Iconic Relationships in the Barony

Iconic Relationships

Heroic Icons:  The Baron, The Dwarven Ally, The Hero!

Ambiguous Icons:  The Elven Lord and Lady, The Wisest Wizard, The Librarian, The Wanderer

Villainous Icons:  The Prince of Demons, The Warlord, The Nathair-Sgiathach

Can’t we all just get along?

When push comes to shove, many of the Icons would rather align themselves with each other, rather than face the consequences of not. One hundred years into the fourth Age, the primary sources of power and most active representations of the Icons are related to the Baron, the Dwarven Ally, the Wanderer, and the Warlord.

Representatives of the Baron Icon are pushing society in a direction aimed to improve the quality of living for the nobility. . . and perhaps, the lower class, as well. In the barony of Tamaris, it is a solid push in the direction of betterment for everyone. In the barony of Polworth, everyone only includes the major households, such as Cinderfell. Polworth actually fits better with a different Icon – more on that later. The Baron Icon is one of two serving as the primary Icons for humans.

The Baron’s primary allies include the Dwarven Ally and the Hero. The Baron Icon grew out of the end of the third Age when the Hero and Dwarven Ally Icons overthrew the Elven Lord and Lady with their stalwart ally, the Prince of Demons. People representing the Baron and the Hero often clash over ideals and methods. The Hero wants to improve things for everyone, especially the lowest of the low. The Baron wants to improve things for the baronial community. In places like Polworth, the representatives of the Hero and the Baron may actually be at odds with each other. The Baron and the Dwarven Ally Icons represent many of the same ideals, simply delivered with a different flavor.

As my current game is very human-centric due to half the party being human and the campaign being based out of a human barony, I have left the Dwarven Ally as he appeared at the end of the third Age. In truth, he may have changed since then.

At the end of the third Age, the Wanderer helped broker a peace agreement between the Elven Lord and Lady, the Dwarven Ally, and the Hero. The Prince of Demons refused to participate as his minions were under the control of the Elven Lord and Lady. The Wanderer is often seen meandering the realm, investigating causes in the change of balance in the world. The Wanderer is very interested in maintaining the balance of the realm. This includes allowing representatives work with the evils machinations of the Warlord and the Prince of Demons.

The Elven Lord and Lady are learning their new place in the world. In the third Age, they represented an eccentric people from a bygone time. With the rise in power of the humans and dwarves, they have taken a backseat in their relationship with the world. In the past, they very much aligned themselves with the Prince of Demons and his minions, while facing the Dragon as the great enemy. In the fourth Age, they sit quietly behind the Baron and Dwarven Ally, hoping for the best, while glowering across the way at the Hero and the Wisest Wizard.

The current representatives of the Elven Lord and Lady seek to bring a balance of sorts to the politics and life of the realm, as a whole, while not intruding upon the humans’ newfound place in it. An example would include the constant back and forth between the forces of Navea versus the Haunted Wood.

The Wisest Wizard was taught his powers by the Elven Lord and Lady during the war with the Dragons. He was left alone to continue developing his ideal of colleges and learned magical arts during the third Age. During the war which ended the third Age, many representatives of the Wisest Wizard sided with the Hero and the Dwarven Ally. They remembered the tortures inflicted upon them by the Elven Lord and Lady in the earliest days of the half-elves. In the fourth Age, the Wisest Wizard is somewhat aligned with the Baron, but still recalls his friendship with the Hero and the Dwarven Ally. The Wisest Wizard, the Librarian, and the Wanderer are prone to sharing of gossip and tea late into the night. The Prince of Demons is not counted as an ally, but rather a tool to be used – the same as how the Elven Lord and Lady saw the Prince of Demons.

                                                                                                                                                   

The representatives of the Wisest Wizard still seek knowledge and learning related to the magical arts. The five magical colleges are not aligned as one organization. Each of the different schools have their own methods for teaching, spell-casting, and expectations. While this is not completely unexpected, the end of their rule by the Tuathanas as a whole has resulted in more divergence in practice. The existence of the human hedge-wizard cults have done nothing to add stability to the relationship between the Wisest Wizard and the Elven Lord and Lady.

The Prince of Demons could be the most powerful of the Icons. However, the rules set in place for beings to enter the realm’s plane keep his people in check. If and when they finally find a way to break the barrier into the realm, the work accomplished by the Baron and his allies will be in jeopardy. The Prince of Demons finds himself without allies in the current Age. The Elven Lord and Lady have quietly snubbed him and the Wisest Wizard is nothing but condescending. While the various demons in place serving around the realm do the bidding of their masters, the Prince of Demons casts a baleful eye in the direction of the void left by the Nathair-Sgiathach. His demonologists around the realm appear to have latched onto something that could bring forth new fruit.

The Librarian Icon sits in her corner, cataloguing the world. He has no care for the power plays or alliances in the world. The Librarian’s only concern is ensuring everything is logged. While the Librarian has no true allies, as she does not put herself out into the world in that manner, she can often be found with the Wisest Wizard and the Wanderer. Representatives of the Librarian Icon seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

The Warlord is the second most powerful Icon in the fourth Age. The Warlord and the Baron Icons sit on opposite sides of the table. His representatives are those seeking power, including gang leaders, ship reavers roaming the seas, and barons who want more than just one barony. When needed, the Warlord’s representatives will ally themselves with the Dwarven Ally and the Hero. Most who follow the ways of the Warlord do so with an iron fist and have no qualms showing their true colors. The barony of Polworth is fully under the sway of this Icon. Even now, the baron of Polworth is gathering his banner-men and counting his troops before they are marched!

The Dwarven Ally seen as a dwarf is disappearing from sight. Very few dwarf representatives of this Icon wander the halls of the realm. Most think he is encountered in the Barony of the Mountains and the fortress city of Stonehaven. The representatives of the Dwarven Ally believe in helping others, as only when the community succeeds, can the Dwarven Ally succeed. So, in truth, the Dwarven Ally can be found all across the realm. They supply food and clothing to those in need. They fortify neighbor’s homes out in the wild. They are the do-gooders in the world with a primary concern of helping their brothers and sisters.

The Dwarven Ally primarily works with the Hero and the Baron. As of late, he has been sneaking into the home of the Warlord and the Elven Lord and Lady.

NPC Representatives in the Realm

The Baron

·         Baron Galen of Tamaris

The Dwarven Ally

·         Baron of the Mountains

·         Balboshin Koberdawa of House Carnock

·         Dillon Byrne on a good day

·         Galton Sharp on most days

The Hero: 

·         Baron of Caerlaverock

·         Luthais Einruig (historical; led the human and dwarf armies against the Tuathanas)

The Elven Lord and Lady

·         The Lord and Lady of Lanark

·         Baroness Kellie of Navea and her husband Anthony

·         Baroness Kellie of Navea vs. the Haunted Wood

The Wisest Wizard:  Most any wizard taught by the chantries of the realm

The Librarian

·         Sable

·         Lamont the Loremaster of Navea

·         Gerec the Elven Lostfinder

The Wanderer

·         Lord Scuttlebutt or servant Quincy

·         Adok Dragovich of Stonehaven

The Prince of Demons

·         Elves and wizards who perform regularly perform summoning spells

·         Diabolists worshipping and practicing the dark arts

The Warlord

·         Baron of Polworth

·         The Devils of Agony mercenary unit

·         Dillon Byrne on a bad day

The Dragon:  none

Don’t put that on my plate! (Direct Relations)

Positive – The Icon is favorably inclined towards you.

Conflicted – The Icon harbors both favorable and unfavorable inclinations towards you. This conflict is often due to two or more different level of social interactions. However, it can also be due to you possessing an Elven-giver additude.

Negative – For one reason or many, you have gained the wrath of this Icon.

Icon	Positive Relationship	Conflicted Relationship	Negative Relationship
Heroic Icon Usually The Baron The Dwarven Ally The Hero Sometimes The Librarian	Spend 1, 2, or 3 points You are a white hat, riding in to save the day. Authorities are more likely to listen to your side of the story and the people are more likely to trust you. Do not be surprised if their representatives call upon you for aid – or if the opposite Icons’ representatives target you for some nefarious purpose!	Spend 1, 2, or 3 points Likely, you are one of the good guys. However, something you have done or been involved with (that old gang from school, perhaps?) leads to some distrust from the Icon. While you will have allies related to this Icon, enemies representing the Icon will also come about.	Spend 1 point You represent a rivalry or an enemy. Goodly authorities likely consider you a criminal, a thief, a ne’er do well.
Ambiguous Icons Usually The Elven Lord and Lady The Wisest Wizard The Librarian The Wanderer Sometimes The Hero The Wanderer	Spend 1, 2, or 3 points In the eyes of the Icon, you are a hero, be that an Elven leader, a wizard of high regard, a cataloguer beyond all cataloguers, or the gnome with the most miles traveled. To others, you may be an enemy or friend, depending on the day and the need.	Spend 1, 2, or 3 points Some days are good, some are bad. You tread the water between the two of them, never sure what awaits you with the representatives of this Icon.	Spend 1 or 2 points You are an enemy or dire threat to the Icon. Perhaps, the Tuathanas in your blood is too strong to accept the “elves” place in this world. You could be a wizard who has turned to join the diabolists serving the Prince of Demons. Maybe you burned down a library as a child.
Villainous Icons Usually The Prince of Demons The Warlord The Dragon Sometimes The Wanderer	Spend 1 point Your connection to this Icon brings you forbidden secrets, hidden knowledge, and danger. You are hated and hunted by the Heroic Icons. You must be prepared to defend yourself against false (and sometimes true) allegations of heinous deeds.	Spend 1 or 2 points You are cursed with your connection to this icon. Try as you might, you can never sever this relationship. Perhaps, it is due to a relative or personal past transgression. Followers of the other Icons will always be wary of you, no matter what your intentions may be.	Spend 1 or 2 points This foe is out to get you and depending on the number of points you spend, you could be seen as an arch-rival worthy of hunting and slaying. On the other hand, it makes you one of the good guys and you should be able to find allies in the most desperate of times.

My 13th Age Icons

I have decided to switch the rules set in my fantasy game from Mongoose's Legend to Pelgrane Press' The 13th Age.  The Legend rule set does not work for the game I am trying to run. If I wanted to run a straight combat game, it would work just fine. However, I need something more robust than that. I picked up The 13th Age at GenCon, read half-way through it the first night, and promptly decided this was the system I should utilize for my game. I have already developed the setting, the conflicts, and the current story line. So, I will not be using the Icons or realm from The 13th Age core book. Instead, I am converting my materials to their rules and ideas. 

On Icons in the 4th Age

The Icons in my game represent differing ideals and personal characteristics. They may manifest themselves as certain individuals or through various followers.


Some denizens of the realm view them as gods. This is most often true of those not represented by the Icons. For example, the modern Elven Lord and Lady are said to reside in the forests of Lanark. Most humans will never make it to Lanark and thus not have the opportunity to meet the Lord and Lady. Yet, to those Tuathanas dwelling in or around Lanark, the Lord and Lady can be seen presiding over court.


The Icons change with the Ages. Some continue from Age to Age. Others die out and are eventually replaced by new Icons born for the new Age. The Nathair-Sgiathach (Dragon) is one who has died out, but has yet to be replaced. The Tuathanas kept the Icon around as a bogeyman to use against their human and dwarf slaves. Because of this, the human and dwarf view of the Tuathanas from the prior Age have been folded into the Dragon Icon. Even though the races of dragon and elf were enemies in Ages past, what they have come to represent in the current Age is one in the same.


The Icons are presented here in a manner displaying their primary aspects. However, each Icon may have other aspects or lights in which they can be seen or worshiped.


