| #1Guest1309747454Jul 11, 2010 12:56:51 |
Short version:
Im still deep in the preliminary stages of brainstorming the ideas for this campaign, but the players in my group arent experienced in the new 4e Forgoten Realms, so instead of just tossing them in I came up with an idea. Im going to prelude the game in the 3.5 setting, and through intrigue and deception, have them create a catastrophy (im good at that), that causes them to be stuck in a temporal bubble. Approximately a century later, they will emerge from the bubble, and into the new 4th ed world. Their characters will be thrown into it in the same way they are.
In depth:
I was reading how Mystra died and how the Spellplague came about, and as they were very vague in the book as to how this exactly happened, I created a idea in my mind.
Please note that I dont actually know if any of this is accurate, but this is how its going to be working in my version of things.
In MY world, Mystra had defenses keeping other gods from directly attacking her on her home plane. In addition to this, by decree of AO, the gods are forbidden from directly attacking each other (part of the reason that Cyric is imprisoned for 1000 years). They have to have intermediaries - followers and/or mortals - to do their work for them, then they can choose to reward them as seen fit etc.
Mystra's defenses are represented by a barrier that keeps all other gods/influences from her realm unless she invites them in. The barrier is represented in the physical world by six seals set in underground caves, around the Sea of Fallen Stars (imo why it was so affected by the changes) each only accessable by six portals in a room (that I have yet to set a location of, but it is on Toril). Im toying with the barriers being defended by six magical beasts, but when the party is sent in, they have a second party sent with them to engage and distract the beast so that they may get to the portal (more of that later). Shar's agents (or people hired by them) gathers the group of novice players together, and sets them to the task of getting a magical wand (created by agents either of Shar, another god, or something - Im fuzzy on that part yet, like I said, Im still brainstorming) capable of sharrtering the seals.
The reason Shar and her agents/minions need the players to break the seals rather than doing it themselves is that thecaves where the seals are kept, and the cave where the portals to those rooms are is magically warded against evil and those that are enemies of Mystra. Shar's agents themselves would be unable to enter the caves, having to hire mercenaries and/or trick unsuspecting adventurers into doing their work for them.
The characters are led to believe that the seals do something to aid a great evil needed to be destroyed (again, fuzzy), they quest for the wand, then quest to destroy the seals.
The only bit I really have set in my mind (and will really love to do) will be the bit shortly after they break the last seal.
To the effect of (character)"We've shattered the last seal!."
(whoever sends them on their way) "Yes, and The Mistress thanks you for your assistance in lowering Mystra's defenses. The Mistress is forbidden to move against the other gods herself by AO, plus, those caves are warded so that evil creatures such as myself and other minions of Shar cannot enter. So its much easier on all of us when you mortals do our dirty work for us. We literally couldnt have done it without you, and the Lady will be sure you get your just rewards... in the afterlife."
After which, Cyric attacks and kills Mystra, and the weave snaps. The portals in the room that the characters are in all malfunction at once, exploding. The spellplague blasts outward from the room, finding the next nearest Portals, exploding them, and further expanding from there. The explosion kills all but the characters in the room, knocking them unconscious and trapping them within a time bubble. Any inorganic items they carry will be forcibly blown out of the bubble in the explosion. These items will be affected by time after the characters are removed from the bubble, allowing them to have a small hint of what happened to them after the explosion. To the characters, only a day or two will have passed, they will have been unable to see outside of the room and will be unable to leave the room in that time, but in reality, the Spellplague will have ravaged, and over a century will have passed by the time they get out. Im playing with the idea of Spellplague energy attacking the characters while they are in the bubble, allowing for Spellscars. This is almost a certainty anyways, as Im trying to figure out the place that the Spellplague originally erupted into physical Toril, as Im planning on having them emerge from that place, and if I cant find that, they will be emerging from the Plaguewrought Lands or a similar location, where they will have to travel through Plaguescarred areas before they can find a town and begin to adapt to their new time.
The legends from the time of the Spellplague (in the book) merely say something to the effct of "Shar manipulated Mistra so Cyric could slay her" so the characters' actual role in creating the devistation is lost to the general public, and likely, they arent going to be telling anyone the part they played in the creation of the Spellplague.
I kinda need help on the fuzzy bits and assistance shoring up the bits that are still weak (Im aware there are a lot of these, like I said, its all preliminary). Any help would be appreciated. |