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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject: Additions to Pharagos Lore |
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I came up with this thread so we can discuss our additions to the ongoing history of Pharagos. My idea is that we can write down new stuff on this thread first, so that everybody can analyze it. Then, if there are any storyline consistency issues that should spring up, we can mention them and alter our additions accordingly.
I think this should be helpful in that several of our campaigns are set in Pharagos... currently there are campaigns run by Phil, BJ, and Christian (Christian's being tricky in that it's set, what, 100 years after Phil's is it?), and in the future I'll be running one as well, which I intend to coincide with Phil's current campaign (because I'm planning it as a level 1-20+ dungeon crawl, PCs could be sent into the fray by Vrahn and, upon completing their mission, emerge to be greeted by... someone who's not Vrahn, perhaps?  ).
So yeah, that said, I'll be posting the primer to the Iron Maiden campaign here first... when I get around to writing it, anyway.
_________________
And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:21 am Post subject: |
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Good luck with the primer. Unless you're as prolific and dedicated as Revan, you'll find that quite some work. I've spent a lot of time laying out my campaign world...and only a couple of my players paid any attention to it! And I put in a lot of details with all that work!
I suggest you develop the story as you go along, especially if you're working with your own storyline. Focus on a small town or city to kick off your campaign, and build from there. Let them go into random crawls and encounters, drop some "mysterious" items, then connect the dots later.
Of course, you could just grab a pre-con adventure, which is a lot easier IMO. I'd suggest the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Intrigue, battles, traps, everything. The ideal characters are four PCs of 4th level, so you may want to adjust accordingly or let them run aimlessly until 4th level. I've run it, and it's quite fun.
_________________
A little surprising, really...
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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I think it'll be worth it. So far, I'm only planning on writing the history of the Iron Maiden, why it's so important to Pharagos, etc. I've got that worked out more or less in my head anyway, and I should get around to writing it when the bulk of my exams are done.
For now, I asked Phil what he thought about coming up with the "words of the Fourth House" or something of that sort. I remember Ambassador Axom mentioning something about House Axom having a long memory, so I figure the Fourth House should get something like that too. Anyway, what I thought of is this:
"The Fourth House does not forgive what it does not forget."
Essentially words of vengeance, with just the slightest insinuation of possible bribes, and/or "tributes" to members of the Fourth House that might cause them to let certain misdeeds slide. Phil suggested that this be restricted to certain factions, but I think we could actually apply it to the entire house. After all, the Fourth House may serve many a demon lord, but vengeance is universal.
This also gives rise to Orm's... catch phrase, for lack of a better term, which is:
"Orm of the Fourth House never forgets..."
_________________
And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Xtian
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Goderator
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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| Location: Avernus |
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I suggest you develop the story as you go along, especially if you're working with your own storyline. Focus on a small town or city to kick off your campaign, and build from there. Let them go into random crawls and encounters, drop some "mysterious" items, then connect the dots later. |
I agree with this. 
| Quote: | | Good luck with the primer. Unless you're as prolific and dedicated as Revan, you'll find that quite some work. I've spent a lot of time laying out my campaign world...and only a couple of my players paid any attention to it! And I put in a lot of details with all that work! |
At least you now have a campaign world!
I think what we should do is to connect both together. Get some general campaign world ideas then the specifics as we go along.
In Pharagos, most campaign related questions can only be answered by Revan, like "what is the most populous nation in Pharagos?". While there are some questions that has no official* stance like "What is psionics-magic interaction in Pharagos?".
*Official. How do we determine what is official and what is not?
Issues on the campaign world. Note that each of this can start its own thread if you are interested to discuss. We could discuss or expand.
Archfiends (or alignment exemplars)-Gods power level.
Epic characters.
-Cleric spells. Can cleric get spells of ideals or only from gods?
-Psionics.
-ALternate material planes. (I think this is supported)
-Timeline issues.
a. dawn of gods and mortals.
b. history of nations. oldest, youngest, etc
-Good outsider native place. I am currently playing 2 aasimars and I played a half celestial, Mark is playing an aasimar, and Axis has played an aasimar. I think that there should be place in Pharagos that good native outsiders are relatively common.
