The Crimson Reapers

They call them the Crimson Reapers, a name spoken in hushed tones by traders and travelers along the roads of the Viscounty of Verbobonc and Gnarley Forest. To some, they are little more than brigands, killers-for-hire, and butchers who leave behind corpses and burnt wagons. But the truth is more complex—they are a hardened company of ex-soldiers, deserters, and professional killers, bound by survival and profit. They take coin where they can find it, blood where they must, and serve the Cult of Orcus not out of devotion, but out of necessity. Loyalty is a currency, fear is a weapon, and death is a business.

They don’t revel in murder. They don’t cackle as they burn down villages. They do their job, get paid, and live to see another day. If anything, they are pragmatists in a world of fanatics.

Origins and Purpose

Primary Sources of Income

• Raiding merchant caravans on the Forest Road and The Wild Coast trade routes.
• Smuggling contraband through the cottage and secret tunnel into the Temple.
• Selling slaves to the brothel or temple of elemental evil for profit and sacrifice.
• Extorting protection money from Nulb’s traders and dockworkers.

Tactics & Operations

The Crimson Reavers operate like a precision scalpel—efficient, ruthless, and always aware of their employer’s needs. Their specialties include:

• Assassinations: Eliminating political and military targets to destabilize enemy factions.
• Enforcement: Keeping the Temple’s allies in line, ensuring debts are paid and threats neutralized.
• Magical Warfare: Deploying Rom’s enchanted weaponry and Maldrith’s dark magic to devastating effect.
• Smuggling & Logistics: The Bloodied Fangs Maintaining supply lines for illicit goods, weapons, and contraband through Nulb’s black markets.

Recruitment Process

• New members undergo a brutal initiation, where a demonic glyph is carved into their chest through arcane rituals.
• Successful recruits are sent on their first raid under the watchful eyes of the Reapers.

Relationships and Alliances

The Waterside Hostel functions as a staging ground and resting point for agents connected to the Earth Temple and the Greater Temple hierarchy. While its independence is tolerated, it is carefully leveraged by key Temple players to control logistics and intelligence in Nulb.

• Commander Feldrin: Uses the hostel as a peripheral command post for observing and managing surface operations in Nulb. His bandit lieutenant Gefreid Patris sometimes dispatches scouts to or from the hostel to facilitate prisoner transport to the 55. Hunting Cottage and Temple tunnel entrance.
• Romag (Earth Temple): Romag uses the Waterside Hostel for covert meetings, to receive "donations" in the form of captives or relics, and to influence local bandit groups loyal to the Earth Temple. He occasionally sends envoys to recruit or indoctrinate new followers among the Reapers.
• Lucius Graeme: Regularly uses the hostel to pass sealed messages and coded orders between Madame Selentis, Feldrin, and various Temple factions.
• Madame Selentis (Nysera Krivaltis): Though her primary base is the old Mayor’s Manor, Selentis monitors the Waterside Hostel and frequently interacts with Dick regarding movement of captives and supplies. She dispatches her bandits to retrieve items transferred here for final delivery to the Temple tunnel.
• Smigmal Redhand: Though not strictly under Temple control, the Reapers are permitted to operate from the hostel with Smigmal’s blessing. Their aggressive control of mercenary contracts and shipment security gives them a major presence in the area, and their loyalty to the Temple is one of convenience.

Nulb Establishments

• 1. Waterside Hostel of Nulb : The gang maintains an uneasy alliance with Dick Rentsch, using the tavern as a meeting place and recruitment ground.
• The Brothel of Boatman’s Tavern: A prime destination for captured slaves, funneled directly into gladiatorial combat or sacrificial rituals.
• 4: Boatman’s Tavern and Nulb Market : Under constant surveillance by the gang to ensure smugglers do not cross them.
• 5. The Drowned Cottage : The High and Low road from the Village of Hommlet is monitored at all times by this Crimson Reaper outpost.

Symbolism and Reputation

• Calling Card: A blood-red glyph of Orcus carved onto caravan wagons and the bodies of their victims.
• Tattoos: Each member bears a branded glyph that grants resistance to mind-affecting spells but ties their soul to Orcus.
• Reputation: Viewed as ruthless, almost supernatural bandits by common folk, while authorities consider them a growing existential threat.

"Join us, or be offered in your place. Either way, blood must flow." - Felix

Headquarters and Territory

Primary Hideout: The gang uses the 1. Waterside Hostel of Nulb as their public face, with a hidden lair deep within the Gnarley Forest, protected by monstrous guardians.

The second floor of the Waterside Hostel serves as the regional operations base for the Crimson Reapers, a feared bandit company from Dyvers allied with the Cult of Orcus. Led by Zelt the Bat and his lieutenants Maldrith the Hexed, Felix Fahnor, and Rom Khavernus, the Reapers have established a fortified chamber behind a locked and guarded door upstairs

Territorial Control

• Forest Roads leading from Dyvers to the Wild Coast.
• Merchant routes connecting Narwell, Verbobonc, and Dyvers.
• Underground tunnels linking the 55. Hunting Cottage to the Temple.

Enemies and Challenges

Opposition Forces

• The Gnarley Rangers and Elves of the Gnarley Forest, who protect the forest against their incursions.
• The Mounted Borderers of Verbobonc, now investigating their attacks.
• The Free Alliance of the Kron Hills Gnoems, who have put a bounty on their heads after numerous gem shipments were raided.
• Clerics of St. Cuthbert and Pelor: Seeking to eradicate their undead influence.

Internal Conflicts

• Fear of demonic possession has led to whispers of desertion among the ranks.
• The constant threat of exposure from Temple agents who suspect their loyalty.

Religious Threats

• The Church of St. Cuthbert, Pelor, and Heironeous, seeking to purge them as an undead threat.
• Paladins from Veluna tracking their dark influence in the region.

DM Notes

• The Crimson Reapers are in a fragile alliance with Temple agents. Their true allegiance to the Cult of Orcus makes them volatile.
• The room upstairs is magically trapped and alarmed. Breaking in or even peeking inside risks combat with elite assassins.
• Dick and Wat have secret escape routes through the cellar into the swamps.
• Zelt the Bat is rarely present. He moves between Nulb and Dyvers via magical means or courier relays.
• Commander Feldrin and Smigmal use this inn to keep tabs on Romag, who they fear has grown too independent.
• Canon Belsornig’s reliance on Captain Tolub and the river route puts him at odds with the central supply control under Commander Feldrin, creating growing tension among Temple factions.

Adventure Hooks

• "The Price of Power" – The adventurers are hired to investigate missing merchants and discover the Crimson Reapers' dark secret.
• "Infiltrating the Reapers" – The party must pose as bandits and uncover their true allegiance to the Cult of Orcus.
• "The Whispered Glyph" – A survivor of a recent raid bears an infernal mark, leading to dark revelations about the gang’s true patrons.

Conclusion

The Crimson Reapers are more than a simple bandit gang. They are an organization of terror and deception, balancing their service to the Temple with their own hidden agendas. As they grow in power, both allies and enemies should beware—for the Bat and his Hexed Priest have no intention of staying in the shadows forever.