Kingdom of Orentia

[tal_1173]

D&D 3.5, I am not using a purchased setting book.

This is the setting of one kingdom in my campaign world.  This started with the question, "What would a nation based on the Lawful neutral alignment look like?"  This was my conception of such a place.  There is a heavy emphasis on the military since this part of the world is constantly under attack or under threat of attack.  Any feedback for this rather inexperienced GM would be greatly appreciated.


Themes and Images: The world is medieval and earth-like but with high fantasy elements.  There are twp major known continents, there are others.  The themes are good vs. evil, and law vs. chaos.  Sometimes these themes are world changing, and sometimes they are small daily questions. The World is very Tolkien in its feel.    

Flora/Fauna: The animals and plants are largely the animals and plants that you would find in the various biomes on earth, except there be monsters...

Resources: For each major area in the kingdom, there is a different price for trade goods.  If a trade good is produced nearby, it is cheaper.  Pure chemicals, like sulfur are rare and can only be purchased at apothecaries and mage guild houses.  This is also where the beginning of science can be seen.

The industrial backbone of the nation is between Palatia and the capital.   In this region is where the nation's resource gathering and production efforts are in full force.  Most of the factories, refineries, and other such buildings are in the countryside surrounding these two cities.  North of Palatia is a relatively group of small settlements whose main function is to provide the rest of nation with lumber from rich hardwood forest in this region.

Races and Peoples: The population of the Kingdom of Orentia is primarily human, but there is a large group of other races creating a thirty percent minority.  There are larger groups of elves and dwarves in the Kingdom than other races.  There are however quite a few gnomes, half-orcs and other races present.  

Cultural Overview: The Kingdom of Orentia is ruled by the lawful neutral clerics of St. Cuthbert.  The kingdom is a totalitarian militaristic monarchy that tries to control its people and maintain the rule of law.  The people are generally pragmatic and utilitarian in their thinking.  Philosophy, art, and other less real life pursuits are not only uncommon, they are frowned upon.  These people do not care if the world is round or flat, they worry about eating and sleeping and being safe.

Calendar: The months and days are numbered.  There are nine months a year, nine weeks a month, nine days a week, 27 hours a day, and 81 minutes an hour.  So if you ask what the date in the Kingdom is, you will be answered with 473. This means the fourth month, seventh week, and third day.  The last day of the year is 999 followed by 111.  If you ask the time of day, most will say to look at the sun, some will tell you where the town’s sundial is located.  The sundial will say 8:75.  The sun rises between the 8th and 10th hour, and it sets between the 20th and 21st.  If you ask the year, you will be answered 875, which is the number of years since St. Cuthbert ascended to the higher plane of existence.  The first three months of the year generally cold with either snow or rain.  The middle three months are warm to hot with some periods of rain.  The last three months of the year are hot, but will very quickly cool off.  This last part of the year is generally known as the rainy season.  These weather patterns are the general patterns of the capital city; there is great variation in the other areas of the kingdom.  Most people are at work at the 9th hour and asleep at the 26th hour.  The work day generally lasts from the 9th hour until the 18th hour eight days a week.

Institutions-Major: Everything not directly in the military is organized into a hierarchy of guilds or colleges with the center of each guild in the capital city.  Even these guilds are overseen by the Royal House.  
The King is surrounded by two groups of advisory councils.  The Council of elders is made of the leaders of the various guilds.  How a person becomes the leader of a guild is left for each guild to decide.  This council of elders forms half of the advisory council for the King. The other half is the Royal House and it is made of the members of the King’s extended family.  

Another very important institution is the Arm of the Law.  This is a group of mainly monks and rogues whose task it is to bring escaped fugitives to justice.  They are expected to apprehend these criminals and bring to a temple of St. Cuthbert to await trial.

The most enigmatic institution is the college of mages with its main campus in the capital city.  This is where the arcane magic users of the realm gather to learn and share experiences and gather information in the great libraries of the realm.  The most powerful mage in the country is the Archmage of Orentia, and she is the sister of the King.  She rules her nation-wide Guild with an iron hand and is the only representative of mages on the advisory councils.  The people view all arcane magic users with suspicion because they fear the great power they can wield of their own will.  The clerics of St. Cuthbert are known and are not feared since they receive their power from the god they all worship and revere.  

Laws and Morals: Law is paramount.  The laws are clear, posted, and everyone is expected to follow them.  Anyone is guilty of an accusation until proven innocent, but the cost of false testimony at a trial is death.

Social classes: There are generally three classes: royalty, military, and labor.  There are of course levels within each of these, but a person the military will never have more power than the lowest ranking royal.  Within each class, everyone is offered the opportunity to better themselves with the necessary effort.

Family: Marriages are arranged by the government, and non-royal children are taken from families at early ages, generally around 3 years old.  These children are then raised by the military, trained to think certain ways and act certain ways.  At the age of 14, every child is tested both physically and mentally to determine the course of their lives.  It is then that their social class being military or labor is decided.  During this time of indoctrination they learn of the blessing of St. Cuthbert and the rightfulness of the Orent family’s rule.

 Political power is focused on the five members of the Orent Family that rule in the name of the King.  This power then trickles down to their second in commands, and then the military and clerical structures themselves.  Power in the labor class is centered on the leaders of the individual labor and business guilds.  The leaders of the guilds constitute advisory councils for local mayors and/or the appointed ruler of the province or city.  

Economics: The economy is surprisingly a free market with minimal controls.  There is some effort to keep food and other essentials cheap enough for the poorest in the labor class.  There are various welfare efforts controlled by the temples of St. Cuthbert.  These efforts are supported by the money withheld from the pay of the nation’s people.  Once a month every member of the labor class is required to turn in a report detailing how much they have earned, and then pay a flat tax of 10%.  The military receives a monthly salary from the government; their tax is automatically sent to their temples.  

Entrepreneurs are encouraged and supported by a tax deduction for the creation of a new business for two years.  New inventions are encouraged by the granting of patents after the efficacy of the invention is proven.  The inventor then will have governmental assistance to begin the exclusive production and distribution of their new product for a time of nine years.  However, it is clear that the practice of putting the most capable people into the military or the college of mages culls the inventive population and keeps the number of new successful inventions quite low.

Religion: Although the nation of Orentia acknowledges the existence of the entire D&D pantheon, the nation is largely monotheistic.  The only temples that exist in most cities are to St. Cuthbert; however, there is one large temple in the capital city dedicated to the good and neutral pantheon excluding St. Cuthbert.  

The people are required to attend their weekly service to St. Cuthbert on the ninth day of the week and observe the application of the law on people who are unable to abide by it.  The Judge of any town is the High Priest of the temple and the lawyers are lower level priests below him or her.

Technology
Military Weapons and Tactics: medieval, no gun powder, canons etc...

Industrial/ Production: minimal tech, use of water wheels and wagon wheels are something new.

Medical: first aid and clergy

Agricultural: Largely back breaking work

Communication: person to person or the mail service of the nation, and some magic.

Math and Science: very little knowledge, intelligent people generally focus on magic.  Science does not truly exist it is more philosophy rather than experimentation.  Some wizards have begun the creation of science in the way they purify chemical for use as spell components.

Construction: Stone, wood, some very nice architecture, magic and mathematics work together to build the great structure of this world.
Information: books, oral traditions, very few libraries
 
Holidays: One holiday every month on the first day of each month.  Each one celebrates the rise of St. Cuthbert to the divine.  This day is where the people rest and feast and celebrate the good that the law brings to their lives.  The celebration will always include an extended service in the local temples.

