The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

[Lord Liaden]

Looking at the possibilities in the Champions Universe for some major high-powered plotlines, it occurred to me that the long-standing pan-dimensional cold war between Istvatha V'han and Tyrannon the Conqueror could heat up at any time. The trick to using their conflict as the basis for PC adventures is making the heroes care about the outcome of a conflict between two menaces to the entire Earth. I can think of one answer to that: make the conflict spill over onto this world. Here are some ideas I had for running this, which are of course free for any interested parties to use; but I'm hoping that you folks can also come up with interesting twists to the basic premise.

 

As an opening scenario, large numbers of non-human beings start popping in without warning all around the PCs' home city, causing panic and chaos wherever they appear. Some of them are superhumanly powerful and destructive, so the PCs are called in or take it upon themselves to try to quell the disturbance. In the course of their encounters the heroes discover that these aliens are not hostile invaders, but refugees. They come from a world in another dimension subject to either Istvatha V'han or Tyrannon, which was invaded without warning by their ruler's great rival. Using available dimension-spanning technology or magic, they fled to the nearest neutral dimension, Earth's.

 

It may be that the plight of these victims would be enough encouragement to cause the heroes to want to intervene on their behalf, but if the PCs take an "unfortunate but not our concern" stand, the GM would have several options to ramp up their incentive. The refugees could continue to pour in across the heroes' home country or the entire world, by the millions. If the tide can't be stemmed by stopping the conflict on their homeworld, Earth will have an unprecedented humanitarian crisis on its hands. That might also prompt the heroes' government to request their help.

 

Refugees might not be the only intruders, though. The military forces of either or both of these great powers may attempt to establish bases on Earth in an attempt to outflank the enemy by striking from an unexpected direction. If you want this development to take shape more slowly, or to leave longer-term complications, V'han or Tyrannon could recruit an Earthly government, organization or supervillain with a power base to provide them with a safe beachhead from which to prepare their attack, in exchange for knowledge or material assistance. It would be in the world's best interest to break up this alliance before the Earthly party became to much of a threat. Of course the government, org or villain may merely be ousted when they're no longer useful, prompting them to offer to join with the heroes to take their territory back from the invader.

 

Stopping the refugee situation or invasion might be a matter of destroying the gates that the invaders are using to attack the refugees' homeworld, and/or to supply their base on this world - a good covert-assault type of adventure for a team of super PCs. If desired the storyline could end there as far as Earth is concerned. OTOH the situation could continue to escalate, e.g. the refugee flood is halted but the strategic invasion of Earth would follow it.

 

In order to bring the threat to this world to a halt, the heroes (if they're very powerful) might want to carry the fight to the invader, leading to a dimension spanning adventure arc. Overcoming either V'han or Tyrannon would be a daunting task even for the mightiest superheroes, having to penetrate the villain's home base and confront him or her directly. As an alternative the PCs might offer to ally with one power, whose support would make a confrontation with the other much likelier to succeed. Istvatha V'han would be the logical candidate, since unlike Tyrannon she can at least be reasoned with.

 

Another tack would be to try enlisting the third great interdimensional conqueror in the CU, Skarn the Shaper, to intervene. The PCs could present themselves as a neutral third party honestly interested in brokering an end to hostilities. Their challenge would be to convince Skarn that it would be in his best interest to stop a war between his two greatest rivals. If the heroes have discovered evidence that whoever started and/or is winning this war is preparing to assault Skarn's realm next, that might do the trick. OTOH the PCs might uncover that it was Skarn himself who started the war masquerading as V'han or Tyrannon, to weaken his rivals enough to seize some of their territory or even overthrow one or both of them. Delivering proof of that plot to the other two dimension lords might be enough to get them to stop the war, but it might be difficult to liberate the proof from Skarn's home base.

 

Well, that's as much of the possibilities as I've worked out. I'd be very interested in hearing any of your ideas for embellishments, plot twists to introduce, or important elements or plot holes that I've overlooked.

[Hermit]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

While from the 'plot seeds thread' I came up with these ideas that might be incorporated:

 

2) Someone call the INS- Sometimes dimensions fall fast, sometimes they fall slow, but eventually all fall to V'han. Despite her benevolent nature (once she gets her way) however, some choose to flee rather than submit to her rule. One such people have done so, and what's more have the technological know how to escape their home plane entirely. They have come to Earth; dozens, perhaps hundreds (or more?) of them. What's more, no small part of them see no reason why they shouldn't take what they want from the inferior human beings. They maybe a beaten army on thier home plane, but here, the tables seem to be turned. Can the heroes handle them all? Or will they have to inform V'Han they know 'just' where some of her renegades have gone, and could she please pick them up?

 

3) An Imperial request: V'han finally bites off more than she can chew, and then some. Invading a dimension that seemed primative, she has instead discovered a universe that is full of hostile and extremely powerful alien beings. Her standard troops have not only been thrown back, these beings are pursuing and taking some of 'her' domain. She insists that Earth's champions assist in throwing these beings back. If they do not, why, she will use her own power to create a tunnel FOR these beings that leads straight to Earth and force the heroes' collective hand. Thus far, these strange beings can not be reasoned with.

[OddHat]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Great ideas, and repped.

 

May I suggest that The Five would make excellent cats paws for Tyrannon in such a scenario? That was one of their design considerations.

 

For even more fun, add a group of cats paws for V'Han as well, and make sure that both groups think they're the Good Guys.

[OddHat]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

While from the 'plot seeds thread' I came up with these ideas that might be incorporated:

 

2) Someone call the INS- Sometimes dimensions fall fast, sometimes they fall slow, but eventually all fall to V'han. Despite her benevolent nature (once she gets her way) however, some choose to flee rather than submit to her rule. One such people have done so, and what's more have the technological know how to escape their home plane entirely. They have come to Earth; dozens, perhaps hundreds (or more?) of them. What's more, no small part of them see no reason why they shouldn't take what they want from the inferior human beings. They maybe a beaten army on thier home plane, but here, the tables seem to be turned. Can the heroes handle them all? Or will they have to inform V'Han they know 'just' where some of her renegades have gone, and could she please pick them up?

 

3) An Imperial request: V'han finally bites off more than she can chew, and then some. Invading a dimension that seemed primative, she has instead discovered a universe that is full of hostile and extremely powerful alien beings. Her standard troops have not only been thrown back, these beings are pursuing and taking some of 'her' domain. She insists that Earth's champions assist in throwing these beings back. If they do not, why, she will use her own power to create a tunnel FOR these beings that leads straight to Earth and force the heroes' collective hand. Thus far, these strange beings can not be reasoned with.

 

More very groovy ideas.

 

Since I first saw her, I've always held in my campaign that Heinlein's Glory Road was a more or less factual account of one of V'Han's more recent adventures on "this" Earth.

[Chimpira]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Great Stuff as usual. I am already doing The V'han/Tyrannon thing in my game, but right now we are at the early stages.

 

It began when one of my players made a character that was alien but wanted to leave what race he was from a mystery. He gave me the description of his character and then a couple of weeks later I was thumbing through CKC, looked at Istvatha and an idea formed. The only problem was that I needed to expand things.

 

I created a large and extensive royal family for Istvatha with all the intrigue and back stabbing one would expect. I created a mystery about the eldest son of Istvatha, that he fell out of favor with Istvatha and how he mysteriously disappeared. His lands were snatched up by other sisters and brothers.

 

Enter the player (Arsenal), whom is captured by the forces of The V'han after a dimensional mishap that sent him and the other players to various different Dimensions. The player called Arsenal learned that he was the son of the eldest. Istvatha welcomed home her grandchild with much pomp and circumstance. His relatives spent a moment welcoming him to the court and the player knew that he needed to get the heck out of Dodge, before he was killed by his aunts or uncles. To complicate matters, he gets kidnapped by the resistance, discovers that his father had fallen in love with an Earth woman and had founded the resistance in the first place.

 

The PC (the inventor of the group) was able to get back to Earth, but in an attempt to stall an invasion force, he proclaimed that he would conquer Earth to prove that he was worthy of the V'han name.

