A Fall from Heaven D&D Campaign

[vorshlumpf]

[Edit: Campaign web site is here: http://bia.niilo.ca/]

Hi everyone,

I've finally started something I've been wanting to do for a while now: I've begun* a table-top role-playing campaign using the Fall from Heaven setting. I don't think it'll go for 17 years, but I'm hoping to get a lot of mileage out of it.

* By 'begun' I mean I've roped in some willing (and, frankly, talented) role-players to agree to the campaign. Today we got as far as rolling up stats for the characters.

Now I am tasked with scouring this forum for all the historical tidbits that Kael has tossed our way, as I'd like to use as much of it as I can. I'm asking for help a bit prematurely, since I haven't yet started my search, but if you know of any posts that give historical details, please let me know.

Oh, and if anyone has any plot/adventure ideas that would work in this setting, feel free to send them my way.

CivFanatics Research Results

The number indicates the importance level I've given the information in relation to my campaign (1 being highest, 3 lowest)

1 Religion and Gods
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=159362
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4701988

1 Corruption of Angels and Aspects of Creation
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4429254&postcount=6

1 Arawn, Death Magic, and Laroth's plans
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4480754&postcount=60
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6230604&postcount=12
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6230906&postcount=19

1 Varn, Laroth, and the shadowed vale
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5471929&postcount=5

1 Amurites and Caswallawns
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4618825&postcount=67

1 Astronomy and Calendar
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4976438&postcount=83

1 The Luonnotar
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4380941&postcount=400

1 Ljosalfar/Svartalfar
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5986622&postcount=23

1 Erebus as the Vault of Oghma, Octopus Overlords, Elf Sub-Races
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=3962170

1 Bannor/Orcs and the Fall of Bhall
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5651754&postcount=5088

2 Languages of Erebus
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6111505&postcount=11

2 Danalin's Tale
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5170865&postcount=5

2 Vampires and Sunlight
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4087436&postcount=52

2 Varn, Talia, Baron Duin
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4624877&postcount=78

2 Discussion of Vaults, Hells and Bhall
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4786290&postcount=27
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4436253&postcount=10

2 Archangels
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=5218889#post5218889
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=5172532&postcount=7

2 What Are Demons
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4436720&postcount=12

2 Perpentach, Dain, and Valledia
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6221676&postcount=2

3 Kael's Campaign Worlds
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4972273&postcount=34

3 On Alignment and Worship
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=4889293#post4889293

3 Erebus is Flat
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4967449

3 Underground Agriculture
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=4083543&postcount=8

3 Mana chart
http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=148716&d=1172369959

3 Stigmata on the Unborn
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=6246282&postcount=525

3 Trivia Thread:
Q - Danalin is dreaming, having nightmares. Who is he dreaming about?
A - Hemah

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Ah, and here I was hoping you were going to do play by post here.

I'm asking for help a bit prematurely, since I haven't yet started my search, but if you know of any posts that give historical details, please let me know.

Someone awhile ago wanted to find these bits and wiki them, not sure how much they got.

Anyway, dunno if this helps, it's mostly listed elsewhere, but it's a project I had going that sort of stalled.
View attachment Fall From Heaven World.doc

And here's a bonus short story about Varn and Chalid meeting:

Spoiler :

