The world is, in a way, under siege by all sorts of terrible and dark creatures. A gate barring the way to the Nine Hells has collapsed, and cultists who worship demons have built a gate of their own to the Abyss. Servants of the demons now ride into battle from the empty north, while countless legions of dark-armored devils pour in from the now ruined empire from the desert.
Yet, even faced with certain doom, the human nations continue to fight and bicker as to how to deal with the situation. Now, various factions have appeared.
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One faction, called the Scions of Life, which is a collection of small city-states and kingdoms, have allied with the few remaining elves, dwarves, and eladrin to fight back against the coming darkness.
The Church of the Burning Sun, worshipers of the sun-god Chorn (my version of Pelor) have united various devout southern nations under their banner to fight the legions of devils attacking, but they do have a fortress to the north to fight back the demons. They consider the Scions of Life heretics who are best dealt with by the torch and sword.
The Consortium of the True Way, known by all others as the Slaves of Darkness, are the desert countries who where foolish enough (or smart enough) to ally with the devils and not be defeated and crushed by them. They are often accompanied by units of large devils, and they are the vanguard of the armies of the devils. They are sworn enemies to the entire world, but they have mostly been fighting against the Church of the Burning Sun, as they are the foes that have been blocking their way the most.
The Warriors of the Dark Lords, known by all others as the Merciless Destroyers, are the barbarian tribes of the north who united to summon their demonic masters. They now charge forth in massive hordes, alongside armies of lesser demons, to the northern border of the civilized lands, burning and killing all in their way. They are enemies of all the world, but they are particularly fighting against the Scions of Life, as those are the foes they have most encountered.
The True Tribes are the few remaining barbarian tribes who do not follow the demonic lords and still follow the old ways of the barbarians. They have fled into lands owned by the Scions of Life, who are sheltering them and accepting their aid against the Merciless Destroyers. They are allies to the Scions of Life, and arch enemies with the Merciless Destroyers. They also battle against the Church of the Burning Sun, as the Church views all barbarians as heretics to be dealt with torch and sword.
There are also many neutral kingdoms, still holding their independence and fighting the darkness on their own.
The Church of the Burning Sun, worshipers of the sun-god Chorn (my version of Pelor) have united various devout southern nations under their banner to fight the legions of devils attacking, but they do have a fortress to the north to fight back the demons. They consider the Scions of Life heretics who are best dealt with by the torch and sword.
The Consortium of the True Way, known by all others as the Slaves of Darkness, are the desert countries who where foolish enough (or smart enough) to ally with the devils and not be defeated and crushed by them. They are often accompanied by units of large devils, and they are the vanguard of the armies of the devils. They are sworn enemies to the entire world, but they have mostly been fighting against the Church of the Burning Sun, as they are the foes that have been blocking their way the most.
The Warriors of the Dark Lords, known by all others as the Merciless Destroyers, are the barbarian tribes of the north who united to summon their demonic masters. They now charge forth in massive hordes, alongside armies of lesser demons, to the northern border of the civilized lands, burning and killing all in their way. They are enemies of all the world, but they are particularly fighting against the Scions of Life, as those are the foes they have most encountered.
The True Tribes are the few remaining barbarian tribes who do not follow the demonic lords and still follow the old ways of the barbarians. They have fled into lands owned by the Scions of Life, who are sheltering them and accepting their aid against the Merciless Destroyers. They are allies to the Scions of Life, and arch enemies with the Merciless Destroyers. They also battle against the Church of the Burning Sun, as the Church views all barbarians as heretics to be dealt with torch and sword.
There are also many neutral kingdoms, still holding their independence and fighting the darkness on their own.
There is also an awful lot of room to play up zealots on all sides, which is always fun.
Sure the PCs might not like the Mercilous Destroyers, but if they can seriously handicap the Devils by teaming up with the Destroyers temporarily, then they still might go for it. Of course, the Destroyers are likely to stab the PCs in the back once they no longer need them.
Wow, I didn't expect such a positive response! Maybe I will actually follow through, for once...:D
Heh, I know the feeling. For me, coming up with ideas is the easy part. The hard part is a) choosing one or two particular ideas and melding them into a campaign and b) actually doing the work to make it a fun campaign. :D
That being said, I certainly like what you have going there. Great story elements a plenty. An obvious threat that will also obviously take a long time for the PCs to overcome. A fleshed out background for different races and classes -- sure you didn't specifically mention all the races, but its pretty easy to figure out where they may go. Finally (and perhaps most importantly) a world that can easily be reused in another campaign.