Transportation: Horses and other animals of burden, boats, on foot, and some magic move the people and goods of the Kingdom from place to place.  However travel from place to place in the Kingdom of Orentia is very limited by the law of the land.  In order to enter a city anyone must have the proper travel papers.  Permission to enter a city can be obtained from the proper authorities, but this process generally takes a while.

Arts/Literature: Very little time is given to frivolous activities.  The books that are written and available for purchase are about St. Cuthbert, the Orent family, any craft, nature, history, and geography.  Books of fiction are unheard of.  Books about magic and military science are never sold to the general populace and only those people who should have such tomes of knowledge have access to them.  It is rumored that the king’s sister has the largest collection of books anywhere in the Kingdom in her personal library.


The Nine Paramount Laws of the Kingdom

1.Thou shalt always revere the name of St. Cuthbert and give him his due weekly service and his monthly adoration.

2.Thou shalt work eight days of each week and keep the ninth for St. Cuthbert.

3.Thou shalt obey the law and those with authority unless this would break the law.

4.Thou shalt never bare false testimony in a court of law or you will die.

5.Thou shalt not steal or damage another’s possessions.

6.Thou shalt not murder.

7.Thou shalt not purposefully ingest enough of any substance so that it will adversely affect abilities and actions.

8.Thou shalt not commit adultery, fornication, or polygamy.

9.Thou shalt pay your monthly tithe on time and correctly.


Any person accused of breaking these laws or any other law posted at the local town hall is assumed to be guilty until proven innocent.  The presiding judge will choose the appropriate punishment(s) after all testimony has been delivered in a court of law.  An execution order must then be verified by no less than five clerics of St. Cuthbert, who will also review and hear any testimony they wish.  Only royalty may seek an appeal.

[MoonHunter]

This is good use of the world outline.  You get five stars.

You might want to think about three things..
1) What is the world like around your country? How will its neighbors impact the country?  If your PCs will never leave the country, you can keep this quite abstract. But if they might, you will need to flesh them out as well.

2) What is the history of the world that led to the creation of your country (and the spaces around it)? Did it just appear "whole cloth" from somewhere else?

3) Now you just need to create a few key NPCs, important people whos existance and attitudes will impact the kingdom.  Your PCs might never encounter these people, but their actions will effect them. So if you make someone who distrusts adventurers, they will use their organization or noble positions to stamp out these "itinerate trouble makers".

[tal_1173]

Thanks Moonhunter for your questions.  I have lots a material to answer all of them, but I will start with the NPC's.

The story begins in a small border town called Thorpe.  The players will become involved with a murder mystery and all the political problems that occur in a small town.  The Mont family used to run this town, but then it was commandeered by the miltiary once its lumber export became so important. Each of the people listed below in Thorpe could either have something to do or say in the murder mystery.   It all depends on who the players meet and the questions they ask.  Once this opening scene is completed, the villians in my campaign begin to cause more problems.


NPC's in Thorpe.

The Mont Family

Ben Mont is a proud, hot tempered widower of 57 years.  He is the patriarch of the Mont Family and used to be the mayor of Thorpe.  He currently is the Master of the local Labor guild and is charge of making sure around 550 people do their daily jobs.  He is working hard to discredit the current ruler of the city, Michael Orent, who is a captain in the military and a royal nephew.  Ben is a level 10 commoner.

Greg Mont is a lower level ranger in the hunter's guild.  He is another child of Ben Mont.  He is happy living in this town living with his wife(Michelle) and son(Ben).  Greg is a level 5 ranger, Michelle is a level 3 expert working as clothing maker, and their son Ben is a level 2 ranger.

George Mont is a unkempt, quiet   man of 36 years.   He is Ben Mont's oldest child and works as the Master of the local Hunter Guild.  He is Married to Martha (Green), who is the local school teacher.  He tries his best to appease Ben Mont and just do his job.  George is a level 8 Ranger.

Gwen Mont is an unmarried woman with a low voice, and a large and intimidating manner about her.   She is the Daughter of Ben Mont and helps her father run the Laborer Guild. She also hopes to discredit Griffin Orent and keep watch over the rest of family. Gwen is level 3 commoner/level 3 fighter.  She used to work for the city guard that's the reason for the levels in fighter.

Eric Mont is an overly critical 21 year old young man who is the  child of George.  His is the town's primier carpenter and runs a wagon and cart shop.  His products are used extensively by the lumber industry that keeps the town on its feet. He is a level 5 expert.

Sarah Mont is an overly truthful woman with a very high squeaky voice.  She is the young child of George at 19 years of age.  Geoge purchased one of the local Inn's for her and now she is attempting to improve the food and lodging at her business.  In general she is a gossip monger that lives a very simple life.  She is a level 5 commoner

Tom Mont, who has a tattoo of a bull on left side of face is the older son of Ben Mont.   For years now he and his father has been estranged because of an unresolved argument.  His is a city Guard at the South Checkpoint.  He hopes to someday earn enough respect and money to move to another post to get away from Ben.  He is a level 7 fighter.

Tim Mont is Gwen’s twin and is the town’s head book keeper.  Most of his time is spent trying to keep the peace between his family and the authorities. Tim is a level 5 expert.

The other significant people who live in thorpe

Michael Thompson is a single man working as a healer in the local clinic.  He is a cleric of St. Cuthbert and also serves as a court attorney once a month.  He single mindedly seeks the virtues that St. Cuthbert stands for and to serve his people well.  Michael is a human and level 7 cleric.

Tyler Green is a single minded lonely man who runs the lumber mill in Thorpe.  At one time he was in love with Michelle Mont, who is married to Greg.  He would be one of the most important and powerful men in the town, but he not very politically savvy. Tyler is a human and a level 5 expert.

Creathy is a crazy little gnome who runs the local apothecary.  Creathy is a level 5 adept.

Myka Warner is the town’s weapon smith.  She is a dwarf who is a native of the Kingdom.  She is married to Don. She hopes to finally a weapon worthy of a master and then move to a larger town to make a name for herself.  Myka is a level 5 expert.

George Green is the town’s armour smith and he simply wants to make and sell armour here in Thorpe.  He is one of the only content people in town.  He is rather overweight, which is a rather uncommon condition in this country.  Also, making a deal with him can be challenging since he has a serious stutter.  Level 5 expert.

Don Warner is also a dwarf and is married to Myka.  They were both born and raised in this country.  He runs the general store in the town and hopes to move his family to Palatia someday. Level 5 expert.

Jen McCreedy is a rather rude older lady that owns the nicer Inn in this town.  She is also content living here in Thorpe, but her negative attitudes about everything covers this up.  Level 5 commoner.

Martha Mont is the local school teacher.  She is rather bookish (for good reason) but well respected in the town.  Her goal is to be a good teacher and a good wife. Level 5 expert.

Jim Green is the town’s military record keeper.  He makes sure everyone has the right travel papers and that all the guard posts are being covered all the time.  He is the primary assistant to the guard captain.  Level 8 expert.

Sister Merta, as she is known, is the highest ranking cleric of St. Cuthbert for hundreds of miles around.  She serves the town as the high priest and judge.  Her goal is to enforce the law and the proper respect of the Orent family. She is level 10 Cleric of St. Cuthbert.

