Making A Villain Who Wants To Create World Peace By Any Means Required - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Making A Villain Who Wants To Create World Peace By Any Means Required

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
leliel
Nov 18, 2009 17:49:31 Well, I have long wanted to DM a mecha-anime game in Eberron, even to the point of creating a villain-Rikath Arathale, ancient archlich and mecha pilot.

Since I already have a picture of who he is in my mind, I'll just put down the motive exposition (which, given that I plan on it being PbP, will not be interrupted by players).

One other thing-the speech is in outer space, which results in some of the metaphors.

"Take a long gaze at this planet."

"From above, it looks like a blue and green jewel, surrounded by a ring of eternally rotating diamonds. Serene. Peaceful. Happy."

"Yet, you and I know different, don't we?"

"On the surface of that gem, terrible wars and tragedies have occurred, and are occurring. Some of them, I am ashamed to say, I caused. Most, however, can be said to be the ultimate fault of others, or the cruel whimsy of nature. The Last War, for instance-a seemingly unending battle royale of shifting loyalties and betrayals, all kept alive by bitterness and hate. Still is, as much as the Khovari would like to ignore it."

"But it is old hat for me. I have seen the world end before, and watched as the planet kept on turning, heedless of the new blood on it's surface. It will probably keep doing so after I am gone."

"I am a soldier, my friends. I have seen my friends die, my family die, my superiors die, my entire civilization die...but I didn't. I still had hope that you would learn from my race's mistakes, that I could entrust my knowledge to your cultures as you learned from the mistakes of your ancestors. So I entered into the state of the archlich, not truly alive, but neither quite undead, so I could watch over the Ruestli empire's lore until that day."

"And I watched, as our nieces and nephews cheerfully forgot the lesson we had so bitterly learned, cast aside in the hubris that they would somehow cheat the corruption of power and devolved into petty bickering."

"I watched, as the graves of my brothers were defiled, the once proud and wild Sarlona wrapped in chains of dreams and psionic energy under a false pantheon. I watched, as Erandis d'Vol was destroyed by those who feared her potential, rather than her. And I watched, as the War of the Mark took the lives of those for the crime of being different. Many times, I thought I could watch no more, and I began to crave the sweet release of death."

"But I still watched."

"To ease the pain of my continued life, I took up research on Dolurrh. I poured my time and energy into the Shadowfell, learning as much as I could. Did I hope to comfort myself by trying to believe that the dead were in a worse state than half-life? Maybe. But it was a century ago, that my studies came to fruition-I saw through the plane, to the ultimate destination of those who die and move on. It was...wonderful."

"That was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back for me."

"You see, beyond the dreary place we think of as the afterlife, there exists a sea of souls. Actually, 'souls' isn't the proper term-it is a sea of a single gestalt soul of those who have walked before, vast and dreaming."

"In that instant, I connected to that great, sleeping being, that I knew-Dolurrh is not the end, but a transition. It is where the soul, devoid of all connections in the world around it, begins a journey-not one of distance, but of within. In it, they comes to realize that there is no more that should hold them to the material realm. Some don't make it immediately, of course-there's a reason for the undead not created by necrotic energy alone. But eventually, most do, and they, unfettered, leave Dolurrh and dive into and are subsumed by the sea-soul, their memories adding to it's fantastic waters. By a process I can only describe as tides, some of the memories soon coalesce into nascent souls, and are sent back to the world, in a nigh-endless cycle of death and rebirth."

"What is the purpose of this ouroboros? Is it to make the sea-soul large enough to split like an amoeba, creating new worlds? Is it so our planet can grow, defending itself against truly foreign invaders like the inhabitants of Xoriat? Or is there no purpose at all, just a meaningless, beautiful jumble of a series of chaotic events that spontaneously became a system in a moment of perfect evolution?"

"Whatever the case was, it felt right to me. Naturally, I was incensed."

"How dare the dead find eternal peace, while I fight a battle I lost long ago? How dare they live on in fantasy and bliss, while I must contend with the misery of the real world? And how dare they sleep, when I must stay eternally awake, watching as the world slowly destroys itself?"

"But you know? It gave me hope."

"I had long succumbed to the belief that the planet had no meaning to it-that we were automatons contenting ourselves with the illusion that is free will, when we know that the events of the world are far out of our hands. But knowing that there is a purpose, even a somewhat meaningless one, finally awoke the vital spark of faith and belief that had long gone out in me-not in any deity or higher power, but that even if I failed to change the world, my memories would live on as new souls, just as my nation has. I realized that even if you fail in your attempt to change the world for the better, if your faith in yourself and your passion for your cause is truly strong, that you will still have made an impact on the face of the planet for having been there."

"I now know that I had been hiding behind the shield of nihilism and apathy, silently cursing the world while I sat and did absolutely nothing to make it better. Now I understand-while I had been watching, opportunity for me to remake the world, and reforge it for the better of all had been knocking. I now shall take action to unite all the disparate countries of Eberron into a single order, one whose dictates are controlled by the laws of peace and community, not war and factionalism."

"No, I do not wish to rule this world. I have done too many terrible things, and seen so many more, that the only use for me is to finally dive into the living oblivion of the sea-soul, and unload far too many memories than any human has a right to retain."

"But I will no longer watch."

Yeah...kinda got the personality down pat.

But how do you think this should influence his actions?
#2
Ogiwan
Nov 20, 2009 9:15:51 He seems to be going for a "Phoenix" kind of rebirth for the world. Ok.

He also seems to like Dolurrh. I've always thought that the Mournland had very similar characteristics to Dolurrh. One of my pet theories for the Mourning is that Cyre wanted to create a barrier around its territory. Of course, this went wrong, and the Mourning happened.

So, who gave Cyre the idea, and the arcane know-how?

He seems to be going for something said in the absolutely wonderful Heirs of Ash trilogy: "Corpses are peaceful."

The idea I like the best is that he's trying to restart the Last War in the hopes that the artificers of Khorvaire will destroy Eberron, allowing it to be reborn in Phoenix fashion.
#3
darkspartan
Nov 20, 2009 16:36:41 My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha?

-Sarena
#4
The-Mage-King
Nov 22, 2009 14:06:55 I suggest you use this type of mecha, provided it's 3.5. If not...
#5
leliel
Nov 22, 2009 18:49:56
My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha?

-Sarena

Still working on it.

I am a WoD player at heart, so I work on story and themes before crunch.

And while the "Eberron Phoenix" sounds nice, he isn't a Woobie Destroyer of Worlds-he hasn't so completely lost faith in humanity that he wants the slate to be wiped clean and start life over; he just thinks that the world has entered a "cycle of decay" as he calls it, and he wants to forcefully change the politics of Khovaire so it gets it act together, and stops the Last War from starting up again.

Still...The "caused the Mourning by a mistake" sounds nice. I'll have to remember that.
#6
Ogiwan
Nov 22, 2009 22:33:02
My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha?

-Sarena

Still working on it.

I am a WoD player at heart, so I work on story and themes before crunch.

And while the "Eberron Phoenix" sounds nice, he isn't a Woobie Destroyer of Worlds-he hasn't so completely lost faith in humanity that he wants the slate to be wiped clean and start life over; he just thinks that the world has entered a "cycle of decay" as he calls it, and he wants to forcefully change the politics of Khovaire so it gets it act together, and stops the Last War from starting up again.

Still...The "caused the Mourning by a mistake" sounds nice. I'll have to remember that.

Story and themes before crunch is a good idea anyways. You can always work out mechanics from story; working story from mechanics is a bit more of a chore.

Concerning the "accidental mourning" idea, I originally conceived it as a part of a plot of the Lords of Dust to release the bound Rajahs. I love the LoD as the sort of malevolent organization that was behind the fall of the Giants, the fall of Dhakaan, the start of the Last War, and the Mourning.

Conspiracies are fun.
#7
Hellcow
Nov 23, 2009 19:35:18
Concerning the "accidental mourning" idea, I originally conceived it as a part of a plot of the Lords of Dust to release the bound Rajahs.

I think this is a perfectly valid idea, but were I to go with it, I'd make it the release of a SINGLE overlord, who essentially radiates the Mourning around him. Currently, he's studying the world and scheming, but if he were to move, he would bring the Mourning with him wherever he goes... and as his power builds, the Mourning would spread.

But it ties to the idea that each Overlord is a tremendously powerful force and embodies a different sort of concept. Unleash the Heart of Winter and you'll start a new ice age in that area. The Voice in the Darkness will cause a plague of madness. The release of the Rage of War will bring rioting and violence on all sorts of levels. The Shadow in the Flame will cause people to turn dark and cruel, and their shadows will begin to conspire against them.

So I think the Mourning Overlord is a valid explanation - I'd just make it one guy. ;) And, of course, it's one of the 169 valid ideas.
#8
Ogiwan
Nov 23, 2009 21:39:51 Releasing a single Rajah, or stealing the power of one, is what I meant. I don't know why I made it a plural.

I'm a fan of that because it lends itself to such a long-term, convoluted, and malevolent plot. Essentially, all of the chaos and war associated with the fall of the Giants, Dhakaani, and Galifar (and you can probably throw in the destruction of the Mark of Death and of the War of the Mark) were all arranged by the Lords of Dust in order to spur the sort of magical research necessary to unbind a Rajah, or steal its power.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 leliel Nov 18, 2009 17:49:31	Well, I have long wanted to DM a mecha-anime game in Eberron, even to the point of creating a villain-Rikath Arathale, ancient archlich and mecha pilot. Since I already have a picture of who he is in my mind, I'll just put down the motive exposition (which, given that I plan on it being PbP, will not be interrupted by players). One other thing-the speech is in outer space, which results in some of the metaphors. "Take a long gaze at this planet." "From above, it looks like a blue and green jewel, surrounded by a ring of eternally rotating diamonds. Serene. Peaceful. Happy." "Yet, you and I know different, don't we?" "On the surface of that gem, terrible wars and tragedies have occurred, and are occurring. Some of them, I am ashamed to say, I caused. Most, however, can be said to be the ultimate fault of others, or the cruel whimsy of nature. The Last War, for instance-a seemingly unending battle royale of shifting loyalties and betrayals, all kept alive by bitterness and hate. Still is, as much as the Khovari would like to ignore it." "But it is old hat for me. I have seen the world end before, and watched as the planet kept on turning, heedless of the new blood on it's surface. It will probably keep doing so after I am gone." "I am a soldier, my friends. I have seen my friends die, my family die, my superiors die, my entire civilization die...but I didn't. I still had hope that you would learn from my race's mistakes, that I could entrust my knowledge to your cultures as you learned from the mistakes of your ancestors. So I entered into the state of the archlich, not truly alive, but neither quite undead, so I could watch over the Ruestli empire's lore until that day." "And I watched, as our nieces and nephews cheerfully forgot the lesson we had so bitterly learned, cast aside in the hubris that they would somehow cheat the corruption of power and devolved into petty bickering." "I watched, as the graves of my brothers were defiled, the once proud and wild Sarlona wrapped in chains of dreams and psionic energy under a false pantheon. I watched, as Erandis d'Vol was destroyed by those who feared her potential, rather than her. And I watched, as the War of the Mark took the lives of those for the crime of being different. Many times, I thought I could watch no more, and I began to crave the sweet release of death." "But I still watched." "To ease the pain of my continued life, I took up research on Dolurrh. I poured my time and energy into the Shadowfell, learning as much as I could. Did I hope to comfort myself by trying to believe that the dead were in a worse state than half-life? Maybe. But it was a century ago, that my studies came to fruition-I saw through the plane, to the ultimate destination of those who die and move on. It was...wonderful." "That was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back for me." "You see, beyond the dreary place we think of as the afterlife, there exists a sea of souls. Actually, 'souls' isn't the proper term-it is a sea of a single gestalt soul of those who have walked before, vast and dreaming." "In that instant, I connected to that great, sleeping being, that I knew-Dolurrh is not the end, but a transition. It is where the soul, devoid of all connections in the world around it, begins a journey-not one of distance, but of within. In it, they comes to realize that there is no more that should hold them to the material realm. Some don't make it immediately, of course-there's a reason for the undead not created by necrotic energy alone. But eventually, most do, and they, unfettered, leave Dolurrh and dive into and are subsumed by the sea-soul, their memories adding to it's fantastic waters. By a process I can only describe as tides, some of the memories soon coalesce into nascent souls, and are sent back to the world, in a nigh-endless cycle of death and rebirth." "What is the purpose of this ouroboros? Is it to make the sea-soul large enough to split like an amoeba, creating new worlds? Is it so our planet can grow, defending itself against truly foreign invaders like the inhabitants of Xoriat? Or is there no purpose at all, just a meaningless, beautiful jumble of a series of chaotic events that spontaneously became a system in a moment of perfect evolution?" "Whatever the case was, it felt right to me. Naturally, I was incensed." "How dare the dead find eternal peace, while I fight a battle I lost long ago? How dare they live on in fantasy and bliss, while I must contend with the misery of the real world? And how dare they sleep, when I must stay eternally awake, watching as the world slowly destroys itself?" "But you know? It gave me hope." "I had long succumbed to the belief that the planet had no meaning to it-that we were automatons contenting ourselves with the illusion that is free will, when we know that the events of the world are far out of our hands. But knowing that there is a purpose, even a somewhat meaningless one, finally awoke the vital spark of faith and belief that had long gone out in me-not in any deity or higher power, but that even if I failed to change the world, my memories would live on as new souls, just as my nation has. I realized that even if you fail in your attempt to change the world for the better, if your faith in yourself and your passion for your cause is truly strong, that you will still have made an impact on the face of the planet for having been there." "I now know that I had been hiding behind the shield of nihilism and apathy, silently cursing the world while I sat and did absolutely nothing to make it better. Now I understand-while I had been watching, opportunity for me to remake the world, and reforge it for the better of all had been knocking. I now shall take action to unite all the disparate countries of Eberron into a single order, one whose dictates are controlled by the laws of peace and community, not war and factionalism." "No, I do not wish to rule this world. I have done too many terrible things, and seen so many more, that the only use for me is to finally dive into the living oblivion of the sea-soul, and unload far too many memories than any human has a right to retain." "But I will no longer watch." Yeah...kinda got the personality down pat. But how do you think this should influence his actions?
#2 Ogiwan Nov 20, 2009 9:15:51	He seems to be going for a "Phoenix" kind of rebirth for the world. Ok. He also seems to like Dolurrh. I've always thought that the Mournland had very similar characteristics to Dolurrh. One of my pet theories for the Mourning is that Cyre wanted to create a barrier around its territory. Of course, this went wrong, and the Mourning happened. So, who gave Cyre the idea, and the arcane know-how? He seems to be going for something said in the absolutely wonderful Heirs of Ash trilogy: "Corpses are peaceful." The idea I like the best is that he's trying to restart the Last War in the hopes that the artificers of Khorvaire will destroy Eberron, allowing it to be reborn in Phoenix fashion.
#3 darkspartan Nov 20, 2009 16:36:41	My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha? -Sarena
#4 The-Mage-King Nov 22, 2009 14:06:55	I suggest you use this type of mecha, provided it's 3.5. If not...
#5 leliel Nov 22, 2009 18:49:56	My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha? -Sarena Still working on it. I am a WoD player at heart, so I work on story and themes before crunch. And while the "Eberron Phoenix" sounds nice, he isn't a Woobie Destroyer of Worlds-he hasn't so completely lost faith in humanity that he wants the slate to be wiped clean and start life over; he just thinks that the world has entered a "cycle of decay" as he calls it, and he wants to forcefully change the politics of Khovaire so it gets it act together, and stops the Last War from starting up again. Still...The "caused the Mourning by a mistake" sounds nice. I'll have to remember that.
#6 Ogiwan Nov 22, 2009 22:33:02	My question is what mechanic are you planning to use to make Mecha? -Sarena Still working on it. I am a WoD player at heart, so I work on story and themes before crunch. And while the "Eberron Phoenix" sounds nice, he isn't a Woobie Destroyer of Worlds-he hasn't so completely lost faith in humanity that he wants the slate to be wiped clean and start life over; he just thinks that the world has entered a "cycle of decay" as he calls it, and he wants to forcefully change the politics of Khovaire so it gets it act together, and stops the Last War from starting up again. Still...The "caused the Mourning by a mistake" sounds nice. I'll have to remember that. Story and themes before crunch is a good idea anyways. You can always work out mechanics from story; working story from mechanics is a bit more of a chore. Concerning the "accidental mourning" idea, I originally conceived it as a part of a plot of the Lords of Dust to release the bound Rajahs. I love the LoD as the sort of malevolent organization that was behind the fall of the Giants, the fall of Dhakaan, the start of the Last War, and the Mourning. Conspiracies are fun.
#7 Hellcow Nov 23, 2009 19:35:18	Concerning the "accidental mourning" idea, I originally conceived it as a part of a plot of the Lords of Dust to release the bound Rajahs. I think this is a perfectly valid idea, but were I to go with it, I'd make it the release of a SINGLE overlord, who essentially radiates the Mourning around him. Currently, he's studying the world and scheming, but if he were to move, he would bring the Mourning with him wherever he goes... and as his power builds, the Mourning would spread. But it ties to the idea that each Overlord is a tremendously powerful force and embodies a different sort of concept. Unleash the Heart of Winter and you'll start a new ice age in that area. The Voice in the Darkness will cause a plague of madness. The release of the Rage of War will bring rioting and violence on all sorts of levels. The Shadow in the Flame will cause people to turn dark and cruel, and their shadows will begin to conspire against them. So I think the Mourning Overlord is a valid explanation - I'd just make it one guy. ;) And, of course, it's one of the 169 valid ideas.
#8 Ogiwan Nov 23, 2009 21:39:51	Releasing a single Rajah, or stealing the power of one, is what I meant. I don't know why I made it a plural. I'm a fan of that because it lends itself to such a long-term, convoluted, and malevolent plot. Essentially, all of the chaos and war associated with the fall of the Giants, Dhakaani, and Galifar (and you can probably throw in the destruction of the Mark of Death and of the War of the Mark) were all arranged by the Lords of Dust in order to spur the sort of magical research necessary to unbind a Rajah, or steal its power.