9 Things Savra Belabranta Can Tell You

Some notes for my online group playing in my Princesses of the Apocalypse game.

Member of the Feathergale Knights and (former) ally of the Cult of the Howling Hatred, Savra Belabronta has followed you back to the town of Red Larch, and is willing to share what she knows about "this whole cultist mess in the west".

1. The Feathergale Knights is was a flamboyant order of knights from strongholds all over the west of Remlia. An absolute boys club (until Savra came along), the order commissioned Feathergale Spire as a private club house they could operate out of. They mostly just ride hippogriffs around, hunting monsters, drinking, and telling old war stories.

2. Secretly, the Feathergale Knights were a collection of gay soldiers wanting an 'all male' place to stay in order to get away from the pressures of hetero royal marriages. Savra admits that this is most likely why she wasn't welcome there. Without their leader Thurl Merosska vouching for her, she probably would have been kicked out.

3. Less than two months ago, Merosska promoted Savra to second in command. He explained that the Knights had a new purpose: serving the Air Princess. They were given new armaments, new flying mounts, and new orders. Merosska assured Savra that their new purpose would better the west; that the Feathergale Knights would become the champions of justice they always claimed to be.

Their new orders consisted mostly of spying on other cults and foiling their plans whenever possible (especially the Cult of the Black Earth). They were also to kill, kidnap, or torture anyone who got to close to the underground Air Temple.

Savra explains that she thinks Merosska never really liked the Air Princess, or taking orders from her. She got the impression that the Air Princess wounded his pride. Savra was conflicted about this, because she secretly loved Merosska, but she also holds great respect for the Air Princess, who she felt was "another female noble having to make her own way in the world, just like me".

The Air Princess

4. Savra has never been to the Air Temple proper, or actually met Aerisi Kalinoth, the Air Princess in person, but she does know a bit about its layout and armaments:

• The temple is built into a long abandoned, underground dwarven city called Gran Besil.
• The portion of the city the air cultists control is made up of old shoppes and stores, as well as a mausoleum. A great waterway flows through it.
• It is guarded by a tribe of loyal crow-men, numerous specialized cultists with powerful weapons, and air elementals.
• She knows that kidnapped commoners are sent to the temple. She thinks they may still be held captive there. 

5. The cult of the Howling Hatred is allied with the Slime Princess, Ice Princess, and occasionally the Cult of the Crushing Wave. They despise the Cult of the Black Earth and their leader Stone Princess, and regularly try to sabotage their training efforts in a nearby haunted site called the Sacred Stone Monastery. *She marks its location on your map*

6. The Cult of the Howling Hatred has been instructed not to interfere with the Slime Princess and the Ice Princess' plans for Port Martel. They have infiltrated the city and its magisters, made the Viscountess disappear, and are planning on marrying off the Viscount to the Ice Princess Yuki in order to solidify their hold on the west. 

7. Each of the cult princesses wields a powerful magical weapon. The Air Princess' one is a spear called Windvane. She doesn't know what it does, but she's heard that Aerisi keeps a collection of mortal victims around to keep it powered up. 

8. All of the princesses and cultists fear the Bone Princess in Gravetown. She is allied with no one...yet.

9. While she didn't take part, Savra had heard that the princesses' take over of the abandoned Gran Besil was met with resistance from a summoned angel. It took their combined effort to repel him, smashing his wing and head with their weapons. The angel used his flaming sword to wound Wave Princess, giving him the opportunity to escape.

They had assumed that the angel had succumbed to his wounds and died, but she says that the Feathergale Knights happened upon a broken angel wandering the hillside. They captured him, but he was stolen away the same night Thurl Merosska was murdered. She says they never got around to sending word to the Air Princess of the angel's survival. 

The angel in question(?)

Remlia Map Breakdown

I'm gearing up to run Princes of the Apocalypse, but in my home setting of Generica (of which Remlia is the main country where humans live).

I've run G+ games there before, but in different sections of the country. Here's a quick image to show where exactly Eastern and Western Remlia are located on the map proper.

Also I have no idea how the scale works. At times I've described Remlia being about as big as Washington state, other times its more on par with Ontario.

Lore Garbage: 10 random facts about Remlia

Dungeon Master Appreciation month is nearly over, and I've decided that its end should be celebrated by dungeon masters getting the opportunity to be a little self-indulgent with their settings. Check out the 'rules' of Lore Garbage and how it works on Google+.

