The City of Kings and the great desert which stretches soulthwards all the way to the edge of the world is home to many different people of many different races. A stranger travelling the great market of the City is likely to meet people from a dozen different cultures. Those daring to travel the night market are in for even greater surpirses. Here we take a brief look at some of the major races active in the region.
Humans
Without a doubt humans are the most numerous race throughout the entire region. They are split into four main groups:
The Pasthun, also known as the people of the desert. A dozen different tribes wander the hidden pathways of the desert, their lands denoted by the Oases they control. Each tribe has its own myth about how the world came to be and their place within it but all of them revere the spirits of the desert, representing wind, heat and scouring sand.
While a nomadic people no true Pashtun will ride a horse for they are the animals of Reptos the Enslaver. Instead the Pashtun ride a variety of desert animals, camels, zebra and antelope being the most common. One tribe of Pashtun is even said to ride the giant lizards of the deep desert but they are held in great suspicion even by their own people.
It is said that the tribes maintain hidden strongholds in the depths of the desert from which they conduct occasional raids against those merchants greedy enough to travel their territory without paying their due.
The most foolish or desperate traveller might be tempted to use a Pashtun watering hole but such transgressions are inevitably noticed and the tresspassers will quickly find themselves lost in the desert with their water supplies poisoned.
The City Dwellers are drawn to the City from dozens of different cultures, from the frozen lands to the north to the great expanse of the western oceans. These however are not the people of the City. The true Citizen of the City of Kings knows he is favoured by the gods and it is considered, mostly by the inhabitants of the City, that the lowliest beggar born in the City is accorded greater respect than the wealthiest foreign Prince.
Many of the ancient laws of the City granted significant rights only to true Citizens. Only they could own land or slaves within the bounds of the City and if a Citizen slew or harmed a foreigner he would be assumed innocent unless guilt could be proved. With the fall of the Empire and the rise of the Cabal most of these laws have fallen into disuse but many of the great Houses still consider them binding and do not treat kindly foreigners who break them.
Of course it is possible for one to purchase Citizenship and many have, but a native Citizen must sponsor the applicant.
The Slaves. The Empire of Reptos was one built on an army of slaves drawn from every city, kingdom or continent that fell under his sway. Their descendants remain to this day, a homogenous mass of people who once were the scions of a dozen different civilisations crushed into subservient obediance.
However, rumours continue to circulate about secret cults, strange rituals and dark shapes moving through the city at night. Somehow, amongst this downtrodden group of people, some spirit still remains.
The Lokarnos are the people of the great oceans of the world. Ship builders, monster tamers and weather wizards they ply their trade in vast city sized ships. Their society is one of rigid hierarchies and castes and is bound about by ritual, ceremony and rules of etiquette.
Once they were the backbone of trade in the Empire of Reptos but with his fall they found themselves coming under increasing attack from those who were oppressed by the Empire. The Captains of the seven great City Ships came together to protect their people and created The Sundering, an enourmously powerful magical ritual that sealed the oceans to travel by any but themselves.
The Sundering failed two years ago. No one knows how it happened or who was responsible but now the ships of many nations once again sail out into the Ocean. As a result Lokarnos society is undergoing something of a renaissence. Their rigid society is being exposed to new ideas, beliefs, religions and ways of life for the first time in four thousand years and tensions are mounting. Change is coming, it just need a spark to set the fire blazing.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
The Cult of the Unfettered God
The Unfettered God
In the Heavens, peace is maintained by an elaborate series of pacts, bonds and promises. The gods and spirits are beholden to each other within millenia old agreements carved into the flesh of ancient monsters by primal claws and hung on the walls of the great Celestial Halls. It is said that one God, the Blazing Sun - the brightest offspring of the Morning Lord - fell in love with the Hidden Moon, the daugher of the Lord of the Night. However, their families were locked into an ancient pact that they must never meet. When one appears, the other disappears and so, for all of time, The Blazing Sun chased the Hidden Moon across the skies. Both were desperately sad and their tears fell upon the world, burning the deserts and flooding the seas.
It was then that a long lost immortal arrived at the gates of the Celestial Halls. No-one knew his name but he asked for hospitality, which was given and he observed the sadness of the couple. Without the knowledge of their parents, he spoke to them both and offered them a bargain. He could release them from their ancient pact, allowing them to meet and love, but they would have to enter into an unbreakable pact of their own. They considered the offer and accepted.
The next day, the Blazing Sun and the Hidden Moon met in the skies and the world was wreathed in darkness as their consumated their passions, and then they moved away and light was returned. The following night, the Hidden Moon bore their first child, the Star of the North and he soared into the sky. However, the pact that they undertook was final. The Blazing Sun would never see his children. The Sun and the Moon would meet thousands of times over the passing aeons and each time a child would be created but the Blazing Sun would never know them. That was his price for consumating his love with the Hidden Moon.
The other Gods saw the horror of the Blazing Sun, removed from his progeny, and the anguish of the Hidden Moon, constantly hearing the crying of her lonely children, and they tried to remove the lost immortal from the Celestial Halls, but he merely reminded them of their promise of hospitality and said that he could remove it, if they wanted, but they would have to pay a price. None of the Gods dared ask the price to be paid and so he remains.
The Unfettered God represents a second chance, a way out of a bad deal but there is always a heavy price to be paid. Converts to his religion will always be relieved on one pact or bargain they have made, but they will be tied in another fashion to the cult - a fashion that is rarely better than that which they have cast aside. Followers of the Unfettered God wear unchained shackles on their wrists as a sign that they have been released from a pact and sigils on their shackles show the world the fate they have escaped - a fate which only a fool who would challenge the Gods themself would attempt to reinstate.
[I'm seeing this as a little life the old druids reverence thing. So, for example, if Morn was captured by slavers, they would release him lest they invoke the wrath of the Unfettered God. In certain circumstances, it allows a follower carte blanche to do or go as they please, but they always have a horrid downside attached. So, for example, a Priest of Healing released from their pledge of lifelong celibacy would be allowed to continue as a priest and be married ... but they would have to eat human flesh on a full moon.] In the same manner, followers of the Unfettered God are sticklers for promises, pacts and boons. You get one chance only to escape your fate - after that you are bound by the Unfettered God to hold your word. For that reason, they can sometimes seem evasive or flighty, as many times they would rather no commit than promise something that they know they would regret later.
Understand that they are not absolutists. If they say they want milk for supper and the milk has curdled, they will not drink the curds rather than change their mind. However, if they promise to deliver something or pay their life, one or the other WILL occur.
In the Heavens, peace is maintained by an elaborate series of pacts, bonds and promises. The gods and spirits are beholden to each other within millenia old agreements carved into the flesh of ancient monsters by primal claws and hung on the walls of the great Celestial Halls. It is said that one God, the Blazing Sun - the brightest offspring of the Morning Lord - fell in love with the Hidden Moon, the daugher of the Lord of the Night. However, their families were locked into an ancient pact that they must never meet. When one appears, the other disappears and so, for all of time, The Blazing Sun chased the Hidden Moon across the skies. Both were desperately sad and their tears fell upon the world, burning the deserts and flooding the seas.
It was then that a long lost immortal arrived at the gates of the Celestial Halls. No-one knew his name but he asked for hospitality, which was given and he observed the sadness of the couple. Without the knowledge of their parents, he spoke to them both and offered them a bargain. He could release them from their ancient pact, allowing them to meet and love, but they would have to enter into an unbreakable pact of their own. They considered the offer and accepted.
The next day, the Blazing Sun and the Hidden Moon met in the skies and the world was wreathed in darkness as their consumated their passions, and then they moved away and light was returned. The following night, the Hidden Moon bore their first child, the Star of the North and he soared into the sky. However, the pact that they undertook was final. The Blazing Sun would never see his children. The Sun and the Moon would meet thousands of times over the passing aeons and each time a child would be created but the Blazing Sun would never know them. That was his price for consumating his love with the Hidden Moon.
The other Gods saw the horror of the Blazing Sun, removed from his progeny, and the anguish of the Hidden Moon, constantly hearing the crying of her lonely children, and they tried to remove the lost immortal from the Celestial Halls, but he merely reminded them of their promise of hospitality and said that he could remove it, if they wanted, but they would have to pay a price. None of the Gods dared ask the price to be paid and so he remains.
The Unfettered God represents a second chance, a way out of a bad deal but there is always a heavy price to be paid. Converts to his religion will always be relieved on one pact or bargain they have made, but they will be tied in another fashion to the cult - a fashion that is rarely better than that which they have cast aside. Followers of the Unfettered God wear unchained shackles on their wrists as a sign that they have been released from a pact and sigils on their shackles show the world the fate they have escaped - a fate which only a fool who would challenge the Gods themself would attempt to reinstate.
[I'm seeing this as a little life the old druids reverence thing. So, for example, if Morn was captured by slavers, they would release him lest they invoke the wrath of the Unfettered God. In certain circumstances, it allows a follower carte blanche to do or go as they please, but they always have a horrid downside attached. So, for example, a Priest of Healing released from their pledge of lifelong celibacy would be allowed to continue as a priest and be married ... but they would have to eat human flesh on a full moon.] In the same manner, followers of the Unfettered God are sticklers for promises, pacts and boons. You get one chance only to escape your fate - after that you are bound by the Unfettered God to hold your word. For that reason, they can sometimes seem evasive or flighty, as many times they would rather no commit than promise something that they know they would regret later.
Understand that they are not absolutists. If they say they want milk for supper and the milk has curdled, they will not drink the curds rather than change their mind. However, if they promise to deliver something or pay their life, one or the other WILL occur.
Friday, 20 June 2008
Nabonidus
Name and Homeland
Nabonidus the Merchant (Human Rogue 6), The City of Kings
A sentence or two about where you are from
Nabonidus is a native of the City, a true Citizen whose family roots stretch back more than a dozen generations to before the Cabal took control of the City. He lives in a wealthier part of town in a large well protected villa. In his younger days he travelled far and wide and made his fortune trading rare and exotic items.
In his old age he settled down and left the travelling to younger men and decided to enjoy his fortune. He married a much younger woman, Alessa, a tavern dancer and some claim a whore. Behind his back many tongues whispered that she was only after his money. They were wrong and the two were truly in love. Alessa bore him his only child, a daughter, Cassandra. Two years ago Alessa died when shopping in the marketplace. A fight had broken out between rival Wizards and she was crushed by an Iron Golem moving to break things up. Since that day he has been a committed member of the Rebellion.
