| Vazgell Can'ri |
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| Difficulty
Rating: 2 |
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A race which can be
traced back to the time of the Three Kingdoms, the Vazgell Can'ri are a race
created and engineered by the Kopru. It is said that the Kopru, to create the
ultimate soldier, breed Verdane and Fiends (Or maybe Demons) together creating a
race holding the bloodlust of the Verdane, the power of the fiends and a loyalty
to the Kopru that is comparable to God worship. They are renowned for their
cunning, violence and cruelty. But they are not mindless savages. The Vazgell
have a surprisingly complex culture that produces not only bloodthirsty warriors
but also wise leaders and passionate artists.
The Vazgell resemble
swarthy-skinned humans but are on the average taller, heavier, and more muscular
than their human counter parts. They average between six and seven feet tall and
weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. Males are heavier and wider than females and
have no facial hair. Both males and females tend to wear their black hair long,
sometimes tying it in topknots and braids. Tattoos and ritual scars are popular
among the Vazgell, both as decoration and as badges of strength.
At a glance, most can
pass for human, but upon closer inspection, there are two aspects that set them
apart. The first is their eyes. Vazgell eyes have no discernable pupils and vary
in color from white to yellow and to red which depends on their mood. When
enraged, a Vazgell's eyes actually glow. The second distinction is a common
deformity amongst the Vazgell: large bone spurs. These spurs often resemble
horns growing from the skull, spikes growing from the spine, or claws growing
from the hands or forearms. Despite popular belief, these spurs are not a
natural occurrence.
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| Combat:
A Vazgell in combat is a deadly force indeed. They pose strength
superior to that of orcs and superb health, but are not as intelligent
or "book smart" as some humans. Also the mere sight of one, in
a rage and eyes glowing, is bound to put fear in an opponent. They
rarely, if ever, wear armor, and prefer to fight in the manner similar
to a Barbarian. They commonly weld more than one weapon, preferring
two-handed weapons or two single handed weapons however a Vazgell is
capable of holding a weapon in one hand which normally takes two to hold
such as Greataxes and Pikes. They never use shields, instead preferring
to parry with one weapon and attack with the other or move in close and
fast to force an opponent into defending itself. They are unarmored, but
are very agile for one their size and not weighed down or restricted in
movement as one would be in a suit of chainmail.
Besides this, the normal training
path for a Vazgell Can'ri Warrior mixes Barbarian fighting styles as
well as Arcane spellcraft. They are able to use Dispel Magic,
Contagion, Dominate Monster as well as a few other spells/attacks.
Sympathetic Sacrifice:
This ability allows a Vazgell to injure himself and have that injury
appear on a target such as cutting his chest with a dagger and the wound
appears on the target regardless of armor.
Scorch: This ability
causes a Vazgell and one target he is touching to burst into flames. The
flames do not hurt the Vazgell, but do greatly harm the target and
persist for as long as the Vazgell has contact with his foe.
Earthspears: Using this
ability, a Vazgell causes sharp spears of stone to shoot up out of the
earth, impaling those above them. This can only be used on a patch of
soil within short range of the Vazgell. Six spears are generated, one
foot apart from each other in a circle centered on the target and the
spears are six feet tall.
As stated earlier, the bone spurs
are not normal but the side effect of a specific drug the Kopru give the
Vazgell Can'ri before difficult battles. This type of drug is a potion,
made from certain roots and leaves found among the islands of the Kopru
Expanse. This potion, ironically enough called "Ambrosia" by
the Vazgell, induces hallucinations and psychotic episodes in those who
drink it. It is given by the Kopru on the day of important and critical
battles in Wars, and when ingested a Vazgell's effectivness in battle is
greatly bolstered. Vazgell cannot feel pain while under the influence of
the potion, go for days without sleep and are prone to terrible rages.
