Xenophobic Couatl

[an_idol_mind]

When I drew up the map for my campaign setting, I threw a mountain range on the west side of the map and decided that nobody in the known world knew what was on the other side. Scrying magic doesn't work beyond the range and teleportation magic can't get anybody past the mountains. The intention was to have a gran expedition over the peaks at some point and find out what was on the other side.

Now the PCs in my group seem like they want to take a hike over (or maybe under) those impassable mountains, and I've started to brainstorm ideas for what might be on the other side. The couatl entry of Mythical Monsters Revisited has given me an idea for what I might do. I'm thinking of putting a Mayan-style civilization on the other side of those mountains guarded by a group of couatl. The couatl, seeing the civilization as a simple agrarian folk uncorrupted by the advances of technology, have taken things further than normal couatl do (arguably too far) and tried to seal the people off from the rest of the world so they don't get corrupted. Several powerful couatl (based on Lord Sun-Warrior from the book) have used wishes to block off chances to find the place via magic, ensuring that the corrupt outsiders don't find the place.

If and when the PCs get over the mountains, they'll likely be approached by a couatl and given an ultimatum: they can stay in the new land, but only if they abide by certain rules and remain there forever. Otherwise, they will be barred from entry.

So, with that in mind, anybody else have ideas as to what I can use to flesh out the area? Any thoughts on how these lawful but maybe not as good as they think couatl might protect their areas? On any other ideas on what I should put in this forbidden zone?

 

[Salthorae]

Ever read At the Mountains of Madness ? Possibly Lovecraft's best story and it just so happens to deal with impassible mountain ranges!

 

[an_idol_mind]

Haven't read it, but it's on my list now.

 

[Salthorae]

It doesn't deal with Lawful Couatl's, but if ever I ran a game with an impassible mountain range, there would definitely be elements of this in it!

If you want to stick with Couatl's Gone Wild (TM), i'd think that they as an extreme might go slightly "I, Robot" on the simple society and be "protecting the humans from themselves" by controlling them in some way... Check out this story by Brandon Sanderson for a slightly different example of keeping the peace, this is a much quicker read than the Lovecraft story too: Defending Elysium (not sure why I keep talking about Sci-Fi stories to you, but they seem possibly applicable)

Also, if the humans are as simply as they sound, and the Couatl's wield the level of magic necessary to close the are off from the rest of the world's divinations and such, how would the humans view the Couatl's? Possibly as god-like? To the point where they actually worship the Couatl's to the exclusion of their normal gods? Could there be one Couatl who is the "mastermind" who has actually given himself over to evil, yet is the traditional leader of the Couatls in the area?

As to ways they actually protect the areas? Liberal uses of obscuring mist, other cloud and fog spells, and then mix in a Mind Fog, a terribly under utilized spell in my opinion, -10 on will saves gets you all sorts of bad guy happiness! Start using illusions and enchantments at that point to herd them away or to "bring them to the dark side" for anyone who does venture into the areas.

Since they are Lawful...something, what is their opinion/penalty of crossing into the lands they have forbidden? Is it death? Is it slavery in service of the agrarian society?

Assuming the PC's see all this as wrong and try to "fight back" what is the local penatly for attacking or killing a Couatl? Do the local humans feel oppressed by the Couatl's (see points above), or do they worship and buy into this whole thing? That will determine how likely PC success will be in "fighting back". If the locals are all in, there is almost no chance of PC success, and then their only goal will probably be to escape...