Captain Orent is the captain of the guard.  The town believes that he is a nephew of the King, when actually he is the crown prince.  He has been sent her to learn various important lessons about ruling a people.  When he can prove that he lead a people successfully despite various problems, the King will bring him home for the next stage of his training.  His main challenge is the Mont family.  He is a level 8 fighter/level 2 rogue.

Jebith Arengia is the only elf that lives in Thorpe.  She serves in the military as the town’s resident mage.  Her goal is to serve the people of the town well and get promoted in the ranks of the college of mages and the military.  She is a level 5 wizard.

Keith Green is a cleric that serves the military in helping protect Thorpe.  Keith has the rank of Sergeant and helps organize the town’s guard. He also hopes to get promoted and would prefer to serve on a strike team someday.  He is a level 5 cleric of St. Cuthbert.

Rig Martin is the owner of the Griffin’s Cry tavern.  His tavern is really run down, but he and his regular patrons do not mind.  Rig has a difficult time keeping track of the number of drinks each person has at his tavern.  The law requires that he can not serve people more than two alcoholic drinks in one day.  He has gotten into trouble for violations of this law in the past. Rig is a level 5 expert.

Red Jones owns the nice tavern in town, the Boar’s Head.  He has a separate room for people who wish to drink alcoholic beverages and his assistants keep good records and a close eye on these people.  Red is gradually adding improvements to his tavern including a stage for groups to perform.  Red is a level 5 expert.

Griffin Orent is the crown appointed mayor of the city of Thorpe.  He unfortunately is rather useless.  He walks around the town telling people to do things they were going to do anyway and then sits in the town hall and appears to do nothing.  At least this is what the people believe.  Griffin is actually the leader of a group of bandits that operate in the area.  He and his compatriots are gathering the funds to move and live well in the Kingdom of Thalas (Dwarven kingdom), where they can be free of the oppressive laws of their current home. Griffin pretends to be a weak level 5 aristocrat, but is actually a level 2 fighter, level 8 rogue.  His alignment is Chaotic Neutral, but he and his followers try hard to not kill unnecessarily.

There are an additional 500 or so people that live in or near thorpe.  These people are the low level work horses of the area.  

Important NPC’s outside of Thorpe

The King is a level 15 fighter.  He holds the most powerful known weapon known to exist on the planet, the mace of St. Cuthbert.  This weapon is of course an heirloom past on down his family over the many centuries.  

The Duke of Palatia is a level 15 cleric of St. Cuthbert that is the High Priest of the Kingdom.  He is also the direct ruler of the area of Thorpe and the lands to the north.

The Archmage is a level 13 Wizard/Level 2 sorcerer and the sister of the King.  She rules the College of Mages from the main campus in the capital.

The Seer is an adult Gold Dragon that lives alone in the mountains to the northwest of Thorpe.  She is diviner of great power and is working to determine what great evil is moving in the lands.

Sarokheyl is the Big Bad Evil Guy of this epic campaign.  He was an evil elven cleric many hundreds of years ago.  His attempt of making a civil war against the proper elven rulers failed.  Many years later he appeared again as a lich.  This time he was defeated by the now St. Cuthbert and his group of five heroes.  He currently is attempting to achieve his goals having learned from his past mistakes.  His primary goal is achieve the status of lesser deity by completing a set of steps laid down for him by his divine patrons.  If he succeeds Sarokheyl will become Vecna.  Right now Sarokheyl is a level 10 cleric, level 5 wizard, level 10 mystic theurge.

Kas is the right hand of Sarokheyl.  He is a human vampire who serves his lord loyally and faithfully, for he believes he will receive great power when his lord ascends to the divinity. Kas is a level 13 fighter/level 2 rogue vampire.

Arana Theoden is a follower of Sarokheyl and worshipper of Afflux.  She has been given the task of flushing out the local heroes to the north of Palatia.  It was a group of heroes that stopped Sarokheyl form succeeding before, and this must not happen again.  Once flushed these heroes must either die or join the forces of Sarokheyl.  Arana is a necromancer that lives in an ancient catacomb where she and her blackguard cohort create undead minions and command hobgoblin slaves.  These minions are sent to raid local towns, raid caravans, and cause general mischief.  Arana is a level 3 sorcerer, level 3 cleric, and level 5 true necromancer.

Grom is a Half-Black dragon Orge Mage of Legend.  He is the general of the alliance of evil races living in the wildlands to the north of the Kingdoms of Thalas, Orentia, and Loren.  He is working with the help of Sarokheyl to rid his lands of the vile invaders who stole land from the various monstrous races.  He sends hobgoblins, goblins and other creatures to Arana Theoden through circles of teleport from his fortress to her catacomb.  He also sends his minions to the under ground mines in the Dwarven city of Coldpool through another set of circles of teleport.  Some day soon he will lead a massive assault south to seek his revenge.

The Cult of the Dagger is a group of Vile Monks (new template I created) that seek to serve Sarokheyl in many devious ways.  One of the main goals is the destruction of books and tomes to keep knowledge from people who do not need it.  This would also serve to weaken Sarokheyl’s enemies.  In general this cult numbers hundreds of members and they are involved in many plots all over the realm.  The central cult is found in the Dwarven city of Coldpool.  In Coldpool the cult has gained a measure of political power with the help of their charismatic leader who is a great orator.  

Areneus Tol Areneus is the charismatic leader of the cult of the dagger.  He is a level 15 Monk with the vile template applied.  His voice can be heard in the streets of Coldpool almost every day.  He speaks on the dangers of this new thing called 'science.'  The dangers involved when dangerous knowledge is discovered.  If someone discovers how to make more powerful explosives, anyone will be able to use them for their own purposes.  How can we ever know the real impact 'science' (said with a sneer) will have.  (OCC: I am a science teacher by the way... hehe)

Queen VarentiaVarentia, friend of Cuthbert and Moradin, is the current elected Queen of the elven people.  She is old even for elves.  She is powerful and very influencial, but still her political power is fragile, every few years, she is up for reelection.  The number of years is never the same, the Gathering when it votes also votes on how many years she will be in power in the coming term.  She is a level 20 wizard.

[tal_1173]

I'm not sure that this is the kind of information that y'all look for in the forum, but I'll post this because I would like feedback on this as it relates to my setting.

The story begins with the players arriving in the small town of Thorpe with travel papers indicating they are to meet with the Guard Captain of the town.  All the players have completed their initial apprenticeships and have shown enough ability to be sent on special missions for the crown.  As a group they all bring diverse abilities and should serve as a great asset to this frontier area.

A murder has occurred in the small town of Thorpe...  The players begin their story with a woman (Michelle Mont) running down the road to the captain’s tent.  She enters without the normal formality and tells the captain that her husband and son (Greg and Ben) were murdered in the night.  She that the murderer was really a thief because the family's few valuables are missing.  Including an amber stature of a deer, which is a family heirloom.  She asks to speak with the captain alone, which the captain is unwilling to do.  The captain looks at the group of new comers and says that it is fortunate they have arrived. He asks them to investigate the murders.  Michelle looks scornfully at the group but resigns herself quickly.  She stays in the Captain’s office sobbing while the players begin their investigation.

Upon entry to the Mont residence, the players smell death on the air.  Looking at the dead bodies of the ranger and his son, it is clear that they did not die of natural causes.  Their forms are sunken and very sickly almost as if they were dead for weeks.  After a quick investigation of their bodies, there is no clear injury noticeable anywhere on their bodies.  

