Legojam: Cedric the Bull and the Canton of Ochsebad

As a certified Lego Enjoyer who was still collecting sets long after it was socially acceptable for me to do so, it shoudn't be a surprise that when Anne of DIY & Dragons announced her challenge to create a mini-setting based on a Lego set or sets, I was all over it. The only question was, what to do?

Rise Up Comus - one of my personal favorite blogs and one I've been following for a long while - put out an excellent hexcrawl based on classic Castle sets, one that somehow manages to marry the themes of Arthurian romance and the Fisher King cycle with Lego lore and the meta-narrative of how we as children play with toys, and does so fantastically. I didn't want my work to retread the same ideas. I thought about doing something with Rock Raiders - a personal childhood favorite of mine - but this blog is pretty strongly fantasy-focused at the moment, and even if I have taken jaunts into other genres, I felt that doing a full sci-fi hexcrawl would be harder to place in context with the rest of my work here on the blog, and would have less opportunity for interaction with the rest of my content.

And then it hit me.

When I was a kid in the early 2000s - around that same crucial point in my development where I was reading The Hobbit and The Odyssey and playing Dragon Quest III on the Game Boy - one of my favorite Lego themes was the then-current attempt to reboot Castle with Knights' Kingdom (not to be confused with the identically-named but otherwise unrelated later theme from 2004, which left me with many questions when one of my classmates was telling me about this cool new line called Knights' Kingdom on the playground one day). Among the cast of characters introduced was the central villain, Cedric the Bull.

Looking at the schedule for my ongoing Year of the Gazetteer series, I knew that my next spotlight would be on the Freikantons, a region inspired by Switzerland. Switzerland, famous for the Canton of Uri, of which the coat of arms looks like this.

Yep, it's time to play Historical Trivia or Pop Culture In-Joke again. And, as usual with me, the answer is both.

I realized I could kill two birds with one stone - participating in the game jam, and providing more detail to the Lunar Lands and the Freikantons in the process. Join me under the cut for a tour of the Canton of Ochsebad!

Art by joshuad17

Of the Freikantons, the Canton of Ochsebad is a relatively recent one, and an uncharacteristic one at that. Though still in the foothills of the Halvards, it is separated from the core territories, and the presence of the Swordbrothers is relatively downplayed. That is because, rather than winning autonomy from Vardessy after the Swordbrother Revolt, Ochsebad joined the Freikantons under the reign of its founder and self-styled lord, Cedric the Bull.

Cedric was born to a noble house in one of the many feudal realms of Vardessy, the youngest son of a large family. When his father died, his realm was divided up amongst his sons - but Cedric, the youngest and the last to come to the council table, would find that there was no room left for him to call his own. Spurned and dejected, Cedric departed his home and made a living as a bandit, gathering followers and traveling across Vardessy in an attempt to expand and establish his influence.

This journey eventually led him to the valley of Oschebad, situated in an isolated valley in the Halvard Mountains. He saw an opportunity. Cedric's forces beseiged Oschebad and quickly managed to take it over. At last, Cedric the Bull had secured the authority of his birthright.

However, Cedric knew that he could not expect peace. The valley of Oschebad abutted the domain of Duke Leo of the Rittersmark, who dwelled just to the north of the valley and commanded a much greater and wealthier army. He would see such a hostile takeover as a threat to his own throne, and was not particularly enthused about having an army made up of former bandits on his border, fearing he would be their next target. He sent his forces to try and neutralize Cedric's, but the Bull proved to be wilier than he anticipated, making use of the narrow terrain of the valley to secure strategic chokepoints and launch guerilla attacks. However, Cedric knew that he couldn't hold out forever - and he made a decision that shocked many. He had already hired Swordbrother mercenaries from the nearby Freikantons to bolster his forces against Leo. But in the middle of the war, he declared Ochsebad a Free Canton in its own right, officially joining the confederacy of Swordbrother holdings.

This was not without controversy in the Freikantons - Cedric was a noble, which seemed contrary to the anarchic spirit of the Swordbrothers. But in return for ceding power to the other cantons, Cedric would ensure that an all-out war on Ochsebad would ensure the other cantons were obligated to come to his defense at full force, which would draw the Rittersmark into a longer and costlier war than Leo had anticipated. With no other choice, the Duke declared a tentative peace between his domain and the Freikantons.

Today, Cedric enjoys the benefits of this peace. He is free to rule Ochsebad as he wishes, though the Swordbrothers control his relations with other powers. He is convinced that it's only a matter of time before hostilities with the Rittersmark resume, and in the meantime, he has been playing the Swordbrothers against any rival nobility or Imperial power that might curtail his reach. He maintains a garrison of siege engines ready for battle, and often has his forces disguise themselves as bandits (not that hard, considering most of them were bandits) to launch raids on rival holdings and shake down travelers with enough plausible deniability to avoid a full-scale retaliation.

