Building The Tideland Empire Campaign

Part One: Neither Tide Nor Land Nor An Empire

In the count down to the full release of ACKS II, my group has decided to start a high level domain campaign. After some careful planning, it's coming to fruition. There are still some details to be worked out, but for now I am comfortable sharing the results of the setting building, as developed by loosely following the steps in Part II of the ACKS II Judge's Journal. So let's dive in.

Step Zero: Campaign Goals and Inspiration

The goal of this campaign is for the players to be able to engage in both courtly shenanigans and domain ruling. It aims to provide them much leverage in how they approach the game, as well as give them some time to engage in PVP. With that in mind, I turned to history for inspiration, and found the venerable Holy Roman Empire (thanks to the fine minds over in the Cleric's Wear Ringmail Media Empire). What better backdrop than a mass of squabbling princedoms, duchies and independent city states under a fading emperor and the strong hand of the Church?

Step One: High Concept

The continent now called Perelar was once much bigger. The Empire too. Much was lost in the Flooding. Much will be gained as the flood recedes, Provided the Empire's subjects can stop squabbling and start push back against the beastmen hordes birthed by the sludge and mire of the receding waters. This push has gone on for generations, and no progress has been made. The dwarf Emperor sulks in his throne during the interminable meetings of the Reichstag, wishing he could silence them all and declare a true empire under his command, but knows to do so is suicide for his people. Minor electors scheme and sneer, would be Princelings grin as they slide daggers into each other's backs. All the politicking and conniving spent doing nothing to stop the growing tide of foes. Meanwhile, a sinister plot unfolds in the abandoned and forgotten wilds of the former empire. No one misses an duke or two at the Reichstag and no one thinks anything of their absence if noticed.

This is the concept statement for the campaign as described in the ACKS II Judge's journal. We have all the features of a good one:

1. Setting should be about the size of a small continent [x]

(It is a small continent, more on that in mapping)

2. The Campaign setting should be fallen from prior heights [x]

Yes, as this is a Flooded Realms campaign this area would have been a much larger one in times past. It was part of a now gone (but still remembered) coalition empire. The waters in this area have inexplicably receded, leaving behind an uninhabitable wasteland of muck, along with other minor pockets. The mortals pushed out the edges, abaonding lots of the interior to ruin, for want of access to the sea. Meanwhile, the much has caused beastmen in untold numbers to rise from it and begin their conquest

3. Setting should have multiple threats[x]

• External Threat: The beastmen hordes

• Internal Threat: Squabbling Vassals, race relations

• Existential Threat: A doomsday cult dedicated to Flooding EVERYTHING

4. Setting should be run by corrupt villains or fools [x]

This setting has this in spades. Basically every single elector¹ is out to get you, is an idiot or is weak. The emperor himself is a weak, dejected dwarf who only has the job because of tradition and those traits.

Step Two: Map the Setting

BAM

It's literally a blank Holy Roman Empire map with some of the southern and Northern sections water filled. Can't get more "small continent" than that. I over layed the hexes, which are 24 mile, using gimp. Thanks, Spriggan's Den.

You’ll notice there are no terrain markers yet, this is on purpose. At the scale of 24 mile hexes I find it is usually counter productive to bother. Instead, I have only marked a “political heatmap” of the various factions in the Empire, and the two major rivers. Players are allowed to pick any three contiguous hexes as their starting domain with the following restrictions:

• Any hex in the Beastlands is considered lost until reclaimed.

• If you are playing an Elf or Dwarf, your domain MUST border one of the existing Elf or Dwarf domains/

• No domain may start sharing a border Concsecratia.

• No domain may encompass the small tribal islands off the coast.

Step Three: Create the Timeline of the Campaign Setting

This one is easier, since I've been running in the Flooded Realms for so long. This campaign is getting slotted right onto the tail end of the existing timeline, right after the Great Drying was finished (thanks Gov, Sulfuras really appreciated the power boost).

