Shadow Moon? (Was: Ed`s Alterna

[The Olesens]

> I would like to think (and hope) that a new approach to the undead is taken this
> time around. I'm tired of the 'evil necromancer creating & controlling undead',
> and the entire lich ideology is becoming old hat. How about some new angles?

Here, here!

>
>
> I suggest that the undead of the Shadow World are in fact, legitimate, self aware
> entities. Perhaps originally hailing from the abyss or similar dark hidey hole,
> and maybe, just maybe, the Cold Rider has managed to further 'adapt' and 'educate'
> these undead ghoulies. (Kind of like what Azrai did with the Vos).

I like this idea. The Shadow world is, IMO, an undead Abyneris. Everyone (err
"everything") in the SW is just as "free" as in Cerilia. Aelies exsists as a powerful
undead and an undead Rogr Aglondier battles him. And perhaps every world has a "darker
side" but Diesmarr was the only know event that allowed the barier to be ruptured.

> The Halflings.... perhaps the halflings are similar to the 'Vistanni" of Ravenloft
> (:::ducks behind a flame proof shield:::) in that they still travel the land,
> seeking to 'lift the shadow' so to speak. These small, under estimated guys (in
> every campaign I have ever seen) might be the ultimate nemesis of the Cold Rider.
> They might be organized into small 'cells' of resistance fighters, who venture
> back and forth between the SW and Cerilia in order to further their cause.

I was working on a Halfling Ranger kit (BTW- I love the idea that halflings can be
rangers) who basically spent most of his time in the Shadow world as a scout and spy. I
was basing it out of the Ranger's Handbook so his primary terrain would be shadow world.
I also changed his spheres slightly to encomapass the fact that he tries to restore life
to an undead world, or at least learn about the SW and pass on his knowlage.

[Jim Cooper]

My Apprentice wrote:
> Now, if the SW is FULL of undead, and is "controlled" by these minions of the nether world in the same manner that Cerilia is 'controlled' by Regents, where do they come from? How do they repopulate? Are they free willed?<

To answer from MPOV: IMC, most of the undead are the what happens when
someone stays too long in the shadow world. The dark nature of this
tainted place now twists a person's body and changes them to reflect
their nature. Thus, a majority of the undead are the halfing dudes that
didn't make it out in time (unlike the lucky sobs who are now living in
Cerilia). Thus, most of my undead are squat 3 foot tall versions of
their type (unlike, I believe most people think of, that they are human
size). It really freaks out my players, since they think they are so
tall, but they are really little goblin-like undead - I think it adds a
creepy aspect to it that takes most people by surprise. Kinda like a
skeleton/zombie/ghoulish 'Chucky' thirsting for your life! Hehehehe.
Of course, undead do not repopulate (unless you call enticing beings to
stay long enough on the other side as 'repopulation') but they are
entirely free-willed.

> I would like to think (and hope) that a new approach to the undead is taken this time around. I'm tired of the 'evil necromancer creating & controlling undead', and the entire lich ideology is becoming old hat. How about some new angles? The Halflings.... perhaps the halflings are similar to the 'Vistanni" of Ravenloft (:::ducks behind a flame proof shield:::) in that they still travel the land, seeking to 'lift the shadow' so to speak. These small, under estimated guys (in every campaign I have ever seen) might be the ultimate nemesis of the Cold Rider. At least, that's the way I see it.

[gingerprince]

