Welcome to Patron DnD, where Platinum-level patrons and I get together to play Dungeons & Dragons via Discord and Roll20. Patrons also get exclusive access to private videos, custom 5e content, and participate in monthly DM Roundtables.

This Patron DnD Campaign will feature a rotating cast of players, depending on signups, availability, and earned Platinum Points.

Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Token art by Jimmy McClure.
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Ten years ago, the Ghoul Imperium of the Underworld and the vampires of Morgau marched into Krakova and conquered the kingdom entirely, establishing the Greater Duchy of Morgau and expanding the borders of the Blood Kingdom.

The undead occupation has been kept in check by resistance from the Court-in-Exile, as well as opportunistic reaver dwarves who sailed across the Nieder Straits.

But the hidden machinations of the ghouls swirl beneath the surface. Rumors abound of an even more sinister plot that threatens not just one kingdom, but the entire world of Midgard.

Empire of the Ghouls is designed by Richard Green, and published by Kobold Press. It takes place in Kobold Press’ fantasy world of Midgard.

Epilogue & Recap

Active Party [no player limit!]:
Bahn Mi, level 12 kobold Bard College of Whispers
Ry, level 12 shadow fey Black Powder Sorcerer
Alaric, level 12 dhampir Death Domain Cleric/Bard
Millie, level 12 human Way of the Kensei Monk
I/O, level 12 gearforged Circle of the Moon Druid/Cleric
Kovac, level 12 ratfolk Dawn Blade Rogue
Torben, level 12 bearfolk Ancestral Guardian Barbarian/Fighter

After two and half years and 41 sessions, our Empire of the Ghouls Patron DnD campaign officially comes to an end.

It was my first full D&D campaign set outside the Forgotten Realms, and my first campaign with players other than my core group of friends.

It was an amazing experience with some truly incredible players.

It was also a grand experiment with rotating multiple players within a five-player limit. In the end, a total of 14 different players journeyed with us throughout the adventure.

Recap

Chapter 1: Dread Chambers of the Undercity

Level 2

  • Beginning in the city of Zobek, a new party forms to investigate a disappearance, leading to an underground cult, and foreshadowing ghoulish schemes.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Kovac, Garrosh, Lucian, Ry

Chapter 2: The Holy Robes of Sister Adelind

Levels 3-5

  • Leaving Zobek, the party travels north to gather information on the Ghoul Imperium from dwarven warriors.
  • They meet in secret with surviving members of the Krakovan nobility, and accept the quest to escort Archduke Avgost to Johzt, the last city standing against the ruling vampires of the conquered country.
  • The journey takes them across the Shadow Roads, and deep into dangerous territory.
  • At Johzt they learn about a holy artifact that should prove useful against the ghouls, and a group of warrior rebels who fight against the vampires.
  • In Krakova, Alaric faces off against his long-lost sister, now a priest for Merena, and is forced to destroy her.
  • The party rescues a captured Shield Maiden from the Black Fortress, defeating a major General and spymaster of the Imperium, and earning the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Kovac, Lucian, Ry, Torben

Chapter 3: The Blood Marriage

Levels 6-7

  • While resting in Johzt, the party hears of another major scheme by evil gods unfolding to the north. They take a boat and travel to the Northlands, where they hear of an unholy wedding between the vampires and ghouls.
  • Traveling up river, they arrive in Huldramose, and take part in a celebration feast before thwarting an evil ritual.
  • On winged valkyries the party is brought close to the ritual site, outside a cursed forest. They must traverse through the forest, fending off ghostly dwarves before reaching the temple.
  • At the Midnight Temple the party crashes the wedding, defeating several evil cultist and undead factions, and preventing the dark ritual.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Kovac, Lucian, Ry, Torben, Nahm Sune

