Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Raynx 03-27-07, 04:55 PM	http://www.satyrnet.it/fantasy/galleria1/Hellfire%20Wyrm.jpg Hellfire Wyrm--MM2 Now that I have your attention: This is to be the place of rest and editing for my own Homebrew Campaign Setting, The Empire of Flame (or Burning Legacy). I shall store it here for posterity, and so my PCs can reference it when needed. Having upwards of thirty people playing in this world with more than three characters apiece, we need a textual document to support all of my rulings. It shall bear the history, the pantheon, and the gaming influence of my world. I will begin by saying that this campaign first began to spin around in my head when I was 12 years old, and has been ever-expanding since. After many years of collective experience DMing and, occasionally, playing in this world, I feel that it is becoming too complex for me to keep in my own mind. Naturally, you are all welcome to review it, advise me on what you see could use improvements, or post your own ideas. Just save the second post for me, so I can begin to place my story upon it. Thank you. Master Table of Contents 1.x The Burning Legacy This is the story of Raynx. 2.x The Eras 1 Preflame 2 War of Ignoch 3 First Peace 4 Empire of Flame 5 The Reckoning 6 Regenesis 3.x Important People, Places, and Things 4.x Changes from the Standard Setting 5.x Rules Additions and New Gamplay Mechanics 1 Races 2 Classes 3 Prestige Classes 4 Skills 5 Feats 6 Spells 7 Monsters 8 Gods 9 Planes 10 Bloodlines*
Raynx 03-27-07, 04:56 PM	*As I become more adept at doing so, I shall make this prettier. *Let it be known that, in order to save space, I will be placing this story, in its fullest detail, on a Wiki. The site will be posted upon completion, and with permission from its creator. Only the summary of The Burning Legacy will be placed on this site. The full story will be on the Wiki. So to read the entire story, go to the Wiki, once I am done with it. Okay... Table of Contents The Beginning The Birth The Youth The Discovery The Fire The Exile The Island The Encounter The Adventure The Renown The Construction The Madness The Destruction The War The Imprisonment The Plot The Escape The Battle The Defeat The Enlightenment The Return The Disguise The Love The Orator The Followers The Militia The Generals The Empire The Son The Expansion The Cataclysm The Devotion The Revelation The Prosperity The Reckoning The Martyr The Ascension The Migration The Rebirth The Regenesis There. 40 chapters. Even if it takes me 5 years, I will create this world.
Raynx 03-27-07, 08:03 PM	WARNING: IF YOU, FOR WHATEVER REASON, ARE ACTUALLY READING MY PATHETIC ATTEMPT AT A CAMPAIGN SETTING WORLD, AND ARE TREATING MY ENTRIES IN THE STORYLINE AS IF IT WERE A FAN FICTION ARTICLE, DO NOT READ THIS SUMMARY, AS IT WILL SPOIL ANY SURPRISES FOR YOU DOWN THE ROAD. Thank you. Now then, onto business. Ahem... This is the story of a man named Raynx. I have carried this name as my own, personal alias since character creation, and his last name always serves as my password. To create an element of mystery and to bar any identity theft, I will never, under any circumstances, short of my death bed, release his last name. There is no encryption or coding that exists within any of the other names used in this world, so tough luck to any of those who might, someday, subject to fandom such as this... Yes, I love this character and he will always be my personal favorite, and you may call me conceited for building an entire campaign setting around him. Granted, I lack such skills as necessary to create Eberron, or Faerun, or some such masterpiece, but it is my aim to someday have published this dimension, as it is also a life goal of mine to eventually work for WoTC. Bless you, WizO's, and all that you symbolize to us on the forums. Thank you all. Raynx was born unto a small family, in a town called Scry, on an island roughly the size of modern-day Maine. There he grew, discovering his sorcerous abilities, and honing them to serve under his will. It was at this stage in life that he discovered his fascination with fire. Its ability to create, through metal smithing, to benefit, as a light to read by, and to destroy, through many obvious methods. It was during one such exercise that he began a terrible accident, that of burning down several of the houses, and killing two infants. He knew them, and felt genuine sorrow for their loss, but he was nonetheless exiled for his sorcery. He secluded himself in a small home he had built in the forest outside the town. Some time later, a group of travelers appeared to him, seeking temporary shelter. They claimed to have been lost, and without a home to return to. Raynx, feeling akin to their plight, invited them in and to stay the night. One was a human, a thief by trade, under the name of Krain. He was an orphan; His parents were slain under the dead of night by an unknown assailant. His hand was branded during the event. The next one was a fellow sorcerer, going by Ryder. He seemed like a simple person, content with using his magic for magic's sake. The last was a small one; A kobold named Klic, who seemed at times both quiet and curious, yet wily and standoffish. He carried a sword twice the size of himself, clumsily. Raynx thought to join the travelers, so far as to at least see them off to their home village. As they came to explain, they were not from this island, but rather a larger place with many mountains and valleys, and sprawling metropolises that offered more things to buy than you could ever make in ten generations! Having no knowledge of the outside