Tag: srlm
Whisperer of Secrets (The Hangmans Tree)
Posted on July 28, 2022 in Steel-Realms
The Whisperer of Secrets is a hangman’s tree, is one of the Guardian Trees of Dunstrand Vale. It is filled with corpses (swaying gently in the fetid breeze), knows a secret. It will trade knowledge for a fresh corpse added to the tree’s branches. Or, it will trade minor memories and knowledge for a time of hanging in the tree. Finding it again will be next to impossible. It can only be initially be encountered accidentally. It can be tracked through hearing the creaking rope of the nooses in the distance – often mistaken for ships rigging. The tree will tempt those it can, or at the very least pique their interests… Those hearing it will hear it get louder the closer they get.
Encountering
Following the sounds, the mist clears and before you is a massive tree. A full trunk that twists upon itself and leans southward as it reaches skyward 40m. It has massive roots and branches, wherein dozens of bodies in various stages of decay hang, the ropes around their neck groaning and creaking as they sway gently in the breeze.
Origins: The tree is modelled as a miniature version of the world tree – a kind of memory vortex into The Pattern in which a person experiencing death opens a connection to the Halls of the Dead and knowledge is drawn from the spirits and dreams it is bound to. Places (worlds) where Equitas Crystals are found in volume will always manifest an instance of this, perhaps even multiple. It can be laid to rest only by powerful magics or epic magics that can permanently kill masses of foliage and corrupt the land. Usually only to crop up elsewhere in the world.
A breeze blows, sickly sweet, and a voice carries on it. “I am the keeper of secrets. My roots go into the earth and across all lands. I hear the plans of beggar and king alike whispered in the darkness. Such knowledge is mine to give as to make you powerful and rich, all I ask is a watering of my roots with your lifeblood or another’s. Offer a living, twitching soul or climb up and hang in my branches upon a noose of your own making to learn the secrets you seek. But know this, whatever you choose, this place will be a dark hole in your memory to you – you will never find your way back here with any abilities you possess. Powerful divination may uncover the truth, but if you do, any further truth seeking will only have a greater cost. What say you?”
Parameters: If a victim hangs, it must hang to death. No rope will break once cast on it’s branches. To prepare to hang, the tree insists that the items belonging to a hanging character be placed in its roots – part of the sacrifice. Victims must hang for 24 hours, and if they die, they cannot be cut down. If any attempt is made, the tree will attack with it’s branches and roots, summoning all manner of beasts from the locale. HP can be shared, but the sharer shares the fate – though not have to hang but stay.
Looting the Tree
Trying to take from a body hanging in the tree or loot will animate as some form of undead and cause the tree to attack. Most items are absorbed in the roots. Those worn drop into the soil and are absorbed. “A bargain was made!” If asked, “It is part of the sacrifice”.
Incarna d20™ Whisperer of Secrets Details/Mechanics
Looting the Tree
Bodies will animate as a wight or mummy.
Finding the Tree
[ i ] > DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) to hear the creaking rope [of the nooses] in the distance.[ i ] > DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) to hear the sound of a flow of hundreds of coins hitting the ground.
Its the equivalent of Legend Lore in the information it can give and needs at least a Divination spell to find again after the first time. DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check to know what it is.
Gaining from the Tree
Initially, the character must sacrifice HP (from max. HP total) permanently. Can also sacrifice a level/1 Essence per 1hp after they make their first sacrifice. If you have done it with HP sacrifice before and find the tree again, the next must be Essence.
A character can try and gain personal power by hanging themselves in the tree for 24 hours, during which time they appear to be dead. The character must make a [Fated] DC 20 Constitution check – minus the Health or Essence they sacrifice. If they fail, they die permanently. If they succeed, they take permanent damage equal to their sacrifice but such things that can be gained: A feat (loss of a level and max. HP of that level); Knowledge of a spell (-1 hp per spell level); a spell slot (-4 hp x spell level); Proficiency in a Skill (damage equal to their current Proficiency Bonus minimum); Proficiency in an attribute (damage equal to double their current Proficiency Bonus minimum); Knowledge of a treasure hoard (-1 hp per 1000sc value of it), etc. If a level loss corresponds to a feat (i.e. 4th for all) the feat knowledge/capability is lost.
Treasure Horde: 50% will be the value of Real Goods + Archeological Value they can sell, they other in coin. There will be a 1 +1 (For each 1000 in value) in d6 chance of d4 minor magical items to be part of it.
iCore Whisperer of Secrets Details/Mechanics
Astrology
Posted on July 26, 2022 in D20 iCore Skill
Astrology is a real force in the iVerse (as opposed to the pseudoscience it is perceived as in modern times). It is a divinatory/revelatory practice that can reveal some small Sign or Oracles denoting either positive or negative outcome under specific circumstances. It is usually practiced as a Ritual.
Though most practitioners of who call themselves astrologers are charlatans preying upon the weak, the true cosmological Pattern delvers seek to reveal Portents by mystic sight and travel. They are trained to recognize markers and weaves within The Pattern in order to reveal the significance and probability of future events. These can seek out auspicious moments (favorable to them or least favorable to opponents) to attempt tasks, pathways to truth and knowledge, and even insights into journey-taking. The act of Astrological Delving catalyzes the weave around the target – making the likelihood of their vision nearly certain (though details leading to and away from the vision are open) – it would take a strong Essence to impose a change to The Pattern to change the delving outcome. A delving can be done on any moment which is greater than an hour in the future. The delver loses 1 essence until the moment has passed or is no longer relevant, and makes a fated skill check. A Reveal check will reveal randomly what the portents will be. A Seeking check attempts to find the best moment: full = A Favorable Encounter (the entire moment); major = A Favorable Instant (the initial round of the moment); average = A Rancorous Instant (the initial round of the moment); simple = A Rancorous Encounter (the entire moment); failure – unclear, no further checks.
Frame of Reference: All Skills are bound by the character's Setting (physics), and the details that their culture/society's Science (gathered by Technology), direct experience, and/or collective Records are capable of revealing. A character may not be able to apply their full measure on a different world, with different species and tools. With a common frame of reference, multiple specific Lores can stack.
i20™ Skill Details
i20 Skills REPLACE d20 skill proficiency: Add the skill level + modifiers to the check ( Proficiency Bonus not used).
A single Result Check to assess Success or Failure AND quality which may be impacted by conditions which indicate a Lack of Capability (Unfamiliar, Unproficient, etc.). The GM can { } Narrate it, and players may request an appropriate impact when anything other than a basic outcome is indicated. Character Points are Rewarded by the GM to improve Skills (and other Features).
iCore™ Skill Details
Astrological Delving
Astrological Delving can also be used to have a vision of or trigger a Sign.Common Requirements: Aptitude 1 or 5 Allotted Essence of either Divine, Occult, or Psychic aptitudes.
Incarna d20™ Astrology Details/Mechanics
One possible outcome is to treat it as the Augury spell.
Wisdom is the associated attribute.
iCore Astrology Details/Mechanics
Grollen Dark Spirit Totemic Warrior
Posted on July 26, 2022 in Character-Experience
Under the surface of their choice to walk out of the darkness lurks a defiant, savage spirit so fierce it defied the gods of darkness. In becoming Grollen, they burned away that darkness but its embers still burn deep inside of them. This often happens when a tribal member goes feral, insane, or is cut off from the tribe and must survive alone far from help.
Incarna d20™ Dark Spirit Details/Mechanics
The template for the dark spirit is the Totemic Warrior template that taps into the DnD Gnoll past.
Source: Player’s Handbook – Everything is the same unless noted.
Totem Spirit (Gnoll): This requires NO physical totem for the Grollen. It is part of their soul. Rampage: While raging, when the gnoll reduces a creature to 0 Hit Points with a melee Attack on its turn, the gnoll can take a bonus Action to move up to half its speed and make a bite Attack.
Aspect of the Beast (Gnoll): While raging, 1/round on a [major/full] successful bite attack, the character will gain a number of HP equal to their bite damage (though no more than a 1st level False Life spell/6 HP maximum). These temporary HP fade when the rage ends.
Totemic Attunement (Gnoll): Their features take on a darker hue, and their aspect becomes more infernal. They gain Advantage on any attempt to use the Intimidate skill or to track a creature that can be using scent. 1/Short Rest they can, as a Bonus Action, bark a howl of fear at a single target within 5m, requiring the target to make a DC 20 Sanity save or be affected by the Frightened condition for 3 rounds – this is not just in relation to the character.
iCore Dark Spirit Details/Mechanics
The Long Summer of Elancil (CY 9000)
Posted on July 25, 2022 in Steel-Realms
The Long Summer of Elancil is a Steel Realms Timeline Event; Prevalent recorded knowledge.
CY 9000 The Summer That Would Not End
In the spring of 9000, a sweet wind sweeps from the heartlands in Fahyl and it is the most fertile year in a hundred years. The Summer lasts nearly 55% longer than normal, tapering off into a few weeks of Fall, then Winter. Soon after this, the Curtain of Night retreats slightly, eventually regaining its place, but the raiding in the lands of light halves overnight. It tapers off to next to nothing over the next couple years and the pattern of the curtain fluctuating and the Darklands going silent lasts four decades, continuing into present time.
Elancil claims the long summer as her own. She and her followers take credit for the odd persisting effects that holds The Curtain of Night at bay… or at least the Orrish in the Dark Lands grow quiet. Although there is no unified ‘ask’ by her, the expansion of Gwinn in the north is somewhat ignored by the High King. He tries to enjoin their leaders in diplomacy, though it is mostly to delay hostilities more than anything else. It is believed that ultimately, it is to gather strength and solidify alliances in the face of an expansionist vision.
Black Herald of Everdark
Posted on July 21, 2022 in Steel-Realms
Black Heralds of Everdark are fiends, powerful and calculating devils that are bound to the service of the goals of The Unholy Trio.
Specifically, they are Everdarks’ heralds (in service to all the gods of darkness though) – they gather intelligence and coordinate purposed raiding with the priests of darkness and heads of the Orrish tribes/clans (that’s not just done for random fear/terror); They will report back, fleeing if possible by flight. Their intelligence makes them the leaders of expeditions into lands of light – they are not affected by the Sun-Bane. The heralds, when summoned with a special ritual known only to the High Priests of Everdark, are imbued with a portion of The Mind Beyond – they require no rest or sleep for long periods. They leave an faint infernal smell when they linger in an area and the most powerful from records are capable of invoking an extremely potent version of the Hungerdouse Effect. It is said that the summoning and training of these was part of the Herald of the Entourage of Shadow.
Attendants of the Black Heralds: The Attendants of the Black Heralds are typically goblins – minor priests of the Unholy Trio that are bound to the herald by a ritual of blood magic. On their forehead, they were branded. Thus symbolized that they were not to be killed. It is the herald’s eyes and ears – the herald could take in their senses like a familiar.
Herald and Attendants
i20™ Black Herald Details
The Black Heralds are Spined Devils. They can summon the Minor Veil of Tears: Fog Cloud x3 area above ground to protect dark-dwellers from the sun bane.
Range of sensory discernment and granted powers for Attendants = 40 miles.
Attendants: Goblin – Cleric 1 > War; AC 14 (1 resilience – bracer), Health 3hd 18hp; 2 obsidian daggers (d4/1 slash + d4/2 necrotic; +3 attack)
- Granted Powers: snuff light source 3/day as a reaction @ 20m
- Voice of Blood and Darkness
- Spells [2 slots]: Toll the Dead/Thaumaturgy/Guidance; Inflict Wounds, Detect Magic, Command
- Upon death, his body is consumed and a Swarm of Spiders engulfs the nearest for.