Here is what actually happened

Greg and Ben were exploring an area to the northwest of the town and stumbled on a cave inhabited by orcs and goblins.  They were heading back to Thorpe to report on their findings when they were attacked by goblins and a person clothed in black (vile monk).  They were both wounded, but his father was able to escape and carry his son home to Thorpe.  The father collapsed as he entered the town at the northern gate.  The guards carried them home and called the healer (Michael Thompson).  After their wounds were attended to and they were resting comfortably, the healer left the house.  They were too far gone to ever speak about anything or even give a hint as to what had happened.  During the night, a doppleganger entered their house, killed both men and the real Michelle Mont burying her body in their cellar.  The fake Michelle Mont then runs to the captain's quarters in the morning to tell him of the death's she actually caused.  

Helpful hints for the players

General Gather information checks will only reveal names of people who mentioned odd things happening in the evening.  Also these successful gather info checks must occur with people who would know the informant in question.

Their next door neighbor is the Green family of Brad and Jennifer.  They heard nothing unusual from next door until Michelle Mont went running in the morning crying.  With further questioning, they both will remember what sounded like someone going down into the cellar very late at night along with some muffled pounding-like noises.  They will also talk a little about how odd Michelle is acting, but they wrote it off to her family being killed.   Gather information check 10 or diplomacy check 10 with them directly.

One of the guards thought he saw a black shape move over the wall late last night, but wrote it off to being tired.  Gather info check 15 or diplomacy check 15 with guards from north checkpoint.

Don Warner, the owner of the general store thought he saw someone creeping around last night while he was finishing closing the store for the evening, but when he went outside to investigate he didn’t see anything.  Gather information check 10 in area around his house or with him directly.

Investigation of the lower window to the Mont townhouse shows that someone forced entry into the house, but did so with only very minor damage.  Search DC 15 specifically on the window.

Investigation of the floor below the window, there is some evidence of tracks in the small amount of dust, survival DC 15.  The tracks are humanoid.

Investigation of the sheets near the body will reveal the existence of small poisoned needles on the side of where their heads were located.  Search DC 15.  There is a 10% chance of getting poisoned while searching.

An alchemy check of DC 15 will identify the poison if the samples are taken to an alchemy lab.  

A search of the cellar below the Mont house of DC 15 will reveal that two of the floor boards have been moved recently.  Below these boards is the body of the real Michelle Mont.

It is possible for the players to see through the doppelgangers disguise, but it is difficult.  A spot DC 32 will reveal the doppelganger’s true identity.

Questioning of Michelle (Doppleganger) by someone who knows her will eventually reveal that she does not know things that should know, and many of her answers are just plain wrong.

If the players go to speak with Creathy (apothacay), he is able to tell them the type of poison used and that it is quite rare in this part of the world. He is very excited if the player were able to hand him the darts with poison on them.  He then would forget they were even in the room while he starts to collect and study the small sample.  The next day he is then able to tell them where the poison was from and exactly how it works... There are a few less rats in the town of Thorpe the next morning.

If Tyler Green is removed from the Mill, a Mont will gain control of the Mill and the family will profit greatly, which is why they are all hoping he really did do the deed and pushing for him to be found guilty.

Unhelpful hints...
All the Monts will claim that Michelle’s ex-boyfriend, Tyler Green did the deed and that the Orent’s are too incompetent to protect the people of Thorpe.

Tyler Green lives alone in the Mill and everyone knows that he still pines after Michelle.  It is also known that he and Michelle’s husband did not get along.  He has no alibi.

Michael Thompson who runs the hospital across from the mill, did see Tyler return to the mill from north of town pretty early in the morning.   Tyler was in the Boar’s Head Tavern until very late.  

Red Jones who runs the Boar’s Head remembers Tyler was in his usual place on the porch of the tavern until his usual time (closing time).  

If the characters investigate Tyler Green, they will discover that he was heading home around the time that the ranger and his son died.  He also has no alibi since he lives alone.  If they look through his home, they will find the missing valuable heirloom and other stolen goods from the Mont’s home under his bed wrapped in a sheet.  Search and spot checks will reveal that someone planted these items in the night.

[tal_1173]

I will post similar information for the other classes when I have it finished.

Wizards, Bards and Sorcerers

Society’s view
The wizard and sorcerer are the most misunderstood, at times feared, and respected members of the Kingdom of Orentia.  There is an aura of mystery and power surrounding these users of arcane power that the College of Mages fosters.  Even though military and political leaders have wizards in the ranks of their soldiers, they are careful to treat them with a measure of respect.    When a wizard walks down a city street, he can expect people to either look away from him or give him some sort of salute.  This fear/respect of the wizard is a result of their source of power.  Unlike clerics and other divine casters, a wizard draws his power from his own will and soul.  A cleric of St. Cuthbert would have a difficult time using his power to break the law or do an evil deed, but a wizard is not constrained by such limitations.  This ability to wield power without a higher power limiting that use of power is an intimidating combination.  

Organization
The college of mages is structured based on the comparative power and abilities of its members.  Neither Nobility, not wealth, nor any other consideration affects the hierarchy of the college.  At this time, the college of mages is led by the nation’s Archmage, the sister of the king.  Her power is such that many doubt anyone would ever supplant her position.   The mages of convenes on the first day of every year, when every member is required to meet at the capital’s campus for the various ceremonies and the sharing of information.  At this convocation, challenges are issued and resolved, apprentices are assigned, and new titles are bestowed.  Only a member of royalty, a member of the Archmage’s council, or the Archmage herself can issue an exemption to allow a member to not attend this convocation.  

Gaining Power   
When a wizard attains new levels of power, he will need to add new arcane chants to his repertoire.  These new spells can be attained from local guild houses, which have buildings in all major cities of the kingdom.  The time may come when the wizard will be required to travel to the capital since that is the only place where higher level spells can be found.  

Role in Society
A wizard is asked to serve his nation in a number of ways.   He can be called upon to serve as a battlemage, destroying scores of foes on the battle field.  He may serve as a local city guard, helping to protect the people within from various enemies.  An advisor to a local authority is often a wizard for many and obvious reasons.  One last reason that will be mentioned here is when the wizard joins a special team of adventurers.  This last method of service is the most highly honored among our land since it is a reflection of how St. Cuthbert and his group of fellow heroes saved us all from destruction.
   A Bard often serves the role as morale officer, both on the battle field and off.  They also have the responsibility to maintain the recording of history, and the telling of this history for the people to learn from it.

[tal_1173]

This is the second major kingdom in my campaign world.  There are two more coming soon.

The Kingdom of Thalas

Themes and Images: The world is medieval earth-like but with high fantasy elements.  The maps shows the major known continents, there are others.  The themes are good vs. evil, and law vs. chaos.  Sometimes these themes are world changing, and sometimes they are small daily questions. The World is very Tolkein in its feel.  The major races are humans, dwarves, elves and gobins.

Flora/Fauna: The animals and plants are largely the animals and plants that you would find in the various biomes on earth, except there be monsters out there.

Resources: For each major area in the various kingdoms, there is a different price for trade goods.  If a trade good is produced nearby, it is cheaper.  Pure chemicals are rare.  There are no new resources added.

Races and Peoples: The Kingdom of Thalas is a constitutional monarchy where the royal family are more like figureheads rather then the people with true power.  This is primarily a Kingdom of Dwarves with city above and below the surface.  The cities above the surface have an equal number of elves, human and other races as compared to the dwarves.  The cities below the ground are primarily populated with dwarves.  

