Tag: ttrpg

#Lore24 – Entry #173 – Wild West Month #22 – The Bleakwood

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

To the north and to the east of the Peaks Reaching to the Sky lies one of the Places We Do Not Go.  This place we call the Bleakwood, for it is a dangerous and cursed place where those who venture inside never return.  The Bleakwood appears at the base of the Peaks Reaching to the Sky, and while it seems as any other forest at first, the nearer you come, the more unsettled you will feel.  The wood grows darker and more foreboding, and soon you can see that the very trees are not normal, looking to be sickly and dying, filled with disease, and yet they somehow still grow.  The Bleakwood is shrouded by mists beyond its edge, even during the hottest of days.  The animals, what few there are, too are sick and not to be hunted, for their flesh is poisonous.  One should never get closer than the warning totems that we have placed upon the outskirts of this place, for to do so would invite misfortune.

It is not known what truly lies within the Bleakwood, but it is possibly one of the places once held by the Devil-Wardens and may contain their dark spirits that cannot find rest, for one can hear terrible wails coming from the wood, as if a soul is being tortured.  The ancestors speak of the foolhardy who dared to venture inside, and the wailing of these unseen spirits that were drawn to them that finally went silent for a time, once they had consumed their prey.  None who wish to live should ever go near this place.

Yet, now that the People from Beyond the Great Walls come into the Bitter Frontier, they have learned of this place.  The Kerra-Kerra have tried to warn them, but I am told by my Brother-and-Sister Shaman in our Dream Meetings that the warnings have gone unheeded, for the belief that there is great treasures beyond is strong.  More and more the outsiders venture inside, and more and more they fail to return.  The wailing of the dark spirits within grows louder and more numerous, and the fog grows thicker, even spreading beyond the edge of the Bleakwood now.  This is deeply troubling.

#Lore24 – Entry #172 – Wild West Month #21 – The Dead That Do Not Rest

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Be ever aware of the smell of death, for one cannot ever be certain that what lies dead will stay still upon the Bitter Frontier.  Dark sorcery, perhaps lingering from the times of the Devil-Wardens, can steal the body once the soul has gone, using it as a vessel to consume the living.  Such things are often the work of the Reaper Spirit, for once the soul is consumed, the bodies that remain are but tool for it to use to slay more of the living.  These are the Dead That Do Not Rest.

The Corpses that Walk are the lowest of the Dead That Do Not Rest, shells of the living that still move and have a fierce hunger for fresh flesh.  Without a soul, the body is as a puppet, controlled by this hunger, doing all that it can to sate its unrelenting with fresh meat.  They are not always easy to kill, for a dead body feels no pain, but a well-placed arrow into their heads is best, or crushing or removing the head entirely; fire is also effective, but best used when the Corpses that Walk are many.  The greater threat is their numbers, for they carry a foul sickness with them that will weaken and kill almost anyone who is bitten by them, and those who succumb have their souls consumed by the Reaper Spirit, their bodies turned into its vessels.

There are more fearsome Dead That Do Not Rest, those who have once served the Reaper Spirit perhaps, thinking they could control it, or who have succumb to their own dark sorcery.  These Dead That Do Not Rest, while having no souls, still have a shadow of their former living souls within them that grants them deadly cunning in addition to greater power.  The Corpses With Bloody Claws and Fangs consume flesh like the Corpses that Walk, but still think and attack from ambush, or, in some cases, consume the recently dead as would any scavenger; if there has been a great battle, be ever cautious, for these are likely near.  They are fast and deadly when one is not prepared to face them; holy magic from the Great Mother will work well against them, as will it against all Dead That Do Not Rest, as does fire, or cutting them to pieces through strength of your warrior spirit.

Even more powerful are the Corpses that Drink Living Blood, for they are the most powerful and cunning of the Dead That Do Not Rest, for they are the users of dark sorcery who have willing brought the Reaper Spirit into them.  They can appear as they did in life, hiding their true nature and using their dark sorcery to control the minds and bodies of animals and people alike, luring them close so they may consume the blood that flows within their veins using their hidden fangs.  Those so chosen by the Corpse that Drinks Living Blood can remain as a cow does, a constant supply of blood, until their body finally fails, which is when they too become a Corpse that Drinks Living Blood, albeit weaker.  However, they can live for many, man years if they are smart, so their power will eventually become the same as the one that spawned them.  These are weakest during the day, and should they touch the light of the sun, they will burn.  It is best to try to paralyze them with a wooden stake to their hearts and drag them into the light of day, or use much fire, for their bodies are strong and hard to hurt without holy magic.  Great care must be taken when dealing with these abominations.

