This is the basic sketch of the beginning of an all-encompassing campaign I'm trying out. It's set in a world I created myself (doesn't really have a name save The World), but a few things I stole from the DMG. First time playing and DMing, so don't blame me for stupidity! =)
Level 1 - Fannen-Dar
Fannen-Dar is a town population 7500 with hills surrounding it except to the south, where there resides the Cloak Woods. The group of five adventurers starts by meeting in the Dragon's Den Inn. The innkeeper, Ren Strithaw (human), asks the adventurers to quell the rat infestation in his basement (typical, I know) for 40 gp. A mysterious human stranger named Zenith (*hem, hem*) takes the adventurers aside and offers them 200 gp if they find a secret trapdoor in the basement that leads into a series of tunnels wherein lies a treasure map. Obviously you accept. So, down to the basement you go, where you encounter ten giant rats and defeat them easily. You then find the trapdoor, which leads to tunnels inhabited by kobolds (again, typical, but I love those things). They have ice powers, just so you know. At the end of the caverns, you find the map and return to the Dragon's Den Inn.
Back in the Inn, you see Ren putting up a Wanted sign for a gang lord/thief named Klepson (human). Zenith is nowhere to be seen inside the Inn, so you go outside, where you either notice Klepson in the crowd, or someone else does and shouts at him, either way starting a skill challenge to chase him down. (The hook? The reward of a magic item, if not the honor of catching a criminal). If you fail the skill challenge, you must find Klepson and his gang (the Firemen) later. If you succeed, you follow him to an ally, where he turns around, whistles, and has you surrounded by minions, human and halfling. You beat them and arrest Klepson.
Level 2 - Fannen-Dar --> Cloak Woods
You return to the town center (where there are many merchants, as Fannen-Dar has four roads leading into it) and meet Zenith. He marvels at the map and shows you that it points to a ruin in the Cloak Woods now known as Kobold Hall. You go there, go in the ruin, battle a bunch of kobolds and a gelatinous cube, and finally meet the young white dragon Szartharrax. You beat him and take his treasure. You find a strange multicolored staff in his horde that you can't figure out the origin of. (It's an artifact, the Staff of Tiamat, that wishes to destroy the civilized races and metallic dragons to let chromatic dragons rule the world. But you dont know that). You also find, in the first room of the dungeon, an ancient tablet left by elves from long ago with writing in an ancient elven dialect that not even an elf nowadays could read.
Level 3 - Cloak Woods --> Fannen-Dar
You leave Kobold Hall (probably after spending the night) and finally get back into sunshine. Suddenly, you are surrounded by goblins and men, and realize that Zenith is leading them! He plans to kill you and steal your treasure! You defeat his minions, but Zenith, a warlock you know find out, escapes. You try to catch him in another chasing skill challenge, but even if you succeed, he gets away. However, if you fail, you're lost in the woods and must go through that kind of skill challenge. Eventually you get back to Fannen-Dar (unless you die, of course).
From here on is less detailed and more loose-ended, but you'll get the idea.
You are asked when you get back to Fannen-Dar to interrogate Klepson into telling you the hideout of his gang, a skill challenge. If you fail or never caught him, you can do another skill challenge to track any footprints of any Firemen (or Klepson, if you saw him escape) from any previous sightings. You find their hideout, and arrest them all (you knock them out instead of killing them. If you kill them, you get less experience for the quest).
Level 4 - Fannen-Dar
You investigate mysterious occurances at the local cemetary, where you encounter zombies and other undead.
Level 5 - Fannen-Dar (you can see why its called the heroes of Fannen-Dar)
The climax of the first half of the heroic tier: the ruling noble of Fannen-Dar, an eladrin named Nelinesus, is kidnapped by a group of bandit tieflings known as the Dirt Devils. You must find their hideout and rescue Nelinesus.
PS: Zenith is obviously trying to steal the Staff of Tiamat so he can bring about the destruction of civilization and rule the remaining entropy. He's a pleasant man, and I'm actually his polar opposite, which is why the name I use is so ironic. I just think it's a cool name. Means "climax." Yep.
Level 6 - Fannen-Dar --> Gortul
Remember that tablet you found in Kobold Hall? Well, you go to the Library of Ioun to research the language (or the librarian, Anastrianna (eladrin), prompts you to), and discover that it is a clue to the "Riddle of the Ages." There are five such clues, each of a different civilized race, this being the elven one. Each clue is hidden in towns and cities in the near-around area. You reason that the dwarven clue must be in Gortul, the stone city, which is built right out of the bedrock of the Desert Cliffs, east of Fannen-Dar. You go traveling there, but on the road, you are ambushed by a group of barbarian dragonborn called the Dragonhearts (the dragonborn paladin in my group was originally born to this tribe and was raised to be a killer, but had a change of heart when he learned of the kindness of Bahamut, and ran away to become a paladin.). You probably beat them, but if you don't, they kidnap you and you must go through a skill challenge to escape in the night.
