Hello! my fellow Guilders. I'd like to put this idea out there that's been eating away at me for about a year now. It was originally a D&D campaign that never got played to completion because, really, these campaigns can last years and I was lucky enough to even make it one summer. I'll lay out all the important bits, from beginning to end. I mean beginning to end too, I've had a long time to go over this.
The genre I'm aiming for a spy thriller sort of deal, with mix of drama and a staccato'd doses of heavy action. So think of all this in the mindset of espionage, subterfuge, and suspenseful sequences that'll keep readers on their toes. Got that? Yeah?
All right. Here we go. (I apologize for any misspellings for words missing from sentences. It's 3 AM and I may not be typing at my best <3 )
This idea is based around during the great war in Eberron, based on the continent of Khorvaire.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ForgeWar_Maps/105883.jpg
War has rampaged over the land for nearly century after Galifar Wynarn III died long ago and left no legitimate heirs. So his cousins, five rulers of five very complex and varied nations, have been at war for approximately ninety four years. Two years before... Before something happens. This is where the story would commence. Ninety four years into this war, the heroes are introduced. Five or six in all, making up a dynamic party like in a regular party based adventure, with one of them being our primary protagonist. I'm sticking with the regular group situation, that being a tank, a healer, a controller (support class), and a DPS class or two. I picture the main pro being one of the last classes. I imagine this group sticking around for the duration, having at least one permanent character death sometime near the late middle of the story. That's all subject to change.
Anyway. These five or six heroes have found themselves, well, SOL. They're either aligned with any of the five nations or are completely independent, whether they are, absolutely irrelevant. What is relevant is that all of them have significant reason to despair. Down on their luck and nearing the end of their ropes, they each find themselves inexplicably tied together by one man. This one man's name is Leicester, and he is our primary antagonist. Sounds obvious enough right? Wrong.
Leicester approaches our misfortuned adventurers and offers them a second chance at their life.
A chance with his organization, which for the moment I am calling the Commonwealth. (Cheesy, I know. I KNOW they used it in the Fallout series, shit, cut me some slack here D: I'm only one man!)
So of course, given the dreary alternative, they accept.
That's the first few chapters. Now let me explain the spheel dealing with the big CW
The Big CW
The Commonwealth is integral to the preservation of Khorvaire. Like many other secret societies, they claim that they serve no one king or queen, that their duty is to the realm. They claim to serve some sort of greater good by keeping the balance of power between the five nations in check. They do this by doing whatever means necessary. The Commonwealth is essentially a self-sustaining Intelligence Agency, packing the manpower, and the technology to be a convincingly real threat.
The Triumvirate
The CW is split into three main headquarters which are called either Enclaves, or Chapters. The three enclaves are ruled by three equally powerful "Chapter Masters."
Ayasha Bloodmourn, a powerful sorceress in her own right, rules the underground Towering Wood Enclave, located in the Eldeen Reaches.
Darrenhall Bloon, a very militant man who breeds an army of monk-type super soldiers rules the island enclave a short northeastern journey away in the Fingerbone Mountains.
Leicester Belinser rules the Talenta Enclave at the center of a mountain in the Talenta Plains.
Positins / Ranking / etcetera
Members of the CW gain prestige and rank by taking on contracts, which function as missions and quests. With each successful contract, the quest-takers are awarded coin and ranking points. New members start at 0 RP and with enough determination can work their way up to the final rank at 1000 RP. This will function as the primary driver for the story. The heroes take on missions, and they quest around for a few years to hone their spy skills and such until they reach about 800 or so RP. At this point they gain the rank of "Wraith-Marshall" and are recognized by the elite members, as well as by Leicester, for their superior skill. Of course, up until this point, they will have encountered many trials, and possibly one of them have died. But they've done it, they have come this far, and now it's time for Leicester to use his wily ways to snake into their hearts and gain their trust.
At this point in the story, Leicester has had little screen time, although when he has appeared, they were monumentally important, and I hope to have established that he is a very honorable man. I want to instill in the reader that Leicester is definitely good. So good that he has the sun shining out of his ass, but not so good as to be considered a pushover. He is their for a reason, and he just justly earned that right in the readers eyes.
Here is where I run into snags
I have an ending mapped out, and I'd be more than willing to share that ending if anyone is interested in this. This point in the story; however, I have been significantly stalled. Here's why:
Leicester has something big planned. Something so big on the wow factor that the gods themselves would be scarred for an eternity or more. He has the trust of the heroes in the palm of his hand, and at their rank, they're ready to start taking contracts from him personally. He needs to work them into carrying out his schemes, whilst at the same time making those schemes appear as if they serve the greater good, and not once make the heroes suspect that he is in fact up to no good.
You see my problem here?
I need to weave this intricate web of lies, deception, cunning, and clever manipulation over the heroes AND the readers. The big reveal near the end is going to be mind numbingly fuck worthy.
The problem is what scenarios can we create that will lead to that conclusion?
Here's some info on Leicester in a hider.
