Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Apr 18, 2004 11:26:46	I just have some questions for the DMs and writers out there about the current age and the types of things they are doing with the game as it stands now. 1. Knights of Solamnia - Solanthus is now destroyed, right? What are the Knights up to then? Who controls Solanthus; are there efforts to take it back? Are the Knights rebuilding and are they as driven from their land like the Silanesti? 2. Mina - Well, she was defeated and is still alive. What is she up to? The dark queen is dead and Paladine walks the earth alone. What about her previous victories over most of Ansalon? Do the lands remained conquered under her control even though she has just lost a major battle? 3. Knights of Neraka - Do they still follow the One God now that she is dead? What are their current plans? How do they relate to Mina's current will? Basically, as I understand it, the plotline has recently recessed again to a sorta neutral point. Everyone seems to be badly beaten up. No need to comment on all of this, it is a lot to comment on, I was just curious about peeps opinons of the current age and what plot aspects of the current story really catch their eye. Cheers! Stormhawk
#2 zombiegleemax Apr 18, 2004 12:05:04	Well, from my understanding *Spoilers for the War of Souls, I suppose* 1. Solanthus is still there. It is ruled by the Guildmasters, the leaders of an army who liberated the city. 2. Mina's whereabouts will be covered in the upcoming novel Amber and Ashes by Margaret Weis. She was last seen carting Takhisis' body off somewhere (if memory servers) 3. The Knights of Nerka follow no God and are striving to distance themselves from the Gods. They use mysticism and sorcery instead of divine and high sorcery magics.
#3 kipper_snifferdoo_02 Apr 18, 2004 12:13:17	Originally posted by Stormhawk I just have some questions for the DMs and writers out there about the current age and the types of things they are doing with the game as it stands now. 1. Knights of Solamnia - Solanthus is now destroyed, right? What are the Knights up to then? Who controls Solanthus; are there efforts to take it back? Are the Knights rebuilding and are they as driven from their land like the Silanesti? This is all explained in the Age of Mortals. The situation in Solanthus is described and the Dark Knights were ousted. The knights are back, but not in control. The merchant guilds are. 2. Mina - Well, she was defeated and is still alive. What is she up to? The dark queen is dead and Paladine walks the earth alone. Mina's story will be explained in the novel Amber and Ashes by Margaret Weis. (out in August I think) What about her previous victories over most of Ansalon? Do the lands remained conquered under her control even though she has just lost a major battle? I think the dark knights hold on many occupied lands fell apart after Takhisis died and Mina disappeared. Palanthas, and Tarsis are still held however. 3. Knights of Neraka - Do they still follow the One God now that she is dead? What are their current plans? How do they relate to Mina's current will? I'm not sure on this one. I think it still has to be described. But I assume that the dark knights have really splintered since Mina disappeared.
#4 darthsylver Apr 19, 2004 0:12:56	Well if you are really interested in what I plan on doing with my next campaign I will give you some hints. But first: Danny, George, if you are reading this stop!!! Do not proceed. What I am planning is a campaign centered around an elvin - ogre offspring (not a goblin!!! that just did not make sense, huge ogre & elf taller than goblin and the offspring is a small ass goblin--no way). That is destined to restore both of these nations. By recovering a couple of lost artifacts, one mentioned in Land of the minotaurs (taladas module), one I made up that has to do with an elvin general, and an irda artifact. Some major players will be Maldred, Alhana, and Gilthas all who have ties to the ogre and elvin people (might even pull Gilthanas out of the closet and dust him off). But also Aleaha (leader of the Kirath) and Mornag (renegade Ogre-Mage in Bloten) and a few other NPCs created in previous modules. This is a vengeance campaign for most involved. Maldred because of what Dauroth has done to Maldred's father Donnag, and the elves because of the Minotaur invasion of Silvanesti (cult of the bloody condor might come into play here. not sure yet). Sargonnas is using this campaign in his fight against Chemosh (who the minotaurs have inadvertently begun to worship because of the Nightrunners--I think that is what they are called, the church Nephera is head of). In the end the only known Scion-Chisel Lorehammer-will be found in order to help restore the Qualinesti forest and remove the lake of the dead (again a place of Chemosh now). Also with Dauroth killing elves in order to sustain the Titans, if he is stopped then Chemosh will lose more power (no more dead elves for him there). So in the end it is sort of a dark campaign but also a heroic campaign. Sargonnas wants to rule live subjects and Chemosh wants to kill everything. Which would you rather be. Unless the players bring them in the knights of Solamnia and Neraka has no play in this. And mina ain't even mentioned (always hated her anyway.)