Cultural Overview: The Dwarven kingdom is ruled by a constitutional monarch who shares power with elected officials from around the kingdom.  The dwarves are more neutral and neutral good is their outlook.  The central government is centered in the great city of Thalas that rests above and within a cliff next to the sea.  This city is the largest port city of Thalas.  To this great architecturally impressive metropolis the people of the Thalas send representatives from their provinces to legislate and to gain funds for projects back home.  
   The people are free to seek their own dreams, travel, or simply find a way to survive.  There are welfare programs, but in general people are expected to find their own way through life.  The government makes sure that no one has to starve or succumb to the elements, but it will not make sure everyone has an easy life.  
   If you visit a town in the Kingdom of Thalas you will most likely find groups of Dwarves, Elves, and Humans singing, eating, and generally having a good time when they are not working.  You will probably here singing even while they are working also.

Calendar: The calendar of the Dwarves is based on twenty four months of 30 to 31 days each.  These are broken into weeks of 7 days long.   The first six months of the year are generally cold, the next six are warm, the next six are very warm, and the last six are cool.  The weather patterns are very different from spot to spot in Thalas because of the various mountain ranges and latitudes in the Dwarven lands.

Institutions-Major: There is really only one major institution and that is the existence of town halls throughout the kingdom.  At these town halls, the people meet to discuss political, economic, and personal issues with the proper authorities or anyone who will listen.  Here is where judges pass judgment. Here is where elections occur. There are no guilds, there are no large colleges of mages, the infrastructure of Thalas is based on the individual's ability to create and inspire.  

Laws and Morals: There is a very sensible set of laws that seem based on common sense to most people.  Someone is assumed to be innocent until proven guilty.  If someone is accused of a crime, they can be held against their will until their innocence is proven or ten days pass.

Family: The family unit is central to the people of Thalas.  Children are the most precious thing a Dwarven family ever has.  The human and elven families in Thalas generally feel the same way.  

Social classes: The only social classes that exist are the wealthy, the middle class, and the low class.  Anyone can move through these classes with some effort, luck, and blessings.  The lowest person in Thalas has the possibility of becoming the Prime Minister if the right kinds of events take place.

Political Power: Political power is guarded carefully so it does enter the wrong hands.  All members of the central parliament are elected in free and open elections and any one person can only serve five years on this political body.  The most powerful person in Thalas is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the parliament and approved of by the royal family.   Local politics is modeled after the central government.  It is just on a smaller scale.

Economics: The economy is a free market with minimal controls.   These efforts are supported by the money withheld from the pay of the nation’s people.  Every month the people of Thalas are taxed by their local government a total of 25% of their annual income.  The government uses these funds to help the poor, build roads, construct buildings, and prepare for war.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged and supported by a tax deduction for the creation of a new business for two years.  New inventions are encouraged by the granting of patents after the efficacy of the invention is proven.  The inventor then will have governmental assistance to begin the exclusive production and distribution of their new product for a time of nine years.  However, it is clear that the practice of putting the most capable people into the military or the college of mages culls the inventive population and keeps the number of new successful inventions quite low.

Religion: The people of Thalas revere Moradin, who was their founding father by legend, but they acknowledge all member of the good and neutral pantheon openly.  Various temples to the various gods are present in most medium sized cities.  Everyone is free to worship as they see fit as long as the national laws are not broken.

Technology
Military Weapons and Tactics: medieval, no gun powder, canons etc...
Industrial/ Production: minimal tech, use of water wheels and wagon wheels are something new.
Medical: first aid and clergy
Agricultural: Largely back breaking work
Communication: person to person or the mail service of the nation, and some magic.
Math and Science: Very little science exists, intelligent people generally focus on magic.  Science does not truly exist it is more philosophy rather than experimentation.  Some wizards have begun the creation of science in the way they purify chemical for use as spell components.
Construction: Stone, wood, some very nice architecture, magic and mathematics work together to build the great structure of this world.
Information: books, oral traditions, very few libraries

Holidays: There are various holidays throughout the year, and these holidays vary depending on the region or even the city you visit.

Transportation: Horses and other animals of burden, boats, on foot, and some magic move the people and goods of the Kingdom from place to place.  

Arts/Literature: People are free to pursue their areas of interest, but in this of survival there is much less time for the arts than most would like.  Still there are very well known artists, authors, and performers in Thalas.

[CaptainPenguin]

D&D.... Blech.

[MoonHunter]

Ignore CP. He can't seem to help but post in threads he actually does not like. While DnD is not my exact cup of tea either, it is a perfectly valid game and para-setting. You are doing a good job so far explaining things. So keep going and we will help with what we can.

Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster. Please be a helpful poster.

[tal_1173]

In an age long past the races of men, elves, and dwarves settled into new lands.  They found two continents into which the each founded their own kingdoms.  Slowly their populations grew and they began to spread into more areas.  The indigenous monstrous races began to resist this invasion, but their efforts were not a serious threat.  Some time later, a group of elves began to contest the order of ascension for the elven throne.  This led to a short civil war which sent a small group of elves into exile.  This seemed to be the end of this issue, but this was really the beginning of much more.  

The leader of this exiled group, a cleric of great power, became poisoned with a desire for revenge and the destruction of his enemies.  His power grew and he began to influence the monstrous races.  With his influence and assistance these races began to truly threaten all three good races.  The Great War began between the allied forces of elves, men, and dwarves against the allied monstrous races with the secret leadership of the exiled elves.  The good races were able to defend themselves and claim additional lands for themselves.

Centuries later the drums of war were once again sounded, and it took many years to discover that the same evil cleric, now a strange undead being of great power called The Lich was once again trying to gain power.  The great leaders of the good races gathered together to defeat this great evil.  They were King Cuthbert of the humans, Lord Moradin of the dwarves, and Queen Varentia of the elves.  These three and their three cohorts attacks the lich directly, destroying him and thereby ending the second Great War.

After this great victory, the three races formed a formal alliance for mutual defense with exchange of resources.  Since that time, King Cuthbert and Moradin passed and are now worshipped as their races' primary deity.  Queen Varentia still rules her race and is probably the most powerful being on the planet.  

The people of these races have lived in peace for over 150 years.  They have grown in power, knowledge, and friendship.  Unfortunately, since The Lich was the first of his kind, no one understood the concept of a phylactery.  They did not realize that the lich would continue to exist until both his body and his phylactery were destroyed.   The Lich returned to the material plane only days after his body was destroyed.  Having learned from his first two defeats he began working towards a new goal.  The only way to threaten his original enemies would be to become as powerful as them.  By joining the pantheon of deities, he will be able to harm Cuthbert, Moradin, and Varentia once more.  He has already chosen a name for his divine form... Vecna.

[tal_1173]

The three major good races in my campaign are the humans, elves, and dwarves.  They each rule their own kingdom in very different ways, but they have signed a treaty that clarifies their mutual responsibilities.  

OCC:I wish I spoke legalese, but I don't.  I won't even pretend that I do.  I will just list the things I want this treaty to say in plain simple English.

The Alliance of Three

Each nation pledges to assist the others in the areas of defense and national security.  A request for the declaration of war against an aggressor must be supported once proof of an invasion is clear.

The identities of wanted criminals will be shared and they will be treated as criminals in all three nations.  

