EDIT: Applications are now closed, and we'll be getting back to people who we'd like to talk to more in the next few days. We received a ton of applications for just one spot, so please don't be too discouraged if we don't choose yours. There are definitely more great applications than people we can choose, and I'd like to thank everyone who took the effort to apply!
We’re an established group that’s looking for one additional player to join an ongoing campaign. If you have an itch for character-rich roleplaying in a superhero-esque heroic fantasy setting, we hope this post piques your interest!
It is the year 499. Karlan is on the cusp of celebrating five centuries since the great god Thea, creator of the world, gave the Divine Oath to the Karline people.
The world you know is divided into two very different parts: Karlan, the bastion of civilization, and Mora, the endless and barren desert that surrounds it, Only Thea’s power and the Silver Guard keep the people safe from the beasts that roam beyond the Silver Wall.
But all is not as it seems. This is a story about a group of people who found that the world they live in isn’t as benign or peaceful as they thought, and that underneath the seeming order lies fear, oppression, and a diabolical plan that’s centuries in the making.
Almost no-one in almost five hundred years has seen real magic, let alone learned it for themselves. You and your friends are different. In this world, that makes you powerful heroes - and also in terrible danger.
Karlan is the last of the mortal civilisations, the sole survivor of the collapse of the Age of Unreason. It is composed of one sprawling nation, from the mountainous north to the arid south. Its citizens live simply yet comfortably, eschewing wealth in favour of the greater principle of Divine Harmony. Karline architecture is elegant but built to last: simple, solid walls, spreading and stepped, topped with colourful dwellings in azure blue, sun gold and autumn red. Here and there, pure white Thean church towers look kindly down on the houses and terraced farms, their belfries shuttered against the constant wind.
Here and there, traces of an older, stranger world show through - an indestructible, seamless wall, a path that stays warm and snow-free in winter, a boulevard of perfect trees that glow at night. The Empire calls the time these objects came from the Age of Unreason - an ungodly and chaotic proto-world before the light of Thea saved the mortal races from their own greed. Artifacts from this time are banned and not officially acknowledged to exist, but some of the devices are either indestructible - or too useful and reserved only for use by the state. Such things are maintained by the Apocrypheers, a specialist branch of the Thearchy Practical.
Recent Events
Our story started with three officer cadets of the Silver Guard who were sent on what seemed like a wild goose chase to the northern mountain town of Tor. Sent there to investigate reports of ghosts and strange demons, they enlisted two locals to investigate the mystery. What they found instead was an abandoned temple to an ancient god of the Sun, in which each of the adventurers was gifted with an Anima - a spirit in the shape of a beast or a bird which granted them sudden magical abilities.
They also discovered the scene of a brutal murder, as one of their two locals, along with the owner of the local museum, was slain - seemingly by a foe thought by most to be a ghost story used to frighten children, the Pyraxhi demons.
Slowly our investigators uncovered the truth. In this world, there are creatures with the bloodlines of dragons - Dragonborn, who can turn at will from human to a scaled, draconic form. The Dragonborn live in secret among the people, and have been hunted for centuries by the Pyraxhi - in Draconic, the Flamequenchers.
Now our brave heroes are trying to uncover the truth of what happened to the museum owner’s missing children, what really happened to make the world the way it is,, and why they are having strange, prophetic dreams that speak of momentous events to come.
The Thean Church
Karlan’s Pantheon consists only of one true God - Thea. For practical purposes, however, most churches are dedicated to one of religion’s many saints, and many folk maintain their own shrines to these saints as well as carrying holy medallions to their chosen patron.
Our adventurers have discovered some whispers of the truth about these saints - that before Thea, they may have been gods in their own right, with their true names whispered down the centuries as a long-held secret.
The ten principal saints and their domains are:
Bertelli the Craftsman: Patron of artisans, masons, miners, and smiths.
Branwyne the Huntress: Patron of hunters, fishermen, and sailors.
Richart the Bright: Patron of agriculture, and the harvest.
Amalyne the Wanderer: Patron of adventurers, explorers, and traders.
Isembard the Musician: Patron of beauty, theatre, and musicians.
Agnes the Just: Patron of cities, law, rulers, and architects.
Tabitha the Sage: Patron of knowledge, history, and librarians.
Cyrus the Strong: Patron of soldiers, fighters, and athletes.
