Hi, I'm James. Thank you for taking the time to explore my D&D. I hope this world eventually thrives with support.
Below is the recap of my D&D campaign (My first time DMing) I'm looking to see what people think of it. I used numerous tricks to make the world unique (like different languages for proper nouns. All elves use different Asiatic languages, Orcs use Czec, any infernals including tieflings use German, ECT.) I felt this gave each race a sense of unique flavor.
World background info all player characters would know from any basic education in-world. (granted in the public DM notes for my campaign, for context)
Each Race has their own homeworld. Each major planet has a large portal connecting their homeworld to the Portal Hub on Terra; the human homeworld. Terra is a melting pot of all races and cultures, especially the capital city, "Lux Navis" or Lux City to locals. Lux City is a super-city; at the heart of which is the HQ of the League of Realms, Terra's Stellar Temple, and the Portal Hub, a complex with portals to each major homeworld. Outer edges of the city often consist of either criminal elements or refugees and the poorest residents.
Astral Elves are the first and only race with the knowledge to activate inter-realm portals. It is still a mystery as to how the Astral Elves achieve this, and it remains a closely guarded secret by the elves and their "Stellar Temples". Stellar temples are where Astral elves and their priest hood claim to "Sing" to the stars and their adopted planets. Other races never witness these events, and are ignorant to the idea of living stars/planets.
Terra is the home of the League of Realms; an organization committed to maintaining peace and inter-realm trade. The League consists of two governing bodies. First is the senate, consisting of representatives of all discovered races. The senate makes laws and protects the interests of peoples of each race. Secondly, the Council makes major decisions in times of crisis. The Council acts as a Judicial Branch in major inter-realm cases; as well as an Executive Branch in times of crisis. The council consists of 5 races at the moment, though new races may be granted their own seats in the future. The founding races of the council are the Astral Elves, Humans, Orcs, and Lizardmen, all participants in the Portal Crisis 20 years ago. The Dwarves earned their seat very recently, being granted for their massive contributions to the inter-realm community; such as their vital Merchant's Guild and their various machines and inventions, specifically Gunpowder.
The portal crisis was a war during the discovery of the orc homeworld, Perang. Perang was in crisis as a black-hole approached their solar-system. At first the humans and elves were evacuating Orcs to Terra at a steady pace, recording each new citizen systematically. Eventually the goblin moon over Perang began to shatter and be pulled into the black-hole. This triggered a panic, and the orc chieftains organized an invasion amidst the panic. The Orcs seized the portal hub and most of Lux City. They also captured the Astral-elf High-King and demanded he open the Elven Portal; he refused for two years. Swathes of Terra became a warzone for those 2 years. In the third year the Elf High-King decided to trick the Orc chiefs, and instead of opening the elven portal, he opened a portal to the forbidden and dangerous jungle-world of Berjuang. This world was filled with countless lethal creatures and plants, as well as the yet to be discovered Lizardmen. The Orcs rushed a new invasion through the portal, and the ensuing chaos brought a new front to the war. Between human victories on Terra and the discovery and defeats to the Lizardmen, the war came to a brutal end 2 months after these events, culminating in the Liberation of Lux City. In the aftermath of war the elves and humans pushed for the formation of the League of Realms, which founded the first council, who punished the orc cheiftains. After punishing the orc warriors the council then granted orcs a seat on the council at the request of the Lizardmen councilor. A new deal was struck; Berjuang would take in all unregistered orc refugees if they promised to help the Lizardmen tame their wild homeworld. This first council would set a new tone of redemption for the orcs and forged cross-species cooperation across the realms. Now we live in a golden age of discovery as new portals are being opened to new worlds, introducing new races to Terra each year.
Bonus info for this post:
This world takes place in an alternate history of Earth's (Terra's) Dark Ages In brief summary of my timeline; Elves appear from a shining portal of golden light across the straights from Constantinople in the year 635 C.E, making first contact. For context, the profit Muhammed died a year before. The Arabians are on the verge of a great expansion into the weakened Byzantine and Sassanid (Persian) Empires. First contact breaks all following REAL history, diverging to my D&D world. Essentially the elves arrive (Lead by the representatives of the Astral Elves, Wood Elves, and High Elves). and negotiate a peace with the hostile empires. Afterwards the Elves perform what they can an "Awakening" as they claim to awaken the planet. Every planet's awakening releases massive psychic/magic energy, in turn awakening any inhabitants dormant magics. In this case that is the humans. Humanity branches down a different, peaceful path with "The Lux Renaissance." Many changes follow, often guided by elves helping/teaching human leaders. (Like Elves help the Arabians build "Arc Ships" which allow them to make colonial trading posts across the Indian and Pacific Oceans; and eventually discovering what they would call CALIPHornia with the help of two elf explorers, Amirr and Icka, who would name the new continents.)
