Hammering Out Details for a Fic

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I wasn't asking you to build the "Last Land", I was just asking if you thought my idea for its general layout was a good one.

And you think that those extra details should be done now? Alright, here's (in order) a look at gnoll society in general and a look at the Free People of the Demonpit Jungles, I'll do a rough outline to Yeen'ghu once I've gotten your feedback on these.

Gnoll society, as mentioned before, is a violent matriarchy. Females are the dominant sex and hold the highest place in society- males, while officially not as poor as slaves, aren't really that much better off in general. Males cannot practise arcane magic -any male found doing so is immediately executed- nor may they hold any position of authority over any beings other than slaves. Generally, males become low-grade merchants (the equivalent of corner store owners or checkout cashiers in a supermarket), soldiers or slave overseers. Females hold all other roles in society, primarily drifting towards leadership roles. Both sexes compete fiercely with other members of the same sex in order to hold onto or obtain a position they desire; it is far from uncommon (practically an unwritten law, in fact) for the daughters of a gnoll 'lady' to kill each other off in order to prove their worth to succeed her.

In gnoll society, the worst lot is that of the slaves. They are, frankly, property- less than property, to be honest. A slave can be worked to death or executed without the slightest cause- whatever a gnoll desires to do with a slave, so long as it is their slave, they are free to do. Harming the slave of another gnoll unduly however can earn penalties- generally steep fines for females and mutilation or execution for males. Slaves do all the hard work in gnoll society- they mine for ores, construct buildings and machines, grow crops, cure leather and other such exertions. They are also sacrificed or traded to demons in exchange for various dark bargains and eaten by the gnolls.

One of the distinguishing features of gnoll society is their relationship with the Infernum. Unlike the drow, however, this is a strictly business-based alliance, rather than a religious one. The gnolls trade countless slaves and souls to the demons and, in return, receive magical items and lore as well as technology and even demonic service as payment for this. Gnolls thusly deal with all of the Great Houses of Hell, though there is a considerable fondness for Zethu, Sturrarch (who most desperately need souls) and Oblurott (who share similar appetites with the gnolls). Due to this, gnolls have virtually no religion whatsoever (no religion tolerates demons or those who traffic with them- demons are essentially the "ultimate blasphemies", irregardless of a diety's inclination towards good and evil), though on occasion demon-inspired "cults" organise around a particularly potent or charismatic gnoll. Male gnoll soldiers may form "blood-cults" inspired by Sturrarch, while bored female nobles may form cults inspired by Oblurott, Astyanath or even Riethii.


The Demonpit Jungles are considered a cursed place by many, even those who live there. All of Gnoll Country has a sinister aura of demonic taint to it, but that taint is strongest here- the barrier between Aeron and Hell is apparently very thin here, and a number of permanent and semi-permanent portals are known to exist. This has only made the place more dangerous than any other jungle on Aeron, as the portals have allowed both mutative energy and actual lifeforms to creep into the real world. One prominent example of these is the Spinneedle Tree, an infernal plant that takes on the basic appearance of the most successful tree around, save for the fact it is covered in hundres or even thousands of dagger-length and wickedly pointed steel needles... which in hurls in deadly volleys at even the slightest movement. With this in mind, one would have to ask who in their right mind would live here.

The answer is simple: escapees from the gnoll slavepits band together in desperate tribes, seeking to survive in the one place where the gnolls are hesitant to pursue them and generally fostering a burning hatred of their former masters. In a great irony, in order to better aid their twin goals (survival and revenge), many tribes end up adopting the same traits of demonic alliance as the gnolls themselves. Demonpit tribes, however, tend to deal with the Free City Heretics rather than the Houses; having been freed from slavery themselves, those who seek to both free themselves from slavery and end its practise are thus common allies. Demonpit tribes both raid and are raided by gnoll expeditions, though the deeper the tribe dwells in the jungle the less likely it is to be the raided. It must be said that few gnoll raids succeed in gathering any great number of slaves; their 'victims' are almost invariably well-prepared, decently armed and eager to take some revenge upon the gnolls, which means most end up becoming the hunted rather than the hunter.

