Greetings
within this thread, I am posting my campaign idea of a possible power/status that may be purchased upon character design in my Chaos based game.
(I'm still not sure if it's the best idea, but since Erick, Arref, RPGPundit, Trevelyan, and some other cool-ass gamers of the primal cloth are here, I have no doubts that I will be mentioned in the future as to it.
Who am 'I'? good question.... just a ADRP gamer that has alot of ideas, like you guys, my name is Steve, but I go by 'Gabriel' in all things correspondence w/Amber.
I tend to get alot of influx of ideas/story-lines from visuals, so I often look for amazing Amber-type/Chaos-type art on the web. While play testing my Chaos source-book material, and having Moorcock-ian Chaos thoughts, I had created The Scions of the Serpent and the Eligys...
So, without further ...
Scions of the Serpent of Chaos
“The Opener” Heralded the Beginning of the End. For far too long those on the other pole of reality have gotten away with sacrilege unpunished. Those who plotted and planned the future of the Courts of Chaos knew that the path to the doorstep of their enemy had finally opened, and with it their plans must unfurl.
The Major Houses of the Courts came to an agreement, they shall have to send their youngest, most promising offspring to Melnibone’ within the Black Zone, where they shall embark upon a training curriculum that will spell out death for most who undertake it. The respective Houses of Chaos had 6 schools of which to send their progeny. All of them based on the religion of The Serpent Hung Upon the Tree of Matter.
The six monastic retreats of choice were the High Temples of the Elemental Serpents.
The schools to be chosen from were; Temple of the Serpent of Air, Temple of the Serpent of Water, Temple of the Serpent of Lightning, Temple of the Serpent of Void, Temple of the Serpent of Fire, & Temple of the Serpent of Stone.
Within them the young Chaosians were raised in the ways of the Courts and the Serpent. Learning and mastering magics of their sphere, as well as shape-shifting, combat, and Lessons by Suhuy on the Logrus, Life, & Lunacy. Some of the first Scions would cross-train in different spheres, but could only pledge to one. After ten to twenty years of training these acolytes would take upon themselves the immense task of surveying the Logrus. With such intense preparation the young Chaos Lords were as ready as they could be. Those who survived were ushered onto recovery , and those who recovered went on to fill the leadership ranks of the armies arrayed against Order in the Pattern-Fall War. The few members who accomplished the task were bestowed a name and rank within an elite brotherhood entitled; “The Scions of the Serpent”. Less than 75 of thee Scions live still, and their bonds of brotherhood/sisterhood are strong.
Each of these Scions bear the Tattoo of their Elemental Serpent - with Power.
Once completing this, they return to their schools and essay the 'Eligy'. Each Elemental School has a design that bestows the powers of the Elemental Serpent upon the initiate, which is locked away into their being through the Benesithian ritualistic tattoo. (look into my reply on the Chaosian houses for further info)
Temples and High-Priests/Priestesses
(All High Priests are initiated into House Amberlash before ordained.)
Temple of the Serpent of Air; --- High Priestess Lady Zepher du Amberlash
Temple of the Serpent of Water; --- High Priestess Lady Zeboehim Treagg du Amberlash
Temple of the Serpent of Lightning; --- High Priest Lord Odin Blitz du Amberlash
Temple of the Serpent of Void; --- High Priest Lord Ulyanash Tanatar du Amberlash
Temple of the Serpent of Fire; --- High Priestess Lady Benajez Atraitiez du Amberlash
Temple of the Serpent of Stone; --- High Priest Lord Osric Barimen du Amberlash
These are the 6 Elemental Lords of Chaos (in ranking of power/influence)
(these are the Elemental aspects of the the Eligies/Eligys) - (pl for Eligy)
Elemental Lord Lassa / Lord of Air Elementals ---female aspect serpent
Elemental Lord Straasha / Lord of Water Elementals ---female aspect serpent
Elemental Lord Wisp / Lord of Void Elementals ---male aspect serpent
Elemental Lord Zzazakk / Lord of Lightning Elementals ---male aspect serpent
Elemental Lord Kakatal / Lord of Fire Elementals ---female aspect serpent
Elemental Lord Grome / Lord of Stone Elementals ---male aspect serpent
Elemental Serpent Constructs
Years of study, training, & preparation. Each of the Temples of the Serpent have an “ Eligy “ construct with-in. These Elemental Eligi are the source of power for the Elemental Serpents of Chaos.
They (the Eligys) are something akin to a broken pattern - in that it is a design that must be traversed to bestow power.
Each of the elements have their own design which grants the initiate a magical link to their element.
The level of powers obtained are up to the initiates. Prior to the traversing of said construct, the initiate undergoes a trial by element, trial by opposite, and trial by marking. The last has the initiate tattooed with the ritualistic symbol of their Order of Serpent done by House Benesith. A successful imprint will bestow the powers when said initiate walks the design, and it will reach a greater level of power if the Chaos Lord successfully completes the Logrus.
Acceptance into the Brotherhood of the Scions of the Serpent is by far the most esteemed part of it.
The Special Effect of the element is outwardly visible at the Scion’s command.
CONSTRUCT
Shadow of Reisdence -- Melnibone’ -- 12 pt. Shadow
Named & Numberd -- 6 Eligi -- *2 +is 24 pts. (each Eligy is on Melnibone’ & 6 Primal Eligi upon the primal planes )
Shadow Conduit / thru Element -- Tattoo -- *2 is 48 pts.
Psychic Sensitive -- aware thru element -- 1 pt.
TOTAL -- 49 pts.
IMPLANT TATOO
Brotherhood Cabal 1 pt. Q - Upgradable for status People to have as Allies or more
Shadow Trail 1 pt. P - Upgradeable Follow the Elemental Paths through Shadow
Able to mold Shadow stuff 1 pt. P - Upgradeable Special Effects Elemental Shifting w/Shadow
Contains a Power Word 1 pt. P - Upgradeable Elemental based Word
Capable of Racking a Spell 1 pt. P - Upgradeable Elemental based Spell
Alternate form (Invisible ) 1 pt. P - Upgradeable Invisible when willed by host, visible when used.
Anything else may be added w/ GM approval and points paid for.
TOTAL: 6 pts. + 70 pts. for Implant Quality and Power
END TOTAL: 49 + 76 Pts. totals 125 pts. Divided by Members comes out to 11 pts. per Scion.
(No more than 11 Scions for each Element in game - including NPC’s. )
Each “ Eligy “ allows the host to tap into the elemental forces of the realm on the Chaos side of Ygg with relative ease, harder as it extends beyond Ygg. Within the Courts of Chaos, when invoked, the implant allows the host to have access to the vast elemental nature of the Eligy. Allowing one to manipulate to a varying degree of power based on host’s Psyche, Endurance, & Situation, the element of their Sphere of mastery.
Element Ideal Types of Control
Air .......Movement .....Wind, Air Pressure, Force Shove (wind )
Water .......Precognitive .....Telekinetic control of Water
Lightning .......Power .....Electric Zaps, Power Battery, Weather
Void .......Nothingness .....Shadow & Darkness, Benesith ways
Fire .......Destruction .....Heat, Flame, Temperature, Light
Stone .......Defensive .....Earth control, Regen. & Healing, Martial Blocking (shockwave/earth-shift )
These are the 6 Elemntal Lords that rule over the Elements of Power within Shadow.
They each have their own Plane of Existance but can be quickest reached through their main temple on Melnibone’.
They are in their order, the strongest being Lassa, 2nd; Strassha, her sister. Together they have a monopoly on shadow that more than not, worlds shall have air and water. Wisp comes 3rd in a tie with Zzazakk, sharing a polar opposite with positive - negtave, male - female, energy and nothingness. And last but certainly not least, Kakatal and Grome tied in 4th, complimenting each other and dampening each other.
They are 6 of the 1 3 children that the Serpent of Chaos has spawned, and often referred to as “the Serpent of Air”, “Serpent of Fire”, etc.
For this reason their followers in their temples, (especially the Scions of the Serpent ), refer to each other as ‘serpents.’
< Ie; “I am Lord Seer, Serpent of Fire.” Or “I am Lord Seer, Scion of the Serpent of Fire.”>
Each of these Orders has a High Priest / Priestess presiding over the Temples.
Hope I didn't get too confusing... ideas? thoughts? praise? similarities in your adventures? I'm eager for input.
(and no, this doesn't fall into the category of breaking major powers into little ones, it's basically a construct network to add flavor to the courts as a campaign.)
Thank you.