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Created page with "<noinclude><!-- Source: POTA vault readme.md, NOTE_SETUP.md, Factions/Cults readmes, Sessions/readme.md. Paste into MediaWiki page "Campaign Overview". --></noinclude> ← Main Page = Campaign Overview = This page explains '''what this wiki is''', '''how it is organized''', and '''how to maintain it''' as the campaign progresses. For live status (party level, current hook, session list), see the '''Main Page#Current campaign state|Current campaign state..."
 
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<noinclude><!-- Source: POTA vault readme.md, NOTE_SETUP.md, Factions/Cults readmes, Sessions/readme.md. Paste into MediaWiki page "Campaign Overview". --></noinclude>
<noinclude><!-- PLAYER-FACING wiki. Only include what the party has learned or done in play. Paste into MediaWiki page "Campaign Overview". --></noinclude>
[[Main Page|← Main Page]]
[[Main Page|← Main Page]]


= Campaign Overview =
= Campaign Overview =


This page explains '''what this wiki is''', '''how it is organized''', and '''how to maintain it''' as the campaign progresses. For live status (party level, current hook, session list), see the '''[[Main Page#Current campaign state|Current campaign state]]''' section on the Main Page.
This page gives newcomers (or forgetful players) the '''big picture''' — where we are, what we're doing, and how this wiki works. For the latest cliffhanger, see '''[[Main Page#Where we left off|Where we left off]]''' on the Main Page.


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== What this wiki is ==
== About this wiki ==


A working game-master reference for running ''[[Princes of the Apocalypse]]'' in the '''Dessarin Valley'''. It combines:
This is a '''player-facing''' campaign journal for our ''Princes of the Apocalypse'' game in the '''Dessarin Valley'''. It exists so the group can:


* '''Official source material''' — the published module, D&amp;D Beyond references, and chapter text.
* Read '''session recaps''' between games
* '''A living table layer''' — session recaps, prep plans, player-character dossiers, and homebrew that has diverged from the book.
* Look up '''NPCs and places''' you've already encountered
* Track '''party members''' and shared loot


The adventure pits a small party against four '''Elemental Evil''' cults (air, earth, fire, water) whose prophets seek to unleash destruction through the temples beneath Tyar-Besil. Five major '''[[Factions]]''' (Harpers, Emerald Enclave, Lords' Alliance, Order of the Gauntlet, Zhentarim) compete for the party's loyalty along the way.
It is '''not''' a dump of the DM's module notes, prep, or hidden plot. If your character hasn't learned something in play, it shouldn't be on the wiki yet.


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== Two layers: canon vs. this campaign ==
== Spoiler & content rules ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| Rule !! Detail
! Layer !! Meaning !! Where it lives
|-
|-
| '''Canon''' || The module as written — intended plot order, published NPC roles, recommended level for each site. || [[Module Chapters]], cult/faction/location reference pages tagged as book content.
| '''Table knowledge only''' || Pages describe what happened at sessions or what characters clearly learned in game.
|-
|-
| '''''This Campaign''''' || What has actually happened at our table — including off-book choices and reconstructed early notes. || [[Sessions]] recaps, [[Player Characters]], tagged homebrew pages.
| '''No DM secrets''' || Hidden villains, spy identities, dungeon layouts you haven't entered, and "what happens next" stay off the wiki until they're revealed at the table.
|}
 
'''Tagging rules''' (use these consistently):
 
{| Tag !! When to use it
|-
| '''[HOMEBREW]''' || Table-created or heavily altered content (e.g. Feathergale return assault, Ilmeth amnesia mystery).
|-
| '''[DM-INSERTED]''' || Deliberate DM additions that aren't in the book (e.g. traveling Zhentarim agent [[Davron Maerl]]).
|}
 
When canon and table history conflict, '''session recaps win''' for *what happened*; '''module chapters win''' for *what the book says should happen*.
 
