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Nessus posted:Orcs appear to be hominids capable of moral agency and similar in constitution to hunams. Vampires literally prey on human blood, though I suppose some of them might work ethically. Even so, not a big stretch. Vampires are not even a species proper as normal humans are turned into them.
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Oct 31, 2023 20:24
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disposablewords posted:Yeah, Eberron's take on what is axiomatically evil is stuff that has such alien needs and/or perspectives that they cannot safely coexist with mortals. And even some of those are more brainwashed by pervasive ideology and propaganda than actually purely evil, put into false "us against the world" binds by their self-interested predecessors. Having Evil in your stat block also doesn't mean it's cool to kill you - mostly it's there to signal that someone's just an unethical rear end in a top hat, but that doesn't automatically merit the death penalty. I can't remember if it was brought up before, but the Alignment Chart in Eberron is basically more self-reporting than any actual measure of your political/ideological leanings or the harm you do to others. Like the Queen of magic Disneyland Utopia technocracy Aundair is listed as Lawful Good, and she's more keen to re-start the Last War than anyone so all of Khorvaire can be united under her benevolent dictatorship, while the King of Death Metal shithole Karrnath is Lawful Evil, but is huge into diplomacy and maintaining the hard-won peace because he's seen the horrors forever war inflicted on his country last time.
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Oct 31, 2023 20:37
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Vampires and similar entities are a weird case, because vampires are often automatically Evil. This raises all sorts of questions about what happens to the soul of a good person who's forced to become evil, whether you can really be the same person you were before "but Evil," and so on. I don't think it's wrong per se to have innately evil enemies because symbolism exists. To me, it gets weird when the innately evil people clearly have a culture, families, religions, traditions, etc. all while every one of them is innately evil. That's rather different from demons and wights. Regarding the Great Wheel and 9-point alignment, I'm happy deciding that what we call Good and Evil are just cosmic football teams that formed at the beginning of time and now we're all just kinda stuck dealing with it. I'd be even happier if Good and Evil were excised in favour of a Law and Chaos that work more like they do in Moorcock's works, but rewriting Planescape and D&D cosmology to reflect that sounds like a lot of tedious work.
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Oct 31, 2023 21:01
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Becoming a sentient undead in Eberron is a deeply personal decision beyond the scopes of alignment but you've also got Lich Queen Vol who is perfectly willing to strip away your free will in the service of her goal of being queen of a planetary graveyard.
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Oct 31, 2023 21:03
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Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse Sigil and Beyond Chapter 2 part 6 Lady’s Ward  The Lady's Ward is home to most of the Cities big shots with plenty of wealth and influence. Naturally behind the veils of high society there is plenty of intrigue and treachery. Despite the name the Lady of Pain does not live here. The Lady's Ward is the quietest of the the Cage's Wards due to the imposing Headquarters of the Harmonium, Mercykillers, and Fraternity of Order, because of their presence people from other wards rarely visit unless they have official business here. Fortunes are won and lost in the casinos of the Lady’s Ward, where secret crime lords mingle with judges and off-duty guards. Bribes lead to flimsy sentences and sudden pardons. The corruption goes ignored in the upper echelons in favor of persecuting petty crimes elsewhere in the ward. As if to balance its corruption, the Lady’s Ward contains over half of Sigil’s temples. Deities from every pantheon find followers in the Cage. Lady's Ward Encounters examples 1 and 3 Encounter 1 posted:A tiefling wastrel (noble) flicks a gambling chip from Fortune’s Wheel at the party, lamenting, “May your luck be better than mine.” Encounter 3 posted:A cheery drider skitters toward the party. A cultist of Lolth, the drider hands the party a pamphlet advertising an upcoming ritual at the Infinite Well. The Factions Headquartered in the Lady's Ward are: Doomguard. They operate out of the armory where they oversee most of the production and sale of Sigil's weapons. Other smiths and shops do sell weapons in Sigil, but the Sinkers have them beat them in quality and quantity. Fraternity of Order. The Guvners run the Cities Courts, ruling on everything from petty disputes to groundbreaking cases. They adjudicate, review, and study the rules of Sigil, maintaining order according to the law as they interpret it. Harmonium. Serving out of the Barracks as the city watch. Thousands of crimson-plated Harmonium officers patrol Sigil’s wards daily, vowing to keep to keep the peace. However, the Hardheads’ uncompromising vision sometimes leads to wrongful arrests. Mercykillers. When the Guvners deem a citizen guilty of a crime, the Mercykillers carry out the punishment. Citizens the jailers a wide berth, fearful of obstructing them and becoming the next target. Though most of their work occurs in the Prison, members of the faction regularly mete out discipline in public for all to see. Lady’s Ward Locations Armory A foreboding stronghold constantly belching smoke and flame covered in blades and razorvine, where the Doomguard conduct their work. The massive forge that dominates the first floor of the place is open to the public, where buyers can watch the various smiths at work, normally fire resistant creatures like fire elementals and devils. The lawful neutral efreet Aslan Ashfang works for the Sinkers as their main broker and salesman and greets potential customers here. Beyond the forge lies four heavily guarded chambers that each contain a portal to a fortress at the edge of the Inner Planes. The four Doomlords dwell in these forts and take faction members on expeditions to hunt or capture destructive monsters. The Armory also sells every type of weapon and armor, even magic +1 versions for an extra cost. Barracks The streets around the Barracks are hushed to avoid the gaze of the Harmonium patrols on it's roof. The few local businesses enjoy on-demand security, but have to be spotless in the eyes of the law or else the most overzealous Hardheads will crack down on them brutally. The Barracks are open to anyone, though Hardheads will interrogate anyone who steps inside the gates, then straitlaced recruiters will pressure visitors without a clear allegiance into enlisting in the Harmonium. If someone gets permission from Factol Sarin, an allied Factol, or a influential figure in Sigil, one can gain the temporary service of several Harmonium guards who will obey every city ordinance. Fortune’s Wheel One of the most famous casinos and hotspots in the Lady's Ward. It's owned by the infamous Arcanaloth Crime Lord/Info Broker Shemeshka the Marauder. The vain fiend always presents herself as the picture of wealth, power, and influence. Still the casino's profits pale to it's true gains, the secrets her web of spies gather. The Casino is comprised of three parts. The Dragon Bar a modest tavern and inn that serves as a reception area. The Casino where guests play various games using gambling chips purchased at the entrance, while every evening various shows and performances are put on. Weapons and luck-altering magic are forbidden, but the staff only tends to enforce this if the violation is blatant. The final area is the Platinum Rooms, a secret known to only a few in the casino. They are a collection of demiplanar chambers where interplanar fat cats wager ancient artifacts, trapped souls, and the fates of entire worlds. Heart’s Fire A temple devoted to gods of fire, truth and light, nicknamed the Sun of Sigil for the golden halo of blades that hover above it and glow every morning. It's recently become a subject of gossip after the former high priest of the temple the deva Ephemera was called away on a long term divine mission. Before leaving, the angel made a controversial choice by appointing Mihr, a lawful good horned devil as the new high priest. While Mihr is a kind and merciful having left the Hells behind long ago, some of the clergy refuse to accept that Mihr is redeemed and reject that Mihir is the true high priest. High Courts  Headquarters of the Fraternity of Order. Etched within the architrave is the faction’s motto: “Knowledge is power.” Legal matters are settled by city’s tribunals, often decided by a single magistrate appointed by the Guvners. Punishments are tailored to fit the crime, and advocates are strongly encouraged. The cheap advocates linger on the courthouse steps hoping to find work, they tend to not be very good. Brilliant barristers demand a lot of money, but they’re worth it when the alternative is a visit from the Mercykillers. One is “Sly” Nye (chaotic neutral, tiefling noble), who claims to have never lost a case. Sly has been known to waive their fee for adventurers who help gather evidence relevant to other cases. While most trails happen in lesser courts, the Grand Court deals with the most serious offences and has three notable Judges. Dadras, a planetar with a powdered wig and a fiery temper who detests lies. Factol Hashkar, leader of the Fraternity of Order. And Madam Rule, a scornful pit fiend known for her harsh interjections and screeching metal gavel. Within the High Courts also lies the Hall of Concordance, an embassy of law where contracts are forged under the unblinking eyes of the inevitables, constructs created by the modron deity Primus to bring order to dealings between planar folk. Rule breakers who violate these sacred contracts are tracked down and banished to a teleportation circle in the hall to await punishment.  Infinite Well A temple to the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. It hovers above surrounding houses of worship floating above what seems to be a bottomless pit, blood trickling down the rusted spikes covering the temple. Because there are infinity layers in the Abyss, there are theoretically infinite Demon Lords to worship. As a result the cultists are very disorganized and fractious, and daily sacrifices sourced from among the faithful cause their numbers to dwindle. Intent on improving their reputation and converting new members, the fanatics of the Infinite Well don insincere smiles and prove unflinchingly positive as they evangelize in public. Prison  A blemish of grey stone and metal that rises above the courthouses a warning of the full penalties of the law. During the dark hours searchlights affixed to it's barbed watchtowers scan the ward below for runaways. The Prison is meant contain all manner of planar convicts, so the Prison’s cells vary by block. Fire elementals and arsonists are sealed in frigid cells for example. Grudges fester in bleak cells, and fights regularly break out between inmates in mess halls and common areas. The most dangerous criminals never leave their cells, which are suspended in high-security units that hang from the Prison’s exterior. The Mercykillers bring rebellious inmates to the cellars to be tormented. Scratches mar the dungeon’s blood-red chambers, where prisoners are dragged to and frequently never return. When an inmate proves especially resilient or dangerous, the Mercykillers banish them to the Hole, a cylindrical cell block of isolated demiplanes suffused with antimagic. We are also given 12 example prisoners, here are 2. Prisoner 7 posted:A nameless, chaotic evil doppelganger who has impersonated every factol in Sigil Prisoner 12 posted:A kraken that briefly drowned one of Sigil’s wards by using portals to aquatic planes Factol Nilesia also employs several wardens to keep the prisoners in check. Allarind the Thin, a sadistic adult blue dracolich who died in the Prison long ago. Buel, a stoic warden archon who has thwarted countless jailbreaks. Gazzengar, a calculating mind flayer who isn’t afraid to crack a few skulls to keep inmates in line. And Olmulloz, a pasty shator demodand accompanied by a pack of rabid hell hounds. Next the Lower Ward Yusin fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Oct 31, 2023 |
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Oct 31, 2023 21:37
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Halloween Jack posted:Vampires and similar entities are a weird case, because vampires are often automatically Evil. This raises all sorts of questions about what happens to the soul of a good person who's forced to become evil, whether you can really be the same person you were before "but Evil," and so on. It's also not clear to me, though, what value you gain from saying vampires (or dragons, or anything else) are automatically evil. Like, it's completely reasonable to say "yeah vampires are pretty much always bad news" because there are so many reasons a vampire is super likely to be bad news. But having it written down and objectively known that they have no choice at all adds, as far as I can tell, very little. There's all sorts of cool stuff to be done with exceptions, and if you don't want to do that it's trivially easy to establish that any individual is an enemy just by having them attack unprovoked or whatever even if they've just come off the random encounter table. And even Smaug, the sort of ur-example of the D&D dragon, explicitly isn't something they set out to slay because he's a dragon and dragons are evil, it's because he killed their ancestors and took their stuff. I just don't understand what's gained by having a whole class of intelligent creatures that are intractably evil in terms of telling a story or creating a fun fantasy world.
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Oct 31, 2023 22:10
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Well I forgot to mention, but in the case of vampires, it's because D&D vampires were just copied from Hammer movies and Hammer movies rarely try to address those same questions.
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Oct 31, 2023 22:17
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Ultiville posted:I just don't understand what's gained by having a whole class of intelligent creatures that are intractably evil in terms of telling a story or creating a fun fantasy world. fascist propaganda, mostly
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Oct 31, 2023 22:18
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I'm only half-joking and this is a well-studied phenomenon in sci-fi and fantasy, and it's why Tolkien himself ended up having misgivings about how he wrote the orcs in LotR.
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Oct 31, 2023 22:19
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You can give martial type PCs plenty to do without requiring ontological or intrinsic evil anywhere in the equation. If anything it makes the bad guys worse people!
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Oct 31, 2023 22:37
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Happy Halloween spooky RPG friends its time for Joylessdivisons World of Dorkness Presents: The Sea of Shadows - World of Dorkness #16 Welcome once again to the World of Dorkness, and our continuing journey through the Underworld of Wraith: the Oblivion. When last we met, we were digging into the more storyteller focused guide, Love Beyond Death, and now we’ll be journeying deep into the unpredictable Tempest, aka The Sea of Shadows.  Now this is a cover that evokes the ideas of the book. We’ve got what appears to be a sort of tornado or more likely, a Maelstrom striking what I assume is a small Necropolis, and there’s even some vague shapes in the twisting storm that suggests Spectres. While I’m not in love with the color scheme of this image, it does give a bit of visual context to what a Maelstrom might look like. On the back of the book, we once again have an interior image that has had its opacity lowered to make the text on the back of the book clearer. quote:The Sea of Shadows The price on the back is $12 or $24.24 when adjusted for inflation (or $9.99 from Drivethru).  We have a two-page art spread to open things that can best be described as Wraiths or maybe Spectres flowing across the two pages as if we were gazing at the Tempest itself. There is also a quote from The Ship of Death by D.H. Lawrence quote:“The flood subsides, and the body, like a worn sea-shell Credits Written by: Nicky Rea Developed by: Jennifer Hartshorn Editing: Annie Schultz Additional Editing: Cynthia Summers Art Director: Richard Thomas Layout and Typesetting: Kathleen Ryan Art: John Cobb, Jeff Miracola, E. Allen Smith, and Joshua Gabriel Timbrook Cover Art: Jeff Miracola Cover Design: Lawrence Snelly White Wolf, Inc. Execs Mark Rein●Hagen and Stewart Wieck, Owners Stephan Weick, President Wes Harris, Vice President of Marketing Michael Kruase, Vice President of Sales Richard Thomas, Vice President of Production and Design Ken Cliffe, Director of Development and Editing Benjamin T Monk, Jr, Controller Rebecca Scahefer, Warehouse Manager Special Thanks Keith “Friendly Skies” Winkler, for his airborne romancing Danny “Home Alone” Landers, for going it on his own Rebecca “Deadly Pocketbook” Schaefer, watch where you swing that thing, Rebecca! Diane “Bite your rear end” Zamojski, for her creative Xmas present Louvie “Oh God, Cut It Off!” Locklear, for her hair horror story at the slumber party Mike “Now They Pay Me!” Chaney, for his shameless plugs to get published Brad “Going Postal” Butkovich, for his do-it-yourself approach to mail R. Christian “Continental” Naberhause, for taking on the world (or at least all of its accounts) Sarah “Boyfriend in a Teepee” Timbrook, for her dating adventures Emory “No Really, I Don’t Drink” Hester, for changing his mind after meeting us Eric “Pinkie” Turnbow, for his creative ways of getting out of work Jim “Old Timer” Souter, for being the old man of the pack Bruce “Rain on the Scarecrow” Butkovich, for his band obsession Author’s Special Thanks To Jackie Cassada, Jennifer Hartshorn and Jim Crabtree, they know why A very special thank you to my play testers: Beth Bostic, Carla Hollar, and Jackie Cassada for their eleventh hour assistance. Of note here is the inclusion of the WW Execs list. Mostly because it’s not appeared in any of the earlier books I’ve covered, and it’s interesting having seen so many of these names appear in every book, just what their “official” titles were. There is also a phone number included that I’ll not include as it’s likely linked to someone else at this point (the book was released in 1995 after all). Table of Contents Introduction Chapter One: Within the Soul Dark Sea Chapter Two: Riders on the Storm Chapter Three: By Darkness Overtaken Chapter Four: Adrift on the Sea of Shadows Appendix: The Ferryman’s Sack   Introduction quote:“Don’t look, don’t look’ the shadows breath, Our introduction kicks off with a lengthy bit of fiction where a Wraith named Johnny Liar is being pursued by Legionnaires in a Necropolis. Johnny’s Shadow, known as Twin, makes an appearance directing Johnny on where to hide and then to attack one of the Legionnaires. This goes about as well for Johnny as one would expect, when listening to their Shadow, and Johnny is struck in the back by darksteel before ripping his way into the Tempest. Lucky for Johnny, he lands in a Ferryman’s boat, who makes Johnny an offer. If Johnny takes the Ferryman’s place for a few hours, he will take Johnny to his destination.  The catch, because there is always a catch, is that Johnny must stay on the byway with the boat and not abandon it, and he cannot take on any passengers. Twin urges him on, and Johnny agrees. Johnny thinks this should work out well, as with the time he’s in the boat, he can use a shortcut to do a bit of smuggling, and no one will be the wiser. He quips about navigating by the stars above, and the Ferryman points out that those are not stars, but Nihils high above. Johnny is handed the oar, and the Ferryman leaves. From the dark waves, a feminine voice calls out for help who is being pursued by Spectre sharks. Twin reminds Johnny that before he helps this Wraith, he should get something out of the deal, and so he demands the Wraith give him the gold bracelet she wears. As she climbs into the boat, Johnny is knocked back, dropping the bracelet in the water, and losing the oar to one of the Spectres. Johnny proceeds to lose his poo poo, slapping the woman and demanding she get out of the boat as it begins taking on water and lazily spinning off the byway. And then the wound on Johnny’s back starts to throb again, and the Wraith he just saved has revealed herself to be a Spectre in disguise. Johnny tries to Argos his way out of the ship and finds he’s unable to do so. Soon, the boat is spinning down a whirlpool towards Oblivion. quote:“Feeling Harrowed yet?’ asked Twin conversationally. I really enjoyed this opening fiction, it doesn’t come right and say that Twin is Johnny’s Shadow and leaves that revelation to context clues from the writing, which I rather liked, and admittedly, it took me a minute to figure out when reading this story that Twin wasn’t just another Wraith hanging out with Johnny.  The Tempest quote:“Out of the south cometh the whirlwind; and cold out of the north” Job: 37:9, KJV The Bible The Sea of Shadows, also known as the Tempest, is a terrifying, vast, unknowable expanse, and those who travel from one area of the Underworld to another must brave its Spectre haunted depths, while those who fall into it must fight for their existence against their own Shadows. The Sea of Shadows surrounds, and some say, permeates the entire Underworld, apart from the Shadowlands which it encapsulates. It is also the source of Maelstroms in response to upheavals in the Skinlands, profound changes in the Shadowlands or as preludes to either. The easiest way to think about the Tempest is as a vast ocean, with Stygia and the Far Shores existing as realms. Other realms exist within the Sea of Shadows, either as islands or continents, some are dream realms that are beautiful and evocative of all the Wraith holds dear, while others are nightmarish, such as Malfean Citadels where Shades and Spectres roam. And at the heart of the Tempest is the great maw of Oblivion. However, the Sea of Shadows is more than just an infinitely powerful, vast, sunless sea. It’s also a lake of cold fire, that burns through a Wraith’s self-delusions and ignites their Passions. In some areas, the Tempest is like quicksand, while others are like seas of broken glass, filled with the cast off, sharpened filings of Stygian steel, too small to work but large enough to wound a Wraith unlucky enough to pass through it. The Sea of Shadows is not a sea made of murky water, but rather souls and the pure essence of negative emotions that have been squeezed from countless souls and distilled into a pitch soul-ichor, and the screaming faces of these souls are caught within and reflected in the liquid darkness, and Spectres flow through it all. But others claim there is nothing there at all.  How to Use This Book The Sea of Shadows is intended for both Storytellers and players, and has information about the Tempest, it’s original purpose and how it became twisted; the geography of the Underworld and its relation to the Umbra; Nhils; Spectres; Harrowings; Artifacts; pregen ST characters and an adventure. While parts of the book should be reserved for the ST, much of the information contained within can be given to players who have traversed the Tempest or who have survived a Harrowing. quote:“Since players are players, they will probably voraciously read the book and memorize everything in it. It is suggested that the Storyteller use what is included within this book as a jumping-off point to create her own stories, Harrowings, Storyteller characters and Artifacts. Customizing material is one of the best ways to internalize the mood and setting. It leads to more exciting descriptions and interactions. Besides, it’s hard to scare people when they already know what will happen” If you’re using the Sea of Shadows for an ongoing Chronicle, ST’s may want to use the information to do a few different things: moving the players out of the Shadowlands and into other areas of the Underworld (or vice versa), manufacturing more fiendish Harrowings (a new method is introduced in Chapter 3), familiarize players with ways of crossing the Tempest, as well as introducing new enemies who can appear and escape back into its depths. quote:“Players may (with Storyteller permission) read through the various sections for ideas on personality, Passions, relics, Artifacts or Fetters.” Players may want to know, or know of the provided ST characters, a particular realm, a special Artifact, or rumored ways of crossing the Tempest. This could give the story more depth and reality, while also heightening the fear the players might feel. After all, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially in Wraith. Theme Terrifying. The Sea of Shadows is the personification of the unknown which can sweep players away or trap them as near-mindless servants of Oblivion, doomed to spend eternity corrupting and destroying others. The other theme is confrontation: the confrontation of the unknown, confrontation of the Spectres that haunt the Sunless Sea and most importantly, confrontation of the self. Ultimately, the Tempest is only a staging area where a Wraiths light and dark sides do battle, and each trip through it is a journey of self-exploration and confrontation of all that is most foul within oneself. Most times, a Wraith may keep to the safe path, traveling from one area to another without issue. But eventually, they must face that which holds the key to their innermost soul, their own unconscious, their Shadow. Recognizing and overcoming one's base urges will lead to a culmination of the journey and allows for the Wraith to emerge from the Tempest safely once again, for a time. Those who fall to their Shadow’s tricks must still confront their dissolution as they are sucked into Oblivion and destroyed. Mood The Tempest is a realm of terror, a place where anything can happen, and ultimately the Wraith must confront their worst fears and either survive or be destroyed. Anything can happen in the Tempest, and the stakes are staggeringly high. Because there are so many possibilities inherent to the Tempest, there is no singular mood. The underlying mood could be horror or terror, uncertainty, or anger, but these are juxtapositions to the normal, unthreatening, or beautiful. Bittersweet longing, unendurable sorrow or even confusion and desperation are also dominant moods, but so too can joy, relief and humor have their place in the Sea of Shadows. If the ST remembers the basic theme - confrontation, and the underlying mood, any other mood is possible.  Setting Numerous settings within the Tempest are detailed in this book, and the variety of these settings should show the possibilities of the Sea of Shadows. Ultimately, settings are only limited by the ST’s imagination, and the players desires and interests. Whether these realms are reality, a reflection of innermost desires, or simply fantasies will ultimately fall to each group to decide. Some groups will be more comfortable with stable realms that are the “Canonical” setting of Wraith, while others will enjoy topping each other with increasingly fantastical dream reflections. Others still will appreciate the inherent horror of playing out their Angst and Passions against a backdrop that is no more than a symbolic, physical representation of their unconscious minds. ST’s should feel free to change descriptions when players leave an area and return later, though certain elements and proportions should remain the same, so that the players do not become hopelessly lost, and to better reflect passing through minor Maelstroms or a change in the player character's beliefs. Information Within the Book Each chapter is based around a specific type of information. Chapter One focuses on the Tempest and its realms, as well as information on the byways and areas surrounding stable realms. Information on unstable realms, Nihils and other openings into and out of the Tempest, time and movement within the Tempest and the Underworld’s relation to the Umbra are all covered. Chapter Two focuses on Spectres, monsters, and other creatures of the Tempest, as well as Great Maelstroms, and the smaller Soul-Storms, and more information about the Ferrymen. Chapter Three is all about Harrowings, their original purpose, how and why they’ve changed, and optional new systems for running Harrowings, as well as details on how to make them more or less deadly. Chapter Four is an adventure through the Tempest that explores several locations, while the Appendix covers some Artifacts and new Arcanos.  Lexicon Anything that does not appear in this Lexicon is covered in the corebook lexicon. Most of these terms are used throughout the book and are defined more fully when discussed, but there are a few that I'll note for general clarification. Byways: Semi-permanent paths, roads, rails, and rivers that run through the Tempest and connect to the inner realms. Utilizing a byway is the safest method of crossing the Tempest. Channels: liquid byways, technically no different than a normal byway. Dark Umbra: Term for the Underworld used by Mages and Garou Hidden Ones: Displaced or dispossessed Wraiths who have nowhere else to go who form communities along the banks of the River of Death. Lost Souls: Those who have never had their Cauls removed or who removed their own Caul. They wander the Tempest. Nephwracks: Doppelgangers who have become so twisted that they are unable to pass for normal Wraiths. Nightmare Ride: Another name for Harrowing, occasionally use to describe especially long Harrowings Soul-Storms: Smaller Maelstroms that can twist both the mind and body of a Wraith Sunless Sea: Frequently used to describe the Tempest but refers to the sea between Stygia and the Far Shores.  There are two and a half pages of terms in this lexicon, but as I stated above, some of these deserve clarification, while most of the rest are detailed in later chapters. For an introduction, I think this chapter is good, and something that I want to draw attention to in this introduction is the mention of the Tempest being more of a mental thing and not actually a physical thing. This is an idea that gets touched on a bit in later chapters, suggesting that the entirety of the Underworld is all in the minds of Wraiths. On one hand, that may seem like a crazy, almost counterintuitive idea, but as I’ve rolled it around in my head, I actually really like the idea that the entirety of Wraith as a game is actually just the death dream, for lack of a better phrase, of a mortal who is dying, and that ultimately, reaching Transcendence or falling to Oblivion is actually the psyche coming to terms with its end and the death of the mortal. This of course begs the question about the bureaucracy of the Underworld, Spectres, Nihils, the whole nine yards, but, I would argue that if the Underworld as presented by Wraith is just the visions of a dying mind, especially of someone who exists within the World of Darkness, it’s not hard to imagine that such a person might imagine the twisted, horrifying bureaucratic nightmare that is Stygia and the Underworld. Of course, that does rob the setting a bit of its general spooky ghost vibes, and of course calls into question all kinds of other elements of the WoD setting and Wraith’s place within the greater WoD cosmology and supernatural ecosystem, so while it’s certainly an idea that I really like and feels like one more aspect of Wraith that elevates it above the other games, it’s an idea that unfortunately doesn’t fit within the crossover heavy aspect of the first and second editions of the WoD. But it’s an idea that’s fun to think about.  If I’m being completely honest, the first time I looked at this image I thought the dude was holding a guitar and was deeply confused as to why he was playing a guitar at a lake. On closer inspection, it’s a rifle.  Chapter One: Within the Soul-Dark Sea quote:“The Tempest is the vast, underworld ocean and unceasing storm that separates one realm from another in the land of the dead. Once it was but a placid sea o’er which we crossed, ferrying our charges whence they would go. The great sea spread outward from the mighty River of Death. We built our boats from the reeds which grew along the river and sailed up and down its length and across the Sunless Sea to the Far Shores, carrying countless souls to find their rest. Those days are no more. None among us now knows or remember what grave truths or foul lies caused the change. We only know, to our sorrow, its results” -From the Journal of Actemaeon, Ferryman The Geography of the Underworld  Direction and Distance quote:“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; In the Skinlands, we have dependable determinants of direction. Gravity provides us with “Up” and “Down” while the cardinal directions tell us where North, South, East and West are, and the sun provides us with a handy east-west directional focus even without a compass. Likewise, consensus has given us measurement, and even space and its great distances can be measured. Throw all that poo poo out the window because none of it matters in the Underworld. Gravity is not a constant, nor is direction. This, along with the Tempest itself, presents quite a problem for the Wraith who needs to get somewhere. Of course, the Underworld isn’t physically underground or inside the Earth as some might believe, but a “Hyperspace dimension superimposed over and contiguous to the real world.” The Shroud of course separates the Shadow and Skinlands from each other, though the Shadowlands do touch and overlap with the Skinlands. Below, or beside or behind the Shadowlands, is the rest of the Underworld, and entire uncharted worlds may exist within the Underworld, or other realms that have only been explored by Spectres. The known areas, however, are relatively close to the Shadowlands, or close to the surface of the Sunless Sea. quote:“That’s the problem with explaining where things are in the Underworld. There are many different interpretations, and all are correct.” To a certain degree, distance and direction are subjective in the Underworld, as each Wraith decides for themselves how far away something is and in which direction. Those using Argos find their way through the Tempest by going the “Right” way (assuming they were successful in their use of Argos), and in this context, “Right” can mean “The way everyone believes the place lies”, “The way I know”, “Where it was last time”, “The easiest way through”, ‘Where it was last time” or “Whatever works”. The first definition is the consensual one, and thus makes it possible for byways to exist. Or at least that’s what most Wraiths believe. In truth, byways change as much as the rest of the Underworld, but Ferrymen and those who travel them unconsciously adjust to compensate for the changes. Some, especially the Ferrymen, are aware of the dual nature of the Underworld, knowing that it is both a tangible place where Wraiths interact, and a subjective reality inside their own consciousness. This means that distance is as much a matter of symbolic struggle as it is a measurable quality. Location depends as much on the Wraith’s own choices as it does the chaotic nature of the Tempest. To some extent, it really doesn’t matter if Stygia is “Across” from the Far Shores, or below it or beside it or around it. Because Wraiths were mortals, they tend to think in distance and direction, so while describing the geography of the Underworld is therefore not entirely exact, distance and directional terms are used as they are familiar. quote:“During Harrowings and Maelstroms, of course, all bets are off.” Allow me to interject a moment. I complained a bit in my review of the corebook, or maybe in another Wraith review, that I did not completely understand the geography of the Underworld. This explanation of it being both a place and not a place doesn’t help all that much, however, presenting this view of the Underworld as being a somewhat amorphous “Place” reminds me a bit of how the Umbra and the Digital Web have been explained. The best way I’ve been able to visualize the whole thing since reading this book is that the Underworld is a bit like a dream, in that there are places and locations, but nothing is really as it seems or quite right. This also works with the interpretation of the Underworld just being the final synaptic firings of a dying mind. To put it mildly, it’s complicated. Time and Movement quote:“Time is subjective, and distance is relative in the Tempest.” Now you’re just trying to drive me crazy. The more functional solution when running journeys through the Tempest is simply “as long as it needs to.” If the game is focused on other things and the players are merely passing through the Tempest to a “real” encounter, then a brief description without incident (with an Argos roll of course) is likely your best bet. However, the journey is often half the fun, and if the ST has some encounters planned, then traveling through the Tempest will take much longer, and in some cases, it is necessary to know how long a journey through the Tempest will take. Provided are some general rules for judging the time and costs of movement through the Tempest, and as always, disregard these rules if they don’t work for you. quote:“This is an option to help deal with questions, not a series of hard and fast laws.” Swimming or Flying With either method, it usually takes one hour to move from one major realm to the next closest realm when using a major byway. For example, traveling from Stygia to the first Renegade outpost on the shores of the River of Death takes an hour, and from that outpost to the next, another hour. Using a minor or lesser-known byway takes three times as long to get from A to B. If a Wraith is not using a byway, then the journey takes 10x as long due to constant readjustment to the currents, winds, and other problems inherent to traveling the Tempest. The times presented below are considered “Standard” (see Orienteering, p.140 in the core), and can be altered with exceptionally good rolls on Orienteering, or by using Flicker. Journey_____Time Stygia to Far Shores___2 Weeks Stygia to Labyrinth____1 Week Stygia to nearest Necropolis Port___2 hours One Far Shore to another Far Shore___1 hour Travel times are for traveling within the Tempest, from place to place and realm to realm. These times are not indicative of travel within a realm, Necropolis, Shadowlands or when visiting a Fetter. Remember, that when a Wraith is taken for a Harrowing, it is instantaneous.  Relic and Artifact Vehicles Vehicles supply a way for multiple Wraiths to travel together through the Tempest, and they can vary from the Ferrymen’s reed boats to Artifacts like Stygian trains and cruisers or relic motorboats and trucks. Generally speaking, the differences in vehicle types breaks down like this: Stygian Vehicles are Artifacts made of Stygian metal and can harm/kill Wraiths struck by them. They are generally steered by a Wraith with a high Argos and carry many Wraiths, with many being military vehicles. Aside from the Pathos used to power the Argos, no other “fuel” is needed for these machines. The Ferrymen’s Boats are magical Artifacts that are capable of strange feats and appearance changes, but only Ferrymen can steer their boats to avoid the major troubles of the Tempest. While others can steer in an emergency, only the Ferrymen know how to power these inherently magical crafts. Relic Vehicles are typically smaller and must be powered with Pathos. A Wraith with Argos must drive the vehicle and spend the normal amount of Pathos to activate the Arcanos. The vehicle then requires Pathos as fuel, so when starting out and for every six hours of travel time after, someone on board must use a Pathos to power the vehicle. If no one spends Pathos, the vehicle simply comes to a stop. Standard travel time is half that of swimming/flying, and it is rumored that Stygian crafts are capable of extra speed when needed or even jumping from one area of the Tempest to another, though how exactly this is done is not known. Ferrymen ships are also capable of reaching their destinations in moments if the Ferryman chooses. Spectre ships are believed to be powered by Angst instead of Pathos and are said to be shockingly quick when pursuing Wraiths. Okay, so if I’m remembering correctly, technically, the Midnight Express would be considered a Relic vehicle, as Relics are items that have crossed over from the Skinlands into the Shadowlands, however, it is run by a Ferryman, and as noted above, Ferrymen ships can change shape, so I suppose the Express could in that case be considered a Ferrymen ship, even though it's a train. Maelstroms and Travel Maelstroms are faster than any vehicle in the Underworld, except for the Ferrymen’s boats. When caught in a Maelstrom, a Wraith’s only choice is to ride it out, as it is near impossible to get to the Shadowlands from the Tempest or realm when a Maelstrom is building or active. It is, however, possible to enter the Shadowlands via Nihil during a Maelstrom, but they are typically blocked by the swarming Spectres. Legend says that there are portals to the Shadowlands deep within the Labyrinth itself, but these too are swarming with Spectres.  If you’re trying to ride out a Maelstrom, heading for open sea is a way to avoid the worst of the storm, though the open sea is likely to have many smaller Maelstroms due to the intensity of the main Maelstrom, but there is a greater chance of survival compared to facing a Maelstrom in a realm or the Shadowlands. Byways often become impassable during Maelstroms, and those that aren’t blocked are usually broken somewhere along their path. When reaching a break in a byway, the wraith must get their bearings to figure out which direction to go, rolling their Argos again, and treating travel time as if they are not on a byway until they can find their original path. The time should be 10 hours minus the Wraiths Perception + Investigation score. Example: JooJoo comes to a break in the byway he’s traveling, rolls Perception + Argos for Orienteering, and gains 3 successes, so he’s working under normal travel time. Then he subtracts his Perception + Investigation (5 dice) from 10, meaning he must search for 5 hours before he finds the byway again. Basically, it takes 5 hours to cover the same distance that would have taken 30 minutes to cover while on a byway. Places in the Tempest quote:“We must be still and still moving Part sea, part storm and part desolation, the Tempest is the largest element of the Underworld, and much like outer space, the Tempest holds realms upon realms. While usually imagined as a vast, murky ocean, the Tempest is as much a storm as it is a sea. In some places, the Tempest becomes land-like, but even in these areas, the fury of the storm is felt in the stinging winds and the stench of Moliated or smelted souls, and the whipping, black rain that sometimes turns to acid, wounds, and scars Wraiths unlucky enough to be caught in it. Wraiths can travel the Tempest by walking, driving, sailing, floating, or flying, so long as they have the necessary Arcanos, Artifacts or Relic vehicles, though the byways remain the best method of crossing the Tempest. The Ferrymen’s boats are the most well-known method of trying to cross the Tempest, while Stygia has its ships of Stygian metal, as well as railroads. Some Wraiths have Relic vehicles and boats, ranging from ancient chariots to modern motorcycles and RV’s. Those who lack such vehicles or lack Argos can only float aimlessly, at the mercy of the currents, and require a point of Pathos to change direction. Those with Argos however may choose the quickest and easiest path to their destination, typically via byway. While floating through the Tempest is possible, as previously stated, the Wraith who does so is at the mercy of the currents, as well as easy prey for Spectres. The Known Underworld  A Word on Nomenclature While the terms “Sea of Shadows” and “Sunless Sea” are used to describe the Tempest (and have been several times in this book already), they are not synonymous. Technically speaking, the Tempest lies between the Shadowlands and the rest of the Underworld, while also surrounding the inner realms. It was once simply known as The Darkness. The Sea of Shadows refers to the area immediately surrounding the Labyrinth and is a literal ocean of Spectres. The Sunless Sea is a sea at the terminus of the River of Death and forms a barrier between the Isle of Sorrows (where Stygia is built) and the Far Shores, and prior to the Second Great Maelstrom, the Sunless Sea was placid, but now it has become a place of chaotic currents and great beasts. quote:“Despite the fact that they were originally separate, the three have become linked and the Tempest has become so strong that calling it by the other names, while technically inaccurate, is still correct.” Ah yes, Technically Incorrect, the best kind of incorrect. Also, probably a partial source of my confusion about the Tempest in general and the geography of the Underworld because we’re just using names for places interchangeably. The Sunless Sea Once a quiet ocean fed by the River of Death, those who sought the Far Shores could travel without issue, but now it is a wild and dangerous place, and rumors suggest that Renegade enclaves and secret Heretic temples are hidden away in the reaches of the Sunless Sea. It’s possible that the dark waters hide many secrets, as the only light sources are those brought by travelers or those of island inhabitants. The dark waters reflect whatever light shines on it, while the sky above is velvet darkness, and the lights of ships or islands can be seen from miles away. Soul-Pirates, employed by the various Far Shores have reportedly perfected a darklight which can supply illumination up to 50 miles without being seen. Near Stygia, the Sunless Sea intermingles with the Sea of Souls, and there are two tides every “day” in the Sunless Sea that Stygia tracks through a system of water clocks. The Sea of Souls - Stygia When Charon found the Isle of Sorrows, the Sea of Souls and the Sunless Sea were essentially the same. Following the near destruction of Stygia following the First Great Maelstrom, Charon ordered a seawall be built around the Isle to protect from future storms. This seawall is made of melted down Wraith plasm and Stygian steel and iron, while the Sea of Souls presses upon and encompasses the seawall. The seawall is a bulwark against Maelstroms not only by being a physical barrier, but because it is made of enthralled souls, it is also a spiritual barrier, as the belief of the bound souls act as a barrier against the emptiness of Oblivion. The Sea of Souls is quite literally just that, a sea of souls, as those who are not part of the wall are chained in place, ebbing, and flowing with the tides of the Sunless Sea. These poor souls Corpuses have become liquid in their consistency, allowing them to slide and tumble over each other. The cries and moans echo across the Sunless Sea, sounding almost like gulls. The lights that delineate the perimeter of Stygia shine on the Sea of Souls, illuminating the wretched and twisted faces of the Thralls trapped in an agonizing, unending existence, and the Stygian ships that patrol regularly cut through and crush the souls on the surface as they move. Renegade raids on Stygia occasionally result in some of the outermost souls being cut free and stolen, and because these souls are little more than Drones, they usually serve as slaves or goods to be traded by the Renegades, as freeing them would only feed Oblivion. With Stygia outgrowing its original boundaries, the wall and the Sea of Souls have been pushed further out to compensate. Some claim that the Sea of Souls is where newborns gain their souls, and that it corresponds to the Hebrew Well of Souls. This is highly unlikely, as the souls that make up the sea are Drones and such souls would give little spark to a new life. Then again, considering the world as it is, and that more and more children are being born without conscience or creativity and with only a desire to kill and corrupt, it might not be so far-fetched to believe that they were the recipient of one of these deadened souls. The Weeping Bay is the most well-known part of the Sea of Souls, a half-moon shaped bay that serves as a docking port for Stygia, during the Fifth Great Maelstrom, when the monstrous Malfean rose, it was in the Weeping Bay that Charon fought the beast before both were consumed by a whirlpool. It takes its name from the constant weeping and sobbing, and some claim that while the souls here may have wept long before Charon’s final stand, they now weep for the loss of Charon. The Sea of Shadows The Sea of Shadows encircles the Labyrinth that forms the heart of Oblivion at the center of the Underworld (if such a thing as “center” can exist in a place where direction is essentially meaningless) and holds thousands upon thousands of near mindless Spectres. These Labyrinth Shades prevent entry into the Void to anyone not ready for dissolution. Appropriately, those souls who have lost the will to continue existing seem to find themselves guided to the Sea of Shadows as if pulled along a path towards the heart of the Labyrinth, where they are either swallowed by Oblivion or changed into Spectres. Even for a place as depressing as the Underworld, the Sea of Shadows stands above as the most depressing place around, a place where the darkness is a solid, oppressive force that bears down on a Wraith, robbing them of feelings of comfort and hope, twisting them into anguish and despair. The only light that functions in the Sea of Shadows is balefire, and all other lights, no matter how magical or pure of origin, will fail and die before the power of Oblivion, and no heat or warmth exist in this place. At the center of the sea is the Labyrinth, a great spiraling maw that opens into Oblivion, and this physical manifestation of nothingness is known as the Void. The Sea flows around and into the Labyrinth, but also originates within it, flowing upward and outward, and these opposing tides create a great whirlpool that sucks anything within, but not of the sea, into Oblivion. The Open Sea quote:“I reached a place where every light is muted, Separated from any realms and far out into the Tempest there is an area known as the Open Sea. Much like the oceans of the mortal world, its murky depths descend for miles and miles, potentially to distances that would better correspond to interstellar travel. None have returned from journeys into the depths to report what they have found. The Open Sea is both the most stable and most chaotic area of the Tempest. At times it is like the oceans of the Skinlands, gentle swelling waves with no land in sight and a pale, hazy gray vault that passes for a sky. Channels through this area follow the paths of least resistance to the waves, bending to the current. Occasionally, the gray overcast recedes to reveal the deep blackness overhead, marked with thousands of tiny points of light. These are not stars, rather they are Nihils seen from below. Naturally, the Open Sea does not remain calm for long, as it roils in choppy waves or deep troughs from the many smaller Maelstroms sucked up by the Labyrinth. At times you can look up and see black ichor pouring down from the Nihils above, as they siphon energy from the Shadowlands to feed Oblivion. Wraiths foolish enough to try and swim the Open Sea are likely to take damage from the freezing winds and crosscurrents, while those in vessels run the risk of their ships being destroyed, though these sorts of occurrences typically only happen once every ten to fifteen times a Wraith passes through the area. When this occurs, a Wraith who is using Argos must roll their Argos rating against a difficulty of 8. If a group of Wraiths are being led through by a single Wraith with Argos, they must make the roll to figure out the fate of the group, and a single success is enough to negotiate the winds and waters. If the roll is botched, any craft the Wraiths were in is immediately destroyed. If the Wraiths are swimming, they suffer six levels of damage per turn, which can be soaked as normal. If any Wraith, except the one using Argos, loses all levels of Corpus, they are dragged off to a Harrowing. If the Argos user loses all their Corpus, then the entire group gets dragged off for Harrowing, where they are subjected to the rare group Harrowing. Soul-Storms  Smaller Maelstroms are known as Soul-Storms, and can look like waterspouts, small hurricanes, or even violent thunderstorms. When they pass over a Wraith, the Wraith is changed in some way, with the physical storm being capable of flaying the Corpus off a Wraith, weakening them, and leaving them susceptible to future harm. Mental Soul-Storms corrupt the mind, twisting memories and causing Angst. Corruption storms can Moliate a Wraith, changing their appearance and form into some new, horrific shape. Items and objects can also be changed by these storms. Boats can become twisted sculptures (that then sink) or a line of trees on an island becomes a fence of massive teeth. There is also no guarantee that a Wraith who is Moliated by a Soul-Storm will still be capable of movement, as they could, for instance, be turned into an anchor then left to sink into the lightless abyss. When a Soul-Storm passes over a Wraith, the ST must decide the nature of the storm, either Physical, Mental or Corruptive. Physical storms target one of the Wraith’s physical Attributes, and cause an Attribute roll at difficulty 8, with two successes needed. Success means the character has overcome the storm and regains two points of Willpower (if they were previously spent). Failure means that one point of the targeted Attribute is lost. If the targeted Attribute was 1 dot, then another Attribute can suffer the loss instead. Botching not only causes a loss of a point, but also triggers a second roll against a different physical Attribute. Mental storms function the same, however, they target mental Attributes and on a success the character gains two points of Pathos. Failure is the same, however, botching removes the point and cuts the character’s Pathos in half. If they only have one point of Pathos, then they gain two temporary Angst points. Corruption storms work as the earlier two, except targeting Social Attributes. On a success, the character regains two points of Corpus, while failure causes a loss of 1-10 points of Corpus that can be soaked. If all Corpus is lost, the character is dragged into the Labyrinth for a Harrowing. Botching the roll causes a loss of one point in a Social Attribute and the character has been Moliated, to which the ST decides how the new form reflects the inner nature of the character. For example, a greedy character might be turned into a pig, while a caring and protective character might take on the appearance of an angel. The change is not necessarily bad, though it should cause the characters some difficulty in either dealing with others or just adjusting to their new form. If you’re wondering exactly how many points of Corpus the player is supposed to lose on failed Corruption storm roll, I don’t know, it doesn’t explain that, just that it’s between 1-10. Roll a single die I suppose? The River of Death “Alas! that Charon fell to his own pride, proclaiming himself emperor. We could not tolerate him as overlord when he clearly no longer had control of his own Shadow. Those who were his most beloved friends and helpers, he banished in his rage. We were no longer welcome in Stygia, but now must make our way alone through the Darkness. This we did by setting aside enclaves in which to shelter ourselves along the River of Death; hidden places where we could return for shelter from the Maelstroms.” From the Journal of Actemaeon, Ferryman The River of Death winds throughout the Tempest, and while its origins are lost to time, there are numerous theories that suggest it was formed by the Lady of Fate’s tears, or woven from raindrops, or from the thousands of tears shed for the departed, or from the dead themselves when they saw the lands they were now consigned. Charon explored the river in a reed boat woven for him by the Lady of Fate, and it was from the River that he discovered the Sunless Sea and the Isle of Sorrows where he would build Stygia. Because the River touches nearly every area of the Tempest, it is a major byway, and the only byway that has never been cut or destroyed by the Tempest’s storms. Despite the dangers that lurk on its shores, the River is the most dependable byway for navigating the Tempest. Communities of Renegades, Heretics and independents have formed secret communities along the River, and occasionally attack those who get too close, either to silence them, steal their relics or take the hapless visitors as prisoners to be sold into thralldom. Spectres also use the River as an easy means of reaching inhabited realms. Because of this, the Hierarchy has begun patrolling the River to keep these various elements from controlling the River. There are parts of the River that have been hidden from Hierarchy view by the Ferrymen, but to what ends, only the Ferrymen know. Channels and Byways Channels and Byways are, technically, the same thing, as they both refer to roads or trails that pass through the Tempest along preset paths. The only real difference is that “Channels” refer to watery byways. “Byways” in the strictest definition refers to the paths that pass over land or bridge gaps in the darkness with solidity. Sometimes a byway becomes a channel, or a channel is broken by a byway. The River of Death itself cuts through land and is marshy along most of its length. Byways (in the broadest sense) have a distinctive look and feel than the rest of the Tempest. Some have an unusual color than their surroundings, or are less blocked by weeds, while some look like actual roads or rail lines that stretch off into darkness, others are gently lapping water that flows in a specific direction among choppy waves. Byways also exude a peacefulness, and nearly all of them lead to Stygia. Nearer to Stygia, iron rails carry trains and deep channels serve the cruisers. Further from Stygia however, byways and channels become little more than faint trails. Vehicles and Travel Relic cars and trucks are confined to the more solid byways, while ships and rafts require watery terrain to pass (obviously). Byways in various areas have both forms of route, sometimes side by side, sometimes diverging in radically different directions, but ultimately each arriving at the same destination. There is some space for interpretation as to the solidity of a byway, as mud can be both solid and liquid depending on consistency. A relic vehicle might sink a few feet into mud and then touch solid ground and begin moving again, while a rainbow bridge or cloud could be perfectly solid. Some byways are roads that cross watery channels with drawbridges. ST’s should feel free to get as creative as they like with byways and channels. After all, a car could travel on the underside of a bridge or up a wall in some areas. Gravity tends to be a bit wonky after all. Flying vehicles can still do so in the Underworld, so long as the pilot has Phantom Wings (Argos 2) and the skills to do so (piloting) and can pass through cloud or rainbow bridges that might otherwise be solid for ground vehicles, but flying vehicles cannot pass through roadways, grasslands, water, or mud. Next: More about the Tempest!
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Oct 31, 2023 22:40
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FWIW, in the context of Eberron, Baker is on record specifically saying vampires are Evil because Evil == selfishness, and the act of being turned into a vampire stops people from being able to feel empathy and gives them intense predator instincts, turning them into blood-sucking sociopaths even if they have the moral fibre and mental fortitude to not act on those instincts. There are heroic vampires (especially in the Blood of Vol), but they're still cosmologically Evil for that reason. e; the BoV also prefers to turn their bodhisattvas into mummies instead of vampires, because they don't have these problems. Lemon-Lime fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Oct 31, 2023 |
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Oct 31, 2023 23:14
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Also, the funniest reason that Were-beasts stopped being a big deal is because of the edition change, because originally, being a werewolf or werebear actually overwrote your original personality.
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Oct 31, 2023 23:55
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Capfalcon posted:Also, the funniest reason that Were-beasts stopped being a big deal is because of the edition change, because originally, being a werewolf or werebear actually overwrote your original personality. I remember reading somewhere that werebears used to be inherently lawful good; they turned into a bear and ran off to do lawful good things (people joke that this probably involved fighting forest fires) every full moon, or something like that. Is that correct?
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Oct 31, 2023 23:59
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Capfalcon posted:Also, the funniest reason that Were-beasts stopped being a big deal is because of the edition change, because originally, being a werewolf or werebear actually overwrote your original personality. I think that’s still the case if you give into the curse, giving in allows you to shape change at will and grants the cool powers at the cost of your personality shifting. If you don’t give in the cool powers only come during the full moon and you go on a rampage, but keep your personality.
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Nov 1, 2023 00:13
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Silver2195 posted:I remember reading somewhere that werebears used to be inherently lawful good; they turned into a bear and ran off to do lawful good things (people joke that this probably involved fighting forest fires) every full moon, or something like that. Is that correct? I think they were chaotic good.
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Nov 1, 2023 00:33
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Silver2195 posted:I remember reading somewhere that werebears used to be inherently lawful good; they turned into a bear and ran off to do lawful good things (people joke that this probably involved fighting forest fires) every full moon, or something like that. Is that correct? Basically, but it also made them reclusive and unwilling to bite people due to the moral questions involved with it. MonsterEnvy posted:I think that’s still the case if you give into the curse, giving in allows you to shape change at will and grants the cool powers at the cost of your personality shifting. If you don’t give in the cool powers only come during the full moon and you go on a rampage, but keep your personality. If I remember correctly, you had to make a will save every full moon to not shift one step to the alignment of your affliction. And Eberron has 12 moons, so...
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Nov 1, 2023 00:36
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 Part Eleven: Nations, Five, Vol. 2 - Vampire Screw it, it's Halloween, let's talk about vampires!  Karrnath Karrnath’s primary vibe is German, specifically late Prussian through not-quite-post-Great-War Germany. There are some other central and Eastern European bits shaken in, mostly via popular fiction such as Dracula. Yet above all else, when you look at Karrnath you are supposed to think of iron and blood. Situated in the northeast of Khorvaire, Karrnath has the potential to be a natural idyll to rival Aundair and the Eldeen Reaches… if only the climate was more cooperative. The plains are fertile and the forests are lush and rich, but summer is short and hot and winter is long and harsh. Storms roll in off of Scions Sound to the west during summer and polar currents sweep down across the Bitter Sea to the north in winter. The twin mountain ranges of the Mror Holds to the east shield Karrnath from the tempestuous Lhazaar Sea, at least. This might explain the Karrns’ historically martial bent, given how insecure farming at home has been. Famine plagued the nation during the War, along with more literal plagues. Karrn and Galifar had a lot of hometown support in their respective campaigns and I imagine a big reason was the promise of farmland with an actual growing season. In addition, the Mror Holds to the east meant ready dealings with the dwarves who would probably also benefit from well-fed neighbors with surplus to trade. As a result, the Karrnathi have always been the best armed and armored of the human realms of Khorvaire. Unsurprisingly, this makes the Fighter their national character class. That obviously covers iron. And blood? Sometimes in the same sense as Bismarck meant - blood spilled in battle - but more prominently in the present day, it is about necromancy. Necromancy, the Blood of Vol, and King Kaius III’s deadly secret. What Is a King? Though the War is over, the people of Karrnath have yet to return fully to peace. Ostensibly the realm follows the Galifar Code of Justice as the other Five do. Much of the active army has been stood down and Kaius is the most strident and driven voice for peace in this post-War age. However, martial law has yet to be rescinded - the Galifar Code has been superseded by the Code of Kaius and military police still patrol the roads, backed up by the infamous Karrnathi skeleton and zombie soldiers. The feudal structure of Karrnath reflects this state of affairs as well. It is a military state where the extended royal family acts as an organizing bureaucracy, keeping a stranglehold on logistics. The high nobility comprises the officer corps of the state, with “warlord” a formal title conferred by the crown. Even there, royal cousins and appointees manage key elements of the war machine to make sure no over-ambitious warlord can raise an army against the throne. Such measures are seen as even more necessary than ever before, as some are dissatisfied with this age of peace after many grew up knowing only war. Military service is compulsory in Karrnath, but this has had the effect of putting the masses on Kaius’s side despite the cruel strictures of martial law. They were the ones who suffered during the war more than any warlord ever would. The Karrnathi people are not just German, they are very stereotypically German. The War was hard on a people already used to hard times. Their most populous cities in the mildest southwest climes were uncomfortably close to the front lines of the War, including the capital of Korth. They are prideful and dour, convinced of their national superiority. An uncomfortable number would unironically parrot the, “Hard times make hard men,” bullshit. Many accept Kaius III’s continuing harsh rule because, at least in comparison, it is stable. In the real world, Berlin post-War was a vibrant city that produced countless works of art, numerous advances in the humanities and sciences. It hosted the Institute for Sexology that did some of the earliest major modern research into sexuality and gender - one of the most infamous book-burning photos is of the Institute’s research into and advocacy for transgender people. Albert Einstein did some of his most famous work living in Berlin. Korth is not Berlin. This is a mixed blessing for Karrnath, and for Khorvaire in general. Berlin was also a hotbed of political conflict during the rise of fascism, including street fights and murders. Meanwhile, Korth is just as grim and serious as the rest of the nation. Nationalism is powerful in Karrnath, but at the same time the people are not radicalizing the same way as happened in Weimar Germany. The closest thing to a nationalist fascist movement is firmly underground as Kaius is not prone to Hindenburg’s mistakes. He’s kind of a what-if character, “what if Kaiser Wilhelm II had Bismarck’s steel and determination.” And was also a motherfucking Dracula. King Kaius III is an interesting figure. All of the rulers of the Five are, really, though mostly in the negative space implied in their descriptions. Which you as the DM are supposed to color in, to help reckon with the conflicting details about them and their realms. Kaius gets enough said about him that you don’t have to do quite as much. It makes him a less flexible character to write your own interpretations around, but it also means he has a more solid core to play off of. Kaius III is actually Kaius ir’Wynarn I, son of Jarot and one of those responsible for instigating the Last War when he refused to support his sister Mishann’s claim to the throne. The War turned against Karrnath relatively early as, while they hosted the prestigious Rekkenmark military academy, they didn’t have the numbers to field an army that could stand against the other Five. Famine and plague. In suspiciously convenient timing, priests from a secret faith calling itself the Blood of Vol came to court and promised powerful aid. They knew much of necromancy and worked with Kaius’s wizards to produce zombie and skeleton warriors a cut above the usual mindless monsters animated by such magic.  They were a disturbing miracle to the desperate nation, and a terror against Karrnath’s foes on the battlefield. Alongside these soldiers came an elite cadre of knights who would become Kaius’s most dangerous agents (and later foes), the Order of the Emerald Claw. The Order were not just warriors but also spies and terrorists. They were a Karrnathi fragment of Vol’s overall secret network of agents and followers across Khorvaire, now able to act openly at home while taking advantage of their religious brethren to sow discord in other nations. They saw themselves as particularly special in both faith and country, melding them into a fanatical and mystical approach to Karrnathi supremacy. In exchange, the Blood was allowed to come out into the open in Karrnath. The King even attended services of what had until then been a fringe peasant faith. And then Vol came to Kaius with another demand in exchange for her cult’s help. This time, he would attend the Sacrament of Blood with her personally presiding. He came out of it with a new fondness for late nights and red, red… wine. When Kaius refused to submit even further, Vol used her powers to reduce him to a bestial bloodlust. He came back to himself standing over his wife’s bled-dry corpse. Overcome by shame and rage, Kaius disappeared, leaving his eldest son Kaius II in charge. Exactly what the vampire king got up to in the following decades is unknown, but late in the War he returned in secret and saw an opportunity. His grandson King Jaron died young and Jaron’s heir Kaius III was just a child. Jaron’s sister Moranna took over as regent until Kaius III’s 20th birthday, at which time the reclusive young king took the throne. If he looked older than his 20 years, why, the War was rough on everyone and all knew that royal worries could age even a young man prematurely. Many comment on how strong a resemblance he has to… well, to himself, or at least portraits of himself. What exactly happened to the real Kaius III, nobody knows except Kaius I and Moranna. (There are hints that he may be in the deepest, darkest cell of Dreadhold, Khorvaire’s own Chateau d’Alcatraz.) The regent has been the vampire king’s thrall during much of her reign, making sure everything was ready for his return. Kaius uses several secret magic items to help hide his nature. And probably hair dye - official art shows him gone nearly totally gray.  Maybe contact lenses as well. Kaius is, as a ruler, hard and uncompromising. He is a man willing to disappear and possibly murder his own descendants to achieve his goals. While not every measure is acceptable to him as long as he desires the end result, most are. How much of this came from turning into a literal predator, well, who knows? He’d already instituted the Code of Kaius before he was turned, after all, and that code includes summary execution as an acceptable punishment. Yet Kaius also has his principles. He has his goals. He has things he wants, and above all else what he wants is to secure and protect Karrnath. He realized his pact with Vol was a devil’s bargain not just for himself but for his nation. He made that pact because to do otherwise was to see his people submit to invading armies. Now as Kaius III he has distanced the crown from the Blood of Vol, though permitted it to remain active among the people. He has also outlawed the Emerald Claw, knowing personally what dangerous fanatics they are. He was the first to call for peace - true peace - upon retaking the throne, and pushed hardest of anyone to get the Treaty of Thronehold signed. He has traded royal relatives with Boranel, sending the real Kaius III’s brother Gaius to Thrane and sister Haydith to the Breland royal court while taking in two of Boranel’s numerous offspring as hostage-guests. Despite vicious conflict with Aundair and Thrane during the War, he makes frequent gestures of friendship to the other nations. He has gone to the Talenta Plains as an ally instead of as a conqueror. New trade agreements ensure his people are no longer starving, and can again afford to produce and sell their own luxuries - Nightwood ale is in such demand across the Five after a century without it that House Deneith guards accompany every shipment outside of the country. The Neutral Evil vampire king might be the best possible thing for his country right now. There’s a lot that’s bad but he’s holding things together and has told the not-Nazis to gently caress off. The Emerald Claw still has their supporters but they’re firmly an underground movement now and not lining up one of their boys for chancellor. Despite his genuine harshness, in his personal life Kaius is a surprisingly loving and gentle man. His despair over the death of his first wife was genuine, they were a rare love match that I imagine may have inspired later headstrong nobles and royals like Boranel. His current wife is a former ambassador from Aerenal, an elven lady named Etrigani who fell in love and married him even after learning his secrets. A relationship that was probably justified to his people by appeals to headstrong nobles and royals like Boranel. He also keeps a harem of men and women both, a group of Vol cultists whose loyalty he won over their distant lich mistress. Kaius feeds exclusively from his harem and is always careful to take only lightly and infrequently from any individual person. Between his political power and vampiric abilities, he could easily get away with periodically devouring some hapless peasant if he wanted to, but he doesn’t want to. This harem’s purpose is a secret, by the by, but its existence isn’t. And it is stated to be his harem, despite his wife having access to it. The men there are not eunuch servants or guards, either - that’s what Kaius’s loyal warforged guard Beauty is for. It is apparently just taken as given in “dour, untrusting” Karrnath that the king is bisexual and, hell, who even cares? Even if they’re wrong about that… gently caress yeah. It’s still the people seeing it as normal.  Y’all, I think I love Kaius. He’s a terrible person but a fun character. He manages to be diametrically opposed to both Aurala and Boranel in a lot of very important ways, while still being a reasonable ally and antagonist to the both of them. His own government is also a powder keg waiting to go off, as plenty of warlords wish to put the “war” back into their titles but don’t have the means to do so - yet. Deutsche Marks As elsewhere, all of the Marked Houses have some kind of business presence in Karrnath. House Ghallanda is the largest single purchaser of Karrnathi meat, dairy products, and ale to serve in their inns and restaurants across Khorvaire, and Orien handles most of the shipping with cooled wagons and rail carriages. Houses Jorasco and Deneith both place their headquarters in Karrnath as well. Jorasco because of its proximity to their homeland of the Talenta Plains, and Deneith because of their relationship to the Karrnathi martial tradition. Deneith’s Sentinel Tower is in the city of Karrlakton, right on the border with Cyre. They remained meticulously neutral with all the nations through the War, taking mercenary contracts without bias but also serving as international lawmen who could chase criminals across borders without causing an incident. Now they are an important presence in case anything monstrous comes out of the Mournland, especially as Sentinel Tower is the tallest building in the city. Adventure! The book notes bluntly that Karrnath is not a great place for adventurers to “thrive.” It’s fairly peaceful internally, but only thanks to strict martial law. The Karrnath Royal Swords patrol the nation’s roads and have the right to condemn criminals (or “criminals”) to hard labor or even death on the spot. The army may be stood down, but the Ministry of the Dead always has need for more materials for the zombie and skeleton companies. However, the strict nature of Karrnathi society also puts adventurers even closer to the King than most anywhere else. Between various sub rosa power struggles and his own personal secrets, Kaius is unable to trust anyone around him except Etrigani, Moranna, and his harem. Kaius and his inner circle will always need deniable agents who aren’t beholden to anyone else, especially the Blood or the Claw. Most of his jobs are even unobjectionable. He usually wants people to help prevent some idiot from restarting a war, or to punch some fascists in the face. (Usually both at once.) A little maybe-consensual bloodsucking starts looking pretty forgivable. And it’s not like the real Kaius III would give a drat about you in return. It’s fine! Honest! Guillotines? A firm Maybe, second most likely behind Breland when Boranel kicks off. Kaius is popular with the masses so any public revolution is unlikely to target him, at least at first. Even so, one of the biggest instigating factors of the French Revolution was famine, and Karrnath is particularly vulnerable to that. Less so now that the borders are open for trade once more, but not impossible. Kaius could probably ride it out personally, but his warlords and the extended royal family would get pruned pretty aggressively. Even more risky is the possibility that Kaius gets exposed as a vampire and a fake. The people of Karrnath have become inured to the idea of undead around them, but not necessarily to an immortal lord above them. Just enough would likely be put off by the revelation that the disloyal warlords could crystallize a rebellion around the news, and outside interests (especially Thrane) would help stir things up. An exposed Kaius could readily embrace terror tactics to cow resistance, and public decapitation is a dramatic and above all else bloody display that would play into the revelation. His opponents might take up such a tool as well - as the 3.5 Monster Manual notes, a popular tactic to permanently slay a vampire is to decapitate it and shove its mouth full of holy wafers or whatever your religion of choice’s equivalent is. That would make for quite a show in the town square when attempting to root out “royalist bloodsuckers.” Next time: Thrane and the Mournland disposablewords fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Nov 1, 2023 |
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Nov 1, 2023 00:37
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To me, Kaius sums up a lot of the appeal about Eberron. Yes, he's a self-interested bastard who will step over as many bodies as he has to in order to get what he wants and has probably done awful things to more than a few innocent people. But at the same time, he's a widely beloved king. You can't just stab him without the peasants turning their torches and pitchforks on you, and his death would more than likely plunge Karrnath into civil war with a very strong likelihood of putting someone just as bad if not worse on the throne. So what do you do about him, should yon adventurers discover his secrets? He's frankly not any worse than any other given high-ranking noble of the Five Nations you might find, even if his potential to do harm is much greater due to his sheer personal competence. But right now, his sheer pragmatic self-interest is genuinely leading to good things for Karrnath and for Khorvaire. Even if he's working for peace for selfish reasons, he's still working for peace. It's the same kind of note that Warhammer Fantasy hit with their vampires, and I think it's a good way to play them. Edit: Basically, any international summit of leaders in Khorvaire will look like this. 
Cythereal fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Nov 1, 2023 |
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Nov 1, 2023 01:04
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capncthulhu posted:I think they were chaotic good. Werebears were lawful good in 3.5. Capfalcon posted:Basically, but it also made them reclusive and unwilling to bite people due to the moral questions involved with it. Word of Then around 800YK all lycanthropes started turning evil and fell in with the dalkyr (it's theorized this has something to do with the missing 13th Xoriat moon) Which is why the purge happened. This 'curse' has passed but there aren't enough Lycanthropes around to build a quorum either way anymore.
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Nov 1, 2023 01:05
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That pic of Kaius gives fantastic Legacy of Kain vibes, to the point I imagine Simon Templeman doing his VO
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Nov 1, 2023 02:47
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Cythereal posted:To me, Kaius sums up a lot of the appeal about Eberron. He's perfectly paired with Queen Aurala, a Neutral Good aristocrat who wants a splendid little war to reunite the kingdom. Of course, she's not going to just roll the iron dice for the hell of it, but she knows everyone will be better off under her just and benevolent rule.
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Nov 1, 2023 02:49
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Gatto Grigio posted:That pic of Kaius gives fantastic Legacy of Kain vibes, to the point I imagine Simon Templeman doing his VO He gets described in the ECS as tall and thin with an intense gaze, and especially given the whole vampire thing, I was going to start talking about mentally casting him as Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing or any of those other tall and intimidating classic horror actors. Or for a less serious take on him, Nicolas Cage. Then I remembered the official art of him in Five Nations. But goddamn Simon Templeman voicing him would be just  I can even imagine him having a Kain-like rage at Vol and, more distantly, the Draconic Prophecy.
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Nov 1, 2023 03:26
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What if, one day, the coin lands on it's edge?
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Nov 1, 2023 03:36
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for a nice as everyone says Kaius is always remember he killed his grandson to take his place.
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Nov 1, 2023 03:39
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Kurieg posted:for a nice as everyone says Kaius is always remember he killed his grandson to take his place. hey, maybe the kid had bad vibes. we just don't know.
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Nov 1, 2023 04:06
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Mostly just trivia, but I’m reasonably confident that the reason we had good-aligned werebears was Tolkien’s Beornings.
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Nov 1, 2023 04:09
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Kurieg posted:for a nice as everyone says Kaius is always remember he killed his grandson to take his place. Isn't the fate of the Real Kaius III one of those "intentionally left ambiguous so the DM can write their own canon" things, like the cause of the Mournland? Mind you the most common explanation I've heard is, as previously stated, that he's locked up Man in the Iron Mask style in an offshore supermax prison. So yeah, dude's still kind of a dick.
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Nov 1, 2023 04:15
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So far as I know this side bar is the most elaboration Kaius III's fat ever got.
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Nov 1, 2023 04:52
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Terrible Opinions posted:So far as I know this side bar is the most elaboration Kaius III's fate ever got. VAE VICTUS!!!
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Nov 1, 2023 06:16
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Halloween Jack posted:Vampires and similar entities are a weird case, because vampires are often automatically Evil. This raises all sorts of questions about what happens to the soul of a good person who's forced to become evil, whether you can really be the same person you were before "but Evil," and so on. Van Richten's Guide to Vampires contains a story about a good guy who gets turned into a vampire and tries to remain good by acting as a guardian angel for his former village. Eventually, he starts asking for symbolic payment from the villagers - just to show their gratitude - and the whole thing gradually turns into a protection racket. When the villagers complain about the rising "protection" costs, the outraged vampire slays them for their ingratitude. Vampires who try to be good turn into self-righteous assholes, carrying out a cargo cult conception of goodness due to pride. Has anyone ever done the Van Richten's guides? I remember them being quite good.
