There is increased activity in a region called the Sednarak Gorge, a series of valleys and mountains near the Sednarak River. This is to the northeast of the capital, deep in the Middlemounts. King Hesketos II has spies in the Dark Empire, and gets reports from local observers. He only knows that there is increased movement of troops and supplies on the Vorokhoi side of the frontier. The PC's are dispatched to "Sednarak Fort", a small castle where Lord Aethalt keeps court. They are ordered to determine what the Vorokhoi are up to and to stop it. Discreet is best, "no witnesses" is almost as good.
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The Vorokhoi have started taxing villages and pressing the villagers into work gangs to clear and expand a Dwarven citadel to use as a forward base against Nyremi in the area near a strategic mountain pass, the Sednarak River Gorge... the name defines the entire region. Rumors of the press-gangs and such have reached the throne, so the PC's are dispatched to that area with instructions to disrupt this operation however they can.
The area is a rugged area composed of numerous valleys, many with a small river feeding into the Sedanarak River, which itself eventually empties into Lake Hyros in the lowlands. None of the rivers are really navigable, as they are all shallow, fast-moving, and mostly at the bottoms of steep canyons - lots of rapids and small waterfalls. The "pass" is the river course between two interlinked ridges (north and south), like the fingers of two outstretched hands. Individual valleys each have a village or two or are claimed by some other force. Major regions include:
Broken Valleys - Small, rugged, and lightly settled. Claimed by Nyremi, which has their small body of troops camped at one large village in an old fort, which will serve as the PC's base of operations in the field. Vorokhoi-sponsored raiders are encroaching on this area, the primary setting for early conflicts.
High Valleys - Universally rugged, thickly wooded, and difficult to cross. Lots of little caves and lairs for beasts, few settlements. Despite this, the Vorokhoi are expending some effort attempting to rehabilitate a dwarven ruin of considerable size that has been found there. They hope to use it as a Bone Citadel and a central castle to control the region. The first level is cleared by the Vorokhoi forces, but the lower levels are infested with goblinoids (Bugbears and Goblins mostly), creatures that crawled up from below, and the angry undead dwarves who died when the place fell.
Shiroka Valley - The large valley claimed by the Vorokhoi, several villages on flat and elevated areas and thick woods. Lots of old ruins of human construction, as the area apparently used to be heavily populated. Most significantly, the Vorokhoi are expending a lot of effort building a road through the area and improving several small fortifications. These are signs of preparation for a future invasion.
1) Travel to Sednarak Fort - There is a small fort in the middle of the Broken Valleys, guarding the Nyremian side of the Sednarak Gorge. It is not large, but it is strongly defensible and can be used as a main "base" in the region. The trip there will be mostly devoid of encounters but difficult going, as the trail is often narrow and poorly maintained. Once there, the PC's will simply hand their scroll of passage to the local lord (Knight, Lord Aethalt), who has been notified to expect them. The lord can explain the general layout of the region, but his map is rudimentary (villages and paths) and his patrols sporadic. The lord has twenty guards and six scouts, and a small village around it can supply most simple necessities. He is happy to quarter them inside the fort. Before the PC's can actually make offensive plans, a situation develops in Nyremi. Two of the scouts have gone missing, a typical patrol size.
2) Vorokhoi Raiders - A mixed bag of orcs, ogrillions, a pair of ogres, and a couple of Vorokhoi half-orc NPC's have moved into one of the upper valleys with the intention of preying upon the villages of the Broken Valley. The leader is a large half-orc/wereboar named Nurgash. Immune to normal weapons, he is terrifying to all of his troops. Nurgash's intention is simply to raid and prey upon the Nyremians, as it is safer than preying on the Vorokhoi. If interrogated, his band was simply recruited, given safe passage, and pointed at Nyremi. Interestingly, many of the raiders carry archaic Dwarven weapons and armor, gifted to them by the Vorokhoi leader as payment for loyalty. This will clue the players in that something interesting is happening.
The band is holed up in an old Dwarven fort, basically just a single gate and a balcony to guard, the main hall and some side chambers, and a small hidden staircase. The place had been used as the den for a pack of dire wolves that hunted the valleys away from humans by coming and going through the escape tunnel. Most of the important fighters now wear giant wolf-pelts, and a few pups have been kept as pets. In the tomb of the Dwarven builders, two poltergeists keep the orcs out. One of the scouts is still alive but badly tortured for information. The other one has been eaten already.
Antechamber - Already defeated the guards
Murder Halls - Four orcs with bow and arrow, spears, and axes. Can shoot, +5 bonus to AC. Armed with shortbows
Pit Room - Ogrillion camped out, will pull log and drop it into pit as first action. Pit is 30' deep, 20' wide w/ spikes at the bottom (3d6 bludgeoning, 2d6 piercing). Bridge is a pair of thick logs lashed together DC 10 DEX to cross in a fight, along one side of pit. Chains hang down the opposite side.
