Khorod
First Post
One of the themes to the day seems to be disappointment in themed issues of Dragon. I guess that upsets me, but I would first push that they add back the cut pages of dragonmirth. That was great stuff, when I first learned about the magazine I went into the backissues at the library and photocopied that section.
I have a small, white, three-ring binder filled with Dragonmirth, Nodwick, and Knight's of the Dinner Table. I show it to roommates and stuff, and they then proceed to steal my new Dragons to read the Nodwick section.
Well, the reason why I am not so troubled by the themes is that my campaign world is very large- I can fit a lot into it. Mind you, that does not include the flavor of Drow. I found the themed issue so painful that I am still working through the articles in it, and have not opened 299 or 300 yet, 'cause I don't skip, personal rule.
Well, on my third effort to get through the Vault article, I figured something out. My world has several major pantheons, and gods are worshipped individuals, as a group, or as subgroups. Their are many religions, but most are encompassed by religious philosophies. Such philosophies are sort of like lighter super-religions, and they are the basis for inquisitions and such, rather than the conflicts between the followers of two different gods. (Talking religion here, not divine warfare supported by mortals).
Amidst all that, I have the Darkness Cults, or the Demon Cults, or what have you. They are the most heretical and pagan you can get, in that they worship demons, otherworldly forces of darkness, and what not, of a more primal, destructive evil that any of the evil, destructive gods of the world. Many of the cultists are otherwise regular folks, though most important ones are either spellcasters or wealthy and powerful. Needless to say, almost all are ambitious anarchists, at least all the cultists with any forsight.
Far to the East, their is an underground city, masked by countless warding enchantments. It is one of six hearts of cult activity spread throughout the world. At its heart is the temple, where cowled cultists make their homes and plans, and research and prepare the way for the fall of the surface. Whether they have secular ambitions or not is irrelevant, they are all pledged soul deep to a Darkness in the form of the Queen of Spiders.
(I did not originally have a Queen of Spiders. I had a host of demons, and a supreme, incomprehensible being called the Dark. But since nearly every cult group percieves the Dark in a different fashion, and nearly every cult tends to summon demons thinking they are contacting this great master (or not), it seemed reasonable that some cult might worship the Dark, summon an image of him they interpreted as a spider, proceed for a while to summon spider demons to ask what the Dark wants, and ultimately develop the whole thing into a fanatical religion. But the Dark, or the host of spider demons, probably supports them anyway.)
Resident warriors of the Cult are those which couldn't quite make it as one of the Dark Bretheren, but still they have some training, and the years have met with dark enchantments and breeding programs which have created a superior sort of warrior, all be it not at its best in the sunlight.
Over a thousand years, many of the Dark Cults throughout the world have come to be led by powerful aristocrats, who have joined the goals of the cults (often of creating anarchy or demon summoning), to their own political ambitions. Failures over the centuries has caused many of these Cult household to flee their respective countries, some hiding out in far off lands, but others, dedicated enough to the Dark Cause, finding one of the Underground Cities.
The first family to find the Vault of Darkness was one of a minor Eastern Prince, and when I say minor, I mean he was 27th from the Imperial Throne and had possessed personal lands larger than most western countries before his bid for supreme imperial power disastrously failed. Finding all escapes closed to him, the Prince thought back to the conversations with his Cult member, and decided to gamble his fate, and that of his long and respectable line on the chance that the Vault existed. He found it.
At first, the residing priests wanted to refuse him entry, they rarely accepted new members, and those were almost inevitably those of rare skill, uncommon power, or unique knowledge. However, the Prince could offer his contacts with hundreds of people on the surface world, as well as access to those funds, properties, and businesses he still had secret control over. It was quite clear that not only could the Prince greatly facilitate getting supplies from the surface, he could also make possible any number of other cult goals besides endless prayers and rituals- he could begin to manipulate the surface for the betterment of the Vault.
Ultimately, others came, some from the far corners of the world, upon tracing the Prince's activities to the rumored location of this underground city, whose masters had determined should be just that- a city dedicated to their patron, its causes, and as a living symbol of their patron's glories. Naturally, the Priests would remain in charge, but hesitated to sully themselves with these far-traveling newcomers of questionable (by their standards) dedication. (The priests and their guards and such have the roles of Drow females and priestesses).
After several years of anarchy in which nothing could be done with all these newcomers, their construction, and their inflow of wealth and strang visitors, the masters of the Vault determined it was time to bring some order to the place. The took all the families they had allowed to settle their place (the major, initial families), and ordered them. This order was determined by a formula involving proven dedication and faith, wealth, and influence on the surface world. (And the obvious influence in the underworld). Each of these houses were given different responsilbities so the Masters would know precisely who to talk to about any difficulty, the top 8 each given charge of a major district of the city.
Over the centuries, the peoples who chose to stay became dedicates of the cult, and in testing for this around puberty those who pass are given blessings to help them survive and serve the cause, including the ability to see in the dark. Those who fail are transformed into hideous monsters who can't help but blindly follow the cause of the Dark. (Male Drow guards thus being members of the adapted 'new' denizens of the city)
Etc. I would have to start struggling with the ideas to continue on from here, so I will stop. Suffice it to say that all events in the article should be subtly shifted to represent this change.
