View Full Version : [Burning Wheel] Vault
In the center of the world and the center-piece of the game is a domed city. The dome is a great vault door that seals hell from the surface world.
Elves, Dwarves and Men populate the city, keeping the door sealed. Orcs once helped with this task but they were evicted from the city, left to wander the world with no kingdom to call their own, hence their hatred.
Elves have a song that details why the orcs were banished but refuse to sing it for anyone.
The Key-master has always been an elf, just as the Mason General has always been a dwarf. The title alotted for humans is Captain of the Watch, since their short lives mean there are always fresh eyes on the towers.
Sealing off Hell from the world has had severe repercussions. Now the damned wander north when they die, stubbornly following the righteous dead to their holy gates. They mill about in front of the gates, eyes black with hatred until a leader emerges and leads them southward to wreak war on the world. When this army of the damned is defeated, the damned aren't banished, since hell is sealed, but it takes some time before they can make war again.
The damned are milling about and once again scouting parties have been seen south of Cerebrus Pass. It won't be long now. The Captain of the Watch, the Keymaster and the Mason-General debate loudly and publically about the merits and flaws of opening the vault so that the damned might be marched into hell.
When the vault was originally sealed, a group of the world's finest warriors were sent into the tunnels to fend off the hades. Once the vault was sealed, their fate, known to them even when they volunteered to march into the depths, was too terrible to contemplate.
The damned are milling about in the north, the powers that be in Vault are debating the issue.
Where are you?
l3n1ngr4d
01-30-2005, 11:08 PM
burning wheel! GIMME!
i wait eagerly for the revision to be released so i can sink my teeth into this lovely game.
burning wheel! GIMME!
i wait eagerly for the revision to be released so i can sink my teeth into this lovely game.
My group is going to need a heroic rest after their current dark fantasy and I'm thinking I'd run BW or some kind of fantastic Chinese fantasy using Shadow of Yesterday.
I'm torn, not sure, we'll see what they think.
RobNJ
01-31-2005, 09:42 AM
This sounds cool. I'd like to play it. The game's also neat. We made two sets of characters one weekend for two different games and didn't wind up playing either (though the character creation was fun).
This sounds cool. I'd like to play it. The game's also neat. We made two sets of characters one weekend for two different games and didn't wind up playing either (though the character creation was fun).
You'll certainly get to play BW at Ubercon.
What kind of PC concepts do you get off of this setting, Rob? Any thoughts come to mind?
Sorry about not running anything that weekend. I'm not sure what was up. Maybe a little gunshy about running a game with you and your brother as the only gamers at the table.
RobNJ
01-31-2005, 10:32 AM
I think we didn't play that weekend because we never got the time to.
Here are the ideas that came to mind for this:
An orc who keeps the faith and protects the gate still. Maybe he has special dispensation, or maybe he's faking being human somehow (Magic? Really good disguise?)
An elf who was part of the council that chose to exile the orcs, and while he does as he's told now, he thinks the choice to toss them out was insane and stupid.
A human or elf from the northlands whose home and people suffer the worst of the brunt of the depredations of the dead. He's now working on the vault, and has a plan to destroy it.
A guy who's got a crazy theory on how to let the dead in, but not let anything out. Thinking mad scientist. Maybe he's wrong, maybe he's right. Maybe he's working in secret to spring the plan, or maybe he's been working through legit channels and everyone knows about his idears.
Waiwode
01-31-2005, 10:35 AM
Where are you?
Neat background.
Two choices, off the top of my head:
One: An aging human scout, one step ahead of the advancing damned, but not as nimble as he used to be.
Two: A young human student, an emerging philosopher, recently pressed into service in the city guard and just learning which end of the spear is the business end.
Doug.
mortmere
01-31-2005, 11:10 AM
burning wheel! GIMME! i wait eagerly for the revision to be released so i can sink my teeth into this lovely game.there's due to be a revised edition? tell me more, I am most interested.
there's due to be a revised edition? tell me more, I am most interested.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=167460
Here ya go.
travis
01-31-2005, 06:33 PM
(raises hand)
Why don't the soldiers of the Watch grind up the damned's bodies as they mill around outside? Why wait for them to get organized? It's not a perfect solution (i.e., they come back after while) but it would reduce the whole "army of the unhallowed" thing.
Heck, why don't the damned get an army large enough to siege the city? And how does food and supplies get in and out?
intrigued, but also interrogative,
travis
(raises hand)
Why don't the soldiers of the Watch grind up the damned's bodies as they mill around outside? Why wait for them to get organized? It's not a perfect solution (i.e., they come back after while) but it would reduce the whole "army of the unhallowed" thing.
Heck, why don't the damned get an army large enough to siege the city? And how does food and supplies get in and out?
intrigued, but also interrogative,
travis
I'm not sure that the damned have bodies. Might just be souls that eventually get enough gumption up to have physical attributes. They don't wait for them to get organized but...um...hunting them down in packs through the northern mountains is difficult and dangerous. Some northerners do it.
