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[Scarred Lands] Ashes & Wormwood
- Thread starter SSS-Druid
- Start date
This is going to be the basis for my Hollowfaust campaign...well at least the ATMOSPHERE! 
SSS-Druid
First Post
Re: I Am Filled with Giddiness.
Man, save that for GenCon.
This I gotta hear.
Seriously, though - thanks for giving us some pretty damned amazing things to work with in Hollowfaust. Good stories are built on good foundations, and the work that you, Geoff and Chris did is amazing.
Barastrondo said:
Man, save that for GenCon.
This I gotta hear.
Seriously, though - thanks for giving us some pretty damned amazing things to work with in Hollowfaust. Good stories are built on good foundations, and the work that you, Geoff and Chris did is amazing.
SSS-Druid
First Post
Scene Two – The Darsinthe Household and Underfaust
She stepped into the lavishly appointed room. It was paneled in Hornsaw nightwood, with the natural stone floor – sanded smooth – polished and covered with various woven rugs. Beside the brazier sat a man of middling years, with a shaven head and meticulously trimmed goatee. He wore a long set of robes with a tight-fitting black vest, crafted of leather. As he rose and neared them, Anjelika saw that the white clasps on the front of the vest were bone; indeed, they were tiny paws – those of mice, perhaps – animated to cling tenaciously to the D-ring loops opposite them. She looked back up from his vest quickly as he spoke.
“Welcome. You must be the prodigal!” he chuckled warmly, despite his somewhat sinister appearance. “Be welcome in our home.”
The sound of voices drew several people out of the deeper reaches of the household. Two young women, one wearing the dark robes of a necromancer and the other a half-elf in leathers and simple clothing, emerged from one room. From another chamber came a tall, muscled man with close-shorn hair and a goatee. At first Anjelika took him for possibly hunchbacked, but the lump in is cloak made it clear that he bore something – possibly armor – under the cloak, rather than any kind of natural deformity.
“This is Sallia, my apprentice,” said the bald necromancer, stepping up beside Clemana. “That is Rua Woodsdatter, Sallia’s companion and retainer, and this is Toltaris, my own guardian. I myself am Amanfar Darsinthe.”
* * *
Clemana watched Anjelika out of the corner of her eye. The young woman seemed to be doing well here. She, Rua and Sallia were seated next to one another at the table that the Darsinthe household had claimed in the great Underfaust dining hall that served the necromancers.
“Is your stew all right, my dear?” asked Amanfar. Clemana turned and smiled at him, and then looked down at her platter. A large halved acorn squash was hollowed and filled with a spicy stew made from goat’s meat, the pulp of the squash itself and various other nuts and diced vegetables. A small saucer held several sliced pieces of fruit, slathered in honey and several wheat rolls sat in a basket nearby. Taking up her glass of rich, sweet wine, she smiled back at him.
“Everything is wonderful, Amanfar.” She turned her attention back to the conversation between the young ladies at the table.
“You don’t have to keep him here at the table if you don’t want to, you know,” Sallia was saying. “See that alcove over there, behind the beaded curtain? The chefs put out things that the familiars like to eat there, and there are perches and the like back there. You know, sometimes I’m pretty sure that the familiars have their community or something going on back there. Tanner, my flense drake, is back there right now.”
Anjelika chuckled and eyed the back alcove doubtfully.
“Well, as long as no one minds, I think I’ll keep Drendos right here.” She looked up at the raven perched on her shoulder and fed him some more of the goat’s meat from her stew. The raven eyed it warily and plucked it from her proffered hand.
“After meal, Sallia, you and Rua might show Anjelika around the Underfaust. I’m sure she’s interested in seeing what else lies beneath the city,” Amanfar suggested. The three nodded and continued eating, talking amongst themselves all the while.
* * *
She stepped into the lavishly appointed room. It was paneled in Hornsaw nightwood, with the natural stone floor – sanded smooth – polished and covered with various woven rugs. Beside the brazier sat a man of middling years, with a shaven head and meticulously trimmed goatee. He wore a long set of robes with a tight-fitting black vest, crafted of leather. As he rose and neared them, Anjelika saw that the white clasps on the front of the vest were bone; indeed, they were tiny paws – those of mice, perhaps – animated to cling tenaciously to the D-ring loops opposite them. She looked back up from his vest quickly as he spoke.
“Welcome. You must be the prodigal!” he chuckled warmly, despite his somewhat sinister appearance. “Be welcome in our home.”
The sound of voices drew several people out of the deeper reaches of the household. Two young women, one wearing the dark robes of a necromancer and the other a half-elf in leathers and simple clothing, emerged from one room. From another chamber came a tall, muscled man with close-shorn hair and a goatee. At first Anjelika took him for possibly hunchbacked, but the lump in is cloak made it clear that he bore something – possibly armor – under the cloak, rather than any kind of natural deformity.
“This is Sallia, my apprentice,” said the bald necromancer, stepping up beside Clemana. “That is Rua Woodsdatter, Sallia’s companion and retainer, and this is Toltaris, my own guardian. I myself am Amanfar Darsinthe.”