Undead are unheard of/unencountered by any "Council Race" before this story.
Now with all that context.... the Ch1 recap:
Stellar Souls: The Dead World
The council makes a call for the greatest heroes in the Realms to aid them in a vital quest, as well as the founding of the Paragons; a team of agents answerable only to the council's authority. The council briefs it's new Paragons that the Astral Princess, Baik Hati, has been kidnapped by the rogue Tiefling Shurke, who fled through the Perang portal using the princess's own hand. After speaking to the council and arriving at the portal the party encountered a humble Astral Priest, opening the Star-Bridge to the dead world, Perang. The Paragons step through the portal and encounter a hidden figure lurking in the shadows. After a few hidden taunts, a revealed Tiefling kicks a large orcish gong behind the party. A lone, broken tower shakes at the center of the endless, abandoned orc village. Beyond the tower, in a star-filled night sky, a blackhole feeds on small dim star in the sky. A tense moment passes before a dark-shadowed pulse echoes from a broken tower in the distance. Orcish Skeletons and Zombies rise from the ground; looking to have been trampled before meeting their fate. After a ceaseless battle with the risen dead, suddenly the starry night sky flashes into a bright day-lit greenish blue. Above in the sky, Terra and her father-star, Sol, lingers high above. Within moments a sea of undead Orcs and creatures are revealed in the distance and are shattered to ashes by the focused rays of Sol’s light.
The star Sol moves across the sky, toward the black hole. The greenish-blue sky turns starry as Sol glides silently. The party proceeds to the tower, fighting risen native giants, 2 ogres and a minotaur; as well as the mysterious Tiefling in the shadows. After failing to turn the party on each other, the party forces Shurke into the open. While defeated, Shurke made a promise with Loesh. She promised to aid Loesh if he would help her recover her Goliath partner. Shurke leads the party up the broken tower to a dark chamber, with cracks revealing the night-sky. At the center of the room Baik Hati sits on an altar surrounded by glowing runes. Mysteriously the Goliath, Zima, stands between the party and the alter, unmoving. Shurke tries to speak with him, begging him to just leave with her, but Zima doesn’t flinch and just stares at the party. After a mocking laugh in the back of the shadowy tower, Zima moves swiftly and seizes Shurke, holding her tightly. Umbra reveals himself, looking to be a tall and pale elf with two sharp teeth, shining in the glow of the ritual runes. Baik Hati rises from the altar and shadow-steps to Umbra. After briefly speaking to Umbra the ground shakes. In the sky, a ray of light strikes the tower. Umbra screams in pain as he pulls an unmoving Baik Hati to the shadows.
Through the cracks of the tower the group looks to the sky. Far above, Sol battles the Black hole, Fresn. Failing to reach the smaller star being devoured. Fresn pulses a shadowy pulse, silently passing over the stars and both planets alike. The dead world of Perang shakes, and a legion of undead rise across the massive orcish camp. Then a light Shines from where the Paragons arrived on Perang. From the disk of light, a massive army begins to swarm from the portal. A League of Realms coalition army swarms through the portal. Below the tower a battle ensues as the Undead Hoard battles an organized army of Elves, Humans, Orcs, Dwarves, and Lizardmen. In the Sky above the battle, Sol battles Fresn, with bright rays of light and tentacle like arms reaching for the Orc-star, Zvaldi. Upon grabbing Zvaldi, Sol pulls the star free. Fresn shakes violently, pushing the stars back a moment; then in a blink, appears close over the sky of Perang. The shattered goblin moon falls into the pit of Fresn, and the Tower becomes veiled in shadow. Umbra stands atop the altar, eyes blackened by infinite shadow; illuminated by the ritual rune. A possessed Umbra speaks in the hollow voice of Fresn. After battling a possessed Umbra, the ground shakes violently.
