Dolmenwood Factions #04: House Brackenwold

13 Jul, 2024

In this post, I'll delve into the wheeling and dealing of House Brackenwold and the Duke. By treating each noble house as a distinct faction, my Dolmenwood campaign not only gains depth but also increases the total faction count to sixteen!

But enough preamble, let's find out what the Duke and his House have to offer!

Goals

The Campaign Book outlines four goals for the Human Nobility, but I have merged "Expel the Nag-Lord" and "Root Out the Drune" into a broader goal of maintaining the Lordship of Dolmenwood. This will address all internal and external threats¹. Additionally, I have added a secret goal tied to recent campaign events at my table, involving a fugitive magician linked to the Duke and the mysterious Oubliette in the Ducal Keep².

• 🐵 Maintain Lordship of Dolmenwood: This includes addressing threats from the Nag-Lord, fairy nobles like the Cold Prince, and the Drune.
  • Defend against rising threats from the Nag-Lord and the Cold Prince.
  • Root out the Drune from their domain.
  • Suppress aspiring noble houses and prevent civil war in the High Wold.

• 🙈 Claim the Wild Lands to the North: The Duke's personal goal to achieve glory by focusing on the Northern Scratch and Table Downs³.
  • Establish a new base of operations near the northern borders.
  • Fund and initiate a campaign to claim the Table Downs or the Northern Scratch.
  • Settle in the new regions and expand the territory.

• 🙊 Prevent Knowledge about the Oubliette from Spreading: Driven by the Duke's fear and shame, especially after recent events involving a fugitive who almost uncovered its secrets.
  • Locate and deal with the fugitive magician.
  • Discourage the Duchess from further investigating her daughter's death.
  • Prevent any rumors about the Oubliette from leaking.

Resources

House Brackenwold has strong resources but relies on other factions to utilize them fully.

• Largest Standing Army: Includes two dozen knights, personal guards, and ample manpower available at short notice⁴.
  • Launch military campaigns.
  • Defend and protect territories.
  • Maintain order in the realm.

• Authority Over Other Noble Houses: All pledged fealty to House Brackenwold⁵.
  • Enforce feudal obligations.
  • Leverage their loyalty.
  • Ensure free movement through their lands.

• Abundance of Resources: Control of the Tithelands ensures rich resources and economic stability⁶.
  • Maintain military supplies.
  • Engage in trade with other regions.
  • Support other Noble Houses.

• Alliance with the Pluritine Church: Deep ties and mutual benefits unite both parties⁷.
  • Receive blessings and spiritual support.
  • Collaborate on mutual goals.
  • Share knowledge and information.

Actions

The Duke's secret goal of keeping the Oubliette hidden has been influenced by my players' actions, leading to a mission to apprehend the fugitive magician.

• 📔 Find the magician Marjoram Gryver⁸, for investigating the Oubliette:
  • 🕵️ Marla Fench
  • 📝 Hire professional and discreet investigators.
  • 📝 Send them to the area where her trail went cold (Fog Lake⁹).
  • 📝 Follow the new trail to the next point of interest (Thirligrewe's Orchard¹⁰).

• 📔 Help House Harrowmoor in their efforts against the Nag-Lord¹¹:
  • 🕵️ Dame Samara Highgrime
  • 📝 Levy new taxes for supplies to build fortifications.
  • 📝 Train new recruits to form a new militia.
  • 📝 Send reinforcements and supplies to Prigwort.

• 📔 Investigate Drune sightings around the lower Hameth as a favor for the Church:
  • 🕵️ Sir Baldric Underlow
  • 📝 Dispatch two trusted knights and their retinue.
  • 📝 Travel to Dreg and set up a base of operations.
  • 📝 Patrol the woods around that area.