Prolonged use leads not only to insanity but terrible physical
deformities as well. Long term users are marked by horrible bone spurs
jutting from the flesh like the horns an claws of the beasts. However
among the Vazgell, those with such spurs are honored and feared among
their peers. Taking the potion, one suffers a barbarian style rage
however they are not fatigued afterwards. The rage sets in 1-6 minutes
after drinking and lasts for an hour. If they drink another dose before
the hour is up, the rage continues uninterrupted however a 30% chance
exists of a side effect after each ingestion. This side effect being the
appearance or growth of several spurs. While people fear these spurs,
the Vazgell see the spurs as rather attractive.
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Habitat/Society:
Vazgell
society is a calling, a service to the Kopru who they call Gods. They serve them
as warriors and in whatever line of work there is, the Vazgell being the only
ones who are actually able to speak to the Kopru. Vazgell society however
focuses on strength. In their obsession with strength the Vazgell appreciate
dwarves and half-orcs, while disdaining the "weak" humans, elves,
gnomes and halflings. Of course, if a member of the "weak" races can
impress a Vazgell with his/her strength then that person is respected. The
Vazgell are more tolerant than most when it comes to dealing with orcs, goblins
and other traditionally evil humanoid races.
Slavery
is common among the Vazgell, though they never enslave their own kind. They
prefer dwarven or orc slaves, due to their strength, but will settle for lesser
races if there are no alternatives.
They
exist within an order in the Kopru, being comparable to Knights, Officers and
Generals. They oversee troops, take on daring commando-style raids and guard
places of importance such as the Kopru Temples and Archways. Vazgell society is
divided into family-based clans, some are nomadic and move across the island
chain while others maintain a clan home at some critical part if they are
honored with service to the Kopru. The Vazgell are fanatical in their worship of
the Kopru, composing hundreds of odes to them which are passed down through the
generations. Women are normally second-class citizens within the Vazgell,
however a female Vazgell who can best a male in combat is given some of the
potion which she keeps in a small vial as a showing of her acceptance. Sometimes
Vazgell take other females of other races as mates, and their prestige depends
on the male's prestige however they are mostly just glorified baby-makers, to
spread the line and create more warriors for the Dynasty.
A
Vazgell has a first name, a last name which is their clan name and then a name
of some first great accomplishment such as "deathblade", "slavelord"
and "bonesplicer". While anyone can claim this name, doing so without
having accomplished a task is a deed of dishonor, mockery and they are given the
name of "Gre'lin" which translates to "Gremlin" and means
foolish and weak one, idiot of the clan.
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| Ecology:
The Vazgell have a simple way of life when not in battle. They exist in
simple homes and live off of whatever food they can find. They are not
craftsmen, however a few are adept alchemists and all are
moderately-skilled weaponsmiths in the manner of fixing damaged weapons
on the field. However besides this they have no real skills besides just
a warrior. |
| History:
The Vazgell Can'ri started around
11,000 years ago when contact occurred between the Kopru Dynasty and the
Verdane Empire. The Kopru saw within the Verdane potential, and a few
volunteered to become the very first of the Vazgell Can'ri, breed with
summoned demons and fiends. What type however is unknown. The Vazgell
are the Kopru's "Knights", the Warriors who serve the Gods.
Some Vazgell command over troops of other races, others join small
orders or packs in a form similar to Commando Divisions. Others guard
places of importance to the Kopru. This way of life has remained as it
was for centuries and is to this very day.
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| Character Attitude and
personality: The Vazgell value
strength above all else. They beleive weakness must be eradicated, not
only in themselves but also in others. Therefore, the Vazgell tend to be
aggressive, arrogant and quick of temper. Mercy, patience and humility
can be interpreted as signs of weakness and are avoided. Cowardice is
worse than death. A Vagzell's reckless bravery in combat carries over
into the rest of his life. The Vazgell throw themselves into their tasks
with wild abandon, whether they are hunting, eating, dancing or
worshipping the Kopru. They have no time for subtle intrigue or
long-term political scheming. They live life to the fullest, from one
moment to the next.
The Vazgell language is harsh and
guttural, with strings of consonants that outsiders find difficult to
prnounce. There is a crude runic version of the language that varies
widely across the island chain. Clan elders use this to record the
clan's achievements on long scrolls of cured animal skin. Most Vazgell
have no need for writing and maintain their family records through oral
tradition and epic poems.
