Jack99
Adventurer
Molin, Bedet, BC, Bønne, Hansen og Jensen - Stay out
So, here we go again. Last week, I TPK'ed my players after 64 sessions and almost 23 levels. It was sort of an odd feeling, especially since we were all very happy with the campaign.
But sh.. err stuff happens and next week, we are getting right back on the proverbial horse and starting up a new campaign.
Our first campaign was started the week 4e was released, in June 08, and while we had lots of deaths, those that couldn't be fixed with a Raise Dead or Revive happened early in the campaign. So all classes were PHB1, straight out of the book.
It seems my players wanted to try something completely different, because the party composition certainly looks different. So far (still subject to change), we have:
Human Avenger-Invoker Hybrid
Goliath Warden
Genasi Warlord
Dragonborn Sorcerer
Elf Monk
Unknown Fighter
Half-Orc Paladin
Overall it looks like a solid party.
My last campaign was fairly railroady. Not that I do not allow them to make choices or go outside of what I had planned, but more that the campaign had 1 overall goal that more or less has been pursued since level 1. Granted, they didn't know the goal for a long time, but it was always the same goal.
This time I want to do things differently. I am not going totally sandbox, mostly because too many options never seems to be ideal for my players. They spend way too much time arguing, and while it's fun, we are all busy men with families and I feel it's not a very efficient way of spending the free-time I have.
Instead, I have made a map, a small setting, part of the world they played in, and I intend to keep the beginning of the campaign (unless the players decide otherwise, obviously) within that map. By beginning I mean the heroic tier. I haven't yet decided if I am stopping the campaign at 10th or 20th (or somewhere in between) yet, the only thing I know is that I am not going epic again, unless my players beg me to.
I also intend to have multiple story lines running at the same time, instead of just one big plot. I had a lot of ideas, but somehow I couldn't quite get them to fit together into something I was happy with.
So, instead of preparing everything in advance, I am going to try something I haven't done in many years. I am simply going to populate the world (or rather the map) with a lot of hooks, NPC's and potential BBEG's. Then, when we start on Tuesday, I will toss out a couple of hooks and we will take it from there.
Below is the maps and the information I have given to my players, if anyone is interested (or needs a good laugh over the maps).
[sblock=Introduction to the campaign setting]
Many years have passed since the world of Draegor received its now famous arrivals from another world. For long, much was clouded and secret. But from the tales of Simon the Humble and later from the gods themselves, we know now that the Swords of Drahar were fighting for a better world, a world were the true gods could guide us. Alas they failed, and met their demise in the Church of Kord in what are now the ruins of Drahar.
No one knows for sure what happened then. But word of the original gods about the story of what the Swords fought for spread amongst the general populace, not just in Drahar, but everywhere in the world. Slowly, at first, without attracting too much attention, followers of the original gods became more numerous and the original gods (at this time still exarches) began to amass power. Not all of them understood fully why this was happening, but eventually, even they heard the tale of the Usurper gods, as discovered by the Swords and chronicled by a humble priest of Kord named Simon. They were not pleased, because they started to remember what they once had been, and wanted to be so again.
At some point around 501, the original gods transcended to real gods, and thus began the War of the Gods, 483 years after the Swords died. At first, it was a silent war in the shadows of civilization, a war fought between the faithful. But after only a couple of years, it had become a full-blown, world-spanning war between empires, kingdoms and city-states, but also in the dark corners of the world and in every small village..
The war continued this way for around 14 years, slowly depleting the humanoid resources, and yet, there was no clear advantage to any of the sides. Then somehow, in 515, the real disaster struck. The Ancient Compact was broken, and once again the gods (both new and old) walked the earth again, without restrictions. Without being tempered by the primal spirits who had guarded the world since the Dawn War.
The world was sundered. Cities were destroyed, empires fell, mountain ranges were leveled, seas raised and even the weather was affected. Entire kingdoms worth of people were killed, and it looked as if there would be no one left to worship whoever would win the war.
Fortunately, the war did come to an end. Whatever had kept the primal spirits in check vanished around 521, and suddenly the gods found out what kind of fury and power the World Serpent and the other spirits have. The Usurper gods were all killed, and the original (and new) gods were once again banished from walking the mortal world and sent into the Astral Sea.
So the original gods won. Once again the gods are called Kord, Bane, Pelor, Asmodeus etc, but not much was left to rule, not many people were left to worship them. Draegor is a broken world, filled with smoking ruins where there once was might empires and cities.
The Auran Empire, gone. The Empire of the Keeper (also known as the Ebon Empire), destroyed. Drahar a shattered ruin, etc, etc.
And a lot of those left behind share an arguably strong distrust of the gods and those that still worship them. After all, they did almost destroy the world. Instead, people have come to worship the primal spirits to a larger degree. To them, the Swords were misguided fools who brought on a cataclysm, but to those of us who believe in the gods, the Swords of Drahar are the greatest heroes to ever walk the mortal world. They are the ones that freed us from more than 10.000 years of deception. They are now exarches and saints, standing at the side of the gods (Gnoguh and Saint Carric are exarches of Kord, Gork is an exarch of Moradin, Torn is an exarch of Ioun, Truxas is an exarch of Melora and Tagron is an exarch of Asmodeus). Saint Carric is even attracting quite a following.
It has now been 78 years since the second banishment (the year is 599), and the world is still licking its wounds. People live in villages and small towns, and to my knowledge, no man rules over territory much larger than what you can ride in a day. Monsters are everywhere, and the ruins after an apocalypse hold treasure beyond our wildest dreams. If there ever was a time for heroes, this is it.
[sblock=Local Map]
[/sblock]
[sblock=Places of Interest on Local Map]
Villages and Towns
Ash Grove: A small village of 350 inhabitants, mostly human, but with a strong presence of half-elves. Known for it's Meystival, a celebration of the Primal Spirits on the 13th of Mey every year, where thousands of people from the nearby villages and farms flock to Ashgrove to celebrate for 3 days and dance around their ancient obelisk.
