Cold War Azalin-Strahd

Story Books for a Dark Campaign

Creating and running an epic campaign for a group of characters provides both DMs and players with a uniquely satisfying entertainment experience. For players, large-scale campaigns give them the sense of participating in a tale of world-shaking events in which their characters have a chance to tip the balance of power in one direction or another, turn the tide of war, or forever vanquish a major enemy. Epic stories offer the DM not only an exercise in creativity and organization but also a chance to act as writer, director, producer, stage manager, and supporting cast for an ongoing drama starring the players.

In a campaign of this sort, characters usually start out as young, inexperienced individuals of 1st level. They meet, form an adventuring party of some sort, undergo their first challenges as a group, and create relationships that, though they may fluctuate in strength over time, usually last for the rest of their adventuring careers.

As the characters grow more experienced and begin to develop reputations, they also acquire allies, enemies, and patrons. Their adventures become more challenging, their opponents tougher and stronger, and the scope of their actions extends beyond the dungeon into the world of politics and intrigue - or large-scale war.

In Ravenloft, DMs face a particular challenge running a long-term campaign. The influence of the Dark Powers and the multiple chances for characters to compromise their ideals and take the first step on one of the paths of corruption increases dramatically as the characters evolve into important persons in the Dread Realms. DMs who wish to create a campaign featuring champions of darkness have an even greater challenge. They must not only put together a story that holds their players' attention, but they must also prepare their players for their characters' inevitable, tragic end. For, in the end, characters who fall completely under the sway of the Dark Powers and tum to corruption usually end up as NPCs, no longer under the control of the players who created them. This is the fate of the champion of darkness unless something occurs to turn the character back to ward the path of redemption.

How do you go about putting together such a story and holding the attention of your players as their characters begin their inexorable journey toward celebrity and notoriety! The following example provides you with a loose structure for creating and organizing such a campaign. You may use the story arc below as a guide for creating your own meta-game featuring villains of your choice and locations more appealing to you than the ones presented in this example. If you decide to use this sample campaign for your players, you will need to put muscle and flesh on the organizational skeleton presented here.

# The Cold War: a Sample Epic

This story arc provides an overall framework to place in the background of your campaign and use to tie together smaller story arcs with internal continuity. The campaign revolves around the "cold war" that exists between the realms of Darkon in the northern core and Barovia in the southern core of the Dread Realms. The darklords of the two realms, Barovia's Strahd von Zarovich and Darkon's Azalin Rex, have known each other for over two hundred years. Though the two initially formed an alliance based on mutual respect for one another's power rather than on any sort of enduring friendship, that alliance eventually eroded and collapsed a little more than three decades later.

Since that time, both Strahd and Azalin have undergone many changes and have seen other domains rise and fall within the Dread Realms. Few openly challenge the darklord of Barovia except for periodic attempts by foolhardy adventurers to pierce the defenses of Castle Ravenloft. Azalin, however, faces a perpetually persistent and overt enemy in Falkovnia's Vlad Drakov.

Despite their separate struggles, Azalin and Strahd continue to grow in wary enmity toward one another. Their long acquaintance has given both of them more than enough time to develop intense paranoia regarding one another. They are the first of the darklords, against whom all others must compare themselves.

In the present time, the domains of Barovia and Darkon lie at the far ends of the core's north/ south axis, separated by the mysterious Shadow Rift. Nonetheless, Azalin Rex's Kargat, though they mostly serve to police Darkon for their darklord, send out spies and agents to keep track of Azalin's rivals, including Strahd. In return, Count Von Zarovich's Ebon Gargoyles scour Barovia, dedicated to uncovering and killing Kangat spies.

The periodic warfare with Falkovnia has created an atmosphere of constant strife within the Kingdom of Darkon, as its darklord reassembles his power base. In Barovia, Strahd rules as he always has: from a distance, leaving routine matters (such as national defense) to his militias and his elite gargoyle troops.

