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age-of-umbra-overview

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Age of Umbra Overview

📚 Official Sources

  • Daggerheart Core Rule Book: Campaign frame designed by Matthew Mercer
  • Critical Role Miniseries: 8-part survival fantasy series (May-July 2025)
  • Critical Role Wiki: Age of Umbra and Halcyon Domain

🎯 Campaign Relevance

The Age of Umbra serves as the foundational setting for our Daggerheart campaign, providing the dark, survival-focused backdrop against which our heroes’ stories unfold in Desperloch and the broader Halcyon Domain.

📖 Core Concept

The Age of Umbra is a dark survival fantasy campaign frame set in the Halcyon Domain, a realm abandoned by the gods over a century ago. This world embodies themes of apocalypse, corruption, darkness vs. light, hope, redemption, and survival.

The Great Abandonment

Over a century ago, the God-King Othedias disappointed the Veiled Gods, causing an event known as the Apostasy. In retaliation, the deities abandoned the mortal realm, leaving survivors to face a corrupted world alone.

The Umbra Threat

A dark, ethereal mass known as the Umbra now roams the land, corrupting everything it touches and reanimating the dead into twisted, nightmarish forms. This shadowy menace transforms fallen souls into fiendish monstrosities that serve its malevolent will.

Sacred Pyres - Beacons of Hope

Communities survive by gathering around Sacred Pyres - divine flames that burn slowly and keep the Umbra at bay. These flames are lit from “Blessed Branches” and cannot be extinguished by ordinary weather, though enough blood can put them out.

🌍 Setting Characteristics

Tone & Atmosphere

  • Ancient: Remnants of a once-great civilization
  • Daunting: Overwhelming challenges and corrupted landscape
  • Epic: Struggles with divine consequences
  • Grim: Harsh realities of an abandoned world
  • Ominous: Ever-present threat of corruption
  • Terrifying: Nightmarish creatures and phenomena
  • Tragic: Loss of divine grace and former glory

Core Themes

  • Survival: Daily struggle against corruption and death
  • Hope vs. Despair: Finding light in the darkest times
  • Community: Strength through cooperation and mutual aid
  • Corruption: The ever-present threat of the Umbra
  • Redemption: Possibility of reclaiming lost grace
  • Sacrifice: What must be given up to protect others

🎮 Mechanical Elements

Special Rules

  • Umbra-touched Beasts: Creatures corrupted by the Umbra crit on 19-20 instead of just natural 20s
  • Magic Suspicion: Spellcasters (Aetherweavers) face deep suspicion from communities
  • Sacred Flame Mechanics: Divine fire requires special materials and has unique properties

Environmental Hazards

  • Umbra Wind: Periodic phenomena (every 6-12 months) that put entire regions in extreme danger
  • Corruption Zones: Areas where the Umbra has thoroughly tainted the land
  • Nightmarish Creatures: Reanimated dead with twisted, horrific forms

🔗 Connected Elements

💡 Story Hooks

Community-Centered Adventures

  • Pyre Defense: Protecting Sacred Pyres from being extinguished
  • Resource Expeditions: Venturing beyond safety for crucial supplies
  • Refugee Aid: Helping survivors reach the safety of settlements
  • Lost Knowledge: Recovering pre-Apostasy wisdom and artifacts
  • Corruption Investigation: Understanding how the Umbra spreads
  • Cleansing Rituals: Discovering ways to purify tainted areas
  • Divine Echoes: Seeking signs of the Veiled Gods’ return
  • Ancient Secrets: Uncovering the truth behind the Apostasy

Character Development Opportunities

  • Faith Challenged: Testing beliefs in an apparently godless world
  • Moral Dilemmas: Choosing between survival and principles
  • Community Leadership: Rising to guide others through dark times
  • Personal Redemption: Overcoming past failures or corruption

🎲 Mechanical Integration

Combat Considerations

  • Umbra-touched creatures with enhanced critical hit ranges
  • Environmental corruption affecting movement and abilities
  • Sacred flame as both weapon and protection
  • Psychological horror elements affecting character morale

Social Mechanics

  • Suspicion of magic users requiring careful roleplay
  • Community resource management and cooperation
  • Trade negotiations with distant settlements
  • Information gathering about safe routes and dangerous areas

📝 Campaign Notes

Our Interpretation

Our campaign embraces the full darkness and horror of the Age of Umbra while maintaining focus on hope, community, and the possibility of redemption. We emphasize:

  • Character relationships within the community of Desperloch
  • Moral complexity in survival decisions
  • Gradual revelation of the world’s mysteries and history
  • Collaborative storytelling around shared threats and triumphs

Player Engagement

The players have shown particular interest in:

  • The mystery surrounding the Apostasy and God-King Othedias
  • Community building and protection of Desperloch
  • Exploration of ancient ruins and lost knowledge
  • The nature and origin of the Umbra corruption

Future Developments

Planned story developments include:

  • Deeper exploration of the Halcyon Domain
  • Investigation into the Veiled Gods and their abandonment
  • Community growth and expanding influence of Desperloch
  • Personal character arcs related to faith, leadership, and sacrifice

Last Updated: 2025-07-18 Campaign Frame: Age of Umbra Setting: Halcyon Domain

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