Campaign created Friday, January 1, 2010 05:16:00 PM by Fedifensor

A campaign inspired by post-apocalyptic settings like Gamma World and Fallout. The Final War has come and gone. In the shattered ruins, the Pure struggle along with the Muts and the Beasts to survive. A scattered few work to rebuild what was lost. But who will risk the wrath of the Star of Heaven?

Heroic-level Post-Apocalyptic HERO

The preacher read from the ancient book. "And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." He then turned to the crowd to explain the passage.

"First came the sword, as men turned upon each other with weapons unimaginable."

"Second came the hunger, and all who lived suffered the changes wrought by the tech."

"Third came death, as men simply fell over, their souls rent from their bodies."

"Fourth, the beasts of the earth rose up as men huddled in the shattered ruins, for Man had broken the sacred covenant that gave dominion over them."

The preacher skims ahead a few lines, then continues. "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains"

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb"

"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

The book is closed, and the preacher turns toward the crowd once more. "The Day of Wrath has come and gone. The Lord has judged the guilty, and brought the virtuous into his embrace. We know this because His word is spread far and wide, contained in every Inn of the Holiday."

"But what of those who remain, those who neither reached the heights of virtue nor the depths of depravity? We have been given a second chance, to work our way back into the graces of the Lord. And we must avoid the hubris that led to the Day of Wrath, when men worshiped the tech and lost sight of Him."

"This is not belief. This is fact. The town of Casrock rebuilt much of its ancient tech, only to be smote barely a season ago by a Star of Heaven. Their fate is warning to us all..."

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The campaign begins in the village of Fedrex, located in a hidden valley in the mountains. The heart of the village is host to a massive building of ancient tech, next to a bridge over a waterfall.

Fedrex has survived because of the Rule of Cargo. Those who reach adulthood must prove their worth to remain in the village by securing Cargo - resources that the town can use for the benefit of its citizens. The more resources a citizen can secure, the higher their position in the village hierarchy. Those who bring small amounts of Cargo may only be given temporary citizenship, and be forced to quest for Cargo again after the turning of the seasons.

The current leader of the town is Daryne, a middle-aged Pure who returned to the village with ancient tech that makes the water safe to drink. His position as leader appears to be guaranteed for life, as he not only is responsible for acquiring the tech, but jealously guards the knowledge of how to repair it when it breaks down. The current members of the village council were part of the same expedition that recovered the device.

While limited amounts of tech are accepted by the village, particularly if it is needed to survive, many in Fedrex are fearful of acquiring too much technology. Last season, a great bolt of light lanced down from the Star of Heaven. Weeks later, a woman arrived as a refugee from Casrock. The town had recently activated a device that awoke previously unusable tech. Unnatural lighting kept the town visible from miles away in the dark of night, strange vehicles began traveling the pathways laid down by the Ancients, and there were whispered rumors that a war party attacking Casrock was felled from afar by metal wands that unleashed death on all who approached. These ancient wonders availed them not, as the light from the Star of Heaven destroyed the device and killed nearly half the population of Casrock in an instant. Many say that to depend on the tech is a form of worship, and the Star of Heaven will smite any who worship false gods.

The characters in Starfall are seeking to become full members of their village, either from reaching adulthood or as travelers seeking to settle in Fedrex. As no one may stay more than a season in Fedrax without having offered Cargo to the village council, groups often band together to seek out tech. While the impact of the Cargo is diminished by sharing it among a group, this is more than outweighed by the safety of traveling in numbers. The world outside Fedrex is very dangerous, as bands of mindless Beasts or savage Muts prey on solitary travelers.

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http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/77551-Starfall-A-Gamma-HERO-campaign