The Winter War: Sir Andrew

“I will sing of Iridia’s glory with my dying breath.” 
     -Sir Andrew, Knight of Iridia and Defender of Brin

Blessed with good looks and a captivating voice, Sir Andrew has always been popular among his fellow soldiers. When he was young, his mother hoped that he would become a cleric. As Andrew developed into a strong, charismatic adolescent, his mother realized that her son would serve Iridia in a more martial capacity. While her heart ached at the thought of what could happen to him in battle, it also swelled with pride. To serve Iridia in war ensured a warrior a place of honor upon Mount Celestia after death.

     Eventually war did come, brought by the Necromancer Lords, who carry the battle standard of Veoden, a dark god of death and decay. Despite an arduous campaign, Sir Andrew was one of the selfless knights who volunteered to serve as a rearguard while the armies of the Northern Kingdom retreated for the winter. Along with his fellow defenders, he holds a ruined village named Brin, which lays at the edge of the Necromancer Lords’ holdings. The village is now under constant assault from a formidable Wizard/Fighter named Lord Crase.

     Sir Andrew worries that he is fighting a losing battle. He and his comrades hold the village only to distract Lord Crase from driving north into their homeland. Maybe, just maybe, he and the other defenders can hold on until spring.

     In the meantime, Sir Andrew raises his voice in song. His battle hymns never fail to inspire his comrades or to soothe their nerves after a nasty fight. Even in the midst of combat, his clear, resonant voice echoes above the battlefield, urging his brother knights to victory.

Sir Andrew, male human Ftr5; Medium humanoid (5’ 11”, 190 lbs); CR 5; HD 5d10+10; hp 40; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AL LG;       Armor: AC 20 (+8 half-plate +1, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 10, flat-footed 20.       Attacks: Base Atk +5, Grp +7; Melee: Longsword +9 (+5 BAB, +2 str, +1 weapon focus, +1 longsword) (d8+5, 19-20/x2).       Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +3.       Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 12 (+1), Con 14 (+2), Int 11, Wis 15 (+2), Cha 16 (+3).       Languages: Common.       Skills and Feats: Intimidate +7, Knowledge (religion) +3, Ride +9, Perform (sing) +8, Spot +4; Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Skill Focus (perform), Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword).       Possessions: +1 half-plate, heavy steel shield, +1 longsword.

The Winter War: Sir Loren

“I am not ashamed to cry for the friends I have lost. My tears do not diminish my strength.” 
     -Sir Loren, Knight of Iridia and Defender of Brin

Loren knows that when he dies the paradise of Mount Celestia awaits. He will be reunited with his slain brother knights and he will no longer have to battle a relentless, undead foe night after night. Nevertheless, death is something not to be taken lightly.

     Loren worries about the time of his passing. Will he die valiantly or will he be killed while groveling in the mud, pitiful and weak? How will his death effect his family? Even though he will have ascended to the heavens, his loved ones will grieve. And what of the young men he is training? Who will protect them while they hone their skills? Who will eventually lead them into battle?

     Even though death brings certain benefits, Loren would rather win the war against the Necromancer Lords, return home and marry. Surely his fallen comrades on Mount Celestia can wait a little longer for him to join them.

Sir Loren, male human Ftr7; Medium humanoid (5’ 11”, 200 lbs); CR 7; HD 7d10+21; hp 61; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AL LG;       Armor: AC 21 (+9 half plate +2, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 10, flat-footed 21.       Attacks: Base Atk +7/+2, Grp +10; Melee: Longsword +12 (+7 BAB, +3 str, +1 weapon focus, +1 longsword +1) (d8+6, 19-20/x2);         Full Round: 2 attacks with longsword as follows: Longsword +12 (+7 BAB, +3 str, +1 weapon focus, +1 longsword +1) (d8+6, 19-20/x2) and Longsword +7 (+2 BAB, +3 str, +1 weapon focus, +1 longsword +1) (d8+6, 19-20/x2).       Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +5.       Abilities: Str 17 (+3), Dex 12 (+1), Con 16 (+3), Int 11, Wis 13 (+1), Cha 14 (+2).       Languages: Common.       Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +7, Jump +6 (-2 in armor and shield), Ride +11, Swim +6 (-2 in armor and shield); Cleave, Great Cleave, Iron Will, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride By Attack, Weapon Focus (long sword), Weapon Specialization (long sword).       Possessions: +2 half-plate, heavy steel shield, +1 longsword, medium warhorse, 20 gp.

The Winter War: Command House

Brother Joseph knew in his heart that he was going to die in Brin.

First Floor

     Not only would he be killed, but so would all of the brave soldiers under his command. The undead would eventually overrun the village and their corpses would be animated to serve the Necromancer Lords.

     Consumed with grief, Joseph kneeled at the foot of his bed and prayed. As he did so, tears streamed down his face. “Iridia, I don’t want to die in this cold, miserable village. I don’t want to bury any more of my men. I just want to go home. I miss my family so badly. Please, deliver us from our enemy. I am just so tired, so very tired…”

Second Floor

     The Command House The defenders of Brin use the only intact residence in the village as a command house. Within the cold, drafty home they pray, rest and desperately try to figure out better ways to hold their position. With all twelve defenders using the home as a living space, quarters are quite cramped.

