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| ====== Uduak ====== |
| ^ Full Name | Uduak | |
| ^ Player | | |
| ^ Game (Context) | The Orbs of the Dead God (Shadow Wars) | |
| ^ Race/Species | Alcanti | |
| ^ Gender | Female | |
| ^ Height | 6 ft 10 in | |
| ^ Weight | 700 lbs | |
| ^ Age | 12,535 | |
| ^ Apparent Age((Earth human equivalent)) | | |
| ^ Hair | Hairless | |
| ^ Eyes | Red | |
| ^ Skin | Silver-grey | |
| |
| ===== Character Sheet ===== |
| ^ Class and Level | Robocop 20 | |
| ^ Kit | Alcanti | |
| ^ Alignment | Lawful Neutral | |
| |
| ==== Tracking ==== |
| ^ ^ Current ^ Base ^ Notes ^ |
| ^ Hit Points | 100 | 100 | No current injuries. | |
| ^ Power Points | 162 | 162 | | |
| ^ Fatigue Points | 20 | 20 | Fresh | |
| ^ Experience (Robocop) | 3,750,000 | 3,750,000 | **Next Level:** No further advancement possible | |
| |
| ==== Ability Scores ==== |
| ^ Score ^ Current ^ Base ^ Notes ^ |
| ^ Strength | 18/99 | 18/99 | **Attack Adj.:** +2; **Damage Adj.:** +5; **Weight Allowance:** 235 lbs; **Max Press:** 380 lbs; **Open Doors:** 15(3); **Bend Bars/Lift Gates:** 35% | |
| ^ Dexterity | 18 | 18 | **Missile Adj.:** +2; **Reaction Adj.:** +2; **Armour Class:** -4 | |
| ^ Constitution | N/A | N/A | **Special:** See Background & Notes | |
| ^ Intelligence | 16 | 16 | **Bonus Languages/Proficiencies:** 5 | |
| ^ Wisdom | 16 | 16 | **Magic Defence Adj.:** +2 | |
| ^ Charisma | 16 | 16 | **Comeliness Modifier:** +2; **Initial Reaction Adj.:** +7; **Loyalty Base:** +6; **Max. Number of Henchmen:** 10 | |
| ^ Perception | 17 | 17 | **Find/Rem. Traps bonus:** +5%; **Detect Noise bonus:** +10%; **Detect Assassin bonus:** +5%; **Detect Illusion bonus:** 5%; **Tracking bonus:** +10%/+2 | |
| ^ Comeliness | 16 | 16 | **Charisma Modifier:** +2 | |
| |
| ==== Combat Statistics ==== |
| ^ ^ Current ^ Base ^ Notes ^ |
| ^ THAC0 | 11 | 11 | **Melee:** 9; **Missile:** 9 | |
| ^ Armour Class | With Dexterity Adjustment, trunk: AC -4; arms & legs: AC 0; hands, wrists, neck & head: AC 2 | Trunk: AC 0; arms & legs: AC 4; hands, wrists, neck & head: AC 6 | Symbiont absorbs the first 50 hp of damage if Uduak is struck where it covers her | |
| |
| === Attacks === |
| ^ Weapon ^ Init. ^ Attacks ^ THAC0 ^^ Damage ^ Range ^^^ |
| ^ ::: ^ ::: ^ ::: ^ Melee ^ Missile ^ ::: ^ Short ^ Medium (-2) ^ Long (-5) | |
| ^ | | | | | | | | | |
| |
| ==== Saving Throws ==== |
| ^ Paralysation, Poison, & Death Magic | 2 | |
| ^ Petrifaction & Polymorph | 3 | |
| ^ Rod, Staff, & Wand | 4 | |
| ^ Breath Weapon | 4 | |
| ^ Spell | 4 | |
| |
| ==== Weapon Proficiencies ==== |
| ^ Proficiency ^ Level ^ Slots ^ Notes ^ |
| |
| ==== Nonweapon Proficiencies ==== |
| ^ Proficiency ^ Score ^ Attribute ^ Slots ^ Notes ^ |
| | Agriculture | 20 | Intelligence + Wisdom, divinely enhanced | 2 |Includes knowledge of seed selection and preservation | |
| | Alchemy | 15 | Intelligence -1 | 2 | | |
| | Ancient History | 15 | Intelligence -1 | 2 | | |
| | Ancient Languages | 16 | Intelligence +0 | 1 | | |
| | Animal Handling | 17 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +1 | 1 | | |
| | Direction Sense | 16 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 | | |
| | Distance Sense | 16 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 | | |
| | Investigation | 14 | Intelligence + Perception, averaged -2 | 1 | | |
| | Observation | 16 | Intelligence + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 | | |
| | Read/Write | 17 | Intelligence +1 | 2 |Includes the ability to read and write dwarven runes and other ancient alphabets. | |
| | Religion | 16 | Intelligence + Wisdom, averaged +0 | Bonus | | |
| | Weather Sense | 16 | Wisdom + Perception, averaged +0 | 1 |A proficiency check can be made once every six hours; +1 bonus for every six hours of observation | |
| |
| |
| ==== Languages ==== |
| Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnomish, Goblinoid, Orcish, Sylvan |
| |
| |
| ===== Powers ===== |
| ==== Replenishing Power ==== |
| ^ Power Points | 162 |Every time all of Uduak's power points have been expended she must consume 48 ounces of oil of vitriol combined with 80 ounces of water to replenish them. Every pound of sulphur-bearing ore yields 1d4 ounces of oil of vitriol; a maximum of 10 lbs of ore can be processed at any one time; processing takes a full day and requires an alchemical laboratory plus the time to collect/mine the ore (2d20 hrs). Alternatively, there is a 25% chance per alchemist visited that it will be available for purchase for (1d6+4) x 20 gold/8 ounces. Rather than paying, an Alcanti can also try to intimidate, charm, suggest, dominate, etc. However, if the Alcanti returns to an alchemist previously taken unfair advantage of and tries that a second time, charm and suggestion will not work, and the target saves against domination at +6...a small safeguard the gods emplaced lest the Alcanti abuse their powers for their own benefit. | |
| |
| ==== Utility Powers ==== |
| ^ Teleport Without Error | 15 pp to activate. |Additional 5 pp for every 250 lbs, or fraction thereof, above 250 lbs initial allowance, 10 additional pp for every 250 miles, or fraction thereof, over the first 250 miles achieved by activation; can carry a maximum of 1050 lbs above her own weight. Uduak can teleport herself and 50 lbs of gear 250 miles at a cost of 25 pp; 1500 miles costs 75 pp. | |