Slag Fort: A village built on pontoons. It takes a certain man to live on the edge, with trolls as neighbors, but the good people of Slag Fort have none the less chosen to do so. Outsiders tend to few them as somewhere in between odd and mad. They live off the land, hunting rare animals in the swamp, especially the Slag Frog, a human sized frog that produces both a potent poison and a powerful painkiller.
Fallcrest: The second biggest town of the area, only dwarfed by Laketown. For years it has functioned as the first line of the defense against attacks from the North. For years, there was little need for it, but then, 22 years ago, the Bloodspear Orcs came down in force from the Hollow Hills and sacked Fallcrest, moving on south: Luckily they chose to move on Laketown, and were exterminated by General Balthazar at the Battle of the Red Pines. Since then, there has been a lot of rebuilding, but they are far from done and there are still ruined buildings in town.
Deerfield: Is not so much a village as a big collection of tents, where a large number of hunters live. They are sworn to the Ancient ways, forsaking the strappings of civilization, but otherwise accepting any person of any race that wishes to live like they do. They are lead by the Council of Clover, which consists of the 5 eldest female members. Aside from humans, Deerfield has an extraordinary large contingent of Goliaths, halflings and elves, the former who ended up there during the Godswar.
Miner's Gate: A small fortified mining village which has more guards than miners. Placed on top of the iron mine that is vital to the economy of Laketown, where lots of dwarven miners work. It is a place where no one enters without permit, a grim place of hard men. Such a place has to be run by a hard man, and that is precisely what Captain Tork, a huge monster of an half-orc, is.
Yorkpoint: Founded during the height of the Godswar, when some eladrin families fled the war in the Feywild, Yorkpoint is a village built more than 150 feet above ground in the tall oak-trees of the forest. The York river runs through the village and the village serves as guardian of the way to the wild east. The eladrins still run the town, but it is open to all races, as long as they behave by eladrin standard.
Laketown: Once the thriving capital of a new-founded kingdom with more than 10.000 inhabitants, Laketown now barely holds a third of that. Gone are the kings as well, and although some noble families still wield considerable power, the power was completely given back to the people 12 years ago, when it was decided that Laketown would attempt to be the first democratic town of Draegor. Opinions vary on how that is going, but at least so far, the town still stands and remain the biggest force in the western part of Draegor.
Sandpoint: Run by a council of paladins, Sandpoint is by far the most ordered and orderly village you will ever encounter. Both it's street and walls are uniformly the same size, planned from the beginning. Founded shortly after the Godswar by 3 paladins of Ioun, Raven Queen and Bahamut, Sandpoint, with its barely 1000 inhabitants, is dominated by the sumptuous tri-god church in the center market square. Every 10 years, they hold the Trigodlon, a contest sponsored by the three churches in order to find the most crafty, sneaky and brave heroes.
Knaves Hollow: One of the first Laketown governors after the Godswar, Jeremy McCracken, got the brilliant idea that all prisoners and rejects of Laketown should be shipped elsewhere. That didn't work too well, and soon after, the prisoners staged a coup and took over the prison. After several years of battle across the lake, Knaves Hollow was accepted as a legit town and its leadership acknowledged. Lots have happened since then, of course, but some still consider it a place where gambling, whoring and other illicit things set the tone and run the town.
Brynport: Also known as Fishtown or Fishport. Almost half of the town seems to works with fish, catching it in the Lake of Reflection, which has an abundance of all sorts of tasty fish. They catch so many fish in Brynport that they could feed most of the area, which they actually do.
Natural Areas
Swamp of Death: In the old days, the Swamp of Death was full of hydras and trolls. Ever since the Godswar, things have been quiet and not much has come out of the swamp. But most people still avoid the place, except the people of Slag Fort.
The Shadow Forest: While some forests can seem dark and menacing, the Shadow Forest truly is both. All trees are ashen grey, with no leaves. Despite the lack of leaves, the area is always dark as if it is in the middle of the night. Some say that the darkness comes from the veil to the Shadowfell being exceptionally thin here, but so far, it is just talk. Very few people enter the forest and even fewer come out alive. The Shadow Forest was not always like this, before the Godswar, it was a normal forest.
Hollow Hills: The Hollow Hills to the north are called so because of the many caves that riddle the area. Uncountable monsters live here, and no one knows exactly what they all are or in which cave they live, seeing that some of the caves a miles deep. There are however several tribes of orcs that make their home in the Hollow Hills.
The Silent Forest: The huge forest that encompasses most of the western part of Draegor. It's dark and scary and full of monsters. At night, it often goes very quiet, with no animal or other noises to hear. Some people believe it to happen just before the real monsters come out of the dark.
Skyfire Lake: Covering more than 30 square miles, Skyfire Lake is famous for it's many fish like the Skyfire Perch which get to weigh more than 400 lbs. Skyfire Lake got it's name after the Godswar, because of phenomenon that has been happening every 26 years on the 19th Awgost since then. At sunrise, a mile wide fire column rises from the middle of the lake, disappearing up into the sky. This lasts until sunset. Each time it happens, a lot of prophets and doom-sayers make their way to the edge of Skyfire Lake to see the happening and try to make some sense of it. Wizards, warlocks and other wielders of magic that cast a lot of fire-based spells often come here to witness the Skyfire because it is widely regarded as giving them power.
Lake of Reflection: Clear and calm are probably the words that describe the lake best. Widely known as one of the most beautiful places within hundreds of miles, and many weddings take place on the border of the lake.
High Rock Mountain: Before that was only one big lake here, but during the Godswar, Moradin, Bane and Melora fought the Keeper here. The Keeper was losing this battle, and in attempt to throw off the armies of good, he raised High Rock Mountains and the Volcano known as Keeper's Cauldron in the blink of an eye. While he still lost the battle, he did manage to get away. High Rock Mountain is an extremely steep mountain, more than 30.000 ft high, with the top half always covered in snow and fog on all but the clearest days. Odd and powerful monsters occasionally come down from the mountain, but know one knows what is up there, as no one has been stupid enough to try climbing to the top.
