plot update - history and lore
Axiems Plot Update Part 2
Source: https://www.fanwar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Axiems-Plot-Update-Part-2.pdf
Status: ok 5 pages 10233 chars. Characters: 10233.
--- PAGE 1 --- AAAAxxxxiiiieeeemmmmssss PPPPllllooootttt UUUUppppddddaaaatttteeee PPPPaaaarrrrtttt IIIIIIII ((((bbbbyyyy CCCChhhhrrrriiiissssttttoooopppphhhheeeerrrr)))) 7777----33330000----11114444 Many major events have come to pass in the northern region of Roekron known as Svodlun, much of which may play a major role in the events to come. What follows is a brief review of the events that transpired at the last campout as well as the July Club League Event. The goal is to hopefully provide everyone with a basic understanding of the main areas of plot that the characters are working on and how they might relate to current events. The Wyrm Demons Before the summer started, a Wyrm Demon was discovered and killed with Morganti. It was turning animals into undead in the protectorate. Later, characters discovered a lair with eggs. Some of the eggs had hatched at the creatures were young wyrm demons (a bit like Drakes but with Demon abilities). All but one of these was hunted down and destroyed. That last was tracked to the Dagmeneth forest where Dagdeoth assassins attempted to kill the party. This final egg has yet to be accounted for. The Ancient Stone Puzzle In the lair of the Wyrm demon, and some of the lairs of the others, character found pieces to a stone puzzle, pieces of which where being brought out of the north apparently. The stones seemed to aid in summoning, controlling, or powering the demons, it is unclear which. These stones were eventually all collected from various sources, some from excavators, some from museums, and some from beings within the Storms from the north, commonly referred to by the party as the Ominous. These stones took a great many days to decipher and decode, as well as to interpret, but it became clear that the stones where able to be powered by a large group of people spending mana on them in precise format, and that party was able, at the last event, to transport themselves to an unknown place in which they encountered strange haunt like beings. They were promptly transported back, and the knowledge that the stones work and can be used to transport people in some way is being kept private by the party as the stones are not owned by the characters, and a great deal of legal finesse is required by the historians in the party to gain access to the stones. --- PAGE 2 --- The “Festivals” in Axiems Axiems been involved in what is commonly called a Grey War (a war that is undercover, or secret). There are two factions in Axiems, the pro Dagdeoth and the pro Svodlun groups and the Dagdeoth groups have been attempting to overthrown the pro Svodlun groups through assassinations, theft, and usurping their power within the city. The Festival was a cover for these activities, and though Lesil Sentris was killed, it seems this was a win for her, and the pro Svodlun side has retained control. Outside the city, however, Dagdeoth continues to maintain much more control of the local populace. Characters have found themselves drawn into villages where the populace is being controlled by mafia spies, and the locals work against the heroes, sometimes against their will, for fear of retribution against their families. Characters are being careful not to give Dagdeoth any excuses to cause the populace to rebel and attack the city outright, and thus are taking extra steps to free the citizens around the city and also not all into any traps. The War that Didn’t Happen Svodlun fully expected a war with Dagdeoth to come out of the north and the Dagdeoth stronghold known as Bonehold, but the attack never came. Perhaps this was due to the success of Axiems in defeating the invasions and attempts at takeover, making their plans moot, but whatever their reason, they actually marched north, and now are reportedly heavily occupying cities in an unknown mountain range in the frozen north. The Snowdrifts keep pushing back the attack in the swamps to the east, but these attack seem only half hearted, and Svodlun wonders what Dagdeoths real plans are and what they are waiting for. The Sack of Gramion Hold Not directly a part of Axiem plot, but not a factor in the stability of the region, Gramion Hold was sacked by an army of Kobolds, as well as high level Dark Trolls with magic items and their Cave Trolls and Hill Giants. The heroes had taken the main force of the city out to rescue their fallen comrades from being turned into phantoms by a shrine to the Raskuru, and upon returning the city was overrun. The speed with which this was done suggests some very skilled leadership that many attribute to the very smart Dark Trolls, but still seems worrying. The city is now rebuilding and as the heart of the shipping industry, many items which were previously available are now hard to come by. --- PAGE 3 --- The Annex of the Cugmeneth Once the army of ogres was removed from the Cugmenth forest, the Elves of the Protectorate moved in quickly and claimed the area in the name of their people. This sparked a deadly if brief