What I mean by that last point is its fairly obvious that this campaign would start in the middle of the story. If you want to run another campaign later, you can start the PCs off a couple hundred years before the demons and devils arrive and the players can learn why the different kingdoms are still fighting with each other. Alternatively, you can fast forward X years and the players can see the lasting impact of the siege.
What I mean by that last point is its fairly obvious that this campaign would start in the middle of the story. If you want to run another campaign later, you can start the PCs off a couple hundred years before the demons and devils arrive and the players can learn why the different kingdoms are still fighting with each other. Alternatively, you can fast forward X years and the players can see the lasting impact of the siege.
I agree. I personally believe that defeating the demons and defeating the devils could make two seperate campaigns, seeing as the demons have a portal on the northern end of the world while the portal to the Nine Hells is deep within the center of the soutern desert.
Updates coming soon!
And...
Also, does anyone remember how to make a spoiler box? I forgot...
Below are details on the largest cities and the most important sites in the civilized world.
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Port Ragnorak: This ancient port city was once a city of the lost empire of Nord, a great northern empire with barbaric roots. Ragnorak was Nord's major connection to the south; from here, the empire traded with the dwarves and elves, and sometimes even the distant Erani Empire in the northern section of the desert, far to the south, and raided their enemies. Currently, the city is ruled by Clanlord Fjordenstank, just as his ancestors ruled as Clanlord of the city far back in the ancient days of the Nord Empire. This is one of the last two remaining cities that follows the old ways of the Nord Empire, as all the other cities (except for Nordan, the other remaining city) and the capital were long ago destroyed by the barbarians now known as the Merciless Destroyers. Fjordenstank is also a member of the Scions of Life, and the Scions have an embassy here and aid the city garrison against the ever encroaching demonic army.
Scion Keep: This massive hill-top fortress serves as the headquarters for the Scions of Life. Any member of the Scions can seek refuge here, as can all who serve a Scion (including everyone who lives in a city ruled by a Scion). However, faced with emergency, the Scions will take in anyone who seeks shelter in these halls. The Scion Council meets here, where all the most powerful Scions meet to discuss issues. The members are Clanlord Fjordenstank, General Norsca, Lord Regam, Clanlord Vjorden, Archdruid Lelthan, and the mysterious founder of the Scions, known only as 'The Guardian of Life'. Little is known of him (or her), other then the fact that the guardian is a mighty wizard and is most likely an eladrin.
Chornithalin: This ancient city was once the capital of the Blazing Sun Empire, until the empire fell before the pressure of the 'barbarians' from the north who massacred every citizen of the city (this is exaggerated. These 'barbarians' were in truth the citizens of the Nord Empire, and the Empire merely were striking back against the ever expanding influence of Chorn. They did attack, and many citizens did die, but the majority were allowed to stay in the Nord occupied city while the rest were enslaved). However, the proud worshipers of Chorn rebelled against their barbarian 'oppressors' and reclaimed their holy city. They rebuilt, and now the city is the capital of the Church of the Blazing Sun.
Baraz'Farad: The Erani Empire built this city in ages past. The Erani Empire is one of the few ancient cities to survive the ancient invasion of evil, and they valiantly defended their lands. But this time around, the Erani Empire joined the forces of the Devils, and now serve the evil god Asmodeus. However, while they were gathering to open the portal the the Nine Hells, the Church of the Blazing Sun besieged and captured the ill-defended city of Baraz'Farad, and massacred every infidel in the city, which was everyone. There was no mercy, and the Church slaughtered every last man, woman, and child. This cemented the Erani Empire's fall to evil; they are now bent on vengeance and wish to rip out the heart of the High Priest of Chorn and feed it to the great Pit Fiend Tharal'Tzenar before the eyes of the followers of Chorn. Baraz'Farad now stands as The Church's military capital, and faces siege from the devil Forward Camp: Destruction.