#5 zombiegleemax Apr 19, 2004 9:27:19	Thanks for your insight on what you are doing. I guess that is my trouble with the Current Age. To me, all the excitement occurred at the beginning of Mina's run, up until the time she was defeated. Now that she is defeated, Krynn’s greatest enemy of this Age is now gone. All that is left for campaign development in this age are the struggles of the Elves and the few remaining Dragon Lords. There are few clear bad guys making eventual epic play very difficult. Right now, things seem a little deflated. Sure, the Elves still have their problems. The Silvanesti no longer have a land of their own and the Minotaurs are their biggest enemy. The Qualinesti are under the Tyrant rule of Neraka with an Elven King as a Puppet. To me, the choice you made to go with a Qualenesti/Silvaneti plotline seems logical. IMO, the pursuits of the liberation of the Qualinesti is the most intriguing thing out there. But what about everything else that is going on? Do people find interest in Solamnic lands for plot in the Current Age? The campaign we are doing right now does not have a strong Elven bend to it, so I'd rather not send the humans to save the elves - there is just a better way to write a story. I’d like to run a Solamnic or Ergoth land plotline. My problem is, there just does not seem to be enough inspiring material out there to justify a Solamnic/Ergoth land plotline. I guess I am a little bit disappointed with the way the story concluded with Mina prior to writing the Campaign setting. I am forced to introduce new bad guys that no one has ever heard of to substitute her malice. My trouble with that is I can introduce new bad guys in any campaign world. Things are very neutral right now. Any input here would be appreciated! Please jump in and comment!! Thanks so much!! Stormhawk
#6 darthsylver Apr 19, 2004 13:15:17	Well don't forget, the solamnics don't really have a homw other than sancrist Isle. You can pitt them against the Knights of Neraka easily. Or they could attempt to free the Southern Ergothian lands from the ogres. They also need to liberate Palanthas from the Knights of Neraka. And let us not forget the Tower of the High Clerist, who has it? Oh yeah the gully dwarves and rats have it. Let us not forget that the land probaly needs to be cleaned of Skie's dragonspawn creatures left in these lands. Kender are scattered and can try to restore their historical homeland. Ogres are being oppressed by the Titans (of course not all see it that way) near blode. How are the Knights of Solamnia, or even Neraka reacting to the nation of Teyr? Mina could always can back from hiding with an alliance with a dragon highlord? Southern Ergoth is controlled by the ogres and Gellidus. If you have them resurrect some of those old modules and the villain NPCs. Even if they were humans or short lived races, it don't matter if you have never used them and they were not mentioned in the novels. If you take what I showed you with my campaign, you will see it has some characters (both allies and villains) from the novels, NPCs from past modules that I never used, and a few I just made up. The same goes for the artifacts. Just take a good long read at the DLCS and AOM (if you have) dredge up some old modules, and use a little creativity. I assure you your campaign will the feel of DL you are looking for but will also be a creation of your very own.
#7 ferratus Apr 19, 2004 16:06:29	Originally posted by darthsylver Well don't forget, the solamnics don't really have a home other than sancrist Isle. Well, we know they have forces in Solamnia as well, though I wouldn't be suprised if the Solamnics aren't eager to have them back. They seem to have been more concerned with petty intrigue and undermining other governments than their responsibities in defending Solamnia itself. Think of all the resources they've wasted in Abanisania, Southern Ergoth, Sanction, and numerous other places rather than working to liberate Solamnia. It would be bad enough if they were doing it because they thought they were the continent's policeman, but it is clear from novels such as The Clandestine Cirlce that they are doing it simply because it is the path of least resistance to shore up their own power. I really hope there is a storyline to restore the honour to the Knights of Solamnia. Shining armor, sweeping mustaches, stoic pride, all the things that made them great in the WotL era. We have the Legion of Steel for those players who like intrigue. Why bother playing a Solamnic Knight if you are just going to act completely contrary to that of a Solamnic Knight? Or they could attempt to free the Southern Ergothian lands from the ogres. We have to remember that the ogres do not control the area west of the Lastgaard mountains, the Elves and Solamnics do. Gellidus controls the are west by turning it into a giant glacier and having almost nobody there. As for the ogres, I don't buy for a second that they view Gellidus' rule as beneficial. Before Gellidus came they ruled over a temperate land, much of it fertile and scattered with the ruins of a an ancient empire. Gellidus simply doesn't have anything to offer them but their lives. I think it is felt that since Gellidus is evil and the ogres are evil they must get along. Balderdash. I think the ogres want to kill Gellidus more than anyone. They also need to liberate Palanthas from the Knights of Neraka. This is a great place if you have a lot of nobles, bards and rogues in the party. The Knights of Nereka are obviously not going to let the city go easily. It is the richest city in the world, by far. You also have to deal with the fact that many people in Palanthas like the Knights of Nereka, either because they love the ideology, enjoy the dark knight's patronage, or both. The way I see it is that there is only way you can truly conquer Palanthas besides overwhelming force (which would be expensive and destructive). What you have to do is make it unprofitable by means of a naval blockade, close off the only pass into the mainland by seizing and refortifying the High Clerist's tower, and to have a fifth column undermining the barracks and noble support from within. And let us not forget the Tower of the High Clerist, who has it? Oh yeah the gully dwarves and rats have it. Every ruin on Krynn has Gully Dwarves. I'm a little sick of that myself. Why not a ruin with sligs in it? Or humans? ;) Let us not forget that the land probaly needs to be cleaned of Skie's dragonspawn creatures left in these lands. Well they definately have to be dealt with. I'd find it funny if they ended up in various noble houses as bodyguards or as mercenary shock troops rather than the traditional draconian method of living on the fringes of society in bands. They are still human (partly) after all. Mina could always can back from hiding with an alliance with a dragon highlord? Do you mean dragonlord? I sort of see the dragonlords and their leiutenants as the heirs to dragonarmy culture myself. Particularly post-WotL when various areas were controlled by independent remnants of the dragonarmy wings. If you have them resurrect some of those old modules and the villain NPCs. Even if they were humans or short lived races, it don't matter if you have never used them and they were not mentioned in the novels. I love taking old NPC's from official products and giving them a polish. I mostly use 5th Age ones, because they are still alive, but I also take the longer lived ones from other products. I also tend to take last names from old NPC's and put them on my characters as an homage/parody of the "next generation" storyline. Master Spry for example is a half-kender assassin in Flotsam rather than a kindly old kender fisherman. Talent Orren is the name of a high ranking Knight of the Thorn now, where his grandfather was a secret rebel in the heart of the Dragon Empire of Nereka during the WotL.
#8 zombiegleemax Apr 20, 2004 4:00:43	You should check out the posts on the whereabouts of elves and get your characters involved in the heart of darkness idea. Perhaps as solamnics they have had contact with a Solamnic Auxilary Mage who desperately wants to free the forest so that the Tower of Wayerth(sp?) can be found and reoccupied.