So yes. That's all I've got for the moment. I really hope to attract some interest in this, as I can't imagine a better place to share my novel idea. I look forward to any responses and appreciate any and all criticisms and suggestions I receive <3
The genre I'm aiming for a spy thriller sort of deal, with mix of drama and a staccato'd doses of heavy action. So think of all this in the mindset of espionage, subterfuge, and suspenseful sequences that'll keep readers on their toes. Got that? Yeah?
All right. Here we go. (I apologize for any misspellings for words missing from sentences. It's 3 AM and I may not be typing at my best <3 )
This idea is based around during the great war in Eberron, based on the continent of Khorvaire.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ForgeWar_Maps/105883.jpg
War has rampaged over the land for nearly century after Galifar Wynarn III died long ago and left no legitimate heirs. So his cousins, five rulers of five very complex and varied nations, have been at war for approximately ninety four years. Two years before... Before something happens. This is where the story would commence. Ninety four years into this war, the heroes are introduced. Five or six in all, making up a dynamic party like in a regular party based adventure, with one of them being our primary protagonist. I'm sticking with the regular group situation, that being a tank, a healer, a controller (support class), and a DPS class or two. I picture the main pro being one of the last classes. I imagine this group sticking around for the duration, having at least one permanent character death sometime near the late middle of the story. That's all subject to change.
Anyway. These five or six heroes have found themselves, well, SOL. They're either aligned with any of the five nations or are completely independent, whether they are, absolutely irrelevant. What is relevant is that all of them have significant reason to despair. Down on their luck and nearing the end of their ropes, they each find themselves inexplicably tied together by one man. This one man's name is Leicester, and he is our primary antagonist. Sounds obvious enough right? Wrong.
Leicester approaches our misfortuned adventurers and offers them a second chance at their life.
A chance with his organization, which for the moment I am calling the Commonwealth. (Cheesy, I know. I KNOW they used it in the Fallout series, shit, cut me some slack here D: I'm only one man!)
So of course, given the dreary alternative, they accept.
That's the first few chapters. Now let me explain the spheel dealing with the big CW
The Big CW
The Commonwealth is integral to the preservation of Khorvaire. Like many other secret societies, they claim that they serve no one king or queen, that their duty is to the realm. They claim to serve some sort of greater good by keeping the balance of power between the five nations in check. They do this by doing whatever means necessary. The Commonwealth is essentially a self-sustaining Intelligence Agency, packing the manpower, and the technology to be a convincingly real threat.
The Triumvirate
The CW is split into three main headquarters which are called either Enclaves, or Chapters. The three enclaves are ruled by three equally powerful "Chapter Masters."
Ayasha Bloodmourn, a powerful sorceress in her own right, rules the underground Towering Wood Enclave, located in the Eldeen Reaches.
Darrenhall Bloon, a very militant man who breeds an army of monk-type super soldiers rules the island enclave a short northeastern journey away in the Fingerbone Mountains.
Leicester Belinser rules the Talenta Enclave at the center of a mountain in the Talenta Plains.
Positins / Ranking / etcetera
Members of the CW gain prestige and rank by taking on contracts, which function as missions and quests. With each successful contract, the quest-takers are awarded coin and ranking points. New members start at 0 RP and with enough determination can work their way up to the final rank at 1000 RP. This will function as the primary driver for the story. The heroes take on missions, and they quest around for a few years to hone their spy skills and such until they reach about 800 or so RP. At this point they gain the rank of "Wraith-Marshall" and are recognized by the elite members, as well as by Leicester, for their superior skill. Of course, up until this point, they will have encountered many trials, and possibly one of them have died. But they've done it, they have come this far, and now it's time for Leicester to use his wily ways to snake into their hearts and gain their trust.
At this point in the story, Leicester has had little screen time, although when he has appeared, they were monumentally important, and I hope to have established that he is a very honorable man. I want to instill in the reader that Leicester is definitely good. So good that he has the sun shining out of his ass, but not so good as to be considered a pushover. He is their for a reason, and he just justly earned that right in the readers eyes.
Here is where I run into snags
I have an ending mapped out, and I'd be more than willing to share that ending if anyone is interested in this. This point in the story; however, I have been significantly stalled. Here's why:
Leicester has something big planned. Something so big on the wow factor that the gods themselves would be scarred for an eternity or more. He has the trust of the heroes in the palm of his hand, and at their rank, they're ready to start taking contracts from him personally. He needs to work them into carrying out his schemes, whilst at the same time making those schemes appear as if they serve the greater good, and not once make the heroes suspect that he is in fact up to no good.
You see my problem here?
I need to weave this intricate web of lies, deception, cunning, and clever manipulation over the heroes AND the readers. The big reveal near the end is going to be mind numbingly fuck worthy.
The problem is what scenarios can we create that will lead to that conclusion?
Here's some info on Leicester in a hider.
So yes. That's all I've got for the moment. I really hope to attract some interest in this, as I can't imagine a better place to share my novel idea. I look forward to any responses and appreciate any and all criticisms and suggestions I receive <3