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Nov 1, 2023 08:58
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SimonChris posted:Has anyone ever done the Van Richten's guides? I remember them being quite good. I do remember them fondly. Some of them aged better than others (Guide to the Vistani), but I thought they did an excellent job in setting up the overall tone of the setting. One neat thing the series did was present the in-character lore sectioned off from the mechanics. But occasionally the streams would cross, and Van Richten would randomly start going off about how the unique curse of Lord Mordred would give him a - 2 to his THAC0 or whatever.
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Nov 1, 2023 09:35
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Kurieg posted:for a nice as everyone says Kaius is always remember he killed his grandson to take his place. Well, yeah. He is a ruthless, predatory bastard. But right now, this selfish bastard genuinely wants peace and prosperity for his people, and to secure his grip on power. It so happens that all the likely threats to his power are even worse people than he is, and any likely replacement for him on the throne is probably going to be considerably worse. Kaius is evil, but he's intelligent, practical, and rules responsibly with a far-sighted vision (what that vision is, is up for the players and DM to decide) and understands that kings who are hated by the common people tend to not reign for long. Yes, he's doing these good things for selfish reasons, but he's still doing them. Contrast Boranel, who is so wrapped up with being a Heroic Adventurer King that he's let the actual civil government of Breland disintegrate, or Aurala who is preparing to do awful things for genuinely noble and well-intentioned reasons. Kaius will step over as many bodies as he needs to in order to get what he wants, and he probably won't feel an iota of shame or regret for it, but right now most of those bodies he needs six feet deep are 'Idiot who wants to restart the Last War' and 'death cultist who wants to turn everyone into zombies.'
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Nov 1, 2023 12:24
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He seems a bit Doctor Doomy
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Nov 1, 2023 14:25
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BORANEL: The Thorough Yet Gentle Laxative! (tm)
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Nov 1, 2023 14:33
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Joylessdivisons World of Dorkness Presents: The Sea of Shadows - World of Dorkness #16 Part 2 The Labyrinth The Labyrinth is an entrance into nothing, the mouth of Oblivion itself and a spiraling vortex at the center of the Tempest. A maze of twisting corridors and tunnels, chambers and endless stairways through the Tempest that emerges into dozens of inhabited realms and ultimately, the heart of Oblivion. These tunnels were burrowed from the Utter Darkness beneath the Shadowlands by Malfeans. What most Wraiths refer to as the Labyrinth is only the most visible part of this system of tunnels. The Venous Stair, from which Stygia mines the raw materials to forge Stygian steel, is one such opening to the Labyrinth, and sentries are posted at all such openings across the Underworld. Entire realms, more dark and horrible than Stygia or any of the other known realms (including the Hells), exist within the Labyrinth’s dark tunnels, and it is within the Labyrinth that Harrowings take place, as the material of the Labyrinth responds to the ministrations of Spectres, causing the Harrowed to confront vivid nightmares that the Spectres hope will drive the Wraith to Oblivion. The Labyrinth is at the center of the Tempest and surrounded by the Sea of Shadows, an ocean made of Spectres. There has never been an exact description of the Labyrinth, despite the story that Charon ventured into it via the Venous Stair and returned with the Artificer Nhudri. There is speculation that Charon did not experience the actual Labyrinth, and Nhudri sure as hell isn’t talking about it. Some claim that Charon once traveled the Shadowlands through the Labyrinth when all other byways were closed, which has some basis in truth, in as much as the Labyrinth is interconnected, as Spectres seem to have no issue traveling throughout the Underworld without issue. Some claim that the Labyrinth is made of the same pink marble as the Venous Stair, but no Wraith has ever descended into the maw of the Labyrinth that surrounds Oblivion and returned to tell the tale, so it is highly unlikely that anyone other than Spectres will ever know the truth. Transported to a Harrowing sidebar So, what happens when a Wraith is dumped into the nearest opening of the Labyrinth for a Harrowing? If they were in the Shadowlands, then they are surrounded by Spectres who have clustered around the nearest Nihil, dragging the Wraith down through the Nihil into the Tempest and into the Labyrinth. Imagine the swarm of shadows that pull the evil souls to their doom in the movie Ghost. If the Wraith is not in the Shadowlands, then there are two potential outcomes. If they are in a realm, the Wraith feels an inexorable pull into the Tempest, where a whirlpool of Spectres or a spectral staircase opens beneath (or above) them before being sucked into the Labyrinth. If the Wraith is traveling in the Tempest, then the Labyrinth simply opens under, above, beside or near the Wraith and draws them in along with the Spectres who live in that part of the Labyrinth. In this case, there is no real “Transportation” so much as they are sucked into or enveloped by a sort of wormhole effect. The Labyrinth, while at the heart of the Tempest, underlies or overlays, depending on who you ask, the whole of the Underworld. Openings to the Labyrinth can be found using Argos to pull aside the facade of solid ground or ocean waves to uncover the Oblivion below. Of course, doing such a thing is considered, in professional terms, Batshit Crazy. Nihils Literally openings into nothingness, they are the cracks in the Shadowlands that allow the Tempest to invade. When traveling the Tempest, Nihils appear like stars in the night sky, while others appear as large as railroad tunnels. They are not, however, convenient portals into the Tempest like most think they are. While they do fulfill that purpose at times, that is not their primary purpose. They are festering wounds in the fabric of the Shadowlands, sucking the energy from the Shadowlands into the Void, as well as an easy access point to the Shadowlands for Spectres, and giving Maelstroms an opening to unleash their fury upon the Shadowlands.  The Far Shores While it’s said that all byways lead to Stygia, there are more than a few that lead to the Far Shores. When the Shining Ones first sailed seeking the Far Shores, there were no byways or channels leading there, so the Shining Ones chose a direction and forged paths. With their return to Stygia and the building of temples on the shores, more paths to each “Afterlife” were formed. Of course, the question of whether the Far Shores lead to Transcendence or not is a highly contested matter between the Hierarchy and the Heretics. In one paradise, the Tempest is a gently falling rain of milk and honey that drops into a sea of honey-milk below, while surrounding one hell is a great wall of flame, fed by burning oil that forms the sea around it, while another realm is held within a sea of blood and rotting flesh. Each realm is more terrible or fantastically amazing than the next. The one trait they all share, however, is the growing number of Wraiths who spread outward from their shores, choking on piles of ash, drowning in seas of wine, all waiting to be processed by their heaven or hell. Wraiths who wander too close to the Far Shores should be wary of the proselytizers of the realms, as there are those that look to convert others to their beliefs, there are just as many who simply slavers, capturing Wraiths for the greater glory of their deity or as a bulwark against the Maelstroms. Necropolis Ports One of the few features of the Underworld that continues to work as intended, Necropolis ports are openings into the Shadowlands, situated along byways and channels. They appear as oval mirrors that hang in midair above the path. All ports are heavily guarded by the Hierarchy troops, Renegades or Heretics, depending on where the port leads and who the dominant group is. When using a port, movement from the Tempest into the Necropolis is much easier (granting an automatic success on the Argos roll), and unlike Nihils, ports can be sealed at any time to prevents Spectres or Maelstroms from passing through them The Dark Kingdom of Ivory Most Stygian Wraiths know little of the Dark Kingdoms, as they are separated from both Stygia and the Far Shores by vast ocean, as well as the whole falling out between Stygia and the Kingdoms. Reports of these Kingdoms from ambassadors who once traveled there for Stygia are fanciful and mostly inaccurate. The Dark Kingdom of Ivory is associated with Africa and ruled by the Ivory Queen. Legends say that those approaching the Kingdom of Ivory encounter twisted savannas and jungles, and tales are told of dark rivers overhung by snaking vines that wind through the land. Some claim there are strange monuments of bone that dot the landscape, and that drums reverberate through the air. Upriver, huts line the shore while vacant eyed, rotting corpses move about doing mundane tasks. Strange animal-human hybrids stalk the jungles and grasslands, preying on Wraiths they find. There are reports of a great city hidden at the heart of the kingdom, a city of ivory that is stained with the blood of millions. With the AIDs crisis, tribal warfare and famine decimating the continent, the Kingdom of Ivory is said to be dealing with a similar overcrowding and breakdown of systems that Stygia is. Maelstroms in the Kingdom of Ivory are said to appear as clouds of locus and stinging insects, destroying all in their path. The Dark Kingdom of Jade  The Dark Kingdom of Jade serves Asia, as the Ivory Kingdom serves Africa, and it is ruled over by the Jade Emperor, who rules with an iron grip, passing out rewards and punishment based entirely upon a Wraiths own belief and their generosity of gifts to the emperor. The kingdom is said to have many different areas within, some serving as paradises, others as hells and most simply repositories for the ever-increasing number of unprocessed souls. Tales speak of beautiful gardens where peacocks stroll and nightingales sing, places where Wraiths spend blissful existences dressed in costly fabrics and spending their time painting, gardening, or debating philosophy, theology, and politics. Other stories tell of Wraiths impaled on barbed hooks and chained above the emperor’s court so that the cries of anguish can lull him to sleep. Rumors suggest that those who find themselves treading through rice fields or jungles that do not seem African have likely stumbled into the Kingdom of Jade. When traveling by sea, arrival at a port with Jade barges or Junks heralds the same thing. Maelstroms in the Jade Kingdom are said to appear as great earthquakes or tsunami, while others appear as monsoons.  The Dark Kingdom of Obsidian Once, the Dark Kingdom of Obsidian served as the destination for the souls of the native Mayans and Aztecs, until Heretics traveled to the New World and invaded the Kingdom, eventually defeating the Wraiths of the Kingdom and casting them into the Void. This once mighty Kingdom of stepped pyramids and mighty monuments now stands abandoned. Some claim that a putrid green jungle growth has crawled over the structures, turning them into matted mounds and valleys, and that the only sounds are the distant screams and sighs, and that the only sign that this land is not a mirror realm of the Shadowlands are the streams of blood that ooze through the overgrown green. The Other Dark Kingdoms There are those that claim other Dark Kingdoms exist beyond those known. For example, China and India would be considered by most to be part of the Kingdom of Jade, despite both cultures being vastly different and distinct from each other, just as the Native Americans were distinct in their beliefs and cultures from the Incas and Aztecs. quote:“It would be grossly Eurocentric to believe that these rich and varied cultures had no representation in the Underworld; it is far more likely that European-based and non-Native American wraiths have simply failed to find or encounter them yet.” Well, that’s certainly one way of hand waving the glaring problem inherent to saying “The Dark Kingdom of Jade covers Asia” when you know, the region we refer to as Asia is loving massive and has many individual countries with their own beliefs and cultures. While it feels a little like a cop out, it’s also the most sensible explanation to the question of where Indigenous American, Indian, or even Vietnamese Wraiths would go instead of just lumping them into the Kingdom of Jade or the abandoned Obsidian Kingdom. The Gateway to the Umbra Some refer to the Underworld as the Lower or Dark Umbra, and it is believed that no one can cross over from the Middle or Deep Umbra into the Dark Umbra unless they are dead or filled with a great deal of Death energy (AKA: The Nephandi and Euthanatos). The reverse also holds true, that the Dead may not cross into other parts of the Umbra. Legends persist, however, of a gateway, or gateways, to the Middle Umbra somewhere in the Underworld. Some say that this thin membrane is somewhere in the Shadowlands and only becomes visible and tangible at certain times, like Halloween. Others believe that if such a gateway exists, it is beyond the Far Shores and may only be reached by those who have Transcended. Those who believe this claim that the gateway only opens for those ready to be reincarnated to rejoin the cosmic wheel. Skeptics claim that this gateway is the Void, and that it opens onto nothing, while others claim that Malfeans control several Umbral gateways, which they use to send their minions into the Deep Umbra and then into the world to find converts and drag souls back into the Underworld for consumption. Some Nephandi are said to serve Malfeans, and it is possible their overlords really are Malfeans. Others claim that all theories are true, though those who espouse such ideas are the same who believe the entirety of the Underworld is just the shadows within the subconscious mind of the Wraiths. Shifting Zones quote:“If by your art, my dearest father, you have There are several chaotic areas within the Tempest that are dangerous in and of themselves, even without the threat of Spectres or Maelstroms. These are known as Shifting Zones and are scattered across the Tempest. The zones detailed below are not the only zones in the Tempest, just the ones that Ferrymen and Harbingers have cataloged. Also of note is that these are not stable places that can be avoided by going around them. Each location within the Tempest is like an island in an ocean, tossed by the whims of the tides or storms, moved at random or held in stasis with no rhyme or reason. When crossing a byway, these zones supersede it, cutting it out of their area and moving it elsewhere, so a Wraith may move past a spot on a byway, pause briefly, only to discover they have become trapped in a Shifting Zone. Note that none of the liquids or vapors within a Zone can be bottled for later use unless an Artifact has been constructed specifically for that use. The Lake of Cold Fire quote:“Come to me This freezing, fiery zone appears deceptively normal until it surrounds a Wraith. Travelers are safe from the agony of the lake if they are within a Ferryman’s boat. While the fire is like Barrow-Flame, the cold fire of the lake does not burn like normal fire, instead burning the Passions within a Wraith. When it materializes, the zone appears as a misty, blue lake. Blue and orange fire flickers over the top in wavelets, and rushes to cover whatever touches the lake. Flaming fingers reach upward with chilling blue flame to grasp those who try to fly over the lake. Vehicles that touch the lake are coated with ice that flickers with blue flame and mist, and once covered, the Wraiths within are next. Any not in the vehicle are immediately covered, and a bluish fog settles around them, trapping them in the lake until it’s done with them. Attempting to pass through the fog will only lead the Wraith back to the center of the lake. The flames are soul-searing, forcing a reaction from any Wraiths it touches, setting one Passion afire, forcing the Wraith to confront it. This is typically the highest rated Passion, though sometimes lower rated Passions are targeted. The Passion is brought to the forefront of the Wraiths mind, and they must defend it against the flames. This process takes the form of a brief, dream-like encounter with the person, place or object that is the focus of the Passion. It could be a sort of Deja-vu where the character remembers something from their past, allowing them to correct an old wrong or say what they should have said. If they do (It is up to the ST if the player successfully confronted the Passion, and should be handled with pure roleplay), they are immediately freed of the lake and take no further damage from the fire. The Passion stays as the Wraith realizes that it was only a dream, and while they have resolved nothing, they may have gained new insights. If they fail, they must make a roll with dice equal to the Passion (difficulty 9) to keep the Passion at its current level, as they would in a Harrowing. Success allows them to keep the Passion, but the flames cause one level of Agg damage. Failure means they lose one point in the Passion and take two levels of Agg damage. Botching removes all but one point in the Passion and gives three levels of Agg damage, and the Wraith is not freed, but instead still trapped and must not deal with a second Passion being attacked. If they only had one point in the Passion and they botch, then the Passion is gone and that tie to their mortal life is burned away. ST’s should not allow players to copy each other's successful escapes from the Lake. Either the encounters should be run privately, or make sure the dream is sufficiently different for each player so that they do not copy another player. Requiring the players to play within the confines of a strict interpretation of their Nature will also help resolve this potential issue. Of course, encountering the Lake of Cold Fire provides a terrific opportunity for roleplaying, while also being an easily abused encounter. The best way to use the Lake is sparingly, gradually introducing it to the players by allowing them to see it from a distance, and if they try to investigate, it disappears. Having another Wraith tell the players about the terrifying stories they’ve heard about the Lake further builds its reputation. Then, after a few sessions, have the players narrowly avoid being trapped, so that when they are eventually trapped within, the Lake will mean more, and the players should be better prepared to deal with it. The Land of Bedlam quote:“The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream.” Wallace Stevens, The Emperor of Ice Cream Some Wraiths are driven mad by the conditions of the Underworld. While they keep their Passions, they also gain the power to fix their insanities into physical forms. Hounded by the Hierarchy, driven out by Heretics and scorned by Renegades, these tormented souls generally gather together for protection, and the place they call home is known as the Land of Bedlam. It appears and seems like an ordinary place in the Skinlands because everyone within seems alive (which should be confusing to those who encounter it). Abutting the area might be a ghostly theater where Wraiths perform nonsensical dramas with marionettes made of other Wraiths. Within this theater, but ignored by the audience and participants, there might be a slaughterhouse where Wraiths are led to a chopping block to be dismembered in grisly ways. A street bazar might sell Stygian steel chains that scream with laughter and fasten around the Wraith who bought them. Passing through Bedlam potentially subjects a Wraith to almost any situation or nightmares that only pale to those of Harrowing. However, the power of Bedlam lies in belief, and so the effect is more of a group Phantasm, and any Wraith may rescue themselves simply by expressing disbelief. Those who are “killed” or “tortured” while in Bedlam will discorporate briefly then find themselves on the perimeter of the realm. Spectres don’t bother with Bedlam, as the souls who inhabit it eventually seek Oblivion on their own. The Miasma Unlike any other part of the Tempest, the Miasma is a gas of noxious vapors that settles over a Wraith as they travel. Its most obvious feature is the cloud of choking gas it produces, and this foul vapor layers itself around a Wraith and chokes off their memories. Some claim it is the tortured sighs of Spectres, while others claim it is particles of Oblivion itself. The latter theory seems the most likely, as the vapor erodes portions of the Wraith, making them more Drone like.  The second major feature is the pure silence that enfolds the Wraith. The ever-present noise of Stygia, the forging of chains, whimpers of the moliated, shrieking winds, all simply disappear, and the captured Wraith can make no sound either. Groups traveling together are separated from each other, wrapped in their own quiet mists. Because the Miasma is a gas, Wraiths with Argos cannot swim through it, however, Argos 2 (Phantom Wings) allows them to escape it. Argos 3 and 4 (Flicker and Jump) do not work, but Argos 5 (Oubliette) can be used to escape the Miasma but inflicts one Agg wound in the process. Wraiths caught in the Miasma must make a Fetter roll at difficulty 7 on their lowest rated Fetter (except for shared Haunts). Success leaves the Wraith confused as to the location of the Fetter for the next few hours (10 minus the Wraiths Intelligence rating) but no other consequence. Failure leads to the Fetter being temporarily erased from the Wraiths mind for a day. If it is the Wraiths last Fetter, they cannot travel to the Shadowlands for 24 hours while the Fetter is “Lost”. The Miasma then lifts, and the Wraiths may continue. Botching means the Fetter is “lost” and the Wraith becomes imbecilic for the next hour, and while in this state, the Wraith is completely helpless. If they are alone, they will simply float aimlessly through the Tempest until they snap out of it or are rescued, captured or slain. During this period, the Wraith essentially becomes Fetterless until the hour has passed. Shared Haunts are never the target of Miasmic attack as they are too tightly anchored in place when held by multiple Wraiths. Once the first attack is made, the Miasma drifts away. The Ocean of Acid It’s what it says on the tin. As a Wraith swims, rides, or walks through the Tempest, they suddenly find themselves moving into an ocean of vivid green liquid. Along its edges, the sea appears crinkled, and the air above is tinted a pale greenish yellow. The acid causes normal damage at two Corpus levels per turn. If inside a relic vehicle, the vehicle is destroyed in 3 turns, and any relics or Artifacts being held by a Wraith are subject to destruction unless the Wraith rolls the rating of the item at difficulty 7. Willpower can be used to save items if desired. Despite the agony, Wraiths must keep moving through the ocean or lose all Corpus to it. It takes 6 turns, minus the Wraiths’ Wits rating to escape the acid. Stopping adds another turn to the time there. If they do not move within 3 turns, the ST should have them roll Wits + Alertness at difficulty 6 to realize that their only hope is getting out. Companions can pull other characters out with a successful Strength + Athletics roll. Losing all Corpus levels to the acid immediately triggers a Harrowing. Ferrymen boats are immune to the acid, but the Ferrymen themselves are not. Once encountered, a Wraith can always recognize the ocean and try to avoid it. Those who are flying are not trapped by this zone, however their relics will appear dulled and pitted from the acidic vapors. The Pool of Bittersweet Remembrance quote:“Little things use to mean so much to Shelly. I always thought they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial.” Eric Draven, The Crow The pool is a silvery sheened circle that appears on top of the oily Sunless Sea, and the air above it appears like an Aurora Borealis (at this time of year, in this part of the Tempest, contained in this one pool?) while a scent like lilacs or fresh mown grass drifts from it. This zone can be avoided, however those who approach find they can step onto the silvery circle. Once one or more Wraiths are on the circle, it spins slowly. Anyone who is standing on the circle undergoes a sublime experience, they remember more of their past. This should be handled as a dream sequence, much like the Lake of Cold Fire (it says Sea of Cold Fire, but I know what they meant) but instead of invoking a moment from the Wraith’s past, the ST should introduce some new person, place, or thing that the Wraith knows nothing about or only vaguely recalls. This should be a particularly joyful or painful moment from the Wraith's life. The scene should fit the concept of the character, their personality, and the known facts of their life. Obviously, it would be silly to have a scene where a prison lifer was given the key to the city. This encounter requires the ST to be familiar with the characters and handle the scene with care, sometimes it’s the trivial things that mean the most, and can cause the most anguish when lost. If the encounter is roleplayed well, the ST can award a new Fetter that is associated with the scene and can be a one- or two-point Fetter depending on the roleplaying and the value the Fetter would have because of the scene. A one-point Fetter might be a certificate of appreciation or a signed baseball. Two-point Fetters might be a child’s birth certificate or your grandfather's story time pipe. Not interacting with the pool results in no losses, other than an opportunity for roleplaying. Once the scene is finished, the pool dissipates. The Quagmire Appearing like an English heath, Wraiths are lured in and then trapped in quicksand. As the Wraith moves through the area, the ground begins to become soggy, and their feet begin to sink. Just ahead is drier ground, until they step onto it, revealing it to be quicksand. At least one leg is caught when stepping onto the quicksand and the player must make a Dexterity + Dodge roll at difficulty 7 to avoid getting both legs stuck. If the Wraith is running at the time, then both legs are automatically caught, and they sink to the waist. If only one leg is caught, then the quicksand is more nuisance and with enough successes rolled, the Wraith can free themselves. With both legs trapped, however, the player will need to pull themselves out or have friends help. Failure to do so leads to the character becoming dormant, as if sleeping until they are rescued, found by Spectres are until the Quagmire simply moves on. An extended action of Strength + Athletics at difficulty 9 is needed to break a limb free of the quicksand. Example: Deadbeat stumbles into the Quagmire while fleeing Hierarchy troops, and both legs are caught. He rolls two successes, however on his second turn he draws his relic sword, removing the previously acquired successes. Up to two friends can help a Wraith escape, with each making a Dexterity + Brawl roll at difficulty 7 to get into position without getting trapped themselves. Helpers can add one die to their Strength to the struggling Wraith. If the trapped Wraith cannot help themselves, the helpers can combine their Strength scores for an attempted Strength feat which requires 5 successes at difficulty 8. The Sargasso Sea Named for the area of ocean in the Skinlands near the Azores, the Sargasso Sea of the Underworld has abundant seaweed like its namesake, however this is made of the hair and skin of Wraiths who have been smelted for Stygian goods, as well as being a breeding ground for Sargasso Spectres. Passage through the area is, by necessity, slow. Tangled mounds of rotting seaweed float within the liquid of the sea, and even byways can be obstructed by the drifting seaweed. Sargasso Spectres seem to be immune to the seaweed, rising out of it in packs and lunging for their prey with high-pitched, nerve-wracking voices. Wraiths are at a -1 to all physical rolls due to the difficulty of moving and a -1 to Mental rolls due to the screaming. Escaping requires successful use of Argos 2 (Phantom Wings) or Argos 4 (Jump), or physically pushing through in 8 turns, minus the Wraiths Strength score. If the Wraith decides to push through, they cannot fight Spectres at the same time, however the Spectres do not pursue Wraiths beyond the boundaries of the Sea. A recent rumor suggests that the Sargasso Sea is not a zone at all, but the hair of the chest or head of a Malfean who moves through the Sunless Sea. The Sea of Broken Glass quote:“So take me from the wreckage A misnamed zone, as there is no actual glass in the liquid, rather the metallic dross of cast offs from Stygian forges. These razor-sharp bits of metal, too small to be of use, but large enough to wound a Wraith, are suspended in the dark liquid that smells of blood and smoke. A dark smoke hangs over the area that stings the eyes and throats of those who travel through the zone. The zone is magnetic and draws and traps Stygian metal to it. Wraiths carrying Stygian metal or Darksteel must make a Strength roll at difficulty 8 to pull such an item from the zone. The Sea appears on top of Wraiths traveling through the Tempest, rising from the depths, and enclosing around its prey. Moving the sea causes Wraiths to take one level of Agg damage per turn, and it takes two turns to escape with Argos, or 4 without. One turn after the zone has risen, Shard Spectres (Spectres with bits of Stygian metal embedded in their Corpus) rise and attack. A successful attack from a Shard Spectre causes Strength+3 agg damage, and their Strength is generally 2-3, though the more deadly are at 4-5. Wraiths who lose all Corpus levels to a Shard Spectres sinks into the sea and becomes a Shard Spectres after a final Harrowing. Tempest Fugit Less of a place and more a strange occurrence, within the area the Fugit encompasses, time flies, literally. The area speeds up time for the Wraith caught within, which can be beneficial or detrimental depending on what the Wraith was doing before they were captured in the zone. If they were resting, then their Corpus is restored in a flash. If they were fighting Spectres who have called reinforcements, then wave after wave of them arrive in the blink of an eye. Once out of the zone, time begins moving as normal, meaning whatever happens within the Fugit happens nearly instantaneously, so that everything inside appears hazy from outside, while those inside see things blurred outside of the zone. From a distance, a Tempest Fugit appears like a shiny bubble, and can act as the eye of a storm within the Tempest, supplying refuge from a Maelstrom for those inside. Even though the bubble will be knocked around by the Maelstrom, it will not pop. The All-Inclusive Theory The “All-Inclusive Theory” posits that there are countless realms within the Tempest, that each is unique, and some have not been discovered. Some are in domes beneath the waves and can only be reached by riding great fish or by those brave enough to sink into the depths to look for themselves. Others are high in the sky, tethered to the land below by slim bridges or floating freely to wherever the winds take them. Some realms correspond to the dreams and aspirations of Indigenous People. According to this theory, all beliefs and hopes are somewhere in the Underworld, and can be found by those who seek them. Most Wraiths believe the all-inclusive theory, as it best fits the facts as they know them, while explaining the various realms, byways, and politics, exposing them as a dark reflection of the living world. This theory allows for the Underworld to be understood and accepted while supplying a stable point of reference. Ultimately, no matter how horrible parts of the Underworld may be, it is its similarity to the Skinlands that is comforting and familiar. There There’s-Nothing-There-At-All Theory An alternate theory is that there is really nothing at all, that the Underworld isn’t a physical place. There are no places except inside the Wraith’s own mind. It’s all just an illusion, or delusion, and that is why the Tempest exists, it is the chaos of the mind which must be braved in the pursuit of self-knowledge, which explains why directions are not constant and distance is subjective. Oblivion then, is not a force, but denial, and that once a Wraith has accepted their own demise and confronts their own fears and shortcomings, they can pass through denial and reincarnate or Transcend. quote:“Neither theory may be correct, or both may be. Even the Dead aren’t really certain.” And that concludes Chapter One. There’s a lot of information packed into this chapter, both concrete mechanical information like the stuff about how long it takes to travel through the Tempest and byways, along with more flavor text information like the locations within the Tempest. The frequent interchangeable use of “Sunless Sea” “Sea of Shadows” and “Tempest,” while also referring to specific locations is a bit annoying at times, but also understandable. The expanded information about Nihils, The Labyrinth and The Far Shores is all great, and stuff I’d wondered about since reading the corebook, as was the info about the other Dark Kingdoms, and I especially appreciated the idea being thrown out that just because a “Dark Kingdom of X” related to a specific culture isn’t known to exist, doesn’t mean it doesn’t. The various locations within the Tempest are…well some of them are interesting, but most, like the Ocean of Acid or The Quagmire are your standard “RPG Trap Zones” that feel incredibly strange to encounter in a game like Wraith which is so beyond the standard RPG experience, even more so than the other WoD games. The two competing theories of the Underworld are also fun, and as I said earlier when the idea was presented, while I love the idea of the entirety of the Underworld being all in the minds of Wraiths, and therefore the entirety of the game and the stories told are just the dying dreams of a mortal, it’s an idea that rips the game out of the larger WoD setting and essentially wipes ghosts from the ecosystem. Which on the one hand, kinda sucks because the WoD ecosystem is far more fun when you’ve got ghosts running around with the vampires and the werewolves and the fairies and wizards for your big monster mash setting, but on the other hand, the “There’s nothing at all” theory lifts the game into something more thoughtful and high-minded than a surface reading would suggest. Ultimately, I think both readings of the setting are fun and interesting for distinct reasons, though I’m more inclined to lean towards the “All Inclusive” theory, as much as the other excites me. I hope you always wanted a monster manual for the Underworld because here one comes with   Chapter Two: Riders on the Storm quote:“His eyes were as flame of fire, There are many beings that live in the Tempest. Some are plasmic entities that defy description while others resemble legendary monsters and horrors, while others appear like angels and demons. Most of the creatures of the Tempest are various kinds of Spectres, which most Wraiths are familiar with. But beyond just these monstrous creatures, Renegades and Heretics have set up bases and temples within the Tempest, as well as the Ferryman's secret homes along the River of Death. Any of these beings could cause trouble for a character, or offer them aid or shelter, though nearly all offers of aid require some payment in return. The Plasmic Entities Strange creatures of the Tempest that are neither Wraith nor Spectres. Most are monstrous, but some take forms that are like normal animals such as fish, birds, or insects. Most have minimal or at least animal intelligence and are incapable of making elaborate plans, however, the predators are fully capable of hunting, tracking, and attacking Wraiths who enter their territory. Others are terrifyingly cunning and intelligent. It seems that often those with the most bizarre or horrifying forms, the more intelligent they are. A slain Plasmatic will discorporate, but none are sure if they reform elsewhere. Many Plasmatics have been confused for Malfeans, though interacting with them reveals something more than a mere Spectres. Many believe that Plasmic entities are created from Drones who have been swept up by Maelstroms, while others think they are the residue of animal spirits, and others suggest that they are the memories and nightmares of Wraiths that the Tempest steals and makes manifest. The following detailed entities are better known. Phantasies  Phantasies resemble creatures of the Skinlands, and some refer to them as “Roadkill.” Many, like horses or dolphins, are harmless and can even provide transportation, and stories tell of Wraiths lacking in Argos being aided by such beings. All Plasmic entities have Argos and a limited form of telepathy or Empathy that allows them to communicate their feelings and desires to Wraiths, and those that give aid demand either a point of Pathos or a minor relic for their services. Some are dangerous predators who hunt Wraiths in the same way their earthly counterparts would, and these often resemble tigers, bears, sharks, and other large predators, including many extinct species such as sabretooth tigers. All inflict wounds to Wraiths, and while they do not cause Agg damage, they can reduce a Wraith to zero Corpus, causing them to be dragged off for a Harrowing. Wraiths always lose a point of Pathos to attacking Phantasies who manage to reduce the Wraith to zero Corpus. Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4 Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 Abilities: Alertness 4, Brawl 3, Intimidation 2, Tracking 4 Arcanos: Argos 3 Willpower: 6 Pathos: 6 Angst: N/A Corpus: 7 Equipment: None Deliriums Like Phantasies but tend to have strange quirks or powers. Deliriums can be bears with wings, bulls with snakes for arms, or other monstrous and malformed animals. While strange, they’re not wholly alien nor do they fall into what would be considered the Legendary (more on them shortly). Deliriums can be as friendly or vicious as other Phantasies but tend to be more intelligent than their more normal looking counterparts. The helpful ones also require payment for their aid, typically in Pathos or Relics. Deliriums often work together to maximize their potential gains, while the predatory are intelligent enough to bargain with trespassers, rather than simply hunting them, and most will accept Pathos or a minor relic as toll, while others enjoy hunting far too much to bother with bargaining. Each Delirium has other Arcanos that they use to their advantage along with Argos. They have the same stats as Phantasies, except their Intelligence is 3, Argos 3 and 1-3 points in other Arcanos, while those with wings can fly without invoking Argos 2. Legendaries Assuming the forms of legendary creatures such as Pegasi, Sasquatch, the Phoenix, or dragons, it’s possible that the Death Steeds Charon found and tamed were Legendaries. Any creature that can be found in a medieval bestiary can be found among the Legendaries. They are highly intelligent, most being on par with Deliriums, while others are clearly geniuses, while the Chimera and Hydras are a couple of the more predatory, and the largest and most fearsome of this category being the Leviathan. Many are quite beautiful, and some have been claimed as objets d’art, servitors, messengers or even guests to Deathlords, and even the Malfeans are known to covet them. A few of these creatures have been known to befriend Wraiths who treat them with respect and kindness. Like the Deliriums, the fiercer Legendaries may accept a toll for passing through their area, and most want Pathos but some, like the Sphinx, who insists on riddle games, want other things, such as Knowledge, Relics, etc. Legendaries have all the attributes, abilities, and powers of Deliriums, but are generally much stronger. Each is a unique being and should be given Traits that make sense for the creature. For example, Sasquatch might have Stamina 5 while a Sphinx might have Intelligence 5 and a Knowledge of riddles or enigmas. Their Arcanos should also reflect their basic natures, such as the Phoenix being able to Moliate itself into flames and ash to rise again in its original form.  Wyrds Creatures that range from the tentacled horrors of H.P. Lovecraft to the Xenomorph from Alien, most of these creatures are unspeakably large and disgusting, and all are impossible to understand or categorize, and their thought processes are so beyond that of mortals or Wraiths that trying to understand them or what they are capable of is a fool's errand. These Plasmics are often mistaken for Malfeans, they’re not, because they were never Wraiths or even human, though there are those who claim that Malfeans were never Wraiths or humans either. To add another couple of items to the “Not Malfeans” list, the Wyrds do not look to eat Wraiths, nor do they employ Shades or Nephwracks. Because many are so large as to be beyond description, they are likewise too enormous for normal Traits. All are highly intelligent, and generally have 10 or more points in various Arcanos (with at least 4 in Argos). Wyrds are extremely unpredictable, as one may save a group of Wraiths from a Hierarchy patrol, only to sell them to a band of Heretics. The same Wyrd might later lead the same Hierarchy patrol to the Heretics hideaway, only to sweep the characters away into their own realm for its amusement. A satisfactory performance could mean freedom or being devoured. The Wyrd has its reasons for acting as it does, though this will never make sense to the PCs. Both Wyrds and Legendaries are unique and should be treated as such. Don’t have them showing up every time the players travel the Tempest, instead save them for special occasions and stories. Legendaries are generally best used in stories that involve questing for an item, while Wyrds are more effective as villains behind strange disappearances or as a surprise encounter when the players believe things can’t get any worse, because in the Tempest, it can always get worse. Angelics and Demonics While they could be classified as Legendaries (or Wyrds), Angelics and Demonics are a class unto themselves because of the significance that most Wraiths attach to them.  Angelics Generally speaking, Angelics are humanoid in appearance, uncommonly beautiful and bearing long, flowing, feathery wings. Many appear to be sexless or androgynous, limned in pale blue, rose or white light, reflective of the color of their wings. Some have haloes, others appear in shining robes, others appear nude. Some are mute and express themselves through beautiful gestures and facial expressions. Most are kind and helpful, using their powers to aid Wraiths through the Tempest, shelter them from harm or heal their injuries. Demonics on the other hand… Demonics  Generally ugly and bestial, many are not at all humanoid in shape, and their wings tend to be skeletal and bat-like. Most Demonics have obvious sexual characteristics and appear nude (Demonics are hanging dong), usually surrounded by a dull, reddish-brown glow. Some have horns, barbed tails and cloven hooves, and their voices range from a grating whisper to deafening roars. Most look to harm Wraiths, trying to capture them for elaborate tortures or as slaves, and have powers that inflict damage. This is not always the case however, as some Angelics are repulsive and mistaken for Demonics, though they keep their gentle demeanors and caring natures. Likewise, the reverse is true, some Demonics are breathtakingly beautiful, and these Demonics typically play long, elaborate games with the Wraiths they meet, leading them to believe they are Angelics until they spring their trap or betray the Wraith at the worst possible time. A third class of Angelics/Demonics exists, known as Archangelics and Archdemonics that may or may not look like their brethren, some even appearing as typical Wraiths. These beings are icons of extremity, either good or evil, and some have become so static in their beliefs that they only act on the letter of their law. Archangelics Regardless of how they first appear, the Archangelics can transform into terrible, fire-eyed avengers armed with flaming swords and scrolls of judgment, looking to punish all Wraiths for their unconfessed sins and evils, focusing on the Shadow and drawing it out through a unique Castigate power to battle them. Wraith’s whose Shadows are destroyed in combat with an Archangelic are also destroyed in the process, as their soul is captured by the Archangelic. No one knows exactly what the Archangelics do with the souls they collect, though some believe they use them to forge their flaming swords. It seems that they don’t feed these souls to Oblivion, so that’s nice. Archdemonics The Archdemonics seek out Wraiths who have little Angst and try to corrupt them with kindness, gifting them extra Abilities through Shadow dice, as well as teaching Arcanos which cause the Wraith to gain Angst when used. The schemes of the Archdemonics are longer term than those of the Archangelics, as it generally takes a little while to corrupt someone. Their goal is the Wraith falling to their Shadow, turning them into a Spectre or feeding Oblivion. Djinn Djinn are Archangelics/demonics who appear as genies or efreeti, seemingly having the powers of such a being. Djinn can provide a Wraith with great wealth, in Stygian Oboli of course, and other material items such as relic palaces or flying carpets. Why does a Wraith need a flying carpet? Who knows! But nothing is free, and with the Djinn, every wish granted causes a point of Pathos loss. After the second Pathos point is lost, the Wraith can make a Wits + Occult or Enigmas (whichever is higher) at difficulty 6. If they succeed, they will notice the loss of Pathos and make the connection between the wish and the loss. If the Wraith asks the Djinn about this, they simply explain that wishes must be powered by something, just like Arcanos. If the roll fails, the Wraith notices the Pathos loss, but attributes it to something else (AKA: ST needs to come up with a plausible lie). Botching means the Wraith notices no loss but feels stronger. This is their Shadow becoming empowered. With each subsequent Pathos point lost, the Wraith should have the chance to figure out what is happening, and the difficulty of the roll remains as the more Pathos lost, the easier it is to notice. While possible to generate more Pathos, if a Wraith loses all their Pathos to a Djinn, then they are unable to use their Arcanos, including Argos, making navigating the Tempest impossible, and thus impossible to go somewhere else to generate Pathos. ST’s should create Angelics/Demonics individually, and should not overpower them to the point that the players have no chance against them, nor should they be so weak that the players do not respect the awesome power they are supposed to stand for. They should be at least as powerful as a Legendary and have both Argos and Castigate along with any other Arcanos they may have. Angelics and Demonics are typically agents of a heaven or hell and may require a Wraith to go with them to their patron Far Shore in return for help. So, we’ve got ghost animals, ghost legendary creatures, and literal angels and demons running around in the Tempest. While the Plasmic animals are sort of amusing as a thing, and suggests that animals do turn into ghosts of a sort (Wraiths are plasmic after all), the legendary creatures feels a bit like “Well, Mage and Werewolf got all kinds of weird Umbral creatures, why not toss some into Wraith as well?” which isn’t a bad idea, and opens things up to leaning way further into the Beetlejuice game I’ve made jokes about since the corebook, as I’d make the call that sandworms fit the Legendary label. Wyrds are…. well, they’re an uncomplicated way to smash whatever pop culture monster you want into things, considering the author straight up referenced the xenomorph from Alien as a potential Wyrd, which feels a bit off for a game like Wraith. Angelics and Demonics make absolute sense to be in the setting however, and prior to reading this book I was wondering if such beings would make an appearance at some point, considering the talk of the Far Shores and their many heavens and hells. Next Time: More denizens of the Tempest
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Nov 1, 2023 15:36
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Dictatorship may kill a lot of people, but it also gave us the Napoleonic Code, so it's impossible to say if it's good or bad.
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Nov 1, 2023 16:45
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Halloween Jack posted:Dictatorship may kill a lot of people, but it also gave us the Napoleonic Code, so it's impossible to say if it's good or bad. Yeah, it's kinda weird to see 'he's a complex character so maybe he's a good leader'. Relying on the self-interest of tyrants doesn't work out.
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Nov 1, 2023 16:47
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Night10194 posted:Yeah, it's kinda weird to see 'he's a complex character so maybe he's a good leader'. Relying on the self-interest of tyrants doesn't work out.
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Nov 1, 2023 16:48
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Night10194 posted:Yeah, it's kinda weird to see 'he's a complex character so maybe he's a good leader'. Relying on the self-interest of tyrants doesn't work out. Just depends on what your group wants to do with him. Kaius is presented as ambiguous so you can use him in a variety of ways depending on the needs of the campaign and what people want to do.
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Nov 1, 2023 17:00
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