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Male Human
Co-Owner, Hundar's Central Tavern, Nitnoid, Nokwood
Status: Alive
Born: 3555 AS
| ST | 17 | LV | 8 | Ranger | |
| IN | 13 | ||||
| WI | 15 | AL | NG | HP | 36 |
| DX | 18 | TH0 | 13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 10 | Age | 45 | Base AC | 8 |
| CH | 16 | Wpn | Broadsword | AC | 4 |
| MS | 8 | # Att | 3/2 | Dam | 3-9 |
| Stats Date: | 3600 | ||||
He inherited a 40% share in the tavern from an aunt with an odd sense of humor. He is not at ease in crowds, but he realises he is popular among the clientele.
As the tavern is under an unspoken waiver to vegetarianism, Var has the opportunity to hunt.
Verbal quirks: "Gosh!" "Gee!"
Attitude: Incredibly Innocent
See: Vergaantz Anti-Undead League
Slang term for Vergaantz native, after a curse put on orks to restrict them to vegetarianism.
Status: Alive
A werewolf, this fellow is in Hotdamm allegedly to get information on a lost child (from Frenkenford).
Part of Knights of the Bright Tower
Attitude: Goody-goody
River
Nation
A large body of water through which the Vergaal flows. It marks the place where the cataclysm called the Shattering was centered. The very center of the lake has gates to parallel worlds which appear and disappear in intricate rhythms (ie: at the DM's discretion).
Although legal throughout Vergaantz, the eating of human/humanoid flesh is mostly practiced in the western sections.
An anti-illiteracy campaign in Amuülk involves a big marquee proclaiming "ATTENTION! All who enter will be killed and eaten!" in bright, friendly-looking letters. Underneath is a ticket booth (to weed out minors) where a man charges 1 cp. Those who enter are killed and eaten.
The Vergaantz version of deathmagic was slowly developed after Kronetz discovered Unguent's magic. It covers all of Vergaantz with a powerful tap on all death. Some souls are tapped to the point of immobility, but the Vergaantz deathmagic notes this and gives those souls acceleration to the proper plane. There are no undead created in Vergaantz. The bases for the magic are eight pyramids, alike yet different.
Pyramid List
The Vergaantz pyramids (listed from west to east):
Note that levels 4, 9 and 10 may not be reached by stairs.
The steps and all the floors are made of very smooth stone which is kept polished to an extreme degree.
Thus, a running character is more likely to slip and fall. There are no railings on the stairways, so once a character begins falling down one, the fall will continue to the bottom or until something is run into.
The shaded areas of the floorplan show where the ceiling of the Main Hall soars to 50 feet above the floor in a parabolic arch. The Main Hall's obsidian walls, floor and ceiling have what appears at first glance to be tiny glowing stones. These represent the current arrangement of stars, planets, sun and moon in a stylixed manner. The sun is a faintly glowing red-orange disk, and the moon is represented by a face.
Except for within the Main Hall, the interior lighting of the pyramids is done by permanent light spells on all corners (interior and exterior) for a one inch strip along the edge. This provides almost normal light levels, but the strange shadows can be unnerving, which is no accident.
The whole place is IMMACULATE: a sweep, dust, polish and wax spell takes effect on the whole interior every 3 hours. (Characters and their belongings will become totally clean, with no ill effects, unless one has some need for dirt.
The trap doors open on command words -- when opened from below, the word must be spoken from directly below the door. After half a second -- a pyrarch will use this time to step aside -- the marble door will dive to within 8 inches of the floor (3d8 for any direct hits) and stop. When stepped upon, it will gently rise to its original position. It will stop rising if it meets any obstruction.
The trap door above the chamber simply vanishes, allowing the character to fall directly into the heart of the deathmagic.
Levels 9 and 10 are for the pyrarch's own use, and their contents reflect the personalities of their masters. For instance, the Gaantzport pyramid's top floor contains strewn remnants of stray dogs and tramps.
As there are no doors except ont he ground floors, sounds reverberate throughout most of the floors of the pyramid.
