The Supremacy of the Skull

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Kendermage

The Heroes of Destiny have failed.

Charged with reclaiming the Dragon's Graveyard for the forces of Light, the Heroes of Destiny might have succeeded in re-anchoring the Dragon's Graveyard to the Dome of Creation. They might have been in the right places, made the right decisions, and succeeded in checking the ambitions of the Lord of Bones, but it was not meant to be.

In this time, the Lord of Bones succeeded in claiming the Dragon's Graveyard for his own. He anchored the resting place of the good dragons to his domain in the Abyss. The influx of power allowed him to exert his authority over the pantheon of Darkness and claim the throne made vacant by the death of the Dark Queen.

From the moment Chemosh ascended the throne, everything began to change. The first noticeable change was that of Chemosh's constellation. Since the creation of the world, Chemosh's constellation has been that of a goat's skull, but in wake of his ascension it has become a dragon's skull cementing his association with the dead dragons. Not only did it change but it moved to the center of the sky, taking up the old position of Takhisis; however, at this point he stands unopposed in the sky.

The consequences of Chemosh's ascension are dire. The souls of the good dragons now go directly to Chemosh upon death, leading the greater majority of them to enter the sleep of the ages rather than face the tender mercies of Chemosh upon death. Thus the good dragons have all but left the world; leaving mortals to square off against the forces of evil on their own.

Priests and worshippers of the Lord of Bones have begun to amass an undead horde. This Horde of Chemosh will sweep across Ansalon like a wildfire, growing ever larger with each battle and bolstered by the bones of long dead dragons. It is truly a dark time for Krynn.

The Balance has radically shifted in the favor of the gods of Darkness. The gods of Good and Neutrality struggle to provide a counterbalance to the gods of Darkness, but without a strong leader to accept the throne of Light; they are at a severe disadvantage. Kiri-Jolith works tirelessly to lead the gods of Light in this trying time and his constellation is moving slowly to block the power of the God of Death; in the process taking the spot willingly vacated by his father.

Heroism isn't dead. Destiny still plucks those with the mettle to face overwhelming odds and places them where their presences can serve the highest good. It is an uphill battle; one which will test the very limits of gods and mortals alike. The forces of darkness will not rest until the world is crushed under their heels. Those who stand in the way will be embraced into the Horde.

Concept

There was a chance that the Heroes of Destiny could have stopped the approaching darkness. They could have succeeded and restored the Dragon's Graveyard. Likely they would have given their lives in process, but true heroes could do no less.

Yet, when the monstrous draconic aspect of Chemosh appeared, the heroes fled before his power. Some were killed, others went into hiding, and still others decided it would be better to serve the devil than be in his path. Their failure spelled the end of the presence of the good dragons in the world.

One act, a single moment of time changed everything. The legendary resting place of the dragons of light became the plaything of Chemosh; depriving many restless dragons of a well deserved rest. The good dragons left the world rather than face the "mercy" of the Lord of Bones.

Now Ansalon faces a threat unlike any it has ever known. With each battle the horde of Chemosh grows more powerful. Soon the undead will outnumber the living. Now is a time for heroes.

Theme

Destiny is perhaps the biggest theme of this timeline. It was destiny that led heroes to check the power of Chemosh. And it was destiny denied that lead to his ascension.

A Supremacy of the Skull campaign should focus on destiny. New heroes must answer the call of destiny or deny the call as is their choice.

There are those who have failed to answer the call of destiny and now seek to redeem themselves. Whether the heroes seek to atone for past misdeeds, or to act as agents of change for the greater good, the road will be a bumpy one.

Without the presence of the good dragons to check the power of the chromatics and the undead dragons of Chemosh, the Horde of Chemosh sweeps like wildfire across the face of Ansalon.

The Knights of Solamnia have holed up in their cities; ignoring the cries of those suffering under the onslaught of the Horde. They have neither the manpower nor the resources to mount any significant resistance to the Horde of Chemosh.

The Legion of Steel does what it can to alleviate the suffering of the masses, but the majority of their activities take the form of rescue attempts and guerilla warfare against the Horde.

The Citadel of Light tries to provide a beacon of hope for the free peoples of Ansalon. Refugees from all across Ansalon now crowd the small isle of Schallsea. The clerics and mystics that call the isle home are at a loss for how to counter the growing number of undead.

The Orders of High Sorcery are still in a rebuilding cycle after reclaiming the Towers of High Sorcery at Nightlund and Wayreth. As with the Knights of Solamnia they lack the resources and manpower to offer much assistance. Though Nuitari had claimed the Tower of Istar, he must operate under the watchful eyes of the new King of Darkness; thus his hands and those of his worshippers are tied.

The Dark Knights are a shadow of their former power. They are divided among various factions all vying for power. Some of these factions have pledged their services to the Lord of Bones. The majority, though, suffer the same fate as any that get in the way of the Horde, death and assimilation.

The population of Krynn is becoming more and more bitter as little in the way of opposition is being mounted against the Horde. It is almost as if the forces of good and neutrality have given up. What little opposition is offered up is often too little to late. Opportunities exist to make gains against the Horde, but all the various peoples and organizations must come together if the living are to avoid annihilation.

Timeline

The events of the Supremacy of the Skull timeline are grim, yet hope still burns in the hearts of heroes.

