Thursday, May 15, 2008

Tethys: Planetary Oracles

The clerics in service to the planetary essence of Tethys are a varied and passionate lot. Tethys herself is a temperamental world, full of the fervor of life without bounds, seeking to fill every niche with living things intent upon survival. The world itself seems intent upon endless explosions of competing life-forms.

As with all planetary essences, there is much debate as to whether or not this "life force" is independently conscious, or just an impersonal force. Oracles of Tethys almost always insist that there is some sort of intelligence at work, though slow to react and very very fierce.
Those oracles who claim to have had visions of Tethys claim that she is a beautiful and statuesque woman of immense proportions. She is often described as having mixed human, reptilian and piscian characteristics in her form such as a tail, scales and other features mixed with that of a human.
Domains: Animal, Healing, Plant, Water.
Favored Weapon: Dagger.
Portfolio: Sea, Jungles, plants, agriculture, childbirth.

Dogma
The Oracles of Tethys have many regional varieties, but there are certain doctrines that exist amongst all sects. The cycles of birth, marriage and death are of primary concern, and thus mothers, young and old are revered. Cycles of life, and their reverence are strongly promoted. Society is primarily matriarchal, with all women seen as manifestation and representation of Tethys herself.
Fertility rites and medicines are of utmost importance to the Oracles and followers of Tethys, as She herself is known to be very fertile. Herbalism, midwifery and extensive fertility rites (including orgy's) are very common.

Cult of Oceanus
The male aspect of Tethys is known as Oceanus, and is given reverence primarily in the long night, as this is a time of frequent battle as the nights predators emerge. Cultists dedicated to the male aspect are trained in battle and survival, prizing physical power and tests of strength as well as ones ability to sire offspring.

Oracles dedicated to Oceanus claim that he appears as a ferocious man with a wild beard and features of crustacean, reptile and fish, and that he stands well over 60ft in height.

Domains: Animal, Strength, War, Water.
Favored Weapon: Spear.
Portfolio: Sea, Sea Monsters, Shipwrech, Storms.



Monday, May 12, 2008

Tethys: The Helead


Helead

Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: Morningstar +5 melee, Crossbow +4 ranged.
Damage: Morningstar 1d8+4, Crossbow 1d8.
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +2, Handle Animal +6, Hide +8*, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot +2, Wilderness Lore +4.
Climate/Terrain: Fens and waterways.
Organization: Solitary or clan.
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: By character class.

The Helead are a race of shy, semi-aquatic reptiles who were elevated to humanoid status by ancient magic. They dwell primarily along the fens and waterways of Tethys where the live on plants and river fish and birds.
As a people, the helead keep to themselves, only rarely interacting with other races. When they do interact with humans, it is as guides or animal trainers, as they keep Anatotitans and other dinosaurs as pets and beasts of burden.
Helead speak their own language as well as the common tongue.

Combat
Helead are not initially violent creatures, but they live in a violent world. In battle, helead are smart combatants, using terrain and their natural abilities.

Illiteracy:
Helead do not automatically know how to read and write. A Helead character may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. This is not negated with the taking of literate classes as with the barbarian class.
Skills: Helead receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. *In forested or overgrown areas, the Hide bonus improves to +8.

Helead Society
The helead dwell in hidden villages, located in the middle of swamps on artificial islands, guarded by aquatic monsters. Helead society recognizes no differences between sexes and have no nobles. They are skilled in survival, but produce little art, though they are greedy for shiny jewelry, perticularly gold.
Spellcasting helead are almost always Clerics or Druids, though Sorcerers are held in high regard. Helead clerics typically choose the Animal and Plant domains. The favored class for Helead characters is the Ranger.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Tethys: Derew Tree Forests

The great Dia Anu forest of central Aphrodite is a living testament to the majesty of nature, as well as a symbol of its ferocity. The mighty Derew tree is related to the Gaian Oak tree, but much taller and of stronger limb, averaging around 500ft in height with many specimens reaching much greater heights.

The great forest of Dia Anu if over 2 1/2 thousand miles across, and sports many trees over a thousand years old. The forest itself is home to an enormously diverse ecosystem of dinosaurs, insects, tree-dwelling mammals, and several human civilizations. Much trade goes up and down the many rivers of this region, though these are monster haunted (see Plesiosaurus).