----
 
== Site map ==
 
Each major section has an index page (create these as you migrate content from the vault):
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Wiki section !! Contents
|-
| '''[[Player Characters]]''' || [[Genericus Maximus]], [[Kiara]], [[Togar]] — stats, hooks, relationships, session developments.
|-
| '''[[Sessions]]''' || Prep plans and table recaps; '''source of truth''' for updating everything else.
|-
| '''[[NPC Index]]''' || Every named NPC + consolidated cultist/monster stat references.
|-
| '''[[Locations Index]]''' || Regions, towns, Haunted Keeps, temples, nodes, side treks.
|-
| '''[[Factions]]''' || Five major organizations + [[Minor Factions]] (cult fronts, regional powers).
|-
|-
| '''[[Cults]]''' || Four Elemental Evil cults — prophets, weapons, tactics, symbols.
| '''No module text''' || We don't publish raw adventure chapter write-ups or stat blocks here.
|-
|-
| '''[[Items]]''' || Magic items, elemental weapons, relics, loot ledger by location.
| '''Character pages''' || Each player owns their PC page. Don't post another character's private thoughts or secrets without their okay.
|-
|-
| '''[[Maps]]''' || DM-keyed and player/unkeyed map images.
| '''Updates after sessions''' || Recaps and discovered lore get added after we play — not before.
|-
| '''[[Module Chapters]]''' || Raw chapter reference text (Chapters 1–7, [[Appendix]]).
|}
|}


'''Suggested page structure for entities'''
If you're unsure whether something belongs on the wiki, '''ask the DM''' before posting.
* '''NPCs''' — one page per named character (e.g. [[Kaylessa Irkell]]).
* '''Locations''' — hub page per place (e.g. [[Red Larch]]) with subpages for shops/sites as needed.
* '''Sessions''' — one page per session with subpages or sections for Plan / Notes / Encounters if prep is heavy (see [[Session 06 - Back on Track]] as the model).


----
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== Workflow: prep → play → reconcile ==
== The setting (what the party knows) ==


This is the maintenance loop the whole wiki is built around.
=== The Dessarin Valley ===


=== 1. Prep ===
A broad river valley in the North. The party's home base so far is the town of '''[[Red Larch]]''' — a small settlement with inns, shops, and plenty of gossip if you buy a round at '''[[The Helm at Highsun]]'''.


* Create or open the session's '''plan''' page (copy [[Session Template]] structure when available).
Beyond Red Larch, the party has traveled northwest toward '''[[Waelvur's Hunting Cabin]]''', southeast toward '''[[Feathergale Spire]]''', and back out on the roads chasing leads about the missing delegation.
* Mine '''[[Player Characters]]''' for personalized hooks.
* Cross-read relevant '''[[NPC Index|NPCs]]''', '''[[Locations Index|locations]]''', and '''[[Factions]]''' pages.
* Heavy prep (like Session 06) may add: run-sheet, encounter scaling, cast list — all linked from the session hub page.


=== 2. Play ===
=== Our goal ===


* Run the game. Capture decisions, combat outcomes, and NPC interactions in the session '''notes''' page during or immediately after the session.
Find the '''missing Mirabar delegation''' and figure out who is behind the '''cult activity''' people keep whispering about. That goal became explicit when the party left Red Larch to follow the trail in earnest (see [[Session 05 - The Reaver Ambush]]).


=== 3. Reconcile ===
=== Cult activity ===


Each session recap should end with a '''''Canon Updates to Apply''''' checklist. Work through it:
The party knows '''cults are active''' in the region. So far, in play:


# Update '''[[NPC Index|NPC]]''' pages (new allies, deaths, revealed secrets).
* Rumors at the Helm pointed toward trouble near '''Feathergale Spire'''.
# Update '''[[Locations Index|location]]''' pages (discovered sites, changed control).
* The party '''entered and cleared''' the spire, fighting knights and cult-aligned forces there.
# Update '''[[Factions]]''' / '''[[Cults]]''' (standing, intel gained).
* They do '''not''' yet have a full picture of how many cults exist, how they connect, or where all their bases are.
# Update '''[[Items]]''' (loot taken, consumables spent).
# Update '''[[Player Characters]]''' (developments, debts, level-ups).
# Tick checklist items off when done.


'''Rule of thumb:''' if it isn't in a session recap yet, it isn't table canon — even if it's in the module.
Describe only what your characters have seen, heard, or been told — not module names or prophet titles unless they came up at the table.


----
----


== Conventions ==
== The party ==
 
=== Linking ===
 
* Cross-link liberally between people, places, and plot threads — navigation is the wiki's main value.
* Use descriptive page titles: `Kaylessa Irkell`, not `NPC/Kaylessa_Irkell.md`.
* Link the first mention on a page; repeat links only when it aids navigation.
 
=== NPC pages ===
 
* '''Named NPCs''' get their own page (shopkeepers, guards, villains — no matter how minor).
* '''Generic groups''' (bandits, unnamed villagers, rank-and-file cultists) live on consolidated stat/reference pages (e.g. [[Crushing Wave Cultists]], [[Generic NPCs]]).
 