The dazzling morning light filled the Astrakein tent. Chalid awoke to see his brother’s silhouette holding open the tent flap. “Wake up little rabbit,” Ashrad said, “father has returned!” Chalid bounded from his mat with a hop, stumbling to keep up with his older brother. They dashed between the adults trying to get the work of the camp done despite the enthusiasm of the chief’s sons. Ashrad led him to the center of the oasis, around tents, under camels, and over smoldering cook-fires.
Suddenly he stopped in front of the elder’s tent, and Chalid slammed into him. Both boys fell to the ground, and in moments were shoving and punching. Ashrad ended up on top and was about to make his brother eat another mouthful of sand when their father emerged from the elder’s tent and lifted them from the ground, one in each hand. “Ashrad! I told you to fetch your brother, not kill your brother! Our guest will need lots of rest to recover, and if you two pups make such racket, what peace can his sleep bring?” He set the boys down and Chalid asked the obvious question.
“Who’s in the tent, father?”
“When we returned from the port Lodente we found a… man at the edge of the savannah. He was blind and alone, speaking to himself to no end. We brought him here to care to. Hospitality is what we owe to all wanderers, my son, never forget that.”
“Even to an enemy?” The voice was soft and weak, unlike the voice of any man of Chalid’s tribe, not the deep confident voice of father and the adult men or even the swaggering young men he and Ashrad tried to copy. But the stranger stood above their father as he stepped from the tent. A light white robe was held about his shoulders, hiding his pale skin from the harsh desert sun.
Chalid was transfixed by the sight of him, even as father insisted he return to rest. “I find the desert air such a tonic, I was compelled to find and thank my host, and the doctor told me you had just stepped out—why, hello there.”
Chalid held the stranger’s hand in his and he studied it intently. “What are you?” he asked.
His father blushed, “Forgive him, sir, he is young and ill-mannered.”
The visitor smiled and picked up Chalid. “Do not apologize. I imagine you don’t see very many elves, especially when at this tender age.”
Ashrad glowered. “You’re not an elf, you’re a Dark Elf!”
“This is true. I am Varn Gosam, and am Svartalfar. But you have shown me kindness, and I promise to only return the favor. By Lugus the Light, I shall remain a servant among you.” Chalid squinted up at the Elf’s face, wreathed in the desert sun.

There was nothing in all directions but the reflection of the sun upon the sand, and the tracks of their camels behind them. Chalid called ahead to Varn Gosam, “Do you even know where we are?”
Varn Gosam shook his head. “No, but I do not need to. Lugus leads us onward.”
Chalid scowled. “I hope he knows the way back as well.”
“What was that?”
“Nevermind. When father bid me accompany you, I do not think he knew you were chasing after our ancestors.”
“Lugus is more than the Astrakein tribe’s progenitor, my friend. Just what more… I do not know yet. Besides, it is good for you to separate from your family for awhile.”
“Why? My family is my duty and my honor, Varn.”
Varn Gosam sighed. “Maybe that is so. Maybe jealousy does not attend to you as it did Kel. Maybe pride does not tempt your brother as it did me. I have lived among you five years and still I see through the eyes of the Winter Court. But I fear when Ashrad inherits—wait, I think we are near. There!”
Together they trotted to the near oasis. Fresh water, clean and pure, bubbled up and fed wild date and fig trees. A pair of sand lions lay on the grass by the pool, but did not disturb the Malakim travelers. Chalid watched silently as Varn Gosam dismounted and drank from the water, then waded into the pond. He floated under the sun above. On the still water the reflection of the sun shone back, and glowed ever brighter as Varn Gosam meditated. Or was it… Chalid squinted. It was indeed his mentor who was shining, and soon brighter than the sun itself. Chalid could not turn his eyes away, but he was not blinded.
Many hours past, and not until the sun fell below the trees did Varn Goasm’s radiance fade. He emerged from the pool to find Chalid waiting silently. “Come, I have much to teach you.”

Don't forget to post good stories that come up.

 

[vorshlumpf]

Sweet! Thanks, Nikis-Knight.

My plan is to host a wiki for my RPG group so that, as we further develop our Erebus, we can keep track of it all. I'm allowing the players significant artistic license in helping to develop the world along with me. I like to write, so I hope to have a campaign log published on the same wiki. If it happens, I'll certainly let you know.

 

[Kael]

Its a huge world so their are plenty of different campaigns that can be run. Personally I prefer campaigns that have a lot of conflict but don't force the players to participate in it. You may want to consider:

1. Citizens/soldiers of a Bannor outpost city that lies up against the spread of hell. Adventures could surrounds forays over the border into the hell twisted terrain, battling creaturs that come from those lands, the tempatations of hell, and encounters with the infernal and the mercurians.

2. Life as Lanun merchant pirates traveling from port to port between the cities of various empires. Games of political intrigue, thievery and swashbuckling between empires. The Overlords could be a new religion to the world, and its spread could present the with wild premonitions and fanatical advesary's culminating with the transformation of the various powerful political friends of the players across the empires as brainwashed overlord puppets.

3. A Malakim disciple of the Empyrean and his companions have traveled to a remote corner of their empire to pray at the Mirror of Heaven. During this the player see's Tebryn and the effects of the Armageddon he is about to unleash on the world. Rushing back the party tells the Empyrean of their vision and is sent out as diplomats to tell the other empire leaders about what they saw (with the adventures that happen along the way).

