Portal Knights TTRPG

[Karvlok]

Hey-all,

I'm writing a Pathfinder 2nd Edition campaign setting for my players and after a vote, we decided on Portal Knights!!!
To start things off, I'm going to (roughly) follow the video game and let things get grand, grander and even silly if need be afterwards. I took a lot of the existing lore for what there was and expounded on it to fill in all the gaps, setup languages and reform some of the magic elements from Pathfinder 2e to better suit the world.
It's going well, but I thought it would be cool to see what other Portal Knights players would love to see in a table top RPG of PK.

So here's what I want from you (if you're interested):
- what is 1 thing you think the video game didn't provide for the sake of role play and do you want to see it in my TTRPG?
- what piece of existing lore do you want to see expanded to full and complete information, or even just beefed up to make it even more interesting and fun?
- is there anything not in the game that you think would make an interesting addition?

[what I already have written]

- Port Cities: large settlements where air travellers gather and live and where pirates and privateers sell stolen resources from far-off islands

- Air Ships: since most people in the settlements think portals are tools of the Hollow, no one uses them and all but no one even knows the history of the Portal Knights (something for the players to discover over time)

- Mana Points: conversion of magic spells per day to mana/focus points to better suit the magic format of the video game

- Humans-Only: until the players unearth the truth about the Elves and Furfolk, they are limited to playing humans as the beast races have "supposedly" all descended into tribalism and are even subjugated by the settlements, giving a reason for them to be so hostile towards the players, but also the opportunity for GREAT role play when they discover that not all of the Orcs/Utan/Shells/Saurians have lost touch with the roots from before the Fracture

- The Hollowing: a "disease" that the humans of the settlements that causes people to become undead ghosts that despise the living, not knowing it is actually the Hollow King whispering into their dreams

Got some ideas?
Fire them at me and I'll see about adding them to the books. Some stuff will only be written once we get close enough to islands where the players would discover it and some would be implemented right away. I'll add your screen name from Steam as a credit in the PDF and once each chapter is done, I'll publish it somewhere for people to download!

[ritt5220]

This is some things I made up to explain things in the game

Story of the Jade Curse:
Stories told of times before Elysia’s fracture, say there was once a great Jade Empire. The Jade Merchants used their portal for travel to the colorful Fairy Forest area of Elysia searching for Verdant Emeralds. The gems were required to craft an item to cleanse their portal and maintain harmony with the universe. When the fracture occurred a mystical Jade Curse took control of the Emperor, thus disrupting the portal cleansing and portal operations. Some say once a year, in the early spring (18 Jan – 22 Feb), a courier arrives on one of the islands looking for a Portal Knight to use the couriers Magical Dragon Statue to teleport to the Jade Empire and defeat the Curse. Intellectuals ponder about how a Portal Knight would return to Elysia after defeating such a curse in a rift environment. Archmage Lindor IX believes defeating the Jade curse would create a balance within Elysia’s splintered universe, yes, he said, a Field of Balance.

[ritt5220]

A Story of C’Thiris:
Before the fracture C’Thiris Cultist worshiped many animals. After the breakup of the universe a few of the temples remain and all accommodate the massive Anub'Kraken which is displayed on the temple banner flag. Pyr-Utans are almost always found in areas around a temple. There are also large statues of Al’Gathor and C’thoad once legendary Gods of the oceans around Elysia, but now long gone. Fractured islands where temples remain are being transformed by cultist magic. What was once a major trading center called Horseshoe Holdout is now an empty desert land know as Shrieking Sand. Just recently the C’Thiris Cultist magic moved an entire temple from Callum's Claim to create havoc at Dusty Junction. The latest information Portal Knights have on the cult is from Acolyte Maria at Shrieking Sand. She uncovered an ancient sacred text. The text described two Greatbeast and how their wellbeing was linked with harmony of the planet. It is believed that the fracture disrupted this harmony and that each Greatbeast now guards a critical portal between cluster 1 and 2 and the other between cluster 2 and 3. Writings of the old Portal Knights record that cultist gained great powers after the fracture because “The Curse of C’Thiris” was released and resides at the Tomb of C’Thiris. Can a Portal Knight find the tomb and defeat the curse? To get there go to Level lV Alchemy Table and craft a C’Thiris Tesseract that, when used, teleports you to the Tomb of C’Thiris.

