There has been a lot of discussion around the future of Shadow World since Terry passed away, generally around 2 basic topics:
- Finishing up Terry’s projects that were in the works: Emer IV, Loremaster Legacy 2, Wurilis etc.
- Creating new SW material. What would that look like and who would do it?
Putting aside #1, I think much of the hesitancy around bringing in new authors is concerns around the quality and consistency of new material. But I also think there is a secondary reason: Shadow World is not just a static setting for roleplaying, it’s an ongoing story that is left partially untold. That story arc is ostensibly the “Grand Campaign” but includes earlier campaigns like the “Legacy of the Seakdrake” found in Jaiman, various adventures in Emer books and the meta plot around the Secret Circle. It felt like this was slowly unfolding in each successive SW book, but the Loremaster Legacy novel basically packaged it up in fiction rather than gaming material. This was Terry’s story to tell and it basically drives a large part of the Kulthean timeline and major events in the Second and Third Era.
It feels like a lot of loose threads, even if we know where the story might eventual go–the destruction of the Shadow Stone and/or the return of the Northern Eye. How can a new writer come in and wrap this all up? It’s hard to imagine–a bit of Brandon Sanderson finishing up the Wheel of Time. At the same time, we know where and how it ends, so does it really need to be mapped out?
But I have an idea to “reset” the Shadow World setting: start the Fourth Era. For those that listened to my podcast with Max, he mentioned that his campaign ventured into the Fourth Era and I’ve spoken to a couple other GMs that also took the group into the future Era. I originally thought that the Fourth Era boundary would be the loss of the Northern Eye, but in hindsight, it now seems obvious that the Fourth Era should start with the return of the Northern Eye.
What would Kulthea look like in the Fourth Era? Several people I’ve talked to have gamed out their version of the Grand Campaign and given me some ideas. For the gaming group, this would be an epic quest, but would also involve notable NPCs, some major battles and probably some type of geographic damage caused by severe Essaence fluctuations and tertiary events (tidal waves, earthquakes etc). Key people would be killed! As a thought experiment, the possibilities are endless:
- Tarania emerges again from the sea due to shifts in the planets crust. The island, long submerged, reveals it’s secrets…
- Arriving in the nick of time to confront XXX, Andraax helps win the day but is killed or is missing.
- With the defeat of the Secret Circle, the Dragonlords being a campaign of conquest over various lands.
- Eidolon is destroyed and crashes to the earth. It’s ruins are guarded by the Prince of Sel-Kai, but adventurers sneak in anyway!
- Essaence flows are permanently shifted into new locations and pathways. The Navigators obelisk network is disrupted and needs to be recalibrated. In the meantime, Navigator Jump services are unreliable.
- The massive Essaence surges that preceded the Eye’s return, opened large portals to the Pales and hordes of Demons poured into Kulthea.
- Earthquakes, tidal waves and severe storms destroy coastal cities.
- The balance of power shifts and the Alliance grows in influence throughout Kulthea.
I’ve discussed previously about adventuring in Kulthea during the Interregnum but remaking Kulthea and starting the Fourth Era is a clean slate that closes out the plot(s) that Terry established and builds for the a new future. It would be logical to map out massive changes to Kulthea that would occur on a near global cataclysm and give Kulthea a “refresher”. Perhaps one that better incorporates the RMU ruleset.
RMU: Shadow World. Adventures in the 4th Era. “The Age of Woe”.
Kulthea is saved! The return of the Northern Eye rebalanced the erratic Flows of Essaence but at what cost? Gods battled Gods, Heroes fell and catastrophic storms left scars across the planet. New powers are emerging from the ashes of the Great Battle and vying for dominance in the Shadow World. The Unlife is unchecked and Demons run amok among the lands. Will the new world order be for good or evil?
This feels like a clean break from the unfinished past and a start with the new RMU ruleset. What do you think?
Actually, when my group started the 4th ERA, Eidolon had crashed due to the unstable flows, destroying Sel-Kai in the process. Adventuring there is more like going to Quellbourne.
Also, if it helps, we had a campaign after the loss of the northern eye, which also plays after Andraax is trapped at the end of the Loremaster Legacy. The party had to team up with some Dragonlords, restart some old K’Ta’Viiri installations, and basically define a new Ahrenreth to find Andraax, with the help of Tethior as well.
Andraax realized what was going on, and before Ondoval could get to the southern eye, activated some machines in the northern installation, which brought the southern crystal powering the station to the north, and vaporized every living being in both poles. So at the moment no more Andraax, no more Ondoval, and no more party. The idea was that they had no body but their souls were not destroyed, so the same machine might eventually recreated bodies for them, but at that time, it would already be centuries in the future, even after Lorgalis was defeated (the fact that there will be no Andraax and no Ondoval for centuries also opens the way for Lorgalis to gain the upper hand and attempt to conquer the western hemisphere).
I think that’s great and sort of what I’m imagining. A full reset that removes many of Terry’s iconic NPC’s and starts something new!
I would propose something a little bit more conservative? The reset is good for developing new stories, but also the initial world building focus should lie on seeing how much of the previous material survives, such as the Mannish and Elvish nations: which cities survive and which are swallowed by the water? What is the new lay of the land? What was on the other side of the planet and how will it affect what is left when unleashed? How much time will you let elapse before the new campaign starts?
Thinking along these lines: in my opinion it should be best to get one new series editor and he/ she should make these decisions, based on the most likely outcome of the 3rd age. He/ she should determine the new campaign direction (Unlife/ extra-planar/ more k’ta’viiri) and then also direct other writers to pitch in where needed, such as creating world- and adventure-modules revolving around the new grand campaign.
Yes, I think this is correct. However, I think being vague on the end of the Third Era–“who were the adventures that saved the world” is needed so GM’s aren’t boxed in. With that said, if anyone wants to play in Terry’s sandbox there is 12+ canon products to use and 110,000 years to explore. The idea of the 4th era is a clean slate approach that doesn’t conflict or offend anyone?
Great ideas,
In my opinion there could be different paths – all depending if ICE want to do one module per year or 2-3 per year for shadow world. In addition it is really important, if the unfinished material from Terry is still available or not.
If we have to leave Terrys legacy alone, your idea would be best imo. If we could use his unfinished material I would prefer using it for a new product with RMU (if ICE is doing 1 product per year with only one author) coming step by step into the 3ERA because many people love that still- if ICE is doing 2-3 products per year with different authors I would provide the backround for old and new campaigns like this:
a. The gods of Orhan could no longer provide enough energy to stabilize the energy fields around culthea from the missing eye of kulthea- they have to priorize and decided to strenghen the screen around the east and the planet as a whole to prevent the Terran empire to invade…
b. Essence storms wrack the western hemisphere and the 4th ERA starts with a flow of refugees trough essaence portals from an parallel world (races from RMU)- the Essence is shifting and flowing rapidly and makes use of magic difficult- new safer kind of magic from the refugees functions better and better- small camps and later towns are built by them. But in the old Empires like Rhakhaan the refugees are treated with suspicion.
c. The Dark Gods of Charon used their chance feeling the weaknes of Orhan to leave the prisons behind…
c. Seeing the turmoil the rearranged energy flows started in the west, some of the Lords of Orhan decided to direct their power to 10-12 areas of civilisation to stabilize them again (here the magic laws of RFRP and older editions are still valid)
… I am of your opinion: we need a Line editor, but I am not sure, that ICE is seeing the need for that….
By the way, the poll I am planning to start next week, should give us more opinions about what fans want to like most…
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The poll for your favorite Shadow World product and rule system has started today: https://discord.com/channels/699316643716923483/705098090251550871/1298535279547781173
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