world, Raynx saw to take them to the coast, to show that no such lands existed. To his surprise, a boat was waiting there. Just...waiting there. They all climbed aboard, excepting Raynx, who came to find out that the ship would not sail without him as well. On the new land, the adventurers fought many dangers in hopes of returning to their loved ones. Raynx, however, had done just the opposite. True, their time together was filled with epic battles and plot twists the likes of which had never been seen! However, our story lies within Raynx, and how his actions would reflect in the changing of the world. The group of friends eventually parted ways, and sought their own endings. Some returned home. Some left for lands unknown, never to be heard of again, but Raynx just stood there, questioning his next move. He had gained considerable wealth through these many years, and had discovered within himself beats the heart of a dragon. His fascination with fire had increased to a mastery of its utilization, and he had found that he was a brilliant militaristic tactician and diplomatic orator. He decided to build a town, and named it Hollowsdale. His location was perfect. His citizens, plentiful. He had declined an invitation as its first mayor, instead once again secluding himself in his house, on the outskirts of town. Something within him would never allow him to return to a public life of township. He pored over many books, learning more of his draconic heritage, and of the ancient draconic gods. Over all, he revered Io, the Dragon Mother, and her adherence to strict neutrality on all things. He emulated that sense of balance, and sought a means to worship Io. However...his obsession with his draconic nature, in addition to his many years away from home, exiling himself further and further, never allowing anyone to get close, drove him into hermitage. He never would set foot in Hollowsdale again. In time, the town flourished, and began to see tourism spring up from the surrounding's strange creatures. They were rumored to be the results of a mad-man's doing, or a blessing, or curse, from the gods themselves. In reality, they were being gathered for use by Raynx, in a blaphemous ritual to the Dragon God Garyx, the Destroyer. His was a divine plight of fire and judgment, burning all things, good and evil, lawful and chaotic, so that the world may start anew, innocent, and without bias. Raynx's descent into madness had begun... The town was proclaimed to had been ravaged by fearsome beasts in the night...Skulking predators on the town's edge that saw to it that every man, woman, and child would perish in one night, except for one lucky man, who had escaped the torment. He had scribed a scroll that chronicled the events of Hollowsdale's destruction, not once mentioning its fiery creator. The scroll was passed unto the world, traveling between traders as beer travels through a tavern, quickly, and without recall as to whom had it last. In reality, Raynx, as a testament to his lord's will, descended upon Hollowsdale, rendering it to ash. He kept one man alive, possessing him to scribe the scroll, and to write a fake time-line of events, so as to through off suspicion. The man finalized it with a curse, proclaiming all who read the scroll to befall the same fate shared by its progenitors. He was slain following the scroll's creation.
Raynx 03-28-07, 07:26 PM	In this campaign setting, games can be played at different parts of the main arcing storyline, split into one of six different eras. Each one is vastly different from the last. Likewise, I will explain each of them here, and their different effects on gameplay. I will also note that the information presented here also will spoil the storyline of Raynx's life, for anyone out there who may be reading it... First, a brief rundown of the geography of the world (more detail will be added in later posts, under the chapter: 4.x Changes from the Standard Setting): The world is divided into four continents: Vwiinh to the North, Fir to the East, Aerh to the South, Aqkh to the West. After that, many islands abound in the planet's singular ocean, the Sea. Fir is the continent that most of the storyline takes place on. The Search for Hollowsdale plot arc begins in Aqkh and ends in Fir. The continents all exist on one hemisphere of the planet. The backside of the planet is a glacial wasteland. There is no Underdark. Preflame Before Raynx's birth to his construction of Hollowsdale. This setting is for any of those who wish to play in PF (preflame, the term used to describe the time period before the War of Ignoch.) This is the largest time, and may go as far back as the creation of the planet itself. The planet, being fairly new, has not had enough time to suffer overly dramatic events. As such, the environment is lush and green, and it is very difficult to find any very powerful creatures. War of Ignoch Raynx's assault on all things living. Between the destruction of Hollowsdale and his Imprisonment. This setting is for anyone who wishes to generate a militaristic campaign, as the entire world is at war. Good against evil, law against chaos, and Raynx against everything. Anyone who is interested in the Blood War, or the Dragon's War, or a siege-and-slaughter game would find this setting interesting. First Peace 10,000 years of Imprisonment to Raynx's subsequent release. This setting is for anyone interested in post-apocalyptic settings, as most kingdoms and countries that had existed prior to the War of Ignoch have been reduced to nothing. All forces, of both alignment axises, have been weakened and reduced. Temporary alliances