Horned Society (Circa 582 CY)
Rulers: The Dread and Awful Presences, the
Hierarchs of the Horned Society
Capital: Molag (population 16,200)
Population: 45,000
Demi-humans: Very Doubtful
Humanoids: Hobgoblins 12,000, goblins 7,000 a
few bugbears and ogres as well.
Resources: None known
Overview
Originally a stronghold of the more organised of the humanoid tribes, the area came under the rule of a group of evil humans some decades ago. It is speculated that these wicked people were disaffected bandits or were at least aided by one or more of the bandit kings. In any case, the land between the Veng and Ritensa Rivers as far north as the territory of the Rovers of the Barrens is now firmly in the grasp of the Horned Society. This association combines the masses of humanoid troops with the organisation and powers of humans. Deviltry is the religion of the Society, and its leading Hierarch is proported to be a high priest of 18th level. Other leaders are reported to be a magic user above the 12th level of ability, several other powerful clerics, a master thief of 13th rank, and a trio of fighter Lords. It is known that many troops of bandits from the east frequent the walled town of Molag and the Horned Society is on favourable terms with Iuz.
Climate
The Horned Society has a cool temperate climate. Summers days
can be hot but the prevailing northerly winds usually cool the
land. Winters are long and harsh, the Society lands are often
blanketed in snows accompanied by freezing winds that are
straight from the Land of Black Ice. The further north one
travels the worse the weather gets and the more severe the
winters are.
Much of the annual rainfall falls during autumn and spring when
fierce storms often sweep the plains. These storms turn the few
tracks that cross the plains into impassable mud for several
weeks at a time.
However the stony, porous soils means that surface water quickly
drains and, once the worst of the weather is over, the mud
quickly dies. The combination of weather and soils means that the
lands are all but unsuitable for many agricultural purposes. Some
sheep and goat herds are raised and in some areas some farming
does occur but by and large the level of agricultural activity
barely reaches subsistence level. The hobgoblins survive by
hunting in the forest or on the northern plains where large herds
of bison, caribou and horses migrate.
Geography
The Horned Society claims all the lands between the Veng and
Rittensa Rivers and as far north as the Fellreev Forest. However
the north-eastern border (within the forest) is disputed with the
Bandit Kingdoms and the Shadow Claw Hobgoblins (see below) there
are often clashes between the Horned Society hobgoblins and the
bandit kings in this area. The Horned Society lands are cold and
inhospitable and have few, if any, natural resources. The soils
are poor and stony and are unsuitable to most agricultural
practices, and it is for this reason that they have been all but
shunned by human settlement. Many people believed the lands were,
and still are, of no economic or strategic importance and as such
left them to the various hobgoblin tribes that lived in the
region. The Hierarchs (originally a disgruntled band of
adventurers fleeing a failed coup in the Great Kingdom) however
saw things a bit differently, they saw the region as the perfect
training ground for their armies, a land which was harsh and in
which only the strong would (and did) survive. Also they valued
it as a strategic position because of its proximity to the nearby
Shield Lands and Furyondy, countries ripe for the plunder; and
even today the Horned Society plots towards conquering these
lands.
The only geographic feature of note in the Horned Society is the
Fellreev Forest which is a large forest on the northern border of
Society lands. The forest has always been a breeding ground of
hobgoblins (as well as one of their favourite hunting grounds)
and parts of the forest are still disputed with the Bandit
Kingdoms. The forest is also the only part of the Society lands
that contains an independent hobgoblin tribe-the Shadow Claws (
the only tribe that refused to swear fealty to the Society- and
survive) fled into the depths of the forest. Today they are still
fighting a guerrilla war against their brethren.
Government and Politics
The Horned Society is a militaristic society ruled by the
Hierarchs, a group of powerful humans. The Hierarchs rule the
land with an iron fist; they tolerate no opposition and will
ruthlessly crush any who oppose them. The Hierarchs rule from
their fortress in the heart of the city of Molag (an imposing
structure of neo-gothic architecture) and have many agents, spies
and informers operating amongst the general populace.
