Setting the Stage

So this is the set-up for this campaign. Which, incidentally, started with 5th-level characters.

About two weeks ago (as far as the Player Characters know), heroes from across the land set out on a voyage on a dire mission. Their homelands—indeed, all homelands—were in peril.

Everything had been fine. Then, quite suddenly, prophets and soothsayers across the Known World began to foretell the coming of a new dark age, a time of great despair that would begin with the arrival of something known only as the Harbinger. The signs and omens were consistent. Sages and priests were consulted in every land, and most agreed: this "Harbinger" would take the form of a colossal beast that would rampage across the lands, devouring all in its path. If the legends were true, it would be larger and more powerful than any living dragon—and far deadlier.

And according to the prophecies, the Harbinger would awaken from its deep slumber in a year's time.

So a call went out for heroes. It was believed there was yet a way to collapse the prophecy and forestall the coming darkness. A summit was held in the southern Kingdom of Ierendi and many were invited; leaders, emissaries, and ambassadors arrived on behalf of their kingdoms or organizations, each wanting to know more about the prophecy.

And many so-called heroes answered the call. It looked as though every city, town, and village across the continent had sent its strongest warrior, its wisest priest, its most cunning rogue—or at least its bravest soul. Some were glory seekers, some treasure hunters, some courageous opportunists, and some might even have just wanted to help save the people they cared for.

In Ierendi an oracle spoke of solution! Of the existence of an artifact which could only be found in the Thanegioth Archipelago, a cluster of islands many leagues across the sea. What form the artifact would take was not yet known; presumably, it would reveal itself if one drew close to it. On this the prophets were certain. High priests communed with their own celestial agencies—from the templars of Bahamut and the loremasters of Avandra to the grim clerics of the Raven Queen—and all came to the same relative conclusion. The answer lay in the direction of the Thanegioth islands!

So a small fleet of ships set out to find it, crewed by the bravest of mariners and captained by the best of the best (or at least the most well paid). It was to be a long and dangerous voyage across the sea, and in fact it proved perilous from the start. In the southern gulf most of the ships were attacked by opportunistic pirates and nihilistic, demon-worshiping cultists who seemed bent on welcoming the coming apocalypse.

While treacherous, these cultists were wild, undisciplined, and could barely even crew the galleons they'd pirated. But for a few unfortunate casualties, the cultists were defeated or slain, and most of the heroes' ships reached the open sea, where it was smoother sailing.

At least for a time. After three weeks of travel, an unidentified trace of land appeared on the southwestern horizon. Could it be Thanegioth? So soon? No, not likely. According to all maps and charts, the Archipeligo was still a week or more away.

So what land was this? Something uncharted....

That night a powerful storm blew the whole fleet off course. It was all the crews could do to keep their vessels from capsizing. North and south seemed in flux. The skies unleashed a torrent of rain and lightning. Large, dark shapes in the water surged by the ships and jostled them about. Sailors and even some would-be heroes fell overboard.

All was chaos and fear. Just when the dawn approached and the captains began to steady their ships, each ship was struck with grave misfortune. Some hulls struck a razor sharp coral reef which seemed to appear out of nowhere. Others were lashes with lightning or splintered by mysterious tendrils. Sea water began rushing into the holds and even the passengers were summoned to the deck for help. The air filled with deafening shrieks from unseen creatures in the churning water. Magic was conjured for succor, prayers made for salvation.

But the gods seemed far and hope seemed gone. There was only terror. Then darkness.

But there were some survivors....