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Bravesword
Acolyte
Brazil
9 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Sep 2013 : 22:29:00
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Hello there!
It has been a long time since I was excited with the RPG as a hobby like I am lately. The release of Mythic Adventures and Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path for Pathfinder RPG and D&D Next with the new (old?) Forgotten Realms attracted me to the gaming table again.
In view of this, I was thinking in an adaptation of the WotR Adventure Path (War of the Ring?  ) in Faerûn, due to the possibilities to use the Realms as setting to this great campaign concept of demon hunting of epic/mythic feel. I am calling my old teenager group back to the game again, and we have played FR for more than ten years!
In view of this, I am considering the following changes/assumptions for this campaign in my homebred Realms:
- The campaign shall take place in the 1400’s, due to the possibilities to fill these one hundred years gap with a rich history surrounding WotR;
- Even considering that certain issues occurred due to the Spellplague (especially the death of Mystra), my Realms are not like the Realms envisioned for D&D 4e (a dark “point of light” version of the Realms). They keep that sword and sorcery feel of the first editions of D&D, mainly the second and third editions, which my players enjoyed most. So there is no Abeir realms in Toril, the dragonborn are not a race from another planet (but in fact some rare individuals that went to the reborn procedure as described in Dragons of Faerûn), no plaguechanged and plaguelands stuff, Halruaa is still there (yay!) and most of the gods are still in their respective planes (Talos is not an aspect of Gruumsh, buddy!).
- The Worldwound shall be located in Narfell, a place with a rich history of demon summoning and worship in the past. Due to the death of Mystra and weakening (not destruction) of the Weave, certain places in the Prime Material Plane presented thinner passages for extraplanar and outsider creatures to enter into Faerûn.
- The nations of Damara and Impiltur shall retain their classic feel (tgink of the sourcebook The Bloodstone Lands and FRCS 2E/3e), and due to this they shall represent the role of Mendev into the campaign. In addition, another kingdom shall have a great role in this AP is Rashemen, due to the similarities of kellids and rashemi ethnicities.
- The role of Aroden in the defeat of Deskari (I am still thinking in use Eltab, but let’s leave this subject to another topic), would be substituted by the patron gods of Damara (Tyr) and Impiltur (Helm) in my Realms (yes, Helm was alive and well, but unfortunately not for so long). With the opening of the Worldwound, both deities sacrificed themselves in order to avoid the expansion of the corrupted lands to beyond the borders of Narfell and save the population of their Realms. Helm even provided the guidance to create the wardstones, which surround the Realms Worldwound as of the beginning of the campaign.
Check below a brief timeline comparing the dates of both Faerunian and Avistan calendars. Certain events that took a longer time in Avistan happened more briefly in my timeline suggested below – and I sometimes used the names of the FR roll of years as a suggestion:
4606 AR / 1389 DR - The Year of the Forgiven Foes: opening of the Worldwound.
4622 AR / 1394 DR - The Year of Deaths Unmourned: beginning of the First Crusade.
4630 AR / 1399 DR - The Year of the Fallen Friends: ending of the First Crusade.
4638 AR / 1403 DR - The Year of the Hidden Harp: beginning of the Second Crusade.
4639 AR/ 1409 DR - The Year of True Omens: creation of the wardstones by the clergy of Helm (under its guidance), to protect the surrounding kingdoms of Narfell (especially Damara and Impiltur). Death of Helm in a titanic battle with Eltab, one of rulers of the Worldwound.
4645 AR / 1410 DR - The Year of the Eight-legged Mount: death of Tyr, in a combat against Orcus, Demogorgon and Deskari. Tyr rode a eight legged horse, similar to Sleipnir in norse mythology.
1415 DR – Year of the Staves Arcane: Seeking to have some protection from the damages of the Worldwound, the Witches of Rashemen order a raid in one of the cities with a wardstone, which is taken to be later placed at Rasehmen´s border to protect it against the demons. Such action was discovered years later, and the witch burning of the Third Crusade was used as a retribution of this theft.
4665 AR / 1428 DR - The Year of the Elfqueen's Joy: beginning of the Third Crusade and hunt to witches (especially those related to Rashemen), due to the discovery of the theft of a wardstone. Decline of the clergy of Torm, that absorved most of the faithful of Tyr and Helm and was the main responsible for the inquisition.
4668 AR / 1430 DR - The Year of Stalking Horrors: ending of the Third Crusade.
4692 AR / 1444 DR - The Year of the Seductive Cambion: Khorramzadeh attempts to destroy a wardstone in Kenabres, and it is stopped by the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, from the Galena Mountains. Beginning og the Fourth Crusade.