When raiding, or counter-raiding, 'pitters aim primarily to capture weapons, ammunition and gnoll captives. In fact, they go to great lengths (though not suicidal ones) to take as many gnolls alive as possible, or at least to injure them only enough to disable them without killing them. The reason for this apparent mercy becomes amply clear once they return to their village: after a successful raid, a great ceremony is held, the climax of which is the hideously gruesome sacrifice of any and all captives in order to obtain souls to trade for aid. Some tribes even go to the extent of having "spirit matyrs"; these are members of the tribe who volunteer to be sacrificed ritually, their soul then being sent to a Free City (such as Dis) in order to labour or be tortured in order to obtain money, which they give to the tribe so that it can be used to purchase weapons and ammunition.

Some tribes actually forsake anything to do with demons, instead becoming deeply religious, but the truth is that these are rarely much better than the demon tribes, as the gods they revere (which are generally Unaligned at best) tend to be ones of concepts such as revenge, murder, hatred and retribution. Battles between them and their neighbours aren't common (they have the common enemy of the gnolls to worry about), but do occur.

Members of all species can be found as slaves amongst the gnolls, and thusly the Demonpit tribes can also include any species. Because of the taint that lies so heavily within the jungles, Tieflings are common- in general, the percentage of the population that they make up is equal to or even greater than the percentage of human beings. Some tribes are even composed entirely of tieflings. Half-demons are also common, reaching proportions equivalent to those of tieflings in other lands.

One peculiar quirk of the tribes is this: the deeper one goes into the jungle, the darker it becomes. The heartlands of the jungle are thus places of eternal night, eeries landscapes adapted to total darkness. And in response to settling in this darkness, the peoples of the tribes eventually grow paler. This phenomonon is seen outside the jungles, but in reverse; the harsh sun in the savanha combines with the mystical energies that permeate the land to influence evolution at a far greater speed than is normal, with each generation being darker than the one before in order to better withstand the heat and intense light. In the jungles, the tribes that flourish eventually grow paler and paler as this 'evolution' adapts them to the dimmer level of light. Those tribes that dwell in the deepest places are thus virtually albino, with hair and flesh of purest white and eyes that have grown larger and keener. An encounter with such a tribe can be a truly terrifying thing, as multitudes of white shapes slip silently from the gloom to surround an intruder.

[Heaven's Deamon]

Yeah, the general idea behind your layout plan is pretty good IMO.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

So what do you think of all the details I just put together on the societies of gnolls and free peoples?

[Heaven's Deamon]

They're pretty good.

[Gideon020]

you got some good stuff, should make for a well defined story world, and that should help immensely with the plot.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Alright then, if you two are satisfied with what I have so far with the worlds, I'll get started on the "Southlands"... by the way, Gideon, could you possibly suggest some better names for the various continents?

And something just occured to me: we're probably going to need to do more detailed 'maps' of the lands, aren't we? Once we have the basic overview (which we more or less do now), we need to fill in the fine details, true?

Hmm... when we get to the Divinities topic, do you want me to go to the WoTC forums and see if I can get suggestions for the Channel Divinity feats for our homebrew gods?

Similarly, should we do up demon cults in the same way we're going to do up the gods? While each cult/cultist would be 'different', they'd likely share the same general sort of goals/rules, as they'd be tied to one of the political factions of hell, yes? Either one of the 9 Great Houses (Astyanath, Carthenay, Haimon, Glabretch, Lictat, Sturrach, Riethii, Oblurott, Zethu) or to the Free City Heresy?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I was going to wait for you two to answer my previous post, but the urge to write got the better of me. So, with the Southlands done, which topic from the list shall we tackle now? Just to refresh you both, the list that was worked out goes as follows:

*"Submapping" the continents of Aeron
*Aeron's pantheon of gods
*Notes on the settings quirks for 'player races' (Humans, Elves, Half-Elves, Tieflings, Dwarves, Dragonborn, Eladrin & Halflings) & possibly home-brew races (half-dwarves) & "Drizzts" (races that are normally hostile, but which might produce friendlies, ala how Drizzt abandoned Drow society & became a hero)
*Racial etiquette
*Celebrations, both racial and locational (hmm... would general things like funerals, birthdays, weddings, etc belong under this topic or the 'racial quirks' topic?)
*"Fantastic Spots"- areas of distinctly non-natural origin to sprinkle around the continents for both colour and story-line purposes
*Previous empires (for example, the much-mentioned "Moon Kingdom" that smashed one of Aeron's three moons into the planet)
*Legendary characters -notorious villains, great heroes, racial champions, etc- both past and present
*Scenario Skeletons


The Southlands
This is the last of Aeron's continents, located (as the name suggests) squarely in the southern hemisphere and providing most of the land in that section of the map. The Southlands are roughly halfway between the equator and the southern pole (which, so far, has been unexplored- most believe there to be nothing there but water) and stretch across most of the map. In shape, the continent roughly resembles a horizontal oval that has had a long but shallow "bite" taken out of its topmost length; the eastern and western ends rise up in small (geographically speaking) "horns", with the land dipping away into a curving coast.

As the most sizeable continent in the southern hemisphere, the Southlands are home to most of Aeron's remaining races; humans, elves, halflings, eladrin and dragonborn all call the continent home. The reason for the continent's moniker is because it is essentially divided into three 'sub-continents' based on particular distinguishing marks and terrain (think of how the USA or Australia are divided into various states). These 'territories' are the Serpent Kingdoms, a mountainous area of lush rainforest bitterly contested by the three reptilian races that it houses (Dragonborn, Medusae, Yuan-Ti), the Mires of Mourning, once a rolling, fertile plain and home to the halfling kingdom, now a terrible maze of undead-infested swamps and marshes that stretches from northern coast to southern, and the Young Kingdoms, principal home of men and elves, a land of hills and plains and lush forest.

The Serpent Jungles comprise the Western third of the continent and the Young Kingdoms comprise the Eastern third, with the Mires of Mourning acting as a kind of buffer zone in between.


Yeah, I know, inspiration was kind of lacking this time...

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I know I'm supposed to be waiting for you, but I just had a few random ideas for specific gods and I thought I'd draft them up here before I forgot them.

*For the Mires of Mourning, I was thinking of giving their present state (swampland infested with the undead) a tie to the halfling religion. The basic idea was that the halflings were the creations/children of two gods, the male of which was slain somehow. This caused the halfling's mother-goddess, naturally a very sensitive, compassionate type, to start weeping in mourning, and the torrents of her tears were so great that they flooded the plains where the halflings lived, turning them into swamps. Whilst she mourned, her lover arose from the grave as an undead godling, and began preying upon his former children. It was their cries and please for help that finally shook her into action; ceasing to mourn, she destroyed him and laid him to rest, though she could do nothing to either drain the land or completely purge it of the god's undead creations. What do you think of this idea?

*If this is valid, it suggests to me that the halfling patron goddess would be the goddess of sorrow and suffering- not, I clarify, in the "inflictor" sense ala Shar or Loviator, but in the "fellow martyr" sense ala Ilmater. She is the goddess of the cleansing tears and the healing of sadness; she teachs her followers not to shun pain and despair, nor to cause it, but to accept it and take strength from it. For is there not comfort in weeping when you are miserable? She is the fellow sufferer, who bestows comfort in pain, and the dutiful warrior, who knows that sometimes one must deny pain in order to do what is right... am I making any sense here?

*For Aeron's dwarves... dwarves are normally seen as having a very strong tie to elemental earth. However, the various qualities of Aeron's dwarves are more commonly associated with elemental water. What do you think of the idea that the dwarves mythology traces their descent to the union of a goddess of the sea (Mother Ocean) and a god of the land (Father Earth)? And perhaps, unlike most other races, they actually have relatively little reverence for their creator, offering them worship grudgingly rather than willingly? I had the idea that the dwarves claim their homeland was once a lush and vast country, where they lived and toiled joyfully under Father Earth's leadership, but the caparicious and jealous Mother Ocean drowned him (and most of their land) in a fit of pique...

