Beyond the Black River
1230 OR
Scope
The motivation behind building Beyond the Black River
A RPG setting, off the main map of the Flaness in the World of Greyhawk, ebodying the spirit of brave men taming the frontier.
The goal of the project
Colaborative, as all my campaigns are. We started in the margins of the setting so the players can help world build.
Beyond the Black River's Unique Selling point
A wild frontier with abandoned elvish cities full of mystery.
Theme
Genre
Fantasy, TL3 Medium magic level.
Reader Experience
Intent in tone is R.E. Howard savagery, will devolve to SpaceBalls as all RPG groups do.
Reader Tone
Dark in tone, but not grimdark.
Recurring Themes
The bonds you make are stronger than the bonds the world demands.
The frontier is harsh and unforgiving. Fools and weaklings should stay home.
Everyone deserves a chance, merit means more than birth.
Character Agency
PCs are MEANT to be big fish in a small pond. They are the movers and shakers west of the frontier.
Focus
Drama
The reclaiming of the fallen Elvish Kingdoms.
Territory beyond the Black River.
The land was originally known as Castval, land of the twin elvish kingdoms. The lands were barely settled by humans, mostly nomads in the south later supplanted by the Qazaq. Tragedy came first to the wood elf kingdom of Nelran, with the goblin invasion, what happened to the high elvish nation is mostly rumor.
The Aracar mountains were known to have at least two dwarvish clanholds, as well as some gnomish settlements. Their current status is unknown, reclusive at best during the elvish dominance, it has been over a century since anyone has made contact.
You've gathered in the border keep; the three villages to the south are new settlements, N->S Oxlight, Dryhost and Wildwell. They are completely independent and self-sufficient (in theory).
The Islands to the NW are the old High Elvish kingdom, as is the port city there. The small island fortification has NOT been explored, as it is on the cliff top. Six months ago, a brave team briefly explored the old elvish city of Aranthel, but refused to stay overnight.
There were passes through the mountains, but they are long forgotten.
Political Intrigues, their Patron has a bad reputation.
Theron Sylvanranth, advisor to three generations of kings, "The Dragon" is reviled for his heavy handed leadership and the burning down of the city of Elderbrook to contain riots.
Duke Vogel has a dark past, and connections to two of the PCs. One has discovered he is related, while another took his soon-to-be brides virtue; to be fair, he was her true love, and Wilhelm Vogel has been widowed many times over... with some of his wives not lasting a full year.
The Kingdom is strained. Gorundia is a breakaway kingdom from the its great empire to the east, they fought a full-on war thirty years ago, and there are frequent skirmishes, with orcs nestled in between, that are all but openly controlled by the empire causing frequent trouble.
Dark forces have moved in the elves absence. Kursk, a former protege of Theron Sylvanranth now seemingly leads the Goblins of the great forest, and he has other ties to allies of the party.