Jump to content

Mutants & Masterminds: Struggles of Iannin - The Rebirth of Iannin


Forge

Recommended Posts

Azath - Fourth Epoch

Even as Azath railed at her changes wrought by the machinations of Quaress and the faith of the female dominated Zray'Katha, she could not deny her pride in how her living creations continued to endure their trials, and then grow stronger for them. To them, she gifted deeper knowledge in the secret qualities of metal and steel.

Then did Azath cast her gaze upon her neglected first attempt a mortal creation. Their long journey to Jotnar's Wall and the Wailing Winter that followed had decreased their already limited number even further. But then did the Lifeblood of Iannin began to flow down Jotnar's Wall and a Jarl did life the Thane-Hammer above his head, and so did the Jotnar begin to forged anew, their numbers growing as they never had before.

And as the new Thane of all Jotnar proclaim the construction of a great city to trumpet their triumph, another quality of the Thane-Hammer did arise. A spark of Azath's essence did reside within the Thane-Hammer and thus did a spark of Azath's essence reside in every Thane.

And so did Azath come to know a man's flesh once more, able to sire children rather than to bear them, his stolen seed giving rise to the rare Azanar among the Jotnar.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)

Reaction: Azath teaches the Zray'Katha advanced smithing and metallurgy techniques, enabling them to purify metals to greater degrees, determine rigidity or springiness for a variety of purposes (such as being able to make bows from steel), make metals corrosion and rust resistance, colour the metal itself, and more.

Action: Azath is now able to insert a portion of his being into the bearer of the Thane-Hammer, essentially turning the wielder into a minor Avatar. This grants Azath the ability to direct the Jotnar in a new way, as well as to sire children with a tiny measure of his/her divine power, the Azanar.

The Azanar as stronger, larger, more robust Jotnar, with a particular affinity for Ice and Fire magics, as well as other, more unique powers. However, they cannot bear the Thane-Hammer themselves, for Azath does not wish so much of his essence to reside in a single mortal shell.

This has the side effect of also turning Azath into a hermaphroditic God in his natural form, further defining him as a god of dual aspects, Fire and Ice, Male and Female. Different races or cultures still worship Azath as they prefer though, some accepting the dual aspects, others focusing on particular ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zahan-Thaya - Fourth Epoch

After the haze of her fury and rage subsided Zahan-Thaya saw what she had done. The land was imprinted with her essence giving birth to the mysteriously everchanging, ever evolving Wylds. Feeling most comfortable in this environment created by pure chance the Goddess of Life entered the Wylds and meditated. Soon her chant reached throughout the whole expanse of Iannin, to every corner of the world and those few attracted by the Song felt an irresistable urge and pull to come to her.

Soon she was surrounded by the races of Iannin, from the Giant Jotnar to the Bird-like Jreila. Everyone was accepte, male or female, large or small, strong or weak to receive Zahan-Thaya’s teaching and blessing. When she opened her eyes her followers understood the meaning of life as it reflected in their eyes. The Wylds already infused with her power changed them, granting them magical power and understanding but also a sense of responsibility and the need to conserve and protect all life no matter how evil or vile its deeds are.

Her gift broke all barriers and thus the Druids of the Wyld were created. Stout followers of Zahan-Thaya transcending all tribes and races granting them a deeper understanding of life and creation.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)

Reaction: Zahan-Thaya creates a world-wide spanning circle of Druids. These Nature-priests are imbued with her power and can be only initiated in the Wylds (it is part of their rite of passing). The chosen of Zahan-Thaya will learn a new language, the Wyld-speak that grants them understanding of everything created and touched by Zahan-Thaya (basically creating a common language for all Druids, no matter where they’re from).

The Gift of Zahan-Thaya can be very different and random, some showing random „mutations“ as they gain more animal like aspects, some learning to wield powerful life-magic, even to the point to bringing the dead back to life, but unlike her husbands power of necromancy these will return to life in living flesh but with a twist. The element of Chaos chooses their new race and gender. All Druids of Zahan-Thaya have dimly glowing green eyes which gain in intensity the older and more powerful they become.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chaos - Fourth Epoch

Chaos roared when it became aware of what Kaer dared to do. Reaching out through the forgotten bore in the seal that kept him from Iannin, the roiling boil of entropy took command of that which had been stolen from him and used it to lash out at the god that gave lip-service, but seemed to serve Creation.

