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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Binder Fred" data-source="post: 6042914" data-attributes="member: 63746">The World[sblock=The Scrolls of History]A hundred years ago:  The Queendom of Dormith invades Kadrath but (barely) fails to extend its reach to neighbouring Rauland.15 years ago: Braham makes a name for himself by defeating King Devon the Devil. Mei Ying is exiled from the Eternal Empire. Gerard's home is destroyed by Dormithian slavers, leading him to a strange new mentor. Ur is captured by slavers and sold to the Kadrath public works. Tutek is cast out and begins his climb towards Chieftain-hood.10 years ago: Braham grew tired of his long life of adventuring in the desert and decided to wander the world.- He saw a need in Rauland and founded there the Free Legion in Kaainsbridge, with Gerard as one of the original members (there were other members then, who have progressively moved past, been replaced or passed away). Mei Ying arrived and joined shortly thereafter, defending the city walls from a humanoid raid, and being defended in turn from eastern assassins.- (one of?) Their first adventure involved quiet disappearances in the city, kidnappings, it turned out, committed by Dormithian slavers based out of the neighbouring country of Kadrath and led by a mysterious, half-scaled man. The group broke that slavers ring and freed, amongst others, a dwarven slave named Ur, driven somewhat insane by harsh treatment building Kadrath's seemingly endless roads and public works. Ur latched on to Gerard and initially joined the group as his devoted "helper". First contact with the reptilian dragoons of Dormith.- Numerous adventures followed, the Legion earning a reputation for getting the job done no matter what AND not inconsiderable collateral damages besides. This, and their mostly foreign make-up, earned them the unfortunatly widely-used title of "The Barbarian Legion", which they now wear with a sort of perverse pride.[sblock=Numerous Adventures][sblock=The Frozen Bones adventure] One of the tasks of Gerard's besides helping Ur to make it through life with his mental breakdown is to check into incursions of undead any where he is sent. One time was in the mountainous area surrounding the South Peak Glaciers, an area held as souverein territory by the ogre tribe known as the Fists of Ogruk. Despite the apparent might of its many armored ogres ridding even more heavily armored dire bears, this tribe was really just a playtoy to the frost giant who calls himself Ogruk, good father in giantish, and "benevolently gave" a large portion of mountainous land to a small tribe of hungry ogres. this land had cattle and sheep herders in the summer-easy food for the hungry and preditious tribe who were told that the herdsmen were trespassers.ogruk took some of the tribe and organized them-miners to get iron ore from the earth, bearhandlers to train. others did his bidding as his needs. eventually he had shock troops to guard his territory while he did his actual work: to raise the undead king of frost giants known as Marazel Epan. [awakened advanced iron infused skeleton [+ 1 size] high priest of cloud giants] A name that was only said in whispers, if at all.It turned out that the raising of that undead king of Giants required the crafting of a very special magical gem (the Heart of Devastation). Ogruk was kidnapping/black-mailing/torturing blind Pizair (which is how he lost his eyes) to craft the thing for him. The party freed Pizair just after he finished crafting a (deliberatly flawed) version of the gem, and the secret of that flaw eventually allowed the group to shatter the Heart right as Ogruk was about to complete his ritual! Somewhat grateful, Pizair later crafted the Charriot of the Clouds for the party at minimum cost (well, he wasn't going to just *give* it away, was he?) and he now seems to consider the Legion at least as 'Good Customers'. He remains a mysterious being with an agenda of his own though, an agenda which is perhaps arguably even a little sinister.(Note that inumerable fragments of the Heart still exist as minor yet sometimes very troublesome artefacts called the Shards of Devastation).[/sblock][/sblock]- A great drought starts to set in, making even Rauland's plentiful ressources grow scarcer and scarcer.- The Legion is drawn back to Ur's native hills by tales of humanoid raids against the area's already dwindling ressources. Efforts to rebuild the ancient Sounding Wall are put into action. Before it can be completed though, they discover that the raids originate in an unheard of Alliance of dwarves, ogres and goblinoids lead by a great Ogre with too-intelligent eyes named Tutek. In his barbarous "throne room", he reveals that his shaman have found that the drought is not of natural causes: someone is causing it! Tutek joins the Legion as they all search for the culprit, which turns out to be a Dormith plot to weaken Rauland, prelude to a full scale invasion! While the combined armies of the Alliance and king Gilgamesh of Rauland roll accross the borders of Kadrath, the group finds and disrupt the powerful Draught ritual being enacted on one of Kadraths' rocky islands and led by another of the strange scaled humanoids they faced during their first adventure,this one weilding powerful magics! Dormith is pushed back (for now), Rauland occupies the "freed" Kadrath. Braham's claims the dragoon's Fell Amulet.- Barely back to civilization, Tutek angers the Gods of Gerard's city and they cast him down deep in the ancient, undead-haunted catacombs below the city. The rest of the group manages to join him there by <s>cleverly</s> <s>foolishly</s> deliberatly repeating the insult. They fight and bargain and sweat, finally managing to gain grudging forgiveness after great trials and service, uncovering carven clues about a great evil "eternally alive, eternally corrupting" along the way. Following these from catacomb to secret shrines, the Legion eventually breaks into the deserted, eerily quiet "summer" mountain-top lair of Iridex's in Rauland, with only traps, oozes and incorporeal servants/guards eternaly waiting. Ur finds the Diary of CiAn (a sacred book of Zann) resting on a coffee table within. First mention of Iridex the Lich King.- It is eventually discovered that the ArchLich has hidden strongholds all across the continent, and one by one the Legion tracks down and destroys them, piecing together his plans (Gerard finds his Headband of mental Superiority, an intelligent item forged out of the last of Iridex's humanity when The Power destroyed his empire and transformed him into the archlich). For centuries, Iridex had lain imprisoned in the mountains by a powerful magical artifact, but the Mystical Draught of the Dormithian Dragoons had been powerful indeed, as they had located and drained magic from this artifact, unknowingly releasing the ArchLich. He immediately set about restoring his once glorious empire, which had been turned to dust and sand - The Great Desert had once housed a vast empire of which he had been king, an Empire which had been destroyed by a powerful magic many centuries ago. Driven mad by his loss and long imprisonment, Iridex meant to raze the Eternal Empire and form a new, Undead Empire. It is revealed that one of the Draoons who freed him, and escaped the legion, has now joined him and taken the name 'Belzer the storm king'. - Only the relentlessness of the Legion manages to stop him, as the heroes destroy each of his strongholds, finally chasing Belzer across the desert and finding Iridex's 'necropolis' raised from beneath the sands. They infiltrate it and destroy the ArchLich and his phylactery once and for all, mere miles from the borders of the Eternal Empire. Mei Ying claims Iridex's Cage from Iridex and Belzer's Last Breath, the Eye of the Storm staff and the Spectacles of the Storm King from Belzer. Ur claims his kneepads from Gaorag Thousand Blows, Iridex's first undead lieutenant.- Finally having defeated the ArchLich, Mei Ying returns to her home strengthened and a hero, to restore her order's honour. After some grand adventuring and help from her companions, she manages to reveal that the faction opposing her return is actually under the influence of the nearly forgotten Fifth dragoon (Cali-Anna, a ninja/darkness based villainess), and she challenges her to a trial, narrowly defeating her after a grueling battle. She gifts Ur with the dragoon's Ring of Returning.Now: the planar quest begins!Pieces that have not yet found their place/are not fully defined yet[code]- Desert adventure: A river was drying up, and we needed to conduct a ritual to summon a powerful water genie in order to restore it. Enemies of the nearby city, Gebe, sent bands of monsters and adventurers to try to stop the summoning, and we had to fend them off while continuing the ritual.- Kaainsbridge adventure: Cultsts posing as Zann worshippers are trying to influence king Gilgamesh through his brain-washed son who was slumming it in Kaaainsbridge, away from the more staunchy atmosphere of the capital of Enki. The party foils the attempt, earning themseves the ennimity of the abobination-worshipping Brothers of the Deep.[/code][/sblock][sblock=House of the Gods]The world is a diverse place. The ideas on what lies beyond and within heaven, earth and the last frontiers of death are as varied as the people who inhabit it. The only constance seems to be that all holy high languages are derived from Celestial, which is used in holy texts and high holy ceremonies everywhere from Dormith to the Eternal Empire.[sblock=Gods of Dormith]Worship in the far continent of Dormith (and the official religion of Kadrath during the 100 year occupation) centers around Atana/Athena, the virgin dragon/dragon-scaled goddess of civilization, architecture, astronomy, astrology and warfare/strategy.[/sblock][sblock=Gods of Rauland]A single god pantheon headed by Thor Invictus rules over the hearts of Rauland's citizens, with the lower echelons composed of demi-gods/saints in charge of the different portfolios. In the wild and free lore of Rauland, these lower echelons were all once mortals that rose to god-hood through their own exceptional deeds (or were Gods co-opted from conquered tribes).[sblock=Thor Invictus]The fierce-eyed, red-haired and red-bearded God of storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing and fertility. In this universe he is also known as the Crippled God due to extensive scarring on his right side, including the loss of his right eye and right hand during his original conquest of the elemental Titans (some confusion/melding with Odin and Tyr?). Thor Invictus wields *his* hammer with his left hand. He is the prime deity worshipped by Ur and the one who raised the other Rauland deities to Godhood -- or so the (varied and quite entertaining) stories go.