croiduire:orbs:characters:shadow_wars:fenrir
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+ | ====== Fenrir ====== | ||
+ | ^ Full Name | Fenrir | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Game (Context) | The Orbs of the Dead God (Shadow Wars) | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Age | 12, | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Hair | Hairless | ||
+ | ^ Eyes | Red | | ||
+ | ^ Skin | Silver-grey | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Character Sheet ===== | ||
+ | ^ Class and Level | Robocop | ||
+ | ^ Kit | Alcanti | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Tracking ==== | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Hit Points | 100 | 100 | No current injuries. | ||
+ | ^ Power Points | 162 | 162 | | | ||
+ | ^ Fatigue Points | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Ability Scores ==== | ||
+ | ^ Score ^ Current | ||
+ | ^ Strength | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Constitution | | ||
+ | ^ Intelligence | | ||
+ | ^ Wisdom | | ||
+ | ^ Charisma | | ||
+ | ^ Perception | | ||
+ | ^ Comeliness | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Combat Statistics ==== | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ THAC0 | | ||
+ | ^ Armour Class | Trunk: AC 0; arms & legs: AC 4; hands, wrists, neck & head: AC 6 | Trunk: AC 0; arms & legs: AC 4; hands, wrists, neck & head: AC 6 |Symbiont absorbs the first 50 hp of damage if Fenrir is struck where it covers him | | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Attacks === | ||
+ | ^ Weapon | ||
+ | ^ ::: | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Saving Throws ==== | ||
+ | ^ Paralysation, | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Rod, Staff, & Wand | | ||
+ | ^ Breath Weapon | | ||
+ | ^ Spell | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Weapon Proficiencies ==== | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | | Broad Group | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Nonweapon Proficiencies ==== | ||
+ | ^ Proficiency | ||
+ | | Alchemy | ||
+ | | Ancient Geography | ||
+ | | Ancient History | ||
+ | | Ancient Languages | ||
+ | | Appraising | ||
+ | | Cartography | ||
+ | | Direction Sense | 15 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 | | | ||
+ | | Distance Sense | 15 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 | | | ||
+ | | Intimidation | ||
+ | | Investigation | ||
+ | | Observation | ||
+ | | Omen Interpretation | ||
+ | | Persuasion | ||
+ | | Read/ | ||
+ | | Religion | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Languages ==== | ||
+ | Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnomish, Goblinoid, Orcish, Sylvan | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Powers ===== | ||
+ | ==== Replenishing Power ==== | ||
+ | ^ Power Points | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Utility Powers ==== | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Command Powers ==== | ||
+ | ^ Power Word " | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Mass Suggestion | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Offensive Powers ==== | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Chain Lightning | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Defensive Powers ==== | ||
+ | Are only available to an Alcanti in his fortress. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Inventory ===== | ||
+ | ^ Item ^ Quantity ^ Type ^ Description & Notes ^ | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | Tool Kit | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | Oil of Vitriol | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | Galeb Duhr | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Background & Notes ===== | ||
+ | ==== Symbionts ==== | ||
+ | Second Skin Armour is the name people use to describe a strange and mysterious magical artefact, very rare and very precious--only a scant handful have ever been discovered... | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Alcanti call it the Symbiont and know it is one of their greatest strengths and greatest vulnerabilities; | ||
+ | |||
+ | Just like organic people, Alcanti need to drink fresh water every day (or as close to that optimum as they can get). They can take in nitrogen from the air (while they don't precisely breathe, in the way that people do, they have a respiratory system to permit normal speech including lung analogs where gas absorption takes place) and every one to two months they need to consume potash and apatite or guano (most Alcanti prefer the mineral forms to guano, but actually guano serves the same essential purpose, and provides all three necessary nutrients). | ||
+ | |||
+ | When a Symbiont is touched by an Alcanti, or certain organic races, it flows up to completely cover his body. The wearer has to push the Symbiont back from those places he doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Each day an Alcanti does not wear his Symbiont he loses 1 hp. When he is reduced to 0 hp, he stops functioning; | ||
+ | |||
+ | Unlike the Alcanti, Symbionts can, and must, reproduce; they only have a lifespan of between 750 and 1000 years. Once every 100 to 200 years a Symbiont will start to writhe, putting out small, spiky protrusions. In time one of these will grow until it's about a foot long, thicken into a rounded (sausage-like) shape, and then the base where it connects to its " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Fatigue ==== | ||
