DMs Only: Bloodpack Bible
DM Material for the Sargrass Plains Uploaded 17.11.05. Updated with DM MikeK comments. Extra material by former DM Mike added May 2010 by Cayzle
DM Material for the Sargrass Plains
Greetings! CDM Jerry here. This document is both the bible and DM material for this setting which should prove to be extensive. I will simply handle things in a random order. As the campaign grows, additional monsters, secrets, etc. should be added to the material gathered here.
May the Plains either prosper or be destroyed according to Chance and Fate!
Selah!
Description of Plains
First think about the Kalahari desert. Now imagine it with magic, and we have the basis for the plains. I also suggest reading the book that is the source for this area: Grass by Sheri S. Tepper. The style of the place comes from several authors including the intrigue of Frank Herbert's Dune, the African content and secrets within secrets of Mike Resnick's Ivory and The Dark Lady. Underground areas are influenced by John Christopher's The Lotus Caves. Countless other authors and works also influence this setting.
The only plant life in Sargrass is the grass, in all its wondrous kinds and shapes. Animal life is very limited and strange in that there are only a very few species and those form a circle of life and evolution. So each species relying on the others for their complete survival.
While the Sargrass is hardy and nearly impossible to destroy, it is susceptible to mutation and changes easily and quickly without guidance. So it is both hardy as a species, yet susceptible to change.
create water spells seem to only create 1/2 of what they should on the Sargrass Plains.
Movement in the Sargrass Plains:
All walking movement is halved in the grass unless you're a druid, plainswalker or a manfri. No running--even for whose who can walk at normal speeds. It is like walking through bamboo. Impossible to run. Druids cannot lead others through the grass at normal speeds. She must either leave fellow travelers behind or slow down to half speed. If, however, you are traveling with a manfri or a plainswalker, you can follow them at normal speeds of movement.
Boats--all boats move at the same speed that those vehicles would move on water. Sails operate so that the boat moves just as on water. Look water movement.
Singing Oak repels the grass. Just like water.
Most grass is 10-30' in height as in the official legend.
Boats are flat. Like a sled. Front end curved up like a sled. Edged curved up a bit to keep out the grass. Displacement is the same as a raft on water. There is then very little displacement at all. Think about a hovercraft. This is kinda the principle. What happens is that it pushes down the tallest pieces of grass. It is hovering, but it pushes the highest growths of the uneven grass down a bit.
At a distance, the grass looks like a wheat field. Up close, the grass heights vary more.
There is repulsion and the boat floats.
In a very minor way, you have to decide which side of the environmental equation you're on to use a boat. You 're harming the ecosystem with the Singing Oak. So if you're environmentally inclined, you should become a plainswalker, instead of a ship captain.
Types of grasses and short descriptions:
[Jerry: List each new grass type as it is developed by the DM. Literally anything is possible. If it's included with the module, we'll simply approve it that way bypassing Cayzle as needed. If during play you need a new type simply invent it and record it here as you close out the module.]
There are at least 48 different cataloged types of grasses. Some are extremely rare, while others are as plentiful as air. Almost all grass types have their uses, and all of them share the same basic properties. Sargrasses are dry. They conduct static electricity. They repel the Wood of the Druid Tree.
Some of the specific types of grass are:
Purple Grass: This is a thick leafed species growing up to 4 to 12 feet high. It is used to make a brilliant red, blue, and purple dye.
Steel Grass: This is a thin bladed green grass that is easily woven into buildings and armor shapes. When it is treated with a paste made by the Manfi, it becomes extremely rigid and strong. The Manfri are known for wearing armor that can turn a tempered sword, made from this grass.
Wheat Grass: This is a wheat-like grass with seedpods that can be ground and made into bread.
Glass Grass: This is a thick and yellow grass when water is present. However, it becomes sharp and brittle when it dries out. In this dry state, it can shatter and cut like glass. Dried roots can be collected, pulverized and distilled into one of the finest liqueurs in the Wold. Post:- The pod needed for distilling purposes is located aprox. 8 inches deep in the earth under the stalk. It is oval shaped and black. It is dangerous to harvest these pods because if you pull too hard the entire stalk can and will fall in sharp pieces all over you. In order to harvest with out this happening one must make a Skills Check (HARVEST GLASS GRASS DC 4) or (GRASS FARMING DC 6) or (FARMING DC 12) or (Survival (Plains) 16) Should the check fail all those in a 5' radius of the harvester take 2d4 damage from falling shards. Violently disturbing the grass (i.e. Running haphazardly through it, fighting in it, boating on top of it, creates the same problems.) Every stalk disturbed falls for the same damage. A fight in the Glass Grass can kill all involved. Bare skin contact with the pod exposes person to seriously potent alcohol – Fort DC (really high) or get roaring drunk.
