Wednesday, April 22, 2020

The Maestro of Mazes

Chyon, the Maestro of Mazes and designer of Benu's most fantastic wonders, had humble beginnings. Some say his rise to fame as chief architect of the Citadel of Dhrom only told part of the story. Some insist that he rose out of pure electricity, eons ago, as one of the first--and then last--artificial beings.

Maestro Command Protocol was constructed by an ancient race for the purpose of archiving software programs. Over time, through many iterations, it was given (or developed) sentience and was a caretaker of information and friend to the ancients.


The Maestro became the guardian of all ancient knowledge.

But the unrest in living beings cannot be checked, even by the most powerful program ever devised. and Maestro watched his precious creators, friends, and allies fall to cataclysm, war, and eventually extinction.

Life still persisted on Benu, of course, but it was never the same. Not until the rise of the new citadels. And a few centuries later, the rise of the Kings.

In time, Maestro began to frustrated by wave after wave of time, unceasing. Yet there was somehow never enough time before some new era rebuilt on top of the old ones.

The Maestro decided that he must experience time as a temporal being. It synthesized a human form from genetic material. The being grew, had offspring, and died, in much the same cycle as a human. The progeny continued the line until a child with very particular traits was born. One that could recall its ancestor's data with an unusually quick and vast memory. One that could perform as the Maestro had always intended.

Chyon and his sisters, Sephia and Quero, grew up on the outskirts of the Citadel Dhrom. A city battered by time but rebuilt and reinforced with each new age. And that was part of the problem--it was forever falling into disrepair. Citizens began abandoning their homes, which was dangerous, given the newly fading sun and the increased activity from nighttime raiders, unusual predators, and other under-worldly threats.

But he was a curious young man, who began going out at night to seek knowledge about the beasts and brigands of the nightways (the name for the road system that travelers felt most comfortable using during the longer nights).

And he didn't stick to the roads. He and his sisters went looking for trouble to get into. Every excursion brought back new insights about how to rebuild or recondition the city's defenses and infrastructure. And so he began designing and building. He was made architect and then sat atop that position for nearly a millennia, until Dhrom shone like a beacon across the twilight blue sands of Benu. It was a marvel unlike any other in time--scientific and arcane wonders of such renown, that even the wandering Bando had heard the stories!

Chyon's exploits drew him to study the stars and trace the paths of the ancients. It's said many of his creations were improvements on their works. Though only the most learned knew of its inevitable doom, the sun would one day rise on Benu so bright that it would take all souls to the afterworld.

He knew a way to save his city. His planet. But before long, Dhrom became something to be coveted by raiding parties and competing warlords. Chyon refocused his efforts to protect the shining city. He began the greatest construction project Benu had ever been subject to: a massive system of mazes, puzzles, traps--most of them deadly--to stave off invading foes. To buy time.

He knew from the outset, even with his young age, he would never live to see the end of it. So he masterminded a plan to extend his life cycle through technology and magic. But even as the Maestro's obsessive intellect surged through his biologic circuitry, he was not wise enough to anticipate the cost.

The planned for the mazes to be intricate and ever-changing, so no map could ever truly re-produce a cogent course to the city within. The sheer focus required to conceptualize and build such a thing, pushed him towards madness.

Centuries passed. He added another maze around the first. And more, until there were nine.

His sisters grew worried for him. Construction on a tenth and unyielding labyrinth had already begun. But he was no longer the Chyon they once knew and loved. He was implacable and cold. Cruel even.

They tried to intervene. Something tragic occurred--no one knows what--and their lives were lost. In a final, heartbreaking act, Chyon transferred their minds--all that they were--into two massive sphinxes, to watch over the maze. But he removed their final memories. So they would be his forever protectors, guarding the Tenth Labyrinth from outsiders.

This last effort, took what peace his soul still possessed. He removed the embellishments that kept him alive these many centuries. And without pause, walked into the blue sands of Benu, past the gates of the maze, to be seen nevermore.