A brief physical description
Nabonidus is in his early 60's, tall, rake thin with sunken eyes and an air of tiredness about him.
A few keywords which describe you
Tired, angry, meticulous
Which people are important to you
His daughter Cassandra, he is utterly devoted to her as the last link he has to the only woman he truly loved.
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Magic is dangerous and should be controlled for the good of all
Protect Cassandra at all costs
Trade is the lifeblood of the City, without it we all die
Strength 11 (0) Constitution 12 (+1) Dexterity 18 (+4) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 12 (+1) Charisma 14 (+2)
AC 21 Ref 24 Fortitude 20 Will 20
HP 54 (HSV 13, 1/day)
Initiative +7
Perception 14
Speed 6
Skills: Thievery 12, Diplomacy 10, Insight 9
Class Abilities:
First Strike, Artful Rogue (+2 AC vs OA), Sneak Attack (2d6)
Powers:
Piercing Strike, Chameleon, Clever Riposte, Bait and Switch
Nabonidus the Merchant (Human Rogue 6), The City of Kings
A sentence or two about where you are from
Nabonidus is a native of the City, a true Citizen whose family roots stretch back more than a dozen generations to before the Cabal took control of the City. He lives in a wealthier part of town in a large well protected villa. In his younger days he travelled far and wide and made his fortune trading rare and exotic items.
In his old age he settled down and left the travelling to younger men and decided to enjoy his fortune. He married a much younger woman, Alessa, a tavern dancer and some claim a whore. Behind his back many tongues whispered that she was only after his money. They were wrong and the two were truly in love. Alessa bore him his only child, a daughter, Cassandra. Two years ago Alessa died when shopping in the marketplace. A fight had broken out between rival Wizards and she was crushed by an Iron Golem moving to break things up. Since that day he has been a committed member of the Rebellion.
A brief physical description
Nabonidus is in his early 60's, tall, rake thin with sunken eyes and an air of tiredness about him.
A few keywords which describe you
Tired, angry, meticulous
Which people are important to you
His daughter Cassandra, he is utterly devoted to her as the last link he has to the only woman he truly loved.
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Magic is dangerous and should be controlled for the good of all
Protect Cassandra at all costs
Trade is the lifeblood of the City, without it we all die
Strength 11 (0) Constitution 12 (+1) Dexterity 18 (+4) Intelligence 14 (+2) Wisdom 12 (+1) Charisma 14 (+2)
AC 21 Ref 24 Fortitude 20 Will 20
HP 54 (HSV 13, 1/day)
Initiative +7
Perception 14
Speed 6
Skills: Thievery 12, Diplomacy 10, Insight 9
Class Abilities:
First Strike, Artful Rogue (+2 AC vs OA), Sneak Attack (2d6)
Powers:
Piercing Strike, Chameleon, Clever Riposte, Bait and Switch
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Game Wiki
As the amount of material for the game continues to increase (have I mentioned I have great players?) its becoming apparent that the blog format might well struggle to manage the volume in an easily accessible way.
I have therefore created a Wiki for the game at http://thecityofkings.wikispaces.com/. Its still in the very early stages and is rather rough and ready. Until I decide which I prefer I will continue to post material to both.
In due course actual play reports will appear here but I will most likely post copies of the actual adventures on the Wiki as they are likely to be fairly long.
I have therefore created a Wiki for the game at http://thecityofkings.wikispaces.com/. Its still in the very early stages and is rather rough and ready. Until I decide which I prefer I will continue to post material to both.
In due course actual play reports will appear here but I will most likely post copies of the actual adventures on the Wiki as they are likely to be fairly long.
The Inner Sea
The Inner Sea basin
One area of the seas, similar in style to the Med forms a semi enclosed basin. Recent earthquake and volcanic (Divine?) activity caused a change in the ocean currents supplying the basin with water, in effect causing the sea level to (very) slowly begin to lower as the water evaporates away. The channels into this basin now have more swiftly flowing currents (eventually to be waterfalls) but one of the Lokarnos City ships if effectively now trapped and unable to leave a (slowly) dwindling inner sea. If nothing can be done, this will eventually be left stranded within a barren salt lake. Although slight, the changes in salinicity are already beginning to drive creatures of the depths into more shallow waters, and who know, what ancient ruins will slowly become nearer and nearer the surface. Imagine if the Med started to evaporate in our world.
One area of the seas, similar in style to the Med forms a semi enclosed basin. Recent earthquake and volcanic (Divine?) activity caused a change in the ocean currents supplying the basin with water, in effect causing the sea level to (very) slowly begin to lower as the water evaporates away. The channels into this basin now have more swiftly flowing currents (eventually to be waterfalls) but one of the Lokarnos City ships if effectively now trapped and unable to leave a (slowly) dwindling inner sea. If nothing can be done, this will eventually be left stranded within a barren salt lake. Although slight, the changes in salinicity are already beginning to drive creatures of the depths into more shallow waters, and who know, what ancient ruins will slowly become nearer and nearer the surface. Imagine if the Med started to evaporate in our world.
Monday, 16 June 2008
Asamber Kell
Matt: Asamber Kell, Human Wizard
Name and homeland
Asamber Kell, Human male Lokarnos
A sentence or two about where you are from
Born on the vast Lokarnos city-ship, Behemoth (Sister city-island-fortress-ship is called Leviathan) Asamber rose to the Magi class when the spark of the divine god Ul-ooth-ee was discovered within him on his 12th Birthday (i.e. he was tested as all male children are, and found able to wield magic!). All female Lokarnos can at the very least command a wind to raise, but the power is much rarer in males.
What the Lokarnos have not spoken of, is they did not lift the Sundering - it was well, sundered by something else! Since this event Lokarnos society has argued and cults of the Ancient Sea god Mael have begun to challenge the primacy of the Lokarnos god Ul-ooth-ee. Asamber is a part of one of these cults, abandoning his previous subservience to Ul-ooth-ee he has left Behemoth and seeks to find out more about Mael...
A brief physical description
Temple ettiquete of Ul-ooth-ee demmands a life of study and exercise (think monk), Asamber is hale and well built - extremely different from most other users of magic. He dies his hair in shades of green and blue to honor the God Mael and wears immaculate clothing following the colours of the sea, from grey-greens to rich blues.
A few keywords which describe you
Overconfident, loyal, vengeful, as unrelenting as the waves themselves, Beardey
Which people are important to you
The Lokarnos
Travellers (Once a Lokarnos sea captain takes a commision, those travellers are considered blood kin until the journey is over)
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The Ocean deep is vast and unknowable, more changeable than a woman's mood, more loving than a caress
Change is as inevitable as the turning tide, those who do not change with it will be swept away Force of personality and will is what divides those who have from those who have not - Stand up for yourself
Name and homeland
Asamber Kell, Human male Lokarnos
A sentence or two about where you are from
Born on the vast Lokarnos city-ship, Behemoth (Sister city-island-fortress-ship is called Leviathan) Asamber rose to the Magi class when the spark of the divine god Ul-ooth-ee was discovered within him on his 12th Birthday (i.e. he was tested as all male children are, and found able to wield magic!). All female Lokarnos can at the very least command a wind to raise, but the power is much rarer in males.
What the Lokarnos have not spoken of, is they did not lift the Sundering - it was well, sundered by something else! Since this event Lokarnos society has argued and cults of the Ancient Sea god Mael have begun to challenge the primacy of the Lokarnos god Ul-ooth-ee. Asamber is a part of one of these cults, abandoning his previous subservience to Ul-ooth-ee he has left Behemoth and seeks to find out more about Mael...
A brief physical description
Temple ettiquete of Ul-ooth-ee demmands a life of study and exercise (think monk), Asamber is hale and well built - extremely different from most other users of magic. He dies his hair in shades of green and blue to honor the God Mael and wears immaculate clothing following the colours of the sea, from grey-greens to rich blues.
A few keywords which describe you
Overconfident, loyal, vengeful, as unrelenting as the waves themselves, Beardey
Which people are important to you
The Lokarnos
Travellers (Once a Lokarnos sea captain takes a commision, those travellers are considered blood kin until the journey is over)
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The Ocean deep is vast and unknowable, more changeable than a woman's mood, more loving than a caress
Change is as inevitable as the turning tide, those who do not change with it will be swept away Force of personality and will is what divides those who have from those who have not - Stand up for yourself
Artemis
Ian: Artemis Antarion, Human Ranger
Name and homeland
Artemis Antarion doesn't really view himself as having a home, he is surprisingly self-sufficient and possess the skills to survive in the deepest underground caves, the most desolate of deserts and the most remote of forests. He has found himself spending more time in the city though, as he becomes embroiled in the downfall of the Teiflings.
A sentence or two about where you are from
Artemis spent his early years with his tribe wondering the vastness of the desert. They view the desert as a harsh mistress and a mysterious place of strange beasts, spirits on the wind and the mysterious Kireshi. He became a scout for his tribe, tasked with wondering the desert in small groups navigating the dune sea. All went well until forces beholden to the Teifling's in the city raided his tribe when they came close to the city, killing most of them (including his father) and taking some of the women prisoner (including his mother).
It took two years before Artemis could free he his mother, but by that point she was a broken woman due to the vile acts of the Teiflings and she had given birth to a Teifling child: Kallista Antarion. His mother now resides in The Shrouded Oasis, the darkly bueatiful sanctum of the Kireshi. He has recently spent most of his time as a bounty and treasure hunter for various individuals (The Grub) and organisations (The Order of Transcendental Inquiry), as part of his goal to destroy the Teiflings.
A brief physical description
Artemis wears browns, dark greens and blacks varying the colour depending on his environment at the time, merging into the environment should always be a possibility. His clothes always have a weather-beaten and worn in look, indeed this seems to happen to anything he wears. He always looks like he shaved yesterday, and his hair looks weather-beaten due to the ever-present wind or sun in the desert.
A few keywords which describe you
Dogged. Persistant. Perceptive. Older and wiser than his years. Attractive in a weathered sort of way.
