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IRON DM 2013--Entries, Judgements, Commentary, & Trash-Talk
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<blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 6157218" data-attributes="member: 221"><p><strong>The Crystals of Monassan</strong></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">The Crystals of Monassan</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong><u>Background</u></strong></p><p>Two thousand years ago, near to where the city of Hillsfold now sits, there was a mighty city, Monassan, ruled by three wizard-lords: Ingazan, Vonshpin and Celieena. It was a prosperous city, filled with wonders and beauty, the greatest of which were the arcane creations of the cities own rulers. Chief among the discoveries and inventions of these three were the chryslins, arcane crystals powered by the winds of magic which, when attached properly to an inanimate object, granted movement, a semblance of life and a limited self-awareness to the object so powered. Each of the chryslins was attuned to a particular aspect of the magical winds, being necromantic, evocative, divinary, etc., so that the objects powered could be fashioned to have particular abilities according to the school of magic they were attuned to. </p><p></p><p>It was Celieena who first took the use of the chryslins to the next stage of development, fashioning what she called necrispikes, arcane iron implements powered by seven chryslins, which, when placed in the skull of a dead body, animated the bones of that body. But the necrispikes were more than mere servitors. The arcane union of seven chryslins granted true sentience. Ingazan soon followed suit, merging seven chryslins together into a single crystal, so that the crystal so created likewise had sentience. He called his crystal creations the quarl, and, though they lacked arms, legs, faces, or any organic feature, they had the power of levitation and telepathy and the full ability to interact with the world around them. These two new “races,” despite their intelligence, were used as little more than slaves for a hundred years. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Vonshpin was not idle. Jealous of the creations of his comrades, the wizard spent many years ambitiously creating his own servants using the chryslins. What he ultimately created was a trio of entities called the psypossessors, bodiless entities made entirely of thought and completely loyal to their creator. Though they could exist incorporeal and insubstantial for an indefinite period of time with no ill effect, the true power of these creatures was their ability to enter a body, taking full control of that body, for as long as suited them. When Vonshpin's co-rulers discovered what he had done, they feared the result and commanded that he destroy his work. He refused and a war broke out; a war which destroyed the city. </p><p></p><p>In the aftermath of the destruction, the quarl banded together and traveled northward, eventually settling in the icy wastelands of the arctic north. The necrispikes traveled east into the desert lands, where after five hundred years of nomadic wanderings and, countless wars of survival, they established the city-state of Ivensand. As the necrispikes and quarl fashioned new lives for themselves, the ruins of Monassan were lost to time, buried by a volcanic eruption and the subsequent course change of the Kiliasus river. </p><p></p><p>Yet the heritage of the city of Monassan lives on. It lives on in the necrispikes and the quarl. It lives on in the three immortal psypossessors who even now roam the world. And it lives on in a strange psuedo-world named Aisgun, a creation of Ingazan trapped in a pocket of the plane of dreams within a larimar globe. Ingazan sent his most loyal followers and a good number of the citizens of his city into this world right before Vonshpin unleashed the great cataclysmic strike which ended the war and Monassan in the same fell stroke. </p><p></p><p>As our adventure begins, the site of Monassan has been rediscovered and an excavation of the city has begun.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Adventure Synopsis</u></strong></p><p>The PCs, having recently dealt with the problem of Weeping Oak, are heroes of Hillsfold and thus it is only natural that they are asked to meet with some of Hillsfold's newest visitors, ambassadors from Ivensand and from the Confederal Kritarchy of Iceborn. These ambassadors are in the city, each delivering a great deal of money to help fund the excavation of the ruins of Monassan. The PCs have an opportunity to meet with the ambassadors at a party, but not all goes smoothly. A man named Kojnor Salamdar is also in town. Salamdar is rumored to be one of the four richest men in the Kingdom. He too is financing the excavation. Salamdar appears