The Bound Knight of Chaos summoned a great storm from the Sea of Tears, calling on the remnants of the primordial Chaos that had created the vast body of water and pulled it forth over the Mire. The Mire'nast fled to the safety of the trees, but even the feet of the Lenai could not keep the Murg away from the rising waters and the vast swamp was inundated until the last breath of the Murg was suffused with brackish water.

Exiting the Mountain of Sorrow, the Bound Knight did call forth the bloated corpses to walk again and he sent them like a wave of death north into the lands of the Fen, filled with the unwavering desire to see all things destroyed. They advanced, unstoppable across the lands for they needed not food, rest or command. As they laid waste to the Fen, marching across the dismembered corpses of their former brethren and the ravaged bodies of the Fen, the Bound Knight sent the Chaos storm into Mount Sorrow, extinguishing all remnants of those who claimed to study the practice of that which could not be done.

Satisfied to see Siponak cut the ties of the last Chaos practitioner from the mortal coil, the Bound Knight turned his attention to the Fen and called forth more storms from the Sea. The gargantuan tornadoes moved across the Flatlands, sweeping all aside in their fury. The Bound Knight called forth the fallen Fen to join his ranks, swelling his numbers to a force not seen since the days of the First.

The Twins faltered, consumed with grief in their path across the Heavens as the last of their favored fell. The Mer'nast gathered, filled with the determination of the god that created them, to stop the incoming tide. At first it seemed as though they might, as the corpses had not the mobility and ability that they had on land, but the overwhelming numbers soon gave weight to their press and the Mer'nast were fully routed, nearly claimed by the undead tide.

As the Horde beached to the north of the Blasted Lands, the Balor too, felt the call to lend aid, but the move was foolish and they were followed in retreat to their caves, eradicated from the Blasted Lands.

Finally the wailing of the Twins and swoosh of Siponak's constant reaping reached the attention of the other gods and they realized action would be needed to save Iannin. Siponak called forth the Anupu from their island, bringing the experts of unlife to the battle via the Gyre. As they stood with the Jotnar and the Takrok overlooking the advancing Horde, even they balked at the enormity of the of the tide.

Ankassar doubled the number of the Kassim, calling them forth through the Axis stone they built around the Eastern Temple.

Azath walked among the Jotnar, touching the champions of the people and doubling the number of the Azanar.

Zahan-Thaya, seeing that even this would not match the numbers of the Horde, gave call to the other gods and they in turn with the Goddess of Life tripled the Thayim, bringing their numbers near to the height of their time. Many were drawn through the Axis stones and the Gyres and set before the advancing horde.

The Bound Knight, took notice of the Crystal Gyre and saw how it worked. Should the Horde reach it, there would be no stopping the advance of Chaos. The Knight turned the seeping spread towards the mountains and watched as the battle ensued.

The battle was one of legends, a rare time when nearly all the peoples of Iannin were united as one in the defense of Creation. The choice to send the Horde through the mountains in haste kept them funneled to small passes that were more easily defended, but the press of undead numbers besieged the living to exhaustion and it seemed as though the battle would be lost. The alliance of races had slowly retreated back through the mountains, giving ground at the cost of their blood until they reached the ruins of a city of the First, only a few foundation stones still recognizable from what once must have been a great city.

The Anupu, knowing the results of this battle would soon reach the shores of their home, made the ultimate sacrifice. With the help of the Thayim, they found a major ley line that was anchored to the ancient city. Even as the Horde clawed at their robes, the enacted a ritual, ripping the lifeblood of Elan from its anchor and recast it down the Pass towards the undead and merged their essence into it. This sent a command unlike any seen before and the entire Horde collapsed where they stood, ending the advance. The Bound Knight of Chaos himself was struck down by an Azanar, wielding the Thane Hammer by the blessings of Azath, shattering the shell it had used to act on Iannin and sending it back to the Empyrean. The Thane Hammer was marred by the act, receiving a hairline crack in its head.