Which people are important to you
Artemis has grown up among some of the most self-reliant humans alive, in one of the harshest environments alive, and this has given him a very humanist approach to life - he believes his people should bow to no others, and have the potential for greatness. He will take him arms against anyone who gets in the way of that. His main relationships are a complex triangle between Akaran Trak'ar (Kallista's Father), Kallista Antarion (Half-Sister) and his mother (and Kallista's).
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Death to the Teifling Demon Spawn!
Respect and Protect Family
The Shrouded Oasis
Kill Akaran Trak'ar
Name and homeland
Artemis Antarion doesn't really view himself as having a home, he is surprisingly self-sufficient and possess the skills to survive in the deepest underground caves, the most desolate of deserts and the most remote of forests. He has found himself spending more time in the city though, as he becomes embroiled in the downfall of the Teiflings.
A sentence or two about where you are from
Artemis spent his early years with his tribe wondering the vastness of the desert. They view the desert as a harsh mistress and a mysterious place of strange beasts, spirits on the wind and the mysterious Kireshi. He became a scout for his tribe, tasked with wondering the desert in small groups navigating the dune sea. All went well until forces beholden to the Teifling's in the city raided his tribe when they came close to the city, killing most of them (including his father) and taking some of the women prisoner (including his mother).
It took two years before Artemis could free he his mother, but by that point she was a broken woman due to the vile acts of the Teiflings and she had given birth to a Teifling child: Kallista Antarion. His mother now resides in The Shrouded Oasis, the darkly bueatiful sanctum of the Kireshi. He has recently spent most of his time as a bounty and treasure hunter for various individuals (The Grub) and organisations (The Order of Transcendental Inquiry), as part of his goal to destroy the Teiflings.
A brief physical description
Artemis wears browns, dark greens and blacks varying the colour depending on his environment at the time, merging into the environment should always be a possibility. His clothes always have a weather-beaten and worn in look, indeed this seems to happen to anything he wears. He always looks like he shaved yesterday, and his hair looks weather-beaten due to the ever-present wind or sun in the desert.
A few keywords which describe you
Dogged. Persistant. Perceptive. Older and wiser than his years. Attractive in a weathered sort of way.
Which people are important to you
Artemis has grown up among some of the most self-reliant humans alive, in one of the harshest environments alive, and this has given him a very humanist approach to life - he believes his people should bow to no others, and have the potential for greatness. He will take him arms against anyone who gets in the way of that. His main relationships are a complex triangle between Akaran Trak'ar (Kallista's Father), Kallista Antarion (Half-Sister) and his mother (and Kallista's).
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Death to the Teifling Demon Spawn!
Respect and Protect Family
The Shrouded Oasis
Kill Akaran Trak'ar
Azhanti
Nigel: Azhanti Dragonborn Cleric
Azhanti was born into the High Lightning Clan and found his talents suited the Steadier aspect of Dragonborn life, however a war with the troops of Raptos ended badly for the Clan. The devastation culminated in the destruction of the temples of clan, slaughtering the priests in a tumultuous battle. One priest, Nihlil survived and fled to the hills. Here he trained a small school of priests, including Azhanti in the pantheon of his people.
Azhanti left the school, following the now deceased Vulcan, Lord of the Storm, to develop his skills for the people and to develop his religious insight to reawaken his lost god. He has yet to visit the temple of his fallen god in the Plaza of the Dead Gods. Azhanti travels the lands, seeking to cultivate a deep love of his god amongst worshipers of all races and may in the future achieve Demigod status himself.
However, Azhanti currently earns a living fighting in the coliseum as a self-owned gladiator, as well as taking tasks for groups. The renowned Agran Treshk acts as his agent and often puts him onto jobs that require doing. He now remains in the city as it is here he can meet many folk travelling through and seeks out people who would willingly follow his god, so far with little success.
Name and homeland
Azhanti was born in the Norros Steplands where a small city of Dragonborn once existed until smashed by the troops of Reptos. His family lived and worked in the ruins of the city scavenging and rebuilding the land. As a child he was sent up in the Norros Mountains where he commenced his training in the priesthood, as the small town was only able to support a limited number of Dragonborn and he needed a path in life.
A sentence or two about where you are from
A broken people who are rebuilding after the ancient devastating war, who seek the old ways in tombs and ruins and now earn a living hiring to those who can pay. The scattered acolytes of the Pantheon seek to rebuild that which was lost whilst guiding their people in the new environments they face.
A brief physical description
A bronze-scaled behemoth, Azhanti is in the prime of his life as a Dragonborn. The hornlike scales that form his crest are restlessly moving, mimicking his restless nature and lack of contentment for being still, whilst his glimmering red eyes are often unreadable by many he meets.
A few keywords which describe you
Restless and unpredictable as the storms that drift across the land, driven but with a wicked sense of humor and irony
Which people are important to you
Nihlil the ancient priest of the High Lightning pantheon
His scattered classmates as they attempt to rebuild their religion
Agran Treshk, his agent and sometime employer
A few of the gladiators at the arena he finds a particular bond with
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The Faith will rise again.
Stick out a fight – good comrades are hard to find
Trust no-one in authority who isn’t Dragonborn
Azhanti was born into the High Lightning Clan and found his talents suited the Steadier aspect of Dragonborn life, however a war with the troops of Raptos ended badly for the Clan. The devastation culminated in the destruction of the temples of clan, slaughtering the priests in a tumultuous battle. One priest, Nihlil survived and fled to the hills. Here he trained a small school of priests, including Azhanti in the pantheon of his people.
Azhanti left the school, following the now deceased Vulcan, Lord of the Storm, to develop his skills for the people and to develop his religious insight to reawaken his lost god. He has yet to visit the temple of his fallen god in the Plaza of the Dead Gods. Azhanti travels the lands, seeking to cultivate a deep love of his god amongst worshipers of all races and may in the future achieve Demigod status himself.
However, Azhanti currently earns a living fighting in the coliseum as a self-owned gladiator, as well as taking tasks for groups. The renowned Agran Treshk acts as his agent and often puts him onto jobs that require doing. He now remains in the city as it is here he can meet many folk travelling through and seeks out people who would willingly follow his god, so far with little success.
Name and homeland
Azhanti was born in the Norros Steplands where a small city of Dragonborn once existed until smashed by the troops of Reptos. His family lived and worked in the ruins of the city scavenging and rebuilding the land. As a child he was sent up in the Norros Mountains where he commenced his training in the priesthood, as the small town was only able to support a limited number of Dragonborn and he needed a path in life.
A sentence or two about where you are from
A broken people who are rebuilding after the ancient devastating war, who seek the old ways in tombs and ruins and now earn a living hiring to those who can pay. The scattered acolytes of the Pantheon seek to rebuild that which was lost whilst guiding their people in the new environments they face.
A brief physical description
A bronze-scaled behemoth, Azhanti is in the prime of his life as a Dragonborn. The hornlike scales that form his crest are restlessly moving, mimicking his restless nature and lack of contentment for being still, whilst his glimmering red eyes are often unreadable by many he meets.
A few keywords which describe you
Restless and unpredictable as the storms that drift across the land, driven but with a wicked sense of humor and irony
Which people are important to you
Nihlil the ancient priest of the High Lightning pantheon
His scattered classmates as they attempt to rebuild their religion
Agran Treshk, his agent and sometime employer
A few of the gladiators at the arena he finds a particular bond with
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The Faith will rise again.
Stick out a fight – good comrades are hard to find
Trust no-one in authority who isn’t Dragonborn
Morn
Neil: Morn Human Paladin
Name and homeland
My name is Morn. I have no family name as I was sold into servitude from my birth. I have been told that I have the look of a man from the northern mountains but in my heart, I have no homeland.
A sentence or two about where you are from
I spent my early years acting as a hand servant for a Tiefling noble, my teenage years as a concubine for his behorned daughter and my adult life as a bodyguard for her offspring. I existed in the City of Kings until I was freed by the followers of the Unfettered God and taken away to their compound in the desert. There, I finally understood the price that must be paid for freedom and took up my sword against the Tieflings.
A brief physical description
Morn is a solidly set man with lean taut muscles and a constant air of tension. He is bald, with dark set eyes and a humourless expression. He wears a scrappy arrangement of chain and plate, designed for protection and comfort in the warm desert. Unlike so many former slaves, he bears only scars rather than possessive markings of tatttooes - a quirk of his former owner's daughter. Of course, some of the marks on him are not visible... (see Blood Tattoos)
A few keywords which describe you
Serious, tense, suspicious, dare I say emotionless?, brave, no fear of death
Which people are important to you
The followers of the Unfettered God released him from his servitude - he will protect them with his life
Kyia, the daughter of the noble for whom he acted as bodyguard and bedmate, holds an unfortunate place in his heart - she is his weak link.
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The slaves of the Tieflings must be freed
A man without freedom is no man at all
A man's word is his bond - once given, it can never be broken
Name and homeland
My name is Morn. I have no family name as I was sold into servitude from my birth. I have been told that I have the look of a man from the northern mountains but in my heart, I have no homeland.
A sentence or two about where you are from
I spent my early years acting as a hand servant for a Tiefling noble, my teenage years as a concubine for his behorned daughter and my adult life as a bodyguard for her offspring. I existed in the City of Kings until I was freed by the followers of the Unfettered God and taken away to their compound in the desert. There, I finally understood the price that must be paid for freedom and took up my sword against the Tieflings.
A brief physical description
Morn is a solidly set man with lean taut muscles and a constant air of tension. He is bald, with dark set eyes and a humourless expression. He wears a scrappy arrangement of chain and plate, designed for protection and comfort in the warm desert. Unlike so many former slaves, he bears only scars rather than possessive markings of tatttooes - a quirk of his former owner's daughter. Of course, some of the marks on him are not visible... (see Blood Tattoos)
A few keywords which describe you
Serious, tense, suspicious, dare I say emotionless?, brave, no fear of death
Which people are important to you
The followers of the Unfettered God released him from his servitude - he will protect them with his life
Kyia, the daughter of the noble for whom he acted as bodyguard and bedmate, holds an unfortunate place in his heart - she is his weak link.
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
The slaves of the Tieflings must be freed
A man without freedom is no man at all
A man's word is his bond - once given, it can never be broken
Character Death
OK, I wanted to flag this issue up early and see what peoples views were.