| ^ Light | 1 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, as per spell except can only be cast upon the caster himself. Produces about 40 lumens (3 candlepower). | |
| ^ Greater Light | 5 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, as per spell. Lasts twice as long (40 turns); produces twice as much light (about 80 lumens/6 candlepower). | |
| ^ Continual Light | 10 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, as per spell. | |
| ^ Sending | 25 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Permanency | 150 pp to activate. |Per spell, plus all Defensive Powers used within personal fortress. | |
| |
| ==== Command Powers ==== |
| ^ Power Word "Hold" | 25 pp to activate. |Can affect a total of 150 hp/casting. Affects people, animals, monsters, and undead. Range: 20 yds; duration: 10 rounds. If attempting to hold more than 150 hp, target(s) with highest lvl will be free of effect, until total affected is reduced below 150 hp. | |
| ^ Tongues | 10 pp to activate, 5 pp per additional turn. |Otherwise, per spell. Available as a permanent effect. | |
| ^ Suggestion | 15 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Mass Suggestion | 30 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Eyebite | 25 pp to activate. |Does not affect Alcanti or Shadow, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Charm | 10 pp to activate. |Can affect people, animals, and monsters. Otherwise per //Charm Person or Mammal// spell. | |
| |
| ==== Offensive Powers ==== |
| ^ Lightning Bolt | 15 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Chain Lightning | 30 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| |
| ==== Defensive Powers ==== |
| Are only available to an Alcanti in his fortress. |
| |
| ^ Spectral Force | 30 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Advanced Illusion | 50 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Permanent Illusion | 150 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Programmed Illusion | 75 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Screen | 150 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Guards and Wards | 75 to 150 pp to activate, depending on complexity. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Vacancy | 50 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Mirage Arcana | 100 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Simulacrum | 100 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Monster Summoning I | 50 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Monster Summoning II | 75 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Monster Summoning III | 100 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Monster Summoning IV | 125 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| ^ Monster Summoning V | 150 pp to activate. |No material components necessary, otherwise, per spell. | |
| |
| ===== Inventory ===== |
| ^ Item ^ Quantity ^ Type ^ Description & Notes ^ |
| | Symbionts | 4 | Protection & Life Support |Description in history | |
| | Tool Kit | 1 | General |Part of portable pack/survival kit; includes 1 extra vial of Oil of Vitriol | |
| | Fortress | 1 | Residence |Ancient, filled with deadly traps and exotic treasures...the usual guff | |
| | Complete Alchemical Laboratory | 1 | General |Fully equipped, with components stockpiled for the upcoming cometary pass; in fortress | |
| | Oil of Vitriol | 18 | Consumable Supplies |Full 48 oz vials stored in Alchemical Laboratory | |
| |
| |
| ===== 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; an integral component of their operation, it provides the power for day-to-day functioning and for repair in the event an Alcanti is damaged. It has 50 hp, and--for good or ill--absorbs the first 50 hp of damage delivered to its wearer; damage above 50 usually, but not always, kills it. It appears black to mortal eyes, but it's not...if a thin film is spread out in bright light it becomes apparent that it's a very dark green due to the chlorophyll it contains. It must receive several hours of sunlight (or Continual Light containing the same full spectra as sunlight) nearly every day to stay healthy, and thereby useable. When an Alcanti wears this organic construct it transfers energy to him; in return it draws nutrients (predominantly nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium) and water from him in obligate mutualism. |
| |
| 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't want covered, usually the head and hands, although some allow it to flow up and form a cowl leaving only the face exposed. The Symbiont itself will not cover the soles of the feet or wherever it will be subjected to constant abrasion, or where the hair covering is so thick it can not feed. It can be trained to conform to the preferences of its customary wearer; after three or four wearings with the same configuration, it will flow to the limits previously set and no further. It will not attach itself to scaled or furred creatures, but the relatively sparse hair on humans, elves, and dwarves does not impede its feeding; it will accept them as hosts. |