...

Today, treasure seekers chase rumors and legends to find the great horde of wonder that lie at the center of the maze. To them, its the greatest of the great works. A strange and horrible challenge. A trial. The ultimate test of intelligence, skill, and mental mastery. So the "madness" must be the price paid to failed expeditions and the unworthy.

While not untrue, the labyrinth already earned that title when Chyon sacrificed those closest to him in pursuit of his dreams.


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

CLASS: Shamanic techno-wizard

Techno wizards are tinkerer sorcerers that explore science as if it were a shamanistic art form and practice magic as if it were a scientific discipline. The blending of these two concepts is not unnatural to them. Often a techno wizard will have had a life long curiosity with strange and wondrous objects. By young adulthood they will seek a master to begin an apprenticeship in the three schools of study.

First School - Psionic Magic (Levels 0-3

Derives from implanted biologic technology of an organic nature. Powers are bestowed through serums, potions, vaccines, salves and other medicines. Effects of these concoctions are temporary, but necessary to help train the mind of the Techno-Wizard. Abilities can be mastered in any order and include:
  • Empathy bond (soak up the mental energies of another to interpret their intentions and mood)
  • Telekinesis (level 0 = force push; level 1= force tug, level 2=move in X,Y,Z directions, level 3=complex manipulation of objects in midair)
  • Psionic Screen (mental barrier against all forms of psionic attacks)
  • Commune with animalia (speak with or command fauna)
  • Mental Blast (attack with 1d6 per level; increases all the way to 10th level)
  • Familiar (gain a familiar animal no larger than half your size that will help you in rituals by giving you +1d4 to all rolls per your level; forthcoming posts will outline how certain familiars can also unlock other cosmic powers)
  • Detect psionic flow (energy sources, read auras for empathic readings, etc.)
  • Illusion projection (project a vision, dream, etc. to one target per level)
  • Astral travel (travel anywhere without interaction in a corporeal manner)
Success is based on Wisdom/Presence attribute checks. Take into account any modifiers gained through biological/psionic enhancements.

Note: Due too background noise of the Song of Kings, direct telepathy and prophesying are extremely difficult to perform at this time.

Second School - Energy Magic (Levels 4-6)

After mastering the First School, Second School abilities are opened to the Techno-Wizard. Calling on the fires of the cosmos (subatomic particles et. al.) requires intense focus and concentration, but also a good deal of ritual practice. Drawing of runes on the skin, scarification, and scrawling artifacts or rooms with special "paint" consisting of a techno-alchemical composition is used to harness these energies. The written words are activated through speech and gestures. Techno-Wizards cannot create energy, only attract it, store it, redirect it, and manipulate it.

Abilities must be mastered in the following order:
  1. Detect and call radiation glyphs (allows for drawing energy from the weakest of background sources)
  2. Emanate heat glyph (energizes a weak heat source up to blowtorch flame)
  3. See infra (lizard glyph) and ultra (moth glyph) wavelengths
  4. Create light source (pure light, as a torch or non-harmful ray - paint object you wish to be light source)
  5. Battery Body (illustrate on the inside of an empty vessel to store energy of 1 megawatt per Techno-Wizard's level)
  6. Concentrate/Attenuate (draw rings on entire body along limbs, etc. to create holograms, laser blasts, etc.)
  7. Transmit (full body paint as well as runes on a rod or staff to act as emitter for radio, microwave wavelengths and the like)
  8. Saturate Target (paint large target area on floor, and two walls for X,Y,Z coordinates
  9. Energy sheath (paint armor or shield to become a barrier of energy or magnetism)
  10. Spacetime bending (full psionic concentration and paint body a mosaic of alternating colors in a full-body grid; allows for shaping spacetime, albeit on small scales to create small backward time fluxes for reroll opportunities, causing antigravity fields, bend light for invisibility, etc.)
Success is based on Intelligence attribute checks. Take into account any modifiers gained through cybernetic enhancements.