422 AC – The Ascension of Chemosh:
Chemosh defeats the Heroes of Destiny and claims the Dragon's graveyard for his own, anchoring it to the Abyss. This cements his power and allows him to claim the Throne of Darkness. He immediately asserts his authority by demanding all the artifacts from the Tower of Istar.

423 AC – The Gathering Horde
The new King of Darkness gives the artifacts from the Tower of Istar to his followers and instructs them to gather a horde of undead to wash the living from the face of Krynn. He animates the skeletal remains of the dragons in the Dragons Graveyard providing an overwhelming addition to his undead armies.

Later this same year, the good dragons retreat from the world of mortals and enter the sleep of the ages; leaving mortals to face off on their own against the Horde of Chemosh. Kiri-Jolith's constellation begins moving to block Chemosh.

424 AC – The Elven Holocaust
Tens of thousands of the remaining (and homeless) elves are slain and embraced into the Horde of Chemosh. As with the dragons, the time of the elves on Ansalon is drawing to a close. It is estimated at this point that less than 10, 000 elves remain worldwide; mainly on Southern Ergoth

425 AC – Resurgence of the Forerunners
Despite being nearly wiped out, the cult of the Forerunners rebounds under the worship of Chemosh and gains a foothold in minotaur occupied Silvanesti. In a show of force, the temple of Sargas is rededicated to the Lord of Bones. Sargas rages against this desecration of his temple and begins to act subtly against the machinations of Chemosh.

426 – The Sacking of Solace
Seeking to prevent the possibility of heroes rising to oppose him, the Horde of Chemosh sacks Solace. In less than an hour every man, woman, and child in the town is killed and embraced.

A similar scene befalls many cities and towns across Ansalon. Now for the first time in Krynn's history, the undead outnumber the living.

427 – Forces of Light Push Back
After years of suffering defeat after defeat the forces of light push back. Kiri-Jolith finally assumes his father's mantle, blocking the power of the Lord of Bones. The Horde begins to fragment as the powerful undead generals of the Horde carve out their own territories taking their troops with them.

Locales

The lands of Ansalon are familiar, yet vastly changed in the Supremacy of the Skull timeline.

The Nations of Ansalon
There is no nation on Ansalon that has not felt the effects of Chemosh's ascension. Nearly every nation has watched as anywhere from one quarter to one half of its population was killed and embraced by the Horde of Chemosh. Some areas have been reduced to little more than ghost towns; such as Solace.

Abanasinia
The lands of Abanasinia have been some of the areas hardest hit by the Horde. As a locale known to breed heroes like lice, it was one of the first places Chemosh wanted smashed. Some places such as Solace have been turned into veritable ghost towns by the Horde of Chemosh. Solace was sacked in 426 when its entire population was killed and embraced in less than an hour. Rumors persist of survivors that fled into the mountains; some of whom seek merely to survive, while others seek vengeance.

Khur
The towns and cities of Khur have been reduced to veritable ghost towns. The Horde of Chemosh smashed the city of Khuri-Khan and the remnants of the two elven nations camped outside its walls. The Khurs and the elves fought bravely against the Horde, but they were no match for their superior numbers. When things looked hopeless the Lioness told Planchet to take Gilthas and her griffon Eagle-Eye and flee. Gilthas refused to leave his wife, but Planchet realizing the wisdom in the Speaker surviving cold cocked his friend and liege and mounted the griffin with the unconscious Githas. The Lioness and her forces fought bravely but were killed and embraced into the Horde.

Solamnia
Fresh from liberating Palanthas and much of mainland Solamnia, the Age of Mortals was looking up for the Knights of Solmania. They had recovered much of their lands and respect in the eyes of the people. It was a good time to be a Knight. That all changed when Chemosh ascended the throne.

Palanthas had been liberated only a few months when a branch of the Horde of Chemosh walked right onto shore out of the Bay of Branchala. The attack came as complete surprise just as the coup that had retaken the city only months earlier; the defenders were caught completely unaware. By nightfall fully one quarter of the city's inhabitants had been killed and embraced. Those that survived wisely hid until the Horde moved on. Palanthas was left little more than a ghost town.

A similar story unfolded all over Solamnia. Solanthas was the next to fall, then Kalaman. The defenders of Vingaard Keep managed to drive off the Horde but sustained heavy losses. It would be Vingaard Keep where the remnants of the Solamnic Knights would regroup.

Personalities

Kerianseray, the Lioness (female Kagonesti elf Barbarian 5/Ranger 5)
The Lioness has become a truly tragic figure. After watching Planchet fly off with her unconscious husband, Kerian fought as one possessed, though she new what the outcome would be. All of her troops were killed in the battle and assimilated into the Horde, but she was allowed to live.

Unbeknownst to Gilthas, Kerian was pregnant. Chemosh sensed this and laid claim to the child. His high priests summoned an Abishai and it possessed her unborn child. She carried the child to term, trying numerous times to kill herself and the child, but each time she was 'forgiven" by Chemosh and healed.

When she gave birth to the unholy scion, her tribal tattoos grew dark and twisted, immediately branding her as a dark elf; her spirit rebelling at being forced to bring such an abhorrent evil into the world.

Kerian's son was named Sathandros (Say Than Dross). The little tot immediately charmed his mother, forcing her to accompany him everywhere he goes. Kerian is repulsed by her child but compelled to cater to his every whim. She longs to end her life, but neither Sathan nor Chemosh will allow it.

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