3. Expedition Report: The Narfell Region

Expedition Report: The Narfell Region


  • The following letter is written in scraggly, but legible Abyssal.

    Overlord,

    As commanded, your agents have conducted an expedition into the Narfell region. This expedition has now ended in almost complete and utter failure. It is with regret that I cannot report success on even one of the given tasks. I write this report on the eve of my leave of the region. I no longer have the coin, manpower, or resources for undead minions to continue our campaign here. This is quite unfortunate as the region is ripe for an incursion and permanent presence. I found most of the region's population centers to be disorganized, complacent, or both. Indeed a pity that we fail…

    The region consists of 5 major population centers. Some of these are quite small, and do not appear on major maps of the region. (I have enclosed a local map of Narfell that is accurate and up to date along with this report.)

    To the east lies the small village of Jiyyd. Its population numbers less than 100, and the settlement is quite small. It's primarily a farming community. Outside the town proper, lies a small orphanage and a halfling community. Both are enclosed within fortifications. There is little else of note in the town, as I observed little activity of interest. The locals ban followers of gods they do not approve of. I would have enjoyed preaching to them the joys of serving the Vaunted. How their bodies could be so much more useful to the Vaunted and myself in death than in life. But this would have brought instant complications, as the attitudes in the entire region toward the Vaunted and necromancy are malicious and fearful. Even the very mention of necromancy in simple discourse would garner suspicion, imprisonment, and even death if the overheard by the wrong parties. So I quickly learned to keep these thoughts to myself, and would often fantasize what a person would look like as an animated corpse doing my bidding. But I digress...This village of Jiyyd falls under the protection of a group called the Legion (It should be noted that the town's laws make reference to a militia, but I believe this referred to the constantly patrolling gate guards as I never encountered anyone else claiming to be a member.) This Legion is largely disorganized and undisciplined, and isn't comparable to any real military outfit. I found it difficult to find reliable data concerning the size of this group, but I would place it at roughly 50 to 100 hundred men and women. I can best describe them as a random collection of right-minded thugs. This may make them sound weak and trivial, but as I researched the history of the area they appear to be a force to be reckoned with. There are startling reports of a handful of these legion members slaughtering hundreds of foes in just a single battle. While I assume these reports contain wild exaggerations (the Legion is quite popular among the locals, so it was difficult to distinguish between propaganda, embellishment, and fact in written records), they should not be completely dismissed as Jiyyd still retains its sovereignty (even against a recent full fledged assault by a local orc army!). Apparently, the leader of the Legion gang, who calls himself General Grag, had a bounty placed on his head that was in fact collected. I am dubious of the bounty claims, as by some accounts this General Grag, a filthy half-orc, is well over 100 years of age! At the time I leave the region, it still remains to be seen if the loss of their leader will be the end of this gang. As I reflect on this, it occurs to me that perhaps the moniker of 'General Grag' is simply given to whoever is selected (usurps?) to take command of the gang, and perhaps it is constantly changing hands. If this is true, then this Legion will persist and be a future point of contention.

    The other small population center is a settlement of Romani Gypsies that is located in the western half of the region. The population of this camp is small; perhaps 200 or much less and consists mostly of humans. The local economy revolves around trade with the Gypsies. I was never able to gain complete access to all parts of the camp, thus the size is an estimate gathered from various sources. The camp has little in the way of fortifications, and is primarily defended by small groups of gypsy archers and local adventurers. At the time of this writing, the Camp is besieged by gnolls, hobgoblins, and a blight infests the adjacent forest. From my research, the camp has already been overrun at least once by gnolls in the past. The camp has little influence in the region, and is mostly a refuge for socially outcast adventurers with the occasional merchant passing through to trade with the Gypsies. With the blight in the forest rendering most of the natural resources in the region useless, I place little value on this camp.


