Help me if you can

[StalkingBlue]

Thorny hedge mazes that move around. Yay. Easy little paths circling back onto themselves. Pitfalls, assassin vines, sweet clearings overgrown with dandelions with sleep poison seeds, stepping stones just above toothy little waterfalls that turn out damnably slippery in mid-crossing, and and and ...

And supposing you got through, which you won't; well, then you could stumble through miles and miles of that sprawling "city" complex without seeing one single person or even suspecting you had found the city at all - think druidic tree dwellings and caves perfectly blending into the forest. Remember tree shape and trackless step. Remember that those druids don't like civilization as you know it, and they don't like you.

Just one stone circle after another, lots of "perfectly natural" landmarks pointing to midsummer, certain star constellations or moon phases by some weird coincidence ... and that eerie feeling of being watched; watched ...

 

[A2Z]

Maybe you could have them live in a sort of Native Americain settlement. It would be more of a semi-permanent camp site than a city. Or perhaps they could live in long houses. Add an earthen rampart and it would be fairly easy to defend I think.

 

[Holy Bovine]

oooooooo - pointy stuff - LOTS of pointy stuff yeah! And hedge mazes - haven't designed a good maze in along while - don't know if my players would like it as much as I would though

Just wanted to let everyone who posted that I've sketched out the overall layout of Khirdet and created the dwelling of the High Druid - this is where most of the action will take place I imagine.

Provided the players are quick and clever enough to find it and explore it while many of the Druids are at a Mormo ceremony. Lots of sacrifices and moral quandries for the party - do they attempt to rescue the victims from the hands of over 300 Druids (and die in the attempt) or continue to try and find the domicle of the High Druid and the answers they need.

The PCs are also trying to find out who placed a powerful curse upon them that will eventually put them into a never ending coma. They have about 2 1/2 weeks before the curse overcomes them forever.

Oh yes one last thing that may be the cause of my interpretation of the Druids of Khirdet. In the Ghelspad gazeteer where it descrides the Druids of Khirdet 'revile'ing Denev I think I read it as 'revere'ing - THAT makes a big difference

 

[Zhure]

Lots of ideas came bursting into my head when I read this. Maybe the caffeine is working.

1- Get the original map of Washington DC. It was designed by an outre' architect who wanted "the ultimate utopian city" that blended with the landscape. That's why there're so many parks in DC.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/districtofcolumbia/dc-plan.jpg

I know it's far too large for what you're looking for, but might give some inspiration.

2- we were talking about how to make Druids more powerful without changing any rules just the other night and the Awaken spell came up a lot. What if each 9th+level Druid cast Awaken on one tree in the forest? Each tree would be animated and could conceivably gain levels. I'd recommend a level of Psion to make a truly creepy living forest.

Also, the Awaken spell will make a lot of otherwise dangerous beasts far more dangerous to intruders, and quite possibly far craftier.

3- Militant druids = longspear! Reach weapons are rare among non-fighters.

4- Perhaps set the "city" in some isolated crevasse, barely reachable by anyone save someone with access to wildshape.

5- In the "True Game" books by Sheri S. Tepper, there's a place the shifters go called Shlaizy Noithn (I might be misremembering the name. It's the homeland of the shapeshifters and filled with all manner of chaotic shapechanged creatures, items and devices. Many of them are shapers who've lost their original form, or who are permanently polymorphed into an odd shape.

6- Tribes of worshipping elves could hold the entire area sacred because of it's ties to Druidic legend. They might resent intruders immensely.

7- Standing stones, menhir, rocky groves. Might lend a surreal aspect to the place. Perhaps an overgrown mayan-like city in the mountains?

Hope that helps,
Greg

 

[Nightfall]

*shadow-walks into the post* *bumps his nose* OUCH!!! *sighs* This would never happen to Dar'Tan. Oh well

First of all, PC is right, the books and the gaz are pretty clear in making the druids of Khet Mormo worshipping canabalistic druids. (Though I think the Divine and the Defeated intimated that canabalist nature might be due to the closeness of Spires of Gaurak) Still, that doesn't mean it's not a natural place, just that probably spikey, with lots of serpents, a serpenthold, and tons of other loyal members of Mormo's followers. Course if you want run with the idea they are "misunderstood" and merely passive (though I've yet to run into ANY of Mormo children that were passive), Bovine, hey, it's your world, have fun with it! I mean for me, I still view Virduk as kind of Napolean, trying to get his empire to last and make a kind of mark that he had on the world. Does that mean he's not evil? Hardly! Just a little more...circumspect about doing public evils, unlike the Horsemen of Vangal. Oh and if you're curious, the current leader of the Druids of Khet is Sharliss Serpent-kiss, a female medusa 7th level Druid/6th level Bloodwitch. Also they have true ritual with allows them to make the land fertile at the cost of sentient life. Course since they had Denev's druids, and most anyone else that does not see they way, this provides them with a goodly supply.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Hiya Nightfall!

