An Iomandra Campaign Backstory

I’ve been running Chris Perkins’s 4e homebrew campaign setting, Iomandra in my 5e home game, and we are really enjoying the newness of it all. My players were not familiar with it, and they’re committed to not looking anything up and just discovering the world as it’s presented to their characters. The low levels take place on their small home island, and their PCs really have little experience with the world just beyond their shores. But now they’ve hit level 6, and it’s time to step out into the larger world. I am giving them access to their own ship, since the world is a water world and they’ll need to get around.

When thinking about what stories and adventures to tell in Iomandra specifically, I felt like I wanted the world to be facing something in the background that may or may not involve the PCs. They can choose to explore it head on, or maybe the adventures they go on are in some small way tied to this thing happening in the background. Either way, it opens the door to creating adventures and involve the PCs in the world and its fate.

If you’re not familiar with Iomandra, here’s a fan made campaign document.

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The Dragovar Empire, long ruled by dragonborn emperors claiming lineage from the first great wyrms, has always paid homage to Io, the great father of dragonkind. However, no emperor has ever dared claim to be a true scion of Io—a divine descendant of the greatest of gods. Such a claim is not only blasphemous but also invitations for judgment from the true dragons of the world. Historically, any who have falsely declared themselves Io’s chosen were quickly silenced—by assassination, exile, or execution at the hands of an ancient dragon.

But now, the current Emperor Azunkhan IX, a dragonborn with an insatiable thirst for adventure, has made that claim boldly and openly, and two of the most powerful dragons in the known world—Auricanos the Golden and Malditar the Crimson—have come to judge him. Their arrival in the imperial city has sent shockwaves through the empire. Normally, a false claim would be swiftly refuted, yet these dragons have instead agreed to allow the emperor time to prove his lineage—suggesting that, just perhaps, the claim has some merit.

The emperor’s proof is said to lie within a lost imperial vault, sealed away centuries ago, containing a powerful relic tied to Io himself. If this relic exists, it could validate the emperor’s rule beyond all question, elevating him to near-divine status and ensuring the Dragovar Empire’s dominance for centuries. If the relic does not exist, the emperor will die for his heresy.

Now, the entire empire is on the hunt for the vault, as are the Sea Kings, rival factions, and even dissidents within the emperor’s own court who fear what will happen if he is proven right. If the emperor is truly a scion of Io, what does that mean for the balance of power? Will he become a benevolent god-king or a tyrant with divine right? And if the PCs find the vault first, do they hand over its secrets, sell them to the highest bidder, or use them for their own ends? The fate of the empire—and perhaps the world—hangs in the balance.

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I’m hoping this can lead to adventures where the PCs feel connected to the larger going-ons in the world and its happening. There are multiple ways adventures can intersect with this background plot.

Let me know what you think. I love the idea of Iomandra as a setting. It has just enough details in it to run it while allowing you to fill in plenty of blanks.

Adventure ideas to involve the players: 

1. The Vanishing of the Emperor’s Historian
   A key historian from the imperial archives has disappeared, and rumors swirl that they were searching for a long-lost text that could shed light on the emperor’s lineage. The PCs are hired by a nervous noble to track down the historian, who has gone into hiding after finding something in the archives that might confirm or deny the emperor’s claims. As the PCs investigate, they uncover ancient prophecies and cryptic clues that hint at the emperor’s true nature, though they are likely unaware of the larger implications.

2. The Sea King’s Vault Heist
   A Sea Kings is rumored to be planning a heist on an uncharted island, where an ancient hoard of magical treasures is hidden. The PCs are hired by a merchant aligned to a competing Sea King to explore the island, clear out the pirates, and secure the treasure. When they find the island, however, they discover strange arcane symbols that reference the lost vault of Io—indicating that the Sea Kings are looking for something far more dangerous than gold. The PCs must decide whether to intercept the treasure or continue to take down the pirates, unaware that the Sea Kings are also seeking something that could change the fate of the empire.

3. The Missing Vault Key
   A powerful artifact, said to be a key to a vault of untold treasures, has gone missing from a collector’s private museum. The PCs are approached by a former ally of Aubreck Drallion, who believes the artifact is connected to the emperor’s claims. The PCs find themselves tracking down the thief, unaware that this artifact could be linked to the proof of Io’s true heir. Along the way, they’ll encounter criminal organizations, mercenaries, and even rogue dragonborn who all want the key for their own purposes.

4. The Dragon’s Feather
   A small coastal town is plagued by rumors of a mysterious dragon feather washed ashore after a massive storm. The locals are selling the feather to the highest bidder, but as the PCs investigate, they uncover clues suggesting the feather once belonged to a legendary dragon who fought against Io’s enemies. The PCs are hired to retrieve the feather, but a Sea King’s agents, mercenaries, and even an eccentric scholar will stop at nothing to get it. The true significance of the feather may hold the key to unlocking the emperor’s secret…

5. The Imperial Relic Hunt
   A wealthy, eccentric noble hires the PCs to retrieve an ancient relic said to be tied to the Dragovar Empire’s early history, believing it could provide a great boon for their family’s fortunes. The PCs soon find themselves on a treacherous expedition into a long-abandoned fortress deep within the jungle. What begins as a simple treasure hunt quickly escalates as the PCs uncover hidden chambers, ancient texts, and dragonbone artifacts that seem to reference Io’s vault. Little do they know that their actions will lead them directly into a battle for the vault’s secrets, placing them squarely in the crossfire of powerful forces.
   

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