+ | An Alcanti does not--can not--sleep, but he is organic enough that he //does// tire. Every time he uses his powers, fights for five minutes, or engages in vigorous exertion for ten minutes, he loses one fatigue point. When he is reduced to zero he can do absolutely nothing until he has rested, not even walk or raise a weapon in self-defence. It takes two minutes of complete rest to recover one fatigue point. Any activity, even something as non-strenuous as walking, doubles the time needed. If an Alcanti is injured he tires more quickly and takes longer to recover. If he is between 25 and 50% down, he loses two fatigue points every time he uses his powers, fights for five minutes, or engages in vigorous exertion for ten minutes, and needs three minutes to recover one point, between 51 and 75% down, he loses three fatigue points every time he uses his powers, fights for five minutes, or engages in vigorous exertion for ten minutes, and needs four minutes to recover one point, between 76 and 100% down, he loses three fatigue points every time he uses his powers, fights for five minutes, or engages in vigorous exertion for ten minutes, and needs four minutes to recover one point. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Bniggfrist ==== | ||
+ | When viewed at rest, the first thing anyone notices about Bniggfrist is its extraordinary beauty, the next, its lethality. Made entirely of mithral silver banded and inlaid with gold, it has the gleam of fine jewellery that will never tarnish or deteriorate over time. | ||
+ | |||
+ | It appears to be a standard warhammer +2, and it will allow itself to be used as such by any creature with neutrality as one element of his or her alignment and warhammer proficiency. However, in the hands of its dedicated owner, or by anyone as above in pursuit of creatures of Shadow, its full potential is realized. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Bniggfrist has the following characteristics: | ||
+ | * It has a 180-foot range and will return to its wielder' | ||
+ | * It has a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls. | ||
+ | * When hurled, the warhammer inflicts double damage against all creatures (natural or created) of Tamaranth; it causes triple damage (plus the bonus of +3) against Shadow. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Attributes === | ||
+ | Intelligence: | ||
+ | Alignment: TN \\ | ||
+ | Primary ability: Detect Shadow, all manifestations, | ||
+ | Special ability: Emits full daylight when being used against the forces of Shadow \\ | ||
+ | Additional ability: Detect Illusion within a 15 foot radius \\ | ||
+ | Additional ability: ESP, 30 yards range--3 times/day, 1 round per use \\ | ||
+ | Additional ability: Can read languages/ | ||
+ | Additional ability: Speaks/ | ||
+ | Ego: 20 | ||
+ | |||
+ | === History === | ||
+ | Fen snatched Bniggfrist up from the field of battle after Tilador killed Diarmuid, her Maker and first Companion/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Yllätys (Hellhound) ==== | ||
+ | Fen isn't quite sure where this fire-dog came from; he is unquestionably unique on the continent of Tamaranth, and he may not be native to the planet. However Yllätys, more commonly called Hellie, loves him and is fanatically loyal and protective; he's also quite fond of the red dragons who he thinks of as packmates. He's not so sure about the dragonne--she is, after all, a cat and a relative newcomer--but he respects her: she's a formidable fighter. They tussled once, and thereafter Hellie left her alone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Fen found Hellie shortly after the last cometary pass, a terrified, tiny puppy. At this point he is getting old, and a bit stiff in his joints, with grey, like ashes, in his muzzle. He has a dark red, rough coat, with black markings, amber-brown eyes and a black nose; a powerful boy, he stands nearly four feet tall at the shoulder and weighs just over 180 lbs. (visualise an extremely large, powerful Irish wolfhound). | ||
+ | |||
+ | He has exceptional sight, smell, and hearing, even better than dragon senses. He can be surprised just 5% of the time. While he understands both Common and Draconic/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Attributes === | ||
+ | Intelligence: | ||
+ | Armour Class: 4\\ | ||
+ | Movement: 12\\ | ||
+ | Hit Dice: 7 (49 hp)\\ | ||
+ | THAC0: 13\\ | ||
+ | No. of Attacks: 1 (Bite)\\ | ||
+ | Damage/ | ||
+ | Special Attacks: Breathe fire | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hell hounds attack first by breathing fire at an opponent up to 10 yards away. The fire causes 1 point of damage for each of the hell hound' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Storm Kitty (Dragonne) ==== | ||
+ | The hurricane of '77 was the worst in at least 500 years. How such an enormous storm ever formed was a mystery; it covered the western half of Tamaranth, from Qaicyn to Tanalok, stopped only by the D' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Dragonnes live as long as dragons do, and have the same keen senses of sight, smell, and hearing. Their enhanced senses enable them to detect all invisible objects and creatures (including creatures or items hidden in darkness or fog) within a radius equal to 10 feet times their age category. They also possess the same natural clairaudience ability with respect to their lairs; the range is 20 feet per age category, and they must concentrate on a specific section within their lairs or surrounding area to hear what is going on. Stormy was a juvenile when Fen found her; she is now a young adult. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Attributes === | ||
+ | Intelligence: | ||
+ | Armour Class: 6 (Flying), 2 (Ground)\\ | ||
+ | Movement: 15, Fl 9 (E)\\ | ||
+ | Hit Dice: 9 (72 hp)\\ | ||
+ | THAC0: 11\\ | ||
+ | No. of Attacks: 3 (Claw/ | ||
+ | Damage/ | ||
+ | Special Attacks: Roar\\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | A dragonne' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The dragonne' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Unusual or Altered NWPs ==== | ||
+ | * **Investigation: | ||
+ | This is the art of discovering the truth through careful examination of a problem or situation. Fenrir is familiar with the process of interviewing or interrogating witnesses, searching scenes for clues or information, | ||
