The Beginning of an Empire

The battles and struggles near Notitia would be good if you, as a GM, wish to have your player characters in on the beginning of the Empire.  Both sides, those with expanding the holding of Notitia and those who are not, are looking for mercenaries and any aid that can be given. Possible ideas if they want to help expand is to be scouts, provide protection or magic or run assassinations.  If they want to stop the expansion they can help with ambushes on supply caravans or ships coming into port, stop people from coming to aid Notitia or even try to rally outlying villages to not join willingly.

Expanded Timeline For After Chaos (AC) Part 231

Year 231 AC
The troubles in Notitia escalate further.  There are clashes and some deaths, armies are being gathered and the people of the area are scared a war will erupt.

A large wild fire sweeps through the plains of Ariella, killing lots of wildlife and threatening many distant villages.  Mages are brought to the area in hopes of using magic to slow down and stop the fire.

Possession of the Mind

The ship wrecked off the coast of Taina was attacked by sea elves and mermaids that have been possessed by demons, who are in turn controlled by wizards.  They are hiding out in an underwater cave near the crash site and are trying to gain treasure and power so they can take over the nearby population and rule.  As the GM you can add the number of wizards, demons and elves as needed to make sure it's a challenge for your party.  The cave entrance is underwater, but the cave is good for air breathers.

Expanded Timeline for After Chaos (AC) Part 230

Year 230 AC
There is a clash of wills in Ariella.  The current leaders of Notitia want to expand the holdings of the country, while others want to stay where they are at with land holdings.  There is mostly a clashing of words, but there are some clashing of swords as well.

A ship goes down off the southern coast of Taina.  A survivor swears they were attacked by sea elves and mermaids and can not be dissuaded, despite the fact that these two groups have never worked together and sea elves normally don't attack ships.  There are expeditions sent out to search for the wreckage and attackers, but neither is found.

The Guards of the King

The female elf who stumbled into the human village was a guard for the prince's detachment of guards.  They were attacked and the prince was kidnapped.  He is a young man, but still untested and knows only a little magic.  The group that kidnapped the prince wants to ransom him not for money but for the king to abdicate the throne in favor of his cousin, who they support.  If a group were to follow the clues and rescue the prince they would find favor with the King of the Elves.

Expanded Timeline For After Chaos (AC) Part 229

A huge crop of berries in south western Taina not only helps with feeding the masses, but brings in wildlife.  Druids are called in to reroute bears and the like from villages so there are no confrontations.

A female elf stumbles out of the forest baring what is the signet of the King upon her body.  She can't remember who she is before she dies and the humans who found her can't find any elves to return her to. They hope someone with knowledge of elves will help them return her body so nothing bad befalls them.

The Village of Star Thistle

The village of Star Thistle is being over run by ogres and their kin.  The villagers are not sure why, but when the ogres do attack they take off with a few supplies and a few people.  The village is unsure of the fate of the people.  They just want the ogres stopped so they can go on with their lives.  They have little they can give in return, but they hope some people will help them.  They have gathered 100 gold to give their heroes, and their rescuers are welcome to pick from the horses of the area.

For the GM the ogres and their kin are working for a necromancer who is holed up in a series of underground caves nearby.  The necromancer needs supplies to survive and people to try his dark magics on.  He has a stash of treasure and magic, but he also has a large army of ogres and their kin.

Expanded Timeline For After Chaos (AC) Part 228

A small village near Karoon is being attacked by ogres and their kin and plead for help.  Few want to make the trek for their are a poor village and have nothing of value.  But they hope for help, none the less.

The largest pod of whales ever seen is spotted between the Dwarven Islands and Taina.  They cause some shipping hazards and druids are brought on the sea voyages to talk to the whales so they don't smash the ships.