=== Player characters ===


* One page per PC. Mechanical stats sync from D&amp;D Beyond; narrative sections (backstory, relationships, DM hooks) are maintained by hand.
Three adventurers, currently '''4th level''':
* See '''[[Player Characters]]''' for the roster and active hooks.


=== Maps ===
{| Character !! Player !! In-play notes
 
* Pair '''DM''' (keyed) and '''Player''' (unkeyed) versions where both exist.
* Link maps from session prep and location pages.
 
----
 
== This table: setting & status ==
 
=== The Dessarin Valley ===
 
The campaign is centered on the Dessarin Valley and towns like '''[[Red Larch]]''', with hooks radiating to '''[[Beliard]]''', '''[[Womford]]''', the four '''Haunted Keeps''', and eventually the temples of '''Tyar-Besil'''. The party's stated goal: '''find the missing Mirabar delegation and learn about the cultists'''.
 
=== Party (level 4) ===
 
{| class="wikitable"
! PC !! Player !! Summary
|-
| [[Genericus Maximus]] || Caleb || LE Champion fighter; noble; frontline tank; Ewan debt; Zhentarim angle.
|-
| [[Kiara]] || Ryun || CG Wild Magic sorcerer; Sage; grudge vs. Genericus; fragile blaster.
|-
| [[Togar]] || Carter || NG Land (Mountain) druid; astronomer-scholar; Enclave fit; nonlethal instincts.
|}
 
=== Major divergences from the book ===
 
{| Divergence !! Impact
|-
|-
| '''Early Feathergale clear''' '''[HOMEBREW impact]''' || Party stormed [[Feathergale Spire]] at level 3–4 (book expects ~level 3, but they skipped delegation breadcrumbs). [[Ewan McFeathernuttz]] survived and rebuilt the spire → '''Reckoning of Red Larch''' homebrew arc.
| '''[[Genericus Maximus]]''' || Caleb || Human fighter from a noble background; paid for drinks at the Helm early on; promised [[Ewan McFeathernuttz]] the party would help him "any time, guaranteed" after Feathergale.
|-
|-
| '''Sessions 01–05 reconstructed''' || Original notebook lost; early recaps rebuilt from memory (see [[NOTE SETUP]] for the intake record).
| '''[[Kiara]]''' || Ryun || Tiefling sorcerer and scholar; short on coin at the Helm when the party first arrived.
|-
|-
| '''Ilmeth amnesia''' '''[HOMEBREW]''' || Session 02 hunting-cabin rescue — ties to [[Believers]] / [[Tomb of Moving Stones]] thread (deferred).
| '''[[Togar]]''' || Carter || Human druid and sage; subdued a wolf pack with magic on the road instead of fighting them.
|-
| '''Current rail''' || Session 06 prep steers back to the '''Missing Delegation''' → [[Rivergard Keep]] (water cult, level-appropriate next dungeon).
|}
|}


=== Canonical level guide (don't fight this) ===
See '''[[The Party]]''' for individual character pages (as they're built out).
 
{| Site !! Intended level
|-
| [[Feathergale Spire]] || 3 (cleared early)
|-
| [[Rivergard Keep]] || 4 ← '''next'''
|-
| [[Sacred Stone Monastery]] || 5 (delegates held here)
|-
| [[Scarlet Moon Hall]] || 6
|}


----
----


== Reference: the four cults (canon summary) ==
== Story so far (timeline) ==


See '''[[Cults]]''' for full detail. Quick reference:
A condensed history — see '''[[Session Recaps]]''' for full write-ups.