Imperiamus: Of all the nations that retain their independence from the factions of both the Scions and the Church, the Imperia of the Platinum Dragon Bahamut, or just simply the Imperia for short, is the greatest of these neutral kingdoms (although the Imperia is technically an Empire). Imperiamus is the Imperia's greatest city and the capital of the Imperia. A massive army of Platinum Knights and their men-at-arms await their call to arms, which is just over the horizon, as the Imperia is soon to be besieged by the orcs of the Everforest.
Goldhammer Citadel: Long ago, the mighty empires of the dwarves fell to the onslaught of the massive goblin hordes. Only a few scattered citadels remain, and all of these follow the rule of the High King Keldagrim, ruler of all the dwarves. His palace is in Goldhammer Citadel, making the Citadel capital of the scattered dwarven empire. The city itself is massive and is not just below ground like many dwarven settlements, but spills over into the surface world. However, many think the dwarves are hiding something, as none, not even other dwarves, are allowed in the deepest levels of the Citadel.
Forward Camp: Destruction: This is the forward camp of the vanguard of the Consortium of the True Way. A massive army of black-armored humans from the deserts (the majority of which are from the Erani Empire), accompanied by a legion of devils led by the Pit Fiend Tharal'Tzenar. The armies assembled in this huge camp that spreads across the northern border of the desert frequently attack the many fortresses of the Church across the Waste of Bones, where the Church does battle against the forces of the devils.
Scion Keep: This massive hill-top fortress serves as the headquarters for the Scions of Life. Any member of the Scions can seek refuge here, as can all who serve a Scion (including everyone who lives in a city ruled by a Scion). However, faced with emergency, the Scions will take in anyone who seeks shelter in these halls. The Scion Council meets here, where all the most powerful Scions meet to discuss issues. The members are Clanlord Fjordenstank, General Norsca, Lord Regam, Clanlord Vjorden, Archdruid Lelthan, and the mysterious founder of the Scions, known only as 'The Guardian of Life'. Little is known of him (or her), other then the fact that the guardian is a mighty wizard and is most likely an eladrin.
Chornithalin: This ancient city was once the capital of the Blazing Sun Empire, until the empire fell before the pressure of the 'barbarians' from the north who massacred every citizen of the city (this is exaggerated. These 'barbarians' were in truth the citizens of the Nord Empire, and the Empire merely were striking back against the ever expanding influence of Chorn. They did attack, and many citizens did die, but the majority were allowed to stay in the Nord occupied city while the rest were enslaved). However, the proud worshipers of Chorn rebelled against their barbarian 'oppressors' and reclaimed their holy city. They rebuilt, and now the city is the capital of the Church of the Blazing Sun.
Baraz'Farad: The Erani Empire built this city in ages past. The Erani Empire is one of the few ancient cities to survive the ancient invasion of evil, and they valiantly defended their lands. But this time around, the Erani Empire joined the forces of the Devils, and now serve the evil god Asmodeus. However, while they were gathering to open the portal the the Nine Hells, the Church of the Blazing Sun besieged and captured the ill-defended city of Baraz'Farad, and massacred every infidel in the city, which was everyone. There was no mercy, and the Church slaughtered every last man, woman, and child. This cemented the Erani Empire's fall to evil; they are now bent on vengeance and wish to rip out the heart of the High Priest of Chorn and feed it to the great Pit Fiend Tharal'Tzenar before the eyes of the followers of Chorn. Baraz'Farad now stands as The Church's military capital, and faces siege from the devil Forward Camp: Destruction.
Imperiamus: Of all the nations that retain their independence from the factions of both the Scions and the Church, the Imperia of the Platinum Dragon Bahamut, or just simply the Imperia for short, is the greatest of these neutral kingdoms (although the Imperia is technically an Empire). Imperiamus is the Imperia's greatest city and the capital of the Imperia. A massive army of Platinum Knights and their men-at-arms await their call to arms, which is just over the horizon, as the Imperia is soon to be besieged by the orcs of the Everforest.
Goldhammer Citadel: Long ago, the mighty empires of the dwarves fell to the onslaught of the massive goblin hordes. Only a few scattered citadels remain, and all of these follow the rule of the High King Keldagrim, ruler of all the dwarves. His palace is in Goldhammer Citadel, making the Citadel capital of the scattered dwarven empire. The city itself is massive and is not just below ground like many dwarven settlements, but spills over into the surface world. However, many think the dwarves are hiding something, as none, not even other dwarves, are allowed in the deepest levels of the Citadel.
