I used to be one of those dudes who wrote up mammoth gazetteers, crafted extensive histories, and developed lengthy background essays. I'm talking about objective, third person pieces. I've got a ton of that I haven't dropped on the blog, even when I couldn't come up with anything for a post. What shifted my thinking- and I'm sure most of you already had some form of this revelation but it was "bolt from the blue" for me- was my wife's head shaking. We'd just put together a website for my fantasy world. This would be about '98. I'd started to go back and rewrite certain entries and bemoaned the work I had to do to flesh out obscure corners of the wold.
"Don't do that." Sherri said. "You're writing all this stuff that maybe your players will read. But it doesn't hit the table. Write stuff for the table."
I'm consolidating the conversation and leaving out the part where I desperately clutched my print-outs to my chest. But she was right. I'd focused in the wrong area to get the result I wanted. Info dumps didn't make for interesting play in my games. I needed to approach things with the idea that we needed to actually connect with them. There's phrase we started to use, "Don't paint where you can't see." We paint miniatures and I do them to table standard, not display standard. If you pick them up, you can see the rough bits, the undersides where I rushed things, the tricks I've used to conceal. But they look good on the table.
Mind you, changing my approach in practice took more years than I care to consider.
12. Travel in the
Empire: Perhaps the single most important invention keeping the Empire
running on a smooth course is the Dulcet Crystal Interval Gate. Through it,
officials, citizens, and merchants can travel over vast distances in a matter
of moments. For governors and military officials control and maintenance of
these gates represents a central concern.
The gates function by drawing on harmonic ties of the
elements. They require elaborate sympathies be established in order to
function. In practice, this means that twelve main branches radiate out from
the capitol, roughly corresponding to the hours. Any particular gate ties to
one of the branches, and to move from one to another requires travel to a
junction where the lines move perpendicular to the main branches. While it is
possible to move to the central hub and then further from there, the Empire
reserves that traffic for the most important figures to reduce risk and
overflow.
Any gate can transport someone to another gate on that
branch, distance is irrelevant. Weight and size have a greater impact however.
A lesser gate can transport perhaps ten men with gear, while a greater gate can
move two or three times that. The larger the material transported, the longer
the time for the gate to recharge—taxed fully and on a strong sympathetic line,
a gate might take a few hours to recharge. For weaker and further out lines, it
might take days. Gates require a skilled operator to activate them. At one
time, the Empire held the secrets of this process closely, but over time, it
has spread out and those with the inclination and resources can learn the
procedure.
13. Rulership in
Palatine: Before the raising of the barrier, Pelatine possessed several
important sources of authority. You may wish to seek out and discover if these
remain intact or if they’ve been destroyed. The Empire of Hours recognized and
supported the Crown of Sibilance, which designates rulership over the Dominion.
At the time of separation, King Mindos of the House of Wisegrain sat upon the
throne. His family had held that position for three generation, following the
extinguishing of the previous line in the Shadow Sea War. Three other noble houses
held significant positions and controlled regions: Allblood, Mightscrye, and
Zeckt. They were respected and may offer potential contacts or support.
Consider also that the many faiths of the region organized under an
Arch-Pontiff, at last record Croet of Bronze. They catalogued, recognized, and
officiated divine ceremonies from the Grand Cathedral at Inque. Other groups,
such as the Dwarves and the Tangled submit to the authority of the Crown of
Sibilance (and therefore the Empire), but also maintain their own rights and
laws.
14. Of the Interval
Gates: A gate has four major parts: the base, the frame, the pallet and the
crystal. The frame is made up of four arching sleeves of metal, aligned to the
hours. Connected to the base, they meet at the top, creating a metal sphere.
The pallet is a round bottomed metal stand within the gate. Since the gates
transport all things within a gate, the pallets have to be of standard
size—given that they exchange position with other gates during transport. Over
time, the wear of foot traffic and the clipping of the inconstant field effect
means that the pallet must be replaced.