are formed to rebuild, and it is not uncommon to find creatures of the most blasphemous evil coexisting with angelic hosts, or wild rebels with justified conformists. However, violent struggles still exist, as each faction is attempting to rebuild their numbers before their enemies do, so a race for resources, land, and followers is in play. Empire of Flame Raynx's established, justified rule. Between his release and the Cataclysm. The world is officially at peace now, as Raynx has extended his hold on his empire to span the continent. No other countries in the world are even comparable in size to the Empire, so its established rule is both respected and feared worldwide. As the Empire seeks balance, so too the other kingdoms for fear of an attack. The Empire has never, in its recorded history, ever attacked a country, however. On the contrary, emissaries are constantly sent off to inspect neighboring countries, even those across the Sea. Military scouting parties are allowed to travel the continent at their leisure, rescuing damsels, protecting villages, slaying fell beasts, so long as they report back to the Empire of their accomplishments. The Empire of Flame itself is Neutral Good, as is its prince. The Emperor himself, however, is Neutral. This setting is built around the idea of grand adventure, epic battles, and renaissance, yet all things are watched over by the Empire. *At this point, between Eras, an event known as the Cataclysm occurs. It is a natural disaster that splits the continent of Fir in half, from north to south, effectively creating two continents out of one. Many strange phenomena occur at this time, and much of the Empire is forced to rebuild. Likewise, seeing the Empire's weakness, several countries form a coalition to conquer Lesser Fir, the smaller of the two pieces of the continent. Their plans are thwarted, though at a cost.* The Reckoning Garyx's retribution and his outrage on behalf of Raynx. Between the Cataclysm and the Migration. A combination between global warfare and a post-apocalyptic game, this setting involves destruction on a worldwide scale, mostly of the Empire of Flame. Garyx, the dragon god of fire, destruction, and renewal, is infuriated at Raynx's actions. Until after the events of the Cataclysm, Raynx had been in disguise. Feeling the trust of his people, he revealed his true form to them. Even the gods had been fooled by his deception. As Raynx had, at one time, worshiped Garyx and his ideals, building up a glorious empire and establishing a rule over its people was considered blasphemous. Garyx wished to destroy everything, starting with the Empire of Flame. The other gods had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, destroying everything would mean killing off all of their worshipers, removing some or all of their power. On the other, Raynx had become more powerful than any other living creature, and could surely bring about any changes in the world he so wishes. The gods compromised, and allowed Garyx to descend upon the world, so long as he left at least one country for each god, sized accordingly to their current power. However, the gods would not help Garyx in his destruction, as he was the only one to bring up the idea. In this setting, all manner of evil creatures come forth, serving Garyx, and seek destruction. Raynx leads his empire in a war against them, and eventually, in a final battle, Raynx defeats Garyx, dies, and ascends into divinity. Regenesis The Migration of the Empire of Flame to the Burning Plane and the repopulation and recivilization of the continent of Fir. Raynx, now a Greater God, as his first act, transports all of his empire to an exact replica of the continent of Fir he creates on the Burning Plane, the dimension in which he was trapped in for over 10,000 years. The Empire of Flame is now a paradise kingdom, ruled directly by its god, Raynx. The military is dispatched, and the gods apologize for their decision. Raynx vows never to interfere with the lives of those on the Material Plane, and an agreement is made. However, all is not over with. With an entire continent of people missing from the world, the land of Fir is now free game to the many kingdoms of the planet. Ships are sent, and colonies are established. The land begins anew, including its ecology. Ancient, unknown creatures live here now, and magics that the world had forgotten resurface. This setting is for those who like to play an Age of Discovery and Invention style game.
Raynx 03-28-07, 07:57 PM	...to be added to later...
Raynx 03-28-07, 07:57 PM	...to be added later...
Raynx 03-28-07, 07:58 PM	...to be added to later... ...in tremendous amounts...
Raynx 03-28-07, 08:00 PM	...to be determined what to be used for... ...and then added to... ...later...
Raynx 03-28-07, 08:01 PM	Also, to be used for further ideas at a later point in time.
Raynx 03-28-07, 08:02 PM	Okay, after this one, everyone feel free to post comments, ideas, advice, suggestions, tips, questions, messages, etc. to your hearts' content. Thanks for waiting!
Raynx 03-28-07, 11:36 PM	So, people, give me some feedback. What do you all think so far? Does the premise sound interesting? Would you play it if I were to continue posting it? I'm going to be having a surgery on the 2nd of April and will be bedridden for 6 days, meaning I could, presumably, have all of the summary, the eras, the geography, the important people, places, and things, and the new additions and gameplay mechanics done by April 8th or 9th. Grant me some slack if I don't, though... And before you ask: No, the Hellfire Wyrm has nothing to do with the storyline. Talk to me!