4707 AR / 1454 DR – The Year of the Emerald Sun: Ending of the Fourth Crusade.
4711 AR / 1458 DR – The Year of the Plotting Priests: destruction of the Tower of Yath and establishment of the Silver Crusade.
4712 AR / 1459 DR - The Year of the Forged Sigil: Corruption of the paladin Staunton Vhane (in my campaign, such character shall be renamed as Azrael Steelforge). Death of the Queen Brianne Dragonsbane, supposedly murdered by demon cultist and assassins from the Warlock Knights of Vaasa.
4713 AR / 1463 DR - The Year of the Reborn Hero: beginning of the campaign.
I would like to hear from you any thoughts, ideas, suggestions and critics.
See ya!
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George "Bravesword" Bonfim |
Edited by - Bravesword on 06 Sep 2013 22:32:38
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Lord Bane
Senior Scribe
Germany
479 Posts |
Posted - 07 Sep 2013 : 11:49:01
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| I assume the "Crusades" were started by Impiltur? When you bring Eltab into the mix, how will Thay as his longtime prison be effected? |
The driving force in the multiverse is evil, for it forces good to act. |
Edited by - Lord Bane on 07 Sep 2013 11:49:16 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 08 Sep 2013 : 16:21:51
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Placing it in the Bloodstone Lands is a perfect fit - I've done so in my Misbegotten Realms mash-up (except my Unapproachable East and Demon Lands are to the west instead, on the new sword Coast). I haven't exactly placed the worldwound yet, but it will be in that vicinity (probably northeast of Irrisen). I've blended Mendev into Damara (another very good fit) - its a semi-autonomous duchy.
I've left Aroden in... he was posing as Mystra (who doesn't really exist) after Mystryl became trapped by the Imaskari Godcage. After they imprisoned her (and brought Netheril low), Aroden raised the Starstone and took her place (as the alias Mystra, who never really existed). Since he disappeared a century ago (just like the Spellplague - such a nice co-ink-eedink), this lines-up perfectly with the death of Mystra (I've also tweaked the timeline, so all the 1e/2e personalities and sites exist in 1479 DR). Hadn't considered how all of that affects the AP - I suppose Aroden taking down Eltab works just fine.
Oh... and Mystryl took back the Starstone, so no-one else can play 'insta-god' anymore; after all, it was hers in the first place. 
EDIT:
I may borrow pieces of your timeline - it will save me some trouble when and if I ever get over to that region. You've given me a FANTASTIC reason for the division of the witches that left Irrisen and created Rashemen. Great work. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 09 Sep 2013 14:13:08 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2013 : 15:52:18
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looking at this again - you got my re-tweaking my homebrew map for this - it was actually Last Wall I blended into Damara; I didn't even have Mendev (I shoe-horned Irrisen into its place, because I also added all of Iobaria/Brevoy as well for the Kingmaker AP). I guess I'll move Irrisen over west of Vassa (and may even consider a bit of merging over there as well). Not loving the Realm of the mammoth Lords (at least not anywhere near there), so I can't do a straight 'across northern Golarion' paste-in (although its not a bad fit, actually - Damara falls out where the Mammoth Lords should be, and I didn't want them anyway).
I don't have this AP (I believe only the 1st part has been released), but would it effect too much if Mendev were on the other side of a narrow lake (the Icelace Lake), rather then the West Sellen River? Edit: Nevermind - it's actually a much better fit on the west coast of Icelace lake (which takes the place of the Lake of Mists, which FR already has.
BTW, Numeria is a perfect fit in Narfell - almost nothing need be done (just substitute demon-stuff for all the tech, or vice-versa, depending on your preference of flavors). Both are lore-light enough for the adjustment.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 11 Sep 2013 18:55:55 |
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Drustan Dwnhaedan
Learned Scribe
USA
324 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2013 : 00:09:04
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 This looks so cool! Wish my DM would do something like this. It also looks a lot easier than trying to build a world from scratch. Or, to be more accurate, rebuild a world from scratch. I've been trying to remake my dad's old 1e/1e Advanced world for use with 3.5e/Pathfinder rules. Unfortunately, all I've got to work with are the maps of three dungeons, two towns (without names included), a rather vague world map (none of the countries are named, either), a list of the worlds' deities (partially completed), and a few notes on various monsters (the dragons of this world are somewhat different, the gorgons are just medusae, etc.) and NPC organizations (including LN hobgoblins that are, basically, the Mafia). Of course, with so little information, I can pretty much create whatever I want, which is actually the problem; I've come up with more ideas than I can ever actually use! (Particularly the deities, which is currently at... um... 120-something, not including the non-human pantheons from Faerun, which are also worshiped on my world.) Sorry, I went off topic. As I mentioned earlier, this look really, really good. I hope to see a few more Toril/Golorion combinations in the future . |
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Bravesword
Acolyte
Brazil
9 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2013 : 23:53:49
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Hello there!
