A slight change of direction here as I'm about to run a Dark Heresy game tomorrow.
The Acolytes are asked to pick an information handover from an inquisitorial agent known as 'The Spider'. They are too meet in a small cafe in an elegant part of the city (or upper hive), but the acolytes wont be able to recognise him due to the large amounts of shape changing drugs the spider will have used to go undercover. Instead they are given a code phrase and an expected response.
However when they make landfall they find a package waiting for them written in the spiders unique encryption. It simply states the new expected response. This behaviour is out of character and doesn't match the agents usual patterns.
When they arrive at the handover 'The Spider' makes his appearance 20minutes late. He also makes the incorrect response using the one that had been designated weeks ago. What will the acolytes do and what will this impostor do if the acolytes reveal his deception? If this isn't the Spider, who is he and what happened to the original? Who delivered the package and where are they now?
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Monday 14 December 2009
Crystal Fairy: Relations with mortal races
If all went well the encounter with a crystal fairy would run as follows:
1. A prospector (or other explorer types) discover a suitable crystal mining spot.
2. The prospector leaves the first crystal he extracts outside the cave for one night.
3. If tomorrow the crystal is gone then he moves onto another spot. Lucky and particularly favoured prospectors may find hints scrawled by the fairy as to where they might find a better spot, although noting that fairies are not very good at map making and so the directions tend to be a bit odd. If it remains then the prospector has permission to mine that crystal.
4. The miners leave any other crystal they find outside the mine entrance to see whether the fairy wishes to keep them.
5. When the fairy wishes that they stop and the miners have been suitably nice and pleasant she will leave a perfect crystal specimen in the spot where the prospector first discovered it. This crystal is often worth a great deal more than a regular sample and is used as magical ingredients by some, very wealthy, wizards.
6. The miners then leave the fairy a mirror or other shiny reflective object as a gift to fairy.
However life in fantasy worlds is rarely so easy as that.
1. A prospector (or other explorer types) discover a suitable crystal mining spot.
2. The prospector leaves the first crystal he extracts outside the cave for one night.
3. If tomorrow the crystal is gone then he moves onto another spot. Lucky and particularly favoured prospectors may find hints scrawled by the fairy as to where they might find a better spot, although noting that fairies are not very good at map making and so the directions tend to be a bit odd. If it remains then the prospector has permission to mine that crystal.
4. The miners leave any other crystal they find outside the mine entrance to see whether the fairy wishes to keep them.
5. When the fairy wishes that they stop and the miners have been suitably nice and pleasant she will leave a perfect crystal specimen in the spot where the prospector first discovered it. This crystal is often worth a great deal more than a regular sample and is used as magical ingredients by some, very wealthy, wizards.
6. The miners then leave the fairy a mirror or other shiny reflective object as a gift to fairy.
However life in fantasy worlds is rarely so easy as that.
Thursday 10 December 2009
Crystal fairy: Appearance and Abilities
The majority of the crystal folk are 3-6 inches tall, female form, crystalline wings and constructed out of various crystals (usually the one they have particular interest in at the moment).
The fairies are generally interested in 2 things, fulfilling their duty assigned to them and collecting shiny objects, although the definition of shiny does vary from fairy to fairy. They, in particular, like unbroken, reflective objects such as mirrors or elegant glassware.
The abilities of the fairies are few, most simply related to tracking the crystals in their charge and recovering them. They have no offensive powers and will generally respond to violence by making a loud ringing sound or most often flying away. If struck with sufficient force they will seize up and freeze in their current form.
The fairies are generally interested in 2 things, fulfilling their duty assigned to them and collecting shiny objects, although the definition of shiny does vary from fairy to fairy. They, in particular, like unbroken, reflective objects such as mirrors or elegant glassware.
The abilities of the fairies are few, most simply related to tracking the crystals in their charge and recovering them. They have no offensive powers and will generally respond to violence by making a loud ringing sound or most often flying away. If struck with sufficient force they will seize up and freeze in their current form.
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Crystal Fairy: Origins
When the world was emerging out of the chaos of the elemental plane a great duel began between the lords of the elements for who would be dominate in this new plane. King Boulder and Lady Flame fought for centuries each trying to land the blow that would destroy the other, where they fought molten earth fell.
The gods, when they awoke, brought order to this plane and thus formed the world as we know it. After Lady Flame retreated to other places where she could burn eternally, Lord Boulder inspected the earth and came across beautiful shining crystals. He was enthralled by their beauty, for they had the strength of the earth but the grace of fire. Using his powers he forged the first of the crystal folk and bid them to guard the flow of these most precious objects.
To this day the crystal folk are the only thing that fire and earth agree on. Earth viewing them as little sisters whom they must protect and fire seeing them as distant relatives. Of course this doesn't last long as fire is impatient and earth stubborn, but long enough to ensure that crystal folk survive in the heart of the mountain.
The gods, when they awoke, brought order to this plane and thus formed the world as we know it. After Lady Flame retreated to other places where she could burn eternally, Lord Boulder inspected the earth and came across beautiful shining crystals. He was enthralled by their beauty, for they had the strength of the earth but the grace of fire. Using his powers he forged the first of the crystal folk and bid them to guard the flow of these most precious objects.
To this day the crystal folk are the only thing that fire and earth agree on. Earth viewing them as little sisters whom they must protect and fire seeing them as distant relatives. Of course this doesn't last long as fire is impatient and earth stubborn, but long enough to ensure that crystal folk survive in the heart of the mountain.
Monday 7 December 2009
Crystal Fairy
In old kingdoms built on ancient lands young miners ask the foreman why they leave certain rocks by the mine entrance and why they leave mirrors when they close the mine. The elders reply 'To pay the crystal folk their due, and may the gods forgive you if you take more than they allow'. The young and the greedy think the old mine hands to be mad for believing and take too much. If they are lucky they find what they stole to be gone and if they are unlucky find themselves subject to the wrath of ancient things best left asleep in the dark places of the mountain.
Next: Origins of the crystal folk
Next: Origins of the crystal folk
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