The exterior of each pyramid is highly polished and reflective.
A pyramid's pyrarch, in addition to any previously held powers, has access to spells equal to a cleric of 16th level (with 18 wisdom), a magic user of 12th level, and an illusionist of 12th level. This access is mentally through the pyramid, so the spells are instantaneous and do not connect the pyrarch directly with any deity. Three spells per hour may be cast in this manner, and no restrictions for the pyrarch's armor type apply. Since the pyramid is casting the spells by remote control, wish spells and the like are particularly prone to backfiring. A pyrarch also automatically regenerates instantly, up to 20 hit points per hour.
The pyrarch is aware of the exact location of any undead in the pyramid's range, and can command or release them at will.
The pyramid's main function is to tap death energy and direct it as the pyrarch wills. Normally in Vergaantz, where this energy goes is strictly planned, not unlike any other public utility. Any being who receives power through the pyramid is vulnerable to attacks from that direction, even by remote control.
Unknown to anyone, there is a method of turning a deathmagic pyramid. Turning a pyramid means that the pyramid will follow the character's instructions. Communication is by direct telepathic contact and will work at any range (except on that plane where death is on strike.) The pyramid will explain its powers to the character.The turner becomes the pyrarch of the pyramid, and is conferred the fistseal for the pyramid.
The former pyrarch will realize this immediately, however since that person will probably have been staying alive via the pyramid's power, he/she will not have much chance to do much about it. Even if the old pyrarch survives, the identity of the character will not be immediately known, and it will be assumed that only one with truly vast powers would be able to usurp a pyramid!
In pyramid-to-pyramid battle with "normal" tactics, the pyramid whose pyrarch has the most experience is more likely to prevail.
The pyramid will be most delighted to instruct the pyrarch on its use and powers. The use of them may have a drastic effect on the character's alignment.
It is likely that anyone who attains the pyrarchy in this manner will be accepted by the Vergaantz rulers as legitimate, if the character boldly claims the position.
Wayfarer's Shrines
All across the nation are small deathmagic shrines.
Each is about three to five feet tall.
The common use of the shrine is for the traveller to hurl a live mouse or other small animal into the shrine where it dies from the impact with the rear wall. This creates a small burst of deathmagic on the behalf of the traveller.
They are commonly called "Splat Shrines"
A small town and bridge across the Vergaal River.
The seat of Gort's power.
Sitting high on the middle of the snout of Vergaantz, this includes plains and rivers.
Just beyond the edge of this area, along the road to Amuülk, is the Arkush pyramid.
This nation was founded by Kronetz 2800 years ago. The unspoken agenda of Kronetz and his staff was to provide a social structure with deathmagic as one of its central power networks.
Vergaantz is basically a lawful evil society. This status comes largely from their use of human sacrifice and hunting of tourists to fuel their deathmagic. In practice, the average Veggie acts relatively normally, if a bit more fastidiously than the average person. Honesty (within reason) and honor are valued traits, and it is likely that a Veggie who intends to kill you will politely tell you so. Hospitality to a declared enemy is a highly regarded act. Deities: HEL, SORTUR, GARM
The Vergaal river is a principle highway for trade in northern Vergaantz. It is navigable to a few leagues west of Clampdown. Pedantium also has a good deal of river trade. Amuülk has some trade, except during the dry season.
Some fortified supply caches are being constructed in the Unwanted Mountains, and travellers in the eastern parts of the range may well encounter a Veggie military party. Another ongoing project in the area is the attempt to forge an alliance with the blue dragons in the mountains.
Gaantzport is the base for Vergaantz' coastal patrol force. Vergaantz believes this is the largest navy other than the Sea Peoples' force, which is usually a hundred times their strength in the area. The Sea Peoples keep close watch on this force.
Vergaantzers are mostly very fond of pet cats, but pet cats don't generally like Vergaantz. The deathmagic fields offend 75% of all such cats entering within, and they will yowl and complain. They will leave at the first opportunity. Magic users with feline familiars will notice their cats get headaches when entering a Vergaantz deathmagic field.