Mines - Critters, formerly a wolf-den, deeply 3D layout. A Grick lives down one of the tunnels, but it has learned to avoid anything smelling like an orc.
Slave Quarters and Kitchen - Orc camp with a dozen orcs from one group, includes a midden that leads to an underground stream. Several side chambers and a torture room.
Forge Room - Ogrillions camp at the front of the room. Poltergeist spectres x 2 will attack if the two forges in the back are disturbed
Water Well - Cave fishers, hide when a group comes in, attack a solitary humanoid
Hall - Common area, home to elite orc warriors. Dire wolf pups also here.
Rooms - Ogres, half-orc shaman (Claw of Luthic) who has a staff of webs (as wand with 14 charges), prisoners.
Chief's Room - Nurgash's quarters, Battleaxe of Sharpness. Nurgash has the Vorokhoi Demon Dagger (2d10 necrotic on a stab, turns killed victim into a Baubau demon serving the wielder) and letters commanding the band to fight in Nyremi, as well as a payroll of Dwarven silver coins.
Crypt - Ghost of the Dwarven chief, will not leave the crypt, will possess a PC and kill all intruders.
Bronze doors, barred on the inside.
AC-19, 35hp.
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After trading shots with Nurgash and the shaman, the PC's tracked them through the woods but lost their trail. Eventually, they came to the isolated manor house of Lord Radiv Pernakovski. The Lord and his wife had already been ambushed and slain by Nurgash and the shaman, entangled by a spell and killed. As the PC's were casing the compound, several of his men returned - Ivar, Olauff the Rager, and Hunter. There was a tense standoff, then the trio gathered up their things (and some other stuff), then departed. The PC's opted to use the manor house as their fortified compound. The compound is composed of three stone buildings, surrounded by a stone wall about 8' high. All stone construction is rough and shoddy-looking, but still solid enough for cover in a small fight.
Great House - The interior is divided into three rooms; a hall in the center, bedchambers for the lord and family to the right, and a kitchen to the left. The walls are substantial stone, but oddly the roof is made of thatch instead of wood shingles, indicating poverty or great age of the buildings.
Barn - The interior is a single large room, with lofts at both front and back accessible by ladders. There is room for several horses inside, but the building was mainly being used for a single horse and storage of hay, firewood, gathered grains, and other consumables needing to be kept dry. The walls are stone, but the roof again is thick thatch. The exterior has a couple of animal pens enclosed with wattle fences.
Workhouse - There are two rooms; very spartan quarters for several laborers, and a workroom with several toolkits - Smith, Tinker, Carpenter, and Leatherworker.
The valley that Lord Radiv appears to claim is relatively large for such a poor estate - three miles long, a half-mile wide, with six peasant farmsteads eking out a living on the rocky soil, strung out along the small river that flows north through the valley. The valley itself is surrounded by rocky bluffs which rise directly out of the valley floor. It is an isolated place. Following the river upstream leads through a number of small gorges and mountain lakes, all of which "may" be claimed by the Empire - there are no good boundaries up here - trails are unmarked, there is no real commerce to speak of, and there aren't many people to ask for directions. It is safe to assume that if you keep going northwest for a day, you will be in the Empire.
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The Vorokhoi are expending some effort attempting to rehabilitate a dwarven ruin of considerable size that has been found there. They hope to use it as a Bone Citadel and a central castle to control the region.
Three miles across the glacier's edge, travelers will come to a mountain pass guarded by a Dwarven citadel. This will call for a single encounter roll from HSP 5 and a DC-12 CON roll to avoid exhaustion. There will definitely be an eagle watching the PC's from a distance. They should definitely not shoot at it. The first encounter with Vorokhoi forces took place at a small fort guarding the mountain pass. Though the external structures were long eroded away by glacial activity, The small entrance remained and a work and guard detail were posted there to seal the pass. This detachment of orcs and undead, led by a pair of low-ranking cultists, was charged with clearing out the path so that a marching army might make its way through on the way to Nyremi. This detachment was handily destroyed by the PC's. The internal structure is essentially a gatehouse. Beyond the stairs, there is machinery for the doorway, living quarters and storage, an armory and small shop, and another internal door leading to the "Long Hallway". This long corridor twists and turns for nearly a mile before it finally reaches the main complex.
Main Citadel: The bird is actually an Adult Silver Dragon, "Hopayakarm", that claims the glacier as its territory. It is unconcerned with the doings of most humanoids, though the increased activity caught its curiosity. The PC's fight now has its attention.