Further Thoughts

House Brackenwold has many opportunities to engage in various conflicts due to its goal of maintaining the lordship of Dolmenwood. Rather than defending against the Nag-Lord, they could take an offensive approach, aiming to push back the Crookhorns and eventually target the Nag-Lord itself. This strategy would require luck and powerful allies. If the Crookhorns start disrupting northern trade routes¹² or pose a serious threat to Fort Vulgar or Prigwort, the Duke will likely escalate the conflict.

Other potential conflicts include the volatile situation in the High Wold¹³. If a civil war breaks out, the Duke will have to act, as would be the case if the Cold Prince resurfaces¹⁴.

To claim the Table Downs and Northern Scratch¹⁵, House Brackenwold will likely face the Nag-Lord again and possibly the Drune. Establishing a base of operations is crucial. Fort Vulgar could be expanded, and the route to Drigbolton¹⁶ secured, which involves traversing Nagwood territory and potentially restoring the ruined town of Midgewarrow¹⁷. Securing these areas could spur a campaign to expand north or northwest, relying on subduing the Crookhorns to prevent them from being a threat. If the Drune are affected by the expansion, they will likely try to stop it, though they may be content if it only goes northwards.

The situation with the Oubliette and the magician is specific to my campaign. The magician was secretly hired by the Duchess to solve the mystery of her daughter’s death¹⁸. She investigated the Oubliette, got caught, and escaped before sending word to the Duchess. She hid in the caves beneath Fog Lake, where my players found her and escorted her to Lankshorn. She then moved to High-Hankle to continue her investigation and find a way to notify the Duchess. If you want to adapt this for your campaign, you just need a fitting NPC with a reason to investigate the Oubliette and make them a fugitive.

Potential Alliances

House Brackenwold is already allied with the Church and commands the loyalty of other Noble Houses, providing a strong foundation. However, each house pursues its own interests, which can create challenges.

• House Harrowmoor: Likely to ally with House Brackenwold to combat the Nag-Lord, benefiting both houses.
• House Ramius: Seeks the Duke's favor, leading to potential conflict with House Hogwarsh, which Ramius aims to usurp¹⁹.
• Triple Compact: A potential alliance involving all the Noble Houses, the Church, and the Drune to counter threats like the Cold Prince or the Nag-Lord²⁰.

Example

In my campaign, the Duke is stretched thin. He considers the rising threat of the Nag-Lord serious and taxes the common folk, much to their grief, to prepare for the brewing conflict in Prigwort—something the people there and House Harrowmoor will surely appreciate. The effort was expedited after the Crookhorns blocked Fort Road.

The Duke discreetly hired outsiders to find the magician, as it was the only way he could handle the situation without attracting too much attention. Time will tell if this will fare well for him in the long run.

Interestingly, the favor for the Church has been attempted twice already, but both times the roll failed. Once could mean the knights were delayed or needed more time to gather their men. But twice? Perhaps the bond between the Church and House Brackenwold is not as strong as it seems!

Conclusions

House Brackenwold is a formidable force on paper, boasting significant military assets, an alliance with the Church, and the loyalty of other Noble Houses. However, their strength heavily relies on the cooperation of these factions, which can slow down their actions and lead to internal disputes. If the Duke's power is openly weakened, other lords and external forces may seize the opportunity, leading to turmoil in the human-controlled lands of Dolmenwood.

Conversely, a united front against a common enemy can forge strong alliances. House Brackenwold's expansion into other regions could lead to a more civilized and safer Dolmenwood, a worthy goal for a long-running campaign. However, this comes with the risk of Dolmenwood losing some of its magic and becoming more mundane.

I'd love to see House Brackenwold succeed and expand, creating new settlements and stabilizing the region. While it might mean Dolmenwood becomes more civilized and less magical, the journey towards it could provide a rich, long-term campaign experience.

I hope you found some ideas for your game on how to use House Brackenwold. As always, feel free to share your ideas and implementations!

Next time, I will take a look at the next noble family, House Guillefer!

References

#dolmenwood #faction turns #legwork