You are a Minor Lord who for one reason or another has decided to venture into the Badlands. Perhaps you have already carved out a small holding; consisting of a keep and a few farms. You might be one of the reasons the badlands gets it reputation. Maybe you are passing through with a small raiding party. Either way your forces have little to no outside support.
Your army consists of your loyal followers, some disenfranchised warriors and a few intrepid adventurers. There may be among your retinue a single beast handler or an engineer who shares your vision. Life is hard out here but you have your independence.
Recently your scouts acted upon a rumour of the forge of a great smith. Rumours in the badlands have accounted for many a fruitless expedition, however this time your scouts recovered a single minor Magic item. Clearly it’s worth investigating, however it seems your scouts may have been followed.