{| Cult !! Element !! Prophet !! Haunted Keep
# '''[[Session 01 - Arrival in Red Larch|Session 01]]''' — Arrived in Red Larch. Heard rumors that carpenter '''[[Ilmeth Waelvur]]''' was missing. Visited the lockup ([[Jack Mack]], [[William Theodore]]), then '''[[Waelvur's Wagonworks]]'''. Headed northwest; Togar calmed wolves on the road.
|-
# '''[[Session 02 - The Hunting Cabin|Session 02]]''' — Found the hunting cabin. Discovered Ilmeth below a trap door, confused and unable to explain how he got there. Escorted him back to town. Party reached 2nd level.
| [[Cult of the Howling Hatred]] || Air || Aerisi Kalinoth || [[Feathergale Spire]]
# '''[[Session 03 - Toward Feathergale Spire|Session 03]]''' — Back at the Helm for more rumors; cult activity came up. Traveled toward Feathergale Spire; fought bandits on the way.
|-
# '''[[Session 04 - Feathergale Spire|Session 04]]''' — Cleared Feathergale Spire floor by floor. Spared knight '''[[Ewan McFeathernuttz]]'''; he flew the party back to Red Larch. Genericus promised future help. Party told folks at the Helm they'd dealt with the wind cultists. Reached 4th level.
| [[Cult of the Black Earth]] || Earth || Marlos Urnrayle || [[Sacred Stone Monastery]]
# '''[[Session 05 - The Reaver Ambush|Session 05]]''' — Pursued the missing-delegation lead. Fought bandits on the road, then raiders in an ambush. Won the fight; session ended before searching the site.
|-
| [[Cult of the Eternal Flame]] || Fire || Vanifer || [[Scarlet Moon Hall]]
|-
| [[Cult of the Crushing Wave]] || Water || Olhydra's prophet || [[Rivergard Keep]]
|}
 
All four serve the '''Elder Elemental Eye''' — their symbols combine into a fifth sigil (see [[Cults#The Combined Symbol]]).


----
----


== Reference: the five factions ==
== Wiki sections (player-safe) ==


See '''[[Factions]]''' for renown, contacts, and methods. Party-relevant hooks:
These are the page types we'll build '''as you discover content''':


{| Faction !! Red Larch contact !! PC angle
{| Section !! When it gets a page
|-
|-
| [[Emerald Enclave]] || [[Haeleeya Hanadroum]] || [[Togar]] — elemental corruption
| '''[[Session Recaps]]''' || After every session — public summary of events.
|-
|-
| [[The Harpers]] || [[Endrith Vallivoe]] || [[Kiara]] — books, Bruldenthar, cult lore
| '''[[The Party]]''' || Player character pages — stats and story the table knows.
|-
|-
| [[The Zhentarim]] || [[Davron Maerl]] '''[DM-INSERTED]''' || [[Genericus Maximus]] — profit, ambition
| '''[[Places]]''' || A location gets a page once the party has '''been there''' or received a concrete, in-game description of it.
|-
|-
| [[Order of the Gauntlet]] || [[Imdarr Relvaunder]] || Anyone — smite-the-cults mandate
| '''[[People]]''' || An NPC gets a page once the party has '''met or clearly identified''' them.
|-
|-
| [[Lords' Alliance]] || (no fixed RL contact) || Trade / delegation politics
| '''[[Party Loot]]''' || Updated when the group divides treasure or gains notable gear.
|}
 
'''Not for the player wiki''' (DM vault only): prep plans, encounter tuning, hidden faction agendas, undiscovered dungeons, module chapter text, and keyed DM maps.


----
----


== Maintenance notes (DM) ==
== Contributing ==
 
These tools live in the markdown vault; mirror key outputs here as wiki pages when useful:


* '''D&amp;D Beyond PC sync''' — roster in `dndbeyond-roster.json`; updates mechanical blocks on PC pages.
* '''Session recaps''' — usually drafted by the DM or a designated note-taker after each game; players can suggest corrections.
* '''Chapter deep-dive playbook''' — procedure for extracting NPC/location/faction records from each module chapter into wiki-ready pages.
* '''Your character page''' — keep it aligned with your D&amp;D Beyond sheet and what you've shared in character at the table.
* '''[[NOTE SETUP]]''' — historical intake form used to reconstruct Sessions 01–05 after the original notebook was lost.
* '''Don't wiki ahead''' — if you haven't been there, met them, or looted it, it doesn't get a page yet.


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== See also ==
== See also ==


* '''[[Main Page]]''' — dashboard, session progress, active hooks
* '''[[Main Page]]''' — home dashboard
* '''[[Sessions]]''' — full session roster
* '''[[Session Recaps]]''' — full session list
* '''[[Session 06 - Back on Track]]''' — current forward prep
* '''[[Session 05 - The Reaver Ambush]]''' — most recent session
* '''[[Princes of the Apocalypse]]''' — adventure summary (module layer)


[[Category:Campaign]]
[[Category:Campaign]]
[[Category:Princes of the Apocalypse]]
[[Category:Player-facing]]
[[Category:Meta]]

Revision as of 12:41, 3 July 2026

← Main Page

Campaign Overview

This page gives newcomers (or forgetful players) the big picture — where we are, what we're doing, and how this wiki works. For the latest cliffhanger, see Where we left off on the Main Page.

