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I'm running a game, actually the story is based off of Chrono Trigger but with twists to make it Golarian-y, and coming up soon is a section where they travel to the age of darkness.
Anyone have any idea what the world is like? I figure I might cover the world in ash (mimicking the snow of 12,000 bc) and have the party beset by surface dwelling Drow. But other than that I can't really think of interesting environments for them to traverse.
I do intend on moving the kingdom of Shory into this age (the humans using it to get above the clouds of ash and soot). Anyone feel like shotgunning me some brainstorm? These forums never disappoint on creativity.
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A few things I can think of (well one main thing):
Food Scarcity
With no sun, most plant-life would die off, causing a chain reaction affecting all creatures that participate in Golarion's food chain. I could see the ability to magically produce nourishment being a huge deal, with the price of food for a long period of time being greater than most magical items. I would multiply the cost of rations in any settlement ten times its price, if not more. Characters able to magically produce food might be mobbed with desperate petitioners looking for a bite. I could see cannibalism thriving among races that would normally never even think of practicing it.
Undead Unchained Without the constraints of sunlight, a number of undead creatures that are normally vulnerable it would thrive in an age of darkness. Spectres, Wraiths, Vampires, and even Nightshades would be able to go unchecked throughout the regions. I suspect there would even be the equivalent of towns comprised completely of such creatures. This scarily enough makes the living a dwindling consumable resource that such creatures might even protect if only to ensure their continued food supply.
Light sensitivity A number of races could develop a trait over the years that causes the lack of light to form into sensitivity to it. Humans with darkvison or even other extra-sensory abilities might even evolve in this matter, only to have this trait culled when the sun returns centuries later.
Hope that helps!
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Hm, per canon, the Drow wouldn't have been on the surface, since they didn't turn into proper Drow until they were well underground. (No reason you can't or shouldn't tweak it of course).
But the points Rakshaka mentions are bang-on.
For Shory as Zeal... honestly, the parallels are pretty good as-is. Life in Shory is Good. Life on the ground is Bad.
Maybe mine some of the alien critters from Distant Worlds and other sources, have them traipsing about the wreckage- either hitchhikers from the original boom, or later fly-bys checking the place out.
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Gigantic orc empires should provide some good foes to fight.
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Don't forget giant (true giants, ogres, trolls) kingdoms where Tassilon was. Almost no elves and half-elves, no gnomes. Depending on timeline - no orcs, half-orcs and dwarfs. Nidal seen as the most safe place in Avistan region (no the best, just the safest).
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It was dark.
Drow wouldn't have existed yet. The Starstone falling drove away most Elves from Golarion, exiting through the elf gate (back to the planet Castroval, yes Elves are aliens). Some elves remained unwilling to leave their homes and instead went deep underground to avoid the destruction of Earthfall. These elves went too deeply though, and within the Underdark they were forever changed. It is unclear exactly what changed them, some theorize they came too close to Rovagug's prison in the center of Golarion. Regardless, Drow likely wouldn't be present on the surface yet.
You should also probably have almost no elves on Golarion. Dwarves and Orcs should emerge from the Underdark, the Orcs driven by the Dwarves in their Quest for the Sky.
Magical creation of food and sunlight would become more common, and more commoditised. I would also suggest that animals would become more scarce as food chains break down.
Should humanoid races (in particular) have issues with negatives to Constitution as they would be breathing in ash?
As per Claxon's reply, would it be useful to flip the usual dwarf good guy/orc bad guy trope? It would seem that the Dwarves are the aggressors.
Would there be pockets or oases of greenery in opening in the dust cloud? some may be legendary and there could be adventures in finding such locations.
With the increased activity of undead and emergence of Orcs, would there be an increase in the worshippers of Such as Rovagug? In a time when the good and Neutral Aligned Gods appear to have forsaken the land, worship of the evil and more productive deities may seem appealing.
Just a few thoughts.
Telling time was really hard.
As per Claxon's reply, would it be useful to flip the usual dwarf good guy/orc bad guy trope? It would seem that the Dwarves are the aggressors.
Sorry if my post was unclear or merely hinted.
The Dwarves are the reason that orcs are on the surface of Golarion.
Though calling the dwarves the "aggressors" may be unfair. The dwarves and orcs were enemies for an unknown amount of time before Earthfall and the Quest for the Sky. They are ancient bitter enemies.
In a conflict such as that, I don't really think it's fair to call either side the "aggressor". Both sides continue to commit acts of violence against the other for previous actions of the other side, perceived threats, and out of the necessity for survival. It's merely a cycle of violence.
Remember though, these dwarves while unyielding against the greenskins will be amicable to humans and other non-Darklands races while the Orcs will likely try to put humans into their cook pots. Much the same as they would with dwarves. Or anything else they can kill.
Orc society is harsh and brutal, no way around that.
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Drow wouldn't have existed yet. The Starstone falling drove away most Elves from Golarion, exiting through the elf gate (back to the planet Castroval, yes Elves are aliens). Some elves remained unwilling to leave their homes and instead went deep underground to avoid the destruction of Earthfall. These elves went too deeply though, and within the Underdark they were forever changed. It is unclear exactly what changed them, some theorize they came too close to Rovagug's prison in the center of Golarion. Regardless, Drow likely wouldn't be present on the surface yet.
But you could have renegade elves who were left behind intentionally by the elites who fled to Castrovel - criminals or otherwise undesirables, etc.
Anyhoo, I think it's a pretty cool idea for a campaign, especially with the idea of having a Shory flying city surveying the wreckage.
You might have aliens who were on the Starstone make an appearance; have Azlanti refugees/invaders showing up in proto-Taldor/Cheliax; ancient evils aroused from their slumber by the impact; detail the creation of the Gillmen; the spread of the dark faith of Zon Kuthon; cannibalism; lots of different hooks in that setting idea.
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You could also do the off shoot idea of a part of the Azlanti Empire being able to be saved by transporting a section to another pocket dimension. They could make guest appearances to help jump start the Taldan empire and other empires like the Jistka.
You also have Osirion and it's Sky Pharaohs and their beginning.
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Construct squids that keep humans and others in giant towers to use them for biomagical power...
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Construct squids that keep humans and others in giant towers to use them for biomagical power...
Then you could have a campaign-within-a-campaign of people collectively dreaming of an illusory Azlanti Empire - those who know it's a dream can give themselves Mythic powers while in it.
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"You take the blue potion, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red potion, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."
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"You take the brown potion, you wake up with the mother of all hangovers and wish you'd never dreamt of drinking potions ever again."