The Druids were called from the Wylds to help attend to the dead and were forever changed by the sight, vowing never to eat meat again. Even the fruit of the Sanare took on the cast of the blood spilled, turning a deep red and tasting of the fallen.

The Jotnar and the Takrok rejoiced in their victory, vowing to never let the world forget the site of the ultimate battle for life. The Takrok carved out and paved the pass, turning into a safe road for traveling and trade from north to south and the Jotnar built a city, Thanegaardt, through the Peace Pass with the excavated rock upon the foundation stones left from the city of the First. The new mountain pass went straight through the city, the path open and clear from end to end and lined with statues depicting the heroes, fallen and alive alike.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
*Takrok - World Wonder

*Jotnar - World Wonder

*Fen - Extinct

*Murg - Extinct

*Ankassim - Population doubles

*Chaos Magic Mountain - Extinct

*Azanar - Population doubles

*Mer'nast - Population quarters

*Balor - Population halves

*Thayim - Population triples

*Anupu - Population halves

*Skrofan - Hurricane

*Z's - Can breathe underwater (not aquatic, but can breathe underwater)

*A's - Immune to heat (fitting seeing as the Z's are immune to cold.)

*Axis stones - Immune to Aging effects (no moss for j00)

*Jreila - Immune to aging

*Sanare - Small change - they have a coppery taste

*Druids - Small change - they can't eat meat.

*Oa'erler - Tornadoes

*Wylds - Tornadoes

*Mire'nast - Tornadoes

*Muthay - Tornadoes

The Rest were N/A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wulkyn - Fifth Epoch

In the aftermath of the war for Iannin, Wulkyn called out to his children, and the heavens danced unlike any time prior or since. At the Timekeeper's bidding the stars themselves painted a mural in the sky, a fresco comprised of points of light that depicted the heroes and their enemies.

On Iannin itself Wulkyn cast forth a great magic. The scattered and mixed races of Iannin; those displaced by war, and those who's homes still remained found themselves compelled to settle, or to migrate, and in time the races, once separate became mixed across the great continent of Iannin.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)

Reaction: Creating contellations depicting the heroes and evils of the war.

Action: Wulkyn creates a magic that makes the people of the main continent mingle until there there are no kingdoms with a lone single race or culture. This effect ceases outside of the main continent, leaving concentrated populoations of Anupu, Skrofan, A's & Z's in their original lands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Siponak - Fifth Epoch

raek.jpgIn the wake of the great war Siponak saw the fields of bodies, the untold and uncountable scores of the dead that befouled the face of Iannin. As a gift to his wife, the Goddess Zahan-Thaya, Siponak for once in all of time created life. A creature capable of consuming the dead and cleansing the battle scarred lands of the detritus of war. The Tar'rak spread forth quickly throughout Iannin consuming the unburied and buried dead both. From death comes life; and the fertile excrement of the Tar'rak soon bring about a period of unsustainable extreme growth in all the lands wounded by the battle. Rampant growth soon restores all that was trodden and burned, blighted and scarred by the war.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)

Reaction: In the aftermath of the Tar'rak's cleaning of Iannin after the war there is an age of extreme verdant growth that repairs and restores much of what was lost to the war.

Action: The Tar'rak a a quadrupedal omniverous creature that feeds primarily on carrion. It's leathery hide is supplemented by heavy, overlapping bone plates that run the length of its back and protect its major joints. Eyeless, the blind creature's senses of hearing and smell are more than adequate to make up for the lack of vision. It's gaping maw possesses massive teeth which are more than powerful enough to snap bones like dry twigs and severe corpses in a single bite. Though normally a carrion feeder the Tar'rak are also capable of savage acts of predation in times or starvation or to protect themselves and their young. Tar'rak have no formal range, and can be found nearly anywhere on Iannin. Though difficult to domesticate the Tar'rak are occasionaly used by farmers who find their excrement to be rich fertilizer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Konsea - Fifth Epoch

The mindless carnage from the Epoch before had kept Konsea well-fed and the goddess was mostly content. Still, she saw that the oceans were empty of her fearsome presence. So as the other gods cleaned up the mess on land, Konsea poured her energy into the sea and waters, creating another life. All of the fierce predators of the deep are used, their bones and skin going to create a new apex predator. To them she gave the underwater caves far to the north.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
Reaction: None. The goddess was content with the actions of the last epoch.

