Overview
This is the setting I'm doing for Enlil after samwise7 asked for participants. I'm mostly cross-posting the various things to try and get more feedback. Also just so everyone can get a look at it without registering for another forum.
The lay of the land
Hexx is a dry land. Save for a small mountain range that holds the Sky Lake, Hexx is a desert, large and barely habitable. Luckily for the races other then Dry Lichs, ancient stone ruins are scattered across Hexx, from settlements the size of small villages to the three major city-ruins, all more then a mile in diameter, to the massive city-temples, like Ouros, there are plenty of places to stay in the shade and out of the heat.
The Sky Lake is a large pool of water near the top of the mountain, it's fed by snow melts and storms but is blocked from flowing into the central area of Hexx by a massive dam. This dam is similar to the city ruins, carved of stone with massive statues and melding naturally with local caves and waterfalls.
Sky Lake is built above a massive cave system that is said to lead to the bottom of the mountain. Exploreres have been getting lost in them for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It's even rumored some of the stranger and more reclusive variations of Lichs reside deep in the bowels of the mountain, away from the three suns.
The Suns
Hexx has three large balls of light that float above the desert that act as suns; periodically they turn on and off. The first, named Omega, with a daily on/off cycle is white in color. The second, named Psi, with a weekly on/off cycle is very faint with a slight blue tinge.
The third and final, named Tau, which is only alight every seventh time both Omega and Psi are off. Tau is special that is only casts light above and below the visible spectrum. While the races of Hexx don't know why but all kinds of Lichs are capable of see'ing as if in broad daylight during these nights.
Bestiary
Fauna
Nyorlythek
The Nyorlythek is a strange and dangerous beast. It lives under the sands and is invisible until it surfaces. Physically it looks like a creature made from the blackest tar with small pin points of light moving under its skin, like stars in the night sky. When it surfaces it attacks with long rope-like tentacles trying to ensnare those who wander too close.
While some claim there's only a single Nyorlythek, it has been reported to be in two places incredibly far apart within hours. Ether there are multiple creatures or the Nyorlythek is much, much larger then anyone knows.
Panderbacks
Panderbacks are large, armored creatures with blunt tapered snouts and large diggin claws. Their feet are webbed to help them dig through the desert sand. Omnivores they'll eat anything so their habitat spans nearly all the whole desert. The most impressive thing about Panderbacks is their ability to shoot small jets of flame from hydrogen sacks buried in their flesh. All this in itself is formidable, but the most dangerous thing about Panderbacks are their taste in food.
Panderbacks favor eating magical animals, plants and objects if need be. Most Panderbacks bodies are chalk full of magical plants, animal parts and other miscellaneous things. While this makes killing a Panderback a great prize, it is also an extremely difficult one. They often burn incence herbs by accident granting them magical abilities. Their hides often are embedded with magical gems, stones and other things for more protection.
Panderbacks have a fondness for eating Lich phylacteries, sometimes after they accidently eat an Ash Cactus they can easily find these items and try and gorge themselves on as many as possible. The danger involved usually depends on what the phylactery is made of, organic and some non-organic phylacteries are often destroyed leaving the lich vulnerable. Sometimes a lich with a truly resistant phylactery will feed it to a Panderback for safe keeping, hoping to get it loged in the beats gut.
Flaura
Incense herbs
There are dozens if not scores of different incense plants that grow in Hexx. They can be found sprouting in the desert, in the ruins, in oasi and near Sky Lake. Each different species of plant has its own specific properties. When burned, incense herbs create magical effects.
Ash Cactus
Ash cactus are a physical avatar of Gray Cactus when it walks the land. In the open desert where lots of death has occured in a short time these strange cacti will sprout up forty-seven years later. The most common place to find them is around dried up oasi, pillaged settlements or long lost caravans.
The fruit that grows on these trees lets whoever eats them see past the veil of death. This has a few effects, first they can identify phylactey immediatly due to its swirling otherwordly glow. They also let you see the more powerful servants of the Gray Cactus, who rumor says will answer any two questions you have. One with the truth, one with a lie.
Races
[note]I use the word panian instead of humanoid because there are no humans in the setting. I can't bring myself to use the word humanoid to describe something without humans to serve as a frame of reference. [/note]
Ozlings or Orelings
Ozlings, sometimes known as Orelings, are a small race of panians that have brightly colored metallic skin. Common tones are a burnished rush color or a deep steel blue. Under their skin they a have thick metallic carapaces that makes them resistent to percing and slashing weapons.
Ozlings say they were created by Grandfather Ore at the dawn of time. While there are many ancient tomes that associate the Ozlings with Grandfather Ore, there are no mentiones of them before roughly 1000 years after the start of recorded history.
Drakes
Drakes are tall panian reptiles. Covered in fine scales, they have large wings and long snouts. Scale colors come in various shades of light green and pale cream. Drakes are capable of flight. Drakes are lean with wiry muscles and long whip-like tails.
Drakes tend live alone compared to most races, this is because their gaze causes paralysis in other living creatures. This ability is mainly used to help the drakes hunt for food. Most Drakes form small communities built on the roofs of the highest ruined towers, hundreds of feet tall.
Dry Lichs
Dry Lichs are one of the two major Lichs species that live in Hexx. They favor the empty deserts between the ruins of cities. Dry Lichs avoid the Sky Lake at all costs. Most Dry Lichs are fond of drying out the oasis that randomly appear in the deserts, making them bitter enemies of nomads and travelling merchants.
The Dry Lich congregate in a hidden tent city in the deepest region of the desert. Here is rumored to stand the home temple to the Gray Cactus, deity of death, survival and the desert.
Rat Lichs
Rat Lichs are the second mahor Lich species that live in Hexx. They tend to be smaller in size then other liches and favor the immense ruins over the sprawling empty desert. Rat Lichs form the largest population is Ecks, the second largest ruin city.
[note]While there are many more variants of Lichs then just Dry and Rat, the other variants are considerably stronger/stranger/less populous and do not form their own racial communities. (Example of stronger/stranger/less populous variations of Lichs are Time/Slime/Chalk respectively)[/note]
Eidolons
Eidolons are the oldest and newest race that live in Hexx. Created by the same mysterious people who made the city ruins, Eidolons are formed from carved stone and crystal. Eidolons are the oldest race because they hail from the time of the ruin builders, but they are also the newest because they were left in a dormant state till the year 1667 when a massive earthquake split open their hibernation chamber and let them into the world.
Physically eidolons are panian, they tend to thin torso with stocky arms and lower legs. The exact composition of eidolons varies from individual, the common trend is for chest, shoulders and hands to be stone and the rest of their body to be made crom crystal. Eidolon composition is rarely exactly symmetrical with some having left arms completely of crystal while the right is mostly stone.
Eidolons have no faces just a blank slightly curved surface instead. Spirals, eye markings or other abstract symbols are often carved into their hides as a sort of jewelry. Patterns usually flow from the face, down the along arms and across the chest.
Culturally Eidolons have a fascination with the ruins, none can remember their long lost creators and so they stick close to the remnants left behind. Of all the races the Eidolons are the least likely to live in the open desert, they tend to congregate in ancient ruins. The largest Eidolon population is to be found in Vayn, the largest ruin-city in which their hibernation chamber is to be found. New Eidolons are still being awakened to this day with the full extent of the hibernation chamber unknown.
QuoteNyorlythek
The Nyorlythek is a strange and dangerous beast. It lives under the sands and is invisible until it surfaces. Physically it looks like a creature made from the blackest tar with small pin points of light moving under its skin, like stars in the night sky. When it surfaces it attacks with long rope-like tentacles trying to ensnare those who wander too close.
While some claim there's only a single Nyorlythek, it has been reported to be in two places incredibly far apart within hours. Ether there are multiple creatures or the Nyorlythek is much, much larger then anyone knows.
Eidolons
Eidolons are the oldest and newest race that live in Hexx. Created by the same mysterious people who made the city ruins, Eidolons are formed from carved stone and crystal. Eidolons are the oldest race because they hail from the time of the ruin builders, but they are also the newest because they were left in a dormant state till the year 1667 when a massive earthquake split open their hibernation chamber and let them into the world.[/quote]
It would be nicer to have a more in-depth description of how they look and their society and their values... Are these basically just golems?
Quote from: Llumpanians
What does this word mean?
Quote from: Llumpanians
That's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.
Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).
Quote from: LlumThat's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.
Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).
Hey, I'm
thrilled that something I created is getting used. I just wasn't sure it was my word because you use "humanoid" in the following entry on the lizard people.
Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawQuote from: LlumThat's funny your the one to ask that, maybe you just want clarification. I think it means humanoid, based off the word pan genus (aka chimps I believe). I think you used it to described races in one setting, not liking the word humanoid. I agree entirely, I dislike the word humanoid, especially in a setting without humans. That was the main reason I used it, no humans, ergo the word humanoid doesn't fit.
Now if you don't like that I used your word, that's fine. I'll change it to humanoid. As I said, the thought stuck with me so I used your word because I thought it quite fitting for the setting (due to no humans).
Hey, I'm thrilled that something I created is getting used. I just wasn't sure it was my word because you use "humanoid" in the following entry on the lizard people.
That's actually a slip on my part, thanks for letting me know.
You should probably also include a note mentioning it's meaning near the racial section or more people are going to be confused.
Excellent advice, I just did. Thanks again.
The Ruin Cities
Vayn
Largest of the Ruin Cities, Vayn is where all Eidolons are born. It houses the labyrinthine hibernation chamber under the city. These catacombs go on for miles, with an undetermined number of floors. The top floor is fully explored, empty of hibernating Eidolons and houses many businesses that are there to handle and take advantage of the new borns.
Currently Eidolons are being awaked on the second floor, at least six floors are known of. Eidolons of a less and less panian nature start to appear on lower floors, sometimes awake.
Ecks
The City of Rats, Ecks plays host to the main population of Rat Lichs in the world. Built between three massive hills on a massive oasis. The city is full of sewers and aquaducts that gather water from the underwater river and funnel it out to farms in the sorrounding area.
Ecks is a colorful city reknown for two things, cuisine and dyes. Many types of lichen and fungus grown in the moist caves that are harvested by the brave to make the most vibrant dyes in the known world. Cuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.
Grand Tuk
Grand Tuk is set roughly in the middle of the known desert. As such it is a hub for all merchant caravans, wanderers and vagabonds of ill repute.
Quote from: LlumCuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.
Now I'm curious: who is this 'Devourer' and how does he/she make the local cuisine so famous?
I'd also like to know more about the liches. Are they like intelligent zombies or something? Why are there so many different types of them?
Quote from: LlumCuisine is famous in Ecks because of a single person, Phontix Mantylla, the Devourer.
This 'Devourer' happens to be the one and only Famine Lich. His presence has kinda warped the culture of Ecks around himself.
Quote from: GhostmanI'd also like to know more about the liches. Are they like intelligent zombies or something? Why are there so many different types of them?
Dry Lich are mummified husks, drained of all moisture (in there usual form). They cannot magically conjure fire, air or metal.
*Rat lich hunched, wear rags and usually have lots of splintered bones. They tend to be secretive and have a rapport with animals (living and dead) that other lichs don't have.
*Slime Lichs look more like gelatinous cubes with a skeleton on the inside. No one understands how they think, or why they do the things that they do. Usually their bodies are quite acidic.
*Chalk Lich are ghost white and have soft powdery flesh. The most empathic and at the same time the bitterest of all the lich. They can only just defensive abjuration magic, this includes healing magic.
*Time Lichs are semi-corporeal, often wearing elaborate robes (its an ego thing). Haughty and arrogant they serve as a kind of spoiled noble for lich kind.
*Probability Lichs look alive one instant and are swiling storms of dust and light the next. They're all mad. Their magic is chaotic and scholars are unsure if they even know what their magic will do.
*Gold Lichs look like golden skeletons, often encrusted with jewels. Greedy to a fault they prize things to put into their Collection. Most of their magic deals in trasmutation, sand to water, lead to gold, corn to rubies etc...
*Blood Lichs look like a skeleton in a swirling maelstrom of blood. Much too fond of the living.
*Hat Lich, sometime known as a Rag Lich. Known for wearing ensembles of clashing styles. They always have a hat on them (hence the name) regardless of what else their wearing. Probably the most easy going of all lich kind. [/list]
As you see, there are so many different types because aside from a few unifying traits physically, magically and psychologically they vary quite a bit.
The basics of being considered a lich are a couple things; First of all being dead, second of all some kind of distinct physical anomaly that developes after death and finally some kind of innate magical ability that is limited in some form or other.
I am just going to have to infer that becoming a lich is very easy here, and that since it beats being totally dead, many of the people prepare this way before they pass on
Quote from: Lord VreegI am just going to have to infer that becoming a lich is very easy here, and that since it beats being totally dead, many of the people prepare this way before they pass on
For a quick answer, yes. A lot of people do, that's why there are so many Lichs. I'll elaborate after work. It isn't for everyone though.
Can't we make a fetishLich, that still seeks (perhaps voyeuristic) pleasures of the flesh and such?
[spoiler=somewhat risque]How can you pass up the chance to create their magic items? I'm not going to go there as it will be difficult to stop, but I will mention Celtricia's 'Pleasure Piercings of Inkmisa'[/spoiler]
Dry Lich are mummified husks, drained of all moisture (in there usual form). They cannot magically conjure fire, air or metal.
*Rat lich hunched, wear rags and usually have lots of splintered bones. They tend to be secretive and have a rapport with animals (living and dead) that other lichs don't have.
*Slime Lichs look more like gelatinous cubes with a skeleton on the inside. No one understands how they think, or why they do the things that they do. Usually their bodies are quite acidic.
*Chalk Lich are ghost white and have soft powdery flesh. The most empathic and at the same time the bitterest of all the lich. They can only just defensive abjuration magic, this includes healing magic.
*Time Lichs are semi-corporeal, often wearing elaborate robes (its an ego thing). Haughty and arrogant they serve as a kind of spoiled noble for lich kind.
*Chaos Lichs look alive one instant and are swiling storms of dust and light the next. They're all mad. Their magic is chaotic and scholars are unsure if they even know what their magic will do.
*Gold Lichs look like golden skeletons, often encrusted with jewels. Greedy to a fault they prize things to put into their Collection. Most of their magic deals in trasmutation, sand to water, lead to gold, corn to rubies etc...
*Blood Lichs look like a skeleton in a swirling maelstrom of blood. Much too fond of the living.
*Hat Lich, sometime known as a Rag Lich. Known for wearing ensembles of clashing styles. They always have a hat on them (hence the name) regardless of what else their wearing. Probably the most easy going of all lich kind.
*Probability Lichs look like recently embalmed corpses festooned with charms, fetishs and other talismans. Their magic is all about the manipulation of chance. To them there's no such thing as good or bad luck, just chance.
*Karmic Lichs look vibrantly alive, except they have mismatched eyes. Obssessed beyond what most lichs are they live only to balance the karmic scales of the world. A blessing to the good and a bane to the evil.
Storm Lichs are skeletal thin and drip rain water. They always carry a large metal staff (some believe it to be their phylactery) and tend to live at the top of the mountain.
Updated Lich List, changed the old Probability Lich to Chaos lich. New Probability/Storm/Karmic lichs.
Now as for becoming a Lich. It involves having great will power, The Gray Cactus does not lightly grant permission to souls to wander the world past their time. Essentially the spell is a glorified, mystical request. It can be done at anytime during a persons lifetime but they'll never know the result until they die.
If accepted and their will proves strong enough they will rise as a lich (the type isn't known, though some ancient lich claim to have unlocked the mystery of lich-kind) seven days after death. Their body will change drastically in this time and when they awaken they find their phylactery present on their person.
I'll probably expand on this more, this is all I have at the moment.
Now as to lich that enjoy some good ole earthly pleasure, there are some. Not quite in the fashion that your thinking but Phontix is a great gourmand (and a glutton), he eats the richest most decadent and most exotic for every meal. No food is taboo for him.
I'm sure there are other examples.
Updated the bestiary post with Panderbacks and Ash Cactuses.
The Night Sky
The sky over Hexx is rarely dark, with three suns night is a rare and fleeting thing. However when it does appear it is a wondrous sight to behold. Hexx has seven moons, all varying shades of mottled green and blue in the night sky. Each is named after one of the Seven Sisters, Scions associated with Summer Rain. From largest to smallest, Rovos, Sot, Bettem, Farlia, Hittam, Menin and Genin.
The stars are very bright when night falls, many constilations can be found in the sky, The Raven, Summer's Cross, The Belt, Twin Drakes, Sharm's Three Eyes and dozens more.
Hat Lich... :D
The monsters are interesting. Is this supposed to tend towards humour? :)
Quote from: Light DragonHat Lich... :D
The monsters are interesting. Is this supposed to tend towards humour? :)
It's not really tended towards humor, but if you find it humourous that's cool too :D
Everyone seems to like the Hat Lich.
When I think of Hat Liches I think of the voodoo god/spirit Baron Samedi with a skull face and a top hat.
Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawWhen I think of Hat Liches I think of the voodoo god/spirit Baron Samedi with a skull face and a top hat.
You could definetly find a Hat Lich similar to that, though most wear even more outlandish and clashing styles.
Demi-Gods
Demi-Gods are the intermediaries between the denizens of Hexx and to the Creator. Common doctrine states that mortals are the lowest theological beings, comprised of souls who have bodies of flesh. Next are immortals, beings who's flesh is more soul-matter then actual flesh. After these are the intermediaries between mortals, immortals and the higher theological beings. These intermediaries are Scions, Demi-Gods who have flesh and then above them, Demi-Gods the first beigns without flesh.
Gods are said to be above the Demi-Gods, creatures beyond the comprehension of beings of the flesh. In the darkest rooms, in the deepest ruins it is whispered in hushed tones of creatures above even Gods themselves.
The Demi-Gods most commonly worshiped and spoken of in Hexx are Summer Rain, Cray Cactus, Grandfather Ore and Sharm, the three eye'd drake.
Ah. Gray Cactus is a DEMIgod. OK.
And he is the one you ask to become a lich.
Someone above him has a sense of humor. WHo's kid is he?
and did the Gray Cactus create the FamineLich?
Quote from: Lord Vreegand did the Gray Cactus create the FamineLich?
Yes he did. Phontix is something of an anomaly. Lichdom was forced onto him because of some stuff he did during life. He was a very bad person, he used to be known as Phontix the Devourer of Souls. Still, the punishment didn't turn out as bad as it was supposed to be, Phontix even kept his title in an oblique way, being christened simply the Devourer now.
Artifacts
Vordolf Rings
These rare black iron rings are inset with a small groove all around the outside. When a loop of bone from an animal is set into this groove it allows the wearer of the ring to shapeshift into that animal. Multiple rings can be worn at once, allowing the wearer to shapeshift into multiple at once.
The rings are named after High Animus Vordolf Ristenson. Vordolf is supposed to be an ancient, his tomb was discovered deep in the heart of the caves under Sky Lake. The first seven rings were taken from his tomb, supposedly untold treasures still lie within. These original seven have multiple grooves in them, allowing multiple animal forms in a single ring. The copies created over the ages have yet to equal this ability.
Magic is common in Hexx. Every race has its own store of racial magic allowing them to influence the world around them. True magic is something rare, said to be the craft of the ancients. True magic is based in ritual and craft, it is used to make artifacts of great power, such as Vordolf Rings, the Crown of Sound, the Hornet Crown or even the Lazarus Spire.
Racial magic is unique to each race, and while the extent and magnitude of power varies between individuals they always fall into a few narrowly defined categories.
Orelings have the ability to control water, earth and fire. They can shape metal, eat lightning and detect water from a thousand paces.
Lichs magic varies depending on the type of lich. Rat lich have animal empathy, the ability to conjure poxes and poisons, to shatter and crumble mundane items. Dry lich have the ability to detect water from a thousand miles, absorb water by touche, conjure sand and stone.
Drakes have the ability to paralyze with their gaze, flight, as well as minor weather enhancing abilities and the power to make plants grow.
Eidolons can conjure and project powerful energy, create wards and have ease in shaping materials.
Artifacts[/b]
The Crown of Sound
The most powerful artifact in all of Hexx looks rather unassuming for such an item. The Crown looks like a slim silver band that looks more like a poor prince's circlet then an actual crown. The only distinguishing feature are three small carved alabaster talismans inset evenly spaced all around the Crown. Each talisman is shaped differently, one is a stylized sun wrapped in vines, the second is a stylized panderback and the third and final talisman is a glyph in the script of the ancients.
The Crown of Sound can only activate its main function in a specially prepared room. This room must be a perfect sphere, lined with metal, and entirely sound proof. Inside this room the wearer of the Crown can hear every sound being made, it takes great will and concentration to be able to focus enough to hear something meaningful from this cacophony. It's rumored that a particularly iron willed and focused user can hear into the depths of time listening to every sound ever made, or that will ever be made.
The crown is currently owned by Vox Virgil; half-lich, chosen of the Memnoch Stone and scion of destiny
Hornet Crown
A most vile looking object, the Hornet Crown resembles a blood-red treacle skullcap, stuck to its adhesive top are thousands of biting, stinging insects made from gold. However these insects are somehow alive left to writhe, buzz and squirm for eternity. The Hornet Crown gives the bearer immunity to all poisons, the ability to command vermin, a poisonous touch and a taste for sweet delicacies.
Lazarus Spire
Sometimes known as the Life Spire, the Gray Bane or the Lich Bane. The Spire is a carved wooden shaft depicting orelings, eidolons and panderbacks. At the top of the shaft is a carved stone spear head. The spear head is wide, flat and inset with golden whorls. The Spire is an ornage stone spear, until it pierces a Lichs skull, then it releases a flash of golden light and the Lich will crumble to dust.
After some pondering, I've started to sketch out a basic system. I've mentioned it here before (briefly).
In combat characters have 3 "sliders" (basically a scale that goes from -100 to 100), one would be racial magic, the other two would depend on other things. Moves all have a cost, so on the Warmth scale, a frost-bolt move would cost something like -50 pts, and a fireball would be +50 (numbers vary of course). Now you couldn't exceed the value of your scale, so if you were at -75, you couldn't cast a spell with a cost of over -25, you would have to cast a spell with a positive value first.
Now advancement, while I do like Guildschools skill idea, personally I'm more attached to a web/board system. A character starts out on a skill board/web and can buy "movement" with XP, acquiring new skills when you move "onto" a tile.
Ok, so the design philosophy behind the Hexx system. I want each character to be highly customizable, highly modular and different. [note]I'm approaching this from what I'm familiar with, so more in the perspective of a computer game or something. I'm not terribly familiar with tabletops and what not. So this probably won't be terribly familiar to everyone who plays tabletops (unless you play RPGs on a computer or something).[/note]
I like the idea of different moves targeting different defensive attributes. A melee strike will hits someones armor, but a mental assault would hit someones mental defenses, while some spells won't be blocked by armor so need to be dodged and finally I see some kinds of things as un-dodgeable so a character just has to take a hit and weather it, stuff like diseases and poison would probably fit under here.
I've yet to decide specifically how advancement works, though I do know this much. I want it to be item influenced, artifacts are big in Hexx, when it comes right down to it having the right artifact at the right time means more then a million other factors. I want this to trickle down as well, having the correct tool for the job at hand should be important. I'd also like the system to be something like a node-based web, where each node has multiple tiers of things to learn. Once a character gains enough experience they can ether move nodes or access the next tier on their current node. Something like that.
At the moment that is all I have.
I do love the Hornet crown. Who made it and why? who has possessed it?
Quote from: Vreeg's CoachwhipI do love the Hornet crown. Who made it and why? who has possessed it?
It was made, originally some two and a half thousand years ago, by a scholar and sage known as Severn Caduceus. Severn was a Drake historian and explorer. He was fascinated by the caverns under Ecks. He was the first to map the first layer of caves and identified many properties and dyes during his travels.
In middle age he became a scholar and eventually learned how to perform non-racial magic. Over many years he expanded his power base but gained many enemies. Growing paranoid he wanted absolute protection from anyone who tried to kill him, with his natural Drake magic he was safe from most Oreling. He hired several Eidolon bodyguards to help protect him from the physical thread of other Drakes and Eidolons This left only Lichs to guard himself against.
The Hornet Crown was his response to riots in the growing Rat Lich population. The grown counteracts most Rat Lich natural magics. It is one of a set of seven artifacts that he created to guard himself against Lichs.
Several other notable people have possessed it over the following centuries. Horace Longcrux used it to overthrow the Sapphire Sultan, it was later used to by the descendants of said Sultan to regain power. Lazarus Lichbane gathered the Hornet Crown and five of the other artifacts in the set on his quest to eradicate Lichkind, he was eventually slain by his sister reincarnated as a Karma Lich.
More recent uses of the Hornet Crown have been by the oreling crusader Kedd Havok three hundred years ago. Afterwars it was used by the eidolon assassin Sumptuous Pattern to kill the Forgotten Five. It was last said to be in the possession of Hope Caduceus, a descendent of Severn Caduceus, while exploring the caverns under Ecks. She was said to have reached nearly four thousand feet under the city before never being heard from again.
Kedd Havok
Kedd Havok was an oreling tribal leader of great charisma who lived three hundred years ago. Born as part of the Highpeak clan he spent his youth traveling with his merchant father seeing most of Hexx. Disillusioned with his tribes status, the Highpeak clan lived a couple days travel outside of a minor crossroads town. Kedd left the mercantile empire his father built and retreated to a nomadic herding existense for many years.
After a dozen years he returned to his tribe to find them more or less in the state they were when he left. His families mercantile empire was less then it was a dozen years prior due to poor handling by his family after his father died. Filled with contempt for his tribe he vowed to raise them to new heights. Gathering a band of unhappy youths he started his first crusade.
The first crusade began with Kedd and his band uniting closer oreling tribes and nomadic groups. Some he gathered to him by sheer presence and charisma, converting them to his cause after a powerful speach. Others he took by ruthless action and strength of arms. Over seven years he had gathered together over three thousand orelings to form the Nation of Elsk.
The second crusade, often called the soft crusade by scholars started before the formation of the nation of Elsk. Here Kedd took over his families mercantile empire. Through the near monopoly on various resources (a special kind of herbed goat cheese famous around Hexx and a special pigment that glowed under the light of Tau derived from wisdompedes). The fortune that Kedd amassed was quite large, but still minor compared to those of the most powerful kings and largest cities. To increase his hoard Kedd allied himself with the Gold Lich Skalec Oh'urden.
The third crusade, the blood crusade, involved the military expansion of Kedd Havoks empire. With gold to hire mercenaries, loyal oreling troops that included the newly formed Panderkin tribe Kedds armies lost very few battles. Over the next seventeen years Kedd would convert another ten thousand orelings to the Nation of Elsk. During this time, the wanton spending of his fortune worried his partner Skalec Oh'urden. Skalec would break their allianced, taking most of Kedds mercenary forces with him. Skalec retreated to Grand Tuk, a city ruled by the twins Time Lich Horven Oh'urden and the Probability Lich Zaramastrien. Unable to continue to expand without the mercenary support Kedd halted his third crusade.
The final crusade was one of vengeance. Kedd rallied the Nation of Elsk and marched on Grand Tuk with a force of ten thousand orelings comprimising Panderkin and wisdompede tamers as well as recruiting immortals and even a Scion loyal to Gray Cactus. The final battle was a slaughter for all those involved. The mercenary companies of Phonon's Phalanx, Verminshank, The Serpentines Resplendent were wiped out, several immortals were slain, four thousand orelings were lost and the Scion Gomenwyrm and Kedd Havok were both slain by three Karma Lichs known as the Wheels of Destiny.
Artifacts
Demilune Armlets
Demilune Armlets are some of the most common artifacts. The original cache was found deep in the Eidolon storage under Vayne. Appearance varies but the Demilune Armlets are gold bands that are inscribed with ancient sigils. Other caches have been found deep under Sky Lake and under other cities as well. Often they can be found near Ancient tombs. They vary greatly in power.
These Armlets are extremely versatile, and often in demand by the powerful. What they do is enhance racial magic. For example a Drake who wears one could have his minor weather controlling magics enhanced to the point where he could conjur up vast windstorms or cyclones, such as is the case with Tempest Mucalinda.
Everyday Artifacts
Amberglass Lens
The gaze of a Drake is a dangerous thing, it causes paralysis and in the stronger racial mages can cause death or blindness. This causes difficulty for Drakes wishing to intergrate in multiracial societies. This problem was solved nearly fifteen years ago by Holly Terrapin, a Drake invetor. Amberglass is a magically tempered crystal with a deep amber color, it is quite strong and flexible. The significance of Amberglass is that it stops a Drakes gaze from have any negative effect. Usually a Amberglass plate is woven into a bandana that is wrapped around the eyes, with the plate covering the eyes of the wearer. Both Drakes and non-Drakes can wear the Amberglass to stop a Drakes gaze.
Amberglass was easily produced to those who know the method, currently only a single consortium of artisans who collaborate with Holly Terrapin. Over the last decade the demand for Amberglass Lenses has increased rapidly.
After further though on the system this is what I have so far. It's fairly complex, maybe too complex, so we shall see how it works out.
There are Main stats that breakdown into sub-stats. I'm thinking something like 5 main stats that each break down into 2-4 sub-stats. The total sum of your sub-stats should be 2*main stat. However no single sub-stat can exceed its parent Mainstat in skill.
The Mental stat breaks down into
-Will, mental stamina and the ability to apply ones mental faculties.
-Intelligence, raw intellect and logic.
-Sanity, how one perceives the world.
In the above example if a character has a Mental stat of 3, then they could have 2 in each Will, Int and Sanity, or 3 Sanity, 1 Will and 2 Int.
Now I've already said I'm going to use my slider idea, this is going to be the "limit" on magic and abilities, so someone can't just cast fireballs all day long. Eventually they're going to have to "cool down" by using spells that lower their warmth. Vice versa for frost spells. Not too sure how I'm going to restrict spell/ability selection. Combat and non-combat abilities/spells will share the same sliders.
I want to use dice pools, I think that there will be a maximum number of dice a character can hold at one time (derived from some stats), a number of dice regained/regenrated per turn/time interval (derived from different stats) and a cap on how many dice can be spent on any single skill at one time (derived from a third set of stats).
Any questions or comments? I understand this is all kind of vague at the moment.
Quick update. As for the power curve/progression, I don't want more experienced characters to be touhger/stronger/faster/smarter then newer characters. I want them to have more options in the same situation.
That being said, I think most advancement will be through gaining new artifacts.
The system won't be a traditional level system, and it won't be a skill-based game ether. XP is earned for doing various things (combat/quests/whatever you wish). You also gain AP for doing various things. XP is spent on different things (buy extra AP, using non-racial magic[crafting artifacts],changing web nodes, advancing node tiers, buying node skills/abilities/things, etc).
AP is spent to enhance racial magic, skills/abilities bought from nodes, enabling/enhancing weapon/armor uses, enabling artifact slots.
Timeline
Ancient times(-20000 to -2000): World created by the Demi-gods (or by the God, according to some), Ancient prosper and create many cities across the globe.
-1256: Catastrophe, Ancients disappear.
0: Ruins of Vayne become inhabited by significant amount of people, becomes first city.
11: Memnoch Stone crashes into the desert.
27: Grand Tuk becomes the second significant population center.
43: Exiles from Grand Tuk colonize Ecks.
345: Phontix Mantylla born.
366: Phontix Mantylla consumes his first soul, earning him the ire of Gray Cactus.
366: Vordolf Rings discovered.
405: Phontix Mantylla, now known as The Devourer fo Souls, slain.
514: Mantylla rises as the Famine Lich, given the monicker The Devourer.
691: The Devourer settles in Ecks, cuisine gains some popularity
1200: Sapphire Sultanate founded by Yemm Sapphire, the first Sapphire Sultan.
1667: Major earthquake, damages Vayne exposing Eidolon hibernation chambers.
2500: Severn Caduceus creates the Hornet Crown.
2767: Horace Longcrux overthrows the Sapphire Sultan.
3211: Sapphire Sultanate refounded
3800-4100: Lazarus Lichbane crusades and nearly wipes out Lichkind.
4689: Kedd Havok begins his crusades.
4978: Amberglass invented by Holly Terrapin.