Campaign ideas with the woldsblood:
The basic campaign here is the conflict between the great themes of the Sargrass.
Sargrass vs. what was before What exists now vs. what mutates Sargrass now vs. what it might become
It is to be revealed that the "power" behind the Sargrass is Woldsblood itself. There are two pools/lakes of Woldsblood, underground, that is directly in contact with the Sargrass giving it power, adaptability, chaos, and causing mutation.
The northern pool is deep under the town of Rattledam. A great secret is that the hidden purpose of the town is to hide the Woldsblood pool.
As the characters level, the idea is to reveal secret within secret about the plains until about level 13 or 14, the truth is known. Then they must decide which side to be on as they become the foretold nexus of power that will decide the triple fate of the plains: destruction and reversal, preservation and maintenance, mutation and the unknown natural progression of things.
This builds to a grand ending at level 20 where all comes to a head and the party fights for the ending they select vs. the advocates of those who wish another ending.
Then whatever remains is where we start for the next group.
The two major powers are the Monks vs. the Manfri. The Manfri protect the Sargrass. The Monks want to destroy it. 6/5/2005 MikeK – Three powers, not two: Monks want to preserve the Sargrass as it exists. Mutations lead to change, and change is bad. They believe that only by remaining where they are will they remain safe. No going back, no going forward, perpetual sameness. Old Chinese kind of philosophy. Manfri want to allow the Sargrass to naturally mutate without external influence. They believe Sargrass is an organism with its own life cycle that must be allowed to continue. Druids want to destroy the Sargrass. They believe the Sargrass is an aberration that arose from the destruction of a natural forest, and they want to put the forest back.
The Baron's Men and various Raiders are basically neutral in the environmental debate – they seek power over men not nature. However, exceptions are found, such as the hidden Forsaken elements within both.
Module ideas outside the campaign focus.
--mutations of Sargrass animal or plant life --raider plot. They have scavenged a holy site, ancient site, portal to the future, wreck, treasure, and the party wants it first. --Baron's men plot. They have had their family villages where their women and children live attacked. They approach the party to help fine the culprit. Then once found they go off to get revenge, but this could throw off the balance of this or that so the party must now stop the barons men. --sickness. A plague is affecting all who are not one with the Sargrass. Only plainswalkers, animals, and manfri are not affected. Who or what caused it? Where is the cure? Find the cure. --New grasstype found. Raiders using it to make a drug to sell to Hook City. Drug makes men reckless and therefore feel that they are immortal. So death by reckless bravery abounds. Stop the raiders from making the drug. --Invasion from Offshore by some form of mutated animal, insect, or plant. --piracy of raiders increasing on trading routes. Stop them. --trip to offshore to find a lost trader. His rich wife paying for his return. --visit to climbers. Must prove themselves by climbing. Then they get what they needed which is usually information or support in another effort. --trip to Hook City. Need trading supplies for village or high clerical healing help for disease. --A trader in Hook City has been giving maps of the location to Rattledam. Find the trader, discredit the maps which turn out to be false. --monks didn't make it across the crystal mountains, travel with other monks and find out why. --tall men are after the group. Survive and find out why. --Druid trees dying. Find out why and save the druids. --What? Trees growing in the sargrass without druids? What's up with that?
Monster Philosophy and Development Theory
Ok, the policy is that native animal life is rare in type. You basically have the types listed in the Official write-up. However, you may:
Bring in outside life and let it go up against native life Let the official types mutate and watch as those pro and con to the survival of the plains all go to war to preserve them and condemn them.
Note that all changes to the status quo will bring out all the environmentalists pro and con. Monks against, Manfri for. Etc.
Insect life is abundant and can be used often. Note again that these mutate a lot. The emphasis many times should be what does this new mutation do to the fragile balance of the plains?
The plains are fragile, hostile, as well as being hardy, sturdy, and strong. Hard to kill, hard to control, easy to change or force to adapt and mutate. Play the balance of nature vs. the danger of the threat of the new mutation if any. Then bring in the various cultures of the Noble Races in the area with their varying and changing viewpoints about things.
