campaign help

inspiration
#1

Hi everyone.
I could use some help with fleshing out the long-term goal for one of my player characters in my current campaign.

The tldr version is that the character wants to find a lost kingdom that ended up removing its self from existence. It sits in its own pocket universe.

What I need help with is figuring out what steps the characters need to take to get to this lost city.
I am currently thinking maybe some kind of ritual and magical portal or maybe some kind of key or compass like in pirates of the Caribbean.

Now this whole thing started out as about a sentence worth of back story. After having a long think here is what I kind of came up with to flesh the idea out.

Back story:
During the Dark Age the big bad caused chaos and destruction. As it arrived at one particular kingdom the residents decided to do something about it. Unable to face the kaiju big bad they decided to use their magic to try to phase the kingdom out of their reality temporarily. Something went wrong however and the kingdom had become trapped in its own pocket universe.
From that point on the kingdom entered into myth and legend. Some believe it once existed but was destroyed, some believe it disappeared and others believe it was never there to begin with.

The character:
The character wants to find the lost kingdom in order to achieve fame and glory. They are the last child of a large family and feel over looked and want to make their own mark on the world. They believe that there are mass amounts of treasure there as well.

The kingdom:
The kingdom in question exists alone in its own pocket universe unreachable through normal means.
I feel like i have something but i just dont know how to execute on the idea.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

#2

best advice figure out key moments or places and go from there, but be flexible in when they discover these things. things like arytifacts, rituals and components needed, alliances needed to fight any evil force, name of one making this demiplane.

even the 6 core truths all know in this world

#3

Here is my take on the scenario presented.

  1. A ritual as described to remove the kingdom from harm would likely take time and participants to get that kind of magical energy moving. Instructions from the grand vizier or kingdom’s head arcane leader would have likely been decimated the arcane citizenry for the ritual to have the best chance of success. Assuming that any one of those mages were weak of will in the face of Doom they may have fled mid ritual the instructions cataloged in one of their tomes and entered into a library of arcane theory after their death sometime later.

  2. Historical accounts of the missing kingdom would support the theory that it exists depending on how long ago it happened. The Dark Age may refer to a time of inverse growth of knowledge or technological development, but during the time of relevance there would likely have been trade negotiations with the missing kingdom and those would likely reside with neighboring kingdoms.

  3. Assuming the missing kingdom was once a leader among arcane lore and discovery to be able to pull off such a feat as to move the very land and everything with it to another plane or to make it ascend to the skies, I am thinking like the kingdom of Zeal in Chrono Trigger, then they will likely have had left small shrines, universities, or libraries behind in other kingdoms as a means of building good relations long before the disaster. The Kingdoms Crest will still likely be set into stone at some of these places and it could act as a hook to discover their origins, think of the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indi is in the library searching for clues to the crusader’s crypt.

#4

Additionally, you can tie the research aspect to Hearts that need to be filled for the next major revelation. You may allow the player to know how close or far they are away from the next breakthrough, but I would keep the exact number of points toward the research goal hidden.

To accomplish this the character needs to spend time reading and getting lost in books or the stacks of a library allowing them to roll an Intelligence roll and apply an effort die toward the Heart goal. I may even encourage CHUNKS to be used here and place specific data relating to the kingdom behind different CHUNKs, like the ritual, the location, the threat, the new location, what went wrong, etc.

When researching with just one book on the subject this can apply basic effort in a library that has no origins or ties to the missing kingdom, they can roll basic or tool effort depending on how far away from the missing kingdoms origin they are. That can be used as a HOT/COLD technique or minigame.

This translates like this; "While lost in your studies you seem to be stumbling over many of the same texts that you have read before and manage to glean a small but meaning full amount of information about the whereabouts of the kingdom, or ritual, roll basic effort."

"While studying in this library you take note of the crest of the [missing Kingdom royal family], feeling as though you may have discovered one of the ancient libraries associated with the kingdom you eagerly dive into your research with such vigor that even the librarians seem mystified in your zeal, roll tool effort while studying in this library."

If it were me, I would limit how many times they may gain the same effort die in just one location like at the connected library they may roll tool effort up to 3 times before dropping down to basic effort. This simulates the idea that they have gleaned all that can at this location. I would allow for universities that have some connection to the missing kingdom start with Magic Effort and downgrade to Tool effort depending on how much time is spent at them.

Conversely you could also place clues in dungeons and or social encounters with mages, nobility, or rulers. These encounters could instantly fill a Heart toward research or partially fill one, these encounters could even add a new Heart of research representing a new undiscovered mystery to the whole veil of the missing kingdom.

I think the most important part it to keep them moving if not toward the goal, then chasing down leads that lead to further adventure even if it is in a direction opposite of the missing kingdom. Listen to your players during tribunal.

