3.0 KiB
3.0 KiB
title, system, levels, setting, status
| title | system | levels | setting | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sundering Tide | D&D 5e | 5-20 | Aethrune | planning |
The Sundering Tide
Elevator Pitch
The world of Aethrune is held together by seven ancient seals, forged millennia ago by the First Sages to imprison the Primordial Wrath — a being of pure elemental chaos. The seals are weakening. A secret cult called the Hand of Ruin works to shatter them, while the ruling Crown Concordat bickers over borders and coin. The party arrives as capable heroes of level 5, stumbling onto a cell of cultists in a remote border town — and from there, the conspiracy unravels across continents, planes, and ages.
Central Conflict
| Side | Goal | Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Hand of Ruin | Free the Primordial Wrath; remake the world in chaos | Infiltration, assassination, ritual magic, dragon-binding |
| Crown Concordat | Maintain power and status quo | Diplomacy, military force, denial |
| The Verdant Circle (secret society) | Reinforce the seals; preserve balance | Espionage, ancient lore, druidic ritual |
| The Dragon Lords (neutral) | Guardian duty to the seals; fragmented loyalties | Isolation, ancient pacts, draconic magic |
Campaign Arcs
| Arc | Title | Levels | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arc 1 - Heirs of Sundering | 5-8 | Discovery, investigation, first cult encounters |
| 2 | Arc 2 - The Gilded War | 9-12 | Political intrigue, factional war, betrayal |
| 3 | Arc 3 - Heart of the Mountain | 13-16 | Dragon Lords, planar travel, ancient secrets |
| 4 | Arc 4 - Tide of Ruin | 17-20 | The seals break, reality frays, final battle |
Key Factions
- The Hand of Ruin — apocalyptic cult
- Crown Concordat — ruling alliance of five kingdoms
- The Verdant Circle — druidic secret society preserving the seals
- The Silent College — arcane academy with forbidden knowledge
- Dragon Lords — ancient dragons bound to the seals
- The Iron Concord — mercenary guild / independent power
Tone
- Arc 1: Mystery / investigative horror (cults, disappearances, creeping dread)
- Arc 2: Political thriller / war drama (alliances, betrayals, siege warfare)
- Arc 3: Epic fantasy / planar exploration (elemental planes, dragon lairs, lost civilizations)
- Arc 4: Apocalyptic survival / cosmic horror (reality unraveling, desperate gambits, god-tier stakes)
Player Buy-In
- Characters should have a personal stake in protecting the world — not just gold or glory.
- One character should have ties to a faction (Crown Concordat, Verdant Circle, or Silent College).
- Characters begin at level 5, already known in their region as capable troubleshooters.
Quick-Start
- Session zero: players arrive in Eastmarch, a border town between Valdris and Kethra.
- Hook: a merchant caravan has vanished on the Old Salt Road; strange weather plagues the region.
- Investigation leads to a Hand of Ruin cell conducting a ritual at a Seal Anchor site.
- The first seal is already cracked — the campaign clock is ticking.