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| #1deter3of4Feb 06, 2009 17:15:50 | Here’s the campaign setting that I’ve pieced together so far. The 4 maybe 5 people that make up the party vary in age and experience with the game (from 14 years old to 40). My past frustration with the game involves having to develop a new campaign every time we have the itch to play. We usually play 4 to 6 sessions and for varying reasons have to quit (basically life getting in the way). I want this location open to as many different storylines as possible allowing us to take a night creating characters and then just play. I’m hoping these different storylines would encompass all the players’ tastes from simple monster bashing (for the 14 year old nephew) to undead horror style (for the Goth niece and her friend) to complex struggles for power (for my brother and his wife). The campaign setting should be capable of many different small campaigns (say 4-6 sessions long). If we ever get beyond a small campaign, then I’ll tackle a larger one later. I’ve been trading emails with the players; a few are interested in helping out with the campaign world. I sent them the stuff I’ve developed so far, set some parameters for us to work in, and asked anyone to expand on and create topics as they wished. Anything that you’d like to comment, question, or expand upon would be welcomed. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated. Email I sent to the players I’m hoping to get some help developing this campaign. If you find anything that sparks an idea with you, feel free to email it to me. I guarantee that any idea no matter how small or large will be used whether it’s a person(s), group, or a place. I also guarantee that it will be edited in some way and you won’t know all the changes. I’m trying to create an area that would be capable of many different styles of adventure, but at the same time the campaign(s) would stay within a limited location. This would cut down on the amount of work to be done plus allow for more in depth back round detail to the characters and their environment. Bottom line: I’m hoping to have this stuff down, so that whenever we have the impulse to play all that’s needed is rolling up the characters. Table of contents: Campaign Overview SHACERGO REGION MYKKASHA SITE ARLO OUTPOST NARWAN CITY OUTPOSTS/VILLAGES COSMOLOGY PEOPLE (takes up a lot of space. list of contents under heading) 1. Mykkasha Site 2. Arlo & co. 3. East-West Road 4. Arlo’s Keep 5. Narwan City 6. Outpost EXTRA STUFF Campaign Overview So far I’ve come up with this: A small city that lies equal distance between human civilizations to the west and to the east. These two major civilizations are very different in culture but similar in power and technology. Trading between them by sea is a profitless venture, so they meet at the above mention city named Narwan. Narwan is located in an area called The Shacergo Region. (This region is the whole scope of the campaign world. Work would have to be done on areas outside of the region, but with less detail.) From late fall to early spring, Narwan is a city of about 2500 inhabitants. From mid spring to mid fall, Narwan grows to 5000 people at its largest with a tent city to the north of the original inhabitants. Many different cultures from the east west and south meet here to trade over the course of about six months. Visitors stay from a couple of weeks to six months. Several wealthier merchants from the west have bought storefronts and homes in Narwan. During the summer months, Narwan has a carnival/wild west atmosphere (fights are frequent, even duels are not unheard of) but when most of the foreigners leave the city, it belongs again to the locals and things become a lot tamer. Protection of the city comes from two entities: the Keep Soldiers and the Merchants’ Council Soldiers. The former spends most of its resources on protecting the road and surrounding areas from goblinoids and bandits, while the latter can have a skewed, greedy view of justice. As far as the two different cultures go…I picture one being a typical European medieval style D’n’D culture in a state of renaissance. Things are largely settled there and political maneuvering is just as valuable a skill as strength in arms. The Bard class is more socially important than other campaigns that I’ve ran in the past. People will take his/her word and stories more seriously than others. Powerful people will use a Bard to spread rumors about their political enemies while the other side of the coin is that a Bard can glorify a person or group that would otherwise go unnoticed. Basically, Bards are the social commentators/news reporters of their day. Just to clarify, Bard’s are not limited to this social role; they can just be storytellers or whatever the hell the description of them is in the Player’s Handbook. The culture from the west vaguely resembles the Japanese culture at the height of the Shogun era. It has a strict caste system broken into three branches (Daimyo, Samurai, and Peasant) and each of these branches have a subtle and (sometimes) convoluted hierarchy. The Samurai is a prestige class. I will also be adding a new class: Samurai Apprentice (for lack of a better term). Every Samurai has earned their station by heroic deeds and must be appointed by another Samurai who grants them magically forged armor or a weapon. These