The Thunderspire Mountains: Ancient and mighty, the Tunderspire Mountains separate the western part of Draegor from the southern part. Unchanged for thousands of years, filled with valleys, ruins and monsters, the Thunderspire Mountains form a barrier to all but the bravest of souls. Few of the peaks break 15.000 feet.
Obelisk Valley: A small valley just south of the High Rock Mountain that was formed when the Keeper raised High Rock Mountain. But when it was discovered, it's 8 miles were already with a perfect row of marble-white obelisks evenly spaced out ever 33 ft.
Jade River: By far the longest of the 3 big rivers, Jade River has its origin in Thunderspire Mountains (just like the other rivers) and runs several hundred miles to the north, all the way up to Dead Man's Marsh.
Wild River: Rumored to have its origin in the Feywild, the Wild River lives fully up to its name. The spread is so great that it is almost impossible to navigate the river. Coming from up in the Thunderspire Mountains, it splits off, connecting with both lakes, but also disappearing into some caves south of High Rock Mountain. Where it goes from there, no one knows.
York River: Flowing from the Thunderspire Mountains and north, through Yorkpoint and all the way (almost) to the Swamp of Death, York River also splits in two and connects with Skyfire Lake. It is a river that runs at an slow and easy pace, and thus very easy to navigate. It is however almost 300 feet wide and very deep, making it almost impossible to pass, unless there is a bridge.
Devil's Tear: Named after the rare gems that was once found here, these hills are otherwise fairly normal, except for the many abandoned buildings after the Great Rush of 567, where thousands of people rushed to the hills after a sizable amount of Devil's Tear gems were found by the Muffin family. Most of those who got out alive came home with empty pockets.
Man-made Places
Castle of Flames (Ruins of): Once the home of the Sorcerer-Kings ruling the area, Castle Flame was like many other things destroyed during the Godswar when a portal to the Abyss was opened and demons poured in. Today it is just a huge ruin, which still, a 100 years later, is visited by treasure-seekers, who are looking for the fabled treasures of the Sorcerer-Kings.
Fortress Shieldmight: Shieldmight is an ancient fortress that has stood for thousands of years. Already there when the Draharians came close to 600 years ago, it was later restored by King Azul, King Azir I's great-grandson. After the Godswar, which is survived surprisingly unshattered, it has stood empty for many years, mostly due to no one being able or willing to pay for the upkeep necessary. Brigands of various sorts have used it for hideout, but 3 years ago, a tielfling named Leucis Firecold arrived and struck a deal with Laketown to take over the keep. So far, there has been no issue with Lord Leucis as he styles himself, but a lot of people fear his Red Riders. Recently rumors have started to emerge that Leucis claims kinship with Torn himself.
Bridge of Accord: Called so because according to the stories of the Godswar, it was here that the original gods met up shortly before the Primal Spirits came free and killed the Usurper Gods. The adventurer and chronicler (and notorious liar) D'agor Lubarion claims he witnessed the meeting and says it was called and led by none other than Asmodeus.[/sblock]
But, as usual, a little feedback can't hurt, because one should always strive to make the best campaign possible, within ones abilities. As mentioned earlier, we are starting off on Tuesday, and since I only just now decided on how to do things, I am probably a tad behind schedule (compared to what I would like to be anyway). Therefore, I would love some imput for my BBEG's. Below you will find a list of monsters that I could see as a BBEG (or at least a SBEG) somewhere on the map. If you feel like it, you are welcome to contribute with a hook or reason why the monster/NPC is a BBEG. You are even more welcome to link it to a place on the map. Of course, if you have a great idea for a monster not on the list (it is by no means complete), feel welcome to add that as well. Only thing I am asking is to avoid too many level 15+ monsters/NPC's, since 1) the map is relatively small and 2) there aren't many high levels in my campaign.
Kobold
The Kobolds of the Blind Eye tribe are lead by Griina, a female kobold wyrmpriest. Griina is very crafty compared to the average kobold, and as if that wasn't enough, she has a green dragon wyrmling, that goes by the name of Korak, as pet. She found Korak when he was still an egg, and has raised him, all by herself. He is thus extremely loyal and will do just about anything for her. The Blind Eye tribe, which recently arrived from the north, has made their lair in the forested hills just east of the Shadow Forest.
Motivation/hook: During a mushroom induced trance a couple of months ago, Griina had a vision which she believes to come from her god - She saw herself riding a huge dragon, with a burning Laketown below here. She now believes she is meant for greatness, but has yet no idea on how to achieve the goal. She remains confident however.
Succubus
Goblin
Green Warriors Tribe is a goblin tribe located about 15 miles straight west of Fallcrest. For long, they have been as unorganized as the average goblin tribe, but a couple of years, some of the warriors struck gold. Coming home from a hunting party, they saved a hobgoblin from a bear. As it turns out, the hobgoblin is none other than Krusk, an old crafty master tactician. Pledging his life to the Green Warrior Tribe, he immediately started working on their fighting skills. Since then, the tribe has become much more organized, and Ee'rak, the goblin chieftain, has begun thinking he might have a force that can be used to teach the humans of Fallcrest a lesson, perhaps even driving them away, giving the Green Warriors dominion over the area.
Goblin & Mummy
The Tribe of the Bloody Skulls is named after their grizzly tradition of marking their territory by using the bloody skulls of past foes. The tribe is located in some ancient ruins, approximately 15 miles north-west of the Bridge of Accord. In those ruins, they recently found an burial crypt holding the old mummified corpse of a goblin high priest. A lot of rituals later, the shamans of the tribe managed to bring the mummy back to unlife. The "resurrected" high priest promptly killed the shamans and took control of the tribe.
Goblin
The Guardians of Lore Tribe is yet another goblin tribe. Their camp is located deep within the Silent Forest, approximately 25 miles east of the Hollow Hills. The Guardians of Lore exist for one thing, safe-keeping the grove where, Gh'ankh'an, an ancient Green Dragon sleeps, victim of a mysterious curse.