[/sblock][sblock=Zann]Demi-Goddess of wisdom, keen intelligence, self-learning and the changing seasons (he/she changes appearace and sex with every passing season, never quite the same). The stories tell that she was once the human mystic/hermit/prophetess Corianna Alderan before she Ascended. Zann's worship actually originated in the East, where her last earthly embodiement was knows as Ciana An Dailiang ("Peaceful Jade of the Great Bridge") and later imported by some of her cast out worshippers. She is often depicted with exotic features and is Thor's elusive mistress when in female form (often chased, only sometimes caught), his advisor/fierce rival when in male form.Ur has found a small metallic book in Iridex's first abandonned hideout that is written as if it was the personnal diary of Ciana. Its study has allowed him to discover new potentialities within himself (Psychic Fist levels) and he is now a secondary Zann worshipper. Why Iridex would want to read the book remains a mystery.[/sblock][sblock=Posiden]Demi-god of fishing, sailing, streams and the ocean. He was once a mighty fisherman who slew the dread elemental Kraken in the gulf of Pluwy and mapped the way around the Dragon Claw islands before re-discovering the sunken city of Raksassa at the bottom of the gulf, from where he now rules his underwater kingdom after being rewarded for his mighty deeds by being raised to Godhood by Thor.[/sblock][sblock=Balder]Demi-God of courage, drinking, inspiration and contests, who was once a dwarven adventurer named Baldor Thunderhead. Stories of his contests with Titans, ogres and even the raw forces of nature abound, all of which he won through quick thinking, good-natured charm and an iron constitution. His un-official symbol, a foaming mug with a lighning bolt, is a popular motif in inns and pubs everywhere in Rauland.[/sblock][sblock=Seven Sages of the city]The protector demi-gods of Kaainsbridge, these mysterious beings are said to have given culture and learning to early humans. Some low-relief murals in the city and elsewhere depict them with either the torso of a fish or avian features. Though they physically dwell within the city, they are rarely seen, only leaving their fearfully abandonned catacombs when the city is threatened or when citizens neglect their proper sacrifices. One of these, an unamed eagle-headed god, banished Tutek and then the entire party into the underworld early last year (see the Scrolls of History).[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Gods of the desert]The four genie gods of the elements are the offical Gods of the desert tribed, though they don't take much interest in mortal affairs and are mainly just invoked for casual curses and good natured blasphemy.Braham nominally follows them as he is thought to have some genie blood himself, but not very devoutly.[/sblock][sblock=Gods of the Eternal Empire][sblock=The Divine Hierarchy]Two things are central to the cosmos, and our place in it. The first is the literal center of the cosmos; the axle about which the worlds turn...the Grand Celestial Mountain. At the apex of the Mountain is the Holy Imperial City. At the center of the city is the Palace of the Emperor; an enormous structure in which the gods of the universe hold court. And of course, at the center of the palace, surrounded by the tiered seats for every deity in existence, is the empty Jade Throne. Seat of the Celestial Emperor himself, the source from which all divine power and wisdom flows.In the court of the Palace, the gods constantly engage in political byplay, jockeying for laws of nature that will give them advantages. The net result of all these these mutually-opposing forces comes to zero, maintaining a status quo that is orderly despite all appearance of chaos. The only laws that are immutable and not subject to divine negotiation are graven on a huge jade tablet suspended over the Throne.1) Mortal Free Will May Not Be Abridged by Divine Action.2) The Great Chain of Being May Not be Broken.3) Life Must Go On.There is considerable room for interpretation among these laws, but attempts to stretch them are muted given the consequences of stepping too far. The current interpretations are as follows: Mortals cannot be denied the ability to make moral choices due to direct divine influence. Persuasion and coercion by force or magic is acceptable, since choices still exist under those conditions. However, using divine power to simply predestine a mortal's response is not cool, and will be punished. Killing a mortal is not considered abridging, since a mortal soul persists after death and can still make choices following that.The First Law ties into the second, because the Great Chain of Being relies on moral choices to determine each individual's place. The specific morality to which one is bound varies by one's place, but in all cases living according to that morality advances one, while falling short causes regression. The Second Law further stipulates that the specific moralities that make the Chain up, and the various incarnate states that form the links, are not subject to divine reinterpretation. No god can remake the 'rules' by which souls advance in the cosmos.The Third Law