Oriel the Solemn: Patron of graveyards and funerals.
Rosalind the Passionate: Patron of marriages, dreams, and lovers.
The Thearchy
The Thearchy is the political and administrative body that runs the Karline empire, based in Alabrachorum. It is headed by the Thearch, Elijah Cromerty, who is the head of the Karline royal family.
The Silver Guard
Overseen by the Thearch and the Thearchy Practical, the Silver Guard are the military of Karlan. As no wars have been fought in almost five hundred years, this is largely a ceremonial function - but the Guard do patrol the Silver Wall and slay the occasional ankheg or giant scorpion that wanders too close to civilization. They also perform a much more practical law enforcement role within Karlan itself.
The Avenger Host are the elite of the Silver Guard, and pre-emptively patrol the barren wilds beyond the wall for nests of more dangerous creatures that might pose a threat.
The Arcadian Seminary
The Seminary is the principal place of learning in Karlan and has records dating back to the founding of the Karline Empire. It is distributed throughout the main cities but its seat, and its head, the Archprelate, reside in Alabrachorum.
The Hushed Library
The Hushed Library is a secret organisation within the Church of St. Tabitha the Sage, which is dedicated to protecting the Dragonborn and preserving banned knowledge about the world. The party are aware of the Hushed Library and are actively assisting it.
Building Your Character
Races of Karlan
Humans are by far the bulk of the population in Karlan.
Some Half-Elves and a few High Elves do also call Karlan home. They are slightly more likely to hold positions of responsibility and privilege due to their long years.
Halflings are tolerated due to their industrious nature. Many are shopkeepers or domestic servants. They are however viewed with suspicion by some, and using their native language is frowned upon.
Dwarves are rare, with one major exception - the underground city of Silberlake. Dwarves are the only ones who can navigate the vast network of caverns under the Eidechsberg, the towering mountain in the north where the Silver Wall begins and ends. They keep much to themselves and their culture is something of a mystery to most Karlines. However, they are relied upon for trade in metals and to patrol the mountainous northern boundary of the Empire, so they are tolerated. Seeing a travelling Dwarven smith or metal trader is not unheard of in Karlan.
Forest creatures like Forest Gnomes and Firbolgs have sometimes been seen in the wilder woods of Karlan, but they are not part of Karline society and few believe they are anything more than a fairy story.
Dragonborn live among the people in utmost secrecy. Some are members of the Hushed Library, some are isolated family groups who do not know about the resistance effort on their behalf. In this setting, Dragonborn are able to transform their appearance at will from human to their Draconic, and are only able to use their breath weapon while transformed. Otherwise, they are mechanically identical.
Other races may exist in the deep places of the world or beyond the Silver Wall. However, they are unknown in Karlan - or ar least, the subject of stories you would tell your children to delight or to terrify. To be one of these folk, you would certainly need to disguise your origin and true nature.
Classes
All published classes and subclasses are playable. The current party composition is: Warlock (Archfey), Wizard (Bladesinging), Artificer (Battle Smith) and Monk (Kensei).
Most Unearthed Arcana content should also be fine, but at the DM’s discretion.
Bonus feat
Each character in this campaign gains a bonus feat at first level. By default, this is Magic Initiate, or another feat that grants the ability to cast at least one spell, such as Telekinetic, Telepathic or Wood Elf Magic.
If you are playing a spellcasting class, you may choose another appropriate feat.
The feat and the spells that you choose should be thematically appropriate to your character’s background and personality.
Alignment and Backstory
Alignment has very little practical consequence in this setting. Your character's individual reputation, however, counts. Broadly speaking, you are "the good guys", but grey areas, complex motivations and shady backgrounds all make for compelling stories!
More importantly: as the game develops, consider your character's motivation for cooperating with your party. This is a team game, and that should constrain your character’s behaviour.
You will also have a better experience in this campaign if you consider carefully what your character’s goals are, and why they are motivated to risk their life to change the world, especially with the odds so heavily stacked against them. Deep in their heart, what is it they want most? And just as importantly, why don’t they have it yet?
Gameplay
Roleplaying
This is a character-focused campaign. This doesn't mean you have to act or do an accent, but you do need to roleplay: specifically, to consider the unique way that your character interacts with the world that’s different to how you would think. You are encouraged to add depth to your character’s backstory over time, and to work with the DM to invent characters, organisations and places that you have a personal relationship with so they can be woven into the story.
