Game: D&D 5e Group type: Online (paid) Pricing: $15 per player per session (Session 0 is FREE) Experience: Open to All. Beginner friendly! Timezone: US Central Time (CDT) Schedule:Session 0 on Sun, May 12, 2024, 5:00 PM CDT Roles sought: Players (4-6) Game style: A Grimdark campaign that will take you from 1st to 20th level. It is highly recommended to have a detailed backstory, since I absolutely LOVE weaving those into the plot. We also will be using Spell Points instead of Spell Slots, because the former makes magic way more fun and dynamic. GAME LINK: https://startplaying.games/adventure/clvsu9v1n000jvb4g2siswqi2
The Land grows cold. The crops are failing. War presses in on all sides as the Empire rages against the dying of the light.
But the little town of Gastow has no interest in such things. War is a distant concept, and the only struggle the peasantry has to worry about is if the next harvest will be successful. You've lived in this town for years, under the rule of the kindly old Baron Van Dyre. Nothing all that interesting has happened... Until now.
Three young women have gone missing over the past week, and the locals are quick to point fingers at each other, making vague accusations of "witchcraft" and "devilry". Meanwhile, the Baron has imposed a strict curfew and declared martial law in an attempt to prevent more disappearances.
The Town Guard are at their wits' end, and the Sheriff is looking for whatever help he can find.
The Empire of Caliban is the single largest human civilization in the known world. Spanning most of the continent of Caliban, the Empire consists of over a dozen smaller human kingdoms united under the rule of the Veiled Emperor, a mysterious and seemingly immortal archmage. For nine hundred years, the Empire has stood as a bastion of peace and security for humanity, elves, and dwarves, but it was not always thus.
A thousand years ago, Caliban was ruled by dragons. Humankind lived in slavery and fear, at the mercy both of their draconic masters and the wandering bands of orcs and goblinoids. Then, one day, He who is Veiled came down from heaven and started a revolution that changed the course of history. In a great war spanning over a century, humanity rose to power, and the dragons fled to the forgotten places of the world. Indeed, many of the largest Imperial cities are in fact built on the ruins of draconic ones, and ancient wonders built by the dragons still dot the landscape, fallen to ruin or repurposed by humanity for their own goals.
After the rise of the Veiled Emperor, humankind turned its wrath to the orcs and goblinoids who'd been plaguing them for millennia. With help from the elves and dwarves, the Empire waged numerous campaigns to expand its borders, banishing their enemies to the eastern wastelands between the Empire and the Shiang Dynasty (the second largest human empire). The two human nations coordinate their efforts to keep the orcs at bay, but goblins persist in the deep places, where they continue to be a threat to those seeking treasure in caves and long-abandoned dwarven mines.
In recent years, the Empire of Caliban is on a slow decline, though many remain in denial of that fact. With the constant Orc Wars on the eastern border and the looming threat of the Necromancers in the north and the Daevite Sorcerer-Kings to the south, the Imperial army is stretched thin. And rumors, though difficult to verify, seem to indicate that the Veiled One himself is slowly falling to madness and magical corruption.
Indeed, the only light in the darkness of the failing Empire is the Church of Heru. This monotheistic religion rapidly took the Empire by storm not long after its founding, and has been a pillar of Imperial civilization for many centuries. Even now, they work to maintain the balance of power, mitigating corruption wherever they can and preserving history in the name of the Lord of Light.
But alas, even they are beginning at last to falter.
"And so it was that the Lord of Light brought forth the sun and moons into the sky to give light to the world, and populated the sky with stars. By their light, he made the world safe from the demons of the dark. And he made the four seasons, so that the world would know rest and rebirth. And when he was done, Heru rested." - Liber Divinorum: Book of Creation 1:32-34
The Church of Heru, the state religion of the Empire of Caliban, is a monotheistic faith with a strict hierarchy. The foremost authority within the Church is the Ecclesiarch, followed by the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. There are also many religious orders within the Church's ranks, including friars, monks, sisters, and Militant Orders. The Church of Heru is well known for its mostly philanthropic values, but is not immune to internal corruption. It is the job of the Militant Orders to seek out and purge this corruption, so that the Church can be kept holy.
There have been numerous heresies that have left the Church divided in recent years, and many of the Militant Orders often find themselves embroiled in armed conflict with particularly aggressive heretics.