The damned have traditionally done exactly that. Food and supplies get in and out of where?
(it is very clear that I am making shit up as I go, right? And that I make up gaming worlds purposefully vague so that the players have plenty of white on the mal upon which to make shit up.)
Travis,
I wasn't meaning to be a dick with my reply. The questions you raised are exactly the kinds of questions my players often ask when we are starting a game, gearing up for chargen. These kinds of Q&A help us flesh out the world.
More questions are welcome.
However, often the answer at the table is, "I picture it as X or perhaps Y but if that won't help you make a good story for your character or you have something else in mind., we'll figure something else out."
travis
02-01-2005, 02:06 PM
No worries, mate. I wasn't trying to be a dick in my questions. :o As you said, it's the same things that players will ask (read: exploit) if not clarified in the beginning.
As I was reading your description, my creative side was building this fantastic picture of the dome, the gate, the inhabitants -- while my analytic side was going "but what about...?"
Post more info on the setting as you come up with it. I assume this is also on the boards over the the BW site?
cheers,
travis
Edit: regarding food/supplies. I was picturing a large number of p.o.'d damned souls outside the city, who would make it very difficult to get food and supplies (manufactured crafts, etc) both in and out. But your vision seems to be more of them haunting the larger area, and not largely concentrated around the city itself. Correct? Maybe large wards on around the dome (or the gate itself) itself keep the unhallowed dead at a certain distance. This would even explain why they don't attack the city.
But your vision seems to be more of them haunting the larger area, and not largely concentrated around the city itself. Correct? Maybe large wards on around the dome (or the gate itself) itself keep the unhallowed dead at a certain distance. This would even explain why they don't attack the city.
Yeah, the damned head north towards the gates of heaven and tend to mill about the gates, that they cannot enter, until someone gathers them up and leads an assault on the rest of the world.
If we make up PC's for this concept, I'll post what the players come up with. I won't be coming up with much more in the way of setting, just stuff to flesh out the world around what the players make up.
I like coming up with a concept and then fleshing in the rest of the details around what the players need.
The Fiendish Dr. Samsara
02-01-2005, 07:17 PM
Paka, what’s your deal? Have you nothing better to do than comes up with a continual stream of intriguing ideas? It’s disturbing our lazy complacency.
I like the idea. Seems to me that you have a great Nuclear Escalation situation here. The longer Hell stays sealed off, the more and more angry dead guys build up. Eventually they are going to win unless someone pops the cork (hmn, or unless a Saviour appears to redeem them all). But who has the balls to do that? And how do we know that now is the right time? Maybe we could put it off a few more years.
That’s killer because the citizens could fight knock-down battles (literally and philosophically) about this pressing issue, without anyone being a Bad Guy ™. Everyone has the best intentions. And that’s exactly what the road to Hell is paved with.
I put in Tolkien-inspired Orc-Elf-Dwarf-Human because I was considering this as a Burning Wheel game and BW does those folks better 'an any game out there.
Oh, and thanks for the kind words.
The Fiendish Dr. Samsara
02-01-2005, 07:40 PM
I was so excited by the idea in general that I forgot that you had BW targeted. I removed that comment.
That’s killer because the citizens could fight knock-down battles (literally and philosophically) about this pressing issue, without anyone being a Bad Guy ™. Everyone has the best intentions. And that’s exactly what the road to Hell is paved with.
Thanks for the feedback, fiendish doctor.
Next week wraps up the second season of The Riddle of Blood and once that is done I think we're going to take a break for a spell. I'd like to get back towards players being heroes for a while.
If I can get my hands on Burning Wheel Revised, I'll put this on the table as a game to run. One of the players I e-mailed the concept to has already expressed interest.
We'll see. If this ends up being the game run, I'll post the PC's and such here.
The Fiendish Dr. Samsara
03-02-2005, 11:15 AM
WASPS: We Await Silent Paka’s Story.
Your Actual Play threads are always a pleasure.
travis
03-02-2005, 04:39 PM
I, too, wish to hear the tale.
As Burning Wheel Revised approaches, I'm thinking about this, probably destined to be my next campaign:
The Human kingdom is made up for many little lords all squabbling since the death of the high king/queen. She/he was the one who took the gifts of writing and
magic from the gods and gave it to mortals. Different cultures dispute if it was a man or a woman.
His/Her tomb is well guarded in an ancient palace.
The Elves have 4 Etharchs, one for each cardinal direction.
In the north is the grim Raven King, to the south is the King of Wyverns. To the east is the Queen of Last Haven, where grief-stricken elves wait for a boat
heading to the western lands. To the west is the Queen of Griffons. There are other citadels but those four are the high etharchs. North and South are always kings and East and WEst are always Queens.
The Dwarves have 7 kings, deep in their halls of stone.
Great Wolves are ruled by no king, each pack answering to their alpha. There are myths of an Alpha of all Alphas but none have ever seen such a thing.
Orcs and trolls gather in unruly mobs, each ruled by a Named Chief with a cruel hand.
Thor Olavsrud
04-04-2005, 01:21 PM
Looks like a cool start Judd!
