Episode 0: Session Zero
In which a new group of heroes rises…
// by USPadmin
In which a new group of heroes rises…
GemStars is an original campaign that takes place on the Gemworld of Leifandi.
GemStars is a part of our unified Earth-Prime universe setting for Mutants & Masterminds. The games included in that up through now include Something in the Dark, Netherwar, City of Destiny, Guardians of Haven, GemStars, Freedom League Dark, Heroes of Tomorrow, and our Freedom City and Emerald City Pride events that were done as a part of our Trevor Project fundraiser.
It returns our focus to a version of Leifandi, but not the one known to watchers of Netherwar. Let us set the stage…
The Master Mage is dead.
It has been nearly a year since the great celestial cataclysm. The stars above Leifandi have shifted and a shadowy, mysterious planet has appeared where once there were none. The universe has expanded and Leifandi is no longer alone.
Mere weeks after it had settled into place strange, inky, iridescent shards broke away from the new planet and crashed into Leifandi’s surface. Spread across 150 miles the shards were buried deep within the planet on impact, causing landquakes that could be felt throughout the whole of Leifandi, as waves of dark energy exploded outward from the craters. The event lasted no more than 10 minutes, yet left behind absolute devastation that would change the face of Leifandi forever. When the skies cleared and stillness returned it was revealed that the Northernmost reaches of the Jadeite Expanse – over half a million square miles of lush, vibrant green wilderness that teemed with life – had been reduced to a landscape of sickly gray soot and ash. Nothing had survived except for some small sections of its two mightiest mountain ranges and even those were left desolate and barren. This event has come to be known as Darkfall.
Six months ago the Mages and the Crystalloids began to notice the worrying signs of further, festering damage caused by Darkfall, the celestial cataclysm, or both. All around Leifandi perfectly healthy crystalline formations and their flora began to show signs of death and decay and Mages began to report a diminished connection to their magic to the Chancellery. Still leaderless from the loss of the Sovereign, hoping to buy time to figure out the cause, and in an effort to avoid panic the divided Sovereign Consulate decided to keep these facts from the general populace.
Three months ago these changes could no longer be hidden or dismissed. As more and more of the crystal formations and flora withered and crumbled and magic became more and more unreliable, it became plain to most who call Leifandi home that something was very, very wrong. Many believe that the planet is dying.
To make matters worse there have been rumors circulating of soulless sightings – a dangerous phenomenon that has not been seen in Leifandi for centuries – heightening already high fear and tension levels.
Now, a dark malevolence swirls within and around Leifandi; distrust of the Sovereign Consulate grows, power struggles bubble within the government, the more nefarious parts of society seek to take advantage of the chaos, and the Chancellery has yet to announce a new Master Mage. Without a Sovereign to look to for reassurance and guidance, the people struggle to hold on to hope in the face of such blights.
Gemstars is a part of our “Untold Stories Project: Earth-Prime Tabletop Universe” (affectionately called USPEPTTU), which currently includes Netherwar, City of Destiny: Emerald City Knights, Guardians of Haven and Gemstars.
To learn more about Mutants & Masterminds, head here.
Pick up your own copy of Mutants & Masterminds using our DrivethruRPG affiliate link!
And if you’re headed to Green Ronin’s online store, don’t forget to use the promo code USPGR for 5% off!
Get a peek at the characters here!