Brave New World

A lot has been going on and growing in the world of Crossroads. Major changes to Crossroads include adopting Goodman Games' Gazetteer of the Known Realms and the world of Aereth as the setting for the Crossroads campaign. More on that below.

The second major phase of world building that I'm working on right now comes in three parts, all formed from adventure arcs. I think this additional world building will take Crossroads into exciting new realms of exploration for my players as their characters start the climb to double digit levels. The first part of this phase I call the Countdown to the Count and I'll get to that part in March.

Before I get to the switch from the world of Krarvell to the world of Aereth, I want to do a quick rundown of the player characters and an update on their campaign.

The Protagonists

Here are the PCs of Crossroads. Much of the world building going on now stems from the interactions between these characters and the changes they are making in their world.

Shreve, deep halfling bard 5, is played by Kevin. Shreve, fungus in Drowish, is a former slave of the drow.

Karis Lardin, aasimar adept 1/cleric 4 is Doug's character. Karis is a priest of Elishar. She is in love with Amon.

Celegorm Cedarstaff, a Simar human druid 5, is run by Scott. Celegrom is an expert at calming hostile animals. He is fascinated by new magic spells and spends time cultivating friendships with other druids who have spells to teach.

A Simar human fighter 5 named Daex is the character belonging to Marty. Daex's father had great skill with weapons, but Daex knows little of his past.

Todd runs Reval Silverbane, a Simar human fighter 3. Reval's father disappeared leaving behind the name of the city of Cyros and a heraldic symbol, a single rose on a black background, as the only clues for his son to follow.

Ambassador Amon-abdi Toah, an aasimar expert 1/ranger 4 is played by Rom. Once a follower of Elishar, Amon suffered a crisis of faith and now reveres the Force of Nature. He was sent to the backwater Harbor Encampment of Cyros to get him out of the Theocracy of the Lance. He returns the affections of Karis.

Garou is a Simar human rogue 5 run by Jeff. Garou proudly proclaims himself to be an archer and all around decent guy.

Tracked by the cult that killed his master, Japhane Sordibe is a Simar human wizard 3 played by Derek. He and his friends have already been the targets of assassins once.

Dwarven Ironclad

"The kuo-toa shrine to Toldoth lies right above the sunken wreck of a dwarven ironclad. The treasure can be found in the wreckage."

Ambassador Amon-abdi Toah of the Great Kingdom met with the merfolk of the Thunder River and successfully opened talks with them. During the negations, the merfolk leader gave the above quote.

Location has been a prime design area in my Crossroads campaign. The burning boats of the Halfling Harbor Encampment were a main location in the first adventure. And the wrecked dwarven ironclad in the second adventure was another.

When I said the words dwarven ironclad I could almost see pictures forming in my player's minds. By avoiding a clichéd old wooden wreck, I not only created a vivid mind picture but also introduced a major concept for my campaign.

None of the players are playing dwarves currently, so I had the opportunity to introduce some dwarven concepts into the game, even without any living dwarves being present. The players expect clans, and mountain holdings, and waraxes. I didn't really need to include those details.

But a dwarven ironclad? Now that concept got them thinking. A heavily plated, steel behemoth taking to the water to exert dwarven power and influence. And like the dwarves themselves, quick to sink if things don't go well in a water battle.

And location led me to my next big design decision for crossroads. A revision based on an after-Christmas bargain purchase I made.

Brave New World

I purchased Goodman Games' Gazetteer of the Known Realms for half price right after Christmas. A huge boxed set, the world came with two books, two modules, and four beautiful maps.

Three of the maps depict the known world for the DM. The other depicts the middle of the Known Realms for the players. The player's map has the edges faded out and missing, representing the unknown all around them.

I can't put into words how great the maps look. Wizards of the Coast doesn't understand how important world maps are to some of us (well, at least me for sure). Eberron is functional but not amazing. Aereth, the world in the box, is breathtaking.

The map has a painted, three-dimensional, textured look. I'm no graphic designer or professional map-maker but to my eye these maps look state of the art as well as aesthetically pleasing.

The best part, for me, was realizing that what I was building for Crossroads was all right here in these maps. A starting location for the PCs with the unknown beyond. Multiple continents and cultures.

And all the work of drawing this monster world was already done for me.

World Redone

A magical wind swept across the heroes of our brave new world. Suddenly, the veils of illusion and sorcery that had clouded their eyes and minds were lifted.

Krarvell was actually Aereth. Anbegriffon was Cyros. Names and outlines had changed, but the brave deeds already done did not change.

I realized that if I wanted to use the player's map of Aereth I needed to switch names around. But I did not want to invalidate the two adventures we'd already run.

The change was easier then I would have imagined. I had done very little work on the map anyway, so most of the changes were simply name changes. I handled it out of game and updated the Crossroads setting doc.

The Face of the Enemy

I sent Kevin, the player of Shreve, the halfling bard, the following background before our last game:

Shreve,

With the veils of illusion covering the Unknown North removed, you remember an ancient tale your drow slave masters used to tell to terrify you and your fellow slaves. If you would so kind as to share this story, in character, on Friday with the rest of your fellowship, that would great. Let me introduce you, and then you can fire away.

During the Godwar, the ancient battle between Toldoth and Elishar, a terrible power rose in the north. More powerful than a pit fiend, more terrifying than a lich, stronger than the tarrasque, this monster had a name. Ranser, the Great Red Wyrm.

This terrible genius of a monster roamed the battlefield as Toldoth's warmachine. No one of mortal power could stand against Ranser's slashing claws, terrible bite, and his searing holocaust of fire breath. Even epic heroes fell before him, though their sacrifice stopped his advance long enough to trap him in the Unknown North when the veil of magic fell.

When the veil was draped across the land, Ranser fell into a deep sleep. He slumbers still, but with the magic gone he will soon awaken. He will gather an army and all of Aereth will tremble when they hear the march of a terrifying draconic host.

The halflings of the Harbor Encampment. The merfolk. Belamere. The Great Kingdom. All will be ashes before the bane that is the Great Red Wyrm.

One he awakens and begins a new Dragonfall War, the only force that can possibly stop him and extinguish his fire forever will be a fellowship of epic heroes. The last epic heroes to guard Aereth perished during the Godwar or died in the remaining years.

The veil is lifted. Ranser is stirring. Aereth will need epic heroes to arise in the years to come. Or the world, and all who live in it and enjoy the light of Elishar, are doomed.

Thanks,
The Voice of Aereth

As Shreve related this bit of legend to his friends, I pulled out a colossal red dragon miniature and placed it next to their puny characters. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a three-dimensional picture is worth a billion.

I wanted the players to see the face of their enemy. I wanted them to take his measure. I wanted them to understand the sheer power and violence inherent in him.

Now, they have true motivation to get to high levels and be movers and shakers in the world of Aereth.

In Two Weeks

A few critical sections of the campaign document detailed here in December are updated. Starting in March, the column goes back to once a month starting with the world building involved with the three adventure arcs currently being explored in the campaign. Countdown to the Count has begun!

Shine on (a common goodbye between shamans on the Isle of Nos Caen),
Charlie