+ | * **Observation: | ||
+ | Fenrir has cultivated exceptional powers of observation. The DM may ask for a proficiency check anytime there is something subtly wrong or unusual in the environment or situation. For example, Fenrir may note the fact that the tools of a potter’s shop are caked with a different kind of clay than that present in the workshop, or he might notice telltale marks of traffic that indicate the presence of a secret door. | ||
+ | * **Persuasion: | ||
+ | Unlike oratory, which relies on emotion and rhetoric, the art of persuasion is built around intelligent arguments and personal charm. This proficiency represents the ability to present especially cogent arguments and explanations in conversation with an individual or small group. With a successful proficiency check, Fenrir can convince them to take moderate actions they may be considering already; for example, he may convince city guards to leave without making arrests if a brawl' | ||
+ | * **Alchemy: | ||
+ | Fenrir is well-versed in all aspects of laboratory technique, scientific method, the proper way to conduct experiments, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Identifying substances or samples of unknown material requires 1 to 4 days and a successful proficiency check. Simple materials, such as powdered metals or ores, provide the alchemist with a +1 to +4 bonus on his check, at the DM’s discretion. Rare, complex, or damaged or incomplete samples might impose a –1 to –4 penalty. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Other than oil of vitriol, Fenrir must pass a proficiency check in order to successfully manufacture a substance; creating dangerous substances such as acids or burning powders takes, on average, 1d3 days and (1d4+1) x 10 gp per vial, or 2--7 (1d6+1) days and (4d4+4) x 10 gp per flask, modified by the substance (for example, producing glacial acetic acid is obviously going to take considerably longer and be more expensive and risky than making simple vinegar; if he wants to make fluoroantimonic acid he can probably do it, but that would be--or was--a lengthy quest in and of itself, first obtaining the magical or blessed vessels to contain it, then gathering the materials for each step and passing literally dozens of proficiency checks). Failing a proficiency check with a natural roll of 20 might result in an explosion or other mishap that exposes Fenrir, or anyone else in the immediate area, to the effects of his work and damages the laboratory for up to 10%–60% or 1d6 x 10% of its construction value, again depending on the substance being made. If he was making carbolic acid, he'd probably have to do some repainting... | ||
+ | |||
+ | When used as a weapon, acid damage is variable, depending on the acid and its concentration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Incendiaries ignite when exposed to air. A flask of incendiary liquid inflicts damage no less than that of burning oil (2d6 points in the first round and 1d6 in the second.) Incendiary powders or liquids can easily start fires if used on buildings, dry brush, or other such surfaces. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pyrotechnic materials resemble incendiaries, | ||
+ | * **Ancient Geography: | ||
+ | Fenrir is familiar with the location and size of settlements and cities, the sites of battles, the regions where the Valverusian avatars appeared, where the Orbs are fixed, and more. A successful proficiency check allows him to determine where a city's limits were, recognize a ruined keep as an ancient temple or fortress, and whatever other information is germane from the time he was created to the present across the length and breadth of Tamaranth. | ||
+ | * **Omen Interpretation: | ||
+ | Since the creation of the Barrier Fenrir has learned to infer information about the will of the True Gods from natural phenomena. He cannot choose when to use the proficiency, | ||
+ | |||
+ | It is possible for him to seek an omen. For example, he might spend a day standing on a hilltop looking for unusual birds, or take a walk through the woods studying the wildlife and plants; after 1d10 hours have passed, a successful proficiency check means the character identifies an omen. Otherwise, he has no control over when, or if, an omen appears. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Broad Group Familiarity ==== | ||
+ | * **Axes:** battle axe, two-handed axe, mace-axe | ||
+ | * **Clubs:** club, great club, war club, morning star | ||
+ | * **Polearms: | ||
+ | * **Picks:** horseman' | ||
+ | * **Maces:** footman’s mace, horseman’s mace, mace-axe | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Astronomy ==== | ||
+ | The night sky as seen from the continent of Tamaranth is a brilliant and beautiful thing, crowded with stars in a hundred constellations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The major moons are Candra, the largest moon, and Lixue, only slightly smaller but far enough out that it appears to be only two-thirds the size. Its orbit is permanently 45º ahead of and above Candra. The minor moons are Nuala, Ophira, Malana, Kyros and Halle. Of the seven moons, the five minor moons are small enough that their effect on tides is negligible. Together the two major moons have an effect similar to Luna on Terra insofar as the length of day and other rotational effects are concerned, but the tides differ a little in that all areas experience a mixed semidiurnal tide cycle, with Lixue acting as an intensifier. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The planets of Tamarsphere are Iliana, rocky planet closer to the sun than Tamaranth; Marnin, a rocky planet further from the sun than Tamaranth, ice covered and very bright; next out is Morathi, a medium sized gas giant; then Esus, the largest gas giant in the sphere; and Tethra, the gas giant furthest out, midway in size between Morathi and Esus. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== The Comet ==== | ||
