Although the Androsien would only have a sketchy outline of the human timeline and culture (and the elf would know nothing at all), I felt it important to get everyone on the same page as we prepare to move forward.
I draw heavily on the fiction of Alastair Reynolds and his “Revelation Space Series” for much of the following.
The Timeline
2035 – Moon Resource Center Online
2051 – First Permanent Research Facility on Mars
2067 – Colonization of Mars begins
2074 – Outer Satellite Resource Project Begins
2075 – Mars colonists become Conjoiners
2083 – OSR Factories online
2087 – Conjoiner RamDrive
2090 – Deep Space Exploration Probes Launched
2096 – Alliance formed joining former Chin-American and Lunar States
2101 – Chimeric technology begins to grow in general popularity.
2111 – Alliance technology creates CFR Engines
2112 – Conjoiner Drive is created.
2116 - Epsilon Eridani Probe reports on habitable world in system
2120 – Mars Colony reaches 1 million
2121 – Alliance vessel “Plymouth” leaves for Eridani
2122 – Lighthuggers leave for nearest 100 stars, except Eridani.
2125 – Conjoiner Civil War
2129 – Civil War ends.
2131 – Conjoiner Lighthugger “Relative Legacy” leaves for Eridani based on more probe info.
2141 - “Plymouth” and “Legacy” arrive at planet, Anasaria
2142 – Lighthuggers have visited all 100 nearest systems. Palladium system not among visited because it is about 100 light years away. Emergence of Ultras. First alien race “Elves” are met near Gliese 876.
2200 – Lighthuggers become the trade ships of the expanding reaches of human colonization.
2250 – Furthest human colonies now 40 light years from earth. Divergence of human culture on a profound scale.
2262 – Conjoiners cease production of Lighthuggers.
2347 – Anasaria has grown on its own to such a size that they begin exploration star systems further out. Alliance research vessel “California” detects ruins on a desolate rocky planet in a nearby system
2455 – Archeologists learn about the demise of this ancient alien culture
2465 – Rifts successfully established to Palladium
2474 – 2500 Skedic outposts on Palladium are built.
2524 – Cataclysm
2542 – Lighthugger “Nostalgia for Infinity” stops at Anasaria for a trade run and discovers the mass destruction. Inter-System Trade Rules require that a quarantine beacon be placed until a Threat Assessment Team can be sent in.
2552 – Alliance Deep Space Listeners here quarantine beacon and assemble a task force.
2567 – Alliance TAT arrives in Anasari orbit. TAT commanders request back-up from mercenary vessels in area (“The Splendid Verschränkung”) while they observe and research the alien activity on the planet. They do establish supply drops of food and medicine for the trapped humans, although they do not travel to the surface themselves.
2575 – Return of Rifts to Palladium, “Verschränkung” arrives in orbit and assists Tar in eliminating threats.
Human settlements outside of the Solaris (Earth) system are all very isolated from each other. At best, an Alliance or Lighthugger ship will come by every dozen or so years unless, like Solaris, they are at a hub of trade. It is not uncommon for a system to remain out of direct contact with anyone else for 30, 40, 50, or more years. If you think that the midwest is a decade behind the times, then you can extrapolate how out of touch entire colonies can be. There is no over-arching interstellar government; instead each colony is highly independent and culturally utterly different from its neighbors. This is true to such an extent that humans from different colonies may seem to be only tenuously related as a species at times.
Conjoiners
A human sub-race that began augmenting the human brain by grafting on nano-neural processors. They have altered themselves to such an extent that their skulls must be modified by the addition of huge cooling fins in order to avoid overheating their gray matter. The size and style of the fins has become a symbol of which “tribe” a Conjoiner belongs to. They are extremely aloof and very bored by almost all other humans. They traverse the great divides visiting various worlds, but no one ever seems to know what they are doing. They created the technology for both the Conjoiner drives and the alliance Cold Fusion Reactor Engines. The technology inside of the Conjoiner drives is so far advanced from typical human understanding that it is totally inscrutable. Although the Conjoiners are intellectually capable of solving any human problem that is solvable, they just don't seem to care about what happens to the rest of the race.