to be habitually drunk. He is loud, boorish and often outrageous. He surrounds himself with sycophants who appear, if it is possible, to be even drunker and louder than Salamdar himself. But things are not what they appears. Kojnor Salamdar was possessed at a young age by one of the three immortal psypossessors. This particulary psypossessor is cany and powerful, but also not a little insane. He has an interest in the ruins of Monassan, but he also hopes to create great troubles for the necrispikes and quarl, whom he hates with a passion. Salamdar instigates trouble so that one of the ambassadors, the necrispike, kills a young lady at the party. The ambassador has diplomatic immunity, and claims self defense but it is still something of a scandal and the PCs are asked to deal with it, if they would, to smooth things out, preferably with tact. In the course of this, they have opportunity to interact with both ambassadors, and it is possible that the PCs become suspicious of one or both of the ambassadors and their intents.</p><p></p><p>Shortly thereafter, several workers involved in the excavation of Monassan are killed and the PCs are subsequently asked to take part in securing the ruins, killing the dangerous monsters that have moved into the ruins and investigating for any treasures or cultural artifacts. The ambassadors are openly and especially interested in the discovery of any chryslins, and though the PCs might be suspicious of their motives, they offer to pay well for any chryslins found. The investigation of the city does reveal several of the automated creatures used by the inhabitants. Many of these creatures, powered by one or two of the arcane batteries, are now dangerous. The city ruins are also occupied in places by subterranean creatures which have migrated up from the underdark and there are countless arcane booby-traps, remnants of the war which destroyed the city. As the PCs explore the city, they unearth, hidden in a buried tower, and protected by many dangers, a great blue crystal sphere which radiates powerful magics.</p><p></p><p>This larimar globe is taken into Hillsfold and housed in the city museum for study. The PCs whether or not they have a hand in uncovering its secrets are soon made privy to the realization that there is a world hidden within the sphere. The sphere contains a pocket dimension of the plane of dream, a fold of that plane twisted upon itself. The PCs are asked to reach the world and see what it holds. Magically transporting themselves into the sphere they discover they must accomplish three impossible tasks: they must defeat an unkillable army, they must cross an eternal sea, and they must climb to the top of an endless stair. Each of these tasks can be accomplished through willpower and altering the dreamworld so that reality and perception is changed. The unkillable army can be entrapped, the endless sea can be crossed by going under it, and the endless stair can be scaled by shrinking the tower holding the stair so that one can simply step atop the tower. To discover these truths, the PCs must learn how to manipulate dream if they hope to succeed, going so far as to dream-burn some of their own dreams and aspirations to empower themselves in the dream-world. Once the three challenges are overcome the world within the sphere is unlocked in dream, the PCs can visit it freely whenever they wish. The hidden world is called Aisgun and the PCs discover that the descendants of the followers of Ingazan live peacefully (or close to it) thereon. These inhabitants are eager for news of the world of their ancestors and the rulers of Hillsfold are quick to offer an alliance with the new world.</p><p></p><p>But trouble manifests in a clumsy attempt on the lives of the PCs and an attack on the crystal globe holding the world of Aisgun within it. This attack is a decoy attack by Konjor Salamdar to point suspicion at the two ambassadors who also appear eager to develop relationships with the descendants of Monassan. In the ensuing political chaos, Salamdar, in his hate and madness, hopes to find an opportunity to truly destroy the globe. The PCs are, true to their role as heroes of the city, asked to guard the globe and thus they are there when Salamdar's minions attempt to place the globe in a sack of holding and drop it into a portable hole, an event that would surely destroy the small world, the artifact, the museum and possibly half the city. If the minions are thwarted, they point the way to the true villain. Salamdar, his cover as a harmless, rich fool gone, tries to flee, but it is possible for him to be caught and maybe even killed. If this happens, the psypossessor is able to find a new body and try again, creating an ongoing threat. The citizens of Aisgun alone of all the creatures in the multiverse, have knowledge of the psypossessors and the cause of the war that