Commentary for 9 September 2006

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

On the drive to NC, Kennon, Jeremiah and I were discussing where we should go next and Kennon pointed out that Godsmount is just down the coast. And Godsmount is going to be an excellent place to learn about the situation with the Gods/discuss what could be going on. The city is a religious city, not necessarily controlled by the human kings. Moreover, it is one of three places where the God's hold specific dominion (their moon, their city, and Godsmount). It'll be an excellent place to start delving into the "bigger picture."

However, it will be very difficult for me (the elf) to go there... so I may have to go in disguised/as y'alls servant.

Also - something I think we need to start considerin: Are the Dwarven wars with the Giants and the apparent return of the Slaver connected? It's sort of a meta-game way to look at things, but they are the two "major events" that are currently taking place... so it's something to start thinking about/researching in game.

 

[The_Universe]

On the drive to NC, Kennon, Jeremiah and I were discussing where we should go next and Kennon pointed out that Godsmount is just down the coast. And Godsmount is going to be an excellent place to learn about the situation with the Gods/discuss what could be going on. The city is a religious city, not necessarily controlled by the human kings. Moreover, it is one of three places where the God's hold specific dominion (their moon, their city, and Godsmount). It'll be an excellent place to start delving into the "bigger picture."

However, it will be very difficult for me (the elf) to go there... so I may have to go in disguised/as y'alls servant.

Also - something I think we need to start considerin: Are the Dwarven wars with the Giants and the apparent return of the Slaver connected? It's sort of a meta-game way to look at things, but they are the two "major events" that are currently taking place... so it's something to start thinking about/researching in game.

Celusar, as a major holy city for all of the gods, is also one of the Swordsworn's home bases. Alfonse wasn't given much of a reason to hunt his former mentor - perhaps some invstigation of that issue can occur in Celusar, as well?

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Celusar, as a major holy city for all of the gods, is also one of the Swordsworn's home bases. Alfonse wasn't given much of a reason to hunt his former mentor - perhaps some invstigation of that issue can occur in Celusar, as well?

I'm certain that would be possible for him to do some checking - I don't know much (read: anything) about the Swordsworn.

Is the Swordsworn for just one God? Or is there a brother/sisterhood of the Swordsworn for all of the Gods?

 

[The_Universe]

I'm certain that would be possible for him to do some checking - I don't know much (read: anything) about the Swordsworn.

Is the Swordsworn for just one God? Or is there a brother/sisterhood of the Swordsworn for all of the Gods?

The Swordsworn are a military order in the service of Aryal/Tyriel/Mikarel (the War God). Technically, they are subordinate and loyal to the Priesthood of Aryal, who are themselves loyal to the Church of the 9. However, in reality, they are fairly independent - as are most of the other human military orders. Your character (as well as most Tuatha) are at least passingly familiar with the Swordsworn; though generally demonized as ravenous barbarians twisting the intentions of the War god to their own ends, they have been instrumental over the past millenium in first pushing the Tuatha off of the mainland of Taloran, recapturing Celusar, and then aiding in the Reconquest of the Scanlonwen.

Although they are evidently no longer welcome in the Scanlonwen, their ships continue to prey upon the Tuatha, and their soldiers press the holy crusade wherever they are allowed.

As noted above, some of the other gods have military orders in their service, as well. The most famous, aside from the Swordsworn, are the Bright Brotherhood of Belial (AKA Atenarel). Because they revere the traitorous Sun god, they are also reviled in Tuathan lands, but they seem to be more popular than the Swordsworn in the Human lands (especially in the Scanlon).

Alfonse is probably something of an expert on the subject, and so he may be able to shed some additional light on the idea. Yazmin may be able to indicate why the Swordsworn have fallen out of favor, as well. Assuming that you believe that Theodric is actually from the legendary Helemswen, he may be able to clarify how the relationship between the Priesthood and Military orders work in the mountain holds of the Dwarves.

 

[NuclearWookiee]

Charles does not/did not have a "shack" or "home base" in the wilderness near the area where he found Mariel. He seemed to know the area reasonably well, but he did not appear to have a store of supplies or anywhere in particular that he called "home."

Now, you certainly may still want to check out the forest where he and Mariel first met, but I want to clarify (in case it's not clear) that there's really no evidence that he called the area home.

Of course, Mariel is the one who would know that, so the transmission of that sort of information very much depends on her. However, I think it was discussed in one of the most recent sessions, but if it wasn't - there's the facts as the group knows them.

