starwoof
2008-11-12, 12:23 AM
Sentinels of Artor
"There is so much of this world you do not understand. Pray that you keep it that way."
Long ago, in what is now the Wasting Lands, there was a nation of humans called the Artor. It is said that each was a sorceror born, and they commanded total control over the arcane. They were led by the Council of Eight, a group of warrior wizards. The Council of Eight were each the master of their chosen school of magic. They denounced the power of the gods as weak next to that of the arcane, and the clerics were killed or exiled while the churches were burned.
In their arrogance the Council tricked Tiphaeull, one of the old gods, and bound him to a huge statue. They meant to seal away all of the gods in this way and thus subjugate the world completely.
Disease gripped the nation, though it only affected the artorians but not their slaves or neighbors. The mysterious plague took a great toll on the people of Artor, killing more than half of them over its course. The Council struggled to find a cure but they could not, and they ordered the plaguelands quarantined and burned. The peoples subjugated by the Artor rebelled and threw off their shackles, escaping north.
Desperate to save his people, Sun-Aia, the Abjurer, went to the secret chamber in which they had sealed Tiphaeull. He begged the god for forgiveness and to end the plague that was destroying their nation. Tiphaeull would cure the Artor of the plague, on the condition that Sun-Aia would loosen one shackle long enough for him to cast one spell. Sun-Aia agreed, and he did so, singing the God's praises. The god cast a spell. A curse actually, one that turned the Artor to dust. The souls of the soldiers and magelords were bound to their armor, the souls of the people were bound to the places of their death, becoming vengeful wraiths.
Tiphaeull had fulfilled his word and cured the plague, but at a high cost.
Artor Today
The people of Artor were loyal to their lords, and it destroyed them. Today, only the soldiers, traders, and mages exist in any physical form. The Wasting Lands are what remains of the plaguelands now, a vast desert spotted with haunted ruins. The capitol city (which is called Artoria) resides at the center of the wastes, guarded by massive, mindless golems in a grim parody of the remaining Artorians.
The iron walls of the city are slowly rusting away, the towers are crumbling, and the rivers have long since dried up. Mournful wails echo across the plains. Every year adventurers brave the depths of the city, seeking the magical treasures rumoured to be contained within. Few return alive.
The Fate of the Magelords
The Council still lives in the ruins of the capitol today. They are unable to leave by any means. They have been twisted by their imprisonment but are mostly content to spend the centuries brooding over the loss of their nation. The exception is the traitor Sun-Aia, who was exiled by the other seven. Since he can't actually leave the city this means that he is forced to patrol the walls with the golems and the spirits, who take every opportunity to remind him of what he did. He is quite mad.
Each Magelord is a Gold Knuckle wizard/archmage of at least 25th level and nongood alignment. They all have the ability to cast without spell failure from armor. Each Magelord can command any Iron Golem, Iron Knuckle (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96262), or Gold Knuckle (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96262) that was created in Artor as if they were its creator.
The Sentinels
When the curse was cast on the people of Artor it turned them instantly to dust. However, those that served the Magelords in war had their souls bound to their armor forever. Such was the nature of Tiphaeull's curse. Those that survive today are known as Sentinels.
Sentinel Society
Sentinels are the soldiers of the old Artor empire, and as such they are usually militaristic in thinking. Some are still part of their old military units, bastioning garrisons and patrolling the old roads. Most have decided that theres no point to following the orders of foolish rulers.
Alignment: Sentinels are equally as likely to be lawful as chaotic. Those that still serve the old empire tend to be lawful in nature. Sentinels are fairly apathetic towards the ideas of good and evil.
Lands: The Wasting Lands are the true home of the sentinels. Very few of them ever return home however, as the emotions that the ruined cities and the wailing of their loved ones evoke are too much for most to bear. Sentinels are wanderers.
Beliefs: Most Sentinels know the gods exist but they do not worship them. Very, very few ever become clerics or paladins.
Relations: Most Sentinels are just coasting along in their existence. They are often met by fear and suspicion, especially in the lands that were once subjugated by the Artor. Clerics in general distrust them. Sentinels often find acceptance among the dwarves, and they are tolerated in most human cultures. Elves remember that they were cursed for a reason and steer clear of them.
Personality: Sentinels don't talk much. They avoid all discussions about the old empire. They are prone to brood. However, some have come to accept that there was nothing they could have done to stop the cataclysm. It was hundreds of years ago anyway, so whats the point of being so dour? Since Sentinels are basically human, they have varied personalities.
Playing a Sentinel
+2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Dex. No longer having organic parts, Sentinels are tougher than your average human. However they can be clumsy and their senses aren't as finely tuned as they once were since they have no sensory organs.
Sentinels are Living Constructs, and as such they have all of the associated traits.
Base land speed is 30 ft.
Low Light Vision
Spell-like abilities: 1/day Mend, Detect Magic. All Artor were born with some magical ability.
Soul Armor: Sentinels have a +2 armor bonus, exactly like a warforged's composite plating. They can't wear armor or magic robes. However, Sentinels do not have arcane spell failure from their Soul Armor.
Light Fortification: Whenever a Sentinel is the target of a critical hit or sneak attack, there is a 25% chance that the attack is not a critical or sneak attack and instead does normal damage.
Automatic Languages: Common, Ancient Artorian. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Elven, Dwarven.
Favored Class: Duskblade
Level Adjustment +0
Sentinels and Warforged Feats
Sentinels can take any feats available to Warforged. The only difference is that they reduce the spell failure from their armor plating by 5%.
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So there they are. I had the idea today for a living construct race that was the souls of a long dead civilization bound to armor. It looks like I'm ripping off FMA but I'm actually ripping off Necrons/Zelda.:smallsmile: I have no setting for these guys in mind, I have no idea who Tiphaeull is either. I just had this idea.
C+C appreciated.
"There is so much of this world you do not understand. Pray that you keep it that way."
Long ago, in what is now the Wasting Lands, there was a nation of humans called the Artor. It is said that each was a sorceror born, and they commanded total control over the arcane. They were led by the Council of Eight, a group of warrior wizards. The Council of Eight were each the master of their chosen school of magic. They denounced the power of the gods as weak next to that of the arcane, and the clerics were killed or exiled while the churches were burned.
In their arrogance the Council tricked Tiphaeull, one of the old gods, and bound him to a huge statue. They meant to seal away all of the gods in this way and thus subjugate the world completely.
Disease gripped the nation, though it only affected the artorians but not their slaves or neighbors. The mysterious plague took a great toll on the people of Artor, killing more than half of them over its course. The Council struggled to find a cure but they could not, and they ordered the plaguelands quarantined and burned. The peoples subjugated by the Artor rebelled and threw off their shackles, escaping north.
Desperate to save his people, Sun-Aia, the Abjurer, went to the secret chamber in which they had sealed Tiphaeull. He begged the god for forgiveness and to end the plague that was destroying their nation. Tiphaeull would cure the Artor of the plague, on the condition that Sun-Aia would loosen one shackle long enough for him to cast one spell. Sun-Aia agreed, and he did so, singing the God's praises. The god cast a spell. A curse actually, one that turned the Artor to dust. The souls of the soldiers and magelords were bound to their armor, the souls of the people were bound to the places of their death, becoming vengeful wraiths.
Tiphaeull had fulfilled his word and cured the plague, but at a high cost.
Artor Today
The people of Artor were loyal to their lords, and it destroyed them. Today, only the soldiers, traders, and mages exist in any physical form. The Wasting Lands are what remains of the plaguelands now, a vast desert spotted with haunted ruins. The capitol city (which is called Artoria) resides at the center of the wastes, guarded by massive, mindless golems in a grim parody of the remaining Artorians.
The iron walls of the city are slowly rusting away, the towers are crumbling, and the rivers have long since dried up. Mournful wails echo across the plains. Every year adventurers brave the depths of the city, seeking the magical treasures rumoured to be contained within. Few return alive.
The Fate of the Magelords
The Council still lives in the ruins of the capitol today. They are unable to leave by any means. They have been twisted by their imprisonment but are mostly content to spend the centuries brooding over the loss of their nation. The exception is the traitor Sun-Aia, who was exiled by the other seven. Since he can't actually leave the city this means that he is forced to patrol the walls with the golems and the spirits, who take every opportunity to remind him of what he did. He is quite mad.
Each Magelord is a Gold Knuckle wizard/archmage of at least 25th level and nongood alignment. They all have the ability to cast without spell failure from armor. Each Magelord can command any Iron Golem, Iron Knuckle (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96262), or Gold Knuckle (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96262) that was created in Artor as if they were its creator.
The Sentinels
When the curse was cast on the people of Artor it turned them instantly to dust. However, those that served the Magelords in war had their souls bound to their armor forever. Such was the nature of Tiphaeull's curse. Those that survive today are known as Sentinels.
Sentinel Society
Sentinels are the soldiers of the old Artor empire, and as such they are usually militaristic in thinking. Some are still part of their old military units, bastioning garrisons and patrolling the old roads. Most have decided that theres no point to following the orders of foolish rulers.
Alignment: Sentinels are equally as likely to be lawful as chaotic. Those that still serve the old empire tend to be lawful in nature. Sentinels are fairly apathetic towards the ideas of good and evil.
Lands: The Wasting Lands are the true home of the sentinels. Very few of them ever return home however, as the emotions that the ruined cities and the wailing of their loved ones evoke are too much for most to bear. Sentinels are wanderers.
Beliefs: Most Sentinels know the gods exist but they do not worship them. Very, very few ever become clerics or paladins.
Relations: Most Sentinels are just coasting along in their existence. They are often met by fear and suspicion, especially in the lands that were once subjugated by the Artor. Clerics in general distrust them. Sentinels often find acceptance among the dwarves, and they are tolerated in most human cultures. Elves remember that they were cursed for a reason and steer clear of them.
Personality: Sentinels don't talk much. They avoid all discussions about the old empire. They are prone to brood. However, some have come to accept that there was nothing they could have done to stop the cataclysm. It was hundreds of years ago anyway, so whats the point of being so dour? Since Sentinels are basically human, they have varied personalities.
Playing a Sentinel
+2 Con, -2 Wis, -2 Dex. No longer having organic parts, Sentinels are tougher than your average human. However they can be clumsy and their senses aren't as finely tuned as they once were since they have no sensory organs.
Sentinels are Living Constructs, and as such they have all of the associated traits.
Base land speed is 30 ft.
Low Light Vision
Spell-like abilities: 1/day Mend, Detect Magic. All Artor were born with some magical ability.
Soul Armor: Sentinels have a +2 armor bonus, exactly like a warforged's composite plating. They can't wear armor or magic robes. However, Sentinels do not have arcane spell failure from their Soul Armor.
Light Fortification: Whenever a Sentinel is the target of a critical hit or sneak attack, there is a 25% chance that the attack is not a critical or sneak attack and instead does normal damage.
Automatic Languages: Common, Ancient Artorian. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Elven, Dwarven.
Favored Class: Duskblade
Level Adjustment +0
Sentinels and Warforged Feats
Sentinels can take any feats available to Warforged. The only difference is that they reduce the spell failure from their armor plating by 5%.
---------------------------------------------------------------
So there they are. I had the idea today for a living construct race that was the souls of a long dead civilization bound to armor. It looks like I'm ripping off FMA but I'm actually ripping off Necrons/Zelda.:smallsmile: I have no setting for these guys in mind, I have no idea who Tiphaeull is either. I just had this idea.
C+C appreciated.