Sturmfalke
2008-09-03, 10:31 PM
Campaign Idea, literally all spoilers for anyone who would want to play as PC's in the game as the players aren't supposed to be from the world in the first place. Besides, I'll eventually post all the plot twists here too, so knowing those in advance will not be fun. This is an ongoing project and I'll be updating it regularly (I hope) with new information and specific encounters, characters, events, etc. All the material is catered towards 4e, but can be easily converted to anything else. My goal is to tell a story, so not really worried about the technical details of rolls, hp, etc.
Foreward:
Also, yes, there are many recycled ideas from many many books out there. So don't be surprised if something sounds very familiar or smack dab plagiarized. I would make a works cited page, but this isn't a damn term paper.
Plenty of typos too, I do these things on Darkroom and then copy and paste them here when I'm bored. Maybe once everything is done, I'll go back and polish it. If you find loopholes in logic or history, please point it out. Thanks.
The Premise:
The players are ripped out of their ordinary Earth lives and dropped into the campaign world. They wake up in new bodies and unfamiliar locations. A twist of fate soon brings them together, but where will it ultimately lead them? Why were they transported to this world? Are they the only ones from Earth? In a world where nothing is what it first appears to be, who can they trust?
World History:
3000 years ago, the advanced civilizations of Mithril discovered a substance called Fae. Fae was everywhere, pervasive, and presented infinite possibilities of energy and answers to the seemingly disparate questions that plagued all sentient beings. But, the incredible energy of Fae could also be harnessed for destruction, and harnessed it was. The nation of Aeternum took the first steps in the militarization of the Fae into weapons of war and soon began its path of emperical expansion. What followed was what the people of Pior now refer to as the War of the Deities, with each nation's ever increasing Fae technology slowly beginning to resemble those of Gods in their destructive capability and magnitude.
In the wake of destruction and with Aeternum forces encroaching upon its borders, the nation of Pior took drastic measures of self defense. Utilizing the most advanced Fae technology of the time, the Dwarven architects of Pior lifted their whole mountain nation into the air and out of the reach of conflict. Isolated from the world, the people of Pior agreed to put the whole history of the conflict behind them and start anew. A nation wide brainwash was instigated, and all the glory of technology and culture lost in a single sweep for the sake of peace. Only a select few were designated to remain behind and keep the continent afloat for all eternity, while the rest were allowed to live in the bliss of ignorance. A mote was built around the mountain, as far as the eye could see. And where the water ended, a dead drop from such heavenly heights seemed like the edge of the world.
Meanwhile, as the war raged on on Mithril, the empire of Aeternum succumbed ot the temptation of an ultimate weapon and created a Fae bomb - a warded crystal containing Fae so concentrated that the normally invisible substance shone too bright for the naked eye to look upon. The detonation of the Fae bomb however resulted in a catastrophe. The massive explosion of arcane energies breached the etheral world and merged with the physical in an event later generations would call the cataclysm. All the physical laws that governed the world became a twisted nightmare of its former self, and the creatures, subjected to the Fae, became beasts both beautiful and grotesque. Irony prevailed, and what the people of Pior gave up willingly for peace were wrested away from the rest of Mithril with a single blast. Millenias of technology and learning became useless overnight and millions perished in the aftermath of the Cataclysm.
A change prevaded amongst the various races too. Whereas once, everyone could tap into the Fae, now only a select few could see it, and even fewer, manipulate it. Without teachers or guides, most of these precious few grew mad due to the chaotic influence of the Fae, while still others lost their lives in hopes of reharnessing the power as like that before the Cataclysm. The War quickly ground to a halt and was all but forgotten as each nation plunged into the blackest depth of depression and hopelessness. In the end, it was the Church of Illumination that gave order back to the people. The holy order found and united as many of the new fae users as possible, and in an unprecedented force of combined will, forged a few future for the dying world through the chaotic flux of Fae. These post-cataclysm sorcerers built a living tower that fed upon the chaos and in return exuded tamed fae. Under the guidance of the Church, nations came together in harmony and waves of conversion to the Faith spread amongst the masses. The Faith called for order and unity under a single entity, to forge the will of the people into both hammer and anvil, and reshape Mithril under the guidance and vision of the Church. In the years following the coming of the light, the ivory tower grew higher with each passing day as a testament to man, elf, and dwarven mastery over the new Fae.
Over the next 3000 years, artifacts of old Pior were discovered by the new citizens who lived there. And slowly, a vague outline of what proceeded the ascension was brought into light. A war of unimaginable scale had taken place, and beings with powers rivaling those of mythical gods that fought each other around Pior's soil.
