Greyhawk Plot-arc proposal
These scenarios focus on two things. The first and foremost (but which will not be evident until later in the series) is the Almorian Badlands problem (blighted lands). The second is Chathold.
Through a series of scenarios the adventurers will learn of a primordial continental elemental entity created during the destruction of chathold (manifested as the blighted lands), and they will need to discover a means to destroy this entity. Unfortunately, it is a catch-22 situation, upon being destroyed all blighted lands will disintegrate, collapsing 10 to 50 feet, which is in the end the reason for the Chathold peninsula to cave into the sea.
However, Chathold will not be destroyed, this is not an Atlantis type event. Instead, parts of the peninsula will submerge, others will not. The ruins of chathold will be partially immersed under the sea, other higher hills will remain. The denizens of chathold will also remain, just partially submerged and in even greater ruin.
Note: see the Appendices for Background Information and Web Supplements.
Scenarios:
Scenario 1 - Crusade
Scenario 2 - The Badlands
Scenario 3 - Return to Chathold
Author: Brandon Gillespie
This is the scenario targetted to bundle with the gazetteer, released around the same time. The general gist, to explain Almor and get people interested from all fronts, is to have a crusade of sorts starting up. The crusade was sparked by one of the churches of the old Council (see writeup), and the various others have also taken up arms, all to cleanup Chathold. This, of course, is a daunting task, and, of course, is causing much consternation with Ahlissa and Nyrond. Fun role-play ops.
The premise of the combat is a scouting mission into Chathold, where people learn things are much, much worse than expected, and that some strange impassable magical effect surrounds the belltower of the Basillica (where the Heavenly Gateway was located).
Reference: Sketch of Chathold
Reference: Preliminary map of the Basilica
The scenario starts at an impromptu tent-city near the badlands of Chathold. The PCs will need to ally themselves with one of the factions (most of the council's religions: Pholtus, Pelor, Heironeous, Zilchus, Rao, Beory, Delleb, Celestian, Zodal, or a political faction: Nyrond or Ahlissa), or they can go independant (this is not recommended, is much more dangerous, and gains less rewards).
NPCs in the area include:
The alliance will change some boxed text, and the favors on the ARs, but little else (not enough space to do different encounter-sets for each affiliation). Regardless of the alliance, the mission will be the same for the PCs: go to the Basillica and reclaim item X (need to determine, perhaps Journal of Kevont?). Other 'groups' are being given different missions.
Part of the setup is two groups are being sent out together, the PCs, and one other adventuring band. The second Adventuring Band will be with the same affiliation as the PCs, and they will have some role-play ops to meet the other crusaders. The second band will be sent ahead of the first band, by a few minutes.
As the two bands are approaching Chathold a black cloud rolls down the blighted hillside and consumes the first band. Moments later it rolls on down the hill, revealing their friends now gaunt and skeletal. This new band of undead takes little time to survey the area, notice the PCs following them, and attack.
Approaching the Basillica, explain the ruins (collapsed dome, ceilings, etc). Also note the Belltower is still standing, but only the top part is visible, as the rest is contained within some energy dome. The Belltower is a seperate from the Basillica, but on the same grounds.
Map of Basillica is still of use, and the PCs should be able to follow their directions to the location of the Chest. After claiming the chest, they will encounter some nasty creatures (demon+undead, orcs+feindish, etc), while still in the Basillica.
Author: John Jenks
Original Story: Brandon Gillespie
This scenario can have minor tie-ins with the character's political alleigences from the first scenario, but does not take place at chathold. The characters are contacted indirectly by 'a benefactor of Almor' (very high level nigh impossible Knowledge or influence checks to discern that it is Otto) He is a ''person interested in the goodwill of Almor'', and has been investigating the badlands. Through his research he believes that a certain item needs to be recovered from one of the badlands, and that they will need to meet with Pontifex Anerolli of the Pholtan church in Narsel Mendred will be able to help them find this 'fork'. His message is intentionally obtuse (Otto was the benefactor who helped Anerolli make the special dimensional tuning for for the original gateway).
Garius Anerolli will direct the PCs to the badlands, where they will have some interesting encounters, recover the tuning fork, and return it to Narsel Mendred.
Receive the obscure missive requesting the PCs go to Narsel Mendred and ask the Pholtans for information about a fork. Need to figure out motivation factors, properly hooking different character types, etc. One splinter will be to use the same characters that played through the first scenario.