+ | Called at various times the Doomstane, the Deathstar, or simply THE Comet--distinct from any other comet or celestial body--a recurrent comet poses the greatest threat that Tamaranth faces. It was the impetus behind the development of astronomy; the calendar was created to mark and calculate its passage. Legends--or perhaps historical, eyewitness accounts--consistently speak of hideous death that follows wherever its shadow falls upon the planet (and no other, lesser comet casts a shadow...) These legends are remarkably consistent, no matter their origin, whether human, dwarven, elvish, gnomish, orcish, or draconic. It returns every 2,510 years, and with each pass has posed an increasingly dire menace to every living thing on the planet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first appearance recorded by mortals occurred 7,528 years ago, and resulted in the creation of the calendar, but the gods had marked its passage long before. The Alcanti were created 12,543 years ago (five years after the comet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== The Shadows ==== | ||
+ | At the same time organic life was evolving on Tamaranth, far out in the roughly spherical cloud of icy planetesimals that spin and dance in the Everflowing nearly a light-year from the Sun, on the body that would become known as the Doomstane, another, far different, creation was developing. The dwarf planet was a giant in that region of space; it had drawn all its neighbours to itself, accreting so much mass that it reached hydrostatic equilibrium, | ||
+ | |||
+ | This stable existence changed when a star passed through that region of space; too far away to draw the world into its orbit, but close enough to cause gravitational perturbations that sent it plummeting toward distant Tamar. At first the inhabitants, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The gods--that is Yeron, Araul, Venall, Urth, Ghorail, Shalniel, Miroch, Ylwain, Fellbane, Gye and Kirmmaw, for Valverus had abandoned the world he'd helped shape over 150,000 years before--had been surprised to discern that intelligent life existed in so unlikely a place, but saw no reason to intervene--species evolve, mature, and become extinct regularly in the universe, and they knew this particular form was inimical to their creation--but they watched, and pondered possible outcomes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | By the second pass the Shadow had become a single entity, the culmination of ruthless self-preservation. It still appeared to be composed of individuals, | ||
+ | |||
+ | By the third pass, the Shadow was ready to make its move. It sent out appendages to cross the space between the comet and Tamaranth--and met the force of the gods. They were not then prepared to destroy the Shadow--although in the subsequent millennia they came to regret their forbearance--but they gave it no purchase on Tamaranth, driving it back onto its own planet. The Shadow was enraged; in its estimation, it was the summit of creation. How dare any entity stand in its way?! Howling vengeance and continued resolve, it continued trying until it passed out of range, travelling back from whence it came. By this time the comet was 15% smaller than when it had first formed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Shadow spent the intervening years perfecting it magics, and planning its next attack. It devised a way to (it believed) absorb the powerful dweomer-fuelled barrier that had blocked it before, and go forth and conquer just that much stronger. It was partially successful. On the next pass, its fourth, it cut a wide swath of destruction across the face of Tamaranth before it was turned back, and those remnants that made planetfall caused further havoc before they could be destroyed, for direct, physical manifestations of deific presence on a planetary surface is fraught with danger to the ecological balance, even to the structure of the world itself, and that living, vibrant world was the very thing the gods were striving to preserve. The races of men, and other sapient creatures, had evolved into their present forms by then, but primitive; civilisation was still in its infancy. It would be many years before there would be priests with the wisdom, knowledge, and experience to channel their grace, so they resolved to make representatives that were both greater and lesser than the organic races, with powers both enormous and limited--enormous, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Although the Shadow was stronger, more devious, and more determined than ever, 2510 years later both the gods and their Alcanti were ready. The comet completed its fifth transit with minimal loss of life on Tamaranth; the gods destroyed or turned back most of every wave, and the depleted vanguard that attempted to establish a presence on the planet were met by the Alcanti and handily defeated. Moreover this orbit had resulted in the vaporisation of a further 5% of the cometary volatiles, and fracture lines were beginning to form. The gods knew well that most long period comets live for only a short time, making no more than half a dozen orbits before breaking up or encountering gravitational stresses that fling them into hyperbolic orbits and out of the solar system never to return. The Shadow comet was much larger than average, but still subject to those same pressures. By their calculations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, that optimism proved unfounded. In -5550, a mere fifteen years before the comet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Burning Times had indelibly scarred--and justifiably terrified--the sapient races, but at the same time science, technology and innovation had taken enormous leaps forward. In some cases aided by the gods, but more often