Ultras
Ultranauts. These intrepid souls are the crew members of the intersystem ships. They spend most of their time between ports in reefersleep (hibernation); this means that most of the Ultras crewing lighthuggers today started over 400 years ago and yet they may only be in their 40's or 50's, since to their perspective only about 20 or so relative years would have passed in the last 400 or so. Despite this relative time problem, there are still Ultras who were born on ships and have never set foot on a planet. For this reason Ultras are a strange breed, often seen as sociopathic, and certainly completely out of touch with the experience of being “human” in a traditional sense. They bounce from one port to another, trading and selling goods, enjoying a few days of party and drink, and then it's back to reefersleep for another ten years until the next stop. Many Ultras are chimeric: hybrid machine and biological human, although the symbiosis is much deeper than mere cyborg implants or bionics. In chimerics, nano machines can co-opt living cells to produce a latex like skin armor, or harness mitochondrial activity to power implants, or any other number of things.
All lighthuggers are manned by Ultras. This is sort of a Chicken/Egg Paradox. Those who were suited to intersystem travel stayed on the ships to run them while those who couldn't stomach it left. When the Conjoiners stopped manufacturing ships, there was no need to recruit large numbers of crew; the crews already in service were well on their way to forming the Ultra culture we know today. And, given the lack of a grand unifying government, we can see why these ships have no political affiliation. Furthermore, given the scale of time and the relative fragility of corporate entities it should not be a surprise that, although the multi-trillion dollar price tag of the lighthuggers was originally paid for by companies, no lighthugger is currently “owned” by any corporation. Of course, there are a couple of legal battles outstanding, but it is very difficult indeed to serve a summons over the vast distances and times involved. Thus, all intersystem trade is controlled by the Ultras.
What about the Alliance? Alliance technology is vastly inferior, even the old CFR drives made by the Conjoiners are wimpy in comparison to the lighthuggers. Alliance ships also lack the integration and nano-systems built into lighthuggers, so they age and take wear and tear much more quickly. Only the Conjoiners can build CFR engines, and so the total number of Alliance ships is dwindling with no hope of replacement. In a couple of centuries all that will remain are lighthuggers and Ultras.
Earth
What the Anasari know of Earth is that it was a political mess and an environmental disaster when they left to start their own colony over 350 years ago.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Synopsis: Demon Temple of Naylon
So there you were - in the dungeons deep beneath the stepped pyramid at the center of Temple Naylon, walking down a hallway whose walls and ceiling were covered with fleshy pods and intestinal looking things - when the ceiling of the corridor behind you closes down sealing you inside. No way to go but forward. The kankoran and Treasda were freaking out, but Oki was able to calm them down for a bit.
A large stone double door held the party up for a while as they tried to figure out how open it. An object read and a search for concealment finally revealed the mechanism. Beyond the door was a large octagonal room with a total of four doors, one for each of the cardinal coordinates. The diagonal walls between the doors had carvings of: Charun, the demon beatles, Mania/Mantus, and Modeus. In the center of the room was a fountain, although it no longer worked. The ceiling was domed with a small hole at it apex, right above the fountain. The room was lit by an unknown light source bouncing a soft, honey light off of the dome.
The door straight ahead seemed appealing, so you opened it to find a corridor leading down to a room from which softly flickering amber light could be seen. Farallon was on his way to investigate when Oki became possessed(?) by some black, wraith-like entity. The wraith slew and beheaded Ashuntuc (one of the kankoran) using Void. Then the dark creature dragged the carcass of Ashuntuc to the fountain, raised the kankoran over its head with one arm, and slammed the decapitated body into the fountain. Immediately silver, gray, and black fibrous tendrils sprouted from the fountain, engulfing it and causing to collapse in on itself.
Regaining composure, Agar did at any rate, the party started to close the door. Oki/beast ran at the party but was tripped by Landros. She fell hard, Void clattering out of her hands. The wraith seemed to leave her, but the door finally shuts at the moment. After a second of debate, the party, bristling with weapons ready, opened the sliding stoned door just in time to see Void slide into the mass of tendrils and get sucked into the dark fibrous mass. Oki seemed fine, but then there were the footsteps. ..the footsteps of something enormous reverberating through the stone.
(past to present tense)
Lodos points the way through a door to the east. There you are promptly attacked by three Shedim demons. Treasda and Lodos protect the party beneath a powerful shield while teamwork helps whittle down the demons quickly. When the dust settles, you approach an altar at the far end of the room that seems to be protected by a halo of blue light. Silus is the first through and grabs Rök for himself.
The massive footsteps are still getting closer, so Landros opens up a rift allowing you to escape...only to face the witch. The witch of Wickmire almost has the best of you, but once you manage to land a hit, she goes down quickly.