Due to the long list of issues and work in the real life (duties of a corporate lawyer), I wasn’t able to return to my project in my imaginary life within the Realms.
Fortunately, I could exercise a bit more the art of worldbuilding and came with the following ideas for this campaign:
- Role of Damara within WR: Markus, your concept of update Mendev as one of the duchies of Damara was amazing, I shall borrow it for my own game, thank you! Mendev shall substitute Soravia as the northern duchy of Damara - such region already have a history involivng skirmishes with the Witch King during the wars between Damara and Vaasa. The warlike nature of the mendevians shall be a good replacement and allow me to use a portion of the material already created for this kingdom.
The crusades began initially with an effort by the king of Damara, in order to stop the hordes of demons to invade the kingdom, focusing their efforts in the Duchy of Mendev. Impiltur only allied with the Dragonbane dynasty at the beginning of the Second Crusade, mainly due to the influence of the clergy of Helm (which later instruct them to create the wardstones).
Damara currently faces a serious threat, since the death of queen Brianne Dragonsbane, supposedly murdered by demon cultists and the assassins from Warlock Knights of Vaasa.
One curious note: my version of the Warlock Knights of Vaasa does not involve a primordial or anything like that like presented in FR 4e. Instead, considering the events of the Year of the Rogue Dragons and the books and Realmslore related, the influence of Tiamat grew a lot since an aspect (or avatar) took Castle Perilous as its main base of operations. Considering Sammaster’s control of the Cult of the Dragon at that time, and his alliance with the church of Tiamat, this events generated the seed of what became the Warlock Knights of Vaasa decades later (think of a mix between the Wearers of the Purple of the Cult of the Dragon and the Dark Knights of Takhisis from Dragonlance). They are not a religious or holy order (even considering that some of them worship Tiamat), but most of them received arcane or divine powers (thinking of witch and oracle base classes here) to serve their own need and the needs of Tiamat.
Other point of interest is that Damara took Bahamut as a patron god since the death of Tyr in the Second Crusade, increasing the rivalty between Vassa (Tiamat increased her influence to become the main faith of this kingdom). |
George "Bravesword" Bonfim |
Edited by - Bravesword on 12 Sep 2013 23:55:38 |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 13 Sep 2013 : 14:30:18
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| That's cool. Few years ago I also started a campaign in Damara/Implitur/Mendev, in addition to the wardstones there was the Bloodwall (similar to ASoIaF) between them and Narfell. The pcs started by being sentenced to fight on the wall against the tanar'ri. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 13 Sep 2013 : 15:24:10
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The way my map is working out, Last Wall became a duchy within southern Damara (bearing in-mind that MY Damara has ocean south of it), with a small version of Ustalav right-next-door (picture it at the tip of The Easting Reach, where Vassa, Damara, Impiltur, and The Great Dale all meet); that helped tie-in why Last Wall is there (in an already-canon paladin-lead country). Mendev will be to the north now - ALSO in Damara, but now on the Icelace lake (which looks suspiciously just like the Lake of Mists and Veils in MY Realms). Both make fine duchies - they were really far too big in the Golarion setting (and repetitive).
I had to shift all of Brevoy/Iobaria (Schend lore!!!) over about 150 miles west, which was a bear - I had just finished all the tweaks to get it to fit where I had it. It unfortunately moved the Iobaran ports too far west to be on the Moonsea... so the Moonsea grew bigger, which screwed-up just about everything else. Ah well, this is a hobby after all, and one that I never seem to get finished.
BTW, MY Zhents are Iobaran - its a very nice fit.
