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(Clear Night by Dominik Mayer)

Dear Esteemed D&D Beyond Community,

Hello, Everyone!

I am Skyrider, a dungeon master, a writer, and an actor from South Korea. It is my pleasure to meet you through this forum. I hope the end of the season finds you well. Autumn has just arrived where I live, and so is the time to present a one-shot that potentially develops into a new campaign. Depending on how well this post is received and how well the group is formed, the game could go either way.

If you are looking for an adventurer of a lifetime that offers rewarding storytelling, a bonding party experience, and everything else that makes D&D great, you have come to the right place. Being a great DM and storyteller is one of my greatest aspirations, and together, we will share some of the most memorable moments in our lives.

Today, I present you the world of The Riders' Tales, based on the title of my novel. The setting has been developed over twenty years, so I can guarantee its immersive authenticity. Arthurian Romance, the book of Revelation, and its Four Horsemen of Apocalypse have inspired the making of this campaign. The players will explore rich character development themes throughout the journey through trials of courage, honor, and heroism. The game genres are high fantasy, epic questlines, dungeon crawl, mystery/intrigue, and sandbox exploration.

In a world where the prophecized end is nigh at the hands of the infamous Riders, a hero king arose to face them; his name was Atlas the Lion of Albion. Should the ancient gods’ creation, the Key of Eden, fall to their ends, the mortal realm’s fate would be plunged into chaos. Atlas and his loyal knights fought relentlessly against impossible odds. In the end, however, the Lion King’s crusade ended in his defeat, for his beloved son and champion betrayed him. The defect prince pledged himself to his father’s nemesis, the Sunrider Cariel, and was reborn as the Rider of War.

Now, Albion is on the brink of destruction; its people are like an unprotected flock beset by hungry wolves. Shortly after the king's passing, the Riders’ influence already looms over the kingdom. Culture and technology from the outer world render traditional lifestyles expendable. The old days when faith and chivalry kept society in check are gone as the new wave of capitalism and industrialization rears its head into the realm. Money is the new god, and Albion owes much of it to their enemies. The Riders will only grow in power if the kingdom does not pay off its war debt.

Nonetheless, the timeless thrills of adventure await you. What role will you play in the grand weaving of destiny? Will you be the hero who will deliver Albion from the clutches of the Riders, or will you watch the world burn around you? The choice is yours; all you need to do is to begin the journey.

The young elder Maggins of Halfling Hills have requested your party to escort a peculiar cargo to the eastward town of Helldent. The task seems simple enough, but the elder refused to elaborate anything about the carried content. Should what is inside the cargo be counterfeit, you will undoubtedly incur the wrath of the iron-handed Sheriff Hammerhand and face judgment of the law. But the reward for completing the task is one hundred gold pieces- enough to start your adventuring career. 

The roads of Albion are full of danger: bandits, beasts, and corrupt soldiers… While the elder’s halfling caravan is familiar with such perils, there goes a worrisome rumor about the strange mist that started appearing across the kingdom. Travelers from outside the town claim that those lost to this mist never returned and pled with you to stay within the safety of the walls until the fog clears out. With the sky growing darker by the day, everyone has grown too afraid to take action. What, O adventurers, will you do?

World Anvil Lore Articles

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/the-worlds-article?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/tidal-astra-location?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/the-pride-wardens-organization?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/the-war-of-keys-militaryConflict?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/the-state-of-albion-plot?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/the-hero-s-game-article?preview=true?

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/han-s-world-euphie-s-boss/a/rider-profile-3A-the-sunrider-person

Here is the list of what you can expect from me:

I am kind and understanding. If you ever struggle with the game or other matters interrupting you from having a good time, I will be there for you and support you in the best ways possible.

I am dedicated. I always put my players first and ensure they have the best experience possible from our time together. I consistently work to improve my skills by seeking feedback from other DMs and writers, putting in hours a week to perfect the campaign, and going to various ends to meet the players’ needs for character development. I will run games for you every week with a passionate heart as long as there is no urgent interference.

I am creative. My players report that they are often surprised by clever plot twists or fall in love with likable NPCs. My creativity and imagination allow me to provide endless entertainment for the players, who, in turn, become deeply immersed in the world and invested in their characters. This also means you will face a challenging campaign that will test your wits and wisdom to survive or thrive.

I am inquisitive. I ask hard questions of life through the medium of Dungeons and Dragons. Your characters will face moral dilemmas, and their decisions will ultimately accumulate to shape their fate and that of the world. What is a good story without impactful consequences?

I am collaborative. You will not find the rules to be constricting in my game. I will work with you to find a comfortable balance between structure and fun. Bring your ideas, and we will make what works best for your gaming experience.

Here are my expectations from you:

Be kind and understanding. As much as we may all wish it, we do not live in a perfect world, and sometimes, it is not enough to ask a group to rely on common sense. Please be mature adults who respect each member’s limits and boundaries. I have been taken advantage of due to my caring personality. I do not wish to repeat such an experience and will not tolerate bullying of any kind in the group. Please try to accept each other’s differences, as they are expected to do the same for you.

Communicate. Please remember to talk to me or to each other to have a smooth and civil game experience. We all have seen cases when incompatible interests compete to win over the game, and we all know that this is not a good outcome because this breaks the group. When you want to accomplish something, please communicate the matter to the party members and ask for their cooperation. Good communication makes the difference between petty infighting and long-term friendship. Give everyone a chance to shine, and let’s help each other to make their story come to life because we are in this together.

Be consistent. I switched to running a paid game primarily because of a lack of player participation. Please only join the game if you plan to set aside at least a few hours a week and stay attentive to the game’s flow. We only get out as much as we put in, and I want our experience from this campaign to be mutually rewarding. I put in a lot of work to make every session count, so seeing the love for this campaign reciprocated by the players will be incredibly encouraging.

What can you expect from the Game?

I will charge $9 per weekly three-hour session and an extra $3 per additional hour. I have tried to DM a free version of this campaign for many years but was ultimately disappointed in the players' lack of commitment. The payment is to see whether you are genuinely interested in participating in this game. I already spend more to improve the quality of your experience(maps, subscriptions, books…, etc.) than I will make here. Please submit all payments through PayPal.

The session day and time/length will be decided as a group. Depending on the players ' wishes, the starting level will be 1~3(most likely to be 3) up to 20+, and the stats will also be rolled as a group(preferably 72 or reasonably higher). We will play on Roll20 or Foundry system in combination with D&DBeyond. These and other necessary logistics will be discussed in session zero, so please attend the event.  Once you get a callback, we will have a short voice interview to finalize the details. Be ready to answer questions about how you see yourself in a party and the world of the Riders’ Tale.

My deepest thanks to everyone who has taken an interest and read up to this point. Please fill out the format in the comment section and shoot me a private message. Tell me about yourself and present an idea for the character you wish to play. I am looking for applicants who know the kind of story or theme they want to tell through their characters’ journeys. For additional context, I will put down the links to my World Anvil lore articles. I would also like to know your availability and respective time zones, so please include those in your DMs. Please feel free to ask any questions, and I will provide an answer promptly.

Application Format

Time Zone: 

 Experience with D&D 5e: 

 Experience with D&D Beyond/Roll20/Foundry: 

 Character Concept/s: 

 Discord ID:

I eagerly hope to hear back from the brave adventurers of DDB. May your dice always roll criticals.

Cordially,

Skyrider

                    (Dark Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse by Ksenia Svincova)