[Mini-Campaign] V.A.L.U.E. of Reminiscence

[BufoBufo]

“There’s always another decision to make,” he says. “Every second of every day, to the very End, we have the chance to make a new decision. To change our minds, and grow, and adapt. They can’t take that from us.”

supaslim - the stars apart

The V.A.L.U.E. of Reminiscence

Deponia is a town in Karrnath at the boundary to the Mournland. To call it a town at all is already a bit of a misnomer. It started as a camp for scrappers, refugees and looters and turned into a small town with little legal standing over the last 9 years. Nobody has collected taxes so far, but nobody cares. However that has changed recently. With a new authority in Odakyr (the march Deponia lies in) and a new outlook things have begun to change.

But so far you are here, you take on work for the various groups of interest (GoI) for money treasure. Maybe you were never a citizen and wanted to survive, maybe you are a cyrean refugee looking for traces of your home, or just want to start a new life away from the past.

The winds are changing and the Mournland always shifts.

Styles

• Exploration (Magically Cursed and Irradiated Wasteland)
• Dealing with different social groups
• Mystery
• Horror (similar to Stalker, Annihilation, etc)
• Slightly Sandboxy
• Probably every second Friday (during VALUE), maybe some Saturdays

Setting

• This will play in the Eberron campaign setting. Set in 1003 YK, that is 9 years after the Mourning and 7 years after the official peace treaty ending the Last War
• Specifically it will play in Karrnath, the march of Odakyr and a small scrapper town at the edge of the Mournland called Deponia
• There will be a setting guide (see here. Caution: Long)
• If you have personal stories or backgrounds that fit (I will put modified custom backgrounds here) I can try to involve them, if they fit and I can do it.
• This is a hop on hop off campaign. That means you can join or leave at any time but people who have played before or played more often will always have preferred seating depending on how often or recently they played

Exploration Style

• There will be a sort of Jobboard style. At the beginning of a Tier (with the exception of T0/level 1) you will gain missions which will cumulate in a sort of finale mission for a tier.
• You may not be able to do all jobs for a tier. Depending on what you do and what you don’t do will affect the story
• There will be an exploration type. Many places might be devoid of humanoid life but that doesn’t mean they are lifeless. You can not only make bonds with people but also places. Deals, pacts might safe your life sometimes, but they might also doom you in the long term.
• The Mournland is a dangerous place for everyone. It will change you. Body, Mind and Soul.

Social Style

• This will also be a social heavy campaign, meaning talks and often your decisions will have an outcome on what you get and how people stand towards you
• Many groups will be interested in the major and minor things you find. Whom you will give what will be important (will be elaborated on here)
• You might also unlock additional jobs, sidequests or rewards depending on your relationship to certain Groups of Interest (GoI)
• There will be many NPCs and Factions. You have been warned. (* This is me.)

Horror Style

• I will put a warning out for general horror.
• This includes body horror (i.e mutation, bodychanging, illness), psychological horror (i.e. memory loss, memory gain, loss of innocence), tough choices, surrealism
• If you have problems with any of that or triggers of your own. Please tell me before. The Mournland is a haunted place that might take your wounds and reflect them.
• If there are specific warnings for things that might come up I will give content warnings beforehand

[BufoBufo]

Setting Information

Eberron Overview

Eberron is a wide magic setting, where magic is a part of the world as much as normal science is. Streets are lit by everbright lanterns, there are repair shops using mending to repair things, lightning trains and airships are powered by bound elementals. Wandslingers duel at high noon, while halfling mobsters accost a shopkeeper for protection money. However higher magics are still there and mystical

History Overview

Over a hundred years ago a great civil war over the succession of the crown erupted in the kingdom of Galifar. The five provinces (Aundair, Breland, Thrane, Karrnath, Cyre) fought each other in a brutal war where no one won and Cyre lost, after it was destroyed in the Mourning. After this the war ended in the Treaty of Thronehold with the formation of twelve new nations. The war has been over for two years but there are still tensions.

Dragonmarked Houses Overview

Twelve houses of common races are marked with symbols granting them mystical power. Over time the houses have grown into titans of industry, especially since they stayed neutral in the war while profiteering. Now they have political power while also competing with each other. One can think of them similar to megacorporations.

