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The Shattered Lands; A new setting for a new campaign
Topic Started: Apr 14 2008, 08:13 PM (345 Views)
Rahu the Carver
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So as most of you who read this section of the forums know, I have big plans for the new 4th edition. And by big plans, I mean a brand new campaign set in a new world, patterned after the standard 4th edition Points of Light setting. But if I'm going to design a new world for us to campaign in, then I want you guys to be as familliar with it as possible, so you can create characters that feel organic to this environment. What I'd like is to have our party be intimately connected to the world that they occupy, to be more than a group of faceless swords out to plunder dungeons. Instead, I want to tell a story about mighty heroes struggling against a world lost in darkness, who confront dark conspiracies, overcome nation breaking curses, and possibly even save the world. Toward that end, let me introduce you to the world you'll be fighting for.

The world is called the Shattered Lands because of a catastrophic war fought over it at the dawn of time. At that time, there were only The Primordials, massive Cthonic forces of creation and destruction that toyed with the raw stuff of reality, building up and demolishing their works in and endless spectacle of construction and demolition. This continued for ages, untill the coming of the Gods, who imposed stability on the chaotic works of the Primordials. The Gods were beings of reason and order, and they refined the creations of the Primordials into the shapes of living things, and preserved them against the destructive acts of their creators.

At first, the Primordials mimicked the Gods, creating life more to their liking, but it was not long before these very different powers clashed over the fate of the world. An age of war followed, with the Gods and their creatures fighting for survival against the bitter and capricious Primordials and their monstrous brood. In the end, the unity of the Gods overcame the selfish and uncontrollable will of the Primordials, and the ancient creatures were slain, or bound away beneath the Elemental Chaos.

However, the price of victory was high, and after an epoch of divine battle, the world lay broken. Monstrous things crawled in from the wounds torn between worlds. The Titans, mightiest of the children of the Primordials still brutalized the children of the Gods. The nightmare dreams of the imprisoned Primordials broke free of the Abyss, and became demons. And the world itself, torn to pieces by the struggling will of the Gods and Primordials was broken into thirds. Those areas most saturated with magical power drifted away, becoming the Feywild, and the shadow of the world was warped and twisted around the shattered continents, becoming the Shadowfell, the realm of the dead. Those areas not saturated with magic, or fallen into darkness, are what remains of the material realm, and that is why they are called the Shattered Lands.

This left the world a very dangerous place. In the ages that followed, mortal races abdned together, forming great empires that lent shelter against the evils loose in the world. Without exception however, each succesive nation has ultimately fallen, some from within, some from without. Pioneers found new empires on the lost wealth of the cultures that fell centuries before, and the cycle continues. The modern day world is filled with dangerous, monster infested ruins, and the wilderness is a savage frontier dared by only a few brave souls. This means that civilization tends to build upa round "Points of Light", isolated places of safety from the all encompassing darkness. These Points of Light can be anything from a fortified border town, to a roadside chapel, to even a burgeoning nation in some cases.

The world is expansive and deep enough that you can create a character from almost any background you want, but here are some of the Points of Light I have in mind that will exist in the world.

-Arkayne Falls: High atop the blunted mountain known as The Pillar, rests the white fortress of The League of the Thorn, an order of knights dedicated to preserving freedom, and safegaurding the surrounding lands from darkness. The League's membership is mostly composed of Human, Eladrin and Tiefling warriors, but members of almost every race who are willing to fight for justice can be found in their ranks. The knights' fortress overlooks a lush valley dotted with small villages that thrive under their protection. The order's device- a fiery winged bird bursting from a cage of barbed thorns- can be seen on the shield of each warrior. The vast cascading waterfall for which the fortress is named serves as a barrier between the material realm, and the Feywild, and invasions of goblins and darker things from that eldritch place occur with regularity. Still, the League has defended the falls since a time before written history.

-The Six Peaks: A ring of six towering mountains rising up from a dense jungle below, this circular range is the ancestral home of the Six Clans. Each clan shares rulership of their nation with the others, and each has a unique heritage Mostly of Dwarven and Gnomish descent, the Six Clans exploit a rare and precious resource of the Six Peaks to maintain their power. This resource is called Spiritstone, and through it the Six Clans retain the power of ancient pacts made between their ancient forefathers and the Primordials. By harvesting the Spiritstone and maintaining this ancient source of power, the Six Clans have seen their nation endure where others have fallen throughout the ages, but each clan has been marked in a permanent fashion by it's use of these powers.

-Andaria: The crescent shaped isle of Andaria rises up from the placid waters of the Sea of Serpents. Legends say that ages ago the nation was built on the bones of a murdered Primordial, and that the Sea of Serpents is his blood. These same legends say that the vengeful spirit of the fallen Primordial will draw it's body down into the depths of the sea, drowning the creatures that dwell upon it's back. It is true that, while the Sea of Serpents is unusually still and calm, it's waters rise higher each season, and much of the land that used to be Andaria is now under water. Modern day Andaria is now but a single city, the capital of a bygone empire,d esperately seeking a way to stave off their watery fate.