@Bravesword: I also reimagined my Warlock knights - I haven't yet decided what to do with the primordial thing - I may just merge it with some of the other amalgam lore I created (so that my one 'Tearfall' becomes more of a meteor-shower, which would also help explain some of the weirdness in Numeria/Narfell). Now that I am placing the Issian witches over there - probably around the swamp and lakes in Vassa, I will have to take another look at all of that (witches and warlocks together...who'd a thought?) 
quote:
Originally posted by Drustan Dwnhaedan
This looks so cool! Wish my DM would do something like this. It also looks a lot easier than trying to build a world from scratch. Or, to be more accurate, rebuild a world from scratch. <snip>
My world was originally FR with bits of Golarion added-in, but as I merged the lore, I realized I needed more and more of Golarion in my Reams to blend all the history, so now almost all of it is there: Taldor is part of Chondath (vice-versa, really), Sespech got merged with Andoran, etc. I had Osirion merged with Mulhorand, and then decided I didn't want Mulhorand to have that flavor at all (Egyptian), so Osirion is there, full scale, far to the south (in Garund, which is greatly different then the PF version). My Mulhorand is more like an 'ancient decadent fantasy empire' we see in so many novel series, like the Newhon ones (I didn't want the derivation - it just never felt right to me). The Unapproachable east became Qadira (another great fit), etc, etc...
All was going well, until I decided to start adding pieces of Mystara in as well (and started taking back out what little of GH was in there - that is intact, in all its glory, where Anchorome' used to be). Now I have Mystara all over the place - Thyatis is a 'survivor state' of fallen Jhaamdath, etc. My very favorite merger, though, was Karameikos with Impiltur - it was an amazingly good fit!
And don't worry, Dalor Darden - The Five Shires are there, a bit to the west (just past the vast/Shining Plains merger). Its not upside-down now, either, and has been completely merged with Luiren. The Black Eagle Barony is there as well, right next door to poor Galt, which never quite survived its revolution (so Baron Ludwig von Hendriks has access to the Grey Gardeners, who take the place of the Executioners from the excellent Book of the new sun series). All of this is on the Sea of Steam, which was created when the Elves brought down the Kinslayer Star (and destroyed Jhaamdath). That piece of rock later went-on to become the Starstone (from PF), and all of that explains why my continents now looked a lot different then the canon (FR) ones (you can see some of that HERE - note that Vassa and Damara - along with many other places - are not labeled).
So it went from a Realms/Golarion merger, to a Realms/Golarion/Mystara merger, with access to all of the adventures that go with all of those settings - that was the idea: Give a DM an unlimited amount of material from which to draw, without forcing them to choose between settings. Its also a great way to fill-in all that 'empty space'. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 13 Sep 2013 15:28:48 |
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Lord Bane
Senior Scribe
Germany
479 Posts |
Posted - 13 Sep 2013 : 15:58:28
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While it does take some bit to get used to Markus, i do tip my imaginary hat at you for your effort. It does sound really interesting for a realms hybrid but i´m curious on some things.
Do you use Spelljammer elements or lore of the crystal spheres?
What is your planar lore concerning the differing pantheons butting heads and the access to the multiverse and travel?
What other settings do you use aside Greyhawk, Golarion, Mystara, the Realms and the Five Shires? Any Ravenloft,Darksun, Eberron, Scarred Lands, Wilderlands or Necromancer/Frog God Games regions, other 3rd Party pieces?
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The driving force in the multiverse is evil, for it forces good to act. |
Edited by - Lord Bane on 13 Sep 2013 15:59:43 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 14 Sep 2013 : 13:55:39
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You can see the Wilderlands - almost in their entirety - just east of Zakhara. As for Frog God - I managed to find a bad rez map that I blew up, and pasted the Razor Coast where Thindol was (which got shunted to MY Garund). I don't have that product (yet), but I plan to get it - it looks awesome.
As of right now, I have Iron Kingdoms pasted onto the 'left coast' of Greyhawk (but that might change - its from an old map I did). There are bits of Eberron all over the place - Halruaa/Alphatia used to be 'The Five Kingdoms' (although the Mournbland is now merged with Anauroch, which is over in the Endless Wastes). I have the Mror Holds, the Lhazar Principalities, Aerenal, etc, and there will probably be more as I go along. Xendrik and Sarlona made it in whole-cloth, but I haven't placed Sarlona yet (Xendrik is where Katashhaka should be).
The Vistani (Ravenloft) made it in, but I have Ustalav for the rest of that flavor. As for Athas, it merged with Abeir and the Council of Worms setting, but that IS the planet Abeir, which is Arium's (my name for my world) 'twin' on the other side of the sun. I may also throw Ansalon into that mix... not sure... Dragonlance flavor doesn't really merge well with others. If I were to use any SJ stuff, I'd also place a bit of a Tatooine/Arakis vibe there as well. I am not a big fan of Spelljamming, but I will 'alude to it' (a'la 3e) so that other people can still have that option open.
