Othesemo
2011-10-10, 04:57 PM
I recently started DMing a campaign for a few friends of mine, using 3.5 rules and standard cosmology (with a fair number of homebrew gods and the like). For the last few playing sessions, we've basically been doing 1-shot adventures. Now that I've got a slightly better idea of what they/their characters want to do, I've decided to start along a campaign path. This is what I have so far-
About fifty years ago, in-game, the devils were coming very, very close to losing the Blood War. Demons had nearly taken over Dis, and Asmodues was seriously worried. In desperation, he began searching throughout the planes for a means of saving his skin (and to a lesser degree, that of all of the devils). He eventually found his answer on Celestia- he climbed the mountain, from Lunia up, battling through hordes of celestials. Eventually, he reached Chronias. There, he defeated Zaphkiel and stole his divinity (he was an intermediate deity in my campaign). Using his divinity, he disguised Zaphkiel's corpse as himself, and cast it from the top of Celestia.
At the same time, he was on Baator. Using his newfound divinity, he beat back the demons, restoring the nine hells to their normal state of pure evil.
Then, disguised as Zaphkiel, he commanded the armies of Celestia to attack the Nine Hells, claiming that their weakness was an opportunity to dispose of the devils once and for all. Commanding the opposing army, he managed to take Avernus, killing Bel and claiming his power in the process. He left many devils alive, and took them as prisoners that they might more effectively conquer the rest of the hells.
Meanwhile, as Asmodeus, he rallied the rest of the devils under one banner, and launched a full planar invasion against the new inhabitants of Avernus, sending the full armies of several other archdevils against them.
As Zaphkiel, he swore to keep Avernus and never allow the devils back- to accomplish this, he brought in the armies of Jovar, commanding them to defend to the death. And defend they did, as the armies of hell crushed the resistance. Somehow, they seemed to know every strategic shortcoming of the angels, and many of the prisoners broke free. It was truly a massacre- the angels sustained nearly twenty times as many casualties as the devils.
Now, Asmodeus found himself with the upper hand in all things. He was a god of no small power, and easily replenished the armies of Dis and Avernus that had been lost. The celestials had taken incredible damage, and were in no position to attack him or anyone else. He took advantage of the situation in the most reasonable way he could- by striking out at the Abyss. Now, fifty years later, he is making slow but sure progress.
At this point, Asmodeus will take over the Abyss, though it will probably take several hundred years, at least. That's where the players come in.
They have the opportunity to do whatever they want- even the scales, fight for Asmodeus, what have you. However, what I need is a way to gradually make them aware of this, as well as a way to include them directly in the conflict. Here're their basic statistics-
Eln'Mastak- CE Ahl'Artathi (Mythic Races) Rogue9/Assassin 3
Eternity- NE Lesser Aasimer Dread Necro 12
Kilgen- CE Dwarf Barbarian 8/Ranger 1/Deepwarden 2
Iengar- CE Chaos Gnome Favored Soul 8/Entropomancer 4
Oh, and one other detail which might come into play. Iengar is completely insane. Not in a "Do whatever you want CE" kind of way. He's actually insane, and a bit obsessed with 'change' (the player's actually very good at roleplaying it, and he has yet to abuse it). Anyways, he's a favored soul of a god that he imagined (although he doesn't realize it). All of his divine powers are drawn directly from his own, horribly warped subconscious mind. One interesting idea which occurred to me early on was that he would either ascend to divinity, becoming the god he imagined, or that he would become strong enough that his belief actually caused the existence of a divine being.
Anyways, I really just need ideas for how to include the players into the blood war business. I would prefer as long and convoluted an idea as possible, since if they try to meddle too soon they'll be crushed.
About fifty years ago, in-game, the devils were coming very, very close to losing the Blood War. Demons had nearly taken over Dis, and Asmodues was seriously worried. In desperation, he began searching throughout the planes for a means of saving his skin (and to a lesser degree, that of all of the devils). He eventually found his answer on Celestia- he climbed the mountain, from Lunia up, battling through hordes of celestials. Eventually, he reached Chronias. There, he defeated Zaphkiel and stole his divinity (he was an intermediate deity in my campaign). Using his divinity, he disguised Zaphkiel's corpse as himself, and cast it from the top of Celestia.
At the same time, he was on Baator. Using his newfound divinity, he beat back the demons, restoring the nine hells to their normal state of pure evil.
Then, disguised as Zaphkiel, he commanded the armies of Celestia to attack the Nine Hells, claiming that their weakness was an opportunity to dispose of the devils once and for all. Commanding the opposing army, he managed to take Avernus, killing Bel and claiming his power in the process. He left many devils alive, and took them as prisoners that they might more effectively conquer the rest of the hells.
Meanwhile, as Asmodeus, he rallied the rest of the devils under one banner, and launched a full planar invasion against the new inhabitants of Avernus, sending the full armies of several other archdevils against them.
As Zaphkiel, he swore to keep Avernus and never allow the devils back- to accomplish this, he brought in the armies of Jovar, commanding them to defend to the death. And defend they did, as the armies of hell crushed the resistance. Somehow, they seemed to know every strategic shortcoming of the angels, and many of the prisoners broke free. It was truly a massacre- the angels sustained nearly twenty times as many casualties as the devils.
Now, Asmodeus found himself with the upper hand in all things. He was a god of no small power, and easily replenished the armies of Dis and Avernus that had been lost. The celestials had taken incredible damage, and were in no position to attack him or anyone else. He took advantage of the situation in the most reasonable way he could- by striking out at the Abyss. Now, fifty years later, he is making slow but sure progress.
At this point, Asmodeus will take over the Abyss, though it will probably take several hundred years, at least. That's where the players come in.
They have the opportunity to do whatever they want- even the scales, fight for Asmodeus, what have you. However, what I need is a way to gradually make them aware of this, as well as a way to include them directly in the conflict. Here're their basic statistics-
Eln'Mastak- CE Ahl'Artathi (Mythic Races) Rogue9/Assassin 3
Eternity- NE Lesser Aasimer Dread Necro 12
Kilgen- CE Dwarf Barbarian 8/Ranger 1/Deepwarden 2
Iengar- CE Chaos Gnome Favored Soul 8/Entropomancer 4
Oh, and one other detail which might come into play. Iengar is completely insane. Not in a "Do whatever you want CE" kind of way. He's actually insane, and a bit obsessed with 'change' (the player's actually very good at roleplaying it, and he has yet to abuse it). Anyways, he's a favored soul of a god that he imagined (although he doesn't realize it). All of his divine powers are drawn directly from his own, horribly warped subconscious mind. One interesting idea which occurred to me early on was that he would either ascend to divinity, becoming the god he imagined, or that he would become strong enough that his belief actually caused the existence of a divine being.
Anyways, I really just need ideas for how to include the players into the blood war business. I would prefer as long and convoluted an idea as possible, since if they try to meddle too soon they'll be crushed.