Yesterday I whined about never finishing the Daltigoth idea. It turns out that I actually had some more work laying around Onedrive – who knew. The following article pertains to events preceding the actual Daltigoth setting. It’s all about the bloody war that enabled Daltigoth to rise from the ashes.
I have left in some preliminary character stats. They are based on the 2nd edition rules, so keep that in mind.
The Wizard’s war
The people of Anasalon are experiencing something they have not seen in years: Peace. The Dark forces of Takhisis have been defeated and the remaining forces are huddled up in Sanction trying to regroup. However, there are always people who are scheming and planning. One of these is the wizard Mordread Gemerald and his business partner and friend Richard Baglortin. Having built a strong trading company based in the glorious city state of Palanthas, these two companions have hatched an ambitious plan, which will move Anasalon one step closer to a new war.
Hiding behind the name G&B Trading, Mordread and Richard have amassed huge amounts of wealth with one purpose – to build an army that will attack the ogre city of Daltigoth, and restore the city to its former splendor. The reason why Daltigoth is interesting to the two is the fact that there once stood a Tower of High Sorcery, which was destroyed during the rule of the Kingpriest. However, deep beneath the crater that was left after the explosion of the original tower, rest the fabled Stone of Three, which is the foundation stone of every Tower of High Sorcery ever built. Whoever controls the city will, with the correct preparation, resources and spells, be able to rebuild the once mighty Tower and control large parts of Southern Daltigoth.
The player characters find themselves in the grand city of Palanthas, where they are resting after a long journey. Unlike many of the smaller communities, Palanthas offers anything a weary traveler could possibly want – provided the traveler has a purse full of steel. The city is buzzing with rumors of a trading company hiring mercenaries, workers etc. as well as buying huge quantities of supplies. Furthermore, a lot of ships have been acquired. At the same time, there are a lot of fights going on in the streets at night, keeping the city guards busy and the prisons full. These are fights are rumored to be between the two rival trading houses Pandra and G&B Trading.
Background
Mordread Gemerald and Richard Baglortin are amassing an army in order to conquer the city of Daltigoth. Mordread believes that the Stone of Three is still buried deep beneath the grounds of the old Tower of High Sorcery, which is now a lake of silvery water. He intends to install his friend Richard Baglortin as Lord Mayor, and rebuild the ancient tower. Already, spies have been dispatched to map out the defenses of the ogres currently holding the city.
The alliance
In order to ensure success G&B Trading has forged an alliance with the Kargonesti elves as well as the local dwarves and gnomes. All fractions have been promised advantageous positions in the new city state such as guild masters and members of the ruling oligarchy. The alliance is fairly stable, but could experience serious troubles if the war drags out for too long and the casualties start to accumulate. The Solamnic Knights have signed a peace treaty with G&B Trading, which ensures the non-involvement of the knighthood during the conflict.
The current situation
Currently, the ogres do not suspect anything; however, it would be unthinkable that the army could reach Southern Daltigoth unbeknownst to the Grand Lord Garroth. As for the army itself, it is close to being complete and ready for departure. A taskforce, including high ranking officers, has been assembled and will leave a week prior to the main strike force in order to infiltrate Daltigoth and prepare for the upcoming invasion. This task force will also attempt to assassinate ogre chieftains in order to create chaos and instability. The members of this task force will be rewarded with positions among the ruling oligarchs when the new Daltigoth is created. Furthermore, the members will receive a substantial reward.
The Player Characters
The Player Characters can become members of this task force, join the regular forces or fight the covert war in the streets of Palanthas against the Pandra House. This covert war will most likely move to the streets of Daltigoth upon completion of the campaign.
The Pandra House
The rivals of G&B Trading, the Pandra House, see its position as the leading trading house threatened by G&B Trading possible success of setting up a powerbase in Daltigoth. Consequently, the upper echelons of Pandra have ordered a covert war against their rivals. This has resulted in nightly skirmishes and assassinations of officers and officials. As a last resort, Pandra will warn the ogres of the impending war. Furthermore, Pandra will send high level advisors to aid the ogres fortify their city.
