Post by Beeb on May 7, 2012 23:00:11 GMT -5
Just figured I'd post some more info on my campaign idea, so you guys can start thinking up some character ideas:
*PHB, Complete series, and Expanded Psionics allowed, but none of the Psionics races. I may allow lizardfolk and kobold PCs, though I'm not certain just yet.
*No monster races as PCs except as noted above.
*Start at level 6 with 5000gp.
*No whale animal companions/mounts. (Sharks are permitted, maybe giant eagles. But note: any aquatic companions/mounts may or may not always be accessible, so take that into consideration)
Edit: Now with 67% more primer!
The Kingdom of Ybevven
The Kingdom was first established 236 years ago, when Montgomery Ybevven (pronounced “E-bev-en”) led a coalition against a horde of monstrous races from the southwestern wastes known only as the Scorched Land. Since then, the land has seen a few rebellions and other such disputes, but the last 80+ years have passed with very few territorial spats and great prosperity throughout the land. In the last four years, advances in navigation have led to a surge in exploration, with many heading out to the seas in search of fame and glory. The land is roughly 170 miles north to south and 130 east to west, with The Crossroads leading to all four corners of the kingdom.
The High Seat
The capital of the Kingdom, from which King Bartholomew Ybevven IV presides. The High Seat stretches from the western shoreline to the Heart of Ybevven, the great lake that most rivers flow into or from situated in the center of the continent. The population is roughly 40% human, 15% elves, 20% dwarves, 10% gnomes and halflings, and a paltry 5% orcs, half-orcs, kobolds, and lizardfolk. The High Seat is the safest place in the known world; with a massive river to the north, the Heart to the east, and the ocean to the west, the only sure route is from the south, which boasts a heavily guarded wall, which has gone unscathed since the war from long ago. Additionally, crime is incredibly seldom within the city, with any and all incidents being handled efficiently and quickly so as to keep it so.
Ehs’Krelia
The homeland of the elves, which lies on the northeastern peninsula. The elves were to first to join King Montgomery’s coalition, and have maintained close ties to the kingdom ever since, providing the rest of the continent with high-quality bows, fine quality wood, and the occasional bit of magic lore (in fact, the current High Mage of the Courts is an elf, as have most of the previous High Mages). Despite their close proximity to the orcs, the elves of Ehs’Krelia have gotten along with them rather well, even sending aid during the harsh winters that plague the Shatterpeaks.
Moradin’s Anvil
The mighty dwarves of Moradin’s Anvil were the second race to join the coalition, and supplied most of the weaponry. Renowned as mighty smiths and resolved miners, the value of the dwarves often surpasses that of the elves. Even in times of peace, many still purchase fine weapons and armor from the dwarves as a show of power and wealth. Of all the civilized races, the dwarves have had the most issues with their orcish neighbors; sometimes, a group of orcs sneak into dwarven mines in search of shelter and food, while the mines themselves have occasionally broken into orcish settlements. While most encounters have ended relatively amicably, there have been enough that have ended in bloodshed to result in ill will between the two races.
The Shatterpeaks
Early on in the war, the orcs decided to turn their backs on their fellow natives of the Scorched Land and aligned themselves with King Montgomery. Lending both intel on the other races as well as their blades, the orcs only desired a better place to live than those terrible wastes; though their aid helped turn the tide of battle in a good deal of crucial battle, the King had to contend with the pressure of the other races, for the orcs were allied with the hostiles for the first few months of the conflict. A compromise was met; the orcs would be accepted into the kingdom, if they took up residence at the base of the Shatterpeaks, a hazardous mountain range populated by cliffs and snow. But even snowy mountains are better than sand and wastelands, and so the orcs accepted. Some have even come to revere their new home, believing it to churn out tougher orcs. The orcs have a tenuous relationship with most people, though it has been many years since any large-scale incidents have occurred.