destroyed Monassan. They can reveal that there are three such monsters at loose in the world, having had two-thousand years to manipulate events to suit themselves. </p><p></p><p><strong><u>New “Races” and their Motivations</u></strong></p><p>A necrispike is an implement of iron which is powered by seven internal chryslins, three of which are necromantic in nature. The exact configuration of the other four chryslins determines the initial abilities of each individual necrispike. When a necrispike is placed into the base of a skull, near to the spine, the bones of a skeleton are animated by the necrispike. If the host skeleton is destroyed, the necrispike can be placed onto a new skeleton, retaining its full knowledge and own personality. There were originally two thousand necrispikes who escaped the destruction of Monassan. Today there are only twelve hundred left. Though the iron necrispikes are hard to destroy, such a thing is possible and with the passing of years, their numbers have diminished. The necrispikes rule as the undying lords of the city-state of Ivensand. They rule over the descendants of slaves they freed. necrispikes in public, clothe their skeletal bodies with heavy garments and ornate helmets. necrispikes hate slavery and seek to destroy it wherever it is, a thing that makes them unpopular in much of the world. Nevertheless, though feared and hated, they press on, doing what they can to make the world a better place. They have devised methods of fashioning new necrispikes, but they lack the ability or knowledge to make new chryslins and so see in the uncovering of the city of Monassan a way to swell their ranks. </p><p></p><p>The quarl appear as floating crystals, a foot in height. Though each quarl has different powers based on the attunement of the seven chryslins used to create each one, they each possess the powers of levitation and telepathy. Lacking arms, legs or any other features, the quarl are a psionic race, creatures of almost pure intellect. There were originally six thousand quarl who fled northward; today only a third of that number remainas they are even easier than the necrispikes to destroy. Having no need for heat or food, the quarl live in the frozen north, in communities of ice. There they study and seek ever for new knowledge. The quarl believe that if they could learn to fashion chryslins, they could learn how they might grant themselves the ability of procreation, a thing they earnestly desire. They seek within Monassan both chryslins to study and perhaps clues as to their own creation. The quarl, though highly intelligent, have few emotions and relate poorly to races that do. Their interactions with various races have often led to conflict in the past because of their lack of empathy and inability to grasp the nuances of various social mores. Nevertheless, they, in their own way, are a peaceful group, desiring only to be allowed to study and meditate in peace. </p><p></p><p>Vonshpin created the psypossessors by taking the energy of seven chryslins and freeing them even as he combined them to create incorporeal creatures of pure energy. He created three such creatures and enchanted them to be completely, to the point of fanaticism, loyal to himself. Though powerless when disembodied, their abilities when in a host body continue to increase and grow with every passing year. Before Monassan was destroyed, Vonshpin sent his servants out into the world to escape the destruction he was about to unleash. Each of the creatures has kept abreast of the activities of their two brethren, but have acted independantly. The one called Kojnor Salamdar has sought the path of wealth, and has achieved it so that he controls, either openly, or in secret, more wealth than any other living man. Much of this wealth is arranged so that, even if he is killed, he can claim it after taking a new body. Though he acts the fool, he is always open to money making opportunities. He sees within the excavation of Monassan the opportunity to gain access to great secrets and arcane devices which can be resold. At the same time, he is glad of every opportunity to thwart the necrispikes and quarl. When the globe containing Aisgun is discovered, he resolves, in his hate to kill every descendant of Monassan living within the globe. </p><p></p><p><strong><u>Concluding the Adventure</u></strong></p><p>If things go wrong, it is possible that a great many people die and the world is thrown into turmoil. If the PCs thwart the attempt to blow up Aisgun, they are once more heroes, on two worlds, but they have made a powerful enemy and unearthed the presence of two other similar entities at large in the world. Learning how to destroy the psypossessors is an adventure in itself. The resolution of relations between Hillsfold, the necrispikes and the quarl are also going to very much depend on the actions and opinions of the PCs. Ideally the PCs gain new allies, but potentially there is the opportunity for political intrigue and even war. And then there is Aisgun, a world in need of protection, rich in resources, and ripe for a rich alliance with Hillsfold, if the PCs can manage to arrange such a thing. </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>End of the World</strong></p><p><strong></strong><em>The world of Aisgun, held in the dream pocket within Ingazan's larimar globe, faces destruction at the hand of Kojnor Salamdar, who is, in truth, a cryslin psypossessor, one of the three races created in the ancient city of Monassan. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong>Unearth</strong></p><p><em>The city of Monassan lies buried in the hills east of Hillsfold and while aiding in the exploration and excavation of this city, the PCs unearth the larimar globe which holds the world of Aisgun in its depths. Secondarily, the actions of the PCs help unearth the existance of the cryslin psypossessors.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong>Diplomatic Immunity</strong></p><p><em>The city state of Ivensand, ruled by the the cryslin necrispikes and the Confederal Kritarchy of Iceborn, in which dwell the quarl, have each sent financial support for the excavation of Monassan, their birth-city. The ambassadors who brought these funds have been granted diplomatic immunity.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></p><p><em>The three wizard-lords of Monassan, powerful and creative, fashioned chryslins, which were capable of giving motion and limited awareness to inanimate objects. They also discovered methods by which 7 chryslins could be joined into a single self-aware brain capable of thought, reason and learning. Through these methods, they fashioned the necrispikes and the quarl, as servitor races. One of their number, Vonshpin, in secret fashioned a third race, the psypossessors, as assassins and spies. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong>Wise Fool</strong></p><p><em>Kojnor Salamdar appears as nothing more than an extravagant playboy and he plays up his reputation for foolishness. Many see his extravagant expenditures to aid in the excavation of Monassan as simply one more lark. But in truth, Salamdar is ancient and canny, and is the true villain of this tale. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong>Impossible Dream </strong></p><p><em>The dream pocket in which rests the world of Aisgun is protected by a set of dream paradoxes which prevent easy entry to the world. Meanwhile, the necrispikes and the quarl have born, over the thousand years of their existence, unbearable sorrow, great loss, and untold prejudices. They have each, in their own way striven to create a place for themselves in the world, through courage and sometimes sacrifice. </em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wicht, post: 6157218, member: 221"] [b]The Crystals of Monassan[/b] [B][SIZE=4]The Crystals of Monassan[/SIZE][/B] [B][U]Background[/U][/B] Two thousand years ago, near to where the city of Hillsfold now sits, there was a mighty city, Monassan, ruled by three wizard-lords: Ingazan, Vonshpin and Celieena. It was a prosperous city, filled with wonders and beauty, the greatest of which were the arcane creations of the cities own rulers. Chief among the discoveries and inventions of these three were the chryslins, arcane crystals powered by the winds of magic which, when attached properly to an inanimate object, granted movement, a semblance of life and a limited self-awareness to the object so powered. Each of the chryslins was attuned to a particular aspect of the magical winds, being necromantic, evocative, divinary, etc., so that the objects powered could be fashioned to have particular abilities according to the school of magic they were attuned to. It was Celieena who first took the use of the chryslins to the next stage of development, fashioning what she called necrispikes, arcane iron implements powered by seven chryslins, which, when placed in the skull of a dead body, animated the bones of that body. But the necrispikes were more than mere servitors. The arcane union of seven chryslins granted true sentience. Ingazan soon followed suit, merging seven chryslins together into a single crystal, so that the crystal so created likewise had sentience. He called his crystal creations the quarl, and, though they lacked arms, legs, faces, or any organic feature, they had the power of levitation and telepathy and the full ability to interact with the world around them. These two new “races,” despite their intelligence, were used as little more than slaves for a hundred years. Meanwhile, Vonshpin was not idle. Jealous of the creations of his comrades, the wizard spent many years ambitiously creating his own servants using the chryslins. What