Welcome to the World of Sunken Stars
Some stories refuse to stay silent. They take shape in the quiet hours, nagging at the edges of thought, persisting until they’re told. Sunken Stars is one of those stories—a patchwork of images and ideas that grew into something larger, something worth sharing. A vast sea, unknowable and unkind. A crew, surviving on sharp wits and fraying nerve. And a question: What do you do when the stars start to lie?
This blog is an attempt to capture a little of the chaos and wonder that comes with making a world. To begin, let me introduce you to one fragment of it: the old chapel on the island of Chapelune.
Chapelune: Beneath an Eternal Moon
Chapelune is an island steeped in eerie beauty. Its alabaster cliffs rise sharply from the sea, crowned by a crumbling chapel whose spire pierces the heavens. The chapel is a marvel of forgotten craft, adorned with stained glass windows that depict celestial and alien figures in cryptic poses. Though the building has succumbed to time, the glass remains flawless, casting fractured light across the silver-leafed forest below.
The island feels heavy with reverence, as though it carries the weight of countless whispered prayers. But there is also unease here, an undercurrent of obsession and transformation. It is the home of the Shaper, a fallen Patron fragmented into shards of stained glass. Banished from the Court of the Moon for aligning with the Sun during an ancient rebellion, the Shaper offers enlightenment that quickly curdles into madness. Its shifting form—sometimes a cloaked figure, sometimes a kaleidoscope of shards—is as mesmerizing as it is dangerous.
The Shaper, A Fallen Patron
A fallen Patron, exiled from the Court of the Moon for siding with the Sun during an ancient rebellion. Fragmented into glass, it exerts a pull on mortals, tempting them with promises of enlightenment but offering only madness.
The Shaper manifests as a constantly shifting figure of stained glass and light, its form fracturing and reassembling with every movement. At times, its form resembles a cloaked artisan, at others, an abstract kaleidoscope of radiant shards.
A Hook to Begin Your Journey
The Glass Whisperer
A merchant offers the party a shard of stained glass humming faintly with whispers, claiming it belonged to the chapel in Chapelune. A wealthy collector hires the party to return it, convinced it holds the key to unlocking “the truth behind the stars.”
As the party nears the island, they begin seeing fragmented visions of alternate realities through the shard—some hopeful, others horrifying. The shard exerts a pull on the party, forcing them to confront their own flaws or secrets. At night, the shard reflects distorted versions of themselves, showing what they might become.
Climax: Returning the shard to the chapel triggers a reaction in
the Vault of Mirrors, where the Shaper appears as a kaleidoscopic figure of shifting glass. It offers the party transformation—physical, mental, or spiritual—in exchange for a price.
- The Hall of Steps: A broad hallway that slopes downward, lined with broken pews and aged banners of the Moon Court.
Each step emits a faint hum as the party descends, intensifying as they near the nave. - The Nave: A grand, open space illuminated by moonlight refracting through the stained glass, creating surreal, shifting colors. The central altar bears evidence of recent rituals: melted candles, smeared chalk sigils, and bloodied cloth. A spiral staircase at the far end descends into the crypt below, hidden by a sliding stone panel that can be revealed with a Sense check (TN 14) or ritual interaction.
- The Dreamer’s Alcove A side chamber with stone beds where pilgrims are said to sleep and receive visions. Anyone who sleeps here experiences vivid dreams of descending into light, meeting unknowable beings, and becoming one with the Shaper.
- The Vault of Mirrors: A labyrinthine chamber lined with mirrored walls, creating endless reflections and optical illusions, the players’ own reflections may occasionally move independently.
Hazard A Sense check (TN 12) is required to navigate the maze. - Shaper’s Rest: The final chamber, with the focal point being the mirrored sarcophagus of the Shaper in the center. Three large mirrors are spaced evenly around the room, each reflecting a slightly different version of reality.
The sarcophagus is guarded by four animated glass golems, each formed of shards from the stained glass windows above.
If this sparks anything—ideas, questions, or your own interpretations—I’d love to hear it.