Though I haven’t had much time of late to work on long articles, I have been pondering some bizarre ideas for adventure settings I thought I’d pass along.
Ober and Ongar
On the flood plains west of the mountains lie the twin cities of Ober and Ongar, split down the middle by a dry culvert crossed at regular intervals by bridges.
Why the bridges? Runoff from the mountains happens in such volume that the local land owners built a culvert to divert it safely after a devastating flood killed hundreds.
A painting of the construction hangs in the council chambers for both cities. In both pictures, the water is high and fills the culvert nearly to the top.
A rotating council member from each city attends the other’s meetings as a courtesy, but there has been so little water in the area both cities are desperate for fresh water and supplies. Plans are afoot on both sides of the culvert to redirect whatever reserves are left so that one city may thrive and the other dies.
Plot ideas:
- Strangers
traveling through town will be approached by both sides of the conflict and request aid. Will the PCs be persuaded by promises of wealth and power to help one city destroy the other? - Though the councils of both cities have decided to go forward with this covert war over resources, they hide the troubles from their people. Some have discovered the truth and ended up dead at the hands of a small group of assassins working for the councils. The PCs could be hired as bodyguards to keep the latest potential whistleblower alive.
- A cult has sprung up worshipping an ancient god in the hopes of attracting its favor. This god demands sacrifices and strangers new to town are less likely to be missed…
The Devil and the Four Kingdoms
Scattered to the four borders of a large continent are four ancient monasteries dedicated to protecting the world from incursion by demons from the elemental planes. Each monastery studies a particular element and its opposite, offering them power enough to stop or banish one of these other-worldly spirits.
The brothers (and sisters) then tour the continent, spreading folk wisdom to those who would listen to protect the lives of innocents. Though they cannot stay long in any one place (they are driven to move by the coursing elemental energies surrounding them), they attempt to teach basic mystical defenses through the use of traditional alchemical reagents such as salt, breath, purified water, and fire. Through ritual practices, students can learn to protect themselves, their families, and their friends from the demons seeking a foothold in their world.
Working against them is an arch-devil who wishes to see the lands of mankind die and his demons run free. This devil has begun teaching more intellectual demons the ways onto the material plane through areas where the material and elemental come together. Wildfires, turbulent bodies of water, major storms, and fault lines are some of these weak areas exploited by demons more and more frequently.
The brotherhoods are revered, but dwindling in numbers and seeking new recruits to carry on their traditions.
Plot ideas:
- A new group of students has been accepted into the monastery and recently finished their training. They are being sent on one of the many paths the brotherhood follows when they run into their first demon…
- Rumors of a series of villages burned to the ground have begun to reach the brothers. They send the group to investigate.
- A particular town has requested help from the brotherhood, but is under the influence of a growing group of demons hiding among them.
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I hope to develop these further, especially the elemental demons world, which has a lot of possibilities I think.
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