Eledain rises from the ashes of humanity to lead a rebellion, defeat the Demon Sathmog and found the Dragon Empire, also known as the Empire of the Cleansing Flame, the Empire of Eledain, the Bright Empire, the Thulean (Northern) Empire, etc. Eledain binds and imprisons Sathmog's immortal prophet, Azrahel Koth.
97 AI: Death of Eledain, buried at the Temple of the Dragon Emperor in what is now Outskirt. Imperial rule passes to his sons, the Dragon Knights. Eledain is revered by the Church of the Immaculate Flame.
ca 150 AI The Dragon Empire takes a tyrannical turn.
ca 220 AI: The Dragon Empire enters a period of civil war.
286 AI: Disappearance of the Road's End Inn, cursed by the wrongful death of the soothsayer-crone Stare.
ca 330-333 AI The Cult of Turms Turnax, the Man Become God, unites the Dragon Lords and the Empire. Older faiths are suppressed.
ca 377-380 AI: In the waning years of the Empire, the angelic celestial champion Azura leads a rebellion against the Dragon Lords and the Cult of Turms Turnax, but she is eventually defeated and imprisoned in temporal stasis.
ca 400-420 AI: Final collapse of the Dragon Empire; Orc migrations overrun Misty Vale. Humans leave the region, but the Keepers of the Immaculate Flame endure, keeping the Faith of Eledain alive through the dark centuries ahead.
Recent History
743 AI Birth of Brage the Mage in the 'Lost Village'. His mother is a powerful priestess of Sathmog.
793 AI The warrior Vaer Goster & his two sisters found the Barony of Gosterwick. Birth of Tymma to Okald & Krog Stonehilt.
795 AI Birth of Krog Stonehilt.
805 AI Orcs begin departing the Misty Vale.
806 AI Word of the Orcs' departure comes from the Dwarves of the Kummer Mountains. Founding of Outskirt in the Misty Vale, led by Vagnhild the Adventuress and Hardy the warrior.
807 AI Birth of Jory (officially) the son of Master Ulvar, rumoured really son of Hardy.
810 AI Okald & Badinor settle in Outskirt, along with Okald's daughter Tymma.
813 AI Tymma leaves Outskirt.
823 AI Tymma & co defeat Azrahel Koth and become the Guardians of the Vale.
824 AI Present Day
Session 1
12/3/823: Party cross Drakmar Pass, battling goblins & warg, kill all 6 goblins & warg. Meet a young female knight on the pass. Reach Outskirt. Trystan is tended by a barmaid, Annabella, who is more than she seems.
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Grub the Goblin |
13/3/823: Travel from Outskirt to the Riddermound, attack a goblin camp - Trystan killed. 7 goblins killed, 3 flee into the woods. Explore the Riddermound, meet a friendly goblin, Grub, and a ghostly lady; acquire from her a magic sword. Return to Outskirt near midnight. Total #Goblins Killed: 13, +1 befriended, +1 Warg. |
Mallard Knight Makander leads attack on Goblin Camp, Session 1 13/3/823 AI.
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| The Ghost Lady |
Session 2 14-21/3/823: Bastonn Orla and Makander are recruited by the warrior Nils Borr to recover the gem the Blue Zurak from Goblin-infested Bark's Blood Tor south of the Misty Vale for his master Karvago the wizard. Kill a giant spider on the way. First assault fails, there are too many goblins, and Nils is killed by arrows. That night Orla meets a wolf. Take Nils' body back to Karvago's Tor. Try to recruit more men at the inn in Gosterwick, without success. Second assault succeeds, goblins are killed, one captured. Meet the wizard master of the tower, Kazan Murg. The gem is in the hilt of the temporally statised celestial warrior, Azura, who it's said led a rebellion against the Dragon Lords "500 years ago". Party persuade Kazan Murg to hand over Azura, and they haul her stone-like stasised form back to Karvago. Karvago pays them 100gp & 2 healing potions. Return to Outskirt.  |
| Bastonn Orla & Makander meet Kazan Murg & the stasised Azura, Session 2 M3/813 AI. |
Session 3 22-29/3/823 Tymma & Markus join Orla Makander & Bastonn. Party & Alfilia Shadowleaf kill a troll in Outskirt town square and make a troll statue leaning on the village well. Head west to the Riddermound, on the way recruit an auroch and defeat a lone worg. Enter Riddermound, defeat vampire bats, giant spider, try to camp in dungeon & end up fighting ghost lady & death knight... somehow win, find the second piece of the dragon emperor statuette, & make it home. Rest and train.
Kills: 1 troll, 1 worg, 1 giant spider, lots of vampiric bats.
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| The Spider |
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| The Ghost Lady of Riddermound |
Session 4 30/3 Talk with Alfilia Shadowleaf. 31/3 Head for Bothild's Lode with her. Camp attacked by 3 burly orcs, including the one who broke Tymma's bagpipes. All three are slain. 1/4 Kill a raiding Griffon, reach Bothild's Lode, kill 13 of 15 goblins and the serpent White Death, meet the ghost of Bothild and the orc queen Maladuk (and her two lovely orcmaidens). She proves cordial. Gain the third part of the Dragon Emperor statuette.3/4 return to Outskirt. 4/4 Alfilia is murdered by cultist thugs. Quasimund has vanished. 5/4 Vagnhild reports seeing Annabella sending a bat from the old temple with a message.
Total #Goblins Killed: 13, +3 Orcs, 1 Griffon, 1 White Serpent.
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| Battle at Bothild's Lode |
11/4 party are rested, trained, and ready for more adventures. Vagnhild is making noises about 'paying the rent' - Alfilia's money has run out.
Session 5 (13/5/23) Pictures 11/4 Orla Makander Bastonn & Markus recruit three new adventurers at the Inn - Tym, Halveld & Lothar. 12/4 Party head north, reaching the Temple of the Purple Flame mid afternoon, after Orla recruits a bear on the way. Sinister Briars wrap the Temple. One novice adventurer is immediately lost to a pit trap; intelligent skeletons in the pit ask the party to close the Portal to the demon realm. Orla kills a Giant Spider battling Sathmog cultists, the 4 survivors are friendly and lead them down to the Undercroft, but a terrible mutant Manticore slays the cultists before falling. Two twisted demonic cultists guard the Portal to Sathmog's Realm and welcome the party. Orla Makander Bastonn & Markus enter the Portal. In the alien city, Makander Bastonn & Markus find the last piece of the emperor's statuette & return, but Orla is lost for six hours before finding her way back. 13/4 Bastonn's loud whispers are overheard by the demon cultists, who attack and are destroyed. With great difficulty the party breach a rusted iron door, freeing the intelligent skeletons. The party rest up - before dawn they hear a frenzied mooing and see a cow flying over the treetops, ridden by a demon! Returning to the surface, in the sunlit temple gardens the party find Hafarmal, an elderly Elf Wizard from the West, whose eyes have turned completely black. He is reluctant, valuing the effect of the Chaos energy on the garden plants, but when shown his reflection and his black eyes (formerly green) he is convinced to use his magics to close the demon portal, laying the animated skeletons to rest. That night the party return safely to Outskirt. 14/4 Next morning the party head up the hill to the Temple, using the four pieces of the dragon statuette to open the Crypt of Um-Durman. After some scorching from a lightning trap they solve a puzzle and are able to claim the Sword. But on exiting the Temple they are accosted by the Mallard Quasimund, a horde of demon cultists, and Anabella the barmaid, commanding a swarm of Vampiric Bats. A terrible battle rages on the temple steps, with many falling on both sides. Makander charges into the thick of the enemy. The bat swarm is destroyed, and many cultists fall, but both novice adventurers are slain. Anabella, revealing herself as a high priestss of Sathmog, stabs Markus with a poisoned dagger. At the last, brave Makander too is overwhelmed by numbers and falls.
Quasimund, Anabella and their six remaining cultists press in upon Bastonn and Markus, both badly wounded, while Orla shoots from above. Things look very grim... Kills: Giant Spider, Mutant Manticore, Vampiric Bats, 2 Demonic Cultists, 6 Cultists. Lost: Lothar Halveld Tym & Makander.
Session 6 Pictures HEROIC ABILITY GRANTED #1 Brage & Tymma turn up and defeat the remaining cultists. Following the liberation of Um-Durman and defeat of the Sathmog cultists, Vagnhild & Hardy are thinking of appointing the PCs as 'Guardians of the Vale' - with free bed & board! The party trek north with Um-Durman towards the Isle of Mist, encountering harpies & skeletons, losing Markus, but gaining a Knight, Baldwin. They take a raft to the barren isle, defeat a ghost atop a high tower, then swim down into the tunnels below the isle, where they battle a fierce crab demon.
Kills
Outskirt: 14/4 5 Sathmog Cultists (& 1 captured), Quasimund, Leanara/Anabella.
Magna Woods: 16/4 3 Harpies, 5 Skeleton Guards & 1 Skeleton Captain. Lost: Markus, slain by Skeleton Captain.
Isle of Mist: 18/4 1 Ghost Cultist, 1 Crab Demon.
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Quasimund the Mallard
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Annabella/Leanara
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| Sathmog Cultists |
Session 7 HEROIC ABILITY GRANTED #2
18/4/23 The party, Tuviel the Skeleton, and two rescued prisoners Kretscha & Emrys battle and destroy Azrahel Koth with Um-Durman, though the new allies are killed/destroyed. On the way out meet the ghost of Tuviel's beloved Cadal, and Okvid a troll with toothache. Late on 20/4/23 return to Outskirt. At the Inn Brage spots his mother dressed as an Abbbess and a squad of Warrior Nuns, hide from them in Tymma's house until they leave. The news of Azrahel Koth's destruction soon spreads, & there is much celebration.
Kills: 5 Skeletons, 6 Undead Guard, Vampiric Bat Swarm, Azrahel Koth.
Lost: Kretscha the Orc, Emrys of the Immaculate Flame, Tuviel the Skeleton.