My mistake then, but I was certain you had said that Charles and Mariel had been living somewhere for the better part of a month before they were captured. If this is not the case, then nevermind. If it is, however, this is what I was referring to and not any sort of more official HQ.

Basically my reasoning comes down to this... I know Charles owned more than a loin cloth and a severed hand on a string the last time I had seen him. These items had to go somewhere. Perhaps they were disposed of by his slavers. But since I have no other leads, at this point, wherever he has been hanging his hat for the last month seems like the next best place to look. Any insight is most welcome.

 

[NuclearWookiee]

On the drive to NC, Kennon, Jeremiah and I were discussing where we should go next and Kennon pointed out that Godsmount is just down the coast. And Godsmount is going to be an excellent place to learn about the situation with the Gods/discuss what could be going on. The city is a religious city, not necessarily controlled by the human kings. Moreover, it is one of three places where the God's hold specific dominion (their moon, their city, and Godsmount). It'll be an excellent place to start delving into the "bigger picture."

Sounds like a plan to me!

However, it will be very difficult for me (the elf) to go there... so I may have to go in disguised/as y'alls servant.

Kennon, could we have a bit of info on this idea? It sounds good to me, but how common are Tuathan servants? Do Swordsworn ever take them as "spoils of war" or do we need to simply disguise her? Wrap a towel around her head and call her a leper? lol

Also - something I think we need to start considerin: Are the Dwarven wars with the Giants and the apparent return of the Slaver connected? It's sort of a meta-game way to look at things, but they are the two "major events" that are currently taking place... so it's something to start thinking about/researching in game.

I would wager that you are correct. From religious lore we know that we (the collective races, etc) had to battle the giants when we were brought to this world by the 9. If the Slaver has returned, as seems to be the case, then it seems entirely plausible that we are dealing with a "the enemy of my enemy is my oppressed disgruntled servant" scenario. hehe So along those lines, we probably want to do everything we can to encourage a new alliance with the dwarves.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Hey - speaking of the severed hand: did we ever figure out what the hell it was?

 

[The_Universe]

Kennon, could we have a bit of info on this idea? It sounds good to me, but how common are Tuathan servants? Do Swordsworn ever take them as "spoils of war" or do we need to simply disguise her? Wrap a towel around her head and call her a leper? lol

I think you should take the Kirk/Spock route and say that she got her head caught in a rice-picking machine after taking too much LDS in the '60's.

Tuathan servants/slaves are not common in any of the human lands, except in the northern parts of the Karanwen, which are essentially lawless. Some Scanlon nobles also keep Tuathan slaves and/or serfs. Typically, if one of the Tuathan landholders that the Scanlon have supplanted are willing to repudiate the Posedrine Heresy, they're allowed some autonomy, and are merely servants. However, if they want to hold to their heretical beliefs, the Scanlon nobles who favor the practice would probably just hold them as slaves. However, I don't want to give you the idea that Tuathan servants are particularly common in the Scanlonwen - they're not. Most nobles would rather exile them back to Tuathaswen, rather than keep them as free labor. Still, a few enjoy keeping them as spoils of war (you can probably decide how the Barcos handled that issue when they were granted their current lands).

A few of the higher-ups in the Swordsworn have been known to take bondservants as spoils of war during the crusades, as well. But, since the Swordsworn have been discouraged from participating in the main theater of the crusade by the Scanlon nobility, almost no one your age in the Swordsworn would possess a Tuathan slave.

As for Celusar itself, a few hundred years ago, it would have been perfectly common to see all sorts of Tuatha in the city, because they ruled it. Millenia before that, however, it was a city equally revered and accessed by all the Veilborn races.

However, since the Celusarian Crusade's success, only a few Tuatha are typically seen there. Some just stayed in the city after the Human alliance's victory, but they rarely leave (and thus probably would not be returning from over seas) because when they do, they often return to find their homes and/or businesses occupied by humans eager to push the heretics out of the city. The only other Tuatha seen in the city in the present are priests or acolytes in the service of one of the 9 gods. Most are Posedrine priests, for reasonably obvious reasons.

 

[The_Universe]

Hey - speaking of the severed hand: did we ever figure out what the hell it was?

Not as far as I know. What do you want to know about it?

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Well... I want to know what it was. Was it some sort of magical talisman? Probably a good place for someone with Knowledge: Arcana to see if they know a thing or two about it...