Modern History:

Galifar and the civil war

After the end of the goblins, humans came and began to settle Khovaire. The kingdom of Galifar conquered most of Khovaire and was made up of the five nations: Breland, Aundair, Cyre, Karrnath and Thrane. These rulers of these five nations descend all from the royal bloodline of Galifar the Wynarns. This kingdom lasted for hundreds of years until the death of king Jarot in 894 YK who wished his eldest daughter princess Mishann of Cyre to succeed however her siblings, who ruled the other territories disagreed and a war over succession broke out.

The war way a bitter struggle of shifting alliances and gruelling conflicts that tore the land apart and deeply scared the countryside. Everyone lost. In 994 YK the nation of Cyre was consumed in an event known as the Mourning. Almost all inhabitants died and now a dangerous fog hangs over the land. The shock and fear brought the nations to the negotiating table and in 996 YK the Treaty of Thronehold was signed. There were twelve new nations now and Galifar was no more.

The situation now:

It’s been four years since the war and two since the peace treaty has been signed. Some believe that peace will last, others that war will soon break out again. The nations are in a state of cold war, seeking advantages over each other for the conflicts that could lie ahead.

The dragonmarked houses have stayed neutral but sold their services to the highest bidder. They emerged stronger than ever, amassing political power. Now no ruler can afford to break with the dragonmarked houses or face the consequences.

Religion

Sovereign Host:

Biggest religion in Khovaire, believed to be the embodiment of all that is good in the world, very diverse deities that can have different names, all can be worshiped or only one, don’t have a hierarchical structure. There are cathedrals but the many cultures have their own names for the gods. They often support the hierarchical and structure of the nations. The gods are not very active but are seen as all surrounding the people of Khovaire. They are gods of Civilization

They are:

Arawai – Light and Love, (Light, Life)

Aureon – Knowledge and Law, (Knowledge, Arcana, Order)

Balinor - Horn and Hunt, (Nature, War,)

Boldrei – Hall and Hearth, (Life, Peace)

Dol Arrah – Sun and Wisdom in War; (Light, War, Knowledge)

Dol Dorn – Strength and War; (War, Order)

Kol Korran – World and Wealth; (Forge, Trickery)

Ollandra – Feast and Fortune; (Life, Trickery)

Onatar – Fire and Forge; (Forge)

Dark Six:

Shadows of the Sovereign Host, opposite side of the same coin, worshipped but mostly in secret, often devoted to a single member of Dark Six. It is believed that they are kin to the Sovereign Host but turned or got banished for their actions. Many people worship them to keep bad luck and terror at bay. Many priests of the Dark Six claim to be “at least honest about the world.”

The Devourer – Destructive Nature and Savagery; (Tempest)

The Keeper – Greed and Undead; (Death)

The Fury – Passion, Revenge and Despair; (War)

The Mockery – Treachery and Terror; (War, Trickery)

The Shadow – Dark Knowledge and Ambition; (Knowledge, Arcana)

The Traveler – Chaos and Change (Trickery)

Church of the Silver Flame:

Religion built around the Silver Flame and the legend of Tara Miron. Less a god and more a source of power. Big on fighting evil such as undead, lycanthropes, defined structure with military might in the form of templars, sometimes overzealous. There are other faiths based on the silver flame. There is always one speaker of the Flame, which is currently a child with a council of cardinals at its side. Very strong in Thrane where a manifestation of the Silver Flame exists.

There are also other people who worship their own version of the Silver Flame such as the orcs worshiping the “Binding Flame” or the yuan-ti known as the Shusalakar worshiping the coatls as a manifestation of the Silver Flame. The Silver Flame in Thrane is split on that.

Domains Light, Life, Twilight, War

Blood of Vol/ Seekers of the Divinity Within:

Believing that death is the end, the gods are not good, all we have is each other and that true divinity lies within, founded in Aerenal and was popular in Karrnath during the war. Using undead as tools is alright with them and they wish to reach divinity, some become undead to guide others. These are known as Martyrs as they give up their chance to reach divinity for the chance of guiding others.

The faith is not particularly well liked by the others, often seen as undead loving and evil. The worshipers of the Blood of Vol also known as the Seekers of the Divinity within would disagree with that. Their goal is to break out of the circle of death and live and reincarnate and reach the divinity. The religion is very community focused as they believe that the only thing they have is each other.

