Difference between revisions of "Artan"

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Artan, son of Drogun, of the Mrenbar Dwarves of the Crimson Atoll

Born in the Year of Dragon's Reverence, during the 6th year of the 190th King's Age

Background

Born on the Crimson Atoll, the dwarf is a scion of the Mrenbar clan. The Crimson Atoll is home to a culture set deep into the Silt Sea, which knows almost nothing of the outside world. Solid land they hold in fear and mystery, for if they have any contacts it has been with the Dragon's domain in the center of the Silt Sea. Ruled by a hetman assisted by the various ship captains and clan heads, they have held for centuries on the silt, buoyed eternally by psionicists trained in shipfloating. Zhor the Half-Elf brought gold and change.

Artan was trained in psionics by Melenarchus, an ancient hman clairsentient, who helped spur the dwarf's interest in a world beyond his own. Artan's strict father is Drogun, an able seaman aboard the Dragon's Crest. Artan's maternal uncle is Rokur the One-Eyed, who is 1st Mate aboard the Crimson Drake, and it is he who pushed Artan to become a shipfloater/psionicist for the Atoll, as this is a respected profession aboard the atoll.

Mranen, Zhor's half-elf agent who deals with the Crimson Atoll, picked Artan out for special note, noticing that Artan's shadow would burn away as he neared the mysterious gate to Dantareth lodged in rock outcropping from the middle of the silt. Years later, when Zhor had joined the army of Xal'gren, Mranen sent Zhor world of the dwarf's unusual ability.

Zhor soon sent after Artan, and so he was brought over the Silt Sea on a great journey to General Xyestes' old citadel, whereat Zhor claimed the Trident of the Navarch, and found psionic enchantment scroll magic written on a wall. Knowing this powerful divination magic would be useless against Nibenay or any other of his great enemies, he used it to find Warrior God.

Timeline

Artan's Campaign Start: 43rd Year of the 190th King's Age, Free Year 18, the Year of Enemy's Fury

Magical/Psionic Items

The Trident of the Navarch, a psionically empowered trident of submission +3 (Prime Material, Athasian make) (prime material damage: 1d6+3/3d4+2)

History/Description: Forged by the Master Navarch and Polemarch Karos, a mighty Balic templar (18th level templar/20th level psychokineticist), it was lost centuries ago when Karos was slain by the Order. Karos created the trident when he was an 18th level psionicist. The claws of an air drake were made into tines bound by leather and the beast's spinal cord. The Order threw the trident into the Silt Sea, as it was corrupted by magic, but it was nonetheless recovered by a Balican templar subordinate to Karos. Seized by Xal'gren from a navarch (admiral) of Balic upon his conquest of that city, the trident was given Zhor and mentally defeated by him at Xyestes' citadel in the barrens outside of Balic.

AL: NE, int 14, Ego:  ?, Personality Score:  ?, Languages: at least Common and Balican... there may be others

Weapon Primary Abilities: deflect silt (+2 bonus on related saving throws), see through silt, detect silt danger (180 ft. range)

Submission: if struck, save vs. spell; if fail, check morale instead of attacking; if failure, hopelessness, cease fighting and surrender for 2d4 rounds

Special Purpose: to slay wizards (bearer receives a +2 bonus on all saving throws regarding wizards and sorcery, and if damaged is caused by sorcery, the damage is reduced by 1 for a minimum of 1 for each damage die rolled)

Extraordinary Powers: clairaudience, 30 yrd. range, x3/day, 1 rnd./use; defiler scent, 120 yrd. range, x3/day, 1 rnd./use)

PSIONIC SUMMARY

MAX PSPS: 124, MTHAC0: 13, MAC: 2, ATTACKS: ID, PsC, PB, DEFENSES: TS, IF, TW,

Sciences: telekinesis, project force, telekinetic barrier, kinetic control

Devotions: inertial barrier, deflect, mass manipulation, momentum theft, control body, control wind, levitation, soften

The Gray

Planar Boundaries and Prohibitions

The astral plane does not touch upon Athas or any of its boundary planes, and thus planar travel completely beyond Athas to the astral or outer planes is all but impossible. The Ethereal Plane shares some ties to the Prime Material Plane in Dark Sun, as Ethereal conduits to and from the Elemental Planes extend via Ether Cyclones through the Gray, allowing elemental spells to be granted, elemental spirits to take shape and travel to the Elemental Planes easier through these conduits.

The Border Gray

Very similar to the Ethereal, the Border Gray is hazy, and reduces all other colors to shades of gray. Clear vision into the Prime Material is reduced to 12 feet in daylight, 6 feet in torchlight and only three feet in candlelight. Sound passes from the Prime Material and to the Border Gray, but these sounds are muffled and difficult to make out clearly. Complex conversations from the Prime Material are impossible to discern. Emphatic and simple statements such as “help!” or “look out!” are audible in the Border Gray at up to ten feet. No light or sound from the Border Gray will ever spill into the Prime Material world, regardless of how intense. Vision within the Border Gray itself is usually some 120 ft.

Movement on the Border Gray is as the normal movement rate of the traveler, which is accomplished simply by willing it so. As long as the traveler’s encumbrance is such so that he would normally have at least a movement of 1, in the Border Ethereal he is counted as being unencumbered. Movement is possible in all directions, including up and down, as if flying. Being in the Gray allows one to travel through solid objects on the Prime Material, although exceptions to this rule are that it is impossible to travel through living beings, and that certain magical spells, glyphs and also heavy metals may prevent passage via the Border Gray. Travel to the Deep Gray from the Border Gray is achieved simply by willing it (wisdom check for newcomers), which takes a full round.

The Border Gray is not as powerful as the Deep Gray, and thus if anyone is trapped in the Gray, the Border Gray is safer, for it only drains one point of constitution per day.

The Deep Gray

Tactical Movement in the Deep Gray The maximum speed possible is 10 yards per minute (30 feet per melee round) per intelligence point. Sudden stops and changes in direction can occur at will with no ill effects. Encumbrance slows down the traveler in the Deep Gray by a 10 ft. per round penalty for every 10 lbs. carried. Intelligence determines additional carrying capacity. Magical items have no encumbrance.

Anchors in the Gray: The Mindscape When utilizing astral projection on Athas, the individual in question appears on a spiritual anchor or mindscape, which is to say a representation of the place which is of most importance to the projector. This mindscape may be of most any size or dimension, but it is not something over which the projector has control. The best example of this is the manifestation of the Pristine Tower when Sadira of Tyr is spiritually pulled into the Gray by wraiths loyal to Borys of Ebe, as detailed in The Cerulean Storm:

“The sorceress was far from panicked. While she would not be as comfortable in the Gray as her foes, she knew more about this place than the wraiths realized. If they expected her to assume they had killed her simply because she found herself in the Gray, they were badly mistaken. The Pristine Tower serve as ample evidence that Sadira was alive. A reminder of the most significant event in her life, the spire of white rock acted as a lodestone for her spirit, holding it together and preventing it from dispersing into the haze. Before they could destroy her, the wraiths would have to drive her off its steps.” –The Cerulean Storm, The Gray, p. 74

In game terms, the mindscape of a projecting character loosely acts as the silver cord for the character. While upon it, the projector may stay within the Gray indefinitely, being immune to the draining effects of the plane. For every 24 hours spent on the Gray outside a mindscape, a full level is permanently lost, restorable only through the use of powerful magic.

The mindscape anchor is effectively invulnerable. It bears all the physical characteristics of the location or building being mimicked, and appears substantial and not ethereal. Therefore, the structure can be damaged by great force, as might a normal building, but only a force of the very great power indeed could totally destroy the mindscape. Effectively, the same principle of invulnerability of one’s astral silver cord applies to the mindscape: no normal force may destroy it. If some power truly obliterates the spiritual anchor, the associated spirit(s) has no way of returning to its physical body, and thus it is likely doomed to slowly be level drained until it dissolves into the Gray like every other spirit.

The mindscape anchor acts as the bridge between the Gray and the Prime Material Plane. Appearing in the Gray via psionic astral projection is relatively simple, requiring only the normal one round preparation time of the power, but returning is considerably more difficult. Returning from the Gray while in the mindscape requires 1d100 rounds. During this time, the psionicist spiritually explores the concept of returning to the Prime Material Plane. Usually this manifests in traveling through the mindscape, the boundaries of which flex and mold to suit such a spiritually journey. For instance, if someone’s mindscape anchor is a Tyrian market in the Elven Quarter, the empty Elven Quarter may sprawl for a considerable distance, even beyond the distance it spans on the Prime Material, as the projector searches for that part of the mindscape which is most precious to him, or otherwise serves as the most poignant spot. For example, in the case of Sadira, the very top of her spiritual Pristine Tower was what served as her way of returning to the Prime Material world.

Traveling in the Gray

The Deep Gray exists outside of space, so although objects and persons may appear within visible range, this does not mean that unseen locations are near or far from anyone. Actually arriving at specific mindscapes, locations or to the boundary of the Ethereal Plane or Astral Plane requires great vision of mind, for the traveler must maintain the concept of his destination in his throughout the journey. In the case of attempting to travel to any location which one has never been to before, for which he has no map or magical/psionic spell or power guiding him, the times listed for travel below are multiplied by 1d6.

Skirting the Curtain of the Border Gray to Reach a Certain Location on Athas: 1d10x10 hours

To a Free-Floating Physical Location in the Gray: 1d10x10 turns

To a Specific Mindscape Anchor or Demi-Plane in the Gray: 2d10x10 hours

To the Border Ethereal: 1d10x100 hours

To the Astral Plane: 1d10x100 hours

To the Border Gray: 1d10x100 hours

Leaving The Gray for the Ethereal or Astral Planes

In the case of first-time travel to the Ethereal or the Astral from Athas, this is exceedingly difficult. Once the traveler has successfully traveled the time indicated for achieving either of these planes, it remains to be seen if he has become thoroughly lost in the Gray. This check is most difficult, as it is a wisdom check made on a 1d100 roll. If this is a failure, he must start all over again. If the traveler has made such a journey before, the chance of becoming lost in the Gray is reduced to a traditional wisdom check.

Even if the character achieves reaching the End of the Gray, his mind must be great enough to break the Boundary of Reality that separates Athas from the rest of the multiverse. This is handled as a percentile roll, modified only by an individual’s magical defense adjustment bonus as given by wisdom:

Result Astral Plane Ethereal Plane

Lost 01-15 01-08

Failure 16-95 09-65

Success 96-100 66-100

Lost indicates the character is hurled back into the Deep Gray prematurely, in which case he may attempt the Boundary once more. Failure indicates the traveler must save vs. spell (wisdom bonuses apply) or be slain as his spirit is eviscerated upon nearing the Event Horizon. Even if he survives, the character in question suffers as if slain in the Astral Plane having come from the Gray, as described below.

Astral Projector Slain in the Astral, Having Come from the Gray

If a traveler’s astral form is slain, his spirit is immediately hurled back to the Gray, away from his mindscape anchor. The traveler then falls into a coma for ld4 + 1 days, during which only a full wish or alter reality will awaken him (the level draining effects of the Gray apply during these days). At the end of this time, a system shock roll is made. If it fails, the individual dies. If the system shock roll succeeds, the character regains consciousness with the following restrictions:

-Regains consciousness with 1 hit point. -No spell casting or psionics until at least half hit points are regained. -Physical movement reduced by half until half hit points are regained. -Attacks with a -4 penalty until half hit points are regained.

Healing magic can bring the victim back up to full hit points, but all penalties remain in effect until enough time has passed for the victim to have regained half his hit points without curative magic. (This time is measured in terms of true time.)

If he is still alive, once a traveler awakes from his coma, he may attempt to return to his mindscape anchor. To achieve this, he must travel for 2d10x10 hours, and is otherwise subject to the normal traveling in the Gray rules.