BURNING TALES CAMPAIGN 0

 

Trailer... Episode 0

Welcome to the Olaxis Galaxy a place of desperation, despair, greed, conspiracy theories and cults, but  it is also a place of hope and friendship, of heroes trying to do good and to stop the destruction of the Galaxy itself.

Sapient species within the galaxy have long histories, often highlighted by war against the other species and once against the threat of becoming slaves to AI machines. But now there is a fragile truce as the OverGuilds influence almost surpass that of the Governments.

Olaxis now relies on the mystical force (many use the term magic) given by a fluid known as Plasma which powers most things in the galaxy and enables inter-system travel, communication and energy, metaphorically shrinking the galaxy while the Burn does it literally.

Our adventure begins around 90 years after Olaxis became painfully aware of the phenomenon called the BURN. Centuries  of war were followed by a few decades of peace and things were, for a change, looking up. Due to the widespread knowledge and use of plasma based magic even beings from a neighbouring galaxy had been contacted.

Artwork from the awesome Game Bundle @roll20

But then peoples on the edge of the galaxy started mentioning what looked like strange fires in distant space, while only visible with magnified viewers the newly made friends in the Ruat galaxy reported that in their galaxy the fires had seem to have merged…..then, communication with Ruat became erratic, full of tales of doom, of planets exploding and then communication stopped…

Shortly after the same pattern seemed to be happening in Olaxis, the fires began to join and then get closer, people called it the BURN. As it began to enter the edges of Olaxis, panic began to set in, old wounds re-surfaced. To start with no one was really sure of the Burn’s true effect would be. Then 100 odd years ago the first planet (Bergon) got destroyed by it, the whole planet was suddenly gone!

As the BURN shot forward, Bergon was the first system of many to succumb. Chaos ensued, the  Olaxis Council of Planets dissolved and the mega corporations (The OverGuilds) profited by exacerbating  resource shortages and spreading rumours surrounding the end of the galaxy itself.

However, this wake up call mobilised the galaxy and there was an exodus from planets near the burn, entire cultures uprooted and fled (if they could) helped by ARC Alliance of Relief and Consevation. At this early point it was not such a problem – uninhabited worlds capable of sustaining life were still to be easily found. But as more and more planets BURNT the less and less room there was. Planets got crowded – refugees began to be turned away and conflicts broke out.

The Burn itself is erratic. The edge of the galaxy – the Ghost Belt - is constantly being redefined. Some planets that are just about to be overtaken suddenly see the Burn slow or even back, saving the planet from consumption but changing it for ever, or even melting/exploding it. The edge of the galaxy is really only a place for heroes or fools…. What, if anything lies through or in the Burn is unknown, not that no-one has tried to find out but, well, no-one has been able to tell if they found out and didn't just melt!

Our campaign begins in 968 DM. Scientists argue about how long Olaxis has, some say 100 years while others argue that the Burn can be slowed and perhaps in a millenia actually reversed... No one actually seems to know.

Our intro page on Roll20

Our characters are thrown together on a far flung planet called Cyprit. The planet lines within the GhostBelt and it is on the very edge of the galaxy itself. A planet that the Overguild called ARC (Alliance of Relief and Conservation) had, 10 months ago, designated as a Tier 1 Evacuation planet. This meant safe evacuation had to take place within a 4-8 month window. For now, what it was that bought our characters to Cyprit only they know, but whatever it was now seems an unwise choice. 4-8 months got cut to 3 months as the Burn swept forward... 3 months got changed to 9 weeks, then 3 and now 1 week... Scientists are keen to carry on research until the last moment (the speed the Burn has swept forward at is very unusual) as ARC works rapidly to move all sapients and unique flora and fauna off world and to safety. 

With the safety margin to get off planet now estimated in hours and not days, the ambient heat of the planet has already almost reached the critical stage, the ARC PeaceCraft on Cyprit are activating the compulsory Order 42 rulings and directing people to the nearest commandeered ship.  A group of 4 individuals (an Ino, two Glean and a PeaceCraft) are ushered towards an old decrepit looking BOLT class ship, any arguments are met with stern commands, the four have no choice.