Ammadhur, City Eternal

Mallek placeholder art

The Mallek.

Mallek

(Race based on a tunneling mole cricket)

[Editor's note: The Mallek are intended to have a Conan ish Byzantine ish culture. Only, in tunnels. They are enlightened and artistic, quiet except when in their"Nobel Savage" adventuring years. It's a Byzantine barbarian bug rumspringa!]

Armored burrower. Mandibles and claws maximized for digging.  Drones can exude a glue like substance that coats the dirt behind them and glue it together into permanent cemented tunnels.  Live in burrows and tunnels usually fairly close to the surface, but occasionally intersecting with the upper portions of the Dismal. Large family units. Drones, warriors, queens, etc. 

They live primarily in badlands, scrublands and desert areas, building huge tunnel complexes all throughout an area. Their burrows are beautifully sculpted, the concrete walls swirled into the crickets' flowing cursive script. The Mallek literally write their history behind them as they go forwards. 

They have a complex and sophisticated society. Though their culture is generally quiet, contemplative and communal in nature, their youth often take a period of several years to explore the world and eventually bring knowledge and riches back to the hive. They have agriculture, primarily fungi, molds and algaes that they grow in vast horizontal and vertical fields, almost entirely covering their huge, vaulted farm caverns.  They cultivate animals, including other insects. They do however take and keep slaves, of their own or any other race, usually as a manner of resolving debt or punishing criminals.  Slaves have some basic rights and a position in the hive, being seen as an important commodity for the tribe.

The drones are a quiet, thoughtful and artistic people. Their warriors however can call upon and find strength in a feral savagery when pressed into battle. Their magic culturally leans towards shamanism/necromancy. 

Mallek age ranges:

0-5 Childhood 

6-10 Adolescence 

11-15 young adult 

16-30 adult

31-45 middle aged 

46-60 venerable

61 and up Ancient 

Warrior:

Power +2

Health +2

Grace +1

Finesse 

Acumen 

Discipline -1

Charm -1

Drone:

Power 

Health 

Grace 

Finesse +1

Acumen +1

Discipline +1

Charm 

Both have:

Trait: burrower

Trait: scent

Trait: 4 arms

Warriors have:

Trait: Large

Trait: armored (thick carapace)

Trait: Natural Weapons

Beserker: Novice

Drones have:

Trait: tough hide (thin carapace)

Trait: gooey

Drones gain +1 sp per term that they can out into a domestic or artisan skill.

Queens are immobile, NPC only.

Power +1

Health +1

Grace -5

Finesse -1

Acumen +4

Discipline +4

Charm +2

Seafolk

Humanoid bodies with webbed hands and feet, and a mass of tentacles and eyestalks with a mouth in the center for a head. They are purely aquatic, and cannot survive on land without significant magical aid.

The Seafolk are mystics, artists and artisans. They trade with the dry lands usually through the Sinodyte, who often act as their go betweens.  They trade high quality art and luxury materials, as well as prophecies for the future, for Anyang else that they need or want from the surfaces.

Power -1

Health 0

Grace +1

Finesse 0

Acumen +2

Discipline +2

Charm -1

Corruption 0

The Kin

The rat folk tend towards learning broad approaches to wide ranges of skills, rather than be masters of one. Evolutionarily speaking, they are designed to act almost as a fractal racial mind, which each rat almost holding an image of the whole in its head, holographically. 

Most Kin remain tightly bound to ther own clutch, and form inseparable gp family groups that operate as a serene and machine like whole. Not all rats remain this hidebound. Some seem to instinctively form an intensive and wide ranging racial curiousity.  If the view world view of these curious seek could be summed up in three words, it would be "Always Learn More."

Adventuring rats, who live apart from the nests, tend to reflect this racial tendency by following the "jack of all trades, master of none" philosophy. These Kin can spend years traveling the world, learning bits and pieces of differnt skills, surviving in every possible environment, before finding a place to settle down and build a nest for itself and a family. When they settle down, they share their knowledge of the world with their families - those by birth or those chosen - to strengthen all. 

Each rat spends it's clutching years steeped in the constant chatter of its elders, it's brothers and sisters, and returning adventurers. They grow up nesting in scraps of journals, surrounded by pages of ancient tomes, bits of old carvings and artifacts from the days of the gods. They grow a deep curiosity about all things new and old and strange. 

