Seldarn Empire Notes and Suggestions - help wanted
- Thread starter arwink
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arwink
Clockwork Golem
Border Nations
The border nations are those countries that share borders, trade or interact with the various nations of Seldarn.
Urloc/The Beastlands
The region known as Urloc is a blasted wasteland, the result of some catastrophe before the empire was ever formed. Long shunned by humankind, it’s rocky hills and valleys have become the home to numerous humanoids of every type. Tribes of gnolls, orcs, trolls, minatuars and ogres have carved a niche for themselves and named their wasted homeland Urloc. To the folk of most other nations, it simply remains the Beastlands.
It’s currently theorized that there is some dark force organizing the creatures in Urloc, making them more organized and training them in the arts of magic. It’s though that this force, whatever it may be, was behind the recent Trollmist War’s when wave after wave of the beastmen came through the Trollmist Mountains to invade the Tsarli plains.
The Sulrathi Desert
The Sulrathi Desert contains few kingdoms of any size, instead its people have formed into fractured city-states and tribes in the wake of their war that created the Seldarn Empire. The people of the empire seldom travel into Sulrathi, although the dusk-skinned merchants are a common site in many Seldarn Trade Cities. While the Sulrathi have failed to unite since the Jihad of –10 BF, they are still considered dangerous by the Seldarn military.
Gaunt
Little is known about Gaunt, but hatred has existed between its people and those of Seldarn for centuries. Gaunt is a small kingdom in the island chain known as the Spires of Blood in the Eastern Sea, although it’s thought that there may be a third continent not yet found by Seldarn explorers past the Island Chains that holds a Gauntian empire comparable to Seldarn. What is known is that the people of Gaunt are pale-white skinned with white or black hair, and that they worship creatures such as the undead or demon lords. Apart from the Demonstone War’s in the Halark City-states, Gaunt has never launched a full-scale attack on Seldarn soil, but there are constant rumors of Gauntian infiltrators and spies throughout the empire. Even those who know little about the island kingdom fear it, and mothers around Seldarn use the people of gaunt as a bogeyman.
The Old Kingdoms
The old Kingdoms were ancient when Seldarn was founded, and their age is greater than any country in the Empire. Most Seldarn nations were originally founded by Old Kingdom settlers, but few remember this fact. The Old Kingdoms are barely united, but so engrossed in their own disputes that they rarely pay attention to Seldarn or its problems. Some trade exists between the two regions, with more starting now the Empire controls the Tsarli plains and a safe land-pass to the northernmost kingdoms, but little else passes between. At one point one of the Old Kingdoms, the Crystal Kingdom of Charos, maintained contact close bonds with Thilt, but these connections where destroyed in the Sulrathi invasion that lead to Thilt joining the empire.
The border nations are those countries that share borders, trade or interact with the various nations of Seldarn.
Urloc/The Beastlands
The region known as Urloc is a blasted wasteland, the result of some catastrophe before the empire was ever formed. Long shunned by humankind, it’s rocky hills and valleys have become the home to numerous humanoids of every type. Tribes of gnolls, orcs, trolls, minatuars and ogres have carved a niche for themselves and named their wasted homeland Urloc. To the folk of most other nations, it simply remains the Beastlands.
It’s currently theorized that there is some dark force organizing the creatures in Urloc, making them more organized and training them in the arts of magic. It’s though that this force, whatever it may be, was behind the recent Trollmist War’s when wave after wave of the beastmen came through the Trollmist Mountains to invade the Tsarli plains.
The Sulrathi Desert
The Sulrathi Desert contains few kingdoms of any size, instead its people have formed into fractured city-states and tribes in the wake of their war that created the Seldarn Empire. The people of the empire seldom travel into Sulrathi, although the dusk-skinned merchants are a common site in many Seldarn Trade Cities. While the Sulrathi have failed to unite since the Jihad of –10 BF, they are still considered dangerous by the Seldarn military.
Gaunt
Little is known about Gaunt, but hatred has existed between its people and those of Seldarn for centuries. Gaunt is a small kingdom in the island chain known as the Spires of Blood in the Eastern Sea, although it’s thought that there may be a third continent not yet found by Seldarn explorers past the Island Chains that holds a Gauntian empire comparable to Seldarn. What is known is that the people of Gaunt are pale-white skinned with white or black hair, and that they worship creatures such as the undead or demon lords. Apart from the Demonstone War’s in the Halark City-states, Gaunt has never launched a full-scale attack on Seldarn soil, but there are constant rumors of Gauntian infiltrators and spies throughout the empire. Even those who know little about the island kingdom fear it, and mothers around Seldarn use the people of gaunt as a bogeyman.
The Old Kingdoms
The old Kingdoms were ancient when Seldarn was founded, and their age is greater than any country in the Empire. Most Seldarn nations were originally founded by Old Kingdom settlers, but few remember this fact. The Old Kingdoms are barely united, but so engrossed in their own disputes that they rarely pay attention to Seldarn or its problems. Some trade exists between the two regions, with more starting now the Empire controls the Tsarli plains and a safe land-pass to the northernmost kingdoms, but little else passes between. At one point one of the Old Kingdoms, the Crystal Kingdom of Charos, maintained contact close bonds with Thilt, but these connections where destroyed in the Sulrathi invasion that lead to Thilt joining the empire.
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
Wow. Way cool. *applause*
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Righto. Today, the St Cuthbert group finished Of Sound Mind with some pretty interesting results in the aftermath. This also means that they've reached the end for the planned adventures.
In the near future, they're going to run into a spot of trouble reguarding an old artifact and the demonworshippers of guant (a modified intro to Monte Cooks old A Hero's Tale series of mini-adventures) and then they're home free. If you've got any ideas of what to throw at them, feel free to add them in.
At present, there's a couple of hooks that are likely to be laying around.
- Blarth will probably owe an eccentric Psi-Warrior/Ranger a favor.
- Geoffery will be advancing through the relatively low totem pole of St Cuthbert politics in the region.
- Yip has befriended a small girl and her father in Hommlet.
- Blarth has a significant other due to some pretty strange circumstances, who announced she's pregenant after a three week, er, celebration.
Two elements I'd really like to introduce in the next adventure or two are some kind of extradimensional slaving circle/trading ring (mentioned in the first few posts), or some kind of adventure revolving around the fey. Anyone got any ideas?
In the near future, they're going to run into a spot of trouble reguarding an old artifact and the demonworshippers of guant (a modified intro to Monte Cooks old A Hero's Tale series of mini-adventures) and then they're home free. If you've got any ideas of what to throw at them, feel free to add them in.
At present, there's a couple of hooks that are likely to be laying around.
- Blarth will probably owe an eccentric Psi-Warrior/Ranger a favor.
- Geoffery will be advancing through the relatively low totem pole of St Cuthbert politics in the region.
- Yip has befriended a small girl and her father in Hommlet.
- Blarth has a significant other due to some pretty strange circumstances, who announced she's pregenant after a three week, er, celebration.
Two elements I'd really like to introduce in the next adventure or two are some kind of extradimensional slaving circle/trading ring (mentioned in the first few posts), or some kind of adventure revolving around the fey. Anyone got any ideas?
You asked for suggestions.
My very first thought was a trio of Yips who have been corrupted by a dark and sinister force, have lots of facial tattoos and all call themselves "Darth Yip".
Is the local church loyal to the empire? How interested in politics is Geoffrey?
How are these tiefling slavers getting into the world?
The cats turn the party members into mice, use enlarge spells on themselves and then chase them around.
My very first thought was a trio of Yips who have been corrupted by a dark and sinister force, have lots of facial tattoos and all call themselves "Darth Yip".
Is the local church loyal to the empire? How interested in politics is Geoffrey?
How are these tiefling slavers getting into the world?
The cats turn the party members into mice, use enlarge spells on themselves and then chase them around.
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arwink
Clockwork Golem
-Maybe not Darth Yips, but I think we may have just found our first candidates for psionic possesion 
- Geoffery hasn't displayed overt interest in politics, but seems to enjoy the position of the Party's Official St Cuthban representative. The last game focused, a lot, on Yip and Blarth in many ways, so I'm realy looking for something that will shed a bit of limelight on the Cleric and Wizard.
