Salt Dwarves (and salt golems)

The Salt Dwarves, in contrast with their mountain kin, mine the subterranean salt domes and evaporite basins eschewing their brethren's search for gems and precious ores, instead excavating the "buried ocean."  These mines extend deep into the ground, tapping the halides left by ancient seas and buried under eons of deposits.

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Like their hard rock mining cousins, the Salt Dwarves hollow huge caverns beneath the earth, for the mines are both their vocation and homes.  The mines are supported by elaborate timber and rope shoring and cribworks, proof against the slowly settling and flowing salt.  Massive water wheels and pumps evacuate the caverns of brackish water.

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Periodically, the dwarves, with their salt-encrusted beards and cracked hands, will come to the surface of their mines, hauling their troves of salt to the surface. Salt dwarves, when encountered, tend to be kitted out in leather armor, with a thick, padded skullcap, and wielding a mining or war-pick. They wear no metallic armor due to the corrosive tendencies of the saline atmosphere within the mines.

Justinian's Demon

Demon - The 'Justinian'

Inspired by:

"And some of those who have been with Justinian at the palace late at night, men who were pure of spirit, have thought they saw a strange demoniac form taking his place. One man said that the Emperor suddenly rose from his throne and walked about, and indeed he was never wont to remain sitting for long, and immediately Justinian's head vanished, while the rest of his body seemed to ebb and flow; whereat the beholder stood aghast and fearful, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. But presently he perceived the vanished head filling out and joining the body again as strangely as it had left it." - Procopius, The Secret History

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Referred to only as a 'Justinian' (its true name unpronounceable, or lost in time) this shape-changer is a possessor and usurper of royalty, and its presence has led to the demise of more than one kingdom or empire.

The demon requires noble blood to posses a soul, albeit one in a weakened state. In its 'natural' state, the demon is relatively weak, but once fortified with a deceased noble, becomes significantly more powerful.  Consequently, the demon is naturally drawn to ailing leaders. The demon lurks along the periphery of plague-bound areas or kingdoms where the leader is known to be sickly or infirm.  Aware that a king or noble will be surrounded by priests, leeches, and wards during times of sickness, the Justinian, in its smoky, ephemeral form, will whisper promises and temptations from the dark until it finds a malleable watcher who may be swayed to let down their guard. With the attendant(s) thus dispatched, and the leader at their weakest, the Justinian will smother the poor soul, consuming the body and replacing it, effecting a "miraculous" cure.

The Justinian, in the guise of the noble, embraces its new, energetic "lease on life." Observers in the court will notice a marked change in their "noble's" behavior.  The leader now appears charged with nervous energy, barely sleeping, if at all.  Their actions become chaotic and often contradictory. These actions are also driven by greed, and the "noble" effects new taxes and decrees to seize properties of the unfortunate rich or perceived political foes.  The funds go to pointless wars and expansions of territory, or the construction of hubris-driven edifices and public works.  More than one kingdom has been bankrupted by this demon's depredations.  However, the demon is prideful, will surround itself with fawning sycophants, and may be influenced by charming speech and flattery.

The demon is likewise fatigued by its efforts to hold the form of the usurped royal, and will, in the dark of night, momentarily relax its form, becoming insubstantial for up to one hour, the illusion wavering to any prying eyes.

(S&W stats):
Incorporeal: HD 6; AC: 2 [18]; Atk suffocate (1d4+1d4/round until save); Move 12; Save 11; AL C; CL/XP 8/1,000; Special: +1 or better weapon to hit, magic resistance (10%)
Corporeal: HD 8; AC: 6 [13]; Atk (2) fists (1d8) or by weapon; Move 12; Save 10; AL C; CL/XP 10/1,400; Special: +1 or better weapon to hit, immune to disease and poison, magic resistance (20%)

More NPC's you may meet

The Bear-Ward Worrayskel & Thelimona:

Scarred and lamed by years of bear-training mishaps, Worrayskel was tossed out of the cities of the realm by decree banning circuses and other such 'base' or 'debauched' entertainments.

