|
Author
|
Comment
|
msherman
Briar Beast
(4/10/04 8:24 pm)
Reply
|
Seeking idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
The established history of my campaign world includes the existance of a book written centuries ago by Tiamat, entitled "The Way of Dread Tharizdun". This book documents the uses of the Binders, including how to use them to destroy entire civilizations.
Now that one of the PCs is wearing the Air Binder, I suspect they might try to find this book (or a copy of it). Anyone have any interesting ideas for a side-quest to send them on if they persue this?
Edit: more better subject line
Edited by: msherman at: 4/11/04 5:52 am
|
Trithereon
Qualleg
(4/11/04 2:23 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
In the World of Greyhawk, you could send them into the heart of the Sea of Dust assuming that those ancient sorcerers of the Suel Empire that brought down the Invoked Devastation upon the Bakluni Empire had access to the book. The out of print Gygax novel, "Sea of Death", could be read as inspiration for the quest, if you can find it.
On the otherside, the ruins of the ancient Bakluni Empire homeland may also hide the tattered remains of the book, since it was they that invoked the Rain of Colorless Fire upon the Suel.
|
msherman
Briar Beast
(4/11/04 4:36 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
Thanks, Trithereon. We are, in fact, using the Greyhawk map, and a garbled home-spun version of Greyhawk history. Where is the ancient Bakluni homeland? Is it the region bounded by the Barrier Peaks, the Yatil Mountains, and the Dramidj Ocean? Any suggestions for where to place ruins there?
|
smetzger
Staj
(4/12/04 4:10 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
Also, there is a White Dragon on the random encounter charts for the Rastor area. Perhaps this dragon has the book or knows where it is.
|
msherman
Briar Beast
(4/12/04 4:13 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
Sadly, the white dragon is already dead IMC. He had Fragarach in his horde. If the party persues this, I think I want to send them very far afield -- Fragarach being so close to the main action already appears to have strained credibility a bit (though I did have a good explaination for it, which they have yet to discover). So I'm liking the Sea of Dust and <insert ancient Bakluni homeland site here> ideas. Perhaps I'll have the book ripped in half, and a half of it is at each site -- now the PCs have to figure out which empire used which of the binders to destroy the other to figure out which site the docs for the binder they have is hidden at.
So once the party gets there, any ideas for some interesting challenges to overcome/guardians to destroy to get the book?
Edited by: msherman at: 4/12/04 4:14 am
|
LordTenser
Human
(4/14/04 8:35 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
In the version of the Suloise history presented in the Oerth Journal, Zellifar-ad-Zol was the son of the emperor of Suel and the Mage/High Priest of Beltar. Zellifar took 8,000 Suloise as well as 2 lesser Binders and the Chief Binder on an exodus/fleeing of Suloise lands. One of the High Mages, Slerotin, fled with Zellifar and performed a few feats of amazing mages including tunneling all the way through the Hell Furnaces and being the cause of the Rift Canyon in his own destruction. As a result of Zellifar's decision to flee Seul, the Suloise people who survived the fighting between his band and the 3 Houses of Pursuit who followed him were able to escape the destruction of the Rain of Colorless Fire(though all of them lost memories of many of their gods in the blast in which Slerotin created the Rift Canyon). Basically, he allowed the blood of the Suloise to survive, albeit in very different cultures than existed in the Suel Empire. After the Rain of Colorless Fire and the battles between the Houses of Pursuit and his people comes to pass, Zellifar teleports to the Griff mountains for a time, then later teleports to the Sea of Dust and dies in the Rain of Colorless Fire
Now, here's my additions to the story not mentioned in that version of Greyhawk's history: Zellifar fled Seul because his god, Beltar, provided him with visions of the destruction of the Rain of Fire to come and with the location of the Tome written by Tiamat. Beltar also showed Zellifar visions of a rebuilt Seul Empire somewhere far to the east. Taking his god's visions to heart, Zellifar broke away from his fathers empire and set out to rebuild it in Beltar's image.
But the final result of Zellifar's quest to save the Seul people only succeeded in saving the bloodlines of the Suloise and did nothing to save the culture and pride of the Seul Empire. The memory loss resulting from Slerotin's magic in the battle between the Houses of Pursuit and the Zollites(Zellifar's people) brought about the complete collapse of the Seul culture. After this epic battle, Zellifar himself could not remember the god he worshipped and the sudden lose of almost all of his worshippers sent Beltar into a catatonic slumber for many years. Without the guidance of his god, Zellifar felt his life empty and without purpose...the only emotion he could find in his being was a lingering hatred for the grey elves which every Seul of that time possessed. Zellifar then teleports to the Griff mountains with the purpose of sabotaging the future of grey elves. He creates a beautiful tomb and treasure room with the Chief Binder beneath the ruins of an ancient elven city(one of the cities of the vanquished Elven Kingdom Aliador) which was destroyed by Vecna's armies around 150 years before this time. Finally, he leaves some false writtings indicating the Tome and Chief Binder are ancient Grey Elven heirlooms and that the proper use of the Binders can defeat the 'great evil' which pervades the lands. (Zellifar is hoping his ruse causes the Grey Elves to use the Binders and thus corrupt their souls just when they need it most...in the face of a great evil). He then leaves the Chief Binder and Tome in the false tomb he built and teleports himself to the former capital of the Seul Empire....the sudden exposure to the raging magics in the area transform Zellifar into a ghost forever wandering the ruins of the city.