Back at Aja you find out that the same black/silver tendrils have taken over the toriod research facility where void was scanned. Three skedic who had extensive contact trying to remove the fibers got infected and died, their bodies turned into empty husks. The party's attempts to help remove the tendrils goes nowhere.
Off to see Ecco, the dragon who is guarding Necros.
The journey is fairly uneventful and finally you arrive at a massive cave in the mountain glacier. Everything here is massive - the doors, the hallways, the rooms - all dwarven but scaled for very large dragon to use. Close to the entrance Agar notices a bloodied grat cloak on the floor.
A massive circular well ringed with a spiral staircase descends a mile into the mountain. At the base of the stairs are two Misarlon, chained to the wall. They reveal only that they were here to get Necros and then pass out. Again, Agar hears cries for help, so you follow the massive hallway down to a very large room (think indoor football stadium). Two-thirds of the room is covered in a sea of gold and treasure. Chained to metal stakes off to the side are four more Misarlon, one of whom is Mirella (the you met a while ago near D'Hurasel). She explains that Ecco had been entrusted to guard Necros for over a thousand years. The Misarlon, fearing that you would try to get Necros from him, decided to relocated the item - only Necros wouldn't give it up and killed one and imprisoned the rest. Mirella entreats you to free her, which you do just in time for Ecco to show up. One more Misarlon, a dwarve, gets it and it looks like it might be curtains when...
A blinding flash of white, everything falling away to darkness, almost unconscious, and then you all come to your senses floating weightless along with other debris in a dimly lit metallic room whose walls seem to be moving gently clockwise around some unseen axis.
A large stone double door held the party up for a while as they tried to figure out how open it. An object read and a search for concealment finally revealed the mechanism. Beyond the door was a large octagonal room with a total of four doors, one for each of the cardinal coordinates. The diagonal walls between the doors had carvings of: Charun, the demon beatles, Mania/Mantus, and Modeus. In the center of the room was a fountain, although it no longer worked. The ceiling was domed with a small hole at it apex, right above the fountain. The room was lit by an unknown light source bouncing a soft, honey light off of the dome.
The door straight ahead seemed appealing, so you opened it to find a corridor leading down to a room from which softly flickering amber light could be seen. Farallon was on his way to investigate when Oki became possessed(?) by some black, wraith-like entity. The wraith slew and beheaded Ashuntuc (one of the kankoran) using Void. Then the dark creature dragged the carcass of Ashuntuc to the fountain, raised the kankoran over its head with one arm, and slammed the decapitated body into the fountain. Immediately silver, gray, and black fibrous tendrils sprouted from the fountain, engulfing it and causing to collapse in on itself.
Regaining composure, Agar did at any rate, the party started to close the door. Oki/beast ran at the party but was tripped by Landros. She fell hard, Void clattering out of her hands. The wraith seemed to leave her, but the door finally shuts at the moment. After a second of debate, the party, bristling with weapons ready, opened the sliding stoned door just in time to see Void slide into the mass of tendrils and get sucked into the dark fibrous mass. Oki seemed fine, but then there were the footsteps. ..the footsteps of something enormous reverberating through the stone.
(past to present tense)
Lodos points the way through a door to the east. There you are promptly attacked by three Shedim demons. Treasda and Lodos protect the party beneath a powerful shield while teamwork helps whittle down the demons quickly. When the dust settles, you approach an altar at the far end of the room that seems to be protected by a halo of blue light. Silus is the first through and grabs Rök for himself.
The massive footsteps are still getting closer, so Landros opens up a rift allowing you to escape...only to face the witch. The witch of Wickmire almost has the best of you, but once you manage to land a hit, she goes down quickly.
Back at Aja you find out that the same black/silver tendrils have taken over the toriod research facility where void was scanned. Three skedic who had extensive contact trying to remove the fibers got infected and died, their bodies turned into empty husks. The party's attempts to help remove the tendrils goes nowhere.
Off to see Ecco, the dragon who is guarding Necros.
The journey is fairly uneventful and finally you arrive at a massive cave in the mountain glacier. Everything here is massive - the doors, the hallways, the rooms - all dwarven but scaled for very large dragon to use. Close to the entrance Agar notices a bloodied grat cloak on the floor.
