JADE - Background for Adventures in Jade
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There are just a few things you might consider when running games based in Jade’s
Northern Kingdoms
Read the Campaign Setting
It contains information about the History/Cosmology of Jade,
what sort of Monsters can be found.
Remember that the World of Jade is a relatively low-level place.
PCs can only aspire to 9th level (Maximum).
Higher levels are only available with help from one of the Five Dark Gods
or for a very limited number of NPCs (Ancient Elven Royalty and the evil race of Saurians).
It is also important to remember how alien the other PC races are.
(ie. Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes)
Elves are virtually immortal, their concept of time is different than ours.
Even young ones can remember a few hundred years ago. Just think what that would mean
in our world.
Where do Villains come from ?
The Saurian Empire
These high-level Serpent People (the rulers of the Southern Continent)
are planning to invade the North.
Disguised saurians can provide tough, high-level opponents.
Talons (a sect of super-Ninjas) serve the Emperor as spies/assassins.
The Dark Circle
An organisation of Evil Wizards who have been behind many plots and schemes
throughout the history of Jade.
They are currently in league with the Saurians, attempting to de-stabilise the
North ready for the Invasion. The Dark Circle provide training for low-level
evil wizards and can even provide weak magical items.
The Five Dark Gods
- Lillith rules the lands of Ice and Snow, north of the White Mountains.
Her servants include Frost Giants, Snow Ogres and White Orcs.
Her forces recently took control of the land of Ustergard and the ancient
subterranean city of Shar Gazoth.
- Arachne works only through the Dark Elves who dwell below the Darkling Forest.
- Morlok has recently been behind a number of plots.
He works through dreams and subtle manoeuvrings.
He may often work to undermine the schemes of the others.
- Torkas is worshipped by various sea-faring types but spends almost all of his
time and energy in the Ocean of Chaos that surrounds Jade.
- Isstar is a captive of the Saurians and has been out of direct action in Jade
for hundreds of years.
The Knights Templar (or the Church of Oban in the North)
Unlikely as it may seem, these two linked organisations may provide suitable opponents
for a good-aligned party of adventurers.
They hate the conquered people of Gwyll and are tyrannical oppressors.
If your campaign is based in Gwyll, the Knights and the fanatical Priests of the
One True Faith, are likely to be behind much of the evil that occurs in the campaign.
The Wise
This small sect of druid/terrorists may provide complex NPC villains or patrons for
adventures in Gwyll.
They can call upon bands of Gwyll bandits to provide muscle and have plenty of
magic too. They might attempt to destroy churches, perform human sacrifices
and stir up conflict between the Gwyll and their Gardic overlords.
If the party are sympathetic to the Gwyll cause, they might have mixed feelings
about opposing/supporting the Wise.
The Nobles of Gard
Not all nobles are noble and even those that are can't keep it up forever.
The King, The Earls and the Lords can be employers and/or opponents of your adventurers.
The Priesthood of Gard
The Church of Oban is unlikely to provide enemies for your adventurers,
except for the Northern Faction who are attempting to force the One True Faith
down the throats of the conquered Gwyll.
It is almost impossible to envisage the Priests of Mithras
(God of Paladins and Chivalry) as enemies of your PCs.
The Church of Mortus, particularly the Inquisitors, are more likely candidates.
The Inquisitors are single-minded opponents of Necromancers and the Undead.
They are brutal, ruthless, feared and hated by most of the population.
They roam the land, torturing and executing.
Whole villages have been exterminated for "collaboration" with the Undead.
The Grand Inquisitor - Malik, is the most hated/feared man in Gard.
The Church of Mortus is very rich and very powerful having many castles,
well-trained troops and militant priests.
While the rest of the kingdom may despise their methods, they have been very succesful
in the War against the Abomination. (Undeath is very common in Jade).
Where do adventures happen ?
Everywhere. But different types of adventure suit different areas better.
Gard
- The City of Tor Meliath is the centre of human civilisation on the Northern Continent.
It is an ideal setting for Urban Adventures and the highest level politics.
- The East Mark is an excellent place for orc-bashing as the orc-infested land of
Ustergard is only a stones throw away, across the river.
The string of forts and fortified towns along the river provide a "standard"
AD&D setting.
It is also a land full of Ustergardian refugees.
Adventurers could be hired to guard merchants, by River or Road.
There are bounties paid for Orc scalps which encourages raids across the river.
When humans are captured by Orcs anywhere in Jade, the chances are, they will be
taken to Shar Gazoth.
- The Kingsreach is the safest area of human habitation.
It is more of a place to come from than to seek adventure in.
- The Beyond, north of the Wall, is a dangerous place.
Frontier homesteads, trading posts, hunters and trappers
(think of Hawkeye in Last of the Mohicans),
with many small Orc Tribes (not all of which are hostile, at least not all the time).
It provides many similar opportunites to the Eastern Marches but without the
presence of a large standing army.
- Angolin is a calm and settled land but it borders the Darkling Forest
with its Goblins and Dark Elves to the North, and the great forest of Silvanor,
Land of the Elves to the south.
The Elves are allies of humanity, but humans are not permitted to travel too
far into Silvanor.
Stray beyond the Elven Borders and they will hunt and kill you.
There are faeries in Silvanor with unknown powers and unknowable purposes.
- Gwyll (now known as North Mark, since the Conquest) is a complex setting based
loosely on the situation between the Saxons and Normans in Britain after the Norman Conquest.
This area is suggested for experienced role-players only as there may be enemies who are
not Evil and allies who are.
The party may have mixed feelings and divided loyalties.
Outright opposition to the oppression of the Gwyll may not be possible.
Atrocities have been and will be committed by both sides and even the Church may be corrupt.
For more details, see
- The Black Coast. The coastal lands, west of Silvanor are the Jade equivalent of the
New World.
There have been previous attempts to colonise this area but raiders from Veldar
("vikings") and/or nomadic Orc Tribes (mounted "Cossacks")
and/or "something else" have overrun the previous settlements.
The famous warrior from another world, Ragnar Redaxe, has been made
Earl of the Black Coast.
It is hoped that he will be able to unite the Gardic and Gwyll colonists and protect
them from whatever comes their way.
This location offers both land and sea adventures, vast unexplored Wastes and the
opportunity to carve out a new land.
The Fortunate Isles.
Where Elves and Men live together in less than perfect harmony.
This area is also suggested for experienced role-players only as the conflict
between humans and elves (simmering unrest, civil disturbances)
provides few clear-cut good guys and bad guys.
The Elves are immortal, they are the ruling class of the islands,
they were here first and will be here long after humans have vanished.
They impose quotas on farming and timber cutting and mining so that the long-term
future of the islands is secure.
(This makes perfect sense to us as educated modern people).
The humans of Jade however still carry swords and are not ecologically aware.
To them the elvish quotas are arbitrary and unfair.
There are more humans than elves in the Isles, they have been there for several generations.
The Earl of the Fortunate Isles is a joint vassal of the King of Gard and the
Elven King of Silvanor.
The Isles are a setting for mainly sea-faring adventures with opportunities to
affect the future of the Isles and the human-elven alliance.
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