Adult Silver Dragon
Kamarenax Mountainreaver is a silver dragon that lives in Fallcrest. By the humans, she is known as Kama, the halfling owner of Blue Moon Alehouse. Of course, little do they suspect that the friendly halfling lady is in fact a dragon.
Motivation: During the Godswar, the Eye of the Death Queen, an ancient and very powerful evil artifact, was lost and resurfaced here, in Fallcrest. Unfortunately, Kama does not know exactly where it is, but something makes her certain that it is still in that general area. And she is determined to stay and watch for any signs of it's reappearance. Via intermediaries, she often hires local adventurers to explore newly found ruins.
Fell Taint
Following the trail of the Grells up through the Underdark was a large group of Fell Taints. They are still hiding out in the caves below the mine, but have started to explore their new territory.
Motivation: Feeding on whatever comes their way
Note: I really like the Fell Taints, but unfortunately, nothing in their lore nor stats warrants much in the way of plans beside feeding on hapless creatures.
Grell Philosopher
A few days ago, a small earthquake hit Miner's Gate, connecting the mine with several tunnels in the Underdark. A colony of Grell led by an exceptionally cunning and intelligent Grell Philosopher escaped through the mines while the miners were sleeping, and are now heading towards civilization, sleeping and hiding during daylight hours and moving only at night. They have acquired a taste for human flesh, and their leader has promised to find more bountiful hunting grounds.
Motivation: If you ask the other grells, it's food. But their leader, a loremaster of his race, wishes to learn more of the world above. He plans to enslave some scholars to read some of the many books he has acquired over time.
Vampire Necromancer
Werewolf
Orc, Ogre Shaman & Bulette
While the Bloodspear tribe was nearly wiped out 20 odd years ago, most of the females and those orcs too young to fight survived, back in the caves of Hollow hills. In order to survive, they made a deal with a clan of ogres for protection. So now, they are led by J'tar, an ambitious ogre shaman who has a bulette for pet (She calls it "Pain"), and her Ogre Magi lover. They have for years been feeding tales of greatness and revenge to the young orcs, who now are old enough to go to war. Fallcrest is just the first stop in a war. The couple are determined to rid the region completely of humans.
Wererat
The Twin Daggers, the thieves' guild in Fallcrest, which is controlled by the succubus Adele (or rather, that's her human name) has a family of wererats as members. They have been charmed, just as anyone else, but unbeknown to Adele, the control breaks when they change shape. For now, they play along, mostly because they do not what to do and who they can trust. But they are looking for a way out of the clutches of Adele. Just as everyone else, they have no idea what they are dealing with. They think she is a sorcerer or a witch of some sorts.
Human Bandit
Leucis Firecold is determined to be popular in the region. He has therefore (via intermediaries) hired brigands from far to come to the region and pillage and rob people. Right now, there is at least 3 bands of brigands in the general area of Fallcrest. One band is hiding in the outer ruins of Castle Flame, one in the forest between Fallcrest and Ashtown, and last but not least, one near where Jade River forks, about 15 miles South-West of the Bridge of Accord.
Lich
Deep within the Shadow Forest lies Everdark, the keep of a lich who calls himself the Shadow of the Keeper. He is behind the Shadow Forest, and is now working on expanding it, by further blurring the line between the Shadowfell and the mortal world.
Fomorian
Zanex, an atypical Fomorian, is sane. A few years ago, Zanex, a scholar and sage, figured out that the insanity and paranoia of his race was keyed to their evil eye. Keen to explore his revelation, he blinded himself and suddenly found himself seeing the world in a new light. The madness gone, he could no longer live among his own. He fled to the surface, where he took up residence in a small hut not far from Fallcrest, using his shapeshifting powers to pose as a lonely hermit. He knows that if ever his old clansmen find him, he is dead, so he will go to any length to protects its identity, so therefore, he rarely leaves his hut. The fewer people who see him, the less chance there is that someone will see through his shapeshifting. Zanex is a very powerful spellcaster, having developed blindsight to compensate for his lack of visual organ.
Motivation: Burdened by the weight of all the evil his race has done for thousands of years, Zanex is determined to do some good in the world. He has access to a lot of lore and at times uses adventurers to right wrongs or make sure that evil doesn't get the upper hand in the area.
Orcus priest
Gotzael, an evil priest dedicated to Orcus, has recently begun a cell of the Children of the Demon Prince, a cult dedicated to the magnificence of Orcus, in Laketown. The cult recruits bored rich kids or wives, andinitiates them into a life of sacrifices, murders and debauchery.
Motivation: Gotzael dreams of summoning an undead demon to have at his command. This has recently become something of an obsession, so the number of sacrifices have increased somewhat lately. He hopes they will gain him the favor of Orcus.
Bugbear Assassin
Deep into the Swamp of Death, 20 miles north-east from Slag Fort, lies a little cabin. Here lives Hraggek, once one of the best assassins on the continent of Draegor. He is now old and a bit slower, but his intellect is sharp and he can certainly still kill most people one on one. For years, every town and village in western Draegor had his face on a wanted poster, but no one ever succeeded in catching him. He knows more secrets about different rulers than they care for, especially about certain things that happened in Laketown when they were converting it to a democracy.
Motivation: Hraggek just wants to be left alone, living the rest of his life in solitude.
Flesh Golem
Oni Night Hunter
Asmodeus priest
Hydra
Living Darkness
Gelatinous Cube
Bloodkiss Beholder
Example:
Kobold:
The Kobolds of the Blind Eye tribe are lead by Griina, a female kobold wyrmpriest. Griina is very crafty compared to the average kobold, and as if that wasn't enough, she has a green dragon wyrmling, that goes by the name of Korak, as pet. She found Korak when he was still an egg, and has raised him, all by herself. He is thus extremely loyal and will do just about anything for her. The Blind Eye tribe, which recently arrived from the north, has made their lair in the forested hills just east of the Shadow Forest.
Motivation/hook: During a mushroom induced trance a couple of months ago, Griina had a vision which she believes to come from her god - She saw herself riding a huge dragon, with a burning Laketown below here. She now believes she is meant for greatness, but has yet no idea on how to achieve the goal. She remains confident however.
