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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nellisir" data-source="post: 6395077" data-attributes="member: 70">OK, I'm working this stuff out by writing it down. Running a new campaign, and have not had the time I'd like to have with it, so have been making stuff up for the last few sessions. Here's what I've left myself:Setting is Slavic/Norse with Celtic influences viewed through a stereotypical D&D lense. I'm skimming Russian history of Kiev & Novogorod for flavor. 10th-12th C.The overarching threat are the forces of The Ice. In centuries past, the Black Legion (an amalgamation of Glen Cook's Black Company and Roman legions) stymied The Ice through the use of heavy-duty battle magic obtained in part from a quasi-goddess. Remnants of the Black Legion persisted though the centuries and eventually turned into an order of knights called the Glos Knights, dedicated to protecting the nearby lands. Most of the old knowledge & power has been lost, however. The Glos Knights found the Black Legion's battle standard, a pretty potent magic item (abilities undefined) a little while ago, but knowledge of it has leaked out and a number of groups are gunning for it, so the knights sent it with a small party to try and hide it, but failed.--- Some groups want the standard as the key to unearthing battle secrets.--- The quasi-goddess wants to lock some of her secrets back up. She's not evil.--- Cultists of hers want anything associated with her.--- The Ice wants whatever the Black Legion did destroyed so it can advance again. Eternal winter, etc, etc.The party...--- ...is very nature-oriented. Druids, ranger, fey sorts, etc.--- ...is very caster heavy. A leshii druid, a half-elven druid, a troldfolk wild mage, a human fey pact warlock, and a talvijotun ranger.---  The ranger character is the daughter of the head of the Glos Knights; she has her own reasons for not joining the order and is rather cranky about it.--- The troldfolk is a long story; suffice to say I'm going to build an adventure around him based on the Firefly episode "Jaynestown".--- Not a lot of backstory with the other characters yet. The warlock was an acolyte but left the temple; no real reason for him to be pursued or anything.- So far they...--- ...were hired as cheap guards for a small caravan going to the edge of civilization. This was campaign start.--- ... defeated a bunch of goblins, but not in time to rescue a (very) small village (called Let. Because it wasn't big enough for to be a hamlet) . They did rescue a boy and a woman, the survivors of the Glos Knights party. The characters now have the artifact, the standard of the Black Legion. Abilities unknown. The woman, Helga, was not a knight, but was associated with them. She wants nothing to do with the standard and has functionally washed her hands of the affair. She has called herself a librarian and noted in passing that she had certain talents: I'm leaning towards an innate ability to discern magical auras and read magic.--- ...tricked, and then outfought, a group of hobgoblins trying to get the artifact. At least one got away, so they'll be back. I'm not sure who hired them yet. Other groups are going to take a swing soon; the hobgoblins & goblins were just the closest.--- ...had few other random encounters.The party is about to reach Vyshny, a small city/large town. This is role-playing time. They've got the name of a sage that the Glos Knights with the standard talked to a week or so before they got slaughtered. The party is also going to get a recommendation from their employer to his employer if they want more work affiliated with the caravan stuff.I'm trying to think of a third way to deliver adventures to the party. If they want to pursue the Black Legion angle, the sage & Helga should suffice for leads. The merchant can give them employment opportunities, but they're a little sour about that. I want something to give them an opportunity for classic dungeon delving unrelated to the storyline if they so desire. I'm also trying to stay away from blatantly evil NPCs for the time being, and the cliche of NPC betrayal. I might throw in one small fight, but the players really like the RP stuff.Thoughts?</blockquote>

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