[FR]Age of Darkness

[Paradisio]

First of all, my players, stay out!

Well, I'm starting a new campaign, and I would really appreciate any advice/ideas/etc. It's a forgotten realms campaign, the group has four players (excluding myself); a paladin, cleric, wizard, and a warlock. Don't remember the races off the top of my head, but they are a diverse lot (no humans IIRC) with some interesting backgrounds.

Anyways, this thread is mostly about plot and whatnot. When the campaign starts, the characters are doing caravan watch duty for a small caravan heading to Cormyr (Suzail to be exact). Near Cormyr the group is attacked by bandits, who the group likely defeats or routes; but they likely get away with some small items. Kinda railroady, but it's the main plot point for the enitre campaign and they don't know the importance of the cargo, nor does anyone but the raiders. If the group does manage to protect the cargo from the evasive raiders who are looking for someone specfic, so be it, I won't cheat them.

Anyways, the major point of the game is that one of the items is a red diamond. This magical gemstone, unbenownst to anyone except the artificer buying it for his own desires, is a piece of the ancient netherese and most powerful wizard in Faerun's history, Karsus. Who, if you don't know, merged with Mystara in an effort to defeat Netheril's enemies. Unfortunately, Karsus messed up, got the weave damaged, and got himself and the god who he was temporarily merged with, dead. His body bloated to a massive size, turned to crystal and fell in the High Wood. He never truly died, and was bound to the massive stone. This gemstone is the only piece that was ever broken off, done so at great cost by the people who formed a city around his stone body (extracting the small stone whiped all of them from the face of Faerun.)

The small stone, the only portable piece of an immensely powerful being, has been sought after by Netherese for centuries. Attempts to find it having long failed (it was in Abeir until the spellplague), it's recent reappearance has stirred the Netherese into action and all their followers.

While the Netherese believe this stone to contain the essence of Karsus, they are also mistaken, the stone contains the last remnant of the god of magic, and contains immense divine and arcane power, if it could be tapped correctly. In truth, the netherese were not the ones to part the stone from the body of Karsus, it was the power of the spell Karsus used to merge with the now dead god. The magic having worn off keeping them together, the small part of the god broke away, in an immense cataclysmic event for the people of Karse.

The stone contains not only a divine spark, it countains the power of the old weave and the power to construct a new weave. While Netheril would be shocked to learn of its true nature; it is still immensely powerful in the wrong hands. It could be the key to reconstructing the shadow weave, it could be used to help ascend a being to godhood, and if returned to the stone of Karsus, it could be used to return Karsus to his true form and potentially also grant him godhood at the same time. Either way, if Netheril has this stone, it could change the face of faerun.

That's generally the main point of the game, to stop this. I have a beginning, middle, and really an end, but I need somewhere in between.

Heroic: The group works to find the true nature of the stone
Paragon: The group thwarts the Netherese attempts in Sembia to create a new Shadow Weave and perhaps free the puppet state from it's dark masters.
Epic: The group works to put Neteril to an end, fight the ancient lords of Shar and perhaps defeat the most powerful Arcanist to ever see the face of Faerun and stop his attempts to gain divinity once more.

Any input/ideas?

 

[Neil Bishop]

My first reaction is that this might be too difficult to pull off.

If the Weave and Shadow Weave are recreated have you considered what impact that will have on your Realms and also on the 4E ruleset that you are (presumably) using?

Heroic. The group spends ten levels trying to identify the stone? Do you have any other ideas here about what will the plot will be here? Why is the campaign starting in Cormyr? What adventure sites do you think they should visit?

Do you have the Sceptre Tower of Spellgard? The most important "treasure" of that adventure is the ability to have a question answered by a ghost which seems to be a perfect way of having the stone identified.

Your comments about the next tier seem to be presuppose that the group will lose the stone at some point. Where and how do you see this happening?

Paragon: OK, so the group is at work in Sembia. If the Netherese are attempting to recreate the Shadow Weave, does this mean that they are also attempting to recreate the Weave as well (as they cohabit with/coexist with/complement each other. Why are they doing this in Sembia? Why wouldn't they, for example, go the body of Karsus and attempt this grand ritual?

I've already asked about why you plan to start in Cormyr... now I would simply flat out suggest that, if you want this Weave/Shadow Weave recreation thingie to be the central plot, why not run the campaign in the Fallen Lands? You could use Loudwater out of the Campaign Guide and then follow it up with Sceptre Tower of Spellgard. Just make some changes to introduce your red diamond.

Epic: OK I think a strike against the Shade Enclave makes for a great campaign capstone. So, what would the party need for this to succeed? What would destablise and possibly destroy the entire Enclave? The answers to these questions should also drive the creation of some of the other adventures up to this point in the previous tiers.

Again, I would suggest starting in the Fallen Lands. If you choose to go that route I have a few more ideas that I can post later. If you still want to start in Cormyr please let me know why so I can try and come up with some new stuff.

 

[Paradisio]

As far as impact goes, I don't imagine widespread rules changes in the lifetime of the campaign, if Netheril has control over the (shadow)weave they will probably only grant it to people they deem appropriate. And people will need to learn to reuse the weave again unless they were alive previously.

Why Cormyr? Close to Symbia and Netheril, and I like the classic Medieval feel of it. There are some sites related to Netheril as well nearby or that could be related (destroyed Tilverton). Symbia has the site of the previously failed experiments at the Shadow Weave and is a place where they can work in relative peace and let the Symbians suffer the effects of any failed experiments. When the game starts, Netheril probably doesn't have the gall to invade the Silver Marches to perform an experiment on what could be a guarded item.

In theory, the stone is basically lost before the game really starts or soon thereafter by Netherese spies/thieves/bandits. I'm really trying to think of ways the whole game doesn't turn into 'fetch a stone' though.

In general, stopping Netheril is only the main plot. I have other side plots in my head; mostly involving the players using the stone for good if they obtain it. I would imagine some of the Netherese ancients probably don't want to see the return of Karsus, since he is the one that basically destroyed their civilization, even if it was done in good intentions. The stone isn't a priority for Netheril in the beginning either, the stone has been lost for over a thousand years, at this point, they may think it doesn't even exist. The Netheril trying to gain the stone at the beginning of the game are Karsus worshippers and Bedine Nomads who have been cast out from Netherese society and are using the stone to gain power. Shar may also be opposed to the return of Karsus (and potentially a new true god of magic).

As far as Defeating Netheril goes, thats a bit too far ahead right now. I would imagine that bringing the flying cities to earth will be part of that.

I'm also trying to avoid using modules and stuff, and do something original.

 

[Paradisio]

After a bit more thinking, I had an idea that the stone was instead split into three mirror copies. None is the original, and they are all the original at the same time. One was sent to the Shadow where the Netheril regained it in their time their, another was sent into the Light (feywild), and the other was sent to the earth (Abeir). The true power can only be brought out by all three, but each is still extremely powerful.

This way, I still have the threat of the stone in Netherese hands, I can incorporate the character who wants to visit the Feywild, and the players can still obtain one if they hurry. I can also put one stone in each arch (the last being bringing the three together in the finale).

One stone will start in Netheril, the other in the players hands, and the other in the Feywild where both sides will race to try to obtain it and then take the others in theory.

 

[Neil Bishop]

Hmmm... what if, instead of having two mirror copies, the stone has an "echo" that was in Abeir. With the return of Abeir now the stone itself has returned. Perhaps the existence of this "echo" stone has diminished the power of the stone in the possession of the Netherese and that is what has prompted their search for (1) why their stone has lost its power and (2) the "echo" stone itself.

 

[Paradisio]

Hmmm... what if, instead of having two mirror copies, the stone has an "echo" that was in Abeir. With the return of Abeir now the stone itself has returned. Perhaps the existence of this "echo" stone has diminished the power of the stone in the possession of the Netherese and that is what has prompted their search for (1) why their stone has lost its power and (2) the "echo" stone itself.

Hmm, sounds good as well.

To be honest, the first session is in a few days though. There will be something involving a stone either in the short term or long term, but I'm more worried about the short term adventure right now to be honest. So while I appreciate the help, any input regarding the here and now would be great.

Right now after some thinking, the first adventure will start with the groups caravan being attacked at night. The caravan theoretically has the stone in it. It might be stolen, it might not, depends on the PCs actions and how well they can stop the raiders; the raiders will try to get the group to surrender or confess they have the stone, they just know it's moving into Corymyr.

The group gets closer to Suzail and are greeted by Purple Dragons, who inform the group that they will need a charter to continue in Suzail and will make them wait quite a period of time to get one. This will most likely involve a skill challenge to get the papers expedited and possibly a quest for a favor.

So I guess I need some idea for a quest. Most pressing seems to be the caravan bandits, which also ties into the plot. I don't know if I want everything for the entire campaign to be 100% related to the quest, I don't want to draw it out too much.

 

[Neil Bishop]

OK, I keep asking about what the overall plot is because I thought you were looking for suggestions for adventures that tie into the plot and make it feel like you're in the Forgotten Realms as opposed to a generic campaign world.

So, how about something like this:

Introductory Encounter: Caravan Raid

This is simple as you have outlined.

Adventure One: The Bandit Lair

I note on the map of Cormyr from the Dragon article that there is a place identified as Mage Keep about which there is no extant lore in 2E, 3.5E or 4E so there is nothing to tie your hands.

A couple of choices: run Keep on the Shadowfell updated for the Realms or design your own bandit lair in a ruined keep that was once the lair of a mage of some means. Whatever you choose, I would throw in some Purple Dragons and/or War Wizards to rescue to provide a nice segue to your plans to have them get an adventuring charter in Suzail. This will give them the contacts and ensure that they start with favour from the powers-that-be.

I expect that the combination of wilderness and dungeon encounters should be enough for your party to hit level 5.

Adventure Two: Assassins

Why not have the party targetted by assassins who are agents of the rather browned-off powers behind Mage Keep in the previous adventure? This allows you to run an urban adventure including a skill challenge to find the assassins' lair in the sewers of Suzail (I would include as consequences of failure in the skill challenge that the party attracts the attention of the assassins if not outright assassination attempts).

The successful uncovering of these assassins by the party should endear them even further to the War Wizards etc... of Cormyr. I would suggest that the assassins' lair should include clues that tie them into the Paragon tier adventures when they strike into Sembia but first I would have the War Wizards send them on an unrelated adventure to test their loyalty to Cormyr (just for a change of pace and to allow things to develop further)....

Adventure: On His Majesty's Secret Service

OK, it's a crappy title... but at least I got the king's title right (His Majesty = King; His Royal Highness = Crown Prince... the Dragon author and editors got it wrong).

I would have the War Wizards or other agents of the Crown send the party off on a mission outside of Cormyr ostensibly because of their successes so far but, in reality, to test their loyalty to the Crown before they are sent on the Paragon tier adventures in Sembia (assuming you still plan to go that route).

Personally, I love the idea of infiltrating Darkhold to the west because hitting the Zhentarim is very much part of playing in the Forgotten Realms. Other options including surgical strikes into the Stonelands. Whatever you choose, I would make it a major quest to rescue someone or recover an item. Something with purpose and throw in at least one encounter where their loyalty to Cormyr is tested by an undercover agent of the Crown.

After all of this, you're ready for your Paragon tier adventures where they go as agents of the Crown to Sembia.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Interesting. @OP: Did anything ever happen with this?