# Chandrian Campaign Arc
## Endgame Structure & Escalation
---
## Table of Contents
1. [Campaign Overview](#campaign-overview)
2. [The Chandrian: Lore & Abilities](#the-chandrian-lore--abilities)
3. [Escalation Path: Signs & Encounters](#escalation-path-signs--encounters)
4. [The Seven Marks](#the-seven-marks)
5. [Chandrian Enemies & Servants](#chandrian-enemies--servants)
6. [The Erasure Mechanic](#the-erasure-mechanic)
7. [True Name Research](#true-name-research)
8. [Faction Response & Coalitions](#faction-response--coalitions)
9. [Campaign Acts & Milestones](#campaign-acts--milestones)
10. [Endgame Confrontation](#endgame-confrontation)
---
## Campaign Overview
The Chandrian Campaign Arc is the overarching narrative structure of your Temerant campaign. It escalates from rumors and strange signs → direct encounters → true name discovery → final confrontation.
This arc can span 15-30 sessions, depending on party pace and engagement.
### Campaign Philosophy
The Chandrian are not enemies to be fought directly for the first 10+ sessions. Instead:
- Early game: Party encounters signs, learns history, collects stories
- Mid-game: Direct encounters with Chandrian agents; narrow escapes
- Late game: Race to discover true names before erasure spreads
- Endgame: Coalition against Chandrian or sacrifice/escape
The campaign teaches players that the Chandrian are not killable through conventional combat. They are beings of terrible power, potentially serving cosmic purposes. Defeating them requires understanding, names, or unlikely alliances.
---
## The Chandrian: Lore & Abilities
The Chandrian are seven (plus their leader, Haliax) ancient beings of immense power and mystery. Their origin, goals, and methods remain partially obscured, even to scholars of the Amyr and University.
### Historical Context
The Creation War:
Before recorded history, reality itself was shaped by the Singers—beings of immense power who could reshape the world through song and will. The most powerful Singers were the Ergen Empire's founders. A catastrophic conflict (the Creation War) shattered the old world. The Chandrian may have been:
- Original Singers turned mad
- Entities from outside Temerant
- Remnants of the old world attempting to undo the new
- Demons summoned during the war
No scholar knows for certain.
### The Seven Chandrian
| Number | Title/Name | Specialty | Appearance | Known Alias |
|--------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|
| 1 | The Blighted | Plague, disease, erasure | Pale, marked | Unknown |
| 2 | The Burned | Fire, destruction, wrath | Scarred, handless | Unknown |
| 3 | The Hollow | Voices, song, madness | Lovely but wrong | Unknown |
| 4 | The Silent | Shadows, darkness, absence | Invisible (often) | Unknown |
| 5 | The Scarred | Pain, violence, suffering | Marked with seven signs | Unknown |
| 6 | The Driven | Obsession, compulsion | Eyes burning | Unknown |
| 7 | The Faithful | Haliax's servant, loyalty | Uncertain (various forms) | Haliax's chosen |
Haliax (the Lord): The leader of the seven. Nearly omnipotent in scope. Rarely appears directly. Primarily acts through agents and the Seven.
### Chandrian Abilities (GM Reference)
| Ability | Effect | Cost | Limitation |
|---------|--------|------|-----------|
| Erasure | Remove person/thing from existence; all memory gone | Ritual (1 hour) | Requires sympathetic anchor |
| Naming | Use personal true names to control mortals | Knowledge | Rare; only known mortals use this |
| Possession | Enter and control mortal body | Life/soul | Victim is destroyed |
| True Form | Reveal essence (devastating to witnesses) | Power | Requires extreme effort |
| Immortality | Cannot age, disease, or hunger | Inherent | Cannot be killed by conventional means |
| Glamour | Deception and false appearance | Will | Perfect illusions; mortals cannot disbelieve |
| Sign Marking | Mark victim with seven-pointed star | Ritual (brief) | Victim dies within hours unless healed |
### Chandrian Weaknesses
1. True Names: Knowing a Chandrian's true name grants power over them (Amyr goal)
2. Sunlight: Chandrian are weakened in direct sunlight (prefer night/shadow)
3. Iron: Iron disrupts Chandrian power (similar to sympathetic links)
4. Adem: The Adem are one of few mortal groups that can damage Chandrian physically
5. Lack of Coordination: The seven have conflicting goals; they do not always cooperate
6. Binding: Ancient contracts and bindings can constrain Chandrian (requires extraordinary power)
---
## Escalation Path: Signs & Encounters
### Act One: Rumors & Investigation (Sessions 1-5)
Players encounter the Chandrian through signs and stories, not direct combat.