The first level is cleared by the Vorokhoi forces, but the lower levels are infested with goblinoids (Bugbears and Goblins mostly), creatures that crawled up from below, and the angry undead dwarves who died when the place fell. Most slaves are working on improving the mountain passes, but a number are engaged in clearing rubble and ordering the citadel. At any time, half the guards are on duty, half are off. Those on duty are usually split between supervising the slaves on the road or guarding the citadel.
Cult
evil priest - Father Kuremesh
acolytes (x4)
seven bane zombies
ogre zombie with bronze armor plating (AC-14)
Troops
hero captain - veteran in chainmail and shield (AC-18), magic sword.
guards (x36), all in studded leather (AC-13) with shortsword, shield (+2 AC) and spear
huscarl sergeants - thugs (x8), in chain shirts with shields (AC-16), broadswords
archers - bandits (x36) with longbows, leather warm clothes (AC-12)
Auxiliaries
orcs and ogres, flavor to taste, mostly living outside
hobgoblins and goblins to taste.
troll
Slaves - 100 laborers
LEVEL 1 - Mostly secured by the Vorokhoi company.
The various units are spread through the complex, mostly closest to the main corridors and the areas north and west of the main hall.
Slaves are kept in small numbers in the Tavern when not working.
The leaders are set up in the Guest Quarters, along with the bane zombies. The leaders are in the process of negotiating with a troll, who seems amenable to killing the other residents of the citadel in exchange for food and stuff.
Residential area (SE) is infested with the various Underdark vermin that crawl up through cracks and airshafts, so many exits have been blocked off for the time being.
LEVEL 2 - The second level is split between the SW corner, cleared by the Empire, and a tribe of goblinoids that claim the complex but lack the strength to push the Empire out. Most of the Orcs that were with the Vorokhoi were killed in the attacks that pushed the Goblinoids down to Level 2.
The tribe is ruled by hobgoblins, stiffened with a couple of bugbears and a bunch of goblins. Low tech, but leaders and warriors have better gear. They have now agreed to serve the Empire, recognizing the stronger horse. Their numbers were slightly reduced but they are reasonably loyal. The Hobgoblin shaman recognizes the Emperor's authority.
The SW "stairs to Lvl 3" are where the secondary exit tunnel comes up.
The rooms near the crypts are still inhabited by the wight huscarls of the Dwarven Lord, who died. Better armor, weapon, shield, will kill anything entering the sector. Gallery is crypt of kings. This area has not yet been dealt with, as they are resilient to control by outsiders.
LEVEL 3 - The lowest level is limited to two long corridors, each leading upslope to a chamber with stairs leading up to Level 2. The PC's will come up one, while the other one leads to an area blocked by glaciers. A third tunnel leads directly to the forge halls and the mines beyond. All of these corridors are wide, split between a staired walkway and a trackway where winches once pulled carts up. At each bend in the tunnel are cunningly carved echo dishes, allowing messages to be shouted. Opposite the stairs are the entrances to the mines. These are inhabited by a number of unpleasant things - gricks, goblin foragers, fungi, even a single Umberhulk that has burrowed in. The mines are Dwarven and thus well cut, but even so, there is a danger of collapse if heavy explosions occur.
When the PC's get down there, they will find a work party with a number of slaves guarded by four guards in armor with
There is a major room with six forges, and then a tunnel leading to the mines. One of the smelters has a residual fire elemental still lingering in it. If given coal, it will flare to life for a time and obey simple commands on a DC-12 CHR roll. The elemental will only last for 1d6+2 rounds before fading and only has half its hit points. If the PC's are willing and able to make a very difficult climb (Three DC-15 Athletics or Acrobatics, each failure leading to a 2d6 fall) up the inside of the smelters, they will find it possible to get out of the citadel via the air vents. Each tube has a DC-15 locked grate trapped with a 2d6 springloaded spear trap on both sides of the grill, followed by a tight squeeze.
A single Roper lives in the coal storage areas, feeding on creatures which crawl up from the coal mine shaft, or goblinoids. The area is littered with bones.
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The Senior Priest, having consulted with Mother Coranth on the matter has dispatched a war party of almost thirty to deal with the PC's. The group includes the Captain (Veteran), two Thug sergeants, six Scout archers and ten picked Guardsmen (his best troops, with "Martial Advantage" - MM186 for the guards, and +4 to hit/+2 damage). Support is provided by a Cult Fanatic with a BauBau Dagger and four Bane Zombies. They are accompanied by Nurgash and three Orcs, along as a guide.
Their plan is to let the Orcs locate the party, then close on them. The party will attempt to rush into close combat as soon as possible, as they are relatively weak on ranged combat.