Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Charles_Phipps Feb 27, 2004 20:29:19	Hey guys, The characters have just left the future after proving one of their party was in fact irredeemably evil and oddly thus worthy of continuing his existence as an agent of Nuitari (the players still are trying to go over this in their heads as predominatly good aligned) But Paladine reassures him its for the Balance and now they have to deal with a threat in the Age of Mortals I've dreamed up post "The Wander's Fall" I'm a sucker for new continents and Taladas just never did it for me. Thus I decided to spring the arrival of the "other Continent" of Krynn on them and effectively trigger an exodus from said lands and I had to thinkhard about what hadn't been done before, Militant Neutrality came to mind. Gilean the Book sits now on the apex of the Triangle and its always been assumed that his abstaining wouldn't affect the Balance, but in my mind this doesn't sit right with me. Especially since I favor Paladin's interpretation of things in the back of Vanished Moon Neutrality isn't just not doing anything (which would be bad enough) but advocating without regard for the consequences of good or evil specific things embodied by the neutral gods (as stated in said appendix) Along with the Nebulous concept of the Balance. Its already been shown in Dragonlance Good doesn't have to be Good (to summarize briefly. Good is not just being good but also allegiance to the "good" nation embodied by Paladine which can turn out horrifically wrong ala Kingpriest) Thus in my mind the continent of Weismark (the players assume it was an homage to Margeret or the Westmarch-in truth its a homage to the German Army) The first thing that I needed to do was decide who the "bad" neutrals would be and what exactly their credo was. Its actually fairly easy to figure this one out. Its human beings doing what human beings do best; being tribalistic, intolerant, power hungry, and ambitious. Views on the gods thus changed accordingly. They aren't "evil" now but they are having their flaws a bit more visibly paraded amongst those familiar with them. Gilean: The God of the Book I decided to slightly invert to now being the God of Law. The Torbil is now an inviolate doctrine and I took from the local rabbi's/minister (we have a diverse group) strict interpretation to show exactly how people can have double think with their copies of the Torbil (or more precisely the mortal Torbil aka gilean's bible which they use to justify everything) Gilean is God of Knowledge but also the Father of Humanity, the God of their Destiny, and Protector of the Balance (that the other race's endanger) I want to throw off the "Gilean can do no wrong" ideal with the fact even he has trouble seeing flaws on occasion, specifically his own. Zivilyn: The God of the Tree and Wisdom is god of counsellors as well as spiritual enlightenmen (I'm going to reveal his influence never really left and he is the source behind mysticism) Nastily he also represents to the Weis humans their manifest destiny as the Tree that reaches all things and their keys to total domination of all things (and less badly self-perfection) Sirrion the Flame: In the lands of the Weis, Sirrion takes on the rankings of a war deity. The Purging Flame and gave the soldiery of humanity Greek Fire which they use in abundance. There is conflict amongst the neutral gods since Sirrion teaches some ideas are dangerous to the balance and thus encourages his followers to consign holy books of good and evil to flame. He is also the god of inspiration. Chislev: Need I go on about druids and their crazed protection. Reox: I give the biggest and least makeover. The humans are descended from the original Smiths that settled this land and as such he is the one who created humanity's bodies (Sirron breathed in the flame of life and Gilean instructed them what he wanted) The humans are users of technology though uncorrupted by gnomish madness (steampunk is what I'll use generally though occasionally alittle more primative) Hence kinship with Dwarves, Kender, and Gnomes exists amongst humans oddly as the races dwell side by side in friendship but the Forger God's tools are put to nasty work. Shinare: The Goddess of Prosperity and the Home. Human beings take care of themselves and their kin. No more idealism beyond this and death to anyone who opposes this. (Sort of like Vesta except a harder tone) I'm going to populate the isles with Gemstone Dragons (Psionics and Mysticism will be interchangable here), True Ogre descendents, and elves though I'm going to have that race's kingdom finally destroyed Also to be perfectly nasty leave many half-elven descendets and those with not 'pure human blood' supposedly corrupted by the gods of good's touch...some of the half-ogre like kingdoms will have produced the Brutes This Techno-Human Empire isn't going to be evil per say but it will be very militantly expanionistic, sort of like Napoleons with a number of evil members and the belief in Manifest Destiny that accompanies fanaticism Humans were made to inherit the world, anyone who stands in their way defies Gilean and probably doesn't have true free will (elves being unnaturally drawn to simpering sentiment and ogres criminal behavior) It seems a good start for some great antagonists as well as a culture that isn't purely wicked.
#2 ferratus Feb 29, 2004 12:19:20	Pretty cool, I'd play. A little clarification though. Is this human supremist empire bound up or supported with the neutral militants? Is it a theocratic state? Either way, you may wish to twist Chislev a little bit to make her a nature goddess who is all about domestication and carving out human habitat. That's generally what humans tend to do with farming practices and such, reshape the land to gain optimum benefit to themselves. That version of Chislev would support a neutral militaristic empire such as yours, and you can use Habbakuk as the protector of "the domain of the animals" or the natural world.
#3 Charles_Phipps Feb 29, 2004 14:45:50	The point was made I thought in part because of the "Kingpriest" trilogy where they show an older, darker, more "mean" Paladine. Which goes to show you that the gods do not always correct their followers (Or more disturbingly know the greater furthering of their advances is not necessarily well through their alignment) I sort of see the state as sort of Solamnic type of state, they are not actually theocratic like Ishtar but they are bound up strongly in their doctrine of faith that it might as well be. My idea is that the state was founded by Ishtar survivors, they however forsook the Gods of Good believing that their actions were because as human beings they had "abandoned" the gods of Neutrality (who created them) for the elves gods. Persecuted by the elves and Ogres, they became obsessed with military force and became a medieval military state with a General as a leader. Of course being former Ishtarians their faith is misguided, they are racist (hating elves and ogres though they have made peace with certain Greygem races for technology and crafts), and they are absolutely obssessed with enforcing their doctrine on everyone else I figure they will interpret the fall of Takhasis and Paladine as actally a sign from Gilean it is time to take the fight to the rest of the world (at least the more radical ones since of course some are just interested in trade and peace) It'll be interesting to see how the militant neutrals are reacted to by the rest of the world. Good idea on Habbuluk, I'll leave that for the wood elves who are along with half-elves the sole real survivos of the destroyed elven empire on Weis