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  1. #11
    The Spider. It spits, it jumps, it scuttles from side to side while spinning its little web. There's no reasoning with the creature, and even should you kill it, you need to work harder than Van Helsing in a transylvanian brothel to keep it that way.

    Its also *always* there. Smack dab in the middle of everything, ready to send out innumerable hosts of creepy-crawly shit to scare the children and regents of the South Coast into the next week. And of course, like every good half-creature, its bat shit insane. It's like all of the best Lovecraftian tales gathered into one bundle of Anuirean joy! Gooo spidey!

  2. #12
    Administrator Green Knight's Avatar
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    Then there was the tragic story of the Chimaera and the Binman. A story of love, hate, betrayal, madness and . Ending tragically in their death...and the deaths of lots of other folk...with the living feeling tricked and abused. Am I seeing a pattern here???

    Short version of the end of the story can be found here: http://ruinsofempire.twilightpeaks.n...hp?topic=394.0
    Cheers
    Bjørn
    DM of Ruins of Empire II PbeM

  3. #13
    If I like the birthright setting is mainly because of the interesting ennemies and stories it contains. Many are more than "just monsters to kill', they rule domains are politician, magic users, great fighters etc ...

    Often they never asked to become the monsters they are and must accept it.
    It is very different from the standard ad&d "use" of a monster (an ugly beast just here to be killed and give xp, gold and magical stuff to the hero).

    I like them all, with a preference for The Lamia and the Sea Drake. They are not the more powerful nor the most known of the Awnsheglien but they have interesting story.

    In some ways the two were greedy, the Lamia being more hateful because of the death of her parents, wanting more and more gift from her suitors using and manipulating them to her guise, she obtained what she wanted becomming a lamia, everyone around her is only a puppet ... with no really self will.

    the Sea drake a merchant sailor wanted to make profit not only for him but too to please his wife and daughter, he did the "too much tractation" and lost his former life familly becomming a dragon like monster asking for treasure to people to not attack them.

    The two in some way were blessed with a "form" and powers linked to their true nature to fullfill their goals; is it a blessing or a malediction .. the two I think. (but this is true for many Awnsheglien).

    The bansheg too is interesting with her twisted (and double) personality and story. Half light Half darkness ...

    Even the Gorgon, I like him for that, he is a "dark guy" with a story, he has good (at least for him) reasons to be "evil".

    I don't know why with such interesting plots and monsters Birthright is not still " officially published" ... it is so sad.
    Last edited by archelian; 02-10-2012 at 01:39 PM.

  4. #14
    Senior Member Jaleela's Avatar
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    Sometimes "home grown" are the best. I have three in my campaign:

    Azwrath of Drachenward (the Dragon)
    Rolanz, ruler of Mandragora (Aduria)
    Ocalotl, the undying Jaguar (Aduria) - proto-awnie
    d'estre bons et leaulx amis et vrais ensemble et de servir l'un 'autre envers et contre tous

  5. #15
    Site Moderator Magian's Avatar
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    Since it is obvious who my favorite is I'll tell you what I like about him.

    The Magian is very lich-like. The lich is my favorite monster from the standard MC. Not only that but he has liches and death knights as his minions. The only other write-up I know of like that is Larlock from FGR.

    Origins of the Magian: there seems to be a consensus that he is one of the Lost of Azrai, but I beg to differ. While reading his entry in Blood Enemies I get the impression he never had a bloodline until he came to Cerilia. With it also being vague where he comes from, a land across the sea of dragons in the east, it gives some possible expansion to Aebrynis that touches Cerilia. A land where true mages exist without bloodlines? A mage that through his magic and sheer will has been able to sustain his undead form till he got the Azrai taint and doesn't even need long life? Not to mention a land where an accomplished mage in necromancy decides to come to Cerilia for some unknown reason, is he a weaker version of what remains in his homeland?

    Strengths of the Magian: Being the most accomplished mage in Cerilia he can do just about anything through his magic. There isn't a limit to what spells he can research that are allowed in play and he has the resources to accomplish this. With him able to control undead minions, likely making them from former scions and powerful characters it opens his power up to some wicked delegations and or vassals under his control. The ability to create or corrupt scions and turn them into awnies allows him to cause discord in a realm he wants to take over and look like the hero for it. His ability to be loved by his subjects and his capitalist-like outlook to benefit their well being is likely to cause him great success especially where the Gorgon fails. The Magian is politically savvy enough to use a puppet figure to address his subjects where other Awnies use brute force. He is very capable of gaining a large following if not an empire among humans. All this doesn't even consider the possibilities of his Monster template of lich that could include demi-lich and or the Van Richten's Guide to liches ideas if a person would want to incorporate those. With his form having invulnerability and tie in the lich-like form you could double up the process of having to destroy him twice if you like. That is to say the invulnerability form and his phylactery if you'd use one. His intelligence and will are super human tie that in with his Divine aura and I am sure the likes of el-Sirad et. al. would be under his thrall in no time. His vision can succeed, but all tyrants have a weakness...right?

    Weaknesses: The temple of Rilni and the Oath Bound would likely give him a challenge if he unleashed his full power to take someone over. No one likes him outside of his domain and they consider him an awnie, which I may say should actually only be OOC knowledge. I don't think IC it is known what he is since he is the puppet master behind the throne. The Raven and the Gorgon seem to know about him so he has gotten some attention that he probably doesn't want, but may not really care. Not sure about the whole shadow world and it opening up as a result of using dark magic, so that could be a risk. Then again would he just subjugate all the undead that cross over? He is possibly boxed in by two major Awnies (Raven and Serpent).


