Question about common lore before Age of Heroes - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Question about common lore before Age of Heroes

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
dyssolve
Mar 04, 2011 14:05:03 Hi all, I'm running a DS campaign pre-Age of Hereoes, so we're at the height of oppression here. I'm going to have my players follow the Dregoth Ascending module from Athas.org, but I have some questions regarding common lore.

Remember, this is before Prism Pentad and the death of The Dragon.

How many people know what the origin of the SK's are?

How common is knowledge of The Dragon?

How many people know who or what Rajaat is?
#2
khorne37
Mar 04, 2011 15:09:35 Not many people know the origins of the SK's the thought is they are a couple of centuries old. The dragon is known of but the knowledge that people are sacraficed to him is not and Rajat is not known of.
#3
dyssolve
Mar 04, 2011 15:26:54 To that end, do people even know what a dragon is?
#4
khorne37
Mar 04, 2011 17:28:29 As in he is Borys 13th champion of Rajat? No, they know him as the most terifying creature on Athas who has been known to destroy cities and villages on a whim. All this information is from the wander's Journal from the 1st boxed set if your wondering.
#5
fromost_the_grimm_02
Mar 04, 2011 19:16:43 To the average person, the Sorcerer-Kings have simply always been, and always will be. Who or what they were in ages past isn't something most people contemplate, as most people's days are simply a struggle for survival. More powerful and influential individuals and organisation such as the Order would know more, but the average Athasian has no real sense of history at all. Most probably won't be aware of who the Sorcerer-Kings of most distant city-states are, and what information they do have would be exaggeration and rumour. In the same vein, to most, the Dragon of Tyr is but a myth ... most who see the Dragon never live far beyond doing so, so the vast majority of information about the mighty creature is heresay. This isn't so much due to specific efforts on Borys's part, but more because he has so little need to roam the wastes of the Tablelands.

It's in the best interests of the surviving Champions to keep the general populace in a state of naivety ... the more people know, the more they want to know, and that path can only lead to questioning the Sorcerer-King's sense of omnipotence. This is the reason why both arcane magic and even reading are illegal in most city-states; an unknowing populace is a docile, accepting populace.

As for Rajaat ... to my thinking, anyone even uttering the name in a Sorcerer-King's earshot should expect nothing less than a terminal psychic reaming to find how how they knew of it, followed by post-mortem inquisition. The Champions have worked hard to keep their past secret for two millennia, and would take it coming up in casual conversation over a cup of tea somewhat seriously.
#6
dyssolve
Mar 05, 2011 13:38:15 It's been a while since I read the journal (like 15+ years).

My assumption was indeed that dragons are stuff of obscure myths. This is a good refresher.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dyssolve Mar 04, 2011 14:05:03	Hi all, I'm running a DS campaign pre-Age of Hereoes, so we're at the height of oppression here. I'm going to have my players follow the Dregoth Ascending module from Athas.org, but I have some questions regarding common lore. Remember, this is before Prism Pentad and the death of The Dragon. How many people know what the origin of the SK's are? How common is knowledge of The Dragon? How many people know who or what Rajaat is?
#2 khorne37 Mar 04, 2011 15:09:35	Not many people know the origins of the SK's the thought is they are a couple of centuries old. The dragon is known of but the knowledge that people are sacraficed to him is not and Rajat is not known of.
#3 dyssolve Mar 04, 2011 15:26:54	To that end, do people even know what a dragon is?
#4 khorne37 Mar 04, 2011 17:28:29	As in he is Borys 13th champion of Rajat? No, they know him as the most terifying creature on Athas who has been known to destroy cities and villages on a whim. All this information is from the wander's Journal from the 1st boxed set if your wondering.
#5 fromost_the_grimm_02 Mar 04, 2011 19:16:43	To the average person, the Sorcerer-Kings have simply always been, and always will be. Who or what they were in ages past isn't something most people contemplate, as most people's days are simply a struggle for survival. More powerful and influential individuals and organisation such as the Order would know more, but the average Athasian has no real sense of history at all. Most probably won't be aware of who the Sorcerer-Kings of most distant city-states are, and what information they do have would be exaggeration and rumour. In the same vein, to most, the Dragon of Tyr is but a myth ... most who see the Dragon never live far beyond doing so, so the vast majority of information about the mighty creature is heresay. This isn't so much due to specific efforts on Borys's part, but more because he has so little need to roam the wastes of the Tablelands. It's in the best interests of the surviving Champions to keep the general populace in a state of naivety ... the more people know, the more they want to know, and that path can only lead to questioning the Sorcerer-King's sense of omnipotence. This is the reason why both arcane magic and even reading are illegal in most city-states; an unknowing populace is a docile, accepting populace. As for Rajaat ... to my thinking, anyone even uttering the name in a Sorcerer-King's earshot should expect nothing less than a terminal psychic reaming to find how how they knew of it, followed by post-mortem inquisition. The Champions have worked hard to keep their past secret for two millennia, and would take it coming up in casual conversation over a cup of tea somewhat seriously.
#6 dyssolve Mar 05, 2011 13:38:15	It's been a while since I read the journal (like 15+ years). My assumption was indeed that dragons are stuff of obscure myths. This is a good refresher.