#Lore24 – Entry #171 – Wild West Month #20 – The Humans who Dwell Beyond the Great Walls

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Many are the Humans who Dwell Beyond the Great Walls, for it is they who first sought those walls for safety during the Great Uproar.  Few are the humans who dwell upon the Bitter Frontier, and perhaps it is better that they are not amongst us, for it is said that humans bring chaos and destruction wherever they go; this is not always true, but it is true more often than it is not.  They are a short lived people, so they do not long remember what it is they do, for they are always pushing forward to things “new and better,” even if these things are not so.

I have spoken to several humans who have ventured into the Bitter Frontier; these are usually peaceful enough, simply wishing to live for themselves and survive much as we of the Kerra-Kerra do, hunting and trapping and foraging, but often they search for the shiny gems and rocks that are so valued in the lands Beyond the Great Walls.  It seems to be that humans only grow troublesome when in great numbers, for they are easily swayed into taking actions which we consider foolhardy and destructive.  Unfortunately, their numbers are growing daily, and they are pushing beyond the Great Walls now, into the Bitter Frontier, leading the charge to “tame and civilize” our lands in the name of their “progress”.  Troubled times are ahead for the Kerra-Kerra, for our people have already had violent encounters with the humans, and more are coming daily as their Howling Steel Chariots and Bands of Wood and Steel are raided.

It would be wise to be cautious of any Humans who Dwell Beyond the Great Walls that you encounter upon the Bitter Frontier.  Those who have lived amongst us and proven themselves have told me that they care little for what their kind has started and will likely remain allies to us.  However, do not forget that one’s blood counts for much, and it is likely that even the friendly humans of the Bitter Frontier could one day become enemies if they are persuaded by a greater number of their kind.  I have been present to listen to some of the Humans who Dwell Beyond the Great Walls when they have made speeches about coming into the Bitter Frontier and have witnessed how well they can speak.  The words are often strange to the Kerra-Kerra, but they speak with passion and with authority, yet without depth of wisdom or experience.

For whatever troubles come, there is one thing we can be assured of:  the Bitter Frontier will not be tamed as easily as the humans believe; they will learn this lesson one way or another.

#Lore24 – Entry #170 – Wild West Month #19 – The Demon-Tainted People of Many Places

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Like the rest of the Many Peoples of the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons, the Demon-Tainted People of Many Places were brought here by the Devil-Wardens long ago.  You have no doubt seen them, but their appearances are always different from one to another, they share certain features:  horns upon their heads, unusual colors of skin that seem unnatural, eyes like those of goats, tails with barbs, hooves instead of feet, and perhaps other strangeness, and features aren’t always the same among those who are related.  This is the taint of the Blood of Ancient Demons that still runs strong in them, their very nature that of chaos.

They are called the People of Many Places because they are spread throughout the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons, even amongst the Kerra-Kerra and Horse People and Orc tribes.  Their Demon-Tainted blood allows them to mix with any of the Many Peoples and they will share features of them but are distinctly not fully of them.  The Mountain River tribe of the Horse People and the Horned Puma tribe of the Kerra-Kerra are mostly made up of those of the Demon-Tainted People of Many Places now, and though they generally hold to the ways of our peoples, it is with an unpredictable nature.  It was said by our Ancestors that in the ancient times, the Demon-Tainted People of Many Places were almost entirely female.  Since the Great Uproar this has not been the case.  The Broken Cage that Still Imprisons has broken even the unbreakable ties to the chaos of the Blood of Ancient Demons, it seems.

In the lands Beyond the Great Walls, we know little of the ways of the Demon-Tainted People of Many Places, but we know that some have their own ways and places, while others simply take to the nature of the peoples they live among.  Many are accepted, some are outcasts, perhaps seen as less than the tribal peoples of the Bitter Frontier so it is said.  Though none of the Kerra-Kerra have gone so far to the north, it is told by the Orc People that some tribes of the Demon-Tainted People of Many Places roam the frigid tundra where even the Orc People dare not go.

#Lore24 – Entry #169 – Wild West Month #18 – The Towns that Vanish

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

As the People from Beyond the Great Walls spread into the lands of the Bitter Frontier, they bring their towns and buildings with them.  The wisest amongst these build new walls to protect them from the many dangers that roam the land, along with many armed with the Thundering Weapons.  However, even all of these precautions were not enough to save some of these towns.  The Towns that Vanish are many, though most are easily forgotten by the People from Beyond the Great Walls, for they do not understand the dangers of the Bitter Frontier and are blinded by their lust for the treasures they seek.

Sometimes the Bitter Frontier and the Many Spirits upon it simply reclaim the land upon which the town was built.  It is during these Little Uproars that the landscapes which were once familiar change, sometimes overnight, sometimes over the course of several days.  The Little Uproars leave only scattered remains behind, sometimes broken shells of the buildings that once stood there, perhaps a handful of survivors, those fortunate enough to have been away from the towns when the changes occurred, seeing some land that is familiar, thinking they have come home, only to find new land before them, little or no sign of their homes or families remaining.  Some are driven mad by such a thing, for it is hard for the minds of those who cannot comprehend the ways of the Many Spirits to understand what has occurred.

One of the reasons we of the Kerra-Kerra travel is because of these Little Uproars.  Our bonds with the Many Spirits allow us to know that such an event is coming; thus we do not linger too long in one place.

There are Towns that Vanish that are not the work of the Little Uproars.  You will know these, because the buildings of the towns are still there, perhaps even the valuables and perhaps even the animals as well.  Only the people of these towns are gone.  There are several of the Ghost Towns of the Vanished Peoples that dot the Bitter Frontier, and these places we do not go, for even we do not know exactly why such a thing would happen.  To the south, perhaps it is the Goblin People who are the cause, sneaking in at night and stealing the people away, but in other places, there are no such dangers.  Perhaps it is the Reaper Spirit at work, claiming the entire town in its hunger to end all life.  Or perhaps it is something of the Devil-Wardens, their lost dark sorcery at work that steals the people away, perhaps to other long forgotten Cages deep within the earth, or perhaps in realms beyond.

#Lore24 – Entry #168 – Wild West Month #17 – The Wrathful Spirits

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

The Many Spirits are as they are.  They are the world around us:  wild, free, sometimes violent, sometimes deadly, sometimes kind, sometimes helpful.  Some spirits are more often some ways than others.  We learn to listen to these spirits, to honor them as we live our lives.  However, there are some of the Many Spirits who are different.  These are the Wrathful Spirits, and though we honor them, we also do not seek their aid, for to do so brings much pain and suffering, and usually, death.

Hungry is the Spirit of Rage, its fury hot and angry, and it is always seeking a willing vessel to imbue with its dark gifts.  There are tales amongst our people and the others of the Bitter Frontier of those warriors who have become possessed by the Spirit of Rage, and they are to serve as warnings.  The Spirit of Rage consumes all reason in return for the strength, stamina, and resilience it offers in return, making even your closest allies as enemies.  It is a spirit of chaos, seeking only to spill blood and consume flesh.  Never assume you are capable of withstanding its influence should you ever willingly accept it into you, for it cannot be reasoned with, for it consumes such thoughts as fire consumes dry wood.  If your enemies do not slay you, your closest allies surely will, for you will be long gone from the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons when the Spirit of Rage takes you.

Perhaps the youngest of the Wrathful Spirits, the Deadeye Spirit is growing more and more powerful in this age of Thundering Weapons, as it has never been easier to slay a person.  Though not as hungry for blood as the Spirit of Rage, the Deadeye Spirit is still a bringer of death; it simply prefers to savor the death it brings as though savoring the Holy Fire Water.  This spirit joins with those who seek to become the best at slaying with Thundering Weapons, granting them remarkable accuracy that may seem impossible, speed which is beyond what is normal by any of the Many Peoples living upon this world.  It is said by those who have witnessed this spirit that shadow covers the face of the shooter, leaving only a single glowing eye visible, an eye which fills those around it with dread as the slaying starts.