Heroic Icons: The Baron, The Dwarven Ally, The Hero
Ambiguous Icons: The Elven Lord and Lady, The Wisest Wizard, The Librarian, The Wanderer
Villainous Icons: The Prince of Demons, The Warlord, The Nathair-Sgiathach


If they were given D&D alignments, they would appear something akin to the following chart.

Lawful Good - The Baron	Neutral Good - The Dwarven Ally	Chaotic Good - The Hero
Lawful Neutral - The Elven Lord and Lady - The Wisest Wizard	True Neutral - The Librarian	Chaotic Neutral - The Wanderer
Lawful Evil - The Prince of Demons	Neutral Evil - The Warlord	Chaotic Evil - Nathair-Sgiathach (The Dragon)

Icon: The Elven Lord and Lady

Quote: We are your past, but also your future. You cannot hope to rule the land without the knowledge of time and strength of arms.


Symbol: Lightning bolt crossing an arrow over a tree


Usual Location: It is thought the Pair wanders the forests near Lanark, but they have not been seen since the start of this Age.


Common Knowledge: The Tuathanas Lord and Lady are grouped together as one Icon. They represent a dualistic way of looking at life and the world. The Lord represents (overbearing) strength, the wild, and directness. The Lady represents order, intelligence, and subtlety. The Lord is the ruler of summer, the predators in the forest, and the forgers of steel. The Lady rules the winter, court, and chantries. They are never seen without one another, even by those who portend to only follow one of the Pair.


Adventurers and the Icon: All Tuathanas follow the ways of the Lord and Lady. The Tuathanas of the current Age, elves, understand the need for both light and dark, good and bad, elf and non-elf in the modern world. They seek to establish a balance in the world where the knowledge of the Tuathanas of old can be combined with the modern sensibilities wherein humans and dwarves are counted as friends and allies.


Not all elves follow the ways of both Icons within the Pair. Some are more likely to follow the Lord or the Lady, somewhat disregarding the other. Still, the need for both the Lord and Lady's abilities are understood, if not utilized.


Allies: The Baron, The Prince of Demons


Enemies: The Dragon


History: The Pair have always existed in one form or another throughout the Ages. Tuathanas Icons from other Ages were simply absorbed by the pair, allowing them to continue representing the Tuathanas people. It is unknown what will happen at the end of this Age. Will they combine into one or will one simply disappear?


The True Danger: Everything will be all right as long as the Pair exist together. If one exists without the other, the power held by the Pair becomes the power held by only one of the Pair. This could bring forth war of steel or of magic.

Icon: The Dwarven Ally

Quote: Look, I know you think you know what happened when Luthais the Hero conquered the old Tuathanas Lord. Why don't you sit down, drink some of this good beer, and listen to the story I heard about it.


Symbol: Warhammer


Usual Location: Wandering the halls of Stonehaven, sharing stories, brews, and helping his friends.


Common Knowledge: The Dwarven Ally is the tie that binds. All good things in life are held together by other good things in life and he makes sure they stay together. His people believe in community and that strong communities are safer, better places to live, than places where individuals trample over each other for a chance at power. The Dwarven Ally is a brother in arms to all who believe in helping their fellow man survive another day.


Adventurers and the Icon: Adventurers following in the footsteps of the Dwarven Ally are usually not leaders. They believe in taking a vote and going with the flow of the group they travel with, as a whole. The Dwarven Ally will come to the aid of those who aid others.


Allies: The Baron


Enemies: The Warlord, The Prince of Demons


History: The Dwarven Ally grew out of the mining work gangs assembled by the Nathair-Sgiathach. These gangs worked as a team to ensure their masters' desires were achieved while keeping everyone in the work gang alive.


The True Danger: Everything will be all right provided the Dwarven Ally never runs out of Iconic allies. The moment he is all alone, he will crumble upon himself.

Icon: The Warlord

Quote: These fools think they can rule us as the Tuathanas once did. Pity them, for we shall crush them!


Symbol: Barbed sword


Usual Location: The Warlord can be found wandering the halls and campfires of those who gather for ill-gained power. Of late, rumors state he either resides in Cambria or Polworth.


Common Knowledge: The Warlord seeks power for power's sake. He takes no prisoners and asks for no quarter. The Warlord hates the Baron, Dwarven Ally, and the Hero. He is the iconic villain.


Adventurers and the Icon: Adventurers seeking power, glory, and monetary wealth follow the Warlord. They know they must rise in the ranks to become the Warlord, else another follower will strike them down and claim the title for himself. Adventurers with a more criminal bent also seek the Warlord's approval.


Allies: The Warlord has no allies among the Icons. Followers of the Dwarven Ally or the Elven Lord may align themselves with the Warlord's followers out of a feeling of mutual purpose. In the end, the Warlord will always reveal his true colors and betray them for his own gains.


Enemies: The Baron, The Dwarven Ally, The Hero


History: In prior Ages, the Warlord was an aspect separate of the Elf Lord. It was thought the Tuathanas Warlord Icon had folded into the Elf Lord with the rise of man and dwarf. However, that is now thought to not be true. Some believe the Tuathanas' Warlord became part of two Icons: The Elf Lord and The Warlord.


The True Danger: As long as the Warlord faces multiple opponents, he will never gain enough power to claim the world. However, if he can gain his own allies or defeat two of his three enemies, he may yet make that claim. . .

Icon: The Baron

Quote: The people deserve a place to sleep, a farm to supply food, and a warrior to protect them.


Symbol: Crown


Usual Location: The Baron can be found throughout the realms of benevolent leaders. He is most often seen in the lands of Leone, Tamaris, and on occasion, Navea.


Common Knowledge: The Baron is looked upon as the protector of the people. It is his duty to ward against the evils wrought by the Warlord and the Dragon. Most also think it his duty to protect against the Prince of Demons. In truth, the Baron and the Prince rarely cross paths.


Adventurers and the Icon: Adventurers who seek to better the realm work for the Baron. They understand the need to bring light to darkness and sword to monster's gullet.


