Arroin's Blood

[Erol of Backford]

Reading about the Temple of the Wooden Sword and Alebard's Quest. If the PC's were to obtain Arroin's Blood...

What would happen to a Mallia disease priestess touched by Arroin's Blood, who is cured of all diseases, any chaos taints, features, have immunity to disease for the next week per Plunder (in case spirits of reprisal attacked)? Would this not be like a Storm Bull Khan getting a chaos feature?

Spoiler

The idea is to cure/cleanse a certain Mallia Priestess plaguing the environs in Prax. Could this disease priestess, now purified somehow come back into mainstream society, marry the Duke even though she was responsible possibly for the Duke's wife's death?

Granted, she is illuminated and a few PC's in the campaign being planned, may be by this time (who knows) but could she potentially become a healer like that wandering Broo? Also if she is illuminated wouldn't she be free of extreme hatred and the desire to simply taint all non chaotics? I noted in some reading that one group of PC's actually took pity on them...

Plot twists anyone?

[EricW]

As an illuminate she already makes her own path, she wouldn’t have to worry about retribution or spiritual difficulties with Malia. Probably an infuriating loss of useful chaos features and inability to work with diseases for a while. But Arroins blood would have no power over her mind, and she can already pass as a non chaotic because of her illumination.

[Darius West]

On 7/2/2022 at 5:19 AM, Erol of Backford said:

Plot twists anyone?

 

You are seriously hoping to rehabilitate Muriah?  Arroin's blood costs 250,000L.  Nobody is going to spend anything close to that to "save" Muriah.  She's a murderous criminal, and staking her our over an ants nets while covered in honey is too good for her and too mean to the ants.  Everyone in the region knows she's a Malia worshipper too.  I can't even see Halcyon Var Enkorth while Governor of Prax issuing a pardon for her if he were paid fat stacks of cash by way of a bribe, as even the eternally grasping Halcyon would know that it would cause outrage and the Chalana Arroys would leave New Pavis again in protest if he did.  If your players try this nonsense, send in the Stormbulls to apply severe discipline upon them for supporting chaos.  Muriah has no desire to rehabilitate, and actually wants to kill many more people.  White Dwarf Magazine actually wrote a follow on adventure called "The Trail of Muriah" about hunting her into the uplands of Vulture Country imsmc.

[French Desperate WindChild]

On 7/1/2022 at 9:19 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Reading about the Temple of the Wooden Sword and Alebard's Quest. If the PC's were to obtain Arroin's Blood...

What would happen to a Mallia disease priestess touched by Arroin's Blood, who is cured of all diseases, any chaos taints, features, have immunity to disease for the next week per Plunder (in case spirits of reprisal attacked)? Would this not be like a Storm Bull Khan getting a chaos feature?

  Reveal hidden contents

The idea is to cure/cleanse a certain Mallia Priestess plaguing the environs in Prax. Could this disease priestess, now purified somehow come back into mainstream society, marry the Duke even though she was responsible possibly for the Duke's wife's death?

Granted, she is illuminated and a few PC's in the campaign being planned, may be by this time (who knows) but could she potentially become a healer like that wandering Broo? Also if she is illuminated wouldn't she be free of extreme hatred and the desire to simply taint all non chaotics? I noted in some reading that one group of PC's actually took pity on them...

Plot twists anyone?

she may be "washed" for diseases and taints but what she did stays

so there are different perspective

- her victims, or communities she "attacked" keep in memory what she did. They may want revenge (or at least justice => death ?)

- her goddess Malia may be unhappy.. the priestess is not anymore qualified to be priestess. However, if she is illuminate (I don't remember) she would probably have a lot of problems

- her broos may consider she betrayed them. They may want revenge

- herself : she was a powerful priestess, gang boss. What now ? what will be her future ? she is cured but... is she still angry against humanity ? what about her story, her victims ? is she hating herself for so many deeds or is she hating the pcs because she has less powers and wants to continue her activity ?

