Flowmaster Setting

[shadowmane]

Since this setting is going to have an element of polytheism vs monotheism or duotheism (haven't decided which yet), what deities would you like to see included on the polytheistic side (remembering that any set of deities can really be used for any setting)? How setting specific would this need to be? I mean, if you go with a set of deities, then you necessarily link it to one setting or another. I think I would favor something along the lines of the Sumerian pantheon (which would make the whole setting a kind of Sumerian setting, with planes set up along the lines of their belief system). Something that sort of fits in with the sort of Gnostic/Zoroastrian flavor of the setting. Perhaps even some elements of "Prince of Persia" to make the setting kind of unique.

What this would do to the background is interesting. The Gods who now rule are not the ones who originally ruled. The "Great Old Ones", during their Epochs of reign, had the planes set up according to their whims. Once they were defeated, the ancient immortals from 1000 eons ago, began restructuring everything according to their will. By the time the current Pantheon came to dominance, they began restructuring things in their own way, thereby enabling the setting itself. The beauty is, once you are able to leave this setting, other settings are open to you, through travel through the flow. Therefore, getting to, say, the Dragonlance setting, or the Forgotten Rhelms is just a matter of travel through the flow. The micro scale would be different, in that you would either have everything set up on modern physics, or (and this would be my preferred method) setting it up on Plasma Physics.

Another question is, how would you think the "Great Old Ones" should be approached, since they are actually going to be involved with this thing eventually. Should they sort of be a dark under-presence, or should they actually be actively involved in what is going on? I really don't want THAT much of a Lovecraftian influence on the whole thing, but I do want a taste of it for flavor. Perhaps introduce Angramanyu (of Zoroastrian fame) as one of them. Dunno, I haven't thought this part through. I'm sort of throwing ideas out there to get feedback before I start writing more.

Perhaps multi-layer the threat. On the one side, you have the threat from the dualistic side from Ahuramazda and Angramanyu from inside the planes. Then the monotheistic threat from outside once the flow is opened up.

[shadowmane]

Spelljammer has the Scro. I obviously can't steal that from them. However, I can look to other races to see if I can come up with a "mundane" (as in not cosmic) enemy. For this, I have chosen the Hobgoblins. I intend to use their martial nature, and their hatred for all things Elf. Their spacefaring nation will be "The Empire of the 9 Clans". I have to flesh this out some, but I got the idea for it by reading The Slayer's Guide to Hobgoblins.

I've also decided that I want to try to introduce the whole setting through adventure modules. For instance, all Flowmaster Ships are towers in space. Therefore, the introductory module to the setting would be the exploration of a tower. The history of the tower is that no one knows who built it, because there are no legends about who built it. There is much speculation, but little else. All that is known is that strange magics emanate from it, and that no wizard or warlord has been able to take and keep the tower long enough to figure out its secrets. The biggest secret would be that only a portion of the ship is visible above the surface. The front portion. Since the ship is magically imbued to last forever, the tower is pretty much impregnable to all attacks from anyone indigenous to the world its on. Since its in an out of the way area, its not really strategically important to anyone save the occupant. I'll have to start on a write-up of the adventure.

[shadowmane]

Okay, here's my outline for the Initial Adventure. If anyone wants to help add more fluff to it, put your ideas up so we can discuss it. I'm willing to change names and add/delete ideas on this thing.

On the planes of Gol Nam'rith there is a volcanic caldera with a lake in it. Sticking out of the center of the lake is a tower, pointing strangely to the sky, its four spires like points of a four-pronged dagger, daring the sky to come close. The caldera is called Mount Al'amdor, and the tower bears the same name, Al'amdor. In the mountains surrounding the lake is a series of caves which are the current residence of a tribe of Kobolds, who defend their territory jealously. No one knows the origin of the tower in the lake, as it has always been there. There is no legend of its being built, nor is there any legend to explain its mysterious and magical existence. Wizards have come from near and far to study it, as they can detect great magic within it. However, over the centuries, no one has been able to crack it open.

Of late, long-dormant magical energies have begun reviving in the mountain. Energies that have given the Mages of the nearby city of Patram'r cause to worry. They know there is a Kobold tribe that inhabits the mountain, but they don't know if it is they who have activated the mysterious magics that are beginning to emanate from the mountain itself. All they know is that the tower is the key to the magic. The only known way to the tower besides across the lake is through the caverns in the mountains. Of course, the Kobolds call those caverns home.

The King of Patram'r has sent out riders to all of the cities of the planes, looking for adventurers who would be willing to investigate the mountain on behalf of the Mages of Patram'r. He cannot send his own armies, or his own personal guard, as he is in a state of cold war with the Hobgoblins who occupy the old Urdian City on the other side of the mountain.

Needed:

1 City-State (Patram'r)
1 Lake Village (Veldm'r)
1 Series of Caverns/Kobold Lair
1 Tower/Dungeon (Al'amdor)
1 Mysterious Race
1 Hobgoblin City (Baldm'r/Grythvak)
Several Villages and/or Settlements

Peldrom'k – Medium sized city with stone walls and pallisades surrounding it. It is a city-state with a King who is beholden to no apparent higher power. Once an outpost of the mighty Empire of Urd, when that Empire collapsed, its governor declared it sovereign and became the first king. It is in a state of cold war with the Hobgoblins of Grythvak.

Veldm'r – Fortified village situated on Lake Al'amdor. It subsists by fishing the lake and hosting vacationers from Patram'r who like to take pleasure barges out on the lake for parties and such.

Baldm'r/Grythvak – This once proud city of the Urdian Empire was conquered by a tribe of Hobgoblins, who have turned it into a city-state. The Patram'kans call it Baldm'r, which was its name when it was in human hands. The Hobgoblins call it Grythvak.

Shesslyth – The lair of the Kobolds, who occupy the caverns in the mountains around the lake. They have a secret that those outside of their race and tribe don't suspect. It is rumored that they are the ones who have re-activated the magic in the tower.

Note I haven't added the tower to the outline. It'll be sort of the culmination of the whole thing. In intend for the end of this campaign to be the beginning of the Flowmaster Setting proper. The setting itself is supposed to be several days' travel up river (to the South) from Morgansfort. How many days has yet to be determined, but it will be through the forest to the immediate South. Of course, the journey there could be another adventure entirely, as an Elven Forest Kingdom could be set between Morgansfort and the Plains of Gol Nam'rith.

I also haven't outlined the "Mysterious Race" yet. That will come later, too, and will be part of the Tower crawl.