The Buried City (homebrew). - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The Buried City (homebrew).

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Zardnaar
Apr 01, 2006 4:13:19 Heres my mental notes from my own game. In tomorrows session the PCs get to go there.

During the age of magic the Buried City was once known as Helios. Alone out of all the cities of ancient Athas it focused on arcane studies dedicated to path dexter. 3 great pyramids were constructed dedicated to the ancient faiths of Athas. The largest pyramid was called the sun pyramid while the smaller two were known as Ral and Guthay. It was believed the pyramids were also used to enhance the defences of Helios. A powerful diviner named Azorious (LN Preserver level 30+?)who was a former pupil of Rajaat dismissed by him was also able to penetrate the veil of time like the Mindlords of Saragar once had millenia before. Horrified by what he saw he erected a powerful mythal like effect around his city protecting it from defiler magic. Defilers were unable to draw power from the plants while withen Helios. See Lost Empires of Faerun for rules on Mythals. The mythal was tied to an orb and centered on the mystic powers of the 3 pyramids.

Throughout the age of magic Helios became more withdrawn from the affairs of the world at large. Throughout the Preserver Jyhad it provided a sanctuary for any preserver who wished to hide but decleared itself strictly neutral. With the mythal stopping defiler magic, its remote location and neutrality Rajaat turned a blind eye to the city for now. Azorious was also able to prolong his life into something close to near immortality and may have been the greatest preserver to ever live. While he never became an Avangion his notes on life preservation and magical theory were later recovered by agents of Oronis and formed a basis of a new spell. One day while the mystics were meditating on top of the pyramid-temples the sun changed colour to a harsh crimson red. Additionally travelers tales told of war being raged throughout the rest of Athas. The Cleansing Wars had begun.

Throughout the Cleansing Wars Helios once again decleared itself neutral. Non humans were also encouraged to leave the city so the champions would have no reason to come visiting. Whle Azorious was a preserver he was also a pragmatist and placed the welfare of his city above any ethical concerns he had toward the fate of non humans throughout the land. He also found himself unable to confront Rajaat due to lingering feelings of kinship. For some unknown reason Rajaat champions bypassed the city and left it alone. Perhaps Rajaat had his own private reasons or perhaps he was to busy secluded in the Pristine Tower but Helios was spared as no individual champion wished to challenge Azorious for so little gain. For whatever reason Helios survived the Cleansing Wars intact.

In the years immediately following the Cleansing Wars Helios underwent great hardship. Azorious's life preserving magic was starting to fail and the desert was advancing. Preservers had managed to stave off the effects of the dark sun upon Helios and its environs. However the the creation of Lava Gorge to the north and the legacy of the cleansing wars doomed Helios which Azorious and the senate now realised. They started to research a way to save the city when destruction incarnate showed up at the city gates. The horrors of the Cleansing War had now caught up with it as Borys the Dragon of Tyr was half way through his rage period reached the city. While unable to draw upon defiling magic the few remaining preservers were no match for his psionics and brute power. The mythal also didn't ward out Dragon (epic) magic. Azorious in failing health faced the Dragon alone and while unable to defeat him sacrificed his life to power his greatest spell yet- enchancing the Mythal so it was powerful enough to ward out the Dragon himself. The Dragon in his madness fled the ruins of Helios while the few survivors left the city and the desert sands swallowed the city. To this day in a hidden chamber in the pyramids, the Orb of Azorious maintains the mythal. The orb also contains the remnants of Azorious's shattered spirit.

The Buried City Today.

To this day the majority of Helios lies buried under the desert sands. The sands sometimes shift revealing fragments of the ruined city to the rest of Athas. Currently the 3 pyramids are visable as are scattered pockets of the city. Several sites are inhabited as water from the cities underground resivor continues to trickle to the surface. The factions include.

The Sundancers. An elf tribe lead by Adarian Sundancer (fighter 4/Psychic Warrior 12). This tribe is currently resting in the ruins as they offer reasonable access to water. The tribe is also looting the ruins when they get the chance and sell the items to other tribes or in Kurn and beyond.

The Golden Ones. Lead by the "Golden Mul" (Gladiator 5/Barbarian4/Sun Cleric4)this band of raiders is currently based around the pyramid of the Sun. The Golden Mul was originally from Tyr and raided the occasional caravan until defeated and left to die in the desert. Mortally wounded and hamstrung by a Kreen who ate his tendons he was "rescued" from the verge of death by a passing Sun cleric who judged his ordeal in the sun as a trial and taught him magic. Driven by revenge he passed another trial which turned his skin an amber gold in colour. 2 PCs survive from the party that left him to die ;)

The Unseen. A small band of Pyreen inhabit the ruins. They avoid everyone but secretly tend to the wards that still stand to this day. They are starting to suspect an undead presence somewhere in the city......