You are also strongly encouraged to create your own scenes and situations with your fellow players. Listening to your fellow players, giving them room to speak and practicing "yes, and" at the table are all-important!
Combat
Not every session will contain combat. It will happen as and when it’s realistically created by the story. This also means not every combat encounter will be winnable, so pick your battles and retreat if you have to!
You are encouraged to use diplomacy, to be tactical, and to make every effort to be sneaky and make the fight unfair for your opponents. After all, they might be doing the same to you!
A Note On Magic
In this setting, spellcasting and the creation of magical items are both long-forgotten arts. Your character, however, is not a typical individual. At the start of the campaign, all of you find yourselves gifted with unusual talents. You also know that if the citizens of Karlan knew of your supernatural abilities, they would likely consider you to be a demon. So unless you keep your powers secret, there will likely be consequences!
You can’t buy magic items in this setting, although you will likely get your hands on some during your adventures!
House rules
Character stats are rolled, but a set of stats can be discarded if the total of the ability scores is less than 72
HP is rolled on level up, but can be re-rolled if you roll a one
Checking for traps can generally use perception or investigation - your choice
Stealth rolls are made at a point where the character can be discovered
Drinking a potion is a bonus action, not an action
Housekeeping
Sessions are Sundays, 5pm UTC, for approximately 4 hours. (6pm UK/Ireland, 7pm Central Europe, 1pm US Eastern).
New characters will start at level 4.
We'll be playing over voice via Discord, using Roll20's virtual tabletop and D&D Beyond's character sheets.
All players should be 18+, have good conversational English, and have a good enough quality microphone to be clearly understandable.
This campaign is LGBTQ+ friendly and welcomes players from all backgrounds.
Consent matters. It's important that everyone at the table knows what content you are and are not comfortable with, and respects your decision about things you do not want to be in the game. If you're in any doubt about whether something you're about to bring to the table is OK, ask your DM and your fellow players first.
EDIT: Applications are now closed, and we'll be getting back to people who we'd like to talk to more in the next few days. We received a ton of applications for just one spot, so please don't be too discouraged if we don't choose yours. There are definitely more great applications than people we can choose, and I'd like to thank everyone who took the effort to apply!
We’re an established group that’s looking for one additional player to join an ongoing campaign. If you have an itch for character-rich roleplaying in a superhero-esque heroic fantasy setting, we hope this post piques your interest!
You can apply to join this game on Google Forms here.
Summary
It is the year 499. Karlan is on the cusp of celebrating five centuries since the great god Thea, creator of the world, gave the Divine Oath to the Karline people.
The world you know is divided into two very different parts: Karlan, the bastion of civilization, and Mora, the endless and barren desert that surrounds it, Only Thea’s power and the Silver Guard keep the people safe from the beasts that roam beyond the Silver Wall.
But all is not as it seems. This is a story about a group of people who found that the world they live in isn’t as benign or peaceful as they thought, and that underneath the seeming order lies fear, oppression, and a diabolical plan that’s centuries in the making.
Almost no-one in almost five hundred years has seen real magic, let alone learned it for themselves. You and your friends are different. In this world, that makes you powerful heroes - and also in terrible danger.
The World
There is a map of the world on our WorldAnvil here.
Karlan
Capital: Alabrachorum, City of Bells
Karlan is the last of the mortal civilisations, the sole survivor of the collapse of the Age of Unreason. It is composed of one sprawling nation, from the mountainous north to the arid south. Its citizens live simply yet comfortably, eschewing wealth in favour of the greater principle of Divine Harmony. Karline architecture is elegant but built to last: simple, solid walls, spreading and stepped, topped with colourful dwellings in azure blue, sun gold and autumn red. Here and there, pure white Thean church towers look kindly down on the houses and terraced farms, their belfries shuttered against the constant wind.
Here and there, traces of an older, stranger world show through - an indestructible, seamless wall, a path that stays warm and snow-free in winter, a boulevard of perfect trees that glow at night. The Empire calls the time these objects came from the Age of Unreason - an ungodly and chaotic proto-world before the light of Thea saved the mortal races from their own greed. Artifacts from this time are banned and not officially acknowledged to exist, but some of the devices are either indestructible - or too useful and reserved only for use by the state. Such things are maintained by the Apocrypheers, a specialist branch of the Thearchy Practical.
