Rajaat during the Cleansing Wars - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Rajaat during the Cleansing Wars

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
bommmel
Sep 01, 2004 16:48:15 I know there are very little details where Rajaat has been during the Cleansing Wars and i bet there were several topics like this one in the past, but is there any solution where he has been during the wars?
Why he hasnt fought with his Champions?
And if not, what are your suggestions/game solutions?
#2
zombiegleemax
Sep 01, 2004 17:13:27 From the timeline we know that he spent some time during the wars in the south at the heart of what became the Dead Lands
#3
Pennarin
Sep 01, 2004 20:14:58 The Timeline only says that Rajaat's servants were in that region doing research; it doesn't actually says Rajaat was there.

I personnaly go with the idea that big R was mobile until he took hold of the Tower, and then he increased his own power using it on a continual basis, and even got the Tower to infuse him with life in his old age (okay he's a pyreen but they do get old, eventually, I think). From that point on he can no longer physically leave the Tower in his current form or he dies. It does also explain why he regenerates after the Champions strike him down, since they attack him at the Tower, the only place they've ever seen their master. It could also tie-in with a master plan that Rajaat could have had, one in which he knew he would be betrayed by his Champions one day and just stacked the cards in his favor right from the start.
Lynn Abbey, in her Notes, had this great idea:
Omniscience is truly hard to come by, even for a mad sorcerer with unprecedented powers: Rajaat had not known how they'd [the Champions] perverted his directives, how they'd deceived him into thinking their armies were hard-pressed. (Rajaat does not leave the Pristine Tower. He can't. The sorcery here supports his deformed body; he'd collapse in a helpless heap of bones if he left. (There would be ways around this, of course, but Rajaat has not pursued them . . . until now. [Rajaat's new form in PP5]))

#4
dawnstealer
Sep 03, 2004 12:54:29 My personal take is that Rajaat played both ends against the middle. Basically, the guy brought magic to Athas (so as not to restart the "invented magic" dispute :P), and everyone knew this. He created schools, taught people preserver magic, and so on. And then the Preservers were killed off - for some reason, Rajaat was able to avoid this fate (he was behind it). Here's my take.

Rajaat trains gobs of people how to use magic, ever keeping an eye out for the future champions. Once he has them, the pronounces that he made a great mistake and that the world "wasn't ready for magic" or something along those lines. There's a huge uproar and the preservers (ie. only real challenge) are wiped away. Once they're gone (or going), Rajaat begins to slowly start the Cleansing Wars.

I kind of see the Cleansing Wars starting the way Germany's expansion did in the late 30s. Basically, Rajaat says "These Kobolds are really annoying, and they're driving up the price of iron! We should wipe them out once and for all!" And then, of course, the dwarves are kind of accountable for holding prices high, so they have to be "taught a lesson." Then the elves don't think that's such a great idea, so they must be the enemy, too. Before anyone realizes it, the champions are revealed and Wars start; too late for anyone to do anything about it, of course.
#5
Sysane
Sep 03, 2004 13:18:14 I envisioned in my campaign that the Warbringer had the halflings that were loyal to him (the future shadow giants) take out the "undesirable and random factors" that the Champions weren't accountable for. They were called the "Har'Oban" halfling for "dark judges". They worked along the lines of the SS from WWII. Espionage and assassination and the like.
#6
zombiegleemax
Sep 03, 2004 13:56:41 thats a great idea!
#7
Sysane
Sep 03, 2004 15:43:18 I actually went as far as to write a "kit" for it in 2e. I've been thinking of coverting the Har'Oban to a 3.5 PrC.

--Sysane, The Terror of Urik
#8
dawnstealer
Sep 03, 2004 22:18:24 I actually went a slightly different route, with the halflings kind of unseen supporters of Rajaat (the Champions couldn't overtly know that the halflings were working with him). Instead, I had a few Champions that took on the roles of killing off master psions, master wizards (defiler or otherwise), independent powers, and creating monsters/war engines (Nightmare Beast, So-Ut, scrab, etc).

A lot of these guys did not take part in Rajaat's assassination, and removed themselves from the whole ordeal, neither helping to keep him imprisoned or helping him escape. They withdrew to the far side of the Silt Sea, their leader alone having the power to repel Borys.

While he was a "true" 30th level dragon (like Dregoth had he not been killed one level short), he is immobile. Since a lot of this is going to be in my Far Lands add-on, I'll leave it at that for now.
#9
Sysane
Sep 04, 2004 11:11:55
I actually went a slightly different route, with the halflings kind of unseen supporters of Rajaat (the Champions couldn't overtly know that the halflings were working with him). Instead, I had a few Champions that took on the roles of killing off master psions, master wizards (defiler or otherwise), independent powers, and creating monsters/war engines (Nightmare Beast, So-Ut, scrab, etc).

