Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Sep 2002 to 14 Sep 2002 (#2002-241) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 15/09/2002, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 6 messages totalling 535 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. 3e classes (2) 2. need to know... 3. Isle of Dawn 4. Anybody at Tulane Univesity? 5. The Cults and the Immortals of Glantri ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:04:02 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= Subject: Re: 3e classes --- David Knott skrev: > > Most Darokin merchants would probably be Experts. A > conversion > of the Rake class from DotE to 3E might also be > appropriate. I disagree. Or rather: Most merchants should be Experts. However, Darokinian Guild Merchant should be a prestige class IMO, using normal prestige class rules. Id be inclined not to give them spells, but rather to give them quasimagical feats such as count coins, see through deception etc, all taken from the Darokin Gaz. The Mintrothad Guild Merchants should be treated similarly IMO. I think the Thadders were always too powerful and id rather give them ship/water-abilities/magic than spells like fireball... Håvard ______________________________________________________ Se den nye Yahoo! Mail på http://no.yahoo.com/ Nytt design, enklere å bruke, alltid tilgang til Adressebok, Kalender og Notisbok ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 14:23:18 EDT From: Alex Benson Subject: Re: need to know... Do you plan on conducting the invasion by some game rules or simply script it out? Either way, here are some things to think about. Note, I have no idea what particular attributes these vessels and peoples have. These are more general notes than anything else. 1) Defenders are usually given a numbers modifiers if using set defenses; 2/1 or 3/1. Noids typically depend on numbers and attrition to take a more organized human force and being noids are more prone to taking heavy losses before retiring. 2) Defense forces will be privy to the local waters and skylanes (especally in conjunction with local defenses) and attributes, giving them an advantage in facing invading vessels. Defenses should theoretically know the ranges of fixed art defenses. 3) Invading forces are weakest when landing their troops. They need open areas to allow room for offloading. These areas offer clear firing lanes for defenders' missile weapons. 4) Noids (orcs) should be more brutal and physically imposing against the "puny 'umans". They should do well in close combat against normal troops but fair badly in range attacks or against formations melee. I would have the orcs' discipline break down from time to time as primal bloodlust takes hold. 5) Noids don't strike me as the most brilliant engineers. Crude construction should show on weapons and vessels. Even purchased, stolen, and won weapons/vessels should suffer maintenance problems from orc use. 6) Humans tend to panick even in times of peace. Have the Freeporters have some internal problems. Maybe some defeatists' breaking defense resolve. Maybe pacifists seeking negotiated peace. Maybe political rivalries boiling amid battle as sects bid for prestige amid the battling. 7) New technology can often win battles, if not wars. But technological inovations have problems. Include some problems with new weapons systems. Possibly tie these problems in with #6. 8) Espionage. Though an orc may stand out amid the humans of freeport, who is to say that they have not hired agents to work within the city to aid their cause. Toss in some #6 and the plot thickens. 9) Inept rulers. This applies to both sides and can vary from being slightly out of touch with the situation to being a complete idiot. 10) Intel is like technology...it can win wars. Bad intel can be as dangerous as opening the gates to the invaders. Anyway those are some points just off the top of my head. Hope some help. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:41:57 -0600 From: Angelo Bertolli Subject: Isle of Dawn Who is in charge of working on the Isle of Dawn/Dread Almanac/Gazetteer? A friend of mine would like to make a submission. - Angelo - http://members.fortunecity.com/abertoll/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:09:28 -0700 From: The Stalker Subject: Re: 3e classes On Sat, 14 Sep 2002 18:04:02 +0200, =?iso-8859-1?q?Havard=20Faanes?