To survive, human civilization must dwell in treetop villages, in buries towns or in fortified cities, lest they fall prey to the many ground dwelling predators. The dark beneath the boughs are home to a great many light hating predators and spirits, and thus the folk of the treetops are a tough and superstitious lot indeed!

To traverse the treetops, the locals have constructed a vast network of catwalks and hidden ladders, as well as the domestication of a great many arboreal species to act as beasts of burden such as the Derew Cricket below:

Derew Cricket
Large Vermin
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 60 ft, Climb 40ft.
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural)
Attacks: Bite +5 melee,
Damage: Bite 1d6+3,
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, Jump
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills: Climb +11, Jump +36*, Spot +8
Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm land
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-15 HD (Large)
These creatres are a common sight in the Dia-Anu forests and the Plains of Thunder regions of Tethys. Derew Crickets are horse-sized creatures that resemble grasshoppers, though covered in a green, black and yellow colored fur. They dwell primarily amongst the branches of the Derew tree, where they graze upon leaves and bark.
Though remarkable stupid, these creatures make excellent beasts of burden if trained from birth. They make excellent mounts for use by the tree dweling peoples of the derew forests, though a would-be rider requires a special saddle (masterwork cost) that properly anchors her to the cricket.
Combat
Derew Crickets would rather flee than fight, though if pressed they will bite.
Leap (Ex): A Derew Cricket is a natural jumper. It gains a +30 racial bonus to all Jump checks, and its maximum jumping distance is not limited by its height.
Vermin: Vermin are immune to mind-affecting effects.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a derew cricket is up to 200 pounds; a medium load, 201-400 pounds; a heavy load, 401-600 pounds. A derew cricket can drag 3,000 pounds.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Strange Eons: Poster etc.


To the left is a "movie poster" I produced for a photoshop class. I designed it to resemble those dreadful straight to video sci-fi movies that all within geekdom have watched more than once. I have a great affection for such films.

As can be surmised, this project has gotten me some odd looks from the non-geeks in the class, who have been making sports ads and similar. Ho-hum!

In the project, it all had to come from photos and found objects. Thankfully I just happen to have alot of weird stuff in my home.

Hope you like it!

P.S. The world in the monsters hand is in-fact the world of Tethys, the terraformed Venus.



Thursday, May 1, 2008

Tethys Map 1

Here is the basic map of Tethys. As you can see, there is much detailing to be done (and which I am looking forward to).
As stated earlier, Tethys is a hot, wet world, with temperatures averaging around 80 degrees, with highs of 110 degrees being common towards mid-day. The long day and night cycle of Tethys (each being 243 Gaian/Earth days long) has resulted in a fierce environment.
Thick fog, rain and storms are common and prone to sudden shifts in intensity. Earthquakes are also common, though the great many volcano's of Tethys (roughly 100,000 in count) are almost all considered asleep.
Most of Tethys consists of shallow seas and islands, but there are two prominent continents:
  • Ishtar (at the top of the map, about the size of Australia)
  • Aphrodite (at the right of the map, somewhat smaller than Africa).
  • Phoebe and Labda, though continents in their own right are far swampier. Though they do host abundant life.
Life on Tethys is savage and vibrant. Plant life is extremely plentiful, with many enormous forests, especially on the continent of Aphrodite, where the 500+ foot tall Derew trees grow in vast numbers. The shallow seas and coasts are thick with kelp and other plants, making large sea vessels difficult to use. Fish of wide variety are more than plentiful.
Animal life is no less impressive, as the lower gravity and high oxygen has allowed enormous creatures. Dinosaurs, re-engineered by ancient wizards stalk the land and sea, as do many strange alien creatures and mixed breeds. Anatotitan and Dimetrodon are commonly seen along the rivers and in the marshes of Tethys. Apatasaurus are seen in large numbers as well, though often in the deep forests. Anatotitan are sometimes domesticated as beasts of burden.
The Giant Capybara is a common herd beast found almost anywhere, and is preyed upon by almost everything.
Human civilization is spread out, with only a few large cultures on Ishtar and Aphrodite. Most cultures lead semi-nomadic lives, traveling the seas and swamps during the day and moving into inland to ancestral cities for the long, cold night.

More and more to come dear readers...

DISNEY & DRAGONS: D&D in Fantasyland

Many times, in recent years I have encountered would-be players of Dungeons and Dragons whose sole experience with the fantasy genre h...