Enemies of Samardan: The Crime Lords of Kolgrat...

Good Afternoon, All:

In this post we are going to discuss our second Major Enemy for the World of Samardan campaign setting. From the information presented in the location pieces, there were few obvious options for this slot, so I started to consider less obvious options. I wanted an organization, because those don't die as quickly with the death of one person, and I wanted this group to be a lingering threat that requires the attention and concerted efforts of our protagonists to deal with. In the end, I decided that other Major Enemy will be Yaranu Moro, Master of Assassins and the Crime Lords of Kolgrat whom he represents. The reason I chose this route primarily is because I already had a mystic-based enemy and a warrior-based enemy. Therefore, I needed an expert-based enemy to for conceptual symmetry. After making the selection, Yaranu Moro and his fellow Crime Lords almost seemed to take on a life of their own in my imagination...

The Crime Lords of Kolgrat

History: The Crime Lords of Kolgrat have always been a tumultuous group, until they were forged into a secret alliance under the iron fist of Yaranu Moro, Master of Assassins. Rising up the in the ranks of Kolgrat's famous assassin's guild, Yaranu Moro achieved the rank of guildmaster through right of assassination and then began a ruthless campaign to force the other Crime Lords under his thumb. With his success, Yaranu Moro now appears publicly as the Master Assassin for the court of Kolgrat and the representative of the Crime Lords of the city in the Raganu's courtly affairs.

Personality: Some might believe that Yaranu Moro is paranoid, but it isn't paranoia if everyone really is out to get you, and that's the reality of his position. The only way to achieve masterhood in Kolgrat's assassin's guild is by right of assassination, and that's in addition to those Crime Lords he has had to manipulate and coerce into supporting his leadership. Yaranu Moro is known for his cruelty, which rumors depict as being even greater than that of the kelshrani. He has a particular love of poisons, and has been known to purchase slaves simply to serve as test subjects for his latest toxin.

Stat Blocks: The following stat blocks for each representative member of the forces of the Crime Lords are based on the Sword and Planet: An Old School Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance. Please feel free to convert these stats to the system of your choice, if you wish to use them elsewhere.

• Thug: DEF: 13; HD: 1; ATK: by short sword (1d6) or short bow (1d6, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +2; SP: Sneak attack; SPD: 6; CL: 1/2; XP: 150.
• Thug Overseer: DEF: 14; HD: 2; ATK: by poisoned short sword (1d6 + poison) or short bow (1d6 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +3; SP: Poison (1d6/round, Fort DC 13 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (1/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 1; XP: 300.
• Assassin of the Outer Circle: DEF: 15; HD: 4; ATK: by poisoned long sword (1d8 + poison) or long bow (1d8 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +4; SP: Poison (1d8/round, Fort DC 14 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (1/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 2; XP: 450.
• Assassin of the Inner Circle: DEF: 16; HD: 6; ATK: by poisoned long sword (1d8 + poison) or long bow (1d8 + poison, Rng 12/24/48); ST: +5; SP: Poison (2d6/round, Fort DC 15 ends), sneak attack, skill mastery (2/rest); SPD: 6; CL: 3; XP: 600.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Enemies of Samardan: Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur, the Lord-Emperor of Torkobalem...

Good Afternoon, All:

Now that the Supreme Enemy of the World of Samardan campaign setting has been established, it is time to determine the two Major Enemies that will plague our protagonists once we start using the setting. The first and most obvious Major Enemy should be Torkobalem, City-State of Crystals, and more specifically, Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur, the Lord-Emperor of Torkobalem.

Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur, the Lord-Emperor of Torkobalem

History: Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur ascended the throne of the City of Crystals after his father's fatal hunting accident, although some whisper that the old Raganu's death was no accident. Shortly after Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur began his reign, Torkobalem launched both land and aerial assaults on several cities, who have been weakened considerably by Torkobalem's stranglehold on power crystals. The Raganu has made no effort to conceal his desire to conquer the cities of the Granbalem and forge a new empire under his iron rule.

Personality: Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur is known to be a vengeful man, and he has been known to hire assassins and bounty hunters to go after those who have wronged him. The Raganu is also a cruel man who believes in torturing his victims before he kills them, and many of his personal guards and appointed military leaders are cut from the same cloth. Above all else, however, Raganu Pekadevi Rekatur desires to conquer his many enemies and to control as much of the world as he is capable of. He has even proven willing to sacrifice vengeance and torture if doing so would benefit his desire for conquest. Woe be unto any who would take advantage of this fact by lying to him, for the Reganu's vengeance becomes all-consuming against those who betray him.