Lady Arianna Pandra
13th level human female priest of Hiddukel (Lawful Evil)
As manager in charge of market development and competition she is the Pandra official charged with obstructing the plans of G&B Trading. She resides in Palanthas from where she directs the covert operations of her house.
Arianna is as cool as they come. She is always on top of things, which makes her a very dangerous foe. She will avoid combat whenever possible, relying on her bodyguards for protection.
She wears the latest fashion but will always dress conservative. She has black hair and dark eyes. She carries no visible weapons.
S: 7 D: 12 C: 9 I: 14 W: 17 Ch: 15
Kalanoth
9th level elf male assassin (Neutral Evil)
Kalanoth is an important member of the Pandra organization. He has infiltrated G&B Trading in order to uncover the inner secrets of the rivals. He usually poses as a mercenary.
Kalanoth acts as a typical mercenary, loud and brash. However, this is only a façade. He is a cool calculating individual who mercilessly carries out his tasks.
He always wears travel clothes when he is not wearing his leather armor. He is recognizable by his big red hat, which he wears when not in combat.
S: 16 D: 17 C: 12 I: 13 W: 12 Ch: 17
Kael Ambreville
17th level human wizard of the Black Robes. (Lawful Evil)
Kael is employed by the Pandra House to fill the vacant position as master mage, which became available when his predecessor was killed by Mordread on Karthay. He is interested in the Daltigoth campaign and may be persuaded to switch sides.
Kael is a quiet contemplative individual who will avoid combat whenever possible.
He wears the black robes of his order, unless he is attending a ceremony in which case he will don black and purple robes. He hails from Khur and resembles the average inhabitant of that region.
S: 6 D: 15 C: 8 I: 17 W: 13 Ch: 12
Other fractions
The Wizards Conclave supports this endeavor primarily because of possibility of building a new Tower of High Sorcery in Daltigoth. The support of the Conclave has not been real “hands on” but the Conclave has provided advise. The Conclave may eventually be persuaded to allow access to war spells etc. This would be the ideal set up for a medium- to high level political campaign in which the characters travel to Wayreth to negotiate with the wizards.
The Knights of Solamnia have a non-involvement agreement with G&B Trading. However, if the knights feel that their other goals of bringing order to Krynn can be achieved by supporting the invaders, they will not hesitate to lend them support. Especially when jockeying for religious and political power in Daltigoth will the Knights of Solamnia let their presence be known.
The Dragonarmy is currently rebuilding its strength in Sanction, so the attention is focused elsewhere, namely Khur, Sanction and Neraka. The white army has a few agents in the area, but they are primarily concerned with gathering information and resources.
The Knights of Takhisis is a powerful group, which is more or less uninvolved in the war of Daltigoth. Southern Ergoth is not a primary target according to the plans of lord Ariakan, however, the knighthood does employ spies, and are aware of what is happening. The Knights of Takhisis will not engage in acts of war under any circumstances.
The ogres are currently occupying the city of Daltigoth. They have been the masters of the city for many decades, ever since the fall of the Ergothian Empire. They are led by the Grand Lord Garroth who is a very atypical ogre because he seems concerned with restoring the glory of the ancient high ogre empire.
Daltigoth City
After the explosion of the Tower of High Sorcery, Daltigoth has been trying to regain its former splendor. However, attempts to rebuild the city have met with a sad demise after the ogres conquered the city. Today, most of the buildings are falling apart due to the neglect of the ogres. Also, the ogres do not possess the ability to build a city like Daltigoth. Despite this neglect there are places in the city where a visitor can admire the remnants of the Ergothian Empire. The Grand Lord dwells in the old empirical palace, or rather, what is left of it. Unlike the rest of the city, the palace is kept in fairly good condition, despite having lost several wings of the original structure.