Here are 10 random facts about Remlia, the main country of Generica.

1. Paper money. Called "Queenbills", these paper bills have replaced the minted gold and silver coin in Remlia. As such, moneychangers are quite common. This is believed to be caused by a tremendous influx of foreign gold pieces when adventurers from other worlds invaded two centuries ago.

2. Halfling Slaves. Up until recent history, halflings were considered a slave race in Remlia, useful only for toiling away in fields or mills. While slavery has been abolished for almost a hundred years in Remlia, halflings are still commonly associated with farming.

3. Immaculate Conception. The Battlehammer line of queens in Remlia are immaculately conceived. Once crowned, a queen can suddenly become pregnant, and that unborn child is the new 'one true heir'. Any/all children conceived normally by a Battlehammer queen is considered a bastard.

4. Womanly Pursuits. In Remlia, magic and warfare are considered to be female callings. A man may become a wizard or a fighter, but he'll seldom rise in rank to commander or arch-witch. It is a common saying that "...a man's place is in the fields, or behind the counter of a shoppe".

5. Elfheim. The southern city of Elfheim was built as a refuge for escaped slaves from the bordering country of Figaro. Most 'free elves' live there. It is built on the ruins of Gran Turath; a city that sunk into the depths of hell itself, spawning the first Tieflings. Elfheim lies above many dungeons.

6. Gran Remiel. Capitol city of Remlia, Gran Remiel is almost the size of Manhatten, and lies upon an island inside a huge lake. It has been noted that Gran Remiel has more shoppes that sell exotic animal barding and ceremonial knives than it does alehouses and taverns. Nobles and politicians in need of drink send each other bottles of wine through a series of pneumatic tubes that run beneath the city.

7. Cats are Potions. It is believed that most, if not all cats in Remlia are secretly liquid, and become drinkable when a specific command phrase is uttered. All cats are different kinds of magic potions. Mackerel Tabbies become healing tinctures, Bobtails become regenerative salves, Munchkins become shrinking potions, Devon Rexes are potions of polymorph, etc. Tigers and Lions become potions of greater potions of agility and courage, respectively. No one has tried to drink a Rakshasa, yet.

8. Evil Elves. Remlia is currently at war with the southern elven nation of Figaro. Figaro high elves can live to be 1000 years old, but they mentally and emotionally mature at the same rate as humans. There is no 'long view' with elves, and they are seldom patient. They are prone to curmudgeonly behaviours, agist attitudes, narcissism, and eventually madness. Hence why they often become despots and dictators.

9. Crystal Dragon Skulls. All Bahamut ever does is grant wishes. It is said that when the fabled seven crystal dragon skulls are gathered in one place, Bahamut will appear and grant a single "bullshit free" wish. The skulls are thought to be hidden all over Remlia.

10. Firearms. Red Falcon, a notorious group of shady mercenaries in Remlia, are rumoured to have invented the first crude firearms, which they will sell to anyone who pledges to use them to kill the Queen of Remlia (Penelope Escha Battlehammer XIII).

Carousing, Philanthropy, and Research: Spending time in the free city of Tyr.

(These rules are subject to change, as they may be revised during play).

I'm currently running a dungeon crawl game set in Dark Sun; the only published setting I actively want to run and play in. Because I'm tracking time outside of the game as passing in game, I decided I need some carousal rules to fill the space.

Eventually I'll port these rules over to cities in Generica as well (Gran Remiel, Port Martel, Elfheim, etc).

Carousing, Philanthropy, and Research:

Rolling on these tables requires two things: At least 2 uninterrupted days/nights in game where your PC isn't incapacitated, cursed, imprisoned, etc, and an amount of gold pieces equal to what you put forward.

While in Tyr, roll 1d8 x a set amount of gold (25gp/50gp/100gp). You spend the amount of gold rolled for on sapwine, gambling, pleasurable company, and bets (carousing), charity, investments, and good deeds (philanthropy), or access to scholars, secret information, and spies (research). In return, you earn an amount of experience points equal to the gold spent.

If you don't have enough gold to cover what you rolled, others can chip in to help. You earn as much xp as you can afford, and players who helped you earn an amount of xp equal to the amount of gold they chipped in. If no one volunteers to help you, you earn the xp of whatever amount of gold you can spend, but must roll on the result table(s) below, but with a d10 instead of a d20.

If you spend 150gp or more on carousal, philanthropy, or research, you get to roll on the result table(s) below.

Carousing (d20):

1) You make a fool of yourself in front of everyone. You gain no XP. Make a Charisma save (moderate DC) or become known in Tyr as a drunk.
2-3) You run in deep while gambling, and now owe three times what you originally spent to a cabal of elven merchants. Refusal to pay is an invitation to being killed.
4) Your sexual dalliances have left you with a disease. Roll on the Athasian venereal disease table.
5) Your rowdiness gets you arrested by Templars. Pay five times what you spent in carousing or be held prisoner in 'The Hold' for a month (or plan to be broken out of prison).
6) You lose all your wealth gambling. Roll Wisdom check for each magic item/metal item in your possession. Failure indicates it’s gone.
7) You drunkenly sleep with a bitter rival/villain. He/she/they swear revenge on you, seeking you out in your weakest moments.
8) You get a bad tattoo. 45% chance that it's in a random language you cannot read, and is insulting to those who can.
9) Awful hangover. You take disadvantage on all Constitution checks and saves for the following 24 hours. Restoration spells and items can cure this.
10-15) No ill effects. Party hard!
16) You gamble and break even. You regain the amount of gold pieces you spent on carousing.
17) While drinking, you make friends with a valuable NPC who can become a hireling or a source of future patronage. She/he gifts you a random trinket.
18) You become romantically entangled with a noble or templar. She/he/they becomes a new bond for your character, and can offer you favour in the future. She/he/they gifts you a random trinket.
19) Incredible gamble! You win big at rot grubs or shell-fist, earning 1d4 x what you spent carousing back.
20) Spirit of partying! You lift the spirits of the women and men of Tyr. You make back what you spent carousing, and earn double the XP. You are remembered fondly by the common folk for a number of weeks equal to your level.

Philanthropy (d20):

1) Your hard work and money actually goes into funding an organization opposed to you. You gain no XP, and they use the money you put into philanthropy against you in the future.
2-3) Your generosity attracts the attention of thieves. Make a Dexterity saving throw (Hard DC) or lose all your wealth/possessions and start play with half of your hit dice.
4-5) Your altruism has made you an enemy of the Templars. You now have enemies of high standing who will try to thwart your future actions.
6) Your generosity insults the pride of those you are trying to help. You cannot perform Philanthropy in Tyr for 1d6 + your level sessions.
7) Your donations cause conflict among the lower class. Your reputation is now at stake. You cannot perform Philanthropy in Tyr for 1d4 sessions.
8) You garner the attention of a rival philanthropist (noble) who wants all the credit for your actions. You now have an enemy of moderate standing who will try to thwart your future actions.
9-15) No ill effects. How benevolent!
16) Your actions grant you a piece of information that may be useful to your current quest or future adventures.
17) You gain an ally of moderate standing who will try to assist you.
18) You gain an ally of high standing who will try to assist you.
19) You gain the attention of a secret organization working to better people's lives in Tyr. They grant you an amount of gold pieces (in favour) equal to what you spent on philanthropy.
20) Champion of Tyr! Your generosity and good-heartedness are becoming legend in Tyr. You earn double the XP. You are remembered fondly by the common folk for a number of weeks equal to your level. 

Research (d20):

1) The abyss gazes back! Your research leads to a horrifying discovery. You lose the amount of XP you stood to gain, but you are now aware of a vital (and shocking) piece of information.
2-4) Burn out! Staring at musty tomes and grilling old coots has left you mentally exhausted. Make a Wisdom save (Hard DC). Failure means you gain no XP.
5-6) Your curiosity draws the attention of an enemy. You now have an enemy of high standing who will try to thwart your future actions.
7-9) Dead end! Your research leads to nothing. You gain a quarter of the XP equal to how much you spent researching.
10-15) No ill effects! Highly logical!
16) You gain information that could be useful on your current quest or future adventures.
17) You gain information that grants you inspiration (advantage) in this session.
18) You learn a new Intelligence based skill or new language.
19) Cartography! You piece together a working map of a level of a dungeon you're currently exploring (or a lost treasure map to a different location).
20) Brain blast! Same result as 1, but you earn double the XP.