Domains: Grave, Death, Life,

Cults of the Dragon Below:

Describes various cults that worship the archfiends and/or the daelkyr and wish to free them. Often based on madness and power hungry, Believe that when these powers are freed they will be spared and granted power. Secret cults often hunted down by the Silver Flame. It is said that a mysterious power often stands behind them, controlling many cults from behind the scenes.

Many cults are joined out of madness or lust for power, however some cults are hereditary especially in the Demon Wastes and in some rural regions.

Domains: Varies depending on the Overlord. Please contact me if you want to play this.

Spirits of the Past:

The Tairnadal elves of Valenar believe that the spirits of champions are your ancestors can live on through the living and one of them lives on in you. You must emulate the deeds of this ancestor and achieve great deeds of your own

Domains: Nature, War, Grave

Undying Court:

The wisest and greatest members of the high elves in the far away island of Aerenal are preserved after death becoming good undead fueled by positive energy and the devotion of the living elves. This Undying Court has power and the living elves honor the past and wish to become eternal through their deeds. They hunt down evil undead.

The devotion and belief of the elves fuels the Undying Court and allows for its clerics and paladins to have mystical powers.

Domains Life, Grave, Order, Light

The Becoming God

A new religion that sprung up among the warforged. They believe that they were granted life and souls not by experiments of House Cannith but rather the nascent Becoming God who has chosen the warforged as their first children. Many warforged believe that this god must be created to be truly there, either through material or more metaphysical mean. Crafting statues or effigies of various sizes or the creation of the great “God-Machine” are important topics. As this religion is very young, there is no codified scripture and many different opinions

Domains: Life, Forge, Order, Knowledge

[BufoBufo]

Karrnath

History

Karrnath ist he first human nation founded by Karrn the Conqueror and known as the “Birthplace of Kings”. It is a proud nation with a strong martial heritage and is known for using necromany and undead in the last war.

The settlers that came were originally raiders from what is today the Lhazar Principalities. These raiders and settlers were unified under the warlord Karrn the Conqueror, who created an army and transformed settlements into the human cities. Using his new army Karrn swept over Khovaire and drove the last remaining goblinoid nations out of the land.

In the end Karrn was undefeated on the battlefield but was overcome by the size of the new five burgeoning lands. His legacy remains and people prefer to remember his accomplishments rather than his cruelty. His dream of a united Khovaire was a hundred years later realized by his descendant Gallifar who united the five nations into the Kingdom of Gallifar.

Military traditions and training were disseminated to the rest of the kingdom, but as a people the Karrns continued to be more dedicated to and proficient in the art of war. To this day, every citizen of Karrnath serves a term in the military, and every citizen of Karrnath practices with the local militia. Life in Karrnath can be cold and hard, but the Karrnathi people are colder and harder.

The Last War

When the Last War began, the people of the land rallied behind their king. It seemed unthinkable that the other parts of the collapsing kingdom could stand against the military might of Karrnath. Better equipment and training could take the Karrns to the top, but in the end they underestimated the faith of Thrane, the magical ability of Aundair, the industrial might of Breland and the sheer power of Cyre.

Additionally Karrnath was wracked by massive plagues and famines during the war, until King Kaius I made a deal with the Blood of Vol faith. The clerics of Vol summoned food out of the Marbarran manifest zones (Regions under influence of the “negative energy” plane Marbar) and raised the fallen soldiers into a formidable undead army. This helped Karrnath step up in the war but disgruntled many warlords and loyalists, believing that this was tainting the spirit of Karrnath. Generally Karrnath lost as many people to famine and plague as they did on the battlefield.

The Treaty of Thronehold

After the Mourning King Kaius III was the first to call for peace and chose the former place of King Gallifar Thronehold to hold the peace negotiations. People found it weird that a leader of a hardened group of warriors in an extremely martial nation would call for peace. But Karrnath now enjoys the reputation of being the first at the table and a staunch defender of the Treaty of Thronehold.

This angered many warlords, seeing this as Kaius III stabbing them in the back, under the belief that Karrnath could have won the war. This lead to unrest in the country which is not helped by Regent Moranna and King Kaius III disavowing the Blood of Vol and re instituting the Sovereign Host as state religion. Many faithful of the Blood of Vol see this as a betrayal and this leads to unrest, especially in the rural east of Karrnath.

