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| By Ramond Minaar |
As I discussed in The History of Elsir Vale, the Hellriders will become a central sub-plot of my campaign in preparation for the Descent into Avernus remix. While that post goes through their history, this post will dive more into their present.
In broad strokes, the Hellriders shattered long before the fall of Rhest, acting ever since as lone knights or small companies instead of a unified force. The Goblinblood Wars were the first time in centuries that all the Hellriders fought together, and their fearsome charge inspired countless recruits to join up! As their numbers swelled and their structure coalesced, they needed a new crusade, and chose the Ghostlord. It went poorly, and they were scattered once more.
In this post, we will explore where they ended up, those few that yet live! Many will be placed where the PCs might gather them together, and if they gather enough the Hellriders will come to their aid during the Battle of Brindol!
Legends of a Greater Age
I'm going to repeat this quote again, because it really captures how I am thinking about the Hellriders.
"But my memory reaches back even to the Elder Days... I have seen three ages in the West of the world, and many defeats, and many fruitless victories." (The Fellowship of the Ring chapter 2, The Council of Elrond)
The Legacy of the Hellriders is one of "defeats" and "fruitless victories." One of raging against darkness, often the darkness within themselves. Their history is a vicious cycle: A legend is born, inspiring a new generation, only to shatter their spears against a foe far beyond them, often due to their own folly, cowardice, or greed. Yet still they rise once more.
Like most things in The Lord of the Rings, the Hellriders of today are but a pale reflection of the Hellriders of the past, and even Old Rhestilor was a pale reflection of the ancient and lost Dwarven Kingdom of old. Unlike LotR, a lot of that Myth and Legend is build on a lie. The Hellriders were protectors of the people of the Vale, but only after betraying Zariel, and there are lots of examples both before and afterwards of corruption within their ranks.
In my campaign, my party found graverobbers seeking to defile the tomb of an ancient Hellrider (a reskinned Delian Tomb). They slaughtered the ruffians with neither question nor remorse, leaving only the leader to escape (and likely haunt their steps), and thought themselves good. That night around the fire, the party sorcerer who had studied Old Rhestilor with their master told tales of the Legends of the Hellriders, with a deliberate focus on the easier, black and white morality of those stories. I want to rip those illusions away.
So, our core themes will be the moral complexity underlying "simple" narratives, striving (and often failing) to live up to Legacy, and repeating cycles of history (and how to break them). If my players do a good job, they will gather the Hellriders back together once more. 'll be able to break the cycle and make the Hellriders of the present better than any past version.
Living Hellriders
Like Ser Lawren in Etran's Folly (who abandoned his duty after watching his companions fall to the Ghostlord, until the PCs inspired him to once again take up the lance), the remaining Hellriders scattered throughout Elsir Vale after their defeat. Some are hiding due to shame or fear. Others have just lost faith in the the order and are trying to find a new path. More on that in "The Thornwaste Massacre" below.
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| by Conor Burke |
The Green Knight of the Witchwood
Ser Elysant the Vigilant (they/them) saw the Hellknights fall to the powers of Blight and could only find solace in nature. They have been here ever since, guarding the forest alongside their bear friend Arttu, the Keepers of Eth, and those Twistusk giants that come down from the mountains (mostly Old Warklegnaw).
While it will be difficult to convince Elysant to leave the Witchwood, they are more than happy to fight alongside the party in its defense or to share what they know, both about the Red Hand and their fellow Knights (they've had their animal friends checking up on them).
Dueling in the Dark (the Blackfens)
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| by Elvisual |
Two knights stalk each other through the muck. They are siblings: Matilde the Bold, and Renard the Cunning. After watching countless friends die in the Goblindblood Wars, Renard became obsessed with immortality, and alerted the Ghostlord of the impending attack in exchange for immortality. Instead he became an undead monstrosity, and his sister swore vengeance against him.
The two have battled many times over the years. Every time, either Matilde wins, but cannot finish him off, or Renard wins, but cannot bring himself to slay his sister. They both tire of this, but neither can give it up unless the cycle is broken.
Warring Clans of the Endless Plains
Several Hellriders had grown up on the Endless Plains, and returned there after their defeat, hoping to unify their peoples. Unfortunately, those ancient grudges could not be so easily swept aside, and many of the returning knights got swept up into old grudges. Before long, they were riding against each other! With only one beleaguered warrior, Rosalind the Gracious, still working to make peace, the PCs will have to work hard to bring them back into the fold!
The Moonfang Orcs have Mar the Titan and her squire Devesh the Clever (she thinks he's ready to be a full knight, but he is a big ol nerd and 1. doesn't think he's worthy and 2. wants the full pomp and circumstance at the citadel). The Moonfangs have a proud tradition of ancient orcish primal magic.
The Ironhides are led by Brunhild Highborn, an orc, though the clan has a mix of ancestries. As the daughter of the clan chief, who died shortly after the Knights returned from poison (the clan thinks it was the Blackadder clan), Brunhild was the first to join the feuding - her clan didn't give her much of a choice. The Ironhides are renowned smiths (items up to level 8).
