T'was a mere bolt of lightning - albeit a rather large one. The heat of the lightning bolt was easily enough to melt some of the sand into glass. As such, the Ouzquin Dremorix have a certain reverence to severe storms which cause lightning - After all, thunder and lightning is the voice and touch of Axtrami on this world.
Really appreciate the comments Muro and Dozus - Whenever I write up something more than half a page long, I end up jumbling everything up in my mind and have no idea if what I post is understandable by the time i submit it :P Your comments suggest it DOES make sense! :) Go to Comment
Children of Glass Society/ Organizations (Ethnic/Cultural)
(Country/ State)
Updated: Updates:
- Updated to Scroll+Codex, so I can link separate parts of related Ouzquin Dremorix Material, and so I can add new sections of information via Scroll listing.
- Updated name
- Added "Demeanor" Section.
A note: I will be updating this constantly as time moves on. Some sections may be added to, completely new sections may be added, or I may even just throw in small tidbits of information via a scroll post.
possible upcoming additions:
- Ouzquin Dremorix: Human or no? The great debate.
- Ouzquin Dremorix: Magic
- Ouzquin Dremorix: Language Go to Comment
Children of Glass Society/ Organizations (Ethnic/Cultural)
(Country/ State)
The Glass Shifters, when in the lands outside of their own deserts are very reserved and formal, in general - usually rarely speaking unless spoken to. Even when they have gotten to know outside companions they hold back somewhat. This is because they view themselves as 'strangers in a strange land' and, not knowing much of the customs and way of life of these people, they tend not to interfere too much.
It is a completely different story, however, when Foreigners enter the deserts of the Glass Shifters. When faced with strangers in their cities, they tend to find the outsiders reactions to their homes quite amusing - it is known to the Ouzquin Dremorix that most outsiders believe them to be little more than savages roaming the desert, and the sight of their lovingly designed shining cities often drops a jaw or two: Especially in the huge capital of the Glass Shifters: Bareka.
When faced with people not of the Glass Shifter culture in their own lands, the Ouzquin Dremorix regard them with open curiousity and almost shameless honesty. Members of the opposite gender may comment on how attractive that person is, or some may point out the scars this one has. One may suggest that you may want to find some water to clean yourself, for your odour makes his Ouzala curl!
Though this may be taken the wrong way, comments such as these are not meant to be insulting, alluring or suggestive - they are merely signs of honesty in accordance to the Ouzquin Dremorix belief that they should be transparent as glass: Speaking no lies and sharing their views. As a note: Attempts to further something from a woman's approving words are often quickly corrected: Just because an Ouzquin Dremorix suggests that you are attractive, does not mean they wish to form or further a relationship! Of course, attempts to FORCEFULLY further this comment will almost be met with the spearhead of an Ouzala to the neck; either in warning or run straight through, depending on the Glass Shifter.
And while on the subject, Ouzquin Dremorix NEVER respond well to threats, and attempts to intimidate them into submissions usually result in open hostility. This is in accordance with their principle of 'cut and bite back if mishandled'. A phrase cultivated by foreigners, "Bully the Glassman", basically has a similar meaning as "To shoot one's self in the foot" or to "Dig your own grave".
Though the Ouzquin Dremorix treat all other races generally the same, there are some specifics which should be noted when dealing with separate mainstream races.
Elves: Elves rarely venture into the desert. As such, the Ouzquin Dremorix know the least of these creatures. When out of the deserts, Glass Shifters will often stare curiously at elves - an often unsettling experience for the elf, when this stranger is seen always peering at him from the corner of his eyes. When in the deserts, some Ouzquin Dremorix may approach the stranger and ask a question or two of the elven race before moving on. The questions are never intrusive and once the curiousity of the Glass Shifter is sated, they will offer thanks for the information and bother them no longer.
Dwarves: Dwarves are probably the most common race in the deserts, the great sands proving of little obstacle their search for minerals and ale. All Ouzquin Dremorix know what dwarves are by sight - just as most dwarves have at the very least heard of the Glass Shifters - and outside of the deserts tend to offer a nod of recognition to the smaller folk. Within the deserts, they openly speak, trade and drink with Dwarves, often matching the stulwart folk drink for drink.
Orcs and half-orcs: Orcs have sometimes ventured into the deserts both as friend and foe to the glass shifters. Usually, though, it is when raiding small villages and outposts of the glass folk - amounting to losses on both sides of a skirmish. As such, when in smaller settlements or when met on travel in the desert, the Ouzquin Dremorix tend to keep a closer eye on orcs and half-orcs than they do on other races. When in the larger cities, of course, with thousands of Ouzala-wielding warriors around them, the glass shifters are more at ease with orcs - if the creature DID try anything rash, it's death would be swift. Outside of the deserts, orcs and half-orcs are met with a sort of mutual nuetrality with the Ouzquin Dremorix: So long as they seem to be acting responsibly, there will be no sign of disrespect or threat to them from the glass men. Go to Comment
I thought of this item whilst posting in this freeform "Continuous roleplay" idea by Dozus. It would be great if you could post a little something in it; even if you only post once :)
Who would be afraid of a mouse like creature only a few inches long?
