Well I am sorry to report that the Westgate Campaign has been "cancelled". I have decided not to continue the campaign. I could tell you many reasons but the biggest one is this.
For the last several weeks, I have been working on Act 2 of the campaign and as I was writing notes and mapping out which adventures would go where, I kept saying to myself "This would make a pretty cool novel." That is when I realized that it would indeed make a pretty cool novel, but not a very good RPG campaign. I found myself basically "laying down the tracks" for a railroad campaign. And I hate doing that. While it may be fun for me to see my ideas played out I don't think it would be any fun for the players to essentially have no control over what their characters do. Basically, they had to follow my path or the game would not complete. Think Dragonlance.
Anyway with that I will leave the game as it is now. All the players are sad but understanding of my reasons. They do agree they would not like being railroaded. I have already spilled the beans on some of the bigger mysteries of the campaign.
This is what I sent to the players:
"And finally, some answers from the Westgate Campaign. Well I will give you a brief overview of the whole Behind the Scenes stuff.
First we will start with the prophecy:
"In the twilight of shadow's return, the Scion of Night will be revealed at vulgar cost. With burning anger from ages past, he will bind the Radiant Heir and her blood will render unto him the darkest power."
The first line refers to the Realms now. The city of Shade has returned recently (the twilight of shadow's return) and the Scion of Night (the new Night King) has been slowly making his prescense known. You would have eventfully learned who he was and actually fought him. More on that later. The Radiant Heir is Lady Thistle Thalavar (who is a good guy in case you had doubts) and she is the blood heir of the Radiant King, the paladin who so long ago defeated the original Night King. The "he will bind" reference meant that the Night King was going to use the blood of Lady Thalavar to make himself a Vampire Lord. Think Melric ironically. This process though was still unknown to him and he was still searching it out. Basically it invloved an arcane ritual that had to be performed "when day looked as night". This is something else you would have found that referenced the Night of the Dark Eye. Something I came up with that dealt with a solar elcipse that only happens once every few thousand years.
So who is the new Night King. Do you have a guess? It's not who you think I bet. : )
Actually it is one of the Manshoon stasis clones that was hidden beneath Westgate a long time ago and was found by the previous Night King. The previous NK began blood draining the clone and it eventually died and became a vampire. Then several years ago, the Manshoon clones all woke up at the same time when the original was killed by Fzoul and they all started beating the crap out of each other, except the vampire one. He was free of the complusion to seek out the other clones and kill them. Instead he was able to kill his master and assume the role of the Night King.
Well now the new Night King needed his court and so he began "recruiting" (ie biting) those he deemed appropriate. Here is a break down fo the Night King and his Court.
Orlak II "The Night King"
Wizard 18
Human, vampire
Leader of the Night Masks. Originally a clone of the wizard Manshoon but gained his freedom from Manshoon's compulsions after being turned into a vampire. Keeps many powerful artifacts
Darklady Dahlia Vhammos
Sorcerer 15
Human, vampire
Member of house Vhammos (the Night Masks are secretly supported by house Vhammos). Director of all assassinations by the Night Masks.
Phultan Hammerwand
Wizard 14
Human, vampire
Quartermaster and master of spies, oversees all Night Mask informants throughout Faerun (spy network is extensive and Night Masks have informants in most major cities). Also creates magic items of his own invention.
Tebryn "Shadowstalker" Dalael
Rogue 15
Half-elf, vampire
A renegade half-drow who fled the underdark, only to emerge in the catacombs of Westgate, and subsequently turned into a vampire. Also called "Duke of the Shadow." He oversees all theft and smuggling operations.
The Twilight Knight
Fallen paladin 10, Blackguard 6
Human, vampire
A paladin of Tyr who fell from grace. Keeps both his face and true identity hidden. Oversees security for the Night Masks, and also oversees extortion, coersion, and enforcement operations.
Sorenth "Happy" Gorender
Fighter 10
Human, vampire
Barkeep and owner of the Puple Lady tavern. Also known as "The Count of Whispers." Serves as a spy (particularly interested in the noble houses) and oversees logistical support for Night Mask activities within Westgate.
Of course the ones you all have encountered (directly or indirectly) so far have been Dahlia Vhammos and Happy Gorender. And the answer to Thanon's father is that he is the Twilight Knight. But there is one more mystery. You have also encountered (personally) Orlak II himself.
Can you guess who it is?
It is in fact Tystarn Dauntinghorn, the current consort of Lady Thalavar. He has been masquerading as a noble of Cormyr to get close to her. Funny enough, she only ever sees him at night time. Hmmmmm.
This is basically the campaign history in a nutshell. You guys would have eventually found most of the above out. You would have also encountered the blue dragon, who you rescued, again and he truly would have been an ally of the groups. Until that is he himself was turned into a vampire by the Twlight Knight and used as a mount in the final battle.
There was a couple of side plots that involved the Harpers but that is basically it."
Well once I start another campaign I will start another Story Hour. I have a couple of ideas already but that will be for later.
