End of a Campaign

Falkus

Explorer
Well, as of a few hours ago, the DnD Fourth campaign that I've been running for the last two and a half years has come to it's dramatic conclusion. The Company of the Seven Stars infiltrated the Ice Fortress of the Society of the Hand, and in a tight, and close battle, rescued the Heirs of the Kingdoms of the East and put Mauthreign the Prophet to the sword; ending his plans to use the artifacts of creation and a massive sacrifice to rewrite the rules of the planar boundaries, giving Vecna dominance over all divine magic.

It's given me something to think about really; given that this is the first campaign I've ever brought to a successful conclusion. I've run them before; but the group always broke up before things ended.

It feels good. Me and my players told an amazing story that stretched out for two and a half years. The characters grew from simple caravan guards to world saviors; and changed the world for the better.

Taking inspiration from Fallout, after the finale, I read out a brief document for the epilogue, outlining the effects the PCs actions had on the various people they met and locations they visited.

Next week, I start running the Shadowrun campaign. Got to get to the next one!
 

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AdmundfortGeographer

Getting lost in fantasy maps
It feels good. Me and my players told an amazing story that stretched out for two and a half years. The characters grew from simple caravan guards to world saviors; and changed the world for the better.
Always awesome to have arcs come to satisfying conclusions.

Taking inspiration from Fallout, after the finale, I read out a brief document for the epilogue, outlining the effects the PCs actions had on the various people they met and locations they visited.
Care to post it?
 

Falkus

Explorer
Always awesome to have arcs come to satisfying conclusions.

Care to post it?

Sure, though a lot of it probably won't make sense without context. Ask on any point, and I'll happily elucidate:

The Society of the Hand is utterly destroyed. Most of their elite are killed in the collapse of the Ice Fortress, and the survivors are destroyed in the following years as they attempt to rebuild. While the Cult of Vecna survives, its ability to influence global events has been decimated for a long, long time, and they will never again be able to reattempt the ritual to seal off the plane from other gods.

Dana von Avinberg ruled Avinberg fairly after her father stepped down and eventually became Earl, then Duchess of Avinberg, as the boundaries of the barony grow. She becomes a trusted member of the court, and eventually, she led the settlement of the unclaimed lands to the south, becoming one of the most powerful of the Border nobility.

The druids returned to Avinberg after the invasions and helped guide Dana and the barony into the future, without disrupting the natural balance of the wildlands of the region.

Derrick becomes a baron in his own right, and becomes a firm supporter of Dana, aiding her in many, many battles in the future as they fight goblins, bandits and orcs, side by side.

The Orcs of the peninsula, licking their wounds and bitter over being manipulated by the cult of Vecna, retreat to their homeland, and resume warring with each other. Dana von Avinberg reinforces the border; and while raiding parties continually attack, there is never another invasion. Sergeant Bates and Corporal Normandy return to Avinberg, and to their old posts.

The Dwarves in the mountains of Avinberg, free from the goblin threat, eventually reopen the ancient mines, and become a powerful city, built on the remnants of the past, trading with Blackwall and establishing new holds and mines throughout the mountains, driving out the hostile goblin tribes.

As the years go by, Sarenon, Geldfridor, Ethuarya and Valencia merge, as the heirs take the thrones, building on the relationship they formed in the dungeons of the Society, and abandoning the prejudices of their parents. They form the Empire of the East, eight years after the fall of the society, vowing not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Four Winds is made the capitol of the new nation, and the Heirs remained the kings and governors of their respective territories.

Four Winds survives the turmoil, and continues to be the center of trade on the continent, enhanced to even greater levels given its new prominence as the Capitol of the Empire of the East. The merchant houses are weakened by their near civil war, however; and much power is returned to the hands of the crown in Four Winds. The mercenary companies, at least those who nearly destroyed the city by their greed, are driven from Four Winds. They travel across the desert to the west, seeking new wars and new employers.

The Sheriff of Four Winds was stripped of his position by Lianne de Sarenon, and executed for treason, when it was discovered that he had been taking money from the Society of the Hand. His corrupt bluecoats are disbanded, and law enforcement in Four Winds is handed over to the Royal Legion.

Lianne de Sarenon continues to serve in the background as the spymaster for the new Empire, as her brother takes the throne. She never marries; devoting the whole of her life to the preservation of the new order.

Captain Rilta goes on to work for the new Empire, teaching them how to build Airships, and eventually becoming the admiral of the small fleet of airships that is constructed to secure dominance of the sky. She never returns to Sigil.

Castle End, freed of the vampire lord that controlled it, is eventually rebuilt by the local citizens. The Burgomaster of the town is named the new Baron, and the region eventually becomes the base for Admiral Rilta’s new fleet of Airships.

Elsa becomes one of the most important members of the Church of Ioun, leading their avengers as they hunt down the remnants of the Society of the Hand, and others who would seek to steal knowledge and use it as a weapon against the free people. She also becomes one of Lianne’s closest advisors in the Empire. She eventually has a child with Cyrus the Ranger.

Signor Cadaveri rises to prominence in the new empire, gathering in the rest of his extended family, and securing control of the underworld through the Empire of the East. He grows rich and powerful, more so than before, but he maintains his ties to the throne through Lianne de Sarenon, ensuring that while there is crime, it is kept to a reasonable level, and that cultists and other malcontents like the Society of the Hand are kept out.

Under its new leadership, Gorthond would grow and prosper, becoming a powerful new barony in the Kingdom, and a center for commerce going along the King’s river.