The Barrier and the Scorched Land
48 years after the Kingdom was founded, the Scorched Land from which the hostile forces originated from underwent a strange occurrence; the desert began to expand both on land and into the sea. Over the next few years, the desert doubled in size, and a good portion of the coastline became the Parched Sea, with the waters seemingly drifting away, leaving naught but a dry expanse of shoreline. Montgomery’s son, Archibald I, enlisted the aid of the clever gnomish and halfling peoples to devise a solution to stop the Scorched Land’s advance. And so the Barrier came to be; a massive construct of both magic and technology that surrounds the northern and eastern borders of the desert.* The structure has held up all these years, and the Scorched Land has ceased its growth, though none have been able to deduce why it even did so in the first place. Prior to the construction of the Barrier, the inhabitants of the Scorched Land were given a choice; join the kingdom, or be locked away beyond the wall. Most chose isolation, the memory of the war still lingering, though a small portion chose to swallow their pride, for fear of what might have led to the desert’s expansion. Most now reside in the High Seat, though others have scattered throughout to the Shatterpeaks and Port Montgomery. The Barrier boasts three castles along its walls, largely manned by gnomes and halflings, to keep watch over desert. The rest of their kin live in the hills and plains beyond the Barrier.
*Any and all similarities to a certain wall of ice and stone set within another fictional fantasy setting are completely coincidental.
Port Montgomery
When gnomish inventor Hershel Tellart made his navigational discovery four years ago, Port Montgomery sprung up overnight around his lab. Hundreds of would-be adventurers and explorers flocked to the small nameless settlement, and within a week the town was christened after the king that brought the land together. Since then, countless ships have departed the port in search of riches and glory, though too few have returned. Regardless, this has not stopped the influx of people; Port Montgomery is now the second most populated locale in all of Ybevven. Overpopulation, disease, and crime are all too common in the town, despite the town being just three days’ ride from the High Seat. The few explorers that have returned to Port Montgomery report a massive maelstrom (dubbed the Wracking Waves) stretching from the southwest to the northeast, with no end in sight; a rocky sea to the north, and nothing but water to the west and northwest. So far, the only settlement established beyond Ybevven is situated on a small island to the north of the port called Ybevven’s Reach. And yet, ships depart from the town every few days, with a stalwart cog called The Ironsides next in line…
So there we go. I know it's still a few weeks away from when this one starts up, but that lets you guys come up with character ideas and why they'd want to sign up as personnel aboard The Ironsides. Standard fair as far as our campaigns go; 4d6 drop the lowest, none under 11, etc etc. And I might be having too much fun coming up with Ye Olde English-sounding names for kings. Heh.
Oh, also? No goddamn whales.
*PHB, Complete series, and Expanded Psionics allowed, but none of the Psionics races. I may allow lizardfolk and kobold PCs, though I'm not certain just yet.
*No monster races as PCs except as noted above.
*Start at level 6 with 5000gp.
*No whale animal companions/mounts. (Sharks are permitted, maybe giant eagles. But note: any aquatic companions/mounts may or may not always be accessible, so take that into consideration)
Edit: Now with 67% more primer!
The Kingdom of Ybevven
The Kingdom was first established 236 years ago, when Montgomery Ybevven (pronounced “E-bev-en”) led a coalition against a horde of monstrous races from the southwestern wastes known only as the Scorched Land. Since then, the land has seen a few rebellions and other such disputes, but the last 80+ years have passed with very few territorial spats and great prosperity throughout the land. In the last four years, advances in navigation have led to a surge in exploration, with many heading out to the seas in search of fame and glory. The land is roughly 170 miles north to south and 130 east to west, with The Crossroads leading to all four corners of the kingdom.
The High Seat
The capital of the Kingdom, from which King Bartholomew Ybevven IV presides. The High Seat stretches from the western shoreline to the Heart of Ybevven, the great lake that most rivers flow into or from situated in the center of the continent. The population is roughly 40% human, 15% elves, 20% dwarves, 10% gnomes and halflings, and a paltry 5% orcs, half-orcs, kobolds, and lizardfolk. The High Seat is the safest place in the known world; with a massive river to the north, the Heart to the east, and the ocean to the west, the only sure route is from the south, which boasts a heavily guarded wall, which has gone unscathed since the war from long ago. Additionally, crime is incredibly seldom within the city, with any and all incidents being handled efficiently and quickly so as to keep it so.
Ehs’Krelia
The homeland of the elves, which lies on the northeastern peninsula. The elves were to first to join King Montgomery’s coalition, and have maintained close ties to the kingdom ever since, providing the rest of the continent with high-quality bows, fine quality wood, and the occasional bit of magic lore (in fact, the current High Mage of the Courts is an elf, as have most of the previous High Mages). Despite their close proximity to the orcs, the elves of Ehs’Krelia have gotten along with them rather well, even sending aid during the harsh winters that plague the Shatterpeaks.
