• NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.

(4th IR) What does your character write?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Yet ANOTHER 'big' Edena post - PLEASE READ IT

Ok, time in.
Creamsteak, could you delete my time out post above? Thanks much.

- - -

VENUS POSTED

"Using you great invention, and no strings attached?" Raynar asks the Gnome, his face frowned. "It seems too good to be true. But seeing how many have used this magical device to gain power at quite a fast pace, I cannot stay behind."
"You got yourself a deal."
Soon after the deal Raynar Smartface publishes his next work. Changing the subject from mechanics and machines, he tries to put a hold to the rise of the tirans.
The people under the Gods. it the title of the magic enchanted book.
Chapter 1: Before the Tiranny
Chapter 2: The rise of the Tirans
Chapter 3: The supression
The book contains a 4th chapter, which looks into the future from 2 possible ways:
Chapter 4, part 1: The Future under the Tirans.
"And everyone will be enslaved, just to please the tirans. Everyone must work for their money and their lives, but in the end the Tirans take all." - Excerp from this part.
Chapter 4, part 2:: The Future of the People.
"After they threw down the magic which enchanted their brains, obstruction people to think freely, the Titans lose their powers. They became nothing more but simple people, spit on by the ones they used to supress. - Excerp from this part.
It is a call to unite against the newly assigned leaders of many countries. To keep them from gaining unlimited power. Raynar is pleased with his work, and hopes the people will listen.

FROM EDENA

Noted. This book, like the other Books of Domination, spreads rapidly.
It ultimately further destabilizes many countries, including many countries in the Meritocracy, and in the Free Nations of Faerun.

It will not be long before there is full scale Civil War in dozens of countries, as Venus, Serpenteye, Janos, and others vie for the mental control of the populace.
Of course, Sollir is putting in his two cents too.

- - -

SERPENTEYE POSTED

The Meritocracy
In a great palace/fortress somewhere in Faerûn,

FROM EDENA

Serpenteye, name the place if you like.
A comprehensive list of the countries you currently control has been put up. (I hope the time out gave everyone the chance to read my posts.)

FROM SERPENTEYE

There is only one way for this world to survive the challenges ahead. I know, I have seen some of what may befall us all should we fail to accomplish our sacred duty to the planet and its peoples. The nations stand divided by fear, hatred and suspicion while the legions of Hell spread ever increasing destruction and carnage. Meanwhile, hypocritical intellectuals attempt to undermine the only force that can hope to bring sufficient strength to the mortal races to withstand the raging storm. They claim our confederation is a force of oppression, they claim we remove free will and replace it with unthinking belief of our doctrines and rule.
They claim this is evil. Rubbish!

FROM EDENA

Serpenteye, the leaders of the nations under your control are all in enthusiastic agreement with what you are saying.
Are you going to invite any representatives from the Dauntless, Free Nations, Phoenix, or Imaskari to your meeting?
Do you invite the gnomes of Lantan to your meeting?

The representative from Dambrath, a youthful half-drow/half-elven woman, nods solemnly and respectfully to your character.

SERPENTEYE POSTED:

*To ease the trade between and within our nations we must create uniform taxation, trade-laws and regulations and streamline our separate burocracies and integrate them into one an other internationally.

FROM EDENA

Noted. A new Federal Government begins taking shape, with each of the member countries as states.
This project is started ... it could be disrupted by ongoing events.
However, if you succeed, you will have unified a large part of the Forgotten Realms as a single nation, Serpenteye.

SERPENTEYE POSTED

* We must make greater efforts in hunting down and either destroying or taming dangerous beasts and monsters raiding against our roads and outlying settlements. Bandits must either be eradicated or recruited into our armies. Our people must be free of fear, only then will they dare to invest into future profit.

FROM EDENA

I do hope everyone realizes what this means.
Bandits could be brigands out to murder innocent people for money.
Or, they could be elves trying to save their forests from Meritocracy ordained logging programs.

