Campaign Overview

In "Flesh and Shadow: The Rise of Fleshcraft," players are submerged into a world where the dark art of Fleshcraft, the grafting of living beings into monstrous golems, has attracted the attention of rogue wizards and shadowy cults. This practice, deemed taboo and unethical, has spread like wildfire through criminal networks, and now horrifying constructs walk the streets as assassins, servants, and spies. As the balance of life is threatened, the heroes are called to stem the tide of these abhorrent creations.

Setting

Set in the bustling city-state of Eldryn, once a beacon of magical learning, the air now hangs heavy with dread. Gangs of Fleshcraft practitioners roam the underbelly of society, using their creations to enforce their rule, while the city’s law and magical institutions struggle to maintain order. Key locations include:
- The Arcane Citadel: The center of magical research where scholars are disturbed by the rise of Fleshcraft.
- The Catacombs of Eldryn: Ancient tunnels beneath the city, rumored to house Fleshcraft laboratories.
- The Guildhall of the Sentient: A refuge for victims of Fleshcraft, where half-formed abominations seek redemption.

Main Quest

The main quest revolves around uncovering the source of this resurgence of Fleshcraft. Players must gather intelligence on rogue cults, unravel the participation of local magicians, and confront the Cult of the Transformed—an organization dedicated to evolving the very fabric of life through Fleshcraft.

Side Quest

Players may encounter victims of Fleshcraft's cruelty—an injured creature with vestiges of human emotion pleading for help to locate a lost kin, now part of a crime lord's beloved Fleshcraft minion.

Objectives and Challenges

Players will need to:
- Investigate Fleshcraft operations and gain allies among disenfranchised outcasts.
- Face off against Fleshcrafted golems and wizards in various encounters requiring both combat and cunning.
- Navigate political tensions as some factions may desire to exploit Fleshcraft rather than eliminate it.

Central Events

The campaign can be triggered when players assist the city's guards after an attack by Fleshcrafted beasts. They will soon learn about the cult's bigger plan to unleash a grand Fleshcraft monstrosity into the heart of Eldryn.

Rewards

By thwarting the Fleshcraft operations, players earn the respect of the city’s leaders, magical artifacts that combat aberrations, and spells that let them temporarily harness the abilities of those impacted by Fleshcraft—turned weapons for their own quest against oppression.
As they delve deeper, they may also unearth truths that might even alter their perspective of life and the body itself, offering a moral duel that could change their characters forever.