gambler1650
Explorer
For those who don't know of it, The Apocalypse Stone was an adventure (campaign for high level characters actually) for 2nd Edition AD&D that involved the PCs doing something they thought was good, and causing the end of the world. I liked the concept, but I didn't like the heavy handed approach the module took to make sure the players wouldn't find out anything was amiss at the beginning (things like detect alignment, any type of lie detection spells, etc not being permitted to work at all).
Still, I loved the idea, and while reading the Ghelspad campaign setting for the Scarred Lands, came up with this concept... Have the players do something that could eventually tear Scarn apart forever... and with no Scarn, the remnants of the Titans could eventually recombine. The idea for this campaign came about through three disparate elements:
1. The cycles of the Titans. It's implied (at least to me) that the cycle is actually continuing, with it being the Epoch of Denev. Yes, she 'merged with the land' and took herself out of the immediate lives of the inhabitants, but it's done to repair the damage called by the Divine War and this is really the best way for her to do it.. so her actions affect this epoch as much as any other Titan's ever affected his or hers.
2. The Aquifer of Denev. Supposedly the place where Denev merged with the Earth, and therefore where she is most powerful... and most vulnerable.
3. The acorns of a tree rumored to be able to destroy a Titan forever. Don't recall what it was called, but the tree lived in a region that no longer permits acorns planted there to grow. In other places, the trees don't grow to full strength...
So... Druids of Denev altruistically decide to recover these trees and allow them to grow to their full potential. They ask for the PCs to bring an acorn of this tree to Denev's Aquifer and plant it (or perhaps an infiltrator of Mormo or another evil Titan who realize the best way to bring back the cycles is to destroy Scarn in its current incarnation. Perhaps even Denev herself helped the Gods because she realized this was her way to start her part of the cycle, and she knows it eventually must come to an end for things to not stagnate). This fits in really nicely with the Serpent Amorpha cycle, since the PCs are asked to go to Denev's Aquifer, but the first free adventure on the web page is for 2nd level characters. The DM could create a short adventure where the PCs are asked to recover one of the acorns before being granted admission. This would also raise first level characters to second or third level.
PCs will certainly forget about the acorn as time passes. The small sapling will grow, quite slowly, perhaps even over two to three campaigns worth of adventures (the first PCs die or pass on to become powerful NPCs) so as to allow Denev a proper epoch. Finally, things start to go wrong.. Corruption begins in Denev's Aquifer as the tree's roots start to push deeper, finding Denev's essence, beginning to slide through it, push it apart.. Scarn reacts the same way, with earthquakes and volcanos. The PCs begin to realize where the problem is, only now.. so do other Titanspawn, some of which go to Denev's aquifer to protect the tree, allowing it to complete its destruction of Denev, and Scarn both, freeing the Titans who will create a new world.. one where Denev's spirit is reborn so that the cycle can begin anew...
Whatcha think?
Still, I loved the idea, and while reading the Ghelspad campaign setting for the Scarred Lands, came up with this concept... Have the players do something that could eventually tear Scarn apart forever... and with no Scarn, the remnants of the Titans could eventually recombine. The idea for this campaign came about through three disparate elements:
1. The cycles of the Titans. It's implied (at least to me) that the cycle is actually continuing, with it being the Epoch of Denev. Yes, she 'merged with the land' and took herself out of the immediate lives of the inhabitants, but it's done to repair the damage called by the Divine War and this is really the best way for her to do it.. so her actions affect this epoch as much as any other Titan's ever affected his or hers.
2. The Aquifer of Denev. Supposedly the place where Denev merged with the Earth, and therefore where she is most powerful... and most vulnerable.
3. The acorns of a tree rumored to be able to destroy a Titan forever. Don't recall what it was called, but the tree lived in a region that no longer permits acorns planted there to grow. In other places, the trees don't grow to full strength...
So... Druids of Denev altruistically decide to recover these trees and allow them to grow to their full potential. They ask for the PCs to bring an acorn of this tree to Denev's Aquifer and plant it (or perhaps an infiltrator of Mormo or another evil Titan who realize the best way to bring back the cycles is to destroy Scarn in its current incarnation. Perhaps even Denev herself helped the Gods because she realized this was her way to start her part of the cycle, and she knows it eventually must come to an end for things to not stagnate). This fits in really nicely with the Serpent Amorpha cycle, since the PCs are asked to go to Denev's Aquifer, but the first free adventure on the web page is for 2nd level characters. The DM could create a short adventure where the PCs are asked to recover one of the acorns before being granted admission. This would also raise first level characters to second or third level.
PCs will certainly forget about the acorn as time passes. The small sapling will grow, quite slowly, perhaps even over two to three campaigns worth of adventures (the first PCs die or pass on to become powerful NPCs) so as to allow Denev a proper epoch. Finally, things start to go wrong.. Corruption begins in Denev's Aquifer as the tree's roots start to push deeper, finding Denev's essence, beginning to slide through it, push it apart.. Scarn reacts the same way, with earthquakes and volcanos. The PCs begin to realize where the problem is, only now.. so do other Titanspawn, some of which go to Denev's aquifer to protect the tree, allowing it to complete its destruction of Denev, and Scarn both, freeing the Titans who will create a new world.. one where Denev's spirit is reborn so that the cycle can begin anew...
Whatcha think?
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