The Chitin Crusade Campaign Info

Basic Information: The Chitin Crusade is a DND 4e tabletop game set in the fantasy world of Wayfare. In this divided world, the concept of peace struggles against the mindset of warring states. The player characters are members of a recently-formed secession from the Chitin Clan, originally a group of outré elves who augmented their own bodies with monstrous organs, limbs, and bits. Headed by the rebellious daughter of the Clan's main family, this new branch is more inclusive and will take anyone so long as they're willing to undergo the necessary grafts and transplants. The high concept of the campaign is that the players will aid their newly formed, developing Chitin Village to build status in the world, and eventually wage war against the main Chitin Clan in an attempt to take the reins for themselves.

Player Info: This is not an evil campaign, but you will engage in some traditionally 'evil' or suspect activities, such as spying, kidnapping, and war. Despite these subjects, the game isn't particularly dark; the horrors of war won't be a major theme. However, the Chitin Clan have long been viewed by the rest of the world as monsters and freaks of nature, and this extends to the Village. Other elves in particular harbor hatred for them, condemning the Chitin as vile corruptions of their nature and a stain on Elven heritage. Don't expect to be attacked by every townsperson you encounter, of course, but be prepared for resistance and sour reception.

Your character can be of any race - this Chitin branch is not picky - but keep in mind that they need some form of monstrous augmentations. A cookie-cutter human won't do here. Fluff suffices here, and you're encouraged to re-fluff your Class or Racial Abilities as the result of these augmentations.

The beginning: Cahya Surendra, the Village's founder, recently left along with the Village's appointed leader, Xian, for the Land in Shadow to partake in a Blackguard selection exam of some design. Some of the Village's strongest warriors went along for security reasons. Cahya gave no word regarding when they might return, claiming she couldn't possibly know. Now, without either of its chiefs and lacking part of its military force, the Village is temporarily headed by the mage and emissary Eike. The Villagers don't hold him in high regard on account of his soft-spoken nature, but Xian believed Eike the most capable of running the Village in his absence, so no one has protested yet.

The game begins with your characters being summoned by Eike for some urgent business. He has a mission for you, that will take you from your inland Village to a small town on the coast of Yuda and back again. A recent addition to the Clan has sent an SOS beetle, indicating that they've been injured during their scouting mission, and can't return. Your job is to retrieve them safely. Eike is visibly distressed, and his orders come across as pleas.

Important People Related To The Village:

Cahya Surendra, The Monstrous Monarch: The only daughter of the Chitin royal family. Despite her nobility, Cahya was gated from leadership due to her status as a woman. Even when all other candidates had died or betrayed the Chitin, she was denied the right. Growing disillusioned with her clan for its refusal to adapt, Cahya decided to abandon the clan as her brother and cousin had before her. Cahya's popularity among the youth and women of the Chitin allowed her to amass a small following to join her in her desertion. She and her entourage traveled far from the main Clan's base, ultimately forming the Chitin Village on the continent of Yuda. As a final act of rebellion, Cahya chose not to lead the Village, and instead pass that role onto an outsider - something long forbidden in the secretive Chitin Clan. Outsiders were only to be kept as slaves and cannon fodder, never allowed to partake in Chitin activities.

Xian, The Chitin King: Leader of the Chitin Village. Formerly known as Hyeon-Woo Rong-Bai, the Low Patron of the nearby island country of Nimae. Essentially a prince, this ambitious young man was still dissatisfied with his position. He longed to be king, but knew that must mean the death of his mother, and never wanted to become a man who would wish for such a thing just for power. Cahya's spies studied Hyeon-Woo, and after their report, Cahya decided she would have him as the ruler of the Chitin Clan. She staged an attack on Nimae, thieving its prince and his retainer away. When he awoke, Hyeon-Woo had been restructured and rechristened Xian. He panicked initially, and attempted escape many times, but eventually settled into his role as Chitin King. He had what he'd always wanted, he figured, and he could use this position to give Nimae a new ally.

Eike: The current, temporary man in charge of the Chitin Village. A soft-spoken yet intelligent Chitin native, he lacks the wild charisma of Cahya, and the the noble reliability of Xian. The Village may take orders from him, but he knows it is only because they have been instructed to by Cahya and Xian.

Ratna Surendra: Cahya's adopted daughter, more reckless and unpredictable than even her mother. An outsider inducted into the new Clan, she is slated to one day succeed as leader of the Village. However, Xian did not trust her to be mature enough yet, and instead appointed Eike, asking him to keep the girl occupied so she didn't do anything foolish.

Tsiuri: Formerly Sang, a servant and bodyguard for the Nimaean royal family. When Hyeon-Woo was taken, Cahya snatched Tsiuri as well, noticing her ability. Sang was a foreigner, and could not speak due to an injury as a child. Because of this, she was ostracized during her upbringing. When Cahya modified her, she replaced the girl's voicebox as well, so now she has only to learn to speak the language. With her new wings, Tsiuri acts as an emissary between Nimae and the Chitin Village.

Miyuki: The first outsider Cahya added to her ranks when she split off from the Chitin. Miyuki was a Heilong, augmented by Cahya for speed above all else. She claims to move so quickly that she can dance across falling raindrops. Unfortunately, being Cahya's first non-native experiment, she is flawed, and such excess puts a massive strain on her body. Still, Miyuki is the Chitin Village's primary scout. She's rarely seen in the Village itself now, always out on some mission or other.