are usually dwarven & human made items since the two cultures have a long standing history of peaceful trading. (Need to get DnD 3.5 version of Oriental adventures. Is it me, or does Oriental Adventures sound kinda racist?) This idea, along with the stuff that I cut & pasted below, has the potential for many different types of campaigns: whether it is city adventures involving corrupt officials, thieves, and clashes of culture or wilderness adventures with strange ruins, ancient treasure and bashing monsters. The following describes areas of interest within the campaign setting. I’ve tried to stick to info that a PC may have, if they were very well educated in the area. The numbers are an approximate at best. SHACERGO REGION The Shacergo region was originally dominated by the now extinct civilization of the same name hundreds possibly thousands of years ago. Even at the height of the Shacergo civ’s power, this region was never wholly settled. According to local histories, the land was much disputed by small warring factions but few facts are known. Some say that the nomads of the area are descendants of Shacergoans; it’s probably just tavern talk though. Ancient outposts and constructs laying in ruin can be found scattered across the region, some haunted and some inhabited by bandits or goblinoids. This temperate region covers an area roughly 100 mile square with two large mountain chains running north to south, to the east of Narwan and to the west. These mountains are east/west borders of the region. A large inland sea creates the northern border while the south opens up into larger plains and eventually desert. MYKKASHA SITE Over two hundred years ago the Mykkasha religious site was rediscovered. The site consists of a cleared area with an ancient statue of the goddess dressed in skins and carrying a spear. Though estimated to be over a thousand years old, the statue remains perfectly intact as if it were created yesterday. Visitors of the site believe it to be blessed and pilgrims have traveled many miles to visit it. Druids maintain the surrounding forest area and rangers protect the site from defilement. Mykkasha is the Lesser Goddess of the forest. Her followers include druids, rangers, hunters and elves. Followers of the goddess value self-reliance, the healing arts, and survival skills. ARLO OUTPOST The Arlo Outpost was created by the adventurer Arlo, who swore allegiance to the nation of Bellagost to the east one hundred fifty years ago. Arlo, along with his adventuring company, protected the site and the once vulnerable trade route between Bellagost & the western civ. The only remaining member of the company is the elf Sanydrusa, a mage whose residence is the highest tower within the Keep. Sanydrusa holds no official authority, though she has been called upon to help protect the Outpost and Narwan city in times of trouble. Sanydrusa is the subject of mystery and intrigue among the locals. Depending on the person, she’s depicted as anything from a ghoulish necromancer who harvests organs to a secret avenger of wrongs. The Outpost sits upon a flattened outcropping of rock jutting up from plains between Lake Arlo and The Mykkasha site. Carved into the east side of the rock is a sloping road leading up to the Keep. The Keep itself is protected by high, strong walls with a large cavern underneath used to entomb the dead, store food and as an emergency bunker for the citizens of Narwan. In its emergency capacity, the cavern has been used mostly as a shelter for flood/fire victims though one goblinoid attack in the past had caused the citizens to flee under its protective roof. The outpost maintains a garrison of 150-350 soldiers, depending on the time of year. The garrison protects the Outpost and Narwan city as wall guards and militia-police force within Narwan City. As a police force, the Outpost is understaffed and must rely upon mercenaries and bodyguards hired by merchants who live within Narwan City. During the spring, summer, and early fall months; patrols are sent along the east-west road in order to protect the travelers from goblinoids/bandits and to maintain the road itself. The current leader of the Outpost is Baron Tundril Percy a veteran soldier and former Captain of the Keep with a highly respected family name in Bellagost and many famous warriors in his lineage. The Baron is a loyal military leader first and a governor second. NARWAN CITY Narwan was leveled and its inhabitants killed or routed twice before the Narwan that exists today was born. The first inhabitants were an elemental cult that centered around three demigods: two dwarven and one human. The neophyte cult was made up of craftsmen with a severe code of honor/secrecy from the dwarven city in the southwestern part of Shacergo and humans from the Western Civ, building their settlement near a small quarry to the northwest of Lake Arlo and south of the East-West Road. The inhabitants were very specialized in their craft though they lacked the knowledge to survive the environment. A severe winter followed by goblins, worgs and ogres ended their existence within six months. In early spring, the soldiers of Arlo’s Outpost found only buildings burnt to the ground. Functioning miners’ buildings and abandoned stone structures too heavy to be toppled by the attackers are still found in the area The second incarnation of Narwan came from the