Even though the explosion caused by the wizards was very powerful, the main force of the power unleashed, was directed downwards. This means that there is a huge crater filled with water, where the tower once stood. The foundation stone is still located deep beneath the site, enabling the construction of a new tower. Evidently, the stone itself is not enough, the correct spells are still required to raise a new tower. The former grove was all but destroyed by the explosion and appears beyond saving, indicating the need for a new one. The area, located in the western part of town is the source of much powerful magic energy, which can be tapped through the right means and rituals. The ogre magi have discovered a way to tap into the energy through arcane rituals, thusly enhancing their spell casting capabilities. This means that the ogres have more magical power at their disposal since their fall from grace eons ago. The Grand Lord believes that the magical powers emanating from the old tower site may contribute to the restoration of the ogre might. The ogres of Daltigoth are unaware of the existence of the nzunta, whose existence, should it ever be known, would have consequences for the local ogres[1].
As mentioned earlier, the city of Daltigoth is in dire need of renovation and rebuilding. It should be possible for any city lord to keep some of the original buildings, but these too will need major repair.
Surrounding areas
Daltigoth is a coastal city, which is dependent on seafaring in order to reach the mainland of Ansalon. Various sea creatures case havoc among the merchant vessels, but since the ogres do not engage in a lot of trade activity, this problem is fairly minor. However, if the invasion proves successful the new lords of Daltigoth will have to address this situation. To the west of Daltigoth the mountains are located. Save for a small dwarf community, these mountains are fairly unexplored. The dwarf enclave is an ally of G&B Trading and will lend any support possible to the campaign.
The Kargonesti Elves
The eleven inhabitants of Southern Ergoth inhabit the southernmost part of the area and are not directly involved in the conflict. However, the elf nation is somewhat worried about the prospects of a strong military presence in Daltigoth, given that the city state decides to expand its territory. Therefore, the elves are playing a waiting game hoping to learn the true intentions of G&B Trading. G&B Trading has dispatched several emissaries to calm the fears of the elves and hopefully persuade them to join the coalition. Undoubtedly, a strong and civilized Daltigoth would be a good ally and trading partner of the elves. Depending on the involvement of the elves, they will receive a place among the ruling oligarchs or at the very least an ambassador present in the city.
Kalthanan, Speaker of the Moons
14th level male elf ranger (Chaotic Good)
S: 16 D: 15 C: 11 I: 12 W: 15 Ch: 11
Major NPCs of Daltigoth
Grand Lord Garroth
15th level ogre fighter (Neutral Evil)
Garroth is mainly interested in restoring the might of the high ogres. He will also attempt to consolidate his power whenever possible. In the future he will seek to conquer the surrounding lands in order to build an ogre empire.
The Grand Lord is unusually calm for an ogre. However, he is capable of extreme cruelty, although he will go to great lengths to appear civilized.
He has long black hair that is well kept. He has filed down his tusks in order to appear more like the ancient high ogres.
S: 18/34 D: 12 C: 17 I: 15 W: 9 Ch: 7/17
Clabbard +3, Chainmail +1
Lord Kromouth
7th/9th level ogre fighter/magi (Neutral Evil with chaotic tendencies)
Kromouth is primarily interested in the Mercury Pool, which he uses to enhance his magical powers. He believes that magic is a vital part in restoring the glory of the high ogres. He dreams of the magical might of his ancestors.
Kromouth is a calculating character. He has a keen sense of survival, which may be exploited by his enemies. Otherwise he will appear quite cultured when dealing with non ogres. He serves the Grand Lord Garroth because they share a common dream, and because his position at the court provides him with access to the Mercury Pool.
Kromouth wears brown and black robes of the finest quality. He is not a wizard of high sorcery and therefore feels no obligation to wear specific colors. His tusks have been filed down to convey a civilized image. His well kept hair is worn in a braided ponytail.