That's all i could think now. Note that Revan might have plans in mind regarding on my posted issues. We could always expand and explore.
| Quote: | | I think it'll be worth it. So far, I'm only planning on writing the history of the Iron Maiden, why it's so important to Pharagos, etc. I've got that worked out more or less in my head anyway, and I should get around to writing it when the bulk of my exams are done. |
You are welcome to expand. Histories are quite flexible. You may want to create a thread on a particulars so we could help you or pm Revan. |
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Revan
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Sith'ari, Chosen Heart of the Force
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| Joined: 04 Dec 2006 |
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| Location: Korriban |
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:10 pm Post subject: Pre-History coming soon! |
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Damn, this is what I need to get my ass back in gear for Pharagos core-writing. I'll dig through my old text files, I think I must have written something up about the pre-history of Pharagos, I'll try to post it later, I've got some stuff to work on first for Socio 10.
Give me some time to finish my own work stuff, but I can butt in and eventually join in on you guys so we can hash out campaign material. I figure by Wednesday next week should see my workload lighten a bit.
EDIT: I've looked through the file, it's a bit sketchy, and is really more of a campaign seed then historical text, and the way that the campaign is going, I'm not sure if you'll be tackling this part of Pharagos history anytime soon. Will try to work it up a bit.
_________________
Words are the only bullets in truth's bandolier. And poets are the snipers.
-George Wu (The Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons) |
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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| Joined: 16 Jan 2007 |
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Xtian wrote: | | Cleric spells. Can cleric get spells of ideals or only from gods? |
From what I understand from other DMs I met over the Net, it's smart to have a houserule requiring clerics and similar classes to have a patron deity. This allows the DM more control over the character, and the PC can also become a hook (as the death of or a command from the deity can change his/her entire life!).
Although I haven't actually seen it used in this manner (my players are pretty much tame), it prevents the Clerics from powergaming. You can also restrict the Druids in this manner, requiring them to revere some deity with a Nature or similar domain.
_________________
A little surprising, really...
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dark_axis
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Eternal Elan
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| Joined: 02 Jan 2007 |
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| Location: 666th Layer of Hell |
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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chic if you have time why won't you write something about the start of psionics in pharagos.
_________________
Only by confronting your darkest fears can you find the light...
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:20 am Post subject: |
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| dark_axis wrote: | | chic if you have time why won't you write something about the start of psionics in pharagos. |
I dunno. I haven't been quite in touch with the happenings within Pharagos. Of course, it would be different if I can...say...invent a story from scratch, irrelevant of the repercutions your current campaigns are having on the campaign world.
Come to think of it, the way you guys play with Pharagos is very similar to the Living campaign worlds of WotC. As one of my players explained to me, any happening in an official Living RPGA event updates that specific campaign setting. For example, if a king was killed by PCs in an official Living Greyhawk event, then that king will be dead for all future Living Greyhawk events.
_________________
A little surprising, really...
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dark_axis
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Eternal Elan
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| Joined: 02 Jan 2007 |
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:10 am Post subject: |
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but the fact is tha campaigns right now are in between time periods so that if anyone has any new ideas they can still put their thoughts in it. Not much has changed from the setting yet. I just wondered since your character was the first psionic character in pharagos it would be nice if you could cook up something from scratch. If I can do it I would but I don't have the skills.
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Only by confronting your darkest fears can you find the light...
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Xtian
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Goderator
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| On the issue of psionics, I think it will warrant its own thread with everyone discussing how psionics behave in Pharagos. |
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Revan
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Sith'ari, Chosen Heart of the Force
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: Prehistory delayed to Friday. |
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Okay, more on the prehistory will have to go up on Friday. I need your characters to find out certain items first, otherwise,the info I'll post will be spoiler campaign material.
On the timeline note, I think the history I've posted up covers some of the changes from the Gith War to the present day. Your characters haven't spent a lot of time rumormongering world affairs, so I haven't had the chance to fill you guys in setting wise.
_________________
Words are the only bullets in truth's bandolier. And poets are the snipers.
-George Wu (The Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons) |
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BJ
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He Who Founds Wyrmlings
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Archfiends...........-Gods power level. |
Archfiends should be god-level? Are you sure???
I think the Archfiends should lie somewhere between CR26-38 in Pharagos. Or not. Really, I think this is just an issue for the DM of a certain campaign. For example, I adjusted Orcus to become CR2- in the Abyss Campaign(hidden to suppress fear/I can kill Orcus thoughts  ), but if Revan decides to change it to, say, CR33 for Pharagos Core, then hat's okay. If we fix it, then it will just promote meta-gaming tendencies (I could kill orcus once I reach level 25! Yosh!)