Groups of talented individuals organized in special strike teams must be offered the opportunity to work for any of the three countries.  These people represent the same type of organization that St. Cuthbert, Moradin, and Queen Varentia used to defeat the past evil.  Once a group has shown itself to be heroic and capable; they must be offered quests by all three nations.

There must be free trade between all three nations, no tariffs, or other economic tactics are allowed.  If one nation is short in a certain commodity, the other nations are not allowed to artificially increase the price.

Once every three years each nation must send nine representatives to an international conclave.  At this conclave complaints and requests can be made of the other nations.  The conclave has the power to end the treaty or adopt it once more.

If any nation is found to be purposefully breaking this treaty, the alliance is null and void for that nation.  Any and all economic and possibly military action could be brought against the transgressing nation if the situation demands it.

[Mourngrymn]

While I have not read all of this, I will soon. Very nice job. Makes me want to do a complete outline for my information as well. I'm too unorganized.

[tal_1173]

Thanks for the compliment Mourngrymn.

Themes and Images: The world is medieval earth-like but with high fantasy elements.  The maps shows the major known continents, there are others.  The themes are good vs. evil, and law vs. chaos.  Sometimes these themes are world changing, and sometimes they are small daily questions. The World is very Tolkien in its feel.  The major races are humans, dwarves, elves and goblins.

Flora/Fauna: The animals and plants are largely the animals and plants that you would find in the various biomes on earth, except there be monsters out there.  On the continent of Loren, the elves live in a much more forested and swampy landscape, so there are many monsters here that do not exist on the continent where the humans and dwarves live.  There are also a large number of lycanthropes and dragons in the wild regions.  

Resources: For each major area in the various kingdoms, there is a different price for trade goods.  If a trade good is produced nearby, it is cheaper.  Pure chemicals are rare.  There are no new resources added.

Races: The land of Loren is the most diverse of the three kingdoms; however, the primary race is the elves.  Humans, dwarves, gnomes, fay, and other races all share this land in peace.

Cultural Overview: The elven people live their lives as they choose without much interference from other people or the government.  These are a people that experience great freedom to express their thoughts, ideas, and dreams.

Calendar/Standards: The calendar is based on the pantheon.  Each of the ten months are named for the twelve gods and goddesses worshipped by the elves. The days of the week are named for seven great elves of years past.  The number of days in a week and the number of weeks in a month can be different in different city-states.  The same city-state may decide to change these numbers if enough people decide that a change would be nice.

Institutions-Major: The most powerful institution is an oligarchy of elven wizards or sorcerers called the Gathering.  These wizards are the elected leaders of their local academy of mages, and are sent once a month to meet in order to discuss national issues.  This Gathering legislates national laws, which are then enforced by the local academies. One mage is elected to be the leader of the gathering.  This person is generally the most powerful and most influencial member of the Gathering.  This person is elected for as many years as the Gathering decides they should rule.  The current leader of the Gathering is Queen Varentia.  She has been reelected many times over the centuries.  She is regarded as one of the most important figures in elven history.

Laws and Morals: Besides the national laws writing by Gathering, the laws of each city state are different.  In general they are a set of moral codes that looks out for the general good of all the people.  Sometimes they can be quirky laws whose sole purpose is to make the city state more unique.

Family: The way a family unit behaves is as different from family to family as the local laws are different from town to town.  Some families live in large communal structures with various relatives living together.  Some families kick their children out to live on their own as soon as they are able to earn a living wage.

Social classes: There are only two social classes, Cloaked ones (wizards and sorcerers) and everyone else.  The Cloaked ones are treated as royalty by everyone in Loren, but they are greatly limited.  The founders of the nation of Loren understood that if wizards and sorcerers were to rule Loren, there must be safe guards to protect the people from the possibility of tyranny.  The rules governing the Cloaked Ones are many, but only the two most important will be listed here.  A Cloaked One must vow before Boccob to use their power for the benefit of the people.   A Cloaked One will never own property, and they must live off of the generosity of the people.

Political Power: All political power is centered on the Cloaked Ones.

Economics: The nation of Loren exercises complete hands off economics.  If someone is destitute and unable to work, they will be taken in by the various temples and other charitable organizations.

Religion: Corellon Larethain is the primary god of the Elves.  He is worshipped in many temples throughout the land.  The others gods in the pantheon are recognized also, especially Elhonna.

Technology
Military Weapons and Tactics: medieval, no gun powder, canons etc...
Industrial/ Production: minimal tech, use of water wheels and wagon wheels are something new.
Medical: first aid and clergy
Agricultural: Largely back breaking work
Communication: person to person or the mail service of the nation, and some magic.
Math and Science: very little knowledge, intelligent people generally focus on magic.  Science does not truly exist it is more philosophy rather than experimentation.  Some wizards have begun the creation of science in the way they purify chemical for use as spell components.
Construction: Stone, wood, some very nice architecture, magic and mathematics work together to build the great structure of this world.
Information: books, oral traditions, very few libraries
 
Holidays: Just like laws, customs, and many other aspects of life in Loren, each city-state has their own set of holidays.

Arts/Literature: The creative aspects of life are very important to the people of Loren.  The world best writers, singers, poets, sculptures all call Loren home.

Transportation: Horses and other animals of burden, boats, on foot, and some magic move the people and goods from place to place.

[tal_1173]

History Brief: For untold centuries, the various monstrous races lived and fought in this world.  We were spread out over both the continent invaded by the elves, and the continent invaded by the humans and dwarves.  When these invaders first arrived they were largely ignored.  It was assumed they would be no different than the other hundred races now living in the land.  However, after only a few centuries, their true nature was discovered.  These new races were not happy with some land.  They wanted it all, and they wanted the destruction and death of all our people.  Eventually, a great and powerful elf came to the various races and offered to stop the evil of these invaders.  Despite all efforts, our nations could not together long enough to defeat our foes.  Our alliance fell apart into disarray before our victory was complete.  

The powerful elf that assisted us, known as Sarokheyl, was forced to flee and he was unseen for many decades.  Later, he appeared greatly changed, but he able to prove his identity.  He was now a strange and terrifying undead creature and once again we followed him.  The second war against the invaders ended differently than the first.  The races of invaders were being led by beings of terrible powers.  It is said these beings are gods worshipped by their people.  

Now our races now hold only half their original territory, and only half their original numbers.  Many races were despairing assuming that our time on this planet was at an end. Then He was born.  Grom has come to us.  The leader prophesied to show us the way to victory.  His power is untold.  The depth of his anger and hatred is yet to be seen.  Grom is teaching us a new way to fight... patience is required.  We are waiting until our forces are ready to truly fight as one army.  We are waiting until our enemies are not expecting our coming great invasion.  We believe that we will finally be able to push the evil invaders from our lands.  They do not deserve to be our slaves, nor our toys, not even our food.  We will not stop until every elf, human, and dwarf no longer breathes air.


Themes and Images: The world is medieval and earth-like but with high fantasy elements.  The maps shows the major known continents, there are others.  The themes are good vs. evil, and law vs. chaos.  Sometimes these themes are world changing, and sometimes they are small daily questions. The World is very Tolkien in its feel.    

Flora/Fauna: The animals and plants are largely the animals and plants that you would find in the various biomes on earth, except there be monsters...

Resources: For each major area in the kingdom, there is a different price for trade goods.  If a trade good is produced nearby, it is cheaper.  

Races and Peoples: The races to the north of the human and dwarven kingdoms are many.  The are the hobgoblins, goblins, minotaurs, harpies, and orcs to just name a few.  