Forward Camp: Destruction: This is the forward camp of the vanguard of the Consortium of the True Way. A massive army of black-armored humans from the deserts (the majority of which are from the Erani Empire), accompanied by a legion of devils led by the Pit Fiend Tharal'Tzenar. The armies assembled in this huge camp that spreads across the northern border of the desert frequently attack the many fortresses of the Church across the Waste of Bones, where the Church does battle against the forces of the devils.
Anywho, UPDATE!!!
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The Endless Sea:West of the Civilized World is massive, largely uncharted sea dotted with islands abound. It is common belief that all the lies beyond this massive sea is none other then the edge of the world, and many seafarers do not travel west, believing that traveling too far in that direction is bad luck. But one faction sees things differently.
The city-state of Espan, located on the large, forest-covered peninsula on the southern part of the map. The city-state now lies deserted, as the people of the city (quite rightly) believe that the world is likely going to end. Thus, the people have taken to the seas, and now search for untamed lands to the west. They are now the Island Kingdoms of Espan, and many of the colonized islands are colonized by the former citizens of Espan, in their desperate flight from the wars that cover the once-peaceful mainland.
The city-state of Espan, located on the large, forest-covered peninsula on the southern part of the map. The city-state now lies deserted, as the people of the city (quite rightly) believe that the world is likely going to end. Thus, the people have taken to the seas, and now search for untamed lands to the west. They are now the Island Kingdoms of Espan, and many of the colonized islands are colonized by the former citizens of Espan, in their desperate flight from the wars that cover the once-peaceful mainland.
Now that's what I call...
a COMEBACK!!!!
However, before you go any further I think you need to decide where you are going to start with your players - it'll save you some work as you may need to change things as your story develops.
Is the world going to be under seige when the campaign starts, or is this something that develops as the players advance in levels - do the characters play any part in the destruction of the hell gate - whether deliberate or accidental?
I can imagine adventures when the players are sent out to track heavily wounded demons in the desert.
Cultists would also be involved at different levels - would there be spies seeking out to assasinate/destroy alliances between the human allies - there are some storylines there - the Three Musketeers springs to mind where the players have to retrieve an item from cultists so two factions can create an alliance.
New character classes such as demonslayers might also exist or the ranger class might be modified to accomodate this. Spellcasters might also learn spells that banish or target demons.
I think what I'd try and do now is map out some story points and think about where and at what level you would like them to happen. Then you know which bits of the world you need to flesh out first.
You have got lots of ideas for different factions and the background for your campaign world.
However, before you go any further I think you need to decide where you are going to start with your players - it'll save you some work as you may need to change things as your story develops.
Is the world going to be under seige when the campaign starts, or is this something that develops as the players advance in levels - do the characters play any part in the destruction of the hell gate - whether deliberate or accidental?
I can imagine adventures when the players are sent out to track heavily wounded demons in the desert.
Cultists would also be involved at different levels - would there be spies seeking out to assasinate/destroy alliances between the human allies - there are some storylines there - the Three Musketeers springs to mind where the players have to retrieve an item from cultists so two factions can create an alliance.
New character classes such as demonslayers might also exist or the ranger class might be modified to accomodate this. Spellcasters might also learn spells that banish or target demons.
I think what I'd try and do now is map out some story points and think about where and at what level you would like them to happen. Then you know which bits of the world you need to flesh out first.
I agree with what you're saying. As for story points, I was planning on starting my PCs in the north with the Scions to fight the demons... they're going to tackle a hidden cult on the Northern Front.
Thoose are relatively obvious thing that I've seen overlooked by DMs who side with one side or another. I have no real problem with that, becuase they're the DM, but I know that the groups that I've played in have all wanted to be able to effect the world in ways that they could see, even when they made the wrong choice.
Love the concept by the way. That advice probably didn't help at all but I've seen DMs railroading me so much that it makes me sick. [For the last time, I'd like to start construction of my own keep using my share of the dragons treasure.]
I personally WOULD like my PCs to be able to choose a side, but there are a few problems with that. First: I am uncomfortable with my players being evil. Two: The two good factions are basically on the other end of the Civilized World... it would be kinda hard to put my PCs in a place where options are available...