I don't know enough about Scarred Lands (Yet), so I haven't used any of it, but I did find a pirate port (I needed) over in Kalamar of all places (I always disliked that setting). After I found it (and read through some of it), it turns out Loona, Port of Intrigue was written by Ed Greenwood! No wonder it was such a good fit. I have also lifted certain plot-elements from various novel series, and there are a few Blizzard locales (WoW and Diablo). I also placed Naranian (a fantasy India) between K-T and Zakhara.
New Empyrea (Egg of Phoenix) is central to my campaign - its caught between the Lords Aliance (Waterdeep) and Thay trying to exert influence on the flegdling country. I have MUCH HB lore there to blend together everything, because thats where I am actually running a game. Lastly, the Halruaa/Alphatia (Halruaa is just one island) archipelago is actually a map of Final Fantasy that I mucked with (even though I never played any of those games, I liked the look of the place).
When the map is done, I plan an extensive Netbook to go with it. I am actually considering two: One for my main campaign area, and one for 'the rest of the world' (A gazeteer-style thing that will just point people to all the canon sources from all the different settings). I haven't worked-out any of the details about deities yet - they are ALL there; some are merged (aliases), others needed much tweaking, while some remain perfectly intact. There is no such thing as 'interloping' - there is just one huge group of deities, and their relationships change from planet to planet (and most of them don't bother with the majority of worlds). Having so many gods is actually a self-fixing problem, IMO - most are afraid to act against the others, because they all have machiavellian webs of allies amongst each other. A fight with one god will weaken them against all the others.
@Bravesword - sorry for the major derailment; I am very much interested on how you work-out all the blending you are doing (like I said, I plan to borrow some of it). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 14 Sep 2013 13:59:26 |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2013 : 23:22:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
You can see the Wilderlands - almost in their entirety - just east of Zakhara. As for Frog God - I managed to find a bad rez map that I blew up, and pasted the Razor Coast where Thindol was (which got shunted to MY Garund). I don't have that product (yet), but I plan to get it - it looks awesome.
As of right now, I have Iron Kingdoms pasted onto the 'left coast' of Greyhawk (but that might change - its from an old map I did). There are bits of Eberron all over the place - Halruaa/Alphatia used to be 'The Five Kingdoms' (although the Mournbland is now merged with Anauroch, which is over in the Endless Wastes). I have the Mror Holds, the Lhazar Principalities, Aerenal, etc, and there will probably be more as I go along. Xendrik and Sarlona made it in whole-cloth, but I haven't placed Sarlona yet (Xendrik is where Katashhaka should be).
The Vistani (Ravenloft) made it in, but I have Ustalav for the rest of that flavor. As for Athas, it merged with Abeir and the Council of Worms setting, but that IS the planet Abeir, which is Arium's (my name for my world) 'twin' on the other side of the sun. I may also throw Ansalon into that mix... not sure... Dragonlance flavor doesn't really merge well with others. If I were to use any SJ stuff, I'd also place a bit of a Tatooine/Arakis vibe there as well. I am not a big fan of Spelljamming, but I will 'alude to it' (a'la 3e) so that other people can still have that option open.
I don't know enough about Scarred Lands (Yet), so I haven't used any of it, but I did find a pirate port (I needed) over in Kalamar of all places (I always disliked that setting). After I found it (and read through some of it), it turns out Loona, Port of Intrigue was written by Ed Greenwood! No wonder it was such a good fit. I have also lifted certain plot-elements from various novel series, and there are a few Blizzard locales (WoW and Diablo). I also placed Naranian (a fantasy India) between K-T and Zakhara.
New Empyrea (Egg of Phoenix) is central to my campaign - its caught between the Lords Aliance (Waterdeep) and Thay trying to exert influence on the flegdling country. I have MUCH HB lore there to blend together everything, because thats where I am actually running a game. Lastly, the Halruaa/Alphatia (Halruaa is just one island) archipelago is actually a map of Final Fantasy that I mucked with (even though I never played any of those games, I liked the look of the place).
When the map is done, I plan an extensive Netbook to go with it. I am actually considering two: One for my main campaign area, and one for 'the rest of the world' (A gazeteer-style thing that will just point people to all the canon sources from all the different settings). I haven't worked-out any of the details about deities yet - they are ALL there; some are merged (aliases), others needed much tweaking, while some remain perfectly intact. There is no such thing as 'interloping' - there is just one huge group of deities, and their relationships change from planet to planet (and most of them don't bother with the majority of worlds). Having so many gods is actually a self-fixing problem, IMO - most are afraid to act against the others, because they all have machiavellian webs of allies amongst each other. A fight with one god will weaken them against all the others.
