character quests part 1

Omah-

It has been another cold night in the gutter. There has been no sight or sound of pig-dog, thought you have searched incessantly the day before. You are suddenly awoken as Alhazred the mad begins to warn all of inevitable death by clams, when shadows flick unexpectantly across the rising sun.


“Ohma! I don’t’ believe it! Not the great Ohma!” A young adults voice exasperates in strained adulation, “Lima ! I’ve finally found him, it’s Ohma!”

“Ohma?” A young female replies, “not the gutter!” She states, “we heard what happened. Everyone in the lower echelons of the druidic circle are talking about it, though all the elders are hush hush. It’s a total conspiracy !”

They pull you to your feet, a young pair of half elves, barely neophytes in the druidic circle.

“I’m Meas,” the young man says, “And this is my sister Lima. We’ve been searching all over for you!”

“Yes!” Says Lima excitedly, “We’re leaving the druidic circle. We heard about the rubbish they put you though, and that you’d rebelled against their ancient and stuffy ways to create your own form of druidism, and we want in!”

“Absolutely!” Meas exclaims, “here, look at this. I rescued your most recent paper, 'Cross-bio-illogicality in a non-Tolkien-derivative’, from the recycle heap and have taped it all tighter, look, I even stayed up all night and wrote out a copy by hand. Master Ohma, it is a work of unparalled intellectual criticism! A timeless masterpiece! Those dinosaurs don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“It’s not like that and you know it!” Lima says emphatically

“Oh, not this…” Meas protests, but his sister cuts him off.

“It’s a conspiracy man!” She tells you, “Someone high up in the government of the city wants to discredit you and all your work, they’ve bought out all the high druids and are suppressing all your research! They even banned discussions of your treatise “Extra-Metropolitan Flora & Fauna”. In druid school, and it is a work of pure genious!”

“Well, at least It’s better than “Extra-Lauresian Canine du corps and their resistance to the Ancient Druidic technique for Universal Animal Calm” Meas says, and they both have to agree to that.

“But notice how it all started once you released the 'deleterious effects of mind-expanding substances on academic processes'. Maybe you ticked someone off?” Meas suggests.

“No, this goes right to the top, man!” Lima emphatically insists. “No master druid could seriously reject that level of scholarship.”

Meas brushes his sister aside. “Anyway, we’re here to help. Wendelmane from the junior limb of Experimental Druidism and Micro-fungus tipped us off that you’d finally had it with the system and were breaking free, and you can count us in!”

“Yeah dude!” Lima encourages, “Down with the system! Viva la revolution! I know this really great corner for getting the message to the people, what a rush!” And at this, Lima pulls a harp from her robes, “And I know these songs, and can play along to help get peoples attention! Look, I’ve made on up already;



How many times must we ask to know

While the druids keep knowledge from our hands?

Yes and how many times must we wait in ignorance,

While imprisoned in this stone walled land?

The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind,

The answer –



She is suddenly interrupted by yet another man, screaming you name. It is Anton, his hair wild and his clothes torn.

“Ohma, Ohma! That the Mother I found you! I’m sorry, I’m just so sorry! Pig dog, she was just… you just rewrote the book on what’s possible I had to try it for myself… now she’s dead… and… and…”

“What did you do!” Lima shouts.

“Daisy was his greatest work!” Meas shouts, “he even measured the vector of her tail-curve, the floppiness factor of her ears, and the concentration and bizarre variety of the so-called 'gross spots' under her chin. If you’ve harmed her, I’ll, I’ll – “

Suddenly, from far down the streets there is a mighty crash. People run terrified from the approaching commotion, and their screams are suddenly overpowered by a mighty, bestial roar.

rrrRRRRROOOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!!

“I’m so sorry.” Marcus begs, falling to the pavement. “It seemed like such a good idea at the time… Fufi… you remember Fufi? My childhood animal companion, the one I’ve had since before I could talk… well… it turns out that she might have been a little angrier at me than I anticipated for pulling on her ears and sticking things were I shouldn’t have… and when I combined her brain with the body of another beast, her repressed anger resurfaced and she’d gone on a blood thirsty rampage that can only be sated with my destruction!!!”

From much nearer now, a large cart full of apples is thrown high into the air and right through the front of some houses. With encroaching dread something huge rounds the corner, a hideous beast stairs right at the quartet of druids standing around in the street, and it lets out a final roar of terror and hate.

Fufi will have her revenge!


 
Lukat -

With the final, fatal blow, miraculously Zakaria does not die. You raise you weapon to deliver another finishing blow when suddenly a loud and noble voice rings out with such authority it immediately forces all in the room to comply;


“STOP!”

It is her husband, Maszalan.

He is not dressed as a cultist, nor even as a drow, but as a fighter in a simple yellow robe, armed with a mace.

“My husband!” Zakaria croons vengefully, struggling on the edge of death, “You will avenge my death, no? You will slay those who stood against our goddesses wishes?”

He walks up to her, looking at you all in sympathy. There is no hint of violence, jealously or even revenge written on his face.

“No Zakaria. This is the end. I will not.”

“What?” She states incredulously, cradling her wounds. “You swore undying love and servitude to me! You… you are my husband! You owe it to me as a drow…”

“I’m sorry Zakaria,” and here his voice does take on a hint of great sadness, “I really did try! I really did want you to be happy! When you were young, when I first heard your voice crying out to be free of the spider goddesses tyranny, to study magic and not her dark faith … I wanted so much to help you. We all wanted to help you – “

“What are you talking about madman!” Zakaria screams, vainly clutching at her wounds to stave off death a minute more, “I ORDER you to kill my grandchild and her friends immediately!”