What sort of conflicts do you see your players getting involved in through this setting?
Looks like a cool start Judd!
What sort of conflicts do you see your players getting involved in through this setting?
I'm hoping for some political conflicts based on how the players think the problem with the dead welling up can be solved, allowing us to use the Duel of Wits for epic council scenes with dwarven kings and elven queens.
Finding those who are manipulating the dead and whackin' 'em.
Most of all I'll follow their lead, see what kind of characters tehy are going to make.
One player wants to run a goblin and another wants to run an orc, and another is hyped to run an elf, so we'll see how it goes.
Thor Olavsrud
04-04-2005, 06:46 PM
::rubs hands in glee::
You're going to LOVE the new Circles mechanics, I think. They're made for this sort of thing.
Elves and orcs together is tough, if you want a traditional party, although you could always burn up some new traits to make it palatable.
I suspect your players might give dwarves another look after they see the Revision though. IMHO, dwarves are now painfully cool. And even if they don't, your dwarven kings will now have some serious teeth. :D
E-mail sent to players:
I would like this game to be about the rise of the next great evil that will rise up and lead the damned against the rest of the world.
Furthermore, I think it might be interesting, if that leader were to come from the among the PC's. We wouldn't know who it would be, only that it would be one of us, sitting at the table. They would become the most tremendous tyrant of their time, they would become the evil against which the other players would have to struggle against for the second half of the campaign.
Thoughts?
The players and I have begun brainstorming reasons why a mixed group consisting of an Orc, a Goblin Shaman, an Elvish zealot, a Dwarf and two humans would be in an adventure together.
So, I've been sending rather uninspired suggestions but I think the following is actually alright:
Inspired by the Conclave:
The Elven leader in Vault died or went west due to excessive Grief. He had been the Keymaster for over a thousand years and so they went to the Loremaster of Vault and asked what came next. She wasn't sure and
so they looked at the tomes written upon Vault's founding.
Turns out in order to elect a new Keymaster a few things were needed:
These things will coincide with the PC's, each integral as a part of the making Vault whole.
Why is an Orc and Goblin necessary? Orcs helped found Vault too but were kicked out ages ago, doomed to wander the earth without a home.
Thoughts?
RobNJ
04-19-2005, 07:48 AM
What if it's an experiment by moderates in all the racial wings to try to prove that they can all get along and get something accomplished. The task appears to be hopeless anyway, so hardliners wouldn't mind wasting these weirdos who'd work with other hated races, and also the moderate position would be undercut by what they consider to be the guaranteed failure of the task.
Here is some more background material for the BW game. Don't let it overwhelm you. Read what interests you and discard the rest. Special thanks to Ben for his wonderful gods.
All of this is flexible and can be futzed with to fit a character concept and make the game more fun.
There are four Elvish Etharchs, one for each Cardinal direction:
North, The Raven King (cold, watchful, just) cold pines and magical hills
South, The Wyvern King (decadent, hot-blooded, glorious) deep rain forests and tree-top cities
East, The Griffon Queen (hopeful, naive, valorous) glorious lush valleys beside statuesque mountains
West, The Admiral Queen (solemn, cunning, maternal) coastal redwoods and mammoth weeping willows
There are seven great Dwarven Kings, one for each of the Great Metals. You will notice that I have less than seven Kings written up, that is for two reasons. One, I couldn't think of seven. Two, I wanted to leave room for player input, didn't want to Forgotten Realms this setting to death:
1) Gate King, Warden of Paradise (stalwart, urbane, pious)
2) Pillar King, Warden of the Deep Highways (worldly, paranoid, tunnel-wise)
3) Sky King, Warden of the Clouds (wise, isolated, aloof)
4) Dragon King - formerly the Mithril King - Warden of the Seven Mines (arcane, barely Dwarven, traitors?)
5) Tomb King - also known as the beggar king - Warden of the Rites (forsaken, mysterious, )
The following writing on gods was ENTIRELY stolen from Ben Lehman's blog. Each species and even different baronies would have different takes on how these dieties/ideas relate (http://benlehman.blogspot.com/):
There is God in this world, but there are also things called gods. We might also call them ideas, philosophies, secret lores hidden from the eye, manifestos, monsters, or demons. Each of them has as many names as they have worshippers. Some of them are:
* Boy-in-the-Night
o He comes for your gold and your daughters.
* Bright Daughter
o Will she love you?
* Conquerer
o The red eyes that know nothing but rape,
pillage, and fire.
* Dark Daughter
o The dead are her people and the dark her
country.
* Eaten Queen
o Her sort of sacrifice cannot be made by
will alone.
* Just King
o The wounds of his justice have never
healed.
* Lady in Chains
o Who is the Master here?
* Lord of Light
o Blessed are you, King of the Universe.
* Mother / Wife
o Everything you loved and hated about her.
* Silent Wanderer
o Home is a dry taste of dust, and words are
the bitter taste of lies.
* Singing Wolf
o It's all fun and games until...