= wrote: > --- David Knott skrev: > > >> Most Darokin merchants would probably be Experts. A >> conversion >> of the Rake class from DotE to 3E might also be >> appropriate. > > I disagree. Or rather: Most merchants should be > Experts. However, Darokinian Guild Merchant should be > a prestige class IMO, using normal prestige class > rules. Id be inclined not to give them spells, but > rather to give them quasimagical feats such as count > coins, see through deception etc, all taken from the > Darokin Gaz. > Well, I agree and I disagree. Yes, letting them be a prestige class is reasonable, but then we're still left with the problem of what those people were before they became part of that prestige class. Besides, I don't see the various Darokinian merchants as being that special - they are simply people who specialize a lot in mercantile traits. In that regard they are no different from dedicated merchants from most other nations. The difference is that there is a much greater concentration of such people in Darokin than most other places, but apart from that they aren't all that special... > The Mintrothad Guild Merchants should be treated > similarly IMO. I think the Thadders were always too > powerful and id rather give them > ship/water-abilities/magic than spells like > fireball... > Excuse me? How is fireball a spell related to ships or water? Quite the contrary, I would think... Yes, doubtlessly they learn spells like this, but I don't see that they do it any different from any other sort of arcane spell-user. I'd agree that the merchant prince should probably be a prestige class for Thadders, though, because they do receive special magical training in those areas. - The Stalker ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 22:41:07 -0500 From: Aaron E Nowack Subject: Anybody at Tulane Univesity? I'm looking to start a new campaign (possibly next weekend) and figured I'd check and see whether or not anybody on the MML happened to be attending Tulane as well and looking for a game. The campaign (assuming it gets going) will be set in 999 AC in a slightly modified version of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, and will use D&D 3E rules. The first adventure will likely be the module NeMoren's Vault. If anyone here is interested, feel free to e-mail privately at anowacke@juno.com Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 14:09:45 +0800 From: "Francisco V. Navarro V" Subject: The Cults and the Immortals of Glantri The Cults and the Immortals of Glantri By Kit Navarro Religion and clericism is forbidden in the Principalities of Glantri. = Most clerics are within Glantri illegally, and their clerical orders are = nothing more than disorganized sects and underground cults. Only = recently during the Wrath of the Immortals were clerics officially = allowed to enter Glantrian borders and practice their priestly magic, = albeit under very restricted conditions. Nevertheless, the attitudes of = Glantrians towards clerics and organized worship remain negative and = hostile. It is important to note that this religious persecution does not however = reflect the outlook of Glantrians towards the Immortals. Many Glantrians = know of these divine beings from mythology and their fantastic legends, = and they acknowledge their powers and workings in this plane of = existence. Many even revere the Immortals privately and are guided by = their examples and teachings, though rarely from dogma or doctrine. But = the Glantrian manner towards Immortals is not one of mortal adoration or = subservient devotion, rather an impassionate admiration, the way one = would respect a superior whom one day you will equal or even surpass. = Glantrian wizards in particular have a calculating, and often = patronizing, interest in Immortal matters, as most of them believe they = will one day be on the Path to Immortality. Following the events La Milagro de Los Amantes (allegedly a miraculous = apparition of the Immortal Valerias) and the Alexander Day Massacre in = AC 1017, the Principalities have been under increasing pressure to = reassess its prevailing policies and attitudes towards clerics and = religious orders. In AC 1018, Glantri came under the threat of a crusade = or jihad from the temples and churches of Valerias and its allies from = several nations of the Known World, and for the first time in modern = history, the Principalities allowed the establishment of a foreign = religious order within its borders. It is thus increasingly relevant to investigate the nature and the = workings of these religious groups in Glantri, and perhaps discover the = secret schemes and divine machinations