But Maszalan does not move.

“She is my grandchild too.” He reminds her. “And you promised to protect your children, and your family, a long time ago. Do you remember that? Do you remember our wedding when we fled the Spider Queens tyranny long ago to elope? I remember Zakaria. I remember it all.” He says, tears pouring down his face. “We took you out of the spider queen’s web. I risked it all to help you. I risked heaven to help the Drow become free of the spider queen, and still when you heart fills with fear and you mind with pride you turn to her tyranny again – like a dog to she that whips her!”

“Maszalan,” She says, cunning to the last, “I’m sorry, yes, I will return to my people. I will deny my vows to the spider queen – “

“No, you will not.” He says. “I know you better than that Zakaria.”

She looks in his eyes then, but knows his words to be true, and then she can no longer hide the truth from herself. Suddenly, she collapses, and Maszalan runs to her side.

“Then this is how it will end?” She says weakly.

“This is how it ends.” He replies sadly.

“But why,” She pleads, “… why did you marry me? Why did you stay with me, even now, at the very end?”

For a moment, he pauses, then allows a hundred years of illusions to fade away. His skin turns from black to purest white, and hair from white to purest gold. The years fade instantly from his aged skin. A pair of feathery wings unfolds gently from his back and his body begins to glow with an inner power that makes it difficult to look at him.

“You…” Zakaria says, her voice failing her in wonder and understanding.

“Zakaria.” He states in a voice rich with love and devotion.

It is the last sound she ever hears…

Player handout: Creatures and culture: The Savage Warlords of the Shattered lands.

For the first time in 17 years, the hated assassins of the knife are once again rulers of the brutal warlords of the shattered lands. Gribkalla bloodshirt, kobold clad head, makes all the PC’s honoured of the knifes, which has the following benefits.

- you may bask in the light of the fallen star, Kucha haka, for a day, which grants you a temporary +2 inherent bonus to strength for the next week each time you bask.

- A special weapon or magical item (as determined in game)

- bards may take ‘intimidating song’ (similar to the Haka)

- you are given a tiny mote of Orizon crystal from the Kucha Haka, which can be used to;

o power up a new crystal (purple amethyst, like Scooby)

o overpower the Greased lightening (get it ready to be a bigger boat)

o bolster Lauresia’s defences (with Metho’s recent research, this will be used to greater effect than was previously possible)

o make another floating island for the inhabitants of the city

Overview

The shattered land is a broken and dusty wasteland that juts unexpectedly from the edge of the grasslands, cutting a huge crevice along what one might have been rolling hills of the skylings. Now it is filled with battle lusting orcs, grimlocks, and countless other savages everyone would much rather ignore, but are so dug into their dark abode that none yet have managed to tame their savage lands – though they have tried.

Government

Power is the first law of government – the strong rule.

Family age the second law – the older has right to rule (unless the younger can overpower or slay them)

Officially the Sultancy ignored the shattered lands, considering them cursed, and ignores the potential for a drawn out battle with a skilled and experienced force. The constant infighting is the only thing preventing the shattered lands from attacking the rest of the Sultancy. They would not do well, however, outside their cursed abode.



Visitors to the Shattered lands are persecuted till death until the subscribe to one of the thirteen clans, at which point they are allowed a little security when travelling for fear of starting a war, which happens several times a year anyway. Each clan has brutal initiation rituals, ridged hierarchy, and strict laws. Each clan wars for dominance and resources, and the ‘king’ (called the “Hak-cha”) is the clan leader of the dominant tribe.

Clan dominance is decided by how close the clan lands come to Kucha haka, the sacred site, where a meteorite crashed down millennia ago and still lies, imbuing locals with exceptional strength and revelatory visions. The clan head of the dominant tribe is Hak-cha, which is decided by the victor of three contests – physical strength, victory in battle and strategy in war.

The clans are (listed in order of power);



1. Bloodbrood. Chaotic evil. orcs

2. Veil. Ogre mages and slaves

3. Path. Beholders.

4. Scale. Chromatic Dragonspawn.

5. Sword. Humans

6. Shadow. drow

7. Axe. dwarves

8. Slime. hobgoblins and allies

9. Claw. lycanthropes

10. Shoal. The undead

11. Knifes. Assasins. Kobolds

12. Dread. Evil fey (pixies, satyrs, dryads etc)

13. Lost. Abberations. Gnarks, gricks and occasional umberhulk.





Geography

Cavernous. Lots of dragons.

Military

Everyone.

Daily life

Wake up, eat, fight, eat, fight, eat, argue, fight, sleep.

Religion

The people of the War lords worship battle, violence and war. There is no option for death but to die in war, as disease or old age are terrible dishonours. Various cults (they’re not like churches) grow up around weapons and the Gods who exemplify that weapon. Their training is legendary.

Their version of heaven is external war.

Crime and punishment

Whatever the person in charge decides is a crime, basically. It’s chaotic neutral at best.

Cultural oddities

• Politeness is considered very rude. All requests must be phrased in the future tense with a steady voice (not shouting) and without a please or thankyou.

• You are only considered to own what you can keep a hold of. If someone steal or takes something from you, they are considered to deserve it more than you.

• The local language (Shattered lands) has no word for ‘hello’, but instead use ‘success’. The word for ‘please’ is ‘I beg for my life and surrender unconditionally’. The word for ‘thankyou’ is ‘try that again and you will die.’