Campaign Outline

This is Dustin's rough campaign outline, to be detailed as necessary as the campaign proceeds. This page is protected so you probably can't view it, but if for some reason you can, I suggest you leave rather than ruin the entire campaign for yourself. Any secret info you hope to find here (there isn't any) will be nothing compared to the disappointment foresight brings to the narrative.

Act 1

Story Arc at-a-glance

Political Arc

Reardon Cormaeril of Eveningstar is an unpopular figure (Prince John) among his people. After an assassination attempt, he becomes a reclusive lord who tries to establish himself as a feudal power. The assassins' leader, Shevaril Starcloak, is imprisoned, but is granted sanctuary by the church of Amaunator after reports of abuse by Lord Cormaeril's agents. Several of Eveningstar's prominent citizens begin meeting in secret to discuss the fate of their village, while Lord Cormaeril brings in mercenaries from the Dragon Coast to "keep the peace." Through the efforts of adventurers, the rightful Lord Tessaril Winter is recovered from the Nightbringers and soon a coup brings the reign of Lord Cormaeril to an end.

Goblin Arc

The hobgoblin Uglúk and a young red dragon have used the legend of the demon dragon Nalavarauthatoryl to form a powerful goblin horde eager to dominate northern Cormyr. With thousands of hobgoblins at his disposal and a cult of personality in Nalavara, he would be a difficult adversary even for the Purple Dragons. After the Ebon League murdered his brother Muzgash, Uglúk swore a personal vendetta against the Ebon League, the Blessed Brotherhood, and the village of Eveningstar. Muzgash's fiance, the oracle Lagduf, foresaw her own death at the hands of Uglúk, so she deserted and sided with the Ebon League. Though their campaign against the goblins has been successful, the Ebon League will need to march on the goblins' stronghold in the Stonelands and kill Uglúk and Nalavara to save Eveningstar.

Spellplague Arc

The Spellplague, that magical disaster sweeping over Faerûn, has released a slumbering earth titan which the dwarves of the Storm Horns had long ago sealed away. The earth has trembled since the titan's awakening, and when it finally emerges Eveningstar is likely to be swept away in a glorious and terrible deluge—that is, if the Ebon League can't reseal the titan first.

Nightbringer Arc

The Nightbringers, a Sharran sorority, has disguised itself as a coed "secret" society who wish to maintain the power of the aristocracy in Cormyr. Through this ruse, they have gained considerable power over fearful nobles in this time of unrest. In order to take control of the village of Eveningstar, two Nightbringers have kidnapped Tessaril Winter as she was attempting to reseal the Earth Titan (above) and sealed her away, instead. When the Ebon League discovers this plot, they defeat or kill these Nightbringers and they are granted their first insight into this conspiracy.

Key Elements

  • Introduce the setting piece-by-piece
    • Strong military traditions
      • Purple Dragons
        • The Purple Dragons will always support the Crown, with or against the heroes
      • War Wizards
        • Many War Wizards have lost their magic, were driven insane, or have become abominations (Dragon Age)
        • The remaining War Wizards are struggling to maintain their order (Revenge of the Sith)
    • Aristocracy vs. Peasantry
    • The Spellplague
    • Influence from foreign powers
      • Sembia - Mercantile nation with strained relations (Renaissance Italy)
      • Netheril - Magical nation with violent relations (Roman Empire)
      • Zhentil Keep - Warlike nation with a dejected, complacent people (Nazi Germany)
        • Zhentarim - Semi-secret evil organization that directs Zhent policy (Schutzstaffel)
      • Dalelands - Pacifist alliance of pastoral nations with peaceful relations (Switzerland)
  • Build relationships with major actors and factions
    • Populist rebels, initially rally around Tessaril Winter in Eveningstar
    • Monarchist lords, seen first through Reardon Cormaeril
    • Anarchist cultists, also first through Reardon Cormaeril
  • Plant seeds for campaign villains
  • Major victory to draw it to a close

Major players

The Nightbringers

Lord Reardon Cormaeril is (unknowingly) a pawn of the Nightbringers, an evil Sharan organization that seeks to rule Cormyr. He joined with them (believing them to be an aristocratic fellowship—their façade) in order to restore his dishonored family to power. The group is headed by a masked Malach Aradan, the Mage Royal, who is some sort of evil immortal in his goddess’ service. One of his elite masked outsider mages has kidnapped Tessaril Winter so that Reardon Cormaeril could come to power in the north while he conquers the south. Their next step will be to assassinate Aleister Dragonguard of Arabel, once Reardon has won the trust of his son-in-law.