    One I find very interesting is Malvaar the Minotaur. If you read his and the Gorgon's descriptions from RoE and BE, you could conclude that Malvaar was Raesene's general during all his successful campaigns and that they are a mix of one another's bloodforms that of the Minotaur with a gorgon bottom and the Gorgon with a minotaur bottom. There is mention of black armor and I think both of them had their own black suit of armor from just fighting side by side. Also it could be concluded that since Malvaar left the Gorgon's side Raesene's military campaigns haven't been as successful. So could there be a potential general in the waiting for the Magian?
    One law, One court, One allied people, One coin, and one tax, is what I shall bring to Cerilia.

  6. #16
    Administrator Green Knight's Avatar
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    I merged in Garys BR-L reply; for some reason it created a new tread rather than put his reply into this one.
    Cheers
    Bjørn
    DM of Ruins of Empire II PbeM

  7. #17
    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    While Rhoubhe is always my favourite, I have a soft spot for the SwordHawk.

    He's a king who is scorned by sages as a lesser awnie, he's beset on all sides and badly outmatched - but he's still fighting - hell he chose to make his realm there. This is the awnie who came from nowhere - he wasn't one of Azrai's champions, he wasn't a great king, etc - but he's forged a realm that spits in the Gorgon's eye and has 2 other awnies and an ehrshegh as neighbours - the man has 'bring it on, I love it, I want more of it' written all over him.

    To me he's willing to take any risk, any chance to become one of the 'real powers', he'll probably flame out like a shooting star, but it certainly won't be quiet around him. And where other great awnies may spend years - even decades watching a target before making a careful move with a deniable expendable pawn; the Swordhawk will take one look and then charge in, trusting to his strength and skill to get him out if there's trouble.

    I can't see players having a chance against someone like the Gorgon, Raven or Magian - the players would need a miracle to even know whose plans they were meddling in - but the Swordhawk is supremely playable, and given his inherent checks (Gorgon, Vampire, Boar) can be called off without trouble if need be.

    That said, I am fond of my own creations of course - the dragon, a young half-sidhe sorceress slowly becoming a dragon - full of the invincible vitality of youth and new-found power and totally unaware of the plans that the true dragons had for her or the vital importance of restraint, secrecy or diplomacy; the paladin, an ehrshegh who I used as an excuse for the church welcoming female warriors and hero's through her links to Roele as much as a bolster for Mhoried's defense; the succumbus, who hopefully says less about me than I fear but made an excellent excuse for former allies to turn against the PCs and whose political influence gave her power far beyond her meager combat abilities is the other one that I remember well.

  8. #18
    Administrator Green Knight's Avatar
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    How could I forget the Swordhawk! When the Anuirean armies (from my PbeM) retreated from the Gorgon's Crown...was not he the awnie who fell them in the back? Indeed he was. Since he's claimed all of Kiergard as his domain - and manage the become the target of a crusade which like haven't been seen in Cerilia...for quite some time. He won't go quietly - if at all!
    Cheers
    Bjørn
    DM of Ruins of Empire II PbeM

  9. #19
    Administrator Green Knight's Avatar
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    While on the topic of homebrew awnsheghlien; I got two that I'm particularly fond of: the Eyeless One and the Red Wind.

    The former is a variant of the Eyeless One - wizard of the Five Peaks. Only in my PbeM the Eyeless One is also the Eyeless King of Oeried. And one of the Lost. Agenda: Resurrect Azrai. Probability of success: Very high. It's the only time I've deliberately crafted a villain that could not, in any way, be defeated. I think the players have MORE fun being BEATEN by the Eyeless One than they ever had winning. Of course, his ultimate demise was even better. Part of it can be found here:

    http://ruinsofempire.twilightpeaks.n...eb2&board=25.0

    His fellow Lost - and chief contender for the 'I'll resurrect Azrai first' competition was the Red Wind. Also a very powerful character he wasn't quite up there with the Eyeless One in terms of raw power. He did, however, have the capacity for diplomacy, which gave him an extra dimension. His 'I'll do what's required, but nothing more' contrasted greatly with the senseless vileness of the Eyeless One - and it made him difficult to hate, or even fear, with the same passion directed towards the Eyeless One.

    Oh, and what's even better - for Ruins of Empire II he's back, and he has a plan...

    Note to self: This was my 1000th post!
    Cheers
    Bjørn
    DM of Ruins of Empire II PbeM

  10. #20
    Member Michael Romes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thorsten View Post
    The Spider. It spits, it jumps, it scuttles from side to side while spinning its little web. There's no reasoning with the creature, and even should you kill it, you need to work harder than Van Helsing in a transylvanian brothel to keep it that way.

    Its also *always* there. Smack dab in the middle of everything, ready to send out innumerable hosts of creepy-crawly shit to scare the children and regents of the South Coast into the next week. And of course, like every good half-creature, its bat shit insane. It's like all of the best Lovecraftian tales gathered into one bundle of Anuirean joy! Gooo spidey!
    I´m a bit late to answer to your post, but I just read that the Spider can´t be reasoned with and I disagree here. The Spider once was a brilliant goblin warlord named Tal-Quazar and part of that is still in him (just like part of Raesene is still within the Gorgon) despite the Spider and Azrais blood taking more and more of his original mind from him.

    The novel "The Spider´s Test" in which the founder of Endier, Richard Endier "negotiates" with the Spider in person to be allowed to settle Endier (a province former part of the Spiderfell, which is claimed by Diemed too) showed that.
    Michael Romes

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