Any thoughts about this? Any more ideas to put in?
How do you adapt Drow articles and resources to a world without?
I have a small, white, three-ring binder filled with Dragonmirth, Nodwick, and Knight's of the Dinner Table. I show it to roommates and stuff, and they then proceed to steal my new Dragons to read the Nodwick section.
Well, the reason why I am not so troubled by the themes is that my campaign world is very large- I can fit a lot into it. Mind you, that does not include the flavor of Drow. I found the themed issue so painful that I am still working through the articles in it, and have not opened 299 or 300 yet, 'cause I don't skip, personal rule.
Well, on my third effort to get through the Vault article, I figured something out. My world has several major pantheons, and gods are worshipped individuals, as a group, or as subgroups. Their are many religions, but most are encompassed by religious philosophies. Such philosophies are sort of like lighter super-religions, and they are the basis for inquisitions and such, rather than the conflicts between the followers of two different gods. (Talking religion here, not divine warfare supported by mortals).
Amidst all that, I have the Darkness Cults, or the Demon Cults, or what have you. They are the most heretical and pagan you can get, in that they worship demons, otherworldly forces of darkness, and what not, of a more primal, destructive evil that any of the evil, destructive gods of the world. Many of the cultists are otherwise regular folks, though most important ones are either spellcasters or wealthy and powerful. Needless to say, almost all are ambitious anarchists, at least all the cultists with any forsight.
Far to the East, their is an underground city, masked by countless warding enchantments. It is one of six hearts of cult activity spread throughout the world. At its heart is the temple, where cowled cultists make their homes and plans, and research and prepare the way for the fall of the surface. Whether they have secular ambitions or not is irrelevant, they are all pledged soul deep to a Darkness in the form of the Queen of Spiders.
(I did not originally have a Queen of Spiders. I had a host of demons, and a supreme, incomprehensible being called the Dark. But since nearly every cult group percieves the Dark in a different fashion, and nearly every cult tends to summon demons thinking they are contacting this great master (or not), it seemed reasonable that some cult might worship the Dark, summon an image of him they interpreted as a spider, proceed for a while to summon spider demons to ask what the Dark wants, and ultimately develop the whole thing into a fanatical religion. But the Dark, or the host of spider demons, probably supports them anyway.)
Resident warriors of the Cult are those which couldn't quite make it as one of the Dark Bretheren, but still they have some training, and the years have met with dark enchantments and breeding programs which have created a superior sort of warrior, all be it not at its best in the sunlight.
Over a thousand years, many of the Dark Cults throughout the world have come to be led by powerful aristocrats, who have joined the goals of the cults (often of creating anarchy or demon summoning), to their own political ambitions. Failures over the centuries has caused many of these Cult household to flee their respective countries, some hiding out in far off lands, but others, dedicated enough to the Dark Cause, finding one of the Underground Cities.
The first family to find the Vault of Darkness was one of a minor Eastern Prince, and when I say minor, I mean he was 27th from the Imperial Throne and had possessed personal lands larger than most western countries before his bid for supreme imperial power disastrously failed. Finding all escapes closed to him, the Prince thought back to the conversations with his Cult member, and decided to gamble his fate, and that of his long and respectable line on the chance that the Vault existed. He found it.
At first, the residing priests wanted to refuse him entry, they rarely accepted new members, and those were almost inevitably those of rare skill, uncommon power, or unique knowledge. However, the Prince could offer his contacts with hundreds of people on the surface world, as well as access to those funds, properties, and businesses he still had secret control over. It was quite clear that not only could the Prince greatly facilitate getting supplies from the surface, he could also make possible any number of other cult goals besides endless prayers and rituals- he could begin to manipulate the surface for the betterment of the Vault.
Ultimately, others came, some from the far corners of the world, upon tracing the Prince's activities to the rumored location of this underground city, whose masters had determined should be just that- a city dedicated to their patron, its causes, and as a living symbol of their patron's glories. Naturally, the Priests would remain in charge, but hesitated to sully themselves with these far-traveling newcomers of questionable (by their standards) dedication. (The priests and their guards and such have the roles of Drow females and priestesses).
After several years of anarchy in which nothing could be done with all these newcomers, their construction, and their inflow of wealth and strang visitors, the masters of the Vault determined it was time to bring some order to the place. The took all the families they had allowed to settle their place (the major, initial families), and ordered them. This order was determined by a formula involving proven dedication and faith, wealth, and influence on the surface world. (And the obvious influence in the underworld). Each of these houses were given different responsilbities so the Masters would know precisely who to talk to about any difficulty, the top 8 each given charge of a major district of the city.
Over the centuries, the peoples who chose to stay became dedicates of the cult, and in testing for this around puberty those who pass are given blessings to help them survive and serve the cause, including the ability to see in the dark. Those who fail are transformed into hideous monsters who can't help but blindly follow the cause of the Dark. (Male Drow guards thus being members of the adapted 'new' denizens of the city)
Etc. I would have to start struggling with the ideas to continue on from here, so I will stop. Suffice it to say that all events in the article should be subtly shifted to represent this change.
Any thoughts about this? Any more ideas to put in?
How do you adapt Drow articles and resources to a world without?
Last edited:
