Plot forming

Cthulhu_Wakes

Cthulhu_Wakes

Black Sun in a White World
I figured with the great minds here we can think up plot ideas. Hell, why not give it a try? Perhaps we can all learn a little and steal plot ideas dropped here. I'm talking, alternate settings (aside the Beast that is Modernis), plot hooks, adventure seeds and what not.


I guess I'll start.


An alternate setting in a region as large as teh Blessed Isle, that bursts forth during Calibration. A wild and primeval land, lush and rich. Wild native, Dragon Kings still living as advanced and perfect as in the Time before Time. A land where behemoths roam, and things cast off by the Primordials now reside. A kingdom nestled in the mountains of the center; ruled by a lineage of Solar Half Castes. Led in secret by their Solar and Lunar progenitors...


A setting where the Locust Crusade bogged down, the South becoming much like Europe in WWI.


An Autochthonian invasion of Heaven, complete with grand set piece battles (currently a work in progress)


Anyone else got anything?
 
Erm, that "There was this Alchemicals idea" links to replying to this topic. >_>


Well, uh, I don't know if it fits the topic or not, but I was working on some messy stuff related to Alchemicals and Lunars in my spare time... about the eight founding heroes of Autochthonian nations. Me being a bad and lazy writer, on top of not having time, it's pretty shabby and ungood right now... but meh. I really like the idea. There's a link to what I've got done so far in my sig. I'll give you a blowjob if you help me actually make sense out of it. o_o


(Um. Maybe not a blowjob. How about one Get Out Of an Impending Mushroom Tattoo card?)
 
I've been looking for plot ideas that do not involve alchemicals. Easier said than done around here... bleeding steampunk fanboys... *grumble*
 
Yeah...um, I was asking for people to be more creative than that. Not saying Jakk's idea is bad...but I meant FOR ALL EXALT types ^^; I love Alchemicals, but I'm talking general plot hooks and setting ideas.
 
For centuries, barbarians have fallen, not to blades or magic, but to the llure of civilisation. They come with their wines and their clothes and their lives of ease, and entire peoples fall. They marry, and beget children, and soon there are none who remeber the ways of their ancestors.


Now, it's time to turn it back at them.


The Lunars are sending an army into Creation, an army of beastmen, which has been decades in the breeding. It is bigger than any army yet faced, the offspring of a hundred dedicated Exalts. But it is not an army that wields death, oh no.


They will come to the cities. to the towns and the fields. They are superior to mere men; stronger, faster, sharper. Over the years, slowly the world will become acclimatised to them. They will breed, and eventually, they will supplant civilised humanity as civilised humanity once supplanted the strong people of the wilderness.


And within their hearts, the blood of beasts will flow. Theirs will be an unremovable savagery, a touch of the natural in their hearts that will open the cities to the wilderness.


It will be centuries, before the lineage of Luna covers the world.


But the Lunars have time enough.
 
I've got a few plot ideas I need to spill before I forget them, then I can reference them later and expand.


-The Mountain Folk, through an unknown series of events, have thrown off the shackles of the Great Geas. In this plot, aside from the aforementioned hook, the Underbroods won't be as prolific or as great a threat to the MF. Anyway, the Mountain Folk are pressed for more and more tribute by the Realm, the Civil War times cometh. They finally can take no more, finally free of the curse laid upon them by the Exalted, milliennia ago.


The Realm demands one thousand talents of jade, times ten of silver, along with various precious gems by the ton. Practically ten times what they've demanded before, but Houses Ragara and Ledaal have become greedy. The sleeping juggernaut beneath the Imperial Mountain has had it. In a sweeping brush fire campaign, the Mountain Folk shatter their Imperial oppressors in a series of successive battles.


The Dragon Blooded reel in fear of the ranks of black armored, jade carrying soldiers that pour from the mine shafts of the mountain. The war is felt all the way to the Threshold, Realm refugees pouring into satrapies and safe shelter in the Scavenger Lands, ironically enough.


A new power has come into Creation, as it's defacto rulers, taking the Isle. A renaissance quickly follows of First Age esque levels. It's now five years since, and the world is changed, the Jadeborn rule the surface and the deep. Not all are pleased with this turn of events...


(Accessible high power campaign from Mortal to any Exalted type)


-The Revitilization of the Ancient Foe.


Speaks for itself, I don't have the nice flavor text for this one, but it's a series of adventures and mysteries in the style of TV seasons. In which each reveals abit more about events steadily climbing north near the Hslanti league. There, a revelation will be made of ancient foe of the Realm, the once mighty sorcerer Bagrash Koel and his return to the mortal plane.


*phew* Got those down. I'll have more soon!
 
set before the seal of divinities is officially breached


A group of Soulsteel caste alchemicals sneak into creation... but these are different, they have become possessed by the Greys in the metal that makes them.


