Best way to bring Swords into story?
Okay, I've run a single session in this campaign now, and I'm looking for feedback on possible ways to introduce the Swords into the game. My original plan was to have the Swords already out and about in the world, with various factions and rulers using them in their great wars and political intrigues.
What I'm thinking now, though, in that the Swords were made centuries ago, but were lost and faded into legend and myth. The first adventure (which is ongoing) consists of the party joining up with Zoey, an "alchemist and scholar" who wanted to investigate the library of some nearby ruins. She is an expert on ancient history and languages, and I thought perhaps she could find a Book that has information about the Swords, and where they are all located. One could actually be located deep in the bowels of the ruins the library itself is in.
This idea would allow for some different approaches. First, it would put the characters at the center of things right from the beginning. I'd thought perhaps the first Sword they find could be used to defeat a nearby menace to their current home base, and they could become local heroes, and the story of the Sword could spread. Then either of two things could happen. Either the Book could be stolen, or Zoey (and the Book) could be kidnapped.
Either way, this could lead the adventurers on a chase all over the world, depending on how it unfolded. Perhaps Zoey could be compelled to translate information about the locations of other Swords, or maybe any expert scholars could do it on their own. And the Book would become the most valuable object in the world, as people kept fighting over it as a source of information on how to find the other Swords. Until, of course, all the Swords were recovered.
Another angle could be that there is information about Swords in a number of different locations, and people just coincidentally begin finding it, and the race is on to follow clues to the locations of the Swords. Or each Sword could have pieces of clues on how to find the others. This means the party might just hear stories of events before becoming directly involved, or just find part of a clue and go in search of more information.
I'm wondering which of these ideas sound most compelling, or if anyone has other suggestions for how to make this more interesting. Thanks in advance for all replies.
Okay, I've run a single session in this campaign now, and I'm looking for feedback on possible ways to introduce the Swords into the game. My original plan was to have the Swords already out and about in the world, with various factions and rulers using them in their great wars and political intrigues.
What I'm thinking now, though, in that the Swords were made centuries ago, but were lost and faded into legend and myth. The first adventure (which is ongoing) consists of the party joining up with Zoey, an "alchemist and scholar" who wanted to investigate the library of some nearby ruins. She is an expert on ancient history and languages, and I thought perhaps she could find a Book that has information about the Swords, and where they are all located. One could actually be located deep in the bowels of the ruins the library itself is in.
This idea would allow for some different approaches. First, it would put the characters at the center of things right from the beginning. I'd thought perhaps the first Sword they find could be used to defeat a nearby menace to their current home base, and they could become local heroes, and the story of the Sword could spread. Then either of two things could happen. Either the Book could be stolen, or Zoey (and the Book) could be kidnapped.
Either way, this could lead the adventurers on a chase all over the world, depending on how it unfolded. Perhaps Zoey could be compelled to translate information about the locations of other Swords, or maybe any expert scholars could do it on their own. And the Book would become the most valuable object in the world, as people kept fighting over it as a source of information on how to find the other Swords. Until, of course, all the Swords were recovered.
Another angle could be that there is information about Swords in a number of different locations, and people just coincidentally begin finding it, and the race is on to follow clues to the locations of the Swords. Or each Sword could have pieces of clues on how to find the others. This means the party might just hear stories of events before becoming directly involved, or just find part of a clue and go in search of more information.
I'm wondering which of these ideas sound most compelling, or if anyone has other suggestions for how to make this more interesting. Thanks in advance for all replies.