[ritt5220]

Before the fracture, the Swamp area was rich in coal deposits. Miners from all around Elysia came here to seek their fortune from extracting coal to fuel huge furnaces that processed ore and stone that made Elysia great. Now only small pockets of coal remain but large amounts of coal can be found here at Witchwater.

Mines brought in various things to help mine the coal. Many items were left behind in the now abandon mine-caves.

You have made your way into the second cluster of islands. You should have found the Basalt Stones to upgrade to Furnace II. Now you can make Iron bars used to craft stronger armor and weapons. You may have completed a few special events and have some gold ore but cannot make gold bars because you do not have the stones to upgrade Furnace to Lv III .

One of the best keep secrets of Witchwater is that there are Obsidian Stones left by miners from the volcano islands in cluster 3. Twenty (20) Obsidian Stones can be found in each mine-cave around the island. You will need 40 to upgrade Furnace to Lv III. Look for mine opening in a depression with a square hole in the middle. Start down opening, you fall into this cavern where a Sun Block sits on top of 20 Obsidian Stones.

[ritt5220]

At Witchwater people say there is a Hermit deep in the lower section of the island. They say there are no visible caves leading to the Recluse. He is so well hidden that not even the Knight Hunter and his dogs of the walking dead have ever found him. Will the Portal Knight become the Hermit Hunter? They say he answers to Azak the Hermit

[ritt5220]

The Spectral Apparition found at Joren's Outpost tells a story. The outpost and its community were once protected by a Portal Knight called Joren, but sadly, states he is no longer among us. What was Joren's mission????

[ritt5220]

Angler's Wharf, Mosakola Harbor, and Deepest Mosakola:
The vast Tropical region of Elysia was hot & humid, with thick undergrowth mixed with red flowers, palm trees, and lots of sand. After the fracture, all that remains of Elysia tropical environment are 3 islands, Angler’s Wharf, Mosakola Harbor, and Deepest Mosakola. Electro Quartz can be found on all three tropical islands.

The island locals do not stray outdoors after sunset. They say Hollow Knight of Thunder visit the islands at night to gather Electro Quartz. But what do the Hollow Knight do with the Electro Quartz? Portal Knights passing through the area have told locals they are certain the Electro Quartz are used to sustain a great beast, called Ancient Evil Electro Worm. This beast is very powerful and harder to defeat than the Ancient Worm at the Worm Pit. Portal Knights come to the islands to gather their own Electro Quartz and craft armor and potions that will help protect them in the hard mode battle. They also need the Electro Quartz Gems to craft a Relic of Thunder that teleports them to the “Ancient Lair Island Arena”. The Relic of Thunder tome (recipe) is a rare drop from the Ancient Worm at the Worm Pit.

[ritt5220]

Angler's Wharf :
As player explores the island, they should find Uko the Gladiator. He wants to know if player is really a Portal Knight and ask you to prove it by fighting a monster in the arena.
Beware, Uko’s arena has a giant turtle monster. Player has seen the smaller turtles but nothing this big. Before the fracture miners from the volcano cluster would travel through stopping to gather some of the Electro Quartz in the area. They brought turtle eggs along with them as food for the journey. These were not ordinary turtle eggs but were Fiery Crustor eggs. Uko had found one of the eggs left behind from long ago. He took it to Tagus the Wizard on the island. Seems Tagus had lost his magic wand so he was looking in his book of spells when he accidently repeated a word in the book casting a spell that hatched the egg. Uko raised and trained the Crustor to fight in his Gladiator Arena. The Crustor will not directly attack a player. It will instead slam its fists on the ground and cause a fiery earthquake that does damage indirectly. When struck a few times, it will recoil on itself and briefly be invulnerable to all damage. If the portal Knight defeats the Crustor, will it drop an item not found until later in the game?

[ritt5220]

Mosakola Harbor :
Some Portal knights talk about a tropical island where it appeared head hunters lived. Skulls with candles lit the doorways of their huts while they stir their boiling pots of green goo. Fear overcame them when finding stone alters with bones from ??? left out on top of them and masked natives that looked like witch doctors talking about special potions. Our companions talked about small stone temples doting the area, some look active and other in a state of ruin. But most of all they talked about mesmerizing music of drum beats and flutes echoing a sirens type call all through the land.

