the Basilisk

[Gary V. Foss]

James Ray wrote:

> Incidentally, has anyone given any thought as to how an interested PC might
> be able to heal the land that has fallen victim to the Basilisk's foulness?
> My own party is located far enough away that I'll (probably) never have to
> worry about it, but I'm curious to see whether and how any one else has
> handled it.

I've never handled this myself, but I think I'd go by the guidelines presented
in the Book of Magecraft with a couple of modifications for the situation.
According to the BoM, lands regain their source potential at a rate of 1pt/year
(gained in the spring) if the area "has been cleared of evidence of
civilization" and at a rate of 1pt/5years if "vestiges of civilization remain."

I think I'd split the difference and make it 1pt/3years, as the poisoning of
the Basilisk is more powerful than levelled town, but probably not quite the
same as stone buildings.... If players spent a couple of months running
around, trying to renew the land, I'd let them pick up the pace to 1pt/2years
maybe.

Gary

[Daniel McSorley]

From: James Ray

>Incidentally, has anyone given any thought as to how an interested PC might
>be able to heal the land that has fallen victim to the Basilisk's foulness?
> My own party is located far enough away that I'll (probably) never have to
>worry about it, but I'm curious to see whether and how any one else has
>handled it.
>
I've thought of a couple of ideas. First, you have to assume that the
thing isn't around any more, some adventurer or something has to kill him.
Otherwise, he would keep re-poisoning the land.
His main effect is to look at liquids and turn them to poison.
Eventually, these poisons should leach out of the groundwater, by rain etc,
be swept into the Zhainge, and washed out to sea. This could take 50 years
or so.
However, there are a couple of other options. Some realm spells might be
in order, probably ones from a priest of Eric (nature) or Nesirie (water
stuff). You'd probably have to research some new ones, offhand I can't
think of any right now that would be useful.
The elves might have a way of revitalizing the land. You could study with
them for a few hundred years, or see if you can get them to do it for you.
I'm sure the direct influence of a deity could do it, but the Cerilian
ones aren't really in that business any more.
Or, it could be permanent, with no way to ever repair the damage.

Daniel McSorley- mcsorley.1@osu.edu

[James Ray]

- ----------
> From: Daniel McSorley
> >
> I've thought of a couple of ideas. First, you have to assume that the
thing isn't around any more, some adventurer or something has to kill him.
Otherwise, he would keep re-poisoning the land.>

Ooops - yeah, I meant AFTER those same interested PCs managed to kill it
LOL. Thanks for the input, guys :)

[Jim Cooper]

James Ray wrote:
> Incidentally, has anyone given any thought as to how an interested PC might be able to heal the land that has fallen victim to the Basilisk's foulness? My own party is located far enough away that I'll (probably) never have to worry about it, but I'm curious to see whether and how any one else has handled it.<

Well, of course everyone knows that the lowly weasel is the Basilisk's
mortal enemy. But it can't be any weasel - it has to be the (fill in
the blank, the special weasel destined to take out this evil
monstrosity), gotten from the mysterious wise woman (see below) of the
(fill in the appropriate mystical place).

After that, the hero must travel to the Golden Grove, said to be Eric's
favorite place on Cerilia (or perhaps its beyond The Veil), and
supplicate themselves to His Naturalness and humbly beg for the Golden
Apple Seeds - which everyone knows will grow and multiply the bounty of
any land they are planted into ....

At least, that's how I would do it as the DM of a campaign. :D

(said woman being the elusive, yet beautiful, Midwestern Mistress of
Birthright; throw yourself at her mercy and ask for any pearls of
wisdom she might graciously bestow on such an unworthy commoner! :D
Trust me though, its tough getting her attention! :D)

Cheers,
Darren (who worships the MW Mistress, whose radiance is like unto the
Sun!) Cooper

("Okay, okay, I'll check myself into your clinic now, Doc ...")

[Jim Cooper]

Daniel McSorley wrote:
> I'm sure the direct influence of a deity could do it, but the Cerilian ones aren't really in that business any more.<

Do you think so? I thought that they just would never come down and
risk their own sorry butts anymore - (they are still tender, after all -
Azrai sure gave dem a whippin'! :D ); I believe that they are still
very much involved in what's going on 'down in the basement' ...

Cheers,
Darren

[prtr02@scorpion.nspco.co]

- ----- Begin Included Message -----


At least, that's how I would do it as the DM of a campaign. :D

(said woman being the elusive, yet beautiful, Midwestern Mistress of
Birthright; throw yourself at her mercy and ask for any pearls of
wisdom she might graciously bestow on such an unworthy commoner! :D
Trust me though, its tough getting her attention! :D)

Cheers,
Darren (who worships the MW Mistress, whose radiance is like unto the
Sun!) Cooper

("Okay, okay, I'll check myself into your clinic now, Doc ...")

- ----- End Included Message -----

*whew* Summer sun must be beating down on Darren.

The MW Mistress may be unavailable for a while. She'll be bringing new
life to the world fairly soon. If she so chooses, she may tell us when.

Randax

[Sorontar]

breadcrumb2|Awnsheghlien|Khinasi

[top]The Basilisk, The Twisted Prince, The Despoiler of Djira

Huge Magical Beast (Awnshegh)
Hit Dice: 10d10+, 15d10 +

Initiative: + (dex)

Speed: 20

AC: (Size-, Dex+, Natural+)

Attacks: Bite+, 4 claws+, tail+.