Some Kin will bond themselves into small troupes or "families" of 3 or more, that move and think together almost as one. Kin that are in Clutch can become the quiet leaders and defenders of their nests. Rarely, a single Kin will bond him or herself in Clutch with a single member of another race. Note that although there is nothing necessarily sexual to the Cluthing bond, most Kin view this practice perverse. 

Kin mature quickly, but are not especially long lived.

Power -1

Health 0

Grace +1

Finesse +1

Acumen +1

Discipline -1*

Charm +1*

Corruption 0

Kin are fast, dexterous, clever and make friends easily.  But they are physically small in stature, not especially strong, and easily distracted.

*Kin that are in Clutch are not as outgoing as their brothers (CHA 0), but their unity gives them strength (DIS +1) as long as they are within line of sight of at least one Clutchmate.

Kin age ranges

0-5 Childhood 

6-10 Adolescence 

11-15 young adult 

16-35 adult

36-55 middle aged 

56-70 venerable

71 and up Ancient 

In character generation, a Kin gets one extra Specialization Point every term that she moves into a new environment (4 instead of 3). If staying in a particular environment for more than one term, the Kin gets the normal number of Specialization Poiunts (3).

The Blood of Dead Gods: A new look for the Geb, I think.

The Blood of Dead Gods: A new look for the Geb, I think.

A new look for the Geb, I think.

The girl pulled out a small rough made knife. A tiny thing, not much more than a fragment of sharpened metal half wrapped in scrounge get leather.

His laughter bellowed throughout the halls. He raised the visor of his helm, and sneered at the girl. "And what, you little cunt, are you going to do with that wee thing?"

She looked up at him through the skein of hair falling over her face, gave him a small grin, and raised the knife to her own wrist.

Hours later, city guardsmen found two corpses. The mercenary's body was so ravaged as to be almost unrecognizea lie. The small bedraggled girl, emptied of all blood, looked to have been dead for days, not hours.  

Kek Knife

Crescent shaped knife with a handle in the middle, essentially a  double curved dagger. It's named for the Sinodyte word for mandibles.

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The Sinodyte, who typically are not very violent or warlike, traditionally make them from the mandibles of ancestors who are killed in battle, specifically to serve as an instrument of revenge on those who killed her.  The Sinodyte will hunt the killer down an execute him with the knife. Some Sinodyte-made true Kek have been captured by other races. Some Geb raiders have taken to capturing and killing ancestors and making their own.

The knife has been widely imitated an recreated, typically with more typical materials.

The Corruption System

YThe first goal of the game is always the enjoyment of all of the players. The second goal is to control the flow of the narrative. The players can theoretically create almost any character that could reasonably exist in the world that the game master is presenting. They are restrained only by what the game master will allow, and character generation should always be done together with the game master.

The GM and players are encouraged, once the characters are created and play officially begins, to completely ignore every game mechanic, and simply improvise a story together that fits into the universe the players and GM are creating together. That abstract a play style is not always possible or fun for every player, and not everyone always agrees on what would improve the story.  Thus,  gaming groups are encouraged to change or ignore any and every rule presented here until they find a balance that suits them. The only rule we'd recommend never changing is that the GM always has the final say in disagreements. It's his story that you're inhabiting.

Basic resolution mechanic:

For any given task, the GM assigns a numeric difficulty.  Success is a range around that number, from "abject failure" to "total success". The player rolls 3d6 + a modifier and compares it to the target number. Anything below the target number is a compete failure. The target number to the number +2 is either a partial success or a success at a price (player's choice). The target number +3 to +5 is an average/normal success.  The target number +6 to +8 is a better quality success. The target number +9 or above is an extraordinary success. The Difficulty Class for any given task is determined by the GM.  

Abject Failure DC -1 or below 

Partial Sucess or Sucess at a Price DC to DC + 2

Average Sucess DC+3 to  DC+5

Improved Sucess DC+6 to DC+8

Extraordinary Sucess DC+9 or above

The GM need never roll a die.  Instead, he should present the players with a situation, allow them to describe how they are handling a situation, assign them a difficulty number, and have them roll.

A physically and mentally "average" person attempting to accomplish a very simple, basic and unopposed task of which she is physically capable but at which she has no skill or training, should have about a 50/50 shot at a basic success (about a DC 10), with the affects of differing degrees of success being defendant on the task. The GM has final say on whether a task is possible, and how difficult it will be. 