In previous games as a group we have very much been against random character death. This has ranged from the occasional pulling of punches, giving second chances and occasionally outright ignoring the dice.
Now, I know why we do it and to a large extent I agree why. Its hard to sustain an ongoing narrative plot when one of the main protagonists is stabbed in the face half way through.
However, I want to raise the issue specifically in the case of 4e and this game. The game we are creating is one without a strong central narrative plot. This is not Crescent sea v2.0. I see this more like a series of Conan short novels set in the same region. There may be some ongoing plot arcs you involve yourself with and you can be sure there will be epic over the top action but I dont see the death of any individual character seriously screwing up the game.
So, should character death be on the table? Its a given that the group can fail but failure doesnt have to just mean death. Failure can and does result in lots of complications but should death be an option?
Looking at the rules it seems that characters are significantly more robust. You start with more HP, you can recover them mid fight more easily, there are minimal "save or die" effects and you get a large buffer between being unconcious and dead. The chances of outright death are relatively low unless the whole party is going down (and I should be able to avoid that!).
So, what do people think. Is random death an option or is a step too far for us.
In previous games as a group we have very much been against random character death. This has ranged from the occasional pulling of punches, giving second chances and occasionally outright ignoring the dice.
Now, I know why we do it and to a large extent I agree why. Its hard to sustain an ongoing narrative plot when one of the main protagonists is stabbed in the face half way through.
However, I want to raise the issue specifically in the case of 4e and this game. The game we are creating is one without a strong central narrative plot. This is not Crescent sea v2.0. I see this more like a series of Conan short novels set in the same region. There may be some ongoing plot arcs you involve yourself with and you can be sure there will be epic over the top action but I dont see the death of any individual character seriously screwing up the game.
So, should character death be on the table? Its a given that the group can fail but failure doesnt have to just mean death. Failure can and does result in lots of complications but should death be an option?
Looking at the rules it seems that characters are significantly more robust. You start with more HP, you can recover them mid fight more easily, there are minimal "save or die" effects and you get a large buffer between being unconcious and dead. The chances of outright death are relatively low unless the whole party is going down (and I should be able to avoid that!).
So, what do people think. Is random death an option or is a step too far for us.
Saturday, 14 June 2008
The Dragonborn
The Dragonborn
The Dragonborn are now a scattered remnant of what they were in the past. The mighty Empire of the past is no more and the five great clans are scattered throughout the land. Each clan or legion is organised on strict military lines with each Dragonborn assigned to a specific unit. The Assaulter section is the largest and made up predominantly of fighters and paladins, the Scouter section holds the rangers and rogues, whilst the Scatterer section is made up of wizards and warlocks. The Steadier section holds the clerics and warlords, who are also the spiritual leaders of the clans.
The council of four, drawn from each unit, runs each legion and one of these four are always voted as Clan chief. Due to the logistics of supporting such a legion, the individual members of a legion are often scattered over a large area and are only summoned together when they have a contract that needs the clan. A fully formed clan is almost a nation in itself, a rare sight indeed. Dragonborn gods represent the elemental nature of the world with portfolios including fire, thunderstorms, rivers etc.
The Dragonborn are now a scattered remnant of what they were in the past. The mighty Empire of the past is no more and the five great clans are scattered throughout the land. Each clan or legion is organised on strict military lines with each Dragonborn assigned to a specific unit. The Assaulter section is the largest and made up predominantly of fighters and paladins, the Scouter section holds the rangers and rogues, whilst the Scatterer section is made up of wizards and warlocks. The Steadier section holds the clerics and warlords, who are also the spiritual leaders of the clans.
The council of four, drawn from each unit, runs each legion and one of these four are always voted as Clan chief. Due to the logistics of supporting such a legion, the individual members of a legion are often scattered over a large area and are only summoned together when they have a contract that needs the clan. A fully formed clan is almost a nation in itself, a rare sight indeed. Dragonborn gods represent the elemental nature of the world with portfolios including fire, thunderstorms, rivers etc.
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Blood Tattoos
Blood Tattoos
The Tiefling masters of days past held many slaves in their subterranean palaces. Faced with a choice between sacrifice to their Dark God masters or life as servitors, many humans succumbed to the lash and pledged their lives and afterlives to their new masters. As a mark of their triumph over the pure blooded humans, the Tieflings marked their slaves with tattooes powered by now long lost blood magics. These marks, burned into the flesh, marked not only the mortal body but also the immortal soul. The marks passed from generation to generation, visible only to those empowered by the fiendish. They marked a bloodline of servants, concubines and worse. Nowadays, those that are blood-marked walk freely amongst us and only the Tieflings know their darkest secrets and the oaths that were sworn on their souls.
The Tiefling masters of days past held many slaves in their subterranean palaces. Faced with a choice between sacrifice to their Dark God masters or life as servitors, many humans succumbed to the lash and pledged their lives and afterlives to their new masters. As a mark of their triumph over the pure blooded humans, the Tieflings marked their slaves with tattooes powered by now long lost blood magics. These marks, burned into the flesh, marked not only the mortal body but also the immortal soul. The marks passed from generation to generation, visible only to those empowered by the fiendish. They marked a bloodline of servants, concubines and worse. Nowadays, those that are blood-marked walk freely amongst us and only the Tieflings know their darkest secrets and the oaths that were sworn on their souls.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
I have them!
The 4e books are in my hands, Amazon are stars and delivered them today.
I will post more once I have had a chance to look through them properly. First impressions are very good based on the layout and the art. Content has been interesting so far, I dont think the game is necessarily simpler than 3.x but it seems perhaps complicated in different ways.
That complexity however gets shared around the players as it seems to be mainly concentrated in the large number of class powers to chose from.
I will post more once I have had a chance to look through them properly. First impressions are very good based on the layout and the art. Content has been interesting so far, I dont think the game is necessarily simpler than 3.x but it seems perhaps complicated in different ways.
That complexity however gets shared around the players as it seems to be mainly concentrated in the large number of class powers to chose from.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Player Empowerment and The Game
I was originally going to post this as a reply to a couple of comments that appeared on my last theory post while I have been away with work but decided it probably deserved a post of its own.
Thanks very much for that Helen. I have heard of but havent tried IAWA as yet, my understanding is that it is a very focused, possibly too focused for what I want at the moment (I may be confusing it with Mountain Witch). Thats fine but I really struggle to generate a more lengthy game from that sort of material (Cold City being a case in point). The Cold City one shot was ok but it only really sustained 3 sessions and I wanted this game to be more substantial.
I have been looking at The Shadow of Yesterday which I think is excellent although so far I have only managed to play one session at a Convention. I am also looking forward to the Dresden Files so I can rip out its magic system and add it to Spirit of the Century to run it for pulp fantasy or possibly Exalted.
On the 4e game I really can't take much of the credit. Of the stuff I have posted so far about 90% of it has been written by other people, one of whom isn't even playing and who has an allergic reaction to anything D&D related. I have some additional ideas that I will be incorporating but as I want a number of them to be "game reveals" I wont be posting about them until we reach them in game. Some of them might take quite a while to come out but I am pretty happy with my "lonely fun" as there's plenty of other stuff to keep the players occupied and interested until then.
"Can you illustrate some of the arguments around the GM being the sole bringer of awesome? I have to admit that the entire concept is pretty alien to me, both as a GM and a player! How do people think that the players can have ownership of a game and not have some stake in its development?" Neil
I have seen strongly GM authored games work in a few cases but they have generally involved the following elements:
1. A strong GM generated plot
2. Excellent GM delivery
3. Close meshing of the player characters within the GM authored plot
4. Lots of unexpected twists and turns within a well detailed background and setting
I hope that I managed this with at least some of the Exalted stuff I ran and Phil certainly managed it with a 3.x D&D game I played in.
Number 4 is particularly difficult to do with heavy playor authorship which is why I shall be wearing the Viking Hat of Awesomeness from time to time.
"AWESOME. I'm really enjoying reading about your game. It sounds very cool. Helen, who's been playing about with fantasy stuff recently despite having previously avoided it like the plague. Have you tried In A Wicked Age yet? I'm rather enamoured of it." Helen
Thanks very much for that Helen. I have heard of but havent tried IAWA as yet, my understanding is that it is a very focused, possibly too focused for what I want at the moment (I may be confusing it with Mountain Witch). Thats fine but I really struggle to generate a more lengthy game from that sort of material (Cold City being a case in point). The Cold City one shot was ok but it only really sustained 3 sessions and I wanted this game to be more substantial.
I have been looking at The Shadow of Yesterday which I think is excellent although so far I have only managed to play one session at a Convention. I am also looking forward to the Dresden Files so I can rip out its magic system and add it to Spirit of the Century to run it for pulp fantasy or possibly Exalted.
On the 4e game I really can't take much of the credit. Of the stuff I have posted so far about 90% of it has been written by other people, one of whom isn't even playing and who has an allergic reaction to anything D&D related. I have some additional ideas that I will be incorporating but as I want a number of them to be "game reveals" I wont be posting about them until we reach them in game. Some of them might take quite a while to come out but I am pretty happy with my "lonely fun" as there's plenty of other stuff to keep the players occupied and interested until then.
"Can you illustrate some of the arguments around the GM being the sole bringer of awesome? I have to admit that the entire concept is pretty alien to me, both as a GM and a player! How do people think that the players can have ownership of a game and not have some stake in its development?" Neil
I have seen strongly GM authored games work in a few cases but they have generally involved the following elements:
1. A strong GM generated plot
2. Excellent GM delivery
3. Close meshing of the player characters within the GM authored plot
4. Lots of unexpected twists and turns within a well detailed background and setting
I hope that I managed this with at least some of the Exalted stuff I ran and Phil certainly managed it with a 3.x D&D game I played in.
Number 4 is particularly difficult to do with heavy playor authorship which is why I shall be wearing the Viking Hat of Awesomeness from time to time.
Sunday, 1 June 2008
Kallista
Kallista Antarion
Artemes's half-sister through his mother and professional rival, colleague, friend and enemy at different times. Kallista is a Tiefling Rogue. The relationship between Kallista and Artemis is complex, as not only do they often find themselves as professional rivals, their backgrounds have given them different moral codes. It also true to say Artemis sees Kallista as the representation of his mother's trials, while Kallista sees Artemis as a representation of everything that was kept from her. This relationship means they've rarely attempted to directly kill each other, but may have left each other in potentially fatal situations. Kallista also provides some connections to the Teifling community and criminal guilds. She has lived in the city all her life.