Plenty of people! Hell, cockroaches are my phobia, and they're smaller than shrews! :P
Anywho. Good stuff! Personally, I would have had the shrews stay the same size, but reproduce much faster. Additionally, I would make the shrews stomachs a 'bag of holding' of sorts, so the shrews NEVER stop eating.
MILLIONS OF RAVENOUS SHREWS CHEWING AWAY ALL LIFE ON THE ISLAND! AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
I'd certainly like to find out more about the witches and Warlocks - Certainly the warlocks especially would be a most mysterious one - so rare, too! Go to Comment
The Jandoshan Lifeforms (Intelligent Species)
(City/ Ruin)
As a race, the Jandoshan are clearly quite gifted with power, however they have a good few detrimental points about them which makes them fit in with a balance of other races and not dominate the world (very small population due to fewer females and failed experiments on unborn children, for example.)
As a single bieng, however, I find these slightly overpowered; especially the albinos of the race.
Still, I think these creatures would be good as an 'everpresent threat' to a world. They can also very easily be used as campaign starters (Attacking a town which the players live in, which causes the heroes to fight back against an encroaching war, for example)
Anywho. I likes. I'd be interested to see if a human could ever overcome the odds and become respected by a Jandoshan. Of course, i'm sure anyone who the Jandoshan think worthy must certainly be dispised by the human population. Go to Comment
It's all been said! :p Great visuals and a lovely story. I just love the thought of having a party wandering through a savannah then almost randomly in the distance, a small herd of antelope start fleeing. Suddenly, from behind a stack of trees this enormous beast of an insect tears down on them, leaping on an antelope and biting its head off with no effort.
How terrifying! The PCs could try to attack and kill it or flee. Then, if they wished, they could endeavor to find out more about the mantis, or they could just shrug it off as a bizarre random encounter. Go to Comment
This is oh-so-true. Every country has a main food which is their Staple diet, and first source of nutrition. It's nearly always a carbohydrate, too. Irish have their potatoes; Asia their rice; North Africa have CousCous, Americans and Australians have their fast foods :D
And as a chef I notice that even foreigners visiting Australia still tend to order their staple food, and even a foreign family living in Australia for several generations will eat that same type of meal - it's all learned throughout generations.
So in a fantasy world it would be no difficult task for someone learned in this to realise that the person sitting in the corner of the pub eating a Courge Stew may just be from Falhath. And from that, you would be able to understand that that person would have morals and traditions similar to your average Falhathian. If you were insightful, you could learn a lot simply by what a person prefers to eat.
Cudos, Scrasamax. A topic close to my heart :) It's natural I should rate it highly Go to Comment
For a patch approximately ten square miles, absolutely nothing grows. Of course, this may not seem to be TOO out of the norm, but in a world where land is a huge jungle, this is a very strange phenomena.
The trees cut off at the edge of this area, and not even a single blade of grass breaks through the blackened soil. Many reasons have been thought of for this - the land is cursed, the gods have reserved that area. It couldnt be the pH of the soil, as things grow on ALL pH's on this planet. Even the animals are reluctant to walk over this dread land. People would have made a small town there at one stage, but as soon as they stepped on the lands, they were instilled with a great sense of dread, as though a final warning to get off the land before something horrific occured. This anomaly remains unexplained to this day. Go to Comment
A Dash of Salt Articles (Resource)
(Gaming - In General)
1.5 kg Leg of Razorhound, de-quilled and excess fat sheared.
1 tsp rock salt
3 tbsp worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp thyme
70 gm grey Chironus seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste.
De-bone and butterfly Razorhound leg, taking extra care to ensure all poisonous quills have been removed. Rub in rock salt until Juices of the meat are drawn to the surface.
Combine Worstershire, Thyme and garlic, mixing well. Carefully add Chironus seeds 2-3 at a time, dropping gently into mixture so as not to cause them to explode. Mix softly using one of the spare Razorhound quills, and brush onto both sides of the. Roast with a high heat over one hour, turning once after 40 minutes. Cut into desired portions and serve with a green salad, dressed with lemon juice.
Disclaimer: Strolens Citadel assumes no responsibility for Injury including - but not limited to - loss of limb, poisoning, blindness, or deafness. Go to Comment
A Dash of Salt Articles (Resource)
(Gaming - In General)
In the dark lofts of the Hemorigan treetop town of Mojena, where all the shady characters live, there are many delicacies frowned upon by the good folk of the treetop city. Using the mind or body altering fauna which grows in the vast forests which live below them, some meals are made which can have adverse affects. Many people have been fatally poisoned tasting unreputable feasts of this nature.