* The Liberator
o The price of freedom is paid in the blood
of patriots.
* The Eye
o It watches.
* The Sage
o The man who knows whatever cannot be told.
* The Unborn
o What will he become?
* Thing-in-the-Night
o It stalks.
* Thing-in-the-Sea
o It hungers.
* Wise King
o The price of wisdom is too great.
Ben Lehman
04-28-2005, 04:10 PM
Hey.
It's super-cool that you're using those gods. I'm fascinated to see what they do to someone else's game.
They've certainly done enough to mine.
yrs--
--Ben
Hey.
It's super-cool that you're using those gods. I'm fascinated to see what they do to someone else's game.
They've certainly done enough to mine.
yrs--
--Ben
We'll see how it goes. Right now they are just pieces in the sandbox and I'm waiting to see what my players pick up to play with.
I can't wait to play with some new toys. They're neat!
Thanks.
I was looking over the list of gods and thinking how they would apply to the orcs.
* Boy-in-the-Night
o He comes for your gold and your daughters.
-And when he does, we kill him.-
* Bright Daughter
o Will she love you?
-There is also a Bright Son...not will she love you but can you take her?-
* Conquerer
o The red eyes that know nothing but rape, pillage, and fire.
-Also called the All-Father or the Namer of the Named-
* Dark Daughter
o The dead are her people and the dark her country.
-She mocks you when you fail and die and spreads your legacy to the winds.-
* Eaten Queen
o Her sort of sacrifice cannot be made by will alone.
-Can you devour her before her guards come?-
* Just King
o The wounds of his justice have never healed.
-He is a hypocrite and is called The Crowned Liar.-
* Lady in Chains
o Who is the Master here?
-She whispers to the lowliest of the low goblins, telling them that the Named would have no power without them. Most Named allow her cult to exist up to a point.-
* Lord of Light
o Blessed are you, King of the Universe.
-No such thing.-
* Mother / Wife
o Everything you loved and hated about her.
-I'd think that in Orcish society that kids are all raised together, without any real thought to which kid belongs to who...but I can be flexible on this matter.-
* Silent Wanderer
o Home is a dry taste of dust, and words are the bitter taste of lies.
-His dry road is what happens to those who are banished, left to be killed by strangers.-
* The Eye
o It watches.
-Whispers in the Dark can sometimes tap into the Eye's power and see all manner of things.-
* The Sage
o The man who knows whatever cannot be told.
-He'll talk once the fire is put to him.-
* Thing-in-the-Night
o It stalks.
-Prayed to before hunts, often Black Riders set up shrines to this one.-
Yokiboy
04-29-2005, 04:22 AM
Judd, it's cool seeing the directions you're taking this campaign, because as I've mentioned to you I too am playing in the same setting. After you first posted the The Vault idea, I brought it up to my group as a suggestion for an upcoming TROS campaign, and they loved it!
Our game's going in a different direction though. We had our first session this week, and barely made it past the first couple of kickers due to a late start, but it was awesome.
TTFN,
Yoki
Our game's going in a different direction though. We had our first session this week, and barely made it past the first couple of kickers due to a late start, but it was awesome.
TTFN,
Yoki
If you'd care to post their SA's and the direction of the game, that'd be keen. Wow, if you could post their kickers, that'd be even better.
Awesome!
I'm psyched that you've played with this idea. Fantastic.
Yokiboy
04-29-2005, 07:24 AM
If you'd care to post their SA's and the direction of the game, that'd be keen. Wow, if you could post their kickers, that'd be even better.
Awesome!
I'm psyched that you've played with this idea. Fantastic.
Will do, I am just burned out now, we gamed for too long. I also must translate the kickers and character details to English, they changed a bit from my first post (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=15003&highlight=vault). All for the better IMO.
TTFN,
Yoki
Yokiboy
04-29-2005, 07:50 AM
Eh, who am I kidding, here we go. :D
I have enough time for one character, and I believe he changed the most, so please meet the new and improved Destinus.
Destinus
Philosophy: "Mercy on the person I catch bearing hand upon the peaceful and defenseless."
Concept: Young monk, protector of the flock and God's avenger
Skill Packages: Academic and Farmer
Social Status: Apprentice monk (priority E, equivalent of a serf or peasant)
Spiritual Attributes:
Destiny (0) - he is the Key to The Vault (unknowingly at this time)
Luck (1) - not defined
Drive (2) - to defend those that cannot defend themselves
Conscience (3) - especially as it relates to the needy and defenseless
Faith (1) - The Order of the Protective Hand
Gift: Major Area Knowledge
Flaw: Minor Overconfidence
Kicker: While outside caring for his herb garden, a rock smashes through the monastery - the gols are attacking!
TTFN,
Yoki
Yokiboy
04-29-2005, 04:24 PM
Ghellin Blackmane
Philosophy: "I forge my own destiny."