he ultimately created was a trio of entities called the psypossessors, bodiless entities made entirely of thought and completely loyal to their creator. Though they could exist incorporeal and insubstantial for an indefinite period of time with no ill effect, the true power of these creatures was their ability to enter a body, taking full control of that body, for as long as suited them. When Vonshpin's co-rulers discovered what he had done, they feared the result and commanded that he destroy his work. He refused and a war broke out; a war which destroyed the city. In the aftermath of the destruction, the quarl banded together and traveled northward, eventually settling in the icy wastelands of the arctic north. The necrispikes traveled east into the desert lands, where after five hundred years of nomadic wanderings and, countless wars of survival, they established the city-state of Ivensand. As the necrispikes and quarl fashioned new lives for themselves, the ruins of Monassan were lost to time, buried by a volcanic eruption and the subsequent course change of the Kiliasus river. Yet the heritage of the city of Monassan lives on. It lives on in the necrispikes and the quarl. It lives on in the three immortal psypossessors who even now roam the world. And it lives on in a strange psuedo-world named Aisgun, a creation of Ingazan trapped in a pocket of the plane of dreams within a larimar globe. Ingazan sent his most loyal followers and a good number of the citizens of his city into this world right before Vonshpin unleashed the great cataclysmic strike which ended the war and Monassan in the same fell stroke. As our adventure begins, the site of Monassan has been rediscovered and an excavation of the city has begun. [B][U]Adventure Synopsis[/U][/B] The PCs, having recently dealt with the problem of Weeping Oak, are heroes of Hillsfold and thus it is only natural that they are asked to meet with some of Hillsfold's newest visitors, ambassadors from Ivensand and from the Confederal Kritarchy of Iceborn. These ambassadors are in the city, each delivering a great deal of money to help fund the excavation of the ruins of Monassan. The PCs have an opportunity to meet with the ambassadors at a party, but not all goes smoothly. A man named Kojnor Salamdar is also in town. Salamdar is rumored to be one of the four richest men in the Kingdom. He too is financing the excavation. Salamdar appears to be habitually drunk. He is loud, boorish and often outrageous. He surrounds himself with sycophants who appear, if it is possible, to be even drunker and louder than Salamdar himself. But things are not what they appears. Kojnor Salamdar was possessed at a young age by one of the three immortal psypossessors. This particulary psypossessor is cany and powerful, but also not a little insane. He has an interest in the ruins of Monassan, but he also hopes to create great troubles for the necrispikes and quarl, whom he hates with a passion. Salamdar instigates trouble so that one of the ambassadors, the necrispike, kills a young lady at the party. The ambassador has diplomatic immunity, and claims self defense but it is still something of a scandal and the PCs are asked to deal with it, if they would, to smooth things out, preferably with tact. In the course of this, they have opportunity to interact with both ambassadors, and it is possible that the PCs become suspicious of one or both of the ambassadors and their intents. Shortly thereafter, several workers involved in the excavation of Monassan are killed and the PCs are subsequently asked to take part in securing the ruins, killing the dangerous monsters that have moved into the ruins and investigating for any treasures or cultural artifacts. The ambassadors are openly and especially interested in the discovery of any chryslins, and though the PCs might be suspicious of their motives, they offer to pay well for any chryslins found. The investigation of the city does reveal several of the automated creatures used by the inhabitants. Many of these creatures, powered by one or two of the arcane batteries, are now dangerous. The city ruins are also occupied in places by subterranean creatures which have migrated up from the underdark and there are countless arcane booby-traps, remnants of the war which destroyed the city. As the PCs explore the city, they unearth, hidden in a buried tower, and protected by many dangers, a great blue crystal sphere which radiates powerful magics. This larimar globe is taken into Hillsfold and housed in the city museum for study. The PCs whether or not they have a hand in uncovering its secrets are soon made privy to the realization that there is a world hidden within the sphere. The sphere contains a pocket dimension of the plane of dream, a fold of that plane twisted upon itself. The PCs are asked to reach the world and see what it holds. Magically