Ghost Places of Prax

[Erol of Backford]

13 hours ago, davecake said:

One of the ways you banish the power of Winter is with a big burning figure. 

Was trying to figure how to integrate Oakfed in the new Money Ruins if it is in fact reborn via a serpent somehow springing up within it. (bad pun) maybe the crater Oakfed made is like Holyrood Park in Edinburgh? Oakfed's spirit is still there and smoldering... I'll go down the Oakfed rabbit hole now(is it really named Oak - fed?) 

[Erol of Backford]

Reading on p05 of Rule 01 Issue 12, Mryne’s Well.

Interesting to note that although its a Ghost Place destroyed in God TIme and is only a shadow now. Its noted that if the PC's are powerful they could stumble back into Godtime via Hero Quest and defeat those who destroyed Mryne they will have prevented the destruction of the oasis and when they return it will be there as it's always existed.

This does seem like time travel and although I am not sure I like the premise, it would be interesting for the PC's to prevent something being destroyed in the past?

As Mryne doesn't show up anywhere in the typical Gloranthian Sites when I am doing a search, I am guessing she could be placed anywhere.

When I do a random overlay, red circles of existing oasis they fill most of the areas east of the River of Cradles besides south of the Block, northwest of Corflu, east of the Paps and roughly the Copper Caves. I suppose you could place it to the northeast of Garhound as well? I place blue circles in the oasis void areas.

Copper Caves and the scenario someone had created with 100' iron golems underground seems interesting. Potentially the Dwarves abused Mryne's Well in there processing plant's cooling system underground and diverted the aquifer that fed Mryne's Well and dried up the oasis. Maybe the PC's go into the Copper Caves and somehow correct the issue.

They go into Mryne's Well as a Ghost Oasis and find the problem and correct it in the Copper Caves which turns into an oasis?

[g33k]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

...

Interesting to note that although its a Ghost Place destroyed in God TIme and is only a shadow now. Its noted that if the PC's are powerful they could stumble back into Godtime via Hero Quest and defeat those who destroyed Mryne they will have prevented the destruction of the oasis and when they return it will be there as it's always existed.

This does seem like time travel and although I am not sure I like the premise, it would be interesting for the PC's to prevent something being destroyed in the past?

...

"Godtime" (anything before the Dawn) is outside of Time, so it's a sort of "cosmic loophole" vs "no timetravel."

It takes some major power to make those changes... but yeah, I expect you could make an Oasis "have always been there."  IMG, I'd likely have such an Oasis be (always has been) something very hidden, very secret.  So it was "always there," but almost nobody knew of it.  Maybe some powerful protective spirit(s) (strong in Illusion-rune (noting that "Illusion" in Glorantha is "temporary reality")) hid it, etc...

Mryne as Ronance's secret mistress, daughter, or...?
You can only enter on one of Ronance's paths?

There's also the "Hidden Greens" -- maybe a pathway to restoration; maybe a station on the HQ?

Edited November 16, 2023 by g33k

[Cassius]

2 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

This does seem like time travel and although I am not sure I like the premise, it would be interesting for the PC's to prevent something being destroyed in the past?

As G33k said, the Godtime is not the past. It is better described as an eternal present. Therefore, in my opinion, what has taken place in Godtime cannot be changed, it is forever identical to itself.

But it's never fully known, so the only thing a Heroquest can bring back into the world's present is a new truth, a new perspective on what happened in Godtime. I don't think it can go as far as restoring what was destroyed before Time, be it an oasis, a god or Genert's garden.

[g33k]

10 hours ago, Cassius said:

... the only thing a Heroquest can bring back into the world's present is a new truth, a new perspective on what happened in Godtime. I don't think it can go as far as restoring what was destroyed before Time ...

But it can bring back a "new truth" consisting of "that Oasis was only damaged, and hidden-away; it was never destroyed.  Those who thought it was destroyed were wrong."

Edited November 16, 2023 by g33k

[Erol of Backford]

5 hours ago, g33k said:

"that Oasis was only damaged, and hidden-away; it was never destroyed.  Those who thought it was destroyed were wrong."

I like how "there is always another way"... even when dealing with things outside Ernalda.

18 hours ago, g33k said:

Mryne as Ronance's secret mistress, daughter, or...?

This is easy enough to work out but wondering could she be a daughter of Zola Fel?

We'll go with it was thought to have been destroyed but it wasn't in fct fully destroyed so in the present GLorantha, it is allowed to come back after being mostly repaired...

So now I need to figure out where this until recently now thought to have been destroyed but only damaged and newly repaired or recovered oasis may have been hidden...