Allies: The Dwarven Ally, the Hero


Enemies: The Warlord, The Dragon


History: The Baron was born into the current Age. He is descended form the generals who lead the Hero's army at the end of the prior Age. They, in turn, are descended from the slave household leaders who looked after their common slaves, trying to make everyone's lives a little more better and safer.


The True Danger: Everything will be all right , as long as the evil forces in the realm do not attack the Baron as one force.

Icon: The Wanderer

Quote: Have you ever seen the sun setting on the sea? How about the fishing villages along the shores of Leone? Not even the water flowing around the Chantry in the Falls?


Symbol: A pair of boots


Usual Location: The Wanderer is most often found on the roads of the realm or within an inn at the crossroads.


Common Knowledge: The Wanderer represents all those who travel in the world and their worldly knowledge. The Wanderer is generally seen in a goodly light, as he brings news and entertainment to the Baron's followers. The Wanderer likes to travel with the Hero, as the Hero often goes to new places, causing adventure and creating stories to share.


Adventurers and the Icon: Bards, wandering minstrels, diplomats, and spies are among the adventurers who follow the way of the Wanderer. Many believe the tribes of Sleat to all follow the Wanderer. This is a gross generalization showing a misunderstanding of the tribes.


Allies: The Baron, The Hero


Enemies: The Dragon, due to an ages old transgression which led to the downfall of the Nathair-Sgiathach.


History: The Wanderer was brought to the realm by the gnomes.


The True Danger: The Wanderer has a goal and a purpose in this realm. However, he is often distracted by new finds along the roads he travels. As long as these distractions continue, the Wanderer will continue to wander. When the distractions end, the Wanderer's true purpose will be made known – for good or evil.

Icon: The Prince of Demons

Quote: You know the cost of doing business with me. Souls.


Symbol: A pair of spiked wings


Usual Location: The deepest level of Hell.


Common Knowledge: The Prince of Demons is fighting to increase his power in the realm. The ties that once bound demons into servitude, the old compacts, and the agreements are not in use as much in the current Age, as prior Ages. This has lead to a decrease in the amount of contact the Prince of Demons and his followers have with the realm.


At the same time, an increasing number of demons are finding their own way into the realm. This is partially due to the inability of humans to master summoning magics as well as the Tuathanas of old. This contributes to demons altering compacts or performing “side quests” while summoned to perform bidding. Both of these will eventually bring more power to the Prince of Demons.


In prior Ages, the Tuathanas Lord and Lady were counted upon as allies. In the current Age, the formerly allied Icons have much less contact.


Adventurers and the Icon: Wizards and those wishing to use the powers wrought by demons most often follow this Icon. The compacts and agreements of old still function and those with the greatest power still use the Prince of Demon's minions to accomplish their goals.


Allies: The Wisest Wizard, The Elven Lord and Lady


Enemies: The Baron, The Hero


History: The Prince of Demons has existed since time began. He arranged the first compacts and first taught the Tuathanas how to perform magic. In the past, he was satiated by the souls fed to his realm from the Tuathanas. With the decreasing sacrifices, he searches for a new source of power.


The True Danger: Everything will be all right as long as the compacts and agreements are not lost to time and the Prince of Demons does not find a way to enter this realm.

Icon: The Hero

Quote: As long as I still wield this sword, no monster shall harm you.


Symbol: A simple, lone shield


Usual Location: The Hero has gone quiet since the start of the current Age. There has not been a need for him to show his face in the realm. It is said when his time is needed, he will return to the realm to, once again, free people from oppressors.


Common Knowledge: The Hero is the manifestation of hope for the oppressed. He understands his role is to sacrifice his wants and needs for the people he represents. He represents that lone individual, making a stand against all who would do wrong. The Hero's manifestation in the prior Age was a human, but was still seen as an ally by the dwarf communities.


Adventurers and the Icon: Adventurers walking the path of The Hero represent the good in the world. They know they will stand on the edge of the world and face down evil. They are the rally point against raiders.


Allies: The Baron, The Dwarven Ally


Enemies: The Dragon, The Warlord, The Wanderer


History: The Hero is a product of the prior Age. He manifested as a human named Luthais and led the human and dwarf army in their defeat of the Tuathanas. With the aid of the Wanderer, he was able to reach a deal with a fifth columnist group of Tuathanas who would eventually become the Lanark Elves. The Hero does not consider the Wanderer a friend due to the Wanderer's habit of not choosing a side.


The True Danger: Everything will be all right , unless the Warlord or the Dragon finally defeat the Hero.

Icon: The Wisest Wizard

Quote: Vasago, Saminga, and Barbaras, I beseech you remember the compacts of old and send me a servant worthy of your name. Let him bring forth the power I seek!


Symbol: Circle of power


Usual Location: The Chantry at the Top of the World


Common Knowledge: The Wisest Wizard is the grandest of all spell-casters. He has existed since the First Age and none may know than he. The Wisest Wizard once sat upon the many councils of the land, lending his knowledge to all. He spurred the creation of the different chantries across the land and led the defense of the Tuathanas people against the Nathair-Sgiathach. It was against his council that humans were taught magic. Yet, it was with his council that the magic of the Nathair-Sgiathach and their dwarf servants was learned and mastered in ways the Nathair-Sgiathach may not have ever dreamt. . . or so they say.


Adventurers and the Icon: Adventurers in the service of the Wisest Wizard are often, themselves, spell-casters. They search for lost tomes of knowledge, the unknown places of the world, and the lost magic items of the world. They understand the need to master the ability of summoning demons is both the most powerful and most dangerous of all magics.


Allies: The Elven Lord and Lady, The Prince of Demons


Enemies: The Dragon, The Hero


History: The Wisest Wizard has always been a male Tuathanas, until the current Age. It is said the current Wisest Wizard is actually a female half-elf.


The True Danger: Everything will be all right, as long as the Wisest Wizard never goes mad. There are those who fear the change of sex and species may be signs of a weakening Icon.