Recent Events
Our story started with three officer cadets of the Silver Guard who were sent on what seemed like a wild goose chase to the northern mountain town of Tor. Sent there to investigate reports of ghosts and strange demons, they enlisted two locals to investigate the mystery. What they found instead was an abandoned temple to an ancient god of the Sun, in which each of the adventurers was gifted with an Anima - a spirit in the shape of a beast or a bird which granted them sudden magical abilities.
They also discovered the scene of a brutal murder, as one of their two locals, along with the owner of the local museum, was slain - seemingly by a foe thought by most to be a ghost story used to frighten children, the Pyraxhi demons.
Slowly our investigators uncovered the truth. In this world, there are creatures with the bloodlines of dragons - Dragonborn, who can turn at will from human to a scaled, draconic form. The Dragonborn live in secret among the people, and have been hunted for centuries by the Pyraxhi - in Draconic, the Flamequenchers.
Now our brave heroes are trying to uncover the truth of what happened to the museum owner’s missing children, what really happened to make the world the way it is,, and why they are having strange, prophetic dreams that speak of momentous events to come.
The Thean Church
Karlan’s Pantheon consists only of one true God - Thea. For practical purposes, however, most churches are dedicated to one of religion’s many saints, and many folk maintain their own shrines to these saints as well as carrying holy medallions to their chosen patron.
Our adventurers have discovered some whispers of the truth about these saints - that before Thea, they may have been gods in their own right, with their true names whispered down the centuries as a long-held secret.
The ten principal saints and their domains are:
Bertelli the Craftsman: Patron of artisans, masons, miners, and smiths.
Branwyne the Huntress: Patron of hunters, fishermen, and sailors.
Richart the Bright: Patron of agriculture, and the harvest.
Amalyne the Wanderer: Patron of adventurers, explorers, and traders.
Isembard the Musician: Patron of beauty, theatre, and musicians.
Agnes the Just: Patron of cities, law, rulers, and architects.
Tabitha the Sage: Patron of knowledge, history, and librarians.
Cyrus the Strong: Patron of soldiers, fighters, and athletes.
Oriel the Solemn: Patron of graveyards and funerals.
Rosalind the Passionate: Patron of marriages, dreams, and lovers.
The Thearchy
The Thearchy is the political and administrative body that runs the Karline empire, based in Alabrachorum. It is headed by the Thearch, Elijah Cromerty, who is the head of the Karline royal family.
The Silver Guard
Overseen by the Thearch and the Thearchy Practical, the Silver Guard are the military of Karlan. As no wars have been fought in almost five hundred years, this is largely a ceremonial function - but the Guard do patrol the Silver Wall and slay the occasional ankheg or giant scorpion that wanders too close to civilization. They also perform a much more practical law enforcement role within Karlan itself.
The Avenger Host are the elite of the Silver Guard, and pre-emptively patrol the barren wilds beyond the wall for nests of more dangerous creatures that might pose a threat.
The Arcadian Seminary
The Seminary is the principal place of learning in Karlan and has records dating back to the founding of the Karline Empire. It is distributed throughout the main cities but its seat, and its head, the Archprelate, reside in Alabrachorum.
The Hushed Library
The Hushed Library is a secret organisation within the Church of St. Tabitha the Sage, which is dedicated to protecting the Dragonborn and preserving banned knowledge about the world. The party are aware of the Hushed Library and are actively assisting it.
Building Your Character
Races of Karlan
Humans are by far the bulk of the population in Karlan.
Some Half-Elves and a few High Elves do also call Karlan home. They are slightly more likely to hold positions of responsibility and privilege due to their long years.
Halflings are tolerated due to their industrious nature. Many are shopkeepers or domestic servants. They are however viewed with suspicion by some, and using their native language is frowned upon.
Dwarves are rare, with one major exception - the underground city of Silberlake. Dwarves are the only ones who can navigate the vast network of caverns under the Eidechsberg, the towering mountain in the north where the Silver Wall begins and ends. They keep much to themselves and their culture is something of a mystery to most Karlines. However, they are relied upon for trade in metals and to patrol the mountainous northern boundary of the Empire, so they are tolerated. Seeing a travelling Dwarven smith or metal trader is not unheard of in Karlan.