Concept: A conman with a conscience
Skill Packets: Thief and Courtier
Social Status: High Freeman
Spiritual Attributes:
Conscience (1) - suffers from a good conscience
Drive (1) - to become filthy rich
Faith (3) - there are no gods, I forge my own destiny
Luck (1) - the innate ability to get out of tough situations
Passion (1) - loyal to Brother Helix Defor
Gift: Minor Legendary Style ("beauty of legends")
Flaw: Major Greed
Kicker: Has used his charm and good looks to find a rotten apple within the Holy Order of the Key; Prioress Carmelina Porsine. He seduced the Prioress, and one night she spills her plan for the Key, and how she is selling out the church tonight. After some serious love making she leaves the room for her late night meeting with the mysterious antagonist. When allowing her guest to enter her chambers, she tells her private guards to kill the intruder in her bedroom... [Obviously the player didn't specify all this in his Kicker, but that's how it turned out when we played it the other night.]
TTFN,
Yoki
Yokiboy,
I'm really interested in how it goes. The SA's and Kickers look great. I'm excited to see that you are using two of my favorite game mechanics in all of game-dom, kickers and SA's. Wonderful stuff that has really kicked my games into high gear.
Let me know how it progresses if you have the time.
Yokiboy
04-30-2005, 03:19 AM
Brother Helix Defor
Philosophy: "To protect and serve until death releases me from my duty."
Concept: Knight templar
Skill Packets: Knight and Clergyman
Social Status: Servant to the Holy Order of the Key (priority E)
Drive (4) - keep the Holy Key alive
Conscience (1) - chivalry
Faith (2) - the Holy Order of the Key
Destiny (0) - they will sing about his bravery in battle
Passion (0) - hate gols for murdering his family
Gift: Minor Patron - Abbot Degall Falkor
Flaw: Minor Vow - Abstinence
Kicker: Abbot Degall Falkor of the Holy Order of the Key assigns Brother Helix Defor double-duty, as one of Prioress Carmelina Porsine personal guards have taken ill, and Brother Helix must take his place. While standing guard with another templar knight of the holy order, that seems rather on edge and none to friendly, a night-time visitor is escorted to the Prioress chambers. Brother Helix does grudgingly let the visitor pass, but before the door closes behind the mystery guest, the Prioress orders the two guards to slay the intruder in her bed chamber. [Again, this is how it played out, it was merely noted by Brother Helix's player that he would uncover a great conspiracy within the Holy Order of the Key.]
That's it for the characters in our version of The Vault.
TTFN,
Yoki
Yokiboy
04-30-2005, 03:36 AM
Here's our campaign intro, which is just a modification of Judd's:
In the center of the great continent Ecal-Pémos there rests a metropolis, simply called The Vault. It is the pinnacle of civilization. The centerpiece of the city is a huge dome with a great gate that seals Hell from the surface world.
Elves, dwarves and men populate the city, keeping Hell’s Gate sealed. Gols were once a part of the Alliance, but were banished from the city, left to wander the world with no kingdom to call their own, hence their hatred of the civilized races. Elves have a song that details why the gols were banished but refuse to sing it for anyone.
When Hell’s Gate was originally sealed, an army of the world’s finest warriors was sent into the tunnels to fend off the forces of Hades. Once The Vault was sealed, their fate, known to them even when they volunteered to march into the depths, was too terrible to contemplate.
Sealing off Hell from the world has had severe repercussions. The damned now wander north when they die, stubbornly following the righteous dead to the Holy Gates, but they are shunned at the gates. They mill about in front of the gates, eyes black with hatred until a leader emerges and leads them southward to wreak war on the world. When this Legion of the Damned is defeated, the damned aren't banished, since hell is sealed, but it takes some time before they can make war again.
The Vault’s Gatekeeper has always been an elf, just as the Mason General has always been a dwarf. The Captain of the Watch is always a man, since their short life spans mean that there are always fresh eyes on The Vault.
The damned are milling about and once again scouting parties have been seen south of the Great Rift. It won't be long now. The Captain of the Watch, the Gatekeeper and the Mason General debate loudly and publicly about the merits and flaws of opening the vault so that the damned might be marched into hell.
In order to open The Vault the key must be located. There’s a legend related to The Vault Key, each generation a person is born that holds the key to open Hell’s Gate. The Holy Order of the Key is an organization built around locating and protecting this key. So far they have successfully kept every key out of the enemies’ hands, as they always now when the key is born.
However, something is amiss. Since the death of the last key, there existence of a new key has yet to be detected – this has never occurred before in the history of The Vault. There are rumors that the gols are once again massing under one banner, for what would be a first since their banishment, and they are searching the villages of the north burning everything in their wake. The Legion of the Damned supposedly have a powerful new leader, and their troops are massing cross the Great Rift, with scouting parties spotted throughout the north. Could the Holy Order of the Key have missed the sign? It was 18 years since the last key passed away.
Is the Legion of the Damned searching for The Vault Key? Could their new leader have felt the Calling of the Key? Are the gols also after the key? Are they helping the Legions of the Damned, or do they have their own agenda? Could The Vault Key be enough to unite the warring gols? Will the Holy Order of the Key find the key in time? Will a war of three armies lay waste to Ecal-Pémos? What part do you play in this unfolding drama?