SERPENTEYE POSTED

* The people must also know that they will be treated fairly and consistently by our authorities. They must trust us to do the right thing, if they don't they will only work grudgingly or under threat. Creating the mechanisms for such needless opression will only be a needless expense. There must be an end to corruption and discrimination within our legal systems. Our laws must become more humane and utalitarian, their purpose must be to civilize the society, not to terrorize it.
* All religions must be treated according to their usefulness in a civilized society. Religions espousing chaos, uncontrolled destruction, disease, death and madness must be countered.
Religions espousing obedience, lawfulness, honour, life, power, wealth and skillfullness must be encouraged and, if possible, made into an extension of our legal and executive authority. Not to make the religions into empty, soulless tools for our use, but to encourage them to adapt into a symbiosis with our governments, so that both they and we will prosper and be strong when society gains strength and prosperity.

FROM EDENA

The representative from Dambrath, a powerful nation not under domination but instead a free ally, stands and speaks:

There should be a conclave to determine which religions are productive to society and the people of the Meritocracy.
Those religions that are productive and useful should be supported.
Those religions which are not productive and useful should be outlawed.
That is the stance of Dambrath. We fully support the President of the Meritocracy in his endeavors in this manner.

FROM SERPENTEYE

* The level of education of our populations must be increased. We are now printing books with gnomish enchantment that will swiftly increase our peoples' knowledge in all socially acceptable fields of study. Agriculture, Business, Craftsmanship, Martial Arts, Psionics, Magic, Military Tactics, Law (so that they won't unwittingly break the new Code Gomenei),

FROM EDENA

Code Gomenei?
You are setting quite a precedent, Serpenteye.
This Code Gomenei will not just be a law. It will be the Word of God ... people will automatically obey it without question (think of Farenheit 451, or 1984.)
Only in Dambrath, will Free Will survive. Of course, the Will of Lolth and Loviatar is a dark will.

POSTED BY SERPENTEYE

* For that purpose we must also undertake a complete reformation of our military forces.
The military chain of command must become more streamlined. Our regular forces must be organized into precice units of precise strength and capability. 10 men, 1 special force, 1 one mark officer. 100 men, 10 special force, 10 one mark officers ... (etc.)

FROM EDENA

This is being done. As with the new government, the reorganization is currently under way.

SERPENTEYE POSTED

* We must also explain to the people, in terms that they can understand, the necessity of our work. We must do that without any magical domination or suggestion so that the people will well remember the benevolence of our rule even if our magical hold over them should be disrupted. We must preach the vaules of Unity, Prosperity, Wisdom, Solidarity, Labour, Lawfulness and Acceptance of legitimate authority. We must also teach them why we are the legitimate authority, we have the arguments but we must make sure that they reach the population. As a tool of learning I have written a national anthem for our great confederation (Perform: 176). It will be played at every suitable oppertunity, whenever the people have cause for celebration. It will become our most powerful and enduring symbol.

FROM EDENA

This will not be necessary. The Domination effect is permanent, unless Dispelled. They will do as you command, and think as you command.
Those who have not yet read your books, are so terrified by what has happened around them that they will not dare to disobey.

SERPENTEYE POSTED

Edena- My goal is to create a strongly patriotic and Lawful state with Neutral and Good tendencies, taking care not to alienate moderately evil elements within our societies. (allowing for some regional variations, we are not trying to force naturally Evil peoples to act Good, but we do strive to make Chaotic races Lawful) It is our intention to create a society where every Lawful and Neutral individual can feel at home.

FROM EDENA

You are creating a very strongly Lawful society indeed ... Good and Evil not withstanding.
I would not call the Meritocracy a Good society, however.
Were you to Dispel the enchantments on your people, and woo them over naturally, then maybe it would be a Good society.
More likely, it would disintegrate. For good or bad, the peoples of all these countries have their own beliefs, own religions, own agendas, and own alignments. Holding them together with diplomacy alone would be impossible ... nobody in the history of Faerun since the time of the Arcane Age has managed to do that, and then it was done by force.
You must accept, Serpenteye, that you created the Meritocracy by force, that you have subjugated a large number of free peoples, that free will has been taken from them, and that what you have accomplished, you have accomplished with force.