Cultural Overview: Each race has its own cultural distinctiveness, but most of them live by the concept of might makes right.  The strongest member of a tribe or community is the ruler.

Calendar: Each race has its own way of keeping time, but some do not understand the concept of a calender.

Institutions-Major: These races are primarily primitive, tribal, and bestial.  There are no institutions of importance.

Laws and Morals: There is generally one law.  Might makes right.

Social classes: The strongest rules, the weak obey.  

Family: The way children are reared depends on the race.

Political Power: Each race is split into various tribes and each tribe has its own leader, but Grom is the widely recognized overlord of all the tribes of all the various races.

Economics: Take what you want, defend what you have.

Religion: Each race generally has its own deity, but worshippers of Grommash and Nextor are very common.

Transportation: Feet work great.

Arts/Literature: Very little time is given to frivolous activities.  

Technology
Military Weapons and Tactics: medieval, no gun powder, canons etc...
Industrial/ Production: minimal tech
Medical: first aid and some clergy
Agricultural: hunting and gathering
Communication: person to person, and some magic.
Math and Science: very little
Construction: Stone, wood, and hardwork.
Information: oral traditions

[tal_1173]

Centuries ago Sarokheyl was an elven cleric in the nation of Loren.  His mother was in contention to become the new Queenmage of the elven people.  Unfortunately for Sarokheyl his mother did not win the election, Varentia became the Queenmage of the elven people.  Not satisfied with these results, Sarokheyl led a short lived civil war in an attempt to arrest power the rightful queen.  Seeing his fight was hopeless with so few elves helping him, Sarokheyl sought out the help of the indigenous monstrous races.  His efforts led to the first Great War in which he was defeated.  
 
After this defeat his heart was so corrupted by hatred and anger that he sought a way to ensure he would not die before he was able to exact his revenge.  He discovered a way to turn himself and his mother into a strange and powerful undead being.  It is unknown what has happened to his mother, but Sarokheyl now the first Lich to ever exist led the monstrous races once more on his quest for revenge.

This time he was defeated by a team of adventurers led by King Cuthbert, Lord Moradin, and Queen Varentia.  After this defeat, it was assumed Sarokheyl was destroyed and he would never again threaten the peace of the land.  Since he was the first lich, no one knew he would return to physical form in a matter of days, which he did.

Having learned from his mistakes and learning that Cuthbert and Moradin are far out of his reach; Sarokheyl decided it was time for a new strategy.  The only way he would be able to destroy his enemies now, would be to become divine himself.  With the help of Nextor, Afflux, and other evil gods, Sarokheyl has determined the path he must take to earn his deity status.  Even some neutral gods were willing to assist because the balance of power has shifted to good and law with the ascension of Cuthbert and Moradin.
   
To ascend to the status of godhood, Sarokheyl must do the following things.  He must cause the death of 500,000 beings.  He must destroy the primary libraries of the elves, humans, and dwarves in an effort to control the spread of knowledge.  He must learn the secrets of magic and power that are stored in the personal libraries or minds of the most powerful beings on this planet.   He must obtain three great items of evil power, the rod of undead leadership, the talisman of ultimate evil, and the book of vile deeds.  Lastly, he must complete a twenty seven day long ritual where he must sacrifice nine pure hearted people, and three greater undead beings each of the twenty seven days.
 

The location of the three needed artifacts

The first item can be found in a dragon graveyard that is guarded by an ancient red dragon ghost.  The area surrounding the graveyard on the enchanted isles is inhabited by three rousts of red dragons.  Each roust holds an adult red dragon and a clutch of eggs.  In the center of the isle is a boiling sulfurous pool of mud. Under this pool is the remains of the deceased dragon’s treasure hold.  Here lies the rod of undead leadership.

In the middle of the dead sands is a great pyramid complex from an ancient civilization built by the paranoid lord of this diseased land, an undead cleric of great power.  The pyramid/temple is a series of levels with traps and tricks to keep the unwanted from finding his home.  Through these halls there will be many and various undead keeping enemies from entering where they should not.  In the final room of the final level, you will find the cleric’s final resting place, where he has rested for thousands of years.  He will be intent on getting his revenge on these interlopers.  In his library are various tomes of evil power, including the book of vile deeds.  

The last item of power is found in a sunken fortress below the surface of the water somewhere in the ocean between the two continents.  This fortress used to float through the sky, but it was damaged in the fight between Sarokheyl, King Cuthbert, Lord Moradin, and Queen Varentia.  It was Sarokheyl's center of operations long ago.  Against an altar in this fortress the Talisman of Ultimate evil rests.  This item of power has attracted and corrupted a Kraken.  The Kraken now calls the fallen fortress its home.

[tal_1173]

I stole most of these rules from various places on the internet...

House Rules
1.Be courteous to all other players & the DM.
2.The DM’s word is the final word. Mistakes in rules will be corrected after the game.
3.When there is role-playing going on, don’t break the mood!
4.Remain "in Character" as much as possible.
5.Contribute your best to the game, don’t be a distraction.
6.No player may reference the Manuals (except the Players Manual, of course) during the game.
7.No rolls may be made ahead of time.
8.Avoid non-game conversations, and only leave the table when necessary.

Character Creation Rules
1.All characters will start at 1st level and use one of my stat lines.
2.This is a game for neutral or good characters only.
3.All classes and races must be chosen from the Players Manual.
4.Starting gold is the max of the calculation stated in the Players Manual,
5.There must be a good mix of classes in the party!  A tank, a cleric, a rogue and an arcane spellcaster are essential.  After these slots are filled, other classes can be chosen.
6.All characters must be able to act in melee and ranged battles.
7.All characters should be able to trust each other with their lives.  
8.Everything needs to be written down on your character sheet.
9.You must make two backup characters and they must always be one level lower then your current character (minimum of level 1).  
10.You must play with your current character until the end of the adventure/story arc or until your character dies during play.  Suicidal actions will result is 50% XP loss for your next character.
11.Spend GP wisely, ask if you need help.  Your backup characters automatically get GP for their new level, so buy stuff for them too.
12.There will be some encounters that will be too tough for your group to win through battle.  Know when to fight!  Know when to run away!  Know when to talk!

[Mourngrymn]

Cuthbert and Moradin seem very familiar names to me.

[tal_1173]

They should(could) seem familiar, they are two of the gods listed in the D&D books.  I am using their ascension to the divine as a backdrop in the story.  I am assuming that everyone has played D&D, and perhaps that is not correct.

[tal_1173]

Another hand-out for my players

Society’s view
These people are as normal and common as fighters and clerics of St. Cuthbert.  They serve more specific purposes as compared to fighters and barbarians however.  The people generally respect these people, but sometimes higher level monks are a bit scary and seem almost otherworldly.
   
Role in Society and organization
One of the most powerful and important organizations in the Kingdom of Orentia is the Arm of the Law, or just "The Arm".  These men and women are charged with finding and bringing to justice those who have fled their proper judgment.  Some are adept at not being noticed in a crowd of people.  Some are adept of not being seen at all.  The ranking system with the Arm is based on ability and age.  Wisdom is highly valued in these groups.
   
Rogues also serve very well as spies and scouts.  These men and women are very important to the future prosecution of the coming war.  Rank is gained the same way any soldier gains rank in the military.  

