Campaign Introduction

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The Crystal Dominion – Campaign Introduction

Introduction
This campaign is titled "The Crystal Dominion" and our first session was December 1st. After much debate, we decided to stick with version 3.5 of the D&D system. I really didn't like version 4 and haven't been able to talk the players into abandoning D&D for another system, so we just stuck with what we know. Perhaps one day, I'll convince them to try a different RPG.

Unlike the past couple of campaigns, the players wanted to start at 3rd level instead of first level. I agreed, but in order to start them off at third level I decided I wanted them to already know each other and be working together. I needed to fabricate some back story in order to arrange that.


The Swordtongue Winery
I decided that the players would all be working for the "Company", a shadowy underworld crime cartel that operates in the Drakkellian Alliance. The Company has many divisions, departments and subguilds arranged in a loose network. Sometimes these various guilds work together, but just as often, they work independently and toward more selfish goals.

The players would be working for a Company guild which operated a winery as it's legitimate cover business... the Swordtongue Winery (named, of course, after the famous swordtongues of Drakkel). The members of this guild call themselves the Swordtongue Rogues.

At the start of this campaign, the players have each been working for the Swordtongue Guild for a few months, doing various odd jobs. They have met and worked together before.

At the beginning of session 1, they are all brought together and given their first assignment as a new team.


The Players

Player Name: Mark Price

Character Name: Ebrin RedEye (usually goes by just "RedEye")

Character Description: A sayune rogue with a quick blade and sharp wit. He has all the standard rogue skills – move silently, climb walls, pick locks, etc. He also has a talent for alchemy, poisons in particular, and dabbles a little in sayune "black magic" although it may be some time before he gains any appreciable skill in that area. His most prized possession is a pair of enchanted boots that allow him to do tremendous leaps and jumps. With these boots, he is very agile in combat.

Background: Some months ago, RedEye attempted to rob one of the larger guild houses in a daring night time infiltration into its most secure stronghouse. However, it just so happened that he was robbing the place on the same night as a Company group was robbing it. During the confrontation between the would be thieves, RedEye saw and became aware of the identity of a high ranking covert Company operative (no less than the son of a Drakkellian Guild Lord). The Company saw in him a talent that should not go to waste. Therefore, they gave him two choices... work for us until we trust you, or die. RedEye chose option 1. In the past few months, RedEye has found a comfortable position within the Swordtongue Guild and has participated in dozens of daring criminal plots.


Player Name: Greg Jensen

Character Name: N'Sahd (pronounced nu-SHAD)

Character Description: A human wizard born with a genetic defect (no vocal chords). He's completely mute. However, his remarkable talent with magic has allowed him to modify spells and cast them with additional gestures and mental foci, rather than words. An advantage in some situations, but offset by the fact that he has trouble communicating with those around him and some spells will forever be beyond his grasp. He has one spell in his arsenal that can alter his race temporarily. In so doing, he can "give" himself vocal chords (and the ability to speak) for a short time.

Background: His former master, the wizard for whom N'Sahd apprenticed, was an ally and frequent collaborator with the Company. Upon his death, some of the master's debts and obligations passed to his apprentice. So, N'Sahd is obligated to serve at the Swordtongue Guild for a period of some months.



Player Name: Heath Ward

Character Name: Eiran

Character Description: A male elf born and raised in a mixed human/elven village on the western borders of Normidia. A problem with stuttering and stammering speech made him seek solace in the wilderness. He spent most of his days wandering and hunting the wildlands of the northwest. Now a skilled hunter and archer, he is much more at home in the wilds and feels uncomfortable in cities.

Background: During his years wandering and hunting the wildlands of the northwest, Eiran came to know and eventually managed to befriend a torgat. This was, however, one of the exceptionally rare white torgats. Some months ago, a wealthy hunter from Drakkel hired guides and hunters to accompany him on an expedition. This Drakkellian noble managed to capture the white torgat and, at great expense, had it transported back to Drakkel as a prize. Eiran followed the caravan through Ithria, all the way to the city of Drakkel. The beast was put in a large private reserve on the nobleman's estate just outside the city. Eiran attempted to free the torgat but was captured during the attempt and arrested. It turns out that this "noble man" was a crime boss and occasional collaborator with certain Company rogues. The Company intercepted Eiran as he was being take to prison. They pulled some strings to free him. They wanted to question him about what he saw on the inside of the nobleman's estate. In return for his freedom, they wanted Eiran to work for them for six months. He agreed thinking that six months spent working with city thieves, although unpleasant, was much preferable to a year in a dank prison cell.