That being said, if a Demon Lord/Archdevil is killed in one campaign, it should follow that he/she's "officially" dead in Pharagos.
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:30 am Post subject: The Iron Maiden Primer |
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The whole of Arcania bows before the Matriarch, the ancient blue dragon who has been running things from behind the scenes for as long as anybody could remember. Emperors may come and go, houses may rise and fall, but the Matriarch, and her spawn, shall endure. The blue dragons shall always endure.
This, however, was not always the case.
Once, a particularly ambitious black dragon held a fortress in Arcania. Although his forces were rather numerous, he, for the most part, remained neutral in the political grindings of Arcanian society. He was useful, however, for some of the more underhanded dealings of Arcanian royalty.
He willingly opened his fortress for the use of the Arcanian government. In exchange, all he asked was that the rulers of Arcania be more considerate of the things he does to get by. This alliance was shaky at best, but it did persevere... for a time.
One day, the black dragon suddenly attacked the towns that shared borders with his fortress. He would raze a town or village each night and sleep amongst the rubble and corpses, his army following in the ashes of his wake. All the while he worked his way closer towards the matriarch's location. Nobody knew what finally caused him to break their previous alliance, but people suddenly began fearing for their lives (and certain individuals feared for the future of Arcania).
Finally, the Matriarch leapt into action. Miles away from her place of power she intercepted the black dragon, bringing her own army with her along the way. Various onlookers watched as the situation started to escalate, the tension mounting every moment. Finally, in a silent agreement, the two dragons nodded and took the skies.
The duel was long and grueling, neither dragon backing down. In the end, however, the Matriarch was just the tougher of the two. The black dragon landed on the ground with a hard thud and started gasping for air. Victorious against her foe, she gave a knowing snort and marched away, her army intact.
The black dragon regained consciousness the next day. His commander asked how he was doing, and asked if he would like to continue towards the capital. His army remained by his side as he rested, loyal to the very end. The black dragon rewarded that loyalty in kind... by slaughtering each and every man in his army. He wrestled a few off the ground and swallowed them whole, trampled a great many under his massive claws, and killed countless others with his hideous breath weapon. In a fit of fury and rage, the dragon flew to his iron fortress at top speed and razed it to the ground.
As the dragon stood amidst his great hall (which was now missing a ceiling and a wall or two) he roared into the dark of night. His anger at having been defeated seemed to seep into the area. The area, strangely enough, seemed to utter a response, as a voice beckoned the black dragon closer into the shadows.
"...come to me, if it is power you seek."
The black dragon knew that voice well. He was compelled to follow it deeper, deeper into the darkness of his fortress, well past the basement levels and into the unknown layers below...
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Meanwhile, in present day Arcania...
Emperor Vrahn Targaryen, the First of his Name, has plans to turn the fortress ruins into a settlement for refugees. Indeed, it is fine shelter as it is, because the first floor and lower levels are more or less intact. However, a strange discovery has been made: the basement level. A number of workers have entered the basement, but none have returned.
Stories and rumors quickly spread about this cave entrance. People have speculated on the contents of the cave, and many conflicting stories started to rise up. Arcanians soon began referring to the fortress as "The Iron Maiden," due to its mainly iron composition, the fact that it's largely unexplored, and the long history of torment and suffering that the place carries with it.
As tempting as it would be to ask the elite soldiers of his army to explore the lower levels, Vrahn simply cannot spare a single soldier, else he might risk losing control of the tense political situation in Arcania. Fearing for the future of his project, Vrahn quickly posts a rather generous reward on any party who successfully explores of the fortress' lower regions. More experienced mercenaries and dungeon divers are curious as to why a seemingly simple assignment should have such a large reward, and their honed senses tell them to stay away. Some eager young adventurers, however, yearning for the promise of gold and glory, agree to take up the assignment.
Months and months are taken at examining potential candidates, but in the end the best few are selected from the crop. A number of adventurers are chosen, and Vrahn's exploration of the Iron Maiden begins.
Little does he know how interested the Matriarch is in this particular course of action...
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That's the story so far. Obviously, the party is composed of the few mercs who passed the tests.
So, Pharagos historians... are we good to go? 
_________________
And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Last edited by boy_bakal on Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Xtian
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Goderator
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Archfiends should be god-level? Are you sure???
