I haven't been on the boards for a while now, but last time I was here I was asking for help with my character who was planning on going Avangion. (Still waiting for Legends of Athas btw)
I stopped checking the thread too early though, because apparently some people got on who really liked my character concept, so that's what I'd like to revisit. I'm going to give a much more detailed description of him in this post and see what people think. (Side note, I found his evil twin in Trade Lords 1.1)
Astlion is a tiefling from Nibenay. His family lineage is shrouded in mystery, but likely he came from an experiment involving demon summoning and breeding. Being born into a noble house (his mother the noble, with many consorts) he was soon discovered to have a talent for arcane magic. This, of course, came as little surprise to his mother who was a powerful defiler. One day at a young age his mother invited him to take part in a powerful defiling ritual involving a human sacrifice. Having lived with his mother and his mother only, he only later recognized the human sacrifice as his father half-way through the ritual. Refusing to participate at a critical moment in the ritual and lashing out at his mother, he disrupted the carefully balanced arcane energies cause all the defilers in the ritual to die (along with his father).
Running for his life, he very soon ran into a dark cloaked figure who offered to take him in. Saying that he'd rather die that be taken in by a defiler, the figure swore not only that he was not a defiler, but to teach him a path to power that left nature untouched and would make him strong enough to kill any defiler.
Over the twenty years that past, Astlion learned the ways of the Arcane and later the Necromant from the mysterious benefactor. Using his natural racial (and necromancy derived) advantages, he soon became a merchant taking trade routes that were otherwise impossible for anyone else. His demonic blood protected him from all but the worst of Athasian heat, and even the most hellish conditions were to him, what above average conditions were to humans. Further, with undead mounts he could travel farther and faster and through much harsher conditions than other merchants.
Soon Astlion became wealthy, though rather than engage in direct competition with other merchants, he chose to attempt to avoid their notice as much as possible. When forced to confront them, he made deals when he could, resorted to intimidation when otherwise possible, and wisely backed down when there was no other choice.
It was as this point, Astlion met his wife. A now-unwanted pleasure slave being sold by a templar, Astlion purchased her and freed her on a whim, telling her, "no one so beautiful should live a life of bondage". Choosing to stay with Astlion, he soon developed a hatred of slavery, freeing slaves with his earnings and offering them positions as his underlings but as freemen (though he kept his use of necromancy from all but his wife and later, their children) In this way Astlion built up a sizable merchant guild in Nibenay, eventually repurchasing his nobility and extending his influence to Draj.
Astlion's home rarely has guests. Placed deep within a portion of the desert too hot for most living creatures, all but his wife and his oldest son (biologically the son of his wifes former master) possessed Astlion's own resistance to the heat. To provide for his wife and his oldest son, Astlion used the tools most familiar to him: necromancy. Creating preternaturally cold undead, he cooled the area just inside the tent which covers their mansion.
Eventually Astlion's influence reached Draj where he made an ally of Ixtabi of the house of the mind and unlocked his own psionic potential. His practice of freeing slaves did eventually reach the slave villages (and other groups rebellious to the Sorcerer-Kings), to whom he provided a great deal of support to in the way of magically conjured (or economically procured) goods and services. This eventually brought him to the notice of the Veiled Alliance (whom he never joined - only so that he could keep his necromancy use hidden) and even Oronis (whom he could not have hoped to keep any secret from).
Oronis, however, in his ancient wisdom, was able to see the good Astlion had done, even as a direct use of necromancy. As a disciple of Oronis's teachings, he now continues to spread his economic (and political) influence as he researches ways to restore Athas to the beauty of the green age (or some approximation thereof) and is now on the path towards becoming an Avangion. He is also working on ways to power undead other than the use of negative energy.*
Astlion typically uses undead to create havens for the living in places impossible for others to work. Rarely, however, do people know how these improbable constructions (improbably placed and built improbably fast) came to be.
======================================================
*mechanically Astlion has the Consecrate Spell feat and applies it to Animate Dead (giving the spell the [Good] descriptor) whether or not this results in Dealthless is debatable, but if so, that would make him the "inventor" of Deathless on Athas...which would be kind of cool.
As a disciple of Oronis Astlion probably will also have the Arcane Disciple feat and access to some set of divine spells appropriate for Oronis to grant.
Another side note: Astlion's children were raised around the undead, and while it took his wife some time to make the adjustment, his children have no innate fear of skeletons and zombies. A common site at Astlion's home is seeing his youngest daughter placing a feather boa around a skeleton and putting makeup and dresses on it. Astlion's youngest son often pretends to a necromancer himself, which Astlion finds adorable.
anyway, let me know what you guys think. My knowledge of Dark Sun lore is limited, so hopefully I haven't messed up too much.
Hey, good news, Legends of Athas is going to be release very very soon
Any idea when is it gonna be released? how soon are we talking here? this week maybe?? hehehe
BTW what are the contents of Legends of Athas
Any idea when is it gonna be released? how soon are we talking here? this week maybe?? hehehe
BTW what are the contents of Legends of Athas
yes, this week.
I´ll be posting them up pretty soon, let me know if they are already done
Well thanks for the intel hehe
Especially the Necromant/Avangion angle.
I'll generally allow most races in DS with the exception of aquatic races, extinct races or just really weird ones. Just change the fluff and physical descriptions.