The Da Vinci Code - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The Da Vinci Code

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
spellweaver
May 21, 2005 18:24:58 ************ CAMPAIGN SPOILER ***********************
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I just saw a three-hour documentary about the book The Da Vinci Code and was very intrigued. Now, I don't mean for this thread to be a discussion of the content of the book, which I understand is very controversial to some people. But I would like to talk about game world secrets and campaign plots.

The documentaries I watched were partly by the BBC and partly by the Danish Broadcast Corporation and of course they all presented conflicting views of bits of historical data and false clues and deliberate misdirections. But what fascinated me was the possibility that there might be a mystery to unravel. I then I started thinking about which great plots and secrets Mystara holds, that PCs might begin to investigate.

I came up with a few ones, but I'd like to hear more ideas from you and how you would expand them in a campaign.

Lost Valley of the Huutaka and the Song of Halav
An old thread (I haven't got the name) dealt with this issue as the DM was preparing for his players to unravel the truth about the Song of Halav and the existence of the Lost Valley of the Huutaka. PCs might stumble upon bits of archaeological data that leads them on their way. A secret cult of descendants of Halav's warriors might be sworn to defend the truth?

The Radiance
Probably another of the BIG secrets of Mystara (or the Known World at least) it is closely guarded my the Brotherhood of Rad from curious individuals. Trying to unravel anything while being up against some of the most powerful mages in the Known World will surely be a challenge!

The Sheperds of Rad
Closely linked to the above, someone might learn of the truth behind the temples of Rad and how they are established by Etienne to ensure an orderly and controllable magic-user-ruled state?

The Secret of Blackflame
Perhaps Blackflame is no more extraordinary than elven clan relics or dwarf clan relics or perhaps the much sought after Blackflame is actually a much more complex part of a deeper mystery?

The Carnifex
The disappearance of the Carnifex is sure to be a mystery to those who unravel a bit of knowledge about them and decide to investigate further...

The Destruction of Nithia
And finally, the destruction of the entire empire of Nithia is sure to be the ultimate mystery to unravel; scavenging ruins from the Sea of Dread to the Isle of Dawn, searching tombs and crawling through dungeons in search of bits of knowledge that the Immortals deemed to small to be bothered to erase...

:-) Jesper
#2
starglyte
May 21, 2005 21:42:34 In the Hollow World, the Lighthouse could have information that the PCs would need. Better yet, they could be working for the Lighthouse trying to
get information to piece together the puzzle. I would use Alpthia as focus point, since not all of the citzens had their memories altered. They could be looking for a needed item or information that was left in the Known world.
#3
Cthulhudrew
May 21, 2005 22:29:40 A couple of other good places for secret "Da Vinci" like info to be hidden- among the elves of Clan Mealiden, and the monks of Thothia (there is a scenario like this in M5: Talons of Night, when agents of Entropy destroy the library in Edairo in order to keep info out of the hands of the PCs... or maybe they just ambush them there, I forget.)
#4
agathokles
May 23, 2005 2:44:02
I then I started thinking about which great plots and secrets Mystara holds, that PCs might begin to investigate.

I came up with a few ones, but I'd like to hear more ideas from you and how you would expand them in a campaign.

Well, there are at least a couple more I can think of:

Origins of the Red Curse
This is actually the main focus of the Savage Coast campaign, and comes ready with an healthy dose of legends and misdirection, as well as the required group that wants the secret to stay secret.

Quest for the Blue Knife
This is the goblinoid version of the world secret -- with Bozdogan and Hosadus as masterminds, and ambitious goblinoids wrestling to control the hordes.

The Ierendi People's Temple and the treasures of the Immortals
In the GAZ, there's a major secret about the basic tenets of this religion, with the Eternal Truth out to get it, and the Temple trying to keep the secret.

The Star of Vanya
Conflict within the Heldannic Knights and/or with others cults of Vanya as the secret about this powerful artifact strongly affects the HK and their behavior. Suitable even for Immortal-level plots.

The Soul Crystals of the Shadow Elves
Another major secret. Of course the S.E. high-level Shamans would try to keep the secret, while other parties may disagree (e.g., the reluctant Wanderers, the Second Shadow, the royal family, and maybe some dwarves).
#5
culture20
May 23, 2005 18:10:39 Blackmoor; there are few that know what the "great magics" of Blackmoor were.

The History of the Wallara.
#6
zombiegleemax
May 24, 2005 18:49:04 Herath
Where do they come from? Why do they fight the Red Curse?
#7
npc_dave
May 24, 2005 20:17:50 Elven Migrations
Where did the Belcadiz elves come from? What happened to the Sylvan Realm? How did those M5 Talons of Night elves stay isolated for so long?