KeshFerrar 03-29-07, 09:38 PM	I guess my biggest question is: why does Raynx go loco and start worshiping Garyx? It seems like he had a good and quiet life going worshiping Io. Io's is a dragon god right? Wouldn't there be other paths to embrace your inner dragon than a fiery sacrifice and rampage? I do like the different ages, but I feel you should flesh out the description a little more. From the War of Ignoch: Raynx is EVIL. From the First Peace: Raynx is imprisoned. From the Empire of Flame: Raynx is good? We apparently mis his change of heart while he was imprisoned, but that is a big, character defining moment. And in my opinion there's nothing wrong creating a campaign from the focus of one character. Star Wars, The Hobbit, and The Dark Tower series have done quite well the last time I checked. ;)
Raynx 03-29-07, 10:25 PM	I guess my biggest question is: why does Raynx go loco and start worshiping Garyx? It seems like he had a good and quiet life going worshiping Io. Io's is a dragon god right? Wouldn't there be other paths to embrace your inner dragon than a fiery sacrifice and rampage? I will go into more detail over the next few weeks. Confusion over certain issues is to be expected. I will, however, explain any questions you all might have. Raynx wishes to achieve a sense of balance--of neutrality. Io embodies this, and he does worship her for some time. However, as he researched more into all of the other alignments, so that he could find a comfortable middle between them, he found more and more flaws in the world. Society and culture appeared foolish after a point in his study, and he came across another dragon god: Garyx. Garyx also seeks balance, and wishes to destroy the world's living creatures so that it might start anew. He has hopes that starting fresh, under surveillance, will yield an entire world of peaceful coexistance. Rather than wait for all of the world to end of natural reasons, Raynx decided to take the more forceful approach of Garyx. I do like the different ages, but I feel you should flesh out the description a little more. From the War of Ignoch: Raynx is EVIL. From the First Peace: Raynx is imprisoned. From the Empire of Flame: Raynx is good? We apparently mis his change of heart while he was imprisoned, but that is a big, character defining moment. I shall detail them more so in the future. The eras are split in the way they are, showing vast differences in the presence of Raynx, in an effort to show how much the world was changed by him and his actions. The chapter titled "The Enlightenment" explains the entirety of Raynx's change in philosophy, from that of fiery destruction on a global scale, to peaceful diplomat and emperor. In as short an explanation as I can manage, Raynx realizes that his attempt to destroy everything is an act of evil, and since he wishes to be neutral, he confronts himself about. 10,000 years later, pop! He's back, and sane again. And in my opinion there's nothing wrong creating a campaign from the focus of one character. Star Wars, The Hobbit, and The Dark Tower series have done quite well the last time I checked. ;) Thank you very much. I didn't think of that until you said it. I feel much better about this now!
Khementari 03-29-07, 11:46 PM	I didn't read any of your post but here's a tip; take a look at your table of contents and ask yourself, "How many times can I write 'The' and will it cause an end to Western Civilization?" Keep world-building!
Raynx 03-29-07, 11:57 PM	I didn't read any of your post but here's a tip; take a look at your table of contents and ask yourself, "How many times can I write 'The' and will it cause an end to Western Civilization?" Keep world-building! Yeah, I've had several comments from my PCs regarding that... I felt that adding "The" in front of all of the chapters would both help organize them, as well as adding some textual 'power' to each one. Its not just 'a war', its 'The War'. Do you see what I mean? ...Maybe I'm just weird...
KeshFerrar 03-30-07, 08:24 PM	You could change it though. Just a few examples and thoughts: The Empire - Empire of Flame The Reckoning - Garyx's Reckoning or Reckoning of the Gods The Ascension - Raynx's Ascension The Regenesis - Age of Regenesis And as to confusion...do you really want a player initially confused when they read through the foundation of your world? In my opinion, you want them baited -- interested and salavating to read more -- but you don't want them confused. And the changes could be very minor. For example, the first question (Raynx turning to Garyx): all you need to do is to mention his ambition drove he to research darker draconic gods in the first sentence of the paragraph. Hope that helps.
Khementari 03-31-07, 01:03 AM	You could change it though. Just a few examples and thoughts: The Empire - Empire of Flame The Reckoning - Garyx's Reckoning or Reckoning of the Gods The Ascension - Raynx's Ascension The Regenesis - Age of Regenesis Hope that helps. That's precisely the kind of change I was alluding to. I hope it helps in a constructive manner.
Raynx 03-31-07, 02:39 PM	Thank you both. As I've said for a week now, I will be working on this for a while, and I'll make changes when and where they are due. I appreciate the comments and will seek to make adjustments as necessary.