The shadow-veil is lifted, and the Paragons see in the sky both stars, Sol and Zvaldi, surrounding Fresn far above. The stars strobe with light, passing pulses of light across, Fresn, and the nearby two worlds. The undead collapse into ash, and Fresn shakes in the sky. The Two stars reach their tentacle-like arms of pure light, deep into the black hole, and pull out a sphere of pure darkness and shadow. The sphere breaks free and blinks away in an instant. Leaving the stars and their worlds in peace. At the base of the tower a diverse crowd of soldiers are led by the Lizardmen Councilor. The Paragons report that the vampire Umbra turned both Zima and Baik Hati into fellow Vampires through some dark ritual. The Paragons then chose to spare the vampires and to bring them before the council. After the council learns of Baik Hati’s fate, they were upset with the Paragons, with some pushing to kill the criminals, and even the abomination Baik had become. After speaking with the Paragons, the council voted to keep both the Undead and Tiefling prisoners alive for further interrogation/study. The mission was voted a success considering that Baik Hati was returned, despite her assumed sickness. The sickness is revealed by the Dwarven councilor to be an ancient Dwarven curse called Vampirism; a ritual so dark that all magic was later banished by the ancient clans. At this revelation the council abruptly adjourns. The Councilors address the Paragons that their success grants them each to one orange level magic item from the Lux City Armory. The council also grants the Paragons with their own elven Floating Carriage named “the Fluyt.” Ironically the Elven Floating Carriage is actually a Dwarven Train-Car refitted for an elven mage to pilot it. "The Fluyt" can act as small, mobile HQ, and resting zone. The Paragons are dismissed and free to travel across Terra until further notice from the Council. (END)
note: I also let my Paragons create and vote on a story for what the paragons do between chapters (My friends chose to covertly free the 3 characters taken prisoner by the council after Ch. 1)
I welcome any CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms. I have a CH. 2 story made for the next session, I just need to make the encounters and maps before i can start it. I also have a detailed 7 page "script" that kept me and the party on-story. If anyone would like to try my campaign i can send you my CH. 1 script. I made A LOT of background lore and would LOVE to see this story pick-up and who knows "Stelar Souls" may one day compete with proper stories like Baldur's Gate!
Below is the recap of my D&D campaign (My first time DMing) I'm looking to see what people think of it. I used numerous tricks to make the world unique (like different languages for proper nouns. All elves use different Asiatic languages, Orcs use Czec, any infernals including tieflings use German, ECT.) I felt this gave each race a sense of unique flavor.
World background info all player characters would know from any basic education in-world. (granted in the public DM notes for my campaign, for context)
Each Race has their own homeworld. Each major planet has a large portal connecting their homeworld to the Portal Hub on Terra; the human homeworld. Terra is a melting pot of all races and cultures, especially the capital city, "Lux Navis" or Lux City to locals. Lux City is a super-city; at the heart of which is the HQ of the League of Realms, Terra's Stellar Temple, and the Portal Hub, a complex with portals to each major homeworld. Outer edges of the city often consist of either criminal elements or refugees and the poorest residents.
Astral Elves are the first and only race with the knowledge to activate inter-realm portals. It is still a mystery as to how the Astral Elves achieve this, and it remains a closely guarded secret by the elves and their "Stellar Temples". Stellar temples are where Astral elves and their priest hood claim to "Sing" to the stars and their adopted planets. Other races never witness these events, and are ignorant to the idea of living stars/planets.
Terra is the home of the League of Realms; an organization committed to maintaining peace and inter-realm trade. The League consists of two governing bodies. First is the senate, consisting of representatives of all discovered races. The senate makes laws and protects the interests of peoples of each race. Secondly, the Council makes major decisions in times of crisis. The Council acts as a Judicial Branch in major inter-realm cases; as well as an Executive Branch in times of crisis. The council consists of 5 races at the moment, though new races may be granted their own seats in the future. The founding races of the council are the Astral Elves, Humans, Orcs, and Lizardmen, all participants in the Portal Crisis 20 years ago. The Dwarves earned their seat very recently, being granted for their massive contributions to the inter-realm community; such as their vital Merchant's Guild and their various machines and inventions, specifically Gunpowder.
