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Ariseal
Acolyte
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Feb 2018 : 11:27:04
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I am new here at candlekeep, and I am trying to put more effort into my next campaign.
I have an idea of what I want to do with it but setting wise I want to place it in the FG at 5e timeline. This is just a rough draft I typed up at work last night on an IPad so I would like thoughts on the idea and especially how well it could or could not fit into Toril. If their are any massive canonical inconstancies that just can’t be forgiven please let me know.
I apologize for grammar and typos that may be encountered. I would normally have my wife proof read this but as she will probably be a player I don’t want to reveal to much yet.
The island of Masveran is located in the center of the Trackless Sea and is home to the Illandesko Empire. The island is predominately human and has some similarities to the Roman Empire. The history of island goes back a ways in Tori’s history starting in the Days of Thunder with the Sarrukh having a large city on the island.
Years later a a group of humans tribes would rise on the island and make war with each other and the other native denizens. During the early rise of Netheril’s power a contingent of Netheril colonized the island and subjugated the local populace easily conquering all of the tribes with their magic might. The locals tribes of the Illudian continued to resist the rule of Netheril although all of the rebellions were quickly put down. However all of this changed in -339 DR with Karsus’s folly. With the sudden loss of the prized magic the Illudian took their chances and turned on the Netherse with a vengeance. The Netherese forces after several years of warfare were soundly defeated with the bulk attempting to retreat across the The Trackless Sea. However a single Illudian Cheiftan by the name of Pesna discovered an ancient Sarrukh artifact that was an orb with immense power over weather. He used the orb to cause a massive hurricane that demolished the Netherese fleet destroying them completely but for the survivors still on the island. The remaining Nerthese surrendered and were eventually incorporated into the local culture. Pesna changes his name to Kavie the Storm bringer and set himself up as a god.
Kavie knowing he was not a real god and jealous to hold onto his power, he forbid his people from leaving the island by threatening to sink any vessels that tried to go to far from it’s shores. During his life he also destroyed any foreign vessels that came to close to Masveran by placing a large ring of storms around the island. Kavie encourages similar to Loth encouraged warfare among the Illudian in order to keep them from looking outward or toward the actual gods. Meanwhile he studied arcane secrets from both the Sarrukh and Netherese growing his power and extending his life span by first mingling his blood with that of dragons and them later descending into lichdom. Meanwhile the Illudian took over the ruins of the Netherese cities and began to develop the magic and martial warfare into their tribes. Hundreds of years of bloody civil wars were fought constantly keeping the island divided.
In 1338 DR a young girl named Alfidia was born to an Illudian tribe chieftain She was highly gifted in intellect and the arcane arts and quickly rose to prominence in her tribe. During the year of 1337DR she encounter something that would forever change her life. While exploring the shore one day she came upon the remains of a ship that had managed to make it further than most past Kavie’s storms. Exploring the ship she discovered the remains of a cleric of Mystra complete with an holy symbol and personal journal. After using the aid of magic to translate the journal she discovered the existence of the weave and the goddess Mystra and subsequently became the first true cleric of any deity to exist on Masveran in over a thousand years as well as one of Mystra’s chosen. However before she could react and tell the rest of her people Kavie discovered her and kidnapped the girl. Rather than destroy her outright, he decided to imprison her so that he could study her clerical bond. Luckily for Alfidia Kavie would soon have something that would provide a very large distraction. The Time of Troubles occurred and the would be god began planning to become a true god through usurping the mantle of an avatar.
Using the liches distraction to her advantage Alfidia broke out of her bonds and managed to acscertain the location of the liches phylacry. After defeating several traps she managed to destroy the Phylacry just as Kavie became aware. Alfidia remained in the Lichs castle for ten years before deciding she was ready to enact her own plan. She used magic to take a male form and took the name Gavius before heading back to her people. She declared herself the reborn Kavie and told the Illudian that she had grown tired of their warfare. She used her considerable magic and managed to conquer and unite all the tribes in a span on ten more years setting up a formidable empire and placing the worship of Mystra as the principal religion. Over the next seven years she developed the empire and its structure promoting education schooling and the practice of magic among the new nobles. She prepared her people so that she could eventually reestablish contact with the rest of Tori and drop the storms Kavie maintained for so long. However just before she could drop the storms Mystra was assassinated and the spellplauge was upon the realms. The backlash of power from the storms that had been maintained by the orb for so long shunt the entire island into a demiplane.