A massive circular well ringed with a spiral staircase descends a mile into the mountain. At the base of the stairs are two Misarlon, chained to the wall. They reveal only that they were here to get Necros and then pass out. Again, Agar hears cries for help, so you follow the massive hallway down to a very large room (think indoor football stadium). Two-thirds of the room is covered in a sea of gold and treasure. Chained to metal stakes off to the side are four more Misarlon, one of whom is Mirella (the you met a while ago near D'Hurasel). She explains that Ecco had been entrusted to guard Necros for over a thousand years. The Misarlon, fearing that you would try to get Necros from him, decided to relocated the item - only Necros wouldn't give it up and killed one and imprisoned the rest. Mirella entreats you to free her, which you do just in time for Ecco to show up. One more Misarlon, a dwarve, gets it and it looks like it might be curtains when...
A blinding flash of white, everything falling away to darkness, almost unconscious, and then you all come to your senses floating weightless along with other debris in a dimly lit metallic room whose walls seem to be moving gently clockwise around some unseen axis.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Treasda's Thoughts
I wanted to clarify what Treasda believes is going on and thus thought would be the best course of action. She thinks that Ankar has become too obsessed with his quest for rune knowledge and that his goals, to unite the eastern and southern kingdoms against invasion (i.e. the Wolfen Empire), will lead to a massacre of the peoples of the Great Northern Wilderness. Of course, Treasda is a friend and sympathizer of the Wolfen and Kankoran, who are not friends with each other it should be noted, so she could be politically motivated. She knew of his plans to create a great runic teleportation device and points to this as being a huge and obvious threat to just about anyone who would oppose him.
While she is talking about contacting the Misarlon, it is clear that she is still trying to figure out what exactly to do. The vibe is that she might work with or along side them if they turned out to be okay. In other words, she is looking for allies since she seems to have concluded that Ankar isn't particularly trustworthy at this point.
While she is talking about contacting the Misarlon, it is clear that she is still trying to figure out what exactly to do. The vibe is that she might work with or along side them if they turned out to be okay. In other words, she is looking for allies since she seems to have concluded that Ankar isn't particularly trustworthy at this point.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Coming changes
As I've mentioned, I fear that the time is coming for some battles which might well prove to be rather "final" for some. And so it is now that I present some potential mods to the character system that seek to improve upon the base in the book. Hop efully this will help those who might fall in battle...
One problem with the Palladium/Rifts attribute and skill system is that any attribute below a 15 is essentially the same. For example, whether you have a PP of 3 or 15 makes no difference in your character's ability to pick locks, perform acrobatics, or strike/parry/dodge in battle. Doesn't makes much sense, does it? So, with the help of Chris, I have worked out a system that is based on the idea of the bell curve distribution.
The game is rather anthropocentric and I decided that this was a fine way to "view" the megaverse - through the perspective of humans. An attribute of 3 would be equal (roughly) to someone in the 1st percentile while a human with an 18 would be in the 99th percentile. If you remember how percentiles work, that means, for the the person in the 99th percentile, that only 1 out of every 100 people will be equal or better than them. To make a long story short this leads to the idea that an attribute score of 10 or 11 is dead average. Anything below or above that incurs a penalty or a bonus.
The chart here is for IQ, but will adapted for the rest of the attributes. Not only does your IQ effect your starting skill level, it also effects how quickly your character learns as they level-up. If you are wondering why Rifts doesn't aleady use a system like this, it is probably because the math used to create it is not so simple, creating a situation where you pretty much have to use a chart to figure out whar is going on.
NOTE: Not all skills will be governed by IQ moving into the future. Acrobatics, for example, does not much depend on your brains as your physical prowess.
Friday, February 13, 2009
More from Ankar and Rune Weapons
Ankar has learned that the location of Eldvöð has been revealed and perhaps that would be a better option than the Kuhl-Thahn Forge at this time. Also, Eldvöð is not that far away, but lies in the ruins of an abandoned city in the grasslands. Truth is, it might be jumping the shark to go to Khul-Thahn at this point.
Runes Weapons Of Legend
Chronos type: ring
Appearing as a silver ring with intricate gold runes carved on it inside and out
Void type: sword
There are not any reliable descriptions of this weapon only a report that comes from a Halthar of Gyun who was a known liar and might never have actually seen this blade. His writing says that the blade is glossy black and highly reflective, although it mirrors everything in negative colors. If you stare at it for even a moment, the images start to swirl and distort in nightmarish fashion. The runes along the blade are hard to see and many swear that they move about like ants across the surface of water. The cross piece looks like the mandibles from some large, carnivorous insect and the hilt, unwrapped, looks like plain steel.
