Expedition to the Rakers

Ratik (RPGA version)

Well, I've kick started the Castles and Crusades campaign (set in the World of Greyhawk) once again. I love this stuff. I am starting out, as I did last August, in the country of Ratik. Ratik is a great little state, set on the northeastern portion of the Flanaess (the subcontinent of Oerth, commonly referred to as the World of Greyhawk - the 1979 TSR D&D gaming world written by Gary Gygax).

In the current RPGA Living Greyhawk, it is about 20 years in the timeline past when I like to host my games. I really like the World of Greyhawk right up until the time of the Greyhawk Wars. Everything that occurred in the "From the Ashes" campaign setting, and after, is great source material for me, but I don't like my games to follow that time line. Too depressing. I just want a very interesting, complex, world in which to drop adventures. The histories and backstory that my players and I come up with together makes up the plot for our campaigns.

The player characters signed on in the city of Marner to escort a large caravan of empty wagons back south and then through Loegrimm, up the valley to a small barony called Vanehold. Upon reaching Vanehold (after several adventures along the way), the players find that Baron Ridalcar Vane has been murdered, and the long-standing pact he has with the Ukamanini Dwarves is in grave danger. The seal of the treaty between the Vane household and the Ukamanini Dwarves at Kreftheim is an ancient magical object called the Kreftring. It has been stolen, and the Dwarves suspected the humans of foul play. Probably this is because of the prejudice shown to the Demi-Humans (Dwarves, Gnomes and Elves) by the new stock of visitors from Aerdy and the North.

The new baron of Vanehold is the son of Ridalcar, Ridalcan. Unfortunately, he is off on some quest (he fancies himself a Knight Errant), and Ridalcan's younger sister is left to take over. She pleads with the players to go off into the Rakers mountains, to seek and retrieve the Kreftring. Secrecy (especially from their feudal lords, the Loegrimm family, and also the ArchBaron Lexnol at Marner) is of the greatest importance on this mission, but also diplomacy (with the Dwarves at Kreftheim) and speed.

The game should be good. Currently looking to increase the number of regular players. We had 8 at the inaugural game in August, but these days it might be hard to get more than 3 or 4 for a regular Thursday night.

Tags: role playing game, greyhawk, castles and crusades