Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 twin_campaigns Oct 25, 2007 3:54:15	In our current campaign I've had to think a lot about the relationship of the Shadowelf conspiracy, Rafiel's cult and Xatapechli. "The Caravan campaign" is based on the plot by Telemon and Xatapechli to start a war against Alfheim. The intent of the war is not just to annex Alfheim but to turn the Shadowelves away from the Way of Rafiel. I've always liked the complicated structure of the conspiracy, since the motivations of all involved are not simplistic. (Everything relates to the GAZ era.) - Historically, the emnity between the Shadowelves and Alfheim began perhaps first and foremost as a misinterpretation and due to misdirected bitterness on the Shadowelves' part. The myth that the Shadowelves were "abandoned" lives on in their culture and can be used as a political weapon. On the other hand, it is possible that the Alfheimians around 130 AC did dismiss their cousins rather brusquely. This ambiguity of history, and he long memories of the elves, offer interesting material for a campaign. - I'd think that most of the Shadowelves are not aware of the first attempts to use the humanoids against the Alfheimians - those attacks may even have been solely orchestrated by the Feathered Serpent (see below)! The invasion attempt of 560 is another matter. How was that war portrayed to the SE population at large? Was there a casus belli? In any case the King at the time (the one previous to Telemon) must have been involved, perhaps by the the machinations of the previous Feathered Serpent? - The current plot goes back as far as the 600's, to Xatapechli and his later alliance with Telemon. In our campaign I have written it so that they used the purge of 675 to rekindle the hatred towards the Alfheimians. The infiltrators were mercilessly slaughtered by the forest elves etc etc. The long history of the conflict aside, the motivations of the present conspirators are an interesting mix. I've recently written a lot on them to make the situation more fruitful for actual play. - Telemon isn't just a pawn of Xatapechli, although he isn't aware of all the actions of the spy master. (In our campaign Xatapechli's cronies have committed sacriledge which Telemon wouldn't have approved - trafficking in soul gems. Even the disillusioned king still believes in the myth of the elven souls.) Telemon is no fool, either. He doesn't trust Xatapechli wholeheartedly and is wary of the power of the Feathered Serpent institution (see below). His main motivation in the whole endeavour has been to liberate his people from the cruel and restrictive (in his view) Way of Rafiel. In the open he has stayed faithful to the Way, even using interpretations of the Verses to support the war effort. Still, his political and religious attitudes are much more complicated than those of the earlier kings fighting against Alfheim. --> Thus Telemon can be potentially affected by appeals to certain aspects of the SE culture (souls etc.), but his militant "secularism" can be a surprise to anyone who is trying to gauge his actions. The historical grudges and will of conquest are good mask for his true motives. On the other hand, his realistic attitude to Xatepechli offers a point of intervention. - Kanafasti is Telemon's friend, but his motivations are still for the most part egoistic. He doesn't want to go Wandering. He has no strong political or theological commitments and is much more viable ot be bought or turned around than Telemon. On the other hand, he is desperate enough to commit acts that Telemon wouldn't consider. - What about the Shamans? They have been always a bit suspicious about the war effort, although perhaps in the earlier centuries they were more involved. Rafiel after all speaks of enemies sent to test his people. But the growth of Xatepechli's power in the court, and the alarming non-Rafielite policies of recruitment into the Second Shadow (and from there to the Serpent's Eyes) have caused more suspicion. Porphyriel nows that Xatapechli has a technically illegal network of spies around the world, but its extend and actions are unknown. She and the shaman council are convinced that Xatapechli is the main instigator of the war, trying to increase his power and independence from shaman control. And in any case, Porphyriel knows that conquering Alfheim would divert the SE culture from the main goal, completion of the temple. Thus war has to be averted. - Xatapehcli has been left a bit too vague in the GAZ. He is portrayed as the evil influence behind the throne, a mind disturbed by the Azcan cloak. I've tried to make him more interesting, which required some substantial rewriting. The whole Feathered Serpent institution is