east. (Still in the process of creation, the rest of this entry describes Narwan of today) Narwan City proper is a small city of about 2500 citizens and lies upon the shores of Lake Arlo. The north, west and east sides of the city are protected by a 10 foot high stone wall reinforced by a log palisade with the south side lined with docks. The main streets are covered in cobblestone with hard packed dirt covering the remaining roads. The northeastern part of the city is the merchant quarters where 3 merchant companies make their permanent homes. This section of the city is set apart by the Merchants Road, an extensive lawn, and a surrounding 8 foot high iron rod fence. The expensive, individually painted iron rods are wrought into spear shape with 1 inch hooked spurs covering all sides of it and spaced about a foot apart. It is designed such that it looks pleasing to the eye from say 30 feet, but upon closer inspection a person would discover that trying to slip between the rods would cause himself a good deal of pain from the spurs. The city wall bordering the north and east of the Merchants Quarters are by far the most heavily manned parts of the wall. These merchant companies also act as a ruling council in Narwan, collecting taxes that are monthly delivered to the Baron of Arlo. They also are responsible for hiring mercenaries who bolster the Outpost’s police force. The Merchants’ Council considers itself autonomous, although according to official law the Baron of Arlo Keep is considered the ruler of Narwan. There has been friction in the past between the current Baron and the Merchants Council which resulted in the deposing and execution of a Merchant Company head for murder of the Baron’s soldiers, extortion and stealing taxes. The Baron imprisoned the man for one year, and then in a private ceremony personally executed the former merchant in front of the Merchants Council leaders. All of his immense wealth was seized by authority of the king and most of his minions had to search employment elsewhere, although a few others saw an executioner’s axe. His main building is now used by a personal advisor to the king, Lady Urille Dumain. These unorthodox, yet perfectly legal, actions were meant as a warning for the witnesses and to keep a closer eye on them. Most citizens consider the Merchant leaders a necessary evil since they are responsible for the flow of trade into the city. From late fall to early spring, Narwan resembles any other small town relying on fishing and harvests for sustenance. The exceptions to this small town resemblance are the merchants’ quarters, overabundance of taverns (some closed and boarded up for the winter), Pleasant’s Library and the dozens of travelers who for whatever reason find themselves in Narwan (mostly pilgrims). Weather permitting, most locals can be found fishing on the lake or down by the docks selling their services and wares. Though during the coldest month, even the citizens of Narwan will desist from fishing and activity slows to a standstill. From early spring to late fall, Narwan grows into cosmopolitan trading post where merchants from the Western Civ and Bellagost make their destination. At the height of trading during the summer, Narwan has a carnival like atmosphere with a population of over 5000 people and a large tent city located between Narwan proper and the Arlo Outpost. Some of the smaller, yet successful, merchants have built permanent lodgings behind the protective palisade walls of Narwan. Between the tent city and Narwan Proper is the Merchants’ Circle: This is an oval shaped area where the main road runs that covers an area roughly 300 yards by 100 yards where temporary booths are constructed. Bards, entertainers, and charlatans of all sorts can be found plying their various trades within the Merchants’ Circle and the tent city. Street performers are not allowed to perform on the streets of Narwan proper, but hired performers can still be found within the tavern halls. Pleasant’s Library is owned by an old bard named Timin the Pleasant, an ironic name since he is a well known curmudgeon with a biting wit. Timin is one of the few outsiders fully accepted by the locals. His store offers books (histories and Bard’s stories), spells for scribing or sale (1st/2nd level spells for mage/cleric classes), spell components, and a few small exotic items that Timin is willing to part with for a price. For a couple of weeks out of the year, Timin sets up a small museum by putting his most exotic items on display and charges a small “donation.” This event has grown in popularity every year since he arrived three years ago. During the winter months, he entertains the locals with the continuing tales of “Sir Dinkus the Smartarse: Tales of a Near-Sighted Paladin.” He has six apprentices, three of them are locals. OUTPOSTS/VILLAGES Outposts, about a day’s ride apart, dot the East-West Road between Narwan and the border of Bellagost. (A distance of 75 miles would make that three outposts…right?) These outposts were built about a hundred years ago and manned by 50 highly paid soldiers of Bellagost and their spouses. The king took great care in choosing these soldiers since they not only needed strength in arms, but also have the various skills that help a community survive, so they were mostly the children of craftsmen and farmers with about half having some formal education. At first, most of the soldiers sent extra money back to their families, within about 20 years most of these families moved out to the outposts. These days the pay is not as high, but the current 50 soldiers still make a comfortable living although there are still exceptional dangers to the job. Governors are appointed by these 50 soldiers and it is a lifetime appointment. The layout of the village consists of a small fortress in the center that houses the soldiers with homes and farms surrounding it. Well built fences and trenches protect the citizens from attack. Each Outpost has a shrine to Good with homage being paid to several lesser gods or demigods (ancestor worship). The general alignment is Lawful good/neutral. There are about 250 inhabitants per settlement. Each outpost can be considered an oasis to the peaceful groups who travel the road to Narwan and the trade allows the villagers to keep up to date with their equipment. These communities are far stronger and healthier than other villages of the same size. Responsibility to the community is paramount, little crime is committed (or tolerated), and throughout their lifetimes each villager can be expected to have been in several battles if not dozens or even hundreds. COSMOLOGY The universe was originally created by an unknown entity. This includes the three major gods who have various names and avatars, but for explanatory purposes can be consider the forces Good, Evil, and Neutral. These three forces created an original world, but it was destroyed by their Creator out of jealousy. The three major gods, in order to hide and survive, sliced into fabric of the Creator’s universe and created a void. Within this void, our current world resides with Good vying with Evil for control of the world while Neutral seeks to maintain a balance between the two. Ancient prophesies tell of a time when the original creator will return to destroy the world and the gods with it. These greater gods have never been known to exist on earth although they have appeared to a(n) (un)lucky few in dreams and visions. There are about two dozen lesser gods most of whom were created by the three greater gods. There are several lesser gods that have been promoted from demi-godhood. These gods rarely walk the earth. The last time this happened resulted in the Great Breaking which changed the geography of the world and destroyed many civilizations about a thousand years ago. Demi-gods include children of lesser gods (excuse the pun), powerful demons and spirits, and revered ancestors. These gods walk the earth more frequently with followers numbering from several dozen to thousands. Demigods tend to grant their clergy greater powers at early levels but there are greater limitations that come with these powers (level caps, slower advancement, or a severely shortened life span for example). Note: When (un)holy sites are created, markings denoting whether a god is subject to Good, Evil, or Neutral are engraved into the site. Any cleric, or character with the right skills, can decipher these markings to interpret the general alignment of the site without having to use magical divinations. PEOPLE 1. Mykkasha Site 2. Arlo & co. 3. East-West Road 4. Arlo’s Keep 5. Narwan City 6. Outpost The following list shows locations found in the region and the people one might run into there. I’m trying to give a definition with each listing and how that group or person interacts with their environment. 1. Mykkasha Site Mykkasha does not roam the forest, but her religion must be defined eventually. Druids of Mykkasha are responsible for ceremonies at the site. These seasonal ceremonies are restricted to clergy and initiates (pilgrims) except for the winter solstice which allows citizens of Narwan to attend. Druids of Mykkasha live in and around the miles of forest surrounding the site. They can be found alone or in pairs and tend towards neutral/neutral good alignments. With the exception of the ceremonies, these druids do not like to make their presence known and will only leave the forest area in an emergency. Unwanted visitors into the forest will be first dissuaded with trickery (scare tactics, strange noises, small illusions etc). For more persistent trespassers, when the druid feels he/she has sufficient protection, he/she will directly confront them. If violence is needed, the druid(s) (and possibly rangers and/or animal companions) will attempt to incapacitate rather than kill. This protocol is adhered to in all cases, whether it’s a human child or a group of orcs. Rangers of Mykkasha can be found near the Mykkasha site, the east-west road, and around Narwan. They concentrate their efforts on protecting the site and Narwan from goblinoids and bandits. Rangers will travel to Narwan for basic supplies, armor and weaponry. They also act as intermediaries between the Druids and Narwan/Arlo Keep. Rangers will kill goblinoids, or any obviously evil being, without provocation; except when in the Mykkasha site area (see Druids of Mykkasha above). Nomads make pilgrimages to the Mykkasha site according to their own calendars; they are always accompanied by a shaman. Approximately 25% of the Druids originated from nomadic tribes. 