The Throwback Campaign

Well, after a long hiatus it finally happened; we got back together for some actual roleplaying (instead of the still fun but not as fulfilling NwN sessions). This campaign is using the “Castles & Crusades” rules which are basically a set of 1st edition rules adapted to a simplified d20 system. We’ll see how that works out over time; as will be noted we didn’t even get to much rules use for this introductory session. We’re using Skype and MapTool to facilitate play. Before posting how the actual session went, I am going to post the introductory material which sets up the adventure.

Welcome to Vestibule

First things first, the campaign is set in an oddly shaped world named “Vestibule”. The background on Vestibule is as follows. Vestibule is shaped roughly like a triangle, with the Sun at one end and a curtain of blue fire at the other, and boundary mountains on either side. (See the map here). The boundary mountains on either side are considered unclimbable, or at least the tops are unreachable; anyone attempting to climb them gets higher and higher but never reaches the summits. To the North is the Sun; the Sun is a flaming eye, high in the northern sky, which opens and closes it’s “lids” every 12 hours. The farthest northern point of the land is closed off by another (un-scalable) volcano.There is no twilight period in Vestibule; either it is night or day with nothing in between. At night the dim illumination is not from the starless, often cloudy sky, but instead from the strange curtain of blue fire which borders the southern sea. No one is known to have ever crossed this curtain and returned; it appears to rise up into the sky forever. The climate grows mostly cooler as one moves from north to south, farther from the sun. Prevailing winds are generally out of the north.

The land is bisected by the Ridge of the Heart; west of these mountains are the civilized lands inhabited primarily by the goodly races and to the east are wild lands where survival of the fittest is the only law outside of the cities of the orcs and other humanoids. Naturally many invasions have been mounted in both directions over time. Currently an uneasy truce exists and only the foolhardy seek their fortunes in the east.

Slight earthquakes are common in Vestibule; these rarely cause damage but are often followed by strange, mystical events or the unheralded arrival of heinous monsters in otherwise civilized areas. The reason for these disturbances is not known.

All divine powers flow from the Master of All, Acen. The exact philosophy of Acen is not well understood, as Acen does not respond to any attempts at communication unless “he” initiates it. However, Acen grants devout followers clerical powers; what is odd is that this occurs regardless of their interpretation of Acen’s views. Major factions of the Acen faith include (but are not limited to):

- The Lightbringers: “Acen is the source of all life and the sun is his eye. When we die, we return to Acen. Value all life for it is his gift.”
- The Naturals: “Acen has created this world and we are to respect his wishes. Do not tarnish the holy creation of his majesty”.
- The Waiting: “Acen has not yet revealed his will unto us. We await his great revelation with the utmost faith. Until then, we exist to serve.”
- The Keepers: “Acen wishes his nature to be secret. Whom are we to question his wisdom? Seekers of knowledge defy his will.”
- The Self-Reliant: “Life is a test, given to us by Acen. It is up to us to forge our own destiny and await his judgement.”

Other, darker and evil factions have arisen over time but do not hold sway in the civilized lands; all records of their faith have been eradicated by the Lightbringers (who view these sects as blasphemous) and the Keepers (who do not wish anyone to know of Acen’s will).

There is no king in the western lands. Each town or city holds sway over a local region only, and the various city-states have a mutual defense pact against invasions from the east. A typical city or town is governed by a council of influential lords. Strangely, in most towns the rulers usually appear with masks and use pseudonyms to conceal their true identities; these rulers use spokespersons to decree their rulings. The ways of the eastern (humanoid) cities are not well known in the west, but tales tell of the sheer brutality of the orcish warlords that run these places.

Great events in Vestibule history:
800 years ago – The beginning of recorded history.
50 years ago – The last king over the western lands, Napish III, disappeared while on a stag hunt and the band of lords fell into conflict. This resulted in the city-states of today.
30 years ago – A great invasion of goblins, launched from the southern marshes, slaughtered the inhabitants of several towns. These areas lie in ruins to this day.
10 years ago – The great library of Senkazia was burned to the ground and its workers killed in the night. The attackers were never found.
3 years ago – Brigands begin stalking the roads in the north. With no central government to raise an army, travel is becoming increasingly dangerous.
1 year ago – A large band of ogres was defeated by brave adventurers just north of Senkazia.

The Characters

Big Jim Umbrage (Dan) – A cattle farmer from outside the city of Sengazia who has decided to seek adventure in the “big city” following the death of his father from tertiary syphillis, which caused his older brother Large Steve Umbrage to take over the family farm. Big Jim Umbrage is a trained fighter.

Apical Meristem (Aaron) – A former halfling turnip farmer who spent the last 10 years in a monastery of the Self-Reliant faction, Apical is a monk who was sent to Sengazia to investigate some recent disappearances. This will allow Apical to experience the “real world” after a long period of isolation.