Stat Blocks: The following stat blocks for each representative member of Torkobalem's forces are based on the Sword and Planet: An Old School Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance, which I wrote last year. Please feel free to convert these stats to the system of your choice, if you wish to use them elsewhere.

• Torkobalem Soldier: DEF: 14; HD: 1; ATK: by short sword (1d6) or crystal pistol (1d8); ST: +2; SP: First strike; SPD: 6; CL: 1/2; XP: 150.
• Torkobalem Veteran: DEF: 15; HD: 2; ATK: by short sword (1d6) or heavy crystal pistol (2d6); ST: +3; SP: First strike, weapon mastery (+1 atk with Personal Firearms); SPD: 6; CL: 1; XP: 300.
• Torkobalem Leader: DEF: 16; HD: 5; ATK: by long sword (1d8) or crystal rifle (2d8); ST: +4; SP: Inspire courage, weapon mastery (+1 atk with Personal Firearms); SPD: 6; CL: 2; XP: 450.
• Torkobalem Commander: DEF: 17; HD: 8; ATK: by great sword (2d6) or heavy crystal rifle (3d6+2); ST: +6; SP: Inspire courage, weapon mastery (+1 atk/+2 dmg with Personal Firearms); SPD: 6; CL: 3; XP: 600.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Enemies of Samardan: Farleni, The Mind Masters...

Good Afternoon, All:

Today, we begin our explorations of the Hall of Infamy for the World of Samardan. For those who may not be familiar with the concept, a Hall of Infamy is a list of regional antagonists whose role is to generate conflict for our heroes to resolve. The basic structure for a Hall of Infamy is simple:

• One Supreme Over-Arching Enemy: Defeating this antagonist should require only the toughest, meanest, most experienced adventurers available. The Supreme Enemy is typically located in a ruin.
• Two Major Enemies: Defeating these antagonists is not a job for novices, and should require well-established, well-prepared veteran adventurers. Major Enemies are frequently associated with cities, lairs or ruins.
• Four Minor Enemies: Defeating these antagonists should be very difficult for novices, yet defeat can be accomplished at the hands of seasoned adventurers who are starting to build a reputation for themselves. Minor Enemies are often found in lairs.

We've already identified our Supreme Enemy for this campaign: The Farleni (or the Mind Masters of Orkelium, the Forked Tower).

Farleni, the Mind Masters

History: The Farleni are a race of alien psionic parasites that once inhabited a distant world, before unintentionally being brought to Samardan by the Ancient Ones. Upon their arrival, the Farleni spread quickly, seeking a way to contact their homeworld. After an intense battle, the Farleni were finally contained and cryogenically frozen for research purposes in the scientific research facility now known as Orkelium, the Forked Tower.

Life Cycle: Farleni are a race of parasites that go through numerous phases: Larva, Pupa and Adult. Much like insects, adult Farleni are physiologically differentiated by their role in their hive-like society: workers, soldiers, drones and queens. Larva can only grow within the body of another creature. When the larva matures into the pupa stage, it migrates outside the body of its host, but continues to ride its host as it grows and matures. When the host creature dies, the pupa will either seek out a new host or begin the transformation into an adult Farleni, with highly developed psychic powers. Workers are the most prominent, being sterile servitors that serve the main body of the Farleni "hive-mind". Also sterile, the much larger soldiers use their psychic powers to control local vermin and small creatures in order to protect the "hive-mind". Fertile male drone Farleni serve as the immediate guardians of the queen with their stunning mental blasts, while the queen leads the "hive-mind" and lays the eggs that will eventually hatch to become larva and start the cycle of life once again.

Stat Blocks: The following stat blocks for each form are based on the Sword & Planet: An Old School Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance, which I wrote last year. Please feel free to convert these stats to the system of your choice, if you wish to use them elsewhere.