Approximately 10% of the population are either informers or
agents working for the Hierarchs, so it is unlikely that
opposition to their harsh and brutal rule will remain undetected
for long. The members of the Horned Society (the secret society
from which the land gets its name) are the enforcers of the
Hierarchs tyranny and gladly follow the edits and commands of
their despotic leaders. Society members have the right to arrest
any person for any reason and they act as judge, jury and
executioner; nobody has the right to oppose the rulings of the
Society.
The Horned Society
The Horned Society itself is an organisation of lawful evil
fighters, thieves, magi and clerics who are dedicated the worship
of the dark god Nerull, and who are also devoted to the notion of
dominating, and ruling, as large an area of the Flanaess as they
possibly can (i.e. they are a pack of homicidal megalomaniacs).
All positions of authority in the Society are controlled by
wizards and clerics of Nerull. Warriors and thieves have their
uses but clerics and magi are the true rulers of the Horned
Society and it is they who hold most positions of authority
within the organisation.
Society members are known "Horns" and are little more than sanctioned assassins whose main purpose is to further the aims of the Society; to this end they lead patrols and armies of humanoid troops against enemy states (especially Furyondy, the Shield Lands, and the Rovers of the Barrens). As well as military commanders Horns often travel abroad in disguise to try and create as much havoc in neighbouring lands as they can. The subversive activities of the Horned Society include kidnapping, murder, slavery and smuggling. Horns active in other nations are usually mid to high levels in their chosen profession and are always dangerous adversaries. The third main role of society members is to act as a sort of secret police, purging the Horned Society lands of all opposition to their rule. To this end they have the complete freedom to act as they please and have the full authority of the Heirarchs to do so. They are not only above the law, they are the law, and their word is final.
The Hierarchs
The thirteen Hierarchs are the rulers of the Horned Society and
the rule their lands with an iron hand. Each Hierarch is
responsible for overseeing, and ruling, a different segment of
the Horned Society. The Hierarchies are (in order of importance):
The Hierarchs rule from and reside in a fortress in the heart of Molag (each also has several estates in the countryside). Each Hierarch has one vote on the council and all business is decided by vote with the Unnamed Hierarch having the deciding vote in the case of ties. When a hierarch dies (or as is more usual killed, or assassinated by a rival hierarch)) the other Hierarchs decide upon a replacement from amongst the ranks of the Horned Society members.
There is much rivalry amongst the various Hierarchs. Although each Hierarchs has their own sphere of responsibility their duties often overlap as their roles and responsibilities are poorly defined. Hierarchs Selvain and Artimus for example both maintain their own spy networks (in addition to the standard Horns) and there is much rivalry and animosity between the two. Likewise their is rivalry between Hierarchs Gorina, Elvadin and Tadhg who are the Overseers of Trade, Production and Labour respectively; again much of this rivalry being due to an overlapping of spheres and a lack in definition of roles and duties. Hierarch Dougan also encourages competition between the commanders of the three armies and they are forever trying to out do each other in an effort to gain in personal prestige and glory; unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your pot of view) this rivalry has made it difficult for the three armies to co-ordinate their forces. Much of the rivalry is encouraged by the Unnamed Hierarch who actively encourages the divisions as it makes it easier for him to rule over the various competing factions.
Law and Order
The Horned Society is a lawful realm ruled with an iron fist
by the Hierarchs. Amongst their other duties the Horns role is to
act as a form of secret police, purging the Horned Society of all
opposition the Hierarchs rule. The Horns have complete freedom to
do as they please and have the full support of the Hierarchs to
do so (the Hierarchs themselves are far top busy to deal with law
and order). There are no trials in the Society, the Horns are the
law and act as judge, jury and executioner. They administer
justice on the spot.
The Horns have full support of the local soldiery and will always
be accompanied by (a minimum) of 10-20 soldiers or hobgoblins.