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| Each day an Alcanti does not wear his Symbiont he loses 1 hp. When he is reduced to 0 hp, he stops functioning; he doesn't die, and can be revived if some external force places a Symbiont on his body, but he is completely defenceless and very easy to kill. If a healthy Symbiont is placed on an Alcanti that has "powered off" it will take him 2 days to revive; he must have acquired 10 hp before active operation can be restored. He will have no memory of anything that occurred while he was unpowered. If an Alcanti has been injured, a healthy Symbiont can restore 5 hp/day as well. |
| |
| 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 "mother" will start to constrict until the bud has completely detached. The baby Symbiont must be carefully nurtured; the easiest way to do this is to allow it to attach to the same host as its parent. The parent will flow to allow the bud access to nutrients and sunlight. When it reaches about half its mature size, it can be removed and wearing can be alternated. The immature Symbiont will flow to cover the host, but it's thin and has only half the hp of a mature specimen. |
| |
| ==== 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. |
| |
| ==== Unusual or Altered NWPs ==== |
| * **Alchemy:** Intelligence -1 (2)\\ |
| Alcanti are well-versed in all aspects of laboratory technique, scientific method, the proper way to conduct experiments, and the properties of various chemicals, reagents, and substances. If they have access to their laboratories, they can use their knowledge to identify unknown elements or compounds, create small doses of acids, incendiaries, or pyrotechnical substances, or brew certain potions. |
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| 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. |
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| Other than oil of vitriol, Alcanti 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 they want to make fluoroantimonic acid they 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 the Alcanti, or anyone else in the immediate area, to the effects of both the blast and the substance, 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... |
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| When used as a weapon, acid damage is variable, depending on the acid and its concentration, and will be arbitrated on a case-by-case basis. It is apt to be considerably greater than the value given in the PHB. |
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| 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. |
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| Pyrotechnic materials resemble incendiaries, but create clouds of billowing smoke. A vial creates a cloud of smoke 5 feet high by 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep, obscuring vision. A flask creates a cloud of smoke 10 feet high by 10 feet wide by 10 feet deep. The clouds persist for 1d3 rounds, depending on the wind and other conditions. |
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| ==== Astronomy ==== |
| The night sky as seen from the continent of Tamaranth is a brilliant and beautiful thing, crowded with stars in a hundred constellations, and jewelled with seven moons and five planets. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| ==== The True History of Tamaranth ==== |
| (Revealed by the Chorus on 16 Nonus 1993) |
| |
| <html></p><font color=DarkMagenta>"It is most logical to begin at the beginning. Most of the history you believe to be true is a delusion foisted upon you by Valverus a mere two thousand years ago. Most serious students of history already know it for the lie it is, but only our Alcanti understand more than a fraction of the truth. Moira, please cast <i>Dictation</i>, that you all may have a complete and accurate account."</font></p><p>As soon as the venerable mage was ready the gods began, <font color=DarkMagenta>"First, we were never the grandiose 'twelve beings of infinite power' that Valverus claimed we were. Rather, at the end of the last galactic cycle, as all matter and energy converged upon itself, we--twelve once-mortal beings of insatiable curiosity, driven to find out 'what happens next'--devised a method we hoped would allow us to step outside our rapidly imploding universe. Together we formed a force cage, a dodecahedron able to resist gravity, entropy, and the ravages of time itself. We were each responsible for one face of the structure, and if one facet failed, they all would fail, sending us plummeting into the tiny ball of darkness more intense than the brightest light had ever been. We held on grimly, though the battle taxed us, each and all, to the limits of our strength and endurance, millennia after relentless millennia, until the stresses within the black hole singularity triggered an explosion, and the outward expansion of the universe began again. We had absolutely nothing to do with the process, but we now know for certain that Big Bang follows Big Crunch like day follows night.