As Moderator, of course, I am neutral about this.
Be your Power good or evil, lawful or chaotic, I am the Moderator - and uninvolved.

I am playing other powers, though.
Do not expect the Free Nations, Dauntless, or others to necessarily agree with the statements your character has just made!

- - -

FROM EDENA TO ALL IN THE IR

As of this writing, the following people have embraced the Books of Domination by the gnomes, to my knowledge:

Mr. Draco, Inez, Janos, Sollir, Serpenteye, Venus
(have I missed anyone?)

- - -

SERPENTEYE POSTED

I'd like to volunteer to create a faction map for Toril and the Forgotten realms, like I did for Creamsteaks, stasised, IR. I'm sure someone will be able to put it up on their Net-Site.

FROM EDENA

I would really like that! Can you do it?
You have my full support on this venture!

- - -

BUGBEAR POSTED

Hannover of course respects the decision of the Dwarven Kings, and lets the matter drop. (I will point out, however, that Gustav is creamsteaks Character not serpenteyes, and you gave him control of Malhourand last night.)
By the way, are the Adamant, the Dauntless with a name change? If so, what caused this change in Nomenclature, and are there new polices for this goup as well?
Has my relationship with the Dauntless changed because of this?

FROM EDENA

Gustav controls all of Imaskari now, not just Mulhorand (that is, he controls Damara, Narfell, Mulhorand, Murghom, and Semphar.)
I made a mistake. The name is Dauntless still, not Adamant. Sorry about that.
No change in your relationship, Bugbear. The Dauntless are your allies and friends.

Please look up this post, everyone.
More people have accepted the Gnomish Domination Books, and are using them.
Whether used with good intentions, bad intentions, or whatever, the use of these books is having powerful effects in many quadrants of the Forgotten Realms.

- - -

POSTED BY TOKIWONG

Misha shakes his head, and points to the confusion in the lands where the conflicting tomes have appeared, causing confusion and chaos, "I was afraid this would happen, this magic must be eliminated, these tomes, must be rooted out Queen Amlauril, I will need men, good men, trusted men, to keep the cancer out of the Lands of the Adamant, none of these books, either good or bad must come into our lands, for fear of such confusion, spreading through our lands..."
Misha stands tall, his hand on the hilt of his blade, "If need be, perhaps it is time that we declare war upon these Books of Domination, these vile Printing Presses, that spew charmed propoganda, I emplore you that none of these tomes must make it into the lands of the Adamant, as the Defender of the Adamant, the lands must be kept clean of their perversion and corruption..."

FROM EDENA

The Dauntless are in full military mobilization.
They see the Meritocracy as a VERY GREAT threat, and the neutrality of the Free Nations is frightening them more.
They aren't exactly happy about the Dark Crusaders, Phoenix, Imaskari, phaerimm, and all the others, either.

- - -

POSTED BY BUGBEAR

"Misha, I quite agree with you. Go out and distroy what books you can. I would help you but I must remain here and find a cure for the gnomish Poison."
How is my resarech going on the Contagious Counterspell, Edena? Am I close to success?

FROM EDENA

You are VERY close to success, Bugbear.

- - -

POSTED BY TOKIWONG

Misha replies, "Well friend while you continue your research I had an idea, sparked by something I saw in lantan once, a grenade like weapon perhaps we can reasearch... essentially it would have the spell of Mordenkainen's Disjunction cast upon it, and the grenade could be activated by simply breaking the outershell at which point the user only has a few moment before the spell will activate. Perhaps causing confusion in magically enhanced troops, if war is to come we must be prepared!"
Misha smirks, flicking his hair beads, "We can create variants of these grenades with Anti-Magic spells, and perhaps increase the range that these grenades effect, if mass-produced with the aid of the gnomes, they could prove quite useful for the future..."
Misha will present this idea to the gnomes loyal to the Adamant...

FROM EDENA

The Enlightened Gnomes think this idea is good.
However, they have an even better one. They call it their Contagious Dispel Magic.
This Epic Dweomer, the result of hundreds of gnomish mages working for over a year, is seeded into a population, and it leaps from person to person, or creature to creature, demagicking them. (saving throws apply.)
The Contagious Dispel Magic would free entire populations from the control of the Books of Domination.

Unfortunately, the Contagious Dispel Magic has one minor drawback ... it demagicks the target entirely.
All spellbooks are destroyed, all magical items worn are lost, all spells memorized are erased, and if the creature is innately magical, it PERMANENTLY loses all magical powers (a Faerie, would become an ordinary mortal, a devil would become just a big humanoid, and a Celestial would become a beautiful demihuman.)

I do hope everyone reads this ... because the Enlightened Gnomes are considering using this as a last resort, and if the Dauntless insist on it.
The effect of this magic, would be MASSSIVE (to massively understate the case.)

- - -

LICHTENHART POSTED

Krysophrenos continues to send letters to his sponsors and allies to give them advices on the difficult situation.
To the Faerie and Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet
"I have no words to express my gratitude for accepting our gnome allies on your sacred soil, Queen of the Wisest. This old dragon's heart is at your service should you ever need his help. I sense our joined efforts to find a cure to the madness that's spreading through Faerun will soon give results. The contribute of the Faerie has been invaluable and I wish to urge all those involved to a final, decisive effort. All the resources of the Encyclopaedia and the Gazette are focused on the solution, as well as my, alas, unimpressive energies. I hope the light of reason shall soon shine again on our beloved lands."

FROM EDENA

Queen Amlaruil names your character an Elf-Friend, Lichtenhart, and he may teleport freely to and from Evermeet (and any places held by the Dauntless.)
She praises your character very highly for his efforts, naming him a hero and champion in these troubled times.

FROM EDENA TO KALANYR

I have no access to IRC on this computer. My regrets.
Also, I have been suffering from chronic fatigue and weakness, and my work on the IR this morning left me exhausted. I collapsed after finishing my articles, and could not have chatted even if I could have accessed the IRC chatroom.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS

TO BUGBEAR

Bugbear, you now have the antidote to the Books of Domination.
By spreading this contagious magic, you can free the peoples affected by the Gnomish Books of Domination (and, only Books of Domination created by the Gnomes.)

TO SERPENTEYE

Congratulations, Serpenteye.
Your researchers have discovered how to create their own Books of Domination. No need for gnomish help anymore, and Bugbear's antidote won't stop your new books.

TO JANOS

Ditto. Janos, the mages of Halruaa and the City of Shade have created their own Books of Domination. No gnomish help needed. Again, your new books are immune to Bugbear's antidote.

TO EVERYONE

The gnomes of the Dauntless have their Anti-Magic Contagion spell.
If cast, it will stop ALL books of Domination Magic.
Unfortunately, it is likely to wipe out most of the magic in the Forgotten Realms in the process.

TO EVERYONE

The gnomes of Lantan have been busy with interplanar travel, and have discovered a number of new worlds.
Among them are Krynn (kender! brrrr ...)
Oerth (yes, it is the Oerth just prior to the Greyhawk Wars you know and love ...)
Athas (the gnomes have already mastered Defiler Magic, brought it back to Toril, and are secretly using it ...)