One of the most popular 'outlawed' meals, however, is known as Hemorigan Madmush, and is made from the hallucanogenic fungus "Chruinich" which sometimes grows along the waters edge of small streams. Approximately ten minutes after eating a bowl of Hemorigan madmush, the consumer's mind begins to addle and his actions become erratic, unpredictable and often quite humorous to anyone watching. The consumer is filled with a sense of complete euphoria and an hour into effects he begins to lose his memory. Some eight hours later, the consumer will come back to his senses in a strange place, often feeling bruised and battered, but also feeling completely giddy - finding even mundane things very amusing until they next sleep. They have no memory of the previous eight hours, but nor do they care about it.
Ingredients
200 mls of cream
2-3 'rashers' of diced smoked pigmeat - Bacon
1 cup sliced Chruinich * Normal mushrooms may be used to achieve the same taste, but the hallucanogenic effects won't occur.
100ml White wine
30g shaved hard cheese - Parmasen
100g Long, flat pasta
_____
Cook off pigmeat in a small amount of oil. Add the Chruinich and sweat. Add wine and reduce slightly. Add cream and simmer until thickened to a sauce consistency. Serve on long, flat pasta and garnish with parmasen.
A simple recipe, but a very pleasing result. Go to Comment
Good to see interest in the Mogrolyth :D it's my favourite Undead!
In response to Cheka Man: It would take an extremely intense heat to be able to wither through the mogrolyth's flesh and incinerate it's heart, and if by some chance someone manages to force a Mogrolyth into an inferno of flames and kill it, its flesh will burn and crack, but it will not turn to ash. Once the fire is out, The mogrolyth will return to life in a matter of hours. So effectively, having a mogrolyth in the centre of an eternally burning fire will keep it down :)
(A good plot point may be in there, too: "The snowy city of Jamore has had a pyre burning in the centre of their town for centuries. All Jamorans consider this pyre a good luck charm and thus continue feeding it wood to keep it burning. Jamorans always gather around this fire to keep warm and for religious occasions. But this winter, Wood is in short supply, and the city council have decided to let the pyre burn out for the first time in over five hundred years. Unfortunately, none recalled the true reason of the Pyre...
I can see it now...! It starts by everyone just having to adjust to the coldest winter they've ever had. And then... Blood tracks are found in the snow! People start disappearing. Rumours of ghosts, and hundreds of people leaving the city in terror! Truly, the pyre WAS a good luck charm! For now their city is falling apart. Who could possibly find the real reason behind the haunted city save the town from this curse!?))
Aaaand CrimsonShadow:
No, sorry. There is no way to permanently kill it. Any show of end to life would be to deny what the Mogrolyth truly is! However, yes - if you wish to alter it to be able to die permanently for the purposes of your roleplay, by all means!
And Manfred: Maybe you'd like to pucker up to the mogrolyth to test your theory? :D Go to Comment
To me, this thread also has a similar feel to CaptainPenguins' Boots Too Fine for the Earth. Or my The Art of Healing
The boots are simply... so good... that they refuse to touch the ground. This is due to the many years love and care that Firefly River used to make it. Perhaps that care rubbed off into it to give it its properties. That may be how you could explain these heroic items, as non-enchanted magic. Perhaps you can go even further, and say that this is what TRUE magic is. Enchantments and spells are just a simple imitation. A shadow of this.
Heroic items like these won't lose their enchantments with some spell cast on it, like enchanted items might. They are more permament.
So examples in the citadel are such as The Sadist Dagger, Boots too fine for the earth and The art of healing. Go to Comment
Just a 'lil more info on Vlad Tepes Dracula.
It's funny, really - People who don't know much about Vlad the Impaler think that Dracula is an evil version of him.
In reality, it seems that Dracula is more like a watered down version of the true evil - and this evil once lived in our real world, not some fantasy land.
Necrotising arachnidism is the name give to a syndrome of blistering and ulceration or destruction (necrosis) of the skin following spider bites. In some cases, severe illnesses have ensued, with ongoing pain and tissue destruction requiring extensive debridement and skin grafting. Chief among spiders suspected of causing this syndrome in Australia are the white tailed spider (Lampona sp.) and the black window or black house spider (Badumna sp.). Both are commonly found in houses throughout Australia. Anecdotal experience suggests that the majority of people bitten by these spiders will suffer only minor local reactions. As the majority of spider bites are not reported, the proportion of bites that result in necrosis is unknown.
Necrotising Arachnidism is a disease caused by some spiders. Experts arent sure exactly how it is caused, though its bieng studied. A reaction of SOME spiders poisons can cause someones skin to literally cease living. Dying, going black and as said, literally rotting the flesh away from the bone. Skin grafting is sometimes required. Worst cases may require amputation of the limb.
New Submissions
Society/ Organizations (Ethnic/Cultural) (Country/ State)
Really appreciate the comments Muro and Dozus - Whenever I write up something more than half a page long, I end up jumbling everything up in my mind and have no idea if what I post is understandable by the time i submit it :P Your comments suggest it DOES make sense! :) Go to Comment