Shemeska's Planescape Storyhour (Updated 29 Jan 2014)

Shemeska

Adventurer
Shem,

you may not recall this, but an eternity ago (literally, this must have been around 2004) I had PM'ed you for permission to borrow heavily from this SH / campaign. We played Planescape for a few years, then switched to other settings before our group had to give up gaming for a time. This year, we finally managed to get the band back together to discuss what campaign we would like to revisit. The reply was unanimous: they wanted to revisit Planescape, because even after ten years, each of them still had vivid memories of the campaign start you dreamed up - the fire genasi sorcerer, Acheron, Factol Nilesia's predicament and so forth. Kudos and hats off to you - you managed to make a lasting impression far beyond the scope of this thread :).

*BLUSH*
 

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Band2

First Post
They had an amazing level of detail and complexity in 2e Planescape. Specifically in the Planes of Conflict box set, Hellbound: The Blood War, and Faces of Evil: The Fiends.

Since Wizards is planning to release all of their previous edition products on pdf I will be on the lookout for those. Any other recommendations for Planescape products?

Most of my usage of the 'loths in the storyhour comes from there, with the thing that's my big addition being the specific baernaloths and adding in to the personality of a lot of figures who might have existed in canon sources as just a name or a title. (I managed to put Shylara the Manged into print in the past year in the Dungeon magazine Demonomicon writeup for the Marauder. It's ostensibly written for 4e, but I wasn't going to be picky. One of the Baern would have made a guest appearance in the backstory for the Marauder, but it totally didn't make it to print, sigh.)

That leads me to another question. What are the baernaloths? Are they the equivilant of demon lords for the yugoloths? Or is the Oinoloth the yugoloth version of a demon lord?

And I saw your article on the Marauder. It was pretty good, though hampered by the 4E version of the planes, which I do not like. And the Marauder made it into another edition.
 

Shemeska

Adventurer
That leads me to another question. What are the baernaloths? Are they the equivilant of demon lords for the yugoloths? Or is the Oinoloth the yugoloth version of a demon lord?

They don't really have an analog among the other fiends. They're the first fiends, they created the 'loths as servitors, and they also created the obyriths and ancient baatorians. They then largely abandoned the multiverse/left/went mad, and the few remaining are either vastly diminished in power or members of a group called The Demented that still manipulate the 'loths from behind the scenes. They're not like demon lords or diabolic nobility, because they don't hold any position of proper authority within the yugoloth hierarchy. They exist outside of the 'loth power structure. They're essentially the equivalent of spiritual authorities compared to secular powers like the Oinoloth, General of Gehenna, etc. Most 'loths aren't even aware that they exist.

They operate by providing advice and direction to the most powerful 'loths (whether they want it or not), and I take it a bit further in the storyhour by suggesting that they exist in a somewhat parasitical/symbiotic relationship with the most powerful yugoloths, one baernaloth inhabiting each of those unique 'loths, acting like a very real inner voice to guide and push them towards their own goals.

Originally I planned to do something similar in the 4e Marauder article, with her having been so inhabited by one of the baern. She demanded authority and power after having served as a behind the scenes puppetmaster for her infecting baernaloth (The Blind Clockmaker) for thousands of years, and it had the Oinoloth place her within Sigil. Of course that was largely a sick joke on the baern's part, because while finally giving her an opportunity to act in her own selfish interests, Sigil was the one place where she could never truly rule, because of the Lady of Pain providing a very deadly, bladed, glass ceiling if you will. But at the same time, Sigil was the -only- place in the multiverse where the Marauder could ever truly be alone and private, with the baernaloth being unable to intrude, speak, or possess/control.

Aaaaand that never made it to print. It got killed in a very late rewrite, five months or so after the draft was originally accepted. I tried, but little that you can do except what an editor requests. :)
 

Tsuga C

Adventurer
What a crock! It's quite a pity that so much of your material has been denied a proper venue for Planescape fans to enjoy. What we need is a compendium of your works as written before they were cast aside or molested by some rotten editor.
 



Shemeska

Adventurer
Or we need Shemeska to be hired to write the 5e Manual of Planes.

The chances of that happening are probably infinitesimal. WotC's design team probably has little clue who I am and what I've done, unless I'm grossly underestimating myself.

I like to write. I like planar stuff. I started out as something of a Planescape super-fan, and I've managed to do a fair bit of freelancing, but outside of having won a fraction of an Ennie by being a minor contributor in books that have won one, I can't say that I've made a giant profile in RPG'land. Again, unless I'm grossly underestimating myself.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'd love LOVE to work on a 5e MotP, but I doubt I'd ever be considered to do so versus in-house writers and others out there.
 

81Dagon

Explorer
Or we need Shemeska to be hired to write the 5e Manual of Planes.
Or we need him to start a planer version of the daily bestiary! :lol:

Disclaimer: I know there is no way in the world you have time for this Todd. I just think it would be a cool idea. Actually, it's a really cool idea... heck I wish I had time to do this!
 

Shemeska

Adventurer
Or we need him to start a planer version of the daily bestiary! :lol:

Disclaimer: I know there is no way in the world you have time for this Todd. I just think it would be a cool idea. Actually, it's a really cool idea... heck I wish I had time to do this!

I wish I had the time to do that and a dozen other things I'd like to finish. Alas I don't.

I was out of work for the last few months, and I did start on a few creative things, paid and unpaid alike, but I started with a new job just in the past week as a process development scientist, so there goes any and all extra time I had. ;)

Working on several stories at the moment, including an update for here.

And my last major project was just released: http://paizo.com/products/btpy8wbu?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-The-Worldwound
 

81Dagon

Explorer
That is awesome, congratulations!

And as if I wasn't already going to be hoarding everything to do with Wrath of the Righteous... is that the last thing you're doing for Paizo ever given the science job or is it just the last thing for now?

I may have ended up making the time to start that bestiary blog. We'll see how long it lasts. If anyone's interested, you can find it here.
 

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