Known Heresies within the Church:
Pluralism:Argues that other gods do exist, but serve a purpose under Heru as his servants. These "gods" would be seen as minor compared to Heru, and would thus be subject to his will.
Oneism: A similar concept to Pluralism, Oneism argues that all gods, including Heru, are merely aspects of a greater being, whose identity remains unknown.
Freimagism: Advocates for a less restrictive view on arcane magic.Freimagism is popular among mages and occultists who consider themselves Herunian.
Neosündism:Believers claim that everyone is inherently evil, and advocate for strict penance and physical pain as a method of purifying oneself. Neosündist extremists are one of the more dangerous threats to the Church, as they often commit violent acts against others in the name of "cleansing" them.
Lore: The Old Gods (Great Old Ones)
"Before the sun burned hot in the sky, and before our race was born, the Old Ones walked the Earth.The Old Ones where, the Old Ones are, the Old Ones will ever be." - Attributed to the forest witch Alte Hügelmutter.
Often worshipped by Druids and Warlocks, the Old Gods are truly ancient beings. They have been around since before the dawn of time, and their worshippers believe they created the world. Human concepts like "good" and "evil" do not apply to them, for they are as high above humans as humans are above ants. Those who worship them do so with a healthy amount of respect, for it is generally unwise to trifle with such powerful entities without just cause.
The Old Gods care more for nature than they do for the affairs of mortals, but often grant powerful boons to those who promise to protect their domains.
Names of the Old Gods:
Shath-Addah: Mother of Forests. Patron of animals, plants, and forest ecosystems.
Shadranosh: Father under the Mountains. Patron of caves, volcanoes, and the underdark.
Hadditha: Keeper of Secrets. Patron of knowledge and magic.
Adazath: Watcher between the Stars. Patron of celestial phenomenon.
Sha-Bethagg: Lord of the Deep. Patron of the sea.
Gloiganath: Gardener of Pestilence. Patron of death, entropy, disease, and healers.
Ythoniath: The Doom who Sleeps. Basically Cthulhu.
Sha-Hadrath: He of Many Faces. Trickster God (think Loki but more Lovecraftian).
Check out my profile on StartPlaying.games! https://startplaying.games/gm/a-random-cogboy
Game: D&D 5e
Group type: Online (paid)
Pricing: $15 per player per session (Session 0 is FREE)
Experience: Open to All. Beginner friendly!
Timezone: US Central Time (CDT)
Schedule: Session 0 on Sun, May 12, 2024, 5:00 PM CDT
Roles sought: Players (4-6)
Game style: A Grimdark campaign that will take you from 1st to 20th level. It is highly recommended to have a detailed backstory, since I absolutely LOVE weaving those into the plot. We also will be using Spell Points instead of Spell Slots, because the former makes magic way more fun and dynamic.
GAME LINK: https://startplaying.games/adventure/clvsu9v1n000jvb4g2siswqi2
The Land grows cold. The crops are failing. War presses in on all sides as the Empire rages against the dying of the light.
But the little town of Gastow has no interest in such things. War is a distant concept, and the only struggle the peasantry has to worry about is if the next harvest will be successful. You've lived in this town for years, under the rule of the kindly old Baron Van Dyre. Nothing all that interesting has happened... Until now.
Three young women have gone missing over the past week, and the locals are quick to point fingers at each other, making vague accusations of "witchcraft" and "devilry". Meanwhile, the Baron has imposed a strict curfew and declared martial law in an attempt to prevent more disappearances.
The Town Guard are at their wits' end, and the Sheriff is looking for whatever help he can find.
Lore: The Empire
The Empire of Caliban is the single largest human civilization in the known world. Spanning most of the continent of Caliban, the Empire consists of over a dozen smaller human kingdoms united under the rule of the Veiled Emperor, a mysterious and seemingly immortal archmage. For nine hundred years, the Empire has stood as a bastion of peace and security for humanity, elves, and dwarves, but it was not always thus.
A thousand years ago, Caliban was ruled by dragons. Humankind lived in slavery and fear, at the mercy both of their draconic masters and the wandering bands of orcs and goblinoids. Then, one day, He who is Veiled came down from heaven and started a revolution that changed the course of history. In a great war spanning over a century, humanity rose to power, and the dragons fled to the forgotten places of the world. Indeed, many of the largest Imperial cities are in fact built on the ruins of draconic ones, and ancient wonders built by the dragons still dot the landscape, fallen to ruin or repurposed by humanity for their own goals.
