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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Jul 2004 : 23:00:10
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Now, I am going to assume that everyone here knows the whole old trek(and new trek too) storyline where two alternate universes collide, and the alternate has certain things, most specifically moral things, in reverse.
If not, just say and I will explain further.
Second, in my campaign currently the players are thus.
Vitrael Thorikaust,CE Half Fiend Gold Elf Pyromancer. Last Scion of the DaemonFey House Thorikaust, and of incubus ancestry, he seeks to restore the glory of his noble line and lay waste to the elves who saw it's destruction. He sees the party as a means to an end, and is ever ready to take advantage of them, even if he does defend them. Good servants are hard to find after all...
Dark Wolf, N Lupine Wolf Shaman. Raised by wild elves he never knew his parents who were killed by goblinoids in the moonwood. He knew he was different when it was found he could shift into the form of a wolf when the thrill of the hunt was in him. His adoptive father who had a wolf totem took this to be good omen. After conferring with a tribe of lythari it is revealed that he is not a lychanthrope, but something different. Something much more ancient. He has set forth into the world to find more of his kind. And perhaps a mate. Or three. He has begun to see the party as his pack, a pack that he leads. One day he might need to put down one to maintain unity, but such is the responsibility of leader.
Kyros Devanto, CE Human Red Wizard Evoker. Taken from his parents at a young age he neither knows nor cares of his roots. All he knows is that power is a thing much to be desired. At the moment he can use the party to gain that power. As he acquires wealth and experience he seeks to attain a position of supremecy in the world. All will quake at the mention of his name. He sees the party as his personal retinue of bodyguards, as is only befitting a person of his importance. He allows them the illusion of autonomy only to appease them, it is good for morale after all.
Arkemn Trefore, CG Human Warmaster. After his parents were killed during the godswar Arkemn was raised by the unit of military his parents were members of: The Purple Dragons. After some time he rose to a position of some respect within the organization, but was known mostly for his unorthodox tactics. After a time he managed to form a band of soldiers, mercenaries and freebooters to clean up and claim the border region known as the stonelands. The other party members were quickly identified by his superiors as possible resources, and he was instructed to join them in adventuring to try to negate any damage they could cause and steer their objectives to ends desirable by the crown.
Now, needless to say, this is a fairly lively and active campaign with lots, and I mean LOTS of character interaction. Now, the snag I hit was whilst running the Dungeon Adventure Prison of the Firebringer. The problem was that during he adventure's resolution **spoiler ALert!!!**
There,I had tinkered the mission up a level or three, and subsequently the rewards offered for freeing hte beast were significgantly greater, and the capabilities and dangers associated with doing so were as well. The entity made a secret deal with each party member after inviting them into it's inner sanctum to show them the treasure one by one(it looked suspiciously like my kitchen, but I digress).
The offers were steep, For Kyros, a hidden and forgotten cache of netherese texts and tomes of significgant power, forgotten even by the Selskaryn. The deal for his release was made, and the geas was laid.
For Vitrael, secrets of his ancestry, and the location of the artifact that was his family's crest. Promised it would lead to his ascension to power, he easily accepted the geas, though whether this power would be from claiming leadership of the surviving fey'ri, or of his bloodline being far deeper into the abyss than he first thought, was not revealed.
For Dark Wolf, he was promised the secrets of his lineage as well, and the location of more of his kind, an offer that tempted him greatly, though not enough to take the geas, for having heaard from his pack mates that they had taken it as well, he devised a plan where he would be free from it's taint to react accordingly no matter the outcome.
Arkemn, promised the location of a weapon that could forge an a army capable building an empire, and even to finally gain his revenge on the warring deities who had slain his parents in their carelesness, he refused. Never passing the portal into the creature's lair, fleeing by magecraft of his lover, the Abjurer Rosidia, he left in haste when attempts to subdue him were made by the other mages.
The sceptre was passed over, the rituals commenced, and during their midst, invisible, he and she returned, tore away the sceptre, and teleported back to the Royal palace in cormyr, to an outer region not protected by the enchantments of some parts.
His frantic pleas just hours earlier had falllen on deaf and unbelieveing ears both here and in silverymoon, so he tried to make them listen. Arriving near enough to the couuncil chameber to reach it by hasted foot before the others pursued, he burst into the room, casting the sceptre upon the floor, and smashing with the sword in his magical glove. All thewhile screaming the words "It will release a demon, it will release a demon".
