CREATIVE EXERCISE: Tainted Lands

[Steverooo]

The taint penetrates the inhabitants of the land, making Psions and those with inborn magickal power more common. This increased magic also helps the citizens in the fortification of their homes, as they have learned to use magicks to strengthen their walls to help them against the taint.

This takes many forms... Psions and PsiWarriors are more common, here, than elsewhere (but then again, so are Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and Druids). Even many peasants, however, gain acess to 1-5 Cantrips or Orisons, per day, depending upon their level. Smaller numbers of common folk with full-blown magical abilities are also occassionally seen. Whether or not this is due to taint is uncertain, but the most common Cantrips seem to be Mending and Detect Magic, while the most common Orisons are Detect Magic and Create/Purify Food & Drink.

 

[Steverooo]

One of the most insidious effects of the taint is its creation of psychic aberrations which can nearly always pass for normal humans - the elan. These creatures are something like a cancer in normal society, capable of creating others of their kind in a bizarre ritual which directs the mutation caused by the taint in a regular direction. Their motivations vary from cell to cell but are always ultimately insidious.

Derek-Khan of Rockwall has recently rooted out a cell of Elan from his own territory.

 

[Steverooo]

A cabal tries to find a material that makes them immune against the taint. The Taint should feed off the material instead of them. No success, instead they have only found a material that focusses the taint, draws it to them.

This bizarre material looks like brown obsidian, shimmering with rainbow hues. It is sought by the Elan, servants of the Evil Outsider Lords who wander the wastes, and other crazed cultists. Among most, it is coming to be called "Wealbane", and being caught dead with it guarantees you an afterlife as a Mimmic...

Naturally, most common folk aware of its existance won't even touch the stuff. If anything, being seem with it is worse than being seen leaving a well open to Blightwinds. Having a piece of Wealbane on you is the one thing that can get you kicked out of a commoner's home, and into a Blightstorm! Knowingly bringing it into many cities also carries the death penalty (although allowances have been made for the ignorance of newcomers).

 

[Sarellion]

You wanna write it all alone, now?

 

[Steverooo]

Those who give in to the taint and draw it to themselves may harness its vile power, which eventually transforms the taint-wielder into some aberrant demon-beast that loses all sense of its former self, and seeks only mass destruction.

These chaotic evil Aberrations are such a problem to the land that all pets, mounts, etc, are now tagged, and belled. This is law, in most communities. When Bessy gets loose, and caught in a Blightstorm, the Hellcow that she becomes can be heard coming, and the original owner tracked down, if need be.

Anyone seeing an untagged, unbelled animal being herded about by a PC is quite likely to tell them horrendous tales about the destruction wreaked by the last such pet... Anyone seeing an untagged, unbelled pet unsupervised by a mortal would be amazed that it had managed to survive, unmutated. Such poor beasts would quickly be taken in, checked for taint, and helped (or killed and burned, if found tainted).

 

[Steverooo]

Wasn´t there a rule of three contributions until you can do your next one?

I understood it was three contributuions before you could add to your own... Been waiting three days, for mine... So I thought I'd try to kickstart things by adding something to the previous ideas... Beats bumping, or just letting it die. Sorry if I was mistaken.

 

[Steverooo]

You wanna write it all alone, now?

Can't you add anything more constructive than that, y'wise-acre?!? (See if I ever save this thread from page 4, again! Hmmmpf!)