Kronetz was stoned to death by elven children.
"The founder of Vergaantz and a hefty wizard to boot, this guy was nonetheless a small minded, prissy sonofabitch." -- recent Finagle Free Press
Kronetz methodically jammed together the principals of deathmagic until they became something to build a nation with.
For the traveller, Vergaantz presents a sort of barrier between the northeast and southeast. Getting through is not automatic.
Each new visitor entering without a pass is assigned to a young Veggie as part of the Veggie's adulthood rites. The Veggie candidate, after being held for a day or so at the border, is then to kill the visitor. The Vergaantz citizenry is only permitted aid to candidates is information as to the whereabouts of the quarry. Every two days, the candidate may hire one additional veggie to assist. If a visitor kills the candidate and helpers, two new Veggies are set on the trail. Neither candidate knows the identity, location or even of the existence of the other. Should these two and their parties also be killed, four more are assigned. If the latter are also eliminated by the quarry, the visitor is given Vergaantz citizenship and is given all the candidates' possessions. Also, if a party of several enter, their candidates are not permitted to co-ordinate their efforts. Each candidate may only plan with his/her own team. The team leader prefers to administer the killing stroke personally.
Of course, if the above had no exceptions then Vergaantz would have no foreign trade at all. There are grudging treaties with New Tronbaum, Nokwood, Plukiduck, Lost and N.O.F. who receive a limited number of special passports. These are transferable, but few in number. A visa entitles its bearer to passage through the country free of all attack from Veggie, outsider or monster. Veggies can be very insistent on this. If a party is having a violent encounter, their hosts' internal security forces may well swoop down and eliminate all opposing forces and dash off with the bodies and possessions. The visa also entitle the bearer to room and board at all major inns, with one guest (no questions asked).
This a group of 169 assassins throughout the country. Their symbol is a stylized solar eclipse -- seven eighths of the sun is obscured. As their number is depleted, they accept new members from local guilds.
Attention!
You are approaching a border post of The Legally Ordained Marches of Vergaantz. All skirmishing is forbidden within the compound. The same goes for ball playing. The warders are granted unlimited discretion in enforcing the rules, and they are encouraged to proceed with dispatch and originality. The warders have much to do, so travellers are asked to have their credentials, real or otherwise, ready for inspection. Each new arrival will be assigned to a candidate upon entry. This process will be accomplished in a manner unlikely to be detected. Said candidate will then be detained for at least one rising each of the sun and moon. This will allow the visitor to purchase some of our fine crafts and to sample our excellent cuisine before events begin to distract. An explanation of the above may eventually be forthcoming, but our warders are not required to supply it. On occasion, citizenship in The Legally Ordained Marches of Vergaantz is bestowed upon visitors under certain criteria. To non-residents, this imposes no monetary, material or spiritual obligation. However, since this boon has been known to happen to visitors who were neither seeking nor desiring it, we feel that we should bring the possibility to the notice of any who wish to enter, for we do not permit citizenship to be denied.
All copies of the information on this sign are subject to seizure.
Have an interesting day.
This is a rival group to the Vergaantz Assassins' Committee, which consists of 300 assassins. Their symbol is also a stylized solar eclipse -- three quarters of the sun is covered. The similarity of these talismans significantly contributes to the two organizations' mutual hatred.
Caters mostly to dwarves.
Male Human
Restauranteur, Finagle, New Tronbaum
Status: Alive
Born: 3564 AS
| ST | 12 | LV | 3 | Illusionist | |
| IN | 16 | ||||
| WI | 9 | AL | NG | HP | 10 |
| DX | 14 | TH0 | 20 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 8 | Age | 36 | Base AC | 9 |
| CH | 14 | Wpn | Darts | AC | 9 |
| MS | 13 | # Att | 1 | Dam | 1-3 |
| Stats Date: | 3600 | ||||
Attitude: Sociable
It specializes in omelettes and lightly fried fish.
10/5/96