of the Immortal for the = Principalities. -Excerpt from "The Dangers of Religions and Clericism in the Aftermath = of the Wrath of Immortals" Written by Sire Guillaime d'Ambreville, Cultural Censor of Nouvelle = Averoigne Rad The Immortal Rad is acknowledged as the Patron of Glantri and the Temple = of Rad promotes the Official Glantrian Philosophy. This is not a true = religion, in the same sense as most Known World nations, but a spiritual = philosophy that promotes the ways of wizardry, enhances intelligence and = the pursuit of knowledge. Likewise, Shepherds of Rad are not true = clerics, but rather wizards with mystical skills and powers, and adept = at mediation techniques, chants, and other practices for enlightenment. Temples of Rad are found throughout the Principalities. Many Glantrian = wizards go to the Temples to meditate, believing that "Rad shines upon = his faithful the magic-enhancing Radiance," or to seek guidance and = solace from the Shepherds. Many mundaners also attend the Temple rites, = if not to see and be seen and improve their status, then to amuse = themselves with the bizarre, esoteric ceremonies of the Shepherds of = Rad. There are rumors that the Shepherds of Rad are actually under the mental = influence of a mysterious Brotherhood of the Radiance, a secret cabal of = the most powerful ruling wizards in Glantri, but most Glantrians cannot = even fathom such a grand conspiracy, let alone try to prove it. Razud The Immortal Razud was a Patron of the Cypri people of Old Alphatia, the = ancestors of the Flaemish race, but his worship has spread throughout = the other cultures of the Glantrian highlands and known in the rest of = Mystara. Razud is second only to the Immortal Rad in popularity among = Glantrians, and two distinct cults of Razud are in existence in Glantri. The Cult of the Flame (sometimes called "The Cult of the Flaem") is an = ancient Flaemish cult dedicated to "The Blazing One" and committed to = "preserving the blazing spirit of the Flaemish people." The cult has no = true organization and its followers are simply devoted to preserving the = traditional Flaemish ways. There are no true clerics of Razud in the = cult, but occasionally, some of the cultists display mystical powers, = much like the Shepherds of Rad. Many of the Flaemish nobles, including = the late Lady Wilhelmine Vlaardoen and the former Countess Sinaria = Verlien of High Sonden, abide by the Cult of the Flaem, albeit privately = and discreetly. The Cult of Razud celebrates their Immortal as the Patron of = Self-Sufficiency and Resourcefulness, and has its first following among = the earliest settlers of the Highlands, and later among the poor, the = powerless, the minorities and the mundaners. The Cult of Razud is most = active in Nouvelle Averoigne, Klantyre, and Fenswick, and the most = famous of the clerics of Razud is P=E8re Simon d'Ambreville, who has = long campaigned for the rights and lawful treatment of clerics in = Glantri. There are however more radical cultists who have allied with the = Followers of the Claymore, who continuously crusade against the = Glantrian magocracy. Sir Bruce McGregor of Klantyre was one such cleric, = who lead the Followers of the Claymore, until his capture and = imprisonment in the Tower of Crownguard. The two cults have little contact with each other, but are aware of the = existence of each other. Alphaks Since destroying the Old World of Alphatia, Alphaks the Destroyer has = continued to torment the Flaems and the Alphatians even on Mystara.=20 The Flaemish people believe that the cult of Alphaks was born from the = corruption of Razud's faithful, or as suggested by an ancient Flaemish = saying, "Those who are not purified by the flames of the Blazing One = will forever burn with the raging fire of the Destroyer." The Flaemish = Cult of Alphaks hides among the ranks of the Followers of the Fire, the = extremist Flaemish Fire Wizards who not only believe in their racial = supremacy but also in the ascendancy of their Fire Magic. Clerics of = Alphaks tend to be more powerful than their Razudian counterparts that = they often as pyromancers. A second cult of Alphaks originated from the traitorous Alphatians of = Blackhill. The cult was a bane of the Alphatian nobles of Glantri, yet = there were persistent rumors the cult was secretly supported by the = sinister House Silverston, the ruling family of Blackhill. A disturbing = tale has been circulating since the Wrath of the Immortals, that before = the Great Meteor