 

While this was going on, in another Dimension two PC's (Nightfall and Shadow Wolf) find themselves in a world that had been conquered by dark forces. The PC's are captured and subjected to a torture filled month before they are able to escape. The PC's do not talk about what they went through with any of the other players but did brief an UNTIL member. The players do not know much beyond that they saw strange markings bearing a symbol that looked like half a ellipse with five spears jutting out of the top side. Nighfall is starting to have nightmares about a women he met while in that world. She keeps asking for his help.

 

The whole team is going to have to go back there soon to save a person that is imprisoned on that world. I wonder what's going to happen when the Grandson of Istvatha V'han raids a world under Tyrannon's control.

 

That's my lead into the V'han/Tyrannon war in my game.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

 

3) An Imperial request: V'han finally bites off more than she can chew, and then some. Invading a dimension that seemed primative, she has instead discovered a universe that is full of hostile and extremely powerful alien beings. .

 

Ah, the Borg vs Species 7432 (or whatever it was) the guys in fluidic space plot.

 

Perhaps because of the war that isn't on earth but close (like the refugee bit), the walls between dimensions are breaking down around Earth's Dimension and with no Sorc Surpreme there is no other defense so all sort of mystic characters are bursting into earth, so the PCs need to stop them, and find out why so many of them are coming through which could lead to dealing with the war.

 

And for an extended end of story - (and this is something I ran once) - When the characters get home, thinking they are done they end up in Horror World (from Champs 3-d for 4th ed) with Anopheles there. Using Horror World that way, not as an alternate dimension but as thier own with something terribly wrong that they have to fix make the horror from that adventure/setting all that much stronger.

 

Spoilers for Horror World/Anopholes.

 

And there was something back in time that actually stopped the bad guy from summoning the anopheles in the real history, but due to the war, that being ended up not being there in the past (perhaps he's a time travler and the problems from the Vahn/Tyr war drew him away, so the PCs have to go stop it

 

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Marvelous stuff gang! We always get more than we give when we put up a premise like this.

 

Hermit, those seeds are definitely pertinent. It would be easy to work them in as events leading up to or part of the war.

 

Oddhat, the Five are neat characters and could plausably be drawn into Tyrannon's service; but I was thinking more along the lines of supernatural villains who already possessed a retreat that the Big T could use as a staging area. Someplace like Lugendu (the source of Joseph Otanga's power could act like a homing beacon to Tyrannon); the hidden city of Agharti (Tyrannon breaks the magical prison confining the Aghartians to their city, in exchange for the service of an army of mystic super martial artists); or Lemuria (wouldn't T like to get his hands/claws/tentacles on the Mandragalore!).

 

I do agree that you could let another Earth group back V'han as well, although the GM should be comfortable with the greater complication that that would bring to running the scenario. If you want to follow up a potential alliance between the PCs and V'han, letting a group of "good guys" give refuge and assistance to her troops would be a reasonable development; but leaving V'han with a military foothold on your planet is always a risky venture. For my part I was thinking that ARGENT's advanced facilities in Awad or Larisagrad might attract the Empress's attention for a base of operations, just as evil magic would attract Tyrannon's. For that matter the Vale of Javangari probably has the most advanced tech on the planet, but I can't see Dr. Destroyer taking Istvatha as a partner, let alone a superior.

 

Chimpira, what a great character backstory and leadup! I can't imagine why I never thought of Istvatha V'han having a "royal family," but of course it's completely within genre. And there's no reason why she wouldn't have had at least some of her children artificially augmented just as she was, hence an origin for a supervillain, or hero in the case of your campaign.

 

Lord Mhoram, good stuff, especially in adding immediacy to the classic Anopheles scenario. Talk about your "Oh My God" realizations! That sort of thing is part of the fun of messing around with time and dimensions (at least in a game).

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Lord Mhoram, good stuff, especially in adding immediacy to the classic Anopheles scenario. Talk about your "Oh My God" realizations! That sort of thing is part of the fun of messing around with time and dimensions (at least in a game).