[Note that I'm not necessarily married to using 3d6 spefically. A different combination if dice is possible, as long as it leads to a strong bell curve]

For example:

An average adult human academic, of average health, with no physical training or particular physical talent, snaps and lashes out, trying to punch another alert, average adult human academic who also lacks physical training or particular physical talent. He has a roughly 50% chance of successfully landing a punch on him to any appreciable effect. It is a Difficulty 10 check on a straight, unmodified 3d6. 

A roll of 9 or below on the dice is an abject failure, with consequences (for example, he swings and misses completely, going momentarily off balance and allowing the other guy an opening).

A roll of 10 through 12 to would be a partial success (for example, he brushes the guy with his fist, causing not much damage but distracting him momentarily, possibly allowing himself a future opening); OR a success at a price (for example, he lands a good punch that will be felt, but leaves himself temporarily out of balance, and vulnerable to a punch in return). 

A roll of 13 to 15 would be a good punch, doing normal temporary damage. Another punch like that will start to slow the guy down. 3 or 4 punches like that should knock the other person unconscious, or at least out of the fight, with a small chance of having caused a more seirous injury. 

A roll of 16 to 18 would be solid punch, slowing the other guy down and imposing a temporary penalty. Two like this will take the guy out of the fight. OR, he can take an extraordinary success wat a price, for example he knocks the guy unconscious but breaks two of his own fingers. 

A roll of 19 or above, were it possible, would be an extraordinary success. He lands a lucky blow and knocks the guy unconscious with one punch, and comes out unscathed.  However our average academic would need at least a small edge to get this result, something that would give him at least a plus one. 

Corruption - Character Generation

The player first decides her race. Based on the race chosen, she then decides on her character's age bracket, and from there determines her starting age.  The aged brackets are:

Child 

Adolescent

Young Adult

Adult

Middle-Aged 

Elderly 

Venerable

Each starting age category gives different possible starting stat packages, and will allow access to differnt character history environments (see below).

Players are highly discouraged from playing a character younger than "young adult" or older than "middle aged", but can do so with GM permission,if they can justify it in their character background. 

[i.e. players should speak to their Game Master before choosing to start the game younger than Young Adult or older than Middle Aged, as it could have dramatic effects on the kind of game played. Ultimately, the Narrative decides what is allowable, and the GM controls the Narrative.] 

Each race has a different life span, and for each race a character will of a given age will be considered to fall into a different age category. For example:

Human Age Catgeory

0-10 child 

11-15 adolescence

16-20 young adult

21-40 adult

41-60 middle aged 

61-80 elderly 

81-100  venerable.

Lotho Age Category

0-15 child

16 to 25 adolescent

26 to 35 young adult

36 to 60 adult

61 to 90 Middle Aged

91 to 150 elderly 

151 to 200 venerable

  Characters have picked up skills, knowledge, professions, tricks and strange experiences over time as they reached the points where they are at the start of play.  For every block of approximately 5 years of the character's past life (round down, minimum of 1), the players will be able to choose single loosely defined "Environment" in which they spent a significant amount of time.  Some environments are considered 'Advanved', have prerequisite; can only be chosen within certain age brackets, or after other environments.

Sample environments: 

Farm

Rural

Estate

Urban

River

camp follower

Soldier (advanced)

Mercenary (advanced)

Islander

Desert

Academic (advanced)

Adventurer (advanced)

Sailer

Forest

Swamp

Mountains

Underground

Environments can generally be chosen multiple times (I.e. for multiple blocks of five years). Player will have to justify to the game master the environment changes based on his character's back story. 

For every year of the players life, he gets a single build point, which can be put towards purchasing traits and Areas of Expertise. Every trait and area of expertise, along with having a point cost, has a prerequisite environment or environments.  Areas of expertise can be taken more than once, advancing from Novice (cost of 5 points, +1 bonus) to Grandmaster (cost of 25 points, +5 bonus). Traits cost the number of points listed.

SO:

A 26 year old human, a quarter of the way through his full adulthood, can choose up to five environments, and has 26 points to spend on areas of expertise and traits.  A Sinodyte larvae of 27 years of age, also considerd an an adult, could also pick up to 5 environments. Within which to spend her 27 pointed An Aelth of 65, which makes her an adult, can choose a pool of up to 13 environments in which to have lived. 

Areas of expertise have prerequisite environments. For example "Hunting" is a general area of expertise is available to those whose pool of environments includes a "Wilderness" environment, which includes Forest, Swamp, mountainous, underground, etc. a hunter who is attempting to hunt in an environment with which he is unfamiliar will treat his Expertise as one level lower until he has learned the ropes of where he is (GM's discretion)

The available areas of expertise depend on the environments that the person spent their time in. If a 70 year old Aelth spent her entire life  just aimlessly wandering around the forest, living a mostly nomadic lifes and living off of the land, she'd be required to take 13 areas of expertise that are available in the "forest" environment, which will likely involve raising a small number of areas each to high levels of expertise.  Such as:

Hunting: Master (+4) [20 points, prerequisite of at least one wilderness environment]

Forest Survival: Master(+4) [20 points, prerequisite of Forest]

Stalker: Expert (+3) [15 points, prerequisite of either Hunting of Expert, or a Wilderness Survival of Expert, or others]

Forest Beastfriend*: Novice (+1) [10 points, prerequisite of "Forest Survival: Master"]

Blooded** [Trait, 5 points, prerequisite of at least one magical environment or trait]

Defiler***: Novice (+1) [5 points, prerequisite of a "Corruption" score of at least 1, and either a Beastfriend or Plantfriend Area of Expertise]

* Beastfriend is considered a Magical area of expertise. As such, it is a prerequisite  for a number magical traits. It also allows the player to begin play with the "Blooded" trait, if they so choose.

**The "Blooded" trait raises a character's corruption score from 0 to 1, and allow the character to have thus far avoided destruction by the Blood. A character may gain a Corruption score above zero during character generation only by purchasing the trait. It is assumed that a starting character has managed to stay alive aghast the call of the blood thus far. It is not recommended that any character start with a corruption score higher than 1. 

***Defiler is considered a Corrupted skill, thus having a prerequisite minimum Corruption score equal to the bonus obtained. (Novice requires a COR of 1, Journeyman requires COR 2, Expert requires 3, Master 4 and Grandmaster 5.)

Should a player ever progress her Corruption to 10 OR  raise any Corrupted skill or Area of expertise to "Grandmaster", she is considered to have fully transformed into a true Blessed. The character is effectively destroyed in her old form, and arises as an entirely new creature.  The character is removed from play. OR,  With the consultation and permission of the GM, the player may pick one of the Blessed templates for which she qualifies, or create a new one of comparable power, with the help of the game master, and continue play in the new form.

Quick notes on "natural" magic

There are multiple forms of "natural" or inherent magic, magical styles that grew traditionally with the races, or that different races have affinities for, and all of them have ways of attempting with varying degrees of success to avoid corruption. 

Elemental (Sinodyte, hypothetical bird folk )

Druidic (Lotho, Aelth)

Shamanic (Shar, geb)

Dreamers (hypothetical sea folk)

Druidic magic uses and manipulates the life force inherent in the natural world. Corruption is unusual but not unheard of, as all life force on Maeleff is tied together with magic. 

Shamanic magic invokes local spirits. Again, as with Druidic magic, those spirits are composed of life force, which is tied ultimately to the same poisoned pool. Spirits may become corrupted, and so may those that work with them.

Elemental magic had the same dangers as sorcery. Slow, gradual and simple uses are fairly safe, anything else is extremely risky.

The sea folk (think deep ones) are mystics who divine with dreams, and manipulate dreams. It is a slow and simple form of magic and is fairly safe, though not absolutely so. 

Kel Mar, 38th Tyrant of Ammadhur.

Shar

Sava

Duer

Notes on magical traditions

Druidic magic exists, practiced primarily by the Lotho. The Aelth dabble in it, but they're really the "guardians of the forest" types, so much as the "vicious bastards that live in the forest".  Lotho Druids are known to frequently use an affect similar to the D&D/Pathfinder spell "Awaken", on plants and animals. Unfortunately, the awakened beam magical in nature, and are subject to the Blood. This has been the cause of a number of despoiled areas.

Shar magic tends to be Shamanic in nature.

Sava have no magical tradition, for obvious reasons.

Geb magic is primarily shamanic and personal, concerned with changes to oneself more than anything else. Includes blood rites and sacrifice.

Kin are very adaptable, and use any kind of magic they can find,their own traditions are ceremonial in nature, with spells traditionally cast by entire troupes working together.

Sinodyte magic is rare, and tends to be elemental in nature when it exists.

Umami magic is arcane and ceremonial in nature.

Duer magic is a combination of ceremony and enchantment.