St Cuthbert's church counts as Loyal to the Empire, and originates from there, but has developed it's own autonomous nature. While not as rife with political power as churches of heironous and other major religions, St Cuthbert controlls the law system and has a number of, in modern terms, what would be called "Black ops" teams for when things go bad. It's also fairly factionalised. Think of them as a fantasy version of a bad Secret Service thriller, with a deity belief taking precedence over the concerns of the nation
At least one sub-order I'm looking at introducing is a drakonian order of clerics called the Obsidian Cross who work very much on the 10 eyes for an eye version of justice. Wiping out entire families for one persons transgressions, things like that. Just not sure how to work them in, and when.
- The Tieflings aren't quite defined yet. the mostly exist as illustrations i want to use, and the slaver idea sprang from that. It's open season from there...
- Geoffery hasn't displayed overt interest in politics, but seems to enjoy the position of the Party's Official St Cuthban representative. The last game focused, a lot, on Yip and Blarth in many ways, so I'm realy looking for something that will shed a bit of limelight on the Cleric and Wizard.
St Cuthbert's church counts as Loyal to the Empire, and originates from there, but has developed it's own autonomous nature. While not as rife with political power as churches of heironous and other major religions, St Cuthbert controlls the law system and has a number of, in modern terms, what would be called "Black ops" teams for when things go bad. It's also fairly factionalised. Think of them as a fantasy version of a bad Secret Service thriller, with a deity belief taking precedence over the concerns of the nation
At least one sub-order I'm looking at introducing is a drakonian order of clerics called the Obsidian Cross who work very much on the 10 eyes for an eye version of justice. Wiping out entire families for one persons transgressions, things like that. Just not sure how to work them in, and when.
- The Tieflings aren't quite defined yet. the mostly exist as illustrations i want to use, and the slaver idea sprang from that. It's open season from there...
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If you're looking to turn Geoffrey into Secret Agent Cleric, maybe you could have it so he's the one who has to identify himself to informants and agents elsewhere (I've just remembered Rowan Atkinson playing an informant in a James Bond movie...)
I'm thinking this may require a nutjob sitting in a chair in a Secret Lair stroking a cat and saying, "I'll get you next time, Geoffrey!" And sharks with frickin' lasers.
And you could also have him reading the Church's equivalent of Miranda every time they capture someone - assuming they ever do that. Yeesh, that's just a disturbing thought, sitting there and watching your players do that.
We'll pretend I didn't think of that.
OK, I remember the images you're talking about, though not the name of the artist. I also remember they were very serious looking people in the pictures, and I use the word "people" loosely. Are you looking for serious or slightly nonsensical? Are they raiding or setting up a market?
I'm thinking this may require a nutjob sitting in a chair in a Secret Lair stroking a cat and saying, "I'll get you next time, Geoffrey!" And sharks with frickin' lasers.
And you could also have him reading the Church's equivalent of Miranda every time they capture someone - assuming they ever do that. Yeesh, that's just a disturbing thought, sitting there and watching your players do that.
We'll pretend I didn't think of that.OK, I remember the images you're talking about, though not the name of the artist. I also remember they were very serious looking people in the pictures, and I use the word "people" loosely. Are you looking for serious or slightly nonsensical? Are they raiding or setting up a market?
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Given their space in the church, I don't think the group really bothers with the Miranda. They're expected to wander in, smite what needed to be smited, and use the excuse of "we're adventurers" afterwards. Will throw the more legal side of the church in later.
Have the spark I needed though. Methink's it's time the PC's go after an old friend/informant/ally of Goeffery's whose been captured. Darth Yip's can be the culprits, although I'll have to look for something other than a psi-virus to explain it, I'm trying to avoid sticking too much psi intensive stuff so close together. Maybe make them converted to the obsidian cross somehow...
New location, some investigation and a rescue raid. If I get lucky, i may even be able to fit in some irritated sea bass somewhere.
The pictures i were looking at were Brom, and I was looking for something slightly serious. I'm thinking of having them as a long-term organisation. Not necessarily evil so much as ruthlessly practicle when protecting their interests. They deal primarily in delicacies that can be found on the prime plane and sold to demons and devils of the lower regions. this just happens to include the souls of pure men, virgins and other stuff. Not mass slaving so much as selective kidnapping, maybe.