I think the Archfiends should lie somewhere between CR26-38 in Pharagos. |
I am sure.
And I won't mind as long as Heironeous, his brother, daughter, mother, friends, and his dogs are all in the same CR range.
The reason by archfiends are on loooow power level is because WotC wants them to be beatable at non-epic level.
Check this out. The site webmaster is known as Upper_krust on boards across the net. He is quite popular on high level adventures and stats (and when I mean high it is like triple digit levels.).
Another Orcus made by TheSerge!
Anyway, answer the following questions. Quoting Upper_Krust:
"I think there are three ways of looking at it."
1. Are the Demon Princes 'gods'?
2. Are the demon princes mere lapdogs of the gods?
3. Do you just want Demon Princes the party can kill at non-epic levels with no regard for verisimilitude? |
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BJ
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He Who Founds Wyrmlings
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| Joined: 04 Dec 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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Note that the following stuff are just opinions from me. A majority vote (for Pharagos, at least) should decide on this:
What you have, my friend, while it is very enjoyable reading (referring to the PM, which I suggest you post/link here), is a theory.
Whether it should become reality or not in Pharagos remains as the decision of the DM.
| Quote: | | 1. Are the Demon Princes 'gods'? |
No.
| Quote: | 2. Are the demon princes mere lapdogs of the gods?
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No.
| Quote: | | 3. Do you just want Demon Princes the party can kill at non-epic levels with no regard for verisimilitude? |
Heck no.
I do believe that the Demon Princes in FC1 are underpowerwed, but I do believe that they should be "killable", albeit the margin should be quite low. So the problem is, if they are below god level, why don't the gods just smite them? Well, maybe they're too busy minding their own affairs. Or maybe the Demon Lords have alliances with other gods. I don't know. I think, the best explanation is:
The gods work in mysterious ways. 
As with theological concepts in reality, we do not have to define every concept in DnD. If a Demon Lord/Archdevil is encountered, what is important is for the group to have fun. Dead, granted, but they should have had fun. Let them believe that the Demon Lord/Archdevil is killable.
Mwahahahaha.
Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that Orcus should be CR22. It's just that, the CRs themselves are game rules. Flavorwise, what could be done by a party of 25th level adventurers can also be done by a party of 22nd level adventurers. Thus, for example, if the goal of a campaign is to smite Pazuzu to kingdom come, I (as DM) don't want to spend 97++ gaming sessions just to up you guys to Party level 40.
Bottom line is, it should still be hard, but not impossible.
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BJ
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He Who Founds Wyrmlings
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| Joined: 04 Dec 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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As for Pwnage's story:
*Arcania is relatively new. Check with Revan, but I think it's only 2-4centuries old.
*Arcania, 'til recently, was only a city-state. So it's relatively small. An idea would be to have the Black Dragon Lair be close to, but not within, Arcania. That way, the pedessesor Arcanians would have haD to associate with them.
*Timeline Concerns: How many yeArs after the Gith War is this placed? Things could get..,. Dicey in Arcania soon. Plus Vrahn could be MIA.
*The Matriarch is currently "in slumber". This isn't a serious issue, though. By all means, the Iron Maiden could be the very reason why she was "forced" to wake up.
Anyway, methinks there is a good Arcania history somewhere in the Pharagos boards. If you really want to set the Iron Maiden in Arcania, that would be a good place to look for lore.
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Nosfecatu Publishing |
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Xtian
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Goderator
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | What you have, my friend, while it is very enjoyable reading (referring to the PM, which I suggest you post/link here), is a theory |
It is actually the adopted explanation of a campaign setting where epic level play is very much suppported. And even if it is a theory, the fact that it is consistent flavor-wise means it is very adaptable. It patches where the void WotC still has to patch up.
| Quote: | I do believe that the Demon Princes in FC1 are underpowerwed, but I do believe that they should be "killable", albeit the margin should be quite low. So the problem is, if they are below god level, why don't the gods just smite them? Well, maybe they're too busy minding their own affairs. Or maybe the Demon Lords have alliances with other gods. I don't know. I think, the best explanation is:
The gods work in mysterious ways. |
They are afraid of alignment exemplars. Archfiends kill/defeat gods directly or indirectly. Direct combat (orcus) or imprisonment (grazzt and waukeen), or indirectly by corrupting gods' worshippers resulting in a deity's death (yugoloths did this once just cant find the source), or simply forcing them out out of an archfiends territory (Asmodeus and Orc Pantheon) the point is that archfiends (and this extends to alignment exemplars) rival the power of gods.
