Passing Ideas

The Empire of Vastyr was a mystery to us. Far across the Eastern Sea a foreign people was known to exist, but few of our vessels were capable of making the journey.

Thus it was an utter shock when the Empire's invasion force landed on Republic shores. Three coastal cities fell within the day. Waves of trained soldiers spilled forth, supported by self-mechanized devices we had never even conceived. The Imperial onslaught seemed unstoppable.

We won.

Victory came not through numbers or technology. Our magic was not superior. Some say the gods gave their favor to the Republic. Certainly the valor and determination of our heroes contributed much to winning the day. Figures of will and fate, numbering a score, cut to the heart of the assault - indeed, the very Empire itself - to save us all. They are revered today. Rightly so, for they are the saviors of the Republic. Monuments are crafted to the fallen as the living have risen to the peak of our society. The Republic shines brightly as it emerges from the haze of war.

And yet something is very wrong. Whispers. A feeling. Our world is askew in some subtle way and few realize it. Is victory worth whatever price we have unknowingly paid?

I miss fantasy gaming, what can I say?

In this particular concept (vague and skeletal though it may be), the PCs are actually heroes of the war. They are people of importance and power, though not necessarily "high-level." They are also carrying a burden that they do not, at first, realize.

What begins with a series of trials with rebels, assassins, and other aggressive neighboring nations falls away as fascade. It is revealed that the real threat behind the invasion was far more insidious than believed, and it was not defeated so much as passed on. The true challenge, then, becomes breaking the cycle.