Campaign notes

[Doktor Howl]

The serpent men are out to topple the empire because the world belongs to them and the empire is the strongest human organization/nation on the planet. Destabilizing the Eastern border is low hanging fruit, so this is their first step.

Timeline:

Pre-game:  The PCs are 3rd sons of minor noble houses.  They just finished their hitch in the army (as low-ranking officers), and during that hitch, they found a journal on a dead adventurer.  The journal speaks of a great treasure, but is damaged and only one clue to that treasure is left:  The first place they learned of it, which is an abandoned imperial fortress in the area between the orc and Peloki territory. The PCs will have to go there to find that clue.  The adventurer was the only survivor of the attempt to find the treasure.

Levels 1-2 Arrive in the military city of Farzy, then on to the border town of Hangnail, which has been corrupted by the clergy of the Spider Queen posing as priests of Hord.  Short side trek adventure to find a missing person, then out into the wilderness to find the old imperial fortress.  Dig through fortress and find the clue, which leads them to a temple a little further out in the wilderness previously claimed by the empire.

Levels 3-4 Locate the old temple and explore.  Find the clue that leads to the orc lair North of Hell's Throat.  The previous expedition mostly died in the old temple.

Levels 5-6 Go to Hell's throat.  The orcs are mostly off beating the hell out of the surviving hobgoblins, so the lair is lightly defended (relatively speaking).  When the orc's ancient shrine is located, the clues then point to the burial ground under the castle.  If enough damage is done to the orc lair and garrison, the next year's attack is fended off for some time.

Level 7 Explore under the castle.  So, so many undead.  Find the clue on level 4 that leads to the ruins of the pre-barbaric city of the Peloki, now an abandoned taboo ruin.

Level 8-9 Travel through the wilderness to find the ancient city.  Investigate city, find tunnels.

Level 10-11 Find the serpent man outpost.  Find the serpent men statis facility.  Find the bigass treasure.

Level 12 Try to get back to the empire with a warning about the previously unknown species of Serpent Men and their plans.

Campaign may end here, not sure.