I just wanted to add that I appreciate your comment. It made me take a step back and analyze their motivations. It helped me understand why I'd written them the way I did. Go to Comment

Nice. Two cultures that can't stand each other. Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

I think that this region would work well in a big sandbox sort of game. Players can just sort of blunder into the middle of things and run about wreaking havoc and having all sorts of effects on the outcome of the war. Or get involved on either side. Perhaps the most impressive result would be to achieve some form of reconciliation, but that might not be sp great for the rest of the world. I agree with Muro that it works well in it's simplicity.

I especially like the inclusion of characters of note, which really helps to show how complex this could potentially be made.

My one complaint is that, since you've included the divination and exotic mount free texts, I would have liked to see more detail on those two subjects. Go to Comment

I like this for its clean, straightforward simplicity. A nice one-shot game, yet with additional avenues to explore (the rest of the Snake People's magic hoard for example). If I use this, I would change the orcs and amazons to something else, but thats just personal preference.

Nice plot. Fun to be had for PCs.

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Ah, now I realize why orcs and amazons. My bad. Way to combo the freetext challenges! Go to Comment

I enjoyed reading this thank you for writing it. It reads like the liner to video game or the summary of some late night movie, and in short it is great lead in for a game with a lot of flexible pieces you could spin into multiple plots.
More of a plot really than a society. Go to Comment

The part I like best is the orcish uncovering of the Snake People's weapon hoard. It's sort of a neat mental picture. I wish you'd touched on the patriarchy elements more, though. Go to Comment

I was just looking for an excuse to pit an extreme patriarchy against an extreme matriarchy. :P

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Orcish Divination

The gods of the Orcs say that Orcs were born in blood; therefore blood must be used to commune with their creators. The old shaman left his people long ago to seek out the original ways. The ancient ways long since forgotten. And he found them. By proving that he was willing to sacrifice all to the gods and their glory, the shaman was blessed with great knowledge.

To divine the unknown requires lengthy rituals involving blood. For something as simple as asking where to hunt the ritual might only require a small cup let from the arm of a slave. Greater questions might need the livers of an animal or the intestines of a small child. Many a lad or lass from the sacked Amazon villages has met an end at the blade of the shaman's knife.

Looking deep within the blood, pooled in a cup or slathered on organs, and then begging for the word of the gods through sacred chants, will reveal to the shaman's sight that which before was hidden. Such rituals may take many hours, even whole days, so they are not entered into lightly.

The Lizard Mounts

As massive as a warhorse, though closer to the ground, the great lizards known as Jetha had never been domesticated before this war. Little is known of their habits and diet, as they were only infrequently seen by those who cross the great sandy wastes. Even now their origins are a mystery. Who trained them? Saddled them? Outfitted them with weapons?

Jetha need no armor, as their scaly hide is tougher than most barding. They have great strength, large maws with razor teeth, and are capable of short bursts of incredible speed. Their claws can disembowel at a touch and their long tails are capable of devastating whiplike strikes. The Orcs learned quickly to fear these great beasts.

When they appeared to the Amazons, each calmly trotted to a chosen warrior. They respond faithfully to commands and show no fear in battle. Unknown to all is whether they will stick around after the Orcs have been repelled.

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If I feel inspired I may delve into the snake people in future subs. I like the whole idea of lost civilizations claimed by the jungle.

As far as the Orcs go, their patriarchy is mostly a mirror image of the matriarchy of the Amazons. The two groups have just enough similarities and differences to ensure mutual hatred. Go to Comment

I added an idea at the end giving more details about divination and the lizard mounts. Hopefully it is more complete now. Go to Comment

It could be used to solve murders by seeing who committed them. Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

My favorite part of this one is the box of flavor text at the beginning, but I think that the whole thing is good. There are a lot of ways that you could use this or that it could come up in a game. Finding it could be a very major event in a game, and really, I think that this is an item that could be quite legendary itself. Need to discover an ancient password? Where the secret entrance of some tomb is? This could be your golden ticket. Go to Comment

Indeed. There would need to be some limitations to prevent this from having a huge impact on ones world.

Perhaps the breach of time this item brings attracts other, dangerous, attention.
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Nice item, though there needs something from making it too easy to get the secrets of the past.

Of course those with secrets to hide would seek - quickly - to control or destroy such an item.
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A powerful, not to be fooled around with item.

Personally I'd be too tempted to keep taking a peek, that'd be me doomed!

4/5 - An enjoyable read, well written and presented. Use/abuse at will but beware! Go to Comment

A neat idea that seamlessly integrates the 3 freetexts. I like the blockquote and the completeness of this sub. Go to Comment

Good point. I added more details to round it out a bit, including some optional hazards in case the GM wants to limit player use. Go to Comment