GuyBoy
Hero
When I studied Medieval history, there was a real fear of world-ending catastrophe as the CE year 1000 approached; a bit like the “Millenium Bug” of the late 1990s, but with divine wrath, demons, angels, floods etc.
Obviously it didn’t happen but I have toyed with a campaign set in a not-Europe after the event actually happened, with “demons” unleashed and a pretty devastating breakdown of much of the society at the time. The “demons” being as much standard D&D monsters returning from myth, alongside some actual demons influencing political figures.
The general idea is to start in around 1002 CE, with a partially de-populated Europe beginning to come to terms with new realities.
Characters likely to be Norman or Saxon, charged with taking the 17 year old Emma of Normandy to her marriage to Aethelraed Unraed of England, but with the “unraed” part of his name referring to actual evil counsel by demonic forces, including evil plans for Emma, which the PCs will hopefully foil. Her brother, Richard the Good of Normandy is decent enough and a recent father to a baby, Robert, who IOTL would be William the Conqueror’s father. The Papacy was a corrupt mess at the time (sometimes called the Rule of the Harlots!), so that’s easy enough to play. Brian Boru was “King” of Ireland, so easy enough to bring in a not-Celtic angle.
I’d probably make a big play on “The Ruins” poem and involve Roman ruins, probably “haunted” by ghosts of legionaries (possibly benign) such as at Anderida (Pevensey) and similar.
Forests such as Andredeswald would be wild and dangerous, and I’d nod to the gaming past by a very old hero, Thegn Tostig, slayer of the hag, Angbeffor, as a mentor. (If you know, you know!)
Legendary items such as Beowulf’s sword could feature, and I’d centre a fair bit around the Neolithic ruins near where I live, possibly playing a couple of games there with my face-to-face group.
As the group travel around a devastated England, places such as Glastonbury will figure of course, and future figures such as a young Godwin will play a part
Nothing like a “sell me pitch” as I’ll never produce seriously, but I’ll probably put something together for my monthly group after I finish with Scarlet Citadel. Anyway, just thought I’d share.
Obviously it didn’t happen but I have toyed with a campaign set in a not-Europe after the event actually happened, with “demons” unleashed and a pretty devastating breakdown of much of the society at the time. The “demons” being as much standard D&D monsters returning from myth, alongside some actual demons influencing political figures.
The general idea is to start in around 1002 CE, with a partially de-populated Europe beginning to come to terms with new realities.
Characters likely to be Norman or Saxon, charged with taking the 17 year old Emma of Normandy to her marriage to Aethelraed Unraed of England, but with the “unraed” part of his name referring to actual evil counsel by demonic forces, including evil plans for Emma, which the PCs will hopefully foil. Her brother, Richard the Good of Normandy is decent enough and a recent father to a baby, Robert, who IOTL would be William the Conqueror’s father. The Papacy was a corrupt mess at the time (sometimes called the Rule of the Harlots!), so that’s easy enough to play. Brian Boru was “King” of Ireland, so easy enough to bring in a not-Celtic angle.
I’d probably make a big play on “The Ruins” poem and involve Roman ruins, probably “haunted” by ghosts of legionaries (possibly benign) such as at Anderida (Pevensey) and similar.
Forests such as Andredeswald would be wild and dangerous, and I’d nod to the gaming past by a very old hero, Thegn Tostig, slayer of the hag, Angbeffor, as a mentor. (If you know, you know!)
Legendary items such as Beowulf’s sword could feature, and I’d centre a fair bit around the Neolithic ruins near where I live, possibly playing a couple of games there with my face-to-face group.
As the group travel around a devastated England, places such as Glastonbury will figure of course, and future figures such as a young Godwin will play a part
Nothing like a “sell me pitch” as I’ll never produce seriously, but I’ll probably put something together for my monthly group after I finish with Scarlet Citadel. Anyway, just thought I’d share.
vibes
