Avalon is a world in grave peril. The Third Age is upon us, yet few are aware of it. The great kingdoms are not prepared. This is a fantastical world about to be under siege. But this story is not about a band of heroes coming together to face the forces of evil, no. This is the story of those chosen to tear the world down.
So I’ve been working on a little something in my spare moments that I want to share. Mostly I want to know if enough people are interested in this that it’s worth me pressing forth. Consider this an interest pre-check. This is actually here to gauge interest for data purposes. That means no interested parties will be contacted later and no official roleplay thread is coming in the immediate future. Not yet, at least. There is still lots of work to be done! The last time I GM’d something, I did not properly have everything laid out beforehand and the resultant lack of communication killed off a lot of my interest (at which point I was severely demotivated and threw in the towel). Lesson learned, I’m being very thorough this time. Carrying on, here’s some intro to the world:
In the First Age, there was the aether: a powerful current of energy that flowed through the very fabric of reality given to the races of Avalon by the Benevolent Gods in the form of the Nexus. The Nexus was a crystal spire through which the most concentrated aetherwinds flowed. From the aether, came the practice of magic around the world. Jealous of the favor won by such a gift, the dark gods of Hell released their own mystical power upon the world. It is known by several names only spoken in hushed tones and terrified whispers. Fueled by lust and rage, its practice is strictly forbidden. Even the eldest sorcerers fear its power to overwhelm the gentle aetherwinds.
Twelve dark sorcerers of the forbidden arts rose under the name The Shadow Legion. Together they led a rampage through Avalon, bent on uniting the world under one banner: their banner. Their onslaught was devastating, tearing apart kingdoms that had stood for centuries. A league of the greatest remaining wizards gathered at the Nexus to halt the Legion’s attack. To defeat the Shadow Legion, the wizards sacrificed the Nexus to purge them of their dark powers. The plan succeeded, but the Nexus was destroyed, severing the flow of aether throughout Avalon.
Five hundred years have passed. The rulers of the kingdoms of Avalon have largely forgotten. At the time of their execution, the Legion placed a hex upon the world:
The premise is to take the traditional dark fantasy notion and turn it on its head. The world is not already a grim dystopia that needs saving, and there are no undiscovered heroes being led along by fate to save the realm. This is the complete inversion of that. The player characters are mundane individuals who each carry a small trinket with them that harbors the soul of one of the Shadow Legion’s twelve sorcerers, unbeknownst to them. The souls can influence them, speak to them, and briefly become one with them if they allow it to. All their knowledge and mystical power is channeled through the body of a willing host. This is a story about the ordinary people chosen to rewrite the world order. This is their story.
So I’ve been working on a little something in my spare moments that I want to share. Mostly I want to know if enough people are interested in this that it’s worth me pressing forth. Consider this an interest pre-check. This is actually here to gauge interest for data purposes. That means no interested parties will be contacted later and no official roleplay thread is coming in the immediate future. Not yet, at least. There is still lots of work to be done! The last time I GM’d something, I did not properly have everything laid out beforehand and the resultant lack of communication killed off a lot of my interest (at which point I was severely demotivated and threw in the towel). Lesson learned, I’m being very thorough this time. Carrying on, here’s some intro to the world:
In the First Age, there was the aether: a powerful current of energy that flowed through the very fabric of reality given to the races of Avalon by the Benevolent Gods in the form of the Nexus. The Nexus was a crystal spire through which the most concentrated aetherwinds flowed. From the aether, came the practice of magic around the world. Jealous of the favor won by such a gift, the dark gods of Hell released their own mystical power upon the world. It is known by several names only spoken in hushed tones and terrified whispers. Fueled by lust and rage, its practice is strictly forbidden. Even the eldest sorcerers fear its power to overwhelm the gentle aetherwinds.
Twelve dark sorcerers of the forbidden arts rose under the name The Shadow Legion. Together they led a rampage through Avalon, bent on uniting the world under one banner: their banner. Their onslaught was devastating, tearing apart kingdoms that had stood for centuries. A league of the greatest remaining wizards gathered at the Nexus to halt the Legion’s attack. To defeat the Shadow Legion, the wizards sacrificed the Nexus to purge them of their dark powers. The plan succeeded, but the Nexus was destroyed, severing the flow of aether throughout Avalon.
Five hundred years have passed. The rulers of the kingdoms of Avalon have largely forgotten. At the time of their execution, the Legion placed a hex upon the world:
“Bodies may bleed and wither and die, but the souls of Shadow shall live on into eternity. Avalon may know victory and peace for five hundred years before our return. Our spirits, power and knowledge, will return from exile to reclaim this world. Our hosts will know power like no other. We will rise again to tear your world down.”
The premise is to take the traditional dark fantasy notion and turn it on its head. The world is not already a grim dystopia that needs saving, and there are no undiscovered heroes being led along by fate to save the realm. This is the complete inversion of that. The player characters are mundane individuals who each carry a small trinket with them that harbors the soul of one of the Shadow Legion’s twelve sorcerers, unbeknownst to them. The souls can influence them, speak to them, and briefly become one with them if they allow it to. All their knowledge and mystical power is channeled through the body of a willing host. This is a story about the ordinary people chosen to rewrite the world order. This is their story.
