Ok, never quite gotten around to posting this, but here goes. None of my players read this board, and if they have started since I last asked them about it (HEY GUYS, THIS IS FOR YOU), then I ask that they click the “back” button right now…
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...’cause I’m about to spill the guts on the entire campaign concept and potential arc, and ask all you good folks here for any ideas, suggestions, tips, tricks, and improvements you might think to add.
Campaign Startup:
I started the campaign off using a simple system I’ve developed to help “focus” the direction the campaign is going in. Besides the core (of which I consider Psionics to be included), choose three books:
1) Environment/Setting (this could be Stormwrack for a seafaring campaign, or Eberron for a campaign setting).
2) Monstrous Focus (Draconomicon in this case, could be LM or LoM, etc.)
3) Conceptual/Character Focus (usually a “complete” or “races of” book).
The campaign isn’t restricted to these three sourcebooks, but it provides a focus and emphasis for the campaign, so players who want to choose a Ranger’s favored enemy, or take a class like “Master of Radiance” can do so with confidence that they won’t be campaign-hosed, while still allowing me to do some long-range planning.
So for this campaign, the pics (which haven’t been slavishly followed, mind) was the Eberron campiagn setting, the Draconomicon, and Races of Eberron.
Initially, the campaign had only 2 players in it, though it’s grown since. We started off with a True Werewolf Sorceror (bred/altered back into existance by modifying an existing shifter by a Karnathi Wizard intent on providing an alternative to Undead shock troops) and a Changeling Rogue/Chamelion (designed to cover “all the bases” for a small party).
The campaign started in the Lhazaar Principalities, with the PCs working as freelance operatives for House Thuranni in the internal struggles between Lhazar’s various principalities.
History:
Aside several side tasks, the PCs have:
1) Discovered that a blue dragon (utilizing a host of Dragonspawn creatures as per MM4) has been hunting and eliminating House Thuranni members.
2) Rescued a young elf who apparently has the thought-extinct Mark of Death.
3) Met with a Bronze Dragon layering in the Mror Holds, to whom the Werewolf Sorcerer has become beholden as a Dragon Prophet.
4) Headed off an incursion by the Inspired into an ancient Qbarra temple where a powerful psionic demon (Cerebrilith/Quori crossbreed) has been held imprisoned.
5) Discovered that a coalition of Dragonmarked Houses (The Order of the Seven) has begun a MASSIVE effort to organize an invasion of Argonessen and “take back the wealth of ages stolen from us by dragonkind). Think early Spanish “gold fever” when learning about Central/South America, only fueled further by knowing that the wealth was stolen in the first place), and has joined in an effort to determine more of their plans.
Since, they have also added several new PCs to the group, and one replacement. The current group consists of:
Thomas: the aforementioned Werewolf Sorceror/Dragon Prophet
Jazarra: Human Evangelist (variant Cleric)/Sovereign Speaker (used to play the Changeling).
Gwendolyn: Gnomish Bard/Virtuoso (scholar from Zilargo, does some reporting back to Morgrave University)
Beron: Human Evoker/Geometer (wand-slinger)
and most recently…
Tankhad: Kalashtar Soulknife/Atavist (discovered the PC’s activities vs the Inspired, and wants to be there to protect them when the inevitable reprisals come).
Current Situation:
PC are now 12th/13th. They’ve been doing several “jobs” for the Order of the Seven to prove their worth and benefit/profit both groups, and know they could be called up for something MAJOR in the near future. They’ve bested both Nightfang Spire (a rumored Dragon Lair and potential source of further power) and the Amaranth Agenda (Dungeon adventure vs a Dryad Warlock).
Thomas is still the “driver” of much of the plot, as he continues to communicate with his patron via Sendings and update him on what the Order is up to. Seems to be quite happy making money off of the Order’s tasks while ultimately preparing to betray them when it counts.
Jazarra is in possession of a middling artifact...the “Scrolls of the Sovereign Speaker”. A set of nine scrolls that each holds a spell (1 1st, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, etc.) that is replenished each morning. The kicker is that the spell that appears on each scroll changes each day, cycling through 9 different options (one culled from a domain associated with each of the nine deities of the Sovereign Host). So one day the 5th level scroll may have Flamestrike, but once cast it would then be replaced with Rary’s Telepathic Bond.
She only has the 1st through 5th level scrolls, and is using divinations to try to track down the others. The 6th is in the hands of another Order of the Seven “employee”, a priest of the Mockery with a sizable following of Hobgoblin warriors and monks.