</p><p>"We jubilantly told ourselves we were the luckiest people who had ever lived as we rode the stupendous, indescribable wave of power outward. It was easy to convert our force cage into a craft that protected us from the rushing, surging energy and dweomer, surrounded by the indescribable beauty of the birth of stars...and of gods. We watched in fascination as the universe matured, and suns and solar systems formed. We discovered that main-sequence stars between 5000 and 6200 K in temperature and around two nonillion kilograms in weight almost always form a crystal sphere outside their most distant planets; we were amazed to see that it was much like the wall of an ovum, controlling the turbulent, and--in excess--destructive, flood of dweomer, and allowing embryonic gods to develop. It looked like so much fun we decided to try our hands at being gods ourselves, and set off in search of a star that fit the parameters for life as we had once known it, but that lacked a crystal sphere and the developing gods such a structure signalled. It was then that Valverus first showed signs of the illness that would later claim him. He jovially thanked us for our 'help' in creating and sustaining the dodecahedron, taking for himself credit for an enterprise that was, by its very nature, wholly cooperative, and spoke with keen anticipation of founding a pantheon. We were troubled, but took no action beyond correcting his conceit, and Valverus seemed to let the matter drop.</p><p>"Eventually we found a solar system that fit our criteria and built our own crystal sphere around it, an artificial construct but identical in all particulars to the natural formation, and then began settling into our 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. We 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 we 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.</p><p>"Everyone was happy with the accommodation...except Valverus, who was enraged by our 'defiance.' All twelve of us have slightly different strengths and weaknesses, but in power we are very close to balanced. We would not accept Valverus' arbitrary and self-proclaimed superiority, and made it unequivocally clear to him that we were a cooperative, not a dictatorship. If we disagreed, we would seek to resolve the issue through discussion and compromise, but the majority would rule. Valverus tested us, lashing out with all his strength to smite us...and, to his shock and horror, was neutralised and easily contained. Thus he began a long period of sullen brooding.</p><p>"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 we learned more about building a planet, we worked with the natural forces to establish a magnetic field to prevent the planet's atmosphere from being stripped away by the solar winds, and watched as cyclic orogenic continent building and destruction began, along with periods of heating and cooling.</p><p>"It was then that we found--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 us, for once we 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 'right' choice, just options, and thus began another of our Great Deific Debates. For a million years we discussed the matter, looking at implications, weighing alternatives, until we--at least, the eleven of us--reached harmonious consensus, and with a small pang for the paths that would not be taken and a far greater sense of excitement and anticipation, introduced photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Free oxygen started to accumulate in the atmosphere, setting off the mass extinction of obligate anaerobic organisms, laying down iron deposits, and oxidising atmospheric methane to carbon dioxide, triggering glaciation. The increased oxygen concentrations provided a new opportunity for biological diversification. Until oxygen became widely available, life had remained energetically limited, but such a radical breakthrough in metabolic evolution greatly increased the free energy supply to living organisms all over the world.</p><p>"Again Valverus unilaterally opposed the general agreement. This time he did not confront us 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.</p><p>"For the most part we 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 we debated intervention, but this time decided to let phylogeny take its course, and waited patiently for the emergence of mammals 180 million years later. We were intrigued by the diversity that developed, so varied from world to world, even though arising from the same templates and genetic materials. Tamaranth developed insects and arachnids of unprecedented size and complexity, which spurred and altered the evolution of reptiles and hastened the emergence of advanced avian and crocodilian forms; it also meant that virtually every carnivorous or omnivorous species that followed was at least somewhat insectivorous. That is a phenomenon unique to Tamaranth! We watched and marvelled.