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Tormsskull
2007-10-02, 02:58 PM
Hi everyone,

The group that I am playing with right now's DM asked me if I wanted to DM for a while when his current plotline wraps up. This would be a completely separate campaign, but the group wants to start their new characters at level 5 (the same level their current characters have gotten to).

I was reluctant at first but decided what the heck. So then I needed an idea for a campaign. Here's what I have so far.

A war culture/society (The Hemagards) set in a caste system as such:

Overlord
Underlords & Clergy
Lesser Underlords, Merchants
Laborers, Peasants
Slaves


The Backstory:

10,000+ years before current times, a god embroiled in a divine battle fell from the heavens, impaled by a giant-sized divine spear. When the god fell to the earth he crashed through the soil and rock, eventually coming to rest in an underground cavern deep beneath the earth's surface. Upon the impact the divine spear's blade shattered into several pieces, though the largest piece stuck through the god's chest and into the rock below.

The god, while not dead, was unable to move due to the powers of the divine spear. He lay there, his hatred for his enemy brewing, the limited amounted of divine energy he was able to conjure used to lash out at his earthy prison walls in torment.

As the years passed, and the earth changed from erosion and magical events, the cavern that held the god came nearer and nearer to the surface. A culture of nomadic travelers (think Mongolians in the late 12th through mid 13th centuries) settled for a season very near the cavern. One of the nomad's shamans felt powerful vibrations coming from beneath the earth's surface, and went there to investigate.

After some digging and using of his spiritual abilities, the shaman discovered the cavern, now twisted and blackened from the god's divine torment lashing out through the years. After summoning up the courage and calling on his ancestor spirits to protect and guide him, the shaman moved through the cavern and found the body of the demi-god.

The shaman could nearly see intense divine energy that was composed in the god. As the shaman approached his mind was assualted by the god's powers, humble as they were. The shaman attacked the god with his dagger, but the blade couldn't seem to penetrate the skin. Falling back and holding his hands to his head to drown out the sound of the tortured soul in his head, the shaman saw a glint of metal on the ground.

Scooping up the shard of the divine spear, the shaman stabbed the god's chest, piercing his skin, and ending the voices in his head. Thinking he had killed his opponent, the shaman drank a handful of the blood that had poured through the wound, as was tradition in many battles for his tribe.

As the blood coursed through his body he noticed almost immediately its effects. He felt younger, his body rejuevenated, his mind full of wonder and surprise. The god's blood almost spoke to the shaman, calling on him to do great things, encouraging him and promising him strength.

When the shaman returned to his people, carefully hiding the entrance to the cave, he noticed something he hadn't before. His tribe were down-trodden and defeated. They had been massacred in past wars fighting against stronger tribes who sought to steal their land and resources.

Sensing their fear and disappointment, the shaman jumped atop a large log and called the tribesmen to gather. There he explained to them that he had a vision. A vision of a powerful tribe, ruling over all that they surveyed. His tribesman laughed at him and thought that he had drank too much. But he promised them that he would make it so.

After a couple of days had passed, and the shaman had little success in rallying his tribesmen to his cause, he traveled back to the cave. There he noticed that the wound he inflicted upon the god was gone. Out of curiosity, he picked up another of the shards, cut open the god, and drank his blood again.

Like before, he felt vigor running through his body. He continued to drink the god's blood once every day for the next week, and by the end he felt as strong as ever, his muscles surging with power, his reflexes quick as a cat.

Once again he gathered his people and proclaimed his vision, and once again they doubted him. When he left the tribe for a few short days and returned at the head of another small tribe, their former chieftain's head in head, his tribe looked upon him in awe.

And so it went, the shaman traveling to other tribes and challenging their cheiftain's to mortal combat, and winning. By doing so he continued to unite tribe after tribe with his original tribe, increasing their numbers at an incredible rate.

In-between his fights to the death with the chieftains of neighboring tribes, the shaman had his followers build a massive temple over the cavern where the god's body rest.

When he had united all of the tribes in the area, they formed a massive army, and proclaimed him their Overlord. As the years went by the Overlord aged very little, leading war campaigns constantly on the neighboring territories, subjugating their people's and civilizations.

To reward loyal followers, the Overlord prepared a special elixir (created from his own blood), and administered it to them. These persons were known as Underlords, or simply Lords. The more prestige and power a follower earned for the civilization, the more often the Overlord allowed them to drink the elixir, and the more powerful they became.

To encourage strength in his followers, the Overlord requires that any Underlord accept a challenge to fight to the death from any other Underlord. When one Underlord kills another, he inherits his power, and can seize his assests (though it is customary for the victor Underlord to grant all assets and land that he may have won to the Overlord, who in turn grants back some reward).

Current Times
The Overlord has ruled for as long as anyone can remember, sitting atop The Divine Throne which lies in the great temple atop the cavern of the god. The Hemagard culture has expanded immensely, becoming a great empire. Members of subjugated peoples are forced into slavery for 100 years, after which point they become free people and full citizens in the Hemagard society.

The number of Underlords has swelled to the thousands, some serving as provincial governors, others as bodyguards for the Overlord, and others still as loyal followers ready to be called to duty.

Other nations, fearing that they will one day be under attack by the Hemagards, wage small hit and run attacks against them from all sides of their borders. They have had little success though, as the might of the Hemagards is great.


Enter the PCs

The PCs will be able to select from all core classes, races, and some select splat materials that I have borrowed from a friend. In addition, I'm homebrewing a shaman class that will be available for the PCs if they choose.

As I mentioned above, the PCs start at level 5, and I am assuming by that time they have gained some fame within the Hemagard society. Each has excelled in their own area, and are to be indoctrinated as Underlords.

As they perform tasks for the Overlord and high-ranked Underlords, they will earn opportunities to increase their power granted by the Overlord's blood, and will become embroiled in a lot of political encounters.


Blood-Granted Benefits

The blood of the fallen god, as passed through the Overlord, grants increased attributes, a longer life span, and a varying degrees of powers.

The god-inherited powers are represented by Divine Points (DP). The more Divine Points a character has, the more divine energy they have in their bloodstream. Each PC starts off with 5 Divine Points. A PC can "spend" their Divine Points to purchase enchancements or additional abilities.

(working on a list of Divine Powers)


So, overall, decent idea, or not really?