Hailed as a mad asassin making an attempt on what remained of the Cormyrean royal faily and power base, he was subdued with no struggle, an confined deep within the prison 'neath the palace, impervious from all escape... or assault. Thus did he flee the wrath of Kyros and Vitrael.
Here do I reach a quandary. Several months have passed, the sceptre(such as it is) has remained in the posession of Caladnei, for further study, and Arkemn has languished in his cell. He has been bombarded with every type of spell and tactic they posesss shy of torture, and he seems to be telling the truth. However the search of the Tower was fruitless, all signs of the truth hidden.
Arkemn is given the reputation as a madman. One for whom the rigors of adventure finally made snap. As such he was held in great pity, until a travelling paladin managed to convince that through the consoling hand of Tyr, justice could be done redeeming this lost soul, to the path of sanity. Easily manipulated, this paladin was led to believe by a damsel in distress(a kind hearted, but slightly oppurtunistic and manipulative rogue) whom he rescued from bandits, that this was a true course of action.
Secretly in the employ of Dark Wolf to liberate his oft times major ally in group debates, and to unify his pack by securing his release, she more than earned her gold.
They currently quest, but soon they will meet with the rest of the party, and that meeting might not be pleasant.
Arkemn believed he Slaad lied, and would give them nothing and not honor it's promise to leave their lands and the north in peace, returning to it's extraplanar home. He believed it would kill them all, a belief that might have been correct.
As my campaign begins to reform aftr this schism trust(such as it was) is gone, for the most part. I have however hit upon a solution. Dark Wolf plans upon releasing and slaying the slaad, the only way in his eyes to end it's threat. He hopes to "redeem" Arkemn in the eyes of the others by releasing the slaad, and forcing it to attack somehow. Thus they unite to end the instant threat.
A good tactic, but unbeknownst to even the writer of the adventure, the destruction of the beast will unleash an amount of chaotic force heretofore unseen by the group. It's effect will be to blast them into a strange new Faerun, one in which the things they saw as normal are not.
Where the Cormyrean Empire, Ruled By empress Alusair the First(afer slaying both Azoun, and child) has taken the reigns of the great evil empire of the west(think the worst of rome, added with some thay).
The forces of a beleaguered Thay in the east must fight off constant incursions upon their borders by the dire Witch Symbul, whose foul depredations seek to render the benevolent land of magic the peace loving zulkir's have built a barren wasteland of fiendish horrors. Szass Tam, the nations greatest Divine Disciple of has given his life to gain the mantle of godhood stolen by the foul temptress mystra from her rightful owner Shar, godess of the soothing twilight.
The Beleeagured elven tribes have retreated long ago to the underdark as defense from the last of the crown wars wherein the Wild Elves nearly single handedly wiped all Elvendom from toril. Only through the earth magic of the Illythirii were they able to escape.
The House Dlag'redeth was forced to mingle it's bloodline with the solars to hold a presence on the surface, and the vast forset covering the area we know as amn is a dark place, home to the WIld Elves, and none pass under forest canopy without fear of the sylvan despoilers.
This is the world I seek to create, which my players must find a way back from. Their alternates, however, are on the faerun we know, and in every second the damage done could be legion...
I have come to you, to shamelessly mine ideas and suggestions, to whore myself for bits of obsciure knowledge of things to twist to the horror of my players. And to possibly create the greatest story arc to a campaign I have ever made.
I beg of you, bombard me, oh sages of realmslore, wit hthings to throw at my players. Give me the inspiration to make this experience as horrifying as it should be.
Open the well of your evil genius that I may drink deep, and make this the experiece as dark as it can.
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Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
Edited by - Capn Charlie on 05 Oct 2004 14:30:53
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Talwyn
Learned Scribe
Australia
222 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 05:05:21
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This sounds like a very interesting story arc.
I suggest that in order to return to the original faerun, the players could try to meet up with the mirror universe version of an evil god (Bane, Bhaal?) for possible help in getting home. That would mean the PC's have to overcome their initial prejudices. This would make for some interesting situations - Bhaal as a lord of life & healing for example, Torm as a vile tyrant etc.
I'd play up the horror angle too, conveying the sense of unease to the PC's - like they've walked into a nightmare, they can't trust what they think they know anymore. That is good as it keeps them guessing, off balance and liable to make mistakes.
