So, I've been tasked by myself to construct a game world bountiful and capacious enough for a campaign. The system, I have; the setting, I have only a loose conception of. There will be a "medieval-authentic" world (thanks to RPG Pundit for the contribution), opposed in deadly combat with an Ian Milleresque Realm of Chaos. The ontic fundament is HP Lovecraft's Dreamlands.
The medieval world needs a monotheistic religion worthy of opposing the incursion of bitter chaos knights and warp daemons, something engaging and dreamlike and plausible. I've settled on the bees--symbols of order and sweetness.
The King bee (that the apiary hierarch is feminine is not known to this land) rules his hive just as the human King rules his kingdom. Coins are minted with the symbol of the hexagon, and it is a punishable offense to willfully kill a bee or abscond with a hive--bees are the property of the Crown.
What would a God of bees be like? A bee would think that a flower is his (her) God, as the Dispenser of the indispensable nectar. Hence, the human King views God as the Great Flower. Since the Sun and the Rain and the Soil make the flowers grow, the Great Flower has the potency of sun and soil and rain. It is the Summum Bonum.
The theology of the Great Flower, what might that be? The great questions that any religion or religion substitute need to answer are origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. I imagine that the Great Flower Religion came about in response to the physical and psychic corruption of Chaos, that overwhelms the hapless humans and tears all previous religiosity, generating the deep terror and horror that only finds succor in the symbol of fragility and beauty and the sacred image of cooperation and solidarity and industry.
That said, I have little in the way of scenarios in mind. I'm pretty good with general worldbuilding but scenario plots often escape me. The idea of chaos armies, being lost in the twisted woods, and the castle Gormenghast come to mind. A chaos army besieging Gormenghast? Or a quest to find an artifact which would prove useful in fighting Chaos, which I'll crib and call the Blood Sword.
Maybe it would be rainy a lot, flooding even, unending rain driving the characters toward the castle and limiting their options . . .
Beyond this, I don't know. I can't just plop the PCs down in a random D&D dungeon. I don't wish to create a sandbox game, either. They have to have a quest, with powerful reasons motivating them, even if the fulness of the quest isn't immediately revealed. "I'll go, though I do not know the way." Without this, the violence intrinsic to the setting ceases to feel righteous and instead the dimension becomes cheap and boring.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what could make for some good scenarios in this setting, starting with zero-level characters?
I think trying to derive scenarios from a setting is backwards; scenarios should be derived from the local conditions and personages first and foremost, and then slightly adapted to fit within a specific world. If you try to create scenarios that primarily serve to represent your setting, then they'll inherently be shallow, because the source of conflict that drives an adventure is based on specific local conditions, not on high level themes.
The Dreamlands uses dream-logic to some extent, so you might be able to adapt stories from fairy tales. Unreality, fickleness, and so on.
Regarding the overarching quest, you're talking about hiding the goal, and I think that's the wrong approach. The premise of a campaign should be transparent and visible from the start, because it's not just a reveal that can take place at some future date. It's the reason why the characters get together and are motivated to accomplish a shared goal, and it's what engages the players. There can certainly be shocking reveals later, but there needs to be a compelling reason from day one, and later reveals should deepen the engagement rather than undermine it. In this case, one logical choice is to make them agents of the crown. They start with loyalty and affection towards their ruler, perhaps by portraying the enemy as dark and sinister, or their realm and home as threatened.
For scenarios, you brought up a besieging army. But the things you focused on, like the dark and gloomy woods, are just flavor and tone, not the setup for an adventure. Instead, start with a scenario around a besieging army. For instance, maybe the PCs are recruited into the army, and sent on a mission to undermine some walls, as sappers. Or they're smugglers, who use small boats to bring cargo into a port, and they have to use stealth to bypass a blockade, and they may get involved in intrigue like transporting out a scientist, or maps, or even opening postern gate. Start with specifics like this, then add the weirdness. Maybe the "waters" their boat rides in are really eddies in dreamstuff, perhaps the gate is a logical conundrum, maybe one of the challenges of becoming sappers is the opposing general has captured a great dreamer who is being induced to constantly create new forest and shift it around.
Wow, I think I've got something for you.
Or at least something quite close and easy to adapt.
My only OSR adventure centers around an invaded temple of the Bee-goddess Melissa. The temple was invaded by "chaos demons" of sorts.
It is great for low-level PCs, and also as a campaign starter: low-level PCs may rescue the prisoners but cannot fight the main villain immediately.
Here are some facts about the cult FWIW:
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Acolytes are men and women faithful to Melissa that serve the priesthood in the temple. They are ordinary humans. Most of them were killed or captured in the attack. They know 1d4 of the facts below.
Every priestess and acolyte will know about the myths and taboos of their religion: men aren't admitted to the priesthood, the bond between a mother and her children is sacred, civilization breeds corruption, members of a family should protect each other, priestesses use white and gold robes within the temple, etc.
Roll
Facts
1
Melissa is a goddess of healing, fertility and daylight. She is good to all that seek her blessings.
2
The temple produces a sacred honey that cures wounds and diseases. This honey comes from a fountain within the temple.
3
There is gold and artifacts hidden in the temple.
4
The most important amulet in the temple has the power to summon an avatar of Melissa, or so the legends say.
5
The avatar looks like a giant bee. This aspect of Melissa is dangerous, but it will help those in need.
6
The avatar isn't meant to dwell in this plane. In the past, it has built giant hives and transformed humans into bee-people before realizing this hurts her followers. It hasn't returned to this world since, giving only blessings and inspirations instead.
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And one NPC:
ILLARA. AC 13, HD 3D6 [12 HP], MOVE 30, ATTACK: RAPIER (1D8), SAVE 17, MORALE 11.
Illara, "the Bee's Sting", is a priestess of Melissa, but unlike others of her kind. She has received the holy (and secret) task of using poison to protect and avenge the temple; in game terms, she is a 3rd level thief (or assassin, etc.). She tried fighting the invaders but was captured with other priestess and acolytes and is trapped within the hive. Even in captivity, she has heard enough to know Zothaq has summoned Malavor, and now her main goal is killing them both. She is carrying a vial of poison (ten doses - see the "poison" section, below).
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Here is the book:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/314393/The-Wretched-Hive
And here is the free "one page dungeon" version:
https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-wretched-hive-my-one-page-dungeon.html
Hope this helps!
Thank you Pat, Eric; this really helps!