Origins of the Lupins
I loved how the novel set in Red Steel played out that mystery.

Hollow World
In general.

The Legend of Atlantis
Keeping that legend from the real world is the only way to make that throw away line in CM1 make sense.

The Ylari Desert
Liked how GAZ5 explained that one.

City of Tuma
So it was only one module, I got it fit into Mystara and a lot of mileage out of the players solving the mystery.
#8
npc_dave
May 24, 2005 20:18:45 By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade?
#9
dave_l
May 25, 2005 4:01:41
By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade?

Good question. Not in anything I've read, unless I've missed something.

Anyone else know?
#10
spellweaver
May 25, 2005 10:35:24 I just wanted to thank you all for contributing with all of these wonderful ideas for nasty conspiracies and villanous surprises for my PCs!

There is definetly a lot of stuff to work with in our beloved Mystara :D

:-) Jesper
#11
zombiegleemax
May 25, 2005 13:03:23
By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade?

I think part of the idea of the Blue Knife was that the whole quest happened in extremely primitive times, so even a non-magical steel weapon was a big advantage over the standard gear. It's probably actually a metaphor for the knowledge of how to work steel. (As in Conan's "Riddle of Steel".)
#12
Cthulhudrew
Oct 01, 2006 20:26:01 I'm bumping this ancient thread because I was reading through the Ierendi Gaz last night (working on a project) and I noticed that there is already a Da Vinci Code storyline on Mystara, years before the book and movie were ever written!

I'm speaking, of course, of the Hope Stones and the People's Temple of Ierendi. The Hope Stones, originally written/created by Tomia (the somewhat dubiously intentioned founder of the People's Temple) contain the original doctrines of the faith. Over the years/centuries (however long it has been; it isn't completely clear) the doctrines have been rewritten/altered according to the needs of the church- at least the needs as interpreted by the clergy. Naturally, they keep the Hope Stones well hidden so that the truth behind the changes isn't known. The degree to which their motives may or may not be sinister isn't clear, but there are nevertheless people who would be interested in getting the truth out (such as Yavi of the Eternal Truth).

[EDIT] Thinking about it more, you could even have an albino assassin (from Utter Island).