• Farlen, Larva: DEF: 10; HD: 1/2; ATK: 1 bite (1d2); ST: +2; SP: Farleni traits, control host; SPD: 4; CL: 1; XP: 300.
• Farlen, Pupa: DEF: 11; HD: 2; ATK: 2 tentacles (1d4); ST: +3; SP: Farleni traits, ride host; SPD: 5 (swim 6); CL: 2; XP: 450.
• Farlen, Worker: DEF: 13; HD: 4; ATK: 4 tentacles (1d6); ST: +4; SP: Farleni traits, mystic powers (daze, fear); SPD: 5 (swim 6); CL: 4; XP: 900.
• Farlen, Soldier: DEF: 15; HD: 6; ATK: 4 tentacles (1d8); ST: +5; SP: Farleni traits, mass dominate (all creatures within 30 ft, max 24 HD worth, Will negates), mystic powers (daze, fear); SPD: 6 (swim 9); CL: 5; XP: 1,200.
• Farlen, Drone: DEF: 17; HD: 8; ATK: 4 tentacles (1d8); ST: +6; SP: Farleni traits, mind blast (all within 30ft cone are stunned and unable to act for 2d4 rounds, Will negates), mystic powers (dominate person, fear, phantasmal killer, telepathic bond); SPD: 6 (swim 9); CL: 6; XP: 1,800.
• Farlen, Queen: DEF: 18; HD: 9; ATK: 4 tentacles (1d6 + mindfire poison); ST: +6; SP: Farleni traits, mindfire poison (1d6 plus -1 penalty on Will saves, Fort negates), mystic powers (daze, dominate person, fear, phantasmal killer, scrying, telepathic bond); SPD: 5 (swim 9); CL: 8; XP: 3,600.

Special Abilities

Farleni Traits: All Farleni have the following abilities: take half damage from acid and cold, take double damage from electricity, telepathy (100 ft range), detect thoughts (20 ft range), sense hive-mind (1 mile range).

Control Host: Larval Farleni will burrow into the flesh of an unconscious or helpless victim and, 1d4+1 rounds later, attach itself to the brain stem of its host. There, it will attempt to control the actions of the host (Will save to resist). Removing a burrowing Farlen larva requires a Very Difficult (DC 25) Healing skill check to successfully remove the larva without killing the patient. Once it has attached to the brain stem, the difficulty increases to Nigh Impossible (DC 30).

Farleni Traits: All Farleni have the following abilities: take half damage from acid and cold, take double damage from electricity, telepathy (100 ft range), detect thoughts (20 ft range), sense hive-mind (1 mile range). The larva cannot be hurt directly while its host is alive; only when the host is dead will the larva release the host's brain and attempt to find another host.

Ride Host: Pupal Farleni will grapple and ride a victim and extend tendrils that, 1d4+1 rounds later, attach themselves to the brain stem of its host. Once attached, it will attempt to control the actions of the host (Will save to resist). Removing an attached Farlen pupa requires a Difficult (DC 20) Healing skill check to successfully remove the tendrils without killing the patient. Once it has attached to the brain stem, the difficulty increases to Very Difficult (DC 25). The host suffers half of all damage dealt to the riding pupa.

The rest of the powers should be self-explanatory.

Enjoy,
Flynn

World of Samardan: Rekmader, the Forest of Plenty...

Welcome, All:

First, I would like to take a moment and celebrate a milestone for me. This is the 600th Post for In Like Flynn, something I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever see when I started all of this. Thankfully, I've stuck with it, and I was very proud to see 600 posts come up when I logged in to post my blog entry for today. Woohoo!

Second, this is the last location post for the World of Samardan campaign setting. After this post, we are diving straight in with the Hall of Infamy, developing a list of the top seven bad guys for the setting so we have antagonists to pit against our protagonists.

(hex) Rekmader, the Forest of Plenty

Ambiance: This small forested area is teaming with life, particularly herds of wild yurlathi. Surprisingly, these woods appear to be free of major predators, save for the occasional pile of skulls arranged along game trails. Their orderly arrangement suggests an intelligent presence, even if no other sign is immediately visible.

History: Rekmader has always been known for its good hunting. The ownership of the land is continually contested as new warlords strive to take the land from its previous owner. Recently, a tribe of primitive morsudkomi has taken residence in the woods, chasing the previous tenants from their watchtower.

Encounters: Herds of wild yurlathi inhabit this region, along with a number of smaller herbivores. A tribe of the four-armed morsudkomi also inhabit these woods, keeping the area clear of major predators. Common encounters and hazards include falling trees, crude man-traps, kandori nests, and the webs of a roving rivrakkat.