***
We're after an epic adventure where the characters are in constant motion, hunted by the different forces in our drama. Destinus is not aware of being the Holy Key, but his destiny will surely reveal it to him soon enough.
We see the metropolis of The Vault as a sort of medieval, middle-eastern version of Mega-City 1. The inhabitants of the huge city barely know of the world outside. Of course Destinus lives far up in the northern wilderness, across the Great Rift - which is a canyon of Grand Canyon proportions.
The conspiracy within the Holy Order of the Key wants the Key to die, and the Gols are more than happy to oblige. The reason being that the Devil has played everyone a trick, he is the one who wanted Hell's Gates sealed, in order to create Hell on Earth!
Unfortunately the powerful necromantic sorcerer leading the Legion of the Damned is unaware of the conspiracy. He wants to open Hell's Gates, but the conspirators are not yet aware of this joker in the deck.
Oh, but you probably guessed already, the new powerful and charismatic leader uniting the gol tribes is of course the same person who led the attack that murdered Brother Helix Defor's parents.
Anyways... that's what I can gather myself from my notes at this time. Our plots are always bound to change, as they center around the three protagonists of our story. Another really cool thing is that both Brother Defor and Destinus players are both looking to have their characters die as the climax of their individual stories.
Enough rambling.
TTFN,
Yoki
Yoki,
I love your twists and turns on the the concept of Vault, a medieval Mega City One, that Satan himself wanted the gate sealed, the whole invention of a human Key. It is great to see how you all have made this idea your own.
Fantastic stuff. Wonderful.
Maybe the Gol were cast out because they figured out Satan's plot, tried to take downthe gate.
Neat stuff.
Have fun.
Yokiboy
04-30-2005, 05:40 PM
Maybe the Gol were cast out because they figured out Satan's plot, tried to take downthe gate.
I like that Judd, that would sort of make them the good guys in this story. Of course by now the gols are so PO'ed at the Alliance and the other civilized races in general. Perhaps the majority of gols don't even remember why they were cast out, but someone might... their new leader perhaps, or someone else. I'll keep this in the back of my head.
TTFN,
Yoki
Jim DelRosso
05-02-2005, 09:43 AM
I'm lucky enough to be playing in this game, and while we were talking cosmology, here's what I came up with:
In the beginning, there was the First Father and the First Mother, and the Garden. From the union of Father and Mother sprang the First Men, who peopled the Garden. In time the race of Men became too great, and they left the Garden to people the world beyond. Know you that this was no tragedy for them: the First were explorers and warrior-kings, and while grateful to their Parents, they wished for a world of their own to know and make.
And thus was built the first Great Empire. It spanned all the lands we know of and many more besides; its most mundane work would be as a wonder to us today, and its wonders magnificent beyond our reckoning. Many believe that this time also marks the advent of the Dwarves, who we know stood by and assisted the Empire in its work. Whether the Dwarves were out in the world for the First Men to find, or were gifts of the Father and Mother, we do not know. (Some claim that the First Men themselves crafted the Dwarves as assistants in the building of the Empire; an interesting theory, but not one to be discussed around our Dwarvish friends if violence is to be avoided.)
Alas, for there is almost nothing now left of that age.
We do not know why the Father turned. The Orcs do not speak of his fall, nor (more tellingly, perhaps) do the Elves. But turn he did, and one day came ravaging from the Garden's gates, annihilating all the great works of man, sweeping over the Empire in a furor of rapine and destruction. Men were reduced to desperate savagery, and what Dwarves survived retreated into their mountain steadfasts. The knowledge and wonder of that time was lost in the dust, and from the ruins grew the Orcs, spawning like maggots in a corpse's flesh.
The Mother grieved for the loss of her Husband, but moreso for her children. To cleanse the world of the Father's wrath, she brought forth the Elves from the Garden to battle Him and his Orcish children. The Elves claim that they have served the Garden since before the fall of the first Empire, and perhaps they have; however, no Elf who could remember that time still walks outside the Garden Walls. For through they were able to turn back the Father and the Orcs, the horror they saw allowed the seed of their Mother's grief to take root in their hearts; it is the great bane of their race, and ever will our world's sorrow force them back into the blessed Garden, ne'er to return.
Just as grief took hold of the Elves, so too did hatred take the Orcs. They were spawned of it, after all, and their subsequent defeat at the hands of the Elves forced them into ever grimmer and grimmer lands. With naught but ashes and rage to sustain them, they set upon each other... but were not consumed. The great and terrible Orc nations are the decedents of those who survived both the pogroms of the Elves, and centuries of internecine war.
The Dwarves emerged from their mountain holds, which in the intervening years had been crafted into mighty kingdoms which some say are the best surviving echos of the Empire that was lost. They are as steadfast as ever, if somewhat more inwardly focused after their hard years in the mountain.
And then there are the Men: pale remnants of what once they were. No longer savages, but likely never to attain the great heights that they once took for granted. For what remains now of their great Empire?