The Ruins of Shar-Lin Part 9

The Library of Shar-Lin was a small retreat for scholars from Janesh.  They studied geology, botany, history, local magic and even the interactions of different groups of people.  The last Headmaster of Shar-Lin was a man named Kang.  He was happy, for the most part, but wanted more time to finish his study of the world.  So he researched a way to do so, coming eventually to the need to become a lich.  But he didn't want to rot away to a skeleton so he studied more, and found if he sacrificed other people, as well as a few other things, he would keep his body for the ages as well.  So he sacrificed all those scholars at the Library and shut the building up so he could continue studying through the ages.  Over the centuries he's gone slightly mad and can't be reasoned with.

The Ruins of Shar-Lin Part 8

The last floor was once the headmaster's rooms.  There is a bathing room, a study, and a bedroom.  The bathing room has a tub similar to the ones below, and a basin which is full of water.  The bed and wardrobe are in several pieces, which isn't explained by time.  The study is locked and the door looks pretty sturdy.  In the bedroom is a man dressed in robes laying on the broken bed, with several human skeletons scattered around the room.  The man in robes looks to be intact and appears to be taking a nap.

For the GM the key for the room on the entrance floor is on the lich laying on the bed.  The lich, the former headmaster, performed a ritual which not only turned him into a lich, but allowed him to keep most of his flesh.  (He does have imperfections here and there.)  The skeletons are from former adventurers who breached the building.  His study on this floor is trapped with a magical lock of moderate ability.  Inside is a small library of books which are still intact, a desk with a ledger and a history of the ruins.  There is a small strong box of gems, gold and jewelry.  There are several magic wands, some magical robes, a magic dagger and a magic staff in the room, as well.  If the door can not be unlocked, there is a key to bypass the magic on the lich. The bath is magical like those below and the basin is magic, creating water when needed.

The Ruins of Shar-Lin Part 7

The next floor of Shar-Lin is bathing rooms, storage rooms, a small kitchen and spans the whole floor, (it doesn't open up to the library below).  The kitchen and pantry takes up about a third of the floor, the bathing rooms another third and storage rooms the rest.  The tubs are completely intact, the storage rooms are scattered with debris, though there are some salvageable items in them.  The floor is also infested with dog sized rats.

For the GM the tubs are magically enchanted to warm any water put in them, and the stove in the kitchen is magic so it doesn't need wood to cook.  The giant rats have the demon template and are equal level with your player characters.  There is a secret niche in one of the storage room with a good amount of coin and gems.  This is where the scholars kept the money they earned so they could buy supplies.  It is a moderate search with a dispel magic to rid of the trap upon it.

The Ruins of Shar-Lin Part 6

The floor above the entry level is also circular, wrapping around the open library below.  These rooms are larger then the ones below and have quite a few lightstone and lamp niches.  Some of the rooms have broken beds, clothes chests, and desks.  Litter of personal items are strewn everywhere, as are books in various states of decay.  One room has a completely intact and locked chest, while another has a bloody dagger plunged into the floor, though the blood looks more like rust then blood.  Sitting in the corner of the bloody dagger room is a skeleton with scraps of robes left on the old bones, with bits of leather (like a belt and boots and maybe a purse) in places.

For the GM these are the rooms of the lesser scholars.  The rooms are about 20 by 20 in size, with old mosaics on the floor, though they are covered in dust.  There are a few personal items that are salvageable, but most of the items have been lost to time.  The room with the chest in it actually harbors a mimic that found it's way in somehow and couldn't find it's way out.  It's been dormant for some time and is just waiting for any meal that comes by.  The room with the dagger in the floor is actually the site of a murder before the building was abandoned.  The man in the corner dragged himself there after pulling the dagger from his chest.  Using the last bit of magic and breath he cursed his murderer, causing him to wander the world as an undead forever.  Unfortunately, he caught himself in the curse and when the door is opened the skeleton will come to life.  You can make this a simple skeleton or something on par with a lich, depending on your party's level and what challenge you'd like to send their way.  In the pouch is a magic ring.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th to everyone and especially to the men and women in uniform all over the world.  As we celebrate the 4th with fireworks, barbecues and get-togethers, lets remember that freedom isn't free and that what we have always has to be protected.  So to those brave men and women who do just that, we thank you!

Happy 4th of July!