@Bravesword - sorry for the major derailment; I am very much interested on how you work-out all the blending you are doing (like I said, I plan to borrow some of it).
all this i great, any use of the Bloodstone Lands is better than what WotC did post 3e...
"all the epic guys just died and Tiamat was more than ready to make Vaasa her base of operations but just vanished" is to be saluted
markus, you may want to check out FGG new campaign setting "The Lost Lands" ... they are throwing ALL of the Necromancer and FGG games modules into one giant setting |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2013 : 23:25:24
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| Markus, if you want to wait just a bit to see where everything goes ... FGG is melding ALL of their products along with Necromancer products into one giant setting called the Lost Lands |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 16 Sep 2013 : 23:29:51
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at bravesword
i love your ideas
if you need any research on anything ever printed about the Bloodstone Lands lemme know
i got rid of the Alien in Vaasa too and was always frustrated that Tiamat went from laying down a base of operations in the Temple of the Undying Queen in Castle Perilous in 3e and then poof nothing
in my homebrew Tiamat and her clergy actually were ALLOWING Damara to build the Damaran and Vaasan Gates so that they could take it later and use the Bloodstone duchy as their own ("hey we're dragons and can be patient, let the puny humans build us an impregnable-from-the-ground province and we'll take it from the air later") |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
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Bravesword
Acolyte
Brazil
9 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2013 : 23:10:52
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Wow, this topic provided some great ideas for me!
No problem that the subject went a bit off-topic, I always liked to read and discuss concepts for world building! I definitively recommend this AP, the campaign have an amazing epic feel that can be easily mixed into the Realms.
One of the main concepts here involve the investment of mythic (epic?) power into the PCs. Considering the background provided above, the characters shall receive some divine essence of the slain deities that sacrificed themselves on behalf of the people and kingdoms of the Bloodstone Lands and surrounding regions. So the characters shall receive some portion of the mythic power of Helm and Tyr in the course of the campaign.
Based upon these initial key concepts, I would like to insert some NPCs and other characters of the AP into my Realms and share this with you. For more reference of the characters and background, please check the books The Worldwound Incursion (WR AP #1) and the The Worldwound, both from Paizo. Some references are in brackets [__] because I do not have a final decision regarding them.
Areelu Vorlesh (half-succubus): Some tales attribute to this witch the creation of the Worldwound, helping Deskari [Eltab] to enter Faerûn. Even with her demonic descent, she was raised and trained by the wychlaran, the Witches of Rashemen, that believed that she could overcome her demonic descent and represent a force of good in the world. However, her master revealed herself as a Durthan (a secretive sect of the witches that call darker spirits and sinister forces), that had a great interest in lore of Narfell and Raumanthar, especially those related to demon summoning and demon binding – and saw that Areelu could represent a key to empower her quest for power.
The discovery that changed Areelu’s life forever was the discovery that she was daughter none other than Zhengyi, the Witch King! She traveled to Castle Perilous and reunited a lot of knowledge from his father, much to the fury of the servants of Tiamat that had taken this bastion of evil for themselves. With this obscure knowledge, and the help of some other evil spellcasters (some say that even Szass Tam had demonstrated interest in her development), Areelu was responsible for the ritual that opened the Worldwound in the heart of Narfell. She became of the rulers of the demon infested wasteland, and currently holds a great position among the demonic hordes.
Khorramzadeh (balor demon) [Errtu]: this balor arrived recently in Faerûn, and became the ruler of one domain within the Worldwound. He is called The Storm Scourge [in the AP his official nickname if “The Storm King”, but I preferred a title that didn’t describe a noble title, due to the chaotic nature of demons]. He is the demon responsible for the assault of Kenabres, in the Damaran duchy of Mendev. He was defeated by the Silver Dragon Terendelev, one of the most valorous and militant dragons of the Galena Mountains, and seeks vengeance from his draconic nemesis ever since.
I am seriously thinking in substitute Khorramzadeh, placing Errtu in its place, because I believe that this balor has more historical ties with Faerûn. However, I would like to place him outside the scope of Drizzt, since this balor shall represent a major antagonist to the characters (PCs) in the campaign. What do you think? :-)
I shall describe next the city of Kenabres, and how it shall be located within the northern border of Damara – this city is the site of the first adventure of the AP.
Markus and Coach, many thanks for the comments! Any suggestion shall surely be welcome! |
George "Bravesword" Bonfim |
Edited by - Bravesword on 17 Sep 2013 23:24:15 |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2013 : 19:33:30
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i just realized i double posted LOL
i hit submit the first time and my computer froze so i assumed it didnt go through |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
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Bravesword
Acolyte
Brazil
9 Posts |
Posted - 30 Dec 2014 : 21:47:08
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Hi there!