>
>Now onto the purpose of the post:
>I was thinking about the Shadow World last night, and I am curious to hear
what
>all of you (and Ed) think. Consider the following just a brain storm of
ideas....
>
>Now, if the SW is FULL of undead, and is "controlled" by these minions of
the
>nether world in the same manner that Cerilia is 'controlled' by Regents,
where do
>they come from? How do they repopulate? Are they free willed?
>
>I would like to think (and hope) that a new approach to the undead is
taken this
>time around. I'm tired of the 'evil necromancer creating & controlling
undead',
>and the entire lich ideology is becoming old hat. How about some new
angles?
>
>I suggest that the undead of the Shadow World are in fact, legitimate, self
aware
>entities. Perhaps originally hailing from the abyss or similar dark hidey
hole,
>and maybe, just maybe, the Cold Rider has managed to further 'adapt' and
'educate'
>these undead ghoulies. (Kind of like what Azrai did with the Vos).
>
>So if the undead of the SW can rule kingdoms, how do they re-populate their
lands?
>
>Well, If some of the 'higher' forms of undead are capable of self
replication
>(wights & ghouls, for example) then these types could form the 'population
>base'. I suggest that the lower forms, such as zombies and skeletons,
might be
>little more than the corpses & remains of travelers who have entered the SW
in
>some way. The remains of the ghouls & wights who have perished might also
become
>re animated as these lower forms. Perhaps the undead are so 'attuned' to
the
>shadow world, that they cannot truly be destroyed? Perhaps that's the
ultimate
>curse... anything that dies in the SW is fated to be 'reborn' again and
again? So
>the wight dies, and is 'reborn as a skeleton. The skeleton is 'slain' in
some
>way, and it only 'reforms' again in a day? A fortnight?
>
>Ghosts might be the ultimate example of this endless cycle. After an
entity has
>been 'destroyed' so many times, that the physical body can longer be
manifested
>(burnt to ashes for example), perhaps results in the 'spirit' (I know,
undead
>don't have 'spirits', but bear with me...) being risen as a
>ghost/ghast/spectre??? These guys might be sought out by the Cold Rider
for some
>evil purpose. Perhaps the Cold Rider 'collects' them for some dire
purpose?
>
>The Halflings.... perhaps the halflings are similar to the 'Vistanni" of
Ravenloft
>(:::ducks behind a flame proof shield:::) in that they still travel the
land,
>seeking to 'lift the shadow' so to speak. These small, under estimated
guys (in
>every campaign I have ever seen) might be the ultimate nemesis of the Cold
Rider.
>They might be organized into small 'cells' of resistance fighters, who
venture
>back and forth between the SW and Cerilia in order to further their cause.
>Perhaps the halfling race is itself 'divided' into two 'races', ones who
can
>Shadow Walk, and ones who can't. Perhaps the halflings who are born in
Cerilia
>can Shadow Walk, as they were not 'born with the Cold Riders curse' in
their
>veins, while those unfortunate halfings born in the SW are possessed of
this
>'taint' and cannot leave. Thus, they form the main resistance, while the
Cerilian
>halflings work to free their 'lesser' kin.
>A race of halflings who are as trapped in the SW as the Cold Rider gives
the plane
>the much needed 'innocence factor' that is needed in order illustrate the
>'evilness' of the SW proper. What's evil without goodness to offset it?
>
>When I think of the SW, I envision it very similar in flavor to 'Woody
Hollow'
>(the headless horseman tale... can't remember the name or author though).
I see
>blackened trees, Dry brown leaves flying through the night on a cold autumn
wind.
>All in all, a very 'halloween-ish' flavor. Replace the human factors of
the tale
>with undead, and you have the Shadow World.
>
>At least, that's the way I see it.
>
>Keith


Sounds good Keith, the only suggestion I'd make would be that the
"population" is formed when an undead creature is created in the real world
by whatever means, Necromancy, murder etc. A "shadow" of this undead comes
into being in the shadow world. Therefore sites of great battles on Cerilia
would be densely populated in the SW.

The death of Azrai caused the Cold Rider to come into being as the
Shadow of the evil one. So use of Necromancy spells on a large scale, like
undead legion could result in a few extra problems for the caster. This
would create a whole bunch of new undead in the SW and eventually they cause
friction between the two planes and hey presto part of the SW population
find themselves on Cerilia

Hmm just came up with an amusingly evil idea: What happens if
you're using this plot device and one of the Awnsheglien gets killed in a
way that causes him to manifest in the SW? (Grins evilly)

Nick

"Love is a device invented by bank managers to make us overdrawn"
Arnold Rimmer, Red Dwarf.

[Taragin@sprintmail.co]

I have recently "translated" the 1st-Edition dungeon modules A1-A4
(Slave Lords Campaign) into Birthright. If aanyone else out there has
this, tell me I'm wrong, but I think it was practically writen to be
placed in Brechtür (Kiergard provence of Daubreisch for the Slavepits of
the Undercity, province Esmersdan for Secret of the Slavers' Stockade,
and of course, the Gorgon's own Fellport for the hidden city of
Suderham. Change the Slave Lords to the Slave Drivers of Kiergard Guild
holding and viola! Instant Brecht Campaign).
Now the whole point of this. Have any of you guys looked at the Cloaker
in the Monsterous Compendium recently? It's got a whole bunch of shadow
related abilities, making it perfect for one of the non-undead natives
of Azrai's little sandbox -- the Shadow World.

[Taragin@sprintmail.co]

I have recently "translated" the 1st-Edition dungeon modules A1-A4
(Slave Lords Campaign) into Birthright. If aanyone else out there has
this, tell me I'm wrong, but I think it was practically writen to be
placed in Brechtür (Kiergard provence of Daubreisch for the Slavepits of
the Undercity, province Esmersdan for Secret of the Slavers' Stockade,
and of course, the Gorgon's own Fellport for the hidden city of
Suderham. Change the Slave Lords to the Slave Drivers of Kiergard Guild
holding and viola! Instant Brecht Campaign).
Now the whole point of this. Have any of you guys looked at the Cloaker
in the Monsterous Compendium recently? It's got a whole bunch of shadow
related abilities, making it perfect for one of the non-undead natives
of Azrai's little sandbox -- the Shadow World.

Alexander "the Rjurik Necromancer"