Chapter 4: Catacombs of the Ghul King

Levels 8-9

  • Upon returning to Johzt, the party learns of the Archduke’s capture by the Imperium, another profane ritual designed to empower their faction. He’s been taken directly to the Underworld, and the party must secure safe passage.
  • They learn of the Gravebinders of Siwal, who live alongside the undead in relative peace. A lengthier excursion into the Shadow Roads brings them many challenges, and they eventually surface in the Southlands.
  • In Siwal they learn about the Grand Necropolis, a huge cemetery tended by the living during the day, and ruled by the dead at night. But lately the dead have grown aggressive and hostile. The party is sent to investigate, in return for a magical artifact.
  • Their investigation leads them to the catacombs of the Ghul King, having been recently awakened from grave robbers. The dungeon is filled with traps and monsters, but eventually the party reaches the mummified leader, and puts him to rest for good.
  • After defeating the Ghul King, the party is rewarded with a magical book that can disguise them all as ghouls. They’re then teleported directly to the Underworld, to search for their friend.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Lucian, Ry, Torben, Snips, Rackish, Zaberi

Chapter 5: Into the Fuligin Realm

Levels 10-11

  • In the Underworld, the party meets many enemies and a few friends. They’re looking for Narosain, a deposed ghoul lord who may be a useful ally.
  • Their search takes them to the Pit of All Flesh, an Imperial outpost where they disrupt an entire arena of carnage.
  • Journeying onward, the party are forced to complete a series of dangerous trials from the insane derro, before finally being allowed to see Narosain.
  • The ghoul lord is willing to help the party reach Avgost, but he needs something in return: his old staff.
  • The staff is in the clutches of a cave dragon in the Dragon’s Graveyard, a trap-filled, kobold infested gauntlet of danger. Eventually the party negotiate for the staff, and return it to Narosain.
  • The darakhul is true to his word: Avgost is in the Imperial city of Vandekhul, and he gives the party two leads to follow-up on, and steers them toward a nearby boat dock.
  • The party attacks the crew of the boat while it’s docked, and sets sail across the Sulphur Sea.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Ry, Snips, Zaberi, Millie

Chapter 6: The Pure City of Vandekhul

Levels 11-12

  • After surviving dangerous encounters on the Sea, the party docks at Chandelier Island, where Narosain warned of possible Hunger Cult activity.
  • The party thwarts the summoning ritual at the island, defeating a purple worm avatar of Vardesain.
  • At Vandekhul, the party arrives at the ghoul city in their disguises, searching for the captured Archduke.
  • They learn they Duke of Vandekhul is working with the High Priest in a seditious plan against the Empire, and it includes Avgost’s ritualistic death.
  • Of the two leads from Narosain, only one proves useful. They visit further leads and get a location: the Bone Cathedral.
  • The party sneaks inside the temple and fights their way to the Inner Sanctum. There they defeat the Duke and High Priest, and save the Archduke from a grisly fate.
  • The Emperor of the Imperium shows up and actually thanks the party for their work, and allows them to leave — never to return.

Party members: Alaric, Bahn, I/O, Ry, Zaberi, Millie, Grymok, Davros, Torben, Kovac

Trivia and Stats

Session: 41

Players: 14

Most Played Sessions: Alaric (35), Bahn (34), I/O (28), Ry (26), Lucian (22)

Total Points of Inspiration earned: 121

Total number of downed PCs (0 HP): 21

Total deaths: 0

Longest streak without anyone reaching 0 HP: 5 sessions (Ch5, Eps 1-5)

Deadliest Session: Session 1 (3 downed PCs in one fight)

Most downed PC: Bahn (8)

Total Critical Hits: 66

Most Critical Hits: I/O (13), Kovac (11), Alaric (10)

Total Short Rests: 33

Total Long Rests: 18

Darakhul Fever Infections: 5 (3 in the final battle)

Epilogues (as written by their players)