Killable they are but with appropriate powers.
| Quote: | | I (as DM) don't want to spend 97++ gaming sessions just to up you guys to Party level 40. |
we could start at level 39. |
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BJ
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He Who Founds Wyrmlings
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | we could start at level 39. |
But that feels so... messy.
Anyway, I've said my piece. Xtian has out-debated me, but my opinion stands.
For Pharagos, at least.
I'm kinda waiting on Revan's take on this.
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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| Joined: 30 Nov 2006 |
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject: Update on the Black Dragon |
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His name is Raasvelg (an alternate spelling of some Swedish term for a Norse mythology figure that translates roughly to "Corpse Swallower"). I'm currently undecided as to whether I should leave it at that or go through with my original plan of calling him Raasvelg the Forsaken.
There's a bit more of the story I'm still working out, but it's okay for now, I think. All I can say right now is that he did consider taking up sorcery as a means to strengthen the abilities inherent in his draconic heritage, but eventually decided that this path was too similar to that of the Matriarch he so despised (as he distinctly remembered seeing her cast a spell or two during their duel), and as such concluded that he had to pursue power through... slightly different means.
_________________
And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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| Joined: 16 Jan 2007 |
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: Re: Update on the Black Dragon |
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| boy_bakal wrote: | His name is Raasvelg (an alternate spelling of some Swedish term for a Norse mythology figure that translates roughly to "Corpse Swallower"). I'm currently undecided as to whether I should leave it at that or go through with my original plan of calling him Raasvelg the Forsaken.
There's a bit more of the story I'm still working out, but it's okay for now, I think. All I can say right now is that he did consider taking up sorcery as a means to strengthen the abilities inherent in his draconic heritage, but eventually decided that this path was too similar to that of the Matriarch he so despised (as he distinctly remembered seeing her cast a spell or two during their duel), and as such concluded that he had to pursue power through... slightly different means. |
I just got around to reading your Dragon War story (this thread is getting cluttered, for me at least) and I must say that it is vague enough to allow open interpretation. I mean, who knows what drove this black dragon to such an attack? Adventures and stories can be spun from there.
"The Forsaken" doesn't sound right for a dragon of imperial stature, unless it is a name used by the 'lesser' races and not the dragon himself. Dragons are too prideful for that. Raasvelg is fine enough, but unusually easy to pronounce for a Draconic name (unless it is a shorter version of a more complex name).
A long and grueling slugmatch between two dragons hints at the relative power levels of the combatants - insinuating that they are of almost equal level. This also means that such a battle will be taxing on the energies of both dragons, victor and defeated alike. Possible Story Twist: The Matriarch's hold on the throne is now badly compromised, what with her enemies sensing her weakened state despite all her efforts on concealing the dreadful fact. Full of powerful sorcerers and ambitious rivals, Arcania is no place for a matriarch to lick her wounds.
On the black corner, Raasvelg, defeated in the battle, is now near death. Only the loyalty of a handful of his followers, led by a fanatical blackguard, is protecting him from his disheartened army. As he huddles in the darkest corner of his throne room, he dreams of the many ways he shall unleash his vengeance upon the Matriarch. It is during one of these dreams that the voice beckons to him.
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A little surprising, really...
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:40 am Post subject: |
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Raasvelg works, then. XD The original term is Hraesvelgr, which I wanted to use, but it's hell to pronounce so I thought of an alternative.
The vagueness actually works in favor of the Iron Maiden. It has been the subject of many, many bardic songs/rumors/what have you over the years. The more resourceful bards have uncovered as much of the story as I have written down here, but it still leaves questions unanswered, such as the ones you've raised.
But, to be completely honest, it's vague because I'm still thinking up parts of the story as the adventure rolls along.
As for the things you've mentioned, we already have a pretty good idea of how to integrate the whole Raasvelg business into the long-term plans for Arcania, particularly as it pertains to the Matriarch.
Also, we could just say the Matriarch is slumbering partly as a result of her battle with Raasvelg (though I have to check with BJ/Phil as to the main reason for that, since I'm not sure).
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And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Acid Blue
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Old Dragon
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:48 pm Post subject: On Bartonia |
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is the Remnant like a refugee nation or is it more of a group?
