Scourge of the Slave Lords

Setting: Greyhawk / Pomarj Unlock: Complete The Temple of Elemental Evil Difficulty: 1.25× Part 3 of 5 — The Greyhawk Arc

The Slave Lords are not a rumor. They are an organization — structured, funded, and operating across the Pomarj and into the civilized lands beyond it. They take people. They sell people. They have been doing this long enough that they have a council, a treasury, a fortress, and enough political protection that Greyhawk City has declined three separate requests to act against them.

The party has been asked to act against them by someone who did not decline.

Unlock Requirement

Complete The Temple of Elemental Evil before attempting this campaign. Use !campaign scourge-of-the-slave-lords to begin.

Stages

Five stages move through the Pomarj — from the docks of Highport through the warrens beneath the city, into the purpose-built fortress of Suderham, and up to the council chamber and the Aerie where the Slave Lords make their final stand.

The campaign follows the standard named campaign structure — rest shrines between stages, Brother Yvannis appearing at stage 3, and a party vote at the end to determine the outcome.

The Boss

The reason the Slave Lords have lasted as long as they have waits at stage 5. He is not the leader of the council — there is no single leader — but he is the one who made the arrangements that keep the organization protected. The arrangements include things the other Slave Lords do not know about and would not endorse if they did.

Endings

After the boss is defeated, surviving participants vote on how the campaign ends. There are four possible outcomes. Each carries a persistent consequence that follows players into future campaigns.

Stage Milestone Titles

Reaching each stage earns a permanent title regardless of the final outcome.

Clear Title

All survivors of a full clear earn a unique title for having reached the Aerie of the Slave Lords and faced what was there.

Artifact

A unique artifact drops to a random survivor on full clear. It is the kind of object that powerful people would pay well to possess — and pay well to suppress.

Continuing the Arc

Completing Scourge of the Slave Lords unlocks Against the Giants — the fourth campaign in the Greyhawk Arc. Use !campaign against-the-giants to begin.

TIP

ℹ️ The Pomarj is not hospitable. The Slave Lords are not surprised to see adventurers. They have contingencies. Come prepared for a fight that knows you are coming.

WARNING

⚠️ Something the party finds in the warrens connects to a name in Greyhawk City. The implications of what happens in the Aerie extend beyond the Pomarj. The consequences follow.