The portal crisis was a war during the discovery of the orc homeworld, Perang. Perang was in crisis as a black-hole approached their solar-system. At first the humans and elves were evacuating Orcs to Terra at a steady pace, recording each new citizen systematically. Eventually the goblin moon over Perang began to shatter and be pulled into the black-hole. This triggered a panic, and the orc chieftains organized an invasion amidst the panic. The Orcs seized the portal hub and most of Lux City. They also captured the Astral-elf High-King and demanded he open the Elven Portal; he refused for two years. Swathes of Terra became a warzone for those 2 years. In the third year the Elf High-King decided to trick the Orc chiefs, and instead of opening the elven portal, he opened a portal to the forbidden and dangerous jungle-world of Berjuang. This world was filled with countless lethal creatures and plants, as well as the yet to be discovered Lizardmen. The Orcs rushed a new invasion through the portal, and the ensuing chaos brought a new front to the war. Between human victories on Terra and the discovery and defeats to the Lizardmen, the war came to a brutal end 2 months after these events, culminating in the Liberation of Lux City. In the aftermath of war the elves and humans pushed for the formation of the League of Realms, which founded the first council, who punished the orc cheiftains. After punishing the orc warriors the council then granted orcs a seat on the council at the request of the Lizardmen councilor. A new deal was struck; Berjuang would take in all unregistered orc refugees if they promised to help the Lizardmen tame their wild homeworld. This first council would set a new tone of redemption for the orcs and forged cross-species cooperation across the realms. Now we live in a golden age of discovery as new portals are being opened to new worlds, introducing new races to Terra each year.
Bonus info for this post:
This world takes place in an alternate history of Earth's (Terra's) Dark Ages In brief summary of my timeline; Elves appear from a shining portal of golden light across the straights from Constantinople in the year 635 C.E, making first contact. For context, the profit Muhammed died a year before. The Arabians are on the verge of a great expansion into the weakened Byzantine and Sassanid (Persian) Empires. First contact breaks all following REAL history, diverging to my D&D world. Essentially the elves arrive (Lead by the representatives of the Astral Elves, Wood Elves, and High Elves). and negotiate a peace with the hostile empires. Afterwards the Elves perform what they can an "Awakening" as they claim to awaken the planet. Every planet's awakening releases massive psychic/magic energy, in turn awakening any inhabitants dormant magics. In this case that is the humans. Humanity branches down a different, peaceful path with "The Lux Renaissance." Many changes follow, often guided by elves helping/teaching human leaders. (Like Elves help the Arabians build "Arc Ships" which allow them to make colonial trading posts across the Indian and Pacific Oceans; and eventually discovering what they would call CALIPHornia with the help of two elf explorers, Amirr and Icka, who would name the new continents.)
Undead are unheard of/unencountered by any "Council Race" before this story.
Now with all that context.... the Ch1 recap:
Stellar Souls: The Dead World
The council makes a call for the greatest heroes in the Realms to aid them in a vital quest, as well as the founding of the Paragons; a team of agents answerable only to the council's authority. The council briefs it's new Paragons that the Astral Princess, Baik Hati, has been kidnapped by the rogue Tiefling Shurke, who fled through the Perang portal using the princess's own hand. After speaking to the council and arriving at the portal the party encountered a humble Astral Priest, opening the Star-Bridge to the dead world, Perang. The Paragons step through the portal and encounter a hidden figure lurking in the shadows. After a few hidden taunts, a revealed Tiefling kicks a large orcish gong behind the party. A lone, broken tower shakes at the center of the endless, abandoned orc village. Beyond the tower, in a star-filled night sky, a blackhole feeds on small dim star in the sky. A tense moment passes before a dark-shadowed pulse echoes from a broken tower in the distance. Orcish Skeletons and Zombies rise from the ground; looking to have been trampled before meeting their fate. After a ceaseless battle with the risen dead, suddenly the starry night sky flashes into a bright day-lit greenish blue. Above in the sky, Terra and her father-star, Sol, lingers high above. Within moments a sea of undead Orcs and creatures are revealed in the distance and are shattered to ashes by the focused rays of Sol’s light.