I personally WOULD like my PCs to be able to choose a side, but there are a few problems with that. First: I am uncomfortable with my players being evil. Two: The two good factions are basically on the other end of the Civilized World... it would be kinda hard to put my PCs in a place where options are available...
You shouldn't worry to much about your PCs being evil. Generally a lot of PCs skewer being evil, they do the motions, but other then that they run like they used to. [which is fine from a gameplay standpoint, but not from a Roleplaying one]
As for the factions, if you really wanted to base it on warhammer then start it in Imperiamus. There's bound to be cults from the different factions [or just people if they're on friendly ones]. That gives you a few opions. The ones I see are 1. The groups contact them becuase they are an adventuring party of some renown that hasn't choosen a side yet. 2. You mentioned an orc invasion, that's going to be a good training ground if you want to use that [a little to unoriginal for me, but it works], and 3. There's bound to be messages and emissaries coming in to the city from all of the outlying powers [even the cults, they just wont be well known] so news of where they need to go to best support their faction/factions and still have a rally point to come back to [at least until it's under siege.]
I can see a lot of milage coming out of the rivalry between the demonic and diabolic forces. Taking the idea of starting in Imperiamus for instance. The orc invasion could be catalyzed by the demons. Maybe some demons have shown up in the forest with the idea of weilding the orcs as a weapon against one of their better organized adversaries. Devils could be lurking around trying to scuttle this plan by aiding the good guys while hiding their true nature. Their long-term goal would be to corrupt Imperiamus and turn it to their benefit.
Yes, makes for a great deal of intrigue. Not only that, but it would raise a few questions as to how the demons made it past the Northern Front and how the Devils got so far north... potential cults for all sides are everywhere...
On a side note, didn't expect for my thread to get rated:D
Start the characters at a very low level. Let them spend their hero levels just trying to survive in a world that's gone crazy around them. Build your scenarios around options, and be prepared with alternate plans if your group goes astray. Example: Their home town is under siege. Powerful demons don't tend to fight alone, so survival means finding weaker links in the attacking army and fighting through those areas. Plan for non combat options as well. They can choose to fight through the lesser demons and human followers, sneak out of town while carefully disguising their less sneaky allies, make an athletic run for it option, or let them go head on with the most powerful demons, leading to a later escape from demonic slavery scenario after they awaken. Ten levels of this sort of planning will get them into the habit of thinking carefully about the world around them, while setting the state for your entire invasion.
I like to set up a game for their 10th level where they end up discovering some sort of significant weakness in their enemies. Whether it's the human allies of those demons who serve as the weakness, a powerful demon that they usurped to gain access to the world, or some magical component of their attack (items that they use to communicate and coordinate over long distances); locating the weakness sets the stage for their next 10 levels.
From 11 to 20, they get to go on the attack. Let them exploit that weakness in all sorts of ways. They shouldn't have the ability to destroy the incoming siege, but sometimes it's more about saving what can be saved than it is about saving everything. The enemies through these levels get much more difficult and they'll finally get to fight some real demons. They should've perfected their ability to survive during those first 10 levels and by this point they should really be able to work well together.
Around 20th, I like to set up a chance for them to change the setting a bit. It doesn't have to be completely disruptive to the siege, but just enough to open up their epic paths. They may learn the identity of the demon's leaders, they may forge some new alliance with a powerful outside force, or location a critical mistake in the invasion's tactics.
From 21 to 30, everything is different. It's like a reverse of the first 10 levels. Here, your characters are on the attack and powerful enough to do a lot of damage. Your job is the same as theirs was from 1 to 10, to take advantage of their boldness, keep the main leaders alive, and to have fun letting your demons find your character's weaknesses. From 11 to 20 your characters will have a lot of success, they'll be more bold and willing to take on your siege head on. It was easier then though because they weren't enough of a problem for your siege to really take notice. At this point though, your players faces are known by every attacking demon and they'll start taking actions to directly oppose them.
Create your conclusion early. Decide if you want the siege to be blocked or defeated. If you're having them block it, then you've also set the stage for a lot of other adventures in the same setting.
Anyway, this is the model that I've used a few times so far to support these large scale concepts and it works really well with my group. I hope it helps.