The Fifth Mendevian Crusade: Reclaim the Worldwound

Game Master Brian Minhinnick

Mendev

Kenabres
Size large town (conventional); AL LG
GP Limit 3,000 gp; Assets 690,000 gp
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population 4,600 Type isolated (human 95%, halfling 3%, half-elf 1%, others 1%)
AUTHORITY FIGURES
Hulmun Shappok (LG male human paladin 4/aristocrat 6), Legate of Kenabraes and commander of the local garrison; Nestrin Alodae (LG male venerable human cleric 8), high priest of the church of Iomedae and order of Saint clydwell; Eterrius Sunnestier (LG Male half-elf cleric 7), artificer/demon slayer; Kutholiam Vuere (cn male human cleric 7/ loremaster 4), official demonologist

Mendev is a land on the brink, constantly on the edge of falling to the hordes of demons waiting on the other side of the Bitter River. It is also sharply divided between the crusaders who came from the south to fight the demons and the indigenous people descended from the barbarians who lived in the northland before the Worldwound came. In theory, the crusaders follow the greatest of their number, the righteous Queen Galfrey, Sword of Iomedae, a Mendev-born Chelaxian trained in the Aldorian battle-arts. In practice, mercenaries and professional soldiers outnumber the pilgrims, and while Galfrey’s commanders and armored guardians keep the populace reciting the Acts of Iomedae and focused on rooting out demonic influence in the native underclass, brutality and lawlessness lurk just below the surface.

The uneasiness is worse in the border town of Kenabres, where the charismatic old Iomedaen legate Hulmun Shappok has led a zealous pogrom against demon-worshipers since the launch of the Third Crusade in 4665 ar. Hundreds of indigenous Mendevians and pilgrims have burned at the stake since those dark days, and the screaming flames echo the passion of Mendev’s most fervent zealots. Galfrey’s government does little to halt the torture and extermination, preferring to focus upon military matters in Sarkoris. Meanwhile, this large town serves as a mustering ground for the knights and priests dedicated to defending Clydwell Keep and as a secondary defense against demonic incursions should the keep ever fall. It is dominated by Saint Clydwell’s Grand Temple at its center and is surrounded by the homes and businesses of the crusader upper class. Town leaders spend most of their time occupied with the business of war, and Kenabres boasts some of the finest smiths and alchemists in the north. The native people now live on the outskirts of town and in the countryside, where their houses, farms, and homesteads remain vulnerable to the marauding bands of demons that sometimes stray over the border. Within these remote communities, far from the light of holy warriors, the ancient ways still run strong in the native people. They have their own ways of dealing with demons, which are not always accepted by the southern paladins.

(above from paizo sources)

Campaign Map

Clydwell Keep:

Map of Keep

1:These are the barracks. Crusaders staying in the keep are allowed to use them.

2:The eastern gate is flanked by two fifty foot tall statues, whose crenellated heads form the battlements of the two towers. Outside the wall is a pit full of cold iron spikes, and the drawbridge itself is magical. The small building just inside contains the mechanisms for operating the gate.

3:This is the smithy, operated by an ifrit named Muqaq Al'Vasiri. Here crusaders can purchase any arms and armament they may require for their journeys.

4:These stables are run by an elf named Willow Caerin. He's happy to provide lodging for anything from the mundane warhorse, out to the most exotic of mounts. For a nominal fee, of course.

5:This well is magical to ensure that any water drawn from it is always pure.

6:These are the latrines and bathhouse.

7:This is the infirmary, clerics of Iomedae are always on staff and willing to tend to the sick in return for a small donation to the church.

8:This is the cloister where the priests who serve in the temple and infirmary live.

9:This is an inn and common room for travelers visiting the keep. It's name is The Watchful Blade, and it's a generally clean and pleasant place. With many of the patrons being paladins and priests of Iomedae it's rarely home to any sort of trouble, despite the rest of the customers being of dubious quality. This is a great place to meet and plan.

10:This is the keep itself, home to the Order of Holy Sentinels and the key Wardstone for the network that protects the border. They stand watch over the Demonscope, a powerful artifact that powers the Wardstones through the will and purity of the Holy Sentinels.

Exploration:
Time to cross 1 hex
Speed: Plains: All Other Terrains:
15 feet 23 hours 32 hours
20 feet 17 hours 25 hours
30 feet 11 hours 17 hours
40 feet 9 hours 13 hours
50 feet 7 hours 11 hours

Time to fully explore 1 hex
Speed: Plains: Desert: Mountain:
15 feet 6 Days 8 Days 10 Days
20 feet 4 Days 6 Days 8 Days
30 feet 2 Days 4 Days 6 Days
40 feet 2 Days 2 days 4 Days
50 feet 2 Days 2 Days 2 Days