The most important portion of the gate is the crystal, which
resonates and creates the transport effect. Each one must be carefully
synchronized and lined up with the best point of sympathy in an area. This can
create grave problems at times. For instance, the gate at Hardaru is nearly two
hundred feet off the ground. A great structure, built with special materials so
as to not interfere with the signal had to be constructed. Enormous stairs lead
down off from that gate. The crystal is placed into the Void at the center of
the gate, removing it from human sight and touch. Once placed, any movement of
it will destroy the crystal—a dangerous thing to do if the harmonics have built
up within it.
Setting up a gate requires specialized survey using devices
held closely by the Empire. Forerunners in the furthest lands look for new
possible points to set up gates, but must be careful. Aside from the destruction
of a gate and the time needed to recharge one, there is no way to seal a gate.
Since they generally must be built without too much material surrounding them,
an enclosure is impractical.
Generally citizens are permitted to use the gates, but must
obtain a statement of permission. The gates are not used for commerce
transport—but merchants often arrange to travel by them to make deals in
distant lands. After that they fall back to the common system of the Grand Imperial
Riverways and the roads.
15. A Minor Request:
If the opportunity presents itself, Lady Redgod, High Keeper of Sands, has
requested that you check on the current state of Ivorybranch, one of the great
fortresses of Pelatine. Her great-grandfather aided in the lifting of a siege
there and spoke of the great beauty of its construction, chambered and
delicate, akin to a sea shell. Pelatine possesses several important castles and
fortifications. We can assume that should they still be standing they will be
of strategic importance.
16. Mythical Oceans
and Waters: The poet Ithegra traveled through Pelatine to the far west and saw the ocean. His notes upon it spawned generations of pilgrims who tried to
follow his path and find those great waters. Most vanished in the travels, lost
to bandits, the Hezakhan, and other trials. Some believe his words about the
exposed ocean to be a fantasy. Seas exist below ground, with rivers and streams
connecting to them. These surface formations are like veins of the lifeblood
which runs beneath the surface. They point to the heroism of the aquatic
explorers who have made contact with the deep pool peoples and travels via the
submerged caverns and tunnels through which rivers run from Dominion to
Dominion.
17. Beware Rumors:
You will note that we have avoided the question of how the barrier arose around
Pelatine. We still do not know what caused this. It is of more concern to us
that the Dominion is secured, reassured, and explored. Eventually we will need
our agents to turn their attentions to the causes and preventing this from
happening again. As a note, you may have heard rumors surrounding the person of
Lord Myso, uncle to the Empress and the suggestion that he may have been
involved with the raising of the barrier. These rumors should be discouraged.
They represent old bad blood between Myso and the House of Kalikos.
18. The Unsleeping:
While many focus on the importance of Pelatine as a pathway to the Western
lands, others within Imperial authority worry about the Unsleeping. This
Dominion possessed a large number of these intelligent magical machines-
ranging from human-sized laborers to massive constructions like the Verdant
Walkers, travelling gardens which range across the land. As you know the
Unsleeping come from The Time Before and as such remain precious. They’re
highly resilient, but untended can be lost to the environment and suffer minor
breakdowns. The presence of the Argent Gnomes gives us some hope that many of
the Unsleeping remain intact. They number among the few peoples with skill in
repairing these machines. On the other hand, the Gnomes are known to scavenge
and rework the Unsleeping if they have the opportunity. This is contrary to the
Empress’ express edicts.
19. Other Orders:
Besides the Masks, there are two other orders who also defend the Empire and
are marked by devices. The Fists of
the Empire represent the
military side of the Empire. These are the leaders, strategists
and planners for military operations. Each Fist bears a unique gauntlet inscribed
with a singular aspect representing the bearer. The exact number of Fists
varies from time to time, but estimates suggest there are about 3,000 at any moment.
Each gauntlet shares several key powers, including a superb sense of the
disposition of forces, as well as talents unique to each. When a gauntlet is
destroyed, the bearer dies and vice versa. Usually killing the bearer is
significantly easier than destroying the artifact. The destruction of a
gauntlet allows the forges in the capitol to make a new one, imbued with some
of that essence. Though the exact nature remains unclear, it is said that this
pool of energy is the limiting factor in the number of gauntlets existing at
any one time.
On the other hand the Torcs
of the Empire differ from the Fists and Masks of the Empire in possessing
three internal divisions. Like the others, the Torcs possess singular items
representing their rank and role, in this case a band around the neck. The
design of the torcs among the three divisions is uniform, unlike the variety of
designs found elsewhere. The three divisions of the Torcs are the Senate of the
Hours, the Accountants of the Minutes, and the Keepers of the Seconds. The
Senate and Accountants voluntarily take up their devices and can remove them.
Both serve at Center, rather than ranging out. On the other hand, the Keepers
are the senior functionaries, operatives and agents tied to the maintenance and
management of Imperial affairs outside the capitol. Torcs of the Keepers are
closed and cannot be taken off. While somewhat resilient to harm, these torcs
can be broken, requiring the Keeper to return to present themselves for
assessment.
These torcs possess three properties-- first, they carry a
sigil used to mark messages and to denote authority for reports. Second, it
allows Keepers to communicate privately at a distance with a Senator (or the
Empress) if they are called upon. Lastly, a Keeper can, with a verbal command,
create a recording of an interaction. The duration of this recording depends on
if it is purely auditory or includes visual information. Keepers can only keep
one recording in a torc at a time, but any recordings made are also stored at
Center.
20. Consider the
Spirits: Remember that as important as the physical bodies are within
Pelatine, the Spirits must also be considered. The forces exert a powerful
influence. We can arm you withz an index of the writs, names, and roles of the
most potent of these, but they will likely avail you little. In the eight
decades of isolation those contracts will have fallen away and the spirits
themselves will have transformed in the release from those bindings. The locals
will undoubtedly have reshaped them through new agreements.
I hesitate to mention this, but another matter concerns us
regarding spirits, in particular the souls of the departed. As you know when we
die, our spirits sink into the depths of the Spirit Realm. It is a deep sea
into which we sink as time passes eventually becoming washed clean and changed
before swimming on to the next realm chosen by the gods. In that time of sinking,
trained Priests and skilled Wizards can contact the spirit, communing,
questioning or even summoning it. While the barrier was up, many attempted to
swim through the spirit depths to reach the souls there, but none succeeded.
This is a vexing question…where did they go?
21. Sealing the Pass:
Warden Tyrtyra holds control of the pass at Kytessa. He has been instructed not
to allow any traffic through in either direction without Imperial Sign of
Signet. You will be given marks for passage, as well as additional markers you
may distribute to important persons or agents of your choosing.
22. Lost Masks:
Reports differ, but there may be as many as five Masks present in Pelatine at
the time of the sealing. The nature of their work and the privacy of the orders
makes it difficult to say. The only known message to have escaped from the
barrier came from a Mask known as Andralla Ta. Decades after the closing, she
managed to pass on a report. However the Empress sealed away that away after
reviewing the substance of it. Rumors exist, but Agents should not be concerned
with those. Any surviving bearers might be a great asset. Should you encounter
Andralla Ta, for example, it might be best to send word back to Center before
engaging with her.
23. A Last Word:
Be aware of the importance of this mission. The hands meet across the Clocks of
Prophecy. Depending on how you measure the dates, we enter into a period of
divine change- a switch between states. To the Far East, the Tenebraeum has
been ringing bells and sounding clarions across the Burnings. It calls the last
of the Untrue to come forth. In the South, the ice has begun to move and shift.
Sections have swallowed dominions at the edges, yet we’ve also heard of what
has been revealed- old things of old ages buried away with reason. In the
North, some speak of an accord reached between the Hundreds and the Shouting
Ones. If that is the case, then we will have to turn our attentions to those
bastions. The West must remain secure. The Empire can ill-afford another front.
23 Things About Masks of the Empire (Part One)
23 Things About Masks of the Empire (Part One)
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