crash in AC 1006, the Alphatian Cult of Alphaks had = known that their Immortal would destroy Blackhill with great fire from = the sky, and commemorated the wrath of the Destroyer with a ritual of = mass suicide. Some versions of this horrifying story go as far as saying = that the cultists themselves called upon Alphaks to send the Great = Meteor, offering up their own lives as an ultimate sacrifice for = Alphaks. Whatever the truth of the tale, it only reflects the loathing = and fear of Glantrians towards clerics, evil or otherwise. Recently however, there are rumors are the cult of Alphaks has not = completely died out, and they have hidden in Boldavia, where the = cultists believe (rightly) that Prince Morphail Gorevitch-Woszlany is a = servant of the Roaring Demon. In fact, Morphail and his High Mastery of = the Secret Craft of Necromancy is part of Alphaks' grand, though rather = haphazard, Immortal plot to usurp the Thanatos' utter control over death = and necromancy. Thanatos In no other living nation in the Known World is necromancy and death = magic practiced to such extent of depravity and at such reckless = frequency as in Glantri. It is no wonder that Thanatos, the Hierarch of = the Sphere of Entropy and the Patron of Death, would have followers and = minions throughout the Principalities. Most clerics of Thanatos do not = belong to organized groups, but they often work with specialist wizards = of the necromancy school or Death Masters from the Secret Craft of = Necromancy, their relationships based on mutual suspicion, mistrust, and = threats of power. There is a cult of Thanatos originating from Sind (where thugees worship = him as Tanathasa and offer each ritually killing in his name) that works = behind the scenes of the Unseen Hand. There is also a small cult of = Thanatos secretly working within the Followers of Claymore, inciting the = Followers to bloodier, more murderous methods in their crusade against = Glantrian wizards. Nyx The mysterious Hierarch of Entropy Nyx has a small cult of followers = intent on seizing power from the Secret Craft of Necromancy in Glantri. = As such, the Cult of Nyx exploits the deadly rivalry within the Secret = Craft between the Death Masters of Klantyre and the Necromancers of = Boldavia, covertly working with the former faction. At the same time, = the cleric of Nyx secretly lends support to the Boldavian Liberation = Front against the Boldavian vampire lords, knowing that their actions = will undermine the power of the High Master of Necromancy, Prince = Morphail Gorevitch-Woszlany of Boldavia. An old Kaelic legend hints that the ancient Immortal Nyx has her origins = in the mysterious Oriental Realms of Laterre, and that this dark = Immortal guided the exodus of the first McGregor necromancers from their = Laterran homelands to the Highlands of Klantyre on the world of Mystara. = Ixion Of all the major faiths in the Known World, the clerics of the Immortal = Ixion are the most persecuted in Glantri and the most openly despised by = the Temple of Rad. It is no secret to mortals that the Immortal = Sun-Prince was an enemy of the Principalities, and it is whispered that = at the very heart of the Wrath of the Immortals was a feud between Rad = and Ixion. The only clerics of Ixion who dare set foot in Glantri belong to the = Ethengarian cult, who worship Ixion as Tubak the Lawgiver and the Golden = Khan of the Sun. They belong to the belligerent underground sect, The = Thousand Fists of the Khan, who once plagued the Principality of = Krondahar, and now can be found in the frontiers of Bramyra. In the most = distant Boldavian fief of Mariksen, the nosferatu Baron Sergei Wutyla = houses one such priestess of Tubak, known only as Erega, who uses her = clerical magic in an attempt to counter his vampire nature. Valerias Valerias, Patroness of Beauty, Romance, and Passion has a universal = influence in the mortal world, much like her Immortal lover Ixion. But = unlike the brilliant and incorrigibly grandiose Sun-Prince, the Immortal = Valerias has managed to suit her subtle plots into the complex schemes = and intrigues of the Principalities of Glantri. For centuries, the Secret Craft of Witchcraft has long been trying to = quell rumors that a cult of all-women worshippers of Valerias exists in = Belcadiz, not only because it would expose the existence of their Craft, = but it would also link unfavorably link the Witches to clericism and = religion. The truth is that Witchcraft does have its ancient roots in = the