Action: Created the Wyni. The Wyni are similar to octopi, but they are far more intelligent. Their tentacles have hooks imbedded in the flesh, to aid with drawing prey into their mouth, located at the apex of their six legs. Their bodies measure three feet across while their legs can extend to six. The males are smaller than the females. They form clutches of males and females in equal numbers, which work (more or less) cooperatively. They are most comfortable in cold water but can be anywhere.

Image to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tal & Len - Fifth Epoch

Righteous fury and tears of sorrow poured from the Twins as they grieved for the loss of both their chosen, the Fen and their adopted, the Murg. In observation of the grievous moment, the Twins went dark and would again, once a turn in remembrance of the fallen peoples so that none would forget the atrocity that befell them.

To assure that such an act would never happen again, they sent a host of Atriarchs down to the remainder of their people in the pure waters of Iannin and bid them to train a group of champions to patrol for Chaos and to seek it out and destroy it.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
Reaction: A yearly eclipse of both suns that is used as an observation of those who died in the war. It can develop into a more generic grieving moment later.

Action: Creating the Sen'Ten (Guardians of Truth) from the A'Fen. An elite organization that is self governing and above the laws of any nation that answers only to the Truth and Grace of the Twins (there won't be any abuse of that... whistle) Their primary goal being to prevent/eradicate the minions of Chaos and their machinations from the face of Iannin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kaer - Fifth Epoch

Kaer retreated to his throne room and was not seen as he waited for the collective anger of the other gods to the repercussions of his actions to mellow and be forgotten. Spying the trailing wisp of Chaos that was escaping, Kaer slammed shut the seal, reforming anew the seal that held back Chaos from Iannin.

Kaer knew that any evidence of outward action on Iannin would likely be examined by the other gods and probably destroyed, and so instead chose to wait, and bide his time, for a forthcoming wave of Chaos.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
Reaction: Sealing the hole in the Seal before he gets in even more deep doo-doo.

Action: Basically no action. But promises of doom and destruction at some vague GM determined point later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zahan-Thaya - Fifth Epoch

Zahan-Thaya couldn't believe, didn't want to believe the destruction the war had left behind. Everywhere she looked she saw the wanton destruction caused by Kaer. Surprisingly her husband showed some mercy and compassion and his support was more than welcomed. Still the pain of all the life lost griefed the Goddess of Life and she wept and cried at the senseless deaths the war had brought upon Iannin.

And everywhere her tears touched the land new life was created - A myriad of animals were born from this tragedy, some to help the races cultivate the land, some to be hunted for their meat and some to give solace to those who lost their families.

The soil got enriched by her tears increasing it's fertility so many crops could grow and feed the hungry - those who survived needed her help to rebuilt what was lost. Life would prevail - it always did.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
Reaction: Zahan-Thaya increases the lands fertility making it easier to grow crops even in those lands that are normally difficult to cultivate. The people will still be dependent on the weather and climate, though. This will compliment Siponak's action to increase the fertility of the lands.

Additionally to that Zahan-Thaya creates Horses, Cattle, Rabbits, Chicken and pigs - the whole she-bang of domesticable animals which can be used for farming or as pets (like cats and dogs, but also some more exotic variants - GM approval required of course).

Action: None, except for kissing her husband tenderly for his great gift.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quaress - Fifth Epoch

Quaress felt a cold fury rise beneath her breast. She reveled in uncertainty and trickery, but the wanton destruction of Bound Knight of Chaos and his vast army of the dead sickened her. There could be no amusement dancing across the face of Iannin if Iannin was no more.