Necros type: septre
A hazy crystal ball about 3 inches in diameter with several blood-red runes inside of it is seated atop a ring of carved miniature human skulls that act like the prongs holding the ball in place. The shaft of the septre is a black and silver sculpture of a tower of dead naked bodies of all humanoid races.
Rök type: sword
The Stormblade is a beautifully crafted silver sword with a line of opalescent blue runes carved along its length. It is known that among its lesser powers it can predict/ know the weather in any part of Palladium. It is second in beauty, perhaps, to Ice.
Eldvoð type: sword
It appears as a plain steel sword with a thin line of runes carved down the center. It often seems to be faintly covered with carbon. The blade can glow red, as if just plucked from the smith's forge.
Vaka-Svefn type: helmet
The helm is said to be of a golden lion's head, although it is very lightweight to wear. The runes are carved along the inside rim of the helmet. The interior strap and cushioning are not runic, and so must replaced whenever it wears out. Literally, the helmet's name comes out something like ”waking-sleep”. Some believe this to be the Trojan Horse of runic items.
Ice type: sword
A white gold blade with sparkling silver runes, many say this blade is one of the most beautiful ever made. It is known that it can summon a blizzard in the tropics and freeze 5 square miles of ocean water.
Castlerake type: sword
A large, strong looking blade with faintly golden runes along its length. This blade has felled many a castle wall in its time.
Lodos type: staff
A very knotted and twisted wooden staff, its runes are hard to spot for some since they wind up its length like a ribbon, following the contours of the undulating wood. Some say this staff can raise a forest overnight while others claim it can cause a lunar eclipse of one of Palladiums two small moons. This is not generally a sought after item since it is not suspected to have any offensive power.
Raven type: sword
A strange white blade, like bleached bone or unglazed china, two ribbons of jet black runes twist in a helix like pattern up the blade. Its color has given it the nickname “Bone Blade”. Stories say that you never had to wipe the blade clean as it drank whatever blood it tasted. Although its powers remain a mystery, it is thought to be one of the most powerful blades ever created. It is perhaps second in creepiness only to Void.
It is suspected by some that Mephistopholes or Hel had some part in creating this sword, which would make it a demon-slayer. Others argue that Mantus, the demon lord of the dead more likely influenced its creation.
Celeros type: sword/ring
There is debate as to whether this is a ring or a sword. In either case it appears as if it were a fine lace or spider's web cast in silver blue metal. The runes, which are few, are formed by the negative space left by the holes in the ring/blade. There is a myth that Celeros was created to battle King Dewsduon, the original owner of Chronos.
Runes Weapons Of Legend
Chronos type: ring
Appearing as a silver ring with intricate gold runes carved on it inside and out
Void type: sword
There are not any reliable descriptions of this weapon only a report that comes from a Halthar of Gyun who was a known liar and might never have actually seen this blade. His writing says that the blade is glossy black and highly reflective, although it mirrors everything in negative colors. If you stare at it for even a moment, the images start to swirl and distort in nightmarish fashion. The runes along the blade are hard to see and many swear that they move about like ants across the surface of water. The cross piece looks like the mandibles from some large, carnivorous insect and the hilt, unwrapped, looks like plain steel.
Necros type: septre
A hazy crystal ball about 3 inches in diameter with several blood-red runes inside of it is seated atop a ring of carved miniature human skulls that act like the prongs holding the ball in place. The shaft of the septre is a black and silver sculpture of a tower of dead naked bodies of all humanoid races.
Rök type: sword
The Stormblade is a beautifully crafted silver sword with a line of opalescent blue runes carved along its length. It is known that among its lesser powers it can predict/ know the weather in any part of Palladium. It is second in beauty, perhaps, to Ice.
Eldvoð type: sword
It appears as a plain steel sword with a thin line of runes carved down the center. It often seems to be faintly covered with carbon. The blade can glow red, as if just plucked from the smith's forge.
Vaka-Svefn type: helmet
The helm is said to be of a golden lion's head, although it is very lightweight to wear. The runes are carved along the inside rim of the helmet. The interior strap and cushioning are not runic, and so must replaced whenever it wears out. Literally, the helmet's name comes out something like ”waking-sleep”. Some believe this to be the Trojan Horse of runic items.