stems from the loophole in the First, in which killing does not count as abridging free will. It merely exists to make sure the gods do not simply wipe out life, thus freeing themselves of the many burdens life places upon them.The second thing that determines our place in the universe is the Great Chain of Being, referenced in the Second Law of Heaven. Simply put, it is a metaphysical 'path,' that leads from lesser to greater existences based on one's moral compass and state of enlightenment. Despite the moral component, progress along the Chain of Being is not exactly a case of good versus evil, but rather increasing levels of insight, awareness and metaphysical 'connection' to the universe. It is possible to be at a high level along the Chain, but still be a terrible person. However, most people, when gifted with more awareness and insight also gain empathy and understanding, leading them towards 'good' decisions.Mortal understanding of the Chain of Being, and how it measures one's status, is imperfect at best. The general mortal consensus about the various links in the Chain are as follows:Dirt and quarry stone -> Natural Stone -> Crystals and Gemstones -> Lichens, algae and grass -> Shrubs and low trees -> Anything flowering -> Tall trees -> Mean animals; insects and rats and carrion eaters -> Noble beasts; horses, dogs, apex predators and other beasts with greater than human aspects -> Magical beasts; creatures with subhuman intellect, but magical powers ->Mean person; a humanoid with limited means and/or intellect ->Noble person; a person with significant resources and personal competence ->Exalted person; a person who's prowess is superhuman, or the ruler of a nation's worth of people ->Immortal; A person who has, by mastering his or her virtues and achieving a plataeu of enlightenment, conquered time's mastery of the body. Despite this, the Immortal still has a physical existence ->Demigod; an immortal who has achieved mastery over a cosmological principle and can exert divine authority over that principle.Lesser god; similar to a demigod, but no longer bound to a physical existence save on the Holy Mountain.Greater god; as a lesser god, but with more cosmic principles, or less specific, more encompassing principles they have power over.Two special positions exist that are 'outside' the Chain of Being. The first is that of Spirit, which applies either to mortals who have died, and who's souls remain in the physical world...or to an immaterial entity possessing divine or semi-divine powers but which exists only in the material world. Many such spirits serve gods in the world...but others work against them, luring mortals away from worship, or making mayhem. And a great many spirits seem to have little interest in questions of gods or men, and simply act according to their natures regardless of who is there, or not there, to see.A human spirit becomes a 'soul' when it leaves the world and travels into the lands beyond. For a time it travels, living a second life, until it is drawn back into the world to be reborn into whatever form its position in the Great Chain of Being warrants. Spells that raise the dead can cut the soul's second life short...which can also have implications for its proper reincarnation on the Great Chain. For this reason, raising from the dead is considered to be contrary to the natural order, detrimental for the long-term well being of the soul in questions, and undertaken only in situations where the need is very pressing...or by those who have no interest in the order of nature, or the long-term well being of the soul.The other special case is that of the Emperor himself. Technically he could be considered a kind of 'overgod,' but since he spends extended periods in contemplative trances, he does not have much direct impact on the cosmos save in brief, sometimes cataclysmic moments. Alone of the entities in the universe, he is capable of upending the cosmic order and replacing it with another. It is even thought by some that this has already happened at least once, though when and how and why is purely a matter for speculation.[/sblock][sblock=The Emperor and the Gods]The earthly Emperor claims a mandate from heaven. It's not a hereditary position. When an Emperor falls, there are a series of divine tests to determine which candidate has the favor of the gods and of the Celestial Emperor.In theory, anyone can be a candidate. In practice, only those who have great education (which requires money and/or political clout) will ever get past the first round of tests, which are designed to weed out spurious claims. Various other challenges sneakily test a candidate's political aplomb, statesmanship and knowledge of law and philosophy...all the while cloaked in trappings of ritual and appeals to divine guidence.In the end though, it's pretty well known that the final decision is made by a circle of high priests. They lack direct power over government and state, but by virtue of their capacity to select Emperors, they have tremendous influence. They are pantheist priests, beholden to no one god, except the Celestial Emperor himself.By virtue of access to powerful magic and the resources of the entire nation, the Emperor tends to live a long, long time.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]</blockquote>

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