</p><p>"However, at last true primates came forth, and it was time to intervene again if we wanted a world that was compatible with the ones emerging under the guidance of other gods in different spheres. Again Valverus demanded we cease and desist; again the vote was eleven to one in favour of intervention, and Valverus seethed in impotent rage. The pace of change accelerated; 20 million years ago the first proto-hominoids were born, over the next few million years diverging into a number of genera and families that included the great apes, and steadily increasing in intellectual capacity including language, an understanding of culture beyond the family, and such intangibles as empathy and curiosity. At last, a mere 200,000 years ago, the first men, men in all particulars, walked the earth--Homo sapiens Tamaranthi originalis.</p><p>"We 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 we once were...billions of years ago. 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 are 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 were the ones who also, just for fun, experimented with magically integrating genes from mammalian and reptilian creatures...and thus dragons were born.</p><p>"Valverus could no longer stand the frustration, our indifference to his increasingly irrational and arbitrary demands, and--most of all--our success and the pleasure we took in these creatures made in our image. He fled out into the universe, declaring that he was done with us and would create his own world, his own <i>universe</i>. In all honesty, we must admit, we were glad and relieved to see him go.</p><p>"The various races of men matured; the population increased slowly, faster amongst the relatively short-lived humans--and a stable breeding stock was our 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--you see, we were scientifically trying to perfect a balance between desirable mutability, physicality, cultural stability, and intellect. It was a fascinating, always delightful, project. The appearance of the comet was the first serious threat that the beautiful world we'd helped shape had faced, and we vowed to do whatever was necessary to protect it and the beings we now thought of as our children."</font></p><p>The gods paused for emphasis, making sure that everyone realised the importance of what they were about to say, <font color=DarkMagenta>"Several of you already know that whilst the tales of 'Great Wars' are utter fabrication, Tamaranth <i>has </i>been subjected to cataclysmic disasters every twenty-five hundred years. Twenty-five hundred and ten years, to be precise. You have all seen or read about the ancient texts, carved into the walls of the Halle der Könige in Tanalok and the Themais Uir in Assel-Vesdra, into remnants found in ruined Shenuth, in other ancient monuments you do not yet know. Places separated by over two thousand miles, but recording the same event in almost the same words. 'And lo, a vast Shadow fell upon the whole world, ravening and foul, and whatever it touched, it devoured, every creature that walks or crawls, that swims or flies, and every plant that grows upon the land or in the waters, sparing not a single blade of grass, and the very earth was scorched and barren, so that afterward seed fell on it and withered as if fallen upon stone...' Written seventy-five hundred years ago. The Burning Times. Der Hunger. Goeol Delos. There are fresh accounts every twenty-five hundred years...and it will return in Quartus, 1995."</font></p><p><font color=6495ed>"How can a comet do all that?"</font> Ludi asked, deeply troubled and equally confused.</p><p><font color=tomato>"It's not the comet itself, Ludi,"</font> Urth said compassionately, her hand extended toward the dwarven boy. Had she been able to reach out and touch him, comfort him, she would have done so. Reassurance, however, was not hers to give. <font color=tomato>"The danger, the destruction, comes from the race that lives on it..."</font></p><p>The Chorus explained, <font color=DarkMagenta>"At the same time organic life was evolving on Tamaranth, far out in the Everflowing, in Deep Space, in the roughly spherical cloud of icy planetesimals that surround our solar system nearly a light-year from the Sun, another, far different, ecology was developing. The dwarf planet that would become the comet 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, forming a sphere nearly 250 miles in diameter. On this world, ice around a core of rock and metal, bathed and bombarded by raw dweomer, life began. From simple, minute creatures they progressed to colonies, and then into complex organisms, capable of metabolism, growth, and true reproduction. More aeons passed, and they became increasingly responsive to stimuli. In the fierce competition of their resource poor environment, some creatures developed motility. Step by step, mutation after mutation, the apex of that peculiar genesis acquired intelligence, but in structure they were little changed from their remote ancestors. They were black in all spectra, to soak up every possible scintilla of energy--dweometric, electromagnetic, chemical, thermal, gravitational, and nuclear--and they were nearly two dimensional, sometimes covering very large areas, but infinitesimally flat, presenting the greatest possible surface area for energy absorption. There was no food chain--each individual absorbed energy from any and all available sources and drew the nutrients for metabolism from the dirty snowball that was their home--with the result that every successful adaptation supplanted its progenitor, each in turn spreading out across the surface of their world.