I will be running a Sandboxish Savage Worlds game that is homebrewed, save for the inspiration of Vornheim (and placing that city in my world, but making it mine).
I thought I would throw up some Plot Hooks for my campaign here. Now most are specific to my world, but they can be reskinned or whatever..
Here's a link to my Obsidian Portal Page.
www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/vornheim**
Plot Hooks for Vornheim
Vornheim-
• Event- Player Family Member is sick and needs an herb that grows on the Plains of the Slithering Shadow. However it hasn’t been seen in quite some time.
• Event- A cat follows a party member around for no reason.
• Event- A Player has a disturbing dream- They detail it- Later on in the day parts of it start coming true.
• Event- While in a Tavern a woman walks up and kisses one of the players to make her husband jealous. It works, too well.
• Event- Street Performers begin entertaining the party and street and unleash a choking gas that allows them all to be mugged, offering no resistance.
• Event- Woman runs up to a group member, looking battered, and says that there is something in her house and she needs help! (It is her husband, but closer inspection shows a thin hair leading from top o his head down into the basement where a Puppet Master is- who has one more hair he can attach onto a player).
• Event- While in a tavern a sickly looking man in the back of the room starts babbling, laughing, and screaming in pain. Suddenly 4 thick tentacles burst out from his body and his arms split into two more.
• Event- Player finds dehydrated bodies in an ally. Investigation shows that this has been happening for awhile. (This is inspired by Interpol Lights video- people are creating a “healthy” milk by draining the life force out of people. Nobles love the stuff).
• Event- One of the character’s siblings have become a fan of Jean Le Tiepe and he has taken quite a liking to her.
• Rumor- There is rumored to be an entrance to an underground cavern in the sewers. It is said to hold riches.
• Rumor- A Great White Spider Snake that escaped from a zoo is said to be roaming the sewers.
• Rumor- Kids have gone missing in the outlying districts of Vornheim.
• Rumor- A beautiful woman is looking for a suitor.
• Rumor- Eshrigel Medusa is having a problem and looking for brave people to help.
• Rumor- People have been saying they have seen a red cat at night. The next day some form of bad luck happens to them. The worst is someone died.
• Rumor- Players see people drinking a new expensive milk that is said to rejuvenate those who drink it and “de-age” the person slightly (This is inspired by Interpol Lights video- people are creating a “healthy” milk by draining the life force out of people. Nobles love the stuff).
• Rumor- A wheezy man comes to the group and says he has a map of an ancient kingdom far to the east. There may be knowledge or riches to be had. He will share it with the group 70-30.
Forgotten Forest-
• Event- A group of explorers went into the Forgotten Forest and haven’t returned.
• Event- The Monster Tree is sitting near the forest and is looking for someone to talk to.
• Event- A camp of loggers is found in ruins, bodies are everywhere (about 20 in all- Dwarf and human). The bodies have been scratched, bludgeoned, and impaled. Many have looks of utter fear or surprise on their faces.
• Rumor- There is an old man who is spouting off that he has seen the inside of the forest and remembers. He is afraid to speak of it. (If pressured he will, but he chokes and vines explode out of his mouth, and continue to grow- eventually covering everything. If players don’t run away- must make checks or become grappled).
• Rumor- It is said that the area used to house an ancient kingdom that still exists.
Sands of the Defeated-
• Event- A sorcerer from the Raven Clutch wants to study the residue of a Water Bear. He believes that if a flower of the pale singing moon is laid on the wet sand it will call a Water Bear and make it peaceful.
• Event- A family of Gem chasers is sifting through the sands. They are eccentric and happy to see someone else out and about.
• Event- Geysers begin erupting around the area, blanketing everything is burning hot water.
• Rumor- A Giant Sky Bird has been seen circling the Sands of the Defeated. They think it is the work of the Cult of the Dying Bird.
• Rumor- It is believed that who ever dries out the sands of the Defeated and uses them in an hourglass has some control of time.
• Rumor- A prospector in a tavern has said at the far end of the Sands he has seen a few dead Water Bears and that the sands are drying up.
River of Unfathomable Despair-
• Event- A contingent of Orcs and Goblins are gathering up unpurified water. One of the jars bursts open and splashes over 1d10 goblins who immediately start changing into chaotic abominations.
• Event- A woman can be seen skipping stones across the river and sings a song of sorrow, loss, and pain. The song is so beautiful it calls those to her. She longs for their embrace. For their love. For their kiss. Save Vs. Death. She fills them with so much pain so quick that they die in agony.