• Recent History: An invasion of Centaurs was driven back by a coalition force of several Electors, who then immediately started bickering about how best to recoup forces and called a meeting of the Reichstag. This meeting will be the first session

• Modern History: The history of the Empire is one of expansion, for basically the entire period of the Great Drying (about 400 years) People have been following the sea out to maintain its usage. They basically on stopped when they met the beastmen who were moving in and the holy land of Consecratia, which has strict laws about who may settle within and near it.

• Classical History: Prior to this, The Empire was more confined and contained, but much more stable. The Flood Period was when the Empire truly flourished. This area of the world saw a much slower rise in water level so it was much easier to draw peoples in as a response, and when the water levels peaked, so did the Empire's power.

• Ancient History: The pre-flood civilizations of each of the major races is only dimly remembered in legends and tales.

• Forgotten History: Why the Flood came initially, and the fact that the flooding is a normal cycle.

Step Four: Write a Campaign Primer

Campaign Primer:

The Tideland Empire is a large, mostly landlocked empire seated atop a micro-continent leftover from the Flood Age. It is made up of many constituent human and demi-human cultures, ruled over by the Emperor of the Mountains and the Reichstag. The Emperor position is an elected monarch, usually a Dwarf by long tradition. The Reichstag is a senatorial body that elects the Emperor and debates laws and policy. It is made up of around 400 Electors, each of whom rule a domain in the interior of the Empire and are technically subservient to the Emperor. This circus is largely overseen by the Ecclesiarch Elector, a special Elector from the state of Consecratia, a church state of the church of the One True God. It intentionally draws upon the political set up of the Holy Roman Empire, but is much much simplified. 

The average technological level is that of the High Middle Ages, though ships are a notable exception. They have advanced to be on par with the ships  of the Age of Exploration, though lacking gunpowder armaments. The beastmen maintain a slightly lower level, but are capable of scavenging and using recovered armaments. 

The Empire consists of Humans, Dwarves and Elves, though their relationships are complicated. The Elves feel they lack representation in the Reichstag and resent being ruled over by a dwarf emperor, however they contribute little to holding back the beastman hordes, while the Dwarves and humans fight a ceaseless border skirmish. So they accept the protection and grumble. The Dwarves believe that it would be easier if the Reichstag were dissolved and a total empire established, but understand to doing so will risk start a war with the humans, while fighting a border skirmish. The Humans are mostly too busy squabbling amongst themselves to care about the other races, but they prefer a dwarven emperor as that allows the Imperial Courts to be neutral, but feel the Reichstag is important to keep such an emperor in check. They actually think the Elves' grumbling is good because it keeps the Dwarves occupied with placating them and let's the humans sneak some things by the Reichstag that they otherwise couldn't. That's how they came to have so much territory compared to the others. Consecratia, being the church state, is neutral and speaks with the voice of the One True God, whom all mortal beings and elves are beholden to. It is  a coalition state of all the sentient races, including some reformed beastmen. They are mostly only concerned with the church's well-being and don't care who pays the tithes.

Step Five: Create Area Concept of the Starting Region

Since the players are starting as distinguished electors of the Reichstag, this is not a much of a pressing issue for this campaign. However, I do intend on running a more traditional sub campaign, with the results of this one in the background. So it is worth applying a little brain power now.

For the starting region, it will actually be in the interior, near the middle. The Judge's Journal recommends that is be far from the external threat, and close to the existential threat. As such, I am going to pick one of the many abandoned realms in the interior. There the Cult of the Flood will be beginning their rise, and the new players will be forced to deal with it.

Step Six: Map the Starting Area

Not a concern at this point as stated above; however I am mapping the players personal domains. Those will follow in later posts as they come in from players and get built up. This actually goes for the remaining steps at this point. Each of the player domains will get those steps though, alot of it secret from the players.

That's all I have for now, expect more news as it comes in. For now,
Sail On
-ShockTohp

1. Exception to the Ecclesiarch Elector. I hate the "le heckin church is evil" trope with a passion and I refuse to use it in my games.