The Blackadders are mostly humans, and are experts at brewing alchemical items with foraged materials. Their leader Jeene (they/them, alchemist) is not a Hellknight, but Ser Owin the Smiling has returned home and has happily thrown himself into the fighting.
Mercenaries of the Hammerfist Holds
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| by Tamplier Painter |
Several Hellknights settled down here, since it was the closest bastion of civilization to the Thornwastes, but far enough away from where they'd been operating that they could mostly hide their shame.
Aubree Lucent and her father Alusair (from Infernal Tides) ended up working for the King. Reya sent messages to them a few times, but Alusair always hid them - this was safer, he thought. Being a Hellrider is just suffering. It was better this way.
Three others, Tristram, Bertram, and Miriam, were grouped together socially because of their similar names and ended up being fast friends. They now serve as mercenaries to the highest bidder - generally trying to help people, but also trying to make coin. Tristram the Loud is always talking shit (and secretly a traitor, having helped kidnap the Clan Chief). Bertram the Wolf is the tactical lead, being the oldest and more experienced of them. Miriam the Noble is the moral core of the group, though even she is becoming increasingly jaded by the mercenary life.
The Faithful Ones (Brindol)
She is guided by the aged Bereld the Just, said to be over a hundred years old. He is the keeper of tradition, and once again the High Watcher (he wasn't between the Goblinblood Wars and the Thornwaste Massacre, but took over his old position when the younger High Watcher died). He has mellowed out a lot in his old age, but is still a sassy bitch.
Reya knows that several Knights returned to the Endless Plains, and that several more are in the Hammerfist Holds. She's reached out to both, but the former are tied up in their feuds and the latter haven't responded. Reya has been itching to go, but between the admin work and being the only Hellrider in the citadel that can still ride, she's been too busy.
At your option, you might want to have one or more Knights still held captive by the Ghostlord! This can either be another impetus to fight him, or an alternate angle for negotiation, depending on how you present it / how your players approach it. I wouldn't have this be the former High Rider or High Watcher, as I like the vibe of Reya having that responsibility thrust upon her and needing to rise to it (I don't want an easy out for her like having one of them return).
Backstory NPCs
In addition to those listed above, one of my players has an NPC in their backstory named Angeline, a former lover and sometimes rival as they competed to tell the best stories of adventurous deeds, who left to go adventuring about 10 years ago, which would've been just after the Goblinblood Wars. I think she was a new recruit, and after the Massacre she returned home and lived a boring, normal life, having lost her nerve for danger altogether. She's still a leader, but now in the mundane town affairs of her halfling enclave in Nimon's Gap. Perhaps she can be convinced to take up the sword and become Ser Angeline the Small once more (or even earn a less condescending name haha, there aren't a lot of Halfling Hellriders)! Or maybe she's happier with her new life.
I definitely recommend tying one or more knights to your PCs backstories! I quite like this "Bold and boisterous storyteller turned practical, jaded townie" vibe, but there are lots of potential ways in here. If your players give you blank holes to fill NPCs with, plug in one of the Knights above! Or feel free to make up your own!
Some useful stat blocks might include: Virtuous Defender (lv. 4), Armigers (lv. 4), Warden (lv. 6), Nwanyian Defender (lv. 5), Shaldar Falls-Far (lv. 6).
The Thornwaste Massacre
I think it'll be helpful for roleplaying these Knights to clarify a little more of what happened to that fateful charge.
First, the Ghostlords spirit lions rose out of the earth and broke their ranks. Then, ghouls descended upon the now scattered and isolated Knights and began to feast. Most of the Knights died during these phases, including Ser Lawren's best friend Talmore. While a few might've escaped on their own, the Ghostlord could not help but gloat after defeating the same order that long ago slaughtered his people.
He had the spirits recede just enough that everyone could see as he raise up the traitor Renard as a Graveknight for betraying the others. His magically enhanced voice recited the numerous failures of the Hellriders. How it was a Hellrider that started the war with his clan*, several graphic descriptions of them dying horribly in that charge. How the only reason they were there was that Rhestilor had imperial ambitions and wanted to annex the region. A litany of corrupt Hellriders, both before and after the fall of Rhest - Renard was just the latest in line.
*Technically it was a noble of Rhest who killed the Lion, the Hellrider just guarded his lord. The Ghostlord also lies and calls his people peaceful nomads, rather than sadistic cannibals, a lie he has been spreading for the last several hundred years.
Far from sapping their will to fight, however, the Hellriders made one last charge - this time out of the Thornwastes, with High Rider Zevlor giving his life to see the others out safely. Unfortunately, the Ghostlord's mocking revelations paired such a callous slaughter (less than 10% of their number survived) saw the Knights abandon their charge, one by one leaving poor Reya, still a Squire at that point, and heading off to find something new.
That's all for now! I'm sure I'll be doing more on this, especially as my players get closer to the Endless Plains and the Hammerfist Holds. I can't promise rigorous writeups, it might look more like my session notes, but hopefully it'll be enough to be useful to folks.
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