Have the spark I needed though. Methink's it's time the PC's go after an old friend/informant/ally of Goeffery's whose been captured. Darth Yip's can be the culprits, although I'll have to look for something other than a psi-virus to explain it, I'm trying to avoid sticking too much psi intensive stuff so close together. Maybe make them converted to the obsidian cross somehow...
New location, some investigation and a rescue raid. If I get lucky, i may even be able to fit in some irritated sea bass somewhere.
The pictures i were looking at were Brom, and I was looking for something slightly serious. I'm thinking of having them as a long-term organisation. Not necessarily evil so much as ruthlessly practicle when protecting their interests. They deal primarily in delicacies that can be found on the prime plane and sold to demons and devils of the lower regions. this just happens to include the souls of pure men, virgins and other stuff. Not mass slaving so much as selective kidnapping, maybe.
Yep, found www.bromart.com. The mind of this man...
Delicacies, huh? Such as the children of a half-orc psychic warrior and whatever Blarth's new significant other is? (HINT!)
I have in mind a stronghold for these tiefling slavers that's something like the interior of that guy's mind in the movie The Cell. If you're creating a place that demons go shopping in, there should be things there to amuse them while they peruse your stock.
They're going to need spies to search out their stock for them. So we have some kind of demonic dog that goes sniffing around villages like Hommlet and what it smells is things like pure souls and whatnot. The dogs go scurrying back to this, erm, big yucky tiefling who eats them and then knows everything they know. She then lays eggs that hatch into more sniffer dogs. Maybe they're not REALLY dogs, they're insects and so is the queen, but they LOOK like dogs so they attract less notice.
For Halgo, the Dwarven Illusionist, you could hit him on the head and then have him start seeing things that are really there, but no one else can see them. I don't really have a clue where you could take that, but it would at least convince the rest of the party he's losing his marbles and that's bound to be briefly entertaining.
Delicacies, huh? Such as the children of a half-orc psychic warrior and whatever Blarth's new significant other is? (HINT!)
I have in mind a stronghold for these tiefling slavers that's something like the interior of that guy's mind in the movie The Cell. If you're creating a place that demons go shopping in, there should be things there to amuse them while they peruse your stock.
They're going to need spies to search out their stock for them. So we have some kind of demonic dog that goes sniffing around villages like Hommlet and what it smells is things like pure souls and whatnot. The dogs go scurrying back to this, erm, big yucky tiefling who eats them and then knows everything they know. She then lays eggs that hatch into more sniffer dogs. Maybe they're not REALLY dogs, they're insects and so is the queen, but they LOOK like dogs so they attract less notice.
For Halgo, the Dwarven Illusionist, you could hit him on the head and then have him start seeing things that are really there, but no one else can see them. I don't really have a clue where you could take that, but it would at least convince the rest of the party he's losing his marbles and that's bound to be briefly entertaining.
arwink
Clockwork Golem
Yeah, Blarth's child would probably be pretty saleable, but there's still nine months before that even becomes an option, and we haven't yet had the time to see how Blarth reacts to the news. I'll keep that in mind, though. It could come in handy
Haven't ever seen the Cell, but it sounds interesting. Care to flesh out the idea a little, or is it one of those things where I'll have to go rent the movie to understand?
The dogs. Hmm. I'm going to be creating those dogs. I'm actually thinking I'll use something like the X-men mutant hounds as the basis, and go from there. Cross the idea with aliens, maybe. I'm not sure. It's a good idea though, and it created some nasty images in my head
Still plotting something nasty for HAlgo. Not entirely sure what yet, but having his illusions come true is something that will wait until higher levels. When his heads a much more disturbed place than it is now
Haven't ever seen the Cell, but it sounds interesting. Care to flesh out the idea a little, or is it one of those things where I'll have to go rent the movie to understand?
The dogs. Hmm. I'm going to be creating those dogs. I'm actually thinking I'll use something like the X-men mutant hounds as the basis, and go from there. Cross the idea with aliens, maybe. I'm not sure. It's a good idea though, and it created some nasty images in my head
Still plotting something nasty for HAlgo. Not entirely sure what yet, but having his illusions come true is something that will wait until higher levels. When his heads a much more disturbed place than it is now
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