Campaign Overview:
Arch 1-3:
The players will follow the clues left behind 3000 years ago by the War of the Gods to discover the true nature of Pior and the architects behind the floating continent. Tasked with the survival of a nation and potentially the whole world, they are sent down to Mithril to discover a solution to the island's ever decreasing altitude. However, upon arrival on Mithril, they become embroiled in a multi-generational conflict between the various nations that survived the Cataclysm and a sinister plot by the Church to commit planetary genocide in order to begin the world anew.
Arch 4-?
The remnants of the tamed Fae are being depleted faster than ever. Players must journey to the origin of the Cataclysm in order to find a solution to Mithril's crisis. They will journey across the seas to where Aeternum once stood to where the Fae and the physical realm first merged together 3000 years ago.
Campaign Arch:
There are 3 present arches in my mind that have definitive conclusions, each split up into a myriad of smaller chapters. I also have the idea of a 4th one, but I'm not sure where it's going quite yet...
In future updates I'll update each arch with its respective chapters, major encounters, and characters as well.
Arch 1: Pior: The World is Flat
Currently, Pior's once thought limitless supply of clean Fae has began to run thin, and the elevation of the flying kingdom drops ominously with each passing day. The ancient architects unable to find a plausible solution to the problem, created a ritual with one purpose, to save Pior. With the single, simple message of "Save Us", they released the rest of the pent up Fae energy into the wild. Nothing seemed to happen....or did it? The players come into the world with this setting, each thrown onto the floating continent of Pior with no idea of what is going on.
Arch 2: Mithril: The Chaotic Fae
3000 years have passed since the Cataclysm, and through mixed breeding, the Church's own sorcerer bloodline grew thin and diluted and the Church's control over the tower began to slip. The Directorate attempted to genetically engineer Sorcerers to operate the tower but failed as the genetic makeup of these creations could not match those of the pure sorcerers of old. Mithril once again began to tremble as dissent grew among the people and the influence of the church steadily declined. Desperate to prevent another war, the Church turned these failed constructs into scouts and have sent them to locate pure Sorcerers still located in the wild and once again tale control of the tower and its pure tamed Fae.
Arch 3: Illumination: In the Church's Shadow
Meanwhile, the current grand cardinal of the Church has a new idea for world order. Using the power of the tower, he would cause a lateral expansion of the superstructure and simply create a new crust above the other Mithril to start the world anew as a paradise. For this, he would need someone of immeasurable sorcerer potential to coordinate his wishes. These plans were discovered by group of sorcerers whom immediately began to oppose the church and became self-styled vigilantes. Unable to convince the commons of the Church's machinations, they have begun to intercept the Church's new sorcerer recruits, converting them if possible, and killing them otherwise.
Arch 4: Revision: The Origin of Fae
Foreward:
Also, yes, there are many recycled ideas from many many books out there. So don't be surprised if something sounds very familiar or smack dab plagiarized. I would make a works cited page, but this isn't a damn term paper.
Plenty of typos too, I do these things on Darkroom and then copy and paste them here when I'm bored. Maybe once everything is done, I'll go back and polish it. If you find loopholes in logic or history, please point it out. Thanks.
The Premise:
The players are ripped out of their ordinary Earth lives and dropped into the campaign world. They wake up in new bodies and unfamiliar locations. A twist of fate soon brings them together, but where will it ultimately lead them? Why were they transported to this world? Are they the only ones from Earth? In a world where nothing is what it first appears to be, who can they trust?
World History:
3000 years ago, the advanced civilizations of Mithril discovered a substance called Fae. Fae was everywhere, pervasive, and presented infinite possibilities of energy and answers to the seemingly disparate questions that plagued all sentient beings. But, the incredible energy of Fae could also be harnessed for destruction, and harnessed it was. The nation of Aeternum took the first steps in the militarization of the Fae into weapons of war and soon began its path of emperical expansion. What followed was what the people of Pior now refer to as the War of the Deities, with each nation's ever increasing Fae technology slowly beginning to resemble those of Gods in their destructive capability and magnitude.
In the wake of destruction and with Aeternum forces encroaching upon its borders, the nation of Pior took drastic measures of self defense. Utilizing the most advanced Fae technology of the time, the Dwarven architects of Pior lifted their whole mountain nation into the air and out of the reach of conflict. Isolated from the world, the people of Pior agreed to put the whole history of the conflict behind them and start anew. A nation wide brainwash was instigated, and all the glory of technology and culture lost in a single sweep for the sake of peace. Only a select few were designated to remain behind and keep the continent afloat for all eternity, while the rest were allowed to live in the bliss of ignorance. A mote was built around the mountain, as far as the eye could see. And where the water ended, a dead drop from such heavenly heights seemed like the edge of the world.