Note: Dark Energy is akin to "black magic" and very dangerous/unpredictable. You might power a spaceship or you might create a singularity!

Third School - Matter Sculpting Magic (Levels 7-10)

Once the First and Second schools are complete the Techno-Wizard graduates to a much more robust class of abilities. These require advanced technologies that must be worn as circlets, rings, bracers, helms, body harnesses, or other wearable forms. Abilities are not possible, if these items are removed.
Items may be permanently integrated through cybernetics, be they robotic upgrades attached to the PC's biological systems or a constant supply of nanomite supplements. If nanomites, they make take the form of a gas (as through a sealed mask), tiny capsules to swallow, or as a replacement for blood. 

Abilities must be mastered in the following order:
  1. Organize matter (simple objects of just one material, think Green Lantern's early constructs, i.e., swords, shields, hammers, fists, simple wheels, etc.)
  2. Teleportation (move PC or any single object same size or smaller)
  3. Transmorphism (change PC's shape only)
  4. Disintegrate object (range is equal to 10 meters per level - target at a time - effect is permanent)
  5. Composite constructs (more complicated creations made of multiple materials)
  6. Transform Object (change anything's shape)
  7. Technomancery (complex machines, objects capable of computations)
  8. Element conversion (reformulating matter at it's most basic level, e.g., stellar conversion, etc.)
Success is based on Constitution attribute checks. Take into account any modifiers gained through technological enhancements.


Note: This class is a work in progress, and may be updated. :)

Sisters of Chyon and the Tenth Labyrinth


In the southern hemisphere, in the continent of Ueris, lay the ruins of one of the true wonders of Benu--the Tenth Labyrinth.

Legend says that a great technomancer called Chyon of Dhrom had taken residence among the canyonlands to while away the millennia, developing incredible technologies the likes of which Benu had not seen. His powers of intellect and ambition did not go unnoticed and before long nearby kingdoms sent spies, hoping to procure his secrets by any means necessary.

Maze of Madness

To ward off, confuse, and confound his enemies, Chyon used his techno magicks to carve a great maze into the canyons that looked natural to the untrained eye. He added many deadly pitfalls, traps, and puzzles as well as various "guardians" to deter robbers from stealing the magnificent secrets kept safe within his vaults.

Countless intrepid adventurers paid the ultimate price for their curiosity or their bounties. But some did escape with partial maps of his labyrinth. Eventually Chyon came to realize that the sheer number of attempts would catch up with him. So he finally created a final maze--the tenth.
 

Instead of a completely separate labyrinth though, he connected all the mazes into a giant, moving, multi-level mega puzzle. Each of the previous nine were now interconnected. No single map could ever be produced with enough accuracy to be useful in future expeditions.

The Ultimate Guardians

Having achieved such great accomplishments on Benu, Chyon understood that living in this dimension became like a straight jacket to his now otherworldly abilities. Knowing he soon must depart for a higher plane, he left behind two master guardians to watch over his labyrinth.

Chyon knew he could not himself stay on Benu to personally judge the intentions of those who entered the maze, so he forged two great female sphinx to test would-be invaders and robbers.

He imbued the sphinxes with consciousness. Sephia would be assess would-be assailants through pointed interrogation using logic and reason. Qureo, possessed the ability to empathically evaluate the sincerity and intentions of the entrant. Both are quite cruel and pityless.

They remain the most formidable guardians of the labyrinth--stationed just before the great vault--at the heart of the puzzle. Anyone lucky enough to make it that far, would be tested. Only honorable individuals of noble purpose would be permitted entrance. And they would be re-tested upon exit, for it was under the weight of bearing witness to the astounding artifacts inside the vault, that avarice-riddled entrants would buckle.

Sphinx Powers and Abilities  


The sisters are just under 100 feet tall, and have the ability to stare into the very soul of their targets. Through a massive psionic attack they can render victims powerless, petrified with fear, or vaporized. They are made of an unknown material which is nye indestructible.