Besides the Vault, of course.
I'm lucky enough to be playing in this game, and while we were talking cosmology, here's what I came up with:
As you know, Jim, I dig this. Creation myths usually make me cringe but this one is short and to the point, poetic, archetypal and it doesn't leave any great mysteries about the setting.
It just let's people know where they are coming from and allows each character from the different stocks to look at the myth from their own point of view.
Wonderful stuff.
We got together and hammered out BIT's tonight and came up with a reason for the motley bunch to be together in the first place. They are an odd bunch, indeed.
One of the players is worrisome but we'll see how that pans out. Might be nothin'.
Said worrisome player came up with this brilliant idea for the Personna point voting game. We will get a chance to vote for the PC who turns evil every time you spend a Personna point. We will play at least one game all together, then one game with each PC as a kind of primary player and the rest of the group taking up key roles surrounding said character.
Then one game after all of those solo shots are done.
Then Endgame is in play and we tally up votes to see whose PC goes to the dark side.
E-mail sent to my players:
1) This game is about your Beliefs & Instincts,
everything around it is just there to help us explore
them. I want us to push them, to see how far they can
bend and what it takes for your characters to break
them
2) This game is about a noble soul (one of the PC's)
falling from grace and turning into a horrific evil.
3) And last, this game is about a place called
Vault,an ancient magical city built over a gate to
hell, that we will create, along with the surrounding
lands, together.
This Sunday the one-shots are over and the PC's go see the Vault.
Over the rest of the week the players will be e-mailing me their BIT's and I'll be going over 'em, thinking about the first adventure.
<b>Beliefs</b>
- I burn away darkness and evil with dawn's light.
- I will die saving my people.
- I am the greatest swordsman that has ever lived.
<b>Instincts</b>
- Always wake with the Dawn.
- I am never without my sword.
- Always bear my station as the sun bears itself: Radiant and unflinching.
Here's another PC:
Orcish Named
Beliefs:
- All Conflicts are best resolved through Hate.
- The Horde is a disease and must be plagued or cured.
- Opening the Vault will bring about the Fiery End.
Instincts:
- WHen confronted with Steel, draw the obvious weapon
- Charging into battle takes the initiative from your opponent (when
confronted by an enemy, take the initiative)
- If I have to submit to those with serpent's tongue, stab them later.
While picking up plastic tubs to move my shit in at Target I came across this wooden box with a big metal key to lock it up.
This is going to be the box in which I keep the player's votes regarding who turns evil.
Awesome.
Price of Burning Wheel: $25
Price of wooden box: $19.99
Watching a friend's P.C. become evil incarnate: Priceless
e-mail sent to players:
Alright, here's an idea for a Kicker, respond as ye see fit.
The Vault's Eternal Tome was opened again, its mithril lock opened by the Captain of the Watch, the Mason General and the Master of Keys all using their badges of office to read the pages.
Centuries ago, the Vault's architects wrote the following about this day:
On this day you will send them into the tunnels to the Vault. It is past time the wall that bars hell from the world was checked.
The Guardian of the Dawn will be sent, or his ancestor, be it by blood or blade's inheritor as promised to the Kings of the North and South Citadels and the Queens of the East and West, by Raven, Wyvern, Wave and Griffon.
A Master Dwarven Craftsman will be sent, along with a bodyguard to make sure that his knowledge of craft is returned to them as promised to the Seven Dwarven Kings on the cornerstone of their holdfasts.
He Who Rules by Deviltry and Blood will have sent an emissary either by his own command or from beyond the grave, who is to be permitted to venture to the lower regions of Vault also as agreed in the Seige of Vault Treatise after the Battle of Lashed Souls.
The Holy Order of the Watchers and Seers will send a representative along with one chosen by the Watcher, a military counselor as promised to the High King before the Crone herself on his majesty's death-bed.
By now the Guardian Trolls will have gone feral.
By now...
(everyone who wants to can contribute a By Now... These should be a wrinkle, a mystery or an outright threat that awaits, something the architects of the Vault forsaw long ago.)
Don't sweat it, we will role-play the reading of this before the people of Vault...
Last game, points of interest (an e-mail sent to my players):
- Captain Simon and the Baron engage in DoW over who will go down to the Vault. Captain wins but Baron is alternate should "anything happen to Simon."
- Xarven threatens the Baron's nephew at knife point in the privy with a highly successful intimidate check. Let's kid know he will find him later to gain information.
- Orc kills He Who Rules...'s Blood Whisperer in public and then dines on his finger. The Blood Whisperer had killed the child the Named had befriended. Captain Simon decides that the Named (Jevon's PC) is in fact the highest ranking Orc in Vault and therefor the most able to administer Orc Justice to one of their own.
- Lord of Masons and the two Dwarves met in the tunnels and could hear Trolls below. Elected not to check on the strength of the gate to the surface and headed to the surface.
- The Vault Tome was read aloud. Jeff's Dwarf (whose name is not in front of me now) went to the Keeper of the Keys to ask about seeing the tome under closer scrutiny. Grim failed his Greed check and drooled over the book.
