Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Harry Baldman]

Question 1: how much do they know about us over in the Three Valleys? Don't suppose we'd be terribly famous given the less-than-transparent exploits of our past?

Question 2: have any rumors floated down from the more central areas? Any word on the general political state of the Three Valleys?

Question 3: more specifically, are there any other pretenders to Clanfather status? Any established figures on the scene already? Perhaps an interim regent while the succession resolves itself?

Question 4: since we're here, do the residents of Fort Canyon-Walls need any help? There is much an alchemist can do to bolster a fort, you know.

[Mlamlah]

I support all of the above. As this is such a crucial location, it might be wise to ask if anything currently threatens them.

[TheBiggerFish]

PTW.

[IronyOwl]

Aw yeah, that's the stuff.

So, onto business:

Professional Night Courtesan
Adequate Orc Courtesan

This is hilarious. We're better at seducing vampires than orcs. And/or better at seducing like a vampire than an orc, I suppose.

Potion of High Evolution (1/1, Subject gains a number of beneficial mutations. This potion is potent enough that the subject is rarely recognizable as a member of his/her original race)
Draught of the Damned Host (3/3, Subject becomes host to several giant insect larva, who slowly eat the subject from the inside out to inflict a painful death upon them)

Holy shit. We are not fucking around with this alchemy thing.

Potion of Override Metabolism (8/8, Subject does not need to eat for a month)
Gourmet Gunk (350/350, Can be mixed in with even the lowest quality grains by a completely unskilled chef to produce meals fit for a king)

Even when we're being mundane we're being awesome!


Anyway, Baldman's stuff is good, but I'd like to throw in a question about the status of the fort and war specifically, and a stronger query on the economic/social side of the Valley. I mean, we want to know what's going on politically, but we'd also like to know if anyone's starving, how taxes are doing, if the price of fish has skyrocketed, and so on.

Have they heard any news of the war? Any scouts or other activity from either side nearby?

What are things like in the Three Valleys? Aruugup's rule followed by a possible power struggle couldn't have been good for the economy.

[Weirdsound]

Clanfather Udu-Kai:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Status-

Health:
Fine

Mutations:
Lightning Breath - You can exhale a destructive bolt of Chain Lighting that smites nearby friend and foe alike.
Living Battery - Your muscles store electricity which you can channel into your metal weapons for extra damage, armor for a nasty surprize defense, and other gadgets for god knows what.
Bronze Boned - Your bones are particularly tough, resistant to breaking, and can't be cut by anything short of sharpened steel
Digging Claws - You have short claws on your hands that aid allow you to easily dig through soil and soft rock. Also makes you slightly more dangerous in unarmed combat
Pheromones - You can influence the behavior of bugs and insects with enough proficiency to be a major factor in the battles such creatures participate in

Skills-

Military:
Skilled Spearorc
Competent Armor User
Competent Shield User
Adequate Rider
Adequate Commander

Social:
Professional Night Courtesan
Proficient Merchant
Adequate Administrator
Adequate Orc Courtesan

Industrial:
Accomplished Alchemist
Adept Herbalist
Adept Animal Dissector
Competent Furnace Opperator
Competent Brewer

Possessions-

Gear, Pets, and Equipment:
Masterwork Bronze Spear
High Quality Laminated Leather Armor
Steeloak Wood Boomerangs (3/3)
'Flashram' The Giant Glow Wasp (Trained for War, Trained as a Mount, Can be Milked for Venom, Can be bled for Lightning Ichor)
Custom Saddle for Flashram

Consumables:
Potion of High Evolution (1/1, Subject gains a number of beneficial mutations. This potion is potent enough that the subject is rarely recognizable as a member of his/her original race)
Draught of the Damned Host (3/3, Subject becomes host to several giant insect larva, who slowly eat the subject from the inside out to inflict a painful death upon them)
Potion of High Restoration (3/3, Subject is cured of any non-magical injury of ailment)
Synthetic Dragon's Blood (3/3, Further boosts the strength and agility of a vampire subject for several days. Highly addictive)
Bottled Moonlight (3/3, Allows and forces a werebeing subject to transform for 36 hours regardless of the moon's state)
Canned Eclipse (3/3, If drunk shortly before a werebeng subject's transformation, said transformation will be weaker than usual, but will leave the subject in control of their actions)
Potion of Close Wounds (8/8, Subject's flesh and bone are mended. Any blood lost by the subject is restored)
Potion of Override Metabolism (8/8, Subject does not need to eat for a month)
Gourmet Gunk (350/350, Can be mixed in with even the lowest quality grains by a completely unskilled chef to produce meals fit for a king)

Packed Belongings:
Alchemist's Workshop and Tools (Requires Setup)
"Chlemora's Handbook", Tome of Potion Recipies
"Lunar Servants", Encyclopedia of Werebeing Linage and Lore
"Bloodlines of Blood", Encyclopedia of Vampire Linage and Lore
"Beneath Highest Rock and Saltless Sea", Notes and old maps relating to the cavern system beneath and near the Three Valleys
Sack of Powdered Chitin (20/20, Ingredient for potions relating to healing, defense, or bugs)
Urn of Mixed Snaga Ashes (20/20, Ingredient for potions relating to agility and wit. Can also be used to limit the effects of a potion to goblins and orcs)
Barrel of Glow Wasp Vennom (50/50, Ingredient for potions relating to illumination, poison, pain, and social behavior)
Barrel of Lightning Ichor (50/50, Ingredient for potions relating to electricity, blood, predatory behavior, and insects)
Bag of Dried Cave Bloom Flowers (15/15, Ingredient for potions relating to earth, plants, darkness, and romantic behavior)
Bag of Dried Demoncaps (15/15, Ingredient for potions relating to the unholy, fungus, hallucination, mutation and insane behavior)
Preserved Cave Dragon Heart (5/5, Ingredient for potions relating to great strength, blindness, and prideful behavior. Can be used to boost the power of a potion to a great degree)

Friends/Guards/Courtesans-

The Wurms: Your personal orcish warband. Tradition dictates that you should treat these soldiers as you would your own kin, and that they should treat your will and interests as their own.
1 Band Chief (Wields a masterwork bronze maul and wears high quality laminated leather armor. Mounted on a Giant Cave Spider. Mutated to receive superorcish speed and power)
1 Fate Brother (Dual-Wields bloodsteel scimitars and wears high quality laminated leather armor. Mounted on a Giant Cave Spider. Mutated to be a better sneak and rider)
1 Fate Sister (Fights unarmed with mutant powers and hexes. Wears a silk gown treated to resist heat. Mounted on a Basalt Steed Golem. Mutated to channel the element of fire)
10 Mutant Crushorcs (Equipped with assorted natural weapons and lead-weighted copper maces. Wears normal quality laminated leather armor and assorted mutant natural armors)
10 Mutant Spitorcs (Equipped with assorted mutant breath weapons, as well as boomerangs, weighted nets, short copper blades, and javelins. Wears normal quality basic leather armor)
6 Orcish Troll Handlers (Equipped with silver whips and bronze short blades. Wears normal quality laminated leather armor over normal quality copper chain shirt and leggings)
12 Rust Trolls (Large humanoid monsters capable of rending any form or alloy of iron like wet tissue. Regenerate fast. Could become unruly if the troll to handler ratio gets above 2:1)

Clan of the Three Valleys:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You have yet to properly take control of the Clan and Clan resources.

Politics and Relationships:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

NPCs in Party/Court:

Plunt - A lowborn male orc of 33 years who serves as the Band Chief of the Wurms. The traditional duties of his post include the day to day management of the band, leading the band in battle when you choose not to do so yourself, and seeing that the band is inherited by another worthy Orc highborn in case of your death. Plunt hails from a simple tribe of Yak herding nomads. He is loyal to a fault and has courage in excess, and these traits led you to pick him out of all the Orcs in your band to serve as chief. Through your potions and exposure to the caverns, Plunt has mutated into a monstrous physical specimen; He can dead-lift his mount over his head, and outrun it over short distances.

Cornius - A highborn male orc of 20 years who holds the distinction of being your Fate Brother. As your fate brother, Cornius is legally an extension of yourself. He can fight your duels, be punished in your place, father your legitimate children should you prove infertile, and in your absence wield the authority of any post you have obtain. He is expected to end his own life in the event of your death. Cornius was caught red-handed trying to assassinate a political rival of his father's, disgracing him to the point where the only post suitable for his birth was that of your fate brother. Cornius views morality as a weakness, and will advise you to commit grave sins if he thinks it will bring you material or political gain. Cornius has mutated to become more spider-like; His skin is dark and chitin-like, he can move silently and climb well, and he possesses an extra pair of arms.

Burn-Char - A highborn female orc of 19 years who holds the distinction of being your Fate Sister. As your fate sister, Burn-Char is legally an extension of yourself. She can fight your duels, be punished in your place, bear your legitimate children should your eventual spouse prove infertile, and in your absence wield the authority of any post you have obtain. She is expected to end his own life in the event of your death. Burn-Char was raised underground and exposed to heavy mutagens growing up, and as a result she catches fire and her bodily fluids turn to magma when she is hurt or angry. Unable to lead a normal life or wear proper armor because of this, Burn-Char has practiced the art of hex-weaving so that she may still fight, and signed up to be your Fate Sister in hopes that your experiments would make her stronger. Burn-Char is well read and highly opinionated, she will hold a bitter grudge against those who sway your will against hers.

Vassals:

Fort Commander Tormonulorg - An ancient and respected Orc who has watched over Lower Titan Pass from Fort Canyon-Walls for generations. An old injury to the throat has rendered him mute. It is not common knowledge, but you know him to be a vampire. He is in dire straights as Arrugup refused to support him.

Fort Commander Dreg-Dreg - A skilled military leader who has watched over Upper Titan Pass from Fort Glacier since the later days of Poor-Guruk's reign over the Three Valleys. It is rumored that once Arrugup cut off support to his fort, Dreg-Dreg began to allow bandits passage in exchange for a toll.

Fort Commander Cachi-Ug - A young orcish witch who has watched over the Crossroads Pass from Fort Three Roads for the last two years. It is rumored she got the post because she was Arrugup's mistress. Her military skills are untested, but her fort and forces are well maintained and supplied.

Tribe Queen Elfiro - Leader of the Cliffblooms, the last elf tribe in the Three Valleys that is still a vassal to your clan. Elfiro herself is still an adolescent, and her uncle Titanjax serves as regent.

Taskmaster Trugben - Leader of Growngold, the only Orcish village in Spiritkeep Valley and an important trading hub. He is perhaps a bit too close to the Elven Alliance politically for comfort.

Non-Controlled Factions Active in The Three Valleys -

The Alliance of Elven Queendoms: The political and military superpower that resides in the temperate and taiga forests to the north of your lands. Their ambassador has recently called in fifty of her soldiers, perhaps to counteract a similar move by the humans. Two tribes of elves in Spiritkeep Valley are vassals to the alliance. 

The United Human Kingdoms: The political and military superpower that resides in the temperate and tropical grasslands to the west of your lands. It is likely that they have called in troops, or will do so in the summer, if the elfs have done so.

The Twinblood Pact: A group of rebels against clan rule consisting mainly of Goblins and Undercaste Orcs of Goblin descent. The pact has gained full control of Lowhammer Valley, and have slaughtered all prominent clan loyalists on their lands.

