Plot Hooks - Revision history

Nket: /* Noxfeld */

2023-07-20T22:08:35Z

Noxfeld

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	None of these people are magic users, and most of their stat blocks should be barely stronger than Commoners - they're just dumb, misguided zealots. There are a few ways you can pursue your party learning the truth, outlined below.		None of these people are magic users, and most of their stat blocks should be barely stronger than Commoners - they're just dumb, misguided zealots. There are a few ways you can pursue your party learning the truth, outlined below.





	~~-- M'nerds.~~

	~~I write my prep in point form notes, sometimes on a scratch pad, so it's taking some time to put my "Charlie Kelly in the Mail Room" web of insanity into proper paragraphs.~~

	~~I'll get there.~~

	~~Hugs n'kisses.~~

	~~last edit on 20/7/2023~~

Nket: /* Noxfeld */

2023-07-20T22:06:39Z

Noxfeld

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	~~heck i hate typing on this wiki and i only do prep in point form notes.~~



	(I~~'ve finished all this~~, ~~but the wiki is still~~ a ~~work~~ in ~~progress~~. ~~The rest of this page will be finished later)~~		-- M'nerds.

			I write my prep in point form notes, sometimes on a scratch pad, so it's taking some time to put my "Charlie Kelly in the Mail Room" web of insanity into proper paragraphs.

			I'll get there.

			Hugs n'kisses.

			last edit on 20/7/2023

Nket: /* Noxfeld */

2023-07-20T19:07:15Z

Noxfeld

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 * '''Outsiders!'''
-Noxfeld is an old city surrounded by a tall, thick wall - the wall itself is extremely well built, however the materials used look off, or unusual.  The Pelmoore River used to run through the center of the city - however after the Breach, the eastern half of the city was abandoned, it's buildings cannibalized for materials to build the wall surrounding the western half.  Over the course of the following two centuries, the wall was reinforced, thick rope and iron banding hold everything firmly in place, however it has never been expanded outward.
+Noxfeld is extremely untrusting of outsiders - and Guards are posted on towers at the gates in this wall, and will refuse anyone entry unless they're working for the West Empire Company.
 (I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress.  The rest of this page will be finished later)

Nket: /* Noxfeld */

2023-07-20T18:45:30Z

Noxfeld

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	=== <u>[[Noxfeld]]</u> ===		=== <u>[[Noxfeld]]</u> ===

			* '''Outsiders!'''

			Noxfeld is an old city surrounded by a tall, thick wall - the wall itself is extremely well built, however the materials used look off, or unusual. The Pelmoore River used to run through the center of the city - however after the Breach, the eastern half of the city was abandoned, it's buildings cannibalized for materials to build the wall surrounding the western half. Over the course of the following two centuries, the wall was reinforced, thick rope and iron banding hold everything firmly in place, however it has never been expanded outward.


	(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)		(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)

Nket at 15:38, 20 July 2023

2023-07-20T15:38:24Z

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	Grimsby is a potential place for your players to find one of the '''''Nua-Stones,''''' a set of five ancient stone orbs of extradimensional origin scattered throughout the Empire, believed by occultists to be fragments of an ancient world that was completely shattered and destroyed.		Grimsby is a potential place for your players to find one of the '''''Nua-Stones,''''' a set of five ancient stone orbs of extradimensional origin scattered throughout the Empire, believed by occultists to be fragments of an ancient world that was completely shattered and destroyed.

			* '''Alistair Fawkes wants to capture a Fadehound'''

			Alistair Fawkes is an [[Important Characters\|important character]] in the Aarden setting. An archaeologist, alchemist, and cleric, he'll offer the party a small reward in exchange for their aid in capturing a fadebeast alive for use in his research into their origins, behavior, and anatomy. He's heard of a small pack of [[Bestiary\|Fadehounds]] outside of the city that he believes they could handle in order to capture one of them. He'll bring his flying dog, Aluat, and a horse + carriage with a large wooden crate to store the beast in, and lead them to the edges of the Istun Ruins where the fadehounds are rumored to be hunting.

			To make the combat encounter more difficult, you may wish to place additional, unengaged enemies around the ruins. A pack of bandits, or a wandering monster, as when one of the fadebeasts are killed, the rest will scatter and run (see their stat block) and the potential for having them alert other enemies is a risk your players will have to take into consideration to avoid focus-fire.

			Alistair will reward them however you see fit for your campaign - I used his expertise in alchemy and herbalism to give the players the option of adding those proficiencies during their stay in town, however if you aren't using a [[Crafting\|crafting system]] you may want a more traditional reward scaled to the party's level instead.