S: 15 D: 14 C: 13 I: 16 W: 8 Ch: 6
Mordred Gemerald
21st level human wizard of the Red Robes (Lawful Neutral)
Mordread is primarily interested in securing the Mercury Lake in order to rebuild the fabled Tower of High Sorcery of Daltigoth. He is willing to wage war to reach his goals and he considers his wealth as a means to an end.
Mordread is sophisticated, charming and cultivated – at least under normal circumstances. When in combat, he will use any force necessary and commit almost any deed to secure his goals are met. He enjoys discussing magic, politics and art. Mordread is also a member of The Cabal.
He usually wears red robes with gold runes; he has a goatee long brown hair and brown eyes. He is tall well-built and looks very fit.
S: 10 D: 17 C: 11 I: 18 W: 15 Ch: 18
Richard Baglortin
15th/3rd level Human fighter-mage
(Lawful Neutral)
Richard Baglortin’s major interest is the establishment of the Free city of Daltigoth with him as the lord mayor. To reach this goal, he has amassed huge amounts of wealth, which he intends to use to rebuild the city of Daltigoth after defeating the ogres.
He is normally an approachable man, who is very forthcoming. He will usually try to treat people with respect since he feels this is the best way to win them over to his cause.
Richard wears his armor when he is leading the Daltigoth campaign. Otherwise he will wear either red or purple robes. The red color symbolizes his allegiance to the Order of High Sorcery.
S: 18/35 D: 12 C: 15 I: 15 W: 11 Ch: 15
Flame tongue sword + 3
Sascha
12th level human female thief (Neutral)
Having experienced the hard life in Sanction, Sascha is currently enjoying the position of being in charge of the intelligence network of G&B Trading. She leads the war against the Pandra House and is personally responsible for numerous assassinations in Palanthas. She is also a member of the Thieves guild in Palanthas and is hoping to head the guild in Daltigoth. She is very loyal to G&B Trading.
She is a schemer, although she maintains a façade of politeness. When dealing with thieves, she will use street lingo.
Sascha has long blonde hair worn in a ponytail. She rarely wears eveningwear, preferring to dress in clothes that will allow her to practice her trade.
S: 10 D: 17 C: 13 I: 12 W: 9 Ch: 16
Gloin
10th level dwarf male fighter (Neutral Good)
Gloin is the head of mining expeditions sent forth to prospect the mountains near Daltigoth. He is a miner extraordinaire, and runs the operation effectively. He hopes to secure a position among the oligarchs and maybe assume leadership of the masonry guild once it is established.
He is usually gruff and very business minded. Gloin can be friendly towards people if they do not waste his time. He enjoys a fruitful friendship with Mordred and Richard.
Normally, he wears work clothes whose brownish color is a contrast to his red beard.
S: 18/48 D: 11 C: 16 I: 14 W: 9 Ch: 7
Adventure hooks for the Daltigoth campaign.
There are numerous aspects of the Daltigoth campaign, which the player characters can get involved in. This section aims to highlight some of these adventure possibilities.
The Minotaur Revolt
The ogres are known for their use of slavelabor. Among the numerous slaves kept in Daltigoth, a group of Minotaurs, who has been taken prisoners and are currently working the mines or building new houses for the ogres. These Minotaurs are yearning for freedom, and would gladly join the impending slaughter of the ogres. A powerful group of adventures might succeed in penetrating Daltigoth and free the slaves. However, due to the cultural differences it might prove more than difficult to integrate the Minotaurs into the invading army. If the player characters convince the slaves that they are people of honor, the slaves will fight in the war. Given the intimate knowledge of Daltigoth they have, the slaves are valuable allies and it is believed that the leader of the Minotaurs will be rewarded with a seat on the ruling council of the oligarchs.