The star Sol moves across the sky, toward the black hole. The greenish-blue sky turns starry as Sol glides silently. The party proceeds to the tower, fighting risen native giants, 2 ogres and a minotaur; as well as the mysterious Tiefling in the shadows. After failing to turn the party on each other, the party forces Shurke into the open. While defeated, Shurke made a promise with Loesh. She promised to aid Loesh if he would help her recover her Goliath partner. Shurke leads the party up the broken tower to a dark chamber, with cracks revealing the night-sky. At the center of the room Baik Hati sits on an altar surrounded by glowing runes. Mysteriously the Goliath, Zima, stands between the party and the alter, unmoving. Shurke tries to speak with him, begging him to just leave with her, but Zima doesn’t flinch and just stares at the party. After a mocking laugh in the back of the shadowy tower, Zima moves swiftly and seizes Shurke, holding her tightly. Umbra reveals himself, looking to be a tall and pale elf with two sharp teeth, shining in the glow of the ritual runes. Baik Hati rises from the altar and shadow-steps to Umbra. After briefly speaking to Umbra the ground shakes. In the sky, a ray of light strikes the tower. Umbra screams in pain as he pulls an unmoving Baik Hati to the shadows.
Through the cracks of the tower the group looks to the sky. Far above, Sol battles the Black hole, Fresn. Failing to reach the smaller star being devoured. Fresn pulses a shadowy pulse, silently passing over the stars and both planets alike. The dead world of Perang shakes, and a legion of undead rise across the massive orcish camp. Then a light Shines from where the Paragons arrived on Perang. From the disk of light, a massive army begins to swarm from the portal. A League of Realms coalition army swarms through the portal. Below the tower a battle ensues as the Undead Hoard battles an organized army of Elves, Humans, Orcs, Dwarves, and Lizardmen. In the Sky above the battle, Sol battles Fresn, with bright rays of light and tentacle like arms reaching for the Orc-star, Zvaldi. Upon grabbing Zvaldi, Sol pulls the star free. Fresn shakes violently, pushing the stars back a moment; then in a blink, appears close over the sky of Perang. The shattered goblin moon falls into the pit of Fresn, and the Tower becomes veiled in shadow. Umbra stands atop the altar, eyes blackened by infinite shadow; illuminated by the ritual rune. A possessed Umbra speaks in the hollow voice of Fresn. After battling a possessed Umbra, the ground shakes violently.
The shadow-veil is lifted, and the Paragons see in the sky both stars, Sol and Zvaldi, surrounding Fresn far above. The stars strobe with light, passing pulses of light across, Fresn, and the nearby two worlds. The undead collapse into ash, and Fresn shakes in the sky. The Two stars reach their tentacle-like arms of pure light, deep into the black hole, and pull out a sphere of pure darkness and shadow. The sphere breaks free and blinks away in an instant. Leaving the stars and their worlds in peace. At the base of the tower a diverse crowd of soldiers are led by the Lizardmen Councilor. The Paragons report that the vampire Umbra turned both Zima and Baik Hati into fellow Vampires through some dark ritual. The Paragons then chose to spare the vampires and to bring them before the council. After the council learns of Baik Hati’s fate, they were upset with the Paragons, with some pushing to kill the criminals, and even the abomination Baik had become. After speaking with the Paragons, the council voted to keep both the Undead and Tiefling prisoners alive for further interrogation/study. The mission was voted a success considering that Baik Hati was returned, despite her assumed sickness. The sickness is revealed by the Dwarven councilor to be an ancient Dwarven curse called Vampirism; a ritual so dark that all magic was later banished by the ancient clans. At this revelation the council abruptly adjourns. The Councilors address the Paragons that their success grants them each to one orange level magic item from the Lux City Armory. The council also grants the Paragons with their own elven Floating Carriage named “the Fluyt.” Ironically the Elven Floating Carriage is actually a Dwarven Train-Car refitted for an elven mage to pilot it. "The Fluyt" can act as small, mobile HQ, and resting zone. The Paragons are dismissed and free to travel across Terra until further notice from the Council. (END)
note: I also let my Paragons create and vote on a story for what the paragons do between chapters (My friends chose to covertly free the 3 characters taken prisoner by the council after Ch. 1)
I welcome any CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms. I have a CH. 2 story made for the next session, I just need to make the encounters and maps before i can start it. I also have a detailed 7 page "script" that kept me and the party on-story. If anyone would like to try my campaign i can send you my CH. 1 script. I made A LOT of background lore and would LOVE to see this story pick-up and who knows "Stelar Souls" may one day compete with proper stories like Baldur's Gate!