Year 456. Middle of the Fourth Month:

You start by asking Maliform about your own reputation, and find the answer to be perhaps a bit disappointing.

"When tales of your adventures have reached the Three Valleys in the past, you are usually depicted as a dumb brawny mutant who wanders the deeplands in search of glory. I would suspect people are more worried about your ties to the dwarves your mother is protecting. They are becoming more aggressive and seem to be gunning for complete control of the Saltless Sea. Many fully expect your first act to be a pact of alliance with or even an oath of fealty to the leaders of Hallowedgold. If you were able to re-take Hammerport, it would only be a four to six day boat ride from there to your mother."

"Retake Hammerport?" Your band chief chimes in, "How much of my lord's rightful land requires reclaiming?"

Maliform shakes her head and offers a dark chuckles before speaking matter-o-factly. "Our men joke that your lands should be called the One and a Half Valleys. Since Arrugup's death, the embolden rebels have taken complete control of Lowhammer Valley, home to the bulk of your industry and Orcish Population, and slain your remaining vassals there. We lost control of a good chunk of Spiritkeep Valley because Arrugup sold sold the fealty of two local Elf Clans to the Alliance of Queendoms.

As of now, the clan still controls Clanseat Valley, which is small enough to be administered directly by the Clanfather, as well as two landed vassals in Spiritkeep Valley. The Taskmaster Trugben rules over Growngold, which was our most important trading post before Poor-Guruk built Hammerport. Last travelers to come through here told us that the Alliance of Queendoms is buttering Trugben up with gifts, including a harrem of Elven concubines.

The Cliffbloom tribe of elves are also still loyal; Like your clan, they consider the Mountain Titan Harmotzald their ancestor god, and as such view the orcs of the Three Valleys as closer kin than they do foreign elves. We have not heard much about them lately, but would assume that they are still ruled by the regent Prince Titianjax, as his niece Queen Elfiro is still an adolescent."

"What about the clan itself?" You venture to ask, "You mentioned others have requested oaths of fealty from your master. Who pretends to be Clanfather or serves as regent now?"

"Three requested an oath," your Vassal's Fate Sister confirms, "but we only think two might have actual designs on ruling the clan. Tumuk is the Band Chief of the Rolling Truffles, your late predecesor's personal war band, and Stoody is the son of Arrugup's widow and the late Taskmaster of Hammerport with whom she had a very public relationship. Both still reside at Castle Powderforge, the seat of clan power, and I have no clue which commands the Castle's strong garrison."

"And the third?"

"Boneclang is the head of one of the two long feuding highborn bloodlines in Twin-Smithy, the small town just outside the walls of Castle Powderforge. The way he worded his request lead my master to believe that he was more afraid that his rival was asking for our service than desiring our service for himself."

She pauses for a second, before continuing. "I think would be pretenders have mostly behaved themselves for fear of showing weakness to the humans and elves."

"What of the humans and elves anyway? What news do you have on the brewing war?"

"The Elven diplomat to Castle Powderforge just sent for fifty more troops for her own security. They passed through here two weeks ago. I suspect the human dignitary will do the same once the snow melts off Upper Titan Pass. The elves we spoke to informed us that the alliance has at last instituted the draft, and are training up many raw recruits. If that is the case, the war could be ready to go hot in as little in several months."

You shake your head and change the topic. That was not what you were hoping to hear. "What of the Three Valleys' condition outside of politics? Is everybody well fed?"

Maliform laughs again. "I think this fort is closer to starving than the general population. Arrugup had an irrational fear of starvation, and would stockpile food above all else. About eight years ago, as payment for the fealty of the two elven clans, the Elven Alliance hauled enough dried nuts and fruit preserves to feed Castle Powderforge for decades through this fort. From what I understand this supply is distrubited to the public of Clanseat Valley in times of hardship. Spiritkeep Valley is mainly home to elves living in the woods, and I have never heard of an elf starving in the wood. I can't say I have any idea how the rebels in Lowhammer Valley are doing..."

"How about here? There is much an alchemist can do to bolster a fort you know..."

The Orcess shrugs. "Any potion with combat utility would help. A strong enough healing potion could also restore my master's voice, and if memory serves... I think you know of another sort of potion that could liven his spirits."

"But," she frowns, "I think you could be of more help as a Clanfather than an alchemist. With another 70 soldiers, and a food supply strong enough that we don't have to hunt, we could make this fort impenetrable. Give us more than that, and we can start to run patrols to snuff out bandits, or even use my master's war band to serve your interests elsewhere."

"I'll consider it, are there any other forts I need to worry about supplying?"

"There are two others. Fort Glacier watches over upper Titan Pass. The commander there, Dreg-Dreg, is a bit less honorable and more pragmatic than my master in that he keeps his fort supplied by allowing bandits to pass openly and charging them a toll. Fort Three Roads sits on Crossroads Pass, and is the only thing keeping the rebels from assaulting the other two valleys, so it has been kept well supplied of late. The Rebels did manage to assassinate its commander a few years ago, so Arrugup of course choose to replace her with his mistress Cachi-Ug rather than anybody with actual military experience. She is a fairly talented witch, and has so far held the fort, so I guess I can't judge her too harshly though."

Once the questioning wraps up, Maliform reminds you of the choice at hand. "If you feel time is of the essence, you should make haste to Powderforge Castle, otherwise you might wish to wait for the hunters to get back. They are at least covered in full Bloodsteel. Your mutants look impressive, but they are equiped to wander caves, not fight Orcs armed in metal should trouble arise."

What do you do?

[crazyabe]

PTW

[IronyOwl]

I feel like we should wait for the hunters. Even if we don't need any heavily armored soldiers, showing up with a retinue outside of our own warband should help imply our authority. Especially if we have a reputation as a type of particularly cunning mobile cave fungus.