[ritt5220]

Broadside Bay:
Before the complete fracture of Elysia, Captain Brinebeard set sail from Landlubber’s Leap with a small crew on ocean waters that were still accessible. As the oceans dried up, he landed his ship on an island once called Cape Carvel. Travelers say the once friendly natives on the island were starved because Pirates took all the food. Pirates also use their superior guns and cannons to control the inhabitances. It is said the leader, “Shifea” somehow magically moved remaining villagers to safety on Mosakola Harbor. Captain Brinebeard claimed the island and renamed it Broadside Bay.

[ritt5220]

Mayyan Delta :
The common theme between the 3 Costal Biomes is Pirates. Here player will find a Pirate turned actor/teacher. Unlike Landlubber’s Leap and Broadside Bay, where pirates plundered and ruled, Captain Rattlepike united with the local people and became a mentor.

Can a Portal Knight earn the Pirate Certification?

[ritt5220]

The Great Scar :
Player will find a large Temple on the island. The temple is the center piece of the island. It is similar to but a much larger version of the temples at Hintertown, Mosakola Harbor, Morello Marshes, and the next volcano island Filia's Folly. The design is not that of the C’Thiris Temples. Who built all the temples? Was there a Temple Knights Order before the rise of the Portal Knights?

[ritt5220]

Facetta :
Player should find a Lite Blue Crystal in color. You can read the crystal like you do the book or sign.
Do not try to take the crystal and place it in your back pack. The crystal will vanish never to be seen again.
What information is found by reading crystal?

At times, all Portal Knights must ponder about where portal stone shards come from.
The shards drop from defeated enemies and raw stones being mined. How did the enemies of Elysia and raw stones in the ground produce the shards? Theory is the Polished Crystals found in the Hollow and Crystal islands have something to do with them. Here at Facetta you will find the Blue colored Polished Crystal and at New Caul player can find a Green colored Polished Crystal. Do the Electro Forces from the Blue Polished Crystal at Facetta channel a reproduction of blue portal stone shards on the islands in cluster 1 when the defeated enemy life forces are released into the force? Do the Electro forces from the Blue Polished Crystal at Facetta channel a reproduction of blue portal stone shards on the islands in cluster 1 when the force is disrupted by mining the raw stones of the earth? Same theory can be true about the Green Polished Crystal at New Caul and its Electro Force with the islands of Cluster 3.
Is there any connection with the magical powers of the Mage Guild at Glimmerglen?

[ritt5220]

It appears that the three (3) Crystal Island Biomes were once part of the high mountain area of Elysia as shown in the island icons on the universe map. The high elevation is considered cold but, not Snow-Polar cold like in islands of cluster 2. This is reflected by the enemies stationed on the islands:
“Glimmerglend” has Frost Maggot , Alp-Utan, Mini Dragon Bomber, Frozen Bones
“Pillars of Parun” has Frost Maggot and Frozen Bones
“The Motherlode” has Frost Maggot
These are Polor Biomes enemies from cluster 2, found on the Crystal Islands also.

[ritt5220]

It is interesting that Hollow Knights of the Frost do not visit the Crystal Islands at night. The Hollow Knight Overloards control the night at “Glimmerglend” and “The Motherlode”
While Hollow Knights of Stars wander “Pillars of Parun” during darkness.

Of the 40 islands in the three (3) clusters of Elysia, it is strange that Hollow Knights Overlords are only found on two of the Crystal Islands. Hollow Knights Overlords and White Slime are Light Element strong opponents and must be part of the forces that pledges allegiance to the (Hard Mode Boss) King of Light. The King of Light is the evil twin to the Hollow King once known as Portal Knight Archmage Xalvador I. The Spectral Apparition that greats you at many of the portals talks of him often. If you complete the quest at Mage Guild, Grand Magus Isadore will give you a book with more information on the Hollow King and Hollow Dimension.

[ritt5220]

Player will find books at the Mage Guild that talk about all the other Hollow Knights of Frost, Fire, Mist, Stars, and Thunder but, do not give any information about Hollow Knights Overlords. The Book “Hollow Knights Volume T” talks about how Hollow King defeated Lord Greb and his Hollow Knights of Thunder of Glimmerglen. The Hollow King must have then moved the Hollow Knights of Thunder to Facetta where Hollow Knights Overlords ruled the night. In turn moving his faithful Hollow Knights Overlords to Glimmerglen (in an earlier game update).