It was been more than a long year since my last post here. However, the plans for the campaign remained and I could finally begin it this year!
Initially, I would like top present you the main characters of the saga:
- Kristoff Carndale – initially an vassal of the great and traditional Carndale family of Impiltur, Kristoff received as a gift this name due to a marriage to the oldest lady of the later Lord Carndale, which wanted to continue his lineage. However, his wife was murdered by demons and in her funeral he received a vision from Kelemvor, becoming a human paladin of the Lord of the Dead seeking vengeance for his lost wife, besides his age (he is in his early forties);
- Victoria Carndale – a human ranger and sister in law of Kristoff, she was the younger daughter of the Carndale family. She also was at the funeral and also saw the angel sent by Kelemvor, calling them to look for revenge for the loss of her sister. She acted against her father orders, and left Impiltur following Kristoff in the quest to join the crusaders in Damara;
- Kalos – a tiefling monk (descendant of devils), he was born in Thay as an experiment by the Red Wizards and was later captured and enslaved to fight in thayan gladiatorial arenas. He fled and found comfort and martial learning with the monks of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose in Damara;
- Sir Ragnar Starag – a human knight (cavalier) from Damara, he is grandson of a great human general that fought in the Crusades. However, his father never told much of the deeds of his grandfather to him. He seeks now not only top fight against the demons, but also answers from his family´s past;
- Claudio – a Halfling bard/oracle from the Dalelands, he traveled to the Bloodstone Lands to chronicle the lives and goings of the Crusaders and their fight against the demons of the Worldwound. He discovered that he was later haunted by ghosts (due to the oracle class) that he still do not fully understand;
In addition, I also worked in some additions to my campaign – I even created an account at Obsidian Portal to include details of the saga:
https://wrath-of-the-righteous-forgotten-realms.obsidianportal.com
I send below a small introductory text describing the history of the crusades for my players, to present a small background for the campaign:
A Brief History of the Crusades
By Liam Stone, from the Master´s Library and House of Deneir
To date, four crusades have been launched against the demons of the Worldwound, and while all four have had varying degrees of success and failure, none has yet driven the armies of Deskari, Lord of the Locust Host, from Faerûn. A brief history of the war follows.
1385 DR –Year of the Blue Fire: The Death of Mystra and the Spellplague ravages the worlds of Abeir and Toril, weakening the Weave and the planar protections of the Prime Material Plane.
1389 DR – Year of the Forgiven Foes: Opening of the Worldwound in Narfell.
First Crusade
Beginning: 1394 DR – Year of Deaths Unmourned
Ending: 1399 DR – Year of the Fallen Friends
Although a fair number of holy warriors came to Narfell’s aid in the first several years after the Worldwound opened, the churches of the Triad (Tyr, Torm and Ilmater) as well as Helm did not declare the First Crusade until 1394 DR, as the repercussions of Mystra’s death and the Spellplague significantly delayed the churches’s ability to respond to the growing crisis. By the time the First Crusade reached Damara and its eastern Barony of Mendev, the demons had long since seized control of central Narfell, and had claimed significant portions of Damara as well.
The First Crusade bolstered the defenders of Narfell, Damara and neighboring lands (The Great Dale, Rashemen and even Thay to the south), boosting both their numbers and morale, and the sudden increase in the enemy’s strength caught the demonic horde unprepared, causing them to retreat to the Northmounds. With Damara and southern Narfell thus liberated, the crusaders remained in the region to help rebuild — an offer Damara welcomed gratefully, but one that the disparate and proud clans of Narfell accepted more reluctantly. In any event, for the next few years the demons seemed content to focus their wrath upon Narfell’s Northmounds, battling primarily with the surviving Nar clans desperately attempting to reclaim their family lands, while Damara remained relatively unmolested.
Second Crusade
Beginning: 1403 DR Year of the Hidden Harp
Ending: 1410 DR – Year of the Eight-legged Mount
When a second wave of demons erupted from the Worldwound in 1402 DR, the crusaders had settled into their new homes in the Barony of Mendev in Damara. They again took up arms against the demons, expecting a short series of fights and boasting that this time they would drive the host back to the very edges of the Worldwound itself. But their expectations did not come to fruition. This time, the demons pouring from the Worldwound were not only more numerous—they were better prepared. Rather than the haphazard, chaotic, self-indulgent mob the crusaders previously encountered, the marauding demons were now legions driven by powerful commanders. Under their commanders’ direction, the demons orchestrated strike forces, teleported behind enemy lines, drove their enemies toward their advancing ranks, and then crushed their opponents between them. The armies of the marilith Aponavicius captured the crusader city of Drezen, located at the frontier of Damara and Narfell, using such tactics, forcing the churches of Tyr, Torm, Ilmater and Helm to finally call for the Second Crusade one year later, in 1403 DR.
