cwhs01
First Post
Well, what i really need is to brush up on my google-fu or wiki-fu skills. But alas, i am in need of answers fast and turn to the esteemed and knowledgeable members of these boards instead.
I need someone to give me a few ideas for ancient "real" world history examples of hubris ("Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall"). As large and impressive as they can be. I'm allready considering atlantis as a possible example. or prometheus and pandora?
a little warning is probably in order: this post is probably kinda longish. but i'd apreciate any answers, even short ones (such as "wiki-fu somethingsomething this would be what youre looking for etc.")
I'm doing a stint on a cooperative campaign thing with the previous gm's introducing plots, pc's and hooks, without tying up all loose ends. Cool, i say. Gives me a lot to work with...
okay. A little background.
1. campaign is set in pseudomedieval europe w. magic, fairies and demons fairly common. Setting is actually alot like the Ars Magica setting. It was a very important inspiration for the campaign.
2. players are young, recently apprenticed magicians or scholars or their guards, companions or cohorts.
3. base of operation is a small village in the pyrenees(sp?), ca 1200 ad.
plot line one:
4. the magicians of northern europe (north of iberia anyways), organized in guilds or orders, are all engaged in a "cold war" with the magicians of Iberia, the Maurs(sp?), partly because of religion, partly because of differences in their magical traditions. As well as the usual question of power, resources etc.
5. the pc magicians aren't really interested in starting a religious conflict, as the have their own collection of maurs, christians and cathars magi. Unfortunatly another guild located south of theirs, because of all the obvious troubles the pc covenant has had of diabolical origins, is considering using them as an excuse for advocating the eradication of all non-christian magicians.
plot line two:
6. pc's have found hints that the predecessors at their guild or "covenant", had come into possesion of a manuscript in arabic, penned by a mad arab we all know and fear because of H.P. Lovecraft... The book was actually a review of research and work done by magi of ancient egyptian origin.
7. These magicians had used the manuscript to enslave a demon and bind it in the guilds (covenant from now on), silver mines.
8. exactly 100 years after this incident it escaped, and wreaked havoc on the miners and the village they came from.
9. The diabolist were expelled from the guild years previously and their knowlege of the beast lost. after the troubles, their lost and sealed of laboratories were searched giving clues to the nature of the beast and a means of subduing it. The clues hinted that more could be learned at the covenant south of theirs, that is currently seeking to start a religious war...
plot line two...
10. recently, the head of their guild stole all of the silver in their coffers and fled after having purchased another manuscript, seemingly an unrelated episode. The title of the book gave the impression that it was a work about pushing the limits of aging, or possibly suspending it all together, a feat normally considered impossible.
11. Presumably he needed the manuscript, to open the magical artifact they had found just prior to this incident, a small seemingly unremarkable box, but with a lock impossible to open. The box was sugested to once having belonged to Pandora...
12. The guild leader stole away in the night leaving a bunch of confused pc's, presumably in the search of his lost love, another magi that once had had the box in her possesion.
Okay still with me?
My idea was to somewhat combine these three threads, under the theme "pride before fall", and "history repeats". I would like to add a few more "historical" clues of this nature and either (preferably) have the players think of this theme themselves and take actions to prevent it. Or introduce a npc that could nudge them on if needed. I kinda like the idea of a group of arrogant magi seeking knowledge, learning that knowledge can be dangerous. And arrogance even moreso...
I need someone to give me a few ideas for ancient "real" world history examples of hubris ("Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall"). As large and impressive as they can be. I'm allready considering atlantis as a possible example. or prometheus and pandora?
a little warning is probably in order: this post is probably kinda longish. but i'd apreciate any answers, even short ones (such as "wiki-fu somethingsomething this would be what youre looking for etc.")
I'm doing a stint on a cooperative campaign thing with the previous gm's introducing plots, pc's and hooks, without tying up all loose ends. Cool, i say. Gives me a lot to work with...
okay. A little background.
1. campaign is set in pseudomedieval europe w. magic, fairies and demons fairly common. Setting is actually alot like the Ars Magica setting. It was a very important inspiration for the campaign.
2. players are young, recently apprenticed magicians or scholars or their guards, companions or cohorts.
3. base of operation is a small village in the pyrenees(sp?), ca 1200 ad.
plot line one:
4. the magicians of northern europe (north of iberia anyways), organized in guilds or orders, are all engaged in a "cold war" with the magicians of Iberia, the Maurs(sp?), partly because of religion, partly because of differences in their magical traditions. As well as the usual question of power, resources etc.
5. the pc magicians aren't really interested in starting a religious conflict, as the have their own collection of maurs, christians and cathars magi. Unfortunatly another guild located south of theirs, because of all the obvious troubles the pc covenant has had of diabolical origins, is considering using them as an excuse for advocating the eradication of all non-christian magicians.
plot line two:
6. pc's have found hints that the predecessors at their guild or "covenant", had come into possesion of a manuscript in arabic, penned by a mad arab we all know and fear because of H.P. Lovecraft... The book was actually a review of research and work done by magi of ancient egyptian origin.
7. These magicians had used the manuscript to enslave a demon and bind it in the guilds (covenant from now on), silver mines.
8. exactly 100 years after this incident it escaped, and wreaked havoc on the miners and the village they came from.
9. The diabolist were expelled from the guild years previously and their knowlege of the beast lost. after the troubles, their lost and sealed of laboratories were searched giving clues to the nature of the beast and a means of subduing it. The clues hinted that more could be learned at the covenant south of theirs, that is currently seeking to start a religious war...
plot line two...
10. recently, the head of their guild stole all of the silver in their coffers and fled after having purchased another manuscript, seemingly an unrelated episode. The title of the book gave the impression that it was a work about pushing the limits of aging, or possibly suspending it all together, a feat normally considered impossible.
11. Presumably he needed the manuscript, to open the magical artifact they had found just prior to this incident, a small seemingly unremarkable box, but with a lock impossible to open. The box was sugested to once having belonged to Pandora...
12. The guild leader stole away in the night leaving a bunch of confused pc's, presumably in the search of his lost love, another magi that once had had the box in her possesion.
Okay still with me?
My idea was to somewhat combine these three threads, under the theme "pride before fall", and "history repeats". I would like to add a few more "historical" clues of this nature and either (preferably) have the players think of this theme themselves and take actions to prevent it. Or introduce a npc that could nudge them on if needed. I kinda like the idea of a group of arrogant magi seeking knowledge, learning that knowledge can be dangerous. And arrogance even moreso...
