Esteemed members of the Fraternity,
Another month, another domain ! The land of corrupted elves and tyrant wannabe ruler...
Third ed. info: RL3E / RLPH, Gaz 4
Second edition: Black Box (Realm of Terror), Red Box (RL Campaign Setting), Domains of Dread
Adventure: When Black Roses Bloom
Novels: Knight of the Black Rose, Tales of Ravenloft (The Rigor of the Game), Spectre of the Black Rose
Other selected interesting source: Dragon # 258 (Land of Spectres), USS 2002 (Children Of Wrath), Book of Souls (Keepers of the Coil)
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Created in 720
Part of the Core.
Darklord: Inza Kulchevich, since 752 (was Lord Loren Soth before this date)
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From now on, in these monthly adventure hook requests, we will eventually cover all domains, but will also offer brainstorming opportunity about famous NPCs of dread (back soon).
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So post here your adventure hooks or stories.
Reminder: This thread is not just for adventure hooks, it can also be to host short verbatim of local sayings or fireside tavern conversations, à la Gaz 1 web enhancement... or your DM thoughts about this domain.
This thread is for posting adventure hooks or comments / suggestion / improvements on another poster's hook. Other comments will be deleted.
Joël
Domain of the month - Sithicus
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Joël of the FoS
- Moderator
- Posts: 7107
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: St-Damien, Québec
Domain of the month - Sithicus
Last edited by Joël of the FoS on Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
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Jakob
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 3:43 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: Near Milano, Italy.
- Contact:
"I tell you! those fairies are CRAZY!"
The young man, judging from his shaved and tatooed head one of the Mulan of Hazlan, sat beside the fire, looking directly at me. The fresh air of the night in Skald made the flame flicker. The Mulan grabbed a chicken leg from the plate in the center of the great common room and started chewing it.
He resumed his tale, with a voice so loud he woke up the other two guests of the inn.
"I mean it! I was in the woods, searching for those black lilies I need for my final project at the Academy, and out of nowhere... An arrow strikes me! My shoulder in flame, I turn and start an incantation, but... I see noone!"
He paused, and opened his cloak revealing his bare chest. The unmistakable scar from a arrowhead piercing his shoulder was clearly visible. The smoothness of the piercing was sign of an elven-made arrow.
"I prepare myself to unleash a powerful incantation that would have turn the forest in a hellish flame when a Lawgiver-damned elf, an elven whore, walks toward me, a disgusting beetle behind her. She address me in Draconic and says: 'You are in a sacred land. A land not meant for apes -yes, she called me an ape!- like your kind. You are enraging the spirits of nature, watching you from the shadows. Now leave. Or the next arrow will pierce your heart'. That said, she just leaves."
The Mulan covers his wounded shoulder and adds "Luckily I still had a magical concoction I bought from a cleric in Ramulai. I hope the scar will go away..."
The man did not notice that, as soon as he said "elven whore", the people in the common room quickly gathered their things and left.
I lowered the cowl of my cape, and revealed my pointed ears, my angular features, my eyes reflecting the light of the fire in the dark room.
The Mulan had just the time to open his mouth in surprise, before my dagger slit his throath. His blood fell on the fire, sizzling in the now-silent common room.
I started searching his bag. A few vials, potions, maybe, a leather covered book... And the lilies. I took the potions and the flowers, and started the trek back to the woods Har-Thelen.
I covered my head again before venturing in the night. Some more centuries, maybe, some more kills, and I'd be free from my own land...
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Some of the elves of Sithicus are more bound to their land than their brethren. When an elf, whether a wild elf o a protector of the woods, dies in the wild, if his spirit is willing to live, the shadows that dwell under Sithicus' forests bind with their souls, proposing a pact. In change for more years to live, they are forever bind to protect the forest where they died. They become like living ghosts, sworn protectors of the woods from human poachers of any kind. They become the Guardians.
They become completely amoral: human children gathering wildflowers are not different, in the eyes of the shadows keeping them alive, are not different from loggers and hunters. The forest they elect as ward becomes completely off-limits for humans, and only those who show elven heritage are admitted there.
This might create problems near the human villages in the east and the north of the domain: if an elf becomes a Guardian near one of those settlements, the villagers will find themselves isolated. Noone can enter the woods to hunt, to travel, to gather wood. No human che exit the town, no human can enter it: those who try risk their lives.
Generally, the elves of Sithicus tend to play dumb when someone ask them about the Guardians... And most of them show no love for the humans that dwell in Sithicus. Without the heroes, the village will surely die...
The young man, judging from his shaved and tatooed head one of the Mulan of Hazlan, sat beside the fire, looking directly at me. The fresh air of the night in Skald made the flame flicker. The Mulan grabbed a chicken leg from the plate in the center of the great common room and started chewing it.
He resumed his tale, with a voice so loud he woke up the other two guests of the inn.
"I mean it! I was in the woods, searching for those black lilies I need for my final project at the Academy, and out of nowhere... An arrow strikes me! My shoulder in flame, I turn and start an incantation, but... I see noone!"
He paused, and opened his cloak revealing his bare chest. The unmistakable scar from a arrowhead piercing his shoulder was clearly visible. The smoothness of the piercing was sign of an elven-made arrow.
"I prepare myself to unleash a powerful incantation that would have turn the forest in a hellish flame when a Lawgiver-damned elf, an elven whore, walks toward me, a disgusting beetle behind her. She address me in Draconic and says: 'You are in a sacred land. A land not meant for apes -yes, she called me an ape!- like your kind. You are enraging the spirits of nature, watching you from the shadows. Now leave. Or the next arrow will pierce your heart'. That said, she just leaves."
The Mulan covers his wounded shoulder and adds "Luckily I still had a magical concoction I bought from a cleric in Ramulai. I hope the scar will go away..."
The man did not notice that, as soon as he said "elven whore", the people in the common room quickly gathered their things and left.
I lowered the cowl of my cape, and revealed my pointed ears, my angular features, my eyes reflecting the light of the fire in the dark room.
The Mulan had just the time to open his mouth in surprise, before my dagger slit his throath. His blood fell on the fire, sizzling in the now-silent common room.
I started searching his bag. A few vials, potions, maybe, a leather covered book... And the lilies. I took the potions and the flowers, and started the trek back to the woods Har-Thelen.
I covered my head again before venturing in the night. Some more centuries, maybe, some more kills, and I'd be free from my own land...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of the elves of Sithicus are more bound to their land than their brethren. When an elf, whether a wild elf o a protector of the woods, dies in the wild, if his spirit is willing to live, the shadows that dwell under Sithicus' forests bind with their souls, proposing a pact. In change for more years to live, they are forever bind to protect the forest where they died. They become like living ghosts, sworn protectors of the woods from human poachers of any kind. They become the Guardians.
They become completely amoral: human children gathering wildflowers are not different, in the eyes of the shadows keeping them alive, are not different from loggers and hunters. The forest they elect as ward becomes completely off-limits for humans, and only those who show elven heritage are admitted there.
This might create problems near the human villages in the east and the north of the domain: if an elf becomes a Guardian near one of those settlements, the villagers will find themselves isolated. Noone can enter the woods to hunt, to travel, to gather wood. No human che exit the town, no human can enter it: those who try risk their lives.
Generally, the elves of Sithicus tend to play dumb when someone ask them about the Guardians... And most of them show no love for the humans that dwell in Sithicus. Without the heroes, the village will surely die...
I coloni rovinavano la foresta costruendo il capolavoro dell'uomo civilizzato: il deserto.
- Luis Sepúlveda
- Luis Sepúlveda
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mistshadow2k4
- Criminal Mastermind
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:43 am
That's very interesting, Jakob. It fits well with the theme of Sithicus (and RL in general) that the elven bond with the forest could become twisted like that in death. I also like the Mulan referring to them as "fairies" in the story; it gives you a good idea about the kind of myths other people might have about the elves.
[i]I have come to accept the surrender of Hell.[/i] —From 101 Witty Paladin Sayings
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Jakob
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 472
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 3:43 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: Near Milano, Italy.
- Contact:
Especially in the southern Core, where elves are much rarer.mistshadow2k4 wrote:That's very interesting, Jakob. It fits well with the theme of Sithicus (and RL in general) that the elven bond with the forest could become twisted like that in death. I also like the Mulan referring to them as "fairies" in the story; it gives you a good idea about the kind of myths other people might have about the elves.
About the encounter between the elven ranger and the Mulan, I guessed they'd speak Draconic to communicate... Substitute with any language you think is more common. Kartakan, maybe?
I coloni rovinavano la foresta costruendo il capolavoro dell'uomo civilizzato: il deserto.
- Luis Sepúlveda
- Luis Sepúlveda
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jamieraleigh
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:05 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
- Contact:
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Joël of the FoS
- Moderator
- Posts: 7107
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: St-Damien, Québec
One week left. Hey guys, Azrael and the shadowy darklord, the past history of the domain and its unique denizens do not have potential? I.m sure we can come out with more ideas 
An NPC will be featured next with the Adv-of-the-Month.
Joël
An NPC will be featured next with the Adv-of-the-Month.
Joël
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
-
Joël of the FoS
- Moderator
- Posts: 7107
- Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: St-Damien, Québec
Dear members of the Fraternity,
While this thread isn’t anymore the featured thread of this month, it isn’t closed!
If you have more adventure hooks about this domain, post them here – I will collect them and add them to the site .
Post here adventure hooks, short verbatim (conversation by the fireside), or other thoughts about this domain.
Regards,
Joël
While this thread isn’t anymore the featured thread of this month, it isn’t closed!
If you have more adventure hooks about this domain, post them here – I will collect them and add them to the site .
Post here adventure hooks, short verbatim (conversation by the fireside), or other thoughts about this domain.
Regards,
Joël
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)