Game effects of the Buried Cities Ward/Mythal.

1. While withen 1 mile of the Sun Pyramid defiling magic doesn't work. Defilers may not draw energy from plants and the terrain is treated as obsidian. This applies to all magic spells except for epic spells. Defilers with access to alternate sources of power such as the black or the cerulean storm may cast their spells but are unable to defile.

2. All Dragons are unable to enter. This applies to all creatures with the Dragon creature type. This wards out the Dragon, most Sorceror Kings, and creatures such as wyverns, drakes etc..
#2
kalthandrix
Apr 02, 2006 21:14:29 Very interesting. Sound like a bunch of fun!!
#3
xanthus
Apr 03, 2006 21:31:54 Definitely, sounds like a fun city to play in.

I could see that place becoming the basis for where a prospective Avangion PC could begin his transformations in peace without the worry of Sorcerer Kings intervening, or at least intervening easily. It's remote enough if it's near to Kurn to not attract a lot of attention as well. One would want to drive the bloody elves out and befriend the Golden Mul (as he could potentially become a potent ally) and his associates. Clearing out and excavating the city might become priority, and restoring it may very well bring some small measure of peace to the shattered spirit of Azorious. The spirit may also be a very helpful patron if his ghost can manifest and speak with the PCs. Another option is that with this city being the bastion of anti-defiler magic, Oronis of Kurn may very well take a deep liking to any preserver to restores its glory and assist that character to becoming an Avangion (in secret, of course).

Very much a city that could bring new hope to the blasted wastelands of Athas.

-X
#4
Zardnaar
Apr 04, 2006 4:53:19 PCs explored the city on sunday and encountered the Golden Mul who had previous history and revenge. I thought of a call charge up the pyramid assault with an epic fight on the top. Due to fly potions however and me forgeting about ranged combat it was an anti climax to say the least although the Golden Mul excaped via a word of recall scroll. The PCs also found hints about the age of magic and references to the cleansing wars and green age.

They know that defiling magic doesn't work here but one of the NPCs is a Defiler 5/Myrmelon5/Cerulean 2 so is able to cast magic withen the city. Since she is immune to the spell defiler scent ahe has managed to convince them she is an agent for the veiled alliance and has the thinking other NPCs they've meet are actually defilers (1 is a Psion, 1 is a Preserver)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Zardnaar Apr 01, 2006 4:13:19	Heres my mental notes from my own game. In tomorrows session the PCs get to go there. During the age of magic the Buried City was once known as Helios. Alone out of all the cities of ancient Athas it focused on arcane studies dedicated to path dexter. 3 great pyramids were constructed dedicated to the ancient faiths of Athas. The largest pyramid was called the sun pyramid while the smaller two were known as Ral and Guthay. It was believed the pyramids were also used to enhance the defences of Helios. A powerful diviner named Azorious (LN Preserver level 30+?)who was a former pupil of Rajaat dismissed by him was also able to penetrate the veil of time like the Mindlords of Saragar once had millenia before. Horrified by what he saw he erected a powerful mythal like effect around his city protecting it from defiler magic. Defilers were unable to draw power from the plants while withen Helios. See Lost Empires of Faerun for rules on Mythals. The mythal was tied to an orb and centered on the mystic powers of the 3 pyramids. Throughout the age of magic Helios became more withdrawn from the affairs of the world at large. Throughout the Preserver Jyhad it provided a sanctuary for any preserver who wished to hide but decleared itself strictly neutral. With the mythal stopping defiler magic, its remote location and neutrality Rajaat turned a blind eye to the city for now. Azorious was also able to prolong his life into something close to near immortality and may have been the greatest preserver to ever live. While he never became an Avangion his notes on life preservation and magical theory were later recovered by agents of Oronis and formed a basis of a new spell. One day while the mystics were meditating on top of the pyramid-temples the sun changed colour to a harsh crimson red. Additionally travelers tales told of war being raged throughout the rest of Athas. The Cleansing Wars had begun. Throughout the Cleansing Wars Helios once again decleared itself neutral. Non humans were also encouraged to leave the city so the champions would have no reason to come visiting. Whle Azorious was a preserver he was also a pragmatist and placed the welfare of his city above any ethical concerns he had toward the fate of non humans throughout the land. He also found himself unable to confront Rajaat due to lingering feelings of kinship. For some unknown reason Rajaat champions bypassed the city and left it alone. Perhaps Rajaat had his own private reasons or perhaps he was to busy secluded in the Pristine Tower but Helios was spared as no individual champion wished to challenge Azorious for so little gain. For whatever reason Helios survived the Cleansing Wars intact. In the years immediately following the Cleansing Wars Helios underwent great hardship. Azorious's life preserving magic was starting to fail and the desert was advancing. Preservers had managed to stave off the effects of the dark sun upon Helios and its environs. However the the creation of Lava Gorge to the north and the legacy of the cleansing wars doomed Helios which Azorious and the senate now realised. They started to research a way to save the city when destruction incarnate showed up at the city gates. The horrors of the Cleansing War had now caught up with it as Borys the Dragon of Tyr was half way through his rage period reached the city. While unable to draw upon defiling magic the few remaining preservers were no match for his psionics and brute power. The mythal also didn't ward out Dragon (epic) magic. Azorious in failing health faced the Dragon alone and while unable to defeat him sacrificed his life to power his greatest spell yet- enchancing the Mythal so it was powerful enough to ward out the Dragon himself. The Dragon in his madness fled the ruins of Helios while the few survivors left the city and the desert sands swallowed the city. To this day in a hidden chamber in the pyramids, the Orb of Azorious maintains the mythal. The orb also contains the remnants of Azorious's shattered spirit. The Buried City Today. To this day the majority of Helios lies buried under the desert sands. The sands sometimes shift revealing fragments of the ruined city to the rest of Athas. Currently the 3 pyramids are visable as are scattered pockets of the city. Several sites are inhabited as water from the cities underground resivor continues to trickle to the surface. The factions include. The Sundancers. An elf tribe lead by Adarian Sundancer (fighter 4/Psychic Warrior 12). This tribe is currently resting in the ruins as they offer reasonable access to water. The tribe is also looting the ruins when they get the chance and sell the items to other tribes or in Kurn and beyond. The Golden Ones. Lead by the "Golden Mul" (Gladiator 5/Barbarian4/Sun Cleric4)this band of raiders is currently based around the pyramid of the Sun. The Golden Mul was originally from Tyr and raided the occasional caravan until defeated and left to die in the desert. Mortally wounded and hamstrung by a Kreen who ate his tendons he was "rescued" from the verge of death by a passing Sun cleric who judged his ordeal in the sun as a trial and taught him magic. Driven by revenge he passed another trial which turned his skin an amber gold in colour. 2 PCs survive from the party that left him to die ;) The Unseen. A small band of Pyreen inhabit the ruins. They avoid everyone but secretly tend to the wards that still stand to this day. They are starting to suspect an undead presence somewhere in the city...... Game effects of the Buried Cities Ward/Mythal. 1. While withen 1 mile of the Sun Pyramid defiling magic doesn't work. Defilers may not draw energy from plants and the terrain is treated as obsidian. This applies to all magic spells except for epic spells. Defilers with access to alternate sources of power such as the black or the cerulean storm may cast their spells but are unable to defile. 2. All Dragons are unable to enter. This applies to all creatures with the Dragon creature type. This wards out the Dragon, most Sorceror Kings, and creatures such as wyverns, drakes etc..
#2 kalthandrix Apr 02, 2006 21:14:29	Very interesting. Sound like a bunch of fun!!
#3 xanthus Apr 03, 2006 21:31:54	Definitely, sounds like a fun city to play in. I could see that place becoming the basis for where a prospective Avangion PC could begin his transformations in peace without the worry of Sorcerer Kings intervening, or at least intervening easily. It's remote enough if it's near to Kurn to not attract a lot of attention as well. One would want to drive the bloody elves out and befriend the Golden Mul (as he could potentially become a potent ally) and his associates. Clearing out and excavating the city might become priority, and restoring it may very well bring some small measure of peace to the shattered spirit of Azorious. The spirit may also be a very helpful patron if his ghost can manifest and speak with the PCs. Another option is that with this city being the bastion of anti-defiler magic, Oronis of Kurn may very well take a deep liking to any preserver to restores its glory and assist that character to becoming an Avangion (in secret, of course). Very much a city that could bring new hope to the blasted wastelands of Athas. -X
#4 Zardnaar Apr 04, 2006 4:53:19	PCs explored the city on sunday and encountered the Golden Mul who had previous history and revenge. I thought of a call charge up the pyramid assault with an epic fight on the top. Due to fly potions however and me forgeting about ranged combat it was an anti climax to say the least although the Golden Mul excaped via a word of recall scroll. The PCs also found hints about the age of magic and references to the cleansing wars and green age. They know that defiling magic doesn't work here but one of the NPCs is a Defiler 5/Myrmelon5/Cerulean 2 so is able to cast magic withen the city. Since she is immune to the spell defiler scent ahe has managed to convince them she is an agent for the veiled alliance and has the thinking other NPCs they've meet are actually defilers (1 is a Psion, 1 is a Preserver)