I've been toying around with this idea for a while. Here's the core idea:
The City of Arkhan is ruled by a virtual god on Earth, Immortal Overlord Demetrius, Slayer of Gods. He is said to be of immortal blood and is certainly the most powerful known fighter in the world. Or at least this continent. He has ruled for hundreds of years with no signs of aging or moving on to other things. Great and terrible Beasts roamed the world before he came to rule the city; he established his right to rule by slaying them.
Arkhan has a long tradition of gladiatorial games, but in the last few decades, Immortal Overlord Demetrius has taken this further with the creation of the Testing Grounds, a vast underground dungeon full of beasts, traps, and treasures; some prisoners are sentenced to become part of its contents; others are sent down to fight the contents with the promise there is an exit at the far end, if only they can get there...good luck.
Professional adventurers have also arisen who challenge the Testing Grounds for fun and profit; the city increasingly attracts people hoping to get rich quick.
Events of note in the dungeons are projected to great crystal balls around the city where the people may gather for free and watch the exploits of heroic adventurers and condemned prisoners who take on the testing grounds, which are constantly being reconfigured. So far, 8 prisoners only out of thousands have managed to make it to one of the exits, but hundreds of adventurers have delved into it...and many more have perished.
The Setting has a big secret: The Immortal Overlord is tired of being alive; his goal is to find or create a group of people who will become potent enough to KILL HIM. Long ago, aided by allies now long dead (some of them by his own hands), he defeated the tarrasque and forged its remains into a suit of armor which made him virtually invincible. However, it was not quite so dead as he hoped; his armor over time fused with him, transforming him into a half-human, half-tarrasque monstrosity, though he uses illusions to maintain the pretense of normality. He has tired of the burdens of rulership, tired of life, but he is now basically immortal and the survival instincts of his tarasque half prevent him killing himself directly. His annhilation of the Great Beasts which once roamed the lands effectively means there are few things left that can kill him. But he hopes his Proving Grounds can hone a party to the point where it will be strong enough to kill him. And he hopes his generally oppressive rule will provide them with a motive. He wants to die now, before he totally loses himself to the growing power of the tarrasque in him.
So how does it sound as a setup for a mega-dungeon?
The City of Arkhan is ruled by a virtual god on Earth, Immortal Overlord Demetrius, Slayer of Gods. He is said to be of immortal blood and is certainly the most powerful known fighter in the world. Or at least this continent. He has ruled for hundreds of years with no signs of aging or moving on to other things. Great and terrible Beasts roamed the world before he came to rule the city; he established his right to rule by slaying them.
Arkhan has a long tradition of gladiatorial games, but in the last few decades, Immortal Overlord Demetrius has taken this further with the creation of the Testing Grounds, a vast underground dungeon full of beasts, traps, and treasures; some prisoners are sentenced to become part of its contents; others are sent down to fight the contents with the promise there is an exit at the far end, if only they can get there...good luck.
Professional adventurers have also arisen who challenge the Testing Grounds for fun and profit; the city increasingly attracts people hoping to get rich quick.
Events of note in the dungeons are projected to great crystal balls around the city where the people may gather for free and watch the exploits of heroic adventurers and condemned prisoners who take on the testing grounds, which are constantly being reconfigured. So far, 8 prisoners only out of thousands have managed to make it to one of the exits, but hundreds of adventurers have delved into it...and many more have perished.
The Setting has a big secret: The Immortal Overlord is tired of being alive; his goal is to find or create a group of people who will become potent enough to KILL HIM. Long ago, aided by allies now long dead (some of them by his own hands), he defeated the tarrasque and forged its remains into a suit of armor which made him virtually invincible. However, it was not quite so dead as he hoped; his armor over time fused with him, transforming him into a half-human, half-tarrasque monstrosity, though he uses illusions to maintain the pretense of normality. He has tired of the burdens of rulership, tired of life, but he is now basically immortal and the survival instincts of his tarasque half prevent him killing himself directly. His annhilation of the Great Beasts which once roamed the lands effectively means there are few things left that can kill him. But he hopes his Proving Grounds can hone a party to the point where it will be strong enough to kill him. And he hopes his generally oppressive rule will provide them with a motive. He wants to die now, before he totally loses himself to the growing power of the tarrasque in him.
So how does it sound as a setup for a mega-dungeon?