Thanks in advance
Cheers
So, here we go again. Last week, I TPK'ed my players after 64 sessions and almost 23 levels. It was sort of an odd feeling, especially since we were all very happy with the campaign.
But sh.. err stuff happens and next week, we are getting right back on the proverbial horse and starting up a new campaign.
Our first campaign was started the week 4e was released, in June 08, and while we had lots of deaths, those that couldn't be fixed with a Raise Dead or Revive happened early in the campaign. So all classes were PHB1, straight out of the book.
It seems my players wanted to try something completely different, because the party composition certainly looks different. So far (still subject to change), we have:
Human Avenger-Invoker Hybrid
Goliath Warden
Genasi Warlord
Dragonborn Sorcerer
Elf Monk
Half-Orc Paladin
Overall it looks like a solid party.
My last campaign was fairly railroady. Not that I do not allow them to make choices or go outside of what I had planned, but more that the campaign had 1 overall goal that more or less has been pursued since level 1. Granted, they didn't know the goal for a long time, but it was always the same goal.
This time I want to do things differently. I am not going totally sandbox, mostly because too many options never seems to be ideal for my players. They spend way too much time arguing, and while it's fun, we are all busy men with families and I feel it's not a very efficient way of spending the free-time I have.
Instead, I have made a map, a small setting, part of the world they played in, and I intend to keep the beginning of the campaign (unless the players decide otherwise, obviously) within that map. By beginning I mean the heroic tier. I haven't yet decided if I am stopping the campaign at 10th or 20th (or somewhere in between) yet, the only thing I know is that I am not going epic again, unless my players beg me to.
I also intend to have multiple story lines running at the same time, instead of just one big plot. I had a lot of ideas, but somehow I couldn't quite get them to fit together into something I was happy with.
So, instead of preparing everything in advance, I am going to try something I haven't done in many years. I am simply going to populate the world (or rather the map) with a lot of hooks, NPC's and potential BBEG's. Then, when we start on Tuesday, I will toss out a couple of hooks and we will take it from there.
Below is the maps and the information I have given to my players, if anyone is interested (or needs a good laugh over the maps).
[sblock=Introduction to the campaign setting]
Many years have passed since the world of Draegor received its now famous arrivals from another world. For long, much was clouded and secret. But from the tales of Simon the Humble and later from the gods themselves, we know now that the Swords of Drahar were fighting for a better world, a world were the true gods could guide us. Alas they failed, and met their demise in the Church of Kord in what are now the ruins of Drahar.
No one knows for sure what happened then. But word of the original gods about the story of what the Swords fought for spread amongst the general populace, not just in Drahar, but everywhere in the world. Slowly, at first, without attracting too much attention, followers of the original gods became more numerous and the original gods (at this time still exarches) began to amass power. Not all of them understood fully why this was happening, but eventually, even they heard the tale of the Usurper gods, as discovered by the Swords and chronicled by a humble priest of Kord named Simon. They were not pleased, because they started to remember what they once had been, and wanted to be so again.
At some point around 501, the original gods transcended to real gods, and thus began the War of the Gods, 483 years after the Swords died. At first, it was a silent war in the shadows of civilization, a war fought between the faithful. But after only a couple of years, it had become a full-blown, world-spanning war between empires, kingdoms and city-states, but also in the dark corners of the world and in every small village..
The war continued this way for around 14 years, slowly depleting the humanoid resources, and yet, there was no clear advantage to any of the sides. Then somehow, in 515, the real disaster struck. The Ancient Compact was broken, and once again the gods (both new and old) walked the earth again, without restrictions. Without being tempered by the primal spirits who had guarded the world since the Dawn War.
The world was sundered. Cities were destroyed, empires fell, mountain ranges were leveled, seas raised and even the weather was affected. Entire kingdoms worth of people were killed, and it looked as if there would be no one left to worship whoever would win the war.
Fortunately, the war did come to an end. Whatever had kept the primal spirits in check vanished around 521, and suddenly the gods found out what kind of fury and power the World Serpent and the other spirits have. The Usurper gods were all killed, and the original (and new) gods were once again banished from walking the mortal world and sent into the Astral Sea.
So the original gods won. Once again the gods are called Kord, Bane, Pelor, Asmodeus etc, but not much was left to rule, not many people were left to worship them. Draegor is a broken world, filled with smoking ruins where there once was might empires and cities.
The Auran Empire, gone. The Empire of the Keeper (also known as the Ebon Empire), destroyed. Drahar a shattered ruin, etc, etc.
And a lot of those left behind share an arguably strong distrust of the gods and those that still worship them. After all, they did almost destroy the world. Instead, people have come to worship the primal spirits to a larger degree. To them, the Swords were misguided fools who brought on a cataclysm, but to those of us who believe in the gods, the Swords of Drahar are the greatest heroes to ever walk the mortal world. They are the ones that freed us from more than 10.000 years of deception. They are now exarches and saints, standing at the side of the gods (Gnoguh and Saint Carric are exarches of Kord, Gork is an exarch of Moradin, Torn is an exarch of Ioun, Truxas is an exarch of Melora and Tagron is an exarch of Asmodeus). Saint Carric is even attracting quite a following.
It has now been 78 years since the second banishment (the year is 599), and the world is still licking its wounds. People live in villages and small towns, and to my knowledge, no man rules over territory much larger than what you can ride in a day. Monsters are everywhere, and the ruins after an apocalypse hold treasure beyond our wildest dreams. If there ever was a time for heroes, this is it.
Hubertus Maximiliam, Bard Extraordinaire of Laketown, in the year 599
[/sblock][sblock=Local Map]
[sblock=Places of Interest on Local Map]
Villages and Towns
Ash Grove: A small village of 350 inhabitants, mostly human, but with a strong presence of half-elves. Known for it's Meystival, a celebration of the Primal Spirits on the 13th of Mey every year, where thousands of people from the nearby villages and farms flock to Ashgrove to celebrate for 3 days and dance around their ancient obelisk.