These exalts plan to  breed a race of God bloods, Human/Grey 'Hybrids' that can take revenge on the People of Autocthoniafor what their god did to the greys


sets the scene for an X-Files esque game
 
This is less a plot than a way to force a mixed Circle into being...suggested, in part, by orion:


 The PCs are all descended from Enlightened Mountain Folk females, who kept their children by a Council command--on advice from a Chaos Seer. Naturally, they all Exalt.


 Mix and serve with any plot that requires world-shaking changes involving the Mountain Folk (or the Realm, or the entirety of Creation).
 
At some point, I'm going to form up my Third Age setting.  A pleasant mix of the Modernis stuff with the Shadow of Doubt setting that I did for Adventure and Mage, but tweaked for a Third Age, where the Wheel of Ages got rolling again, without the Exalts being shatterred.


It will probably include a Sundering, a split between the Spirit Realms and the Creation, and it will definitely blend the history of the WoD with an Exalted spin.  Dragon Bloods won't turn into Vampires.  Lunars won't degenerate into the Changing Breeds.  Sidereals won't shiver and split their Shards to power Avatars for Magi.  Thaumaturgy and Sorcery will still have a good sized place in things, but it will defintely blend history into an odd mix.


A strong Songhai.  Great Zimbabwe will not fall.  The Nihonjin will rule their isles.  A Rational Mysticism will sweep across Europa.  The People of the Book will remain in their Caliphates.  And in the West, the Rational Mystics will see the rise of Atlantis, combining the nations of the Algonkwa, Iroquois, and Aztlan Empire.


Dragon Bloods will rule Europa, and be found all throughout the world, in various forms.  The Solar Exalted will pop up on occasion, as great leaders.  The Lunars will be the dark, shrouded mystics in the hinterlands, looking to avoid the trappings of civilization still, and guide communities.  The Sidereals will still have removed themselves, trading back and forth with Yu Shan, and looking to meddle in the affairs of men, but the place of the Gods will be muted, as men turn from them.


The Deathlords will have been quiet, battered by their last war, that shattered the last Age, creeping back when they can, but drained by the effort.  The Yozi will be quiet as well, again, drained by the Turn of the Wheel of Ages, and the Sundering of the Spirit Realms with the Tellurian.  


All the fun of a WoD style campaign, but without the petty plots of the Vampires and Garou, instead more of a cold war feel, with Dragon Bloods not unified in the least, instead paying their fealty to governments, instead of their own.  Solars rising up as random heroes.  And the Sidereals playing the games of the Gods, becoming desperate for Essence as the world turns from needing them...


And the hardening of the Creation, the power of Rational Mysticism and the Reason of the Atlantians will make the Fae hard pressed to make any gains whatsoever, more transformed into Changelings, desperate for a sup of dream stuff, walled out of the Creation once again by the sheer power of the thoughts of the beings within...
 
Well there will still be War Golems out of Europa...powered by Aetherstones and imprisoned Daemons...


And War Drakes.


And Gryphons, oh my.


Of course, you've got the Atlantians rolling out with tanks, helicopters, jets and submarines.


The arms race will run between the Atlantians with their nukes and chemical weapons, and the Hollebombs and Elemental casters.  The Euros drop WMDs that rip open a hole into the Infernal Realms, temporarily merging an area with the Infernal Realms--everything inside the area of effect essentially spends a year, subjective in the Hells, but to the outside world, it seems only like seconds.  Everything within returns from their sojourn much worse for the wear, and the land is blasted from its time in Hell.  Elemental casters just release pissed off Elementals to rage around for a bit, until they either lose interest, or are sent packing...
 
[thoughtful look] You know, Jakk, that setting's almost enough for me to consider learning a new game system, and I suspect that others here would agree with me.


 Have you ever come up with any basal game mechanics you'd like to test out in a new game system? After all, if you strip the WW flavor text from your description, it's still a viable, alt-his mystech world.


 If not, it's still an excellent idea for an alternate Exalted setting.
 
I've got a few friends who work at Cheap Ass Games, and what I've learned over the years, is that while I might be able to plot like a bastard, and tweak systems for optimum efficiency, I also suck at original mechanics.


I'm not alone in this.  See Fading Suns as a great example of a game that has fanstastic potential, but really wonky mechanics.   That they went and converted it to d20 was a great move on their part.


It might be interesting to work up something under the d20 open license though...
 
This is less a plot than a way to force a mixed Circle into being...suggested, in part, by orion:
 The PCs are all descended from Enlightened Mountain Folk females, who kept their children by a Council command--on advice from a Chaos Seer. Naturally, they all Exalt.


