Despair

Once upon a time, as most tales start, the world was shrouded in grey. The world lay dormant and asleep. From this nothingness, a spark of life stirred, and the kindling of the world ignited. Primal forces were awakened and the First Lord laid claim to what was his. From the fuel that was the Grey World, the Lord rose to power and created his kingdom.
For a time, his reign was prosperous and those who lived within the boundaries of the kingdom flourished. But nothing is meant to be forever. (The reasons for the decline of the kingdom has been lost to time and can be recovered from searching the kingdom)
Eventually, the kingdom was sealed off from the rest of the world. The superpower of its time secluded itself and forbade all travel in and out of its borders. To this day, no one knows by what power the First Lord used to secure his land. Natural and artificial barriers surround the kingdom. Along these lines, a strange mist obscures the area. All who think to trespass are overcome with a sickly dread and driven back.
A thousand years have passed.
Not one word passed from the closed domain to the outside world.
The mystic defenses that protect the Fallen Kingdom have begun to wane in their power. Their sway over trespassers has weakened and a few scouts and thieves have ventured into the outskirts of the realm. Word of these openings has quickly spread. It is talked openly in the taverns and forums. Persons of influence openly seek to gather companies to infiltrate the Fallen Kingdom for various purposes.
You have heard these tales. You are at the turn of an Age, where the secrets long withheld by the Fallen Kingdom came be uncovered and returned to the world outside. What shall you do?
Do you venture into the Fallen Kingdom? Do you seek entrance on your own or with a company? For what reason do you go? Riches, Knowledge, Fame?
What do you do?
And what will you do to achieve your goals?

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This campaign can be run single-player or multi-player. It is recommended that multi-players agree on a sponsor beforehand.

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Plot points/Scenes

Arrival to Anibus

Players arrive to the continent of Anibus. Primarily, they make land in the harbor capital of Bomdi'Pe of the nation Salbovia. From here, they settle in with one of four sponsors. Each sponsor offers a different starting item for the player, in addition to some string attached.

The Gate

After making their final arrangements, the players head towards the great wall separating access to the Fallen Kingdom. The wall itself is the point of no return.
Once inside the Fallen Kingdom, players are subject to monster attacks and finding their own means of survival. The land itself is steeped with warped magic. Sooner or later, they will encounter their first Lantern. Lanterns are the save point 'bonfires' players will respawn at upon death. Of course, they players are offered the choice of bonding with the lanterns. They only need to say 'yes' once to start receiving the benefits of respawning... and the curse of losing themselves piece by piece. Their humanity fuels the blighted magic which tarnished this nation.

Order of Events

Essentially, players will go through a similar process:

1. Enter settlement
2. Make way through locale
3. Find objects of worth
4. Encounter settlement boss
5. Rise and repeat

Themes

The cost of victory and what one must due to achieve their ends The further you push, the more you stand to pay

Components

Goals

Players dictate and state their character's goals before the start of the game. This gives a clear vision as to how the GM should proceed. The players make it to the 'end' by meeting one of the following conditions:

• The return from the Fallen Kingdom
• They perish

Returning means that the player has achieved their desires, are satisfied, and cash in their winnings.
Perishing can mean they have died for good, or they have lost so much of themselves that they aren't really there anymore.

Hooks

The Fallen Kingdom was once a mighty superpower. The secrets and wealth it could hold are fabled. The chance to venture in and recover what lies within is a mighty temptation for any and all.

Red Herrings

Things of the outside world do not function as well inside the mystified Fallen Kingdom. Exterior magic is rendered weaker than normal, for example.

Relations

Allies

There are four sponsors players can choose to side with upon the start of their journey.

• David Ringsmith - A wealthy merchant, he seeks to obtain valuables from the Fallen Kingdom
• His Objective is to retrieve as much loot as possible, as valuable as possible, and make a profit off of it
• Players receive extra food rations/supplies at the start of your trip


• Archemage Itzel - A woman of immense mental prowess, she seeks the ancient knowledge of the Fallen Kingdom
• Her Objective is to obtain tomes and texts of the former magic, bringing it into her own collection for study
• Players receive a single, minor, magically imbued item at the start of the trip


• Underbelly Gormesh - Lurking in the criminal world, he wants you to hunt down anything to give him an edge in the underworld
• The Objective is to find high-value artifacts by any means… any
• Players start with a rare, stolen scrying orb to keep in communication with him


• Church Organizations - Under various faiths, these groups seek to lay claim the the lands of the Fallen Kingdom, looking for any evidence that may support their cause
• Your Objective is to find ancient texts and uncover the history of the Fallen Kingdom, so they may share it with the outside world
• Players go with the blessings from the deity of the organization you sided with

Note: The scrying orb and the blessings are red herrings. The Dread Mist dampens communication attempts. And the gods are based off of mythology persons originating from the Fallen Kingdom.

Yes, I will admit this outright:
Despair is inspired from the Dark Souls series

Plot type

Repeatable Campaign

Related Organizations

• The Fallen Kingdom

Related Locations

• Terra Tabes