Karrnath profits from relatively secure borders. The river Scions Sound separates it from Aundair and Thrane, while the weaker southern border is now the Mournland. While occasionally monsters emerge from the Mournland, it is a far cry from the cyrean armies.

Odakyr

Rank: March

Capital: Ossum

Ruler: Katinka ir’Zoran

Located in the south and an agricultural region now heavily devastated by war against Cyre and Valenar. Well known for both Fort Bones and Fort Zombie and the invention of the Odakyr Rites, a way to create more varied and intelligent undead. Recently the main branch of the Zoran family died, leaving their only daughter Katinka as heiress, surrounded by a “colorful group of advisors”. Since then the political landscape has shifted into a more open and progressive way. But still heavily defended.

Odakyr has only recently attained the status of march being separated from another duchy by royal degree. But its main duty is to keep a good tie to the Talenta Plains and keep potential attacks from Valenar in check.

Deponis lies at the bend of the river and has not been particularly noteworthy, but depending on the finds that might change in the future.

[BufoBufo]

Ancestries

In Eberron people are more defined from the country they hail from than their species, but there are some that have special homes or come with a certain baggage.

However, since you are in a relatively lawless town things might be different. It is more important what you can do for your community than what you are.

Humans

Humans are immigrated from the east, landing first in what is now the Lhazaar Principalities. From there they spread over Karrnath all across Khovaire. Humans are considered very flexible and extremely diverse with the different cultures not being like one another. This diversity allowed them to manifest many dragonmarks, giving them a lot of power.

Goblinoids

The Goblinoids were once the most powerful species on Khovaire, forming the ancient empire of Dhakaan.

The goblins are still split between different tribes and city goblins, but nowadays the goblin nation of Darguun has been founded. Though, there is still a lot of infighting and oppression of the other goblinoids by the hobgoblins.

Half-elves (Khoravar)

The half elves have gained more power with the rise of house Medani and Lyrandar, but many elvish people such as the Valenar and Aereni still consider them inferiror to them and don’t allow them to partake fully in the society.

Humans on the other hand don’t make such as distinction and many confuse half-elves with humans. The half-elves themselves prefer to call themselves Khoravar, meaning children of Khovaire, hating the term half-elf.

Elves

In distant history the elves lived on the continent of Xen’Drik, oppressed by the giants. The elves rebelled against them and the giants created the drow as a response to that. In the end the elves fled to Aerenal, where their culture split into two different tribes. The Aereni and the Tairnadal (Valenar). The elves have little interest in the humans of Khovaire and rarely cross over. The elves are heavily driven by respect and veneration for the past, but there are elves that have lived in Khovaire for centuries.

• High Elves: Aerenal or Khovaire (the continent we play on)
• Wood elves: Valenar
• Shadar-Kai: Aerenal, specifically the Skullborn, you might live in interesting times with that
• Astral Elves: Valenar
• Pallid Elves: Aerenal
• Eladrin: Planetouched by the Fey realm

Halflings

Originating from eastern Khovaire, the halflings often still live in traditional tribal societies in the Talenta Plains, where they farm and ride dinosaurs. The notion of the peaceful halfling is a myth in Khovaire as a halfling might be a screaming T-Rex riding barbarian and some city halflings have turned into mobsters.

The two dragonmarks of house Jorrasco and house Ghallanda have intensified the halfling migration all across Khovaire.

Dwarves

The origin of the dwarves is shrouded in mystery. Some of their legends tell of a great migration that led the ancient dwarves to Khorvaire from “a land of endless ice.” Wherever their roots, these migrant dwarves established a mighty nation beneath the surface of Khorvaire. Most dwarven legends, unconcerned with the question of origin, dwell on the mighty artifacts and priceless treasures crafted by ancient deep-dwelling dwarves,and of the bloody wars they waged against the goblin Empire of Dhakaan. Dwarves today cherish the memory of this ancient nation, for all dwarves in Khorvaire are descended from exiles driven from the realm below, which was later destroyed by the daelkyr. Particularly in the Mror Holds, many dwarves cherish the idea of returning to the subterranean reaches and reestablishing their ancient nation.

Gnomes

Gnomes are known as a very curious people that detest violence. They are considered friendly busybodies who are sometimes asking a few too many questions. The gnomish homeland of Zilargo is a wealthy country where intrigue and conspiracy are often all surrounding. For them to conspire against your neighbour is a national pastime.

Orcs and Half-orcs

The orcs and half-orcs dominated the regions that were not ruled by the Dhakaani empire, such as the Demon wastes, mountains and Shadow marches. This is where they learned druidic magic from the dragons and became the first Gatekeepers.

During the war with the Daelkyr they created the seals that bound the daelkyr lords in Khyber and more or less saved the world. There are still many orcish tribes such as the Ghaash’Kala, but many orcs have also settled in the cities, since they have developed a dragonmark.

“Monstrous” Races

Races such as lizardfolk, owlin, hexbloods etc. have their place in Eberron but they are rarely seen outside Droam. But since many people in Khovaire are more defined by their nation than their ancestry there are also lizardfolk cooks, owlin soldiers and hexblood wizards. But they are seen rarely and often evoke strange looks from others.

However many monstrous species, don’t have rights under the current laws and might easily be exploited by corrupt guards or crime syndicates.

Changelings

Changelings can shift their forms with a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression. It’s also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat changelings with suspicion.

Kalashthar

The Kalashtar are a people that have a connection to one of the good dream spirits, from the plane of Dal Quor. They are often refugees from the continent of Sarlona, where they are persecuted. The people are known as a spiritual people with great wisdom and compassion.

Shifters

Shifters are also called weretouched presumed to be the product of humanoids and lycanthropes. Over time they have developed its own ancestry with a bestial aspect. They cannot fully change shape but rather enhance their animalistic features.

They are common in the Eldeen Reaches but the recent purge of lycanthropes and shifters by the Silver Flame has displaced many people.

Tieflings

Tieflings appear rarely in Khovaire and then often in cities or the Demon Wastes. They are touched by the fiendish Overlords and depending on the nation thus often distrusted. The Silver Flame distrusts them more due their connection with the Overlords, than the Blood of Vol would.

There is a city state called the Venomous Demesne, which is lies in Droam and is rules by Exiles from Sarlona, which have struck a bargain with dark powers.

Warforged

The first warforged were mindless automatons but a mysterious breakthrough by house Cannith allowed them to gain sentience and sapience. They can be made from wood, metal or other materials and can feel pain and emotions. During the treaty of Thronehold the warforged were recognized as a new species and people, with rights. But nowadays many are still racist against them and see them more of less as automatons.

Reborn/Undead

With the elevation of the Blood of Vol to state religion came the open use of necromancy in Karrnath. Many soldiers were revived as mindless zombies or skeletons, but some of them were resurrected via different means such as the Odakyr Rites or Blood of Vol rites and became intelligent undead.

While the undead have no rights in all of Khovaire, their treatment in Karrnath is still better than in many other countries. People see mindless undead as tools, but intelligent undead while still property are either feared or respected. However many still try to hide their undead nature.

Dhampir

Dhampirs are created by the Blood of Vol, or by vampires, often to elevate a member or reward a loyal servant. While being wracked with a mysterious hunger, they are still considered to be living beings and thus citizens.

Dhampirs are most often seen in Karrnath, as elsewhere they are often persecuted for their ties to undeath.

NOTE on Warforged and Undead

With the species of Warforged, Reborn and Dhampir you might take the home-brew change of being either a construct (Warforged), or undead (Reborn and Dhampir) creature type instead. This might make some things easier in the Mournland, but might also make some things harder, both socially and storywise.

[BufoBufo]

Deponia

Originally used as a hideout for deserters of both sides amongst wreckages of war machines and river boats, then refugees found this place to seek shelter from the Mourning, then scrappers and looters came, then even more.

It is a relatively lawless place, full of the desperate, the hopeful and the apathetic. Forges melt scraps of the past for money, scientists of dubious origin research the Mournland, some hope to regain a tie to their past and others think they might find a new home there.

Out of hulks and husks of war houses have been build, some use tents, others actually brought wood and other materials. Deponia is as varied as the scrap it sells. Cyreans, Karrns, and many others. Officially history doesn’t matter here, but the ghosts of the past come back to haunt the town more often than not. But in the end they are all reliant on the others.