## Set-up

"The Cold War" should build slowly, beginning with gossip and speculation and leading to open discussion among the characters and any talkative NPCs. An atmosphere of political tension gives characters several potential methods of interacting with their surroundings. Both the Kargat and the Order of the Ebon Gargoyle occasionally hire mercenaries for high-risk ventures. If the PC group fits into the category of swords for hire, either organization may wish to test the waters and discover if the characters have any qualities that warrant cultivation. Such early exposure to the ruthlessness of both potential patrons can provide an early shock for the characters, especially when they face the cold reality that they are little more than hirelings thrown into situations likely to result in their deaths. Furthermore, the characters experience another rude awakening when they realize that should they die in service to either the Kargat or the Ebon Gargoyles, they will most likely learn a new "career" as re-animated undead, obedient and pliant to their masters. Such a discovery may force players into a re-evaluation of their morality and teach them a few lessons about survival against overwhelming odds.

Even if the agents of Aralin or Strahd do not manage to recruit the characters directly into their organizations, they are always on the lookout for covert operatives, lending a "cloak-and-dagger" air to the campaign. Anyone with the ability to move between the two realms may find both organizations attempting to recruit them or dissuade them from joining the "other side." The characters may find that they cannot remain on the sidelines. By joining one side, they incur the ire of the other. If they attempt to remain neutral to avoid such persecution, there is a strong chance they may face the wrath of both due to the paranoia of the times. Placing the characters in the middle of a dilemma involving choosing sides after hearing sufficient rumors to pique their curiosity (or greed) allows you to create a solid backdrop for your characters continuing adventures.

### Opening Scenes

How you want to present the opening scenes of your campaign largely depends on where you want to set the game. If you choose to do most of your scenes in Barovia, then the opening scene may consist of the characters coming upon a recruitment drive by the Order of the Ebon Gargoyle. Alternately, you may seed your characters' first few apparently unrelated adventures with rumors from the local townspeople about the "lord forming an army." If the characters start their adventures in Darkon, you can plant rumors spread by the Darkonian peasantry. These rumors should sound as if based on massive exaggeration, though the reality behind them may not be so far from the rumor. Characters may be intrigued to hear that "troops in black gargoyle armor are stealing children and eating them" or that "Falkovnia has found a new and powerful ally who has been raiding the realm."

The characters should not only realize that they must choose a side but that if they do not, a side will be chosen for them as the spectre of the "cold war" grows into the possibility of open assault. As the DM, you may wish to keep the rising tension in the background as the characters interact slowly with larger events. If you prefer, you might want to plunge the characters quickly into the thick of events, allowing them to participate in the frantic build-up to what might become a real "war."

### Building to the Climax

You must be very careful when moving to a climax with a meta-plot. If you rush matters and build the suspense too soon, you may find yourself in the position of not knowing how to follow your last adventure with one that provides a greater challenge. In an ongoing campaign, linking story hooks to a central story arc should take considerable game time. Months and years (of game time) may pass from the beginning of your story to your climactic final scenes.

If you plan to involve your group in adventuring on an epic scale, you should plan to extend your meta-story so that the characters eventually attain 20th level before bringing your campaign to an end. And all things do come to an end. Sooner or later, characters must face the consequences of the actions they have spent a lifetime involving themselves in.

As a good way to organize the build-up of suspense and the orchestration of larger and larger story hooks, you might consider separating your campaign into several segments. These groupings track the characters' advancement in levels (and perhaps in corruption and failed powers checks) and also allow you to keep track of how quickly to bring in the background events that will form the climax of your campaign.

Based on the sample "Cold War" campaign, the following examples show you how to separate your campaign into sections that allow your characters to accomplish certain goals and pass certain milestones as they move deeper and deeper into the overall plot.

The Cold War: 1st through 5th level

In this section, the characters work diligently to gain the acceptance of one of the sides of the Aralin-Strahd rivalry. At beginning levels, recruiters or agents from one of the two groups might hire the characters for some standard "monster slaying" or fugitive retrieval, holding out the lure of treasure of patronage as a reward. By third level, the characters should have proven themselves and may experience a real challenge in the first test of their recruitment as active participants in the "cold war." They should overcome a monster or a rival group that proves almost more than they can handle.