And, of course, we shouldn't forget to give Tormonulorg his gift.

[Harry Baldman]

Certainly, let us wait for the hunters and provide our gift to Tormonulorg.

In addition, any potions we've been itching to make that require surface ingredients? Might as well make good use of our time while we wait.

[Ardent Debater]

I feel like we should wait for the hunters. Even if we don't need any heavily armored soldiers, showing up with a retinue outside of our own warband should help imply our authority. Especially if we have a reputation as a type of particularly cunning mobile cave fungus.

And, of course, we shouldn't forget to give Tormonulorg his gift.

+1

While we are waiting for the hunters we should train our warriors to fight on the surface.

[Mlamlah]

Perhaps we should seek alliance with either Boneclang or his rival. Gathering a stronger grip on the area around the capital might serve to solidify our claim on the whole of three-valleys. Other than that, i'm willing to +1 waiting and drilling our troops in the meantime.

We should however, offer our gift to this vassal. Every ally -even currently weak ones- will be important, and this location is crucial.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

Perhaps we should seek alliance with either Boneclang or his rival.

i second this, perhaps try to mediate their disagrements and bribe\threaten them into cooperation

[3man75]

Ask about any Bandit camps nearby. I think it's time we showed people we mean buisness.

Find a bandit camp and train by hacking them to bits for wallaying carts off the road.

[IronyOwl]

Perhaps we should seek alliance with either Boneclang or his rival.

i second this, perhaps try to mediate their disagrements and bribe\threaten them into cooperation

I like this idea, though it does concern me that we're talking about a small town. Depending on how important Twin-Smithy is and why, simply taking control of the Valley might resolve the issue as much as it's worth resolving.

[helmacon]

I feel like we should wait for the hunters. Even if we don't need any heavily armored soldiers, showing up with a retinue outside of our own warband should help imply our authority. Especially if we have a reputation as a type of particularly cunning mobile cave fungus.

And, of course, we shouldn't forget to give Tormonulorg his gift.

+1

While we are waiting for the hunters we should train our warriors to fight on the surface.

+1
The difference between surface fighting and cave fighting is coordination. Fighting is fighting, but in an open environment like the surface you also have to know how to keep together and support each other. Trashing a bandit camp wouldn't give us anything new, we need to train in formations and learn how to signal each other on an open battlefield. As for the equipment aspect, see what Tormonulorg has lieing around. Anything is better than nothing.

Wait... what kind of hunters wear full Bloodsteal plate? Just what are they hunting?

[Weirdsound]

Clanfather Udu-Kai:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Status-

Health:
Fine

Mutations:
Lightning Breath - You can exhale a destructive bolt of Chain Lighting that smites nearby friend and foe alike.
Living Battery - Your muscles store electricity which you can channel into your metal weapons for extra damage, armor for a nasty surprize defense, and other gadgets for god knows what.
Bronze Boned - Your bones are particularly tough, resistant to breaking, and can't be cut by anything short of sharpened steel
Digging Claws - You have short claws on your hands that aid allow you to easily dig through soil and soft rock. Also makes you slightly more dangerous in unarmed combat
Pheromones - You can influence the behavior of bugs and insects with enough proficiency to be a major factor in the battles such creatures participate in

Skills-

Military:
Skilled Spearorc
Competent Thrower
Competent Armor User
Competent Shield User
Adequate Rider
Adequate Commander

Social:
Professional Night Courtesan
Proficient Merchant
Adequate Administrator
Adequate Orc Courtesan

Industrial:
Accomplished Alchemist
Adept Herbalist
Adept Animal Dissector
Competent Furnace Opperator
Competent Brewer

Possessions-

Gear, Pets, and Equipment:
Masterwork Bronze Spear
High Quality Laminated Leather Armor
Steeloak Wood Boomerangs (3/3)
'Flashram' The Giant Glow Wasp (Trained for War, Trained as a Mount, Can be Milked for Venom, Can be bled for Lightning Ichor)
Custom Saddle for Flashram

Consumables:
Potion of High Evolution (1/1, Subject gains a number of beneficial mutations. This potion is potent enough that the subject is rarely recognizable as a member of his/her original race)
Draught of the Damned Host (3/3, Subject becomes host to several giant insect larva, who slowly eat the subject from the inside out to inflict a painful death upon them)
Potion of High Restoration (3/3, Subject is cured of any non-magical injury of ailment)
Synthetic Dragon's Blood (2/2, Further boosts the strength and agility of a vampire subject for several days. Highly addictive)
Bottled Moonlight (3/3, Allows and forces a werebeing subject to transform for 36 hours regardless of the moon's state)
Canned Eclipse (3/3, If drunk shortly before a werebeng subject's transformation, said transformation will be weaker than usual, but will leave the subject in control of their actions)
Potion of Close Wounds (8/8, Subject's flesh and bone are mended. Any blood lost by the subject is restored)
Potion of Override Metabolism (8/8, Subject does not need to eat for a month)
Gourmet Gunk (350/350, Can be mixed in with even the lowest quality grains by a completely unskilled chef to produce meals fit for a king)

