Americana (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Hooks

If the setting seems too big, or your knowledge of American history is kind of sketchy, some ideas may present themselves to you here.

War of the Currents

For fifteen years, Edwin Williams has been spreading the power of galvanic-current electricity up and down the Northeastern Seaboard, lighting streets, firing factories--and making profits galore. However, Williams' generating model has never been efficient or cheap, and he has rebuffed most attempts to improve or replace it--genius and ego are common bedfellows. Now, however, his one-time apprentice, Nicholas Newcomben, has found a backer in the form of rail magnate Gregor Westmarch, and is set to unveil a dramatic new innovation in the world of electrical engineering--one which could make Williams' obsolete. The jealous inventor would not take this lightly, and soon there may be war in the Northeast again--not of nations and armies, but one of corporations, and science, and all the horrors of the grimy underside of the Technological Revolution...

The real-world War of Currents took place in the closing years of the 19th Century between master inventor Thomas Edison and his direct current, and railway baron George Westinghouse and his alternating current--figureheaded by flamboyant genius Nikola Tesla. While never an actual armed conflict, it featured some of the dirtiest industrial propaganda of the Gilded Age, including multiple instances of espionage and the electrocution of a circus elephant on camera. Of course, the lack of a unified legal system and the fact that our inventors come from different nations in Americana may make things different--a real war may not be out of the question, and at the very least the introduction of magic means things are likely to get messier than they did in the real world...

The Alaska Rush

Off the coast of Canadia to the north of Seattle lies a massive, isolated island known as Alaska. Discovered only a few years back when exploration of the coasts by sea began again in earnest, the climate is inhospitable and the wildlife ferocious. Much of the interior remains unexplored, and rumors of what may lie there are in abundance.

However. A recent expedition by the Franklin and Seward Company out of Los Angeles discovered that at least one of them is true. One of their scouts brought back reports of a river that shone in the sunlight--and a satchel filled to the brim with placer gold.

Now, ship after ship hauls up the Cordillera Coast to the frozen continent, to the company town of Anchorage and the trading hub of Fairbanks, as fortune-seekers, out-of-work soldiers, and glory-hungry adventurers swarm to the Frozen Island to discover its secrets and bring them back to the civilized world. However, Alaska is not uninhabited, merely hostile. The Natives here have had the run of their land since before the Great War, and are loathe to give it up--and there may be things locked in the icy heart of the island that are better left to sleep there...

The Council of Seven Fires

Decentralization is central to the Native mindset; however, it does tend to leave them at a disadvantage when faced with Nation-States who can bring to bear such things as armies and factories. As such, the tribes of the Great Plain have begun to come together to discuss the future--the first Council of Seven Fires is being convened, at the ancient sacred site of Chimney Rock. Here the chiefs plan to discuss possibilities to allow them to defend their sovereignty in the face of encroachment. Representatives from as far as the Potoma Marshes are planning to make the trip--the Council has been made no secret.

Which may be a problem, as the nations around the Great Plain who are benefiting from the current state of things would rather like it to stay that way. Nobody is currently strong enough to try and declare war on the Plain tribes, or stupid enough to do so--but armies are not the only means available to Nations to try and throw a spanner into the works. In addition, some of the Nations would much rather see that the Council goes on unhindered, regardless of the outcome--and that is up in the air, for there are forces within the tribes themselves who are already unhappy that such a council has been called at all, and others who have their own angles in mind which could bring further disasters on the heart of Americana...

All You Get From Love is a Love Song

There is no magic in love songs. Bards have unwritten agreements older than memory to keep true magic out of their love ballads; many think it cheapens the value of the songs, or of love itself, while all agree that given the sheer volume of love songs it would be hazardous and accident-prone. Of course, throughout history every agreement has at one time or another been broken by someone who thinks they can violate the rules to their advantage.

Now, it's happened again. In the alleys and side streets of Las Vegas, the heart of Rock and Roll, someone has been singing love songs at people with seeming indiscrimination--and forcing them to their bidding with that most powerful of emotions. The results have been terrible--robberies, assaults... and worse. The King has sworn publicly to break the culprit's instrument over their head, no matter what it is, and bards of all stripes are up in arms to try and find the heinous culprit. Clark's Council is extremely concerned--the possible damage to the city's reputation is immense, and the distraction of the King is making day-to-day affairs difficult. So in true Las Vegas fashion, they're opting to hire outsiders to dive into the blackness behind Neon's Lights to winnow out this twister of love, regardless of the possible damage... or what other dark things may be uncovered as a result.

Recommended for bard-heavy parties. WARNING: Mind control as a story element is one that must be handled very carefully. Any GM who intends to run this adventure should be certain their players are going to handle the concept in a way that everyone is comfortable with.

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