Where'd you get the info for Sharliss? I can't find her listed anywhere except the Ghelspad Gazeteer (and a really, REALLY want an index in the SL books from now on!). I still have her as the head of the Druids of Khirdet but she is involved in the True Ritual with the hag covey trying to bring back Mormo and the PCs won't meet her in Khirdet itself (good thing ). I want her to stay out of the picture for the most part and keep her as a surprise when the PCs finally bust in on the True Ritual in the Forbidden City.

Also the 'misunderstood' part is really just what my players seem to think. I have every NPS they talk to speak of the Druids as fearful foes who worship the Titans (I figure the average man in Scarn really doesn't make much differentation between Denev and Mormo) and a evil. The PC's have decided that everyone else is wrong (again) and they are right in thinking they can 'turn' the Druids from the worship of Mormo.

I know that's hopeless, YOU know that's hopeless but these are PC's remember!

Of course I haven't done much to desuade them from this line of thought because I figured it will make Khirdet all the mnore terrifying when they reach it. I've decided to add in many more aspects of the Druids that I haven't been playing up before - the PCs are still an encounter or three away from the city so I have time and the perfect spot.

The small enclave of Druids I mentioned before is having a problem with some of its members being killed or kidnapped. The PCs have tracked agents of the Druids responsible back to thier lair in some foothills. Guess what's going to be in the cook pot at the Druid's camp?

 

[Nightfall]

Hiya Nightfall!

Where'd you get the info for Sharliss? I can't find her listed anywhere except the Ghelspad Gazeteer (and a really, REALLY want an index in the SL books from now on!).

The Divine and the Defeated has her listed, with all her stats, equipment and spells. And hi there!

I still have her as the head of the Druids of Khirdet but she is involved in the True Ritual with the hag covey trying to bring back Mormo and the PCs won't meet her in Khirdet itself (good thing ). I want her to stay out of the picture for the most part and keep her as a surprise when the PCs finally bust in on the True Ritual in the Forbidden City.

Understood. Don't want to spoil the surprise JUST yet.

Also the 'misunderstood' part is really just what my players seem to think. I have every NPS they talk to speak of the Druids as fearful foes who worship the Titans (I figure the average man in Scarn really doesn't make much differentation between Denev and Mormo) and a evil. The PC's have decided that everyone else is wrong (again) and they are right in thinking they can 'turn' the Druids from the worship of Mormo.

*chuckles* Boy are they gonna be in for shocker huh? I mean that's like asking a Southern Baptist to become a Catholic, nearly!

I know that's hopeless, YOU know that's hopeless but these are PC's remember!

In which case you will have some very dead PCs in my mind, but hey, it's their little mission. I think they'd have better luck turning Galdor the Deathless into a follower of Madriel!

Of course I haven't done much to desuade them from this line of thought because I figured it will make Khirdet all the mnore terrifying when they reach it. I've decided to add in many more aspects of the Druids that I haven't been playing up before - the PCs are still an encounter or three away from the city so I have time and the perfect spot.

The small enclave of Druids I mentioned before is having a problem with some of its members being killed or kidnapped. The PCs have tracked agents of the Druids responsible back to thier lair in some foothills. Guess what's going to be in the cook pot at the Druid's camp?

LOL! I hope someone watched ALIVE. In any case I hope I was helpful. If you need her stats, I can email them too you. I have the book in front of me.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Actually this whole exchange has really got me fired up for some Druid spell flinging & general PC bashing.

My PCs seem to live under a lucky star as no matter what I throw them up against they always seem to bounce back and hand me a big fat defeat with a red ribbon wrapped around it

Of course that's what they're supposed to do, right?! lol!

Actually I have to (sheepishly) admit that I have Divine and Defeated but there is just so much good stuff in there (and coupled with the fact that I also got Wise and the Wicked this week too) that i haven't been able to read everything in the order I should be *blush*

I really have to divide up my time better but those books are so well written that I find it very easy to spend 2 hours reading up on Mesos and Corean when I should be concentrating on Denev and Mormo! Arrgh! So many excellent Scarred Lands supplements...so little time!

ANyway i'm back on track and everyone who has posted (Holy Cats - Eric Noah, Henry@home (assume that is you Henry member #40 from the old boards?), A2Z, Piratecat, Nightfall - it's a gathering of the best & brightest of EnWorld!! All for little old me! Apologies to any i left out - everyone has been super helpful!