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Just some more random thoughts from me (wondering where you are)...
*Should we do up some notes on things like foods, songs, poems and music of Aeron? For extra detail?

*According to the rulebook, the Prestidigitation cantrip (a class feature of the Wizard) allows the user to "warm or cool up to one ounce of material"... anyone else think that this could heat water sufficiently to revert a Jusenkyo cursed to their true form?

*If I post up the basic details on the "societies" of the Great Houses of Hell, do you two think you could try and whip up the three commandments of their respective cults?

*When/if the trio finally return to Nerima, how do you think their travels (and the new powers they've gained) will affect the status quo?

*When we decide on what classes to give Ranma, Ukyo and Shampoo, we're also going to need to figure out what powers to give them. Do you want me to post the various powers for the chosen classes here, or shall we talk about them on MSN? Additionally, do you want me to just give the flavour text and name for them, or give a brief summary of what they do "ruleswise" as well?

[Heaven's Deamon]

I won't need the powers info, I'm preparing to participate in a 4e campaign so a friend of mine sent me pdfs of the player guide and monster manual.

I do agree on the prestidigitation.

That level of detail might be a bit much for now. and we can't determine exactly how they will effect the status quo until we determine what abilities, powers, and other changes they will have.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Okay, what about the commandments of demon cults? Do you think you and Gideon can try and whip up commandments (the rule is three, though for Free City Heretics I think we should stretch that to 4; the 4th being an optional one to represent a member of the Sun-Eaters 'sub-heresy') if I post the details on the demons they're actually worshipping/revering?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Just thought I'd try posting up the details of those Houses I can recall off the top of my head; I don't know if we'll be able to work out commandments or not for them, but it should at least prove helpful... the other factions I'll do up after I get a chance to go over my Infernum books.

Sturrach
Sturrach is the Bloody House, obsessed with war and martial prowess. Demons of this house train constantly and rigourously, drilling in both the law and the lore of combat. Sturrach is less a House and more an army- ever single demon of Sturrach ichor is part of the paramount military force in Hell. Every demon has their place, and that place is determined by their capabilities in combat. Beasts train alongside the soldiers, in preparation for supporting them with their spellcraft. Artificers produce weapons and tend machines that the soldiers will use. Slavers are quartermasters and medic, Stalkers scouts and advance fighters. Even Imps and Malcubi have their places and their uses. Sturrach demons demand discipline and skill, not merely berserk fury and strength. The culture of the Sturrach teaches that they should contain their passions and be cold-hearted, implacable death-dealers, releasing their rage and emotion in only three places: the battle, the duel and the hunt. But, for all that, they are a House in trouble, starved of the vital iliaster, they are barely scraping by in their day-to-day existence. This makes them a conservative and watchful caste of demons, hording everything and anything that is useful.

Oblurott
The Gross House is an epitome of Gluttony and Sloth; Oblurotts are concerned primarily with the next meal. From true dawn to false dawn, the Oblurott eat. They gorge themselves on ever more food, eternally seeking new and different dishes to try, new meats to consume, new victims to devour. To eat is to live and to live is to eat, that is the motto of the demons of the Gross. But beyond their feasting, their most notable quality is their laziness: the Oblurott are full-aware that they were bred to be soldiers, and thus being as unfit as possible for physical labour is something that they take pride in. Using a thousand slaves to do something rather than lift a single finger is a sign of good breeding. The Oblurott are also the most wasteful demons in Hell; they never concern themselves with tomorrow: only the now, only their immediate satisfaction, concerns them. They ravage and despoil until there is nothing left, then move on, grumbling all the while, to find more to consume.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Have the book beside me now, so here are the other factions of Hell. While I think about it, do you want me to put up the "in their own words" (not really the right terms, but it'll suffice) prefaces from the book?