Even with the influx of troops from the Second Crusade, however, it quickly became apparent the demons were going to win. Fortunately, for the crusaders, the deities themselves decided to have more direct actions against the demons. While Tyr charged into battle at the Worldwound riding his eight legged horse, entering the Abyss in order to stop the advancing horde (and bravely sacrificing himself in such act); Helm instructed the mortals into the creation of the wardstones, to protect their borders against demonic invasion.
The death of Tyr in 1410 DR prompted the leaders of the Damaran Crusaders to make a fateful decision — they pulled their support from Narfell, the Great Dale and Rashemen, allowing the demon army to descend on what remained of Narfell, and instead concentrated their efforts on erecting wardstones of Helm along the East Sellen and Moutray rivers. The price of their actions proved steep, but, as the wardstones flared to life, the menhirs contained the demons within lost Narfell and saved tens of thousands from grisly deaths. Yet despite this success, the near – total loss of Narfell and, of course, the death of the Faerunian god of justice is generally regarded as the final capstone on a disastrous crusade.
Third Crusade
Beginning: 1429 DR – Year of the Ten Terrors
Ending: 1433 DR – Year of the Silent Departure
Now contained within Narfell (at least by its western side) by a combination of the wardstones, increased pressure from the rashemen barbarians, the wychlaran (witches) of Rashemen and Mammoth Lords of Sossal, and the distraction of an entire nation to plunder, the demons continued to press against the borders but seemed largely content to revel in their captured realm. Meanwhile, as the years passed, the Damaran crusaders grew more and more corrupt—in part due to the subtle machinations of the cult of Baphomet, which had successfully infiltrated numerous companies and faiths throughout Damara and even Impiltur, but also because the resource-strained church of Torm had increasingly accepted less trustworthy members into its war effort.
The church launched the Third Crusade primarily as an attempt to galvanize the crusaders, but as its focus increasingly turned toward self-destructive witch hunts, mainly because of the incident involving the attempt to invade the temple which held the wardstone of Kenabres, and the refuse of the Damaran crusaders to held the kingdom of Rashemen in their own fight, the crusade collapsed under its own corrupt weight. Ultimately, the Third Crusade accomplished very little within the Worldwound—apart from delighting and entertaining Narfell’s demonic masters, especially the rift that opened between the nations of Damara and Rashemen.
Another fatal blow to the Crusaders was the abrupt silence of Helm, which stopped to answer prayers from their faithful in 1433 DR. No sage of cleric was able to answer if he was killed fighting the demons just like Tyr or if he abandoned their followers, leaving them to their own fate.
Fourth Crusade
Beginning: 1444 DR – Year of the Seductive Cambion
Ending: 1454 DR – Year of the Emerald Sun
After decades of Abyssal rule, a dangerous new addition to the demon armies arrived in the form of Khorramzadeh the Storm King. Scholars of the war are divided as to whether or not the Storm King had been ruling from Iz all along, or if he was but the latest arrival in the region. Regardless, the Storm King’s first assault on the border resulted in no less catastrophic an event than the cracking of the Kenabres wardstone. The ferocity of this attack caught the crusaders off guard, but in the end, the wardstone held, especially due to the help of the ancient silver dragon Terendelev, that came from metallic dragon clans located at the Galena Mountains to help the crusaders efforts.
In response, the church of Torm called for the Fourth Crusade. This crusade proved to be the longest and most grueling of the crusades yet, lasting ten years and ending more as a result of wartime exhaustion than anything else. The demons lost very little, and in the years since this crusade’s whimpering conclusion, morale along the Worldwound’s borders has reached an all-time low.
One of the only victories of this Crusade was the arrival of emissaries of far distant Empire of Shou Lung, that sent some help in the form of troops and assistance to the kingdoms of Rashemen and Damara. Their arrival helped to end the Fourth Crusade in 1454 DR.
Fifth Crusade
Beginning: 1463 DR – Year of the Reborn Hero
This year should be marked as the beginning of the Fifth (and perhaps final) Crusade against the demons of the Worldwound. The current season is Summer.
That´s it! Let me know your comments and opinions!
Thank you and a Happy New Year to all in the community! |
George "Bravesword" Bonfim |
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Wrath of the Righteous AP in the Realms
