Time to challenge my players... (looking for help w/ campaign)

[gr8artist]

[Jimbo, Erza/Rooster, KO, Steph, Zajas, etc... STAY OUT]

The group history:
Ok so my group has been playing together for a while now. Usually, I DM, but they've given me a break while KO takes over. I GM'd for Scion (White Wolf game... avoid at all cost!) for 3 or 4 years. Met my GF towards the end of that. Then we started Pathfinder. Ohmygodsomuchbetter.jpg ... anyway, I DM'd a year-long campaign for that, before life got in the way and my comp died (taking all of my notes with it). So, I didn't have time to re-make all my notes and finish the campaign; it just kinda' died. We all felt bad about it, but the characters had leveled fast... they were 16 and well optimized. They had abundant and specific gear, and I was new and having a hard time challenging them. My dungeons were awesome, the plots and villains memorable (and occasionally terrifying)... but they were losing interest. So I let it go, even though it hurt.
We then started a round-robin "goof" campaign, playing just for fun and not for any kind of epic quest. This is where I got good. By taking time between games, having a chance to plan while others DM'd, I learned how to set up much better encounters. But, we all wanted more plot. So we called off the round-robin campaign, and now KO is leading one for us.
So, I've got some time to kill. And I'd like to make one hell of a campaign.

The plan:
Help me make an interesting, challenging campaign setting for my group. All of them are more experienced DnD players than I am, though I'm the most experienced at DM/GM'ing. I have, at the very least, months and months to plan.
Basically, I'm looking for advice/tips/cautions/criticisms so that I can pull this off in a memorable and amazing way. Any ideas are welcome, and any opinions on the stranger parts of my plan are very VERY welcome.

Here's what I want to do:

Start at level 1. We're going to build this from the ground up, even though the meat-and-taters of the campaign will probably start around lvl 4. I'm going to use these early levels to challenge them in ways that you just can't later, like managing rations, getting lost, and possibly having to resort to dire ethical dilemmas.
Start out with NPC classes. The greatest heroes don't just wake up being trained adventurers, do they? These NPC levels will get re-trained into Player Class levels at around 4th.
Provide some closure to my year-long campaign. I want to surprise them with this, gradually leading up to it as they find hints and innuendos to make them think that there might... just might... be a connection.
I want to modify the existing races, and pull in some uncommon ones, to enforce the "living underground" culture that developed between then and now.

The backstory:
The year-long campaign that we almost finished never really had a name... We always just called it the "dark gate" campaign.
It began in a gnomish trade port, when the players intercepted a strange little cultist with an odd dagger and a strange amulet. Like any curious adventurer, they eventually managed to make a mess of things; after stabbing the amulet with the dagger and conjuring black ectoplasmic poison all over the city block. Turns out, the dagger/amulet combo is used by this cult to contaminate temples. The cultist was taking them to the temple of Abadar in the next city when he had the unfortunate run-in with our crew. Curious, they investigated, and found that two other cities had already been contaminated in this way.
The plot for the first half of the campaign was the group hurriedly travelling from city to city, trying to intercept the cultists and prevent their terrorist attacks on the 8 major temples. They failed. In the meantime, they were being guided by a mysterious figure to examine some old temples to the ancient dragon gods. They found many relics and powerful items in these dungeons, before learning the history of the dragon gods and their brother/betrayer K'hrane. The campaign came down to a final confrontation: the players (a spec ops troop of the high-elven army) vs the cultists (masterminds behind the low-elf rebellion) as the cult tried to conjure their dark lord Lamashtu (alias K'hrane) with the power they'd stolen from the contaminated temples. This fight was a destined failure, but the players thought they had a chance. The game ended with a massive explosion, the result of a hundred counterspells from the allied forces in an effort to repel the black dragon K'hrane. There was a wave of dull gray energy, then blackness.
Cut. End of game. Oh, they were on the edge of their seats.
The next game, they wake up, stumble around, nearly naked in the dark, before finding themselves on Nukgrub's boat (their base of operations). Though the boat looked different, and their gear was missing. Turns out they'd been petrified in the blast, and had been out for over a dozen years. Ohnotimeskip.jpg ... Anyway, two of them had had kids, and their friends/family were leading a rebellion against K'hrane's new forces.
K'hrane had been unable to cross over into the material, as a result of the player's interaction, but he was still manipulating cultists with mad dreams and haunting messages. The government was corrupt, and brutally enforced by the Blackguards, 12 of the most evil and vile warriors in the realm. Each of the contaminated temples was now a small portal, a door to a portion of the chaos realm where K'hrane dwelled. Through the portals, he was able to contaminate and control those in the world. So, new plan... shut the gates.
See where I'm going? First half, prevent the 8 gates from opening... second half, close the gates that are open. But do so while being hunted, while turning on each other, while making deals with devils... anyway, we had fun. They managed to close...four? I think four of the gates, before my comp died and all my notes/villains/maps vanished. (and we got evicted, car got repo'ed, etc... Bad couple of months)