Alaric

Returning to The Black Fortress, Alaric is soon reunited with and married to Katrin. In the coming years, he leads the refugees to a village next to an alpine lake that he and his friends have cleared of undead and they fortify. It is here that Alaric balances his time between being the family man he never had, civic leader and crusader. He invites Torben to setup shop and Lucian to bring his mother to come and live. From here Alaric and his friends can strike out at the undead plaguing Krakova, freeing villages and towns along the various bodies of water that The Ferryman can navigate. They even make strikes deep into the vampire realm of Morgau (not all family reunions are as radiant as Alaric’s or Lucien’s) and the Ghoul Imperium. They make sure to shed some light onto the Blood Vaults, Ghost Knight fortresses, assorted coliseums, undead temples and other gathering places. Zabieri and others join periodically and there is always an extra room set aside for visits from Auntie I/O to see his son and daughter.

Bahn

Disappointed he is no longer going to be Lord Emperor Grimtooth Rotbone, Bahn Mi looks forward to his next opportunity to head back to Zobeck and become the next Kobold King, nay, Kobold Savior, or maybe expand his commercial fishing out of Huldramose. Why not both?

I/O

I/O is quiet on the boat ride back. When they reach the Black Forest she slips a letter to her closest companions (who she now considers family) coming clean that in her human form she was Sommer Stross, a member of the family who ruled Zobeck with an iron fist and enslaved the kobolds before the citizens rose up and took control of the city. I/O returns to the Margreve Forest and spends about a year with Niko honing her druid and new cleric powers. When she returns to the city she calls in her favor to Bahn to help her develop a false identity and history – one that will allow her to reestablish and maintain her connection with her humanity. She is only referred to as I/O now by her closest friends. I/O travels with Lucian and Alaric to the ghoul-infested areas of Krakova in the hopes of studying and curing darakhul fever for good.

Kovac

Kovac returns to Zobeck where he picks up his family. They use the Fey Road to travel to Jozht, where he uses the money he made from adventuring to become head of the dock workers union and live out his days as an ostensibly honest businessman.

Millie

Millie stays in the underworld to continue fighting the Ghoul Imperium. Reconnecting with the young dragon the crew had met, as well as the disgruntled kobold chef, they hit hard and fast, then disappear into the darkness. “The Undying Marquess,” has become a bit of an urban legend, as Millie continues to use the Hat of Disguise she received from her friends. The trio has done their best to free as many slaves as possible. Some join in the fight, the rest, she sends to freedom and safety on the surface. She loves writing letters (using her proficiency in Calligraphy Tools, she has exquisite script btw), and writes to her friends often. Occasionally, she’ll also send little gifts to them: lewd statuettes, bottles of booze, severed ghoul hands, friendship bracelets, explosives, etc. She hopes to make it to Zobeck one day, but she’s not ready to retire yet, not now that “there’s a revolution I can finally dance to.”

Ry

Ry continues to wander the land, trading away magic items in the search for love.

Torben

Having helped rescue the duke and resolved the threat of the evilest of the darakhul, Torben spent some time wandering in search of a village to settle down. Though he had come to grips with the reality that not all darakhul were the enemy, he sought to avoid areas where their population was higher. Torben opened a shop in the village he found, providing rune magic and herbalism necessities to the community. On those occasions when Alaric appeared on his doorstep, Torben would collect Grimslade’s Blade from his trunk and join his friends to help doll out the needed justice. The call to go adventuring on his own never took hold again; he had attained what justice and vengeance he could for Frida’s murder. Other than those occasional diversions to support and protect his friends, he found peace in his shop and support of the community.

Zaberi

Zabieri has no formal ties to a land, or a family, she’s essentially a wandering warrior looking for opportunities to fight for Good ™. She would revel in the opportunity to stay in the Underworld for years and kill ghouls until there were none left, and that’s why she’d join the others. And eventually, probably in some huge fight, go out unceremoniously as her luck expired after yet another “I’m just gonna get right up in there and get wailed on”.

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