The campaign is tentatively set to start in about 2 weeks. It will be played on Saturdays late evening around 8:00 p.m. Eastern standard Time. Will be using the latest version of the rules 3.5 edition from Columbia games. If interested click the link and post asking that you're interested in joining the campaign. <a href="https://discord.gg/ukSzwngk" rel="nofollow">https://discord.gg/ukSzwngk</a> <a href="https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/5572622/lothrims-lair" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/5572622/lothrims-lair</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/7Xfmcr40QMU?feature=shared" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/7Xfmcr40QMU?feature=shared</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/nRCnrHkpLjg?feature=shared" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/nRCnrHkpLjg?feature=shared</a> The World: The game world is Harn (by Columbia Games) but with a more D&D kind of feel to it. Magic and magic items are known to exist and a rare few people actually own a magical item, or so they claim. Wizards and miracle workers exist, but due to a code, they do not seek to elevate themselves above others with their craft lest they incur the wrath of their guild and be punished or even killed. The island of Harn is populated with humans that form many barbarian tribes and 7 major kingdoms. In addition to Humans, Elves (called Sindarin) and Dwarves (called Khuzdul) are also semi-common races, although they tend to keep to themselves and not venture beyond their nations' borders. Unless one lives in a major trading hub (city), most of Harn's population has never seen a non-human race in the flesh. There are other races on Harn even rarer than elves and dwarves (ask for permission to run other races). Humans that are not exposed to many outsiders will view non-humans with suspicion, curiosity or even fear. The reception a non-human receives may vary widely from settlement to settlement. Common Knowledge: This particular game is about the most evil man in the 2000 year history of the island of Harn, a man named Lothrim who "died" 600 years ago. He was a suspected wizard that used his charisma and personal power to dominate the barbarian nation of Chelni, a fierce warlike tribe of horsemen widely considered to be the greatest light cavalry force on the isle, in an attempt to conquer all the lands of Harn. When his human forces suffered too many causalities due to years of fighting campaigns, he supposedly created the foulspawn, Gargun (aka orcs) and used them as his new militia. In a campaign against the dwarves he was defeated and entombed alive in an unknown location with an "honor guard" of starving gargun. His final fate is unknown, but he was never heard from again. Leaderless, his forces were quickly overcome by their many enemies. Lothrim's once proud capital city Elkall-Anuz was attacked and destroyed. Its ruins lay in the heart of the Chelni nation territories and they fiercely protect it from outsiders. Lothrim originally chose this out of the way site as his capital city because it was once a home to the Earthmasters, an ancient race of mysterious beings that vanished from Harn 15,000 years ago. These Earthmaster sites are places of great power but strange happenings. Most known locations were looted long ago and many wondrous treasures were found. Many of these items supposedly possessed arcane abilities. Lothrim was obsessed with anything related to the Earthmasters and their most perplexing hallmark of every site, the godstones. These huge monolithic blocks, and often the entire building housing them, are made of an indestructible stone-like material. To the southwest of Lothrim’s capital city (about 40 miles away) was another stronghold of Lothrim's. A small strategic outpost built at the only ford across the River Farin which links east and west Harn. Although this settlement was razed with his defeat, the importance of the ford caused a trading town to eventually be built on the same site. Of the original station, a broken bridge and a three story stone watchtower are all that remain. It is from this bridge that the settlement gets its name. The bridge was originally known as Troll’s Bridge but has been shortened over the years to simply Trobridge. The ancient stone support pillars of the bridge still stand, but the road surface they support have been replaced several times since the founding of the new city. Flooding washed out each bridge passageway that was built, the most recent of which was three years ago. Now the only way across the river is through the nearby ford and wagons can only cross when the water level is low. This small trading settlement boasts a large fortified inn called Trobridge Inn and it is protected by two moats with two sets of wooden palisades and its own personal set of guards loyal to the innkeeper. This settlement is roughly halfway between the east and west civilized lands along the Salt Route, a hazardous major commerce way connecting eastern and western Harn and it is the only safe stopping location for leagues around. It is a popular layover site with the trade caravans that travel along the Salt Route. The trip along the Salt Route leaves civilized lands and passes through multiple hostile barbarian tribes territories, including the Chelni for most of the trip. Unguarded caravans invite disaster. Trobridge is located just inside the edge of the Chelni territories and only survives by their graces since they also use it to trade goods with their civilized neighbors and every year during the Spring, nearly the entire nation gather in the settlement's commons for a weeks’ worth of festivities and tribal activities. The Mission: Recent uncovered information has suggested that Lothrim had a secret underground lair somewhere near present day Trobridge that has never be discovered. What riches, artifacts and historical lore might be unearthed if only Lothrim's Lair could be discovered? And although it is common knowledge that extensive caverns exist below the town itself, the many expeditions to explore their depths looking for any treasures possibly stored in their depths, have never found any sign of a lair. But a diary of the Captain of the Guard stationed at the original Troll’s Bridge has provided clues and a possible way to locate this heretofore undiscovered bunker. Will the diary indeed lead to Lothrim’s Lair or only to another dead end? The only way to find out is to become a member of the expedition. The Game System & Characters: All males PCs (and possibly some female PCs) will have served in the militia from the ages of 16 through 18. Most will have seen little to no actual fighting. This militia training gives them Spear/4 (or Bow/4), Dagger/4, and Shield/4. If the PC wants, they can then add an additional 4+ years to their character's age from joining the military. This will give them the basic military skills (Initiative/5, Foraging/4, Survival/4, Heraldry/2, Physician/2, Weaponcraft/2 and higher weapon skills depending on what career path they are accepted into). This will often preclude the PC from becoming a guilded person as they are normally taken in by a master for training at the age of 14 and are then locked into the position for many years of training. PCs who join the military for 4 years and then muster out to seek a profession will normally only be able to gain employment in a non-guilded profession or take up their family's profession. (Family profession is chosen randomly). Stats will be generated using 4d6 and keeping the highest 3. If the roll generates 3 stats of 16 or higher or 3 stats of one-digit, then a reroll is required (this will prevent any god-like or sub-average characters). Two additional 1d6 rolls can be used to replace ONE of the 4d6 die roll to further enhance a stat. These rolls will be between a 3 and a 6 (rolled randomly). In addition, any two stats can be swapped out. These bonuses will allow the player to more readily make a character that can have their profession of choice. Created characters will need to "bring something to the table" needed for the mission to be hired. The gaming system is Harnmaster 3, (with a smattering of House Rules, invoking some of Harnmaster's optional rules and canon interpretation). I will gladly help you with character creation, backstories, rules of the game system, etc. I have created a document that lists these rules (link here). <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1738XrBGf7kqmCX-UPfWq3h6e6CaSLSYD/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1738XrBGf7kqmCX-UPfWq3h6e6CaSLSYD/view?usp=sharing</a> Come and join us, fame and fortune awaits.