Thank you Sirs.

[Darius West]

Salini

Salini are tiny people, seldom more than 1/3 of an inch high, made out agglomerations of man rune and of pink salt found around salt licks.  Left to their own devices, Salini will build little salt villages for themselves, and will live their little lives.  They are remnants of broken lives from the Gods’ War who now take this form.  Salini are much loved by Praxian children who will keep them as pets and play with them.  This is not often a kind fate, and most Salini maltreated in this way crumble and are put into a salt pile.  Shamans will sometimes procure Salini for help with sterilizing and stitching wounds.  Some Salini are quite expert at healing creatures, and on occasion are masters or above in their various skills.

Salini cannot speak, and must communicate via sign language, even with each other, represented by the skill Charades.  Salini

build elaborate structures out of salt at their salt lick, fashioned after the architectural style of the land of Prax before time began, but these tiny civilizations often go unnoticed, trampled underfoot by the beasts of Prax eager to consume salt.  Such events mirror the terror and tragedy of their civilization in ages past, as playthings of larger powers, and the Salini are doomed to repeat these terrible events like the tiny broken spirits that they are.  Those who have watched them closely have noticed that while their tiny mouths perform the motions, the Salini cannot, in fact, scream in horror and frustration as their world is destroyed again and again.

 

Characteristics           Average

Str      1d6-5                    0

Con    1d3                       2

Siz      1d6-5                    0

Dex    3d6                    10-11

Int      1d4+6                 8-9

Pow    1d6+1                  4-5

Cha     2d4                      4-5

Hit Points: 1

Damage Bonus: -1d4

Move: 1/2

Magic Points: 4-5

Skills: Boating 35%, Charades 50%, Climb 50%, Craft (Salt) 75%, Customs (Green Age) 40%, Dodge (Dex x5%), First Aid 50%, Green Age Lore 35%, Hide 65%, Jump 35%, Move Quietly 90%, Treat Disease 50%, Treat Poison 25%.

Magic: Healing 1, Repair 1.

Special Ability:  Solid Form.  If the Salini is destroyed, it gives up its body and returns to the salt and forms a new body over the course of seven days.

[Darius West]

Lost Songs

Sometimes on the evenings when the air is still in Prax, one will hear strange archaic lilting melodies and songs coming from far away.  These musical refrains will be sung in unknown or forgotten languages, often playing instruments that are no longer made by men, and in refrains of such ephemeral beauty that they tantalize and frustrate the listener.  Praxians know that these songs are dangerous and bring only madness, for they encourage the curious and unwary to wander into the night in search of things that are not there.  Lost Songs are echoes of the lost ages of Prax, but they have become more prevalent since the rebirth of the Red Moon, just as they became more frequent in the times when Pavis settled his city.  These beguiling echoes of a lost and better time echo down the ages to lead the tribes of Waha astray, and turn them in longing to recreate a past which must not return (for everyone’s safety).  While the songs cannot be caught by chasing, there are various ways in which cunning people have worked out ways to lure in the songs and learn from them.  Were someone ever to actually capture a song, they are likely to begin a Hero Quest in the Praxian Spirit World without being prepared, which means they are likely to never be seen again.

 

Characteristics           Average

Pow    3d6                      10-11

Int      2d6+6                    13

Cha     4d6                        14

Move: Equal to Cha

Magic Points: 3-18

Skills: Play Instrument 200%, Sing 200%, Speak (Aldryami, Spirit Speech, Earth Speech, Seatongue, Firespeech, or Stormspeech) 200%, Lore (Choose one) 200%.

Magic: Glamour, Fanaticism, Spirit Screen 5.

Runes: Harmony 200%.

Special Ability: Beguile.  Those who hear the refrain of a Lost Song may become beguiled into following it.  The power of the Beguiling requires a test of resistance against the Charisma of the Lost Song.  If anyone has the skill of Praxian Customs and they successfully roll their Praxian Customs, the highest skill will be treated as a bonus to resistance against the Beguiling, as the Praxian will caution them against listening too closely to the mad songs on the still air, for they call you to your death (it is known).

Thus a person with a 10 Pow resisting a Cha 18 Lost song would normally have a mere 10% chance of resisting, but if they were in the company of a Praxian with Praxian Custom of 65% who made their roll, they would now have a 75% chance of resisting.