About this wiki

This is a player-facing campaign journal for our Princes of the Apocalypse game in the Dessarin Valley. It exists so the group can:

  • Read session recaps between games
  • Look up NPCs and places you've already encountered
  • Track party members and shared loot

It is not a dump of the DM's module notes, prep, or hidden plot. If your character hasn't learned something in play, it shouldn't be on the wiki yet.

Spoiler & content rules

Table knowledge only Pages describe what happened at sessions or what characters clearly learned in game.
No DM secrets Hidden villains, spy identities, dungeon layouts you haven't entered, and "what happens next" stay off the wiki until they're revealed at the table.
No module text We don't publish raw adventure chapter write-ups or stat blocks here.
Character pages Each player owns their PC page. Don't post another character's private thoughts or secrets without their okay.
Updates after sessions Recaps and discovered lore get added after we play — not before.

If you're unsure whether something belongs on the wiki, ask the DM before posting.

The setting (what the party knows)

The Dessarin Valley

A broad river valley in the North. The party's home base so far is the town of Red Larch — a small settlement with inns, shops, and plenty of gossip if you buy a round at The Helm at Highsun.

Beyond Red Larch, the party has traveled northwest toward Waelvur's Hunting Cabin, southeast toward Feathergale Spire, and back out on the roads chasing leads about the missing delegation.

Our goal

Find the missing Mirabar delegation and figure out who is behind the cult activity people keep whispering about. That goal became explicit when the party left Red Larch to follow the trail in earnest (see Session 05 - The Reaver Ambush).

Cult activity

The party knows cults are active in the region. So far, in play:

  • Rumors at the Helm pointed toward trouble near Feathergale Spire.
  • The party entered and cleared the spire, fighting knights and cult-aligned forces there.
  • They do not yet have a full picture of how many cults exist, how they connect, or where all their bases are.

Describe only what your characters have seen, heard, or been told — not module names or prophet titles unless they came up at the table.

The party

Three adventurers, currently 4th level:

Genericus Maximus Caleb Human fighter from a noble background; paid for drinks at the Helm early on; promised Ewan McFeathernuttz the party would help him "any time, guaranteed" after Feathergale.
Kiara Ryun Tiefling sorcerer and scholar; short on coin at the Helm when the party first arrived.
Togar Carter Human druid and sage; subdued a wolf pack with magic on the road instead of fighting them.

See The Party for individual character pages (as they're built out).

Story so far (timeline)

A condensed history — see Session Recaps for full write-ups.

  1. Session 01 — Arrived in Red Larch. Heard rumors that carpenter Ilmeth Waelvur was missing. Visited the lockup (Jack Mack, William Theodore), then Waelvur's Wagonworks. Headed northwest; Togar calmed wolves on the road.
  2. Session 02 — Found the hunting cabin. Discovered Ilmeth below a trap door, confused and unable to explain how he got there. Escorted him back to town. Party reached 2nd level.
  3. Session 03 — Back at the Helm for more rumors; cult activity came up. Traveled toward Feathergale Spire; fought bandits on the way.
  4. Session 04 — Cleared Feathergale Spire floor by floor. Spared knight Ewan McFeathernuttz; he flew the party back to Red Larch. Genericus promised future help. Party told folks at the Helm they'd dealt with the wind cultists. Reached 4th level.
  5. Session 05 — Pursued the missing-delegation lead. Fought bandits on the road, then raiders in an ambush. Won the fight; session ended before searching the site.

Wiki sections (player-safe)

These are the page types we'll build as you discover content:

Session Recaps After every session — public summary of events.
The Party Player character pages — stats and story the table knows.
Places A location gets a page once the party has been there or received a concrete, in-game description of it.
People An NPC gets a page once the party has met or clearly identified them.
Party Loot Updated when the group divides treasure or gains notable gear.

Not for the player wiki (DM vault only): prep plans, encounter tuning, hidden faction agendas, undiscovered dungeons, module chapter text, and keyed DM maps.

Contributing

  • Session recaps — usually drafted by the DM or a designated note-taker after each game; players can suggest corrections.
  • Your character page — keep it aligned with your D&D Beyond sheet and what you've shared in character at the table.
  • Don't wiki ahead — if you haven't been there, met them, or looted it, it doesn't get a page yet.

See also
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