Thread: Portal (Dark Fantasy Setting)

The Starting Point The arrival of scattered groups of refugees from the neighboring farming district of Hahn were the first to bring substantial warning of the Empire's approach into the gates of Eastborne. Sure, the rumors and tales had been heard, but when the first of those settlers arrived, that's when the reality of the approaching storm became undeniably a real and tangible threat for the very first time. Day by day the sense of dread deepened within the city of Eastborne as more small bands of fleeing villagers arrived seeking sanctuary or at least a temporary place to rest and regain their strength before turning back out onto the open road. There was a sudden rise in crime not long after the bands of refuges arrived in the relatively peaceful stone walled city of Eastborne. Common theft spiked threefold and there was a noticeable uptick in violent offenses as tempers flared during those stressful times. At the end of the second week the gates were shut and any further refugees were barred from entering the city and routinely sent on their way. In short order the refugees that had briefly been given stay within the city were rounded up and put under the roof of temple to the Maiden of Mercy, Oprinicus. The townsfolk didn't care, and the handful of humble servants that still served and cared for the forgotten deity's temple were more then grateful to be of service. For over fifty years now their prayers had been met with silence, the glory of their goddess all but lost with the passage of time. Still, a few held faith when most everyone else saw no reason to pay homage to what was widely believed to be a dead god any more. They took care of the refugees within their once glorious temple that had fallen into disrepair and decay as the offerings of the faithful dwindled to near non existence. That's when the whispering of treachery and deceit began to trickle through the town. It started like most rumors do, told to one person, who told it to another, and on down the line until it was a far cry from the original whispered conversation. The gist of it spoke of the Empire's spies and assassins having mingled in with the refugees that now took shelter under the old decrepit temple. There was to much finger pointing to make much of any logical deductions as to who may or may not be acting upon the Empire's behalf, so the entire temple was turned into what was essentially a prison camp. The handful of priests and the cluster of refugees under their care were all forced to stay within the grounds of the temple while the cities law keepers tried to sort through the mess. By the end of the first month scouts reported sightings of ranks of cavalry sweeping around the distant borders of the city of Eastborne. A few lucky merchants that slipped through spoke of witnessing teams of wagons bearing goods being confiscated by similar forces on horseback all bearing the singular blue star symbol of the Empire upon their banners. Soon after, nothing came to the gates of Eastborne anymore. No caravans arrived with their much sought after shipments and provisions. No tourists came to visit the great fest halls or explore the pleasures offered at the local whore houses. Mercenaries and adventurers didn't arrive seeking a temporary home to spend their coin at before setting off on their next great journey. For a full month the city was isolated, cut off from the rest of the world beyond their stout stone walls. The military was on high alert, though moral was sketchy at best as word of the Empire's massive war machine and what it was capable of swept through rank after rank of soldier. It was quite common in that month to hear bitter disputes over what should be done about the Empire's eventual demands to perform their Inquisition within Eastborne. Those that stood to loose the most often sided with the idea of giving into the Empire's demands. They often cited how well off the cities that acquiesced were in comparison to those that stood their ground only to end up crushed by the Empire and over taken by their banner. Eastborne was the next in line for the Inquisition. A sense of panic permeated the citizenry to their very core. Anyone and everyone could possibly end up under the Inquisition's suspicious gaze. Banished into an unknown land by means of the magical portal that traveled within the heart of the Empire's mighty armies. Soon, the Herald of the Empire would arrive at the Gates of Eastborne. He would seek audience with their leaders, and the fate of Eastborne and it's people would be decided in that private meeting. Interested Players This is essentially the general area I plan to start things out in so characters will have to be in or around Eastborne for some reason or other. I'll leave some wiggle room with the time frame in the event that players in the group wish to explore some of these dynamics and build back story for their characters. I'm happy to hear additional ideas or suggestions presented that mesh with the above layout and I may expand the above with additional details if I feel it's needed. At this point anyone who is interested in joining Portal can send me a detailed character concept. Include as much detail as you want about what makes your character tick and what sorts of skills they might possess. I'm looking to keep the group around four players with wiggle room one way or the other depending on the level of interest. Keep in mind that while the setting is based around DnD I do not expect any knowledge of the rules from that game to be a necessity for Portal. Also I want to reiterate that I'm not concerned with posting frequency. If your the sort that is looking for a quick rapid fire response sort of tale your looking in the wrong place. I'm simply looking for players that are both patient and interested in a long term group campaign.