And a world, without magic, called Earth. The people of this world are frightfully superstitious (they attack the gnomes on sight), very vulnerable to magic (the gnomes think this world could be easily conquered), and most of them live in medieval conditions - although some seem to be gnomish themselves, with a bunch of inventions that are puzzling even the gnomes.
Funny thing about this world, is that it has few religions. There is one world calendar, and according to this calendar it is the Year 1885 ...
The gnomes had a very hard time returning to Toril from this world. It took all of even their mighty magic to reopen the Astral Gate to Toril from there.
Yet they did it, and they returned ... they brought something with them, although they do not know it yet.
 

The Plague

It starts in Lantan, this plague.
On Earth, they call it chickenpox. On Toril, it has no name worth mentioning ... it's name is Death.
The mortality rate is 50%, it is extremely contagious, and it affects every race it comes into contact with.
The clerics are overwhelmed. There are simply more cases involved than there are Cure Disease spells, and in any case someone cured magically can be reinfected.
The Plague spreads rapidly from Lantan through the Meritocracy, the Free Nations of Faerun, the Dauntless, and on into the Alliance of the Phoenix and Imaskari.

In city after city after city, the pyres of the dead light up the sky.

It would seem that the dark prophesies of Melkor and of Sollir are coming true.

- - -

Janos, Serpenteye, Creamsteak ... you have control of your respective powers now.
What do you do to fight this plague? How do you save your people?

Everyone else ... what tactics should the Dauntless, Free Nations, and others take to save themselves?
What do your authors suggest?

- - -

The plague spreads relentlessly to Krynn, Oerth, Athas, and everywhere else the gnomes have visited.
For some reason, the deities cannot stop it.
Why the deities cannot stop it, is a good question, and one everyone in the IR should be asking themselves ... what is wrong here?

When the clerics Commune with Mystra to find out what is wrong, they discover something most unpleasant.
Mystra herself, is ill.
 
Last edited:

FROM EDENA

Gustav controls all of Imaskari now, not just Mulhorand (that is, he controls Damara, Narfell, Mulhorand, Murghom, and Semphar.)
I made a mistake. The name is Dauntless still, not Adamant. Sorry about that.
No change in your relationship, Bugbear. The Dauntless are your allies and friends.

Heh, no harm , no foul. I was just a little confused is all.


The Enlightened Gnomes think this idea is good.
However, they have an even better one. They call it their Contagious Dispel Magic.

I will advise the gnomes and the Dauntless that this should be a weapon of last resort and to wait. Also, I ask them to continue reasearching the spell, to try and further refine it, and to determine how long it would take for the magic to return to faerun (if this is even possible)

Bugbear, you now have the antidote to the Books of Domination.
By spreading this contagious magic, you can free the peoples affected by the Gnomish Books of Domination (and, only Books of Domination created by the Gnomes.)

I release it immedatly. The first targets will be the followers of Asmodious. Then the isle of lantan, followed by the other targets.


The gnomes of Lantan have been busy with interplanar travel, and have discovered a number of new worlds.
Among them are Krynn (kender! brrrr ...)
Oerth (yes, it is the Oerth just prior to the Greyhawk Wars you know and love ...)
Athas (the gnomes have already mastered Defiler Magic, brought it back to Toril, and are secretly using it ...)

And a world, without magic, called Earth. The people of this world are frightfully superstitious (they attack the gnomes on sight), very vulnerable to magic (the gnomes think this world could be easily conquered), and most of them live in medieval conditions - although some seem to be gnomish themselves, with a bunch of inventions that are puzzling even the gnomes.
Funny thing about this world, is that it has few religions. There is one world calendar, and according to this calendar it is the Year 1885 ...
The gnomes had a very hard time returning to Toril from this world. It took all of even their mighty magic to reopen the Astral Gate to Toril from there.
Yet they did it, and they returned ... they brought something with them, although they do not know it yet.

I shall aim to discover my own pathways to these worlds. I'm not physicaly traveling to these realms, instead using divination magics, projected images, and Simulacriums to explore them remotely.
Also I shall try to divine the nature of the Unexpected traveller which came back with the explorers of earth.

