Strange Aeons
"In the face of the incomprehensible forces of the Great Old Ones, mortals stand on the brink of an abyss of despair. The awareness of their insignificance in the grand scheme of the cosmos weighs upon the soul like a leaden shroud. When the stars align in a sinister constellation and reality begins to warp under the influence of unimaginable powers, what can these ephemeral beings possibly do?
Yet, in the darkness of this hopelessness, a spark of resistance flickers. Instead of sinking into nihilism, mortals must turn their gaze to the present, like a beacon guiding the way through the stormy ocean of chaos. Every day becomes a battlefield, where the schemes of ancient cults can be thwarted and the creeping influence of blasphemous deities pushed back.
In the labyrinth of shadows, enemies of flesh and blood lurk—cultists, mad scientists, corrupt aristocrats—foes who can be struck down with steel and fire. Though the return of the Great Old Ones seems as inevitable as the twilight of day, each victory over their servants is a stone cast into the gears of the cosmic clock, delaying the coming of the dark hour.
For beings whose lives are but the blink of an eye in the face of eternity, every moment wrested from the claws of chaos is a triumph. Hundreds, even thousands of years of postponed doom—is that not a victory worthy of those who measure time by the beating of their own hearts?
Or perhaps... perhaps all of this is merely an illusion, whispered by ancient beings to lull mortals into complacency. Maybe some brave souls will uncover the truth—that the fate of the universe is not yet sealed, and in their hands lies the key to true salvation. Only they can tear apart the veil of lies and find the path to an unforeseen destiny."
- from "The Whispers of the Time" by Prof. Anatol Varkov, Lepidstadt University.
Hello, this is Tzunamy!
I’ve been around for a while and finally decided it’s time to propose a campaign of my own—one I’d love to invite you to join. Since I’m a big fan of horror and the works of H.P. Lovecraft, I’ve chosen to run Strange Aeons, a campaign deeply inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos.
Although the original adventure was written for Pathfinder, I’m not very experienced with that system—so I’ll be running it using the well-known and beloved D&D 5e rules (with a few tweaks).
Without further ado, I invite you to read on!
Basic Game Info
System: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (OG)
Setting: Adaptation of the Pathfinder adventure path "Strange Aeons”
Themes: Cosmic horror, madness and sanity, cult conspiracies, dreams and reality, forbidden knowledge,
Tone: Dark, gritty, surreal, paranoid, eerie, introspective, and unsettling. It blends psychological horror with a slow descent into cosmic dread.
Posting frequency: 1-2 posts per week
Optional rules: Feats, multiclassing, cover, flanking, grid maps, buying/selling magical items, Tasha's class/race options, custom backgrounds,
About the Campaign
Players awaken in a mysterious asylum with no memories of their past. You will uncover the secrets of your identity, battle madness, and confront ancient deities from beyond reality. As you explore the dark corners of the world, you’ll encounter unspeakable horrors and truths capable of breaking even the strongest minds.
The primary objective of the first book In Search of Sanity is to uncover what is happening and escape from Briarstone Asylum—a task that will be neither easy nor straightforward. If you enjoy the claustrophobic atmosphere of old mental hospitals, solving mysteries, and, above all, immersive roleplay, then you’ve come to the right place. You don’t need to know the setting at all—in fact, by default, your character has amnesia, so even those unfamiliar with Golarion will have no trouble fitting into the adventure. You can always expand your knowledge of the world as you play, but it’s not required.
Main Theme
The central theme of the campaign is the search for identity and the struggle against madness. Your characters will face cosmic horrors that threaten both their minds and souls. As you uncover the truth behind your forgotten past, you’ll be faced with choices that could determine the fate of the entire world.
Key Elements of the Game
- Psychological Horror: The campaign emphasizes elements of psychological horror, including lost memories, disturbing dreams, and enigmatic cults.
- Puzzles and Investigation: Strange Aeons features numerous puzzles, hidden clues, and detective-style gameplay. Players will need to solve complex mysteries and uncover secrets buried deep in the story.
- Confronting Cosmic Horror: The campaign introduces incomprehensible entities and ancient gods that the players must ultimately confront.
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Balanced Party: It’s important to create a well-rounded group capable of handling both combat and investigation. A mix of skills will be essential to survive.
Campaign Goal
The heroes must prevent a cataclysm threatening all of Golarion by uncovering the truth of their past and confronting cosmic forces seeking to unmake the world. Along the way, they’ll face terrifying revelations that test their sanity—and ultimately challenge the Prime Evil threatening to bring doom to existence itself.
World and Setting
The campaign takes place in Golarion and beginning in Ustalav, a horror-themed region reminiscent of Ravenloft. Your characters awaken in Briarstone Asylum, a place full of dark secrets. With no memories of how they got there, they must uncover the truth behind their presence and survive the horrors lurking in the shadows.
Tone and Style
This is a dark, atmospheric campaign steeped in cosmic horror and mystery. I expect players to help build an immersive atmosphere filled with tension, dread, and uncertainty. Prepare for intense emotions, unsettling scenes and difficult moral choices.
Campaign Length and Posting Frequency
This will be a long-term campaign. I plan to post every 4 days so players will have 4 days to respond. Please stay engaged and reply regularly to keep the game flowing.
Number of Players
Four to six. Some player attrition is to be expected, so a strong core group will help keep the campaign stable and enjoyable for everyone.
What kind of players am I looking for?
Mature, emotionally engaged players who can immerse themselves in their character and the atmosphere of the session. This is not a game for someone who will constantly joke around when the mood is meant to encourage unease or even fear through roleplay. I expect responsible players who can make independent decisions and act rationally rather than recklessly throwing their character’s life away. In my game, death is final—there are no respawns with the same XP and equipment. This means choices should be made with careful consideration.
Trigger warnings
This campaign includes themes of:
- Violence and death (including children and animals)
- Body horror
- Psychoactive substances
- Mutilation of corpses
- Nightmares related to traumatic events
- Torture
- Mental illnesses and trauma
So if you are sensitive to any of these things, please do not apply.
Combat
Google Drawings will primarily be used for battle maps, allowing you to move character tokens. During combat, I expect at least one post per day in the Combat thread to keep things moving smoothly.
- Players roll for themselves.
- I roll for NPCs and enemies.
- I tend to generally follow the rules but sometimes bending them for awarding creative strategies and roleplay focused ideas.
Posts length
I don’t expect essays, but posts should contribute meaningfully to the story. Try to end posts with an open action when possible. This game will be especially enjoyable for players who like to write and like deep immersion in both their character and the world.
The recruitment deadline is June 27, 2025, midnight (GMT).
I reserve the right to close recruitment early if I receive enough strong character submissions.
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