Vanman
Two Thousand Club
Okay, I’ve been wanting to post my campaign idea for some time, and now I’m actually going to do it. This is kind of a long post - sorry about that. I wanted to get most of the main ideas in. Before I get started, though, I want to say that my plot doesn’t ascribe to canon. I’m aware of this, I just wanted you to be aware of it as well. Now, the first break from canon is that, in this version of Creation, if the US dies, so, too, do the Solars. Or, at least, their power does. This will be important. But first, some history.
In the First Age, there were two Circles who were pre-eminent in the war against the Primordials. They were both instrumental in the fall of the old Primy’s. The two circles were also quite close. After the war was ended, though, one Circle (called, for lack of a better name, the Unconquered Circle) took up the rule of Creation (another break from canon – the Deliberative is still around, but less prominent) whilst the other (called the Dark Circle) continued to fight, being a more action oriented Circle. The curse hit the Dark Circle early, and they felt great jealousy that the UC was getting all of the US’s attention. They made their displeasure known and the UC gave them a region of Creation to rule. This they did, but their slide into depravity started to take root. They abused their subjects and killed anyone who might report them. Soon other circles, also given regions to run, slid into depravity and the UC had a great deal to do to keep order. They turned to the DC, who they thought were still friends. The DC used this to grab more land and ‘power.’ Eventually it all came home to roost and the two Circles came to blows, after the UC sent two emissaries to talk to the DC and they were sent back. In pieces. So war between the two circles broke out. It was at this time that the Dragon-Blooded made their coup, taking out a great many of the other Solars whilst the two Circles went at it. It came to pass that the two Circles pretty much wiped each other out, but not before the leader of the DC swore vengeance on the leader of the UC.
Present day. The plot is going to involve a Deathlord or two, and they're going to try and assassinate the US. The thing is, they're going to get some Solars to do it. One (or both) of the Deathlords have come into possession of a dreamstone of the one of the Game's moves (obtained from a corrupt God of Death, who wants to play the game and thinks he’ll have a chance with the US out of the way), and they are going to use that to addict a Circle of Solars. Once they're addicted, the Solars will be strung along until they're so far gone that they'll take up the challenge of taking out the US.
The thing is, in order to carry this out, the Deathlords will have to get a couple of artifacts in order to achieve this purpose. There's a First Age artifact used by a Solar to kill the first Primordial, and there's an artifact that will allow someone entrance to the Jade Palace by 'disguising' the bearer as either a god or a Primordial. To get those artifacts, the Deathlords will use their Abyssal Exalted (not trusting the Solars to do it themselves). The Abyssals used to carry this out are the Dark Circle from the First Age, those who opposed the Unconquered Circle - who are, in fact, the PCs. What wasn't explained in the history I gave you is that one of each of the Circles were lovers in the First Age. So that plot hook will be out there, to see if the player takes it up.
Oh, and the Solars who are addicted to the dreamstones? A Circle comprising of at least two of the PCs' mentors. So the players will have to deal with a possible conflict of interest within the group, and the task of trying to stop friends from killing the US.
One thing the Deathlords will do is provide some of their 'cover' to the addicted Solars, so that they're not detectable by normal astrological divinations. So they think they're safe. But, back in the First Age, the Maiden of Secrets and the Maiden of Endings saw that there was going to be some problems - potentially some catastrophic problems - sometime in the future. And that those problems were outside of Fate. So what do they do? They Exalt the 101st Sidereal, without telling anyone. He himself is outside of Fate, since there are only supposed to be 100 Sidereal Exalted. The two Maidens give him some proficiency with Astrology but, seeing as he's outside the parameters of Fate, he can see what happens concerning those who are also outside of Fate.
The problem is, the process drives the Sidereal insane. He has no tutors to help him deal with his Exaltation. He gets these visions and he doesn't know how to handle them. During the course of his life, he makes a number of prophecies, but no one pays any attention to them, because a.) He's ronin and b.) He's insane. And because he was insane when he made the prophecies, they are very, very oblique. It takes some reading and interpretation. But there are a couple of Sidereal (or maybe one – haven’t fully decided on this yet) who have come across these prophecies, and they believe them. The Mad Prophet has successfully predicted the coming of the Deathlords, the Great Contagion and the disappearance of the Empress. And his most apocalyptic prophecy concerns the Unconquered Sun and some great catastrophe.
But the prophecy also heralds the coming of champions, though, and that's where the PCs come in. The Sidereals will try and steer the PCs so that they are prepared to meet the challenge. The Sidereals side with neither the Bronze or Gold faction, as both factions ignore and/or scoff at the prophecies these Sidereals hold so dear. They're just trying to head off the coming catastrophe.
On a side note, one of the artifacts have been sent into - you guessed it - the future, to prevent it's use (most likely sent by the gods, as they were the ones who created the artifact in the first place, so they - or their servants - could enter the Jade Palace to attack the Primordials the first time). In order to retrieve the artifact, there's a spell that allows the sorcerer to make contact with his Shard in the future, and to 'transfer' their consciousness to their Shard in the future. So the PCs will use the spell and......Hello, Modernis Mundi! Not quite sure how they're going to get the artifact back, though. The one idea I had is to have another spell to create a pocket of Elsewhere where they can store the artifact. Then they 'return' to their bodies in the Second Age, open the pocket of Elsewhere and retrieve the artifact. Not sure if that will work, but that's my idea.
