Ghosts of the Hinterlands
“Blood in the branches. War in the roots.”
Deep in the Hinterlands, the wilds stir with ancient rage. What began as a simple archaeological expedition of a band of dwarven treasure-seekers and their noble patrons has unraveled into a storm of blood and vengeance. Their search for a long-forgotten relic, believed to be hidden near Seradane, awakened more than just superstition. In defiling the sacred resting grounds of the Revantusk trolls, they unleashed the fury of the forest itself.
The Revantusk struck without mercy. The dwarves were slaughtered where they stood, their corpses defiled and hung from the trees, a warning to all who dared to trespass. The few nobles who escaped returned to the Alliance in shattered ruin, maimed and half-mad with terror. Their horrific tales and grievous wounds stirred outrage in Stormwind and Ironforge, pushing Alliance High Command to respond.
But the trolls were ready. Calling upon the Horde, the Revantusk summoned their allies to defend their land and recover the Fang of Shadra, an ancient Vilebranch relic disturbed by the Alliance dig. Said to be steeped in blood magic, the dagger is whispered to hold the power of the Loa of Spiders, and its rediscovery has thrown the forest into chaos.
Now, both factions converge on the Hinterlands. The Alliance seeks vengeance and justice, determined to dismantle the Revantusk threat and claim the relic before it falls into darker hands. The Horde, answering the call of their troll allies, comes to defend their kin and the sacred land, while some among them eye the relic with ambitions of their own.
Welcome to Wrath of the Hinterlands, a RP-PVP campaign hosted for the first time by this organising team. While this may be our debut as a group, each of us brings a wealth of varied experience from previous events to help ensure a smooth and engaging campaign. If you have any questions about anything mentioned below or anything else please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Setting Expectations
This campaign features both a macro and a micro narrative. The macro narrative centres around the political fallout from the death of a noble’s son, slain after trespassing on Revantusk lands, and the struggle over an ancient artefact of great power. This story drives the overarching tension between factions and sets the stage for our major conflict. The micro narrative, however, is yours to create. Each guild is encouraged to craft their own reasons for joining the campaign be it vengeance, duty, ambition, or curiosity. If you’d like help tailoring your guild’s involvement or want additional hooks, please reach out; we’re happy to collaborate and weave in those details.
Event Structure
The campaign will alternate between skirmishes and major battles:
- Skirmishes are small-scale, emote-based encounters with objectives, offering full freedom for guilds to drive their own stories and rivalries. These are planned by the guilds involved, but if that feels like a burden, we’re more than happy to help coordinate or even run a skirmish for you.
- Major battles will be run using Restricted RP-PVP, designed to allow meaningful movement, tactics, and narrative consequences. These are structured by the organisers, though your input and suggestions are always welcome.
We’re all here with the same aim: to create compelling stories and give our guilds a memorable experience. Sometimes that means stepping back so others can shine. The focus isn’t on “winning” battles, but on building moments that enrich the campaign and give characters room to grow. In fact, a well-played defeat can often lead to the most powerful storytelling.
Rules
“Where words fail, steel and spell speak.” To ensure a dynamic and fair experience, this campaign will feature two distinct combat styles: Restricted RP-PVP for major battles and emote-based skirmishes for smaller-scale engagements. Both systems will be integral to driving the narrative forward, allowing for impactful victories, meaningful losses, and tactical storytelling.
Restricted: Major Battles
The larger battles of the campaign will utilize Restricted RP-PVP. This format allows for freedom of movement, tactical positioning, and meaningful use of terrain, creating a more strategic and immersive experience.- No CC, including interrupts: Slows are acceptable but should be avoided if possible
- One ability every 5 Seconds: Keep damage in check and never aim to kill anyone
- Unlimited Healing: Go wild! Keep your teammates up!
- Avoid one-shot abilities: things that do too much damage - Pyroblast, Chaos bolt, Aimed shot, Killing Spree, etc
- No AoE : No AOE abilities, this includes cleaves and hero talent abilities.
- Got an issue?: Raise them with your GM or an organizer directly… Do not burst them back.
- Also remember to act like your character would; the point is not to win a PvP battle, but to create a prolonged fight in which the characters involved can enjoy the conflict on a character driven level. Don’t run through other players and focus on what your character would do/say rather than on which ability you should use once that 5 second timer is up.
Emote Based: Skirmishes
Between major battles, players will engage in emote based skirmishes, representing smaller-scale clashes and operations. These encounters will be narrative-driven and focused on creativity, tension, and player interaction. The results will lead to effects that may change the narrative of the campaign, major battles and camp roleplay.- Emote-based combat only: Characters describe their actions through detailed emotes, allowing for more roleplay-heavy encounters. If you wish to use in-game pvp mechanics for show, you’re welcome to flag.
- AOE: Area of effect emotes should be limited to 2-3 players and have some meaningful build up. Take a turn to emote preparing a spell or grenade for example before launching the attack.
- Turn based system: Wait for your opponent to respond before posting your next emote, if they seem AFK feel free to whisper them or check in brackets.
- Objective-based gameplay: Each skirmish will have goals and consequences, such as securing a location, gathering intelligence, or sabotaging enemy resources.
- Faction-directed encounters: Both Horde and Alliance players will collaborate with the DM team to decide the location and objectives of these skirmishes, allowing players to shape the unfolding story.
- Treat others as you wish to be treated: Taking hits, missing and being wounded are all part of the storytelling. You’ll find giving and taking encourages cooperative story telling. And makes for cool moments that both sides will remember.
Signs ups
Guild Sign ups
Guild Name:
Faction:
Numbers:
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Individual Sign ups
Name:
Faction:
Contact:
