Main > Compendia > History > Campaigns > Unnecessary Evil

Details

Time Played: 2008-2010
Historical Era: Dawn Age
System: Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition
GM: Jason
Players: Alex (Torn), Hank (Makal), Kate (Ember), Sam (Atrius), Steve (Kosh)

Summary

It was originally supposed to run in a mere 32 weekly sessions, for just over half a year. The extensions were largely due to scheduling delays and unexpected narrative elaborations. The game was designed to run over an internet voice chat service using online game table clients for tactical gameplay. The system was a moderately house-ruled version of 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons. The mode of play was participationist, with elements of player authorship (each player was able to write major portions of the side quests for other characters).

The plot centered around the heroes of prophecy: Atrius, Ember, Kosh, Torn, and Makal, and their quest to defeat the demon-corrupted Emperor of Acrolon, and the goddess of Summer and desire, Lascivia, thus ending the Dark Age.

This campaign involved my first foray into balanced house rules, specific to the campaign. The characters included:

Atrius, the "Late Arrival"

Male Tiefling Wizard, Blood Mage, Null Soul

Backstory

Son of Emperor Horchus, Atrius fled the Empire conflicted between the feelings of genuine love he felt for his mother, Lily (Exarch of Innocence) and his training as an Imperial prince. He joins the Heroes of Prophecy in disguise as Uther Bord, not believing their validity, expecting that he is merely infiltrating them for the glory of the Empire of Acrolon. Little does he know that this is exactly what the Linessa knows to be the case, and his royalty and conflicted history plays a vital role in the prophecy.

Summary and Epilogue

Atrius' disguise as Uther Bord lasted until the crossing of the Great Sea. There he discovered that he was being hunted by The Voice of the Wind and Soulhunter Demons. There were several very close calls and escapes across the ocean, and he was finally captured in Sicaestus. Separated from the party, Atrius was taken back to the Emperor's Isle of Acrolon where he would finally be crowned the new Emperor, though he would become forever possessed by the spirit of the old Emperor in the process. There he dodged this fate, and in the process was able to destroy The Voice of the Wind and save his mother, Lily, from destruction. His sacrifice redeemed the line of Emperor's and Lucidus declared him The Last Emperor of Acrolon. No Null Soul had ever lived as long as Atrius had, combined with the strange circumstances of his death, led to his ascension to become a Strange God.

Null Soul Epic Destiny

A reflection of the unique characteristic of Atrius' being, a Null Soul that lives too long gets very powerful (allowing epic levels of power) but very unstable.

Ember, "The Burning Shield"

Canon