Stored Belongings:
Alchemist's Workshop and Tools
"Chlemora's Handbook", Tome of Potion Recipes
"Lunar Servants", Encyclopedia of Werebeing Linage and Lore
"Bloodlines of Blood", Encyclopedia of Vampire Linage and Lore
"Beneath Highest Rock and Saltless Sea", Notes and old maps relating to the cavern system beneath and near the Three Valleys
Sack of Powdered Chitin (20/20, Ingredient for potions relating to healing, defense, or bugs)
Urn of Mixed Snaga Ashes (20/20, Ingredient for potions relating to agility and wit. Can also be used to limit the effects of a potion to goblins and orcs)
Barrel of Glow Wasp Vennom (50/50, Ingredient for potions relating to illumination, poison, pain, and social behavior)
Barrel of Lightning Ichor (50/50, Ingredient for potions relating to electricity, blood, predatory behavior, and insects)
Bag of Dried Cave Bloom Flowers (15/15, Ingredient for potions relating to earth, plants, darkness, and romantic behavior)
Bag of Dried Demoncaps (15/15, Ingredient for potions relating to the unholy, fungus, hallucination, mutation and insane behavior)
Preserved Cave Dragon Heart (5/5, Ingredient for potions relating to great strength, blindness, and prideful behavior. Can be used to boost the power of a potion to a great degree)

Friends/Guards/Courtesans-

The Wurms: Your personal orcish warband. Tradition dictates that you should treat these soldiers as you would your own kin, and that they should treat your will and interests as their own.
1 Band Chief (Wields a masterwork bronze maul and wears high quality laminated leather armor. Mounted on a Giant Cave Spider. Mutated to receive superorcish speed and power)
1 Fate Brother (Dual-Wields bloodsteel scimitars and wears high quality laminated leather armor. Mounted on a Giant Cave Spider. Mutated to be a better sneak and rider)
1 Fate Sister (Fights unarmed with mutant powers and hexes. Wears a silk gown treated to resist heat. Mounted on a Basalt Steed Golem. Mutated to channel the element of fire)
10 Mutant Crushorcs (Equipped with assorted natural weapons and lead-weighted copper maces. Wears normal quality laminated leather armor and assorted mutant natural armors)
10 Mutant Spitorcs (Equipped with assorted mutant breath weapons, as well as boomerangs, weighted nets, short copper blades, and javelins. Wears normal quality basic leather armor)
6 Orcish Troll Handlers (Equipped with silver whips and bronze short blades. Wears normal quality laminated leather armor over normal quality copper chain shirt and leggings)
12 Rust Trolls (Large humanoid monsters capable of rending any form or alloy of iron like wet tissue. Regenerate fast. Could become unruly if the troll to handler ratio gets above 2:1)

Clan of the Three Valleys:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Land and Holdings

Clanseat Valley - A medium-small alpine valley, mostly clearcut of trees for farmland. The seat of power of the Clan of the Three Valleys. Home to light manufacturing and medium farming.
Castle Powderforge: Your ancestral home A large castle capable of holding a garrison of 400 troops. It used to have even more sleeping room, but it has been renovated to increase food storage. The castle forge has also been replaced with a distillery in recent years.
Twin-Smithy: A small town that mainly serves as a trade hub for the scattered orcs of the valley. It is home to the estates of two feuding highborn bloodlines of smiths and furnace opperators, The Bluesheen and the Ashland. Aside from the highborn estates, the town includes a small market place, a pub, and a guard barracks.
Deadquarry Lake: A small lake that used to be the quarry where the stone for castle and forts of the Three Valleys was harvested. Nowadays it is home to a well regulated fishing industry, and a small pack of were-yak who live on an island.

Spiritkeep Valley - A large and wooded alpine valley, mainly inhabited by elves. Home to medium manufacturing and medium farming.
Growngold: A medium sized Orcish town that traditionally serves as a trading hub for the local elves looking to send and receive goods to and from the other valleys or human lands. Features a Taskmaster's Mansion, Large Marketplace, and a Banker's Guild.
Righteousroot: A large elven forest retreat belonging to the loyal Cliffbloom Tribe. Home to a Queen's Tree, Temple of Harmotzald, Beast-Breeders Circle and a Hunters Circle.
Fruitfulbranches: A large elven forest retreat belonging to the alliance controlled Jasmine Tribe. Home to a Queen's Tree, Justice Tree, Alchemist Circle and a Gatherers Circle.
Dreadnut: A medium sized elven forest retreat belonging to the alliance controlled Greenmaster Tribe. Home to a Druid's Tree, Manor of the Sorcerer Skaldvalt, and a Treesinger's Circle.
Spiritkeep Woods: The wild and mostly untamed forest that covers most of Spiritkeep Valley. Home to many great beasts, and the three elven tribes.

Lowhammer Valley - A large low-lying temperate valley that is open to the Saltless Sea. It is somewhat urbanized, and controlled by the rebellious Twin-Blood pact. Home to heavy industry and medium farming.
Hammerdeep: A small city that sits on the mouth of the Three Valleys' major cavern entrance, The Toothed Pits. Features a Taskmaster's Mansion, Small manufacturing district, Large Marketplace, Miners Guild, Wood Cutters Guild, Spelunkers Guild, and Jewelers Guild.
Blackbelch: A medium sized city that is singlehandedly home to much of the Three Valleys manufacturing capacity, and serves as the interim capital of the Twinblood Pact. Contains an Overlord's Mansion, Hall of Parliament, Huge Marketplace, Medium Sized manufacturing district, Factoryworkers Union, Blacksmiths Guild, Carpenters Guild, Masons Guild, Engineers Guild, and City Walls.
Hammerport: A large orcish town on the coast of the Saltless Sea controlled by the Twinblood Pact. Home to a Taskmaster's Manor, Large Trading Port, Medium Military/Piracy Port, Medium Fishing Port, Shipbuilders Guild, and Buccaneers Guild.
Freepulse: A medium sized dark fortress under construction to serve as the new capital of the Twinblood pact. Home to a Dark Priest's Quarters, a Re-Education Camp, Heavy Fortifications (Under Construction), Direct Tunnel to the Caverns (Under Construction), Slave Pits (Under Construction), Shrine of Summoning (Under Construction).
The Toothed Pits: A portion of the caverns that open directly to Lowhammer Valley. The Citizens of Hammerdeep gather fungal wood, stone, metal, gems, and the scales and bones of prehistoric beasts here. Navigating through the caverns between The Toothed Pits and the smaller caves near Titan Pass and the upper valleys is difficult but not unheard of.
The Saltless Sea: A massive freshwater lake that forms the southern border of Lowhammer Valley. The Saltless Sea provides ample fish, and connections for trade, piracy, and warfare with several independent Human, Dwarven, and Goblin settlements. The steep rocky beaches provide decent protection for the valley against invasion by sea.