Old Religion, before the elves came to Belcadiz. The Old Religion = worshipped a mysterious Immortal called Matera, who is believed to be a = primitive, lusty and earthy aspect of Valerias. Only the High Mistress = of Witchcraft, Princesa Carnelia de Belcadiz y Fedorias, is privy to = this secret. In recent years, the Immortal Valerias has been expanding her sway = throughout the Known World, Glantri included. In AC 1017, La Milagro de = Los Amantes ("The Miracle of the Lovers") was believed to have been a = manifestation of Valerias and Ixion dancing at the Midsummer Night's = Ball of Princess Carnelia, which incidentally fell on the Day of = Valerias holiday of other Known World nations. Later that year, her = clerics and pilgrims were persecuted and killed at the Alexander Day = Massacre, sparking religious upheavals in Glantri and its neighbors. As = a result, in AC 1018, the Principalities allowed the construction of The = Abbey of the Bleeding Rose, the first religious structure in Glantri = consecrated to an Immortal other than Rad. Ordana The Forest Mother Ordana has found followers amongst the reclusive elves = of Erewan, who have successfully kept the existence of her worship = secret from the rest of Glantri. With the arrival of the refugee elves = from Alfheim, the cult has gained more following but is still too small = to be influential. The Erewan elves remain resistant to the teachings of = the Forest Way, and the younger Erewan elves have the Glantrian = disinterest of religious matters that they cannot distinguish Ordana = from Terra or other Immortals of nature. Terra The Immortal Terra, known as the Earth Mother, has followers among the = nature-loving Erewan elves, and her nature cult works closely and = secretly with the cult of Ordana. Among the clerics of Terra Lady = Tariana d'Ambreville, a refugee from Alfheim and the wife of Sire = Jean-Louis d'Ambreville, a stanch supporter and protector of clerics = within the Principalities. Terra has a more obtrusive cult among the Ethengar, who know her as = Yamuga the Yurt Dweller. Her more zealous priests proselytize her = teachings in Glantri through the Thousand Fists of the Khan, together = with the other Ethengarian cults of Tubak the Lawgiver (Ixion) and = Cretia the Mischief Maker. Cretia The mischievous Immortal Cretia is the Patron of the Ethengar and the = Lord of Chaos. While he protects the Khanates of Ethengar from the = godless Glantrian wizards, he also has no qualms in causing trouble from = those same Glantrians enemies. And it is the heedless cult of Cretia = that is the leading force for the belligerent Thousand Fists of the Khan = and their chaotic and reckless schemes. The Supreme Judge of the Council Prince Jherek Virayana IV of Krondahar = was a staunch foe of the Thousand Fists of the Khan, and he intensified = his efforts to eradicate the group, especially with the looming threat = of the Ethengar invasion in AC 1016. When Prince Jherek died in that = war, his campaign was continued by his fanatical son Rejladan Virayana, = who has discovered that just as Cretia has kept the Ethengar race = resilient and strong through the years, the Immortal has kept his cult = and the Thousand Fists hardy and alive in the frontier Principality of = Bramyra. Jammudaru Jammudaru, The Patron of Nightmares and Revenge, has a small cult among = the ogres and larger humanoids living in the Great Crater (originally = from the Broken Lands.) And like most things from New Kolland, most = Glantrians ignore them and know nothing about them. More importantly, a number of clerics of Jammudaru from all over Mystara = have been guided by their Immortal through dreams and nightmares to = travel to Glantri, and learn the secrets of the Nightmare Dimension from = certain powerful Illusionists from Krondahar. The most powerful of such = Illusionists, the former High Master of Dream Magic, Prince Jherek = Virayana IV was also the Supreme Judge of the Council, and he = effectively eliminated such illegal clerics without knowing the danger = they posed to the Secret Craft of Dream Magic. The present High Mistress = of Dream Magic, his widow Lady Lan-Syn Virayana, has now learned of the = true mission of these cleric of nightmares, and come across disturbing = connections with the Immortal Jammudaru and the legendary Walker of = Dreams, Jherek Virayana I, the founder of the Secret Craft and the = discoverer of the Demiplane of Nightmares. Palartarkan Before the Great Meteor Crash of AC 1006, a cult of the Alphatian