war with Axiems, which was settled when a small group of highly respected characters with diplomatic skills representing varied interest set about hashing out the details of a peace agreement. At this time the Cugmeneth is still possessed by the elves who now are stewards of the wood, requiring permits for very select logging, hunting by permit only, and right to pass my permission only. It is a tense peace, but peace non the less. The Storms of the North Numerous localized storms have been reported to the north off the map. One such storm seems to have a very specific path and is heading directly towards Axiems. It leaves in it’s path a frozen wilderness unlike that seen Roekron and seems to reveal something of the world far to the north. Creatures native much further north are common in this swath of winter that plunges south, ten miles wide and some forty miles long. At the center of the storm characters have encountered what they have called a Ice Wraith, also sometimes called The Ominous. It is a transparent white creature, about size seven, with cold blue eyes, and a swirling storm of snow constantly swirling wildly about it. It’s behavior seems unpredictable, but it asks questions of the party, and often seems to charm players that are unconscious as well as animating dead players as it’s guards. Twice it has caused characters to experience a vision which has blinded them and revealed images of a dark figure standing on ice and things moving below, of shattering of ice, and of a Dark City in the snow with many vampires dead all around it. What these visions mean is unclear. Many characters have had different encounters with it and it has said different things to different people. A meeting of those who have encountered it may --- PAGE 4 --- help to put the pieces together as to what is going on. The Wild Protectorate Several characters discovered an area of the Protectorate know as the Wild Protectorate and it appears to be the place where the mysterious elf Lagin is most often found. The area is guarded by hundreds of blessed Ironwood Ents and players have only been able to enter twice successfully, both at night, when where they discovered Lagin singing to the night, and gathering haunts to him. The characters sang with him some and he spoke very frankly to them of his disinterest in their plans and goals, appears to be very curt and busy, explaining that he is always gathering the lost Elven haunts to him each night, around two-hundred and fifty of them seen by the characters, and that he is angry and frustrated, but exactly how and why is not clear. Many of the conversations characters had with him seemed laced with deeper meanings and a ancient knowledge. Lagin claimed to be around eight thousand years old. If this is true, he predates the coming of the Elves from the West, which does not add up with current historical records. What mysteries Lagin holds are still unsolved. Dungeons and Shrines of the Dwarves Several dungeons and shrines of the Dwarves are being discovered all across the region. Many of them have connections to the Dwarven gods, most notable among these being the Moriden Forge, Clangdin Battle Shrine, and Dungeon of Dumathoin. Also of interest is the shrine of Dugmaren Brightmantel in which a Litch was residing. The Litch was destroyed due to some clever use of Golems within the dungeon, and a key was discovered, but has yet to be put to use with the now cleaned out dungeon. Exploring the North Many adventures have been heading north on various mission of discovery, mapping, and treasure hunting. Maps have been forthcoming, and the general area north of Svodlun is now being more common knowledge as the Amazons guild trades information for more supplies to continue their exploration into the unknown. --- PAGE 5 --- To the south, the vampires are dying and huge wars are now beginning to win back territory from the Grim. Temnor moves to take advantage, and Blackspire has unleashed their unbridled rage on the hobbled Grim forces. All seems to be moving south and east, but here in the cool, north west, Svodlun looks to block Dagdeoth from taking advantage of the chaos caused by Broden’s death. But again, it would appear, they wait for the war that does not come. Dagdeoth seems content to watch their neighbors be destroyed utterly, harboring some secret spite for the vampire nation. Is Dagdeoth merely complacent, not realizing the peril that letting Roekron win this victory will bring them, or do they have some other more sinister plot? What is happening to the north that has so much of Dagdoeths attention and troop mobilized? Could it be that the battle to the south is but a small loss compared with a greater victory somewhere else? Or have they, like the Wizards Trade Order, lost interest in Roekron, and it’s dwindling resources, moving on to deeper mines, wider fields, fresher lands to conquer? Is the secret here already, having been touched on by one of us, unknown and unmarked, waiting for the chance conversation to reawaken the memory of some small piece of evidence, that at first seemed nothing but an odd situation, but that bursts with meaning, when viewed, as it where, from the right direction.