Session 1-2: The First Sign
- Party encounters evidence of Chandrian activity
- Options:
- Dead village with "sign" (seven-pointed star carved/burned)
- NPC marked with sign (will die unless healed)
- Strange lights or phenomena
- Burned buildings with no explanation
Investigation DC: 14 Arcana or History to recognize the sign as Chandrian
NPCs Introduce Lore:
- Local priest: "It is a demon, surely. The sign of heresy."
- Ruh performer: "Old stories speak of seven. My grandmother warned..."
- Doctor: "I've seen this mark before. The victim dies regardless of medical intervention."
- Amyr contact (if party has connection): "You've found evidence. We must act carefully."
Party Options:
- Investigate the site (DC 13 Survival to track Chandrian movement)
- Interview survivors (learn Chandrian behavior, methods)
- Seek historical knowledge (University library, Amyr archives)
- Attempt healing (DC 16 Healing or higher magic to remove mark)
Encounter: Chandrian servant (not a true Chandrian) arrives to finish business. Combat possible but beatable; servant flees when injured.
### Act One: Escalation (Sessions 6-10)
Chandrian activity increases. Party realizes this is coordinated, not random.
Signs of Escalation:
- Multiple marked locations within weeks
- Specific targets (scholars, Ruh performers, Adem warriors)
- Pattern emerges: all targets knew something dangerous
- Party realizes they are being tested/observed
Major Encounter: The Faceless Man (or similar agent)
- Chandrian agent confronts party directly
- Offers a choice:
- "Join us, and survive"
- "Stop investigating, and survive"
- "Flee to the farthest corners of Temerant"
- (or party fights; agent defeats them unless they possess iron/names)
- This encounter should feel unwinnable if fought directly
- Party learns the Chandrian are aware of their investigation
Potential Casualty: One party member or cherished NPC is marked. Race begins to find healing before death.
Coalition Formation: Amyr makes contact if party has not already. University expresses concern. Church launches inquisitions (both help and hinder party).
---
### Act Two: The War Beneath (Sessions 11-18)
Realization dawns: the Chandrian are escalating toward something. Multiple factions mobilize.
Faction Tensions:
- University wants to study/understand Chandrian; prioritizes knowledge over lives
- Amyr wants to destroy Chandrian; will sacrifice anything for victory
- Church wants to contain/exorcise them; launches inquisitions against suspected warlocks
- Tarbean Underground wants profit/chaos; sometimes aids Chandrian for payment
- Adem emerges as unexpected ally; Chandrian have ancient history with Adem
- Ruh are targeted; many performers killed; troupe elders gather to warn
Party Conflict:
At some point, party must choose sides:
- Work with Amyr (accept secretive, ruthless methods)
- Work with University (accept moral ambiguity)
- Work independently (very difficult; fewer resources)
- Oppose all factions (dangerous; everyone becomes enemy)
Major Revelation:
Party discovers that one faction member or ally is Chandrian-marked or corrupted. Betrayal/revelation combats.
True Name Research Begins:
- Party seeks to learn true name of at least one Chandrian
- Requires dangerous library research, Fae contact, or captured Chandrian servant
- Each name learned unlocks power but also marks party as serious threat
- Chandrian response becomes lethal (direct assassination attempts)
Midpoint Moment (Session 15 or so):
- Major NPC dies (possibly by erasure)
- One party member is nearly killed/marked/cursed
- Party gains intelligence about Chandrian's ultimate goal (varies by campaign)
---
### Act Three: The Gathering Storm (Sessions 19-27)
Escalation reaches fever pitch. Chandrian move toward endgame.
Faction Coalitions Form:
- Amyr + University (uneasy alliance for knowledge/power)
- Church + remaining nobles (fear-based religious response)
- Ruh + Adem (ancient alliance against Chandrian)
- Tarbean Underground + darker forces (chaos/profit)
Major Battles:
- Open conflict between factions may erupt
- Chandrian or their agents attack faction strongholds
- Church inquisitions kill innocents in panic
- Forests burn, cities flood, strange phenomena escalate
Party Becomes Key:
If party has discovered any true names, they become pivotal. Options:
- Deliver name to Amyr for assault
- Guard name against all others who would steal it
- Use name themselves (dangerous; requires summoning/binding)
- Bargain with other names (Fae, Adem, etc.) for power
Cascading Failures:
- Not all faction attempts to stop Chandrian work
- Some battles are lost; important locations destroyed
- Allies are killed; hope seems to fade
- Party must decide: continue or flee?
The Erasure Spreads:
If Chandrian cannot be stopped, erasure begins:
- Entire towns forgotten (survivors don't remember them)
- Landmarks vanish from maps
- Historical records rewrite themselves
- Party may encounter "rewritten" areas where their knowledge is wrong
---
## The Seven Marks
When a Chandrian marks someone with the seven-pointed star, that person is condemned. Understanding the mark is crucial to the campaign.