Some monks decide to live in seclusion learning more about themselves and their god through self discipline and meditation.  These groups of men and/or women living in monasteries can mainly be found peppered in the southeastern region of Orentia.  Rank and power are not the goal of these people, but the older and wiser a monk is, the more respect they generally receive.

[tal_1173]

Fighters, Barbarians, and Paladins

Society’s view   
The fighter is the most common class in a militaristic society.  These men and women form of the backbone of the army and its command structure.  The other classes often serve the same purpose, but are less common in this nation.  The people of the Kingdom are very comfortable with these members of society since almost everyone has at least one of the people in the family.  The barbarian’s undisciplined ways are generally misunderstood.  

Organization
The military structure is based on the combination of experience, knowledge, and raw ability.  Anyone can move up the ranks of military and achieve great power and responsibility, but still be under the command of royalty.    The command structure starts with the king himself, followed by the Duke of Palatia, then the council of generals, and on down to the lowest rank of soldier.  A soldier increases rank by proving himself to be capable of greater responsibility.

Role in Society
There are other ways these people can serve their country than just as a soldier in the army.  They can work as city guards, body guards, caravan escorts, or even if they are found worthy, members of special strike teams.  Paladins often find a place to serve along side the clerics of St. Cuthbert, but often their desire for good can rub against the desire for justice inside a cleric of St. Cuthbert.

[tal_1173]

These are some plot arcs that will be offered to the players to deal with when the game begins.  These are only the very opening plot arcs, I have more in mind for later.  When this ** appears the plot described is part of the main “stop Vecnaâ€? plot line.  These plot arcs will not all be offered all at once or even in one or two game sessions.


These plot arcs will be offered through the Guard captain.

**Investigate the murder of a ranger and his son.

Escort a caravan of tax money from Thorpe to Palatia.

Escort a caravan of lumber from Thorpe to Palatia.

Escort a caravan of supplies from Palatia back to Thorpe.

Investigate bandit activity along the road to Palatia.  The royal leader of the town of Thorpe is actually the leader of these bandits.

Investigate a story of large wolves attacking travelers and animal flocks.

Investigate the disappearance of local children.  (Large spiders took them when they were playing too far from home.)

Assist the Arm in the arrest of a dangerous criminal.


These plot arcs will be offered through rumors and other means.

Investigate the story of an ancient and dangerous tomb to the northeast of
Thorpe.

**While investigating another plot arc, the players discover hobgoblin tracks in the area.  These tracks are leading to the small outpost of Aurn. Defend Aurn from destruction and track more hobgoblins toward Thorpe.  There also seem to be ghouls involved.  Defend Thorpe and stop a scary man in black armour (blackguard).  This is a tough encounter, this will occur after the players have leveled up a few times.

Determine why no one is allowed inside the monastery near Thorpe.

**Capture the black robed figure who destroyed a collection of books in Thorpe.

[tal_1173]

After you have read the descriptions of both Orentia and Thalas you will see these two nations are very different in their outlooks.  At some point I am hoping that my players will decide to leave Orentia and adventure in Thalas at least for a while.  I would like the characters to experience culture shock.  Could you offer me ideas of ways to offer my characters opportunities to role play this experience?

[tal_1173]

The school I work at has increased the filtering on their internet server.  So, the frequency of my posting is going to greatly decrease because I can no longer access this website during my lunch break:(.  I really enjoy learning from all of you, and still intend to post perhaps weekly.  Until I am able to buy a computer I will not be able to be on the website very often.

[Mourngrymn]

That is too bad tal... I have been enjoying reading your work.

[tal_1173]

In an ancient catacomb used by the indigenous races of hobgoblins and others, an evil follower of Sarokheyl obeys the orders given her by her undead god.  Sarokheyl has ordered Aranea (the necromancer) to send her ghouls with groups of goblins and hobgoblins to flush out the heroes of the Kingdom of Orentia.  A small group of heroes disrupted Sarokheyls plans many years ago, and now he wishes to stop their interference before it starts.  Once their identities are known they are either to be killed or turned against their former lords and follow Sarokheyl.  Within this catacomb is a circle of teleport that connects to the fortress of Grom far to the north.  Groups of goblinoids arrive weekly to cause chaos in Orentia.

Aranea's plans:
Send small groups of goblinoids with a few ghouls to raid supply trains taking supplies to the northern army/cavalry base and the northern line of watch towers.  

Send small groups south of Thorpe to raid caravans of merchants going north and south.  Also, raid the caravans carrying tax money south.

Send a larger group to destroy the smaller outposts of Aurn and Thom.  These raids will be led by her cohort, blackguard level 3 ranger level 6.  He has poisoned arrows fired from a magical composite longbow and a poisoned magical long sword. If the Blackguard comes into contact with the players at one or both of these raids, he is to avoid killing them.  Attempt to humiliate, scare, and wound them.  Possibly sunder their weapons and or armour.

Send a larger group supplied with catapults to destroy Thorpe.  This will also be led by the blackguard.  

Prepare for the coming invasion of Orentia and Thalas.  Serve as the commander of the undead legions joining in this raid.  Her authority within  the warhost will be one step below Grom as ordered by Sarokheyl.  If she survives to see the war, she will attain four more levels of true necromancer.  Her Black guard will serve as the field general of the undead legions.

[tal_1173]

In planning the war section of my campaign world, I will need to think through many things...

How the role of the players be determined? How will this be organized?
Right now I am planning on them being a strike team under the command of a strike team general who is under the command the army general.  Within the strike team general's tent, there will be a list of tasks for the various strike teams to choose from.  Some of the tasks are more dangerous than others, and some of them are more important than others.  At times the general will order various strike teams to complete certain missions, but he allows his teams to choose the tasks that are best fitted their group's abilities and current condition.  This would allow the players to choose to an 'easy' guard duty and be able to rest and heal after carrying out a more difficult mission.

What missions with the players be offered to complete?

More dangerous missions
Take out enemy artiliary
Take out enemy commanders behind the lines
Take out enemy leaders within the enemy combatants
Take out enemy snipers
Lead the stike against enemy positions protected by dangerous creatures.
Free prisoners being held behind enemy lines
Take out the scary creature ripping through our front line
Turn back an enemy charge
Protect our leader(s) from an enemy attack(s)
Infiltrate enemy ranks to learn specified things.
Lead a large outflanking maneuver.
Destroy the enemy dragon.
Fight enemy troops at the line.

Somewhat dangerous missions
Do some reconnaissance to determine where the enemy is getting their supplies or reinforcements, or hold their weapons, etc.
Attack enemy supply lines
Poison enemy water supplies
Find and destroy enemy detachment(s) that have snuck past our lines.

Less dangerous missions
Protect our supply lines
Patrol our camp
Guard duty of magic supplies, leaders, etc.
Escort caravans of supplies, dignitaries, etc.
Go ask for more reinforcements from Palatia, the capital, and Thalas.

What groups of enemies will the players confront?
I have a list of Twenty different groups of troops that include a leader, 8 to ten normal low level soldiers, and a specialist like a cleric or something.

I have a list of fifteen smaller groups of tougher soldiers like three ogres supported by an ogre mage.

I have a list of thirty single monsters including dragons, hydra, etc.

I have a list of ten different cavalry platoons including Worg riders, hobgoblins on horses, etc..

The players would never fight all of these enemies, but they will hear about most of them.  Other strike group(s) might take on the dragon while they fight a hobgoblin leader and his platoon.


I have lots more questions to answer, but this is the extent of my plans right now.