Horned Society and other Nations
The Bandit Kingdoms
In the past few years the Horned Society has made a major attempt
increase its influence in the Bandit Kingdoms. In 578 CY the
Horned Society occupied Warfields and Wormhall. The following
year they defeated a gathered army of the Bandit Kings and added
Kor to their conquests before signing a peace treaty. The Horned
Society then changed its tactics. Rather than using military
means the Society is sending agents to the Bandit Kingdoms are
trying to infiltrate the courts of the various rulers. In some
areas they have been successful and several of the rulers of the
kingdoms are currently sympathetic to the Society. Others however
are wary of the growing influence of the Horned Society and are
doing all in their power to oppose the Society. Of this faction
the ruler of Rookroost, the is the most vocal and active in his
condemnation of the Horned Society.
Furyondy and the Shield Lands
The Horned Society is opposed to both Furyondy and the Shield
Lands. The Horns are constantly trying to expand their domain at
the expense of these two states and there is almost constant
border skirmishes and conflict between the two sides. The Shield
Lands are especially coveted by the Hierarchs and the Society has
a number of spies and agents operating in this land.
Iuz
The Horned Society has favourable relations with Iuz. In recent
years several treaties and pacts have been signed between the two
nations. There are deep ideological divisions between Iuz (CE)
and the Horned Society (LE) which although presently submerged in
the long term cannot help but sunder the relationship (or so the
neighbouring lands hope). The recent goodwill between Iuz and the
Horned Society has been viewed with alarm in both Furyondy and
the Shield Lands. There are rumours of a major peace pact and non-aggression
treaty being signed between the two; if this is true this could
bode ill for both Furyondy and the Shield Lands.
Other Lands
The Society is also in a perpetual state of war with the Rovers
of the Barrens and is trying to expand in this direction as well.
The Horns have few, if any, (legal) ties to other nations but
Society members (Horns) are active throughout the Central
Flanaess trying to further the aims of the Society and sow seeds
of discord. The Society has connections with many temples and
cults of Nerull throughout the Flanaess and also has agents in
many thieves guilds in nearby cities and countries.
One of the weaknesses of the Horned Society in the past has been a tendency to try and expand in several directions at once- the Shield Lands, Bandit Kingdoms, Rovers of the Barrens. Over the years the Horned Society has had a tendency to act piece-meal trying to overcome all opponents at once which has dissipated their forces and has meant that they have been unable to succeed in any of their objectives. Recently however (after the signing of the peace-pact with the Bandit Kingdoms) the Hierarchs have changed tactics. Whilst continuing to probe into both the Shield Lands and Rovers of the Barrens (so as to divert these countries from learning their true intentions ) the Horned Society has concentrated its resources on capturing the Bandit Kingdoms by covert means; the Society now has members in many of the courts of the area waiting the word of the Unnamed Hierarch to strike. Once the Bandit Kingdoms are theirs the Society will then strike south into the Shield Lands.
Population
The Horned Society has a human population of 45,000. The (native)
human inhabitants are mainly of Oerdian extraction but with
strong Flan influences. 70% of the human population are slaves,
most of whom are owned by, and work for, the Hierarchs. The
slaves are engaged in a number of occupations; many live and work
in the factories of Molag where they manufacture the arms and
armour needed by the Societies armies; others work on the estates
of the Hierarchs and freemen; while still others have been sold
into sexual slavery and work in the pleasure palaces and drug
dens of Molag, or in the baggage trains of the humanoid armies.
Approximately 20% of the human are mercenaries and soldiers in
the employ of the Horned Society. The remaining 10% are freemen
of the Society and many of these folk are also Society spies and
informers. Needless to say the Society attracts all kinds of low
life scum and the population includes some of the lowest forms of
humanity ever assembled in the Flanaess.
The Horned Society is also home to large numbers of humanoids,
especially hobgoblins of which there are more than 12,000
fighting males. The lands now controlled by the Horned Society
are the ancestral homeland to several powerful hobgoblin tribes.
Until the rise of the Society however these tribes were
continually at war each other and neighbouring lands. The Society
crushed all opposition and became rulers of the land and united
the various tribes under their banner. Today hobgoblins are still
the prevalent humanoid race in the region but they are under the
dominion of the human led Horned Society. The hobgoblins are
mainly used as shock troops in the Society's armies, a role in
which they relish; and they bully the weaker, or less numerous,
humanoid races (as they will the other hobgoblin tribes if given
half a chance).