 

[JRE]

I would say that a normal Malian would be shattered, abandoned by the goddess that was their all, and having lost all that defined him/her. Suicide, deprssion or even accepting her change as a healer after such a healing miracle.

But illuminates are tougher, and Muriah does what she does because she wants to, not because her goddess or cult expects it. As an illuminate she would still have access to Malia's divine power and her fetch. So if in a position of strength she would still work to annihilate the party, help her broos, and later she will decide if she can get some benefit out of this. She will punish as harshly as she can the players as they have costed her some cool powers and abilities, but she is patient.

If in a position of weakness, with her band annihilated and cornered, she will play to the players' expectations, being repentant, collaborative and waiting for an opportunity for epic revenge. If applied in "A tale to tell" I would expect she puts herself at the mercy of the Lunars and will quickly become an inportant member of Pavis Seven Mothers temple, while plotting to continue her vengeance, including now the PCs. The Lunars will protect her, as they will recognize her potential.

However, you can play that this event shows her how petty her objectives were, and work to become something else. A Malia / CA double priestess/shamaness, maybe helping another illuminates with few scruples, such as Garrath? A local consultant assigned to the Coders as expert in Praxian matters? As a red haired illuminate, on the fast track to the Red Moon?

 

[jajagappa]

14 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

- herself : she was a powerful priestess, gang boss. What now ? what will be her future ? she is cured but... is she still angry against humanity ? what about her story, her victims ? is she hating herself for so many deeds or is she hating the pcs because she has less powers and wants to continue her activity ?

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light.... Do not go gentle into that good night."

Her powers weakened, her plans gone awry... but she is illuminated, and she knows who caused this pain and obstruction to her plans.

She is also very patient, and she will savor her revenge against these tormentors.  She will seek out and learn who their friends and family are.  She will gather new powers to her - perhaps her connection to Mallia is not gone, but instead she can now become the host for Plague?  Or she will ally herself with other, more sinister, Lunar powers.  Her revenge will strike hard against those who sought to stem her powers.

[Erol of Backford]

On 7/3/2022 at 5:24 AM, Darius West said:

The Trail of Muriah

What issue was this in and thank you all.

Couldn't you see here come into the Duke's household and somehow convince him to marry her, magic or possession?

There is much fun to be had no matter how this would play out.

[JRE]

"A Tale to Tell" continues Muriah's history beyond Borderlands. It was first published (for RQ3) in White Dwarf 85 in 1987, and then included, with some changes, in Shadows in the Borderlands.

[EricW]

9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

What issue was this in and thank you all.

Couldn't you see here come into the Duke's household and somehow convince him to marry her, magic or possession?

There is much fun to be had no matter how this would play out.

Its possible someone like Muriah could nurture and maintain a secret identity, some spotlessly reputable affluent citizen who is away a lot, who might attract the Duke's eye. She'd need some heavy duty magic to conceal her true identity from divination and other attempts to find her. Working secret vengeance seems a very Malia thing to do. 

[AndreJarosch]

52 minutes ago, JRE said:

"A Tale to Tell" continues Muriah's history beyond Borderlands. It was first published (for RQ3) in White Dwarf 85 in 1987, and then included, with some changes, in Shadows in the Borderlands.

And you Muriah comes back in "Tradetalk # 17". 

[Darius West]

2 hours ago, JRE said:

"A Tale to Tell" continues Muriah's history beyond Borderlands. It was first published (for RQ3) in White Dwarf 85 in 1987, and then included, with some changes, in Shadows in the Borderlands.

Much obliged for not making me chase this up. 👍😅

[Erol of Backford]

I have all these documents (for a change) and will reread and take notes extensively.

After much thought she may be past any reforming but I do love the twisted idea of PC's saving her and then she becomes a high ranking Lunar after much "repenting"? Add some more red and silver to her kit and swap the Broo for Marble Phalanx troopers and it all fits perfect!