User:Bill/Rocker Valley Saga
Contents
Background[edit]
No one has exalted in the isolated Rocker Valley in centuries. Too small to attract the attention of the Realm and too poor to interest its neighbors in the North, the inhabitants of the Rocker Valley are subjects to their local gods and totem spirits. The local spirit courts are not rapacious though and the people, though poor, live in harmony. The pass that would lead out of the valley to the north has been closed off by a Wyld zone and for as long as anyone can remember the river to the south has flowed through a shadowland populated by the restless dead. Within the mountains stalk trolls and the forests are infested with wood spiders. Only the god-blooded stand in the way of these threats, but they may not be enough to whether the coming storm.
On the first day of Calibration an emissary garbed in glass armor rode down the northern pass on the back of a giant white bear into the northernmost settlement of the valley, Brenner. Introducing himself as the Resplendent Sipping Bird with Plumes of Golden Hue, he told the people to rejoice for their new mistress was a benevolent one. Sipping Bird demanded that they prepare a tribute to be delivered to Carabose, the Singing Lark Queen of the Lilting Voice, of no less than a hundred of their children. If they failed, he said, his mistresses legions would fall upon the valley and leave none behind. Saying that Carabose would expect their tribute to arrive in the pass by the first day of Resplendent Air the beautiful fiend wheeled his gigantic steed and left. The hauptmann of Brenner immediately called upon the priests of Eiba, patron goddess of Brenner. Answering their prayers and accepting their sacrifices Eiba manifested herself and upon hearing the news she wept. She told the hauptmann that she had witnessed the Sipping Bird's proclamation and that his threats were genuine. With great sorrow in her heart she told the hauptmann that neither she, nor any of the gods in the valley would be strong enough to defeat the horde that Carabose would send. Enraged the hauptmann cursed Eiba and called for the fastest riders in the village. Giving each a letter he sent them forth to every burg and hamlet in the valley, calling every leader, sage, and hero to a meeting in Ratschings, the largest town in the valley. He implored his brave riders to take to the roads immediately, even with the unexpected dangers that Calibration brings.
When the meeting came the assembled leaders of the seven major settlements and a number of representatives from smaller farming communities rapidly divided into two camps; those who would acquiesce to Carabose's demands and those who would fight. The monstrous nature of the demand made the former camp very small, but their voice was loud and insistent. If we fight, we will all perish they said. And though the number of men who sided against them was many their words rang true in the hearts of all assembled. After hours of arguing about how best to raise an army, request help from the Realm, or what else they could offer the fey monster the voice of Hollein the Master Weaver rang loud and clear through the hall. "We must open the Franzenfest," the god-blooded son of Fallaballah shouted over the crowd. Stunned, the crowd was silenced for a moment than surged back in objection. The ancient Franzenfest was a fortress of the dread Anathema sealed by the scions of the elemental dragons centuries ago. The assembled leaders cried blasphemy at the suggestion. Hollein remained calm and his ringing voice carried over the objections of the others. "Within the Franzenfest are the weapons of the ancient heroes," he said, "only they can save us." Armed with his mother's powers of persuasion Hollein battled against his critics and ultimately prevailed. A group of heroes would be assembled to travel through the shadowland and confront the dangers of the Franzenfest. Within its walls they would seek the knowledge and power necessary to defeat this new and deadly foe.
This game will focus on the adventures of the heroes selected to dare the dangers of the Franzenfest and will ultimately culminate in a battle against the hordes of the Raksha, Carabose the Singing Lark Queen of the Lilting Voice.
Characters[edit]
The player characters will be heroic mortals and god-blooded men and women that have volunteered to enter the shadowland at the south end of the valley and explore the Franzenfest, a manse sealed a thousand years ago after a battle between Dragon-blooded heroes and a group of the wicked Anathema. God-blooded characters must be the children or descendants of gods, totem spirits, or elementals native to the valley. These characters will be generated as standard for heroic mortals though they may take up to ten points in mutations (does not count as mutations for purposes of determining Wyld addiction). Negative mutations may offset the cost of positive ones but will not add to the available bonus points. God-blooded characters may purchase spirit charms possessed by their parent or ancestor for 5 bonus points each.
Characters may exalt during the course of play if the appropriate conditions are met, but may not otherwise be exalted before play begins.
Gods & Spirits[edit]
Virtually all of the gods interested in the valley will be terrestrial in nature. The population is simply too small to attract the attention of celestials.
Patron Gods[edit]
The patron gods are the spirits of the larger villages and towns that have been standing in the Rocker Valley for centuries. Their powers will typically be related to defending their settlements and improving the lives of citizens in addition to the standard spirit Charms like Hurry Home and Principle of Motion.
- Eiba Patron of Brenner
- Old Farnoth Patron of Freienfeld
- Grand Summa Patron of Pfitsch
- Keiva Patron of Ratschings
- Martov Patron of Ried
- Doan Yu Patron of Thuins
- Lokan Rul Patron of Tschöfs
Gods of Industry[edit]
Gods overseeing the local modes of production will typically have Charms related to their core concept in addition to the standard spirit Charms.
- Sebinaka God of Mining
- Lord Ebicho Master of the Herds
- Mistress Jessara of the Fields
- Domikon God of Orchards
- Fallaballah Queen of Skeins
- Iabach the Builder
Other Gods[edit]
These gods are not directly related to any aspect of human civilization but have still managed to garner a degree of worship from the people of the Rocker Valley. Their Charms will also be related to their core concepts.
- Thunderous Stone Wall God of Mountains
- Deovan God of the Jaufen Pass
- Lai Noan God of the Penser Joch Pass
- Umaka Rei Storm Mother
- Sumitoro the River God
- Conicor of the Pines
Important Animal Totems[edit]
Due to love or fear of these species the following animal totems also receive some worship from the natives of the Rocker Valley. Beast men that issue from unions between humans and the totem spirits are typically shunned, but not actively hunted or killed. Intelligent animals are more common though. The animal totems will typically have the power to command their mortal counterparts as well as other Charms related to their species.
- Spiral Horn King of Sheep
- Grizzle Coat the Great Wolf
- Red Antlers Mother of Elk
- Soaring Eagle
- Brown Back the Great Trout
- Thousand Worker's Hum Queen of Bees
Common Elementals[edit]
In addition to the above gods and spirits there are two common forms of elemental in the Rocker Valley; trolls and wood-spiders. There are a few nymphs as well, though the river god has subjugated most of them to his will.
- Nymphs (water elementals)
- Trolls (earth elementals)
- Wood Spiders (wood elementals)