Damage: Bite 1d8+, claw 1d6+

Face/Reach: 5 ft * 10 ft / 5 ft.

Special attacks: Poison gaze, poison

Special qualities: Stench, blood abilities

Saves: Fort+, Ref+, Will+

Abilities: Str 20, Con 20, Dex 22, Cha 6, Int 3, Wis 10.

Skills: Hide+, Listen+, Spot+,

Feats: Multi-attack, +

Climate/Terrain: The Basilisk's Domain

Organization: Unique being

Challenge Rating:

Treasure: The loot of old Djira or so the legends say...

Alignment: Chaotic evil

Advancement: Unique being at CR 10 and CR15

Bloodline: Azrai, Major, 48. 2, 2, 2. Minor: Alertness, Poison Sense, Major: Bloodform, Death Touch, Great: Regeneration, Major Resistance - Poison
Appearance

The Basilisk was once a man of the Khinasi, but he retains little of his original appearance, being almost entirely reptilian in appearance. Green scales cover his body, a fan-like crest runs along his back spotted with red, and he has a long prehensile tail. He walks upon his eight legs, only the first two legs could be used as arms and hands, each hand/foot has but two powerful claw-like fingers. Strong red-brown plates of armor cover the Basilisk's chest and run down the center of his back either side of his fan-like crest. The Basilisk's mouth is large and full of sharp teeth.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Basilisk is not however his entirely bestial looks, but, in the words of Cidro bin Ariya the noted explorer; 'his ungodly smell'. The Basilisk can be smelt for miles downwind and on a calm day his scent lingers for weeks - the smell is a caustic reek that unnerves animals and is deeply unpleasant to any human with a functioning nose.
Note: In "Blood Enemies" the Basilisk is described as coated in a caustic slime that had a minor poison effect. This is not likely in a desert dwelling reptile so has not been included above.
Combat

The Basilisk generally slays with its toxic gaze which turns any fluid containing water to poison, this includes sweat, tears and other fluids in the eyes, and fluids in the mouth. Its stench paralyzes those within 60 feet, while its claws and fangs also sport a deadly toxin. The Basilisk bites those in front of it and claws at them with its 4 front claws. Those behind are lashed with its tail. The Basilisk is arrogant in combat and attacks without the slightest fear. Although far from the most powerful awnshegh it has not faced a foe that truly threatened it in centuries.
Habitat/Society

The Basilisk lives alone - it has no allies, no friends, no anything. Even the giants that live in the lands it wanders consider it more akin to a natural force of destruction than an enemy. The Basilisk was once intelligent, indeed a sorcerer of some skill, but that was centuries ago. It is now a near mindless beast that seems to exist only to hunt and bask in the sun.
Ecology

The Basilisk's poisonous gaze has ruined the ecology of the lands it wanders. Tough grasses grow as do a handful of fast-growing bushes but few trees can grow in the land - sooner or later the Basilisk walk by and poisons the water in the soil, killing the tree before the poison fades.
The Basilisk eats the cacti, scrub bushes and few animals that can survive in the lands about him. By preference he preys upon the sheep and cattle of the giants, and sometimes fishes in the great Zhaïnge River - although he is unable to poison the fast flowing river and dislikes its clean taste so fishes only during periods when the river is low.
The Basilisk is one of the awnsheghlien who has engendered a number of progeny. Quite how is unknown but wild rumors are spread of his congress with women captured from the occasional foolish merchant caravan that tries to pass his lands. Whatever the truth of the matter, several lesser basilisks have been seen over the years and the true basilisk is held to blame for them. The Basilisk itself seeks to have no parental feelings over these brutes - he attacks and eats them as he would any other beast in his domain.
Lore

The Basilisk is said to have been Kassim el-Badr, son of prince Malik el-Badr. A dark bitter son to a man widely noted for his wisdom and fairness, Kassim studied sorcery and shunned his fellows. The taint of Azrai fell upon Kassim. Some say simply it is due to his bitter spiteful nature. Others say he slew his own father in a bout of rage. What is known is that Kassim massacred his father's courtiers and all those who did not flee from the city about the family fortress of Golden Horn. As he traveled seeking others to vent his rage on, Kassim took on full awnsheghlien form and began poisoning the very land about him.
At first Djira sent troops and heroes to destroy the nascent awnshegh, but as the land became increasingly worthless and more and more warriors fell to the spite of the basilisk, they surrendered the land. Nowadays the land is simply avoided - the villages and towns of the Djiran were looted long ago, the land itself is worthless for growing crops - and likely would be for years or even decades after the basilisk was destroyed. Stories tell of the fortune still held within the fortress of the Golden Horn but these tempt few given that this is where the Basilisk yet lives - and the fact that no doubt all water within miles is a deadly poison.
The Scrolls of the Tainted, a collection of papers on the awnsheghlien gives an alternate history for the Basilisk. The scrolls suggest that although Kassim did rebel against his father, the Basilisk was in fact the product of one of his dark experiments which he used as a weapon to destroy his enemies - and which later consumed Kassim in turn.
Whichever history is correct will likely never be known - the Baslisk was overtaken by the Wrath of the Awnsheghlien long centuries ago and is now no more than a cunning beast which is believed to have lost all reason and speech.

NPC Awnsheghlien Region:KhinasiDomain:Basilisk