I am considering starting up a post Crusade era campaign. All I have at present are some vague ideas about plot I'd like to link to and somehow use. I've not really figured out any details about how they would link together. I'm throwing this open for people to submit their own ideas and suggestions.
Time setting:
About two years after the end of Crusade. The Drakh plague is ravaging Earth. Decimating the population.
Things I would like to include:
* A second open war with the Drakh who have been rebuilding their forces since the events of a Call to Arms and Crusade from a second Mothership (if memory serves me the Excalibur destroyed one).
* The Drakh are using recovered Shadow technology to "breed" "Shadow" vessels. Including new classes of vessels not seen before (non-canon). Putting their own people (who are naturally telepathic I believe) into the ships as CPUs.
* The story could maybe start with the Drakh manipulating the other races by means of keepers in order to have them attack the EA. Wonder if Londo's keeper could be used in this somehow?
* A cure to the Drakh plague should be discovered. Though I would like the cure to be something more interesting than "look! there's the cure! let's get it and go home". Maybe somehow using the Drakh's recovered Shadow tech to create a counter plague that either destroys the Drakh plague or somehow interacts (negotiates?) with it. Destroy would allow for some fun irony as the EA try to seed their atmosphere with counter plague as the Drakh try and stop them :-).
* Would like to tell the story of the campaign from the perspective of 2 or 3 different characters. A pilot flying with the Excalibur? A whitestar captain? Someone else?
I am considerin' startin' up a post Crusade era campaign. All I have at present are some vague ideas about plot I'd like t' link t' an' somehow use. I've not really figured out any details about how they would link together. I'm throwin' this 'ere open fer people t' submit their own ideas an' suggestions.
Time settin':
About two years after th' end o' Crusade. Ahoy! The Drakh plague is ravagin' Earth. Decimatin' th' population.
Thin's I would like t' include:
* A second open war with th' Drakh who have been rebuildin' their forces since th' events o' a Call t' Arms an' Crusade from a second Mothership (if memory serves me th' Excalibur destroyed one).
* The Drakh are usin' recovered Shadow technology t' "breed" "Shadow" vessels, by Davy Jones's locker. Includin' new classes o' vessels not seen afore (non-canon). Puttin' their own people (who are naturally telepathic I believe) into th' ships as CPUs.
* The story could maybe start with th' Drakh manipulatin' th' other races by means o' keepers in order t' have them attack th' EA. Aarrr! Yarrrrr! Wonder if Londo's keeper could be used in this 'ere somehow?
* A cure t' th' Drakh plague should be discovered. Though I would like th' cure t' be somethin' more interestin' than "look! Shiver me timbers! there's th' cure, with a chest full of booty! let's get it an' go home". Aarrr! Fire the cannons! Maybe somehow usin' th' Drakh's recovered Shadow tech t' create a counter plague wot either destroys th' Drakh plague or somehow interacts (negotiates?) with it. Fire the cannons! Destroy would allow fer some fun irony as th' EA try t' seed their atmosphere with counter plague as th' Drakh try an' heave-to them :-).
* Would like t' tell th' story o' th' campaign from th' perspective o' 2 or 3 different characters. Fire the cannons! A pilot flyin' with th' Excalibur, to be sure? A whitestar cap'n? Someone else?
Well, a campaign idea wot I have been playin' aroun' with is wot ye are a pilot assigned t' th' EAS Lewis & Clark, an Explorer-class vessel assigned t' helpin' Earth find a cure fer th' Drakh plague. Of course, this 'ere is simply th' start, an' I do plan t' touch on a few issues wot were present in th' unfilmed Crusade scripts as well as a few missions with th' Excaliber an' Titans.
For a more detailed outline, read below (contains SPOILERS):
In actuality, th' campaign begins just slightly prior t' th' massive battle against th' Drakh-controlled Shadow planet-killer. Stationed aboard th' EAS Lewis & Clark, ye assist in th' construction o' new jumpgates an' their maintenance near th' Rim o' Known Space. The first mission will probably be somethin' simple such as clearin' away a debris field so repairs can be made t' a damaged gate, an' another mission might involve a trainin' exercise or two (hey, this 'ere is a ship suited fer deep space exploration, not combat). The last intro mission should end with an emergency signal callin' fer reinforcements as Earth is under attack from a major alien fleet.