 

Yeah. It worked really well for me. I had merged it with the timeguy adventure from Champs presents, and when they had come back from being in the far past, the present was the Anopheles world... man did that get a reaction.

[OddHat]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Oddhat, the Five are neat characters and could plausably be drawn into Tyrannon's service;

 

Thanks.

 

I would note that Tyrannon sometimes gives items of power to his dupes, and that all of the Five were given items of power from something that appeared in a dream using the form of a great Tree...

 

but I was thinking more along the lines of supernatural villains who already possessed a retreat that the Big T could use as a staging area. Someplace like Lugendu (the source of Joseph Otanga's power could act like a homing beacon to Tyrannon); the hidden city of Agharti (Tyrannon breaks the magical prison confining the Aghartians to their city, in exchange for the service of an army of mystic super martial artists); or Lemuria (wouldn't T like to get his hands/claws/tentacles on the Mandragalore!).

 

Excellent ideas.

 

The base used by the Five in the New Circle 2006 adventure was a hidden undersea city, the Gernsback Dome, a focus for mystic energy off the coast of Greenland.

 

Looking forward to seeing any further developments.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Another thought - The problems in local dimensions start causing problems that look like they could free the Kings Of Edom. And Luther dances for joy.

 

That could really be scary. Which do you deal with - going after V'han or Tyrnanon to stop the war (especially if /as it encrouches on earth) or locking down the Kings.

[Chimpira]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

 

Chimpira, what a great character backstory and leadup! I can't imagine why I never thought of Istvatha V'han having a "royal family," but of course it's completely within genre. And there's no reason why she wouldn't have had at least some of her children artificially augmented just as she was, hence an origin for a supervillain, or hero in the case of your campaign.

 

 

Thanks. I thought that since she was in control of millions of dimensions that some of them would constitute the "lands" that the royal family oversees with Istvatha in direct control over the family. Some Dimensions are more prized than others and Istvatha has been known to take away lands and award them to others. The Eldest son had control of some of the prized land and with his disappearance Istvatha did not award them to anyone but the brothers and sisters divided them amongst themselves, believing that she would make an official announcement sooner or later (they are all Immortal). Now with the appearance of Arsenal, they are worried about him trying to lay claim to what belonged to his father. If Istvatha knew that her eldest was the leader of the rebellion she has kept this a secret from the Royals.

[Hermit]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Another possiblity would be a general in service to either side who gets ambitions of his or her own. V'han is known as rather progressive... for a tyrant. Perhaps the being she put in charge to handle the 'jump point' of Earth is not nearly so progressive, and seeks to make the Earth his own personal domain while claiming to merely be 'fortifying it'. If the PCs can make V'Han aware of this situation, she's surely remove him (or even ask the PCs to do so) and might be further amendible to more parlay.

[Highwayman]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Perhaps because of the war that isn't on earth but close (like the refugee bit)' date=' the walls between dimensions are breaking down around Earth's Dimension and with no Sorc Surpreme there is no other defense so all sort of mystic characters are bursting into earth, so the PCs need to stop them, and find out why so many of them are coming through which could lead to dealing with the war.[/quote']

 

Seems like it would be to V'han's advantage if Earth had a Sorceror Supreme, since one would be able to block Tyrannon's passage but not hers. Realizing this, she sends some subjects from one of her more mystically-oriented dimensions to find a promising candidate and help him or her claim the title. Of course, the candidate they pick is a villain...

[Kristopher]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Of all the published would-be conquerors of earth in the CU, native, alien, or extradimensional, I can't think of a single one I'd side with against V'han if it came down to it. She's by far the least-bad option and the only one I'd consider doing business with.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Another thought - The problems in local dimensions start causing problems that look like they could free the Kings Of Edom. And Luther dances for joy.

 

That could really be scary. Which do you deal with - going after V'han or Tyrnanon to stop the war (especially if /as it encrouches on earth) or locking down the Kings.

 

In the description of Tyrannon from The Mystic World, it suggests that Tyrannon might even free a King of Edom deliberately if he thought that would benefit him, and not care about the consequences. OTOH Skarn is said to be well aware of the danger the Kings pose to the entire Multiverse, so that prospect would be one way to draw him into this conflict.

 

Luther Black wouldn't be too happy about this development, though. "His" Kings of Edom have to be released under specific circumstances for his plan to work.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Another possiblity would be a general in service to either side who gets ambitions of his or her own. V'han is known as rather progressive... for a tyrant. Perhaps the being she put in charge to handle the 'jump point' of Earth is not nearly so progressive' date=' and seeks to make the Earth his own personal domain while claiming to merely be 'fortifying it'. If the PCs can make V'Han aware of this situation, she's surely remove him (or even ask the PCs to do so) and might be further amendible to more parlay.[/quote']

 

I once suggested that V'han might recruit the Warlord for just such a position, and I could certainly see Roger Warwell trying to turn the situation to his advantage. Frankly, I think it more likely that an Earthman like him would betray V'han than one of her own minions, who are well aware of what the Empress does to traitors.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Of all the published would-be conquerors of earth in the CU' date=' native, alien, or extradimensional, I can't think of a single one I'd side with against V'han if it came down to it. She's by far the least-bad option and the only one I'd consider doing business with.[/quote']

 

Agreed, although that is kind of damning with faint praise.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Sometimes I hate how creative you can be. This is not one of those times.

 

Simply brilliant!

 

QM

[Hermit]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

I once suggested that V'han might recruit the Warlord for just such a position' date=' and I could certainly see Roger Warwell trying to turn the situation to his advantage. Frankly, I think it more likely that an Earthman like him would betray V'han than one of her own minions, who are well aware of what the Empress does to traitors. [/quote']

 

Heh..

You mean like this from the plot seeds thread?

 

Warlord and Istvatha V'Han

RISK for real:Istvatha V'han sends a small group under command of a general to establish a 'toe hold' on Earth. However, her general makes a mistake by attempting to seize a section of land that happens to be a haven for the Warlord. The full force of the Shadow Army and Warmachine utterly crushes the overconfident intruders. Istavatha sends another emmisary, this one warns the Warlord to return the prisoners of war taken immediately. Warlord not only agrees, he makes a counter offer. He will help Istvatha seize control of this dimension, in return for the right to act as a terroritorial governor over it in fealty to her. When the Empress hears of it, the audacity of this human's ambition intrigues her. She agrees to a "test". The Warlord is given a small sample amount of her army to use to conquer a tiny nation of Earth. That 'small sample' consists of over 10,000 soldiers armed with extra-dimensional techonlogy. Is this the Warlord's dream come true? And is he content to be second in command? or is there a grander gambit at play here?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Heh..

You mean like this from the plot seeds thread?

 

Everything old is new again, ain't it?

[Hermit]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

Everything old is new again' date=' ain't it? [/quote']

 

Just building on the foundation... smooth like.

[Hermit]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

*bump*

 

Wasn't my intention to kill the thread

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

I figured it just got caught in the crossfire.

 

I must admit I haven't come up with anything to add yet.

[OddHat]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

With any conflict between V'han and Tyrannon, it might be fun to make clear to the players just how miserable life would be under Tyrannon by sending them on a trip through the Congaries. Let them see first hand what life is like under a dictator who sees the extermination of your race as, at best, a minor side effect of his schemes, if not a goal in and of itself.

 

Then, let them get a taste of V'han's enlightened monarchy (I always make it very Space Opera-Pulpish). Get them almost thinking that being under V'han might be on average an improvement compared to the people that govern most of the world.

 

Then let them run into V'han's equivalent of British occupied India, and let them see what military conquest and occupation look like even if the people at the top have relatively benign intentions.

 

It would make a good build up to kicking both of them back out of CU Earth.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The V'han/ Tyrannon War!

 

There ya go. This approach not only adds local color to the adventures, but enhances the role playing opportunities. It also lines up with a possible alliance with V'han being the lesser of two evils, although still leaving much to be desired.

 

(BTW the Congeries is Skarn's domain. Tyrannon's is called Thulkos. I know, it's easy to confuse them - they're similar in several ways. IMO both characters are their respective creator's takes on Dormammu, who started the whole "merging conquered dimensions" schtick.)