After the rise of the Veiled Emperor, humankind turned its wrath to the orcs and goblinoids who'd been plaguing them for millennia. With help from the elves and dwarves, the Empire waged numerous campaigns to expand its borders, banishing their enemies to the eastern wastelands between the Empire and the Shiang Dynasty (the second largest human empire). The two human nations coordinate their efforts to keep the orcs at bay, but goblins persist in the deep places, where they continue to be a threat to those seeking treasure in caves and long-abandoned dwarven mines.
In recent years, the Empire of Caliban is on a slow decline, though many remain in denial of that fact. With the constant Orc Wars on the eastern border and the looming threat of the Necromancers in the north and the Daevite Sorcerer-Kings to the south, the Imperial army is stretched thin. And rumors, though difficult to verify, seem to indicate that the Veiled One himself is slowly falling to madness and magical corruption.
Indeed, the only light in the darkness of the failing Empire is the Church of Heru. This monotheistic religion rapidly took the Empire by storm not long after its founding, and has been a pillar of Imperial civilization for many centuries. Even now, they work to maintain the balance of power, mitigating corruption wherever they can and preserving history in the name of the Lord of Light.
But alas, even they are beginning at last to falter.
Lore: the Church of Heru
"And so it was that the Lord of Light brought forth the sun and moons into the sky to give light to the world, and populated the sky with stars. By their light, he made the world safe from the demons of the dark. And he made the four seasons, so that the world would know rest and rebirth. And when he was done, Heru rested." - Liber Divinorum: Book of Creation 1:32-34
The Church of Heru, the state religion of the Empire of Caliban, is a monotheistic faith with a strict hierarchy. The foremost authority within the Church is the Ecclesiarch, followed by the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. There are also many religious orders within the Church's ranks, including friars, monks, sisters, and Militant Orders. The Church of Heru is well known for its mostly philanthropic values, but is not immune to internal corruption. It is the job of the Militant Orders to seek out and purge this corruption, so that the Church can be kept holy.
There have been numerous heresies that have left the Church divided in recent years, and many of the Militant Orders often find themselves embroiled in armed conflict with particularly aggressive heretics.
Known Heresies within the Church:
Pluralism: Argues that other gods do exist, but serve a purpose under Heru as his servants. These "gods" would be seen as minor compared to Heru, and would thus be subject to his will.
Oneism: A similar concept to Pluralism, Oneism argues that all gods, including Heru, are merely aspects of a greater being, whose identity remains unknown.
Freimagism: Advocates for a less restrictive view on arcane magic. Freimagism is popular among mages and occultists who consider themselves Herunian.
Neosündism: Believers claim that everyone is inherently evil, and advocate for strict penance and physical pain as a method of purifying oneself. Neosündist extremists are one of the more dangerous threats to the Church, as they often commit violent acts against others in the name of "cleansing" them.
Lore: The Old Gods (Great Old Ones)
"Before the sun burned hot in the sky, and before our race was born, the Old Ones walked the Earth.The Old Ones where, the Old Ones are, the Old Ones will ever be." - Attributed to the forest witch Alte Hügelmutter.
Often worshipped by Druids and Warlocks, the Old Gods are truly ancient beings. They have been around since before the dawn of time, and their worshippers believe they created the world. Human concepts like "good" and "evil" do not apply to them, for they are as high above humans as humans are above ants. Those who worship them do so with a healthy amount of respect, for it is generally unwise to trifle with such powerful entities without just cause.
The Old Gods care more for nature than they do for the affairs of mortals, but often grant powerful boons to those who promise to protect their domains.
Names of the Old Gods:
Shath-Addah: Mother of Forests. Patron of animals, plants, and forest ecosystems.
Shadranosh: Father under the Mountains. Patron of caves, volcanoes, and the underdark.
Hadditha: Keeper of Secrets. Patron of knowledge and magic.
Adazath: Watcher between the Stars. Patron of celestial phenomenon.
Sha-Bethagg: Lord of the Deep. Patron of the sea.
Gloiganath: Gardener of Pestilence. Patron of death, entropy, disease, and healers.
Ythoniath: The Doom who Sleeps. Basically Cthulhu.
Sha-Hadrath: He of Many Faces. Trickster God (think Loki but more Lovecraftian).