Visit the temple, Role-Play getting an audience with the Pontifex. Possible encounter in Narsel Mendred (its still a nasty town), unrelated to the overall plot. Could hook in some side clues for Nyrond 'Free Almor' plotline (posters on the wall or some such in the city, talking about the virtues of the Sable Phlox).
Visit the Badlands, fight nasties, badland hazards, get the fork.
The remainder of the encounters are here, 'trap/hazard' and monster.
Scenario 3 - Return to Chathold
APLs 6, 8, 10, 12
Author: Brandon Gillespie
The third scenario takes place once again at Chathold, same tent city (this time with a pallisade wall). In this one the 'heart' of the elemental will be attacked, and destroyed, and the dimensional tuning fork (now recovered) will be used to pierce the shield around the belltower. The characters will be directed into the magical effects, where they will find the remaining crystal (the heart) and will be able to destroy the element. Afterwards, the lands will be ripped with earthquakes and floods.
Throughout Almor there are blighted areas known as the Badlands. These regions were the sites of great evil battles and massacres inflicted by Duke Szeffrin's forces. They are ghastly and appallingly dangerous, with wandering tormented undead, mindless fiends and twisted magical effects still in force. Those who manage to return from the Badlands give tales of bizarre and deadly occurrences such as foliage which decays under the footsteps of living creatures, drifting clouds of corrosive acid, random smoking fissures and acid filled bogs.
Badlands vary in size from 10 to 100 square miles, with the largest being around Chathold, one encroaching upon Onyxgate, another near Bloodcrystal and others scattered here and there throughout old Almor. Many have expected the effects of the Badlands to diminish over time, but unusually enough, this has not been the case, and some claim the badlands are actually growing. This is most noticeable around Onyxgate, which has been consumed by the Badlands.
For this story, the true cause of the badlands ties into events started many years back by Prelate Kevont. He feared an impending invasion by the Great Kingdom, and had a large spy network througout its areas [canon; GW-A]. To help Almor defend against this impending threat, he covertly began working on alliances with the extra-planar forces of Good, including Angels and Archons. These forces would assist in the impending battle, but part of the agreement was the building of a a permanent gateway to their planes, to be called the Heavenly Gateway. [new plot]
This task was begun in secret. An ancient elemental energy nexus originally tapped by the Flan of the area was to be used in powering the gateway (the Basillica was built over ancient flan ruins for the nexus). Unfortunately, completing the extra-planar gateway was taking more effort and time than expected. Osson's raids were then instigated, as a stalling factor (people always wondered why they were seemlingly fruitless) [the extra-planer story is created for this story arc; Osson's raids did happen, we have just changed the secret motivation]
However, even with the raids to delay things, completing the gateway was problematic, and the device was incomplete on the day that Duke Szeffrin's armies arrived to lay seige to the city. Otto, of the circle of eight, had just finished crafting a special dimensional tuning fork for the gateway. Bishop Garius Anerolli was en-route from Narsel Mendred with the tuning fork, but did not arrive in time. Even with it incomplete, some still tried to open the Gateway. It was at this time, while the power nexus was activated and the gateway device was live, that Duke Szeffrin's mages and clerics called down destruction upon the city. The long and short side effect is that the gateway and nexus shattered with the onslaught, and something new morphed from the released power, creating a massive primordial magical entity which had at its core the original crystal (now shattered) to be used in controlling the Heavenly Gateway.
Garius Anerolli witnessed the destruction of the gateway and the rest of Almor, and spent the subsequent years as a Consecrated Harrier for Pholtus, covertely fighting against Duke Szeffrin. The important detail of his time is only when he hid the tuning fork in the hills of Almor. This is the gestation for one of the large northern blighted lands, and comes into play in the second scenario.
Duke Szeffrin's forces, while surveying the aftermath of the city, came across a shard of the crystal and this was handed to the Duke. He proceeded to explore and learn about the crystal, treating it as a wand of terrible force. Througout the campaign in Almor he used it sporadically, experimenting, with varied and disastrous results. Each time it was used, the region ultimately became consumed in what is later known as the badlands.
The Badlands are another manifestation of the primordial entity, and have been growing since that time, consuming the land and trying to recompose into a larger continental wide entity. This is why the badlands have not diminished, and are infact growing, as these massive elementals slowly learn about their existence, and try to form into a single greater entity.
