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Matt_Aries
2020-07-03, 01:49 PM
I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" book, and when the TV show premiered I was inspired with the following idea. What if I took the folklore of the gods of many different nationalities and beliefs and shook them up and changed some things in a dungeons and dragons setting. This is my basic idea of that thought, that is still working things out. Think American Gods, meets Homer's Odyssey, and Percy Jackson Lightning Thief. Looking for some feedback of this world and ideas set forth, if they are good, trope, or just awful. If further info is wanted I can continue with the storyline.

for the TL/DR
Maui the Polynesian trickster demigod shapeshifted to look like Loki the Norse trickster god, and killed Baldur with Mistletoe which sparks Ragnarok. This event is the killing of the Gods, by their own hands. The party will adventure through the nine realms of the World Tree that takes them through lands that are written in Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, as well as the D&D role play books. They will encounter known characters like Drizzits, Elfminster, Lord Soth, and Gods of many different backgrounds.


Chapter 1: Tempus Finus
Party is sent to Asgard from other realms to celebrate the crowning of someone only known as Odinson in the great hall called Valholl (meaning Hall of the Slain). This event is meant to unify the nine realms of the worlds.

Odinson dies and is revealed to be Baldur who died from mistletoe garnished in his food as spices. At this point the players may start blaming others in the party, or team up to find the killer. Eventually, the party is tasked with who killed Baldur, and why. Gautr (Odin) tries to revive him but fails. This makes Odin very weak, and unable to travel from his hall. No Valkyries came to bring Baldur to Valhalla, or guard his soul from harm.

Odin states: "Threw this door, is the World Tree Yggdrasil. Speak with it's protectors. I will reward those worthy." Odin falls into a great sleep.

All in the hall race off to the World Tree. They meet the tree fold Roots. All they can say is "I am Root".

Party is sent to Neiflheim and meet with Hel to revive Baldur. The Mistress of Death stats she did not take Baldur's soul, nor has anyone come into her lands in some time. How did Baldur die if no one else has?

Hel give the party the "Eye of Argus" and enchants it with a question that no one hears. She hands the eye to the party and says the eye will lead the way. She users the party off while she tends to things in a hurry.

The eye leads the party to Ravenloft. Enter in a cave hole surrounded by tree roots. The tree roots wither and rot away. The entrance is no more. The eye no longer seems to work.

While in Ravenloft the party finds that this world once was controlled by one known as Lord Strahd, who ruled over the lands, but now, the land has changed. A Sun Elf named Jander Sunstar (a vampire) confides in the party he too was brought to this world, and met with Strahd many years ago, and was unsuccessful with killing him as he was also a vampire, but was cursed and connected to the land itself. Somehow the land has changed recently. It has become bitter, and darker.

The local gypsies The Visanti tell the party vampires were created in mass to combat another visitor to the lands. A Lord Soth, a undead knight of the Order of the Black Rose. It is explained that once the vampire lord died, all under his control as vampires became mindless zombies. Anyone they infect die of a high fever and soon rise undead if not burned and beheaded.

Jander leads a Clergy of people trained with staff and spear called "Sanguis Ordo" they do not talk and wear robes of black and red.

With the party's assistance the the Clergy who are Werewolves fight off wave after wave of undead, until Lord Soth arrives.

The party, and Jander fight Lord Soth, in the center of a circle of Sanguis Ordo who are holding back to undead. It is made clear if you do not win this battle you will join him as a mindless undead for all of eternity.

During combat Lord Soth states you cannot kill what is already undead. You find out Lord Soth killed Osiris the Egyptian god of death and resurrection. This is what created the zombies from the vampires. He was given an artifact by Loki to kill even a God of death.

A thin dagger written on it "Opus in Immortuos" falls from Soths hand after taking a mighty blow. It is a enchanted mithril dagger made with mistletoe.

With the path to the world tree destroyed, the Gypsy are now the party's means of transportation. "Acan the mad" tells the party he is no longer worshipped so he grows old and eventually his powers and time will catch up and he will fade from existence. Until that time comes he will assist the party with potions. He suggests he may know someone who may be able to help.

Wizard_Lizard
2020-07-06, 11:00 PM
Nothing really to contribute. Just saying that as soon as I saw the title, my eyes lit up.

Matt_Aries
2020-07-07, 12:06 PM
Nothing really to contribute. Just saying that as soon as I saw the title, my eyes lit up. Gaiman has been a great inspiration to many of the campaigns I have done in the past both DM and as a character in someone else's world.



This one's supposed to be a bit more satirical in roleplay of the world. Think, anime, or old kung-fu movies.

Chapter 2: Ventio Tempestas
"Acan the mad" suggest finding someone that can help the party. That person is Donar, (Thor Odinson) who is living in the world Muspelheim as punishment for some aggressive actions. This world is a Asian inspired land where Dragonborn are the dominant race.

You find a macular reddish brown haired man face down in a pig pen manure, several child like dragonborn run off caring something. Acan the mad introduces everyone to Donar, also known as Thor Odinson. Acan explains what happened to Baldur and this tolls the coming of Ragnarok, and that Thor is living in the land of serpents, and he needs to leave. Thor argues and says reluctantly he cannot leave as Sif is missing as well as his hammer Mjölnir.

"You could have led with that!" Acan yells!

Acan gives Thor a potion to get him back on his feet. This potion was made to "knock out a God" and keep them safe.

The party is forced to fight elemental deities in a multi floor pagoda (paying homage to Bruce Lee) to get back Mjölnir. This leads to a bridge and a showdown with the Japanese God of thunder Raijin (Raiden) who is scripted to almost kill a member of the party until Thor intervenes, and gets his hammer back. Raijin runs off in the same direction of the other beaten elemental gods. On the other side of the bridge is Sif in a bubble that is getting smaller and smaller, it is filled with water and suspended in mid air. Sif will suffocate and drown.

The defeated Dragonborn Elementals run off and drop off the cliff. Once the party gets close a 8 headed dragon (Tiamat) crests over the ridge.

The storm Gods are inspired by Big Trouble in Little China
Raijin aka Raiden (God of Thunder and Lightning)
YingLong (God of Rain and water)
Fei Lian (God of Wind)
Buhawi (God of hurricanes)
etc.

the brothers storm together form the mutiheaded serpent Orochi (Which will be a reskinned giant Tiamat) who Thor fights while the party rescues Sif. She mentioned this is not going to end well. Jörmungandr will kill him, it is written so, and the party must get out as this world is doomed.

Sif opens the Earth into darkness, and before anyone has a moment to counter the party is shoved in and the Earth closes behind them.