Your party's quest could lead them to the ghost of Zellifar in the Sea of Dust and perhaps eventually to the ruins of the elven city in the Griff mountains in their quest to find the Tome written by Tiamat. Maybe Zellifar can even build on his deception by telling your party that the Tome and Binders are ancient elven artifacts and was recaptured by the Grey Elves of Aliador before their destruction by Vecna(and have him mention where the sages of Seul believe the Tome was taken so they had a good lead to follow to try and find the Tome).
|
LordTenser
Human
(4/15/04 6:51 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
Sorry about the above post...it was late and I was rambling a bit. My main thought I was trying to portray was the idea of meeting Zellifar's ghost. This encounter could provide the PCs with a lot of information since Zellifar was actually around at the time of the Rain of Colorless Fire and Invoked Devestation. Also, the ghost could then try and possess one of the PCs and take back his binder 
Edited by: LordTenser at: 4/15/04 9:45 am
|
msherman
Briar Beast
(4/15/04 8:08 am)
Reply
|
Re: Idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
Yeah, I figured out where you were going from your post last night, and I love the idea. Thanks! I have no idea if the PCs will persue it, but if they do, I'll be sure to post it in my campaign log.
|
Trithereon
Qualleg
(4/15/04 12:14 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Seeking idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
There's not a lot of published material on the Ancient Bakluni Empire, but that may because there isn't much left after the Invoked Devastation. The AD&D adventure "Die Vecna Die" does detail Tovag Baragu, an ancient Bakluni stonehenge-like structure on the shores of Lake Udrukankar in the Dry Steppes.
Tovag Baragu ("Navel of the Oerth" in the Bakluni tongue) is outwardly a simple structure of concentric circles of stone obelisks and crude archways. However, many of the archways contain portals to other times and places. The steepe nomads who inhabit the locale hold the Stone Circles to be holy ground.
A quest may require finding Tovag Baragu and travelling there by foot, as the strong magical properties may make it impossible for it to be scryed, teleported to, or located by magic in any way. They must dig through musty tomes and consult wise sages. They must cross the Dry Steppes and elude the Paynims. Once there they must unlock the secret to the Stone Circles. Once unlocked they must travel back to the past and recover the book. You'll have to come up with some fantasical city setting to represent either an ancient Suel or Bakluni city, or borrow them from publish adventures and stories (Imrryr, the Dreaming City from the Elric saga has always been my favorite image of what an ancient depraved fantasy city might be like).
The book quest may require only a few pages from the book, or the whole thing, once found. However, travelling back in time and then returning to the future will be a quest all in itself. I don't know how much time you wish to spend with this side quest, but you could really go all out and make it an epic.
Trithereon
P.S. Sorry for the belated response but life took a big chunk out of my butt. Good luck!
|
 Caedrel
Ghoul Worm
(4/18/04 8:12 pm)
Reply
ezSupporter
|
Re: Seeking idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
This stuff is great! But this is the first I've heard of a "chief Binder"... I thought they were all elementally related? Is there a link available giving some high level detail about what the chief Binder is all about?
Caedrel, who likes #1 of Oerth Journals #1-14 the best...
|
msherman
Briar Beast
(4/18/04 8:21 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Seeking idea for side quest: Tiamat's book
In the original Oerth Journal history (volume 1, issue 11), there were nine binders: four elemental, four para-elemental, and one chief binder for the elemental king:Quote:
1 SD / 1740GE) During the years of the turmoil following the destruction of the Suel fleet, Obendar, a mighty Suloise mage takes Abis-ara-Tmat as his lover. They translate some ancient grey elven texts that she has discovered. Using that knowledge, they imprison the elemental king Etherasra to punish him for the destruction of the Suel Fleet at AnaKeri. One by one they trap the Elemental Princes of Cold, Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Ooze, Magma and Smoke. Cryonax, Imix, Ogremoch, Olhydra, Yan-C Bin, Za ooze, T’ Magmas, and Whisp all swear obedience “as long as our King remains imprisoned”. The pair crafts nine magical items to bind the King and his eight Princes. The use of the Evil Elemental Gods to enable the Suel is considered to be the beginning of the Times of the Suel. The year of Ethereasra’s imprisonment is reckoned the first year of the Suel calendar.
One thing I find interesting is that this history does only refers to them as the Elemental Princes, not the Elemental Evil Princes -- were they always evil, or was perhaps the act of binding them what made them evil?
Anyway, IMC, there's only the four elemental binders. Early in the campaign, the PCs found a copy of that Oerth Journal history in a library, which I'd edited a fair bit to sprinkle in some more binder/prince/Tharizdun connections (Tiamat's book is actually entitled The Way of Dread Tharizdun in that history) and to remove references to the extra binders. But the ghost idea still works for me, if the party decides to follow it up.
|
|
Okay -- Your Turn
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies