Graywolf-ELM
Explorer
That sounds cool, and a pointer to one of the benefits to not running a canon gameworld setting. Creativity outside of what has gone before in the game world.
GW
GW
Challenging my high-lvl group (NPCs and monsters; my players shouldn't read this!)
Spatzimaus
First Post
Piratecat said:
Hmm, sounds like you've read those books too, then. Not QUITE the same plot (their war was necromancers versus the good guys, and the elves were among the races who ran to the uninhabited continent), but pretty close. And in your case, I really like the idea that the Elves mainly remained behind as the "winners" of the war; it definitely gives a good reason why there isn't much commerce between continents, too much bad blood, and it doesn't automatically imply they were evil or anything.
How long ago was this war supposed to have taken place? Clearly, SOME races must have existed on Abbathia before the humans arrived (like all those races in the Underdark...), so were the Humans the only refugees from that war? For instance, while the Elves might have been centered on Shelantry, maybe the Dwarves were native to Abbathia (especially considering how they're tied to the Underdark, i.e. Mrid and such). Hmm... outside of those Orthyss-worshipping Gnomes in the recent story hour posts, have there been many Gnomes in your campaign?
This'd especially work if you say that Shelantry had two large countries; say, for instance, you had the Elf-dominated theocracy, and one (or more) Human-dominated feudal societies. Seeing that the Humans are slowly dominating everything through sheer population, the theocracy starts a war/inquisition/purification... and wins, uniting the entire continent into one giant, intolerant power. So, all in one shot you've got a ton of exiles: most inhabitants of the losing country, chaotic Elves who don't fit into the ultralawful mold (say, if the theocracy is run by gray elves and the exiles are descended from wood elves?) and any random others who won't submit to the church. It's a massive exodus, sure, but not only would the losing country bring along plenty of resources/tools/etc., but the winning side might have even been willing to help the undesirables leave.
QUESTION: Have the players ever heard about Shelantry, or this exodus? Is there room to stick a few extra flavor things into the world, like how a ship arrives every year or so, carrying more "undesirable" children? The irony of this is that the divinations aren't necessarily wrong; a civilization where everyone is in exactly the best job for them might be an extremely efficient one, and so even with a lower population they couldn't be invaded today.
Graywolf-ELM
Explorer
Spatzimaus said:
I like this part about the refugees. So not only are they exiled, but they come to engender what was seen for them. The ones seen to be adventurers become adventurers on this continent, killers become killers, shopkeepers become shopkeepers, depending upon their fortunes when they arrive in the new world, and if they are adopted or not, how they are raised etc.
GW
justinsluder
First Post
Piratecat, need anything from us?
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
A fine question, and yes. For anyone who feels like kibitzing, here's what I'm wrestling with right now:
1. The PCs are currently back in time, in the location where Gith and Zerthimon had the argument that resulted in the massive schism from whence githyanki and githzerai arose. What were they arguing about, and how can I make the PCs somehow responsible for the actual split?
2. This argument took place on a former illithid world. What might it look like in the present, thousands of years later?
3. Describe the lair of an illithid who breeds and raises baby Horrible Evil Worms (tm).
I'll welcome any ideas!
1. The PCs are currently back in time, in the location where Gith and Zerthimon had the argument that resulted in the massive schism from whence githyanki and githzerai arose. What were they arguing about, and how can I make the PCs somehow responsible for the actual split?
2. This argument took place on a former illithid world. What might it look like in the present, thousands of years later?
3. Describe the lair of an illithid who breeds and raises baby Horrible Evil Worms (tm).
I'll welcome any ideas!
KnidVermicious
First Post
Piratecat said:
Topknot/Dreadlock length (a la Swift's "which end of the egg" schism).
Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
Okay, here's a bad guy that my PCs are about to face tonight...Piratecat said:
Moved here...
