D&D - Under A Darksun Part II Cannibal Halflings
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UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 125
“The Story Thus Far”
DARKSUN
This Storyhour takes place on the world of Athas. Athas is a very different campaign world than most. Many of the traditional humanoid races were killed off in a war 2000 years ago. This Cleansing War as it was called was started by Rajaat. Before him, there was no magic, only the powers of psionics. Magic on Athas is incredibly destructive. Since there are no known gods, the power magic requires originate from the very earth and plant life. The abuse of this new source of power has made most of Athas a barren desert world with areas of strange mutations.
The generals of the war secretly live. They discovered how to use high level psionics and magics to mutate themselves into tall gaunt reptilian creatures referred to as Dragons. There are no dragons of chromatic or gem varies. Now immortal and seemly impossible to be destroyed by any but another rival dragon-king or queen, they rule the city-states of Tyr Valley with an evil iron gauntlet.
One of these Sorcerer-Kings is known as Bane. It is possible that he is the natural father of Mania, one of the key players in this Story Hour.
UNDER A DARKSUN
During the first 125 segments of this Story Hour, we (the readers) were introduced to Mania. He began as a slave on route to Nibenay. He escaped with the help of a rogue elven raiding party whom were there to rescue their king whom was also captured but remained secretive of his stance. He found himself rescued from certain death of dehydration by members of the tradehouse Blewes
Unlike most Tradehouses, the House of Blewes specializes in aiding other trade houses make their deliveries. They remain small but strong and more importantly, necessary for the other larger trade houses. The head of this trade house, Greene, has a strange preoccupation with a dream he had. He dreamed of a utopia west of the mountain range. He hopes to explore the region soon to look into it. In fact, he has begun setting up outposts leading to the south of the Ringing Mountains.
Mania was provided a job at the Caravan Company and became friends with many family members. His first test of ability came as the Blue Bone Tribe of Gith began to reemerge and attack trade routes and templar outposts. Looking to gain a better political position within the city of Nibenay and to help the trade houses, House of Blewes sent out a group of scouts to investigate the ambushes. Dutch, Dirty Dogg and Mania were the primary members. Jocasta Blewes remained behind to work the city council for aid. Here she met Keela, a rising and ambitious young templar.
The ensuing combat involved city templars, the veiled alliance, a group of illegal residents, House of Blewes and a large army of Gith lead by a creature that once a gith but now was something else. Something horrific and never before seen by anyone there.
House of Blewes were declared heroes but also made a great enemy in the templar Keela whom was shadowed greatly by Jocasta Blewes leadership abilities. This became a major factor as Jocasta and Mania each cared for the other but neither could or would express it. Keela used her seductive abilities and money to turn Mania away from Jocasta.
Something Keela did not expect was she came to care for him beyond his use as a pawn. As a templar of Nibenay, she was married but allowed male cumcubines after the union (honeymoon night). This entire romantic conflict played out during a planar rift that allowed fiends into the city. A noble war broke out during this as families were placed in conflict by the fiendish creatures. It was during this time Mania became aware of his possible heritage. He also met a pyreen and a young mysterious mage named Cosa.
Cosa is searching for the lost book of Veena. Veena was a powerful prophet from 750 years ago whom wrote a book filled with her visions. This journal has long since been misplaced and much of it has been taken apart and lost as readers took interest in the images shown. She has several pages. One may speak of a warrior son of a sorcerer-king whom will overthrow him and bring an age of good to Tyr Valley. Unfortunately, the script is unclear and may mean the opposite. He may bring ruin to it instead. Because of this uncertainty, the Veiled Alliance and Pyreen have monitored him and his activities only. Cosa feared this might lead to distrust and anger so she went rogue and contacted Mania.
They quickly became lovers and escaped the city and more importantly, Keela and her templars. Members of the House of Blewes presumed them killed for many months.
Cosa and Mania traveled east to Salt View in search of answers. A Pyreen there told Mania everything. He is much more than he ever expected but how he will play out in the prophecy is still unclear. They continued their search to the ruins of Bodach to find the Sentinels of Bodach and Korgunard. They made friends and allies on the way and lost many of them.
A powerful undead force with an artifact ruled Bodach and hoped to leave the boundaries of the cursed city and attack the unsuspecting Tyr Valley. This attack was stopped as Cosa and Mania delayed the main attack until more powerful agents including Korgunard could arrive.