I actually had it that the tari used "mini" nightmare beasts as riding animals. I eluded to this when the PCs were blown back to the Green Age that nightmare beasts were later twisted into the horror that they are on present day Athas. By whom they do not know.
#10
dracochapel
Sep 08, 2004 2:36:48 I think Rajaat had his 15+ Champions as the annihilators of the different races, and agree with you that he probably had other servants (who maybe werent able to meet his psion/defiler requirements) who created monsters, researched the planes/grey/black and did his housekeeping.
And that the halflings at best appeared to be slaves, or just been used for their knowledge.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 bommmel Sep 01, 2004 16:48:15	I know there are very little details where Rajaat has been during the Cleansing Wars and i bet there were several topics like this one in the past, but is there any solution where he has been during the wars? Why he hasnt fought with his Champions? And if not, what are your suggestions/game solutions?
#2 zombiegleemax Sep 01, 2004 17:13:27	From the timeline we know that he spent some time during the wars in the south at the heart of what became the Dead Lands
#3 Pennarin Sep 01, 2004 20:14:58	The Timeline only says that Rajaat's servants were in that region doing research; it doesn't actually says Rajaat was there. I personnaly go with the idea that big R was mobile until he took hold of the Tower, and then he increased his own power using it on a continual basis, and even got the Tower to infuse him with life in his old age (okay he's a pyreen but they do get old, eventually, I think). From that point on he can no longer physically leave the Tower in his current form or he dies. It does also explain why he regenerates after the Champions strike him down, since they attack him at the Tower, the only place they've ever seen their master. It could also tie-in with a master plan that Rajaat could have had, one in which he knew he would be betrayed by his Champions one day and just stacked the cards in his favor right from the start. Lynn Abbey, in her Notes, had this great idea: Omniscience is truly hard to come by, even for a mad sorcerer with unprecedented powers: Rajaat had not known how they'd [the Champions] perverted his directives, how they'd deceived him into thinking their armies were hard-pressed. (Rajaat does not leave the Pristine Tower. He can't. The sorcery here supports his deformed body; he'd collapse in a helpless heap of bones if he left. (There would be ways around this, of course, but Rajaat has not pursued them . . . until now. [Rajaat's new form in PP5]))
#4 dawnstealer Sep 03, 2004 12:54:29	My personal take is that Rajaat played both ends against the middle. Basically, the guy brought magic to Athas (so as not to restart the "invented magic" dispute :P), and everyone knew this. He created schools, taught people preserver magic, and so on. And then the Preservers were killed off - for some reason, Rajaat was able to avoid this fate (he was behind it). Here's my take. Rajaat trains gobs of people how to use magic, ever keeping an eye out for the future champions. Once he has them, the pronounces that he made a great mistake and that the world "wasn't ready for magic" or something along those lines. There's a huge uproar and the preservers (ie. only real challenge) are wiped away. Once they're gone (or going), Rajaat begins to slowly start the Cleansing Wars. I kind of see the Cleansing Wars starting the way Germany's expansion did in the late 30s. Basically, Rajaat says "These Kobolds are really annoying, and they're driving up the price of iron! We should wipe them out once and for all!" And then, of course, the dwarves are kind of accountable for holding prices high, so they have to be "taught a lesson." Then the elves don't think that's such a great idea, so they must be the enemy, too. Before anyone realizes it, the champions are revealed and Wars start; too late for anyone to do anything about it, of course.
#5 Sysane Sep 03, 2004 13:18:14	I envisioned in my campaign that the Warbringer had the halflings that were loyal to him (the future shadow giants) take out the "undesirable and random factors" that the Champions weren't accountable for. They were called the "Har'Oban" halfling for "dark judges". They worked along the lines of the SS from WWII. Espionage and assassination and the like.
#6 zombiegleemax Sep 03, 2004 13:56:41	thats a great idea!
#7 Sysane Sep 03, 2004 15:43:18	I actually went as far as to write a "kit" for it in 2e. I've been thinking of coverting the Har'Oban to a 3.5 PrC. --Sysane, The Terror of Urik
#8 dawnstealer Sep 03, 2004 22:18:24	I actually went a slightly different route, with the halflings kind of unseen supporters of Rajaat (the Champions couldn't overtly know that the halflings were working with him). Instead, I had a few Champions that took on the roles of killing off master psions, master wizards (defiler or otherwise), independent powers, and creating monsters/war engines (Nightmare Beast, So-Ut, scrab, etc). A lot of these guys did not take part in Rajaat's assassination, and removed themselves from the whole ordeal, neither helping to keep him imprisoned or helping him escape. They withdrew to the far side of the Silt Sea, their leader alone having the power to repel Borys. While he was a "true" 30th level dragon (like Dregoth had he not been killed one level short), he is immobile. Since a lot of this is going to be in my Far Lands add-on, I'll leave it at that for now.
#9 Sysane Sep 04, 2004 11:11:55	I actually went a slightly different route, with the halflings kind of unseen supporters of Rajaat (the Champions couldn't overtly know that the halflings were working with him). Instead, I had a few Champions that took on the roles of killing off master psions, master wizards (defiler or otherwise), independent powers, and creating monsters/war engines (Nightmare Beast, So-Ut, scrab, etc). I actually had it that the tari used "mini" nightmare beasts as riding animals. I eluded to this when the PCs were blown back to the Green Age that nightmare beasts were later twisted into the horror that they are on present day Athas. By whom they do not know.
#10 dracochapel Sep 08, 2004 2:36:48	I think Rajaat had his 15+ Champions as the annihilators of the different races, and agree with you that he probably had other servants (who maybe werent able to meet his psion/defiler requirements) who created monsters, researched the planes/grey/black and did his housekeeping. And that the halflings at best appeared to be slaves, or just been used for their knowledge.