- After a DoW with the Lord of Masons, Grim agreed to be sober and nice for the meeting with the Elves with the small concession that he would get to drink after the first person fell asleep or when th dawn came, whichever came first.
- Xarven crept into Captain Simon's bedroom for a scene that hasn't happened yet.
- The Pheonix Prince was back north to aid his brother (adventure?) because Aaron was outta town.
*Anything to add?*
Next game:
- Jeff's Craftsman Dwarf sees the finely wrought book under closer scrutiny.
- Named and Captain go-a-drinkin' (where's Grim for this?)
- Xarven finds the nephew and questions him.
- I forgot the box in which we'll put votes for who will turn evil. I'll remember it next time.
Things for future thought:
- Jevon put on the table an idea for a game in which the players are the Captain of the Watch's inner circle, giving him advice and such.
E-mail to my players:
After finishing the sixth book of Harry Potter last night I got started on Black Company, a gritty fantasy novel that Jim loaned me, citing it as an inspiration for his character. Its good stuff, very different from Rowling's world of Hogwarts and Muggles.
I'm digging it and I think Kolja's character, Xarvel, would fit into the Black Company books really well too. Rock on.
Here are some ideas for seargents in Simon's company.
Bane - The leutenant, short of Wizards-bane. She was a bodyguard on a distant continent ruled by Sorcerer-kings where she guarded a wizardling prince. None are sure why she killed a wizard, a grevious crime in those lands but she did and now harbors a deep resentment against all sorcerors and arcanists.
Raven - short for Raven-born, scout from the northlands, deeply religious. I see him having a real awe for Aaron's Elf.
Griff - short for Griffon-born, an easterner from the valleys and mountains of the east, heads up the archers (if ya have archers) and is known to argue with Raven which mountains are more dangerous, eastern or northern.
Troll - huge, a war orphan who took up with the company after the Baron's men destroyed his village, everyone thinks of him as their nephew.
Learned - can writer and knows about magic but has never casted, whispers are that his magic ability was damaged somehow. he ain't talkin', as smart a seargent as the company has.
Since coming to Vault they've probably heard Simon's name more than they are used to, usually just calling him The Captain or the Old Man. Since coming to Vault, the men are whispering, gossipy scamps that they are.
Actual Play here:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=16389.0
Another Actual Play here:
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=214053
Its here at RPG.net but I'd like this Vault thread to be complete for when this game is over.
E-mail sent to two players:
I wrote up some things the Mason General took out of
the Tome to aid you but I'm not sure if its useful or
if its just color crap.
Let me know. You two took a chance, a big chance and
could easily be branded thieves, oathbreakers or
worse. I want the COOKIE you get to be somewhat worth
it.
It is attached as a fonted up word document and pasted
here for your convenience.
<The Mason General’s hand is precise without losing any art. The Dwarven rune-glyphs take life when written in his hand. He gives you the excerpts from the Tome, that he has taken to calling His Tome, with great care, as if offering you his most cherished daughters.
The piece he has chosen to give you is a debate that took place centuries ago, before the first great war with the Necromancer when the Vault was first challenged with the very dead it keeps from damnation.>
Mason General
“Vault is a monument to what our peoples can do when our crafts are molten together to form one strength. We have changed the tide of hell itself. Whole trinities of gods have altered their ties.”
“Let us not confuse hubris with progress.”
Dwarven King
“The Wars with the dead keep us strong, creating heroes for our shapers to sing about. Nothing improves crafts like war, nothing tells us who our friends truly are. And our wars concern the dead and the damned, so our soldiers need not fear where their axes fall. If our peoples are behind our fortress walls when the butcher’s bill comes up for payment, no innocents need perish.
“Vault is our greatest accomplishment and will keep our peoples strong.”
Loremaster
“The Elder Races believe in us. They know that we will know the solution and that wisdom will prevail over blood and iron. I am most inclined to believe them and follow the will of the Tome.”
Raven Consort
“You talk of the Vault’s end as if it were in your reach, as if it were your decision. Gods punish such hubris, none have seen these punishments from a clearer vantage point than the Raven Kings and their consorts. When the Vault is gone, my people’s time on this continent will also come to a close.”
High King
“The Vault is the strongest fortress in all of my kingdom. When the Sorcerer Kings look across the sea and notice our bountiful land this Vault will be all that holds off their demon hordes, zealot warriors and the sorcerous fiends they call nobles.”
Court Wizard
“The Vault is unnatural, built by Elder Races in a long ago era. Its time will come to a close and it will be human hands who deal with the wreckage left behind while the Fair Folk sail west and the Stone Kings dwell on their riches.”
Orc Prisoner
“You will all drown in rivers of blood and the orc trinities will laugh. Your damned wash up on our shores like cordwood. Your wizard’s greatest student has taken the title of necromancer and even now entreats the Sorcerer kings across the sea. Keep me prisoner here until the war comes so that I might watch you all choke on your dead and break under the weight of the history you have created, like a prison.”
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