Icon: The Nathair-Sgiathach

Quote: none


Symbol: Dragon skull


Usual Location: none


Common Knowledge: The Nathair-Sgiathach, or Dragon, is a deceased Icon. When the Tuathanas destroyed the last dragon, this Icon fell in to a deep slumber. When the human and dwarf alliance overthrew their Tuathanas slave owners, the slumbering Icon died. There are scattered locations of dragon graveyards throughout the world. The Wisest Wizard and the Librarian are said to be the only ones who know of said locations and they are not sharing them. The dragon bones can be used to fuel powerful magics and craft items of wondrous abilities.


Adventurers and the Icon: There are no adventurers following this Icon. Those that would are following something else far more sinister and unknown to the world at large. There are occasional rumors of someone trying to resurrect the Nathair-Sgiathach or summon the soul of one to this realm. Thus far, no one has made any contact with any Nathair-Sgiathach or their souls.


Allies: none


Enemies: The Elf Lord and Lady, The Baron, The Dwarven Ally


History: The Nathair-Sgiathach are the age old enemies of the Tuathanas. The dragons lost the war with the elves. The Elves systematically hunted down all dragons and slaughtered them.


The True Danger: The true danger is not in the Nathair-Sgiathach returning, but in what has replaced them in the world. . .

Icon: The Librarian

Quote: The knowledge you seek may be found within a library found on the other edge of the world. Once you reach that library, I will aid you in locating the book.


Symbol: An open tome


Usual Location: One of the five chantries.


Common Knowledge: The Librarian is one part historian, one part sage, and one part hermit. The


Adventurers and the Icon: Those adventurers following the path of this Icon are those seeking knowledge. While these people strike close to the same anvil as those following the Wisest Wizard, followers of the Librarian concern themselves with more than just magically related quests. They seek the knowledge gained by the Wanderer's wanderings, the historical knowledge held by the Elf Lord and Lady, and realms never gleamed from the Wisest Wizard.


Allies: The Wisest Wizard, The Wanderer


Enemies: The Warlord


History: Historically, the Librarian is the weakest of the Icons in terms of physical power. The Librarian's wealth of knowledge more than makes up for this, making her on-par with the summoning abilities of the Wisest Wizard. While the Librarian often sits among those abstaining from good and evil, she falters to the side of good when pushed.



The True Danger: Everything will be all right as long as the libraries of the world are not destroyed and knowledge lost.

Hags and Silver Maned Men

Editing work continues on the book I have code named "Elderly Women" for Elf Lair Games.

The Dwellers in the Mountains

When I was creating notes for my current game, I did not have players interested in playing a dwarf. So, I did not do much with their background in the setting. Naturally, I included them in the setting background, but I left it at that.

The players have since interacted with dwarves from two different areas of the known world. The first one was a trader of sorts and traveled with an entourage of dwarven servants, including his own cook. The second one resides in the city where the cast lives and is from a different area of the known world as the first. This one weaves baskets and bird cages. In both cases, the cast discovered the dwarves do not like human food. At this point, I knew I had begun a culture of people and not just character quirks. It was time to stretch the fingers and bang out ideas. However, as the entire culture within the mountains was not touched during character creation, there are notes here for dwarves and others. . .

On Dwarves
Life in the mountains is ideal for dwarves. Here, the halls of old contain carved memories of their people. The halls are vast caverns designed for their former draconic masters. Gems gleam, reflecting light amongst the caverns. Very rarely is an actual flame used as a light source within these great halls.

The dwellings of dwarves are quite different from the great halls. Dwarven neighborhoods do not tower multiple stories, rather they are short in stature, wide in breadth, and maze-like in appearance. Instead of mining out caverns and constructing buildings within the hollows, they simply carve out living spaces. In areas where the earth is easier to manipulate, more dwellings are created. This method of construction has resulted in the repetitive pattern found from one dwarven community to the next. The first pattern is that of living in a hive or series of rooms, instead of a city filled with separate structures. The second is the feeling of walking for great lengths of time to get anywhere. Due to building where it is easiest to manipulate the environment, long distances exist between different neighborhoods inter-connected to a great hall.

To outsiders, the various polished gemstones appear to only serve as decoration and reflectors of light. However, early in the draco-elfen war, it was discovered that crystals with six and eight sides were more a more effective defense versus certain elven magics. Demons were stymied by the equal sides of the crystals, even if the appearance of each gem might be different. The crystals have no effect on other types of magic, besides sorcery.

Once the dragons were vanquished and the Tuathanas began their long rule of both humans and dwarves, the dwarves were forced to build large estates over the dragon caverns. These estates would eventually become castles and keeps. The dwarves put as much artistry in the structure of these buildings as they had for their former masters. The Tuathanas learned the secrets behind using the crystals and would request they be worked into specific rooms and areas of new buildings. Rumors abound detailing Tuathanas who had crystals mixed in the mortar of a keep, in order to provide protection from demons who were owed favors from the old accords.

After the humans and dwarves overthrew their Tuathanas masters, many of the elven keeps and castles were abandoned. The dwarves had no interest in populating their second masters' homes, due to past memories. Plus, the homes were often too large and aerie for most dwarven tastes. Only three of the Tuathanas castles are known. Of those three, only two are occupied. The third is said to be haunted and avoided at all costs.

An Aside
Dwarves are accustomed to eating well-done meats, mushrooms, and lichen. They have learned how to prepare root vegetables. While some dwarves have come to eat and enjoy vegetation grown above grounds, it is still a rare occurrence Most find such food disgusting and many become ill from eating those foods. The smell of rare meat sickens them. All of their food is heavily spiced due to the bland taste.

Dwelling in the Mountains
The first of the retained castles, and most human-occupied city within the mountains, is the main building for Carnock, the Barony of the Mountains. The castle and capital city lie mere days west of the wooded barony of Caerlaverock. Certain dwarven elders wanted to be within striking distance of Lanark, in the event of a Tuathanas uprising or resurgences. The city is made up of dwarves (55%), humans (40%), and gnomes (5%). The gnomes have taken over the more elaborate sections of the Tuathanas dwelling spaces. The dwarves live at the other end of the social spectrum, taking up residency nearest the old dragon caverns in the center of the city. The humans live everywhere else.

