Aramore
An original fantasy RPG
World Building and Quests
The World
ARDALE is one region of a much larger world called ARAMORE. The region is known for its gentle hills and rural populations. The landscape is dotted with wild forests, and in places chattering streams have worn steep gullies through the hard ground. In these places, waterfalls glitter and ferns, ivy and mushrooms cling to the rocks.
There are two principal towns, where citizens trade and local leaders run their small territories. These are positioned on the banks of the ARAN, a wide sweeping river that carves the region in two, with the town of THERLIS on the western side, and SERRIN on the east. It’s a busy waterway full of boats and barges as people trade between the towns and goods come in from the sea.
Despite the idyllic setting, there are dangers. As a result, Therlis and Serrin are protected by stone walls, and the people of NETHERWELL, a third smaller settlement located in a densely forested area, have built stretches of wooden barricade and wooden lookout towers.
In the wilder places, large predators thrive and these can attack unwary travellers, but there are greater threats growing in the region.
In the lands beyond the mountains the most powerful mages have learned how to enslave dragons and they are taking power. Some of these mages prelude their arrival by sending large, aggressive insectoid magic-fuelled creatures into a region. People call these creatures FRIGHTS, and they are intended to terrify the population into welcoming mage-rule. Some of these have made their way into Ardale, which means only one thing; a mage will follow.
A resistance movement is forming made up of brave individuals from all races. They are building mechanical weapons powered by alternative varieties of magic, mostly provided by DRUIDS, FAERIES and ELVES. Where the mage creatures go, resistance fighters follow and the people of Ardale are beginning to divide into three sets: those seeking shelter in Serrin and Therlis, those willing to fight, and those who will accept mage rule.
Night and Day
One of the features of this world is the divide between night and day. There are no inherently evil races, but there are those that thrive better in darkness. DARK ELVES, GOBLINS, STAR FAERIES and VAMPIRES are therefore more likely to work night shifts, and be out and about hunting night predators. As a result, when a player approaches a town at night they are more likely to find dark elves, vampires, goblins and star faeries on patrol/at work. This will lead to subtly different interactions. During the day, these folk live in the LOWER LEVELS – towns below the towns – which are closed off between sunrise and sunset. The architecture of these two “regions” is distinct by necessity. Above ground, stone buildings rise two-to-three levels, with tiled roofs. The roads are paved and plants sprout between cracks in the flagstones and walls. Inside the houses, fires burn and wooden floors and soft furnishings add a comfortable warmth to the setting.
In the Lower Levels, the dark elves, vampires and star faeries light MOON LAMPS, which cast a dim, cold glow and save their sensitive eyes from unnecessary strain. Here, cloister-like stone pathways are cut into the rock and the metal doors that open straight onto these are fully sealed. Streams flow underground, and bioluminescent fungi and ferns sprout wherever moisture gathers. These bring blue and green shades to the environment. The star faeries live in pod-like houses that hang from the ceilings of more open spaces. Where the goblins live, there’s generally more firelight, with an abundance of torches and lanterns.
The village of Netherwell sits high on the rocky banks of a fast-flowing tributary river. The Lower Levels here are accessible through a door in the rock face beside the rushing water. Above ground, the houses are all made of wood with thatched roofs, no more than two storeys high. Netherwell is a logging community. The build quality of their homes is excellent and each is beautifully finished. Below, the Lower community is small and intimate. The doors to each dwelling are made from heavy, carved wood, and moon lamps and torches are mixed together around a large central hearth.
Culture
While in Ardale, the player will experience the FESTIVAL OF LIGHT, a time when people come together to celebrate the alignment of the moon and stars. This festival lasts three days. Traders are busy in the towns and there’s plenty to celebrate. For these few days, everyone comes together to eat and drink and dance. For some, it’s a show of strength against the threat of what’s to come. The feel is hopeful, as anyone willing to fight is fuelled by the need to preserve their traditions and keep diverse varieties of magic alive.
QUESTS
Main Questline - Monsters Abroad!
A monster has been harassing festival goers on the NORTHERN ROAD. People have been injured and deliveries aren’t getting to the town. You meet a dark elf rogue called TEJ (wearing a set of dark glasses if day time) who tips you off about the problem. Normally he would deal with this himself, but by all reports it will take more than one hero to defeat it.
Goal - to discover the monster and stop it by any means necessary.
Motivation - looking for work? Need gold? The MERCHANT’S GUILD will pay good money to keep their roads clear.
Stakes - if the road isn’t safe, people will be injured and key FESTIVAL OF LIGHT attractions might be missed – fireworks etc. – without their traditions, what are they?
Outcome - the creature is a FRIGHT sent by an unfriendly mage. When defeated it crumbles to dust. The glowing stone set in its forehead dulls and the light flies northward as the magic returns to its master. Tej tells you they’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a sign of things to come and you’d better go and see the MAYOR of SERRIN and tell them what happened.
Cutscene
There is a dragon egg in the Lower Levels of NETHERWELL. It’s precious and should be protected, now more than ever.
In the cutscene above we meet three more characters: the MAYOR OF SERRIN, RINDALORIA (a star faerie and COUNCILOR of the LOWER LEVELS) and GETHRIN (leader of the rebellion). In pointing you to the Dragon in the Deep quest, Rindaloria advises you to seek her cousin, LENDRIN.
The road to Netherwell will be dotted with travellers and obstacles, with opportunities for side quests and battles with wild animals.
Goal - Netherwell is not defensible. You set out to recover the precious egg and move it to a safer location. According to the Mayor, that’s in the Lower Levels of Serrin.
Motivation - The Mayor will make it worth your while, but it’s a precious object with worth beyond what she can give you…
Stakes - The egg in Netherwell is a legendary artefact. The mages are ruling by enslaving dragons, so an invading mage will seek it out. Whoever has it controls what might be the only negotiating power in ARDALE.
Outcome - Needless to say, Netherwell isn’t keen to give up their dragon egg. It’s been kept safe in the town for hundreds of years. Lendrin is inclined to trust your word because of your connection to his cousin, but it’s complicated. Netherwell is made of wood and in a fight against dragons their only chance would be to trade the egg for their safety – why would they give that power to Serrin? However, if a mage wanted the egg all they would have to do is burn the town to the ground and take it.
Depending on scope, the game could offer the player these choices:
Leave it there
Steal it and take it to the Mayor of Serrin
Negotiate and take the egg to a neutral party for safekeeping (a druid on a remote farm, known by the rebellion)
Main Questline - A Dragon in the Deep
Main Questline - Wisdom & Whispers
The player chose theft…
The player takes the egg back to the MAYOR OF SERRIN, who doesn’t approve of your methods but admits she wasn’t explicit in her instructions. She asks more about you and where you came from. You tell her that you don’t know (see Epilogue to the Task below). She tells you about an old SCHOLAR in the deepest parts of the LOWER LEVELS. You need to remember your past, she needs more information about dragons, and you both need a safe place to stash the egg.
Goal - take the egg to the Lower Levels, find the scholar, a suitable hiding place, and information.
In the lower levels the player will encounter a variety of people to talk to and dangerous creatures to battle, making the journey dark and dynamic.
Motivation - you need to stash the egg, and this person could be the key to your past.
Stakes - If you’re found with the egg you’ll be wanted by everyone in NETHERWELL, PLUS who are you?! This information could change everything.
Outcome - the thousand year-old scholar is a vampire mage!
A) choose to let them examine you. If you do, you discover that your loss of memory is due to a spell cast by another mage, VERISERIA KNOX. Only she can unmake the spell.
B) refuse the examination. The scholar suggests you travel to the MAGESCHOOL in the North. It will be dangerous, but by the old laws, any traveller seeking answers must be answered.
As for dragons - an enslaved dragon will do the bidding of its master except for one thing: it will not harm its own kind... they give you a book with the information the REBELLION needs to counter the forthcoming attack.
Faction Side Quest - For the Rebellion!
The ARDALE REBELLION is small. Some people from beyond the mountains fled to the region and started spreading the word about the mages and dragons, and slowly people are starting to listen.
Goal - to track down a shipment of RONDALL ORBS, storage containers of magical energy
Motivation - if you do this the Rebellion will consider you an ally
Stakes - the Rebellion needs these to power the only weapons capable of defeating the mage-enslaved dragons
Outcome - the MAYOR OF THERLIS does not support the Rebellion. They think that an active resistance will provoke the mages. If Ardale is no threat, why invade? You can help the Mayor of Therlis conceal the orbs or hand them over to the Rebellion. They paid for them after all!
Side Quest - The Wanderer
People are travelling into the towns from near and far to trade and celebrate during the three day FESTIVAL OF LIGHT. It’s an exciting time and a great opportunity for people to make some money and have fun. But it can be stressful! Distracted by her young children, LORELLA, a HALFLING wood carver from NETHERWELL, lost her father on the road. He’s easily confused and sometimes wanders off, but with the children and her wares she can’t go looking for him.
Goal - to find the confused father of a festival trader in THERLIS.
Motivation - to help a distressed civilian in need… or easy loot!
Stakes - he could be seriously hurt if not found and he’s carrying her most valuable product.
Outcome - Either kill the old man and take his treasure, or guide him back to Lorella, where she will give you the treasure as a reward (test of morality).