Animals:
Blind (or Prairie) Swallow: This is a sightless bird. It seems to be about the only bird that lives within The Plains. This bird has no eyes and is very tasty when eaten and roasted.
Prairie Pig: This is a slug, about the size of a large dog, which again serves as another tasty roasted meal. Prarrie pigs are like giant larva no antenne. Domesticated ones are all one color, smooth and clear as their color changes the flavor of their meet, however these are mottled and all diffrent. Dosmesticated ones wave smaller feeding pads under them and their eye stalks are shorter, and domseticated ones would be moving toward you in hopes of a treat. For spell purposes, Prarrie Pigs are not animals.
Great Ranthom: This is a huge grazing animal about the size of a large Orca Whale. It has no teeth. Instead, it has something like an open scoop for a mouth, with the bottom edge being razor sharp. This animal has huge forelegs, but where the back legs should be there is a strange rolling appendage. This animal is rumored to never stop moving from the day it is born until it dies. The raiders like to travel in the wake of these creatures. Doing so allows one to traverse The Plains at ground level, which normally is extremely difficult. Rapke: This beast is a large animal that looks like a cross between a horse and a raptor like dinosaur. The animal is about as large as a small elephant. Sarg Moth: Little is known about this animal. It looks like a cross between a purple worm and a bat, or dragon. It is sometimes seen near dusk gliding over the deep plains, but it is very rarely seen at any other time.
Rapke
Large Animal?
Hit Dice: 6d8 + 24 (50 hp) Initiative: +3 (Dex) Speed: 50 ft AC: 22 (-1 size, +3 dex, +10 natural) Attacks: Bite +12 melee, 2 claws +7 melee Damage: Bite 2d8+8; Claw d4+4 Face/Reach: 5ft by 10ft / 5ft Special Attacks: Scream, Poison Special Qualities: Keen Scent, Immunity to Fear and Fear based attacks Saves: Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +4 Abilities: Str 26, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 15, Chr 8 Skills: Tumble +8, Jump +6, Listen +4, Spot +6, Wilderness Lore +2 Feats: Alertness, Dodge Climate/Terrain: Sargrass Plains Organization: Solitary or Pack (4 -- 20) Challenge Rating: Treasure: None Alignment: Neutral Evil Advancement: (7-12 HD) Large, (13-20 HD) Huge
Description: A rapke is a large animal that looks like a cross between a horse and a raptor like dinosaur. The animal is about as large as a small elephant. They typically stand 8' tall at the shoulder, and are 8-10' long. Despite their size, rapke are extraordinarily agile creatures and easily weave their way through the pack to bring down an opponent.
On their own, they typically live in packs. Rapke attack and eat anything they can find. A typical tactic is to split into groups. One group will then move in a long line through the Grass, herding any creatures before them into their compatriots who are lurking in ambush.
Combat: Rapke attack on sight, emitting a stunning scream prior to entering combat. However, they may retreat if the opponent is obviously winning.
Rapke prefer to attack weakened or stunned creatures first, killing them prior to engaging stronger foes.
SCREAM (su) -- Once an hour, the rapke can emit a piercing screech. All creatures within 60' (cone) must make a Will save DC12 or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Rapke usually scream at the initial contact with their prey. Note that the larger sized Rapke have a higher DC due to their intimidation.
POISON (su) -- Upon a successful bite attack, the Rapke injects its prey with an extremely powerful poison. All creatures injured must make a Fort save DC12 or lose 2d8 Dex. A second save must be made 1 minute later or lose 2d8 Dex. All the effects of the poison last 6d4 hours. Note that the larger sized Rapke have a higher DC due to a greater potency of the poison as the animal ages.
KEEN SCENT (ex) -- Rapke can smell water for great distances. They can detect any sweating creature (or similar water source) within a 180' radius, and can detect 10 gallons of open water at a distance of 1 mile.
IMMUNITY TO FEAR BASED ATTACKS (su) -- Conditioned to their own screams, Rapke are immune from fear attacks of other creatures and spells.
IMMUNITY TO POISON (su) – Rapke are filled with poison already, they aren’t effected by more.
Bounder
(regular version)
HD: 35ish hp
Atks: bite +9 melee, 2 claws +7 melee
Damage: bite d10+6, claw d6+6
(baronized version) Atks: bite +8 melee, 2 claws +4 melee Damage: bite d12+4, claw d4+2
Description - The face of the beast looks like some sort of demente cross between a frog and a bull dog. Three rows of teeth sit in the huge mouth. the Mouth itself is about 3 feet wide. Heavy armor plates overlap down the beasts back wich is also very frog like. The Front legs are thinn and small but long ending in clawed hand like things. Each capable of grasping and minipulating tings and each claw razor sharp. The hind legs are huge and shaped much like a giant Kangaroos. The entire beast is about the size of a pony, and suddenly you realize that this is just a baby.
Monsters:
These are defined as anything outside the normal Animal Cycle.
List any monsters developed here with any available information. Each listing should have whatever you developed. Storylines are important. Why are they here? Monster listings are important as well.
Sorry but to provide you with the variety of monster that you need, in this setting, which is environmental and interdependent, we must also show how it affects the things around it. How does it's appearance change the balance if it does. The richness of this setting centers all around the balance of this new artificial nature which is bizarre as it is rich and varying.
This philosophy should let you develop pretty much anything you need for the story you are crafting while letting things stay true to the spirit of the plains.
List as developed. Stats and story. Stats and story.
Large Spiders, Large Wasps, and a Nat/Misquito insect (Bloodfly) that stings and can "smell" open water for over 4 miles away, it travels in swarms and has lots of names.
Harvester Ants. They are ants about the size of your thumb. The worker and warrior caste have solid, razor shaprp penciers that can take a finger off.
Locations, Events, and Random occurances:
Water Bubble sort of bladder under the ground that burst when it was stepped on
Lightning Storm First you can feel it coming as the world takes on a bluish tint and the smell of ozone becomes strong. The small hairs all over your body stand up and then the others, all your hair standing on end. If you were touching some one you know letting go would be deadly now, or touching anyone else. The only option left. Stay as still as a statue. You watch the sparks become rays and the rays beome bolts jumping all about. it becomes the most amazing light show you have ever seen in your life. Blots of raw power arching over your head jumping from the tops of the grass across the clearing to the other side. A done of death rocketing above you in beauty and in death. The gods be praised it is an amazing sight and you know you are one of the few beings EVER to see suchj a sight. you can see the electricity passing though all the metal and heating it slightly. That heat you can tell would have become VERY uncomfortable but more importantly it would have made it next to imposibble to keep still. Every on can see another amazing sight. Gry's steel grass stuff seems actualy to repel the energy a bit. (Steel grass is resistant electricity 5) Sudenlly the popings start, just like the bag before. It is water. All water begins to pop and explode out of its continers. that must have been waht caused the bag earlyer to jump. Then as fast as it happened it is passed. The storm passes and nothing the any worse for the experience. you stand there smiling at each other on the muddy gound. Watter everywhere from the storm. water all over the ground, covering the area all around you. Water everywhere....
running seems to do the trick and unfortunately the water in your backs has busted. Why would this type of storm effect water in such a way, what would be the reason. fleeing through the grass you reach the skiff in time to climb a board. You notice as you run MANY incests and such pulling them selfs out of the ground shaking off dirt. Even the flying ones seem to know how to burrow.
Crystal mountains and how they explode, etc. stats.
The Crystal Mountains are solid crystal. However, a few crystals are always growing like small trees and it is they that explode.
If a voice or sound is heard within 20' of a crystal it must save vs. reflex (usually DC of 10 with no bonuses) or it reacts in sympathy with the sound and begins to vibrate. DMs can create extra sensitive crystals in places and crystals with less explosive sensitivity.
When a crystal becomes activated and begins to vibrate, it will explode in 1d3+2 rounds. When it explodes it does 1-4d10 damage to all within 20'. If another active crystal is within 40' of the exploding crystal, it must save or be activated.
Myrradin of the Gold Dragons and Defenders of the North is credited with blowing up a huge chunk of mountain by setting off a Flamestrike in the area. He did penance by first becoming a monk and then being attuned to his own tree in the plains for a year.
The secret part of this is that the Monks are actually against the Sargrass and loved what Myrradin did. They wanted to study his methods and see how his methods could further their plans in the future.
DMs may play with the numbers here a bit when needed. Certain areas may be more potent or less.
Monks:
There are three known sects of the Monk organization.
First, there is the Administrative Sect. This group is the public front and form the councils for Rattledam and like villages.
The party views the monks the monks in the Administrative sect as: Very strict. Secretive. Refer to them as "beaters" when Sargrass slang is used. Teachers. Protectors. Some are quite annoying.
Some citizens see them as principals and authority figures. Others as bothers. Others as priest types or druids.
Monks can be of any class. They do live the monk lifestyle though. No marriage or sex. Strict chain of command. Frugal lifestyle. Keepers of secrets.
Most also take levels in druids as they help with the growth, development, and mutation of trees in the Sargrass.
The ultimate leadership of the monks is found under Rattledam, but they are not the public face of the monk leaders of the town. In fact, this leadership is made up of the 3 leaders of the three Monk Sects.
Second, there are the Singing Oak branch of Monks. These monks work on the research of the Singing Oaks which are the Monk's weapon of choice against the mutations of the Sargrass. Ironically, the Singing Oak is also the weapon of choice for the Druids. The difference is the Mon
The monk organization does have the sole knowledge of what feeds the Sargrass: Woldsblood. However, they are at a loss of what to do with this knowledge other than attack with the trees. There is no way to affect the blood--to drain it elsewhere, cut it off back into the shadowlands, etc. It is as if they oppose the will of the gods or something like that.
The trees repulse the grass. Up to 5 monks with druid levels can commune with a tree. Some Monks live with their trees becoming something similar to a dryad. Others are just attuned to a tree through their druid levels. They can attune to one tree per druid level. This brotherhood of Monks that live with the trees are VERY rare and respected.
It would be possible for a druid of any type to commune with a tree, but if one ever did, the monks already attuned to that tree would strike back with a Tall Man attack.
The long term plan of the Singing Oak monks is too develop a mutated tree that repels only ‘abnormal’ flora and fauna. In a curious contradiction, they want to create Sentinel Trees bordering a “preserve” of the The monks have a third group that sings travelers through the crystal mountains. The singing monks silently drone on and on and somehow this droning keeps the crystals in the mountains from vibrating and allows trade through the mountains. They charge a fee for this service and this helps support the secret cause of the monks.
So the trees ARE the means by which the monks combat the Sargrass.
Rattledam government:
Run by the Administrative Sect of the Monks, the government consists of a council. This council has one member of each of the seven circles of secrecy that exist within the Administrative sect.
As the party advances through each circle and it's secret, their advisor will change, while the old advisor will be reassigned with the idea that the party not see that person again.
The monks intend on using the adventurers as an independent anti-Sargrass group. They intend on keeping the affiliation of the party secret, even letting them experiment with the philosophies of other groups as they mature. They are confident that when they present their case to the group at the right time that the group will see their wisdom and truth.
If the group takes another side however at this critical time, then they begin a new part of their journey with a new ally and a new enemy.
I leave it up to the DM to plan out these circles and what secret they hold as we advance towards the ultimate secret of the woldsblood and the monks purpose to destroy the grass with the trees.
Druids and monks in rattledam and their circles of secrecy:
The players were to go through the circles and discover the center of the ecosystem. Without this woldsblood the plains die. So ultimately the players find the secret and the swallows can 't mate and spread the dry woldsblood all around and the ecosystem fails. NO animal can evolve to the next form.
So the players eventually decide the fate of the plains. Destruction or preservation. The baron's men know this secret, but not where the wolds blood is.
The party will hopefully choose to keep the secret and preserve the manfri race.
The manfri are tied into the drakes. The old manfri tied mentally to the drakes, that magic affects all manfri, their magic, abilities, etc. trickle down effect.
Do you see the interdependence theme here and how heavy it affects everything?
Under Rattledam:
The administrative branch has their offices here. Think of this as CIA for the Sargrass plains. Then below that the northern pool of Woldsblood protected by 7 levels of barriers held, planned, and controlled by each of the seven secret circles of the administrative branch of the Monks.
The DM can design the details here.
Baron's Men:
Then there is the Baron. He and his men live in magically forged forts and barracks out there. Officially, they are neutral with regard to the Sargrass vs. environment debate. They are enemies both of the Manfri and the Monks. Should the Druids ever reach the point where they become a potential power, they’ll be enemies of them too.
The current Baron is usually VERY disciplined. His men would rather die than dishonor him. Their families and such live out there too, scattered all across the plains. The men live separate to the families, who remain hidden.
The Baron's Men are dedicated to the their own power base as well as the worship of the Shadow King. They believe that this is a time of testing. Followers of Marteaus make pilgrimages here from far away lands to be tested as a Baron's Man.
Rapke are the mount of many riding barons – like an animal companion.
The Barons are usually evil, and they can live after death by passing their memories on to their kin.
The Traders:
Known as traders, pirates, and sailors, they, of course, sail the grasses. They have begun to be a culture unto themselves, with many secrets of locations and dangers to avoid in the science of trading across the Sargrass. Gypsylike, many rich men and women of Skyhook travel the plains hoping to land a "sailor" for a husband or wife. It is said that these women and men are infused by the magic of the plains in such a way to make their blood and breeding impeccable. The breeding of Hook City citizens is viewed by the aristocracy as weak and of "tired breeding"--whatever that means.
Having a trader mate is the ultimate sign of vigorous power in the city as the trader/pirate is undoubtedly a great lover, parent, and energetic mate. Basically, though, the trader partner is a boy or girl toy. It is said that sailors invigorate the family line. Aristocracy from the city love to point back to infusions of sailors in the family tree.
The traders of course foster all of this as such aristocracy backing turns them from simple traders into master movers of money and goods.
Raiders info:
Then there are the Raiders. they live on the plains in small forts made of the grasses. They raid the sailors using tricks and the native life. Think Road Warrior in a way. Like that fort.
A good portion of the Raiders are Orcs who are decended from the Dark Side of the Wold. They mostly know nothing of this heritage, however.
Raiders can be of any race or heritage. Most raiding bands tend to be of only one or two races. When there are mixed races in a Raiding clan, one tends to subjugate the others.
--Like imagine road warrior encampment that he went too? That's the warriors. Scavengers. Boats made of pieces of others. Whatever they can put together. Poor. Tough. NO teeth. Badd ass for having one big tooth. If he had a rapke he's king for having one even if he's weak and dumb. Dirty. Like squatters, pioneers. Bad ass pissed off. Leather. Bikers.but the ones that ride the bad ugly bikes that break down all the time.
The Forsaken: Unknown to most, there is a secret society among the raiders and the baron's men. These are known as the Forsaken. Secrecy is their greatest protection and weapon.
They are descendants of the previous inhabitants of the plains before the Sargrass came. They fight on the side of the (Druids) to destroy the Sargrass. However, they do not agree with the total dedication toward this goal as the Druids are. Life is to be cherished and enjoyed, no matter the dangers and horrors of the day. So they refused to give up family and community thinking these things strengths instead of weaknesses.
6/5/2005 MikeK - It is the Baron’s branch of Forsaken that have discovered a second pool of Woldsblood at Starlight Deep. These Forsaken have learned that the application of Woldsblood to a rider and rapke, combined with certain spells and a lot of pain, merge two creatures into a single shared unit. Its sort of a deviant version of the paladin and his mount. Rapke and rider become stronger, more evil, and share each others characteristics (hit points and save rolls).
Bounders can also be turned into deviants, although they cannot be ridden.
Climbers
These are wild humans that have evolved from the Tree Elves of DreMoria from where they originate millennia ago. Their legs are thin and insect like. But that is just appearance. They are quite elven and carry all their official characteristics as well as the adaptations from living on the Sargrass. Some call them Grasshoppers or Grassclimbers due to their appearance.
They are an extremely religious people. they believe the only way to achieve happiness in the afterlife is to show the Gods they are capable of wondrous things. They build Huge hive like structures out on the plains from the grass, bones of animals and anything else they can find. Inside the structure is a maze of web like strands of grass, rope, anything. Think about the mass of cable and its chaotic mess. 10x that is what is inside these structures. Large buildings are suspended in the air by these cables for some "extreme believers" of the people refuse to live underground with the rest of the tribe.
The Farmers:
There are people who live on the plains first there are the farmers who cut the grasses back to make a living. They live very close to the river and are mainly to the east of Skyhook. they work both sides of the river. They have a hard life. But the soil is rich and hearty, as long as they let the grasses over run their fields from time to time. They might have a slightly hispanic culture but they have no towns, they live miles and miles from one another. They are basicaly cetizensn of Skyhook.
6/5/2005 MikeK Druids
The Druids are a group dedicated to the eradication of the Sargrass Plains and the rebuilding of a great forest that stood before in the First Age. The Druids are composed of historians, non-Plains folk, and fey – although not all Druids are aware of each other.
The plan of the Druids is to develop trees that can awaken with high level druid spells into treants. Imported treants died because of the woldsblood in the Sargrass. For the moment, the druids are not aware of woldsblood causing these deaths. But, they do know Singing Oak can grow in the plains (with a lot of help). So a new breed of treant is being developed from Singing Oaks.
When they develop, picture a row of giant treants ridden by druids marching destroying the Sargrass with each step in a line between them. Then picture the Manfri riding moths, and other powerful Sargrass creatures opposing them. This is the grand conflict to come.
Manfri
There is only one people native to the plains. They are the Manfri pronounced (Man Free). they are a very short almost midget like people, black, huge eyes. They are VERY wary of any civilization. They do not mix and are extremely untrusting of the other races. Their culture is secretive and mysterious, only one group of outsiders has ever witnessed anything of significance about them and they never speak of it. They are a kind people though, and there are many stories of sailors being hurt or lost and the little men saving their lives and returning them to civilization.
Manfri
Atk +6 melee +8 missile Damage: grass scythe d6+4 sling d4+2 Fort +6
grass scythe - stout reed strung with a curved piece of steel grass from one end to the other
the grasses part low ion the stalks as if allowing something to pass. A paculirar humming chant is heard as well and then come Manfri, clearly running from the Hunters as well. They dont even stop stride but take one look at you and grab a hand. The small black men that look more like children are babling away and the grasses begin closing back. Seeing this an older Manfri in the lead barks an order and the chanting song begins again and the grass splits allowing the passage of all and then tangling behind, clearly to slow up pursuit.
Should the Dekteth (bad guys – Forsaken Barons/Rapke/Bounders) set foot upon the Taudo then Kall'a'tek must be inacted. None but the hunted may take part in the ceremony. If the Dekteth succeed in killing all the runners, the Taudo and all our lives are forfeit. However if the runners succeed in driving the Dekteth from the base of the Taudo, or killing them all then the Dekteth may not hunt this Taudo again for another full season. the Manfri who ran with you begin to glow with a pale white light. Hands bear down on weapons. Teeth are gritted. Battle is near. Death is near. The first Rapke is joined by another, and yet another. All appear surrounded with an aura of blackness as if the very light was sucked in and refused to let go. Five Rapke and four bounders enter the ring. More sit outside the ring but do not enter. The one common denominator of those within the ring is that all have fresh blood on their bodies and mouths, including the riders. Looking down you notice your own bodies flicker with auras. One moment it flickers white, another a voidless black, and another no aura at all. Ritual is not complete until all enemies have been destroyed. Spraying water on a ‘dead’ enemy will cause it to be devoured by bloodflies.
Chief speaks in a conversational tone. "Should you ever wish to come meet us again, simply say the word Sala' thide when you approach our Taudo.
Manfri have their own language.
Offshore!
We have plans for there to be an offshore area where there is a battlefield. A place where normal nature combats the artificial nature of the Plains. A wild place where mutation, sea grass, and crazy circle of life situations occur. This is where many of the strange animal, insect, and mutation invasions of the plains begin!
Yep, one of the tenants of the plains will be Nature Invasion! Nature gone wacky.
Attack of the rapidly reproducing monkeys! The Flying Dolphins Dragon Mutation Attack Sahuagin Rapkes Oh My!
Sacred Places
The plains are ripe for mysteries of things past, what might have been there before the plains, hints from the future, mutation death fields, etc. which all may be sacred to this monk or that climber. Develop these at will, chart them on the map, and write about them here so that the next DM or you can use them later without mishap.
Turok Nor
This is the land of the Dwarves to the south. They influence this land greatly. Trade flows from them Hook City constantly. The Tall men come from here and have much of their business on the plains.
See the separate writeup for the area of Turok Nor as it is a separate region of the Southern Continent.
Plainswalker
PrC off of druid and/or monk
Dictionary of terms
Kall’a’tek: An extremely critical and extraordinarily stylized battle between a tribe of Manfri and a group of Baron’s Men. Once every fifty years, selected members of the Manfri tribe head out to a spot (the same spot every time). At daybreak on the appointed day, a chase begins. Baron mounted Rapke and Bounders pursue the Manfri back to their village (or Taudo), consuming whoever they catch. Usually, most of the members escape back to the village. It is then that the battle really begins. Any manfri who took part in the chase step onto a wide circle of sand. A select number of Barons, Rapke, and Bounders step out to meet them in a battle to the death. If the manfri win, no Rapke will bother them for fifty years. If the Rapke win, the lives of the entire Taudo is forfeit.
Taudo: A village of the Manfri. Usually built inside a rock outcropping.