Treasure: Yurlathi are the most common form of livestock on Samardan, and herds of wild yurlathi sell well in the market as breeding stock. .

Adventure Hooks: Adventure hooks for this site could include the following:

• Among certain tribes of Husrani, morsudkomi cubs are considered pets. Tamar Geshkan, the wandering merchant, has standing offers for living morsudkomi cubs, in order to maintain strong trading relations with such tribes.
• Kado Sumanatan, a yurlathi rancher, seeks new breeding stock, but does not want to buy local males because he feels they are inferior to his herds. He is soliciting outlanders with animal skills to find and drive a herd of wild yurlathi from Rekmader to his ranch lands.
• Pansanu Drako Dankana, a Husrani mercenary captain, seeks additional mercenaries to join him in a strike on the morsudkomi, so that he can retake the forest they took from him.
• This season's fashionable delicacy among the nobility of Torkobalem is seared kandor with wild chili paste. The famous chef Sadabama Hikokan prefers to serve wild kandori, preferably from the Rekmader, as the meat is purpostedly tastier. Enterprising hunters are looking for men-at-arms to protect them as they hunt down and capture nests of kandori in response to Sadabama's increasing culinary needs.
• Yaranu Moro, Master of Assassins for the court of Kolgrat, will pay handsomely for fresh rivrakkat poison.

Standard Disclaimer: As I have not yet decided where to set this particular location on the map as yet, I've left a placeholder to remind me to come back to this in the future. Later on, I'll replace (Hex) with the actual hex location, when I put all of this together into a single document.

Enjoy,
Flynn

World of Samardan: Pekalium, the Tower of Strength...

Greetings, All:

Now that the A-Z Challenge is over, I only have two more locations that I want to describe here, and then I'd like to move on to the next step in the process of building a campaign setting, the Hall of Infamy. Before we can tackle that list of cool villains, though, I need to detail an abandoned manufacturing plant and some rich hunting grounds. First up will be the manufacturing plant.

(hex) Pekalium, the Tower of Strength

Ambiance: An ancient tower rises from the sands thirty feet tall, obviously the top part of a buried complex. The interior extends several floors below the surface and is remarkably well preserved, save for windows where sand has poured into the complex. Occasional animal tracks disturb the scattered soil, indicating the passage of living things.

History: This abandoned factory of the Ancient Ones has been protected from worst effects of the passage of time by being buried under sand in the wastelands of the Torafeldan. A recent earthquake uncovered the upper portion of it, giving access to remarkably preserved equipment. With some spare parts, a few repairs and a new power source, this site could be restored to almost full functionality.

Encounters: Within the Pekalium, adventurers will encounter numerous lairs of desert creatures seeking shelter within the complex. In addition, should power be restored, automated safety features may appear as traps or defense systems to the uninformed. Common encounters include kandori, viddrakkati and a large pack of hudyurkati (large, cloven-hoofed carnivores with an extremely powerful bite and the psychic ability to lure prey in for the kill).

Treasure: The true treasure to be found in this site is the possibility of a working factory that produces small airships. Even without that, the raw materials and semi-completed airship parts found in internal storage vaults would bring a fortune on the open market.

Adventure Hooks: Adventure hooks for this site could include the following:

• Flying above the Torafeldan via a large airship, the merchant Pilot-Commander spies the tower and decides to land and plunder this newly revealed structure, regardless of the desires of his passengers and crew.
• One of the survivors of an airship crash sends out a psychic call for help, drawing those who answer to the Pekalium, where the survivors have taken shelter.
• Pansanu Rago Rananagan, a Husran tribal chieftain, is calling for a Great Hunt after noting an increase in hudyurkat attacks on his tribe in this region.
• The Rakrani sage Loba Granbura, having heard of a tower in the wastelands that was recently uncovered by an earthquake, is curious enough to hire mercenaries to accompany her on a journey to investigate it.
• The Siblings of the Sapphire Sphere, a mystic order of scholars of the Ancient Ones, seek brave souls who would be willing to follow an old map into the Torafeldan, in search of an ancient complex referenced in recently recovered materials.

Standard Disclaimer: As I have not yet decided where to set this particular location on the map as yet, I've left a placeholder to remind me to come back to this in the future. Later on, I'll replace (Hex) with the actual hex location, when I put all of this together into a single document.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Taking A Long Weekend; I'll Be Back On Monday...

Good Afternoon, All:

My apologies, but I decided to take a brief hiatus after successfully completing the A-Z Challenge this week. I feel that I need to put a little attention elsewhere for just a little bit, taking care of things that I let slide while I was working on April's flurry of posts. Starting Monday, though, I'll be back, with another World of Samardan location for the list.

Enjoy Your Weekend,
Flynn

World of Samardan: The Ziggurat of Moradan...

Greetings, All:

Here is the final post in this year's A to Z Challenge series, which describes 26 different locations in the World of Samardan campaign setting, one for each letter of the alphabet. (There will be other location posts, but this one is the last of the Challenge posts.) Z is for the Ziggurat of Moradan.

(hex) Ziggurat of Moradan

Ambiance: A stepped pyramid of weathered black stone rising up from the wastelands, this ancient structure feels even older than most sites of the Ancient Ones. It is a cold, desolate structure, with steps rising to the apex along the slant height. The casing stones at the top have been pulled aside to reveal a narrow stairwell that descends into the depths of the ziggurat.

History: Also known as Moradan's Folly, this ancient structure has been the site of many deaths in the name of greed. Pansanu Hiko Moradan, convinced that great wealth lay deep within this ancient ziggurat, led numerous expeditions within, only to emerge with a handful of survivors unwilling to speak of the untold horrors they witnessed. None have dared enter the structure after Pansanu Hiko Moradan failed to return from his last trip within, although other warlords occasionally jest at mounting an expedition themselves to go after the fabled treasure.

Encounters: The ziggurat is loaded with traps, as well as puzzle rooms that appear to be designed to perplex and torment all who enter into it. Synthetic men mutely provide general maintenance for the site, and will direct visitors to various puzzle chambers in a jovial manner. The synthetic men appear to be in a losing battle against desert vermin that have entered into the complex since the casing stones were removed several decades ago. Common encounters are vermin swarms, unusual traps and helpful synthetic men.

Treasure: Rumors of great treasures found within the Ziggurat of Moradan are not unfounded. There's a wealth of repair components and power crystals to be discovered within the complex. In addition, a semi-functional synthetic man production plant exists in the lower-most level of the complex, waiting to be discovered. Aside from the scientific knowledge that could be recovered, more conquest-oriented leaders might view this as a possible source for slaves and possibly soldiers.

Adventure Hooks: Adventure hooks for this site could include the following:

• A mute synthetic man has been found wandering in the wastelands. The crystalline tool it carried caused a Rakrani scholar of the Ancient Ones to urgently solicit guides to track it back to its point of origin.
• It is a rite of passage in some Husrani tribes that the youth coming of age must visit the Ziggurat of Moradan and return with a symbol of their visit. Recently, one Pansanu's heir did not return, and he seeks "volunteers" to explore the depths of the Ziggurat looking for his son.
• Kudiso Moradan, grandson of the famous Pansanu Hiko Moradan, has a standing reward for any information related to locating his grandfather or revealing the mysteries of the Ziggurat of Moradan.
• The Brotherhood of the Black Pyramid, a fanatically order of Rakrani scholars and cultists, believe that within the Ziggurat of Moradan lies a gateway to a heavenly afterlife. They are recruiting mercenaries to protect an expedition to find the Heavenly Gate.
• The town drunkard claims to have found an ancient map, partially obliterated by the passage of time, which shows portions of the interior, and he's willing to sell it for an evening of wine and revelry. One of the chambers within appears to contain large golden idols.

My inspiration for this site was an amusement park. I tried to imagine what an amusement park might look like for the Ancient Ones, and then how that same image would look in the eyes of someone who had never lived in a culture that could conceive of an amusement park. Android staff, unable to speak, working diligently on maintaining the site, and directing visitors to rides, games and the usual attractions. If one wanted to make it more sinister, the GM could assume there's a deranged AI running things, and take the story from there.

Standard Disclaimer: As I have not yet decided where to set this particular location on the map as yet, I've left a placeholder to remind me to come back to this in the future. Later on, I'll replace (Hex) with the actual hex location, when I put all of this together into a single document.

With Regards,
Flynn