Anyway, I thought it was pretty interesting.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 spellweaver May 21, 2005 18:24:58	********** CAMPAIGN SPOILER ********************* * * * * * * * * * ******** MY PLAYERS KINDLY KEEP OUT *************** I just saw a three-hour documentary about the book The Da Vinci Code and was very intrigued. Now, I don't mean for this thread to be a discussion of the content of the book, which I understand is very controversial to some people. But I would like to talk about game world secrets and campaign plots. The documentaries I watched were partly by the BBC and partly by the Danish Broadcast Corporation and of course they all presented conflicting views of bits of historical data and false clues and deliberate misdirections. But what fascinated me was the possibility that there might be a mystery to unravel. I then I started thinking about which great plots and secrets Mystara holds, that PCs might begin to investigate. I came up with a few ones, but I'd like to hear more ideas from you and how you would expand them in a campaign. Lost Valley of the Huutaka and the Song of Halav An old thread (I haven't got the name) dealt with this issue as the DM was preparing for his players to unravel the truth about the Song of Halav and the existence of the Lost Valley of the Huutaka. PCs might stumble upon bits of archaeological data that leads them on their way. A secret cult of descendants of Halav's warriors might be sworn to defend the truth? The Radiance Probably another of the BIG secrets of Mystara (or the Known World at least) it is closely guarded my the Brotherhood of Rad from curious individuals. Trying to unravel anything while being up against some of the most powerful mages in the Known World will surely be a challenge! The Sheperds of Rad Closely linked to the above, someone might learn of the truth behind the temples of Rad and how they are established by Etienne to ensure an orderly and controllable magic-user-ruled state? The Secret of Blackflame Perhaps Blackflame is no more extraordinary than elven clan relics or dwarf clan relics or perhaps the much sought after Blackflame is actually a much more complex part of a deeper mystery? The Carnifex The disappearance of the Carnifex is sure to be a mystery to those who unravel a bit of knowledge about them and decide to investigate further... The Destruction of Nithia And finally, the destruction of the entire empire of Nithia is sure to be the ultimate mystery to unravel; scavenging ruins from the Sea of Dread to the Isle of Dawn, searching tombs and crawling through dungeons in search of bits of knowledge that the Immortals deemed to small to be bothered to erase... :-) Jesper
#2 starglyte May 21, 2005 21:42:34	In the Hollow World, the Lighthouse could have information that the PCs would need. Better yet, they could be working for the Lighthouse trying to get information to piece together the puzzle. I would use Alpthia as focus point, since not all of the citzens had their memories altered. They could be looking for a needed item or information that was left in the Known world.
#3 Cthulhudrew May 21, 2005 22:29:40	A couple of other good places for secret "Da Vinci" like info to be hidden- among the elves of Clan Mealiden, and the monks of Thothia (there is a scenario like this in M5: Talons of Night, when agents of Entropy destroy the library in Edairo in order to keep info out of the hands of the PCs... or maybe they just ambush them there, I forget.)
#4 agathokles May 23, 2005 2:44:02	I then I started thinking about which great plots and secrets Mystara holds, that PCs might begin to investigate. I came up with a few ones, but I'd like to hear more ideas from you and how you would expand them in a campaign. Well, there are at least a couple more I can think of: Origins of the Red Curse This is actually the main focus of the Savage Coast campaign, and comes ready with an healthy dose of legends and misdirection, as well as the required group that wants the secret to stay secret. Quest for the Blue Knife This is the goblinoid version of the world secret -- with Bozdogan and Hosadus as masterminds, and ambitious goblinoids wrestling to control the hordes. The Ierendi People's Temple and the treasures of the Immortals In the GAZ, there's a major secret about the basic tenets of this religion, with the Eternal Truth out to get it, and the Temple trying to keep the secret. The Star of Vanya Conflict within the Heldannic Knights and/or with others cults of Vanya as the secret about this powerful artifact strongly affects the HK and their behavior. Suitable even for Immortal-level plots. The Soul Crystals of the Shadow Elves Another major secret. Of course the S.E. high-level Shamans would try to keep the secret, while other parties may disagree (e.g., the reluctant Wanderers, the Second Shadow, the royal family, and maybe some dwarves).
#5 culture20 May 23, 2005 18:10:39	Blackmoor; there are few that know what the "great magics" of Blackmoor were. The History of the Wallara.
#6 zombiegleemax May 24, 2005 18:49:04	Herath Where do they come from? Why do they fight the Red Curse?
#7 npc_dave May 24, 2005 20:17:50	Elven Migrations Where did the Belcadiz elves come from? What happened to the Sylvan Realm? How did those M5 Talons of Night elves stay isolated for so long? Origins of the Lupins I loved how the novel set in Red Steel played out that mystery. Hollow World In general. The Legend of Atlantis Keeping that legend from the real world is the only way to make that throw away line in CM1 make sense. The Ylari Desert Liked how GAZ5 explained that one. City of Tuma So it was only one module, I got it fit into Mystara and a lot of mileage out of the players solving the mystery.
#8 npc_dave May 24, 2005 20:18:45	By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade?
#9 dave_l May 25, 2005 4:01:41	By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade? Good question. Not in anything I've read, unless I've missed something. Anyone else know?
#10 spellweaver May 25, 2005 10:35:24	I just wanted to thank you all for contributing with all of these wonderful ideas for nasty conspiracies and villanous surprises for my PCs! There is definetly a lot of stuff to work with in our beloved Mystara :D :-) Jesper
#11 zombiegleemax May 25, 2005 13:03:23	By the way, can anyone explain the Blue Knife to me? I never did figure out how that all fit together. Was there ever a knife more than a +1 glowing blade? I think part of the idea of the Blue Knife was that the whole quest happened in extremely primitive times, so even a non-magical steel weapon was a big advantage over the standard gear. It's probably actually a metaphor for the knowledge of how to work steel. (As in Conan's "Riddle of Steel".)
#12 Cthulhudrew Oct 01, 2006 20:26:01	I'm bumping this ancient thread because I was reading through the Ierendi Gaz last night (working on a project) and I noticed that there is already a Da Vinci Code storyline on Mystara, years before the book and movie were ever written! I'm speaking, of course, of the Hope Stones and the People's Temple of Ierendi. The Hope Stones, originally written/created by Tomia (the somewhat dubiously intentioned founder of the People's Temple) contain the original doctrines of the faith. Over the years/centuries (however long it has been; it isn't completely clear) the doctrines have been rewritten/altered according to the needs of the church- at least the needs as interpreted by the clergy. Naturally, they keep the Hope Stones well hidden so that the truth behind the changes isn't known. The degree to which their motives may or may not be sinister isn't clear, but there are nevertheless people who would be interested in getting the truth out (such as Yavi of the Eternal Truth). [EDIT] Thinking about it more, you could even have an albino assassin (from Utter Island). Anyway, I thought it was pretty interesting.