The players will be a group of explorers and investigators hired to recover artifacts of ancient civilizations by an eccentric benefactor. Their early adventures will intruduce them to the settings themes.
Theme
The use of theme is important to a campaign in that it provides a central focus to what drives the story. As the campaign progresses, I intend to explore the following themes:
One Man's Gain is Another Man's Loss
Monster is as Monster Does
Pride and Envy: The Deadliest Sins
Buried Treasure is Buried for a Reason
Setting
The projected setting for my upcoming campaign will be located in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting in the spring of The Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 Dale-Reckoning. the story will unfold beginning in the City of Uthmere, an Impilturian City-Colony at the mouth of the Great Dale.
Tone
I intend to use the isolated setting to instill a feeling of Lovecraftian Gothic Horror. Superstition, suspicion, and fear will dominate the motivations of the surrounding townsfolk. Characters will find their environment to be harsh and unforgiving towards strangers, but rewarding to those to whom they prove their trust.
Production Design
The look of the campaign will be that of a frontier wilderness landscape of small isolated hamlets similar to late-medieval Romania. Characters will encounter gypsies, goblins, and fey creatures both dark and light.