SCOURGE CAMPAIGN VIDEO PREVIEW

Dark Sun According to WotC

To get a better feel of the campaign, read Wizard's official statement about their Dark Sun campaign setting.  Scourge is virtually the same thing so much of what you read will already be familiar to you (but I swear I came up with my stuff long before they released the 4e setting!).


Athas in Seven Sentences (or Scourge)
The world of the Dark Sun setting is unique. This is not a world of shining knights and robed
wizards, of deep forests and holy shrines. Athas (Scourge) draws on different
traditions of fantasy storytelling; simple survival beneath the crimson
sun is often its own adventure. With that in mind, here are the seven
most important things you need to know about the Dark Sun setting:
The world is a desert. (Almost the whole world, that is). Athas
is a hot, arid world covered with vast stretches of desert—endless seas
of dunes, stony wastes, thorny scrublands, and worse. In this
forbidding world, cities and villages can only exist in a few oases or
verdant plains. Beyond these islands of civilization is a barren
wasteland roamed by nomads, raiders, and hungry monsters.
The world is savage. Life
is brutal and short in Athas. The vile institution of slavery is
widespread in Athas, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, are sent to their
deaths every year in bloody arena spectacles. Metal is quite scarce.
Arms and armor are often made of bone, stone, wood, and other such
materials, because steel is priceless.
Arcane magic defiles the world. Athas
was reduced to a wasteland by the reckless use of arcane magic in
ancient wars. To cast an arcane spell, one must gather power from the
living world around. Plants wither to black ash, crippling pain wracks
animals and people, and the soil itself is sterilized; nothing can grow
in that spot again.
Terrible sorcerer-kings rule the cities. The
city-states of Athas are ruled by defilers of immense power. These
mighty spellcasters have held their thrones for centuries. The
sorcerer-kings govern through templars, a class of officials and lesser
defilers who can call upon the kings’ powers.
The gods of Athas are silent. Athas
is a world without gods. There are no clerics, no paladins, no prophets
or religious orders. In the absence of divine influence, people have
turned to other sources of power. Psionic power is well known and
widely practiced in Athas, while shamans and druids call upon the
primal powers of the world—even though the primal spirits of Athas are
often wild and vengeful.
Fierce and deadly monsters populate the world. Athas
is home to its own deadly ecology. Cattle, horses, camels—none of these
animals can be found in Athas. Instead, people tend flocks of erdlus,
ride on kanks or crodlus, and draw wagons with inixes and mekillots.
Wild creatures such as lions, bears, or wolves are almost nonexistent.
In their place are terrors such as the id beast, the so-ut, or the
tembo.
Familiar races aren’t what you expect. Many of the fantasy stereotypes don’t apply to Athasian heroes. On
Athas, elves are a nomadic race of herders, raiders, peddlers, and
thieves. Halflings aren’t amiable river-folk; they’re xenophobic
headhunters and cannibals who hunt and kill anyone foolish enough to
venture into their montane forests. Each of the major races has adapted
to Athas in new and unexpected ways. (Actually elves and halflings are too gay to exist in such a badass, harsh world).

DAY TWO

"We shall go to the Coliseum and have bloody adventures.

And the great whore will suckle us until we are fat and happy and

can suckle no more.

And then, when enough men have died, perhaps the gods shall be satisfied."

"Eat of my fruit, drink of my wine.

The bounty of life's pleasures, brought to you from Chult.

It would offend me if you did not make the most out of

my luxurious hospitality."

"Scars, snakes, slime and mold-

Only a fool is idol with gold."

"Tell me--is it bright where you are?

My mind's in a dark place.

I beg you to save my son for I am about

to do something terrible."

DAY ONE

The only thing that might have been worse than the hell they'd been thrust into was their choking thirst.

A mob of zombies overtook the rescue wagon.  Luckily, a group of haphazard defenders were there to chop their leathery bodies to pieces.  Among them were a Tiefling Battlemind, a wizardly Deva Swordmage, and a Githzerai Seeker.  Leading their little team was one Marhanthas Kane, a valiant warrior of Haeromar whose inspiration had ultimately collected them together, in the midst of a death-filled wasteland, on a mission to a distressed town.

After smashing the first wave of walking corpses, the men found a wounded rescuer that had set out with an earlier party.  He was Grant, another imposing Cephyan, who said it was his quest to reclaim Morgancastle.

"I don't hate the Gods for their silence.

I hate them for damning us.

I journey now to reclaim my family.

Men must now fight for their own redemption."

He claimed interest in the distressed Folium because he was looking for one of the fallen town's inhabitants--Zoltar the Swift.  Zoltar was a Mystic and supposedly knew the secrets of getting into Tower Amalgaloth.  The Tower must have been the key to getting back Morgancastle.

Marhanthas Kane also became intrigued by the revelation that the great Zoltar was somewhere in the burning town.  The party went forth and investigated the many houses that were being burned to the ground, as it was out of character for the undead to raze buildings.  Commanding the hoary mob was a big cut-up brute wearing a stone mask.  After being accused of "heresy" by the weary Siroccans, he was stoned.  Just before his death, a most foul Vistari witch emerged and cursed the tortured Goliath and he became Griever, Shepherd of the Dead.

Griever continued to plague the party's efforts.  They soon discovered a source of water, and Zoltar, who sat in his minaret babbling to himself when they found him.  Marhanthas Kane suddenly was struck in the back by Griever's axe, and he fell to the earth dead.  They party, now leaderless, decided it would be best to return his body back to the Kane family.

Around the flaming village they encountered another familiar face.  Sethezrael, better known as Seth, seemed to be searching for something in the town.

"I act with little regard for what others expect of me.

I try and speak reason to them.

I can only destroy the veil of ignorance."

After killing Griever and scattering the Dead, the party yet again encountered Seth.  It was he who had incinerated the buildings amidst the chaos and rescue.  He finally found a hidden glowing sigil that burned hot the ground beneath one of the buildings.  Confused, the party asked about it.  Seth responded that his efforts were no different than theirs, that he sought an "Icon of Sin", just as the party sought things for their own personal enlightenment.

They all made their way back to Sirocco.  Grant seemed to be earnest enough about his desire to protect Zoltar and use his wisdom to enter Amalgaloth, but Seth's loyalties at this point still remained a mystery. They could not brand him as evil, as he did much good, but his methods were almost always without compassion, and brutal.