Roads and Forts - The former are treacherous in large part because the latter are not properly supported by the clan...
Lower Titan Pass: The medium altitude road connecting the lands of the Elven Alliance to Clanseat Valley. Only rendered impassable by the worst winters. Harried by primitive bandits from the underworld.
Mid Titan Pass: The medium to high altitude road connecting Clanseat and Spiritkeep Valleys. Often impassable in the winter. Harried by primitive bandits from the underworld, and the occasional organized gang of human and/or orcish raiders.
Upper Titan Pass: The extremely treacherous high to extremely high altitude road connecting Spiritkeep Valley to the lands of the United Humans. Usually only passable late spring through early autumn. Home to several entrenched human and orc bandit camps.
Crossroads Pass: The three-pronged low lying road that connects all three of the valleys. Usually safe from extreme snowfall, but known to flood following a winter of good snowfall. Mostly safe above Fort Three Roads, but subject to rebel patrols below the fort.
Fort Canyon-Walls: A defensive position that consists of two gated walls and several structures between them. Blocks off and controls Lower Titan Pass, but skilled subterranian explorers have been known to bypass it. Currently unsupported. Marks your northeastern border.
Fort Three Roads: A modern marvel of Orcish Engineering that sits right on the spot that gives Crossroads Pass its name. By damming and releasing mountian streams, Fort Three Roads can block the path to either Clanseat or Spiritkeep Valley with temporary lakes, and flood out the road to Lowhammer Valley by releasing said lakes.
Fort Glacier: A large and ancient castle thought to be built by the frost giants of old. Blocks off and controls Upper Titan Pass, but can be bypassed via an alternate route that sometimes opens up during particularly warm summers. Currently supports itself by doing business with bandits. Marks your western border.

Clan Armies: These are forces that your position as Clanfather allows you to command and delegate control of as you see fit. Other ally forces that you can't command directly, such as the personal war bands of your vassals, are not listed here. You have the right to create more clan armies through the draft.

Castle Powderforge Garrison - 200 Strong. Armed in assorted cobalt and ironbone gear. Typical soldier is armed with a spear and a crossbow. Stationed at Castle Powderforge.
Crossroads Garrison - 85 Soldiers and 10 Engineers Strong. Armed in assorted colbalt and ironbone gear. Typical soldier is armed with a spear and a crossbow. Hardened by battle. Stationed at Fort Three Roads.
Glacier Garrison - Soldiers Strong. Little is known about this force. It is believed to consist of mainly former bandits recruited by Dreg-Dreg.

Clan Resources:

Vault of Foreign Currency and Ingots (5000/5000)
Food Stores (20000/20000)
Quarried Stone (3000/3000)
Lumber (10000/10000)
Low Quality Military Uniforms (250/250)
Iron Quality Military Uniforms (150/150)
Steel Quality Military Uniforms (30/30)

Politics and Relationships:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

NPCs in Party/Court:

Plunt - A lowborn male orc of 33 years who serves as the Band Chief of the Wurms. The traditional duties of his post include the day to day management of the band, leading the band in battle when you choose not to do so yourself, and seeing that the band is inherited by another worthy Orc highborn in case of your death. Plunt hails from a simple tribe of Yak herding nomads. He is loyal to a fault and has courage in excess, and these traits led you to pick him out of all the Orcs in your band to serve as chief. Through your potions and exposure to the caverns, Plunt has mutated into a monstrous physical specimen; He can dead-lift his mount over his head, and outrun it over short distances.

Cornius - A highborn male orc of 20 years who holds the distinction of being your Fate Brother. As your fate brother, Cornius is legally an extension of yourself. He can fight your duels, be punished in your place, father your legitimate children should you prove infertile, and in your absence wield the authority of any post you have obtain. He is expected to end his own life in the event of your death. Cornius was caught red-handed trying to assassinate a political rival of his father's, disgracing him to the point where the only post suitable for his birth was that of your fate brother. Cornius views morality as a weakness, and will advise you to commit grave sins if he thinks it will bring you material or political gain. Cornius has mutated to become more spider-like; His skin is dark and chitin-like, he can move silently and climb well, and he possesses an extra pair of arms.

Burn-Char - A highborn female orc of 19 years who holds the distinction of being your Fate Sister. As your fate sister, Burn-Char is legally an extension of yourself. She can fight your duels, be punished in your place, bear your legitimate children should your eventual spouse prove infertile, and in your absence wield the authority of any post you have obtain. She is expected to end his own life in the event of your death. Burn-Char was raised underground and exposed to heavy mutagens growing up, and as a result she catches fire and her bodily fluids turn to magma when she is hurt or angry. Unable to lead a normal life or wear proper armor because of this, Burn-Char has practiced the art of hex-weaving so that she may still fight, and signed up to be your Fate Sister in hopes that your experiments would make her stronger. Burn-Char is well read and highly opinionated, she will hold a bitter grudge against those who sway your will against hers.

Stoody - A male orc of 23 years and questionable birth. Stoody is the son of Balk-Ma and the late Taskmaster Tin-Tin-Ugg. He wants to see the clan reclaim Lowhammer Valley so that he may avenge his father's death and take his father's old post. He carries several powder weapons on his person.