Slag Fort: A village built on pontoons. It takes a certain man to live on the edge, with trolls as neighbors, but the good people of Slag Fort have none the less chosen to do so. Outsiders tend to few them as somewhere in between odd and mad. They live off the land, hunting rare animals in the swamp, especially the Slag Frog, a human sized frog that produces both a potent poison and a powerful painkiller.
Fallcrest: The second biggest town of the area, only dwarfed by Laketown. For years it has functioned as the first line of the defense against attacks from the North. For years, there was little need for it, but then, 22 years ago, the Bloodspear Orcs came down in force from the Hollow Hills and sacked Fallcrest, moving on south: Luckily they chose to move on Laketown, and were exterminated by General Balthazar at the Battle of the Red Pines. Since then, there has been a lot of rebuilding, but they are far from done and there are still ruined buildings in town.
Deerfield: Is not so much a village as a big collection of tents, where a large number of hunters live. They are sworn to the Ancient ways, forsaking the strappings of civilization, but otherwise accepting any person of any race that wishes to live like they do. They are lead by the Council of Clover, which consists of the 5 eldest female members. Aside from humans, Deerfield has an extraordinary large contingent of Goliaths, halflings and elves, the former who ended up there during the Godswar.
Miner's Gate: A small fortified mining village which has more guards than miners. Placed on top of the iron mine that is vital to the economy of Laketown, where lots of dwarven miners work. It is a place where no one enters without permit, a grim place of hard men. Such a place has to be run by a hard man, and that is precisely what Captain Tork, a huge monster of an half-orc, is.
Yorkpoint: Founded during the height of the Godswar, when some eladrin families fled the war in the Feywild, Yorkpoint is a village built more than 150 feet above ground in the tall oak-trees of the forest. The York river runs through the village and the village serves as guardian of the way to the wild east. The eladrins still run the town, but it is open to all races, as long as they behave by eladrin standard.
Laketown: Once the thriving capital of a new-founded kingdom with more than 10.000 inhabitants, Laketown now barely holds a third of that. Gone are the kings as well, and although some noble families still wield considerable power, the power was completely given back to the people 12 years ago, when it was decided that Laketown would attempt to be the first democratic town of Draegor. Opinions vary on how that is going, but at least so far, the town still stands and remain the biggest force in the western part of Draegor.
Sandpoint: Run by a council of paladins, Sandpoint is by far the most ordered and orderly village you will ever encounter. Both it's street and walls are uniformly the same size, planned from the beginning. Founded shortly after the Godswar by 3 paladins of Ioun, Raven Queen and Bahamut, Sandpoint, with its barely 1000 inhabitants, is dominated by the sumptuous tri-god church in the center market square. Every 10 years, they hold the Trigodlon, a contest sponsored by the three churches in order to find the most crafty, sneaky and brave heroes.
Knaves Hollow: One of the first Laketown governors after the Godswar, Jeremy McCracken, got the brilliant idea that all prisoners and rejects of Laketown should be shipped elsewhere. That didn't work too well, and soon after, the prisoners staged a coup and took over the prison. After several years of battle across the lake, Knaves Hollow was accepted as a legit town and its leadership acknowledged. Lots have happened since then, of course, but some still consider it a place where gambling, whoring and other illicit things set the tone and run the town.
Brynport: Also known as Fishtown or Fishport. Almost half of the town seems to works with fish, catching it in the Lake of Reflection, which has an abundance of all sorts of tasty fish. They catch so many fish in Brynport that they could feed most of the area, which they actually do.
Natural Areas
Swamp of Death: In the old days, the Swamp of Death was full of hydras and trolls. Ever since the Godswar, things have been quiet and not much has come out of the swamp. But most people still avoid the place, except the people of Slag Fort.
The Shadow Forest: While some forests can seem dark and menacing, the Shadow Forest truly is both. All trees are ashen grey, with no leaves. Despite the lack of leaves, the area is always dark as if it is in the middle of the night. Some say that the darkness comes from the veil to the Shadowfell being exceptionally thin here, but so far, it is just talk. Very few people enter the forest and even fewer come out alive. The Shadow Forest was not always like this, before the Godswar, it was a normal forest.
Hollow Hills: The Hollow Hills to the north are called so because of the many caves that riddle the area. Uncountable monsters live here, and no one knows exactly what they all are or in which cave they live, seeing that some of the caves a miles deep. There are however several tribes of orcs that make their home in the Hollow Hills.
The Silent Forest: The huge forest that encompasses most of the western part of Draegor. It's dark and scary and full of monsters. At night, it often goes very quiet, with no animal or other noises to hear. Some people believe it to happen just before the real monsters come out of the dark.
Skyfire Lake: Covering more than 30 square miles, Skyfire Lake is famous for it's many fish like the Skyfire Perch which get to weigh more than 400 lbs. Skyfire Lake got it's name after the Godswar, because of phenomenon that has been happening every 26 years on the 19th Awgost since then. At sunrise, a mile wide fire column rises from the middle of the lake, disappearing up into the sky. This lasts until sunset. Each time it happens, a lot of prophets and doom-sayers make their way to the edge of Skyfire Lake to see the happening and try to make some sense of it. Wizards, warlocks and other wielders of magic that cast a lot of fire-based spells often come here to witness the Skyfire because it is widely regarded as giving them power.
Lake of Reflection: Clear and calm are probably the words that describe the lake best. Widely known as one of the most beautiful places within hundreds of miles, and many weddings take place on the border of the lake.
High Rock Mountain: Before that was only one big lake here, but during the Godswar, Moradin, Bane and Melora fought the Keeper here. The Keeper was losing this battle, and in attempt to throw off the armies of good, he raised High Rock Mountains and the Volcano known as Keeper's Cauldron in the blink of an eye. While he still lost the battle, he did manage to get away. High Rock Mountain is an extremely steep mountain, more than 30.000 ft high, with the top half always covered in snow and fog on all but the clearest days. Odd and powerful monsters occasionally come down from the mountain, but know one knows what is up there, as no one has been stupid enough to try climbing to the top.
