I'm in the process of planning a campaign and in it there are going to be Dream Sequences that all of the players will get due to a common magical bond and I was wondering how I did in detailing the contents. I'm trying to give the players a good feel of the bad guy and his personality since they won't get to actually meet him in game until the end of the campaign.
Any feedback would be great. Let me know what you think. I know the contents are long but i think they are ok (biased opintion though) and I tried to make them interesting enough to keep the players attention. Thanks in advance to any who read this and post comments. FYI: I'm running the game using the Pathfinder Campaign Setting.
Dream Sequence 1
A man walks swiftly down a long hallway, his black cloak whipping about behind him. He is an older man of Chelaxian heritage, but with his strong stature and thin body he looks to be in the shape of a man half his age. His hair is short and his goatee fashionably trimmed, both completely gray. Underneath his cloak is a black military uniform with a red sash slung across it, fashioned to a golden button on the shoulder. The sash is pulled tight and flattened against his chest, allowing a silver rank insignia to be seen clearly. Slung over the same shoulder is a black leather strap that connects too a beautiful gold and silver rod, held firmly in his armpit. A black leather sheath is attached to his back and holds a sword whose hilt is masterly crafted and dyed a bright blood red. His armor clanks and his breathing grows heavier as he hurries down the hallway, never breaking into a run. The hallway is long but he does not falter in his speed. Along the white marble wall of the hallway are paintings of people, all with scowls or angry looks on their faces. The floor is lined with beautiful carpet that gives off a crimson red hue. At the end of the hallway are two large white marble doors. As the man reaches them, he places his hands on the golden door knobs, turns them and pushes them open.
Music fills the air. The room is enormous and filled with exotic furniture and art. There are a variety of colors; whites, browns, gold, bronze, silver, blues, greens, each color working with the others to make the mood of the room feel warm and welcoming. Ornate furniture, all of which are beautifully crafted and could easily value more than a house, are strategically placed around the room. Artwork hangs along the walls; some of random objects, others of nature. Across from the double doors is a marble fire place with a portrait of a man hanging above it. This portrait is different from the other portrait’s the hung in the hallway, although the artwork is similar. The man is dressed in a white cloak over his black and gold outfit underneath. The gold is stitched in a way that resembles a military insignia, although it isn’t clear what rank it might be. The way he is portrayed make it seem as if he is sturdy, like that of a mountain. He has an athletic build and has his hands behind his back. His unnaturally green eyes stand out due to his short, jet black hair. He is clean shaven which helps to accentuate his facial structure and lightly tanned skin. The one feature that makes this portrait different from all the other is that he is smiling, displaying perfectly straight and pure white teeth. Although this type of person is alien and rare in the world, the is a strange beauty about him.
The music seems to be coming from one of the far corners. The man takes a moment to collect himself and smoothes his clothes before strolling over towards the music’s origin. The music is beautiful and smooth, making the environment of the room even more calm and welcoming. A black box sits in the corner with its top propped open. Inside are a number of different strings, blocks, and such.
“Imperial Gover…”
“SHHHHHHH!” responds a man from the other side of the box in which you can’t see as of yet. The music continues for a while before coming to a slow and graceful stop. The musician stands up from his seat. It is the same man from the portrait above the fireplace. He is a tall man, standing about 6 foot 4 inches in height. He takes a moment to look at the man standing across from him before walking around the instrument. He looks exactly as the portrait portrayed him, even the clothes. The only difference is that now, he is not smiling. He moved over to the open lid of the instrument, shut it gently, and then faced the man.
“Music.” he says while looking at the man and speaking in a serious tone. “It is the most amazing thing in this world. It can make the most depressed person want to dance. It can make the most black hearted man break down into tears. It helps us remember, as well as forget. It can heal our emotional and spiritual wounds, as well as our physical ones.” He pauses for a moment. “The piano is my favorite instrument,” he continued while running his hand lightly on the piano’s surface. “When I play it, I feel care free. Weightless. Light. Like I once did when I was only a child.”
“I apologize, Imperial Governor,” says the other man. His voice is deep and he says this in a very respectable tone, without fear, and with much honor. “I know how much you enjoy mus….”
“Quit apologizing, General Fleischer,” the Imperial Governor says calmly. He places his hand on the general’s shoulder and firmly grips it as an old friend would and then silently strolls over to a comfortable looking chair and sits down. He opens a box placed on a small table next to him and pulls a pipe out of it. He strikes a tinder twig and lights his pipe. After a few short puffs to keep the contents lit, he grabs another pips and offers it to the general. “Please, sit and smoke with me and let us discuss business.”
“Well, Imperial Governor, we have succeeded in the initial push into Nirmathas. They couldn’t stop our advancement. We quickly moved into Tamran and as soon as we crippled their forces we started the refortifications. They won’t be able to take back the city now. Our calvary units ran down the cowards heading into the forest; only a few actually made it in safely. They stopped their pursuit there and are now awaiting further orders.”
“Very well indeed, General. You did well. I knew when I picked you to lead this campaign that you were the only man who could complete this task. How many loses did we incur?”
“Remarkably, we only lost 40 men total. I was shocked and didn’t believe the report myself when I read it, but my officers assure me that their counts are correct. To say that your advanced and more intensive training program was successful would be disrespectful understatement.”
“And what of the men’s morale?”
“Like they were made of stone, Imperial Governor.”
Raziel sat back and took a few long, slow drags from his pipe. His gaze was fixed upon the ceiling as they sat there in silence for a few moments. Without removing his gaze, he said, “General Khaeser just left about an hour ago. He will move his troops into Backar Forest tomorrow at dawn. At the same time, your troops will advance into Fangwood Forest and crush whatever is left of the resistance.” He then rose from his chair and proceeded to walk back towards the piano. The General stood as well and followed behind him.
“Backar Forest?” Fleischer asked. “Imperial Governor, we haven’t been able to take control of that region in years.”
Raziel spun around with supernatural speed and slammed his fist down on the piano‘s lid, which filled the room with an unearthly sound. “The time has come for change, Fleischer!” His voice was sharp, almost like that of a sword. Outside the windows, clouds could be seen moving overhead and in what seemed like an instant, they had blocked out the sun, and the once naturally lit room which felt warm and welcoming now felt cold and dark. Like fear. Like death. “What does it matter if we own the entire world if we cannot control one piece of land in our country of origin?!”
The General looked shocked from this outburst. The Imperial Governor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “How can I lead a nation if I don’t deliver the results I promised them?” Sunlight slowly filled the room again as the unearthly sound slowly faded from existence. The room now felt warm again.
“You can’t, Imperial Governor.”
“Head back downstairs and have the servant girls give you a bath. Get them to clean your armor and fetch you fresh clothing. Meet me at the stables in two hours. We have a long ride ahead of us if we are to lead the troops tomorrow.”
General Fleischer had a puzzled look on his face. “We, Imperial Governor?”
“Yes.” He swiftly crossed the room and opened up two doors in the corner. Inside was a divinely crafted black scythe lying on a table. The handle was perfectly straight and arcane runes that decorated the blade radiated a mysterious green hue. “I will ride with you into Fangwood tomorrow,” he said as he picked up the weapon. “ Lead by example. To win the trust of the people, you have to show them you’re not afraid to get your hand dirty.”
They will all vividly remember the details since its magical. They won't know that everyone had the same dream unless they discuss it afterwards.