</p><p>"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, sapient but extremely primitive, were unaware of what had befallen them. Generations passed in the same fierce competition for energy and resources they had always known...until they travelled through the Crystal Sphere, some 40 AUs from the star, and the Everflowing, their primary food source, was abruptly and radically curtailed. So far out the solar radiance was woefully insufficient to compensate, as were the gravitational forces of the outer planets, yet worse was to come. Solar radiation caused the volatile materials that comprised the bulk of the comet's mass to vaporize and stream out of the nucleus, carrying dust away with them, in a coma that, at closest approach, stretched out from the sun past rocky Marnin and beyond, and in that first pass it lost nearly 10% of its total mass, most of it in the form of precious, life-sustaining water, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia ice. In the year and a half that the comet remained in the solar system, 90% of the population died off, but the few individuals that survived were the fittest, the most adaptable, and the most ruthless ever seen since their peculiar form of life had evolved.</p><p>"We were 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. Even then we knew this particular form was inimical to all life on Tamaranth, but we didn't believe any action was necessary at that time. Instead we watched, and pondered possible outcomes. We were overconfident <i>idiots!</i> We couldn't have been more wrong.</p><p>"Anyway, 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, but they were all linked in a vast hive mind. It had learned to look outward, sending its senses ranging far and wide, and discovered the planets, huge spheres in stable, almost circular orbits around a reliable food source. The gas giants were not to its taste: dweomer and solar poor, with a gravity that made them dangerous even to Shadow. Marnin, far larger than its home, with a comfortable gravity, rich in essential ice, and bathed in light from a star a mere two AUs away, was highly appealing...until it passed Tamaranth. Soaked in solar radiance and rich in dweomer--coming from us, although it didn't know that--with oceans of volatiles, it thought it had found paradise! It looked no further, but right then began planning to conquer this perfect new world. That it teemed with life already was considered an advantage, facilitating the assimilation of valuable nutrients. Evolution on the comet had never rewarded the concepts of cooperation, compromise, or community; by this point such ideas were literally unthinkable, as meaningless as music to a species without organs of hearing.</p><p>"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 our force blocking it. We were not then resolved to destroy the Shadow--and bitterly have we come to regret our forbearance--but we 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.</p><p>"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 our power on a planetary surface is fraught with danger to the ecological balance, even to the structure of the world itself, and our living, vibrant world was the very thing we were striving to preserve. Worse, we realised that it was no longer within our power to destroy it outright; we'd missed our chance.</p><p>"We needed help, but although the races of men, and other sapient creatures, had fully evolved into their present forms by then, they were still very primitive; civilisation was in its infancy. It would be many years before there would be priests with the wisdom, knowledge, and experience to channel our grace, so to fill that gap we made representatives that were both greater and lesser than the organic races, with powers both enormous and limited--enormous, to effectively fight against the increasingly powerful Shadow; limited, to prevent them from setting themselves against us or subjugating mortals. The Alcanti were created between 12,543 and 12, 533 years ago, starting five years after the comet's fourth return. Part of their mission was to police, guide, teach, and act as mediators between the organic races--humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, dragons, and so forth--but their primary purpose, the Divine Trust that was central to their being, was to stand between and protect mortals from the Shadow. It is the one single area over which no Alcanti has free will. As long as they live, they <i>will</i> stand and protect.</p><p>"Although the Shadow was stronger, more devious, and more determined than ever, both we and the Alcanti were ready for the comet's fifth transit. It was repulsed with minimal loss of life on Tamaranth; we too had been perfecting our strategies and were able to destroy or turn back most of every wave. 