The politics of this barony are very integrated between the dwarves and humans. The gnomes publicly consider such activity not worthy of their attention. Yet, one or two gnomes have entered the world of politics "for the fun of it" over the years. The baron is advised by a council of elders from among the dwarves and humans.

The current Baron of the Mountains is a short, stocky human. Many believe this has enamored him to the dwarves whom sit on the council. The baron has taken to dressing the part of a dwarf, including affecting a beard and warriors braid behind his right ear. The baron has grown louder and more boisterous as he ages. Still, he is considered a kind and beneficial ruler. He is known to surround himself with children in court, on the lists, or in his home. He dotes on all children as if they were his own. It is said that he has a family of over 100 people, if one counts his great-grandchildren.

The second settlement is among the northern mountains and is called Stonehaven. The dwarves of Stonehaven keep themselves more removed from human society than their brethren in the Barony of the Mountains. They are more classical in appearance and behavior than the western dwarves. Their clothing is often thick to protect them from the cold of the mountains. Their arms are the pick axe and maul of the mines. Their preferred drink is a fermented beverage made from mushrooms and sassafras. Their beards are thick and voices deep.

Stonehaven began as a mining community for gold and quartz. In time, it became a young dragon's hold. This dragon spent most of its time away from the mine and required very little in the way of servants or quarters. In fact, the dwarves of this community knew nothing of the draco-elfen war until a combined army of humans and dwarves, lead by General Tiberius of the Tuathanas arrived.

Stonehaven became an outpost village with a simple keep and a handful of other buildings. Stonehaven was a prison for the general and his fellow Tuathanas. They had no interest in the dwarves or mining. The food was constantly of poor quality. Only the beauty of the dragon hold held their interest. The general would send his humans into the mountains to scout for an end to the mountains and more dragon holds. However, the mountains were so treacherous that very few would return. No other holds were ever discovered.

Once word of the dwarven and human rebellion reached General Tiberius, he sacrificed all of the humans in a teleportation ritual bringing him and his Tuathanas back to the outskirts of old Dunvalaig. The dwarves recovered the city, disposed of the human bodies, and then marched out of the mountains to support the rebellion. It is said an axe from Stonehaven found its way in to the skull of General Tiberius.

Today, Stonehaven is a distant city without much outsider contact. There is some contact with the Barony of the Plains' tribesmen and the Barony of the Eastern Coast. However, these are simple trade contacts and not embassy style, political contacts. Most of Stonehaven's contact with the outside world is through the different under-mountain communities. Dwarven holds are scattered amongst the mountains, serving as both respite and battlement against anything north of the mountains. The dwarves of Stonehaven have no problems with the human-centric baronies to their south, they simply have no need of them.

Silver Keep is the third known structure. Many demons were sent to kill the dwarves in this place when it was owned by the dragons. It was a Tuathanas stronghold during the rebellion. No known human or dwarven army ever marched on it during the war due to its ferocious reputation. It was only after the war was effectively over that a small unit of mortals was sent to find it. Upon their arrival, there were no signs of the Tuathanas or their demon minions. It was never discovered where they went or why they departed.

Silver Keep was erected on what is known as Silver Mountain. Silver Mountain was the primary source of silver before the draco-elfen war. The structures in the area all glitter with the silver that was mixed with the stone and decorative inlays.

No one has consistently lived in the Silver Keep since the war. The silver mines ran dry before the dragons were killed, although pan-handlers often venture forth to try their luck. More quick-individuals have gone to Silver Keep in an effort to relieve the keep of its decorations that are said to adorn every surface.

Most who venture to Silver Keep never return. Those who do are often changed mentally or have physical scarring. All who have returned claim the place is haunted. Some claim the ghosts of dead adventurers emit forth from the brook which runs through town are to blame. Others accuse old Tuathanas magics and demons left behind as the cause of Silver Mountain's curse. Items brought back from Silver Mountain are highly sought after for their perceived value, despite the rumors of curses. The origin of the designs in the silver and the decorations is unknown.

Paths and roads to Silver Mountain exist from Polworth and Carnock. The Chantry of the Falls, based in Polworth, has a standing invitation to pay handsomely any adventurer returning with silver items from the haunted keep. Images copyright their respective owners and used here without their permission.

Night's Black Agents: Campaigns I'd Like to Run

Wherein I offer up a second campaign I'd like to run for this month's RPG Blog Carnival. You can find more info over at the Age of Ravens. You can read my first entry, Mage:  Technocracy Risen, here.

Night's Black Agents: 

Deluxe Campaign Edition

Conspiracies exist everywhere.

Some conspiracies are so good, they must be true.

Some conspiracies are so inept, they are not true.

Some conspiracies are true.

A team of former special agents, spies, and wet works specialists are assembled to stop a possible rogue CIA agent from purchasing nuclear and biological weapons for the terrorist organization he infiltrated.

Has this agent gone rogue? Is he purchasing live weapons or is he putting on airs and purchasing fakes for the terrorist organization? What purpose does the terrorist organization have for these weapons?

While investigating the former CIA agent, the assembled team will only fall further into the conspiracy. Is that another team watching the agent? Are they now watching the assembled team? Why is that person from one of the team's past involved?

Wedding cakes and conspiracies are built on layers. Layers add strength. Layers add support.

Layers allow you to hide things better left to the darkest corners of the Earth. . .

The high concept behind this game is to take John Steakley's novel Vampire$, lock horns with the idea of different vampire families as found in so many sources (such as Blade), rope it with brand names like Treadstone and Quantum, and then kill it with a thermobaric weapon.

I want to take the core premise of Night's Black Agents and take it to the next level. In keeping with the movie-style of the game, I imagine this campaign to be a trilogy – or perhaps an HBO series ala A Game of Thrones or AMC's The Walking Dead. I want to run this game for a larger than usual group of players (4+) or for multiple groups of players at the usual level. I want to build this game out into a full-on, potentially gonzo, campaign. I want to build it into a controlled sand box.