Languages
Common is the most widely spoken language of the human
inhabitants but many people also speak Hobgoblin as this is the
most widely spoken of the humanoid tongues and is needed to
communicate with the humanoids.
Religion
Religion in the Horned Society is controlled by the Hierarchs and
their agents. Several of the Hierarchs are high ranking priests (often
the High Priest) of the various religious factions in the Society
and they use their positions within the churches and sects to
further reinforce their power and domination over the masses.
Nerull is the most powerful of the factions operating in the
Society and priests of this religion are both respected and
feared by the other clergy and the common citizenry. Many of the
people and humanoids of the Society worship one or more of the
following powers and most pay homage to all the gods on the
appropriate unholy days, even if they are not active followers of
that power.
Trade and Commerce
The Horned Society has few natural resources and engages in little (legitimate) trade with other nations as it has nothing worthwhile to sell (except slaves). However, the Society does hire out units of hobgoblin mercenaries (who are more than willing to be paid to fight) to those with no qualms about using such troops. Some trade does pass across the borders of the Society but most of this is in the form of illegal contraband and is with the less unscrupulous merchants (such trade is highly illegal in both the Shield Lands and Furyondy but still occurs). Such trade passes through Molag and then heads north east to Iuz or north west to the Bandit Kingdoms and the Hierarchs gain much of their revenue from such activities. Otherwise the Society relies upon what it can gain by raid and plunder.
Armed Forces
The Horned Society has a large standing army, in fact the whole country is in a permanent state of preparedness for war. The bulk of the fighting troops are hobgoblins who are trained and led by human officers. Although suppressed somewhat by their human commanders the hobgoblins natural tendencies to fight each other are still present. The only way that the Horned Society has been able to overcome this natural tendency is to have each tribe provide members for particular regiments (and keep their tribal standards of course). These soldiers are supported by contingents of human infantry and cavalry (and spell casters) as well as by other humanoid units, including powerful units of ogres.
The military might of the Horned Society (at full muster)
includes:
12,000 hobgoblins
7,000 goblins
1,000 bugbears
500 ogres
6,000 human cavalry
3,000 human infantry and mercenaries
Factions Within the
Horned Society
The following is a brief list of some of the organisations and
factions operating in the Horned Society.
The Horned Society
The Horned Society has already been dealt with above so this
information need not be repeated.
The Hierarchs
It has already been eluded to that their is rivalry between the
Hierarchs Selvain ( Overseer of Internal Security) and Artimus (Overseer
of Espionage and Subversive Activities). Selvain is responsible
for internal security whilst Artimus is responsible for espionage
in other countries. Selvain employs many priests of Nerull to
keep an eye on other Society members while Artimus has recruited
many warriors and thieves to spy on the activities of Selvain and
his clerics. Both Hierarchs are embroiled in many plans to
discredit the other and spend much of their time trying to thwart
each others plans.
Several of the other Hierarchs also have their own informers and
spies in each others organisations so as to be able to keep a
check on their rivals current plots and plans.
The Church of Nerull
The clergy of Nerull are the strongest supporters of the regime
and many of the clergy are also members of the Horned Society.
They zealously pursue their goals of rooting out any informers
and spies and are feared almost as much as the Horns by the
general populace.
The Church of Hextor
The Church of Hextor is subservient to that of Nerull. However
several of the clergy are dissatisfied with the current state of
affairs and are plotting to increase the churches authority... by
assassinating Hierarch Margentus. These clergy have several
followers within Hordmar's army and are trying to convince
Hordmar to launch a coup attempt. However given the fact that the
Horn's and Hierarch Margentus himself keep a careful eye on the
followers of Hextor it is unlikely that the plot will stay
undiscovered for long.
Priesthoods of the Arch-devils
The clergy of the various arch-devils by and large support the
regime (in fact several of the Hierarchs are themselves clergy or
followers of these powers), but it must be remembered that the
arch-devils have their own goals and agendas which are not
necessarily the same as those of the Horned Society. The devil
worshippers can be broadly divided into three broad factions.
The is a great deal of rivalry between these three factions. The Hierarchs try to keep a firm grip over them and it is rumoured that the Hierarchs have actively recruited members of each of the sects to act as spies and informers so that they are better able to keep track of the goings on, and power machinations, of the various groups.
The Hobgoblin Shamans
Many of the hobgoblin shamans have been killed by the followers
of Nerull or the Horns, however a few shamans still survive and
are trying to convince the various hobgoblin chiefs to turn away
from worshipping the false god (Nerull) and return to the worship
of the true (hobgoblin) gods. They are also spreading word that
the Hierarchs aren't demons but are in fact impostors. They are
also pushing for a return to the old ways (i.e. hobgoblins ruling
the lands), however they are at present a small group with little
influence.
The Shadow Claws
The Shadow Claws are detailed below. The Knights of the Holy
Shielding are presently smuggling arms and equipment to these
hobgoblins in the hope that increasing the fire power of this
tribe will help them wage war against the other hobgoblins and
the Horned Society as a whole. These arms shipments are top
secret and only a few members of the Knights of the Holy
Shielding are aware of them. It is doubtful as to whether Holmer
even knows of their existence.
Furyondian and Shield Lander Spies
Both Furyondy and the Shield Lands have spies operating in Molag.
However this is an extremely hazardous assignment- given the
religious zeal of the priests of Nerull and the thorough spy
network of the Horns. Several spies have managed to survive in
the city and they send information back to their superiors when
they can.
The owner of one of the many taverns in Molag, the Demon's Pit, is in fact a member of the Knights of the Hart and he is collecting information for both the knights and the king. The knight, Jorvanis, is extremely cautious and has only a few trusted spies operating in the city, his intelligence gathering is extremely valuable to the knights. Among the magic items that he owns is a ring of mindshielding.
Iuz
Iuz too maintains a spy network in the Horned Society. He usually
employs hobgoblins for his network but also has a number of human
mercenaries in his network. Iuz is presently trying to infiltrate
the Church of Nerull.
Cities, Towns and Villages
Molag
Molag (population 16,200) is the only city of note in the Horned
Society. Molag is a gloomy city constantly wreathed in smoke that
belches out of the chimneys, furnaces and smelters of the
numerous armament factories- at which slaves constantly toil.
Molag has many brothels, drug dens, gambling halls and other
unsavoury establishments and it is here that the soldiery (both
human and humanoid) comes to seek their pleasure when on leave.
The city has a large Cathedral dedicated to Nerull and services
to this dark god are regularly held. The main ceremonies are
presided by Hierarch Margentus himself and are attended by many
important Society dignitaries. Needless to say security is
extremely tight (there are rumours that the temple is guarded by,
amongst other things, a trio of beholders).
The Hierarchs also have a huge fortress in Molag and it is from this citadel in the accused city that they rule with an iron fist over their lands. Given the proximity of the city to Furyondy a large number of troops are stationed here.
Human Villages
The human villages are less numerous than those of the hobgoblins.
Each of the Hierarchs maintains several estates throughout the
lands on which many slaves are employed. The Hierarchs also
reward faithful followers with the titles, lands and slaves. Most
of the human villages are located near the Veng River or Whyestil
Lake on the western borders of the land. Some subsistence
agriculture is conducted but the soils are poor and yields low.
Most villagers rely instead upon fishing for their livelihood and
this is another reason why the majority of the population lives
near the river or lake. The villagers are heavily taxed by the
Horns and much of their crops and fish yields are confiscated (taxed)
and redistributed to the rest of the populace.
Hobgoblin Villages
The hobgoblin live in both above ground and below ground
strongholds. Above ground they live in crude villages protected
by wooden palisades and several catapults. Each village will hold
200-300 male hobgoblins but anywhere up to 2/3rds of their
strength will be enlisted in one of the armies and not present.
Each of the hobgoblin tribes has several villages spread over
their territory. Each village will also have several Horned
Society priests who are responsible for maintaining law and order
and for encouraging the conversion of the hobgoblins to the
worship of Nerull.
Hobgoblin Tribes
There are nine main hobgoblin tribes in the Horned Society.
Before the Hierarchs united the tribes under their banner there
were ten, but one was completely destroyed by the Hierarchs when
they conquered these lands. The tribes were given an ultimatum...
"join the Horned Society confederation, or perish." Two
tribes declined and one, the Death Blades which were then the
strongest of the ten tribes, was completely annihilated. The
total destruction of the tribe by the Hierarchs forced the other
tribes to capitulate. Only other tribe, the Shadow Claws refused
the ultimatum. The Shadow Claws retreated deep their homeland in
the heart of Fellreev Forest and here they have remained. The
others tribes were forced by the Hierarchs to accept their terms
and swore fealty to the Horned Society.
Today each tribe still controls its own territory and the tribes
are responsible for maintaining order within these bounds (with a
bit of help from high placed Society advisers of course).
The hobgoblin tribes (and troop numbers) are:
Bloody Fist 2000
Vile Rune 1500
Wardogs 1400
Skull Smashers 1100
Bloody Blade 1300
Death Sun 1200
The Flayers 900
Death Moon 1000
Shadow Claws 1600
Of the tribes only the Shadow Claw has refused to join the
confederation of the Horned Society, and survived. The Shadow
Claw (or the Claws as they call themselves) live in subterranean
strongholds deep in the heart of the Fellreev Forest and have so
far managed to resist all attempts to force them to join the
Horned Society (due mainly to this particular tribes skill in
bushcraft). All attempts to destroy the tribe have failed and the
Claws have inflicted heavy casualties on the other tribes that
have tried to rout them from their forest home.
Places of Interest
Fellreev Forest
Much of Fellreev Forest is untamed wilderness. The forest is
claimed by both the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms but
neither party has been able to completely its claim to the forest.
The Horned Society engage in some forestry near the edges of the
forest but Society patrols seldom penetrate far into the forest
for fear of ambush by the Shadow Claws. There are also several
small bands of sylvan elves in living deep in the woods and the
avoid all contact with the hobgoblins.
Lake Whyestil
Lake Whyestil is dominated by the navy of Furyondy but the
fisherman of the Horned Society operate near the lakes eastern
shore. The Horns are forever vigilant least Furyondian ships come
to near. All coastal villages are equipped with catapults with
which they harry Furyondian ships that come too close to the
shore.
Veng River
The Veng River links lakes Whyestil and Nyr Dyv and is navigable
along its entire length. In the past much trade passed along the
river but these days the Horned Society harry any ships that try
to use the waterway and aren't flying the flag of the Society or
Iuz. The river is also home to several tribes of lizard men and
scrags and these creatures also pose a threat to shipping.
Ritensa River
The Ritensa River separates the Horned Society from the Shield
Lands. The river is broad and slow flowing but the hobgoblins of
the Society often cross the river to raid deep into the Shield
Lands. Both sides of the river are heavily defended.
Adventure Ideas
The Horned Society and the Hierarchs could quite easily become a major source of conflict in a campaign. There are many possible adventure hooks based upon this organisation, here are a few that I have thought of. This list is by no means exhaustive.
* PCs verse the Horns.
The Horned Society has cells active in many nearby states (
including Furyondy, Urnst, Tenh, Shield Lands, even Greyhawk).
One of these cells could easily become the focus for a low level
campaign- the PCs trying to thwart the actions of the Society (murder,
slavery, weapons smuggling etc.)
* Kidnapping/ Slavery
One of the PCs family/friends (or even a PC themselves) has been
kidnapped in one of the cities of the Central Flanaess. The
kidnapping was undertaken by the Society and the prisoner is
being sent to the Slave Pits (auction yards) in Molag. The PCs
have to track the slavers to the city and maybe further to the
estate of one of the Hierarchs who has bought the slave!
* Reconnaissance into the Society Lands
A recce mission sponsored by the Shield Landers to determine
troops strengths near the border and to keep the Society under
surveillance. Other missions of this type include ambushing
Horned Society patrols and bringing back prisoners for
questioning.