You might want to restrict beginning adventures to one-night sessions. The "test" at 3rd level, however, should involve several game sessions and contain several elements for all character classes: a dangerous overland journey followed by a brief reconnaissance mission in a village and, finally, the confrontation of the enemy or monster in its lair. If the character proves themselves competent, the side that is courting them might actively recruit them - either as members of one or the other organization or as covert agents. In any case, the characters' adventures at 4th and 5th level should involve them in actual training maneuvers, both in a controlled environment and in the field.

The Cold War: 6th-10th level

This stage of the campaign places the characters in a position to know their enemy in intimate detail. When characters have attained 6th level, they may qualify for a mission that takes them into enemy territory Characters from Barovia may attempt the hazardous journey to Darkon, Barovia. If the earlier tenor of the game has involved the characters in direct actions against selected targets (monsters, fugitives, and the like), this section of the campaign can introduce characters to the concept of "going undercover." They now have many of the tools - spells, abilities, feats  -to allow them to extend their range of subtlety and creativity. This stage is all about the characters getting to know the enemy.

At this point, paranoia should infuse the characters' every waking moment. They should realize (if they have not before) that they will never be safe now that they have made their choices and involved themselves in the cold war. They should realize the severity of the consequences should they fail in even one of their missions. The repercussions should not come just from the enemy. Capture by their enemy may be bad enough, but punishment meted out for failure by their own side should cause them more than sleepless nights.

When the characters have attained Sph or 9th level, you might want to bring in some hardcore rivals to challenge and frustrate the PCs. Perhaps the enemy has a group of NPCs whose powers and abilities parallel those of the PCs. This group can provide a constant challenge over the next several levels as the two groups race against each other to find a particular magical artifact in a dungeon or attempt to destroy an important contact.

By the time the characters have reached 10th level, you may provide them with a large and important task. Perhaps they find themselves the only defenders in a protected city that contains individuals (possibly civilians) who are important to the cause or who have some special meaning for the darklord. This crucial test of their worth may continue for several game sessions and involve planning strategies, coping with unexpected events (the disappearance of one of the individuals designated for protection, an outbreak of a magical plague, local uprisings), and, finally, a defense of the city from its attackers. A group that enjoys combat may relish mass attacks on a walled city or the sudden appearance of enemy troops within the walls. Success can solidify the character's reputations both in their own minds and in the eyes of their patrons darklord and his high-ranking associ

By now, the characters should be veterans who are well acclimated to battle, and experts are smaller. more covert operations. From this point, they have earned the right to become trusted, competent members or allies of whichever patron they joined. Also, by this time, characters may have failed one or more powers checks and be well on the way to becoming true champions of darkness.

This is the mid-point of the campaign. At this stage in their careers, many characters have developed personal goals, either with regard to their own career or to their personal lives and relationships. Characters may wish to try for a promotion in rank if they have actually joined one of the two patron organizations. Cleric characters may wish to establish a church of their own. Wizards may desire to find a haven for their research between adventures. Pacing now becomes crucial. If your characters have gone up in levels too quickly, you may want to create some lull in the action and allow a few years of game time to pass so that characters of advanced levels are not still in their teens or early twent

may ask one of his adventuring companions to accompany him for protection and conversation.

These sessions may take place with just the DM and the players whose characters are involved, or they may form part of a session in which each small group's mini-adventures provide entertainment for the rest of the players. DMs may also wish to provide "cut scenes," describing the action in other parts of the world. Though the characters themselves may not witness these crucial developments, the players can appreciate how these actions will affect their characters in the future when the campaign resumes

The Cold War: the-13th Level

High action and adventure are the hallmarks of the campaign at this level of play. In keeping with the campaign's expanding horizons, the characters may find themselves in strange environments such as the Shadow Rift or some other mysterious campaign. place within the Mists. They may need to capture alive some powerful monster for their patron. and doing so may require them to make elaborate preparations and consult any number of sages or loremasters. If the group encounters rival NPCs (presumably, their old rivals have also advanced in levels if they have survived), you should make sure that they are strong enough or numerous enough to challenge the characters. Send the characters off on quests and adventures in search of mythical creatures or unique magical items. Allow them to attempt to explore some of the great mysteries of the Dread Realms to acquire artifacts and other items to strengthen their side in the cold war.