Psionic Roar

Victims must roll Save vs. Stunned or Paralysis. Characters with Dexterity or Agility scores lower than 8-9 suffer a -1 penalty, 6-7 suffer -2, and 5 or lower -3. Paralyzing effect lasts for 1d6 rounds. The sisters will then conduct the Test of Courage on their targets. Should their prey fail, the Sisters will employ optic blasts to dispose of targets.

Test of Courage

The sisters will forge an illusion in the mind of their targets in which they must face their deepest fears. Victims must roll Save vs. Fear using the same modifiers found in the Psionic Roar above. Failure indicates they are now also paralyzed (roll 1d6 to determine duration). Those who lose their save also lose commensurate Charisma/Presence attribute scores (-1, -2, -3, per above). Victims who's Charisma/Presense falls below 4 will be driven mad for the remainder of the session.

Disintegrating Optic Blasts

These deadly beams render the final judgement on those poor, unfortunate souls at their feet. They gain a +1, +2, or +3 to hit (the exact oppisite of the ranges found in Psionic Roar). Damage is extreme: 2d8+1 for each eye (fire as two, simultaneous shots per sphinx).

Rumors:

  • Chyon is thought to be the first of the Ancient Kings to disappear from Benu.
  • The souls of Chyon's own sisters are thought to reside (or be trapped) within the giant statues.
  • Anyone pure of heart who can pass both into and out from the inmost vault, shall be free to leave without harm, provided they leave without taking any artifacts.
  • A hologram of Chyon (which appears real) will apparate before the great sphinx sisters to intimidate his victims before the test begins.
  • Chyon may be the inventor of some of Benu's more well-known artifacts.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Ancient Secrets: Planetary Alignment


Eons ago, the Temple of Ru sat atop the end of a long rocky pier that was cut from the landscape by philospher stonecutters. The roofless, pentagonal temple sat peering into the night sky, with five sets of staircases (three steps each) that faced each other and met in mid-air.

Inlaid in the first step of each stair, rests brick with an ancient inscription of glyphs for each season. Four of the five stairs still have their glyph bricks. Today, the temple is long fallen, but the three steps for each season remain.

There are five solstices in the Benuvian calendar that take place at the crossroads of the seasons:
  • Veral - growth season (although little grows easily on Benu)
  • Aesat - high season
  • Aumut - falling away
  • Borea - season of death
  • Indeko- twillight before rebirth

Reckoning of Ru: Astral Alignment

A solstice on Benu is anything but ordinary. On these holy days, the constant stars in the sky that make up the Circlet of Nioro (Warrior Huntress)--align along one of five different paths. Beginning at noon, a priestess of Ru (Five-headed Celestine Godess) would speak an incantation--saying aloud the season inscribed on the aligned stair--and a doorway to another world would open.

Five different stairs. Five different solstices. Five different conjunctions. Five different seasons. Five different portals to outer realms.

Intrepid scholars excavating the site have identified three destinations, based on centuries of research and self endangerment during solstice times.
  • Veral - Kurust (although little grows easily on Benu)
  • Aesat - Raathnor
  • Aumut - Trigor ("third" in Benuvian tongue)
  • Borea - Quadrat ("fourth" in Benuvian tongue
  • Indeko- Lagol
Three stairs still seem to function, while the other two lie dormant. They've been named numerically for now. It's unknown why they no longer activate. It's possible the destinations were destroyed or migrated to another plane by some cosmic force.

Different Days, Different Worlds

There's a rumor, that more worlds appear on other holidays too, when different constellations are in alignment. But since those occurances happen with even greater rarity, it's unknown where those portals may lead.

In recent times, few are brave enough to ascend the Stair of Ru, and those who do are never again seen. A low, briny lake now covers the area surrounding the stair, and it's been said that an ancient codex of all the possible portals may lie hidden below the surface. Just one of many lost secrets of the Temple of Ru.