Later, Sir Baldwin reports back to the Commander of his Order, Sir Torius of the Immaculate Flame. Torius congratulates Baldwin and sends him back to Outskirt to watch out for remaining demon cult activity in the Misty Vale.
Downtime end M4, M5, M6: 9 weeks x5 = 45 work days.
1/7/823 At the House of the Guardians defeat nun-cultists under Sister Isabella sent by Brage's mother to kill him.
2/7/823 Investigate the time-lost Road's End Inn, ending the curse caused by the long ago mistreatment of the crone soothsayer, Stare, in the year 286 AI?!
Dramatis Personae
Antelia - attractive but slightly scatty blonde shepherdess, from a farm east of Outskirt.
Helemi - cheerful halfling female innkeep of the Road's End Inn from 286 AI.
Grunn & Edda - young couple from 286 AI, who wrongly accused Stare of stealing their infant son.
Stig Stonehilt - dwarf adventurer, father of Tymma, plans to explore the fallen dwarf fortress of Gunderholfen.
Krog Stonehilt - young dwarf adventurer, half brother of Tymma, accompanying his father Stig Stonehilt.
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| Road's End Inn |
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| Helemi, Road's End Innkeep |
M7 823: In Outskirt, Tymma plays matchmaker between stoic Captain Hardy and dreamy Antelia the Shepherdess. They are soon getting along like a house on fire.
Session 9 M8 823 AI
The Haunted Marshes Teller Grimjaw the fighter (Craig), Aodhan the sorcerer (Bill), Bastonn the Wolfkin (Philippe) and Orla the Elf (Jelena) travel to the Tower of Sighs, defeat bandits, meet Glamglam the giant, travel to Dead Eyes Cave, chase off a Basilisk, and loot a magic bow. Aodhan finds a spell book and learns new tricks.
Hardy and Antelia the shepherdess are getting on very well, there are rumours they may be married in the Spring. If he can keep her from wandering off...
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| Death Knight Attacks |
05/01/24: Bad news - a young boy has disappeared from a farm just west of Outskirt! Tracks in the winter mud indicate he was kidnapped, and taken west towards the Iron Forest. Rabindranath the Mystic is muttering something about the Oracle demanding a sacrifice...Dranath: "The Oracle is ancient and knows all there is to know about the Misty Vale, and she’s said to be sitting on immense wealth. But now and then she demands a human sacrifice. I reckon we’ll never see Roric again.”
6/1/24 Tymma Brage and their new companions travel west, scaring off bandits, defeating the Knight of the Riddermound (again) and finally rescue Roric from the Oracle, an enormous spider.
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| The Oracle |
Session 11 20-21/1/24: Enter the Iron Forest, rescue a dragon knight's maid
Shandra Telessair from demon cult sacrifice. Baldwin kills two elves who attack him. Brage leads the party into quickmud, but all escape. Kill a troll and reach the Troll's Spire. Explore an underground vault battling undead guardians, meet Harga the troll alchemist, kill three harpies and decide to refurbish the Spire as a future forward base.
According to the rescued girl Shandra she was the maid of the dragon knight Isadelia, seeking Fort Malus along with the knight Niklion. They also had four hireling mercenaries with them, and were planning to join up with Sir Tylos in the Iron Forest, before Shandra was kidnapped from her tent by the cultists.
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Troll's Spire
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“Fort Malus was constructed by House Stoneoak near the end of Emperor Eledain’s reign, to protect the family’s most prized possession – the Malus Aureus, a tree that bore golden fruit, apples of actual gold! The ruins of Fort Malus still stand in the far northwest, probably with
thousands of golden apples lying at the roots of the old tree.”
Joined by Tea Dragonheart and Blisandina Nightstabber, the group head for Fort Malus. Aid Sir Tylos and defeat 12 goblin ambushers, though Shandra is killed by their first volley. At the fort Tea gets into a duel with the arrogant knight Isadelia and is also killed, spurring a general melee. The group kill the three Dragon Knights including Niklion and 3 of 4 mercenary adventurers, sparing the last Joruna to be their new door guard, and free Roklaug the tree spirit who merges with the apple tree; the delicious apples now grant a boon. Return the captive elf sage Iliel to her home, a tiny elf hamlet on the south bank of the Kummer River, at the north edge of the Iron Forest.
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| Goblin Ambush in the Iron Forest |
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OUTSKIRT VILLAGE
The village of Outskirt emerged as a result of the influx of humans in recent years. It is a humble settlement of fifty or so newly built houses clustered around an old temple ruin. There are roughly 200 adult residents, most of them humans, as well as many adventurers, hunters, and other wanderers who use the settlement as a base for journeys in the Misty Vale. The inhabitants of Outskirt are bold and adventuresome, filled with a pioneering spirit and determination to retake the vale and all its hidden secrets and riches.
Training in Outskirt
Tymma's mother Okald can train Axes 15. Her uncle Badinor can train Crafting 15 (both 5gp/week to Tymma & friends).
Baryton Chubbycheeks can train Persuasion 15 (15gp)
Dranath can train Animism 16, Healing 15, Myths & Legends 15 (15gp)
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