Astyanath
The demons of this House are aptly named "The Cruel", for they are most characterized by two thing: a drive for perfection and a level of sadism notorious even amongst demons. Life amongst The Cruel revolves around their twisted philosphy, a sadism-warped variant of "survival of the fittest" that revolves around trapping and torturing others. Successes become targets, while failures become pariahs and playthings. That this policy establishes who is strongest is a side-benefit; the Astyanath are far more concerned with winnowing out weaklings and breaking them utterly. Beyond their cruelty, however, the Astyanath are driven by their vanity and arrogance- they not just expect but demand that their members be ostentious, audacious and successful. An Astyanath must master and defeat any task or danger, social or physical, that confronts them. Cowardice is to be reviled (while retreat and fleeing are valid, they must be accompanied by some riposte that destroys the attacker). These two traits come together in an unusual way; the Astyanath are masters at manipulating the body, not just for pain, but for artistry and practicality as well, having stolen secrets of flesh-sculpting and surgery from the Abhorei and blending it to their own, carefully gathered lore. The Astyanath place great importance on surgically altering their own body to better suit their goals, or to express some artistic statement.

Carthenay
The Hoarders are the House of Avarice, driven by an insatiable greed for material wealth. While the Hoarders prize themselves on their dignity, no demon of their ichor would hesitate to dive into a cesspit to retrieve a copper piece, regardless of how great their fortunes waxed. This overwhelming greed makes Carthenay give respect by virtue of how wealthy a fellow demon is, as well as making them highly law-abiding: a demon convicted of theft is executed, for the Carthenay will not stand for demons to gain respect without truly "earning" it. This lawfulness makes them extremely rule-bound, with social interactions dominated by contracts and legal customs. The great pleasure and preference of Carthenay demons is to strike at their foes by manipulating the rules, ruining their intercine foes socially by using obscure precedents and loopholes. When dealing with outside demons, this trait is less pronounced, but still a very real part of their character: a foe slain is good, a foe bound into servitude is better, and a foe whose power has been utterly shattered, forcing them to come begging you for aid and protection is best of all.

Glabretch
The Glabretch are the most united of the Great Houses, for the (quite justified) feeling of beseigement by the other parts of the Infernum creates an attitude of brotherhood and paranoia. This closeness, however, means that they react harshly to any betrayal, perceived or otherwise, for the danger they bring, as well as the expectation that all members of the House do their part to aid the common good and health of Glabretch. By their very nature, The Putrid have learned to despise beauty and cherish ugliness- their greatest delight is to deform and distort and befoul, corrupting wonder into vileness. And as great as their hatred for loveliness is their hatred for the Gods and their servants.

Haimon
The Deathly are a morbid and silent house, delighting in death, despair and emptiness. Their dwelling places are sculpted to have a funeral air, often made from bones or piled gravestones, and are eerily quiet. Not for the Haimon the burning passions and fiery pleasures of the other hellkin. No, a Haimon exists in solemn quietude, in the slow fall of dust and the silence of the grave. Haimon are the most polite and formal (or hidebound, in the eyes of their cousins) of all demons, filling their lives with endless complex ceremonies and binding themselves strictly to their plethora of rules and regulations. Of all the Houses, House Haimon has the greatest respect for the dead, being the only one to even bury demons once their lives are lost.

Lictat
Confused is not the word to describe The Usurpers. The newest House, drawn together from dozens of lesser houses and independant bands, self-proclaimed heirs to Lictat, the anti-House preacher, and having taken possession of the estates of House Jelac, slain long ago, they are torn in many ways. But a few things are clear: they are the most vulnerable House, and thus they must strive to solidify and fortify their position in the Infernum. Demons of this House seek to bring power and prosperity to their faction, that they in turn might be sheltered and safe.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Split the previous post into two.

Riethii
The Seducers are the hedonists of the Houses, and they're proud of that. Pleasure, shock and excess are their holy grails, and they pursue them diligently. Lust and carnality are the most obvious route, but that is by no means the only path. Riethii demons are manipulators to the core; they are as obsessed with mental and emotional pain as the Astyanath are with physical pain. To ensnare a victim's heart and mind, to make them into a mewling, obsessed servant, to break their wills so utterly that they will crawl to you willingly for punishment, that is the fascination of the Riethii. They strive to be the very embodiment of abandon, driven (even by demon standards) by whim and instinct and desire rather than cold, ruthless logic. The Riethii prize passion, and loathe restraint, and by extent they have a great abhorrence for the Glabretchi, as the ugliness of the demons of disease offends their sensibilities. This does not make them stupid, far from it, for the Riethii are the greatest spies and courtiers of the Infernum. And their reach extends just about everywhere in Hell.

