Kelvernia: Sulat

Okay, I've been boring everyone with these setting nation blurbs long enough. This is the last one. I saved Sulat until the end because I felt it was the most interesting (or at least crucial) to the setting's history, as well as being a potentially rich source of adventure hooks.

Sulat was once the seat of the Sulati Empire, which ruled nearly all of Kelvernia. From what is now Lossara to the edges of Glaw, all peoples were under the thumb of the serpent empire. The sulati ruled the seas in their bronze war galleys and conquered wherever they went. The subject nations tithed food, wealth, and slaves to their masters, and sorcerer-priests sacrificed prisoners to their dark god Baal. The demihuman races were hunted to near extinction, and fled from human lands.

Such was the way of the world for over twenty generations, until nearly all the conquering forces were suddenly withdrawn from the vassal states, ordered to return immediately to Sulat. The native peoples seized their chance and rose up against the reduced garrisons, defeating their oppressors. When the newly freed men of Kelvernia mustered enough forces, they sailed on Yarlat, the imperial capital.

What they found was desolation. Nearly half the city was leveled and corpses choked the streets. Signs pointed to some massive battle, but only Sulati dead were found. Later, the invaders discovered that some of the Sulati had fled into the jungles, but attempting to track them all down was a useless endeavor. The power of the empire had been broken.

Today, Sulat is a shell of its former self. Its people are dark and thin. In place of their former arrogance is now a low cunning. Some trade still occurs at Yarlat, as the jungles yield rare plants and woods, but the city is still mostly ruins, with ramshackle structures littered around the harbor.

The changed are common here, moreso than in most parts of Kelvernia. Some folk believe this is related to the empire's demise, but the demon star appeared hundreds of years after Sulat fell. Metalmen are conspicuously absent, however.

The dread worship of Baal, once the state religion of Sulat, is now outlawed everywhere. The "new" sulati claim to follow the Five, but rumors persist of hidden jungle temples that still practice human sacrifice.

The language of Old Sulat was never the lingua franca of Kelvernia. Rather, it was the tongue of kings and priests. Much magical lore and ancient history is written in its script. Today's Common Tongue –or "New Imperial"– is a descendant of the "Low Sulat"tongue and a pidgin of various indigenous languages.


OK! That sums up the basics of the geography. The (initial) info I would give the players would be much shorter. Probably just a line or two. Next up I think I need to make a few more rules decisions and then move on to working up some actual campaign/adventure hooks. 

Kelvernia: Arganta

To the south lies the arid land of Arganta. Most of the population lives along the coastline, fishing and sailing. There is a long history of piracy and raiding among the Argantans, and many merchant ships have fallen prey to their swift longboats. 

The Argantan people are swarthy and tend to be shorter than northerners. Culturally they have a great zest for life and tend to be somewhat fatalistic about danger. While many make living off plunder and theft, they are not without their own peculiar code of honor. The corsairs value their reputation for courage above almost everything, so anything that might make them look craven is avoided at all costs.

Despite its seafaring prowess, the wealth of Arganta lies in the interior; in the wastes. There, rare spices and herbs grow amid the blasted rock and sands. Many expeditions to collect such commodities never return. Those that do can make a man rich. 

The changed roam the wastes in vicious bands and some of the wildlife has "warped" as well, making it doubly dangerous to venture there. It is even said that there is a town of metalmen somewhere in the desert, but most dismiss this as mere rumor.

Kelvernia: Lossaran Steppes

The Lossaran Steppes are a rolling, semi-arid, grassland. The Lossars are horsemen without peer. They live in semi-nomadic clans, moving their tent cities every few months. They live by herding cattle and trading between the clans.

Lossaran steeds are the finest in the world. Unlike the heavy draft horses of the west, or the small shaggy ponies of the Tolkat, Lossaran horses are sleek and fast, but can run for hours. As a result, the Lossars favor mounted fighting, favoring spears and curved swords with light armor. They also employ a style of horse archery using short bone bows that is particularly deadly. Some clans will hire out warriors as mercenary light cavalry. 

Once a year, the clans bring their horses and cattle to market at the town of Rat, on the Cramond border. For two weeks merchants come to trade with them and buy their livestock. It is a time of contests, races, auctions, and general high spirits. A clan with good herds can make a great deal of money to use in the coming year, so the Lossarans are eager to see all goes well. 

The Lossarans are not very religious. They believe in respecting their ancestors, and in the turn of the seasons, but not much else. Their clerics are more like shamans or medicine men than priests. 

Like anywhere in the world, the changed can be found in Lossara. Each clan has their own attitudes toward these individuals. Some are tolerant, some kill them on sight. Metalmen are treated in much the same way. 

Bring on the Mutants!

OK, now to get down to the nitty-gritty. One of the things that I'm having trouble with is the question of how to handle mutants and androids in the setting. Are they monsters/NPCs? Can players play whatever they want? What's the best way to balance the power levels, etc.? Since the idea is that Kelvernia is a "fantasy" world, and the PA (post-apocalyptic) stylings are a recent occurrence, I want to use LL/BX as the "baseline" system-wise.

(Yeah, kinda like that!)

At the moment, I am leaning toward allowing "changed" humans as a playable race, but not using every mutation on the Mutant Future list. Here's where my version is at right now:

THE CHANGED (MUTANT)

• Attacks/HD/XP/Saves as Halfling. Also, level caps at 8th.
• Start with 2 random mutations at 1st level. Drawbacks are part of same tables. 
• The Changed gain a new mutation at 3rd, 5th, and 8th levels.
• Save at -4 vs. mutating energies.
• The Changed suffer a reaction penalty of 4 when dealing with any other race (NPC or monster).

The player can choose to be a changed animal, human, or plant. Changed are assumed to be at least halfling-sized (but no larger than human), of human range intelligence, and capable of speech (though perhaps having some difficulty articulating certain sounds depending on the shape of their mouths). Changed humans or animals roll once on the physical and once on the mental charts at the start of play. Changed plants are also assumed to be mobile. At start of play, mutated plants roll once on the plant and once on the mental mutations.

When a changed PC gains a new mutation (i.e. at 3rd level, etc.), the player rolls a die. An odd result means they gain a mental mutation, even means they roll on the physical (or plant) table.

    


I realize the above makes for an extremely random PC, but I figure that's sort of the point when playing a mutant!

I'm still on the fence about the MetalMen (androids). The version I came up with used Elf progression for XP, saves and to hits (with the 10th level cap). PC Metalmen are humanoid constructs whose AI has developed self-awareness and free will (to a degree). Their background programming causes them to tend toward Lawful alignment. They do not sleep (magical Sleep doesn't work), are immune to most normal poisons and diseases.

Androids start with a fixed number of hit points (probably 50), but cannot be healed (magically or otherwise), they must be repaired or repair themselves (self-repair rate is 1d3 per day, assuming it has at least 8 hours to work on themselves and basic equipment, which most androids have built-in or on their "person" by default). More elaborate repair kits and facilities exist, but are like Healing Potions, with limited supplies/doses. If an android is "killed", it cannot be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated. Only direct divine intervention or a Wish can bring it back.

Androids have an affinity for hi-tech artifacts, and can figure out how to use such objects with relative ease. Androids gain a +20% to Technology rolls.

 

We shall see. Perhaps they should stay NPC-only. 

Thoughts? C&C?