Any ideas? And be kind. :-)
In the First Age, there were two Circles who were pre-eminent in the war against the Primordials. They were both instrumental in the fall of the old Primy’s. The two circles were also quite close. After the war was ended, though, one Circle (called, for lack of a better name, the Unconquered Circle) took up the rule of Creation (another break from canon – the Deliberative is still around, but less prominent) whilst the other (called the Dark Circle) continued to fight, being a more action oriented Circle. The curse hit the Dark Circle early, and they felt great jealousy that the UC was getting all of the US’s attention. They made their displeasure known and the UC gave them a region of Creation to rule. This they did, but their slide into depravity started to take root. They abused their subjects and killed anyone who might report them. Soon other circles, also given regions to run, slid into depravity and the UC had a great deal to do to keep order. They turned to the DC, who they thought were still friends. The DC used this to grab more land and ‘power.’ Eventually it all came home to roost and the two Circles came to blows, after the UC sent two emissaries to talk to the DC and they were sent back. In pieces. So war between the two circles broke out. It was at this time that the Dragon-Blooded made their coup, taking out a great many of the other Solars whilst the two Circles went at it. It came to pass that the two Circles pretty much wiped each other out, but not before the leader of the DC swore vengeance on the leader of the UC.
Present day. The plot is going to involve a Deathlord or two, and they're going to try and assassinate the US. The thing is, they're going to get some Solars to do it. One (or both) of the Deathlords have come into possession of a dreamstone of the one of the Game's moves (obtained from a corrupt God of Death, who wants to play the game and thinks he’ll have a chance with the US out of the way), and they are going to use that to addict a Circle of Solars. Once they're addicted, the Solars will be strung along until they're so far gone that they'll take up the challenge of taking out the US.
The thing is, in order to carry this out, the Deathlords will have to get a couple of artifacts in order to achieve this purpose. There's a First Age artifact used by a Solar to kill the first Primordial, and there's an artifact that will allow someone entrance to the Jade Palace by 'disguising' the bearer as either a god or a Primordial. To get those artifacts, the Deathlords will use their Abyssal Exalted (not trusting the Solars to do it themselves). The Abyssals used to carry this out are the Dark Circle from the First Age, those who opposed the Unconquered Circle - who are, in fact, the PCs. What wasn't explained in the history I gave you is that one of each of the Circles were lovers in the First Age. So that plot hook will be out there, to see if the player takes it up.
Oh, and the Solars who are addicted to the dreamstones? A Circle comprising of at least two of the PCs' mentors. So the players will have to deal with a possible conflict of interest within the group, and the task of trying to stop friends from killing the US.
One thing the Deathlords will do is provide some of their 'cover' to the addicted Solars, so that they're not detectable by normal astrological divinations. So they think they're safe. But, back in the First Age, the Maiden of Secrets and the Maiden of Endings saw that there was going to be some problems - potentially some catastrophic problems - sometime in the future. And that those problems were outside of Fate. So what do they do? They Exalt the 101st Sidereal, without telling anyone. He himself is outside of Fate, since there are only supposed to be 100 Sidereal Exalted. The two Maidens give him some proficiency with Astrology but, seeing as he's outside the parameters of Fate, he can see what happens concerning those who are also outside of Fate.
The problem is, the process drives the Sidereal insane. He has no tutors to help him deal with his Exaltation. He gets these visions and he doesn't know how to handle them. During the course of his life, he makes a number of prophecies, but no one pays any attention to them, because a.) He's ronin and b.) He's insane. And because he was insane when he made the prophecies, they are very, very oblique. It takes some reading and interpretation. But there are a couple of Sidereal (or maybe one – haven’t fully decided on this yet) who have come across these prophecies, and they believe them. The Mad Prophet has successfully predicted the coming of the Deathlords, the Great Contagion and the disappearance of the Empress. And his most apocalyptic prophecy concerns the Unconquered Sun and some great catastrophe.
But the prophecy also heralds the coming of champions, though, and that's where the PCs come in. The Sidereals will try and steer the PCs so that they are prepared to meet the challenge. The Sidereals side with neither the Bronze or Gold faction, as both factions ignore and/or scoff at the prophecies these Sidereals hold so dear. They're just trying to head off the coming catastrophe.
On a side note, one of the artifacts have been sent into - you guessed it - the future, to prevent it's use (most likely sent by the gods, as they were the ones who created the artifact in the first place, so they - or their servants - could enter the Jade Palace to attack the Primordials the first time). In order to retrieve the artifact, there's a spell that allows the sorcerer to make contact with his Shard in the future, and to 'transfer' their consciousness to their Shard in the future. So the PCs will use the spell and......Hello, Modernis Mundi! Not quite sure how they're going to get the artifact back, though. The one idea I had is to have another spell to create a pocket of Elsewhere where they can store the artifact. Then they 'return' to their bodies in the Second Age, open the pocket of Elsewhere and retrieve the artifact. Not sure if that will work, but that's my idea.
Any ideas? And be kind. :-)