Setting:
I'm thinking post-apocalyptic. The odds are against you. This new campaign (third in the trilogy, I guess) follows up in the aftermath of the adventurers of previous generations. Were they able to close the gates? Did K'hrane have one last weapon up his sleeve?
There was an event... the Great Withering. Every living thing on the surface just... began to die. Starved and scared, the people retreated into the bowels of the earth, shutting them off from the unknown hazards above. Generations pass. Seeing sunlight is a noteworthy occasion. Trees are a thing of legend and fairytale. Commerce has collapsed, and the adventurers' way of life is no more. Settlements are scattered, days travel from each other, and only accessible by way of the upper-world. Children may grow old and die without ever seeing a child from another village. There will be no gold. No valuables. No magic item shops where a day's effort will buy you a handy-dandy-bag of holding... oh no, you're going to be glad to find a masterwork longsword.
This is the world I want to give them. This is the challenge they will face. More than 80% of their gear will be found in ruins of old cities, and coming across a prosperous colony will be a thing of wonder.

[gr8artist]

World Info

* Old Locations

* * Large Cities
King's Charge - Gnomish capital, Temple of Abadar, Dark gate of Greed (closed). Built in a valley, partially underground. The city is located in the far northwest corner of the country.

Gemturn Point - Gnomish trade port, small bit of contamination caused (accidentally) by the players. The city was a thriving business hub after Skytower closed its gates.

Hunter's Glade - Large rustic town in the heart of a large forest. Inhabited by woodland elves, humans, and their half blood offspring. Shrine of Erastil, Dark gate of Ferocity (closed).

Skytower Port - Large city, build on the sandbars where the main river meets the sea. Massive towers and archways that boats can go underneath... think medieval fantasy Venice. This city was built by humans, travellers from a continent to the west. Sarenrae's Temple, Dark gate of Zeal (closed).

Highcrown - Large, high-elven city. It is from here that the elven aristocracy made the laws that forced the low-elves into rebellion. Iomedae's Temple, Dark gate of Control (open).

Elswith - Small, low-elven city. Here they forged an army to stand up against the oppression of the high-elves. It is from this seed of rebellion that the cult of Lamashtu was formed, working to overthrow the elven lords, without realizing that their god was planning to overthrow everything as well.

Scorn's Rock - With war taking its toll on their land, the low elves retreated to this location near the eastern desert. Elswith and the surrounding areas became a sort of forward camp for their military while they strategized and schemed. Temple of Pharasma, Dark gate of Death (open).

Bramblerock - Halfling trade hub. Thing Las Vegas with a beach and less cops. Temple of Cayden Cailean, Dark gate of Addiction (closed). Right smack dab in the middle of everything.

Cold Run, aka The Cauldron - Though technically "The Cauldron" is a reference to the town's arena, the two are practically synonymous. The players made a lot of money in this northern city, fighting brigands and warriors for fame and gold, until the captain of the Blackguards took over.

Thorvald's Rest - Dwarven city, underground and in the far northeast corner of the country. Temple of Torag, Dark gate of Labor (Open).

Skycrash Watch - Old red-stone dwarven fortress, their outpost against the orcs in times gone by. Now over-run with normally nomadic orcs and half bloods, this city is ruled by martial law and intimidation. Shrine of Gorum, Dark gate of Violence (Open and a doozy).

* * Lesser Locations
Lorekeep Isle - This is where Ba'him trained the old adventurers, teaching them the lore behind his brother K'hrane's rebellion. Located near Bramblerock, the isle was shrouded in mist and under Ba'him's protection. No one that stumbled upon it or accidentally saw it could ever remember doing so. Kinda' the group's base of operations just prior to the timeskip.

Alexa's Castle - Oh the fun we had with a deck of many things. Shortly after being mindswapped into evil-hood, one of our players drew the card that netted her this sweet castle. Though she had high plans for it, the campaign ended before she ever got to see it.

The Stoneyard - The battlefield where the final confrontation for the first part of the campaign took place. It was here that K'hrane was almost summoned, and here that the vast majority of high-elven knights and low-elven rogues were forever turned to stone. The statues still remain, worn by the elements, but an everlasting testament to the inherent danger of forbidden magic.

Dragontooth Village - An old human settlement, one of the players wished for a thriving goblin metropolis and, well, this is what they got. This weather-beaten old town stands at the base of Dragonspire Peak where Alscar the Silver handed down the first divine laws. Post time-skip, it had devolved into a rag-tag goblin fortress, adorned with misplaced items from the humans' decadent homes.