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Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil...prayer, fasting, good works and so on.
Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun.
EAT LEADEN DEATH DEMON!
Terry Pratchett
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Icewolf
Learned Scribe
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 06:31:51
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Mayhaps one of the PCs' alternates could be 'involved with' a deity. (Think of Mystra + El?)
That would seriously mess with their minds. Imagine being whisked away and standing in the presence of a deity that's "ready to go"!
Edit: On further consideration, maybe the character's alternate was waging a personal war against a certain god or goddess. The alternate would, of course, be prepared for what the deity could dish out...but the players wouldn't even know they were pitted against any major forces  |
Edited by - Icewolf on 25 Jul 2004 07:19:11 |
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brjr2001
Learned Scribe
106 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 07:43:54
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Ohhh Ice wolf you forgot one thing, that would be a harsh break up
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on second thought lets not go to candlekeep it is a silly place |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2004 : 13:03:45
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With some deities the only way of breaking up would be to erase the entire experiece from the mind of the character. Knowing human nature, and wanting to keep a certain level of reputation it wouldn't be good for a mere mortal walking around talking about how he got a god/dess(whatever, I ain't here to judge ) in the sack. That would end... unpleasantly for all involved, I believe.
Kind of like with Elminster, it is far from common knowledge(as are most things concerning him) that he had relations with a deity.
Then there are other gods and godesses that might have no qualms with it. Like Sharess.
Or for that matter, Shar. The -2 wisdom might be from a ritual consecration of the flesh with the deity, and the -2 wis bumper sticker that says "I shagged Shar".
However, yes, Talwyn, the horror of things is going to be a big effect here. I plan on the first visit of Kyros to Thay to be a very... unsettling occurence. The "axis of evil" is alreaady starting to think that things are going to be a bit harder on them in this situation.
However they are firmly in the position of their characters in this assumption. When Kyros returns to Thay and sees the good place it is, he is going to be sick.
Howevr he assumes that upon returning to Cormyr Arkemn will be overjoyed by the "de wussyfication" of the land. Quite the opposite will be true, I assure you, but my players are so in tune with their characters that the roleplay will be wonderful.
Of the four, the normal versions, Arkemn will be trying to return, despeerate to check the actions of the despot and war criminal that he finds his alternate to be. Dark wolf is like wise motivated to return ot not only escape the wold he has entered, but to stop the depredations of his alternate, a blood crazed berzerker upon his close loved ones.
Vitrael, he will be eager to return as well, however his self involvement will lead him to stay the longest, seeking an edge to return with.
Kyros, I will likely have the most fun with him. The Thay he enters will sicken and apall him, likely he wil seek to destroy it on his way out, perhaps by unlocking and releasing some Demon of a sort.
Likely it will end with a desperate ploy on one side to get the objects or goals they need to return, a realms wide, consequence free whirlwind adventure. I have kept a steady hand with high end realms npcs, and used them rarely if ever, I can now throw them in the path of the heroes with abandon, not having to worry about the implications of oh, say, Drizzt, dying.
I also get to pull out all the old guns, the big guns, and the wild guns.
For one, I am wanting them to have to journey to lantan at one point. However this is not the Lantan that is closed and introspective, this is an island on a crusade. Seeking to abolish all magic, they use all manner of technological terrors to inflict their witch hunts, and book burnings on the land. Picture Creon from Total Annhilation: Kingdoms, if you will. Steam powered behemoths, ironclad paddlewheels, all stolen from Gond, whom they slayed after interrogating during the time of troubles. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
Edited by - Capn Charlie on 05 Oct 2004 16:04:20 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2004 : 17:40:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Capn Charlie
Arkemn believed he Slaad lied, and would give them nothing and not honor it's promise to leave their lands and the north in peace, returning to it's extraplanar home. HE believed it would kill them all, a belief that might have been correct.
What type of Slaad are you talking about here? Remember, that different coloured slaadi respond differently to the same situation.
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2004 : 21:42:39
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I speak of the Bazim-Gorag, Firebringer, a slaad lord. Chaotic and evil, he is on par with Balors, and rules his region of Limbo with jsut as firm and cruel a hand as any demon prince.
And though he is more chaotic than evil, this twin headed beast is cunning and ferocious. After having been imprisoned in his warded dwellig on the priime by reacherous Selskaryn wizards(an offshoot of netheril) after he was entreated to aid the north, which he did, he is grown bitter towards the wizards who cheated him. THough his kind is immortal, he languishes in his prison, seeking release to return ot his realm.