transporting themselves into the sphere they discover they must accomplish three impossible tasks: they must defeat an unkillable army, they must cross an eternal sea, and they must climb to the top of an endless stair. Each of these tasks can be accomplished through willpower and altering the dreamworld so that reality and perception is changed. The unkillable army can be entrapped, the endless sea can be crossed by going under it, and the endless stair can be scaled by shrinking the tower holding the stair so that one can simply step atop the tower. To discover these truths, the PCs must learn how to manipulate dream if they hope to succeed, going so far as to dream-burn some of their own dreams and aspirations to empower themselves in the dream-world. Once the three challenges are overcome the world within the sphere is unlocked in dream, the PCs can visit it freely whenever they wish. The hidden world is called Aisgun and the PCs discover that the descendants of the followers of Ingazan live peacefully (or close to it) thereon. These inhabitants are eager for news of the world of their ancestors and the rulers of Hillsfold are quick to offer an alliance with the new world. But trouble manifests in a clumsy attempt on the lives of the PCs and an attack on the crystal globe holding the world of Aisgun within it. This attack is a decoy attack by Konjor Salamdar to point suspicion at the two ambassadors who also appear eager to develop relationships with the descendants of Monassan. In the ensuing political chaos, Salamdar, in his hate and madness, hopes to find an opportunity to truly destroy the globe. The PCs are, true to their role as heroes of the city, asked to guard the globe and thus they are there when Salamdar's minions attempt to place the globe in a sack of holding and drop it into a portable hole, an event that would surely destroy the small world, the artifact, the museum and possibly half the city. If the minions are thwarted, they point the way to the true villain. Salamdar, his cover as a harmless, rich fool gone, tries to flee, but it is possible for him to be caught and maybe even killed. If this happens, the psypossessor is able to find a new body and try again, creating an ongoing threat. The citizens of Aisgun alone of all the creatures in the multiverse, have knowledge of the psypossessors and the cause of the war that destroyed Monassan. They can reveal that there are three such monsters at loose in the world, having had two-thousand years to manipulate events to suit themselves. [B][U]New “Races” and their Motivations[/U][/B] A necrispike is an implement of iron which is powered by seven internal chryslins, three of which are necromantic in nature. The exact configuration of the other four chryslins determines the initial abilities of each individual necrispike. When a necrispike is placed into the base of a skull, near to the spine, the bones of a skeleton are animated by the necrispike. If the host skeleton is destroyed, the necrispike can be placed onto a new skeleton, retaining its full knowledge and own personality. There were originally two thousand necrispikes who escaped the destruction of Monassan. Today there are only twelve hundred left. Though the iron necrispikes are hard to destroy, such a thing is possible and with the passing of years, their numbers have diminished. The necrispikes rule as the undying lords of the city-state of Ivensand. They rule over the descendants of slaves they freed. necrispikes in public, clothe their skeletal bodies with heavy garments and ornate helmets. necrispikes hate slavery and seek to destroy it wherever it is, a thing that makes them unpopular in much of the world. Nevertheless, though feared and hated, they press on, doing what they can to make the world a better place. They have devised methods of fashioning new necrispikes, but they lack the ability or knowledge to make new chryslins and so see in the uncovering of the city of Monassan a way to swell their ranks. The quarl appear as floating crystals, a foot in height. Though each quarl has different powers based on the attunement of the seven chryslins used to create each one, they each possess the powers of levitation and telepathy. Lacking arms, legs or any other features, the quarl are a psionic race, creatures of almost pure intellect. There were originally six thousand quarl who fled northward; today only a third of that number remainas they are even easier than the necrispikes to destroy. Having no need for heat or food, the quarl live in the frozen north, in communities of ice. There they study and seek ever for new knowledge. The quarl believe that if they could learn to fashion chryslins, they could learn how they might grant themselves the ability of procreation, a thing they earnestly desire. They seek within Monassan both chryslins to study and perhaps clues