* * The Draconic Temples
Each of the 8 eldest dragon gods had a temple built in their honor. As their followers grew more passionate, a war eventually broke out between Ansyis and K'hrane. Each of the brothers formed allegiances, and only the Sapphire and Silver dragons refused to participate. After the war, Ba'him the brown stepped in, taking the role of mediator and suggesting a truce. Ansyis and the others agreed, but on the day of meeting K'hrane brutally sacked his rival's temple and slaughtered Ansyis with forbidden magic. The dragons were gods, inspirations and ideals from ages past, and as such were normally beyond the reach of death. Whatever action K'hrane took in that final hour is a secret that his brothers never uncovered, and so were never able to revive or return Ansyis to power. In punishment for his crimes, K'hrane was banished to the realm of chaos, to suffer for a few millennia, in hopes that he would repent and reverse his strange magic. Instead, he gained new power through dreams and madness, and began to influence the minds of mortals from his astral realm.
After the war, Ansyis' death, and K'hrane's banishment, the brothers were left weakened and with only a handful of followers each. They each retreated to their temple, and watched as the years dwindled their numbers, until they were forgot to the passage of time. Years later, the remaining 7 banded together in an effort to stop K'hrane and his new plan for domination.

:smallsmile:Ansyis the Gold was worshiped at a pavilion near Highcrown, until K'hrane and his followers brutally sacked the Glitterpond and slaughtered the noble Ansyis.

:smallannoyed:Val-ker the Bronze and his followers protected the country from their eastern fortress near Skycrash Watch. His soldiers spirits were transformed upon death, allowing them to continue service among his legion of outsiders.

:smallsigh:Alscar the Silver was honored with an auditorium at the top of Dragonspire Peak. His followers were scribes, judges, and lawyers, and after the dragons' war they faded into obscurity.

:smallfrown:Belorkind the Iron tortured his worshipers in a dungeon near Cold Run. The masochistic practices continued even after Belorkind's destruction, watched over by his ever malevolent soul. (phylactery, kinda)

:smallmad:K'hrane the Obsidian, before his rebellion and the slaughter of his followers, held a temple in the swamps near Elswith.

:smallfurious:Scorsus the Ruby and his barbarians claimed a temple in the mountains near King's Charge. Even after death they continued to fight, and escaping their rage was a rite of passage to enter the arena.

:smallconfused:Charsios the Sapphire, originally an ally to Emul'kar, refused to join in the war, and established a temple for criminals, pirates, and theives on an island in the sea. After the dragons' war, his followers lost their way, pledging allegiance to nymphs and sirens.

:smallbiggrin:Emul'kar the Emerald and his troupe of bards and artists were little help during the war, but they attempted to help nonetheless. Their downfall came when the short-sighted Emul'kar gave his followers magic flowers which drove them to suicidal madness. The ruins of their tower, now guarded by Val-ker's archons, stands in the forests near Hunters' Glade.

Cast of Characters

* The Good Guys

* * The PC's of old
Nukgrub / Shinsnapper - Goblin rogue/alchemist/master-chymist. Nukgrub is his CN thieving form, while Shinsnapper is his LE combat form. Fights using natural attacks, greater invisibility, and lots of sneak attack. Had blessings from Charsios (as Nukgrub) and Belorkind (as Shinsnapper). Stole enough money to buy a steamboat, which served as a mobile headquarters for the last part of the old campaign. Works solely for self-interest and the benefit of the Goblin race (including using several Wishes to make goblinkind a more recognized society).

The Amazing Rifto - Halfling rogue/master-thrower. Specializes in rapid-shot/palm throwing way more darts than make me comfortable, with sneak attack on each. Uses stealth or a borrowed Grt. Invis. extract from Nukgrub for maximum slaying. Started a relationship with Yamyra (NPC) in the first part of the campaign, and woke up after the timeskip to find out he now had a daughter, Lorenae. Rifto works for fame and glory, and to make the world a better place for his family.

Lorvain "The Invincible" Silverwind - High-elven fighter. Specializes in archery and greatsword-swinging. Deals high damage consistently, in melee and at range. His father is a general in the high-elven army. Works for fame and glory, and to challenge stronger foes.

Remy - Aasimar Paladin. Left the group shortly before the timeskip, unfortunately. But, his NPC wife Alyson was already scheduled to remain as a primary NPC. Remy died in search for a missing piece of a cursed sword, unknown to the group, and returned (possessed zombie) for the "final" fight immediately prior to the timeskip.

Rand Ayabara - Low-elf Oracle. Fire fire fire! Went undercover as a Blackguard, though he bossed some bluff checks and is pretending to be mind-controlled. Toward the end of the campaign, his whereabouts were unknown. His half-brother Shamarahan is searching for him. Discontinued as a PC, replaced by Shamarahan.

Shamarahan Ayabara - Half-elf puppet-master (custom class, based on summoner). Travels in search of Rand, his paternal half-brother. Joined the group post-timeskip as Rand's player's backup PC.

Alexa - Little is known about this sneaky figure. She joined the group post-timeskip, but was only in a few games before the crash. She managed to draw the alignment-change and "win a castle" cards from a Deck of Many Things, and as a result was working solely in her own interests at the end. She sold the group out to the blackguards, and this is likely the reason in-character that the PC's never managed to close all the gates.