one of the eldest ones in the Shadowelf, going back to the time when they weren't yet Shadowelves - their life in Aengmor. At that time they were worshipping Atzanteotl. This led me to think that the dark influences that have affected the Feathered Serpents for over 2000 years must come from Atzanteotl. In the GAZ the relationship between Atzanteotl and Rafiel has been described as relatively pacific, which doesn't fit this. It is said that Rafiel's portrayal as a cruel deity has so far pacified Atzanteotl. (But there are other kind of canon descriptions also? DM's Complete List of Mystaran Immortals describes their relationship very differently and uses a variety of sources.) Instead I've decided to emphasise Atzanteotl's emnity towards Rafiel and his pet project the Shadowelves. Atzanteotl has been using the Feathered Serpent institution to sow discord within SE culture and turn them against the followers of Ilsundal. But why did Atzanteotl abandon the ancestors of the Shadowelves in the first place? Their task in driving Atruazin's followers from Mictlan/Aengmor, rebuilding the city and producing the Schattenalfen migration was done. (Although: The canon texts give conflicting origins to the HW Schattenalfen. Are they of the same stock as the Shadowelves, or do they stem from the 1700BC anti-Ilsundalian migration?) Perhaps Atzanteotl had further plans for the Lost Four Clans, but that upstart Rafiel grabbed from him! Further, perhaps Atzanteotl has learned of Rafiel's plans to use the soul gems, the very fragments of the Blackmoorian device which destroyed his people in 1700 BC, in construction of his Chamber of Spheres. This would enrage the bitter Immortal to no end. So all Feathered Serpents have been influenced by Atzanteotl. But it isn't sure how complete this influence is. Each Feathered Serpent may have motivations of their own, not realising that they are pawns of a higher power. Perhaps Xatapechli is also trying to break his people from Rafiel, but he is even further disillusioned than Telemon? He has been groomed by a long tradition of spymasters. Perhaps they have long ago realised that the story of the soul gems is a flat out lie - and so is the practice of abandoning children, casting out the old, predestination of social rank and all those main structures of their culture. Many of these beliefs are so deep-rooted, however, that they cannot be confronted head-on. Xatapechli believes that war, contact with the surface cultures and resulting distance from the shamans is needed. He is just a much more unscrupulous and cruel than Telemon, Kanafasti or any of the other conspirators. He is ready to do anything, use anything, make anything a weapon in this struggle, to make good on his quest. (I've been reading Iain M. Banks recently.)
#2 slashnull Oct 29, 2007 7:15:56	Nice look at the conspiracy - I do so love the shadowelves, especially the way they are so complex. Telemon wanting to remove the Way of Rafiel yet still believing in the soul crystals for instance is just great stuff.
#3 twin_campaigns Oct 30, 2007 3:38:20	I'll post some more detailed accounts after the current campaign has run through. I've thought a bit more about Xatapechli recently. Some of it is campaign-specific, tied to things which I introduced before thinking them through, but it seems to tie together pretty nicely. For example I decided that originally Atzanteotl decided to destroy the shadowelves - that is, after they had been taken over by Rafiel - out of sheer spite. Certain events during BC years, like the disastrous humanoid invasion of 448 BC were instigated by Atzanteotl through Oenkmarian missionaries. These events have left a deep zeal against the shadowelves in many Broken Lands cultures, even though Atzanteotl has changed his plans. It all changed sometime around 100 AC, when Atzanteotl became worried of the increasing meddlings of the Alfheim elves in the surface lands. The followers of Ilsundal were using the pre-Darokinian humans as tools to drive away humanoids and establish an order they could predict (a plan the elves often regret, as humans proved to be even more prolific and destructive). Thus the radicalisation and "secularisation" of the Feathered Serpent institution stems from that era. Atzanteotl decided to use the shadowelves as a tool against Aflheim, mutual destruction of the two cultures in mind. The failure of the Shadowelf-Alfheim negotiations were in part due to the influence of the Feathered Serpent's agents. - Another thought: What if the pre-Shadowelves in Mictlan/Aengmor forged the Blue Knife? What if Atzanteotl had decided to take advantage of the humanoid migrations and the whole Aengmor affair was just meant to prepare ground for taking over the humanoids?