The Thunderspire Mountains: Ancient and mighty, the Tunderspire Mountains separate the western part of Draegor from the southern part. Unchanged for thousands of years, filled with valleys, ruins and monsters, the Thunderspire Mountains form a barrier to all but the bravest of souls. Few of the peaks break 15.000 feet.
Obelisk Valley: A small valley just south of the High Rock Mountain that was formed when the Keeper raised High Rock Mountain. But when it was discovered, it's 8 miles were already with a perfect row of marble-white obelisks evenly spaced out ever 33 ft.
Jade River: By far the longest of the 3 big rivers, Jade River has its origin in Thunderspire Mountains (just like the other rivers) and runs several hundred miles to the north, all the way up to Dead Man's Marsh.
Wild River: Rumored to have its origin in the Feywild, the Wild River lives fully up to its name. The spread is so great that it is almost impossible to navigate the river. Coming from up in the Thunderspire Mountains, it splits off, connecting with both lakes, but also disappearing into some caves south of High Rock Mountain. Where it goes from there, no one knows.
York River: Flowing from the Thunderspire Mountains and north, through Yorkpoint and all the way (almost) to the Swamp of Death, York River also splits in two and connects with Skyfire Lake. It is a river that runs at an slow and easy pace, and thus very easy to navigate. It is however almost 300 feet wide and very deep, making it almost impossible to pass, unless there is a bridge.
Devil's Tear: Named after the rare gems that was once found here, these hills are otherwise fairly normal, except for the many abandoned buildings after the Great Rush of 567, where thousands of people rushed to the hills after a sizable amount of Devil's Tear gems were found by the Muffin family. Most of those who got out alive came home with empty pockets.
Man-made Places
Castle of Flames (Ruins of): Once the home of the Sorcerer-Kings ruling the area, Castle Flame was like many other things destroyed during the Godswar when a portal to the Abyss was opened and demons poured in. Today it is just a huge ruin, which still, a 100 years later, is visited by treasure-seekers, who are looking for the fabled treasures of the Sorcerer-Kings.
Fortress Shieldmight: Shieldmight is an ancient fortress that has stood for thousands of years. Already there when the Draharians came close to 600 years ago, it was later restored by King Azul, King Azir I's great-grandson. After the Godswar, which is survived surprisingly unshattered, it has stood empty for many years, mostly due to no one being able or willing to pay for the upkeep necessary. Brigands of various sorts have used it for hideout, but 3 years ago, a tielfling named Leucis Firecold arrived and struck a deal with Laketown to take over the keep. So far, there has been no issue with Lord Leucis as he styles himself, but a lot of people fear his Red Riders. Recently rumors have started to emerge that Leucis claims kinship with Torn himself.
Bridge of Accord: Called so because according to the stories of the Godswar, it was here that the original gods met up shortly before the Primal Spirits came free and killed the Usurper Gods. The adventurer and chronicler (and notorious liar) D'agor Lubarion claims he witnessed the meeting and says it was called and led by none other than Asmodeus.[/sblock]
But, as usual, a little feedback can't hurt, because one should always strive to make the best campaign possible, within ones abilities. As mentioned earlier, we are starting off on Tuesday, and since I only just now decided on how to do things, I am probably a tad behind schedule (compared to what I would like to be anyway). Therefore, I would love some imput for my BBEG's. Below you will find a list of monsters that I could see as a BBEG (or at least a SBEG) somewhere on the map. If you feel like it, you are welcome to contribute with a hook or reason why the monster/NPC is a BBEG. You are even more welcome to link it to a place on the map. Of course, if you have a great idea for a monster not on the list (it is by no means complete), feel welcome to add that as well. Only thing I am asking is to avoid too many level 15+ monsters/NPC's, since 1) the map is relatively small and 2) there aren't many high levels in my campaign.
Kobold
The Kobolds of the Blind Eye tribe are lead by Griina, a female kobold wyrmpriest. Griina is very crafty compared to the average kobold, and as if that wasn't enough, she has a green dragon wyrmling, that goes by the name of Korak, as pet. She found Korak when he was still an egg, and has raised him, all by herself. He is thus extremely loyal and will do just about anything for her. The Blind Eye tribe, which recently arrived from the north, has made their lair in the forested hills just east of the Shadow Forest.
Motivation/hook: During a mushroom induced trance a couple of months ago, Griina had a vision which she believes to come from her god - She saw herself riding a huge dragon, with a burning Laketown below here. She now believes she is meant for greatness, but has yet no idea on how to achieve the goal. She remains confident however.
Succubus
Goblin
Green Warriors Tribe is a goblin tribe located about 15 miles straight west of Fallcrest. For long, they have been as unorganized as the average goblin tribe, but a couple of years, some of the warriors struck gold. Coming home from a hunting party, they saved a hobgoblin from a bear. As it turns out, the hobgoblin is none other than Krusk, an old crafty master tactician. Pledging his life to the Green Warrior Tribe, he immediately started working on their fighting skills. Since then, the tribe has become much more organized, and Ee'rak, the goblin chieftain, has begun thinking he might have a force that can be used to teach the humans of Fallcrest a lesson, perhaps even driving them away, giving the Green Warriors dominion over the area.
Goblin & Mummy
The Tribe of the Bloody Skulls is named after their grizzly tradition of marking their territory by using the bloody skulls of past foes. The tribe is located in some ancient ruins, approximately 15 miles north-west of the Bridge of Accord. In those ruins, they recently found an burial crypt holding the old mummified corpse of a goblin high priest. A lot of rituals later, the shamans of the tribe managed to bring the mummy back to unlife. The "resurrected" high priest promptly killed the shamans and took control of the tribe.
Goblin
The Guardians of Lore Tribe is yet another goblin tribe. Their camp is located deep within the Silent Forest, approximately 25 miles east of the Hollow Hills. The Guardians of Lore exist for one thing, safe-keeping the grove where, Gh'ankh'an, an ancient Green Dragon sleeps, victim of a mysterious curse.
Adult Silver Dragon
Kamarenax Mountainreaver is a silver dragon that lives in Fallcrest. By the humans, she is known as Kama, the halfling owner of Blue Moon Alehouse. Of course, little do they suspect that the friendly halfling lady is in fact a dragon.