  • The report concludes…

    Together, the two of us carried on for years. We explored the area and our power grew. As I continued my research and surveillance of the area, Kence became convinced that we could complete the objectives ourselves. He soon became mad with power, and he decided to expand the mission to complete conquest of the area. Lofty goals indeed. However, his skill with a blade was impressive and he began systematically removing individuals that were impeding our efforts (as well as anyone nearby when he need to satiate his thirst for blood). Things looked promising for awhile. Kence had made connections with several factions in the area that would aid us in our goals, while I began studying the finer arts of reanimation and began collecting and storing corpses for our private army (many thanks to Kence). I'm not entirely positive of what happened next, as the following is based off what I was able to glean from Kence's journal (a difficult thing to recover). Kence had informed me of his grand battle strategy for the whole region and it required the aid of many of the local factions. He claims to have become an apprentice assassin of the Cult of the Dragon. Difficult to know for sure. I never had any actual contact with this group, and the ravings in his journal had become steadily more incoherent at this point. His apprenticeship was short lived. He was tasked with murdering two prominent local monks in the land, but before he could even begin a spy had intercepted (overheard?) his mission. Kence was quickly apprehended, as he refused to go into hiding as enemy operatives hunted him. I'm of the opinion the Cult of the Dragon set him up, but for what motive I do not know. Perhaps they allowed the spy to overhear his orders because they needed to do away with Kence quietly and without incident. Perhaps Kence was drawing far too much attention to them. He wrote of a man named Ronan who aided him in his search for contact with the Cult. It turns out this Ronan is a Norwick official and prominent mage. He is the most likely culprit as the double agent who lead to Kence's capture. (It should be recorded in future mission objectives that this Ronan, and perhaps his descendants, should be relieved of the use of their bodies so that those corpses can be put to better use.) Once captured, Kence was left with little choice to protect the secrets he held. I heard he hung himself. Unfortunate, indeed. His last few journal entries have him renouncing the Vaunted, but I am most certain that he knew his journal might be compromised and read by his captors. I am quite convinced that these final journal entries are disinformation. I doubt it successful though, as it appears written in haste. No doubt the locals are aware now that the Vaunted's agents have taken an interest in the area and are among them. It was with great cost and patience that I was able to recover the journal and some of Kence's remains (they destroyed the body). I have learned that those who had targeted Kence are aware of my presence and are no doubt seeking me out as well. My funds are now almost depleted, and it is no longer safe for me to venture beyond the gates of Oscura. I do not have the funds or means to earn them to raise Kence. I briefly considered the idea of working with the local Banites, but ultimately decided against it as they would no doubt double cross me in the end. Thus, I sit here in the peaceful dark of this cavern city writing my final report on the matter. Selling most of my equipment and possessions will afford me the cost of travel by ship out of the area. I have hidden the corpse collection in the immediate vicinity (noted on the enclosed map). They will surely be skeletons by the time any future agents find them, but perhaps still useful. Probably for the best, how I hated the way some of them looked at me. Tomorrow I board ship, and make my return to The Order of One Thousand Nightmares. I look forward to the homecoming, and I am eager for future assignments.

    Power to the Vaunted.

    Necrophant Rahn Boneguard


  • The report continues…

    The final major area of population is the underground city of Oscura. It is from here I write this report. Operating narrowly between the surface and the Underdark proper, the city boasts a population of several thousand supported by the healthy commerce generated from the city's port as well as access to rich underground ore veins. Given the remote location, the cost of goods and operating within the town is expensive. The city is governed by a mysterious tribunal, with seats given to the various influential organizations and individuals. This is the only city in the region where slaves can be purchased and owned legally, although to property owners only. I have been able to operate here safely, despite the perils of the other agents. The library in the town is impressive, and I have spent years researching in it. The town's oath is also a powerful tool, it is something I will not discuss in writing, but the benefits it provides are quite useful. The town is protected by walls, gates, and several chasms providing natural choke points for any would be invaders. The town is also accepting of all deities, and there are open facilities to worship the Vaunted. Future expeditions, if any, would do well to land here and use it as a base of operations to begin exploiting the region (particularly the nearby city Peltarch).

    And sadly that brings me to the end of the parts of the report you will find interesting, Overlord. The rest will be rather distasteful…

    As detailed below, you can still see that I am rather useful and that surely you, the Cabal, or the Vaunted can put me to better use.

    I find the ultimate reason for our failure lies with the agents selected for the mission. The man responsible for the selection of agents, could do with 'discipline'. Perhaps he had relations with the lieutenant, Jennelinna. Gauge his reaction when he learns that all are dead save me, and then act as you see fit. As I look over all of their dossiers one last time, I find that many of them, while appearing promising at first, ultimately lacked experience. This, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad, but when combined with the reckless ambition of Jennelinna it became a formula for a quick end to any hope of success. Most of the agents had little merit worth mentioning. They simply did not live long enough to be of any use. I have painstakingly collected samples from most of them, in case their services are desired again, but my recommendation is to file away the remains or discard them entirely. The lieutenant, Jennelinna, was an impressive fighter. Unfortunately, she was overly ambitious and obsessed with improving her skill at combat. She even declared the region a lost cause, and decided she had the authority to move our assignment to the distant city of Arabel. Idiotic girl. She would have been more useful to me as a corpse, to animate when I needed the dust swept off my books. I know not of her ultimate fate as I was unable to locate any remains. I do know that she did indeed perish somewhere in her incessant quest for training. It is for the best though, as she lead the others down the same futile path. The least they could have done is slit their wrists in the meager apartment here. It would have saved me the trouble of locating their remains, and I could have added them to the collection...how I will miss my collection...they keep me company here in the dark...but shipping it out with me would cost far more gold than I have access to. This left only Kence and myself. I initially presumed the mission was already lost, but Kence turned out to be rather dedicated and resourceful.