By this time, also, the reputation of the char acters should have grown to such an extent that they cannot enter a town in their homeland with out causing raised eyebrows and whispers from the citizens. Some of the gossip spread about the char acters may not be entirely complimentary. particularly if any of the characters has traveled very far along the path of coruption and has fallen prey to the seductions of the Dark Powers. Another moral quandary may arise at this juncture in the

The Cold War: 14th-15th level

At this stage in the campaign, the characters should be able to defeat one of their major antago nists, perhaps a high-ranking individual with direct

connections to their patron's rival. Do not make it easy by any stretch, but try to allow the characters a major victory if they prove deserving of it by their actions. On the other hand, a major defeat may serve as a strong caution that, despite their power. they are not invincible. (Of course, the Dark Pow ers may seise upon such a nadir to ply their temptations even harder.) Perhaps the characters manage to capture or defeat (or even convert) one of their NPC rivals.

The Cold War Finale: 15th-20th level

By the time characters have reached 15th level, they are well on their way to experiencing the campaign's climax. During these final levels, you may want to have the characters find their way into the command structure of their patron organization. This might involve some drastic changes for the characters if they happen to work for Azalin and the Kargat. (See the discussion on playing monsters in Chapter One.) These levels allow you to flavor your story ideas with actual large-scale battles and mass warfare. Perhaps the cold war suddenly becomes "hot" and Darkon and Barovia declare war on one another. Barovia might, for example, seek an alliance with Falkovnia for the express purpose of gaining passage into Darkon (provided Azalin does not close his borders). On the other hand, Darkon may take the fight to Barovia by means of a long sea voyage, allowing you to create water-based adventures for your characters.

Not all high-level campaigns climax in large scale battles. Even "The Cold War" may not involve great clashes of armed forces. Your particular end-of-campaign adventure may feature high personal drama and result in a (most likely doomed) assault on the enemy darklord himself. The choice of how you bring your campaign to an end is ultimately up to you.

If you opt for a large-scale battle to end your campaign, you should make certain that your char- acters are in the thick of events. Most likely, they have risen to the ranks of commanders or havenformed an elite strike force to target the rival army's leadership. At this point, the "cold war" has become a full-scale war, and the characters are up to their necks in the struggle.

You have several creative options with running mass battles in role-playing games. You may use (or create) rules for mass combat. You may break a large-scale combat into many small battles and adjudicate each one, giving your players a chance to help you keep track of the pace of the war in areas where their characters are not involved. Using miniatures and elaborate battle mats can make wars vivid and entertaining.

Perhaps the simplest and most direct way to handle a large-scale battle is to use a combination of free-form description to provide a birdseye view of a battle and close-up scenes involving the characters. If the characters are commanders in the battle, their part in the "war" might consist of strategy sessions in which they plan how their armies will act on the field. As a DM, you should take the character's tactics and apply them to what you know of the battle and determine what the most likely outcome will be. You may call for Intelligence, Charisma, or Leadership checks in order to help you decide what tums the battles take. Ultimately, the characters themselves should be involved in some conflict that influences the final result of the war otherwise, they may be disappointed that after such a long adventuring career, they missed out on the final conflict.

Great wars are hard acts to follow. Campaigns of this sort take finesse to accomplish. When you have finished with your grand campaign, you and your players need to take stock of the changes their characters may have caused in the world. Perhaps your characters have fulfilled their destinies as champions of darkness. Or, just maybe, they have courted damnation and turned away after a long hard struggle. In either case, players and DMs have all shared an unforgettable experience that has provided their entertainment on a scale rarely experienced - until the next time.