* Guerrilla Activity
The PCs are sent into the Fellreev Forest to make contact with
the Shadow Claws to try and help them in their struggle with the
Society. Perhaps the PCs are to bring them weapons and armour, as
well as military
intelligence. The Shield Landers are hoping to inflame to
guerrilla war and by so doing turn the Hierarchs attention away
from the Bandit Kingdoms. Aiding humanoids, would make an
interesting dilemma for a paladin or other good aligned PCs. What
if agents of Iuz were also supporting the Shadow Claws?
* Against the Hierarchs
The Hierarchs would make a worthy foe for any level PCs. For high
level PCs what if it is learned that the Hierarchs have found the
Tome of Darkness, an ancient book that it is rumoured contains
information that would enable to One Who Must Sleep (Tharzidun)
to be once more freed. The PCs must travel to Molag and
infiltrate the Hierarchs Citadel and recover the book before the
Hierarchs successfully free Tharzidun.
* The Horned Society and Scarlet
Brotherhood are they linked?
An interesting thesis put forward by Alain Berthon and Jason
Verbinski is that the Horned Society and Scarlet Brotherhood are
secretly linked. They wrote "the SB and the HS serve the
same extra/outer-planar powers of evil either directly or
indirectly (Tharizdun, Nerull, etc.) This bond is what I think
should be played upon to link the actions and motivations of
these respective evil organisations...
...Their differences are in geographical area of influence and
interest, methods to achieve their goals, and other minor points
of interest. To the casual observer, the link between SB [Scralet
Brotherhood] and HS [Horned Society] isn't obvious."
There may or may not be any truth to this thesis but many
adventure possibilities could be spawned from such an alliance,
or rumours of such an alliance (it may in fact be little more
than a false rumour designed to make the players (and personages
of Greyhawk) to think twice before attacking either the Horned
Society or Scarlet Brotherhood.
Greyhawk Wars
According to From the Ashes Iuz easily overruns the Horned
Society, this is all (at least in my campaign) still in the
future and creates a large number of "what ifs" and
opportunities to change history.
* What if the PCs learn of the Iuzite plot against the Horned
Society before it happens. Could they stop it, or inform the
Hierarchs as to the plot (another interesting dilemma for good
aligned PCs) and in so doing maybe save the Shield Lands and
change the outcome of the wars?
* What if the Hierarchs weren't destroyed (assuming that Iuz
invasion is successful) but flee to different parts of the
Flanness to rebuild their strength and oppose Iuz? They could
remain an unknown force in the post war power struggles, and
opponents for the PCs.
* Would Nerull, the arch-devils and their followers sit back and
allow their stronghold in the Flanaess to be overrun? What if
they launch a mission against Iuz (either on the prime-material
plane or in the Abyss) against Iuz using the PCs as unwitting
pawns in their game? Perhaps a modified version of the Throne of
Bloodstone adventure pitting the PCs against Iuz and trying to
divert his attention away from the Horned Society, or trying to
steal the Iuz's Theopart to weaken his power (if you use such an
artifact in your campaign).
Bibliography
World Of Greyhawk 1983 Boxed Set
Dragon No. 56, December 1981
Dragon No.? The nine hells part I (July 83, pp 16-33)
The nine hells part II (August 83, pp 22-44)
The Horned Society by Morten Braaten (Contained in the Codex of
Greyhawk)
I'd especially like to thank Alain Berthon for his valuable comments and suggestions which helped me to clarify, change and improve this work.
I hope that you find this version of the Horned Society to be of some use to you. Feel free to add, change, or improve it as you see fit. Hopefully there are some aspects of the following discourse on the Horned Society which you like or may want to include in your campaign, or gives you some ideas on adventures for your own version of Greyhawk. The Hierarchs and Horned Society are one of my favourite areas of the pre-wars Greyhawk. The Hierarchs can be (and in my campaign are) one of the PCs chief adversaries and many adventures, and campaigns, can result from their machinations and plots. They are nasty, brutal and extremely powerful- just the kind of organisation that PCs love to hate.
Craig Courtis