Godskook
2016-03-03, 03:45 PM
So I'm preparing some plot hooks for an upcoming semi-sandbox game I might be running, using my personal campaign setting, Scars of the Beast(I've posted stuff relating to it in the past, back when my last group was using it). The short details of the setting are:
1.Gods are 'mortal', but maintain their power structure through successors among the humanoids.(I won't call them mortal anywhere else, FYI)
2.The Gods maintain existance, protecting it from a hostile "Aether" it moves through.
3.All the gods died in a divine apocalyptic war a long time ago by mortal standards.
4.About 150 years ago, a massive federation of heroes(in the loosest sense) fought and contained the Tarrasque. They then founded a city upon this prison, massively isolated from the nearest habitable land, surviving on Tarrasque trimmings and magical food. This city is Kintarra, and is pivotal to my setting, which is otherwise fairly low-level(threats in the CR 2-8 range, typically) generic D&D beyond the desert that Kintarra sits within.
5.Kintarra has a LOT of GP to throw around, but agents
Also, what follows is "for DM eyes only", and so I'm not concerned about related to my players getting their hands on it(Such as god place-holder names).
-------------------
Antoine Greylord - “The gods will rise to stop me”
SPACEIt hadn’t been his intention to open his flank like that, but Clara’s scream should’ve lasted longer. His mistake was turning to see why: her throat sliced by an Orc they walked by unnoticed in the fight. Cedric, at least, took the queue to do something really dangerous. As Clara hit the floor, the room erupted in fire.
SPACEAs the flame cleared, it was clear the Orcs’ numbers had dwindled. Antoine was glad of that at least. Problem was, his faith hadn’t shielded him enough, he realized as an Orc’s knife slide from his gut. By grace, at least he didn’t land on it when he fell unconscious. Last thing he heard was Turk yelling into a stone “We need backup now, Ozula. Both healers are down, possibly d…”
SPACEOpening his eyes, Antoine knew he wasn’t in that cave anymore. Problem is, he wasn’t sure he was anywhere anymore. As he surveyed the planescape around him, he noticed several floating glowing orbs floating towards him. The first to reach him spoke “Greetings Antoine, your exploits have been great in your time”.
SPACE“My time? Then this is heaven? It is barren and abandoned….”
SPACE“It is, sir. The old Gods are dead, and the new have not felt their need. We do our best to keep the favored empowered, but even that is dwindling.”
SPACEEnraged, Antoine questioned “Where are the new Gods that they have not felt their need?”
SPACE“We had hoped you were the first. We had high hopes for you. Alas, you did not have the spark of the favored.”
SPACE“What spark?” Antoine remarked quizzically. “Why am I not favored, for all my servitude?”
SPACE“The favored are born so, containing a spark of divinity. Your servitude could no more make you truly divine than it could make you goblin.”
SPACE“Then how do I find them?”
SPACE“We’re not sure. Sol, Helios and Io were all heroes of great wars, but before them, the old Gods of legacy were brought up through the temples.”
SPACEAs Antoine thought on this a moment, an idea sparked in his mind. “Were they all considered great among the mortal?”
SPACE“Yes, we believe so. Why?”
SPACE“It’s clear that they need…” Antoine stuttered as he realized what was happening. He was being called. Old friends. It had been years since he’s heard Cedric, hasn’t it? No. He’s been distracted. Embracing the call, space warped to the interior of a Kintarran temple Antoine knew well. It was nearest the Legion’s deployment center, and it was where the wounded always went. Still, he finished his sentence “to be pushed into greatness”.
SPACE“Always the hardass, Antoine?”
SPACE“Hush, Turk.” Clara chided. “You won’t be pushing anyone until you’ve had your rest, Agy. Hooker wants us back on the scene tomorrow, if you’re up to it.”
SPACE“I am. There’s work to do.”
--------------------------
Antoine Greylord is a Paladin, fallen to the idea that the new Gods need him most as a villain to fight. Last seen leaving Kintarra by teleport deployment with his party. When they failed to check in, rescue squads found Cedric and Turk dead, struck down near the field their transporter had left them in. Clara was recovered alive from the Orc tribe they had been sent to pacify. Antoine had bought his own passage with Clara’s life. His trail grows cold after that.
Secretly, Antoine is recruiting allies and creating a cult in an attempt to cause great chaos in the land. If the PCs stop him now, the cult will flounder, but if he escapes their first meeting, he’ll progress as a leader of men. If killed and his body abandoned, he returns as a hellbred. As a hellbred, begins focusing on undead soldiers and more apocalyptic methods, and he’s a Lich candidate over time, especially as he realizes the waste of martial prowess compared to arcane will(Sorcadin+Lich). Killed twice, the Solar will ensure he never returns.