Artemes's half-sister through his mother and professional rival, colleague, friend and enemy at different times. Kallista is a Tiefling Rogue. The relationship between Kallista and Artemis is complex, as not only do they often find themselves as professional rivals, their backgrounds have given them different moral codes. It also true to say Artemis sees Kallista as the representation of his mother's trials, while Kallista sees Artemis as a representation of everything that was kept from her. This relationship means they've rarely attempted to directly kill each other, but may have left each other in potentially fatal situations. Kallista also provides some connections to the Teifling community and criminal guilds. She has lived in the city all her life.
The Coliseum
The Coliseum
The Coliseum hosts monthly games to amuse the population which prove a great attraction, from the execution of prisoners, gladitorial battles and duels of honour. Occasionaly they also host duels between those who have a score to settle, Sorcerers willing of course! Associated with this large ediface is a Gladiatorial school and the gambling dens of many a thieve's guild.
The great Houses of the City each sponsor a number of gladiators as well as vying to throw the most spectacular and unusual fights. Vast sums of money are wagered on these events and the Houses are always on the lookout for enterprising individuals able to bring them unusual or exotic monsters to fight for their entertainment and to show up their rivals.
Of course, sometimes they escape.
The Coliseum hosts monthly games to amuse the population which prove a great attraction, from the execution of prisoners, gladitorial battles and duels of honour. Occasionaly they also host duels between those who have a score to settle, Sorcerers willing of course! Associated with this large ediface is a Gladiatorial school and the gambling dens of many a thieve's guild.
The great Houses of the City each sponsor a number of gladiators as well as vying to throw the most spectacular and unusual fights. Vast sums of money are wagered on these events and the Houses are always on the lookout for enterprising individuals able to bring them unusual or exotic monsters to fight for their entertainment and to show up their rivals.
Of course, sometimes they escape.
Hu'Maa
Hu'Maa, the Vampire Lord
Hu'maa is the master of the city's night time market and a Vampire sufficiently old and powerful enough to be left alone by the Cabal. The night bazaar hosts all sorts of unsavoury merchandise, the blood of innocents, a virgins first tears, the powedered heart of a Paladin, all these and more can be found after the sun sets.
Unknown to all though Hu'maa is an ancient high priest of the Demon Sopias, and his plotting and scheming will soon be coming to fruition. His Demon Lord will walk the earth again!
Hu'maa is the master of the city's night time market and a Vampire sufficiently old and powerful enough to be left alone by the Cabal. The night bazaar hosts all sorts of unsavoury merchandise, the blood of innocents, a virgins first tears, the powedered heart of a Paladin, all these and more can be found after the sun sets.
Unknown to all though Hu'maa is an ancient high priest of the Demon Sopias, and his plotting and scheming will soon be coming to fruition. His Demon Lord will walk the earth again!
Agran Treshk
Agran Treshk a.k.a 'The Grub' or 'The Maggot'
Agran is a man of power within the city. He's not top tier, but he sits in the middle as a broker. Those who don't want to deal with certain things directly use a mediator or a facilitator, and Agran is known as one of the best. As a result, Agran is a mixture of things: information broker, fence, recruiter and whatever else is needed. He also works for members of The Order of Transcendental Inquiry (as well as others), ensuring anything they need to pursue their goals or lines of research are acquired or dealt with without having to expose themselves to those they employ.
It is said that Agran is human, but the rumours constantly circle like sharks of his dubious ancestry. His skin is a deathly white, which is an achievement considering the surrounding desert. He is also large. Very large. Not only is he very large for a human, he is ridiculously obese. It is said he hasn't stood on his own legs for decades. He is instead carried around on a large dais along with his heavily drugged slave girls by four ugly flesh golems. He can be seen at the Gladiator Pit, betting on the fights and owns a couple of fighters. He has his own minor palace in which he holds court, a strange place in which all sorts of people can sometimes be seen.
No one likes Agran, as he is commonly referred to as 'The Grub' or 'The Maggot' (both because of his size and the oils he must have on his skin and his habit of feeding those who betray him to a vile form of demonic maggot).
Agran Treshk the Maggot (Level 13 Elite Controller)
Large Aberrant Humanoid
Str 12 Dex 11 Int 22 Wis 14 Con 13 Cha 17
HP: 229 (Bloodied 115, Healing Surge 57)
AC 27, Reflex 29, Fortitude 27, Will 31, +4 versus fear and charm
+2 to all saving throws
Action Points: 1
Skills: Arcana (17), Intimidate (14), Bluff (14), Insight (13), Streetwise (16)
Ritual Casting:
Agran has access to a number of unusual and obscure rituals including those he uses to animate his flesh golem minions and to summon his favourite demonic maggot pets.
Fleshweaver (Aura 5):
Agrans is a master at manipulating flesh, both alive and dead. When a fleshgolem minion is struck in combat Agran may, as an immediate reaction, reanimate the golem. He may only do so once per round.
To me my minions:
Agran gains a +1 bonus to all defences for each flesh golem minion adjacent to him.
Basic Ranged Attack: Touch of the Fleshweaver
Ranged 5: +16 vs Fortitude: 1d10 + 6, target is weakened until the end of your next turn
Scream of the Fleshweaver (Encounter, recharge when bloodied):
Ranged 10, up to 3 targets: +16 vs Will: 3d10 +6 psychic damage and the targets are stunned until the end of your next turn
Grasp Flesh (Encounter, recharge 4, 5, 6)
Ranged 20: +16 vs Reflex: The target is pulled 4 toward Agran
Sustain: Minor
Engulf (At Will)
Melee: +16 vs Reflex: The target is grabbed and partially absorbed into Agrans massive fleshy body. Each round the target takes automatic Touch of the Fleshweaver damage and effects until it is totally absorbed. Stunned targets and those subject to Grasp Flesh are hit automatically. Targets can break free of the grab with Acrobatics vs Reflex or Athletics vs Fortitude.
Grabbed targets are immobilised until they escape but may otherwise act. Agran can sustain the Grab for free and can Engulf up to 4 medium sized creatures or 1 large creature at any one time.
Agran is said to absorb the memories of those he consumes.
Agran is a man of power within the city. He's not top tier, but he sits in the middle as a broker. Those who don't want to deal with certain things directly use a mediator or a facilitator, and Agran is known as one of the best. As a result, Agran is a mixture of things: information broker, fence, recruiter and whatever else is needed. He also works for members of The Order of Transcendental Inquiry (as well as others), ensuring anything they need to pursue their goals or lines of research are acquired or dealt with without having to expose themselves to those they employ.
It is said that Agran is human, but the rumours constantly circle like sharks of his dubious ancestry. His skin is a deathly white, which is an achievement considering the surrounding desert. He is also large. Very large. Not only is he very large for a human, he is ridiculously obese. It is said he hasn't stood on his own legs for decades. He is instead carried around on a large dais along with his heavily drugged slave girls by four ugly flesh golems. He can be seen at the Gladiator Pit, betting on the fights and owns a couple of fighters. He has his own minor palace in which he holds court, a strange place in which all sorts of people can sometimes be seen.
No one likes Agran, as he is commonly referred to as 'The Grub' or 'The Maggot' (both because of his size and the oils he must have on his skin and his habit of feeding those who betray him to a vile form of demonic maggot).
Agran Treshk the Maggot (Level 13 Elite Controller)
Large Aberrant Humanoid
Str 12 Dex 11 Int 22 Wis 14 Con 13 Cha 17
HP: 229 (Bloodied 115, Healing Surge 57)
AC 27, Reflex 29, Fortitude 27, Will 31, +4 versus fear and charm
+2 to all saving throws
Action Points: 1
Skills: Arcana (17), Intimidate (14), Bluff (14), Insight (13), Streetwise (16)
Ritual Casting:
Agran has access to a number of unusual and obscure rituals including those he uses to animate his flesh golem minions and to summon his favourite demonic maggot pets.
Fleshweaver (Aura 5):
Agrans is a master at manipulating flesh, both alive and dead. When a fleshgolem minion is struck in combat Agran may, as an immediate reaction, reanimate the golem. He may only do so once per round.
To me my minions:
Agran gains a +1 bonus to all defences for each flesh golem minion adjacent to him.
Basic Ranged Attack: Touch of the Fleshweaver
Ranged 5: +16 vs Fortitude: 1d10 + 6, target is weakened until the end of your next turn
Scream of the Fleshweaver (Encounter, recharge when bloodied):
Ranged 10, up to 3 targets: +16 vs Will: 3d10 +6 psychic damage and the targets are stunned until the end of your next turn
Grasp Flesh (Encounter, recharge 4, 5, 6)
Ranged 20: +16 vs Reflex: The target is pulled 4 toward Agran
Sustain: Minor
Engulf (At Will)
Melee: +16 vs Reflex: The target is grabbed and partially absorbed into Agrans massive fleshy body. Each round the target takes automatic Touch of the Fleshweaver damage and effects until it is totally absorbed. Stunned targets and those subject to Grasp Flesh are hit automatically. Targets can break free of the grab with Acrobatics vs Reflex or Athletics vs Fortitude.
Grabbed targets are immobilised until they escape but may otherwise act. Agran can sustain the Grab for free and can Engulf up to 4 medium sized creatures or 1 large creature at any one time.
Agran is said to absorb the memories of those he consumes.
The Shrouded Oasis
The Shrouded Oasis
The Cabal has always sought to defeat and enslave the Kireshi nomads and the Witches in order to finally defeat the Cult of the Eternal. They have always failed for want of something to attack. They have no city. It is said their leaders are dispersed through different nomadic and extended families. This is only partly true, for the Kireshi people have at least one sacred place: The Shrouded Oasis.
The Shrouded Oasis was created in a time long forgotten, via a ritual that brought the power of the Kireshi Witches and a creature or creatures of the Feywild together to create a perfect Oasis 'within' the vast desert. It defies the laws of nature and exists in perfection. The lake is crystal clear and refreshing. The greenery beautiful and it's bounty never ending. It is even the home of strange Feywild creatures, some say connected to the ancient force(s) that helped create it. The location of the Oasis is a great secret and explorers have gone mad in the desert looking for it. It is said only those who know the secret can find for, everyone else will just see sand storms and endless sand. The Shrouded Oasis, a sacred place of the Kireshi Nomads.