The important part of this one is that the party be allowed to select what empires they want to go to. The Empyrean will send messengers to all the empires but most will ignore such a message, focusing instead on their local problems. The arrival of the actual prophet will carry much more weight. In each of the countries the leaders have local issues to deal with, some of which may pit one empire against another and force the players to take sides which could ultimatly effect relations with these leaders.

4. The travels of an Amurite adept in his apprenticeship up until his trials in the cave of ancestors. Early games spent gathering monster parts and herbs from wild locations and later games filled with spellcasting in the spheres he opts to learn.


As a special bonus you could select a main character from each campaign (a fighter from the bannor campaign, rogue from the lanun, cleric form the malakim and the mage from the amurite) and play each game consequtivly. Each player would have a character in each campaign but the plan would be to have these characters meets (and campaigns intersect) down the road and have each player take over his main character in the final party.

Assume that they come together when the armageddon spells really start to happen. At that point they get together for the "real" campaign and four storyarcs above are really nothing more than character setup. But all four occur in the same world and you can try to keep them fairly in the same timeline so the players may be effected by the same events, and groups traveling a far distance may be skipped for a sessions or two and end up in the final locations.

 

[vorshlumpf]

Those are great ideas. Thanks, Kael!

I just spent my whole evening (at now, early morning), going over old issues at www.roleplayingtips.com - what a great site for GM-ing ideas.

 

[woodelf]

Good luck Niilo. This looks cool.

 

[JDexter]

Assume that they come together when the armageddon spells really start to happen. At that point they get together for the "real" campaign and four storyarcs above are really nothing more than character setup.

Oh my god, I want you to be my (dungeon) master!
Such great ideas, I've got to do something like this for my Shadowrun group.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

A way I would like to do it, similar to Kael, run one campaign, like an extended prelude, set at the very end of the Age of Ice. A lot of important stuff is happening around that time that could be explored, especially regarding the Amurites post Kylorin (who leads when he leaves?), the Doviello (what will be the reaction of a beaten wolf when new prey shows up?), the Bannor/Orcs, and then the many civs that are being founded &/or reborn.

Then run another plot after a couple months of playtime, maybe, set 3-4 generations later with some of the religion/armaggeddon plots. Show either how the players actions are shaping the future (through their descendents, actual or spirtual, or institutions they helped protect/found.) or else how their long-term goals are again in danger or such.

 

[Caradoc]

I would weave a common thread through the four setup campaigns to provide motivation for the main one. You want players coming out of those with grudges, ambitions, goals, etc that propel them in the same direction so that banding together is more than a matter of convenience.

And perhaps you might also have a fifth setup where the party does not survive, just to show the players you mean business. You might bring characters back from this party as antagonists in the main campaign. Or to be rescued, avenged, raised, etc.

 

[vorshlumpf]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

I've got to take things one step at a time, though. The simpler, the better. I don't want to burn out, and I'm not yet sure if the players will like what I and the setting have to offer. So, to start, we're just getting the characters together with common thread, with a few basic adventures to start off with. Of course, I'll be tying some overall campaign story arc into the first adventure, assuming that we continue with it.

Before even deciding on FfH as a setting, we got together to discuss what we wanted to play. We went with D&D 3.5, since it's fairly simple and we are all familiar with it. The setting was open to more discussion, though we went with FfH because of the great potential, because of my general knowledge of what source material there is, and, frankly, because of my exuberance for it. Then we needed to decided when the campaign would start. I was interested in starting from the beginning of the Age of Renewal, just like with this Civ mod (and as Nikis-Knight suggested). However, one player wasn't too interested in the idea - he's more keen on playing in a world that has established civilizations with intermingled races. So we moved ahead a century or two. A want to accommodate as much of their desires as I can, of course.

I feel a lot of ideas brewing in my head, and add each one that you guys share with me. But I can't put myself before the wheelbarrow, so to speak - getting things rolling is the first order of business.

Our first play session is next Sunday

 

[Red Boxer]

I'd recommend Burning Wheel for a great RPG that allows for, or is designed to have players be the center of the game.

...beyond that I came across some other RPG that had many of the names of the tribes of FFH as some type of something... I think they were types of angels and demons or something. It made me chuckle.

 

[Kael]

I'd recommend Burning Wheel for a great RPG that allows for, or is designed to have players be the center of the game.

...beyond that I came across some other RPG that had many of the names of the tribes of FFH as some type of something... I think they were types of angels and demons or something. It made me chuckle.

It was probably In Nomine, I have actually never played In Nomine and didn't know about their angel/demon names until some people pointed it out to me after FfH was released but we both got our names from the same source. Most of the Civ names are choirs of angels or fallen angels in Judeo-Chrisitan mythology.

Have fun Nillo! Remember that we don't even conform to my D&D campaigns if it makes the mod less fun so don't feel pressed to stick to the mod if you and your players want to change something to make it more fun for you. Stay loose and let the players help make the game (which it sounds like you are already doing).

 

[Nikis-Knight]

in nomine, probably.
(btw, new RPG webcomic: http://www.feartheboot.com/comic )

 

[MagisterCultuum]

@ Nikis-Knight -about the short story- Varn Gosam is definately not a Svartalfar. He may have looked like a Dark Elf, but he was a "Once Elf," a descendant of some elves taken to the Shadowed Vale as prisoners by a dark wizard before the elven nation split in twain.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Elven servants of Arawn fled his domain into the Shadowed Vale, a valley kept perpetually in darkness by a thick mist that obscured the border between the Vale and Creation. In the 15rd year of the 4th age, a young Auric Ulvin and his companions were trapped in the vale and accused of stealing from the elves. Varn, a prince of the elves, believed Ulvin's denials, although his fellow elves did not. When Varn tried to sneak them out of the vale, his brother caught them and an elven warband was sent to catch and kill the companions.

Well, rereading this, I think it is more than likely that you are right, though I don't know where you get the part about the wizard? Anyway, these death elves would be much closer cluturally to Svartalfar than to Ljos., living in perpetual darkness and all, and I think it is possible to suggest that the shadowed vale was absorbed as some sort of border region into the svartalfar kingdom sometime in the AoI.

edit: Ah, I don't know if I ever saw that post vorshlumpf quoted. (I miss the dog avatar, by the way). The old FfH1 thread just moved too fast for me to keep up with. Bear in mind it was preliminary info, but I'll change my Malakim info to reflect this if it bears out as the Empyrean is added and all that good stuff.

 

[vorshlumpf]

Do you have a source for that, MagisterCultuum?
One source says this:
"Varn (the leader of the Malakim, a civ in phase 2) comes from a group of elves that were slaves of a cruel angel of Arawn in the underworld. Biologically they are elves but are very different from the rest of the elves in the world."

By the way, I'm done doing research for now. I'll add my results to the first post in this thread. If you know of anything that I missed, please let me know.

 

[vorshlumpf]

So, here is my attempt to convert the gods and their spheres to D&D 3e rules. Ultimately, I would make some new domains to match the FfH spheres, but I'm just keeping it as simple as I can for now. I have lots of time to fiddle if this game takes off.

Anything with an * is something that doesn't quite fit and may need changing/tweaking. As always, if anyone wants to make suggestions, feel free.

Here are the god descriptions for easy reference:

Spoiler :

The Good Gods
Lugus - Angel of Light (Sun), god of the dawn, god of guardians, the everwatchful. Worshipped by The Empyrean
Sirona - Angel of Wisdom (Spirit)
Nantosuelta - Angel of Faith (Enchantment), who restored Sucellus to life
Sucellus - Angel of Growth (Life), killed by Mulcurn and reborn, Sucellus was the Angel of Nature before he died but became the Angel of Life when he was reborn. Previously, Dagda was both the Angel of Life and Death.
Amathaon - Angel of Fertility (Creation)
Junil - Angel of Justice (Law), worshipped by the Order

The Neutral Gods
Kilmorph - Angel of the Earth (Earth), worshipped by the Runes of Kilmorph
Oghma - Angel of Knowledge (Metamagic)
Cernunnos - Angel of Nature (Nature), worshipped by the Fellowship of Leaves, Cernunnos was the father of Forests and one of Sucellus's greatest subordinates until he died. When Sucellus was reborn he gifted his authority over nature to Cernunnos.
Arawn - Angel of Death (Death), Arawn is almost completly uninterested in what is happening in the world as his attention is on the underworld. He ignores what few worshippers he has.
Dagda - Angel of Balance (Force)
Tali - Angel of the Air (Air)
Danalin - Angel of the Water (Water), worshipped indirectly by the Octopus Overlords (Danalin is sleeping and his nightmares are being influenced by Hastur and other demons under Mammon's control)

The Evil Gods
Camulos - Angel of War (Chaos). Those that venerate Camulos don't comply to any organizational structure that anyone can understand. There are hundreds of factions and they are just as likely to fight each other as they are to fight other groups.
Aeron - Angel of Hate (Body), spirit of rage, god of the berserkers
Ceridwen - Angel of the Stars (Dimensional), who first brought magic to man. Worshipped by the Emrys
Mammon - Angel of Greed (Mind). Worshipped by the Stewards of Inequity.
Esus - Angel of Deception (Shadow), sacred to thieves and liars. Worshipped by the Council of Esus
Mulcarn - Angel of Ice (Winter), killed by Kyorlin with the Godslayer. Worshipped by the White Hand
Agares - Angel of the Night (Entropy), the greatest of angels, worshipped by the Ashen Veil
Bhall - Angel of Fire (Fire), who fell at the end of the Age of Magic

FfH Spheres

Priest Spheres
Junil - Fire, Law, Life, Spirit
Kilmorph - Body, Earth, Enchantment, Life
Cernunnos - Life, Nature (druid)
Danalin - Body, Chaos, Mind, Water
Agares - Entropy, Fire

All Spheres
Air, Body, Chaos, Death, Dimensional, Earth, Enchantment, Entropy, Fire, Law, Life, Mind, Nature, Spirit, Water, Sun, Creation, Metamagic, Force, Shadow, Winter

D&D Domains

Air, Animal, Chaos, Death, Destruction, Earth, Evil, Fire, Good, Healing, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Magic, Plant, Protection, Strength, Sun, Travel, Trickery, War, Water

FfH <-> D&D

Air - Air
Body - Strength
Chaos - Chaos
Creation - Plant*, Animal*
Death - Death
Dimensional - Travel
Earth - Earth
Enchantment - War*, Luck*
Entropy - Destruction
Fire - Fire
Force - Protection
Law - Law
Life - Healing
Metamagic - Magic
Mind - Knowledge*
Nature - Animal, Plant
Shadow - Trickery
Spirit - Good*, Luck*
Sun - Sun
Water - Water
Winter -

D&D Domains by FfH God

If any domains are in bold, the priest must choose one of these for his first domain.

In-Game Gods
Junil - Law, Fire, Healing, War*
Kilmorph - Strength, Earth, War*, Healing
Cernunnos - Healing, Animal, Plant, Air*, Earth*, Fire*, Water*
Danalin - Strength, Chaos, Knowledge*, Water
Agares - Destruction, Fire, Knowledge*, Chaos*

Other Gods
Lugus - Sun, Fire, Protection
Sirona - Knowledge, Good*, Luck*, Healing
Nantosuelta - War*, Good*, Luck*
Sucellus - Healing, Plant*, Animal*, Strength*
Amathaon - Plant*, Animal*, Sun*, Protection*

Arawn - Death
Oghma - Magic, Knowledge, ...
Dagda - Protection/Destruction, Good/Evil, Law/Chaos
Tali - Air, Protection*, Travel*

Camulos - Chaos, War, Destruction
Aeron - Strength, Protection*, Destruction*
Ceridwen - Travel, Chaos, Evil*
Mammon - Knowledge*, Trickery, Luck
Esus - Trickery, Chaos, Luck
Mulcarn - Evil*, ...
Bhall - Fire, Strength*, War*

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Kael said it before, but I forget where. He also mentioned that when Varn and his people left the Vale they took with them a book of magic left behind by said wizard, which including such things as how he discovered he could live forever by consuming his own soul. This book was later used to create the first Sidar. In addition to this, he said that the blue angel in Rathus Demora's civilopedia entry, while originally a servant of Arawn, the neutral god of death, had left his master's service and was in league with this evil wizard. He wanted Rathus to slay the strongest heroes in Erebus so that their could could be used to build him an army.

 

[BeefontheBone]

FWIW, In Nomine is pretty good

 

[Red Boxer]

That's what its was! I keep getting that confused with Nobilis, because I've played neither and they both start with Ns...