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=3318324#post3318324
Last edited:
The_Warlock
Explorer
Hey Piratecat, with the fact that I have a Githyanki in my home campaign that has begun discovering faith and some of the Githzerai teachings, planewalker.com has several excellent resources. The best being The Unbroken Circle of Zertimon, the religious text held by the NPC Dak'kon in the computer game Plansescape: Torment.
Here's the link:
http://www.planewalker.com/rrakkma/entry.php?intEntryID=10831
The basic bit of the argument, as also detailed in the Unbroken Circle, is how to live AFTER the war on the Illithids. Gith's point of view: We must never allow ourselves to be slaves again, we must hunt the illithid to utter extinction, and once that is done, set ourselves up as the overmasters of all species - if the Gith people are the Masters, then they can never be the slaves. Zerthimon countered that the illithid were broken as an empire, and the people were free, and that's all that was needed, and it was time to live life again, rather than merely live war.
What with you having very heroic characters in your run, it should be able to easily play up the megalomaniacal aspects of Gith should they meet and the solid as a rock nature of Zerthimon, perhaps convince him that war isn't the way. And then be there when the last illithid in the fortress they were seiging dies, and the Pronouncement of Two Skies happens...and Gith wacks Zerthimon for his "treason" and the civil war erupts around them.
In my home campaign, I've set it up so that at that point, though none of the gith peoples know it, the faith of the Zerths in Zerthimon elevates him to godhood when Gith kills him, but without true followers, only those espousing his philosophy without venerating him, he hangs out in a half-way stage waiting for his people to call on him. Which is where my run has the githyanki character in question who has given up his evil ways over time, and has begun to step down the exalted path buoyed by an previously unknown god of mentalism...
Here's the link:
http://www.planewalker.com/rrakkma/entry.php?intEntryID=10831
The basic bit of the argument, as also detailed in the Unbroken Circle, is how to live AFTER the war on the Illithids. Gith's point of view: We must never allow ourselves to be slaves again, we must hunt the illithid to utter extinction, and once that is done, set ourselves up as the overmasters of all species - if the Gith people are the Masters, then they can never be the slaves. Zerthimon countered that the illithid were broken as an empire, and the people were free, and that's all that was needed, and it was time to live life again, rather than merely live war.
What with you having very heroic characters in your run, it should be able to easily play up the megalomaniacal aspects of Gith should they meet and the solid as a rock nature of Zerthimon, perhaps convince him that war isn't the way. And then be there when the last illithid in the fortress they were seiging dies, and the Pronouncement of Two Skies happens...and Gith wacks Zerthimon for his "treason" and the civil war erupts around them.
In my home campaign, I've set it up so that at that point, though none of the gith peoples know it, the faith of the Zerths in Zerthimon elevates him to godhood when Gith kills him, but without true followers, only those espousing his philosophy without venerating him, he hangs out in a half-way stage waiting for his people to call on him. Which is where my run has the githyanki character in question who has given up his evil ways over time, and has begun to step down the exalted path buoyed by an previously unknown god of mentalism...
justinsluder
First Post
I could have missed things, but isn't Galthia still with the party? Why not just create a total time paradox? Maybe the world they are from originally was there because of Gith and Zerthimon not working together. Galthia could be responsibe for a whole new, alternate reality. Just an idea.
If Galthia is still around, him simply being there could be the final straw.
Btw, how did they end up back in time. How far back in time are they?
Former illithid world? Hmm......
I'll have to think on that one a bit.
Illithid Lair designed for breeding your gorgeous big worms = Genetic engineering facility. Sorry, first thing that popped into my mind.
Let me know if you want more info on any of these.
-Justin
If Galthia is still around, him simply being there could be the final straw.
Btw, how did they end up back in time. How far back in time are they?
Former illithid world? Hmm......
I'll have to think on that one a bit.
Illithid Lair designed for breeding your gorgeous big worms = Genetic engineering facility. Sorry, first thing that popped into my mind.
Let me know if you want more info on any of these.
-Justin
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