The Cabal has always sought to defeat and enslave the Kireshi nomads and the Witches in order to finally defeat the Cult of the Eternal. They have always failed for want of something to attack. They have no city. It is said their leaders are dispersed through different nomadic and extended families. This is only partly true, for the Kireshi people have at least one sacred place: The Shrouded Oasis.
The Shrouded Oasis was created in a time long forgotten, via a ritual that brought the power of the Kireshi Witches and a creature or creatures of the Feywild together to create a perfect Oasis 'within' the vast desert. It defies the laws of nature and exists in perfection. The lake is crystal clear and refreshing. The greenery beautiful and it's bounty never ending. It is even the home of strange Feywild creatures, some say connected to the ancient force(s) that helped create it. The location of the Oasis is a great secret and explorers have gone mad in the desert looking for it. It is said only those who know the secret can find for, everyone else will just see sand storms and endless sand. The Shrouded Oasis, a sacred place of the Kireshi Nomads.
The Order of Transcendental Inquiry
The Order of Transcendental Inquiry
The Order of Transcendental Inquiry is essentially a 'think tank' that might exist in a pulp sword and sorcery world. It consists of various priests, wizards, sages, mystics and whatever else who want to catalogue and solve the worlds mysteries for their own personal advancement. It's not necessarily benign. It's not necessary malicious. It's not necessarily a strict order, a bit more like a University, just without one big building (or maybe it does?), but certainly with ruthless competition for knowledge.
The members want knowledge of ancient magic, ancient scrolls of history, ancient prophecies that might come true, information on lost races and stuff from monsters that might be useful (a unicorns horn, poison from a rare beast) all for their own nefarious ends. They study this in an attempt to gain power for themselves or over others. The Order of Transcendental Inquiry has power, though it might not be overt, due to the seekers of knowledge being powerful in their own right or being the advisor's to powerful people.
For those who know, it is said if The Order doesn't have the answer give them time and they will find it. As well as the various scholarly interests there is also those who go out and engage in activities on the The Orders behalf at the cutting edge, entering the ancient cities, delving into the lost dungeons, thwarting other efforts and stealing the ancient scrolls from those who have them, possible even other scholars in their ranks. It could almost be anything.
Master Alias (Human Wizard 6)
Name and Homeland
Alias Windstorm, Lokarnos
A sentence or two about where you are from
Alias is a man of Lokarnos descent who arrived in the City of Kings about 6 months ago. He originally hailed from the City Ship Maelstrom which some say was lost in a terrible storm on the night of the breaking of the Sundering. If it's true he doesnt talk about how he survived that night.
Since he arrived in the City he has set about organising a network of agents to gather knowledge, information and ancient lore on behalf of the Order of Transcendental Inquiry. He never stays in the same place for long, constantly dodging agents of the Cabal who might try to seize him. He keeps in contact with his agents by means of magically enchanted notes at a series of dead drops.
A brief physical description
Alias is in his early 40's with short black hair pulled into a topknot and deep green eyes. He is heavy set but running a little to fat and wears deep blue and green robes edged with coiled golden dragons when he isnt disguising his appearance.
A few keywords which describe you
Open, friendly, careful, quick witted
Which people are important to you
His various agents within the City
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Knowledge is power, it should be kept out of the wrong hands
The Order saved his life, take its secrest to the grave rather than reveal them
A good agent is worth more than their weight in gold, always back them up
Strength 10 (0) Constitution 11 (+0) Dexterity 8 (-1) Intelligence 20 (+5) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 12 (+1)
AC 20 Ref 19 Fortitude 14 Will 19
HP 42 (HSV 10, 7/day)
Initiative +2
Perception 21
Speed 6
Skills: Arcana 13, History 13, Diplomacy 9, Insight 14, Religion 13, Perception 11, Streetwise 9
Class Abilities:
Orb Mastery, Ritual Casting, Spellbook, Cantrips
Feats: Armour Proficiency (Leather), Expanded Spellbook, Skil Training x2, Skill Focus: Insight
At Will Powers:
Thunderweave, Cloud of Daggers, Scorching Burst
Encounter Powers:
Icy Terrain, Colour Spray
Daily Powers:
Sleep*, Flaming Sphere, Freezing Cloud
Bigby's Icy Grasp, Stinking Cloud, Web*
Utility Powers:
Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat*, Shield
Dimension Door*, Disguise Self, Invisibility
Equipment:
+2 Orb of Inevitable Continuance
Rituals:
Comprehend Languages, Secret Page, Silence, Arcane Lock, Eye of Alarm, Secret Chest, Sending
The Order of Transcendental Inquiry is essentially a 'think tank' that might exist in a pulp sword and sorcery world. It consists of various priests, wizards, sages, mystics and whatever else who want to catalogue and solve the worlds mysteries for their own personal advancement. It's not necessarily benign. It's not necessary malicious. It's not necessarily a strict order, a bit more like a University, just without one big building (or maybe it does?), but certainly with ruthless competition for knowledge.
The members want knowledge of ancient magic, ancient scrolls of history, ancient prophecies that might come true, information on lost races and stuff from monsters that might be useful (a unicorns horn, poison from a rare beast) all for their own nefarious ends. They study this in an attempt to gain power for themselves or over others. The Order of Transcendental Inquiry has power, though it might not be overt, due to the seekers of knowledge being powerful in their own right or being the advisor's to powerful people.
For those who know, it is said if The Order doesn't have the answer give them time and they will find it. As well as the various scholarly interests there is also those who go out and engage in activities on the The Orders behalf at the cutting edge, entering the ancient cities, delving into the lost dungeons, thwarting other efforts and stealing the ancient scrolls from those who have them, possible even other scholars in their ranks. It could almost be anything.
Master Alias (Human Wizard 6)
Name and Homeland
Alias Windstorm, Lokarnos
A sentence or two about where you are from
Alias is a man of Lokarnos descent who arrived in the City of Kings about 6 months ago. He originally hailed from the City Ship Maelstrom which some say was lost in a terrible storm on the night of the breaking of the Sundering. If it's true he doesnt talk about how he survived that night.
Since he arrived in the City he has set about organising a network of agents to gather knowledge, information and ancient lore on behalf of the Order of Transcendental Inquiry. He never stays in the same place for long, constantly dodging agents of the Cabal who might try to seize him. He keeps in contact with his agents by means of magically enchanted notes at a series of dead drops.
A brief physical description
Alias is in his early 40's with short black hair pulled into a topknot and deep green eyes. He is heavy set but running a little to fat and wears deep blue and green robes edged with coiled golden dragons when he isnt disguising his appearance.
A few keywords which describe you
Open, friendly, careful, quick witted
Which people are important to you
His various agents within the City
Two or three things which you strongly believe in
Knowledge is power, it should be kept out of the wrong hands
The Order saved his life, take its secrest to the grave rather than reveal them
A good agent is worth more than their weight in gold, always back them up
Strength 10 (0) Constitution 11 (+0) Dexterity 8 (-1) Intelligence 20 (+5) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 12 (+1)
AC 20 Ref 19 Fortitude 14 Will 19
HP 42 (HSV 10, 7/day)
Initiative +2
Perception 21
Speed 6
Skills: Arcana 13, History 13, Diplomacy 9, Insight 14, Religion 13, Perception 11, Streetwise 9
Class Abilities:
Orb Mastery, Ritual Casting, Spellbook, Cantrips
Feats: Armour Proficiency (Leather), Expanded Spellbook, Skil Training x2, Skill Focus: Insight
At Will Powers:
Thunderweave, Cloud of Daggers, Scorching Burst
Encounter Powers:
Icy Terrain, Colour Spray
Daily Powers:
Sleep*, Flaming Sphere, Freezing Cloud
Bigby's Icy Grasp, Stinking Cloud, Web*
Utility Powers:
Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat*, Shield
Dimension Door*, Disguise Self, Invisibility
Equipment:
+2 Orb of Inevitable Continuance
Rituals:
Comprehend Languages, Secret Page, Silence, Arcane Lock, Eye of Alarm, Secret Chest, Sending
The Sundering
The SunderingThe Empire of the Warlord Reptos once spanned the length and bredth of six whole continents. Millions of people of many different races and nations paid homage and tribute to the Emperor. In the years after his disappearance that Empire began to break apart as once subject people asserted their independance.
One of those people were the Lokarnos. The Lokarnos are a seafaring people who dwell in vast floating city ships. They transported the great slave armies of the Emperor to new lands and patrolled the coasts of his tributaries. In the days after the Warlords fall they invoked the Sundering, a powerful magical ritual which denied sea travel to all except their floating cities. Any ship leaving sight of land was beset by terrible weather, sea monsters and worse until it sank.
Two years ago the bells in the abandoned temples of Mael, the long forgotten Elder God of the seas began to ring calling men back to the sea. The Sundering was broken and nations, both old and new, have begun to explore the world beyond their own borders. Who broke the ancient spell, why and how are questions yet to be answered.
The Plaza of Dead Gods
The Plaza of Dead Gods
In times long past the City of the Kings served as the capital for the Warlord Reptos whose Empire spread across much of the known world. As each nation or city fell to his armies their religions would be crushed, their temples shattered and their priests crucified. For each religion destroyed a new temple of black stone would be built in this haunted plaza. Here would be laid all of the artifacts of the overthrown and offerings to those gods. Superstition holds that the spirits of overthrown gods lie chained in these black halls, slowly dwindling to nothingness for lack of care or worship until they are blown away by the harsh desert winds. Great wealth and riches lie inside each temple for the brave, the foolish or the desperate to uncover.
In times long past the City of the Kings served as the capital for the Warlord Reptos whose Empire spread across much of the known world. As each nation or city fell to his armies their religions would be crushed, their temples shattered and their priests crucified. For each religion destroyed a new temple of black stone would be built in this haunted plaza. Here would be laid all of the artifacts of the overthrown and offerings to those gods. Superstition holds that the spirits of overthrown gods lie chained in these black halls, slowly dwindling to nothingness for lack of care or worship until they are blown away by the harsh desert winds. Great wealth and riches lie inside each temple for the brave, the foolish or the desperate to uncover.