The Reaper Spirit looms over all other Wrathful Spirits, for all eventually must share their bounty of souls with that of the Reaper Spirit.  It is different from the Spirits Which Guide us to the Heavens upon our death, for it is not a guide for the soul; it is a dangerous and powerful force of destruction.  The Reaper Spirit is a bringer of death in all its forms:  violence, plague, natural disasters…anywhere there is great loss of life, the Reaper Spirit is likely to have had influence.  Some once believed that the Reaper Spirit could be called upon to enact revenge against those who wrong you, but far more deaths than you can imagine were the result, for friend and foe alike are forfeit when dealing with the Reaper Spirit.  Were all life to end upon the Broken Care that Still Imprisons and the Reaper Spirit consume every soul of every person and animal here, it still would not be satisfied.

#Lore24 – Entry #168 – Wild West Month #16 – New Fortresses of Stone and Metal

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

The People from Beyond the Great Walls are quick to forget where it is they come from, where it is they still live to this very day, and perhaps, have forgotten the lessons that were learned from the Devil-Wardens…or perhaps have learned the wrong lessons.  As they spread further and further into the Bitter Frontier and claim more and more of the land as their own territories, so too do they begin to build new Fortresses of Stone and Metal to use as places to keep those who would break their laws.

Those who commit wrongs should be dwelt with swiftly and justly, punishments to fit the crime as our ways dictate, but it has come into the minds of those from Beyond the Great Walls that it is more just to keep these wrongdoers in cages, to have them seek to repent for their crimes through heavy labor and being trapped within these many walls they build.  This is the way of the Justicars of Lashana, at least.  There are others not of the Sister Goddess’s faith who build these new Fortresses of Stone and Metal who seek not to make those held within repent for their crimes, but to suffer tortures of mind and body, to toil until death takes them at long last.  It is these who have learned the worst of the lessons of the Devil-Wardens, and who gather more and more power around them to enforce their will upon others at the end of many Thundering Weapons.

It is within the Bitter Frontier that these evil Fortresses of Stone and Metal are built, for there is no law but what those who control their claimed territory create.  These lands we must now avoid, lest our people suffer at the hands of those who would be new Devil-Wardens, though the Red Fangs do not see it as such.  They say that we, all Kerra-Kerra, should go to war with those who would create these places and claim our lands.  In this I am conflicted, for I do not wish war, and I do not wish to follow the lead of the Red Fang tribe…and yet I cannot deny that war between our people and those who have began taking our sacred lands may be unavoidable.

I must continue to commune with the Many Spirits and seek their wisdom, and the wisdom of our Great Mother Saressh, for I fear that our mostly peaceful times are running out.

#Lore24 – Entry #167 – Wild West Month #15 – The Dwarves who Dwell Deep

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

When the Great Uproar came, most of the Many Peoples of the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons spread across the face of the ever-changing landscapes to flee the anger of the spirits.  The Dwarves who Dwell Deep took another route, digging into the very earth that had revolted against the Devil-Wardens.  The dwarves have always been closest to the spirits of the earth, so they had little to fear from them during their passage.  For many years they remained hidden as the Great Uproar faded and the lands settled, only returning after many, many moons, and even then, only some of the dwarves remain upon the surface.

Though the Dwarves who Dwell Deep prefer the underground, they face dangers those who live under the sun cannot know, for many of the abominations created by the Devil-Wardens too ventured beneath the earth during the Great Uproar and have thrived in the darkness they found there.  Some say it is the Dwarves who Dwell Deep that have kept these horrors from the surface world all these many moons, and it is why they had to create the first of the Thundering Weapons that have become so plentiful in this time.

Few are the Dwarves who Dwell Deep who venture into the Bitter Frontier beyond the places where the Bands of Wood and Steel reach, but those who do seek more of the precious stones and gems born of the earth, though some too seek to pull the life blood of the earth from deep within.  It is at once wrong of them to do so as we understand it, and yet, they are of the earth, raised within it, so are they not too allowed to claim such things?  I have pondered this question from time to time but cannot come to an answer which is satisfying.

Some say that the Dwarves who Dwell Deep have found a great power that once belonged to the Devil-Wardens, and that this is why they remain below the ground, to protect the secrets of this power.  You will not be able to get one of the dwarves to speak of such a thing, other than to say it is a fanciful tale, for they are as unyielding as the earth they dwell within.