I would love to know how you choose to explore this campaign and concept of the missing kingdom.

#5

Steps:

  1. Gather knowledge- about what happened, about what they need to revert the process etc. you’ve had many great suggestions regarding this.
    Example: track one of the descendants of a powerful mage involved in the ritual, who kept their identity secret, perhaps out of shame. They hold a few keepsakes which are crucial to you. When found- in jail and about to be executed or exiled, the party needs to bargain for their release.

  2. Gather required components- rare materials, a certain forgotten spell, powerful allies… A part of the Kaiju needs to be retrieved, there are rumors of 3- one in a camp of orcs, who deem it a holy relic, another in the richest man’s vault and the third at the long forgotten grave of one of the heroes slain while fighting it.
    The only living person with this level of that type of ancient arcane knowledge is an anti-social hermit who despises anything material since he lost his daughter (in the monster attack? Maybe he was involved in disrupting the ritual?), you must convince him to help/ teach you the spell.

  3. Clear the way - is the physical space of the kingdom already occupied? What would happen when it returns? are there factions who wish to make sure that never happens? Why? Do people fear the monster will return with the kingdom, or will be attracted to rise and attack again if it returns?
    If they PCs ask too many questions out in the open or aren’t careful while searching for ancient tomes in libraries, people will notice and it might complicate things. Are there spies in the libraries in case someone came looking?
    or maybe the PC’s parents adamantly object to a second ritual and he needs to either reason with or stand up to them?

Make several available options to each of the 3 steps via rumors and let it flow from there. give the challenge “hearts” and approximate how much every success counts- this could be one for each step or several, depends on how long/ hard you want it to be.

A failure could mean a loss of time or more unwanted attention.

I’d keep a time limit, even if a vague one, like the tether is growing weaker and at some point it’ll sever and the return won’t be possible.

Hope it helps, sounds fun

#6

I like this concept, as I too was thinking about this while driving home for lunch. If the kingdom vanished in times long past, as tgz7813 mentioned, then there would be a missing chunk of land from somewhere. If the kingdom was on a coastline, the result would likely be that the ocean rushed in to fill the void where the kingdom was. This would leave notable geological markers all over the world as depending on the size of the missing land mass the sea levels everywhere would fall rather quickly. Over time fishing and shipping port towns would rebuild next to the receded water’s current elevation. When / if the kingdom returns what happens to all of that water, the port towns, and fishing villages?

Would there be old mines or tunnels that ran underneath the kingdom that did not get taken with it? Are they exposed now? Are they dungeons with clues? What happens when the kingdom returns?

Just somethings to think about.

#7

My advice is to avoid the impulse to figure out each step they need to take before they begin. I would make a list of possible clues and steps devoid of context, and drop them in as the game progresses, and they feel appropriate. That way discovery can remain organic, and you aren’t planning things too far ahead, when the shape of the adventure may change over multiple sessions. Just keep planning one session in advance, and remember, nothing in the game world is real until it is revealed to the players.

#8

take it in steps and let your payers help shape your world, build its bones they sculpt what goes over them

#9

Classic mythical interdimensional (planar) paths with a more physical travel component to it include:

  • Yggdrasil, the world tree from Norse mythology rooting in hell and reaching into other dimensions with its branches.
  • Styx, the dark river of Greek mythology passing into Hades, the realm of death.

Inventing such a physical pathway with its perilous mode of travel could be fun and lead to special adventure.

#10

There are a few ways to go about this.
One
Let your characters be creative. You can do this by dropping a hint that there is a lady in the woods that might know something about the lost city. When they go to her, she asks, “How do you think you get there?” After they give their answers, tell them to follow the intuition of whoever gave the best answer.
Two
Use a Wizard’s Key.
Three
Don’t rush any decisions. Keep notes and jot ideas down while the campaign continues. Just have a panic button escape plan in case you need it. Like, the spell dictated that the land would stay in its pocket universe until the keiju was killed. So, the party can summon the keiju and kill it. Then the land will return.

#11

Another idea, trying to get away from very conventional ideas and progressions:

How about they find a ritual or artifact which on some astrological constellations (new moon) allows them to travel the lost kingdom in their dreams. The kingdom itself resides in dreamy pocket dimension. The players time there is thus limited by the dream inducing spell (timer for days until waking up or starvation of their physical body).

The players then would have to find out all they can in some very specific one shot sessions. Then for some time, where dream travel is not possible, they are bound to the real world and can cope with other player‘s backgrounds and themes.

Solution could be to wake the mummified wizard in a tomb, The kingdom is actually existing in his or her dream, and will be brought back into existence. However, the Keiju, which was incarcerated in another nightmare dream of said sorcerer, returns as well and the final boss fight is on.