 

Luring In the Song.  While it is impossible to get closer to the source of the song by physically following it, wiser souls have figured out better methods.  This requires a successful Listen roll to catch enough of the music to copy it, followed by a successful sing or play (instrument) roll to accompany the music.  If this is done, the music will follow the musician and become more audible to all concerned, but they will no longer be inclined to follow it, as it will be present in the camp. It is also possible to turn the wind and bring in the song using Wind Words to twist the air and amplify the refrain. If anyone knows the language of the song, they will be able to gain a 1d10 increase in that language (as it is being spoken in a very pure and beautiful form), and a further 1d10 increase in a single Lore skill (including Spirit Lore), as this is the focus of the song.  It is also distinctly possible that when the song is lured in that a Shaman may seek to defeat it in Spirit Combat and bind it.

 

Capturing the Lost Song.  It is madness to think that a person can chase a song into the night and somehow run it to ground.  Nonetheless, where mere mortals might fail, there are heroic individuals who are made of sterner stuff who may find a way.  The skill Spirit Travel is certainly a contender for how this might be achieved.  Another possibility would be to use one’s illumination to do this apparently impossible deed.  In short, this is the start of a Hero Quest path, should the GM wish to develop it as one.  If not, the characters chasing the song will inevitably be lured into danger, quite possibly of the Chaotic type.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Darius West

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 11/10/2023 at 5:10 AM, French Desperate WindChild said:

In my "backoffice", the possibilities to "visit the past" are  :

- when you enter any mundane place showing a past event, you think you go to this past event and act during this past event, but in fact you may :

a) visit an echo of this past, so what you do has no impact in your timeline. But you may gain knowledge, or magical heirloom, or you may see where the piece you are looking for in mundane world was hidden... maybe you -in the echo bubble- hide yourself the piece. 

Do you have any impact on the "now" (aka do you create a new timeline in addition of yours by acting in this echo ) ? maybe, maybe not, from a specific angle.

Spoiler

I am thinking along much the same lines, but being Old Pavis and all its weirdness maybe there will be some actual crossover. Still mulling over the options as I get closer to writing this part of the series.

 

[Darius West]

Doesn't Prax have its own equivalent of the God Wall devoted to its many spirits ?  Wasn't there a forum topic discussing it?

[David Scott]

6 hours ago, Darius West said:

Doesn't Prax have its own equivalent of the God Wall devoted to its many spirits ?  Wasn't there a forum topic discussing it?

Painted Wall (GtG 455) and the Seven Picture Walls of Artash (GtG 457) are wall like features in the Wastes, but nothing like the Gods Wall.

It was you that said Painted Wall is the Praxian God Wall.

Edited November 22, 2023 by David Scott

[Darius West]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:34 PM, David Scott said:

Painted Wall (GtG 455) and the Seven Picture Walls of Artash (GtG 457) are wall like features in the Wastes, but nothing like the Gods Wall.

It was you that said Painted Wall is the Praxian God Wall.

I know I did, but I couldn't remember what the forum topic was called. 🥺 

[David Scott]

18 hours ago, Darius West said:

I know I did, but I couldn't remember what the forum topic was called. 🥺 

https://basicroleplaying.org/search/?&q=Painted wall&author=Darius West&search_and_or=and

[Erol of Backford]

From the Company of the Dragon: He will be suspicious, and will not believe them, until they exist the Gods Age and he has his first glimpse of the Red Moon; “By all the Ascend'd. How can this beest? Is't true? Nine hundr'd years?

So there is some time travel via Hero Questing gone bad... interesting way to send your PC's back to Old Pavis? I am sure most of you have taken or dreamed of taking your PC's to the original Pavis.

Totally not related to Ghost Places...

Also why do a bunch of underwear and body shaping girdle advertisements pop up when I google Pavis?

Lastly was Pavis under water at some time? Pavis Fish Tales has me thinking that the city was part of an ancient fish road of sorts? Maybe the Pharaoh came from Old Pavis? 

 

[mfbrandi]

10 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Also why do a bunch of underwear and body shaping girdle advertisements pop up when I google Pavis?

This is a guess, but a pavis is “a large shield for protecting the entire body” getting its name from the town of Pavia — 22 miles from Milan — and the factory making the support garments (a kind of protection for the body) is “just outside of Milan,” so maybe it is an Italian joke or just a toponym (“pavese” Englished).

So maybe there is a — meta/designer-level, not Gloranthan — joke in the naming of the Gloranthan city: if the city wall was built from a giant stone corpse, rather than the large shield protecting the entire body, the large body is the shield protecting the entire city? I don’t know — just riffing.

[Erol of Backford]

13 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

support garment

So Pavis' walls are a support garment for city folks living in rural areas.

Holds up/in the fat... funny.