Balk-Ma - A highborn female orc of 49 years. Arrugup's widow and Stoody's mother. She seems to have some basic military, administrative, and courtly skills, but whatever intentions she has beyond avoid getting thrown out of the castle' have yet to be revealed.

Tumuk - The lowborn 55 year old band chief of The Rolling Truffles, the late Arrugup's personal war band. His traditional duty would be to find some another worthy young highborn to lead the band, but he and his men are content to hang around the castle. Tumuk in his 25 men are all better armed and trained than your standard troops, but many are out of shape and approaching middle age. Wields a maul, crossbow, and full set of plate armor, all made from dwarven steel, in battle.

Youthfangs - An ancient vampire with an origin that predates recorded history. Youthfangs takes the form of a 9 year old goblin girlchild who works as a servant to the head seamstress of Castle Powderforge, but is actually the defacto leader of Vampire Kind in the Three Valleys. To the best of your knowledge, she seems to be more interested in advocating for other vampires than pushing an agenda of her own. She is not much of a fighter on her own, but vampires of her bloodline can call upon the shades of their more powerful victims to fight for them.

Auxiliary Queen Twigem - A highborn elf of 211 years who serves as the The Alliance of Elven Queendoms' emissary to your court. It is pretty clear that her goal is to secure the alliance of the Three Valleys Clan for an upcoming war against the humans. Twigem is also responsible for leading the Elven Tribes of Spiritkeep Valley who have pledged fealty to the alliance. Twigem is accompanied by a retainer of 60 alliance soldiers, some of whom look to be casters as well.

Lord Henry Brax - A highborn human of 62 years who serves as the The United Human Kingdoms' emissary to your court. It is pretty clear that his objective is to secure the alliance of the Three Valleys Clan for an upcoming war against the elves. Henry uses the Twinblood Pact rebels as leverage, the support or embargo of human ports on the Saltless Sea could make or break the rebellion in the long run. Henry is accompanied by a retainer of 15 men, and intends to send for more once Upper Titan Pass clears.

Vassals:

Fort Commander Tormonulorg - An ancient and respected Orc who has watched over Lower Titan Pass from Fort Canyon-Walls for generations. An old injury to the throat has rendered him mute. It is not common knowledge, but you know him to be a vampire. He is in dire straights as Arrugup refused to support him.

Fort Commander Dreg-Dreg - A skilled military leader who has watched over Upper Titan Pass from Fort Glacier since the later days of Poor-Guruk's reign over the Three Valleys. It is rumored that once Arrugup cut off support to his fort, Dreg-Dreg began to allow bandits passage in exchange for a toll.

Fort Commander Cachi-Ug - A young orcish witch who has watched over the Crossroads Pass from Fort Three Roads for the last two years. It is rumored she got the post because she was Arrugup's mistress. Her military skills are untested, but her fort and forces are well maintained and supplied.

Tribe Queen Elfiro - Leader of the Cliffblooms, the last elf tribe in the Three Valleys that is still a vassal to your clan. Elfiro herself is still an adolescent, and her uncle Titanjax serves as regent.

Taskmaster Trugben - Leader of Growngold, the only Orcish village in Spiritkeep Valley and an important trading hub. He is perhaps a bit too close to the Elven Alliance politically for comfort.

Non-Controlled Factions Active in The Three Valleys -

The Alliance of Elven Queendoms: The political and military superpower that resides in the temperate and taiga forests to the north of your lands. Their ambassador has recently called in fifty of her soldiers, perhaps to counteract a similar move by the humans. Two tribes of elves in Spiritkeep Valley are vassals to the alliance. 

The United Human Kingdoms: The political and military superpower that resides in the temperate and tropical grasslands to the west of your lands. It is likely that they have called in troops, or will do so in the summer, if the elfs have done so.

The Twinblood Pact: A group of rebels against clan rule consisting mainly of Goblins and Undercaste Orcs of Goblin descent. The pact has gained full control of Lowhammer Valley, and have slaughtered all prominent clan loyalists on their lands.

Year 456. Middle of the Fourth Month:

You declare that you intend to wait for the hunters, and that you wish for a private audience with your mute vassal in the meantime. Maliform grants your request, and leads you into Tormonulorg's chambers.

The meeting is made only slightly awkward by Tormunulrog's disability, as you are comfortable enough with high vamperic protocol and manners to know much of what he should say and respond accordingly at the appropriate time. You offer him a bottle of Synthetic Dragon Blood as a gift, which he gratefully accepts.

After taking a small sip or two, he in turn presents you with two documents. The first is a written oath of fealty, as he cannot swear loyalty in the usual fashion. The second is a letter of introduction that you are instructed to present to young goblin servant girl at Castle Powderforge who is actually Youthfangs, the defacto leader of all vampires in the Three Valleys. The letter declares you a friend to vampire kind and a skilled student of your grandmother, and suggests that Youthfangs treat you as an equal, make no attempt to harm or enthrall you, and work with you to make the Three Valleys a better place.

---

The next few days pass quickly. Your men enjoy the rest, while Tormunulrog's handful of soldiers get a kick of the exotic mutants and monsters you have brought with you. While you wait, you consider the idea of hunting down and smashing a bandit camp. Upon asking, you learn that most of the bandits are primitives from the cavern system who pop out of the many caves on Titan Pass, so hunting such creatures would fall under the area of your expertise, but it could take you quite awhile to actually track a camp down, and you have no clue when Tormunulrog's hunters will return.

You ask what sort gear Tormonulorg has lying around, and are informed that he has some heavy ironbone armor and more leather than you can shake a spear at. You suspect that without proper training and conditioning, the metal armor will be more hindrance than boon for your men, so you leave it be for now.