Moradin’s Anvil
The mighty dwarves of Moradin’s Anvil were the second race to join the coalition, and supplied most of the weaponry. Renowned as mighty smiths and resolved miners, the value of the dwarves often surpasses that of the elves. Even in times of peace, many still purchase fine weapons and armor from the dwarves as a show of power and wealth. Of all the civilized races, the dwarves have had the most issues with their orcish neighbors; sometimes, a group of orcs sneak into dwarven mines in search of shelter and food, while the mines themselves have occasionally broken into orcish settlements. While most encounters have ended relatively amicably, there have been enough that have ended in bloodshed to result in ill will between the two races.
The Shatterpeaks
Early on in the war, the orcs decided to turn their backs on their fellow natives of the Scorched Land and aligned themselves with King Montgomery. Lending both intel on the other races as well as their blades, the orcs only desired a better place to live than those terrible wastes; though their aid helped turn the tide of battle in a good deal of crucial battle, the King had to contend with the pressure of the other races, for the orcs were allied with the hostiles for the first few months of the conflict. A compromise was met; the orcs would be accepted into the kingdom, if they took up residence at the base of the Shatterpeaks, a hazardous mountain range populated by cliffs and snow. But even snowy mountains are better than sand and wastelands, and so the orcs accepted. Some have even come to revere their new home, believing it to churn out tougher orcs. The orcs have a tenuous relationship with most people, though it has been many years since any large-scale incidents have occurred.
The Barrier and the Scorched Land
48 years after the Kingdom was founded, the Scorched Land from which the hostile forces originated from underwent a strange occurrence; the desert began to expand both on land and into the sea. Over the next few years, the desert doubled in size, and a good portion of the coastline became the Parched Sea, with the waters seemingly drifting away, leaving naught but a dry expanse of shoreline. Montgomery’s son, Archibald I, enlisted the aid of the clever gnomish and halfling peoples to devise a solution to stop the Scorched Land’s advance. And so the Barrier came to be; a massive construct of both magic and technology that surrounds the northern and eastern borders of the desert.* The structure has held up all these years, and the Scorched Land has ceased its growth, though none have been able to deduce why it even did so in the first place. Prior to the construction of the Barrier, the inhabitants of the Scorched Land were given a choice; join the kingdom, or be locked away beyond the wall. Most chose isolation, the memory of the war still lingering, though a small portion chose to swallow their pride, for fear of what might have led to the desert’s expansion. Most now reside in the High Seat, though others have scattered throughout to the Shatterpeaks and Port Montgomery. The Barrier boasts three castles along its walls, largely manned by gnomes and halflings, to keep watch over desert. The rest of their kin live in the hills and plains beyond the Barrier.
*Any and all similarities to a certain wall of ice and stone set within another fictional fantasy setting are completely coincidental.
Port Montgomery
When gnomish inventor Hershel Tellart made his navigational discovery four years ago, Port Montgomery sprung up overnight around his lab. Hundreds of would-be adventurers and explorers flocked to the small nameless settlement, and within a week the town was christened after the king that brought the land together. Since then, countless ships have departed the port in search of riches and glory, though too few have returned. Regardless, this has not stopped the influx of people; Port Montgomery is now the second most populated locale in all of Ybevven. Overpopulation, disease, and crime are all too common in the town, despite the town being just three days’ ride from the High Seat. The few explorers that have returned to Port Montgomery report a massive maelstrom (dubbed the Wracking Waves) stretching from the southwest to the northeast, with no end in sight; a rocky sea to the north, and nothing but water to the west and northwest. So far, the only settlement established beyond Ybevven is situated on a small island to the north of the port called Ybevven’s Reach. And yet, ships depart from the town every few days, with a stalwart cog called The Ironsides next in line…
So there we go. I know it's still a few weeks away from when this one starts up, but that lets you guys come up with character ideas and why they'd want to sign up as personnel aboard The Ironsides. Standard fair as far as our campaigns go; 4d6 drop the lowest, none under 11, etc etc. And I might be having too much fun coming up with Ye Olde English-sounding names for kings. Heh.
Oh, also? No goddamn whales.