The Spire
The Cult of the Eternal
In the centre of the City there stands a spire of pure white glass, the Temple of the Cult of the Eternal surrounded by a garden of pale gold roses. For those who had become tired of life or who had suffered too much pain the garden brought final peaceful rest in sweet unending dreams. The Cult held the secret of Eternal Life and used their arts to extend the life of the Centurion King and so secure his dynasty and the entrapment of the demon.
The Sorcerors came to take the secret and so attain eternal life. They shattered the Cult, seized the Spire and twisted the garden into a place of nightmares. Now the Sorcerors draw their Guardian Demons out of the minds of tormented dreamers. The surviving remnants of the Cult fled into the desert and took refuge with the Kireshi desert nomads waiting for the day when prophecy will be fulfilled and the next Centurion King will return.
On that day they will enter the City with the Kireshi Desert Witches and sweep the sorcerors and their filth away. What none know are the bargains the Cult had to make with the Witches to secure their survival and aid...
In the centre of the City there stands a spire of pure white glass, the Temple of the Cult of the Eternal surrounded by a garden of pale gold roses. For those who had become tired of life or who had suffered too much pain the garden brought final peaceful rest in sweet unending dreams. The Cult held the secret of Eternal Life and used their arts to extend the life of the Centurion King and so secure his dynasty and the entrapment of the demon.
The Sorcerors came to take the secret and so attain eternal life. They shattered the Cult, seized the Spire and twisted the garden into a place of nightmares. Now the Sorcerors draw their Guardian Demons out of the minds of tormented dreamers. The surviving remnants of the Cult fled into the desert and took refuge with the Kireshi desert nomads waiting for the day when prophecy will be fulfilled and the next Centurion King will return.
On that day they will enter the City with the Kireshi Desert Witches and sweep the sorcerors and their filth away. What none know are the bargains the Cult had to make with the Witches to secure their survival and aid...
The Night of Madness
The Night of Madness
Once per year, during a high festival to the Gods, the energies of the Lord of Nightmares are particularly strong and the city is plunged into a night of chaos. Lusts run rampant throughout the streets, spirits appear and both seduce and terrify the inhabitants. Many people leave the city before this night, terrified at the ordeal, whilst others come especially for the chance to be nearer to the Divine. Unwittingly their raw emotions are feeding the demon beneath their feet and the tampering of the Cabal begins to loosen his bonds.
Once per year, during a high festival to the Gods, the energies of the Lord of Nightmares are particularly strong and the city is plunged into a night of chaos. Lusts run rampant throughout the streets, spirits appear and both seduce and terrify the inhabitants. Many people leave the city before this night, terrified at the ordeal, whilst others come especially for the chance to be nearer to the Divine. Unwittingly their raw emotions are feeding the demon beneath their feet and the tampering of the Cabal begins to loosen his bonds.
The Palace
The Shattered Throne
High in the glorious palace there sits a throne which no man can sit on, the palace itself a treasure trove which no thief dares enter despite valuable paintings on the walls and golden goblets neatly stacked on shelves. Since the Centurion King was overthrown by the Cabal, and they assumed power, all those who swore to protect the Kingdom have had no eternal rest. Instead their souls have returned to this beautiful palace to stand guard until the day a rightful Centurion King again brings justice to the land. Of all these tormented souls, who serve beyond death, none is more pained than Yusmida, the Betrayer, former Seneshal and poisoner of his own Lord.
The now Spectre Lord is tied by bounds of the oath that he ignored in life to keep the glorious palace safe, and ready, with his want of mortal material power gradulally turning to a dread of the reality of everlasting undeath. Thus sits in a bustling city of trade and culture, a beautiful palace (don't ask who maintains it), untouched and unspoiled. a place of glorious treasures, and darkest nightmares. Only the most daring thieves or warriors would even think about approaching the palace and none who have attempted to enter have ever returned. The palace of the City of Kings lies empty, but well tended with the throne dusted by spectral hands.
High in the glorious palace there sits a throne which no man can sit on, the palace itself a treasure trove which no thief dares enter despite valuable paintings on the walls and golden goblets neatly stacked on shelves. Since the Centurion King was overthrown by the Cabal, and they assumed power, all those who swore to protect the Kingdom have had no eternal rest. Instead their souls have returned to this beautiful palace to stand guard until the day a rightful Centurion King again brings justice to the land. Of all these tormented souls, who serve beyond death, none is more pained than Yusmida, the Betrayer, former Seneshal and poisoner of his own Lord.
The now Spectre Lord is tied by bounds of the oath that he ignored in life to keep the glorious palace safe, and ready, with his want of mortal material power gradulally turning to a dread of the reality of everlasting undeath. Thus sits in a bustling city of trade and culture, a beautiful palace (don't ask who maintains it), untouched and unspoiled. a place of glorious treasures, and darkest nightmares. Only the most daring thieves or warriors would even think about approaching the palace and none who have attempted to enter have ever returned. The palace of the City of Kings lies empty, but well tended with the throne dusted by spectral hands.
The Labyrinth
The Labyrinth of Reptos
Deep beneath the ancient City of Kings lies the sealed Labyrinth of Reptos, some believe it to be a remnant of a long lost civilisation, others it is the work of the mythical mad king Reptos. What lurks within the walls of this maze? Is it still sealed? None truly know as none who have gone looking for it have ever returned. Of course, this could be simply because the Cabal forbids all attempts to locate the Labyrinth lest they discover:
The Sealed Demon
Trapped for all time in the Labyrinth of Reptos by the ancient mystic Utu Kamla the Demon Lord Sopias, Lord of Nightmare, who drove the King Reptos mad with night after night of the darkest visions, sits waiting. Within Sopias's nightmare prison, dreams and reality mix, and now, gradually, things which where thought to be sealed for all time, are starting to seep upwards to the city above....
Deep beneath the ancient City of Kings lies the sealed Labyrinth of Reptos, some believe it to be a remnant of a long lost civilisation, others it is the work of the mythical mad king Reptos. What lurks within the walls of this maze? Is it still sealed? None truly know as none who have gone looking for it have ever returned. Of course, this could be simply because the Cabal forbids all attempts to locate the Labyrinth lest they discover:
The Sealed Demon
Trapped for all time in the Labyrinth of Reptos by the ancient mystic Utu Kamla the Demon Lord Sopias, Lord of Nightmare, who drove the King Reptos mad with night after night of the darkest visions, sits waiting. Within Sopias's nightmare prison, dreams and reality mix, and now, gradually, things which where thought to be sealed for all time, are starting to seep upwards to the city above....
Recent History
Three hundred years ago an event occurred unprecedented since the fall of the Empire of Reptos. A ship crossed the Unpassable Ocean, broached the Sundering and made harbour in the ancient City of Kings. It bore the Cabal and that night was dark and terrible. Demons stalked the City streets and fire and lightning danced across the roofs.
The Centurion King was slain and the Cult of the Eternal cast out of their Temple. Some say they managed to flee into the desert, others claim that none survived or that if they escaped the City then demons devoured them. No-one knows the truth but what is known is that since that time the City has lain under the iron hard hand of the Cabal.
The Cabal took control of the Spire and built their towers at the cardinal points of the City. In order to draw upon greater demonic power the Cabal fuels the Night of Madness not understanding that in their plotting they have gradually been further and further corrupted. Some are barely human now, magic and demonic energies creating humanoid monsters whose moral values have been twisted beyond recognition. Evil creatures have been drawn to the city like a moth to flame.
The Centurion King was slain and the Cult of the Eternal cast out of their Temple. Some say they managed to flee into the desert, others claim that none survived or that if they escaped the City then demons devoured them. No-one knows the truth but what is known is that since that time the City has lain under the iron hard hand of the Cabal.
The Cabal took control of the Spire and built their towers at the cardinal points of the City. In order to draw upon greater demonic power the Cabal fuels the Night of Madness not understanding that in their plotting they have gradually been further and further corrupted. Some are barely human now, magic and demonic energies creating humanoid monsters whose moral values have been twisted beyond recognition. Evil creatures have been drawn to the city like a moth to flame.
The Beginning
A Creation Myth
Aeons before, before the dawn of civilisation, before the three great destructions of mankind, before even the starborn Athro bonded with the firmament and created the Cardinal Race, this site was sacred. It was the meeting point of the three planes, imbued with the powers of the heavens, the firmament and the underworld.
Where long forgotten Nunda and Dermesh fought in ritual combat for the right to name and Vintu called down the primordial ice-age. It was here that Twice-damned Damku Sinesh harnessed the power of the three planes and constructed for himself the Menbim Stone and all too briefly raised himself to godhood. The first being since the Great Divergence to straddle all worlds at once, he became an abomination to Those Who Were and to Those Who Came Before. His destruction was swift but catastrophic, without Damku Sinesh to control the Menbim Stone creation began to unravel and the three planes began to merge.
Before things could be undone the Arch-Elder Utu-Kamla threaded them together holding them in place at the convergence point here at the sacred site but forever separating the three planes. Aeons later, the strange dreams of the warlord Reptos led him to this place. He set his massive army of slaves to building a mighty city the centre of which held a strange labrynth. Unbeknown to all, including Reptos, the labrynth traced exactly the tracks of Utu-Kamla's thread. Reptos built the labrynth to stop the dreams but instead they became worse, much worse, nameless nightmares of unknowable dread that drove Reptas to acts of unspeakable cruelty. Eventually, in a moment of clarity, Reptos saw that he had been manipulated by the Dire Lord of Nightmare, Sopias.
He saw the plan of Sopias to undo the thread and allow the denizens of the underworld to flood the firmament before it or the heavens could react. Reptos travelled to the centre of the labrynth and ritually sacrificed himself to bind Sopias to the infernal construct. Epoch after epoch, each King ended his reign in the same way, renewing the sacrifice of Reptos and rebinding Sopias to the labrynth. Then came the sorcerers coup and the knowledge of the binding of Sopias was lost. As each decade passes his chains grow looser and his influence greater. To renew the bind the true descendent of Reptos must be found, he must find his way to the centre of the labrynth and renew the sacrifice. Somewhere, a young man has strange dreams of blood and dark corridors.