			=== <u>[[Noxfeld]]</u> ===


	(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)		(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)

Nket: /* A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach */

2023-07-20T15:22:27Z

A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach

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	== A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach ==		== A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach ==

	Hastus Vos (spoiler) was a worshiper of the ancient god Morphaeos, an entity associated with Dreams, Inspiration, Darkness, and Art. Attempting to open a portal to a realm he believed to be associated with Morphaeos, he accidentally tore a hole between Kemetus Major (the planet Aarden is located on) and the ''Ether,'' a space between spaces, a realm that exists and does not exist all at once. The fog / mist known as "The Fade" pours from this hole, from the Ether itself, and as a result is endless and infinite in supply. Fadebeasts are monsters or animals from other worlds who have in one way or another wound up in the ether, and left through the breach into KM.		Hastus Vos (spoiler) was a worshiper of the ancient god Morphaeos, an entity associated with Dreams, Inspiration, Darkness, and Art. Attempting to open a portal to a realm he believed to be associated with Morphaeos, he accidentally tore a hole between Kemetus Major (the planet Aarden is located on) and the ''Ether,'' a space between spaces, a realm that exists and does not exist all at once. The fog / mist known as "The Fade" pours from this hole, from the Ether itself, and as a result is endless and infinite in supply. Fadebeasts are monsters or animals from other worlds who have in one way or another wound up in the ether, and left through the breach into KM.

Nket: /* ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Spoilers below ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- */

2023-07-20T15:19:38Z

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Spoilers below ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

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	== Aarden ==		== Aarden ==

	=== <u>Solace</u> ===		=== <u>[[Solace]]</u> ===
	Solace was placed within the woods and directly next to the Fade, with the explanation that it's proximity to the stronghold monastery of Nostor's Keep made it a first-stop and high priority for the maintenance of the Fade Collector network.		Solace was placed within the woods and directly next to the Fade, with the explanation that it's proximity to the stronghold monastery of Nostor's Keep made it a first-stop and high priority for the maintenance of the Fade Collector network.

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	The Solace Massacre factors into many of the other plot hooks available in other cities, as increased fear regarding the concept of organized fadebeast attacks, or the introduction of refugees from the forest town could upset the balance in other places.		The Solace Massacre factors into many of the other plot hooks available in other cities, as increased fear regarding the concept of organized fadebeast attacks, or the introduction of refugees from the forest town could upset the balance in other places.

	=== <u>Three Bridges</u> ===		=== <u>[[Three Bridges]]</u> ===
	Three Bridges is a goof name, as there are only two bridges. The people behind the town's name had intended on a third bridge, crossing the Istun Inlet south of the town, but it was never built.		Three Bridges is a goof name, as there are only two bridges. The people behind the town's name had intended on a third bridge, crossing the Istun Inlet south of the town, but it was never built.

Nket: /* A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach */

2023-07-08T13:38:25Z

A Note on Fadebeasts, spellcasters, and the Breach

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	Fadebeasts and magic users should be rare, extremely rare. The primary antagonist in Aarden is ultimately meant to be mankinds misinterpretation, or invention, or religion or otherworldy messages. The concept of Lovecraftian "old gods" with no regard for, or desire to interact with, human life allows for a multitude of interpretations by humans covering a wide array of possibilities. Several of the villains I've used have just been people trying in vain to attain magic powers through worship, strange behavior, or even blood sacrifice. People are awful and do awful things.
			Fadebeasts and magic users should be rare, extremely rare. The primary antagonist in Aarden is ultimately meant to be mankinds misinterpretation, or invention, of religion or otherworldy messages. The concept of Lovecraftian "old gods" with no regard for, or desire to interact with, human life allows for a multitude of interpretations by humans covering a wide array of possibilities. Several of the villains I've used have just been people trying in vain to attain magic powers through worship, strange behavior, or even blood sacrifice. People are awful and do awful things.

	Magic users should be limited to a bare fraction of the NPCs you introduce - and keep in mind that with no instruction, schools, or solid information to learn their craft, many of these spellcasters should be inexperienced and improvising.		Magic users should be limited to a bare fraction of the NPCs you introduce - and keep in mind that with no instruction, schools, or solid information to learn their craft, many of these spellcasters should be inexperienced and improvising.

Nket at 17:09, 3 July 2023

2023-07-03T17:09:16Z

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	Someone in town - be it the Mayor, Colton Smythe, the local Nostor at the church, etc - will tell the party that there have been mysterious graverobbings happening over the past few months. Entire graves, hollowed out, without piles of dirt or anything left behind - perfectly squared out empty graves. A local sergeant in the Vezenhold Militia, who I voiced like a slowed-down foghorn leghorn and made as dumb as a brick, very strongly believes that it is, in fact, a rectangular mouthed fadebeast. One that flies. "And what he does is, see, he comes up to this grave, see, and he fits his whole mouth around the grave and he sucks all that dirt up into his mouth, see. But he only does it at night, or he's invisible, or he's flyin', or both."		Someone in town - be it the Mayor, Colton Smythe, the local Nostor at the church, etc - will tell the party that there have been mysterious graverobbings happening over the past few months. Entire graves, hollowed out, without piles of dirt or anything left behind - perfectly squared out empty graves. A local sergeant in the Vezenhold Militia, who I voiced like a slowed-down foghorn leghorn and made as dumb as a brick, very strongly believes that it is, in fact, a rectangular mouthed fadebeast. One that flies. "And what he does is, see, he comes up to this grave, see, and he fits his whole mouth around the grave and he sucks all that dirt up into his mouth, see. But he only does it at night, or he's invisible, or he's flyin', or both."

