This has been kinda running around my head for a few days, and I thought I'd get it out of my system. It's unlikely I'll end up doing much more with it than making a map or two, but it might make a cool place to adventure in if a TPK happens in Nightwick Abbey. That'd depend on the players of course, and I rather like the Dark Country (obviously).
- The world is flat with two sides that are unaware of eachother. There is a massive web of underdark style tunnels that ultimately connect the two, but the core is thick enough and the path dangerous enough that it is extremely rare that someone make it from one side to the other. The players will most likely do this at some point.
- The world was created thousands of years ago by a group of Immortals using both science and sorcery in order to examine how life ultimately develops and other such inscrutable things.
- In the center of both sides of the world is a giant Mountain that contains two computers (one for each side) that make sure everything is working right.
- The most holy artifact of [insert lawful religion here] is actually a key card that allows access to the computer. No one in the religion knows this.
- There is one Lawful kingdom of Humans (called the Realm of Man) ruled by a king or queen. It uses a fantasied up version of the feudal system that still allows for social mobility. Individual lords are whatever alignment is most appropriate for them.
- At least one lord is secretly working for [insert badguys here]. Most likely it's more than one.
- Other kingdoms include: a fairy realm, a land ruled by wizards, a land ruled by warlocks, a stinking mire controlled by necromancers, and a barbaric wilderness
- The fairy realm is ruled by a (perhaps the) Sorceress. It includes both Elves and Dwarves as well as a number of other creatures in a manner similar to the way the Narnians are portrayed in the second move
- Humans can be found in all the realms, including in leadership positions
- The Wizards, Humans, and Fairy races will occasionally team up to defeat especially arbaric Barbarians, especially warlock-y Warlocks, and especially dead Necromancers
- Evil lords rarely work together, but they often employ lots of different types of evil minion
- One Warlock knows about the computers and wants to destroy them. He believes this will cause clerical magic to disappear
- "Demons" are actually invaders from space who want to turn the world into a base from which they can take on the Immortals. (Thats possibly why the Warlock knows about the computer)
- Halflings are a servitor class for the Wizards. Many have escaped into the Realm and made hillside villages there.
- Orcs were created by some Wizard who really liked boars before he decided to become a Warlock instead. The ones who are friendly with the Barbarians escaped captivity.
- Necromancers don't like anybody.
- PCs who are awarded Immortal status get to live on their kickass spaceship. They have a foosball table. It's totally rad. The Demons are jealous.
- The world is positively littered with gates that transport you to other areas, other worlds, or even elemental planes.
- The worlds name is probably Xenroth, but may be Xerathia, or Irass (I.R.A.S.S. -- It's Really a Space Ship).
- The Realm is possible having a succession crisis when the campaign starts.
- Lands surrounding gates to the elemental planes are obviously affected; covered in lava, crystaline, filled with permanent storms, that sort of thing.
- Most adventure locales will be discrete things, but I might through Stonehell on there for shits and giggles.
- I'd try to do something similar to Jeff Rients's Epic Sandboxery. Mostly a sandbox, but if your cleric wants to keep their magic it wouldn't be a bad idea to knock that Warlock over the head and take his stuff.
- Possible name for the concept: Steel & Sorcery
Well, there you have it. Again, at most I'll make a map for this thing, but I thought I'd ruminate on it anyway.