That was the key events of Segments 1-125. Refer to the below link within my signature for more details.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
MANIA
He looks and acts like an 18-year-old boy becoming a man but in truth is much more. Uncanny luck and charm balance his rash decision making and impatience. He is a truly gifted man with great strength, speed, health, intelligence and charm. He has become obsessed with the notion of which his parents are. He has learned that his father is an evil sorcerer-king (still isn’t aware of what this truly means aka a dragon) whom lives on an island on southern Tyr Valley. He believes his mother to be dead; killed when forces of good escaped with him as a baby.
He can be terribly naïve and gullible but has a dark side to him. He has impressive fits of anger that may originate from his dragon heritage.
COSA
This mysterious red head has a thing for illusions and solving puzzles. Perhaps this is why she has such an obsessive connection with the Journal of Veena. She has several pages hidden on her and within her goods and belongings. She came to love the young man known as Mania when healing him from a rather poor display against minor demons. She has many secrets and seems to always know more than she lets on. Now that Mania has become convinced that the prophecy does involve him, expect her to caste him on a new road to discover more pages of the journal.
KEELA
She is a deadly, ambitious and cunning templar in Nibenay. Before meeting Mania, she was the top aid of the hi-templar. In bids for power, she was placed into harms way during the Blue Bones Gith incident. She survived and immediately began several plots. The first was to take out the High Templar whom had hoped she would die in the desert. The second was to place Jocasta Blewes in her place. She proceeded to seduce Mania and flaunt this fact before her. It worked and then some. She found herself coming to have true feeling for him. He saw through it in time and left her which has further disgraced her and now her love has become hatred. This hatred is now out of control.
The High-Templar used this hatred and set several layers of intrigue for her to become entwined within. If ever discovered, Keela can be sentenced as a traitor to the city-state since she is unwittedly in dept to the Sorcerer-Queen Obe of the enemy city-state of Gulg. She has been misled to believe she has hired a powerful psionic bounty hunter to locate and return Mania to her. Dead if necessary. Unknown to her, the High Templar is the real benefactor and the psion reports everything to her and acts on her call.
HOUSE of BLEWES
Greene has begun his first expedition to the Hinterlands where he thinks his dreams of a watery utopia are hidden. Dutch, his lead caravan leader has left for Walis already. What he will find is uncertain. Jocasta Blewes still feels for Mania and is hurt that he has become attached to Cosa. She has recently learned that he is alive and on the run. She wants to find him but finds her responsibilities to the tradehouse will not allow for it. Dirty Dogg, the charismatic rogue, is also looking into Mania’s location, as he feels somehow responsible for his expulsion from Nibenay.
SAR-SAVOS
This Pyreen has left his native lands to watch Mania. Having little contact with the outside world, he finds Mania an overwhelming curiosity and shadows him everywhere. He often appears as a black bird. He knows that if Mania turns to his dark side, he will need to kill him. He has accepted this.
BANE
It appears he is Mania’s natural father. He is the Sorcerer-King of Tesh, which he rules from below ground in secret hoping to escape the notice of his fellow Sorcerer-Kings. What he will do if or when he learns of his son’s existence is unclear.
THE PRISONER
Who she is still uncertain but she have influence over Bane and knows of Mania and his importance. She is locked deep in a dungeon below Tesh guarded by powerful wards made by magic and psionics. Somehow she is a key figure.
SUPPORTING CAST
Daina is a powerful and mysterious warrior with mastery over both magic and psionics. The pyreen fear her overly aggressive tactics may led the valley into a new war; a war none could ever survive.
Belinda is a bi-polar psychic warrior and a member of the Sentinels of Bodach. Her recent experience escaping certain death in Bodach has made her very close to Cosa and Mania.
Tangiers is a psionic bounty hunter hired by the templars of Nibenay to return Mania to the city-state to answer charges of treason and use of magic. She is very strict and follows the code on the contract very carefully. Mania has made her see a new outlook in life. What she will do is unclear to us, the readers, and to herself.
Glaze is a bard whom wants to write songs about the hero of Tyr valley. She was recently lost to the group and believed dead when kidnapped by Hej-kin. These base creatures want her musical talents for the king’s wedding. Wandering through their tunnels, she has discovered an area quite alien to her and the Hej-kin. They have made it clear not to go there but she still sneaks in as she can to explore.
Dessantee is a cleric of Silt looking for ultimate power. He used Mania and Cosa to close in on this power. When last seen, he was joining a Wraith to help each other. If he and the wraith will ever enter Mania or Cosa’s life again is unclear.
A Succubus from the Nibenay portal has learned of Mania’s existence and seeks to use this knowledge for power by locating Bane whom believes his son to be dead. What this can lead knows no limitations.
Welcome to UNDER A DARKSUN: PART II, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.
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