  • The report continues…

    To the south lies the barbarian town of Norwick (pompously named the Realm of Norwick). This small town consists of several hundred residents of all types of races, and the economy primarily revolves around the industry generated by resident crafters. The settlement is somewhat at the frontier of local civilization, and is a hub of adventurer activity and is a useful area to hire mercenaries. Contained within the town's walls is your typical dwarven hold which would presumably require heavy siege weapons to penetrate. During the scant few years of our mission, this town was conquered, razed, and rebuilt. While the additional history of this town is mildly interesting, what little heritage it had seems to have faded and the town now simply exists to serve the ego of its self appointed(?) Chancellor. This Chancellor, a dwarf named Dolvak, appears to have amassed a sizable fortune exploiting the vast natural resources in the area. With this fortune, he has essentially bought the town and rules it as such. Like all who worship the coin, no doubt he can be bought, but considering the purported size of his wealth the amount of coin required to do so may prove too great to be worthwhile. As you can imagine, such a town has draconian laws enforced with glee and enthusiasm. Of interest here is a large graveyard with vast underground crypts just outside the town gates. My knowledge of them is limited, as access to these crypts is heavily policed by the local militia. I do know they contain active undead and this seemed to be the source of many undead assaults against the town. Because of these attacks, and others by the sizable goblin presence in the area, the town is heavily fortified on the southern edge by walls and the natural landscape. The power behind these assaults eludes me, perhaps some of the others knew more…but they failed to inform me. No doubt these crypts warrant future investigations to seek out artifacts, knowledge, or soldiers. I also heard stories of a ship that lied buried in the adjacent lake. This ship is controlled by perhaps a lich-king, and he commands vast armies of undead. However, I could never verify this and it is included here as purely speculation and rumor. It should also be noted that a group calling itself The Order of the Watchful Repose is based out of this village. This group makes it their mission to seek out undead and exterminate them and their sources. (They fool themselves into thinking that they are finally laying the dead to rest. Imbeciles! If only they knew the power they could wield! Perhaps one day they will learn the error of their ways, and join us in either life or death. Ahhh....what a silly thing to write. Of course, for those types, only in death would be proper.) From my investigations, the group is a collection of local (all-star?) soldiers, adventurers, priests, and even politicians of roughly a dozen or so in size. On my initial encounter with them, I was met with instant disdain and suspicion. Perhaps I need to work on my appearance for these types of assignments...I just gazed into a mirror for the first time in decades. Unpleasant, indeed. Perhaps I should get more sun. How I loathe the sun and the light. Anyway, only by convincing the woman claiming allegiance to this group that I was a bard, a ruse I persisted for the duration of the assignment, did I escape a quick end to my mission. This Order primarily patrols the regions around Norwick and the settlement of Jiyyd, but they claim jurisdiction over the whole of Narfell. As such, we had to operate in the region carefully so as not to draw their attention.

    To the north, bordering the Icelace lake, lies the port city of Peltarch (sometimes referred to as the Jewel of the North). This city boasts well over 10,000 souls, and is the center of commerce in the region. The town is ruled over by an elected senate, and has a sizable standing army. As expected, corruption runs rampant through the city. City officials, guards, and even senators can be bought here. The local government is complacent and uncaring of the people's needs. Kence and I encountered a local magistrate, Shannon something, and attempted to petition the man for help against a cursed spectre we encountered outside the town. Predictably, our coin purses weren't fat enough to garner the attention of this crooked politician and he barely even acknowledged us. As I write this, the squaller in the docks region of this city grows and festers as more people arrive by ship and are unable to find work. Beggars line the streets and the poor have constructed shanty towns outside the city walls. The local government is either powerless to help or turns a blind eye to their perils. Ahhh...I could end each of the poor's hunger...permanently. As well as employ them...permanently. But I amuse myself. Given the amount of desperate souls in the area, this would be a prime location to recruit followers and acquire subjects for experimentation. The district is, however, full of thugs, pirates, and less than noble organizations that will demand tribute to operate unmolested in their territory. Peltarch is also constantly at odds with the surrounding towns and villages, and this may be why it maintains a large standing army and is impressively fortified by massive walls and ramparts. It is pure speculation for me whether these are required for defense or for conquest. The army soldiers are under paid and the morale appears low. During our time here, local reports indicated a portion of army went rogue and holed up in the caves outside the town. I believe our true presence would be tolerated in this city, albeit barely, as I observed Umberlants, Beshabists, and even Banites walking through the city unmolested. That said, it would currently be next to impossible to found an official temple in the city. Future endeavors, if any, would do well to focus their efforts here.