Over time 4 factions have formed and brought order and control to the many different people of Deponia. Decisions are made through voting and every three months the tie-break vote wanders from one faction to the other.

The Forge

The faction of the scrappers and those who seek to profit from the grave of a nation. In their eyes Cyre is gone and the least it can do is to support its children with the remains of it. They seek to recycle the past and build something new. With some profit of course. They have access to the most materials and industrials tools. They have the main and best crafters and access to crafting stations and traders.

Seek: Valuable scrap material, rare metals and minerals, machines and mechanics, tools

Led by: Matriarch Murina (Female Gnoll Sorceress)

As a Gnoll (hyena person), Murina normally would be considered a monster and not a person but in Deponia she is one of the most respected people. She has a soft spot for the Cyre’s Children and will often give them to sort through the scrap for heirlooms, which they can take for a much reduced price. That is something that earned her some scorn with her fellow Forge members, who see it as a betrayal as some of members of Cyre’s Children have abused that kindness for their own profit. But her soft heart is held up by a strong will to survive and the willingness to be ruthless.

Cyre’s Children

An organization of Cyrean refugees that seek to recover as much of their past as possible and retain their culture in foreign lands. They wish that the dead in the Mournland to remain undisturbed and no other think well of the scrappers and looters. They are the most numerous but often lack in money and resources, but make up for it in manpower. So they often take over many practical duties from work to keeping order and policing.

Seek: Heirlooms such as art, music, pictures, books, but also people

Led by: Shalai Manava (female halfling ranger)

Shalai lived at the border to the Talenta Plains her whole life. When she felt nature going haywire and her bonded animal freaking out at the day of the Mourning she grabbed everyone she could, be it man, woman, child or warforged and dragged them as far away as she could. Over the river, over the border into Karrnath, through an active warzone. Her actions saved the lives of many in her town but she had to leave all her material possessions behind. This made her a bit of a local hero among Cyre’s children. But Shalai is driven by having answers about the Mourning and if the dangerous influence can spread. This makes her cooperate with Johannes Kondraki and Remora, which many Cyreans are not happy about.

Remora

A smaller organizations of “researchers” and “scientists” of questionable morality and ethics but great capability. Many are non-standard humanoids, such as monstrous people, tieflings or undead and thus barred from many official positions. Researching the Mournland and hoping to find out if one can fix it, contain it or prevent damage is their main goal. They are small but have access to a lot of knowledge, connections and powerful spell casters. Their knowledge in dealing with the supernatural and arcane makes them indispensable and they have access to medical care through their leader Johannes and his alchemical skills.

Seek: Spellbooks, Magical Artifacts, Knowledge, plants and animals, inscriptions, scientific or magical insights into the Mournland

Led by: Johannes “Konny” Kondraki (małe undead alchemist)

Relatively well preserved but always smelling faintly of rotting food, especially fruit Johannes is the head of Remora and the one who is able to organize and make many ambitious people work together. He is an alchemist and biologist (entomologist to be precise) who studies the effects of the Mournland on the living and dead alike, hoping to heal eventual mutations and make safe zones. He is not a spellcaster but seems to be respected, especially by other undead. He is also very well connected to many other people across the country. But holding his faction to some ethical standards and enforcing the rules on some more chaotic members gives him some enemies.

The Pioneers

Another smaller organization of druids and warforged. They seek to either make the Mournland habitable again or slowly change it into a place where people can live again. The warforged among them see the lost Mournland as a land without people and the warforged as a people without a land. Additionally, most warforged were created in Cyre and thus they see themselves as much as the children of Cyre and true inheritors as the other cyreans. That opinion is a wounded between both parties. Their druids and skilled workers make them the main suppliers of food and other agricultural products in the region which makes angering this small group to be a very bad idea.

Seek: People, Maps, Places, Protective methods to settle the Mournland, tools, materials

Led by: Clay (male? Warforged Cleric)

Not much is known about where Clay comes from and it is not a topic he considers important. He thinks that the Mournland with all it’s warping and cursed ways might be a place the warforged with their resilience might be able to cultivate and finally become “true people of the world” something more than machines made for war. He also respects the warforged nature as coming from Cyre but does not consider House Cannith to have any claim to them, in fact he heavily dislikes all dragonmarked houses. He is a cleric of the strange becoming god and believes that when the warforged have found a true home, their new god will finally find a home in the world as well. His strange religious believes often lead to others consider him strange.