The reaping of the practitioners of Chaos was not enough. They had dwelled in Mount Sorrow for an Epoch, leaving much of their studies behind, along with studies of all manner of magics. Quaress called upon the Scarlet Troupe to gather these writings, so learn the signs of Chaos and the means to seal it away. And many others secrets in Mount Sorrow were found away, adding to the lore gathered by the Scarlet Troupe.

Not fully satisfied with mortal efforts - her followers had always had their own motivations - Quaress then became a sourceless shadow, slipping into Siponak's Demesne, to steal away the souls of the Chaos Practitioners. The veil between life and death was not as thick as some would believe to be, and too many knew where to look for those who have passed.

Those seeking the Way of All and Nothing would have to search far indeed, the way would be littered with traps for the wary and unwary alike.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
Reaction: The Scarlet Troupe (yes, I changed the name slightly) gathers as much of the texts and scrolls from the Mount Sorrow academy as possible. They hide them away in a number of other repositories so they won't be all in the same place. Then they use that knowledge and the knowledge they gather as performers and loremasters to keep an eye out for any hint of Chaos Magic or its practitioners.

As a bonus, they did manage to collect more than just texts on Chaos Magic. smile

They rarely confront such directly however, preferring to arrange news of Chaos and the means to stop it to fall into the hands of those already inclined to do. Sometimes however, they have to act more directly.

And of course, having access to the lore of Chaos Magic, if only a fraction, can lead to some members of the Scarlet Troupe to be seduced by its power or the belief they can control it. Quaress makes sure they pay most adamantly.

Action: Quaress steals the souls of the Chaos Practitioners and does... something with them. Leaving it open for further uses. Wasn't sure if we wanted to allow complete soul annihilation, so they might be driven contagiously insane, inflicting it on anyone trying to contact them. Or they might just be ridiculously hard to contact - considering they aren't in Siponak's domain. Or any number of things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Azath - Fifth Epoch

Azath allowed himself a smile of pride as he looked down on his creations, on her children. The Jotnar and the Zray'Katha succeeded and prospered as Azath had hoped they would, if not in the fashion he expected.

The thunderous blow of the Thane-Hammer smiting the corporeal form of the Bound Knight of Chaos still reverberated inside her head. Azath cursed as the fracturing of the Thane-Hammer severing him from his intimate relationship from the Thane of the Jotnar, leaving no escape from his flesh betwixt male and female.

And as she sought an escape, a reprieve however brief, the echoes of the reverberations from the fractured Thane-Hammer grew louder and louder, until finally, Azath screamed, the mountains shook in sympathy.

And then there was silence, as from a God, then Goddess, of dual aspects, Azath was sundered into multiple gods and goddesses of singular aspect, showing the face that the mortals wished to see.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)

Reaction: The hair-line fracture in the Thane-Hammer prevents Azath from possessing its wielder and using him for an Avatar. It also prevents him from reclaiming the personal power invested in it, which was increased for the Great War with Chaos.

Action: The loss of power and the taint of Chaos effectively gave Azath the Deity version of Multiple-Personality Syndrome. Each of Azath's aspects or center of worship has its own distinct form, personality, and aspect, which maybe be at odds with the others.

Azath's loss of power is lessened as it is spread among the various aspects. Though individually, each aspect isn't quite as powerful as power, in their respective purviews, they are very adept.

The Jotnar worship Azath, Lord of Fire, and Zathar, Thane of Ice, a towering, male Jotnar, powerful and regal.

The Zray'Katha follow Zatha'Kan, The Forge-Maiden and Lady of Steel, a beautiful and muscular, six-armed, Zray'Katha woman with long hair of purest gold.

The Thayim of the Broken Archipelago picture Azath as Azayth, The Mother of the Waters, a lush and pregnant Thayim woman, her everlasting bounty feeding them, and her soft song teaching them to call the last of the Leviathans to protect them.