Player Name: Ben Haley

Character Name: Alan Zahnrad von Wissenschaft

Character Description: A human arcanologist. What's an arcanologist you ask? Something new. Think of it as the Khoras version of an artificer. The arcanologist is a specialist type of mage who tinkers with the inner workings of magic. They are masters of alchemy, lore, spells and magical "technology". They specialize in the construction and operation of magic items and artificial constructs. They are also quite adept at manipulating magical auras and spell effects. Where wizards cast powerful and elaborate spells, arcanologists dabble in a variety of related magical and technical areas.

Background: Born and raised in the nation of Vaul in distant Aggradar, Alan was a student of vaullian philosophy, Chaddamarian mysticism, saridian technology and human magic. This exposure to many schools of thought sparked in him a deep love of learning. Alan studied under various masters and dabbled in many fields. He is educated in spell craft, alchemy, metallurgy, mechanics, astronomy and many other fields.

Alan recently received word that his uncle Orison, a talented mage living in Drakkel, had died in an unfortunate accident in his spell research lab. The resulting explosion took most of the lab with it. Alan decided that it was time to get out and see the world. He decided to travel to Ithria to pay his respects to his uncle and lay a wreath upon his headstone.

Upon arriving in Ithria, Alan found that the news of his uncle's death was premature. There had been an accident in Orison's lab and since that time he had not been seen. Alan was contacted by one of Orison's servants who brought him to his uncle's house. Alan was then told the truth.

Orison had become addicted to arkulyte crystals and had been taking on more and more work, sometimes doing rather unethical work for a local crime boss, in order to pay for his addiction. This downward spiral of a once proud man ended with a tragic explosion in the lab in which a half finished magic item, belonging to the crime boss, was destroyed. This mid level crime boss is named Boss Vorgan and is a collaborator with a rather powerful and shadowy criminal cartel known as the Company.

Orison is, in fact, suffering from advanced arkulyte addiction and was also gravely injured in the lab accident. He is currently bed ridden and unresponsive. His servants, being led by Bryerton, the head chamberlain, have been taking care of him since the accident. The local healers have been unable to help him and every month he slips a little closer to death. Chamberlain Bryerton is maintaining the fiction that Uncle Orison is recovering from a lab accident (although rumors of his death had circulated). The fact that he is addicted to arkulyte has been kept secret to avoid him public embarrassment.

Boss Vorgan believes that Orison owes him for the destruction of his sword. He has been sending thugs around to harass Bryerton and the servants to pay up what their master owes them, even selling the house if necessary. Each time, the thugs would take various valuable objects from the estate and bring them back to Vorgan.

After explaining the situation, Chamberlain Bryerton asked Alan to go see Boss Vorgan. Unable to pay the debt and wanting to help his uncle, Alan agreed to work for the Company for a period of 10 months at which time the debt of the sword would be considered "paid off". The Company has put pressure on Boss Vorgan who has, in turn, stopped sending thugs to Uncle Orison's house. Still many of Orison's most treasured possessions are already hanging on the wall at Boss Vorgan's estate.

At the start of the campaign, Alan has been working for the Company for three months. He has seven months left. One of Alan's long term goals is to find a way to heal his uncle and bring him back from the brink of death. Another long term goal is to retrieve the items that Boss Vorgan has stolen from Uncle Orison, but that will have to wait. At the present time, Alan has been given orders not to interfere with Boss Vorgan for now, because the Company has an "interest" in him.


Player Name: Jason Haley

Character Name: Tristan

Character Description: A noble knight in shining armor based on a good, old-fashioned cavalier.

Background: The newest addition to the gaming group and the party. As such, we haven't worked out the details of his background yet. That's coming soon...