AntiStateQuixote
Enemy of the State
My players, stay out!
So, with 4th edition right around the corner I'm ready to kick off my campaign in style. I have an idea for a story arc that will run much (most?) of the heroic tier of the campaign. I'm interested in hearing from fellow ENWorlders to help flesh this storyline out and resolve any inconsistencies.
Themes: Multi-polar conflict, deception, betrayal, ignorance, manipulation, triumph
Multi-polar: there are many sides to this fight. The heroes are just one of the many. They may find unlikely allies if they try.
Deception: much of what is going on is not what it seems.
Betrayal: it is likely that the heroes will choose one or more allies that is not as friendly as they expected.
Ignorance: many of the powers in this conflict are acting out of ignorance.
Manipulation: a great power beyond the World's ken has worked for centuries to bring its plot to fruition through manipulation of lesser beings.
Triumph: the heroes will have many chances to conquer their evil foes and one (?) chance to put a major kink in a near millennial long plan by a great evil being.
Setting: homebrew, generic Points of Light setting drawing heavily from D&D core rulebooks and preview books.
BBEG: Shothragot; the heroes will not face this being directly at any point in the storyline.
McGuffin: The Black Tablet; this obsidian tablet has inscribed on it a ritual which can reveal the location of part of a key. The key will open an ancient abyssal prison called Ashembelaldu. The key was sundered into five parts and hidden away by the gods long ago. The sundering power of the gods displaced even the knowledge of the location of the five parts of the key.
Bare Bones Background
Centuries ago Shothragot discovered the existence of the key. It later crafted the Black Tablet and the ritual it contains to find a part of the key. Unfortunately, the power of the gods is such that even this powerful ritual will not work except under very specific circumstances which Shotragot spent decades trying to discover. Afterwards the ancient evil being spent centuries manipulating histories and cultures to move them towards events that would act as a trigger for the ritual. All is nearly ready . . . it is time to set the ball rolling.
The Players
Shothragot, a servant of the nihilistic demon lord Tharizdun. Shothragot has worked for centuries to find a way to free its master from the prison into which the gods locked the demon in the days after the wars with the Primordials. Shothragot's plan may take a major step forward in the months to come.
The Black Axe Tribe, goblinoids led by their war chief, Balgrogos, works to recover an ancient and powerful magic item. Shothragot has used its power over many months to influence Balgrogos and his advisors. Balgrogos and his advisors believe that the Black Tablet contains a ritual which will allow him to unite all of goblinkind under his own banner to march over the world. It contains no such thing, but they will stop at nothing to find it.
The Frost Rippers, a kobold clan under the sway of a white dragon named Jadonkos, recently raided a caravan traveling betwen the town of Berador and Dalton's Camp. Among the merchants in this caravan was one Aldaleem Applecart who had a copy of a book called the Tome of Evronkeep. This book is rumored to have been penned in the days of the height of the tiefling empire of old. Many legends surround the book. One thing is certain: it has in its pages vague directions to the location of the Black Tablet. It also has information describing the Black Tablet as a "scroll" for a great ritual of war which will make a defensive position invincible to most threats in the World. The kobolds seek this Tablet to pass to their dragon master in hopes that Jadonkos will use the ritual to make their home impervious.
Aldaleem Applecart is currently a prisoner of the kobolds. They keep him alive because they believe he knows more of the Tome and Tablet than he is telling.
Vardigas Asmos, a half-elf mystic and seer from the village of Berador, purchased a copy of the Tome of Evronkeep from Aldaleem Applecart some months ago when he passed through town. Aldaleem had transcribed the book himself and kept the original. Vardigas read the same information the kobolds read about the protection ritual and is seeking adventurers to recover the Tablet so that he might use this ritual to protect his village. It is expected that the PCs (at least most of them) will agree to work for Vardigas and seek out the Tablet.
Caer Branloth, a tiefling house matron, is a student of much ancient tielfling lore. In her studies she learned of the Black Tablet and the Tome of Evronkeep. She wants both the original copy of the book that is in Aldaleem's possession and the Tablet. Through her contacts in town she learned that Vardigas has a copy (not an original) of the Tome and that he intends to send adventurers to recover the Tablet. She intends to try to hire the same adventurers herself or to infiltrate a spy into the party. Barring either of those options she will send her own hirelings to seek out the Tablet or to take it from the heroes.
The Feral Claw Tribe, a blood-thirsty band of gnolls, has long worshipped the demon lord Certiakinryn. They believe their master was trapped aeons ago by the gods, but that he still has influence in the world. Reality is that Shothragot has spent the last few centuries manipulating these gnolls, and their belief in Certiakinryn is unfounded. The demon doesn't exist. The manifestations of power they see are the work of Shothragot and its servants.
Knowing that its plans are well in motion, Shothragot has revealed the existence of the Black Tablet to the gnolls. They believe the Tablet will allow them to free their master. They will flinch from nothing to get their claws on the Tablet.
So, that's where I'm starting. I have a timeline of possible events and some more background details that I will post later. Poke holes, add details or suggestions, etc., PLEASE!
