CREATIVE EXERCISE: Tainted Lands

[Jdvn1]

The taint penetrates the inhabitants of the land, making Psions and those with inborn magickal power more common. This increased magic also helps the citizens in the fortification of their homes, as they have learned to use magicks to strengthen their walls to help them against the taint.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

One of the most insidious effects of the taint is its creation of psychic aberrations which can nearly always pass for normal humans - the elan. These creatures are something like a cancer in normal society, capable of creating others of their kind in a bizarre ritual which directs the mutation caused by the taint in a regular direction. Their motivations vary from cell to cell but are always ultimately insidious.

 

[Steverooo]

Spoiler

...

 

[sir_ollibolli]

A cabal tries to find a material that makes them immune against the taint. The Taint should feed off the material instead of them. No success, instead they have only found a material that focusses the taint, draws it to them.

[[The idea of a material as protection against the Taint is already used in L5R. There it is jade and the Shadowlands. It gives only temporary protection and becomes brittle after a week.]]

 

[Joker]

if i may be so bold as to BUMP

Seconded.

 

[SALADIN THE JUST]

This is, of course, not true... The truth can be found with a DC:35 Knowledge (Arcana), (Nature), or (Planes) check (Hey, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it!) The Primal Darkling, the original aberration, has begun to exercise its influence upon this world, through the Systemics of Simultaneous Simularity, allowing it to bridge the gap between worlds through regions of similar geography (which, unfortunately for the folks inhabitting the Aranrath, the region of this world which most closely matches that of the previous world up the Chain of Creation, is their homeland)!

One by one, world by world, the Primal Darkthing has been devouring planets, down the chain of creation, until... now... the Aranrath has been infected. Soon, no doubt, other regions, and then even other regions on other worlds, will be tainted, as well, until the Universe is destroyed...

And then, the Primal Darkling will move on to the next Universe...

This of course is but one of a few notable prophecies espoused by men inflicted by certain psychic conditions that permit them, supposedly, to penetrate, psionically, various realities and realms in an infected hunger for the Truth which as always will remain ever-elusive to the noble and the nefarious alike. In truth, no one thus far has any idea as to the Source or the reasons for the Taint that "infect" this region and to a lesser extent the larger world beyond the mountainous wall. Kelly Worldwalker, a renown traveller, adventurer, tracker and an all-round jack of all trades with a very colourful personality, known to the folks of most of the major town-ships that rove this region, known as Aran-Rath, has documentated proof of the known existence of 34 town-ships of various sizes, styles and cultural nuances that travel across and along the length and breadth of Aran-Rath, at least where its safe for them to do so.

 

[SALADIN THE JUST]

bump

 

[Arkhandus]

Those who give in to the taint and draw it to themselves may harness its vile power, which eventually transforms the taint-wielder into some aberrant demon-beast that loses all sense of its former self, and seeks only mass destruction. Dedicated taint-wielders are known in general as warlocks, and all eventually succumb to the mutations into demon-beasts, though some are strong-willed enough to avoid the mutations for many years. Lesser taint-wielders, who only harness the taint less as an obession and more as just a little boost to their abilities, are known as hexblades and tap into the land's dark taint to curse their enemies and magnify their own strength.

 

[Andor]

Humanoids who are only partly protected from blightstorms often find themselves gaining dark powers. These 'Warlocks', easily identified by their glowing black eyes, are unwelcome in most settlements, but most people fear them too greatly to be actively hostile.

There are rumours that a city of warlocks exists somewhere in a blasted valley, and that a dark lord has come amoung them...

 

[Arkhandus]

I'm not sure if that contradicts with what I just posted earlier or not, but it certainly seems to in spirit to some extent......