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let M = number of ninja and N = Ninjitsu Level, then N takes the general form of N = a/(bM)^c |
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| boy_bakal wrote: | The vagueness actually works in favor of the Iron Maiden. It has been the subject of many, many bardic songs/rumors/what have you over the years. The more resourceful bards have uncovered as much of the story as I have written down here, but it still leaves questions unanswered, such as the ones you've raised.
But, to be completely honest, it's vague because I'm still thinking up parts of the story as the adventure rolls along. |
I actually mean it in the positive way, just like you're implying now. Making the cover-all story vague allows the DM to improvise along the way.
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A little surprising, really...
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:37 am Post subject: |
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by the by, thought of the "ancient name" of the Fourth House. kind of the way house Do'Urden used to be called Nashe... err... b... anyway, yeah, that.
Enter House Echeron! XD
It, strangely, sounds like Asheron/Acheron/Eberron/Echelon, but it works for me.
So... comments/questions/suggestions/violent reactions? :3
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And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Pitz-Ikko
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D' Original Henio
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, no contest here. If the name sounds good to you, then it's just dandy. 
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A little surprising, really...
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BJ
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He Who Founds Wyrmlings
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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No violent reactions. It's a good name.
Note, however, that it's been a long time since the name has been used, and very few remember the name. (Perhaps save for the blue Dragons themselves, who banned it in the first place)
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Nosfecatu Publishing |
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boy_bakal
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Lord of Pwnage
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Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, but Orm might have his methods... *ahem sidequest hack cough*
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And I'm still, still longing. Still cold... so cold. |
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Revan
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Sith'ari, Chosen Heart of the Force
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:39 pm Post subject: Shifters in Pharagos |
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The Origins of Shifters in Pharagos:
-The Sundering, The Daemonscar, and The Gith War
Shifters as a species did not begin to appear in Pharagos until the Sundering of the Elven Dominion. In the battle that devastated the ancient elven capital now known as the Sundered Isle, the elven archmage Prince Mordanion used the artifact known as the Song of Destruction to close a dimensional rift leading to the Demonweb Pits. The resulting magical chaos ripped through the Sundered Isle, burning most of the surface to bare rock. Still, there were survivors. However, not all those who survived passed through unchanged. The first shifters were Elven Druids, Rangers, Clerics, and Scouts who had exceptional connections to the land. The tides of wild magic washed over them and twisted their connections to nature, warping and mutating them to take on traits of many of the wild animals they had once protected and loved. Traumatized and panicked by the Sundering, many of the fleeing elves slew all of the Shifters that they encountered, mistaking them for yet another species of aberration and mutation created by the Sundering. Those Shifters descended from these first Elven Shifters thus have little love for their elven brethren.
The next wave of Shifters would come with the Mandrakor and Gith wars. Again at the Battle of the Daemonscar, the titanic power of the Song of Destruction would again be unleashed upon the mortals of Pharagos, this time by the rogue Silver Dragon Knight-Commander Tiber Septim. The resulting wasteland turned the rich northern wildlands into a blasted waste. As at the Sundering, the wild magics released and utilized by the Song of Destruction changed many of those that it touched. Significant numbers of the Mandrakor and Alliance veterans began to develop the same abilities once associated with the Elven shifters. Unlike the Shifters created by the Sundering, these Shifters would spread throughout Pharagos. Due to the cosmopolitan and international nature of the Grand Army of the Alliance, people from many nations were mutated by the Song: Selentine Humans, Broadhammer Dwarves, nomadic Halflings, and more. These people, many unaware of the changes that coursed through them, returned to their homes, and had to learn to cope with their new natures.
The same thing would happen on an even larger scale during the Gith war, as Vlaakith used terrible magics as tactical weapons of destruction.
(That's it for now, any changes, reccomendations, additions? post here)
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Words are the only bullets in truth's bandolier. And poets are the snipers.
-George Wu (The Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons) |
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mnightsilver
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Mature Adult Dragon
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, cool, shifters. I like, like, like. A shifter character has lots of flavor in it. Tasty race, mind ya. I might decide to play one in Phil's campaign.
Btw, Phelan, since you added shifters, why not changelings, too? Both are from Eberron, descendants of powerful races. (Dopelgangers and Lycanthropes)
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"When I thought I was alone, I found love..." |
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Xtian
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Goderator
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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