By th' end o' th' 'intro' missions, ye receive a command briefin' givin' ye th' heads up wot Earth has had an incursion made into EA space by an alien race called th' 'Drakh'. Currently, yer vessel is enroute t' Earth along with all other long range probe an' deep space ships. This 'ere mission will probably be a hyperspace-based mission where ye must ensure wot th' Lewis & Clark make it t' Earth as there are reports o' various Drakh vessels fleein' th' battle.
New command briefin' from EA command briefs ye on th' overall situation regardin' th' plague. Your task as well as wot o' other vessels includin' th' IAS Excaliber an' EAS Cortez, is t' scour th' galaxy in search o' a cure. The first mission is t' head t' where it is speculated th' Shadow cloud were bein' found t' gather any clues as t' where th' virus were bein' manufactured. Unfortunately, this 'ere leads t' th' remnants o' a world designated K0643, a former archaeological survey under th' Centauri Republic. As relations with th' Centauri since th' war o' 2262 have soured, th' EA must sneak in-system t' find as much information as possible.
The next mission will deals with a mission in where ye must intercept a merchant ship whose crew may know th' whereabouts o' a cure or may have other useful information. This 'ere ship must be protected from Raiders at all costs. Followin' up on wot mission, ye must pursue Raider forces an' track them t' their base o' operations. Information is needed badly about who th' Raiders are workin' fer.
as fer summarizin' some o' th' other story ideas o' this 'ere campaign, th' motive fer th' Raiders o' course is booty, however they've been commissioned as "bounty hunters", or more accurately, as assassins fer hire t' find an' eliminate sources attemptin' t' sell off information regardin' th' Drakh Plague. After a few missions have been flown gatherin' info about these Raiders, their employers have them terminated on account o' th' EAS Lewis & Clark are gettin' too close t' certain truths.
Havin' th' trail with th' raiders gone cold, yer ship follows up on another lead, this 'ere time a rendezvous with an Alpha-class (Midwinter variant) Heavy Cruiser. The investigation o' an abandoned League base turns up some new information regardin' th' Drakh plague. While retrievin' th' information, th' Drakh mount an attack wot destroys th' Heavy Cruiser an' severely damages several subsystems includin' communications. The only hope is t' make it into ISA-held space. The chase will end with th' Drakh bein' confronted by th' Rangers' White Star fleet an' subsequently neutralized. Down an' out fer repairs, ye are temporarily transferred o'er t' a small task force consistin' o' several EA ships headed back t' secure th' abandoned League base. Havin' located several key Drakh vessels at th' facility, ye are ordered t' disable whatever Drakh vessels ye can t' gain more information about them. Enroute t' a secret Drakh supply depot, ye have a dream wot ye are in Earth orbit, an' are fightin' Omega-X Destroyers (this 'ere is t' hint at th' EA Black OPs experiments with th' Shadow hybrid an' such). When ye arrive at th' supply site, ye've secured th' area o' remote sentry cannons, a Warlock-class Destroyer comes in an' by executive order is t' seize th' cargo. Though there is some dispute o'er th' matter, th' cargo is transferred......which leads t' th' Warlock goin' berserk. Actin' with a mind o' its own, th' ship begins shootin' at allied ships. Unable t' heave-to th' crazed vessel, th' cap'n grabs charges an' detonates th' ship, with its cargo onboard. (It should be later noted wot th' reason th' ship went berserk is on account o' it's computer systems have hidden Shadow programmin' an' once comin' into close proximity o' other Shadow technology, th' ship becomes "alive" an' goes nuts *This 'ere were bein' inferenced in one o' JMS's short stories wot dealt with Ivanova's ship, th' Titans.
Followin' this 'ere incident, all Warlocks are recalled t' be "debugged" an' will not be in active service until a remedy has been made t' counter th' Shadow tech.
And Yes, I've just copied and pasted this from Page 1, but since you're interested in ideas for a "Crusade" campaign, I figured this may as good a template as any.
Speaking of which, I hate Talk Like a Pirate Day, how did all my pasted text get all fubared into pirate speak anyhow?