Dolmenwood Factions #12: House Malbleat

29 Aug, 2024

Lord Gryphius of House Malbleat, driven by vanity and envy, is leading his house down a treacherous path in pursuit of recognition and respect. His dangerous dabbling in necromantic rituals and ruthless desire to eliminate family rivals could have dire consequences for the entire High Wold.

Goals

House Malbleat’s goals are driven by the envy and ambition of Lord Gryphius. Obsessed with outshining his older half-brother¹, Lord Ramius, Gryphius is determined to gain the recognition and power he feels he deserves. His plans include discrediting or eliminating Lord Ramius to take over his domain². Recognizing that he lacks the strength to achieve this through conventional means, Gryphius turns to necromantic rituals, seeking to unlock the dark secrets of his ancestor, Lord Gnarlgruff, and rise to infamy³.

• 🐵 Proof of His Legitimacy⁴: Whether real or fabricated, perception is key.
  • Earn the respect of other nobles.
  • Maintain a strategic friendship with Baron Hogwarsh.
  • Present convincing evidence (real or forged) to legitimize his claim.

• 🙈 Dispose of Lord Ramius: Family makes the best enemies.
  • Undermine Lord Ramius’ reputation among the nobility.
  • Exploit any mistakes or vulnerabilities in Lord Ramius' strategy.
  • Arrange for Lord Ramius to be killed or removed from power.

• 🙊 Unlock the Arcane Secrets of Lord Gnarlgruff: Dark power never passes down easily.
  • Locate the Book of Foul Wonders.
  • Translate its ancient, forbidden texts.
  • Perform the ritual to resurrect Lord Gnarlgruff.

Resources

House Malbleat’s strength lies not in military might but in its mastery of dark arts and cunning strategies. These resources give them a unique edge over other noble houses in Dolmenwood.

• Unusual Followers⁵: Alchemists, sorcerers, and obscure acolytes.
  • Assist in performing dark rituals.
  • Brew potions, poisons, and other arcane concoctions.
  • Craft minor enchantments and curses.

• Extensive Occult Library⁶: A trove of forbidden knowledge.
  • Provides knowledge for practicing necromantic rituals.
  • Contains lore on ancient entities.
  • Holds secrets about Fairies, Drune, and Witches.

• Small Shorthorn Militia⁵: Limited in size, but loyal and capable.
  • Garrison key locations within Malbleat’s domain.
  • Provide escort services for important individuals and tasks.
  • Enforce Lord Malbleat’s will.

Actions

In my campaign, Lord Malbleat has yet to obtain the Book of Foul Wonders⁷. The book is secured by the Church in the vaults of the library at the Seminary of the 100 Martyrs⁸ in Castle Brackenwold, presenting a significant challenge for House Malbleat to retrieve it. Alternatively, you could place the book in the vault at the Royal Institute of Physicks and Sorcerers⁹ or in the Stygian Library, integrating another module into your campaign.

The other actions focus on undermining House Ramius by using deception and sabotage, as well as strengthening connections within Baron Hogwarsh’s court.

• 📔 Retrieve the Book of Foul Wonders:
  • 🕵️ Crannog Mudfoot
  • 📝 Confirm the book’s location in Castle Brackenwold.
  • 📝 Hire skilled professionals to recover the book.
  • 📝 Plan and execute a heist at the Seminary of the 100 Martyrs.

• 📔 Feed Lord Ramius false information:
  • 🕵️ Sharna Gnarlcrook
  • 📝 Capture one of Ramius’ spies.
  • 📝 Use dark magic to charm the spy.
  • 📝 Feed the spy false intel to mislead Ramius.

• 📔 Establish a presence at Baron Hogwarsh’s court:
  • 🕵️ Elias Fenwyck
  • 📝 Travel to High-Hankle and secure lodging.
  • 📝 Charm and bribe influential courtiers.
  • 📝 Host an extravagant ball to impress Hogwarsh’s circle.

Further Thoughts

House Malbleat's goals may evolve as the campaign progresses. As an example, if Lord Ramius successfully mobilizes the Drune against House Malbleat¹⁰, Gryphius will be forced to confront them. This confrontation could also present an opportunity for Gryphius to acquire more arcane knowledge.

The plot to resurrect Lord Gnarlgruff¹¹ is detailed in Emelda's Song. The resurrection events won’t necessarily wait for player involvement and may unfold independently, creating new opportunities for adventure. For instance, a newly revived Lord Gnarlgruff could grow in power, becoming a significant threat to the High Wold¹². This development would weaken Gryphius, forcing him to deal with the consequences—especially if witnesses threaten to expose his involvement in the resurrection¹³ to the Duke or the Church.

The conflict between House Malbleat and House Ramius is influenced by the actions of both houses. If Gryphius discovers that Berryld, Lord Ramius' daughter, is dabbling in sorcery, he might try to exploit this to create a rift between her and her father. However, this could backfire, as Berryld may be using the situation to gain access to Gryphius' library¹⁴. Another possible strategy for Gryphius is to stage false-flag operations near settlements¹⁵, intending to blame the chaos on House Ramius.

Additionally, House Malbleat could research the Crookhorns, seeking to understand how the Nag-Lord controls them¹⁶. Gryphius could use this knowledge to plant evidence implicating House Ramius in dark dealings with the Crookhorns, furthering his own agenda.

Of course, many of these schemes may fail, and House Ramius will certainly have counter-schemes of their own. If enough failures accumulate, the covert conflict could escalate into open war. Should this happen, House Murkin would likely seize the opportunity to further their own interests¹⁷, and the Duke might be compelled to intervene in the escalating conflict.

Potential Alliances

House Malbleat has several potential allies, though most relationships would be based on convenience rather than trust:

• House Hogwarsh: The most likely ally. They already share friendly relations¹⁸, and House Malbleat could strengthen its position by offering increased tax revenue or by becoming patrons of Baron Hogwarsh’s cultural projects.
• House Murkin: A temporary alliance could form around a mutual desire to eliminate House Ramius. However, once Ramius is defeated, the alliance would likely dissolve as House Murkin shifts its focus to Malbleat.
• The Nag-Lord: If Lord Malbleat delves deeper into the study of Crookhorns, the Nag-Lord might see an opportunity to subtly influence and corrupt him, eventually transforming Gryphius into a Crookhorn when the time is right.
• House Ramius: A highly conditional alliance—if Lord Ramius dies and Berryld ascends to power, she might broker peace between the houses or propose a merger, possibly through marriage or shared interests. However, this could also be a cunning ploy to access her uncle’s knowledge.

Example

House Malbleat has had a quiet start, with only one task completed so far. This aligns well with my campaign, as my players have only briefly visited the High Wold, with the main focus currently on the escalating threat of the Nag-Lord. Despite the slow progress, House Malbleat is steadily moving forward and will eventually begin to stir up trouble for other factions as the campaign continues.

Conclusion

House Malbleat is a great faction to incorporate into your campaign. They lack military strength but have unique abilities that can give them an edge. The brewing civil war in the High Wold offers exciting possibilities, whether it escalates into full-blown conflict or sees House Malbleat crumble, possibly driving them toward an alliance with the Nag-Lord. And what happens if the Crookhorns reach the High Wold?

That’s all for now. Next time, we’ll take a closer look at House Murkin.

References

#dolmenwood #faction turns #legwork