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. We know 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. We deduced that it could not survive for more than another 12,550 years--five orbits--at most, possibly as few as 7,530 years--three orbits. We were cautiously confident that all would be well.</p><p>"Contributing to that optimism was the inadvertent capture of a fragment of Shadow. It was not organised enough to retain the horrific sentience of the whole, but it was sufficient for experimentation--in effect, it was a tissue sample. From it we and the Alcanti who were conducting the tests learned that it drew no nourishment from certain types of stone, that a force cage would contain it, and that it was vulnerable to the direct application of fire, provided it was hot enough. With each pass the Shadow had grown more intelligent, more organised, more determined, and more powerful. It seemed poor strategy to allow it 2500 years between passes to refine and perfect its assaults against Tamaranth.</p><p>"From these seeds a plan was born. With our full approval and under our direction, the Alcanti tasked with guarding the southern hemisphere cleared an island near the south pole, far from all living things, of all volatiles--anything consumable--and prepared a barrier. They were to channel our power to form a pen to contain the Shadow, and there incinerate it, destroying it forever. Those involved in that enormous project called themselves the Free Men, for--as we said--the one area where Alcanti have no free will is in the battle against the Shadow. Our practical dreamers stepped out on faith, believing that the day was coming when the threat of Shadow would be ended forever."</font> They smiled lovingly, <i>apologetically</i>, at Boand, Uduak, and broken, dismembered Tilador.</p><P>While listening, Theo continued to pet the pups. <font color=peachpuff>"So...the Alcanti are--the <I>'good guys'</I>..."</font></P><p><font color=seagreen>"Indeed they are, Theo,"</font> Ghorail, Shalniel and Miroch replied, warmly approving of "their" dwarf.</p><p><font color=dimgray>"Hardly <i>all</i> of them,"</font> Tassarion sneered, eyeing Tilador with eyes cold and hard as granite.</p><p><font color=DarkMagenta>"All, Tassarion. Including Tilador. He was playing a dangerous double game, trying to use the Shadow's tools against it, but his heart was always loyal to Tamaranth and the Divine Trust. You, not knowing what was really going on, reacted to what you perceived as traitorous betrayal, whilst he underestimated both your strength and that of the Shadow."</font></p><p>The gods sighed bitterly. <font color=DarkMagenta>"So have we all, time and again, underestimated the Shadow."</p><p>"By the time the killing field was ready in all particulars and every detail worked out, most of a turn had passed and nearly half the Alcanti had participated in the colossal effort. We stopped them from telling all their brethren, a decision that proved to be a mistake second only to our failure to destroy the Shadow when we had the chance. The Free Men were wholly focussed on the plan, on what they were calling 'The Final Confrontation'. We fully expected to succeed, but feared that, given their utter confidence, vigilance would be diminished in the event that some significant portion of Shadow escaped our trap. By their nature, Alcanti are constant, a necessary trait for beings that have to remain concentred on one task for millennia. In exchange, they are not flexible or easily swayed. We wanted a significant number unaffected by the anticipation, the almost euphoric expectation, that coloured the Free Men's perceptions...we hedged our bets."</font></p><p>For a perceptible moment the gods paused, mulling grievous memories, before continuing, <font color=DarkMagenta>"Twenty years before the next pass was due the comet moved into range of our senses. We were first shocked, then horrified, even frightened, by what we saw; the Shadow was a <i>full order of magnitude </i>stronger than it had been during its previous transit. There was no possible way our carefully laid plan would work. </p><p>"We informed the Free Men immediately; they were dumbstruck and disbelieving...and why wouldn't they be? We were shaken to the core ourselves. They heard us, but could not understand. It was too sudden, too radical a change. They asked us and themselves what they had done wrong, or what task they had failed to do, and couldn't grasp that <i>they</i> were not at fault. They tried to convince themselves that it was all a misunderstanding or correctable error, but it was no mistake, and their confusion became anger and defiance...rebelliousness. We ached for them; they'd worked so hard and so long, the prize had seemed almost within their grasp...and it was yanked away. They felt hurt and betrayed, believed we had judged them inadequate to our purpose, and were determined to prove us wrong."</font> </p><p>They looked solemnly at Fenrir, George, and Yngvi, making certain that the Loyalists were listening. <font color=DarkMagenta>"They planned disobedience and voiced their frustration. They sought our approval, tried to make us see that they were fit and ready for the challenge, tried to regain our support. They never, at any time, turned against us or Tamaranth."</font> </ |