Ode to the Renaissance Campaign Primer

The date is May 24, 764.  Precisely 25 years since The Age of Coalescence came to a close, ending the apocalyptic disaster that was the Moon Plague, a therianthropic disease which was the Avatar of the time - the latest disaster brought forth by The World of Forms and it's ever-spinning wheel.  Scholars everywhere agree the new age is already upon Prima, but none are yet certain of it's nature.  There is no global threat.  No obvious disaster looming on the horizon.  It is the dawn of a new era, and so far every indication is that it shall be a prosperous one.  Some scholars are even beginning to ask the question - will the next Form create a disaster at all?  Perhaps there is no apocalypse coming for the time being at all.  Perhaps the people of Prima finally have a chance to rest and recover - to rebuild and prepare for what is to come. 

Intern. Rail

One such optimist is a halfling by the name of Craig.  Formally an intern working for Murdoch, the Tabaxi who left Prima to attempt to reach the moon,  Craig is now the CEO of Intern. Rail, a well-funded company founded to bring the wonders of the modern railroad to the continent of Olox.  The nation of Stasterry, where the company was founded, already has rail lines connecting all major cities.  Meanwhile, a new line is being constructed east of Rainwatch, leading into the nation of Esma.  It will stop first in Kilead, then climb northward to reach the capital city of Polaris.  From there Craig hopes to expand eastward, through Milcia, across a bridge to Montia, and then spreading out to reach the other eastern nations.  Eventually Craig hopes to connect the entire mainland of Olox.

Pitch 1: Ride the Rails

Explore the Olox mainland on a long time-scale, watching the world change and grow over time as the rail network expands and begins to transform lives.  Live aboard the Jörmungandr, a massive marvel of engineering capable of slowly laying rail as it travels.  Features a small cast of regular faces (the crew aboard the train itself) alongside a rotating cast of other NPCs as the network expands and Intern. Rail reaches new towns.  Jörmungandr is a hungry beast, so you must manage your resources, gain new business, revisit old locations, and perform mercenary work throughout Olox in order to keep supplied and make your deadlines.  But be warned, not everyone will be glad to see the innovation that is the modern railroad disrupt their way of life.  Rumors abound that there is something sinister about Jörmungandr, but those are just rumors... right?

Fallen Angels

In the city of New Neprius, the well-lit underwater capital of the Elemental Plane of Water, a traveling carnival known as the Fallen Angels is about to set out on a secret project.  Their leader, Moriarty, meets with the local gods Zerrof, Mazu, and Deep Sashelas behind closed doors.  A decision is made - he and his merry band will travel to every plane in The multiverse.  The work is apparently of critical importance, but it's nature is a well-guarded secret.

Pitch 2: Transplanar Carnies

Join the Fallen Angels, consisting of three NPCs from OttL (Moriarty, Chungus, Shortstop) as well as two new "officers", Puff and Scurvy.  Go on a magical whirlwind tour, visiting every known plane as you seek out the Planar Beacons, for reasons unknown even to you.  Watch the small cast come together and grow.  Visit places that range from the peaceful and friendly Elysium to the harsh, unforgiving depths of The Abyss.  Perform shows.  Avert disaster.  Features recurring visits to the city of Sigil. 

Eversong

Deep in the treachorous jungles of Keridland lies the village of Eversong.  This normally-sleepy village is bursting with tourists, all of whom came in response to strange dreams.  Dreams that told them to come.  Told them Eversong would soon fall to ruin if aid is not rendered.  The source of the dreams is unknown, but a wide variety of adventurers and scholars have come to investigate, stretching the limited living space to capacity and then some.  Three such visitors are traveling bards from The Moonlight Covenant: Memento Ipsum, Amadeus, and Legosi.  One fateful evening, the peace and curiosity is broken by disaster.  A massive monsoon appears.  Plant life struck by the rain grows massive.  Buildings deteriorate rapidly.  Those caught in the storm age extremely quickly.  Eventually, the town is engulfed... and morning comes again.  The village is now doomed to repeat the same disaster over and over again.
The bards from The Moonlight Covenant rush through the jungle, fleeing an oncoming storm. Legosi stumbles and falls behind. The others hesitate. Should they go back? As they debate, a massive explosion erupts behind them. Memento Ipsum and Amadeus creep over the hill to see a massive crater - it looks as though a tavern of some sort has fallen out of the sky. The area around the crater is totally destroyed, but the building itself is in remarkably good condition. A halfling in a strange sort of tracksuit climbs out, then fiddles with a glowing panel on his arm. Unfortunately the halfling has a poor grasp on common. Attempts to communicate take far too long, and they are overtaken once more.

Pitch 3: Timefall

At the beginning of the next cycle, Legosi wanders the town, looking for a band of adventurers to accompany them back to the impact site and find out what is going on.  Join these bards on their quest to uncover the truth and save Eversong from it's plight.  Repeat the same three days in different ways to solve the mystery.  Escape - or perhaps even prevent - the Timefall.  Gain insights to the strange inner workings of time, fate, free will, and the cosmology of Prima.  Features only a single town with a fixed cast during the first arc followed by much more open world exploration after successfully leaving Eversong.