[BufoBufo]

Mechanical Things

You can pick these backgrounds for the mini-campaign. They are modifications of existing backgrounds. If you play on other tables it will list which background feature it has. In this campaign you may also choose the listed home-brew change for your character.

Backgrounds

Mourning Survivor

• Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Survival

• Tool Profiency: One Artist Tool of choice

• Feat: Tough or Healer

• Attributes: Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma

• Equipment: A cracked hourglass, a set of rusty manacles, a half-empty bottle, a hunting trap, an artist tool (matching your chosen proficiency), a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 13 gp

• Feature: Shared Grief As a survivor of the Mourning you share a trauma with every other person from Cyre or event those who witnessed the Mourning. Many people especially other Cyreans are very willing to give you food and shelter, even help in return for favors.

• Something you Lost: You lost an item in the Mournland during the Mourning. Maybe you left it behind, maybe you lost it while fleeing. But it is out there waiting for you. Maybe you are still looking for it.

• Origin of Features: Skill and equipment from Ruined (no feat) and feature from “Haunted One”

Monstrous History

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Survival

• Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument

• Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom

• Feat: Crafter or Magic Initiate (Cleric)

• Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), a set of traveler’s clothes, three trinkets (either from the Trinkets Table), and a pouch containing 8 gp

• Feature: Common Ground Something makes you monstrous to others. Maybe you are a monstrous species (i.e. Dragonborn, Minotaur, Yuan-ti, Kobold, etc), undead (Reborn, Dhampir) or touched by power (tiefling, Hexblood), or something about that makes you very strange and an outsider to others. You know how to treat other non-standard humanoids and they respect you well enough. You can identify other outsiders and always know a little about the people or their ways.

• Note: If you take this background, write me. If you take a more monstrous species it should not be a problem, but if it is a standard species (such as human, elf, etc) there is something wrong about you.

• Origin of Features: Feylost background

Memory Error

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Intimidation

• Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit

• Attributes: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma

• Feat: Skilled or Lucky

• Equipment: Disguise kit, a costume, a pouch containing 10 gp

• Feature: Amnesia You have forgotten everything. One day you just woke up here with instincts, with skills but no memory. You do not know where you come from or what happened to you. There are marks on you. Maybe writings, maybe carvings, maybe scars. But something is out there and it Knows you. Your memory cannot be read, and the fog reacts strangely to you, as it seems there are no memories to reflect and distort.

• Marks of Passage When you awoke there were marks of what happened to you on you. Maybe strange writings, maybe a scar, a painting or something even stranger. Please write me what you want.

• Note: Amnesia in this setting will prep you straight for the Pain Train.

• Origin of Features: Faceless Background

Loot and Rewards

During each mission you will have a main objective/treasure. Often that might be an object but it might also be a person or knowledge. Often more than one faction will be interested in this object and will pay different things/magic items depending on whom you give it to.

Main objectives/ main quest items are given depending on group vote. You as a group vote together which faction to give it to. There are also minor items which you can split up among you (fairly) and then each character can give this item to whatever faction they want, or keep it to themselves.

Main objectives determine the magical item rewards, but side artifacts give “Faction Points” to the character who gave it. The more points a character has the more sympathetic a faction is to that character and they will help more easily, be more open and even give more help. Eventually you can gain access to “home-brew items” (only work on my table) as they give you additional resources for your travel. This might also result in side quests or missions.

[BufoBufo]

The Gray Board

First Mission: Orientation (T0/Level 1)

First mission will not be on the board, since it is introductory and sets up the story.

[BufoBufo]

Mournland Locations and Maps

Specific Locations you know of or have uncovered will be posted here.

Mournland Map

I will bring this map with me during the games.