Patron = of Magic and Wizardry successfully made the Alphatian Principality of = Blackhill its base of operations. Its agenda was scholarly and = philanthropic (to promote wizardry and assist mundaners magically), as = well as political and subversive (to spy for Alphatia and undermine the = Glantrian magocracy). The secret of its success was Palartarkan's = clerics can cast magic-user spells and could well pass as wizards. They = also gained the support of Sir Uthar Aendyr, the Constable of Volnay and = brother of Prince Volospin Aendyr of Blackhill. Sir Uthar was a mundaner = who traded magical favors from the Cult in exchange for their = protection. The clerics of Palartarkan were opposed to the cult of Alphaks, but all = their efforts came to naught when they were all decimated with the = destruction of Blackhill, ironically because of the Great Meteor sent = down from the heavens by the Immortal Alphaks.=20 Asterius The worship of the Immortal Asterius, Patron of Travel and Trade, is = widespread throughout the Known World, as the clerics of Asterius are = probably just as active in the Principalities of Glantri as elsewhere in = the world. This is because the well-traveled, silver-tongued clerics of = Asterius are very diplomatic and considerate of local laws and = traditions. In Glantri, the Asterians know not to flaunt their religion = or clericism, and they do not organize officially and proselytize = publicly. Of course, Asterius is also the Patron of Thieves and Money, = and his clerics are well versed in discretion and suavity, and not about = a bit of deception or bribery to get around. Almost all clerics of Asterius come to Glantri by way of the Republic of = Darokin, where they are discreetly supported by the Church of Darokin = and the Darokinian Diplomatic Corps. Within the Principalities, they = work as travelers, tourists, merchants, diplomats, and of course, = thieves, spies, and smugglers. Their network in Glantri is extensive and = they often deal with the Merchant's Consortium and the Ambassadors and = Ministers Solidarity. Their underground contacts also include the = Fellowship of the Pouch, the local Glantrian thieves' guild. Vanya As said in an Alphatian adage, "Where Thyatians are, Vanya will be." The = Immortal Vanya was introduced to the Highlands by the Thyatian settlers, = most of who were soldiers on expansionist campaigns. The worship of = Vanya, Patroness of Warfare and Conquest, is common in the southern = regions of Caurenze and the harsh frontier lands of Sablestone, where = hardy pioneering warriors are more suited than fanciful wizards. The Glantrian cult of Vanya preaches that the warrior is not inferior to = the wizard, the sword should not bend to sorcery, and might cannot be = overpowered by magic. The warrior-priests of Vanya have found a = following in the Followers of the Claymore, crusaders against the = oppressive rule of wizards, although the cult has been criticized of = secretly promoting Thyatian imperialist agendas of expansion and = colonization. Britomart (Joan Moorkroft)=20 In the unremarkable countryside of Fenswick, the common folk hide a = small cult dedicated to a legendary hero of their past. Three centuries = ago, Joan Moorkroft was zealous protector of her people who had just = settled in the Highlands around the Fen River. She battled the Flaems = valiantly, but was eventually captured and burned at the stake. The Fen = folk believe she achieved Immortality, and now worship her as Saimpt = Joan.=20 The Church of Saimpt Joan is virtually unknown outside of Fenswick, and = the few Glantrians who have heard of it have generally dismissed it as = "a superstitious cult of uneducated country bumpkins suffering from = delusions induced by dabbling in hedge magic and engaging primitive = rituals of witchcraft." There are those who warn that this Saimpt Joan = Moorkroft, sometimes associated with a new Immortal named Britomart, may = actually be a different Immortal in disguise, possibly from the Sphere = of Entropy or even a Fiend, taking advantage on the simple folk of the = Fen. Nevertheless, the Fenswick disciples of the Church remain stalwart = in their faith. The most prominent member of their clergy is Sir = Jonathan Beaumarys-Moorkroft, the weak and gullible son of Archduke John = Beaumarys-Moorkroft of Westheath and a descendant of Joan Moorkroft. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 13 Sep 2002 to 14 Sep 2002 (#2002-241) ****************************************************************