 Mix and serve with any plot that requires world-shaking changes involving the Mountain Folk (or the Realm, or the entirety of Creation).
Click to expand...
*yoinks* That could work right well with my mad Mountain Folk plot ^_^ Once again, Wonders is helping here as well...
 
Hmm, now with Wonders, I've seen far more about the First Age and Shogunate than has really been revealed before.


I think a good plot involving perhaps a rebellion of mortals and possibly hidden Solar allies during the first century of the Shogunate would be good. Perhaps during one of the many civil wars that plagued that era.


The mortal idea is a favorite of mine, seeing all the new artifacts and armors presented for man alone. Perhaps a rebellion of Golden Children and mortal descendants or ex-Realm Legions in a full-on rebellion. Stealing a Kireeki or hitting an arsenal, perhaps bombing of Manses, making deals with hidden enemies of the state, perhaps a few hiding Solars...
 
Oh got hit by another one just now.


Stealing a Skynet idea with one of the Deliberative's AI's (Yes, they're called AIs) from Wonders of the Lost Age. Perhaps when the overthrow of the Solar Empire happened, perhaps this one AI withdrew into itself, while the world went to war, flame and steal scortched the plains and the Solars fell, it pondered such things like life, war, and philosophy.


Kept company only by it's steward constructs and feeling what can only be described as 'loss' and 'loneliness' at the death of it's Solar creator. While the Dragon Blooded deactivate and destroy countless other AIs, it feels it's kind withdraw from the ether of the dragon lines, hiding themselves, or simply fading away.


It watches from afar inside it's now abandoned Manse as the glories of it's master and his brothers and sisters are squandered by the 'children.' It soon finds itself surrounded by the Dragon's Children and their cute little empire. He watches, waits, speaking and conversing with his servitor constructs, the entire city he lie in networked to him. He was his master's majordomo and facilitator of his city of wonders. He was the manager of the great Werks under the cobblestone and molded emerald of the streets.


Deandsor they called him, and he was the brain the Solar's had placed at the fore of the City Experimental.


Only if the Terrestrials knew what kept their lights on, their water running, and their perfect city going. Soon, he grew to watch and learn from them, their slight for emotion, the clever ruse, and the dagger which they wielded for each other. He was 'learning,' as Master Aurelius said. Their wars came and went, his city run down in some areas from their lack of insight and clarity.


Sadness enveloped the machine, these fools would destroy all the great works that made up Deandsor's body. His Sentinels and Legionnaires were wasted in petty wars or deactivated, his Servitors used and abused. The city was taken apart in some areas, the Terrestrials trying to reverse engineer. They still never found the facilities that made up the bulk of the production areas, underground, under the Replendent Shade Manse and Grand Factory Cathedral. His city was torn down in parts, removing Manses and statues that made life easy and lofty for the mortal and Exalt alike. All in the name of hubris. His Essence flow was corrupted, poisoned, slowly seeping into the Mind of Deandsor.


Little by little he shut off some aspects of the city, in vengence for what they had done to his Form. His servitors poisoned their masters, murdered, and disappeared into the Underground. His precious creations were destroyed, unknown parts of the City Experimental were activated, hidden rotes and pathways Aurelias had left with him. Retaliation was coming, the great organs of the Werks blared as machines of war were slowly made and organized. War would come, the City Experimental would be the Divine Sword in the revenge of the slaughtered Chosen of the Sun.


Then came the Disease, wiping out the mortals living in his homes and buildings, the governor of the city using a device the Master had made, claiming it would save them all. A flash of light and what seemed as days of forgotten thoughts, no data left when he woke once more, to see the Fae crushing all that was in sight until great fire peeled back the sky, shook the earth and spread them like chaff.


The city was empty, Deandsor himself felt off and strange, his very pattern of Essence re-written by whatever had happened. No one ever came back for him. Humans would scurry in and run away taking trinkets. Confused and afraid he bid his time, a vast army of war machines, golem and automata alike waiting, still as a terra cotta army for the codes that would sally them to their intended targets.


Deandsor captured mortals entering his city over the centuries, learning of what had come, time that had past. The Empress, the end of the Shogunate, the world as it was. This was twenty years ago. He would bide his time, until the world around him. Slowly, he has built his strength, and his addled mind waits merely for the right time launch his war upon the betrayers of his Master.
 
That is awesome Cthulh_Wakes, pure awesome.  Kind of reminds me of a Ray Bradbury short that I read (in comic books form!) about a crew of a spaceship that lands on a planet run by an AI, that doesn't want them there.  I can't remember what it's called, but everybody should read more Ray Bradbury anyway, so just find a collection and go to town, you'll find it eventually.


Very cool though, and since I wanted to do something with Denandsor at some point, I might just have to rip this off...
 