Montia

Life has been changing throughout Olox, but no nation's recent transformations have been as dramatic as that of the proud dragonborn nation of Montia.  A revolution by House Klaedris towards the end of The Age of Coalescence ousted the then-king Ectraph Acdri in favor of a vampire known as Ulmec Soriel.  He and his wife Hinfyire Soriel divvied up the majority of the country among the members of House Klaedris, bringing about an era of unparalleled peace and cooperation in the country.  Not all is well, however, as the new rulers welcome vampires and Moon Plague patients from throughout The multiverse to come and make their homes.  These new citizens have the full support of the nobility, but still face considerable discrimination from the rest of the populace.  Local authorities are stretched thin, and turning to mercenaries to help manage some of the day-to-day threats.

Pitch 4: Soulswords

Though neither vampiric nor therianthropic, perhaps the most controversial of the new arrivals to Ukapia is the Fresh Start Soul Traders - an organization founded by Dreamonskii, an ambassador hailing from Avernus under orders from Penguin.  The soul traders operate under the heavily regulated approval of the new leadership, trading in souls (or much more commonly, portions thereof).  Typically this takes the form of either large payments or loans for a small portion of the seller's soul.  This effectively requires sellers to serve Penguin (or, rarely, other buyers) for portions of their afterlife, in large blocks of time for the rest of eternity.
This has brought rise to a certain kind of mercenary known as Soulswords to Ukapia.  These individuals are adventurers, usually having purchased their adventuring equipment with money from the Fresh Start Soul Traders, who do mercenary work in order to pay off their debts and buy their souls back.  In many cases they do work issued by the Fresh Start Soul Traders themselves, but they will usually take whatever kind of work they can find.  Your party is involved with this somehow.  Are you Soulswords yourselves?  Are you normal adventurers trying to compete with the better-equipped mercenaries that have traded their futures away for better gear?  Or perhaps you are being hunted by them in some way.  Have a direct hand in Montia's ongoing cultural transformation.  Act as (or escape from) bounty hunters in a nation still trying to come to grips with it's new identity.  See the birthplace of The Moonlight Covenant.  Encounter a sizable cast of NPCs from OttL.

The Toad's Boardwalk

Another place seeing considerable changes in the new age is The Toad's Boardwalk.  Natsu now rules the Astral Sea, bringing some much-needed method and order back to the process of death.  While the ships that roam the seas are still operated by Olidammara, The Toad's Boardwalk itself is now under the domain of Natsu.  Those passing through the Astral Sea who are seeking guidance on where to spend eternity are given council by members of The Moonlight Covenant, or even by Natsu herself should they wish to make the pilgrimage to her castle.  Unfortunately, she is not the only newcomer.  Demons from The Abyss have taken to roving the Astral Sea, capturing and enslaving anyone they can get their hands on.

Pitch 5: Astral Sailors

Serve as the crew of one of the many ships on the Astral Sea, taking orders from both Olidammara and Natsu.  Collect the dead, help them decide where to spend their days, and escort them to their destinations.  Learn about the events in the Prime Material Plane secondhand, through the lens of those who have died there.  Encounter beings from many places, from all walks of life.  NPCs come and go as you guide them on their way.  Fight off demonic pirates. navigate stormy seas.  Repel an invasion.

Pitch 6: Ouroboros

Meanwhile, The Wandering Tavern has it's own dock at the castle.  It is inhabited by the members of Ouroboros, a shady organization that undermines and steals from "wealthy assholes" of all kinds, ranging from white collar criminals to powerful politicians to powerful gods.  Engage in heists and other sorts of covert operations.  Play a small part in many events throughout The multiverse.  Maintain a balance.  Always have a home base to come back to when the going gets tough. 

The Shifting Desert

Four elven youths stand together next to The Wandering Door.  Today it points to The Shifting Desert, an entirely new, unexplored plane, and multiple teams of Doormen are already there.  Researching, learning.  Writing articles.  These four are nervous.  They can fight, but they are not trained adventurers.  They are The Editors, Vulluin, Vulmon, Devdan, and Jhaan.  They have come to confirm some strange reports that have been coming from the field.  Creatures made of smoke?  Of plants?  Constant shapeshifting?  An unknown language?  Someone had to find out if these reports were true or if there was some kind of illusions going on.  That was their job... but they need an escort.

Pitch 7: Explorers

You are that escort.  Spend at least one plot arc, if not the whole campaign, babysitting these not-quite-adventurers as they try to learn, confirm reports, and nitpick grammatical nuances.  Explore an entirely homebrew desert plane.  Meet mysterious, alien life forms unlike anything seen before.  Find ways to communicate.  Manage your resources carefully as you trek across an infinite desert.  Bring them home alive.  Features recurring visits to the city of Sigil.  Might be feasible to carry over characters from OttC if we start the game at a high level.