#Lore24 – Entry #166 – Wild West Month #14 – The Elves who Dwell Amongst the Clouds and Seas

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Rare are the elves who venture beyond the safety of their chosen domains, among the Trees that Reach the Clouds or the Far Islands in the Forever Seas; it is more likely you will encounter one of their half-breed offspring than a true elf.  Though they may live longer than even we Kerra-Kerra, they do not venture out to be amongst the Many Peoples of the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons.  Some believe it is the shame they feel for their relation to the Devil-Wardens, but others believe that elves are not capable of feeling shame and see themselves as superior to all others.

What is it that I think?  Our ancestors have said that the elves have long been the enemies of many peoples in the times before the Devil-Wardens brought us here, that they scheme and manipulate to control all that goes on around them.  Perhaps it was once true, but upon the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons, this is not so.  The Elves who Dwell Amongst the Clouds and Seas do so because they are too few to control events as they once used to, for they are a frail people who have lost their way, a broken people who no longer understand how to commune with the Many Spirits though they live within nature.  Some dare to join with those who are not elves for a time, but inevitably they are called to return to their homes hidden amongst the clouds and far islands, for their spirits continue to fade and they are no longer able to live in harmony with the Many Spirits of the World as in times more ancient than our time upon this world.

One should feel pity for the Elves who Dwell Amongst the Clouds and Seas, for ultimately it is they who must find their path to reclaim a purpose upon the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons.  It is unlikely you will ever encounter a true elf, let alone more than one at a time, but if you do encounter several at once, it should be seen as an ill-fated sign from the Many Spirits and the Gods that dark times are coming. 

Do not think these elves a completely defenseless people.  Though they no longer commune with the Many Spirits, they know of magics that we do not, and of the dark sorcery once used by the Devil-Wardens.  The toll such sorcery takes upon their forms is great, but so to is the danger for those the elves target with those magics.  Such sorcery can enslave the very mind and soul, can turn even a Howling Steel Chariot to ashes on the wind, or call fiery stones from the very stars. 

Pity the elves, for they are a broken people, but fear them for they command the darkest of sorcery.

#Lore24 – Entry #165 – Wild West Month #13 – The Red Fang Tribe

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Shameful are the Red Fang tribe, for they bring disgrace to all Kerra-Kerra and disappointment to the Great Mother Saressh.  I do not like to speak of them, for the very words taste foul upon my lips.  Though they are the youngest of the many tribes of Kerra-Kerra, with the spread of the Peoples from Beyond the Great Walls to our lands in recent times, many younger Kerra-Kerra who know not what they do have flocked to their tribe, for they battle those who would seek to take over our lands with their Howling Steel Chariots and Laws.

The Red Fangs are violent and brutal warriors who strike without fear, but also without honor or mercy.  They raid the places claimed by those who come from beyond the Great Walls and steal their cattle and horses and food and weapons.  If the gods and spirits are merciful, they will simply slay those who oppose them.  More often than not, the Red Fangs will butcher the settlers, leaving a clear message to those who would follow, often taking trophies and eating the hearts and organs of those they slay to take their power. 

Their ways are a corruption of the True Way, and they revere the most powerful and dangerous of the Spirits.  They do not follow the beliefs of the Great Mother Saressh, and so are lost to her embrace.  They believe in the cruel, unforgiving nature of the Bitter Frontier itself, that the strong will prosper while the weak shall perish to sustain the strong.  Their totem spirit is that of the great crimson wolf, and it is like a swarm of starving wolves that they sweep in against their enemies.  They often ally with the Orc Peoples of the Frigid North and have taken to raiding the Howling Steel Chariots alongside them.

This has caused much trouble for the Kerra-Kerra, for those from Beyond the Great Walls do not take time to learn of our ways and the markings of our tribes.  Many who come to the Bitter Frontier see one Kerra-Kerra just the same as any other, and the stories of the terrors of the Red Fangs spread much further and much more clearly than those of us who seek to live peacefully as we always have.  And so it has become dangerous for us to come too close to those who come from Beyond the Great Walls without making clear our peaceful intentions, and even then, some may not recognize the Sign of Peace.  More and more of our people are slain out of fear thanks to the Red Fangs, while others are taken captive and held within prisons of stone and steel or forced to labor against their will under the Peoples from Beyond the Great Walls.

Many troubling times lie ahead for our people, and the many peoples of the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons.