Rites of Passage are very important rituals that can bring a group of PCs together and can also help establish the tone of a campaign, they also can be more than the mundane as in a fantasy setting (such as my example of Monte Cook's Land of the Diamond Throne) as the supernatrual and magic forces take root.
Childbirth (Rite of Passage)
When a women learns she is with child in the town of Far-Rough, at dawn on the first day of the next week the mother (and father if available), seek the "Blessings of the Green" usually granted by a servant of the land (druid, ranger, greenbond, totem warrior, or totem speaker); usually a close relative. Their parents are often invited as witnesses. As of late the First Speaker Rabin, anointing the mother with the holy oils of Rollonarch the Giving has substituted this.
Adventure Hooks:
Dark Blessing: Each PC is invited to the Ceremony when the mother is kidnapped by a servant of the Dark who wishes to perform the "Blessing of the Dark" on the unborn child in a lightless cavern on the last day of the week at midnight. The Father is killed in the assault and it is up to the PCs to save the women and her unborn child.
Split at Birth: In a supernatural and magical land birthing can be far more dangerous than this mothers birthing ceremony is disrupted when a oppositional twin (choose two opposing causes) is created, there are cries of abomination and destroying the child, the mother however contacts the PCs begging them to save her child and see it finds a good home.
Instant Baby just add water: The party is escorting the pregnant woman so that she can go see the servant of the land when her water breaks right there in a very inconvenient place (monster territory), at a very inconvenient time (a super-cell lightning storm is on the horizon)
Changeling: The mother swears this is not her child after but no one believes her but the PCs are able to deduce that this newborn is a doppelganger. Is this her child transformed into a doppelganger; or did the doppelganger steal her child and replace it with one of their own.
Death by Childbirth: The PCs are this woman’s only friends, the servant of the land is a PC who is there to give the blessing, her sister is in a far off secluded area and the trek is too dangerous. Yet, there is blood, agony and tragedy as the mother dies in childbirth now the PCs must decide what to do with the child. Take it to her sister? The local orphanage? Raise the child themselves? What about the Father?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
My newest book on sale.
Rite Publishing has released Mythical Monstrosities for sale, Mythical Monstrosities is a monster supplement for Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved it is compatiable with any 3.X version of the World's Most Popular Roleplaying Game. You can find a preview of the product HERE.
Monday, September 15, 2008
220,000 without power and I am one of them.
South Western Ohio, just got hit with gusts up to 78 mph; state of emergency where I live, my work being a utility has back up power; It will take me some time to have updates again.
No damage to my house but the fiancees gazeboo is laying in pieces in the back yard, along with the phone line (I don't use a land line anymore though).
No damage to my house but the fiancees gazeboo is laying in pieces in the back yard, along with the phone line (I don't use a land line anymore though).
Thursday, September 11, 2008
An Encounter worth a Thousand Words.
I work with some talented folks who always go beyond the call. Last night I was up till 3am working with Corey Graham our graphic artist on the add for Kobold Quarterly, the Cover for Soren K. Thustrup’s The Living Airship, and Frank Carr’s Heroes of the Jade Oath. I also received the interior art for A Witch’s Choice (Part I of the adventure path), along with the interior art for The Living Airship. Then too top it all off, Corey designed a new logo for Rite Publishing (See below).
So how can you as a non-publisher who is not going to spend all this money on graphic elements and artwork make your home game better?
Answer: You do it backwards.
You have go out on the internet to a place like Deviant art and find a picture that you think is cool to use in your home game (personal use only). Then design your game element around that picture, and then during your game when the time presents itself, you show them the picture of what they see. Because you tailored your description to the picture, it works perfectly.
I have done this many times and found that this can really get your creative juices flowing when you have to make each element of the picture be something important.
I have a plan one day to use stock art and make a cool adventure from this one day. So many ideas so little time.
Steve “Qwilion” Russell
RitePublishing.com
“A hundred thousand lemmings cannot be wrong”
Answer: You do it backwards.
You have go out on the internet to a place like Deviant art and find a picture that you think is cool to use in your home game (personal use only). Then design your game element around that picture, and then during your game when the time presents itself, you show them the picture of what they see. Because you tailored your description to the picture, it works perfectly.
I have done this many times and found that this can really get your creative juices flowing when you have to make each element of the picture be something important.
I have a plan one day to use stock art and make a cool adventure from this one day. So many ideas so little time.
Steve “Qwilion” Russell
RitePublishing.com
“A hundred thousand lemmings cannot be wrong”
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Railroad of Illusion
Somes times as a DM you have this grand vision of how your game is going to go, you put in a tremendous amout of preptime into the game, You have a dream. So you provide a path so that you can show them.
How do you do you do this and not making it a Railroad? How do you allow a player to feel this is his adventure not your story.
Answer: You provide the illusion of choice.
All roads lead to Rome: no matter what choice they make the outcome of that choice will eventually lead to same desination. In my esitimation it is the condition you arrive in that determins which is the best path or the best entrance to the destination. A. has the local dragon path B. has the local brothel.
$hit happens!: you may not have a choice in what happens to you from time to time, you do have choice on how to deal with it once it has happened. Example in my home game a player is the victim of an Akashic Possession (think Alia from Children of Dune), it takes him over when he sleeps, it in no way affects the characters choices, but when the player does not show up to the game his character goes off an does some rather nasty things. The player can do whatever he wants about the enemy, I have no control of ther outcome just over the initial hook.
How do you do you do this and not making it a Railroad? How do you allow a player to feel this is his adventure not your story.
Answer: You provide the illusion of choice.
All roads lead to Rome: no matter what choice they make the outcome of that choice will eventually lead to same desination. In my esitimation it is the condition you arrive in that determins which is the best path or the best entrance to the destination. A. has the local dragon path B. has the local brothel.
$hit happens!: you may not have a choice in what happens to you from time to time, you do have choice on how to deal with it once it has happened. Example in my home game a player is the victim of an Akashic Possession (think Alia from Children of Dune), it takes him over when he sleeps, it in no way affects the characters choices, but when the player does not show up to the game his character goes off an does some rather nasty things. The player can do whatever he wants about the enemy, I have no control of ther outcome just over the initial hook.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Preorder My newest book, and support Lands of the Jade Oath
If you enjoyed Veiled Denizens or Rite Publishing's preview; well now is the time to pre-order Mythical Monstrosites for only $4.95 (25% off the cover price). In addition you will not even have to wait for it to go on sale, Rite Publishing will be emailed to you with 24-48 hours of your preorder, with an option for a print on demand copy at cost.
As an added bonus I have pledged all preorder sales will be applied to the Lands of the Jade Oath Patronage Project! So if you are a fan of Oriental Arcana but can't afford to be a parton, here is your chance to show your support and a monsterous supplement to go with it!
From the Back Cover
The tragic Taurians, a new take on an old race, who drown their daughters to save their sons; The Soarlith, who defend the skies with near religious fervor; The Antaeans, grappling giants bound to the power of earth; The Ritefury, who seek to punish those who violate the ancient customs of guest and host. Mythical Monstrosities provides these new creatures as a supplemental bestiary for Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved.
Within you will find:
As an added bonus I have pledged all preorder sales will be applied to the Lands of the Jade Oath Patronage Project! So if you are a fan of Oriental Arcana but can't afford to be a parton, here is your chance to show your support and a monsterous supplement to go with it!
From the Back Cover
The tragic Taurians, a new take on an old race, who drown their daughters to save their sons; The Soarlith, who defend the skies with near religious fervor; The Antaeans, grappling giants bound to the power of earth; The Ritefury, who seek to punish those who violate the ancient customs of guest and host. Mythical Monstrosities provides these new creatures as a supplemental bestiary for Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved.
Within you will find:
- A new, complex and detailed player race, the Taurian, with a new racial class.
- All descriptions are presented in first-person perspective from the monster's point of view.
- Detailed descriptions, variant rules, Lore DCs and designer's notes.
- Each monster leaps from the page with inspiring and evocative illustrations.
- The monsters within have complex motivations and can serve far beyond a simple encounter.
- Compatible with the 3.0 and 3.5 versions of the world’s most popular role-playing game.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Player's Guide to the Rituals of Choice Adventure Path (to date)
If you did not know, I am currently writing, designing, producing and publishing an adventure path for Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved called The Rituals of Choice. I have decided that I will be creating a free player's companion to the series, which can also serve as a regional sourcebook for the default location where the campaign saga takes place. I will be posting my raw work in progress, and plan to update at least once a week (sans interview posts).
A Companion
To help immerse both players and player characters in the saga of the campaign, Rite Publishing is proud to present The Player's Guide to The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path for Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved. DMs are encouraged to provide a copy of this document to each of thier players (Full permission is granted to reproduce this document) and allow players to reference the Player's Guide during the course of the game. This Player's Guide also serves to help assemble the emerging "Puzzle Piece Plot" that constitutes the story arc of the Rituals of Choice Adventure Path by providing the starting framework. The default setting where the adventure path takes place is a large town known as Far-Rough along with its surrounding environment called the Edgelands, once known as the fallen Duchy of Nem before the coming of the Dramojh (Dragon Scions).
Why Far-Rough?
The Cradle of Nem, The Birthplace of Seral the Rune Messiah, the giants call it Tar-Duph but overtime the local population bastardized the giantish pronunciation so that now most everyone else calls it Far-Rough; I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, call it home.
You will find my home at the center of the "Edgelands" a crossroads that can lead into the Floating Forest, the Central Plains, and the forbidding Bitter Peaks. It is an outstanding location serving as both a destination for trade, and as layover on the journey into these evocative regions. Far-Rough offers many a pursuit for both knight and seekers of fortune such as myself, from expeditions into the ancient ruins that dot the central plains, to the evocative environment of the floating forest, and even the Clandestine War of the Dark Depths. The town itself offers a unique political climate where the Hu-Charad rules over a far larger population of humans along with a mix of other races. Backed by the large numbers of non-giants the Order of the Axe challenges the power of the Diamond Throne; while the Nightwalkers and Jaren jockey for economic dominion. It is even more dramatic still for my people the "Roughfolk" judge others only by their deeds, often you will find visiting goblins, rhodin, and chorrim about town this does not even address the more astounding permanent residence that settle in both Far-Rough and the Edgelands. Far-Rough features all the amenities and ancient traditions of an old world city, dating back to a time before the dragons left for the mysterious west, coupled with the friendly charm and the hospitality of a small town. It has an excellent variety of first-rate inns, taverns, restaurants, sages, a trade bazaar in the Traveler's Burrow and even a magic item shop, as well as a vibrant culture scene.
My Lyre greets you, you are well come to Far-Rough, the crossroad of adventure.
Tone of the Campaign
While each adventure can stand alone, when run as a campaign The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path provides an epic over-arcing storyline. It makes full use of the Diamond Throne setting and its various adventuring environments. Players are encouraged to read Chapter 10: the Diamond Throne Gazetteer of Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved, as while the first five adventures will keep the players close to the northern border of the Floating Forest they will travel the height and breadth of the lands before the story is complete.
The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path is a campaign saga that places a great deal of importance on the choices the player characters make. Every choice holds consequences that effect encounters throughout the course of the adventure path. There is no pre-destined outcome to the campaign. PCs can fail; they can destroy the world, or bring about a pyrrhic victory. The PCs could leave behind a bleak dystopia or even win a wondrous victory where they bring about their own vision of the future.
The choices presented will be far beyond choosing the left or right corridor, these are difficult moral choices that change the foundation of who the player character is, and from choice of whether saving a soul is worth risking the welfare of the world or assisting in a ritual suicide.
Honor, duty, and loyalty are not just words in this fantasy campaign they are supernatural powers in their own right, and the Lands of the Diamond Throne respect that power. The campaign fully expects players to be a part of the world around them there are powers in the world who will seek you out as both ally and enemy based on your choices, those you support will call upon your aid. This is an idealistic campaign where people keep their word, enemies rarely lie, and the untrustworthy few stand out in the crowd. With powerful ceremonies and customs stronger than law, backing the cultural codes of conduct the PCs will find the Lands of the Diamond Throne setting helps encourage a heroic ideal within the campaign saga. However, nothing stops a player from having their character be a scoundrel or a villain so long as they are willing to suffer the consequences of their choices. Ultimately, the campaign leaves this type of decision in the hands of the DM.
Idealistic does not mean Utopian, every NPC every organization, every cause, every oath, every choice you make will put you in opposition to a different agenda. Those in opposition to your position are likely to be friends who were previously allies, and people of principle who you likely respect. Whose cause is more just, whose oath more sacred, which choice is the right choice. As heroic as the PCs are they are not the only heroes, and in this campaign heroic Npcs are just as likely to be the opposition and be in the right as the Player Characters, for they are the hero in their own story. Part of the saga is the path taken to attempt to navigate past these obstacles and sometimes the battles that fail or succeed in defeating them.
The campaign saga evolves, changing, growing, and transforming both the world and characters playing within it. Beyond gaining character levels, the adventure path encourages players to create backgrounds that allow for character growth. Players will grow as well due to both the role-playing challenges presented by the campaign as well, as how the adventure path uses the rules themselves from compelling questions to invoked apocalypse. Players, who have memorized every class, feat, spell, monster and rule that has been published will be also be challenged by reinvented and original material put forth over the course of the campaign. Nearly, every reward component of the adventure path is also reinvented or original material to help enhance the sense of magic, wonder, and change.
The Town of Far-Rough
I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, will tell you that my home is a growing town, on the verge of becoming a city. It would have become a great city of note long ago were it not limited by our famous crystal-woven walls, but there has been considerable growth of late outside the Woven Walls to the west of the town in an area known as the Traveler's Burrow. My home has about 2,000 permanent residents in the winter and nearly double that number of transient residents in the height of the trade season. Located at the center of the northern edge of the Floating Forest next to a deep-water lake known as the Fanormere, Far-Rough was originally the capital of the ancient Duchy of Nem before the dramojh invasion.
There was once a central keep within the Woven Walls, but that was destroyed by the giants when they liberated my homeland, but the vast underground fortress, that holds both the terrors of the dramojh occupation and the wonders of ancient Terrekal, still remains. There is currently, on either side of the small river that runs through the town, two gassar trees that support upon their sky islands an observatory and the manor house of the Lord Steward. The area surrounding my home is a frontier lands with simple folk trying to cutting a place of their own, if a wilderness of myth, rumors, and legends come to life. Yet I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, know where your interests truly lies and though you may seem to travel with a band of misfits, I am certain you are the best you are at what you do, brave venturer. Therefore, I will tell you where you will find both ruins and labyrinths ripe for exploration.
The Diamond Throne
The Hu-Charad renamed my town of my birth Tar-Duph after the giant war-marshal who liberated the region during the Dramojh War, and have claimed my home as part of their dominion for over 500 years. Yet nearly every time a new Steward (regional governor) is assigned to administrate this area, they have lain down their burdens and preformed the Rites of Kor-Karan becoming Dark Wardens. To this effect, the throne has recently selected the elder giant Na-Parrinder as the new Lord Steward. Na-Parrinder is over 300 years old, has rejected the siren's song that compels the Dark Wardens, and is a dedicated proponent of Si-Karan (Caretaker). He is also an aristocrat, former member of The Observance, and a distant cousin to the Lady Protector.
Do to the limited number of giants who inhabit the area that are interested in serving the government, the Lord Steward of Tar-Duph has had to lean heavily upon a number of sibeccai heralds and the rest of the local population. He has also formed the Avowed Quorum a chosen group of counselors who have bound themselves by ritual, oath, and truename to the Diamond Throne. The current members of the group are Guildmaster Hirim Gatewood of the Honorable Fellowship of Lumber Magnates; Stave Beast-speaker, ollahm lorekeeper and old friend of the steward; Au-Damna, known as the wisest Hu-Charad ritual warrior ever taught at Ta-Irkethas (Sanctuary of Forms); Myrya, a litorian totemspeaker honored by all the tribes of the central plains. Surprisingly the sibeccai commoner Vathru the Dreamer has been named spiritual advisor to the Steward and envoy to the unique faction of Rallonoch the Giving's faith that has deep roots in the region. Xelada a verrik serves as the head of the steward's heralds, she is not well liked or trusted by the other members, and many accuse her of being a mind witch and spy for the Lord Steward. The final member is a mysterious mojh runethane named Dramlok who is the steward's liaison to the Jaren. In times of need the Steward can call upon students from Ta-Irkethas (a secretive school for ritual warriors) and a few errant Knights of the Diamond. Yet the strongest military force in the area is the militant Steelveil Chapterhouse of the Order of the Axe, lead by the enigmatic Knight of Balam. The Order can muster a force three times the size the Steward could without assistance from the High Steward of the South.
A Companion
To help immerse both players and player characters in the saga of the campaign, Rite Publishing is proud to present The Player's Guide to The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path for Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved. DMs are encouraged to provide a copy of this document to each of thier players (Full permission is granted to reproduce this document) and allow players to reference the Player's Guide during the course of the game. This Player's Guide also serves to help assemble the emerging "Puzzle Piece Plot" that constitutes the story arc of the Rituals of Choice Adventure Path by providing the starting framework. The default setting where the adventure path takes place is a large town known as Far-Rough along with its surrounding environment called the Edgelands, once known as the fallen Duchy of Nem before the coming of the Dramojh (Dragon Scions).
Why Far-Rough?
The Cradle of Nem, The Birthplace of Seral the Rune Messiah, the giants call it Tar-Duph but overtime the local population bastardized the giantish pronunciation so that now most everyone else calls it Far-Rough; I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, call it home.
You will find my home at the center of the "Edgelands" a crossroads that can lead into the Floating Forest, the Central Plains, and the forbidding Bitter Peaks. It is an outstanding location serving as both a destination for trade, and as layover on the journey into these evocative regions. Far-Rough offers many a pursuit for both knight and seekers of fortune such as myself, from expeditions into the ancient ruins that dot the central plains, to the evocative environment of the floating forest, and even the Clandestine War of the Dark Depths. The town itself offers a unique political climate where the Hu-Charad rules over a far larger population of humans along with a mix of other races. Backed by the large numbers of non-giants the Order of the Axe challenges the power of the Diamond Throne; while the Nightwalkers and Jaren jockey for economic dominion. It is even more dramatic still for my people the "Roughfolk" judge others only by their deeds, often you will find visiting goblins, rhodin, and chorrim about town this does not even address the more astounding permanent residence that settle in both Far-Rough and the Edgelands. Far-Rough features all the amenities and ancient traditions of an old world city, dating back to a time before the dragons left for the mysterious west, coupled with the friendly charm and the hospitality of a small town. It has an excellent variety of first-rate inns, taverns, restaurants, sages, a trade bazaar in the Traveler's Burrow and even a magic item shop, as well as a vibrant culture scene.
My Lyre greets you, you are well come to Far-Rough, the crossroad of adventure.
Tone of the Campaign
While each adventure can stand alone, when run as a campaign The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path provides an epic over-arcing storyline. It makes full use of the Diamond Throne setting and its various adventuring environments. Players are encouraged to read Chapter 10: the Diamond Throne Gazetteer of Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved, as while the first five adventures will keep the players close to the northern border of the Floating Forest they will travel the height and breadth of the lands before the story is complete.
The Rituals of Choice Adventure Path is a campaign saga that places a great deal of importance on the choices the player characters make. Every choice holds consequences that effect encounters throughout the course of the adventure path. There is no pre-destined outcome to the campaign. PCs can fail; they can destroy the world, or bring about a pyrrhic victory. The PCs could leave behind a bleak dystopia or even win a wondrous victory where they bring about their own vision of the future.
The choices presented will be far beyond choosing the left or right corridor, these are difficult moral choices that change the foundation of who the player character is, and from choice of whether saving a soul is worth risking the welfare of the world or assisting in a ritual suicide.
Honor, duty, and loyalty are not just words in this fantasy campaign they are supernatural powers in their own right, and the Lands of the Diamond Throne respect that power. The campaign fully expects players to be a part of the world around them there are powers in the world who will seek you out as both ally and enemy based on your choices, those you support will call upon your aid. This is an idealistic campaign where people keep their word, enemies rarely lie, and the untrustworthy few stand out in the crowd. With powerful ceremonies and customs stronger than law, backing the cultural codes of conduct the PCs will find the Lands of the Diamond Throne setting helps encourage a heroic ideal within the campaign saga. However, nothing stops a player from having their character be a scoundrel or a villain so long as they are willing to suffer the consequences of their choices. Ultimately, the campaign leaves this type of decision in the hands of the DM.
Idealistic does not mean Utopian, every NPC every organization, every cause, every oath, every choice you make will put you in opposition to a different agenda. Those in opposition to your position are likely to be friends who were previously allies, and people of principle who you likely respect. Whose cause is more just, whose oath more sacred, which choice is the right choice. As heroic as the PCs are they are not the only heroes, and in this campaign heroic Npcs are just as likely to be the opposition and be in the right as the Player Characters, for they are the hero in their own story. Part of the saga is the path taken to attempt to navigate past these obstacles and sometimes the battles that fail or succeed in defeating them.
The campaign saga evolves, changing, growing, and transforming both the world and characters playing within it. Beyond gaining character levels, the adventure path encourages players to create backgrounds that allow for character growth. Players will grow as well due to both the role-playing challenges presented by the campaign as well, as how the adventure path uses the rules themselves from compelling questions to invoked apocalypse. Players, who have memorized every class, feat, spell, monster and rule that has been published will be also be challenged by reinvented and original material put forth over the course of the campaign. Nearly, every reward component of the adventure path is also reinvented or original material to help enhance the sense of magic, wonder, and change.