Raxos remained in Gorthond. While he never got over his resentment at being forced into subservience to lesser creatures, he is grudgingly loyal the barony, and kept on growing his hoard over the years, giving rise to the legends of the dragon protector of Gorthond. His Kobold worshippers expanded the mines and melded with Gorthond society, becoming a common sight in the towns and villages of the Barony.

The Red Knight, her true name still a mystery, remained in Gorthond for a time, raising a cadre of worshippers of Kord to bolster the defenses of the barony. Eventually, however, after the destruction of the Society, she left, heading west, across the desert, to seek further wrongs to right to atone for her failure.

The White Lotus academy expands its grounds, and becomes a center for learning across the entire continent. It eventually goes beyond magic, embracing the study of all knowledge, and opening branches in Four Winds and the Capitols of the other nations.

The Fraternal Order and Lodge of Sorceresses sink into obscurity as they feud over the Tower of the Mage Lord Sarenon, expending far more resources than they could hope to gain from it. Eventually, the remnants of both organizations are absorbed into the White Lotus academy, becoming little more than scholarly societies. The tower itself eventually sinks into the swamp.

The rebel armies under command of the renegade duke vanished through the modified portal into a volcano. They were never seen again.

The hundred kingdoms continue to bicker and feud amongst themselves, and are gradually absorbed into the new empire.

The Eladrin Empire continues its eternal war against the threats of the Feywild, retreating further and further from the Prime Material. Lord and Lady of the scouts that accompanied the Company of the Seven Stars return home, speaking well of the heroes, and gaining much prominence for having assisted in the vengeance of the elves.

The City of Slaves was destroyed by the revolution started by the Company of the Seven Stars. The slavers, their guards and the buyers died to the mobs of slaves, reinforced by Dragonborn elites from Dhuriv’s clan. The surviving slaves took the wealth and food of the city, and reestablished the trading post at the oasis on the Western Highway. The City of Slaves itself vanished under the sands of the Bael Turath desert, and was forgotten by history.

The gold and silver dragon that once ruled the City of Slaves kept their oath to the Company of the Seven Stars and left the city behind. They were last seen by the Tiefling clans, flying to the western lands beyond the Bael Turath Desert.

The Tiefling clans of the Bael Turath desert maintained their vigil over the ruins of Bael Turath, vowing to guard the future from the mistakes of the past. When word eventually reached them of Jalzeera’s doings, they held a feast in honor of their adopted daughter, who had upheld their code.

The Lord of the Desert remained imprisoned in the volcano at the center of the desert, his shackles secure enough to keep him from doing anymore than just creating the Bael Turath Desert.

Vor Kragal remained an inhospitable pit, inhabited by the ghosts of Bael Turath.

Count Corthin von Hapsburg’s research into shadow wells and super soldiers died with him, on a lonely mountaintop.

Count Strahd vanished into the Shadowfell, and Barovia remains the forsaken place it has been for thousands of years.

Inspired by Dhuriv, the Dragonborn clans of the south unite under a new leader, Dhuriv’s mother, and take control of the Blood Coast, albeit in a peaceful fashion; raising the banner of Arkhosia once again. Their forces are bolstered by the power of the Heart of Arkhosia, and for the first time in a thousand years, the Dragonborn’s future actually looks bright.

The other Signor Cadaveri continued his fruitless search for the Heart of Arkhosia. When he heard that it was now in the hands of the Southern Dragonborn and the new empire of Arkhosia, he sighed, and realized that the Company of the Seven Stars had successfully played him, and he gave up his hunt. Instead, he began a new search for the Obsidium Creatori and Arcanum Incantori.

The Maahsarik clan continues to raid the coast, eventually going to war against the other clans, hoping to find the Heart of Arkhosia. Their fleet is shattered on the shores of the continent by the new Arkhosian empire, and the Dragonborn clans of the north, joining the new empire.

The Yuan Ti remain a constant threat to Dragonport, but are distracted for a time as they hunt down the remnants of the society. Eventually, the Hammerfast clan and the Arkhosian Empire destroy them. The survivors flee on ships to the Southern Continent, vowing revenge.

Kothen Vendothal becomes rich and famous as a result of his relationship with the Company of the Seven Stars, and his caravan continues to travel north and south on the Great Northern Highway, as he accumulates wealth beyond measure, and spends as little of it as possible.

As for Mephasm? Well, who knows? The ways of devils are inscrutable to mortals.
 

aco175

Legend
I hope to have a cool write-up at the end of my current campaign. It ties up loose ends and gives the characters a sence of history in the world. It also gives the players a bit of satisfaction.

This would be the perfect place to start the next campaign. Fast forward 20-50 years and have a new threat on the rise and a new generation of heroes must lead the charge. The bulk of the world is started and the players have a bit of knowledge if where things are and what to expect. This way to can change some things, like the cool bar they always visited has turned into something opposite. Some players may even want to play characters related to the first group.
 

Falkus

Explorer
Indeed it is; they were extremely pleased as I read out the list. And when I return to a fantasy campaign, I intend to do exactly that. Same setting, several years or decades down the line.
 


S'mon

Legend
Very nice; I must do something like this when my current 4e campaign winds up in a few months.

What level did the campaign end at? It sounds like somewhere in the Paragon tier?
 


wedgeski

Adventurer
Congratulations. I look forward to the day when my own campaign reaches its finale, and hope I leave as many satisfied players in its wake as you. :)
 

TarionzCousin

Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
Don't be afraid to be creative with your "Where are they now?" post-campaign wrap up.

Senator-Blutarsky---John-Belushi-Po.jpg
 

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