Tinker Vampire Soldier Spy

The game starts with the cast being assembled into a team to look into a situation. The handler wants the team to stop a CIA agent from purchasing both a nuclear and a biological weapon. The purpose for purchasing the weapons is not known. However, the word is out that the agent is looking for said items. The agent is currently in Varna, Bulgaria, but was recently in Berlin, Germany. The agent has infiltrated a terrorist organization based out of Chechnya.

The cast will be given the opportunity to track down the CIA agent, as well as, do some digging into his background. Neither of the activities are hard to accomplish. A few spends will reveal interesting tidbits about his background (think Treadstone activities). The cast will be able to track the agent and locate his hotel.

If the cast decide to investigate the hotel or follow the CIA agent, they will notice that others are also watching the hotel and following the CIA agent. Whether the watchers notice the cast will only be revealed with time. The cast will need to decide how to approach the CIA agent. Will they go in and extract him? Will they wait and find out who the seller is, then go after the seller? Will they wait for the deal to go down and then “retire” everyone involved? There are many options for the cast and none of them matter to the storyline.

Eventually, the cast will come in to contact with the other group watching the CIA agent. Depending on the cast, they may even drive right at that topic. I can think of at least three potential players (four if I was playing) that may perform such a tactic. Other forms of contact include the cast catching the other group watching the cast, the cast going after the seller or the CIA agent and the other group stepping in to assist one of the three (cast, buyer, seller), or perhaps the other group commits before the cast, going after the CIA agent for their own, nefarious reasons. Either way, a third party is established.

Between the CIA agent's terrorist organization and the third party, a bridge to the vampire conspiracy is provided. The game continues on as a standard Night's Black Agents game. As they cast climbs the conspyramid, they will have the opportunity to learn about another family of vampires. The cast may or may not realize this is another family of vampires and simply think all vampires are the same “family.” It will depend on clues gathered during game play.

By the time the cast reaches the top of the conspyramid, other families will know about the cast. Calls will have been made, emails sent, and pictures viewed. One of the easiest ways to build in the other vampire families is to allow the cast to follow the money to another family. For example, if the cast is following money from a vampire in the manufacturing industry, to the bank, to another bank, to someone in the arms industry, it could be vampires laundering money – or it could be one family buying product from another family. As the cast investigates the flow of money, they are noticed by the other family.

I intend to end the first “movie” with the cast destroying the head of one of these vampire families. The cast is not likely to wipe out the entire family. They may have the opportunity to do so, but this game is not about tracking all of them down to exterminate the vampires. It is about climbing the conspyramid to the top and cutting off the head.

The Honorable Vampire

This leads to the second film in the trilogy, as the other family or families decide to pursue the cast. Maybe the cast decides to go after those loose ends, in order to destroy all vampires. That would lead them into direct conflict with the other families. If not, the other families could decide to send minions (vampire, ghoul, renfield, human, it doesn't really matter), after the cast. What starts as bad luck turns into odd coincidence, and ends with fangs. Soon enough, the cast realizes they have another family of blood suckers to deal with. If the cast runs and hides, the vampires dig them out. If the cast burns down a house, the vampires turn a loved one.

The second film will be darker than the first. The fight becomes more personalized as more and more resources are taxed or used up. The vampires will appear to have an endless pool of resources at their disposal. It is as if this is all a game to them (to some, it is) and nothing the cast does matters to the vampires.

Cat.

Mouse.

Cat.

Ball of string.

Cat.

Wait! Was that a big dog's shadow?

The second movie moves away from the straight to the top attitude of the first movie. It needs to expand out from one family to two or more families. It needs to show a broader spectrum of the vampire community. What is vampire society really like? Do they have board meetings? Do they all meet on the second floor of a popular club, socializing and playing chess? Do they meander through art galleries late at night, pontificating on the weariness of the soul? Maybe they do all of this and more. How deep do those claws really go?

At this point, I would also like to begin to work in other elements from classic vampire films. Monstrous animals such as giant rats, cats, or alligators as guard dogs, werewolves as allies or enemies who aren't worried about the environment, or a mad scientist with a penchant for creating flesh golems is researching a way to cure vampirism or Banes of a vampire family. A group of psychic vampires infiltrating high levels of governments, allowing them to control whole cities or countries.

The second movie will need to end with a big explosion. I could set it up for the cast to take out more than one family. It could end with the cast discovering human government types have been in on the conspiracy all along, helping the vampires for whatever payment the vampires offer them. The cast should feel they came closer to dieing than ever before. Whichever way I go, the third movie is set up for revenge.

Smiley's Fangs

The third movie starts out hot and heavy. We return the cast to the conspyramid style game. The cast knows there is a snake's head waiting to poison them. As they work their way up the conspyramid, any and all resources will be used up. Government contacts turn on them. Friends suddenly pull their support away from the cast. Loved ones are murdered moments before the cast arrives to pull them from harm's reach.

However, the cast will also have their chance at revenge. They will have opportunities to defraud banks, blow up manufacturing facilities that supply the conspyramid with much needed cash, and go after people or things the vampires hold dear. This is Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith rolled into one and given to Oliver Stone to pen with Akira Kurasawa directing. Cast members could very well die leading up to the finalé.

Night's Black Agents: The Series

The end of the third movie could very easily be the end of the game. All resources are gone. Maybe new resources have been gained while destroying the vampire families. Monies gained, contacts made, trust earned outside the circle of cast members. Further adventures could include following leads to continents not yet visited (I currently imagine the series staying in Europe and Eurasia). Egypt, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Rio offer different atmospheres to apply to the setting. What about those other monsters from classic film lore? What was up with the werewolves? Are there families of them, too? Has the mad scientist turned into Victor Von Doom and launched a plan to take over a country utilizing his golems? Are there awful humans the cast crossed paths with, who could use a bit of f-u (that's follow up, not what you thought it meant)? Human trafficking, money laundering, and selling firearms to the highest bidder does not go away, just because the vampires went away.