* * *
Clemana watched Anjelika out of the corner of her eye. The young woman seemed to be doing well here. She, Rua and Sallia were seated next to one another at the table that the Darsinthe household had claimed in the great Underfaust dining hall that served the necromancers.
“Is your stew all right, my dear?” asked Amanfar. Clemana turned and smiled at him, and then looked down at her platter. A large halved acorn squash was hollowed and filled with a spicy stew made from goat’s meat, the pulp of the squash itself and various other nuts and diced vegetables. A small saucer held several sliced pieces of fruit, slathered in honey and several wheat rolls sat in a basket nearby. Taking up her glass of rich, sweet wine, she smiled back at him.
“Everything is wonderful, Amanfar.” She turned her attention back to the conversation between the young ladies at the table.
“You don’t have to keep him here at the table if you don’t want to, you know,” Sallia was saying. “See that alcove over there, behind the beaded curtain? The chefs put out things that the familiars like to eat there, and there are perches and the like back there. You know, sometimes I’m pretty sure that the familiars have their community or something going on back there. Tanner, my flense drake, is back there right now.”
Anjelika chuckled and eyed the back alcove doubtfully.
“Well, as long as no one minds, I think I’ll keep Drendos right here.” She looked up at the raven perched on her shoulder and fed him some more of the goat’s meat from her stew. The raven eyed it warily and plucked it from her proffered hand.
“After meal, Sallia, you and Rua might show Anjelika around the Underfaust. I’m sure she’s interested in seeing what else lies beneath the city,” Amanfar suggested. The three nodded and continued eating, talking amongst themselves all the while.
* * *
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Hollowfaust made me begin to buy Scarred Lands.
IMHO, Hollowfaust is the most imaginative setting since Planescape. In fact, it reminds me of Planescape, I don't not fully understand why.
So, as I said, I love Hollowfaust. And now you're giving me a Story Hour there! Thanks!
More soon, please...
IMHO, Hollowfaust is the most imaginative setting since Planescape. In fact, it reminds me of Planescape, I don't not fully understand why.
So, as I said, I love Hollowfaust. And now you're giving me a Story Hour there! Thanks!
More soon, please...
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Hey Joe, thanks for the update! I was figuring there wouldn't be any more until after GenCon.
So far it's made me say that I could maybe play a SL game as long as it was set in Hollowfaust. The Scarred Lands are okay but parts of it just aren't my cup of tea (and I'm pretty much addicted to Ethan's homebrew campaign world).
It also made me wonder what sort of trouble these three nice young ladies will get into in the city of necromancers.
It's cool. Right now it reminds me of Harry Potter meets the Adams Family with a more mature take on both.
Looking forward to more!
So far it's made me say that I could maybe play a SL game as long as it was set in Hollowfaust. The Scarred Lands are okay but parts of it just aren't my cup of tea (and I'm pretty much addicted to Ethan's homebrew campaign world).
It also made me wonder what sort of trouble these three nice young ladies will get into in the city of necromancers.
It's cool. Right now it reminds me of Harry Potter meets the Adams Family with a more mature take on both.
Looking forward to more!
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Ruined
Explorer
Horacio said:
I know what you mean, Horacio. I think of the Dustman when I read about the cool Necromancers and the grande city they have created.
Funny that you would say that, though. I have set down Planescape for a while so that I might try out this Scarred Lands. I hope mine will be as good as this story hour. =)
SSS-Druid
First Post
Hey, thanks for the kind words, folks. 
Horacio: My pleasure. As Peskara indicated, I doubt that I'll be able to post any more until a good while after GenCon (as I'm hitting Texas for a working vacation in between GenCon and DragonCon). As soon as I get back, though, I should be ready with another update. So bear with me.
See, I know I've arrived when the great Horacio is reading my Story Hour.
Peskara: Thanks for the kind words. And I know what you mean about being addicted to the "home game." Fortunately, I've gotten so much out of (and put so much into) the Scarred Lands that I have to sometimes remind myself that I did not, in fact, create the place.
And as for its feel - Harry Potter meets the Addams Family is precisely what I was going for. In fact, I only barely resisted giving the Darsinthe family a flesh golem butler.
theRuinedOne: Glad to hear you're giving us a try. Do let us know how your game goes!
Horacio: My pleasure. As Peskara indicated, I doubt that I'll be able to post any more until a good while after GenCon (as I'm hitting Texas for a working vacation in between GenCon and DragonCon). As soon as I get back, though, I should be ready with another update. So bear with me.
See, I know I've arrived when the great Horacio is reading my Story Hour.
Peskara: Thanks for the kind words.
And I know what you mean about being addicted to the "home game." Fortunately, I've gotten so much out of (and put so much into) the Scarred Lands that I have to sometimes remind myself that I did not, in fact, create the place.And as for its feel - Harry Potter meets the Addams Family is precisely what I was going for. In fact, I only barely resisted giving the Darsinthe family a flesh golem butler.
theRuinedOne: Glad to hear you're giving us a try.
Do let us know how your game goes!Similar Threads
