Specifically, our group has collectively decided to explore within or close to the city-state of Nibenay. We'll have an extensive character creation session this coming Sunday, where we will also tackle their backstories so that they know what will motivate their characters. It will be fleshed out by then, but so far we have:
- Dragonborn Sorcerer: A templar of Dregoth that is sent from city to city to examine the state of affairs in each. Dregoth is perceived dead by the Sorcerer-kings, so he is to keep his identity a secret as much as possible.
- Changeling Assassin: A human mutant that can change his form and formerly one of Nibenay's "shadow hands." (You can tell that this player is a Star Wars fan.
) He knows nothing about his life prior to becoming mutated. He was suddenly disposed of by the Shadow King when the news of King Kalak's death began to spread, and now has an unhealthy hatred for the templar wives hunting him that he used to spy on. - Human Psion: A Nibenese middle-aged noble whose wife and daughter were both taken away forcibly to become templar-wives. He should probably own one of the springs in the Plain of Burning Water, but I don't know much about that yet.
- Dwarf Battlemind: Not much info on this guy yet, other than he will want to pursue becoming the ultimate Nibenese warrior as his focus. He is bent on that focus mentally and physically. I'm currently thinking of nudging him into becoming a free gladiator endorsed by the noble character.
- Halfling Ardent: Very little info here, but you all know how Athasian halflings can be. XD XD XD
- Undecided Bard/Swordmage: Again, very little info here until Sunday. I'm trying to nudge the character towards bard, as those are more readily accepted in Nibenay with their love for song and dance (?).
Now, hopefully the character motivations will be enough to get the game going, but in case the players get stumped and don't know what to do, I also want to prepare a list of 25 Nibenese rumors. The idea is that with a Streetwise or a skill challenge, they will have access to one of these rumors and be able to go somewhere with it.
The rumors will be arranged numerically. 1-5 are rumors that are either false or will get them in trouble if pursued, 6-15 are rumors that will let them explore Nibenay in detail, 16-20 are rumors that will probably put them in favor of either templars or the veiled alliance, 21-25 will lead them to actual secrets in Nibenay. I will be rolling a d20 behind the screen, with a penalty for botched checks and a bonus for very successful ones. -2/+2 sounds right for the bonuses. And of course, after they hear a rumor, it will be slashed from the list, and other rumors will be pushed down to fill the void.
Now this is a very nice concept, IMO, but there's one problem: I am still a Dark Sun n00b. >.> I can barely fill out the list of rumors:
- We slaves talk about the story of one named Kowett. Kowett used to be a slave of the Shadow King himself. Taken in as a concubine by one of the templar-wives, she eventually favored him and showed him an underground passage that leads from the castle all the way to the crescent forest. Now Kowett lives with his slave tribe deep in the forest, and he regularly goes to the city to take more slaves to freedom.
- Alakesh was a third city-state in the Ivory Triangle, but it was destroyed hundreds of years ago by the Shadow King and his armies. The name of Alakesh’s ruler has been stricken from recorded history, but it has been said that she was once one of Nibenay’s templars who raised Alakesh from the desert with arcane magic.
- They say most templars only meet the Shadow King on their wedding nights. A few are called regularly into his chambers, but most are just shadow brides that receive the ill fortune of a cold bed for the rest of their lives.
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- The Shadow King has favorites amongst his many templar-wives, that's for sure. But whether intimate or not, it is said that he only takes counsel from his five high templars.
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- The Zwuun: Sometimes teenaged Nibenese will sneak into the guarded springs outside of the city in the Plains of Burning Water, just to listen to the spirits of the waters sing. Occasionaly, it has been heard, that some Nibeneses have even heard the spirits sing about real people. Rich Noble children will often throw vast sums of metal coins into the springs to get the spirits to answer their questions.
- The Dwelling (Rumor from the Noble quarter): The cleanliness and high standards of the Monastic Order of the city has recently been infected by freemen embarking on a Dwelling. These freemen impose their children on the Monasteries for a period of 30 days. The monks, used to tending crops and distilling beers and dwelling on philosophies, have now been forced to care for children and their ignorant ways, children that should be focusing on learning trades, farming or other manual labour like other freemen. There are signs that an up-and-coming monk, by the name of Kayardi Drasad at the Exalted Path, will set things right.
The Dwelling (Rumor from the Freemen quarter): Thanks to the generocity of the high monk Kayardi Drasad of the Monastery of the Exalted Path, the ancient tradition of the Dwelling has made a comeback. We can enlist our children on the path of the Way at the Monasteries, in hopes that the monasteries will accept them for further teachings - the state owned schools are just too expensive. It has been heard that many children have already been accepted for further teachings at the monasteries. - @
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- Not a lot of people talk about it anymore, but a few decades ago the templars demanded a sacrifice of twenty young men in the name of the shadow King. My son was one of those unfortunate enough to be taken. I never saw him again, and I don't even know what the sacrifice was for to this day.
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- It doesn't really make too much sense, but people whisper that the highest-ranking templar inside Naggaramakam, Siemhouk, is only 14 years old. The Shadow King stripped some of the other high-ranking templars' powers, but Siemhouk remains in his favor. Isn't that a curious little thing?
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Yes, it's practically empty. So, if it's not too much trouble, will you fellow DS fans help me fill this out? Other opinions on a Nibenay-style sandbox, or sandboxes in athas in general, will also be appreciated.
(I hope none of my players find this thread. >.>)
Rumors: The Prism Pentad obliquely infers that when somebody as important as the monstrous Dhojakt (Nibenay's only son) is hurt, templars round up sacrifices to make him better. This could be a ritual that transfers life energy to him. The rumor can be speculation about this little known fact.
And sure, steal away. For my part, I didn't even read about the Villichi until you mentioned them. A group of shunned psionicist women, huh? I wonder how they'll operate if put inside Nibenay?
I remember at least one SK has sons and daughters that are considered royal, but they have no hold on any title present or future. There might be two. Abalach-Re, for sure. Plus one other, probably.
Dhojakt is an active defender of his father's domain, entrusted with lots of power, more than many templars call their own.
If any of you have more rumors about Nibenay, it would be nice of you guys to contribute. ^__^
The Zwuun: Sometimes teenaged Nibenese will sneak into the guarded springs outside of the city in the Plains of Burning Water, just to listen to the spirits of the waters sing. Occasionaly, it has been heard, that some Nibeneses have even heard the spirits sing about real people. Rich Noble children will often throw vast sums of metal coins into the springs to get the spirits to answer their questions.
There's also a little tension between and within the various Psionic schools. Maybe a psionic character might be interested in what's going on... particularily if it involves the Order.
The Dwelling (Rumor from the Noble quarter): The cleanliness and high standards of the Monastic Order of the city has recently been infected by freemen embarking on a Dwelling. These freemen impose their children on the Monasteries for a period of 30 days. The monks, used to tending crops and distilling beers and dwelling on philosophies, have now been forced to care for children and their ignorant ways, children that should be focusing on learning trades, farming or other manual labour like other freemen. There are signs that an up-and-coming monk, by the name of Kayardi Drasad at the Exalted Path, will set things right.
The Dwelling (Rumor from the Freemen quarter): Thanks to the generocity of the high monk Kayardi Drasad of the Monastery of the Exalted Path, the ancient tradition of the Dwelling has made a comeback. We can enlist our children on the path of the Way at the Monasteries, in hopes that the monasteries will accept them for further teachings - the state owned schools are just too expensive. It has been heard that many children have already been accepted for further teachings at the monasteries.
...any of these sound interesting?
I actually had some luck with the Ivory Triangle. A friend of mine had a copy and I was able to borrow it. I think I'll mine it for more ideas, and add in other rumors of my own after.