Blu-ray Extras

I am not certain how well the Gumshoe system will hold up to this type of beating. By all intents and purposes, it should work just fine. I may need to slow down the experience point progression to stop the cast from becoming all powerful beings in the universe. Another thought is to keep the progression, but then remove half of the experience points between the first and second movie. This is meant to represent a lull in activity and the need to relearn old skills. I like this idea less than simply slowing down character progression. Yet, it is an interesting idea, if only in theory. The players would need to know this was slated to occur before character creation occurred.

Running the game past the end of the third movie appears to be pointless. However, if the players are having fun and the director is not burnt out or bored of the storyline, it can be done.

A part of me wants to run this game with a high number of players. I think the reason is only that a high number of players reminds me of early D&D and WoD experiences. This is a step away from what I think of when I ponder sand box games or gonzo games. I think a better idea would be to run two groups congruent to each other. I could design a second conspyramid for another family of vampires and let the second group of players chase that tail. How do the two groups' actions affect one another? Are perceived threats suddenly gone? The casts could come across evidence of the vampire conspiracy watching another group of humans similar to their own. The conspiracy could even pit them against each other. The easier route is to simply allow the two groups to witness activities effecting the conspiracy or witness the after-effects of the other group.

I also have two sets of people I can see running this game for and there is very little crossover between the two groups. Both groups bring interesting things to the table and it could be fun to see where each of them take the game.

This style of campaign allows for the director to use all of the Modes of play recommended in the Night's Black Agent core book. The first movie should be run in one mode. The second movie can interweave the modes from session to session or storyline to storyline. The third movie should return to one mode of play. 

Campaigns I'd Like to Run - RPG Blog Carnival (Entry #1)

Mage: Technocracy Risen

The war is over and the Technocratic Union has won. Tradition Mages are counted amongst the Nephandi and Marauders.

Using 2^nd edition Mage rules, the players take on roles reflecting the various Technocratic mages. The work for a new organization, code name: New World Order, in the government which caters to the hunting and extermination of rogue paranormal activity. The players can represent any of the groups within the Technocracy. New World Order men in black, Progenitor doctors, Iteration X cyborg, Syndicate analysis, or Void Engineer scientist. Think FBI-type organization, only dealing with reality deviants.

This game works best when the setting specific lexicon from Mage is not used. The Unions would not use the same language as the Traditions. A more clinical and sterile feel should be applied and the language utilized is one of the easiest ways to implement such an effect. Each creature type would have a categorical name similar to the scientific naming convention for animals. Void Engineer equipment would have overly elaborate named equipment – with a steampunk look if that suites your style.

My game would also focus on a science fiction approach, including a heavy dose of red tape and bureaucracy. The look and feel would be closer to Bladerunner or the recent remake of Total Recall, not the bombastic MiB series. Slums are easily reproduced via the look found in Dredd or Repo Men. With the Technocracy in charge, there is a good chance items like Google Glasses are old news. Instead, fully interactive glasses and contacts work similar to the communication devices seen in the Ghost in the Shell TV series.

The Sleepers in the setting are more passive and less likely to cause problems for the Technocracy. At the same time, this means the potential Paradox backlash for Tradition Mages is quite high. Mages casting in public are extremely powerful or extremely suicidal. This results in many cases of Mage activity being related to what were once Tradition Mages that are now Mauraders.

Nephandi are still around and work great as boogie men. I would expand their repertoire to include not only devils and demons, but also Lovecraft inspired creatures and ill beasties like those found in The Book of Unremitting Horror. It's also available in d20format.

For a different style of fun and excitement, a trip to the moons of Saturn to help a Void Engineer with a problem. Imagine the look on the players' faces when they realize their characters are traveling through outer space, not an alternate dimension (or is that vice versa?), in a Tesla vessel. It, of course, looks very much like something out of a Buck Rogers episode. Now, was the problem here due to aliens, Migo, or are the low grade Iteration X cyborgs revolting, again?

Criminal organizations backed by Tradition Mages might be selling magically enhanced drugs that are highly addictive and prone to bending reality. The combination of Dreamspeaker, Verbena, and Euthonatos Mages working together towards a collective end could create a dangerous situation. It also puts the NWO agents in a position where they need to work with local police. Cue up a few corrupt police officers on the take and suddenly the NWO agents are walking into a trap. If the criminals are in the know about what the Tradition Mages really are, they may end up cluing them in to the NWO agents who are snooping around town. If there wasn't a trap set before, there will be now. Instead of gang bangers and made men, the cast are looking down the barrel of a death mage, spirit walker, and witch.

I could add espionage to the setting by letting the cast work with Iteration X or Progenitors. Perhaps a doctor or tool has gone missing. Was it a kidnapping? Are Tradition Mages working to move a bioweapon to Saskatoon? Or maybe it's a plant and the NWO agents need to follow the Tradition Mages thieves back to their lair!

And if that isn't enough, I still have office bureaucracy, vampires, werewolves, fae, wraith, and a metric tonne of Internet support for oWoD.

An alternate take on this setting would include the cast as Tradition Mages or other supernatural creatures struggling to survive in this brave new world. How do they pick up and move on? Where do they go to practice magic? How hard has it become to travel via the Umbra?

This may sound like an investigation heavy game. However, I find the versatility of the Storyteller system allows me to run the game how I see fit. Investigation heavy when I need it, but easy to run precise action sequences filled with gun- and kung-fu. Still, if the players wanted a different rule set (GURPS, Gumshoe, FATE), it is easily accomplished.

I know White Wolf approached this setting concept at one point in time. However, I was not running games in the World of Darkness by then. So, I am completely unfamiliar with those products.

This is my first foray into the RPG Blog Carnival. If you have made it this far, thank you for reading my entry. If you aren't sure what the RPG Blog Carnival is, please check out Lowell's blog, Age of Ravens, for more information.