independently, | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, consequent to the rebellion of some, all the remaining Alcanti completely lost their effectiveness in their role as judges and arbiters between the organic races--mortals fled at the very sight of them. Moreover, the war between the Loyalists and the Apostates continued with no diminution of hatred and implacability, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tensions built in the two years leading up to the pass of -3025. Closest approach would be on the outward leg of the orbit. Battle lines had long been drawn, and both sides waited in tense anticipation. However, as the comet was circling around the sun, a pocket of volatiles deep within the core vaporised and exploded outward, cutting a deep gouge through the body of the planetoid and carrying with it not only the precious, life-sustaining ices but fully one-third of the Shadow itself. Badly weakened yet as desperate as a cornered animal, it frantically threw itself at Tamaranth in wave after wave, but it lacked the science and strategy of its sixth attempt at conquest: too much of its " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before the comet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Despite the casualties and destruction of the seventh cometary passage (the second recorded by mortals), these advances were not lost, and the civilisations of men flourished over the next twenty-five hundred years, the Golden Age of Tamaranth. The towns began to grow into cities, many of great size and beauty, becoming centres of commerce and scholarship. Knowledge was in full flower. From the simple concepts of number, magnitude, and form that had sufficed before the Burning Times, they developed sophisticated mathematics, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Such was the world when the comet made its eighth pass. Under the spur of desperation the Shadow had also made advances, patching the fissures in its disintegrating world as much as it could, but devoting the greater part of its time and energy into shaping itself into a terrifying enemy armed with alien but prodigiously effective magic. The Alcanti had been making preparations as well. In -515, 2,342 Alcanti still survived; 1,360 remained faithful to the gods, 982 persisted in traitorous opposition. When the comet made its closest approach to Tamaranth and the waves of Shadow surged out to try, yet again, to establish a beachhead, the Apostates attacked the gods directly, forcing breaks in the Divine Barrier. Fully a quarter of the pseudopodia made planetfall before the breaches were sealed and hardened, preventing any further incursions, but what came through was devastating: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Only Shadow magicka had kept the comet intact; it was less than half its original size, and running out of precious volatiles. One more pass would finish it...one way or the other... | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Valverus ==== | ||
+ | * **Insanity.** n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality... | ||
+ | * **Megalomania.** n. A delusional state where someone believes that he is superior to others. He may believe himself to be a god...\\ | ||
+ | //But what if he really is a god?\\ | ||
+ | Then, while he is still very ill, he is also unthinkably dangerous...// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Valverus was just such a being, obsessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity, and wholly unable to see the destructive damage he caused to himself and to others. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the end of the last galactic cycle, as all matter and energy converged upon itself, twelve once-mortal beings of vast power and learning devised a method they hoped would allow them to step outside the rapidly imploding universe; together they formed a force cage, a dodecahedron able to resist gravity, entropy, and the ravages of time itself. They were each responsible for one face of the structure, and if one facet failed, they all would fail, sending them plummeting into the tiny ball of darkness more intense than the brightest light had ever been. They held on grimly, though the battle taxed them, each and all, to the limits of their strength and endurance, millennia after grim millennia, until the stresses within the black hole singularity triggered an explosion, and the outward expansion of the universe began again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | They, as they jubilantly told themselves, were the luckiest people who had ever lived! They'd survived the Big Crunch and now rode the energy of the Big Bang outward, their force cage converted into a craft that protected them from the rushing, surging energy and dweomer, surrounded by the indescribable beauty of the birth of stars...and of gods. They watched in fascination as the universe matured, and suns and solar systems formed. Those main-sequence stars between 5000 and 6200 K in temperature and around two nonillion kilograms in weight almost always formed a crystal sphere outside their most distant planets; they were amazed to discover that it was much like the wall of an ovum, controlling the turbulent, and--in excess--destructive, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Eventually they found a solar system that fit their criteria and built their own crystal sphere around it, an artificial construct but identical in all particulars to the natural formation, and then began settling into their new home. The planets and moons had already formed, although accretion and changes in composition were still going on due to heavy bombardment from remaining debris. They nudged the planet that would eventually be known as Tamaranth more securely into the zone of habitability...and again ran square into Valverus, who decreed that the number of moons should be one, and only one. The vote for multiple moons ran ten to two, with Shalniel calmly and reasonably offering cogent arguments in favour of one...and they came to very satisfactory agreement, acknowledging and incorporating the points that Shalniel had raised, balancing the two largest moons so that, in the fullness of time, the length of a day and other rotational effects would be stabilised, and edging the others out far enough that their gravitational pulls were minimal. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Everyone was happy...except Valverus, who was enraged by their " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Like all known planets, Tamaranth was originally molten, due to extreme volcanism and frequent collisions with other celestial bodies, but quite quickly (in geologic terms) it cooled enough that rocks and continental plates began to form. Outgassing and volcanic activity produced the first atmosphere; condensing water vapour, augmented by ice delivered from comets, formed the oceans; and life, that ubiquitous and quotidian miracle, began. As the gods learned more about building a planet, they worked with the natural forces to establish a magnetic field to prevent the planet' | ||
+ | |||
+ | It was then that they discovered (or were given) the Templates. In simple, prosaic terms these were planting instructions and seedcorn; adherence would result in a creation that would fit comfortably within a galactic matrix, one very familiar to the gods of Tamaranth, for once they had been part of just such ecosystems. Rejection would limit the eventual beings of Tamaranth to their own, possibly unique, planetary environmental conditions. There was no pressure, no " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Again Valverus unilaterally opposed the general agreement. This time he did not confront his fellow gods directly, instead attempting by more subtle means to destroy the cyanobacteria and undo the Third Intervention. He was stopped before he could cause damage, and his anger and hatred knew no bounds. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For the most part the gods were content to watch the incredible miracle of evolution, doing little more than encouraging a favourable mutation here and there, as prokaryotes were joined by eukaryotes then multicellular organisms. These simple creatures evolved into differentiated plants and animals, then, about 500 million years ago (or some 4 billion years after the world formed) began the conquest of the land. The first vertebrate land animals appeared 380 million years ago. Once again the gods debated intervention, | ||
+ | |||
+ | However, at last true primates came forth, and it was time to intervene again if they wanted a world that was compatible with the ones emerging under the guidance of other gods in different spheres. Again Valverus demanded they cease and desist; again the vote was eleven to one in favour of intervention, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The eleven decided to divide into cooperative teams, the better to encourage the further development of this species, so full of potential, so amazingly close to their brethren, born on worlds that orbited far-distant suns...so achingly close to the beings they themselves had been billions of years before. Yeron, Araul, Venall and Urth focussed on the basic phenotype, making very few changes beyond an enhanced adaptability. Ghorail, Shalniel and Miroch divided the species into elves, gnomes and dwarves, breeds that were slightly closer genetically to each other than to humans despite their apparent differences in physiology, and Ylwain, Fellbane, Gye and Kirmmaw shaped orcs, goblins and hobgoblins from the original racial matrix; they also, just for fun, experimented with magically integrating genes from mammalian and reptilian creatures...and thus dragons were born. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Valverus could no longer stand the frustration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | The various races of men matured; the population increased slowly, faster amongst the relatively short-lived humans (a stable breeding stock was the gods' most compelling reason for leaving the strain almost untouched) more slowly for the longer-lived elven, dwarven, and gnomish races, moderately for the short-lived but more aggressive goblinoid races--the gods were scientifically trying to perfect a balance between desirable mutability, physicality, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Five hundred years after the eighth cometary pass Valverus returned. None too sane when he left, after over 150,000 years subjected to the raw dweomer of the Everflowing, | ||
+ | |||
+ | After billions of years of community and consensus, the gods had grown together so closely they literally could not act without unanimity, but they remained distinct, strong personalities. This was both a great strength and occasionally a severe weakness; it had been the latter in the case of the Doomstane: during the first, second, and even the third cometary pass the Shadow could have been exterminated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Personality Chart ==== | ||
+ | ^ //Primary Motivators// | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ //Core Traits// | ||
+ | ^ Outlook | | ||
+ | ^ Integrity | | ||
+ | ^ Impulsiveness | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Flexibility | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ Comportment | | ||
+ | ^ Interactivity | | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ | ||
+ | ^ ^^^^ | ||
+ | ^ Topics of Conversation | ||| | ||
+ | ^ Quirks, Habits, & Oddities | ||| | ||
+ | ^ Hobbies & Enjoyments | ||| | ||
+ | ^ See http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Character Questionnaire ==== | ||
+ | === The Basics === | ||