Forest creatures like Forest Gnomes and Firbolgs have sometimes been seen in the wilder woods of Karlan, but they are not part of Karline society and few believe they are anything more than a fairy story.
Dragonborn live among the people in utmost secrecy. Some are members of the Hushed Library, some are isolated family groups who do not know about the resistance effort on their behalf. In this setting, Dragonborn are able to transform their appearance at will from human to their Draconic, and are only able to use their breath weapon while transformed. Otherwise, they are mechanically identical.
Other races may exist in the deep places of the world or beyond the Silver Wall. However, they are unknown in Karlan - or ar least, the subject of stories you would tell your children to delight or to terrify. To be one of these folk, you would certainly need to disguise your origin and true nature.
Classes
All published classes and subclasses are playable. The current party composition is: Warlock (Archfey), Wizard (Bladesinging), Artificer (Battle Smith) and Monk (Kensei).
Most Unearthed Arcana content should also be fine, but at the DM’s discretion.
Bonus feat
Each character in this campaign gains a bonus feat at first level. By default, this is Magic Initiate, or another feat that grants the ability to cast at least one spell, such as Telekinetic, Telepathic or Wood Elf Magic.
If you are playing a spellcasting class, you may choose another appropriate feat.
The feat and the spells that you choose should be thematically appropriate to your character’s background and personality.
Alignment and Backstory
Alignment has very little practical consequence in this setting. Your character's individual reputation, however, counts. Broadly speaking, you are "the good guys", but grey areas, complex motivations and shady backgrounds all make for compelling stories!
More importantly: as the game develops, consider your character's motivation for cooperating with your party. This is a team game, and that should constrain your character’s behaviour.
You will also have a better experience in this campaign if you consider carefully what your character’s goals are, and why they are motivated to risk their life to change the world, especially with the odds so heavily stacked against them. Deep in their heart, what is it they want most? And just as importantly, why don’t they have it yet?
Gameplay
Roleplaying
This is a character-focused campaign. This doesn't mean you have to act or do an accent, but you do need to roleplay: specifically, to consider the unique way that your character interacts with the world that’s different to how you would think. You are encouraged to add depth to your character’s backstory over time, and to work with the DM to invent characters, organisations and places that you have a personal relationship with so they can be woven into the story.
You are also strongly encouraged to create your own scenes and situations with your fellow players. Listening to your fellow players, giving them room to speak and practicing "yes, and" at the table are all-important!
Combat
Not every session will contain combat. It will happen as and when it’s realistically created by the story. This also means not every combat encounter will be winnable, so pick your battles and retreat if you have to!
You are encouraged to use diplomacy, to be tactical, and to make every effort to be sneaky and make the fight unfair for your opponents. After all, they might be doing the same to you!
A Note On Magic
In this setting, spellcasting and the creation of magical items are both long-forgotten arts. Your character, however, is not a typical individual. At the start of the campaign, all of you find yourselves gifted with unusual talents. You also know that if the citizens of Karlan knew of your supernatural abilities, they would likely consider you to be a demon. So unless you keep your powers secret, there will likely be consequences!
You can’t buy magic items in this setting, although you will likely get your hands on some during your adventures!
House rules
Character stats are rolled, but a set of stats can be discarded if the total of the ability scores is less than 72
HP is rolled on level up, but can be re-rolled if you roll a one
Checking for traps can generally use perception or investigation - your choice
Stealth rolls are made at a point where the character can be discovered
Drinking a potion is a bonus action, not an action
Housekeeping
Sessions are Sundays, 5pm UTC, for approximately 4 hours. (6pm UK/Ireland, 7pm Central Europe, 1pm US Eastern).
New characters will start at level 4.
We'll be playing over voice via Discord, using Roll20's virtual tabletop and D&D Beyond's character sheets.
All players should be 18+, have good conversational English, and have a good enough quality microphone to be clearly understandable.
This campaign is LGBTQ+ friendly and welcomes players from all backgrounds.
Consent matters. It's important that everyone at the table knows what content you are and are not comfortable with, and respects your decision about things you do not want to be in the game. If you're in any doubt about whether something you're about to bring to the table is OK, ask your DM and your fellow players first.
Applying
You can apply via our Google Form here.
We'll try to contact everyone we'd like to speak to more within a week of posting.
Do you have to be 18+?
i am extremely new, but would love to join !