Map Key:

• Teal: Deopnia/ Camps (If you found any)
• Yellow: Former Cities, Towns
• Purple: Manmande Structures (Towers, Monasteries, etc)
• Brown: Fortifications (Forts, Towers, Castles)
• Olive: Natural Formations (Forests, Mountains, Pits and Gorges)
• Light Green: Supernatural and “Strange” Locations

Zones:

• Red Zone: Weird/Wild Magic Zones
  • Spellfire Field: Wild Magic Zone with a chance of creating living spells
  • Deep Water: A spot where a block of Ocean appeared that doesn’t dissipate. Requires Water Breathing to access as the pressure and lack of oxygen makes is hard to traverse.
  • Sorren Plains: A plain of blue fire that drains heat and energy from the surrounding area. Dead Magic Zone (Casting spells is hard and requires a Con Save or be countered)
• Blue Zones: Manifest Zones:
  • Manifest Zones are where other planes of existence touch or are very close to the Material Plane. Depending on the strength of the Manifest Zone the effects are better or worse. The Mourning has supercharged several manifest zones causing them to expand and be even stronger than usually.
  • Angir Ford/Valin Field: A Manifest Zone of Sharavath (Plane of Battle and Conflict) previously that was a site of many brutal and horrific battles. A massive three-way battle was in action while the Mourning happened and the mass death and horror created a Manifest Zone to Marbar (Negative Energy plane of decay, death and loss) as well. The land is considered thoroughly cursed and while hugging the edges is possible, delving deeper without adequate protection is suicide. The corpses of the dead do not decay or change in any way but the hatred and suffering remained. People who delve too deep and without protection tend to become irritable and almost possessed by the anger and battle-lust of the area. Minor disagreements between friends result in even close friends killing each other. People reported seeing their friends wake up and starting to murder their companions in a frenzy.
  • A Realm of Memories: A Manifest Zone tied to Thelanis (The Feyrealm of Storries). The few stories and reports people have heard are that walking there means walking through your own memories getting lost. A fey spire is said to exist in there called Shae Indrisil (Spire of Perfection). Most who went there never returned.
  • Ashlands: A Manifest Zone to Fernia (Elemental Plane of Fire and Energy). The Ashlands are considered the least dangerous manifest Zone in the area, as it only seems to affect people physically. Heat resistance is still recommended but many consider that if you get hurt there, it will be wounds by lava, boiling sulphur or white phosphorus. It will not twist your mind into a horror. It contains several locations which have been marked as having potentially good loot, but the heat makes it hard to traverse.
  • Crystal Spheres: Manifest Zone to Danaavi (Plane of Order and Stasis). Little is known and will probably not be visited during the game (unless you ask for it)
  • Scattering Fields: Manifest Zone to Kythri (Plane of Chaos). Chaotic place where the mind can make reality (so it is said). Will also not be visited.

Some well known Locations:

• (Dread) Metrol: Former capital of Cyre. Now a haunted ghost capital full of illusions and “Mist Abnomalies”

[BufoBufo]

Reserve Post.

Also if you are interested in joining write me here or a PM

Also pinging:

@flo60 @Atanen @steven because they expressed interest before.

I will make a pinglist for people who want to join. Who joins then will be dependent on several things such as if they are still interested and time concerns.

@AGmilky

@Darthbinks

@JustJules (if 5.5e)

@Disc (5e only)

@funder

@Eel_pulp

@Tarkinator

@Atanen

• Istariel

[AGmilky]

I’ve only read a fraction of what you posted and I’m already hyped. Expressing interest!

[Darthbinks]

If possible I would to join.

[JustJules]

This looks fun! Would this be played in 5e or 5.5e?

[BufoBufo]

Not fully sure yet. I have the backgrounds for standard 5e but I can easily make it 5.5e if the people wish to.

If it is 5.5e it would not be fully VALUE anymore and then I would take in some home-brew as well.

[JustJules]

I’d love to join if it ends up being 5.5e

[AGmilky]

I’ve been wanting to try 5.5 so I’d be down for that but would also play 5.0

[BufoBufo]

To be honest since I run a campaign in 5.5 right now and it would not be Value legal. I might include some of my homebrew or would look at stuff if other people want some homebrew.

[Eel_pulp]

I’ve been looking to try some thing eberron for a while, and now you’re telling me it’s gonna be like Stalker?? Consider the interest expressed.

[Disc]

I was looking forward to play an actual campaign after 1-shots, I’d like to join! Just to confirm this is DnD and not a fully unique system right?

[BufoBufo]

Yes, either DnD 5e (2014 edition) or DnD 5.5e (2024 edition)

[funder]

Please add me to the list @BufoBufo. I’d be keen to join another session with you, yesterday’s game was fun.