• Event- The river starts spewing out Dream/Chaos Elementals.
• Rumor- A contingent of Orcs and Goblins are gathering up unpurified water.
• Rumor- Some people hear the river calling to them. It is believed that their dead and gone dreams hunger for company.
Plains of the Slithering Shadows-
• Event- The small farms that make up the Thorpe of Deadenburg is 2 months overdue in sending out grains or rice. Vornheim is looking for people to go check it out.
• Event- Shadows attack the group and take their horses, dragging them into the darkness.
• Event- A scarecrow warns the group not to go that way. There is nothing but danger where they are going. (He points them in the wrong direction).
• Rumor- It is rumored that a Goblin encampment was seen near Deadenburg. Nothing had been done about it yet.
• Rumor- The farmers are worried about the soil drying up. They may have to start expanding out, which means they need help. The fields need a rest.
• Rumor- At last grain transport an old woman became delirious and fell to the ground and started shouting the characters name and saying a dire warning (try to incorporate something the character is doing now).
The Shattered Mines-
• Event- Goblins and Orcs have sprung up from a tunnel and have begun attacking the miners.
• Event- A new branch of the mine has been exposed and they are looking for people to clear it out.
• Event- The Wailing Widows have been come more aggressive and are coming up closer to the surface. Their numbers need to be thinned (not totally) and it needs to be discovered why they are attacking.
• Rumor- The last harvesting of Wailing Widow Web resulted in 10 deaths. The Wailing Widow’s are becoming more aggressive.
• Rumor- The minors are thinking of starting a union. Where does the group side?
• Rumor- There are rumors of a area of treasures of a long forgotten pirate hidden deep in the mines.
The Monster Tree-
• Event- The Monster Tree is being attacked by shades on the Plains of the Slithering Shadows.
• Event- The Monster Tree is attacking a small group of adventurers.
• Event- The Monster Tree starts singing a melancholy song.
Valley of the Screaming Dead-
• Event- The Flesh Gates open and undead spill out onto the land. Some of the dead start making their way to Vornheim.
• Event- A Necromantic cult is trying to harvest the power of the undead to grow stronger.
• Event- A member of the Avian Court was accidentally buried in a wall grave and now his body has been tossed the valley. He must be found and brought to his rightful grave.
The Necropolis-
• Event- Something has been robbing the graves of their bodies. It leaves possessions also placed in grave however.
• Event- A green choking mist sets in on the Necropolis, not letting anyone pass. The dead are starting to stack up and the corpses of the Wall Dead are banging in their graves.
The Shapeless Dark-
• Event- Voids come through the Shapeless Dark. These evil creatures cause anything they touch to explode.
• Event- A woman babbling incoherently wanders into Vornheim. Mumbling about the horrors of the dark, creatures of the impossible. Then she explodes and a Void comes out.
• Rumor- The Shapless Dark is actually the corpse of a long forgotten god that still holds his power and his minions sit on the other side awaiting his return and sometimes enter the Great Graveyard.
The Dungeon Below-
• Event- A group of adventurers, one a noble’s son, has gone missing.
• Event- The group goes to the dungeon.
• Rumor- The Dungeon Below is massive and must be older than Vornheim itself.
• Rumor- No one has made it past the second level of the dungeon and people haven’t been into the first in about 5 years. It is believed that ogres have taken up residence in the second level.
Bat Wings-
• Event- During the opening of The Bat Wings a sorcerer dies and causes an explosion that pummels all of them with chaotic energy from the Baby’s Tears. The 3 other Sorcerers all turn into Burning Nightmares and begin attacking all those around. Anyone slain by them turn into Reverants.
• Event- With the devastation at the Bat Wings more Baby’s Tears are needed. Vornheim wants to send some to Dungeon Below harvest the much needed resource.
• Rumor- It is rumored that there may actually be a way to open more dimensions, but the amount of Baby’s Tears and magical power needed would be unprecedented.
Lake of Dreams-
• Event- Dream Hunters are on the bank gathering up a dream when it explodes and little girls start falling out of the bubble giggling and laughing.. When they hit the ground their skin stretches taunt, their teeth yellow, and they grow claws and start screaming and running after them and anyone near.
• Event- One of the player’s dreams is captured and lost to them.
• Event- A noble has had their dream claimed and they want to find out who took it.
• Rumor- The lake serves as a link between this world and the dream world. One can plunge themselves into an alternate reality of nonsense.
• Rumor- A retired Dream Hunter has heard of a dream of a noble floating in the center of the lake and it would be worth a score should brave people willing to risk all.