Eventually, you reach Gortul, but something's amiss. The dwarf general, Amegdon, tells you that goblins have taken over the city, and the dwarves have been sending messengers to Fannen-Dar, but have been getting no reply (the Dragonhearts killed 'em). If you want to help them, Amegdon won't let you (you know dwarves, they're so stubborn). You must go through a skill challenge to convince him to let you help. Then you infiltrate the city and defeat the goblins. You also meet the goblin king, Blutak, who escapes but releases his hold on the city.
Level 7 - Gortul --> Desert Cliffs
Owing you a favor, Amegdon allows you to explore the tunnels through the Desert Cliffs, where the clue is rumored to be. You go through and find a blue dragon's lair, and after defeating it find the next clue.
Level 8 - Gortul --> Vasnah --> Regalia
In search of the next clue, you travel south to the small town Vasnah after hearing that an eladrin lives there who knows of a secret eladrin city that appears only from twilight to dawn. On the road, you are ambushed by Zenith (DUN, DUN, DUUUN!!!!) in the middle of the night (if you make it across the road in solid daylight, he strikes you in your inn room). He tries to steal the Staff of Tiamat (which he might do even if you beat his minions) and runs toward the Cloak Woods to make his escape once again, and you chase him AGAIN, and you lose him AGAIN, and could be lost in the woods AGAIN (if you lose this lost in the woods skill challenge, you actually end up at Regalia, the eladrin city in the woods). If you succeed, you get back to Vasnah, meet the eladrin (Emenomal), and he takes you to Regalia. The clue is supposed to be in the Crypt of the Kings, a tomb reserved for past rulers of Regalia. You find a secret tunnel and fight mummies and finally a skill challenge trap. When you leave the tomb, you're suddenly surrounded by eladrin soldiers. The queen has accused you of stealing from the tomb, and you are arrested. (If you fight, the eladrin will win. I don't exactly know how this works; maybe they don't accuse you until later from your leaving the crypt.) You know you're innocent so you can do one of the following skill challenges: break out of prison (thievery and stealth), trick the guards (bluff, diplomacy, insight, history, intimidate), or use the secret tunnels that past prisoners have used to escape (stealth, dungeoneering, perception, athletics, endurance). When you get out, you only have so much time to find out the real thief. You come to realize that it was the queen, Veronica, herself! She attacks you with her followers, and you defeat them. You must then find out what they stole, and where (I'm not exactly sure what they stole, but they hid it in secret tunnels riddled by traps under the Chamber of Thought, a place for contemplation and discussion for eladrin).
Level 9 - Regalia --> Hantael --> Fannen-Dar --> Hillside
You travel to Hantael, an elf town, for some reason. You learn that a wealthy half-elf has been recently murdered, and the murderer not found. The general thinks it was just a racial hate crime (human = bad blood?), but you are given an anonymous tip that he's wrong. You go through a skill challenge to interrogate suspects and witnesses to discover the murderer and his motive (maybe you realize that it was more than a racial hate crime during this skill challenge). When you find the murderer, he escapes and runs east. You chase him (AHHH, ANOTHER CHASE SKILL CHALLENGE!! WHEN WILL THEY STOP?!?!?) to an abandoned mansion, where he is actually kidnapped by ghosts (maybe along with a valuable item of yours, just to make you want to go in). You fight ghosts up to the roof to rescue the murderer (so he can be put to justice. After the ghost thing, he's in no mood to resist arrest) and recover your item. You bring the murderer back to Hantael and return to Fannen-Dar.
You travel to Hillside, because it's the quickest way to Rarsh, a halfling community surrounded by rivers. In Hillside, however, you are told that a priceless piece of art was stolen, and since you are now famous explorers, they want you to get it back. In a skill challenge, you track the thieves to their hideout. It turns out, though, that the gang that stole the masterpiece was only doing so to prevent an evil group from stealing it (National Treasure, anyone?). You then go to apprehend the real thieves (who you find have stolen other stuff while the first gang only stole that one thing) and arrest them.
Level 10 - Hillside --> Fannen-Dar
You are going to go to Rarsh next, but you get word that a huge white dragon has attacked Fannen-Dar! In an attempt to protect your home town, you rush back to find the town desperately trying to fight back the dragon and all of its minions. You charge in, defeating minions, eventually getting to the dragon herself. It turns out that it's Szartharrax's mother, getting revenge for her son's death. When she sees you, she recognizes you from the description she heard and goes into a rampage, giving you the toughest challenge yet. Hopefully you win.
That's all I have so far. If you have advice, post me your tips, they're much appreciated for a first-timer. If you want to know more (such as the history of Fannen-Dar, including races, religions, and organizations, or maybe the stats for some NPCs, or skill challenge or encounter details), then likewise post. If you use anything from here (I would be honored, go ahead!), just let me know you liked it! I hope you enjoy!
Zenith
Camelot
"Okay, make a saving throw against the bad puns."