And so on, others can develop - schisms in faith can have pretty dramatic circumstances. wink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chaos - Fifth Epoch

Never content, never satiated, and forever satisfied, Chaos gave one last push against its prison even as Kaer sealed it again, the reverberations echoing through the stratification of the god's planes and through Iannin itself. The sending of entropy was to have one last effect before a time of settling and gathering of resources.

The resulting rumblings sent the remaining Anupu into a pitched fervor of faith, their belief in Death the standard of scale to which all the other gods compared their followers.

Nearby, amongst the Shattered Archipelago, the earthquakes had destroyed much of what the Z'hights had on land, and their newfound ability to survive underwater had pushed them more to the shores. This in turn had created a vast population of amphibious Oa'erler and at the same time, the Z'hights discovered that the emanations of Chaos had somehow changed the crystalline relationship between the two species and that they could become bonded. And so they began to experiment.

The disturbance in the pattern of creation extended to all corners, even the Skrofan, who had seen progressively peaceful turns, age after age found their culture changing and adapting quickly as magic became a part of everyday life within a couple generations.

The waves continued, gaining momentum as they passed through the Wylds, feeding on the grounds closer to Chaos that Creation. The burst that emanated from the Wylds sent out more consequences as they traveled, impregnating every magic-born creature, sending the population soaring within turns. This burst had more morbid consequences as well, the fair-born Jreila could not withstand the vibrations. The hollowed bones of their kind harmonized with the wave and shattered, destroying the relatively new race in the span of a cycle. And the Tar'Rak fed.

Even the large Azanar, bold and brave, found themselves changing as Azath aspects divided. So did they change, becoming one with the aspect of their destiny, holding an affinity for Fire, or an affinity for Ice. Also, the epic weapons of Konsea's design too fell prey to the undulating wave of change, turning the creations to a more sinister bend, allowing them to feed upon their users as they were wielded.

The Zray thought themselves to have avoided problems, hunkered down in the walled-off Blasted Lands, but they found over time that births of two arms became rare, while the once previous four-armed Zray became common place and even six started to emerge as a common place occurrence.

The attention of the the Scarlet Troupe was caught by this activity and saw straight through to the cause of it. They delved into the knowledge they had taken of Chaos and sought out a way to counteract the increasing number of changes. When they went to seek out the answers however, they found that Chaos had already visited the source material and instead released a deadly plague upon themselves. Had it not been for the intervention of the Sen'ten and self isolation, the Scarlet Troupe would have died out. But the Tar'Rak fed.

The rampant fertilization of the land sent the Sanare spreading like a fire, to the point of becoming a choking weed that hampered farmland and forced its removal, the rich soil making it bear no useful fruit.

The last true effect of Chaos upon Iannin was with the A'fen. When the Sen'ten were pulled and raised up to the duty of the Twins. It had created a cultural rift of those who wished to follow the few up back into the light. The burst of entropy had exacerbated this feeling and the constant discontent of the Mer'nast and their nigh destruction with which they received no help from the A'fen. This discontent, this social upheaval boiled into a civil war for the normally aloof people. By the time peace was brought about again, half the A'fen had moved from the waters and resettled upon the land, taking up the mantle as the Nay'fen.

Click to reveal.. (Explain!)
*Jotnar - Earthquake

*Anupu - Faith bent (could they be more fanatical?)

*Skrofan - Magic bent

*Z's - Symbiotic (with Oa'erler)

*Oa'erler - Amphibious

*Zray - Large change (Dominant gene is now four arm birth, occasional six arm and rare two arm)

*A'fen - Civil war (very convenient for me)

*Sea serpents - Earthquake

*Konsea weapons - Parasitic (basically became 'cursed' epic weapons)

*Wyld born magic creatures - Population triples

*Jreila - Extinction

*Sanare - Population triples (due to all the fertilization going around, too bad those berries are useless)

*Scarlet Troupe - Population quarters

*Azanar - Gain quirk (Azanar are now geared specifically towards fire or ice)

*Tar'Rak - Population doubles (Scarlet and Jreila bodies nom nom nom)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...