Aruna Mawar: Cahya's cousin, an acquaintance of the Village, and one of the Blackguard, a notorious entourage who act as the leaders of the Land in Shadow. A member of the Chitin Branch family once considered for leadership, he became disgusted by the Chitin's ways and murdered their elder, becoming a deserter in the process. He has chosen to give Cahya's take on the Clan a chance, but remains wary. He has two retainers, and is rumoured to have a disciple as well.

Countries Of Wayfare:

Yuda: The country in which the Village is located, this rich merchant empire deals exports such as lamp oil, spices, iron tools, carpentry, and perfume. Yuda benefits from its varied terrain; it is a country of dense forests and grassland bordered by mountains and coastline, giving it a plethora of resources and making it difficult to invade. But that isn't all that's allowed Yuda to survive in the constantly tumultuous political landscape. You'll never see soldiers clad in armor on the streets of Yuda, but it would be foolish to assume the country is defenseless. Yuda's military of spies and assassins travel its roads disguised as common villagers, innkeepers, and merchant caravans. By the numbers, they may not stack up against other countries' armed forces, but Yudan soldiers more than make up for that in cunning and skill. They are the only country bordering the Splintered Crown that it has not managed to annex land from.

The Village is near Sanjoku, the most prosperous city in Yuda. Unfortunately, the Yudan people have little love for the Chitin, and you can expect opposition here. Without fail, when you enter the town, someone will make remarks about you. Due to the Village's presence, even wearing a cloak in Sanjoku subjects one to suspicion. Luckily, there are exceptions - Yakimomo, an innkeeper in the capital of Sanjoku, has dealt with the Village multiple times. It's through her that the Village gets most of its luxuries and commodities. Her brother Rokurou has helped to train new members, as well.

Once a country steeped in religious tradition, this has fallen to the wayside over the years, and modern Yudans have mostly lost their spiritual connection. There is a dilapidated shrine to the flame goddess Hohari near the Chitin Village, though the goddess herself has abandoned it somewhat recently. Now, the shrine serves as a secret passage that allows one to pass underground and avoid the forest and mountains on the way to and from Sanjoku. There are surely devotees of the gods in Yuda, but the only prominent one you're aware of is Haroda, a former wandering monk who now runs an orphanage a few miles from Hohari's shrine.

Veer: A nearby island country off the coast of Yuda. Veer is known for the dense, hundred-meter-tall forests that have made it near impossible for armies to profitably infiltrate, allowing the country to remain neutral in nearly every war to date. At the center of the island lies the capital Nimae, a small but flourishing city of ironwood houses, marked by a towering pagoda where the High Matron resides. Nimae is reclusive to the extreme, and rarely does business with other nations. Due to its longstanding neutral status, the country historically has had no need for an armed force. The High Matron Fen, also Xian's mother, hired mercenary groups to handle any dangerous work. Cahya's invasion came as a massive shock, however, and the country is slowly building a militia as a result. The Village has a shaky relationship with Veer, but it could be said to be on better terms with them than anywhere else. Due to their seclusion, Veer hasn't interacted with the Chitin Clan much, and thus lacks much of the enmity other countries have.

The Splintered Crown: A chaotic, warmongering mess of a country led by the Splintered King. Who is the Splintered King? Well, depends when you ask. The Splintered Crown, violent as ever, decides its King through combat; anyone willing may challenge their King, setting up a duel of up to four combatants per side within the week, with the winner taking the crown. Regardless of the people's opinion of their king, they will follow their orders. Most have no issue with this, as many from the Crown wish to take it for themselves. The Splintered Crown is thus packed with reckless warriors, veteran soldiers, ancient warrior clans, and assassins. In addition to their devil-may-care nature, the Crowned people are known for their flair for fashion and luxury; if you don't look cool doing something, then what's the point? It's considered especially dishonorable to fight in rags and peasant clothes. This stems partially from an old superstition that one's dress upon death has a hand in determining their lot in the afterlife, similarly to real-world beliefs that you take what you're buried with.

The Splintered Crown is the largest and most culturally varied country in the world, due to its constant invasion and appropriation of other countries' land.

The Land In Shadow: The Land In Shadow is a single city-state, located inside a long-dead volcano. Its name stems from the fact that it only gets full natural sunlight for a few hours each day, around noon, when the sun directly passes over the volcano's caldera. As such, buildings are constructed of mirrored silver and bronze so as to reflect as much of the artificial light that illuminates the city as possible. The Land In Shadow is known for its prophets, wondrously advanced golems and alchemy, and the Blackguard. The Oracle of the Silver Corona, the most famous prophet in the Land, answers just one question a day, but it is said that she has never been wrong.

The Sovereignty Of The Shadows Over Eyes:

The Blackguard: The 8-man oligarchy that rules the LiS, and by extension the City of Eyes, by virtue of overwhelming strength. Comprised of former mercenaries, medics, scholars, assassins, and so forth, the Blackguard run the gamut from terrifying to almost comforting. However, whenever one is around, you can expect something big to happen. Aruna is a member.