Originally posted September 2007

So yesterday I had the concept of taking Scifi/fantasy films, swapping their settings, and repackaging them as RPG campaigns. Let’s see how the first one goes.

In the reign of King Aric IV, the evil artificer Skanath began his endgame. Long at war with one another, Aric IV and his rival, Elessar II, escalated their border wars until they had proved they were equally matched. Each turned, unbeknownst to the other, to Skanath for a golem army. Skanath obliged, placed his golems in crucial positions in each kingdom, and then turned on all sides, obliterating their militaries in a single master stroke. All in the kingdoms that were not killed were forced into slavery, serving at Skanath’s pleasure as he built more and more golems to pacify the neighboring countries.

We rebelled. Skanath’s armies were mighty, but the human spirit prevailed, all inspired by the great paladin Conner. We threw down the walls of Skanath’s tower and dragged him before our leader, but Skanath only had a smile of contempt and hollow laughter. Behind him, a great sigil had been inked, and our wizards sensed a mystic violation of the very boundaries of time. Skanath had sent back a mighty iron golem, cloaked in illusions, and with a single command: hunt down and kill the leaders of the resistance before they were even born.

There was enough power in the rite to send one more through, and Conner, though I understood not his wisdom, sent me back. I have come to you now, in the era of ailing King Aric III, to protect our future. We may strive to keep the states of Aric and Elessar from their costly war and from their alliance with Skanath but, above all, we must stay hidden from the golem that was sent back to destroy all of our hope. For if Conner and his lieutenants are killed, our future is slaves forever.