Mael
11th level Minotaur fighter
S: 19 C: 17 D: 13 I: 10 W: 11 CH: 14
The assassination
A major part of campaign relies on the assassination of leading ogre chieftains. The assailants count on destroying numerous war chiefs in order to create as much chaos as possible among the opposing forces as well as lowering moral among the troops. The player characters would have to infiltrate the ogre ranks and seek out the right ogres. If the Minotaur scenario has been completed, the former slaves can provide valuable information about the structure of the ogre power base. The assassination is very risky given the fate of any participants should they be caught by the ogres. Consequently, the rewards should match the risks involved. Possible rewards could be a seat on the ruling council, guild leadership, land or money.
The mercury lake
One of the reasons why the ogres have been so successful in maintaining their dominance over Daltigoth is their ability to harness the magical energies emanating from the lake of mercury. The ogre magi have found a way to enhance their magical powers, which they use to control Daltigoth and to fortify the city’s defences. The ogre magis are now able to cast more complicated and powerful spells than before. This means that they are a major threat to the invading army. Another aspect of this scenario would be the Conclave’s interest in building a new Tower of High Sorcery. The Conclave would support a mission into Daltigoth in order to uncover the secrets of the mercury lake. Furthermore, slaying or preferably catching one of the higher ranking magi in order to learn how they harness the magical powers would be an objective for any conclave sponsored taskforce.
The Nzunta infiltration
Strange things are happening in Daltigoth. Colourful lights can be seen radiating from the city at night, and spies tell of an unusual high number of dead bodies found in dark alleys in the morning. The forces of G&B Trading are reluctant to attack Daltigoth given the unknown things that transpire at night in the city. Even the ogres themselves do not know what is going on in their city, but the Grand Lord Garroth is keen to find put.
The group responsible for the killings is the Nzunta. They are investigating rumours of high ogres being born to degenerated parents. So far they have met with no success, so in order to cover their tracks; they slay the families of potential high ogres. The lights seen at night are the results of arcane rituals, which allow the Nzunta to track down newborns.
Player characters entering Daltigoth in order to investigate can discover the origins of the strange lights and may also start to uncover the ancient secrets of the Nzunta. The Nzunta taskforce has been in Daltigoth for almost a month prior to the invasion. They have been looking for high ogres, supposedly born to normal ogre parents. However, their efforts have met with little success. The Nzunta force consists of five individuals led by Lord Volospin. They usually wear disguise except when they perform their arcane ritual. It is only during this ritual the Nzunta can be unmasked because they are forced to reveal their true nature due to the arcane nature of the ritual.
The Nzunta have discovered the powers of the mercury lake, which might be if use to them. For the time being they are focused on the infants, but may change their objectives once they have found all the high ogres in Daltigoth. In the long run, the Nzunta may decide to try to take Daltigoth for themselves, and establish an empire in Southern Ergoth. Under no circumstances will the Nzunta join the invading forces. A twist to this may be that the Nzunta will join the invaders under false pretences, only to turn on the invaders after the conflict is over.
Evidently, the Nzunta will be disguised in order to conceal their true nature. Despite their inherently evil nature, the Nzunta are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the rigid structure of their society. Notably a growing number of mages are interested in joining the Conclave in order to pursue their arcane studies in peace.
Post war Daltigoth.
Religion in post war Daltigoth.
Given the weakened structure of the deities after the War of Souls, Daltigoth has become a virtual battleground for the various faiths in Krynn. The majority of faiths attempt to establish a foothold in the new city state, much to the dismay of the Lord Mayor. Richard Baglortin is constantly trying to keep the priests at bay, while at the same time trying not to offend any of them. All the major faiths are allowed to have official temples in the city, as long as they are located in the religious quarter of town. The only cult not allowed in Daltigoth, is the cult of Ionthas, which does not have a public place of worship. The cult works covertly, and the members generally keep to themselves. Almost all of the temples are trying to establish a seat among the ruling council of oligarchs. However, the council is resisting pressure to grant a position of Grand Cleric of Daltigoth. Such a position would make one single individual very powerful, and the rulers wish to prevent that. Thusly, the oligarchs ferociously enforce the separation of church and state.
[1] But what consequences?