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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9880874" data-attributes="member: 6750502">Dragonlands: Asymmetrical Military Thriller <img src="https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3f95d4592002.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 533px" /><a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3dvoXD" target="_blank">Dungeons and Dragons D&D Half-Elf Rogue by Daniel Castiblanco</a>The River of Time is not a purely linear phenomenon, running from a single beginning to end. It splits and forks, creating countless possible realities of unrealized futures. The Dragonlance Legends trilogy brought time travel as a storytelling device to the setting, where Caramon Majere sought to save Krynn from his brother Raistlin's mad pursuit for godhood.The 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons was a fruitful time for Dragonlance, with the Legends of the Twins sourcebook expanding upon the themes introduced to us from the above trilogy. One innovative chapter, Alternate Krynns, provided six variant timelines both wholly original and previously hinted at in the novels. They included a setting where the Kingpriest enslaved the gods and became Ansalon's sole divinity; where the Wizards of High Sorcery became the chief governing power of the post-Cataclysm continent; where Raistlin ascended to godhood and his war with the gods is bringing about the apocalypse; where the Heroes of the Lance had failed and the Dragonarmies won; where an unnatural winter takes hold of Ansalon as the Dark Queen's forces conquer the land with corrupted Darklances; and where Ansalon's powers settle into a tense cold war after the primordial entity known as Chaos is defeated.While other timelines took radical departures to the people, places, and events on Krynn, the Dragonlands is the closest to the default timeline, with the major turning point being that the protagonists of the original novels and adventures failed in their fight against the Dragonarmies. But such a campaign can still bear novel changes, paving the road for PCs to rise up as the new generation of Ansalon's saviors.Chapter 1: Overview of the Dragon Empire <img src="https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/cd000de19808.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 696px" /><a href="https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/diablo-immortal-play-with-friends" target="_blank">Image taken from Diablo Immortal</a>The year is 363 AC, ten years after the end of the Dark Queen's War. From the western islands of Ergoth to the Blood Sea encircling old Istar, the Dragonarmies brought a new order to Ansalon under Emperor Ariakas, the divinely-chosen hand of the dreadful and mighty Takhisis. When Sturm Brightblade faltered under the influence of dragonfear during the Battle of the High Clerist's Tower, his retreat broke the morale of the already fractured Knights of Solamnia. Laurana the Golden General, the greatest strategic mind of the Whitestone Army, made a desperate gambit in using one of the Dragon Orbs to turn the tides of battle, releasing the spirits of long-dead dragons into the area to fend off the forces of evil. This came at the cost of losing her mind to ghostly possession. Bypassing the now-destroyed tower, the Dragonarmies with their flying citadels advanced upon city of Palanthas which surrendered without a fight. Soon other kingdoms would follow in their wake. While some forces continued the fight, they too eventually fell to the might of the swords, claws, and spells of Ariakas' Dragonarmies.With most of Ansalon under military occupation or as vassal states, there are few people with the power and courage to oppose evil's might. But while Takhisis' faithful are more powerful than ever before, their victory isn't inevitable. The Green Gemstone Man still wanders the land, eluding capture and thus preventing the Dark Queen's physical entry into the world. War with the minotaurs of Mithas and Kothas is on the horizon, and although the Dragon Empire has made major gains in seizing the island of Saifhum, their comparative lack of experience in naval warfare marks the beginning of a long and costly occupation.Ansalon during the Age of Despair was always a dangerous place for the good-hearted, but it is especially true in the Dragonlands timeline. And yet there is no better moment for those who oppose evil to take the initiative. Although Takhisis is the sole true goddess allowed worship in the Empire, the other gods have returned and are empowering hand-picked mortals across the land. Various insurgent forces rose up to challenge tyranny: scarred youths and once-acquiescent farmers who lost something dear and decided to no longer idly abide evil in their hometowns; Whitestone veterans who remember a brighter past; and former foot-soldiers, Fewmasters, and puppet-princes looking for redemption or revenge by fighting their old masters.Major ThemesCarrying the Torch: The original Innfellows accomplished many great deeds, from spreading word of the true gods to helping Alhana Starbreeze begin the process of ending the Kingdom of Silvanesti's Nightmare. But their breaking point was the loss at the Battle of the High Clerist's Tower, which caused a cascade effect of future defeats that saw most of their number dead or demoralized into giving up the fight. Sometimes they are remembered fondly for their valiant sacrifices, other times cursed for their failures. Their stories have been told, with the next chapter opening on new heroes. Without the conflicting attention and spotlight of the original protagonists, the PCs are Ansalon's last, best chance at finishing what the Innfellows started.Ethics of Insurgency: Although the cause might be just, there are also the inevitable questions and conflicts that rise up from the means to this end. Not all who oppose the Dragon Empire fight for the same reason, and war inevitably puts decision-makers in positions where there are no obvious ideal options. Can you sacrifice a fighting force's partisans to avoid tipping off the Dragonarmies to an intelligence leak, even if it means knowingly sending good people to an inevitable death? Should one work with a city's crime syndicate to gain a reliable smuggling network in an occupied capital, even if that means eventually replacing the region's Dragonarmies with another class of ruling exploiters once the realm's liberated? Any rebel will say that they're fighting for a brighter tomorrow, and some might dismiss ideological conflicts as mattering little in the greater scheme of a unified front, but what that tomorrow looks like is a question that continues to be asked among the fighters for a free Ansalon.Light in Shadow: Gone are the days of adventurers traveling openly with holy medallions and knightly full plate, welcomed in cities and towns as wandering troubleshooters. When visiting new communities, heroes must search for hidden pockets of resistance, as many ordinary folk are too scared to aid would-be do-gooders lest their livelihoods be crushed and their families executed. Supplemented by vassals, conscripts, and mercenaries, the Dark Queen's devoted cannot be challenged openly on the field of battle like in prior years. To fight the Dragonarmies, one must be subtle, finding weaknesses in their fortifications and supply lines via espionage and guerilla warfare, with adventurers taking on the role of elite strike forces using martial might and magic.Inspirational MaterialDragonlance Chronicles (Novels): What better influence is there than the novels which started it all? As the War of the Lance and its outcome plays a greater role in this timeline than others, reading the books can give a Dungeon Master a better sense of how events might have unfolded before the start of their own campaign.DL Series (Modules): Relatedly, these adventures closely follow the major story beats of the above Chronicles. Originally designed for 1st Edition AD&D, they've been converted into various other systems. For official and DM's Guild material the DL modules have 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition, SAGA, and 5th Edition updates. And for fanworks, there are likely much more for a variety of systems out there.Star Wars: Andor (Streaming Show): This widely-acclaimed two-season series serves as a prequel to how Cassian Andor, one of the protagonists of the Rogue One film, joined the Rebel Alliance. The episodes give us a fresh look at the Star Wars universe, with a more ground-level focus on the mundane cruelties that come from living under the Galactic Empire as well the risky legwork and moral compromises undertaken by guerilla partisans fighting against it.Unicorn Overlord (Video Game): This game hits many of the story beats of the classic "royal heir in exile coming out of hiding to liberate the land from evil," but strikes a different tune than many RPGs in that the protagonist and his retinue are part of a larger alluded-to military force than a small band of travelers. In addition to battles and exploration, the narrative and ruleset places a large degree on the necessities of community goodwill, where devoting resources in rebuilding liberated cities and settlements grants various gifts to the player, such as rare items and funds for the war effort.</blockquote>

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