as to their own creation. The quarl, though highly intelligent, have few emotions and relate poorly to races that do. Their interactions with various races have often led to conflict in the past because of their lack of empathy and inability to grasp the nuances of various social mores. Nevertheless, they, in their own way, are a peaceful group, desiring only to be allowed to study and meditate in peace. Vonshpin created the psypossessors by taking the energy of seven chryslins and freeing them even as he combined them to create incorporeal creatures of pure energy. He created three such creatures and enchanted them to be completely, to the point of fanaticism, loyal to himself. Though powerless when disembodied, their abilities when in a host body continue to increase and grow with every passing year. Before Monassan was destroyed, Vonshpin sent his servants out into the world to escape the destruction he was about to unleash. Each of the creatures has kept abreast of the activities of their two brethren, but have acted independantly. The one called Kojnor Salamdar has sought the path of wealth, and has achieved it so that he controls, either openly, or in secret, more wealth than any other living man. Much of this wealth is arranged so that, even if he is killed, he can claim it after taking a new body. Though he acts the fool, he is always open to money making opportunities. He sees within the excavation of Monassan the opportunity to gain access to great secrets and arcane devices which can be resold. At the same time, he is glad of every opportunity to thwart the necrispikes and quarl. When the globe containing Aisgun is discovered, he resolves, in his hate to kill every descendant of Monassan living within the globe. [B][U]Concluding the Adventure[/U][/B] If things go wrong, it is possible that a great many people die and the world is thrown into turmoil. If the PCs thwart the attempt to blow up Aisgun, they are once more heroes, on two worlds, but they have made a powerful enemy and unearthed the presence of two other similar entities at large in the world. Learning how to destroy the psypossessors is an adventure in itself. The resolution of relations between Hillsfold, the necrispikes and the quarl are also going to very much depend on the actions and opinions of the PCs. Ideally the PCs gain new allies, but potentially there is the opportunity for political intrigue and even war. And then there is Aisgun, a world in need of protection, rich in resources, and ripe for a rich alliance with Hillsfold, if the PCs can manage to arrange such a thing. [B]End of the World [I][/I][/B][I]The world of Aisgun, held in the dream pocket within Ingazan's larimar globe, faces destruction at the hand of Kojnor Salamdar, who is, in truth, a cryslin psypossessor, one of the three races created in the ancient city of Monassan. [/I] [B]Unearth[/B] [I]The city of Monassan lies buried in the hills east of Hillsfold and while aiding in the exploration and excavation of this city, the PCs unearth the larimar globe which holds the world of Aisgun in its depths. Secondarily, the actions of the PCs help unearth the existance of the cryslin psypossessors. [/I] [B]Diplomatic Immunity[/B] [I]The city state of Ivensand, ruled by the the cryslin necrispikes and the Confederal Kritarchy of Iceborn, in which dwell the quarl, have each sent financial support for the excavation of Monassan, their birth-city. The ambassadors who brought these funds have been granted diplomatic immunity. [/I] [B]Artificial Intelligence[/B] [I]The three wizard-lords of Monassan, powerful and creative, fashioned chryslins, which were capable of giving motion and limited awareness to inanimate objects. They also discovered methods by which 7 chryslins could be joined into a single self-aware brain capable of thought, reason and learning. Through these methods, they fashioned the necrispikes and the quarl, as servitor races. One of their number, Vonshpin, in secret fashioned a third race, the psypossessors, as assassins and spies. [/I] [B]Wise Fool[/B] [I]Kojnor Salamdar appears as nothing more than an extravagant playboy and he plays up his reputation for foolishness. Many see his extravagant expenditures to aid in the excavation of Monassan as simply one more lark. But in truth, Salamdar is ancient and canny, and is the true villain of this tale. [/I] [B]Impossible Dream [/B] [I]The dream pocket in which rests the world of Aisgun is protected by a set of dream paradoxes which prevent easy entry to the world. Meanwhile, the necrispikes and the quarl have born, over the thousand years of their existence, unbearable sorrow, great loss, and untold prejudices. They have each, in their own way striven to create a place for themselves in the world, through courage and sometimes sacrifice. [/I] [/QUOTE]
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