2. Arlo & Co. Arlo Arlo’s adventuring companions Sanydrusa 3. East-West Road Caravans -Merchants Western civ -Merchants Bellagost -Pilgrims -Adventuring groups -Dwarves -Elves -Halflings and Gnomes Very few Halflings/Gnomes have visited this area of the world. Any Halfling/Gnome traveling here will be with one of the caravans. The locals will take an ignorant and paternal (read condescending) attitude towards the little people. Most of their knowledge of them comes from rumors and stories. A clever & unscrupulous little person could take advantage of this… Outpost patrols Travel in groups of ten, 5 medium warhorse, 2 draft horse, armed with long swords, light crossbows, lances, chain mail and/or shield. Nomads are normally non-threatening unless provoked. Contact with the nomads will normally occur when they are seeking to trade info or items and encounters with these people will usually be curt and short. They are found in hunting groups of 3-23(d20+2) depending on the nature of beast being hunted, and more often than not a passerby will not even notice their presence since they are often scattered and hidden. Clans (50-300) are seen on rare occasions, and unless the clan is on the move, would be willing to trade. -Rogue Nomads are nomads that have turned to banditry out of desperation (a harsh winter, natural disaster, or being robbed themselves for example) or for simple greed. They’re basically hunting groups that are willing to prey on sentient beings. Bandits: The term “Bandit” applies to any human or demi-human who for whatever reason seeks to prey on the vulnerable traveler and live outside of the boundaries of civilization. These desperate groups are usually at odds with goblinoids and rogue nomads, although there have been times when bandits will cooperate with the others. These associations are usually short-lived and end bloody. The bandits’ tactics vary from haphazard assault to posing as harmless travelers to a well thought out ambush. Their numbers vary widely (5-50), with the larger groups led by a strong leader and having caches of goods hidden away in the wilderness. Goblinoids: A catchall phrase that includes goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, kobolds, and more. Small groups of males (3-15) encountered on the road will always be hostile. Clans (20-100) rarely can be found near the road. Solitary clans encountered have usually been exiled by their tribe and, unless they are accepted by another tribe, can expect a slow extinction. Some desperate clans will even challenge a well armed caravan for their goods and food. There are ten known semi-nomadic goblinoid tribes (300-500) in the region located well away from the East-West Road. Goblinoids are renowned for destroying miles of land in search of food and just for the hell of it. Whole cities are rumored to exist in the mountains to the east and west of Narwan. Goblinoids can unite under very powerful leaders, the last one to rise to power happened well over fifty years ago. In that time, there have been assaults on the outposts/villages dotting the East-West Road, but these attacks are rare and always repulsed (0-2 times a year). 4. Arlo’s Keep Baron Tundril Percy Outpost soldiers Sanydrusa 5. Narwan City A. Narwan Proper Outpost Police Narwan locals Hired Performers One Merchant Executed Merchants who buy permanent residences Three Merchants Heads -Hired Militia Men (police) -Hired Bodyguards Timin the Pleasant -Six Apprentices B. Tent City/Merchants’ Circle Outpost Police Hired Militia Men Bards Entertainers Charlatans Caravans -Merchants Western civ -Merchants Bellagost -Pilgrims -Adventuring groups -Dwarves -Elves -Halflings 6. Outpost Outpost soldiers: Approximately 150-175 villagers are competent fighters yet only 50 are paid by the king. These 50 soldiers are considered matriarchs/patriarchs of their families. The minor title is passed on in hereditary fashion with the titleholder able to dictate which of her/his offspring receives it. The recipient must first be of proper age then possible recipients are judged by their leadership skills. A single heir inherits by default. Villagers: At any given time most villagers can act as garrison of the outpost. The 50 garrison are distinguished by their better armor and weapons. Non-garrison villagers lack the armor, but will always have a short sword on them and usually several throwing spears nearby. The general tactic against goblinoids is to strike from afar and route them as they approach the farms. Catapults play a pivotal role when facing a large, approaching force. Though causing few casualties, the impact on morale can be devastating when followed by well aimed spears and arrows, perhaps some magic. Major goblinoid attacks are rare though; the villagers more frequently have to deal with small groups of bandits or goblinoids that target the isolated villager hoping for money, livestock, equipment, and (in the case of goblinoids) a meal. But these creatures do not threaten the villagers as much as worgs and dire wolves. Governors: EXTRA STUFF Random stuff I’m working on that’ll be edited into a category above. Magic Powerful magic is uncommon though cantrips and low level spells can be an almost daily occurrence within the city of Narwan, any magic not utilitarian or entertaining in effect is viewed with fear. Superstition makes the normal local a little bit fearful of mages. These fears have grown out the fact that highly magical civilizations in the past destroyed and changed the face of the world (Seas rising, mountains leveled, etc). The Ru-rell |