+ | ? What is your full name? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Where and when were you born? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the people. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your occupation? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? To which social class do you belong? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you right- or left-handed? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What do you have in your pockets? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Growing Up === | ||
+ | ? How would you describe your childhood in general? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your earliest memory? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? How much schooling have you had? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Did you enjoy school? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? As a child, what were your favourite activities? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? When and with whom was your first kiss? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you a virgin? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | === Past Influences === | ||
+ | ? What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who has had the most influence on you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What do you consider your greatest achievement? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your greatest regret? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is the most evil thing you have ever done? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have a criminal record of any kind? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? When was the time you were the most frightened? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your best memory? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your worst memory? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Beliefs And Opinions === | ||
+ | ? Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your greatest fear? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What are your religious views? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your political ideology? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What are your views on sex? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What do you believe makes a successful life? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e., do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have any biases or prejudices? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who or what, if anything, would you die (or otherwise go to extremes) for? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Relationships With Others === | ||
+ | ? In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who is the most important person in your life, and why? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who is the person you respect the most, and why? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who are your friends? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you have a spouse or significant other? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What do you look for in a potential lover? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? How close are you to your family? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? If you died or went missing, who would miss you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Who is the person you despise the most, and why? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you care what others think of you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Likes And Dislikes === | ||
+ | ? What is/are your favourite hobbies and pastimes? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your most treasured possession? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your favourite colour? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your favourite food? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What, if anything, do you like to read? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, social events, theatre, art, etc.)? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? How do you spend a typical night without work the following day? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What makes you laugh? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What, if anything, shocks or offends you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? How do you deal with stress? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you spontaneous, | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What are your pet peeves? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Self Images & Etc. === | ||
+ | ? Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your greatest strength as a person? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is your greatest weakness? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you generally introverted or extroverted? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Are you generally organized or messy? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at, and three things you consider yourself to be very bad at. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Do you like yourself? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What are your reasons for being an adventurer (or doing the strange and heroic things that RPG characters do)? Are your real reasons for doing this different than the ones you tell people in public? (If so, detail both sets of reasons...) | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? If you could choose, how would you want to die? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left. | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What three words best describe your personality? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
+ | ? What three words would others probably use to describe you? | ||
+ | : FIXME | ||
croiduire/orbs/characters/shadow_wars/fenrir.txt · Last modified: 2020/05/26 00:32 by Croi Duire