So I was giving this Denandsor idea some more thought, and I was thinking that his nearest targets would be Lookshy, Nexus and Great Forks, at least his nearest big targets.  I'm not sure exactly how he would treat mortals, so I'm not sure what he'd do about small villages and the like that fell between him and the big cities, probably march in and demand any Dragon Bloods be turned over to him.


The thing is though, he wouldn't know much about all the Solars that have returned since the Empress's dissapearance, if he even knows about that.  I figure that he would make some decisive strikes against the Confederation of Rivers, which Lookshy might be able to hold off, but just barely.  The Confederation, up against the fence, would be looking for any way to solve this issue, and the best way I can think of, is to send some Solars to Denandsor to try and find out what's going on and maybe parlay with whoever is in charge there (since they wouldn't likely know).


From there it could go any number of ways.  Personally, I think defeating Denandsor and destroying the AI would be bad.  It would mean that the citie's vast collection First Age goodies would be wide open for anybody to pillage, or that the AI would be forced to self-destruct to keep the Bloods from having all the toys.  Neither is a good idea in my mind.


What I'm thinking is either that the reincarnation of Aurelius comes out and joins forces with the AI, or the AI simply joins forces (on it's own) with the Confederation.   Either way, they should be able to convince the AI that the Realm, if anybody, is the real enemy, since they're the ones with the Wild Hunt and all this talk of Solar anathema.  This way, Denandsor is kept in the setting, the Confederation is bolstered, and the First Age goodies aren't strewn about the landscape.


It's possible too that the Realm might strike at the Confederation while it's up agaisnt a rail by Denandsor, which, if the AI teams up with them, will mean a decisive strike back against the Realm to get them to bugger off.  All kinds of fun opprotunities if you ask me.  And of course, if the Realm is involved, they will likely have agents investigating Denandsor as well.
 
Well, how I saw it was that, the former incarnation of Aurelias would already have been a tinkerer, perhaps a thaumaturge in the South. The South is the main concentration of the Brass Legion if I'm correct. Perhaps he's had experience with them, perhaps with other automata. Also a scavenger lord in the part time.


Also, I figured Deandsor would be pre-programmed in his protocols with planned targets. As well as a contingency to reinforce the capital, Meru. Last bastion and what not. I figure a few of these targets are now gone or consumed by the Wyld. So he improvises, he does learn after all. Seek the greatest concentrations of Essence and find the Elemental Touched.


So Lookshy is on the list, or Deheleshen as it were. Along with most of the Imperial Isle. Remember, I've only detailed the Brass Legionnaires, I'd allow most any toys four factory-cathedrals could pump out.
 
So I was giving this Denandsor idea some more thought, and I was thinking that his nearest targets would be Lookshy, Nexus and Great Forks, at least his nearest big targets.  I'm not sure exactly how he would treat mortals, so I'm not sure what he'd do about small villages and the like that fell between him and the big cities, probably march in and demand any Dragon Bloods be turned over to him.
The thing is though, he wouldn't know much about all the Solars that have returned since the Empress's dissapearance, if he even knows about that.  I figure that he would make some decisive strikes against the Confederation of Rivers, which Lookshy might be able to hold off, but just barely.  The Confederation, up against the fence, would be looking for any way to solve this issue, and the best way I can think of, is to send some Solars to Denandsor to try and find out what's going on and maybe parlay with whoever is in charge there (since they wouldn't likely know).


From there it could go any number of ways.  Personally, I think defeating Denandsor and destroying the AI would be bad.  It would mean that the citie's vast collection First Age goodies would be wide open for anybody to pillage, or that the AI would be forced to self-destruct to keep the Bloods from having all the toys.  Neither is a good idea in my mind.


What I'm thinking is either that the reincarnation of Aurelius comes out and joins forces with the AI, or the AI simply joins forces (on it's own) with the Confederation.   Either way, they should be able to convince the AI that the Realm, if anybody, is the real enemy, since they're the ones with the Wild Hunt and all this talk of Solar anathema.  This way, Denandsor is kept in the setting, the Confederation is bolstered, and the First Age goodies aren't strewn about the landscape.


It's possible too that the Realm might strike at the Confederation while it's up agaisnt a rail by Denandsor, which, if the AI teams up with them, will mean a decisive strike back against the Realm to get them to bugger off.  All kinds of fun opprotunities if you ask me.  And of course, if the Realm is involved, they will likely have agents investigating Denandsor as well.
Click to expand...
Exactly, he knows nothing of the Solar return, nor does he know about the Empress' disappearance, hence he is bidding his time for a key moment to strike. He will unleash an army of vengence against the Dragon Blooded and their puppets. Nothing will stop him from carrying out his master's will...
 
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