Zethu
The Unveilers are driven by one, burning emotion: their envy of the Gods. The first demons to develop magic and discover technology, the midwives of Hell's industrial revolution, the priests of progress, all of this has been part of their master goal: to break free of Hell and become the new gods of mortalkind. It is this obsession that drives their fascination with magic and science alike, and the Zethu are characterised by their complete disdain for the concepts of "forbidden knowledge" and "moral limits". The archtypical Zethu demon, in the minds of many hellkin, is a dusty sorcerer or a soot-stained engineer, bearing a mocking smile and with mind seething with cunning thoughts as it makes unholy things in defiance of all sanity and morality, a fearsome figure even for other demons. And it is quite fortunate for the Unveilers that they are so feared; with the outbreak of the Free City Heresy, they have lost the vast majority of their domains, and now their pursuit of new lore, new artifacts, new technologies is driven as much by their desire to restabilise themselves before the envious hellkin overcome their fear and fall upon them as it is by their obsession. One of the greatest fascinations for Zethu is the creation of life, the ultimate power (in their eyes) of magic, science or technomancy. In ages before, Zethu were characterized by their Construct servitors, while now they have become infamous for their technomantic creations, the Biomechanicals.

[Gideon020]

Here are my suggestions for the commandments, and for teh status quo of Nerima when the trio return, lets wait until we work out what sort of skills and powers they get.

Sturrach commandments:
1. Passion for the Hunt, Fury for the Battlefield, and Contempt for the Duel.
2. In life outside battle, regard all things with cool detachment, reserve your passion for war.
3. Skill and discipline are the guiding hands of fury and strength.

Oblurott Commandments:
1. Tomorrow never comes, so enjoy the moment for all it is worth.
2. Work is the food of slaves, give them all that they can eat.
3. Give out nothing, but take everything you see.

Lictat Commandments:
1. Unity is life, unity is strength.
2. Those who make alliances make great wealth. Those who work alone die poor.
3. Better to bring in a thousand weak fighters than a single strong warlord. Cannon fodder can tire out even the strongest warriors.

Haimon Commandments:
1. Bury the dead with ceremony, so that you praise them eternally.
2. Respect and follow all rules and ceremonies.
3. In the end, all must expect the coming of death. So prepare yourself while you still live.

Glabretch Commandments:
1. Despise all beautiful things, for they despise and loath you in turn.
2. Cherish the scavenger, the maggot, and the worm. For they are kindred spirits.
3. The greatest beauty are the Gods and their servants, smite and befoul their works where-ever they might be found for the glory of House Glabretch!

Cartheny Commandments:
1. Those of power are those with biggest purses. Seek out means to make their purse your own.
2. The greatest weapon one can have is the pen. With it you can rob enemies of their wealth in broad daylight and bring down kings with a signature.
3. Respect the laws, for they can be the greatest bulwark against thieves seeking to rob your vaults.

Astyanath Commandments:
1. Pain is the greatest art, strive to master the pain of life and in doing so gain strength.
2. Revile and break the coward utterly, until all that is left is a sculpture of pain that shows all who see it the rewards of cowardice. Do not cower from pain or challenge, revel in them and be praised.
3. The flesh is a clay that delights in change, for a changed body is one that can better fulfill your goals.

Riethii Commandments:
1. The mind is a battlefield that can reveal secrets beyond measure, and its weapons are words, emotions and mental strength.
2. That an enemy sees you as a whore is fine, that they see you as a lover is good, but the enemy that sees and worships you as a master is the most delectable of prizes.
3. Logic is a shackle, decisions are a trap and restraint is an insult. Let your desires and instincts be your guide and you will find the paths hidden from the eyes of those who think rather than act.

Any of these look good to you?