Thanks,
Brent
So, with 4th edition right around the corner I'm ready to kick off my campaign in style. I have an idea for a story arc that will run much (most?) of the heroic tier of the campaign. I'm interested in hearing from fellow ENWorlders to help flesh this storyline out and resolve any inconsistencies.
Themes: Multi-polar conflict, deception, betrayal, ignorance, manipulation, triumph
Multi-polar: there are many sides to this fight. The heroes are just one of the many. They may find unlikely allies if they try. Deception: much of what is going on is not what it seems. Betrayal: it is likely that the heroes will choose one or more allies that is not as friendly as they expected. Ignorance: many of the powers in this conflict are acting out of ignorance. Manipulation: a great power beyond the World's ken has worked for centuries to bring its plot to fruition through manipulation of lesser beings. Triumph: the heroes will have many chances to conquer their evil foes and one (?) chance to put a major kink in a near millennial long plan by a great evil being.Setting: homebrew, generic Points of Light setting drawing heavily from D&D core rulebooks and preview books.
BBEG: Shothragot; the heroes will not face this being directly at any point in the storyline.
McGuffin: The Black Tablet; this obsidian tablet has inscribed on it a ritual which can reveal the location of part of a key. The key will open an ancient abyssal prison called Ashembelaldu. The key was sundered into five parts and hidden away by the gods long ago. The sundering power of the gods displaced even the knowledge of the location of the five parts of the key.
Bare Bones Background
Centuries ago Shothragot discovered the existence of the key. It later crafted the Black Tablet and the ritual it contains to find a part of the key. Unfortunately, the power of the gods is such that even this powerful ritual will not work except under very specific circumstances which Shotragot spent decades trying to discover. Afterwards the ancient evil being spent centuries manipulating histories and cultures to move them towards events that would act as a trigger for the ritual. All is nearly ready . . . it is time to set the ball rolling.
The Players
Shothragot, a servant of the nihilistic demon lord Tharizdun. Shothragot has worked for centuries to find a way to free its master from the prison into which the gods locked the demon in the days after the wars with the Primordials. Shothragot's plan may take a major step forward in the months to come. The Black Axe Tribe, goblinoids led by their war chief, Balgrogos, works to recover an ancient and powerful magic item. Shothragot has used its power over many months to influence Balgrogos and his advisors. Balgrogos and his advisors believe that the Black Tablet contains a ritual which will allow him to unite all of goblinkind under his own banner to march over the world. It contains no such thing, but they will stop at nothing to find it. The Frost Rippers, a kobold clan under the sway of a white dragon named Jadonkos, recently raided a caravan traveling betwen the town of Berador and Dalton's Camp. Among the merchants in this caravan was one Aldaleem Applecart who had a copy of a book called the Tome of Evronkeep. This book is rumored to have been penned in the days of the height of the tiefling empire of old. Many legends surround the book. One thing is certain: it has in its pages vague directions to the location of the Black Tablet. It also has information describing the Black Tablet as a "scroll" for a great ritual of war which will make a defensive position invincible to most threats in the World. The kobolds seek this Tablet to pass to their dragon master in hopes that Jadonkos will use the ritual to make their home impervious.Aldaleem Applecart is currently a prisoner of the kobolds. They keep him alive because they believe he knows more of the Tome and Tablet than he is telling.
Vardigas Asmos, a half-elf mystic and seer from the village of Berador, purchased a copy of the Tome of Evronkeep from Aldaleem Applecart some months ago when he passed through town. Aldaleem had transcribed the book himself and kept the original. Vardigas read the same information the kobolds read about the protection ritual and is seeking adventurers to recover the Tablet so that he might use this ritual to protect his village. It is expected that the PCs (at least most of them) will agree to work for Vardigas and seek out the Tablet. Caer Branloth, a tiefling house matron, is a student of much ancient tielfling lore. In her studies she learned of the Black Tablet and the Tome of Evronkeep. She wants both the original copy of the book that is in Aldaleem's possession and the Tablet. Through her contacts in town she learned that Vardigas has a copy (not an original) of the Tome and that he intends to send adventurers to recover the Tablet. She intends to try to hire the same adventurers herself or to infiltrate a spy into the party. Barring either of those options she will send her own hirelings to seek out the Tablet or to take it from the heroes. The Feral Claw Tribe, a blood-thirsty band of gnolls, has long worshipped the demon lord Certiakinryn. They believe their master was trapped aeons ago by the gods, but that he still has influence in the world. Reality is that Shothragot has spent the last few centuries manipulating these gnolls, and their belief in Certiakinryn is unfounded. The demon doesn't exist. The manifestations of power they see are the work of Shothragot and its servants.Knowing that its plans are well in motion, Shothragot has revealed the existence of the Black Tablet to the gnolls. They believe the Tablet will allow them to free their master. They will flinch from nothing to get their claws on the Tablet.
So, that's where I'm starting. I have a timeline of possible events and some more background details that I will post later. Poke holes, add details or suggestions, etc., PLEASE!
Thanks,
Brent