     The first floor is sparsely furnished with a table, four chairs and a wood-burning stove. At night, blankets are rolled out for the footmen and squires to sleep on. A trapdoor in the floor leads to a cellar where the arms, armor and personal effects of their slain comrades are stored. Three bunk beds can be found on the second floor. Because they do the bulk of the fighting,

Cellar

     Brothers Andrew, Loren and Joseph are afforded bed space. The other three bunks are used by wounded soldiers.

The Command House  Wooden Walls: 6” thick, Break DC 20, Hardness 5, Hit Points 60 (per 10x10 section);  Front Door (good wooden door): 1.5” thick, Hardness 5, Hit Points 15, Break DC Stuck 16/Locked 18/Barred 25. The door has no lock, but can be secured from within with a sliding wooden bar.

The Winter War: Ruins of Brin

Bondsman Keller sat huddled amid the ruins or Brin, a cold rain chilling him to the bone. He was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open. He swayed back and forth, his head jerking as he caught himself from slipping into a much-needed slumber. Near him slept the other defenders of the ruined village.

     Lord Crase, their hated foe, was relentless. He attacked their position every night with skeletal infantry, then harassed them during the day with wolves. There was simply no way to rest and recover from wounds.

     Keller had to stay awake on his watch. Since he was from the Fallen South, home of the Necromancer Lords, he had to fight twice as hard as anyone else to prove his value. The other defenders were all from the Northern Kingdom. In their eyes he was an expendable sell-sword. Still, the two silvers he earned each day were worth it. After a year or so he might have enough saved to free his soul from a necromancer’s curse. If he failed, well, his corpse might very well be one of the shambling forms sent against Brin.

     As these thoughts ran through Keller’s troubled and weary mind, the shadows of the day grew long. Soon, the undead would come.

The Winter War: Ruined Cottage

The Necromancer Lords used their undead legions expertly during the Winter War. Impervious to the cold, skeletons marched into enemy villages, setting fire to the dry, thatched roofs. When the inhabitants fled the conflagration, they faced snow, ice and being chased by skeletal wolves. The wolves hunted without mercy, nor fatigue.

     In the spring the humans rallied, driving south and smashing the skeleton forces with their heavy cavalry. Not all the skeletons were trampled, however. Some Necromancer Lords withdrew their forces into the ruined villages, forcing their enemy to dismount and fight house to house.

     Accompanying this post is a rough map typical of the ruined cottages littering the border between the Necromancer Lords’ territory and the Northern Kingdom. The cottage is a simple structure, some 25’ long by 15’ wide. It features two rooms, a main room for cooking and socializing and a small bed chamber. Any undead lurking in the cottage will usually be in the bedchamber and will attack anyone who enters the building.

Human Warrior Skeleton; Medium undead; CR 1/3; HD d12; hp 6; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AL NE;      Armor: AC 15 (+1 dex, +2 natural, +2 heavy steel shield), touch 11, flat-footed 14.       Attacks: Base Atk +0, Grp +1; Melee: Longsword +1 (+1 str) (d8+1, 19-20/x2) or claw +1 (d4+1);       Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2.       Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 13 (+1), Con - , Int - , Wis 10, Cha 1 (-5).       Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, undead traits.       Feats: Improved Initiative.

The Winter War: Bondsman Keller

“I want to be free, both in the flesh and in spirit.”
     -Bondsman Keller

Bondsman Keller wants to be free. He dreams of owning a farm, marrying, fathering children and being assured of a peaceful slumber after death. Until then, he has quite a bit of work to do.

     Throughout the Fallen South, where Keller grew up, common citizens are bound to a particular Necromancer Lord. In turn, these Necromancer Lords serve Veoden, a dark god of death and decay. When a commoner reaches adulthood, he or she is usually cursed by the regional Necromancer Lord. This curse ensures that after death the body can be animated to do that wizard’s bidding. No other wizard can animate the corpse. It’s not so different from being branded like cattle.

     The thought of his corpse being turned into a zombie, teeming with worms and maggots, turns Keller’s stomach. To avoid such a fate he must seek out and pay a wizard to dispel the curse. Perhaps a wizard can even weave a spell to ensure that no wizard is able to animate his body after death. Sadly, Keller has never heard of a wizard who wasn’t a necromancer, so there are doubts he will ever be successful. Nevertheless, Keller is hopeful. Perhaps his fate lays with the Northern Kingdom, a free land where brave soldiers battle the Necromancer Lords in the name of their gods, Iridia and Elyswen.

     As Keller advances, he will most likely transition into the fighter class. Keller will try to improve his Strength and Constitution, as well as invest in feats to improve his ability as a swordsman. Heavier shield and armor are a must!

Bondsman Keller, male human War1; Medium humanoid (5’ 9”, 165lbs); CR ½; HD d8+1; hp 9; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; AL N;       Armor: AC 13 (+2 leather, +1 light wooden shield), touch 10, flat-footed 13.       Attacks: Base Atk +1, Grp +2; Melee: Longsword +3 (+1 BAB, +1 str, +1 weapon focus) (d8+1, 19-20/x2).       Saves: Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +3. Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 11, Con 13 (+1), Int 10, Wis 12 (+1), Cha 11.       Languages: Common.       Skills and Feats: Intimidate +2, Listen +3, Spot +3, Swim +3; Iron Will,  Weapon Focus (longsword).       Possessions: Leather armor, small wooden shield, long sword, backpack, blanket, water skin, three torches, 50’ rope, 2 sp, 5 cp.