Many of the citizens of Ochsebad are wary of their new ruler, denigrating him as "Cedric the Bully" (never to his face, of course). Despite sharing the company of bandits and mercenaries, however, Cedric maintains that he is a nobleman first, and believes in honor. He respects fellow nobles as his peers, and should he win a war against one, he will insist on exiling them rather than having them imprisoned or executed. He also is fiercely protective of his adoptive son, Wessel (see hex 012.002), and treats the boy as his own. Nevertheless, he is ruthless on the battlefield and doesn't worry about what his men do as long as he himself doesn't dirty his hands.

Recently, in an attempt to cement his authority over Ochsebad, Cedric commissioned an enchanter to create a magic sword and suit of armor for him. However, the enchanter was killed by bandits while delivering the arms to Ochsebad, and the items were scattered through the Canton. Cedric will handsomely reward anyone who brings them to him - though their power may prove too tempting to resist...

Click here to enlarge

One hex equals three miles.

000.009: This camp is home to Cedric's soldiers, who have stationed several siege engines here and are testing them. There is a 25% chance Cedric is here, overseeing their work, and an additional 25% chance that Gilbert of Ochsebad is here (see hex 005.005). They have captured a knight from the Rittersmark and intend to pass him over to an encampment of bandits (see hex 012.002), who then plan to ransom him to the Duke and will give Cedric a cut of the profits. If the ruse is discovered, it could mean war.

6069 - Bull's Attack

001.001: This cave is home to a wyvern. A fierce warrior has trained the beast as a mount, and has ridden it into battle against several nearby villages, demanding tribute. He wears a helmet that allows the wearer to control the minds of others (they can cast animal friendship at will, with no limitations on the target's creature type or Intelligence) and is using it to control the wyvern - this is one of the items Cedric commissioned.

4818 - Dragon Rider

002.007: At the heart of the Witches' Wood is a grove of trees with twisted faces that have been known to devour lost travelers. The forest is home to many bandits and wild beasts, and traps are strewn throughout the trails. There is a 25% chance Wessel is here (see hex 012.002).

002.010: The village of Herbitzheim. It is currently being shaken down by a black knight Cedric has paid to bring some rebellious townsfolk into line. The knight, Sir Maarten von Karlsen, is a bloodthirsty lunatic who really doesn't care about the payment and considers mayhem its own reward.

Evil Knight

003.009: A lone bandit has set up a catapult on the slopes of a steep hill here and demands tribute from passing travelers, raining down rocks on anyone who refuses to pay his toll.

1289 - Catapult

004.001: In a secluded valley lies a colossal stone statue of a slumbering king, bearing a sword and shield. If an incantation is spoken in a forgotten tongue, the statue will wake up and lay waste to the surrounding area until another incantation is spoken to put the king back to sleep.

8796 - King Mathias

An aside: Yes, this is from the second Knights' Kingdom wave, and yes, I'm cheating. I include this here because I had a few of the buildable action figures from this line as a kid, but never actually used them as action figures in my stories - they were giant statues that would come to life and go on kaiju-style rampages against the minifigs. I had to include that.

005.005: This castle belongs to Sir Gilbert of Ochsebad, a bandit recruited into Cedric's forces who quickly became one of his most trusted generals, and was knighted for his service. Despite being a knight, he retains the ill manners of a bandit, and the locals disparagingly call him "Gilbert the Bad." He is an expert engineer and has built many of the siege engines used by Cedric's army. Recently, he came into possession of a shield capable of reflecting all projectiles fired upon it back at the user. This is one of the items Cedric commissioned, but Gilbert covets it for himself - and has begun to suspect he may wish to use its power to overthrow his lord.

4819 - Rebel Chariot

006.002: The village of Grandstedt. A forester at the town inn claims to have seen a great stone king in the mountains - surely, it must have been too big to have been built by human hands! (See hex 004.001).

006.008: The village of Bardenhagen. Duke Leo of the Rittersmark is passing through here, under the guard of his trusted knight, Sir Richard Staark, a fast-talking man who enjoys making jokes. Though the peace treaty prevents Cedric from engaging in any open hostilities against him, the Duke is still fearful of the bandits he may encounter along the way, and has heard rumors of a fierce dragon rider (see hex 001.001). If escorted to safety, he will handsomely reward the PCs and consider them allies of the court.

6026 - King Leo

008.007: Sir Boris, a defector from the Rittersmark, is hiding out at the crossroads here. He fled to Ochsebad after a failed attempt to steal a circlet from the Duke's treasury. He knows that the Duke was traveling through here and intends to spy on his movements to report to Cedric.

009.002: The village of Stadilburg. Part of the holdings of Duke Leo, it is known for its tilting fields, where the Duke often attends jousts. Knights from both the Rittersmark and from Cedric's forces have competed here - during the peace treaty, this has become a way for the two sides to vent aggression at one another. Rumor around town holds that the Duke intends to offer an enchanted sword from his collection as a prize for the joust at the next harvest festival - if so, Cedric would certainly wish to ensure his champion wins it.

6095 - Royal Joust

009.005: The town of Ochsebad, the center of the Canton. Cedric's manor is located here, some distance away from the town proper owing to the distrust between him and the populace. He may be found here 50% of the time; otherwise, he is away surveying his domain. There is also a 25% chance Wessel is here, visiting his adoptive father (see hex 012.002).

009.009: This hut is home to an alchemist who has smuggled the secret of creating Golniri fire (rules as alchemist's fire) from Golnir and fled to Vardessy. Cedric's forces are visiting him, hoping they may be able to harness the substance for their war machines, but the alchemist is reluctant to give up the secret. He knows the incantations needed to control the stone king at hex 004.001 and keeps them closely guarded.

1288 - Fire Cart

010.000: Castle Lowenburg, the residence of Duke Leo of the Rittersmark. The Duke is rumored to have a great collection of magical artifacts beneath the vaults of his castle, with many traps and hidden passages to guard them. It is also rumored that a ghost, dubbed Benjamin Bones, haunts the halls, and will defend the Duke's treasury, but the spirit is also known to be unpredictable. There is a 25% chance that Cedric is here to negotiate diplomatic relations, and a 75% chance that at least one spy is present to report back to Cedric on the Duke's plans.

6091 - King Leo's Castle

010.001: A guard tower watches over the pass to Castle Lowenburg (see hex 010.000). The guards here are highly suspicious of anyone who might be spying for Cedric and his forces, and have been known to turn away those bearing arms without a letter of permssion from the Duke.

4801 - Defense Archer

010.006: A cart lies overturned here, bearing the livery of Duke Leo and riddled with arrows. The people in Ochsebad (see hex 009.005) will identify it as having been part of the procession that the Duke's daughter took from here, and suspect she was kidnapped by bandits. In reality, she faked her abduction to have an excuse to run away from home (see hex 011.010).

1286 - Knights' Kingdom Cart

011.006: This camp is home to some of Cedric's soldiers. Stashed in a cave nearby is a magic catapult on wheels that propels itself into battle. It only responds to the commands of those who wear a magic ring, which is guarded by Gilbert of Ochsebad (see hex 005.005).

6032 - Catapult Crusher

011.010: This fortress guards the Pass of Saint Galden, a narrow and treacherous route that connects Ochsebad to Halvardy. Currently staying here is a mysterious knight bearing the heraldry of Duke Leo - this is, in fact, his rebellious daughter Audra, who has snuck away from the castle under the cover story of being kidnapped by bandits to live a life of adventure. She carries an enchanted zweihander that has the stats of a +1 greatsword, but can be wielded in one hand without penalty. This is one of the items Cedric commissioned; he chose to make the sword in the shape of a zweihander to appeal to the favor of the Swordbrothers.

4816 - Knights' Catapult

012.002: This camp is inhabited by a band of brigands who routinely raid the village of Salling (see hex 013.003). Currently, it is being overseen by Wessel, Cedric's adopted son, who he met abandoned in the Witches' Wood (see hex 002.007) and took in as his own. Wessel is an expert tracker and forester who knows all sorts of routes through the Witches' Wood; the townspeople have disparagingly nicknamed him "Weezil". He is providing the bandits with intelligence on the movements of the Duke's forces, but will flee at the first sign that his involvement with these criminals may be discovered.

4806 - Axe Cart

013.003: The village of Salling. The people here are loyal to Duke Leo, but have been facing regular incursions from bandits from the camp at hex 012.002. They have heard rumors of a mysterious knight arriving at the Pass of Saint Galden (see hex 011.010).

013.008: The Shrine of the Silver Sword, a shrine established by warrior monks devoted to Kerne, the god of war and the hunt (and a patron of the Swordbrothers). The shrine contains a holy silver zweihander with the stats of a dragon slayer greatsword, but it is guarded by a series of deadly traps and guardians set by the monks to ensure that only a worthy champion may retrieve the sword.

6094 - Guarded Treasury

015.003: This guard tower is manned by Sir Johann von Meyhen, a knight of Duke Leo. He is the only one who Audra entrusted with her plan to escape her father's castle (see hex 011.010) and he secretly harbors feelings for her. He has also recovered an enchanted breastplate that grants the wearer Resistance against slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage from non-magical sources and immunity to fire; this is one of the items Cedric commissioned. Secretly, the tower dungeon is haunted by a ghost who knows the location of a cache of jewels beneath the tower; it attempts to direct those who stay overnight to the treasure, but cannot speak.

4817 - Dungeon

015.005: The village of Kehr, a rugged, isolated community of hillfolk who primarily mine for coal and iron in the hills. They know of the location of the war machine at hex 011.006, but not its properties; in fact, they have no idea how such a heavy thing could move without horses.