Over the next century isolated in it’s own small demiplane the Illandesko empire grew and went through a time of peace and prosperity led by their powerful wizard king Gavius. Many schools were opened around the Island and increased education led to a more enlightened people and a more magically capable society. Around the time of 1423 DR several young noble wizards at the Aetheros academy formed a club to battle their familiars against east other for entertainment and bragging rights as well as magical practice. The club grew and formed a society which spread to other schools brining about the early creation of the sport of Myphic. As the popularity of Myphic grew even non noble began to get in on the action promoting even more people to study magic. Gavius himself backed the sport in 1467 DR seeing it as an Interesting way to grow magical interest in the populace. Currently Myphic is a hugely popular sport and is considered the national sport of the Illandesko empire. Many people participate as champions of the leagues can earn massive reward and renown. Their are also many side businesses grown up around Myphic and many a mage has made a considerable sum in research directed at Myphic.
In 1487DR with the conclusion of the second sundering Masveran has been returned to the world of Toril In it’s previous location and absent the ring of storms shielding it from the rest of Toril.
(Hopefully that all came out ok working from an iPad and phone. More on Myphic will be explained later.)
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Edited by - Ariseal on 16 Feb 2018 13:28:52
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Ariseal
Acolyte
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2018 : 13:12:58
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First of all thank you for the reply. All input is greatly appreciated.
Second my FG lore is sporadic at best and one of the reasons I am seeking advice from the experts here. Novel wise I read a few of Ed’s books years ago and the Drizzt novels all the way to the pirate king also years ago at this point. I played the original Baldur a gate 1 & 2 long ago and both Neverwinters. While I have been gaming for years my area has always been very sporadic and volatile so I have been in far more campaigns that ran only a few sessions than even reached a decent level. My personal games I have ran pretty loose and custom so not an expert by an means on realm lore.
I had intended for the Sarrukh to have created the orb themselves. I wasn’t aware they were mostly inland my memory of them was from being under Neverwinter in the game. I would love any suggestions of a good reason to place them on the island. As for their presence on the island they are long gone to another realm before humans arrived on the island. Also I do need to think of a good lure for the Netheres.
As for the name similarity it was non intentional. I feel like I always suck at name creation. Also just noticed but I jumped Names accidentally it was supposed to be Illandesko as it appeared originally. I will edit that now. |
Edited by - Ariseal on 16 Feb 2018 13:21:15 |
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Ariseal
Acolyte
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2018 : 11:05:19
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So an update for this thread. I have been working on the start of this campaign using a program on my IPad called GM 5 by lions den. I have finished the first small part which should run about lv 1-3 maybe 4 depending on the players actions. As I can’t link a file here if anyone is interested in looking at the campaign start feel free to email me.
Side note if you do import the file on the program on your pad I have the notes set to hidden when I set it so just click on the eye and take the checks off. A second note my players tend to run a little higher stated and powered so a DM may want to tone some of the encounters down dependent on the party. Again I apologize for any errors as I have no proofreader atm. |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3736 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2018 : 07:07:49
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-Personally, I wouldn't put the island so far away. Being literally in the middle of the ocean, away and isolated from everything, it is it's own self-contained little place that the players probably will be spending most of the game on. In that case, why bother trying to fit it to the history of the Forgotten Realms? Might as well make it "your world", which is a million times easier, and call it a day. I think it'd make sense if it was closer. You can still have all the history of isolation caused by the storms, but make it a lot easier for the game to incorporate the rest of the Forgotten Realms in the island's post-return existence.
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(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Ariseal
Acolyte
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2018 : 16:32:54
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I only went for the distance to further explain the lack of the Islands discovery for so long. I was concerned that if the Island were closer it would exist in the history books. Even with the storms guarding it, then would that not have sank many times more ships and thus caused a Bermuda Triangle type phenomenon. I placed it in the realms though because I did want to have an interaction idea with some of the kingdoms involving diplomatic relations, trade, or even the threat or possibility of war. The actual campaign involves the adventurers being hired by a Lord of Waterdeep to escort his youngest daughter in setting up economic trade deals after a little time after the islands initial discovery, and some diplomacy happening between Laeral Silverhand and the Empire. This is the period right after the open agreement when ambitious merchants are trying to strike while the iron is hot.
Around what distance would you suggest from Waterdeep. Once again thank you for the feedback. |
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Thoughts on a custom Island nation for a campaign