Ice type: sword
A white gold blade with sparkling silver runes, many say this blade is one of the most beautiful ever made. It is known that it can summon a blizzard in the tropics and freeze 5 square miles of ocean water.
Castlerake type: sword
A large, strong looking blade with faintly golden runes along its length. This blade has felled many a castle wall in its time.
Lodos type: staff
A very knotted and twisted wooden staff, its runes are hard to spot for some since they wind up its length like a ribbon, following the contours of the undulating wood. Some say this staff can raise a forest overnight while others claim it can cause a lunar eclipse of one of Palladiums two small moons. This is not generally a sought after item since it is not suspected to have any offensive power.
Raven type: sword
A strange white blade, like bleached bone or unglazed china, two ribbons of jet black runes twist in a helix like pattern up the blade. Its color has given it the nickname “Bone Blade”. Stories say that you never had to wipe the blade clean as it drank whatever blood it tasted. Although its powers remain a mystery, it is thought to be one of the most powerful blades ever created. It is perhaps second in creepiness only to Void.
It is suspected by some that Mephistopholes or Hel had some part in creating this sword, which would make it a demon-slayer. Others argue that Mantus, the demon lord of the dead more likely influenced its creation.
Celeros type: sword/ring
There is debate as to whether this is a ring or a sword. In either case it appears as if it were a fine lace or spider's web cast in silver blue metal. The runes, which are few, are formed by the negative space left by the holes in the ring/blade. There is a myth that Celeros was created to battle King Dewsduon, the original owner of Chronos.
Some History Lessons
The Temple at Ar-Kem-Tiel
There are a couple of options open to you at this point. You can either head for the Flower of Cassea in Ellendel or the Khul-Thahn Forge in the mountains of Baalgor. And yet there is even more; but first, some more history.
Ahn-Mak-Gnar was the leader of the so-called Empire of the Southern Dragon. The myths of pirates originating from the the lands of southern Timiro starts back during the Golden Age just before the Great War and it is all because of this one being. Ahn was a powerful dragon who made dangerous alliances in his quest for power; he was worshiped as a god by a vicious assemblage of monsters who plundered anyone weaker than they in the name of Ahn's glory. Thus Ahn was able to amass vast wealth using his minions.
Had he not been betrayed his reign would have lasted a thousand years. As it was, he remained in deific power for only 211 terrible years. Ar-Kem-Tiel happened to have a meeting with a sour demonic lord, Succor-Behemoth, and boasted of Ahn-Mak-Gnar's wealth and power, suggesting that it must surely match the demon's. Succor is a psychotically jealous fellow and so became bent on destroying Ahn-Mak-Gnar.
The scrolls tell that Ahn fled his empire after hiding his vast wealth, living out his last two decades as an elf. His followers were all enslaved by Succor-Behemoth, but were then slain because Succor could not control his jealous thoughts that they had once served Ahn faithfully. Eventually Succor-Behemoth caught up with Ahn, for no one ever outruns a demon. In a last ditch effort to at least foil the demon, Ahn-Mak-Gnar made a deal with the devil Hel, the Lady of Dyval, the homeworld of devils. He had hoped she would grant him his wish for immortality before he faced Succor. However, she would not offer Ahn much, but agreed to bind his soul and the souls of his followers in a scroll so that they would become immortal in history. In return Ahn told Hel where (most) of his glorious treasure was hidden.
Knowing that Succor-Behemoth could not possess his soul, Ahn faced the demon lord and was killed in a great battle. Ahn's soul was sealed in slumber for thousands of years in a scroll. His followers were already dead, so Hel agreed that should the scroll ever be opened, Ahn would have his followers back: she would possess the souls of two thousand in his name and instruct them to worship him.
Of course, Ahn's body is gone, so while his soul can be freed to enjoy the worship of a couple thousand followers, he has nothing else. But of course, this would not leave him entirely powerless. One could speculate that he might be out for a little revenge. But, perhaps he is just a devil's pawn in the war between Hell and Hades.
There are a couple of options open to you at this point. You can either head for the Flower of Cassea in Ellendel or the Khul-Thahn Forge in the mountains of Baalgor. And yet there is even more; but first, some more history.