1.Gods are 'mortal', but maintain their power structure through successors among the humanoids.(I won't call them mortal anywhere else, FYI)
2.The Gods maintain existance, protecting it from a hostile "Aether" it moves through.
3.All the gods died in a divine apocalyptic war a long time ago by mortal standards.
4.About 150 years ago, a massive federation of heroes(in the loosest sense) fought and contained the Tarrasque. They then founded a city upon this prison, massively isolated from the nearest habitable land, surviving on Tarrasque trimmings and magical food. This city is Kintarra, and is pivotal to my setting, which is otherwise fairly low-level(threats in the CR 2-8 range, typically) generic D&D beyond the desert that Kintarra sits within.
5.Kintarra has a LOT of GP to throw around, but agents
Also, what follows is "for DM eyes only", and so I'm not concerned about related to my players getting their hands on it(Such as god place-holder names).
-------------------
Antoine Greylord - “The gods will rise to stop me”
SPACEIt hadn’t been his intention to open his flank like that, but Clara’s scream should’ve lasted longer. His mistake was turning to see why: her throat sliced by an Orc they walked by unnoticed in the fight. Cedric, at least, took the queue to do something really dangerous. As Clara hit the floor, the room erupted in fire.
SPACEAs the flame cleared, it was clear the Orcs’ numbers had dwindled. Antoine was glad of that at least. Problem was, his faith hadn’t shielded him enough, he realized as an Orc’s knife slide from his gut. By grace, at least he didn’t land on it when he fell unconscious. Last thing he heard was Turk yelling into a stone “We need backup now, Ozula. Both healers are down, possibly d…”
SPACEOpening his eyes, Antoine knew he wasn’t in that cave anymore. Problem is, he wasn’t sure he was anywhere anymore. As he surveyed the planescape around him, he noticed several floating glowing orbs floating towards him. The first to reach him spoke “Greetings Antoine, your exploits have been great in your time”.
SPACE“My time? Then this is heaven? It is barren and abandoned….”
SPACE“It is, sir. The old Gods are dead, and the new have not felt their need. We do our best to keep the favored empowered, but even that is dwindling.”
SPACEEnraged, Antoine questioned “Where are the new Gods that they have not felt their need?”
SPACE“We had hoped you were the first. We had high hopes for you. Alas, you did not have the spark of the favored.”
SPACE“What spark?” Antoine remarked quizzically. “Why am I not favored, for all my servitude?”
SPACE“The favored are born so, containing a spark of divinity. Your servitude could no more make you truly divine than it could make you goblin.”
SPACE“Then how do I find them?”
SPACE“We’re not sure. Sol, Helios and Io were all heroes of great wars, but before them, the old Gods of legacy were brought up through the temples.”
SPACEAs Antoine thought on this a moment, an idea sparked in his mind. “Were they all considered great among the mortal?”
SPACE“Yes, we believe so. Why?”
SPACE“It’s clear that they need…” Antoine stuttered as he realized what was happening. He was being called. Old friends. It had been years since he’s heard Cedric, hasn’t it? No. He’s been distracted. Embracing the call, space warped to the interior of a Kintarran temple Antoine knew well. It was nearest the Legion’s deployment center, and it was where the wounded always went. Still, he finished his sentence “to be pushed into greatness”.
SPACE“Always the hardass, Antoine?”
SPACE“Hush, Turk.” Clara chided. “You won’t be pushing anyone until you’ve had your rest, Agy. Hooker wants us back on the scene tomorrow, if you’re up to it.”
SPACE“I am. There’s work to do.”
--------------------------
Antoine Greylord is a Paladin, fallen to the idea that the new Gods need him most as a villain to fight. Last seen leaving Kintarra by teleport deployment with his party. When they failed to check in, rescue squads found Cedric and Turk dead, struck down near the field their transporter had left them in. Clara was recovered alive from the Orc tribe they had been sent to pacify. Antoine had bought his own passage with Clara’s life. His trail grows cold after that.
Secretly, Antoine is recruiting allies and creating a cult in an attempt to cause great chaos in the land. If the PCs stop him now, the cult will flounder, but if he escapes their first meeting, he’ll progress as a leader of men. If killed and his body abandoned, he returns as a hellbred. As a hellbred, begins focusing on undead soldiers and more apocalyptic methods, and he’s a Lich candidate over time, especially as he realizes the waste of martial prowess compared to arcane will(Sorcadin+Lich). Killed twice, the Solar will ensure he never returns.