The Campaign Builder's Guild

The Mirrored Paths are used to share information, images, and ideas, all bound within a plane of shadows and reflections. It is possible to physically enter and travel The Mirrored Paths, though they are treacherous paths and perilous realms, full of strange creatures, deadly foes, and insidious secrets.

Paths, Terms Of
[spoiler]Usage of The Mirrored Paths has led to numerous new terms and what almost amounts to a new language to describe what is done. Here are some of the technical terms of the Paths.

Treader: Someone who physically enters The Mirrored Paths to manipulate it. By extension, tread is a verb that means to physically walk The Mirrored Paths

Scryer: Someone who uses The Mirrored Paths to obtain information, relocate information, and communicate. Scryers do not enter The Mirrored Paths physically: if they do, they become treaders. By extension, scry is the verb that means to manipulate The Mirrored Paths from behind a looking mirror.

Looking mirror: A mirror used to manipulate information on The Mirrored Paths. When using a looking mirror, the scryer sees the planar essence of The Mirrored Paths converted into written words or images, as appropriate. The creator of the information chooses how it appears.

Path: two meanings. 1) For a treader, it is a literal walkway that takes you to your destination. No matter where you are physically on The Mirrored Paths, speaking the proper chant will set you on the proper path. 2) A chant used by a scryer to find information.

Cluster: 1) for a treader, a physical place on The Mirrored Paths, usually represented by a series of connected disks with subjective directional gravity. The disks are made of information stored by scryers and treaders alike. Clusters are linked to mirrors, which allow a treader who spoke the proper chant to exit through that mirror, if it is large enough and there is physical space on the other side to exit. Some clusters attach to Reflection. 2) A place where a scryer stores information.[/spoiler]

The Paths
[spoiler]Physically entering The Mirrored Paths is possible with the proper spell and a mirror large enough to accommodate your form, while scrying the paths (looking though a Looking Mirror for information, using one to store information, communicating with someone else with a Looking Mirror.) requires merely a specially treated mirror, called a Looking Mirror, large enough to see into, and the proper phrase to activate it. After that, speaking command words in the proper orders (called chants) are used to explore it. Looking mirrors usually requires only the proper phrase to activate it, and common or public mirrors use the phrase shodofar, which is â,¬Å"reveal to me,â,¬Â while personal mirrors usually use private phrases to activate. [note=Inside the Paths]The Paths are quite frightening to visit, even for an experienced treader. They display subjective directional gravity, and appear as countless clusters floating in inky blackness, connected by long silver paths that seem to flow, despite being solid to the touch. Each cluster consists of two to ten disks. One of the disks has a mirror connected to it, appearing as a silver rectangle floating in the air. This mirror does not cast reflections. The other clusters appearance varies depending on the scryer or treader who owns that mirror: they can shape them to appear as anything they want.[/note]

There is some danger in chanting into a mirror, and having skill in exploring The Mirrored Paths lessens this danger. Certain golemtech allows safer usage of Looking Mirrors, though the risks associated with golemtech still exist. Nothing completely eliminates the risk of using a Looking Mirror, however. The dangers range from minor scares to persistent nightmares to, in rare instances, complete insanity. One might also touch the Reflection by accident, a deadly world that mirrors the Material much in the way a funhouse mirror shows your appearance: it is twisted and warped.[/spoiler]

The Paths, History Of
[spoiler][ic= Gorctho.]The Paths were discovered two hundreds years before their widespread usage by the elven scholar and planar explorer Arewash Reshiquethae. Arewash stumbled upon the paths when experimenting with using a alchemical concoction which would allow mirrors to be used to view other planes by common citizens. When she attempted to view though the mirror, however, she was given what may be the first view of any mortal into the Paths. (see 1) Arewashâ,¬,,¢s colleague, Vaethara Shaldael, did continued research into Looking Mirrors. Arewash was unable to further her own research because the result of her first attempt to chant drove her inexplicably mad. Meanwhile, Vaethara continued to research chants and delve into the mysteries of the Paths, and lived well into her five hundredth year before vanishing for parts unknown. (see 2)
Excerpt from â,¬Å"A History of the Voidfall and the Aftermathâ,¬Â[/ic]
------------------
[ic= Gorctho]Fear of what happened to Arewash prevented widespread channeling for over a century. That changed with the Voidfall. The peoples of the human kingdom of Hallith found themselves unable to retreat through the underdark after an earthquake sealed off most of the entrances, and they were forced to march over three hundred miles to find an escape rout. It would have been impossible to organize and maintain such a march without the air of mirrors, which were brought to the humans by a psion, Rilan Docâ,¬,,¢Thotar. (see 3). The successful and safe usage of Looking Mirrors to organize this march led to the people of New Hallith to begin using mirrors on a wide scale, and despite some initial setbacks, the use of mirrors has spread throughout the Lowerlands.
Excerpt from â,¬Å"A History of the Voidfall and the Aftermathâ,¬Â [/ic]

1: expanded History:[spoiler][ic= Jibith Vonithar, prophet.]There are whispers among treaders about hidden parts of The Mirrored Paths, realms that they dare not tread for fear of their minds and lives. These realms are never stumbled upon through a scrying: the surface only goes blank. Only those who walk the paths stumble upon these realms. Those who have gone there before and managed to leave know them as Deadlands, and speak of cyclopean ruins and geometry that doesnâ,¬,,¢t work properly. These ruins are built, if my readings are correct, by Those Who Came Before, and hold the secrets of their civilizationâ,¬Â¦[/ic]

Though the theories of Jibith are usually discredited as the ravings of a madman, there is some truth to them. Treaders do speak of cyclopean ruins, though no credible source has ever found or documented any. There is much debate on the nature of the The Mirrored Paths. Some speculate Arewash accidentally created them with her experiments, while others contend they were once a third Material Plane, along with Datrik and the Reflection, and that a race that predates even dragons met their downfall there.
[/spoiler]

2: The Fate of Vaethara[spoiler]Much confusion surrounds the disappearance of Vaethara. Her last verifiable whereabouts were her laboratory, where she was developing a way to view The Mirrored Paths without a mirror. After that, she simply vanished. Around the same time, the echo Arathaev was discovered. Although Arathaevâ,¬,,¢s name is almost Vaetharaâ,¬,,¢s name spelled backwards, and Arathaev does indeed grant powers related to Looking Mirrors, but the lack of perfect misspelling of the name as well as conclusive evidence means the actual identity of Arathaev or the fate of Vaethara is unknown.[/spoiler]

3: Rilan Docâ,¬,,¢Thotar[spoiler][ic=Bar Patron]â,¬Å"Rilan Docâ,¬,,¢Thotar? Eh, yeah, I â,¬Ëeard oâ,¬,,¢ â,¬Ëim. â,¬Ëes in league with Those Above, or â,¬,,¢m on the surface. Oh, sure â,¬Ëe did all sorts of goodly stuff for us â,¬Ëallithians, getting us off the surface and whatnot. But you never see â,¬Ëim. Never talk to â,¬Ëim. No one knows what â,¬Ëe is. Plus, â,¬Ëeâ,¬,,¢s a psion. You ever â,¬Ëeard of onna their number who ainâ,¬,,¢t working with Them? Look me in the eye and say you â,¬Ëave. Thatâ,¬,,¢s right, didnâ,¬,,¢t think so.[/ic]

Rilan Docâ,¬,,¢Thotar is one of the most enigmatic figures in Datrikâ,¬,,¢s history. He appears numerous places, and his actions never seem to make sense. What is known about Rilan is this: First, he is a psion, and a powerful one at that. Second, it is impossible to be sure who he is helping, for his actions have aided both those above and the survivors. Third, he can scry and tread without mirrors, the only known being to do so. Other than that, nothing can be certain about him, not even his appearance, which has been described in numerous different ways by different peoples.[/spoiler][/spoiler]

Paths, Creatures and Hazards of
[spoiler]The Mirrored Paths are home to many creatures and other hazards, many of them horrible and dangerous. Here is a taste of what awaits both treader and scryer.
 
[ooc]This list is by no means complete. Suggestions for unique threats to both scryers and treaders is welcome and appreciated.[/ooc]

Threats to scryers:

[spoiler]Gibbering: [spoiler]Occasionally, a misspoken chant will cause random letters and symbols to appear on the scyers mirror. Called gibbering, a scryer who reads it will find his mind assaulted on a fundamental level, causing massive damage to his sanity and ability to reason. Some particularly dangerous strains of gibbering will transform the scryers mind, turning them into a dangerous killer. Whether it is read or not, gibbering will fade from the mirror in a few minutes.[/spoiler]

More to come![/spoiler]

Threats to treaders
[spoiler]Sentinel[spoiler]one of the deadliest creatures of the Paths, sentinels have hulking, headless humanoid forms with three eyes located above two uneven mouths in their chests. They patrol the paths for some unknown purpose, and attack some treaders while leaving others alone. They are very common near Deadlands, but they can be found anywhere. They attack by spewing a mind weaking ray from their smaller mouth, while using their claws to rend and tear. A particularly deadly variant drains life force with its mouth ray.[/spoiler]

Jauntrats[spoiler]The most irritating, though least dangerous, of the path creatures, jauntrats are small, lopsided insectile creatures, with three legs on one side and two legs on the other, the side with two legs also hosting a large claw. Their bite, which hardly hurts, can randomly transport whoever was bitten to a unknown cluster. While someone who knows chant can find their way back to where they was, or at least home, those who cannot chant can find themselves lost, unless whoever was leading them through the paths can find them. Some treaders keep captured jauntrants, releasing them as a distraction when attacked.[/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler]

Thatâ,¬,,¢s what I have so far for them. The problem is, I feel like Iâ,¬,,¢m missing a lot. Areas where I am unclear, or where you want information, please ask to help me flesh this out. The idea of The Mirrored Paths predates Datrik, and will probably be used in other settings. I want to give the whole thing a Lovecraftian horror feel to it. Iâ,¬,,¢m also having trouble with explaining how The Mirrored Paths stores information: my current explanation is that information put into it forms the planar substance. Also, much of the nomenclature seems clunky to me, and I really want to rename a lot of it. As always, questions and comments are very appreciated.

I like the idea that not just anyone can use a mirror, but it takes some expertise and gusto to brave the paths, whether in the mirror or on your bum. Lends to character ideas and adventurers. I'm not sure if you're going for a more widespread telecommunications feel, where anyone can say the proper words and make a mirror-call, or if they need to contact a scryer to send the message, like the old telegraph-office style. I vote for the latter, because one of the things that I feel disrupts a fantasy game is easy telecommunications. I suppose they are dangerous... would most people be willing to take the risk? Or do a select few do so, but only for a fee?

If you wish for a more Lovecraftian feel, then perhaps you should just borrow his ideas whenever you can. If there are monsters in the Mirror world, maybe they are so horrible that they are virtually indescribable. Perhaps even certain symbols in the Mirror world can induce nausea or insanity. I definatley like the idea of the Reflection; that there's some bizzaro world full of abominable mockeries of reality. There's a mindf**k.

Would you be suggesting that one can enter in one mirror and exit out another? A perilous trip, to be sure, but imagine the possibilites...

As far as terminology... I like alot of it so far. The only think I might suggest is moving away from the arcane magic terminology a bit; instead of calling them "chants" or "spells", perhaps they can be "lines" or "programs", or the general language of the mirrors could be called "code" or "syntax". If its not too-cyberpunkish in application, I think some cyber-terminology could add a cool and strange element to the idea.

The information actually making up the mirror world's substance is interesting... whenever someone looks in a mirror they're feeding info into it. Mirrors just sit and watch the world, soaking up every detail and change, second by second, and reflect it back. Even without the power to tap into the mirror world and input data, it's still going to soak up everything it surveys... or maybe there's some kind of data-hoarding race who lives there, intellegent or not (id suggest un-intellgent; as sentient mirror people would complicate the issue), and they greedily store any info anyone has to offer. Maybe there's some queer form of plant life there that lives off of information like normal plants live off of sunlight and water; all you need do to access it is to pluck the fruit off the branch, or peer under a leaf.

This Mirror-stuff is interesting.

and P.S., kudos on the introduction of it. Technology does a whole let better if it has some great and useful application to introduce it to society. Everyone would know what the Mirror paths are if they were used to help move people underground. And the character given to the "history lessons" and "interviews". It's stuff like that which breathes life into a game and makes it great.

QuoteI like the idea that not just anyone can use a mirror, but it takes some expertise and gusto to brave the paths, whether in the mirror or on your bum. Lends to character ideas and adventurers. I'm not sure if you're going for a more widespread telecommunications feel, where anyone can say the proper words and make a mirror-call, or if they need to contact a scryer to send the message, like the old telegraph-office style. I vote for the latter, because one of the things that I feel disrupts a fantasy game is easy telecommunications. I suppose they are dangerous... would most people be willing to take the risk? Or do a select few do so, but only for a fee?

If you wish for a more Lovecraftian feel, then perhaps you should just borrow his ideas whenever you can. If there are monsters in the Mirror world, maybe they are so horrible that they are virtually indescribable. Perhaps even certain symbols in the Mirror world can induce nausea or insanity. I definatley like the idea of the Reflection; that there's some bizzaro world full of abominable mockeries of reality. There's a mindf**k.[/quote]Would you be suggesting that one can enter in one mirror and exit out another? A perilous trip, to be sure, but imagine the possibilites...[/quote]As far as terminology... I like alot of it so far. The only think I might suggest is moving away from the arcane magic terminology a bit; instead of calling them "chants" or "spells", perhaps they can be "lines" or "programs", or the general language of the mirrors could be called "code" or "syntax". If its not too-cyberpunkish in application, I think some cyber-terminology could add a cool and strange element to the idea.[/quote]The information actually making up the mirror world's substance is interesting... whenever someone looks in a mirror they're feeding info into it. Mirrors just sit and watch the world, soaking up every detail and change, second by second, and reflect it back. Even without the power to tap into the mirror world and input data, it's still going to soak up everything it surveys... or maybe there's some kind of data-hoarding race who lives there, intellegent or not (id suggest un-intellgent; as sentient mirror people would complicate the issue), and they greedily store any info anyone has to offer. Maybe there's some queer form of plant life there that lives off of information like normal plants live off of sunlight and water; all you need do to access it is to pluck the fruit off the branch, or peer under a leaf.[/quote]This Mirror-stuff is interesting.

and P.S., kudos on the introduction of it. Technology does a whole let better if it has some great and useful application to introduce it to society. Everyone would know what the Mirror paths are if they were used to help move people underground. And the character given to the "history lessons" and "interviews". It's stuff like that which breathes life into a game and makes it great.[/quote]

Thank you very much. That was my first attempt at making history in even that little amount of detail â,¬' I tend to shy away from it, as history is so easy to get tangled up. Iâ,¬,,¢ve always loved reading history lessons and interviews, so I figured Iâ,¬,,¢d put it in to make it a better read. Iâ,¬,,¢m glad you enjoyed.

Xathan this is some great material. I can see so many story archs that could be built around mirrored paths, and they seem almost essential to an underground world as a means of tying distant cities together into a cohesive setting.

One of my concerns about Datrik from the very beginning was how difficult it would be to run a game that involved more than a single city. Datrik in my eyes always seemed like a mixture of the underdark and Zion-like cities, which are both interesting concepts, but difficult for a game unless you want your whole campaign tied to a single locale. The mirrors fix this problem perfectly.

Mechanically how do you plan to make them work? Is operating a mirror going to require a skill check like knowledge: mirrors perhaps? It would be cool if the PCs could become adept at working them, but NPC experts were the most common people to operate the mirrors. Maybe they could work like the doors of Sigil; are you familar with them?

I bet the planar ranger PrC would make an excellent class for a treader, or a player character in Datrik. Have you thought about it?

-Nasty-

I whipped up a little tidbit on Reflection, more later.

Reflection

[ic=Belthana, Human Seer and teacher at Duâ,¬,,¢Acudema Psykuna]
Look at this mirror. See how you see yourselves? You can see your reflections as clearly as I see you.  Now watch as I distort it. See how it waves, bulges, and curves? You see how your forms are distorted and twisted, warped beyond imagination. Such is the relation to Reality and Reflection: one is a distorted imitation of the other.[/ic]

[note=Adaptation]Like many concepts in Datrik, Reflection is modular, and can be used elsewhere. In a standard DnD setting, it works best when linked to the material plane through the Plane of Shadows. If the Plane of Mirrors is being used, then a link between that plane and Reflection is an obvious one.[/note]Reflection is a world that mirrors our own much as a funhouse mirror reflects what stands before it. It twists and distorts reality in the most horrible way. Every being in this world has a reflection, and Reflection holds a twisted version of every being that exists on the material.

Reflection, Bleeds and
[spoiler][ic=Calurn, Farmer]I dun git it. Purda, down thar path, she got all difâ,¬,,¢rent. I dun no what â,¬Ëappened. One day, she comes back from field, ya â,¬Ëear, and she was walkin all funny like. â,¬Ëer crops been dyin since, her chilâ,¬,,¢ren left after â,¬Ëer man vanished â,¬' left no noteâ,¬,,¢r nothing, just vanished, and erâ,¬,,¢re since, Frux, thatâ,¬,,¢s mâ,¬,,¢dog, wonâ,¬,,¢t go near â,¬Ëer, just puts â,¬Ëis tail between â,¬Ëis legs and whines. â,¬Ëer eyes are funny too. â,¬Ëow? I dun no â,¬Ëow! They just are.[/ic]

 Occasionally, thanks to planar storms and increased usage of the Mirrored Paths, beings from Reflection bleed into Datrik. Most of the time such visitors are beasts in a much more hideous and deadly form, which rampage for a short while until natural fauna or one of the civilized races takes it down. Many times, such manifestations happen on the surface of Datrik, which kills the creature. However, on rare occasions, the reflection of an intelligent creature is deposited on this world. Generally killing its twin, the reflection then assumes control of its originalâ,¬,,¢s dealings and then proceeds to follow its own agenda, which is rarely anything like its originalâ,¬,,¢s.[/spoiler]

QuoteXathan this is some great material. I can see so many story archs that could be built around mirrored paths, and they seem almost essential to an underground world as a means of tying distant cities together into a cohesive setting.

One of my concerns about Datrik from the very beginning was how difficult it would be to run a game that involved more than a single city. Datrik in my eyes always seemed like a mixture of the underdark and Zion-like cities, which are both interesting concepts, but difficult for a game unless you want your whole campaign tied to a single locale. The mirrors fix this problem perfectly.

Mechanically how do you plan to make them work? Is operating a mirror going to require a skill check like knowledge: mirrors perhaps? It would be cool if the PCs could become adept at working them, but NPC experts were the most common people to operate the mirrors. Maybe they could work like the doors of Sigil; are you familar with them?[/quote]I bet the planar ranger PrC would make an excellent class for a treader, or a player character in Datrik. Have you thought about it?[/quote]

Yeah, I thought about it, and I make make a PrC to make rangers better at being treaders, but I think I might make a whole new base class that would be very similar to the ranger as a treader. My problem with PrCs is that, if you want to be an expert treader, you should be able to do so from first level, not only once you qualify for the PrC. However, the advantage of the PrC is I put some limits on what level PCs will be when they feel comfortable walking around the Paths: I don't want PCs at first level feeling like they can just hop on the Paths any old time and be just fine. It's a balance I'm toying with, and I could go one way or the other.

QuoteI'm not familair with the doors of Sigil: how do they work? I'm either going to make it a new knowledge skill, or make it an entirely new skill that would fuction alot like Computer Use in d20 modern. I definately want PCs to be able to become skilled at them. However, instead of the NPC expert class being the best at them, a class that specilized in mirror usage will be able to manipulate them better than any other class.

The door of Sigil are opened with keys...but not the keys you're thinking of. A key could be a series of events, or conditions, or the presence of a certain object, or even a set time period like once every 13 years.

For example the chime of a granfather clock might open a door to mechanus, or spilled blood might open the door to Gehenna. You need to be within a certain proximity of the door (in sigil they could be anywhere) and meet the key condition that triggeres it, to open them.

So in your setting for example, maybe red hot metal would open a mirror to the foundries, or an open book would open the mirror to the library, and so on. They key would be like a focus, that makes sure you get where you intend to.

If you do make a new treader class, I'd suggest making it a vaiant ranger. I think if you make it a skill based check it will work wonderfully. This ranger could have it as a class skill, but a high level fighter or psion could still operate a mirror if he took the time to learn how.

-Nasty-

EDIT: I prefer to use NPC classes for most mundane functions. Aristocrats, experts, adepts, and so on are not unskilled, they simply focus on a trade or role within society, that adventurers do not. That's why I can see experts in the role...they are much more common and better suited to the job than adventuring classes. I'm seeing O'Brian in the transporter room (the expert), not the Riker and Worf (the rangers) with the away team.

Hmmmm...perhaps something relating to where you want to go or somesuch would give you a bonus on the skill check. That would make sense, and wouldn't be as direct. I want the Paths to have an air of horror, mystery and danger, so I can't just go the direct symbol=arrival without loosing some of that. (though the Sigil method sounds really interesting: wish they had transported that over to 3.0 and 3.5)

I might make it a variant ranger. I'm going to have to toy with what I want to do with that class alot: it needs to be just right to fit the Paths. I might make a variant ranger for treader, and maybe even make a variation of Heros of Horror's Archivist for scryers. Hmm...*ponders*

EDIT:

QuoteI prefer to use NPC classes for most mundane functions. Aristocrats, experts, adepts, and so on are not unskilled, they simply focus on a trade or role within society, that adventurers do not. That's why I can see experts in the role...they are much more common and better suited to the job than adventuring classes. I'm seeing O'Brian in the transporter room (the expert), not the Riker and Worf (the rangers) with the away team.

You raise a good point. The thing is, in Datrik, O'Brian is running a great deal of risk in the transporter room. Still, an Expert would make a good class for a scryer.

Hmmm....the Expert as scrier would fit better if I broke manipulating the paths into two skills. One would be like a variant survival skill, or a branch of it, or something, which would fit rangers and others who want to physically walk the Paths, while the other part would be a knowledge check to scry the Paths. An expert could choose both as skills, and would be the only class able to do so (unless I make an independant treader PC instead of a variant ranger), which would fit them as being better at it.

I like the idea of the foci skill check bonus...it would work nicely to help those who don't have it as a class skill use the mirrors.

-Nasty-

Just posting here to revive this thread, for reasons I intend on explaining later.