An INCAN themed sorcerer king and his kingdom

#61

Given how the Cleansing Wars lasted thousands of years there may be any number of champions that failed in that period. There may also be secret champions, or agents with other blessings that operated further afield or in a similar position just on different continents. It may also be considered there could have been a large segment of “neutral” champions that did not aid the rebellion against Rajaat nor oppose it and instead adopted what is most likely a position of petty warlordism abroad. Or perhaps exist in a tributary status, not explicit vassals as the Tableland SMs appeared to be.
Some quick ideas about why any given CoR/SM may have been absent from Ur-Draxa (beyond insanity like Daskinor): Other powerful servants of Rajaat emerge from the Black and begin laying waste, forcing these other SM to deal with these incursions personally. Either building on that or in isolate, perhaps there are other sites of power important to maintaining Rajaat’s prison, and if they abandon these posts Rajaat can escape fully. Perhaps that is why only the Tableland SM seem to have such a free hand - living directly in Borys’ shadow may relieve them of this personal responsibility. There is some indication such wards exist though this is speculative on my part, in that the Cerulean Storm seems to be stuck in Ur-Draxa. Though that could just be Tithian being tied to the Black Sphere now, I proffer there may exist wards to contain and/or exclude beings of extreme power within the Valley of Dust and Fire.

Also OP, I love the idea of an Inca SM, and Pachacuti makes a great framework for that. Some of the Incan cultural elements are really strong for use in a setting with undead (Kaisharga Mallqui anyone?). If you’re not familiar with them, you may want to check out the Dominions series as there is a faction “Nazca” which is an Inca-themed nation of winged people some of the units, commanders, heroes, and pretenders may give some inspiration :mage:

#62

According to RaFoaDK, Borys went and gathered up the Champions for the rebellion in only 2 days. It’s entirely possible that only those he knew well enough to think he could convince of Rajaat’s treachery were brought in on it. As it was, of the 13 Champions involved (including Pennarin, a “lost” Champions), one (Sacha) was already known to be a Rajaat loyalist in the 2 days spent gathering them. They spent only a single afternoon discussing strategy and then went for the attack, fully expecting that one of then 4 more physical champions would strike the killing blow, and they would only target the Black Lens as a last resort. The quickness in carrying out the rebellion may have been to keep Rajaat from finding out and to keep other Champions from coming to his aid.

It was only after they defeated Rajaat they learned they couldn’t kill him. Imprisonment in the Hallow was a spur of the moment solution. His essence went into the Hallow, his substance went into a cyst and became guarded and warded by the Borys the Dragon.

I tend to believe other Champions are out there, held at bay by the Dragon. They returned in ones and twos to report to Rajaat, either success or just to give an update, and found an alliance of Champions waiting for them. Later, they found the the Dragon keeping them out. In either case, those Champions that pushed and attempted entry were either destroyed or nearly so. There may have been an attempt or two at coordinating a larger Champion force, but Champions are inherently treacherous and loners. Those were traits Rajaat looked for to ensure they could not band against him.

If you were a powerful being, in control of an army of followers and you attempted to go to a place you were almost killed, knowing that those who almost killed you could wipe out your entire army as easily as you could, and that there was tons of land in various states outside of what they had claimed, would you continue to press and risk losing everything, or would you, the narcissistic, powerful being settle in, rule your people, and bask in their adoration? Sometimes people do learn and accept their limitations, even if they don’t like them and won’t admit it to anyone.

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#63

I have not read the entire thread.

If one wants a genuine, former-Champion sorcerer-king living as far as the continental part east of the Sea of Silt in an effort to avoid being solicited by the other Champions to rebel, and needs a reason for it … just have the Champion (successful in his cleansing, and settled into leadership of a small city) march his entire army and citizenry to that region, taking months, and seeing tens of thousands die. Upon reaching the promised land they settle. Many real world civilizations did this.

The templar problem is one of canon: if the Champion fled to avoid the Rebellion against Rajaat then he was not empowered to become a dragon and to grant spells to templars, according to canon; if on the contrary you espouse the Abbey narrative then he had all these attributes bestowed when he was made a Champion, 1,000+ years before the Rebellion.

#64

I personally only have Irikos, Myron, and Hamanu empowered with templar magic by Rajaat as his Hands and his Chosen. The others were all taught how to create Warlords that were imbued with low/mid levels of arcane casting via their Champions. The Dark Lens was a required component, which is one reason they stopped making them after the Rebellion.

#65

Ah. This is our ancient debate, Pennarin. As I imagine you recall, I am staunchly of the position that upon their creation as Champions of Rajaat, they each instantly became 21st level dragons, and at that moment, with such awesome power being channeled from the sun to their very persons, they became instantly and inexorably linked to the Elemental Planes (however you wish to explain it), and thereby became capable of granting clerical spells to their future templars.

The 2nd box invention about the Champions becoming 21st level dragons only in the immediate aftermath of the rebellion is only so much drivel. It was an unnecessary complication with no meaningful basis in the Prism Pentad. Abbey got much wrong, but at least she was correct in this matter.

Though, of course, to each his own.

As to the invention of new Champions, I can hardly believe it, but I find myself actually coming up with halfway believable excuses for them not being present for the events surrounding the fall of Ur Draxa. I am also increasingly embracing our community’s inventions, such as the Champion of Carsys, the proto-Champion of Shorn, and even Barien, whom I seem to have dubbed the “Last Champion.” Oh how we all seem to love these paragons of evil! and desire more of them to be floating around our favorite fantasy world. Everyone loves profound villainy, it seems.

I believe I have Barien lost in the deep underdark of Athas feverishly slaying abominations from the Great Beyond, even during the Revolt. A single-minded and mad fury dominated him, and I speculate he hated the others and Rajaat equally, and was the “good” Champion who only reluctantly accepted the powers of the Pristine Tower, all in order to destroy the abominations that threatened the world. A fallen paladin, par excellence, who in the end was willing to do anything to destroy an abominable evil, such as alien illithids. I figure well-after the Dragon’s recovery from his madness, Barien eventually resurfaced on the Anattan continent. A truly hateful soul, Barien despises Borys and his fellow Champions, and upon a time dared Borys to destroy him for his defiance not to come to the Tyr Region, as the others were commanded. Willing to provide the Levy (he is now utterly indifferent to normal human life), Borys let him be, but Barien hates his fellow Champions, humanity and all the normal races enough that he has no issue if Rajaat is released, as Rajaat would destroy them all, which would please Barien. Rajaat might even destroy him, to which he has no great desire to stop. Barien’s remaining motivating principle is to become a full sun elemental, which unknown to him is impossible (being a 21st level dragon), so as to escape the hellish reality of his mortal body and being. The sun was his sole solace during his heinous wars in the Athasian Underdark, and he now desires to be eternally under that burning orb, and one day a sun elemental himself. All other concerns are totally beneath his care, and he readily feeds his people to the sun elementals, so as to gain their favor. I have made him master of Stormport, which he uses psionic enchantments to keep eternally free from silt (at a cost in lives greater than the Levy), and rules all the Kingdom of Shorn. As he was willing to pay the Levy, and only resurfaced in more recent centuries, I calculate that Borys just might have given him a pass when he summoned the other sorcerer-kings to Androponis’ fleet in the Cerulean Storm, much as he must have given the same pass to Daskinor. Hopefully Sysane approves of my appropriation, and my players do not rebel against my version of this invention. Thoughts?

Though, as always, to each his own. Always a pleasure to read your inputs, Templar Pennarin. We must promote you to Templar-Centurion one day.

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