Vazgell who leave their clan to
seek out adventure are either seekers, wanderers or rebels. Seekers are
sent by their clan into the world beyond the Expanse on some type of
quest which may take years. However when completed, they return to
receive honor and rewards. Wanderers do the same, but of their own
accord. Rebels have no choice but to leave, either due to shame or
dishonor. They are forbidden from ever setting foot into the lands of
the Kopru Expanse ever again. However a few rebels are those who reject
the set ways, who reject the Kopru as the Gods or reject their society
altogether.
A Vazgell Can'ri has twice the
lifespan of a human, but reaches maturity at 30 years of age as opposed
to 17-18 in some humans. At reaching the halfway point of their life,
past their 100th birthday, some Vazgell retire from their warrior ways
and take up leadership or training positions within Kopru society.
Before this however they embark on a great quest, one last final
"Seeking". They either return with some vast reward or do not
return at all. Females birth within 4-6 months as opposed to 9 in most
humans.
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| Verdane |
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| Difficulty
Rating: 2 |
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The Verdane is part of
the little known past of Imperia, of a time before the settlers reached Verdania
and founded what is known as the Damocles calendar. The name "Verdania"
for the continent comes from some old Aeris scrolls the settlers brought with
them, scrolls that told forth a story of the first ever attempted at humans.
Created by the Titan
Lominos (Who was either with Illiara or a Succubus, history is not sure) as a
race to fill and inherit Imperia (And later Earth) the story of their creation
has already been covered.
Verdane are human, but
they are to other humans as drow are to elves. In normal human society, evil
individuals are mixed amid the neutral and good people, but Verdane are evil as
a race. Verdane rarely call themselves evil, but they do not object to others
putting that label on them.
All Verdane are born
out of rape, anger and pain. They understand only hate, selfishness, and greed.
Yet as much as they love to kill and maim, one goal fuels their souls even more
strongly: deicide. The Verdane want to kill the deities that created them and
those who stood by and allowed the various injustices that befell the Verdane to
happen. This burning hunger for god-death keeps them bound together as a
reluctant, although secret, society. While Verdane sometimes kill other Verdanes,
it is a rare act despite their bloodthirsty, destructive, and utterly immoral
nature.
A typical Verdane
stands little more than 6 feet tall and weighs from 175 to 210 pounds. The males
are noticeably taller and heavier than the females. Verdane skin shades range
from fair to very pale, their hair is straight and jet black, and the men
generally have facial hair. Like humans, Verdane have short life spans,
achieving adulthood at about age 15 and rarely living beyond a century.
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| Combat:
A Verdane can be anything and weld any type of magic with the exception of good
or druidic magics. They favor arcane magic, several taking up the wizard path
and many others born into sorcery. Verdane spellcasters thrive on corrupt
spells and evil magic, and they develop new spells all the time. Despite their
distaste for divine magic, the Verdane do have a few clerics of the sort,
called Si-Priests. They do not channel power from the gods, instead, they steal
it. The Verdane claim that the proper role of the cleric is not to serve, but
to take. Verdane are never druids, bards, barbarians or anything concerning the
following of a God.
While a Verdane
is not evil, per say, they do detect as evil on a spell. However no
spell nor method among mortals exists to identify a Verdane as opposed
to everyone else. Any Detect Evil spells on them come back with unsure
results. They detect as evil but the caster is not so sure.
Only Titans,
Primals and Divine beings can tell who and what a Verdane is. However
they are rare to speak of this as the Verdane was a dark page in the
history of the Gods.
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Habitat/Society:
Verdane do not
understand concepts such as mercy, kindness or love. Not even towards each
other. These concepts are so alien to them that they rarely think to use the
emotions of others as leverage. For example, only a Verdane with years of
experience among other humanoids would kidnap someone; most would not even
consider that the victim's friends might actually value her life. Verdane also
show no revulsion for creatures or acts that other humans find repellent. They
have no aversion to gore or filth, they have no taboos against rape and incest,
and they have no distaste for creatures such as insects, serpents, and worms. If
a Verdane believes that eating maggots will somehow help her, she won't hesitate
to do so.