Meanwhile, as the war raged on on Mithril, the empire of Aeternum succumbed ot the temptation of an ultimate weapon and created a Fae bomb - a warded crystal containing Fae so concentrated that the normally invisible substance shone too bright for the naked eye to look upon. The detonation of the Fae bomb however resulted in a catastrophe. The massive explosion of arcane energies breached the etheral world and merged with the physical in an event later generations would call the cataclysm. All the physical laws that governed the world became a twisted nightmare of its former self, and the creatures, subjected to the Fae, became beasts both beautiful and grotesque. Irony prevailed, and what the people of Pior gave up willingly for peace were wrested away from the rest of Mithril with a single blast. Millenias of technology and learning became useless overnight and millions perished in the aftermath of the Cataclysm.
A change prevaded amongst the various races too. Whereas once, everyone could tap into the Fae, now only a select few could see it, and even fewer, manipulate it. Without teachers or guides, most of these precious few grew mad due to the chaotic influence of the Fae, while still others lost their lives in hopes of reharnessing the power as like that before the Cataclysm. The War quickly ground to a halt and was all but forgotten as each nation plunged into the blackest depth of depression and hopelessness. In the end, it was the Church of Illumination that gave order back to the people. The holy order found and united as many of the new fae users as possible, and in an unprecedented force of combined will, forged a few future for the dying world through the chaotic flux of Fae. These post-cataclysm sorcerers built a living tower that fed upon the chaos and in return exuded tamed fae. Under the guidance of the Church, nations came together in harmony and waves of conversion to the Faith spread amongst the masses. The Faith called for order and unity under a single entity, to forge the will of the people into both hammer and anvil, and reshape Mithril under the guidance and vision of the Church. In the years following the coming of the light, the ivory tower grew higher with each passing day as a testament to man, elf, and dwarven mastery over the new Fae.
Over the next 3000 years, artifacts of old Pior were discovered by the new citizens who lived there. And slowly, a vague outline of what proceeded the ascension was brought into light. A war of unimaginable scale had taken place, and beings with powers rivaling those of mythical gods that fought each other around Pior's soil.
Campaign Overview:
Arch 1-3:
The players will follow the clues left behind 3000 years ago by the War of the Gods to discover the true nature of Pior and the architects behind the floating continent. Tasked with the survival of a nation and potentially the whole world, they are sent down to Mithril to discover a solution to the island's ever decreasing altitude. However, upon arrival on Mithril, they become embroiled in a multi-generational conflict between the various nations that survived the Cataclysm and a sinister plot by the Church to commit planetary genocide in order to begin the world anew.
Arch 4-?
The remnants of the tamed Fae are being depleted faster than ever. Players must journey to the origin of the Cataclysm in order to find a solution to Mithril's crisis. They will journey across the seas to where Aeternum once stood to where the Fae and the physical realm first merged together 3000 years ago.
Campaign Arch:
There are 3 present arches in my mind that have definitive conclusions, each split up into a myriad of smaller chapters. I also have the idea of a 4th one, but I'm not sure where it's going quite yet...
In future updates I'll update each arch with its respective chapters, major encounters, and characters as well.
Arch 1: Pior: The World is Flat
Currently, Pior's once thought limitless supply of clean Fae has began to run thin, and the elevation of the flying kingdom drops ominously with each passing day. The ancient architects unable to find a plausible solution to the problem, created a ritual with one purpose, to save Pior. With the single, simple message of "Save Us", they released the rest of the pent up Fae energy into the wild. Nothing seemed to happen....or did it? The players come into the world with this setting, each thrown onto the floating continent of Pior with no idea of what is going on.
Arch 2: Mithril: The Chaotic Fae
3000 years have passed since the Cataclysm, and through mixed breeding, the Church's own sorcerer bloodline grew thin and diluted and the Church's control over the tower began to slip. The Directorate attempted to genetically engineer Sorcerers to operate the tower but failed as the genetic makeup of these creations could not match those of the pure sorcerers of old. Mithril once again began to tremble as dissent grew among the people and the influence of the church steadily declined. Desperate to prevent another war, the Church turned these failed constructs into scouts and have sent them to locate pure Sorcerers still located in the wild and once again tale control of the tower and its pure tamed Fae.
Arch 3: Illumination: In the Church's Shadow
Meanwhile, the current grand cardinal of the Church has a new idea for world order. Using the power of the tower, he would cause a lateral expansion of the superstructure and simply create a new crust above the other Mithril to start the world anew as a paradise. For this, he would need someone of immeasurable sorcerer potential to coordinate his wishes. These plans were discovered by group of sorcerers whom immediately began to oppose the church and became self-styled vigilantes. Unable to convince the commons of the Church's machinations, they have begun to intercept the Church's new sorcerer recruits, converting them if possible, and killing them otherwise.
Arch 4: Revision: The Origin of Fae