-Rydicia: A sprawling temperate empire in decline, Rydicia was nearly saved from decline by the heroic efforts of the Pharoah Lux-Icoth. The sprawling empire was founded by treasure hunters, who built a nation that endured for thousands of years when they discovered the treasures of another culture underground. The empire grew rapidly and thrived despite numerous vicious attacks from greedy dragons that coveted the wealth of the Rydicians. However, a bandit murdered the last Rydician king, and plunged the empire into chaos, over which he ruled as the Bandit King. After many years of struggle, Lux-Icoth drove the Bandit King out, and led the realm back to it's former greatness. Even in defeat however, the Bandit King left behind a legacy of darkness. Unable to defeat Lux-Icoth, he called on the power of a fell relic of the Primordials, and blighted his nation with darkness and death. The after effects of this cruel relic still curse the land of Rydicia, long after the death of The Bandit King. Lux-Icoth was able to combat this darkness while he lived, but after a lifetime of struggle against The Bandit King, he recently died at the age of 170, a remarkable age for a human. However, without Lux-Icoth's guidance, the empire once more is falling into darkness, and this time it seems that their will be no savious from the heavens to stave off the decline. Rydicia is the starting location of the campaign.

These are just some examples of the kind of experience I have in mind. I know I've written alot today, but as you can see, I'm really just at the tip of the iceberg. Anyway, read over my ramblings and see what you think. Start thinking over your own character. I want your characters to be deeply connected to this setting, to have something to fight for. Orphaned mercenaries with no friends, no home, and no background need not apply. If you have a cool idea, let me know and I'll see if it fits somewhere. Reading over the fluff information in Races and Classes can be a big help if you are looking for inspiration, as can some of the material in Worlds and Monsters. Also, I am always available to offer help if you are stuck on your concept. I look forward to hearing what you guys think.

I'll put up some more info in a couple of days. Probably stuff about the Rydician setting, and such.
"Our time has come. For three hundred years, we prepared. We grew stronger, while you rested, in your cradle of power, believing your people were safe, and protected. You were trusted to lead The Republic, but you were decieved, as our powers of the Dark Side have blinded you. You assumed no force could challenge you. And now, finally, we have returned. You were decieved, and now, your Republic shall fall."

-Darth Angral, at the sacking of Coruscant.
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bamburn
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Seems like a fine start (though it was brutal to read with the new board background) to a campaign. I am curious to hear more. Will you be posting anymore?
Current Project:
Sure as hell not the Idrians, as they suck in MK II.
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ThatGuy
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Usual tony goodness, ill get to thinking up some character ideas.
ThatGuy= Every group of friends has that one guy that takes things too far, im that guy.
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Rahu the Carver
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I will be adding more information as time permits. I will probably start new topics, so that no one topic is too cluttered with my typo laden litterary bukake. Can I say bukake on this forum? Well, only one way to find out.

Anyway, yes more info will be forthcoming.
"Our time has come. For three hundred years, we prepared. We grew stronger, while you rested, in your cradle of power, believing your people were safe, and protected. You were trusted to lead The Republic, but you were decieved, as our powers of the Dark Side have blinded you. You assumed no force could challenge you. And now, finally, we have returned. You were decieved, and now, your Republic shall fall."

-Darth Angral, at the sacking of Coruscant.
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KnaveRupe
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Who does a guy gotta kill to score an invite to this game? 'Cause it sounds really, really good.
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.

"The other, of course, involves orcs."
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bamburn
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KnaveRupe
Apr 16 2008, 07:31 AM
Who does a guy gotta kill to score an invite to this game? 'Cause it sounds really, really good.

Keith. Keith is the current 6th player. Kill Keith and you are in.
Current Project:
Sure as hell not the Idrians, as they suck in MK II.
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Keith
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Nows the time to do it, I couldn't defend myself against a 6 year old girl (or Bryan) at the moment.
Some people are only alive because its illegal to kill them. (You know who you are!)
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KnaveRupe
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Bah! Keith lives so far away, it's not worth the gas it would take to drive out there to assassinate him.

I'll have to wait till the next time he's in town ad see if I can't arrange for a piano, or maybe a safe to drop on him.

Thanks!
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.

"The other, of course, involves orcs."
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Keith
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Its possible I may have to withdraw permanently anyway. Give me 3 more weeks and I'll let you know.
Some people are only alive because its illegal to kill them. (You know who you are!)
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Rahu the Carver
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The campaign wont start untill June in any case, when 4th ed is released. Alot of things could change between now and then.
"Our time has come. For three hundred years, we prepared. We grew stronger, while you rested, in your cradle of power, believing your people were safe, and protected. You were trusted to lead The Republic, but you were decieved, as our powers of the Dark Side have blinded you. You assumed no force could challenge you. And now, finally, we have returned. You were decieved, and now, your Republic shall fall."

-Darth Angral, at the sacking of Coruscant.
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Keith
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Yeah, but I don't want to keep everyone hanging. As soon as I know my situation here as well as how Sundays progress after the tourney on the 26th I'll let everyone know asap so that a replacement can be found.
Thanks to everyone for your patience.
Some people are only alive because its illegal to kill them. (You know who you are!)
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