So her driving plot is assembling the full set of scrolls, something that aligns well enough with the rest of my plans.
Gwendolyn isn’t really very plot-centric. She’s the party’s cheerleader and booster, hanging around for the thrills and the new discoveries. She’s also been something of the moral compass of the group when they start finding “dirt” that could make them very uncomfortable.
Beron is a power-monger. Initially recruited by the Order as a crafter, he’s having a better time doing “field work” and blowing things up.
Tankhad is new...like “not going to be introduced until tomorrow night” new.
Over-arching plots:
1) The Draconic Prophecy has shown that the imbalance between Dragonmarks and Dragonmark Houses is a grave threat...one which must be reconciled. Three dragons sought to research this matter and find a solution, concluding that the Mark of Shadow is the focal point, and that something needs be done about it.
The Blue decided that it can be solved by eliminating House Thuranni.
The Bronze has a more reasoned approach...seeking to bring about a reconciliation between the two sundered houses.
The Shadow Dragon is mostly involved as a “consultant” into the nature of Shadow, and hasn’t taken a stance either way.
Thomas is a Dragon Prophet of the aforementioned Bronze, and will continue to come into conflict with the Blue’s Dragonspawn creatures seeking to do away with House Thuranni, anyone who stands in the way, and anyone working for his rival.
2) The young Elf with the Mark of Death doesn’t know this herself, but she is, in point of fact, a clone of Vol’s mother, created by Vol herself to attempt to bring the Mark of Death back into existance. Vol arranged for her to get pregnant, and then lost track of the young Elf (Merissa), who has been on the run from the Emerald Claw ever since. The PCs think this part of the storyline is done (having found a “safe” place for her to hide out and raise her just-born child). I haven’t decided yet if this is over with or not, though, as Vol was originally the “final foe” of the campaign before I shifted the focus, significantly.
3) The Order of the Seven isn’t delusional...they’re dead serious about their goal, and may have the manpower to pull it off, at least to some extent. They have some ambitious plans, though. The “big job” the PCs have heard rumors about, and which they’ll soon be called in to undertake, involves stealing the Brellish Flying Fortress (not Argonth, the other one...notes are missing with the name) and delivering it across several hostile nations not happy to see it to their base of operations in QBarra.
Another group will attempt to raise the fortress lost in the fight with the Goblinoids and bring it as well. These two massive flying fortresses form the backbone of the invasion effort.
Conveniently, the seventh scroll of the Sovereign Speaker is held in this fortress.
4) The whole thing is a massive-scale Xoortinval (MMV) move. The heads of the Order of the Seven are Exarchs for Rhashaak (see ECS 196), the guardian dragon of Haka’torvhak. Resentful of his “imprisonment” and corrupted by demonic power, he seeks to pay back his draconic kin. The Order’s invasion is for real, and will be fueled by considerable power. Modified (to take the limits off) Ring Gates will be utilized to shovel wealth through to the base of operations back in QBarra, which will then be invaded by a host of Blackscale Lizardfolk, and the wealth hauled back to Haka’torvhak.
The campaign conclusion that I forsee involves the PCs taking part in the invasion of Argonessen, the initial successes against a few dragons, hordes being shoveled “down the drain”, a frantic message from home base telling what happened…
...a return and tracing the Lizardfolk back to Haka’torvhak, with a last-minute warning from Thomas’ Bronze patron that Rhashaak CANNOT be killed, lest it free the bound Rakshasa Lord underneath the city.
The PCs then have to survive until the Bronze arrives, and keep the Bronze alive until they can successfully eliminate Rhashakk (the Bronze taking his place as the new guardian), THEN defend him from the horde of pissed off Order dragonhunters intent on reclaiming their stolen wealth and furious Blackscale zealots.
What I’m looking for:
General comments, hints and tips.
Suggested related side-treks.
ANY resources on the flying fortresses, especially a map or even just a solid idea of the proper scale for the dang thing.
Ideas for how to convince the PCs that the Order isn’t just delusional and poses a real threat, if not to Argonessen as a whole, at least to a number of its Dragonic occupants.
I’ve already made it clear that they’re at least competent, and that they’re taking some measures (Altars hallowed with Remove Fear, large numbers of Wands of True Strike and Dragonslaying arrows) that make sense for such an endeavor.
Any obvious Leviathan-sized holes in my plot and plan.