Nightbringers wear dark hooded robes; browns, blacks, and purples are common, with dull gold and silver masks to hide their faces. They can wield any weapons, but lshort swords and sacrificial daggers are common.

The Nightbringers are not allied with the Empire of Netheril (Shade Enclave), despite their mutual devotion to Shar. They are trying to independently conquer Cormyr and deliver it up to their Mistress.

Membership

  • Malach Aradan , the High Mage of Cormyr
  • A number of elite outsider mages (choose a biblically meaningful number)
  • Reardon Cormaeril, the Lord of Eveningstar
  • Undisclosed powerful nobles, lackeys, and minions

The Starcloaks

The Starcloaks are a weakly-organized Evenor organization headed by Shevaril Starcloak, the apprentice of Lady Tessaril Winter. They want to depose Reardon Cormaeril and restore Tessaril to her rightful rule. Though the organization’s existence is a secret, its members have been harangued by Reardon's men-at-arms for months, and they're willing to resort to assassination and kidnapping to accomplish their goals.

Starcloaks, befitting their namesake, wear black or dark purple robes adorned with stars. They carry common weapons such as longswords, spears, and crossbows.

Membership

  • Shevaril Starcloak
  • Eight citizens of Eveningstar (who will be killed by the Ebon League)
  • Undisclosed additional members, as necessary

Eveningstar

Plots and Rumors

  • Internal Conflicts
    • Lord Cormaeril is over-taxing his subjects and imprisoning the questionably guilty (Prince John/Sheriff of Nottingham)
    • Lord Cormaeril and Wolfgang Gerhard may be involved with a secret cult (Society of Thule, Freemasons, Harry Potter death eaters)
    • Rebels seek to undermine the Lord's authority (Robin Hood, the Rebel Alliance)
    • Arabellan nobles want to bring down Cormaeril and pass Lordship to their kin
  • External Conflicts
    • The Spellplague rages on, turning monsters into abominations and driving spellcasters mad
    • With the Purple Dragons preoccupied, banditry, burglary, and larceny are at an all-time high
    • A red dragon has forced a number of golbins into his service, in a mockery of the Goblin War
    • Orc and goblinoid veterans of the Goblin War want to take revenge on Eveningstar for mustering against Arabel
    • Who knows what manner of evil creatures stalk the Haunted Halls even now?

Current Conflict in Eveningstar

  • Tessaril Winter is missing, and she alone may know of the Nightbringers and their connection to Reardon Cormaeril.
    • Her apprentice has been imprisoned and must act through an intermediary; the Ebon League?
  • The Red Hand goblin tribe has unified under a red dragon and are preparing to attack Eveningstar.
    • The warchief of the Red Hand is at odds with its oracle.
  • A magical deluge is prophesied to destroy Eveningstar in the coming months.

Storm Horns and the Stonelands

Rimespire

The goliath settlement of Rimespire has been invaded by the Red Hand goblin tribe.

Stonefang Pass

The remaining goliath fled to Stonefang Pass, where they were pinned down by the goblin horde. A pair of Nightbringer necromancers have been trying to weaken the magical bindings on the slumbering earth titan Stonefang, and consider the goblin invasion to be a fortuitous twist of fate, a divine side effect of some of Shar's dark machinations (even though Malugbiyet and Hruggek answer to Bane). Within Stonefang Pass, Lady Tessaril Winter has been protecting the bindings from the constant attacks of the necromancers, but has since taken on protecting the goliath as well and her ability to do both is waning. The four pieces of Stonefang used to bind the titan have scattered: Tessaril has one, the necromancers have another, and the goblins have claimed two. The Ebon League will need to reclaim the pieces and complete the binding spell or risk Stonefang's conquest of Northern Cormyr.

Act 2

  • Complicate relationships with major actors
  • Introduce/reveal campaign villains
  • Crushing defeat to draw it to a close

Act 3

  • Conclude relationships with major actors
  • Defeat the campaign villains
  • Major victory to draw it to a close
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