	There are a number of ways your players could figure out the identity of the necromancer, who is in fact '''''Susanna Grimsby,''''' mentioned above. If they already suspect her, they could sneak into her home, watch her movements, or confront her directly. Players could try to post up overnight and watch the graveyard - where they might find evidence of undead minions moving about the shadows on the outskirts of town. These minions could be followed back to Grimsby's home, or perhaps ~~identified~~		There are a number of ways your players could figure out the identity of the necromancer, who is in fact '''''Susanna Grimsby,''''' mentioned above. If they already suspect her, they could sneak into her home, watch her movements, or confront her directly. Players could try to post up overnight and watch the graveyard - where they might find evidence of undead minions moving about the shadows on the outskirts of town. These minions could be followed back to Grimsby's home, or perhaps their tracks could be followed if the party destroys them.

			Grimsby herself will attack the players and absolutely fight to the death if confronted or found out. If she figures out before a confrontation that she's being investigated, you could choose to have her leave town and go into hiding somewhere. She will not give herself up or surrender under any circumstance, as to do so would guarantee the rest of her life being spent enduring painful torture until her execution by the Hand of the Creator. Better to take her chances here and die fighting than have her spirit severed by those red robed freaks in their frozen monastery.

			Grimsby is a potential place for your players to find one of the '''''Nua-Stones,''''' a set of five ancient stone orbs of extradimensional origin scattered throughout the Empire, believed by occultists to be fragments of an ancient world that was completely shattered and destroyed.




	(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)		(I've finished all this, but the wiki is still a work in progress. The rest of this page will be finished later)

Nket at 16:53, 3 July 2023

2023-07-03T16:53:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:53, 3 July 2023
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	# Colton Smythe will be standing outside the building, attending to horses or smoking. He does the hiring for the caravan company and will approach anyone who enters the yard to see what they need, or if they're in search of employment. He's a gruff, pragmatic man. He is also a ''relic'' dealer - the term used in Aarden for black-market magical or enchanted items, however the party will need to earn his trust in order to find this out. The DM can decide on what he has and how much it costs, depending on your own loot tables and how much money you're dolling out.		# Colton Smythe will be standing outside the building, attending to horses or smoking. He does the hiring for the caravan company and will approach anyone who enters the yard to see what they need, or if they're in search of employment. He's a gruff, pragmatic man. He is also a ''relic'' dealer - the term used in Aarden for black-market magical or enchanted items, however the party will need to earn his trust in order to find this out. The DM can decide on what he has and how much it costs, depending on your own loot tables and how much money you're dolling out.
	# The WEC will be hiring people to investigate a missing caravan headed towards the town from the east. Should they choose to pursue this, they'll find the caravan only a few hours east from town - it had been stopped by the Hand of the Creator, and witch-hunters had hauled it's drivers away for questioning. The caravan was known to have been moving a few crates of illegal materials including Bloodstone Dust, Dried Bat Wings and Newt Eyes, and runes made from bone - all materials associated with spell components, particularly for necromancy. The Witch-Hunters still investigating the caravan will have no questions for the party - but will give them the above information to take back to Smythe.		# The WEC will be hiring people to investigate a missing caravan headed towards the town from the east. Should they choose to pursue this, they'll find the caravan only a few hours east from town - it had been stopped by the Hand of the Creator, and witch-hunters had hauled it's drivers away for questioning. The caravan was known to have been moving a few crates of illegal materials including Bloodstone Dust, Dried Bat Wings and Newt Eyes, and runes made from bone - all materials associated with spell components, particularly for necromancy. The Witch-Hunters still investigating the caravan will have no questions for the party - but will give them the above information to take back to Smythe.
	# If they '''''did not''''' take the job from Smythe, there is a woman waiting inside the office for the shipment from the missing Caravan named Susanna Grimsby, because I name things like a child. She'll claim to know nothing about the spell components, and that she was just waiting for a gift of spices from her sister. As a warlock, Grimsby is skilled in deception, set an insight check DC high for this one.		# If they '''''did not''''' take the job from Smythe, there is a woman waiting inside the office for the shipment from the missing Caravan named Susanna Grimsby, because I name things like a child. She'll claim to know nothing about the spell components, and that she was just waiting for a gift of spices from her sister. As a warlock, Grimsby is skilled in deception, set an insight check DC high for this one, as she's lying and is definitely waiting for the crates containing the spell components.

	* '''Amalia Efterstone and the Istun Ruins'''		* '''Amalia Efterstone and the Istun Ruins'''