Ahn-Mak-Gnar was the leader of the so-called Empire of the Southern Dragon. The myths of pirates originating from the the lands of southern Timiro starts back during the Golden Age just before the Great War and it is all because of this one being. Ahn was a powerful dragon who made dangerous alliances in his quest for power; he was worshiped as a god by a vicious assemblage of monsters who plundered anyone weaker than they in the name of Ahn's glory. Thus Ahn was able to amass vast wealth using his minions.
Had he not been betrayed his reign would have lasted a thousand years. As it was, he remained in deific power for only 211 terrible years. Ar-Kem-Tiel happened to have a meeting with a sour demonic lord, Succor-Behemoth, and boasted of Ahn-Mak-Gnar's wealth and power, suggesting that it must surely match the demon's. Succor is a psychotically jealous fellow and so became bent on destroying Ahn-Mak-Gnar.
The scrolls tell that Ahn fled his empire after hiding his vast wealth, living out his last two decades as an elf. His followers were all enslaved by Succor-Behemoth, but were then slain because Succor could not control his jealous thoughts that they had once served Ahn faithfully. Eventually Succor-Behemoth caught up with Ahn, for no one ever outruns a demon. In a last ditch effort to at least foil the demon, Ahn-Mak-Gnar made a deal with the devil Hel, the Lady of Dyval, the homeworld of devils. He had hoped she would grant him his wish for immortality before he faced Succor. However, she would not offer Ahn much, but agreed to bind his soul and the souls of his followers in a scroll so that they would become immortal in history. In return Ahn told Hel where (most) of his glorious treasure was hidden.
Knowing that Succor-Behemoth could not possess his soul, Ahn faced the demon lord and was killed in a great battle. Ahn's soul was sealed in slumber for thousands of years in a scroll. His followers were already dead, so Hel agreed that should the scroll ever be opened, Ahn would have his followers back: she would possess the souls of two thousand in his name and instruct them to worship him.
Of course, Ahn's body is gone, so while his soul can be freed to enjoy the worship of a couple thousand followers, he has nothing else. But of course, this would not leave him entirely powerless. One could speculate that he might be out for a little revenge. But, perhaps he is just a devil's pawn in the war between Hell and Hades.
The Library
The Library of Alessia
Mánadagur, Águst 18 3841
Using Ankar's teleportation device you make it to the grasslands just outside Alessia, an Elven city which sits across the river delta from the ruins of a dragon named city, Ar-Kem-Tiel. You all deftly avoid a herd of catoblepas after the Skedic members of your group have a mild break with reality caused by the nature of the land. Alessia seems harmless enough at first and Silus delivers the sealed note to the authorities of the library. You crawl off to an inn to rest for the night; Landros insists on having his own room while the rest of you all bunk together. That night you are attacked by four dwarves of the Ipinidaan who bungle your assassination utterly. You dispatch with them quickly enough (adding to you rep as badassess, I might add) and find little useful information from them.
After some meditative healing time in the morning you hit the library and enter your challenge after finding the correct “card” in the catalog. Some clever puzzle solving allows you circumvent a rather deadly yema and retrieve the scroll. Opening the scroll seems to invoke some magic as an ephemeral dragon formed of silver dust rises into the air and dissappears.
The exit from the library is uneventful until you run across Ankar wandering the streets in disguise. He arranges to meet you all across the river at a temple in the ruins of Ar-Kem-Tiel, which you do.
Mánadagur, Águst 18 3841
Using Ankar's teleportation device you make it to the grasslands just outside Alessia, an Elven city which sits across the river delta from the ruins of a dragon named city, Ar-Kem-Tiel. You all deftly avoid a herd of catoblepas after the Skedic members of your group have a mild break with reality caused by the nature of the land. Alessia seems harmless enough at first and Silus delivers the sealed note to the authorities of the library. You crawl off to an inn to rest for the night; Landros insists on having his own room while the rest of you all bunk together. That night you are attacked by four dwarves of the Ipinidaan who bungle your assassination utterly. You dispatch with them quickly enough (adding to you rep as badassess, I might add) and find little useful information from them.
After some meditative healing time in the morning you hit the library and enter your challenge after finding the correct “card” in the catalog. Some clever puzzle solving allows you circumvent a rather deadly yema and retrieve the scroll. Opening the scroll seems to invoke some magic as an ephemeral dragon formed of silver dust rises into the air and dissappears.
The exit from the library is uneventful until you run across Ankar wandering the streets in disguise. He arranges to meet you all across the river at a temple in the ruins of Ar-Kem-Tiel, which you do.
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