Edit: Since I now know what the danger from earth is, I shall focus more of my scrying on that world and see if there is a cure know to them, and if it can be imported/duplicated here.
 
Last edited:

Misha will call for a great Tribunal of the most powerful members f the Dauntless to deal with the threat of the plague, while having the clerics of Corellon study the contagion a smuch as possible, and quarantining Evermeet, and several strategic locations, no one leaves or enters thoe lands, if Queen Amlauril will comply...

Misha puts out the Call to meet ina neutral Demiplane, protected by magics, for all PC members of the Dauntless...
 

The Chosen of Mystra, who had been neutral towards the gnomes, denounce them as enemies.
The Free Nations of Faerun declare war on Lantan.
Lantan, goes down under an avalanche of assault.

The gnomes of Lantan, are put out of business. Their magic is taken from them, their printing presses seized, their Astral Gates closed. They are reduced to a subjugated people.
But it is too late. The Red Death has arrived on Toril. The Astral Gates to Earth, cannot now be closed by any means.
 
Last edited:

Misha welcomes the Enlightened Gnomes idea, and telkls them to pursue it, as a last resort weapon, but also to push ahead with the Mordenkainen Disjunction Grenades as well, for tactical purposes, and when they are completed to have a shipment sent to his trusted men, and to the forces of Gustav, as soon a possible.

Misha goes before Queen Amaluril and presents her the first cpy of his latest tome, The Sword...

The Sword

an excerpt

…the sword is a tool, a powerful tool, but at its base it is a tool. The sword though is also a symbol of power, an icon of strength. It is often the source of pride for a warrior, and creates an image of romantic elegance among the wealthy.

But the sword is a tool, and since it is a tool, it is the wielder that chooses its purpose. The warrior gives the sword form, and function, the warrior gives the sword purpose, and the warrior turns this tool into a deadly weapon. For that is the purpose of the sword to kill, to destroy ones enemies with vicious finality. Does that make a sword evil? No, for it is the purpose of the tool, just as the purpose of the wagon is to transport people or materials so does the sword serve its given purpose.

It is the intent behind the blade, the warrior’s intent that determines the morality of the blade. A man who must kill to defend his land versus aggressors still must kill to maintain his lands. The marauding warlord who subjugates peons under foot, may kill wantonly, but neither happenstance bears fault to the blade, for it is a tool. But do not doubt that the sword is a weapon, which is its purpose, it is to kill, and destroy.

But that is the way of peace, to prepare for violence, and promote stability. The sword protects the kingdom, it is ruled by the sword. Peace cannot exist without the will of the blade, for their will always be someone who wishes to one’s freedom from them, and often by force or subversion…
 

I suggest to the Dauntless, that they institute quarantines in there respective lands. Those who show signs of the Plauge must be separated from those still healthy. In remote areas Camps should be established where the diseased can live, caring for each other. Supplies can be teleported in, but nothing can be teleported out.

The possessions of the Ill, should be burned to slow the spread of the disease.

If these actions are taken quickly, there is a chance that your nations will live to find a cure
 

Where on the world of Earth are the emissaries going? (I am ruling you may control this, guys.)
What are they saying?
What are they doing?

In any event, the emissaries will find that Earth is mostly devoid of magic ... what magic there is, is very elusive and difficult to find.
There are mages on Earth, but they aren't talking or giving themselves away.
There are also monsters on Earth ... typically, those encountering these monsters do not return to tell the tale.

Where do the emissaries go?
What do they have to say?
 
Last edited:

The emessaries of the Dauntless will focus there attention on the Land of Germany. My Divinations have shown that the German Empire is one of the more advanced regions on this world, at least as far as Scientific thought goes. They are a organized and rational culture with a strong national Identity.

The emessaries will approach the Kaiser carefully, making no mention of other worlds, only that they are emessaries of a powerful nation that wishes to begin a dialouge with Germany
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Into the Woods

Remove ads

Top