In his joy he might have given them their gitfs. In his exhultation he might have wreaked havoc back upon them.
Such is the chaotic nature of the beast. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2004 : 17:31:13
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| Just an idea: you could make the lythari of this new world evil blighted corrupters in league with the Wild Elves. |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2004 : 18:48:50
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*Nods* that was the general idea. I was planning on using the Lythari(and also my personal lupine creations) as the twisted hunting dogs of the wild elves, cruel, ferocious, set to ravage the countryside beneath the moon if their dark masters see fit.
However, my vision of these wild elves, it leads me to pictures of misusing nature. Harnessing the fey and such as weapons of war. Treants with iron nails drieven through them, holding on siege towers and rams, faeries beaten into submission and corrupted as tiny flittering asassins, centaur cavalry, used as mount and archer, with dark elven lancers on their backs.
Imagine herds of beasts, summoned or otherwise, used as battle fodder, plague ridden shadow duids spreading pestilence throughout cities, and every atrocity the drow have ever ben accused of, all within the package of woodsy stealth.
In many places even going under the canopy is as horrific a proposition to some folk as going in caves known to connect to the underdark is.
Any population centers of any size actually have clear cut zones around them, to make sure that raiders wil have to cross as much open plains under arrow fire as possible.
After the green scourge comes t oa city and destroys it, naught is left, where orcs burn, these elves grow, and summon oozes to clean pick the city, afte it's walls have fallen to earthquakes.
Only their bizarre rituals and worship of their gods keeps their numbers small enough and their attention devided enough that their kind does not spread across the face of faerun, sowing destruction wherever they pass. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2004 : 21:08:09
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*shudders* I'm glad I'm not in your campaign I think my character would go absolutely nuts (especially since I usually tend to play ranger woodsy type characters)
So as the opposite would the Unseelee fey be merciful and good helping lost travelers and such?
This all seems really weird to me since the majority of your players are evil they would find more alliances with other evil groups? Or is everyone good or evil out to get them? Especially in the new reality since they wont trust alignments or groups it may be them vs the whole world  |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2004 : 22:14:26
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Well... think of them as less cartoonish evil and more.. we shal lcall it, 3e-vil. THey can reap the benefits of evil actions, jsut as in reality, they need not be stumbling bufoons, and so forth.
THey work, or did work, fairly well together since it was a mostly business relationship, with them just liking each other a little.
They need one another, and since they each think they can kill any of the others if need be, they prefer to stick together.
Oddly enough, it is when the red wizard and Arkemn get drunk they get along well together, sitting and working out plans ot take over the world, with Arkemn talking about taking thay being the last step, and Kyros likewise saying cormyr, and both laughing at hte idea of their respective homelands ever being taken down, so let it pass.
Admittedly, the Fey'Ri is an oppurtunistic loner, using hte party for his personal gain, so he is somethign oif a challenge, but in the same way a noble grows accustomed to his servants and would be loathe to part with them.
Sure, I'm first to admit the group is a bi dysfunctional, but in the end it seems ot usually work out right, mostly because the evil ones would rather trust the other guys in their own party than their home organizations.
In the scenario, we would have some evil organizations on both sides wanting to exploit the otehr world, some good on each side wanting to seal it away forever, and the neutral types stuck in the middle.
THe players would be most liekyl exploring, but in the end they want to get back, and to do so they will most likely clash with their bizarro twins.
However, over the course of the arc, expect shifting alliances, and little that is a sure thing.
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Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Sourcemaster2
Senior Scribe
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - 05 Oct 2004 : 23:30:03
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| It sounds like a visit to the Underdark would be very amusing. Benign races, friendly magic-all the coolness, none of the danger. |
But what have all the passing years/Done, but breed new angers, fears?/Show me now an equal worth/To innocence I earned at birth. |
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Ryss Firemaster
Acolyte
Denmark
30 Posts |
Posted - 11 Oct 2004 : 15:03:36
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You could make Elminster an insane lich. Or possibly the god of murder. Someone who has used and abused his magic to such an extent that that not only doesn't he care about right and wrong he has long since given up trying to tell them apart.
Manipulating the PC's with promises of return to theirs home dimension when he has no clue of how to get them back. |
"People lie. Online doubly so!" |
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Mirror Universe FR