Aeons before, before the dawn of civilisation, before the three great destructions of mankind, before even the starborn Athro bonded with the firmament and created the Cardinal Race, this site was sacred. It was the meeting point of the three planes, imbued with the powers of the heavens, the firmament and the underworld.
Where long forgotten Nunda and Dermesh fought in ritual combat for the right to name and Vintu called down the primordial ice-age. It was here that Twice-damned Damku Sinesh harnessed the power of the three planes and constructed for himself the Menbim Stone and all too briefly raised himself to godhood. The first being since the Great Divergence to straddle all worlds at once, he became an abomination to Those Who Were and to Those Who Came Before. His destruction was swift but catastrophic, without Damku Sinesh to control the Menbim Stone creation began to unravel and the three planes began to merge.
Before things could be undone the Arch-Elder Utu-Kamla threaded them together holding them in place at the convergence point here at the sacred site but forever separating the three planes. Aeons later, the strange dreams of the warlord Reptos led him to this place. He set his massive army of slaves to building a mighty city the centre of which held a strange labrynth. Unbeknown to all, including Reptos, the labrynth traced exactly the tracks of Utu-Kamla's thread. Reptos built the labrynth to stop the dreams but instead they became worse, much worse, nameless nightmares of unknowable dread that drove Reptas to acts of unspeakable cruelty. Eventually, in a moment of clarity, Reptos saw that he had been manipulated by the Dire Lord of Nightmare, Sopias.
He saw the plan of Sopias to undo the thread and allow the denizens of the underworld to flood the firmament before it or the heavens could react. Reptos travelled to the centre of the labrynth and ritually sacrificed himself to bind Sopias to the infernal construct. Epoch after epoch, each King ended his reign in the same way, renewing the sacrifice of Reptos and rebinding Sopias to the labrynth. Then came the sorcerers coup and the knowledge of the binding of Sopias was lost. As each decade passes his chains grow looser and his influence greater. To renew the bind the true descendent of Reptos must be found, he must find his way to the centre of the labrynth and renew the sacrifice. Somewhere, a young man has strange dreams of blood and dark corridors.
The City
The Ancient City of Kings
An older-than-man's-memory City with bleached walls, winding narrow streets, exotic bazaars, strange temples and ritual days, being over looked by a glorious palace. The City is so old that men have even forgotten its name. It is called by many the City of Kings as it has long been the capital of many different Empires, all of which have blown away into dust.
Now the City is ruled over by a Cabal of Sorcerors who overthrew its last King. They seclude themselves in ancient towers served by semi naked slave girls, hulking eunachs and protected by slavering demons while they contend with each other for control of the city's magical energies. They have wrought terrible pacs with ancient beings, pacts which threaten to weaken the very fabric of existence.
Many noble families make up the previous ruling elite of the City. Permitted to survive after pledging terrible oaths to the Cabal they continue to scheme amongst each other for influence and power. They alone still adhere the City's ancient Code of Laws, using them against each other to vie for dominance. Many Tieflings are to be found within these noble Houses and some claim the Houses have become corrupted by their closeness to the Cabal.
From far and wide, traders, mercenaries and adventurers gravitate via the caravans that seek the ancient City of Kings vibrant markets. Situated on four major trade routes, all material seems to, at one time or another pass, through the City enriching the populace, despite the danger. Outside the city walls lies the 'tent city' the haven of foreign merchants, nothing can be bought and sold - on pain of death - for the bazaars of the city are the place of trade (and so the sorcerers get their cut).
All are welcome at the City of King's Bazaars be they Dwarf or Orc, Paladin or scheming Undead, the Cabal of Sorcerers caring not of your colour, breed or culture, only that you bring coin with you. This "tolerance" is enforced by the Sorcerers feared and horrific cadre of Iron Golems, who bring swift and terrible "justice" to any who dare disrupt the flow of coins to their corrupted masters by committing violence in the Bazaar area. Away from the Bazaars though law and order is a matter of strength and courage. Guilds of thieves operate openly, paying heavy levy's to the Cabal, and it is a well-known fact that only those people with a good sword arm (or good hired swords) venture away from the main bazaars and safe areas in this otherwise Den of Thieves.
An older-than-man's-memory City with bleached walls, winding narrow streets, exotic bazaars, strange temples and ritual days, being over looked by a glorious palace. The City is so old that men have even forgotten its name. It is called by many the City of Kings as it has long been the capital of many different Empires, all of which have blown away into dust.
Now the City is ruled over by a Cabal of Sorcerors who overthrew its last King. They seclude themselves in ancient towers served by semi naked slave girls, hulking eunachs and protected by slavering demons while they contend with each other for control of the city's magical energies. They have wrought terrible pacs with ancient beings, pacts which threaten to weaken the very fabric of existence.
Many noble families make up the previous ruling elite of the City. Permitted to survive after pledging terrible oaths to the Cabal they continue to scheme amongst each other for influence and power. They alone still adhere the City's ancient Code of Laws, using them against each other to vie for dominance. Many Tieflings are to be found within these noble Houses and some claim the Houses have become corrupted by their closeness to the Cabal.
From far and wide, traders, mercenaries and adventurers gravitate via the caravans that seek the ancient City of Kings vibrant markets. Situated on four major trade routes, all material seems to, at one time or another pass, through the City enriching the populace, despite the danger. Outside the city walls lies the 'tent city' the haven of foreign merchants, nothing can be bought and sold - on pain of death - for the bazaars of the city are the place of trade (and so the sorcerers get their cut).
All are welcome at the City of King's Bazaars be they Dwarf or Orc, Paladin or scheming Undead, the Cabal of Sorcerers caring not of your colour, breed or culture, only that you bring coin with you. This "tolerance" is enforced by the Sorcerers feared and horrific cadre of Iron Golems, who bring swift and terrible "justice" to any who dare disrupt the flow of coins to their corrupted masters by committing violence in the Bazaar area. Away from the Bazaars though law and order is a matter of strength and courage. Guilds of thieves operate openly, paying heavy levy's to the Cabal, and it is a well-known fact that only those people with a good sword arm (or good hired swords) venture away from the main bazaars and safe areas in this otherwise Den of Thieves.
Bringing the awesome?
OK, before I start to set out some of the details of the game we will be playing I thought I would talk a little bit about responsibility. Specifically who is responsible for what between the GM and Players. Its quite amazing just how much argument this issue seems to generate across various internet discussion boards. I dont want to rehash the tired old arguments about player empowerment, instead I will simply set out how I see this game actually being played.
First off an admission. I want my players to generate content for the game. I am very firmly on the "player empowerment" side of the fence. This hasn't always been true, a lot of games I have ran and played in have been very heavily GM controlled. Thats fine and I have played in (and I hope ran) some excellent games of that type. However, my tastes have changed for three reasons.
1. Time. I dont have the time to generate every detail of the world, even if I was inclined to, which I am not. Having other people create material saves me time for generating an excellent game using that material.
2. Buy In. Players who have written elements of the game material are more likely to be interested in the issues which we bring to the table.
3. Creativity. I have 5 (possibly 4 unfortunately) players who are all highly imaginative and creative people. Two have been long term GM's for the group. I want to draw on their creativity.
So, how have we actually gone about creating the game.
It happened in a rather unexpected way. Back in June last year Neil put up a post on our gaming message boards, The Great "Bored at Work" SotC Fantasy Throwdown Thread. It was a challenge, to create a pulp fantasy game in the style of Spirit of the Century. In the course of two days the bedrock for a game setting was established. It was then forgotten to lie dormant somewhere near the botton of the board.
When I was first thinking about running a 4e game this little experiment popped into my head. I knew I didnt want to run anything in the mould of Tolkein, Greyhawk, FR or Eberron, no cutesy elves, grumpy dwarves, chubby halflings etc. In fact, no-one under 4' period. Reading back over the thread we created in two bored summer days I decided it would serve our purposes very well. A dark, sinister setting, lots of dangerous groups, conflict and double cross in a pulp fantasy setting about as far from pseudo medieval fantasy as I could get and still be happy to play.
Much of the material for the game has been produced by the players, some even by people who aren't part of the game. I have written some elements and have more in mind that I wont post here so as not to spoil the surprise for my players. I anticipate as the game progresses that the players will generate additional content which is interesting to them. that they will create organisations or npc's, not just to help them but to fight with, scheme against and generally make the game a better, more entertaining experience.
First off an admission. I want my players to generate content for the game. I am very firmly on the "player empowerment" side of the fence. This hasn't always been true, a lot of games I have ran and played in have been very heavily GM controlled. Thats fine and I have played in (and I hope ran) some excellent games of that type. However, my tastes have changed for three reasons.
1. Time. I dont have the time to generate every detail of the world, even if I was inclined to, which I am not. Having other people create material saves me time for generating an excellent game using that material.
2. Buy In. Players who have written elements of the game material are more likely to be interested in the issues which we bring to the table.
3. Creativity. I have 5 (possibly 4 unfortunately) players who are all highly imaginative and creative people. Two have been long term GM's for the group. I want to draw on their creativity.
So, how have we actually gone about creating the game.
It happened in a rather unexpected way. Back in June last year Neil put up a post on our gaming message boards, The Great "Bored at Work" SotC Fantasy Throwdown Thread. It was a challenge, to create a pulp fantasy game in the style of Spirit of the Century. In the course of two days the bedrock for a game setting was established. It was then forgotten to lie dormant somewhere near the botton of the board.
When I was first thinking about running a 4e game this little experiment popped into my head. I knew I didnt want to run anything in the mould of Tolkein, Greyhawk, FR or Eberron, no cutesy elves, grumpy dwarves, chubby halflings etc. In fact, no-one under 4' period. Reading back over the thread we created in two bored summer days I decided it would serve our purposes very well. A dark, sinister setting, lots of dangerous groups, conflict and double cross in a pulp fantasy setting about as far from pseudo medieval fantasy as I could get and still be happy to play.
Much of the material for the game has been produced by the players, some even by people who aren't part of the game. I have written some elements and have more in mind that I wont post here so as not to spoil the surprise for my players. I anticipate as the game progresses that the players will generate additional content which is interesting to them. that they will create organisations or npc's, not just to help them but to fight with, scheme against and generally make the game a better, more entertaining experience.
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