Myth-Weavers - A Dying Ember: Shades of Delusion

Shades of Delusion
A Dying Ember Campaign
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An old, bloated sun turns in the sky. Its rays fall upon a world covered in thick, roiling clouds, making them glow a deep crimson with its wearied light. Continuous rain and snow fall from these clouds, like drops of blood from an unhealing wound...

The sky is your enemy, the clouds looked upon warily, and sleep is uneasy. This is the world within which you live. For several centuries the great overhead has been feared. Long ago a star fell screaming. There were no warnings. No prophesies. The gods themselves say nothing of it and many took it to mean they were also surprised and no longer worthy of worship. Since then others have streaked across the sky, sometimes several in a year, others separated by scores of years. No one knows when or where the next will fall, but when it does dreams sour and life palls. Many civilizations have fled from open areas to underground, in the deepwood, wherever they can hide from the vengeful gaze above.
Strangely, much good has come of it, like a fire cleansing the underbrush. As such, while there are a great many who now venerate the sky, others simply think it is punishment from the deities. Trade still exists, and fields are sewn, but merchants and farmers are often greatly revered as men of uncommon fiber. A small minority think them men of great vanity, strutting beneath the open sky without proper reverence. Wars are rarely fought as it would mean taking great resources from the safety of the covered cities into view. The common consensus is why war on another when all could be destroyed with but a thought from above.

The main outbreaks of violence come of those from the open moving in on the land of the hidden. Fey creatures have begun to retaliate as mortals push deeper into forbidden sylvan depths. As well, Priests of Ruin are known to mete out punishment to those who venture into the open. They perform raids as warnings or sew complete devastation as an example to others.

It was twenty six years since the last fall, and many had begun to dare hope it was the last. Then three months ago the peace was broken in the middle of the night. A great fireball fell along the coast, destroying the home of the Seven Sages, seers and watchmen for the world. Since this star fell, thousands across the distances have fallen into a sleep so deep that none reawaken. They continuously thrash and scream, as if held in the throes of a nightmare from which they cannot awake. Many have died, while the more hardy can only be nursed as they wither away. Many have begun to change in uncanny and inexplicable ways.

The cult of Ruin has grown bold, attacking even in broad daylight, and fields and villages burn through the land. Many have fought back, however, in particular the roaming merchant city called the Bazaar, or Banzar. Though they have been burnt, kidnapped and murdered, they still move beneath the open sky, trading with the farms turned forts and taking in refugees. They have settled, for one day only, to host a festival and wake for both the living and the dead. A celebration of those who have defied Ruin. A gesture to oppressors that there are still those who will walk where they wish.

These are the events that currently define your life.

NOTE
I have been running this campaign for nearly a year, but am looking to bring in some new blood. This is an edited version of this original thread here that I am reusing.

Character Creation

* 1. What game system are you running?
3.5 D&D at its finest

* 2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be?
A high-RP survival/Lovecraftian-style horror in my own personal homebrew setting. Here is a link to the World Info:
A Dying Ember.

I know its way too much to read in one gulp, but please peruse it and ask me any questions that you may have.

* 3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
I'm looking to take 1-3 as replacements for characters who have had to leave.

I do not wish anyone to know the abilities or nature of the other until they meet in game, so here is where I ask you post questions about your character: Character Discussion Thread.

* 4. What's the gaming medium?
Here on these forums

* 5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
Level 6th

* 6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
13,000 gp, standard for 6th level.

* 7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?

Base Classes
All base classes can be found here. No exceptions from those listed aside from Racial Paragon classes (which are allowed).

Prestige Classes
Prestige classes are allowed, with those made specifically for the setting to be found here.

Official Wizards of the Coast Prestige classes are also allowed, though many will not fit the theme of A Dying Ember. Run them passed me before getting your heart set on it.

There will also be some new PrC's I'll be introducing in the flow of the game that you can pick up, so if you don't feel like specializing just yet I can help you out.

* 8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?

This is a link to a list of allowed races and their details.

To nutshell it:

Human Breeds
- Liccan
- Longhouse
- Imperial
- Poqtian

Human Cross/Sub Races
- Angelican (raptoran)
- Cheval
- Darfellan
- Free People (half-orcs)
- Goliath
- Maenid
- Okilei
- Others (mongrelfolk)
- Shifter
- Somnambul
- Wild Children

Pure Races
- Dwarf
- Glöi
- Kenku
- Trleetrlaa

Other
- Crystal Child
- Nox-Touched

* 9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?

Abilities
4d6, drop lowest die, reroll 1's. Then add in racial modifiers and standard 4th level bonus. If your rolls don't net you at least a 30 point buy, tweak them til they are.

Code
4d6v1r1

Hit Points
Full 1st level, after that roll randomly.

* 10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
There are no alignment restrictions, and in my games paladins do not take hits because of hanging around with evil folks as long as you work towards the greater good. However, if you try to kill each other that's your look out, though you'll find it'd have been best in the long run if you keep the camp numbers up. You'll need one another.

* 11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
As long as you have a backstory to support it, multi-class to your heart's content.

* 12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
I'll roll such things as spot and listen checks and others as I see fit, though all other rolls you may do so.

* 13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Am using the Defence Bonus from Unearthed Arcana.

* 14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
I want the best background you can conjure up. Those who make their background into a story instead of a timeline and impress me will get bonus XP at the beginning of the game.

* 15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
RP is a very important part of my games, with puzzles as well. There will also be no lack of battles, though I expect fights to be RP'd. Something a bit more elaborate than 'I swingeth the sword!'

(I give negative XP to lack of effort :smallwink: )

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
I will also allow any Wizards or Dreamscarred Press material, plus my own homebrew.

Here is a link. Do not use the info in the Dying Ember campaign found in the linked thread, it is obsolete. Use instead the links found at the top of this page.

The DM
Who is the Silkspinner? I'm known by a number of names in the gaming community. You may know me as The Vorpal Tribble from the Wizards of the Coast or Giant in the Playground forums.
The Players
Who are you? I hope you're someone ready to be part of an in depth story and add your own chapter. Someone who loves RP and solving mysteries as much as hack and slash. There are many surprises to be had here, not the least of which is the entire world, and even most encounters, are not to be found in any Monster Manual or Handbook. Not all battles may be solved with might of sword or spell, so make a character for the enjoyment of their play, not their strength and power.