The Olhaldoar War
Pitch
War has come to the continent of Eaben, as the Theocracy of Olhaldoar attempts to spread across the land. Reports of troops massing along the Ankeepmoor River has the Kingdom of Kiragz looking for allies, while the ancient culture of Cavaeden seeks to maintain their way of life in the face of this new threat and calls for support from the Kingdom of Ashes. In this campaign you will play heroes who are well connected and determined to save their nations by whatever means are available, seeking to forge alliances between nations or running key missions to delay this threat. The mystery at the heart of this campaign is why the sudden shift in Olhaldoaran society has happened.Overview
There are 6 large political powers on Eaben. The Olhaldoar Theocracy is shrouded in secrecy. Years ago, Olhaldoar was a country of great wealth and commerce, situated in the center of Eaben. Scholars and traders from around the world walked the streets of Wolfrontme and Stepmaw, enjoying a cosmopolitan life beyond any available elsewhere on the continent. Over the last 10 years, these cities have closed their gates as a new and powerful religion has spread from the interior to the coasts. Trade with other nations has ground to a halt, and the nations main export has been missionaries and threats. The Kingdom of Ashes is a prosperous and effectively run nation. King Einar Lórensson is generally considered just, and the nation has done well under his leadership. The people of Ashes are accustomed to being left more or less to their own devices as long as they obey the laws and pay their taxes, and King Einar is wise enough to keep both the laws and taxes reasonable. With the coming threat, the nation needs more money and soldiers, as well as seeking alliances. The most important of these alliances would be a military alliance with their north eastern neighbor, the Kingdom of Kiragz. On the subcontinent of Cavae, to the south of Ashes, the Cavaede wish only to be left to their own devices. Although Cavae is technically part of Ashes, the Cavaede pay no taxes and owe no allegiance to the King. But in this uncertain time, with the southern border of Olhaldour just a few miles away across the Cavae Strait, many voices in the confederacy are suggesting that a military alliance with Ashes might not be a bad thing. In the Northeastern Corner of Eaben, the small Kingdom of Kiragz looks nervously to the West. King Jonas Adler is keenly aware that his most prosperous towns lie along the banks of the Ankeepmoor and that his kingdom is likely to be the first to fall if the Olhaldoarans begin to move. To the west, the great Kingdom of Monter is largely unconcerned with this threat. It seems that the Olhaldoarans will move east before moving west, and the House of Monter is confident that they will be prepared for war if it comes. Fueled by prosperous trade with the continent of Riaben, the Monterans believe they can mount a force sufficient to face any danger. Finally, the small Republic of Smote sits on the end of the Northern Penninsula. The Senate of Smote is uncertain what, if any, action they can or should take. Their biggest concern is the loss of trade across the Olhaldoaran Sea.Minor Powers/Syndicates
The Veil: An utterly amoral criminal syndicate that exists across many nations. Importantly, the Veil also exists in Olhaldoar and may have been corrupted to serve The Followers of the Lost. The Attuned: mostly fungril, a network that uses the power of Fungril communication to send messages across the continent. Secretive and excellent at codes, quite expensive and jealous of their power. Do no operate in Cavae. The Followers of the Lost: This faith is sweeping across Olhaldoar. The Guild of Explorers: A religous order that seeks to uncover the mystery of Soleia's past. They want to discover why the previous civilization fell.Tone and Feel:
Dramatic, political, Adventurous, Straightforward This campaign deals with a single great threat, the Theocracy of Olhaldoar and the threat it poses to the political order around it. Generally speaking, Smote, Monter, Ashes, and Kiragz are well governed nations with reasonable levels of happiness and prosperity, and the Cavaeden simply wish to be left to wander their ancestral homeland. The players may find themselves attempting to forge political alliances, infiltrate the enemy, or root out spies, but ultimately the goal is to stop the Theocracy from taking over the continent of Eaben.Themes
Sacrifice, survival, mysteryInspirations
The Lord of the Rings, The Legend of Korra, Exandria (Critical Role)Communities
Highborne and Orderborne communities are a critical part of this campaign, as it deals with large scale political intrigue. Slyborne: The slyborne community will have specific knowledge of The Veil, perhaps being members themselves. Wanderborne: The Cavaede are not the only community of wanderers on Eaben, but are certainly the largest and most cohesive. Characters of Wanderborne origin are likely to be tied to this culture.Ancestries
All ancestries can be found on the continent of Eaben and are available to play. The Fungril network is a powerful tool and has led to the creation of The Attuned, who maintain control over commercial use of the Fungril network. Characters of Fungril ancestry may be able to intercept network messages, but messages sent by the attuned will almost always be coded. Consider high DCs to decode any intercepted messages.Classes
Player Principles
Build alliances: The more friends you have, the more of an impact you can have. It's possible to play this as pure political intrigue and just try to build enough trust across kingdoms to face the Olhaldoaran threat. Beware of espionage: The enemy is inside the gates, with assassins working to destroy the alliances between nations. Look for shortcuts: There may be an opportunity to end the war quickly. Look for it.GM Principles
Pick your campaign: There are several plotlines available. Players can act as envoys between kingdoms and try to splice together enough alliances to unite against the Olhaldoaran threat. Players can focus on rooting out the enemy agents inside each nation, weakening the Olhaldoarans. Or players can focus on the cause of the Olhaldoaran attack.Distinctions
Sometime in the last millenium, more than 500 years ago, a great civilization collapsed on Soleia. No one is certain why, there are few surviving oral traditions and most of the books and records of that time have been lost. What remains are cities buried by time, the signs of a civilization that was larger and more advanced than what exists today.Cultures
Cavaeden - Subcontinent of Cavae Sormelah - Most of Ashes and along the Ankeepmoor valley in Kiragz Harton - Most of Eastern Kiragz, Northern Ashes. Undrith - Undrith Peninsula in Kiragz Salteir - Central and eastern Ulhaldoar Cambri - Western Ulhaldoar into eastern Monter Valdam - North Western Ashes and the far south of Olholdoar. Vimilia - Northern Monter and Smote
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