Motivation: During the Godswar, the Eye of the Death Queen, an ancient and very powerful evil artifact, was lost and resurfaced here, in Fallcrest. Unfortunately, Kama does not know exactly where it is, but something makes her certain that it is still in that general area. And she is determined to stay and watch for any signs of it's reappearance. Via intermediaries, she often hires local adventurers to explore newly found ruins.
Fell Taint
Following the trail of the Grells up through the Underdark was a large group of Fell Taints. They are still hiding out in the caves below the mine, but have started to explore their new territory.
Motivation: Feeding on whatever comes their way
Note: I really like the Fell Taints, but unfortunately, nothing in their lore nor stats warrants much in the way of plans beside feeding on hapless creatures.
Grell Philosopher
A few days ago, a small earthquake hit Miner's Gate, connecting the mine with several tunnels in the Underdark. A colony of Grell led by an exceptionally cunning and intelligent Grell Philosopher escaped through the mines while the miners were sleeping, and are now heading towards civilization, sleeping and hiding during daylight hours and moving only at night. They have acquired a taste for human flesh, and their leader has promised to find more bountiful hunting grounds.
Motivation: If you ask the other grells, it's food. But their leader, a loremaster of his race, wishes to learn more of the world above. He plans to enslave some scholars to read some of the many books he has acquired over time.
Vampire Necromancer
Werewolf
Orc, Ogre Shaman & Bulette
While the Bloodspear tribe was nearly wiped out 20 odd years ago, most of the females and those orcs too young to fight survived, back in the caves of Hollow hills. In order to survive, they made a deal with a clan of ogres for protection. So now, they are led by J'tar, an ambitious ogre shaman who has a bulette for pet (She calls it "Pain"), and her Ogre Magi lover. They have for years been feeding tales of greatness and revenge to the young orcs, who now are old enough to go to war. Fallcrest is just the first stop in a war. The couple are determined to rid the region completely of humans.
Wererat
The Twin Daggers, the thieves' guild in Fallcrest, which is controlled by the succubus Adele (or rather, that's her human name) has a family of wererats as members. They have been charmed, just as anyone else, but unbeknown to Adele, the control breaks when they change shape. For now, they play along, mostly because they do not what to do and who they can trust. But they are looking for a way out of the clutches of Adele. Just as everyone else, they have no idea what they are dealing with. They think she is a sorcerer or a witch of some sorts.
Human Bandit
Leucis Firecold is determined to be popular in the region. He has therefore (via intermediaries) hired brigands from far to come to the region and pillage and rob people. Right now, there is at least 3 bands of brigands in the general area of Fallcrest. One band is hiding in the outer ruins of Castle Flame, one in the forest between Fallcrest and Ashtown, and last but not least, one near where Jade River forks, about 15 miles South-West of the Bridge of Accord.
Lich
Deep within the Shadow Forest lies Everdark, the keep of a lich who calls himself the Shadow of the Keeper. He is behind the Shadow Forest, and is now working on expanding it, by further blurring the line between the Shadowfell and the mortal world.
Fomorian
Zanex, an atypical Fomorian, is sane. A few years ago, Zanex, a scholar and sage, figured out that the insanity and paranoia of his race was keyed to their evil eye. Keen to explore his revelation, he blinded himself and suddenly found himself seeing the world in a new light. The madness gone, he could no longer live among his own. He fled to the surface, where he took up residence in a small hut not far from Fallcrest, using his shapeshifting powers to pose as a lonely hermit. He knows that if ever his old clansmen find him, he is dead, so he will go to any length to protects its identity, so therefore, he rarely leaves his hut. The fewer people who see him, the less chance there is that someone will see through his shapeshifting. Zanex is a very powerful spellcaster, having developed blindsight to compensate for his lack of visual organ.
Motivation: Burdened by the weight of all the evil his race has done for thousands of years, Zanex is determined to do some good in the world. He has access to a lot of lore and at times uses adventurers to right wrongs or make sure that evil doesn't get the upper hand in the area.
Orcus priest
Gotzael, an evil priest dedicated to Orcus, has recently begun a cell of the Children of the Demon Prince, a cult dedicated to the magnificence of Orcus, in Laketown. The cult recruits bored rich kids or wives, andinitiates them into a life of sacrifices, murders and debauchery.
Motivation: Gotzael dreams of summoning an undead demon to have at his command. This has recently become something of an obsession, so the number of sacrifices have increased somewhat lately. He hopes they will gain him the favor of Orcus.
Bugbear Assassin
Deep into the Swamp of Death, 20 miles north-east from Slag Fort, lies a little cabin. Here lives Hraggek, once one of the best assassins on the continent of Draegor. He is now old and a bit slower, but his intellect is sharp and he can certainly still kill most people one on one. For years, every town and village in western Draegor had his face on a wanted poster, but no one ever succeeded in catching him. He knows more secrets about different rulers than they care for, especially about certain things that happened in Laketown when they were converting it to a democracy.
Motivation: Hraggek just wants to be left alone, living the rest of his life in solitude.
Flesh Golem
Oni Night Hunter
Asmodeus priest
Hydra
Living Darkness
Gelatinous Cube
Bloodkiss Beholder
Example:
Kobold:
The Kobolds of the Blind Eye tribe are lead by Griina, a female kobold wyrmpriest. Griina is very crafty compared to the average kobold, and as if that wasn't enough, she has a green dragon wyrmling, that goes by the name of Korak, as pet. She found Korak when he was still an egg, and has raised him, all by herself. He is thus extremely loyal and will do just about anything for her. The Blind Eye tribe, which recently arrived from the north, has made their lair in the forested hills just east of the Shadow Forest.
Motivation/hook: During a mushroom induced trance a couple of months ago, Griina had a vision which she believes to come from her god - She saw herself riding a huge dragon, with a burning Laketown below here. She now believes she is meant for greatness, but has yet no idea on how to achieve the goal. She remains confident however.
Thanks in advance
Cheers
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