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| Ecology:
Once, millennia ago in a period known as the "Time of the Three
Kingdoms" (11,000 years before the A.D. calendar) the Verdane held a mighty
Empire that spanned over what is now known as Vernalla, Roshack and Damocles.
This society was known as the Verdane Empire.
The lands of the
Verdane were known (By those rare few who remember them)
as a well defended land, one where traps and enslaved guardian monsters
kept vital entry points well defended. Verdane cities were built mostly
underground, with Forts, Castles and Temples marking various
"Entrances". They had a very sophisticated and organized
culture where a council of elders elected through democratic means ruled
over Verdane. The Verdane would never abide a despot and would all die
before submitting to tyranny. The council members are simply administrators,
because Verdane have few laws. They do what they want and take what they
want, and each defends himself as well as he can. Somehow, this system
of government worked. Maybe it was because of the hatred that bind the
Verdane together and their utter incomprehension that life could be
lived any other way.
However this
society collapsed (Others believe some God unleashed a terrible wrath
upon them) long before the lands of Verdania were ever settled. Only
myths and legends in dusty tomes hint at what was once there, as well as
old Castles, Forts and ruins that leave scholars baffled. The Verdane,
today, now blend in among humans and have forgotten the old Empire, the
greatness they had. But that anger still remains within.
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| History:
The history picks up right where
Lesson 3 leaves off, with the Verdane abandoned and replaced by humans
but still holding what is known as Verdania. This time period is said to
of been tens of thousands of years ago and the Verdane flourished,
growing into vast numbers. They numbered in millions around the time of
the Three Kingdoms (11,000 years before AD) when the Verdane Empire
gained an ally in the Kopru Dynasty. At the time, the Verdane had
expanded north, south and east. In expansion to the North, they ran into
an Elven Kingdom known as Pyrerane and in the south they encountered a
race known as the Verax. Both of these encounters resulted in wars that
lasted in centuries with the war against the Verax ending with several
Verax taken prisoners (And evolved into Vilkurg) and with the Pyrerane
Kingdom being wiped out thanks to a three-way alliance between the Kopru
Dynasty, the Drow of Hadicia and the Verdane. However what has happened
next has been shrouded in mystery.
Somewhere, in the 11,000 year
span between the settlers and the Three Kingdoms Age, the Verdane Empire
was wiped out. Some claim they never did get wiped out, that they merely
relocated to some continent further east (A few point towards Kardius,
others claim they found their way to Earth and created Atlantis, some
think they found another world and moved there. A few even claim the
Krarthians were made of Verdane stock). Others think the Verdane did
some great, foul evil and earned the wrath of the Primals (Such as
destroying a Primal Blade, some holy relic, or using the Primal Keys to
create some spell that forever damned Imperia). While a few have
different theories (An Abomination was unleashed, the Kopru betrayed the
Verdane, the Elves got their revenge, the Verax got their revenge, some
Demon Lord assaulted the lands, some natural disaster wiped them out, an
Asteriod hit Imperia and flung it into an Ice Age). What happened
exactly is and may forever remain a mystery as the Gods, Titans and such
beings seem to refuse to speak of that era. The other Verdane also seem
to of forgotten this moment, as it was centuries and generations
ago.
After the collapse, the Verdane
moved into hiding. Those few left in Verdania blended in among the
settlers, posing as regular humans and have remained a secret within
society for centuries.Others, /A
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| Character Attitude and
personality: A Verdane will act
towards all other races as humans do, however they exhibit a great
hatred for Gods and Humans. The God hatred was explained, but Humans the
Verdane hate cause the Verdane know that they were here first, that
Imperia was meant for them. That the humans are inferior to them and
meant to replace a mistake. Verdane have no qualms about butchering
humans, killing children, or raping humans to create more Verdane. The
character personality and attitude has been well documented in this
entry. Other races will act towards the Verdane as they do humans cause
they simply do not know the difference. Verdane make sure not to go
announcing who and what they are, and simply pass themselves off as
humans. For centuries everyone has beleived this. |