The Town of Far-Rough
I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, will tell you that my home is a growing town, on the verge of becoming a city. It would have become a great city of note long ago were it not limited by our famous crystal-woven walls, but there has been considerable growth of late outside the Woven Walls to the west of the town in an area known as the Traveler's Burrow. My home has about 2,000 permanent residents in the winter and nearly double that number of transient residents in the height of the trade season. Located at the center of the northern edge of the Floating Forest next to a deep-water lake known as the Fanormere, Far-Rough was originally the capital of the ancient Duchy of Nem before the dramojh invasion.
There was once a central keep within the Woven Walls, but that was destroyed by the giants when they liberated my homeland, but the vast underground fortress, that holds both the terrors of the dramojh occupation and the wonders of ancient Terrekal, still remains. There is currently, on either side of the small river that runs through the town, two gassar trees that support upon their sky islands an observatory and the manor house of the Lord Steward. The area surrounding my home is a frontier lands with simple folk trying to cutting a place of their own, if a wilderness of myth, rumors, and legends come to life. Yet I, Lomen Taverson, Bard of the Eldritch, know where your interests truly lies and though you may seem to travel with a band of misfits, I am certain you are the best you are at what you do, brave venturer. Therefore, I will tell you where you will find both ruins and labyrinths ripe for exploration.
- Legacy's Haven is actually part of the crystal-woven walls of the city; it is deep below the ground and protects the town from unwanted incursions from the Dark Depths. The rare few find their way in and live to tell the tail, as it was a hold out of guerilla fighters in the dramojh invasion then later by the dramojh during the giant's war of liberation and was one of the dramojh breeding pits.
- Edgehold is a Chorrim fortress to the west in the foremost mountain of the bitter peaks known as Mt. Seral. There is known to be a vast chorrim city complex beyond their gates, and who knows what army is amassing beyond its walls.
- The Ossuary of Nem is a vast catacombs and necropolis, to the east of the town, for nearly all the dead it apparently has wardings that keep restless spirits trapped within the walls of the ossuary and force them into hiding from the sun.
- The Pantheon Ruins a dilapidated and decaying temple complex hidden in the central plains that once gave praise to the Gods of the Denotholan, strange rituals can be found being performed here by those who seek to revive the dead gods. Mad preachers, divine guardians, immortal priests, and the odd pilgrim can be found lurking upon these grounds.
- Fanormere is a nigh on bottomless lake that leads explores into the dark depths of the sunless sea. Here an eternal war rages amongst the dwellers in the darkness form the horrific Vallorian flesh-crafters to Slassan slavers.
The Diamond Throne
The Hu-Charad renamed my town of my birth Tar-Duph after the giant war-marshal who liberated the region during the Dramojh War, and have claimed my home as part of their dominion for over 500 years. Yet nearly every time a new Steward (regional governor) is assigned to administrate this area, they have lain down their burdens and preformed the Rites of Kor-Karan becoming Dark Wardens. To this effect, the throne has recently selected the elder giant Na-Parrinder as the new Lord Steward. Na-Parrinder is over 300 years old, has rejected the siren's song that compels the Dark Wardens, and is a dedicated proponent of Si-Karan (Caretaker). He is also an aristocrat, former member of The Observance, and a distant cousin to the Lady Protector.
Do to the limited number of giants who inhabit the area that are interested in serving the government, the Lord Steward of Tar-Duph has had to lean heavily upon a number of sibeccai heralds and the rest of the local population. He has also formed the Avowed Quorum a chosen group of counselors who have bound themselves by ritual, oath, and truename to the Diamond Throne. The current members of the group are Guildmaster Hirim Gatewood of the Honorable Fellowship of Lumber Magnates; Stave Beast-speaker, ollahm lorekeeper and old friend of the steward; Au-Damna, known as the wisest Hu-Charad ritual warrior ever taught at Ta-Irkethas (Sanctuary of Forms); Myrya, a litorian totemspeaker honored by all the tribes of the central plains. Surprisingly the sibeccai commoner Vathru the Dreamer has been named spiritual advisor to the Steward and envoy to the unique faction of Rallonoch the Giving's faith that has deep roots in the region. Xelada a verrik serves as the head of the steward's heralds, she is not well liked or trusted by the other members, and many accuse her of being a mind witch and spy for the Lord Steward. The final member is a mysterious mojh runethane named Dramlok who is the steward's liaison to the Jaren. In times of need the Steward can call upon students from Ta-Irkethas (a secretive school for ritual warriors) and a few errant Knights of the Diamond. Yet the strongest military force in the area is the militant Steelveil Chapterhouse of the Order of the Axe, lead by the enigmatic Knight of Balam. The Order can muster a force three times the size the Steward could without assistance from the High Steward of the South.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