Eventually the hunters return, dragging three Elk Bird carcasses and several dozen giant rats. Maliform quickly briefs them on your new mission, and they quickly change from their hunting leathers to full Bloodsteel Plate, rotate out a few fresh soldiers from the fort, and make ready to escort your party to Castle Powderforge. Your new escort consists of The Bloody Walls, Tormonulorg's personal warband, and a lank Orc named Tusk who serves as its Band Chief.

The march to Clanseat Valley is mostly downhill from the fort, so it proves to be an easier leg of the journey than the march to the fort itself. Along the way, you spot several Antmen, Troglodytes, and Kobolds watching from the cliffs high above the pass. Tusk tells you that they are bandit lookouts, but that there is no way that any bandits would actually move against a group as large and well armed as yours is currently.

Eventually you begin your descent into Clanseat Valley, which from your higher elevation vantage point appears as a flat patchwork of gold and brown farmland, and green wild meadows. There is the occasional patch of woods and small hamlet, but the main visible feature is Castle Powderforge. Your soon-to-be home towers over the largest collection of buildings in the Valley, which you assume must be the town of Twin-Smithy. When you reach and pass through the town, local orcs stop to stare at the strange collection of beasts and freaks being escorted by Tormonulorg's men.

Tusk points out the large mansions of the Bluesheen and Ashland Bloodlines, the feuding houses that Maliform mentioned. Each family produces iron quality metal, Cobalt and Ironbone respectively, but has been suffering as it has become hard to trade their raw ingots to the various manufacturing centers of the world of late with all the bandits and rebels causing trouble. The bloodlines have never liked each other, Tusk explains, but these lean times have escalated their rivalry to outright bloodshed on several occasions over the last few years. Another one of the Bloody Walls soldiers chimes in that he suspects that each family is sitting on massive stockpiles of metal that they can't get rid of.

Approaching the castle gate, you announce yourself as Clanfather Udu-Kai, rightful heir to Castle Powderforge and the Three Valleys. One of the guards heads inside to relay your message, but it takes a bit over an hour of anxious waiting before the gate is raised and you are allowed in and ushered into the throne room to meet your court.

You are allowed to take your seat on the Clan Throne, an intimidating seat carved from the transparent-white bones of an ancient frost giant, at which point proper introductions begin.

First you are introduced to Tumuk and Stoody, the two orcs who requested an oath of fealty from Tormonulorg. Each seems eager to please you, and make no secret of the fact that they despise each other.

Tumuk is a rather obese middle aged Orc who served as the Band Chief of the Rolling Truffles, your predecessors personal warband. He seems more interested in trying to control the forces at Castle Powderforge than carrying out his duty as Band Chief and finding a new Highborn Orc for his band to serve. Tumuk is a commoner by birth, but as a long serving Band Chief, it is expected that he be treated with respect. Stoody, on the other hand, is a short but well built male Orc only several years your elder. The bastard son of one of your late vassals killed by the rebels and your predecessor's wife, Stoody claims his only goal in life is to defeat the rebels, avenge his father, and claim his rightful post as Taskmaster of Hammerport. He wears a pair of buccaneer's pistols, but you have no clue how much actual skill he has with powder weapons.

Next you are introduced to Balk-Ma, Stoody's mother and Arrugup's widow. She is brash, crude, and boastful, as one would expect a highborn Orcess to behave. After bragging about how she cuckolded her weak husband and denied him a heir, Balk-Ma offers to assist you however she can. You find her hard to actually read, and are unsure if you can trust her, but suspect that she could entertain important visitors better than yourself. If her boasting is true, she might also have some use in a military or administrative role.

Lastly you are introduced to Auxiliary Queen Twigem and Lord Henry Brax, the elven and human ambassadors to your clan respectively. Each is polite, but quick to inform you of the leverage they hold with only the slightest subtlety. Lord Brax informs you that by either supporting or blockading sea trade from Hammerport, the humans could easily make or break the rebellion in Lowhammer Valley. AQ Twigem counters by reminding you that her faction now has vassals in the Three Valleys, so it would be unwise to seek trouble from the alliance. Perhaps alarmingly, each diplomat has been allowed to keep a rather large personal guard inside the castle walls. Twigem's has the larger force, but Lord Brax says he will match it once Upper Titan Pass thaws out for the summer.

With the introductions done and over with, you spend the next several days settling in. Balk-Ma pressures you into allowing her to keep the Clanfather's chambers for the time being, as she is still in mourning for Stoody's father, so it wouldn't be right to ask her to move. You get the next largest set of quarters, which are traditionally used by the Clanfather and his/her spouse to house their lovers. It takes a little over a day to get your stuff hauled in, unpacked, and, in the case of your Alchemy Gear, set up.

You also get to spend some time in the map room, reviewing the state of your lands. You knew most of the information already, but a few key details, such as the fact that the rebels gather most of their resources from the caverns, one of the elf tribes no longer under clan control houses a circle of alchemists, and that Fort Three-Roads is a marvel of engineering that can create small lakes and floods. (See Clan Spoiler at the top for full details on your land)

---

It takes you some time, but you are also able to track down Youthfangs without blowing the "servant girl's" cover. You present to her the letter from your vampire vassal, which she reads and considered deeply for a few moments before returning her attention to you. "You have nothing to fear from me, Clanfather. My kind usually stays above the tiresome affairs of mortals, but if you use your position and alchemy skills to help me take care of those I am responsible for, I will be glad to repay those favors however I can."

---

Once you are settled in, you afford yourself a day to relax from your journey, bid Tusk farewell so that he may return to his understaffed master, and take a quick tour of the castle and village. With that completed, the Clan and the Three Valleys are yours to run. What do you do?