Creating the Shadow Council
Since 2007 I have been working on a campaign story that has evolved into something i could not have foreseen. I am very excited about this story, mainly because it’s abit complex, very huge in scope and tackles topics like re-incarnation, time travel, diplomacy of gods, planar travels.
I was inspired by some concepts of planescape and the campaign itself was set in Forgotten Realms, but the core of the story is so sandboxy that it could fit into any fantasy setting and any system.
This is my dream, to bring forth this story in a way that others can take it as a framework and create their own stories around it or inside it or both! The nature of the story is very flexible as it deals with time and re-incarnation and very powerful immortals. I want to share this story with game masters and gamers because stories are meant to be told, in one form or another, be it books, audiobooks, movies, theater, roleplay, live roleplay etc etc..
But also giving this story to you, will allow it to take many more different forms, shapes and lives. I really feel this story has its own life and a multitude of possibilities I have not considered or played with myself, but someone else will see these and help the story shapeshift and re-incarnate.
The Shadow Council
The core of the story emminates from planes, planewalking, planetravels and deities/gods. Among the fabric of creation and time are the many planes of existance, among these are two powers that has always been and will always be: Order and Chaos. If one were to vanish the very existance known to everyone everywhere would be affected in an incomprehensible way. Walking amongst all these planes are many creatures and entities, especially gods and deities and their chosen ones who run their errands.
There existed a small group of gods that together managed to aquire a much desired power. They could travel anywhere in any existance on any plane with full rentention of their powers. You see, a god has an anchor on a specific plane and the further away from this plane, the less powerful a god becomes. This group was known as the Shadow Council, but their ability to travel thus and remain all powerful had a catch, they were never to use this to further their own agenda.
The shadow council was known to have functioned as a sort of mercenary group for hire, but where an ordinary group of mortals would work for a king, country or organisation, the council worked for gods, deities, demons, devils and powers.
Now I talk about the Shadow Council in past reference, because they have vanished and nobody ‘officially’ knows what happened, but the nature of chaos and order is that there will always be someone who knows something about something.
I mentioned the chosen right hands of the council earlier, these were immortal beings acting as proxies for their individual god member of the Shadow Council. They were well known amongst the political web across the planes, spun between various gods and powers. They were as much errand boys as they were extensions of power for the Shadow Council. They were both loved and hated on all sides of conflicts, because someone always hired them to meddle.
It was when these Proxies suddenly was not seen across the planes, that the Shadow Councils lacking pressence was noticed in the grand political web of gods and deities.
This is the heart of the story, gamers will be cast into a hunt for items long forgotten and misplaced, there will be time travel, there will be tales of re-incarnation and past memories never lived but still remembered.
Some say the immortal chosen ones usurped the council, some say the Shadow Council was infiltrated and destroyed, some say and others dont. But I will say this… Immortal once is now mortal doomed to live again and again in constant quest until, what was, will be revived or destroyed.
The Shadow Council essential origins
Tiny Gork has written down his thoughts and knowledge of the Shadow Council in a few short volumes.
The Shadow Council setting
Tiny Gork is currently working on a complete volume about the Shadow Council and it’s downfall. The intent of this is to provide a setting that is not bound by worlds, systems, rules, pantheons and could easily be incoporated into any setting already in use.
The Shadow Council setting will go into details about the chain of events that led to it’s downfall and provide a background story for a campaign where your players can play mortals that reclaim their immortality and eventually have to decide if they want to revive or destroy the Shadow Council.
At the core of the setting is a major artefact that is hunted by many, your players will have to get their hands on it to decide the fate of the Shadow Council.
The Shadow Council Timeline
Follow this link Shadow Council Timeline for an interactive timeline that lists interresting events in the story of the Shadow Council.