He travels with Babu the Bear, an aged trained black bear. Babu is toothless (bite damage 1d3) and nearly blind (to-hit at -2).  The large yet pathetic beast will 'dance' as well as perform simple gymnastics and mimes under Worrayskel's direction. The pair performs for a few tossed coppers at roadside performances and town markets far from the eyes of the authorities.  That said, they are always prepared for quickly break shop and move along upon the approach of the local constabulary.

Worrayskel secretly makes his way as an informant and occasional courier for an ousted faction in the capital...

Travelling with Worrayskel is his niece Thelimona, a girl of indeterminate age (somewhere in her teens).  Thelimona was training as a dancer and tumbler for the circus prior to the recent purges.  She now dances at taverns and has begun to ply her trade as a prostitute.  She is self-educated and both speaks and reads three regional languages, as well as her numerals.  She will have 1d3 books of varying value and topics that she has pinched in her 'visits' to literate clients.  Thelimona is a cunning and ambitious girl, with the goal of becoming a courtier or mistress, and marrying her way into her 'betters' and potential power.

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Iann Vohem 

Vohem is a sallow youth with a haunted aura.  He asks to join the party to the next town.  The first evening, he graciously offers to take first watch.

Upon sleeping, goes dream-walking through PC's sleep and dreams.  Those observed may have vague memory of his presence in their dreams.  The sleep will be restless, and lost HP will not be regained while Vohem is present.

The youth has been corrupted by an oneiromancer as a dream-vessel. Vohem is used for remote-viewing of travelers as the magus searches for particular secrets and fears to feed his personal trove of dreams and nocturnal questings.

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Tyr Duash

A former sapper and adventurer, Duash has had his memory wiped and corrupted by a mesmerist of some great abilities.  Poor Duash often seems slightly addled, but appears to be a reliable guy underground, pointing out unreliable stone work and the occasional trap.  If under the influence of heavy drink or hallucinogenics, he will remember snippets of past "lives" but has no clear explanation of reason for his memory loss. The mysterious mesmerist's motives are not clear - Duash may be an experiment, or the mesmerist is simply meddling with the poor man's mind.  There is a 1d10 chance of Duash revealing some interesting or useful tidbit associated with the PC's current goals.  His addled rants and stories indicate multiple episodes of mind-wipes.  It is not clear if his memories are real or fabricated.

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Padre Phred and the Cloistered Rabbits

A group of pilgrims - fervent, but mostly harmless - joins or requests escort by the PCs.  They will insist on praying three times per day.  The pilgrims carry a number of rabbits in cages.  The rabbits do not appear to be for food or sacrifice, but are to be 'cloistered,' if anyone inquires.  They are led by 'Padre Phred', a taciturn man of god.  However, he bears the calloused knuckles and cauliflower ears of a former pugilist. In evening conversations, after his flock has succumbed to sleep, Padre Phred may let slip a hint of a more adventuresome and worldly past before taking his vows (he carries a cudgel - +1 to-hit/damage, unarmed dmg 1d4, expert grappler, strikes as 4th level fighter).

Kalia, Per Glennis, and Private Enos

Kalia appears as an itinerant (and possibly runaway) teen.  While her dress appears rude, she is wearing good quality boots, and a keen eye will spot a fairly heft purse under her cloak. Those familiar with local gossip may recognize her as the daughter of a local noble who has gone missing. Kalia is on a 'quest' to recover alleged 'dragon bones' that have washed out of a nearby sea-cliff for study.  She will attempt to coerce the party to accompany her to the shale cliffs to assist her in her search.  Likewise, she is aware that several parties may be searching for her - some not friendly to her father - and a well-armed escort will be welcome.

She is accompanied by two retainers: her tutor, Per Glennis (sage) and a slightly be-smitten man-at-arms, Private Enos Awdel (leather, spear and short sword), They are equipped with a pushcart with minor provisions and tools for excavating and collecting the 'bones.'

Myrma of the Crystalline Eyes.

Trippy art by the Critter

My stepdaughter has a penchant for slightly surreal sketches. She showed me a few pieces recently.   Flipping through her sketchbook, at first glance, this appeared to be a girl with crystals for eyes.  At second glance, it may be something else, but I'm going with my first impression.

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Myrma Fromme, daughter of the wealthy ivory merchant Lorl Fromme, studies with the elementalist Qao Hianwou, who has recently been attempting to create gem-like elemental forms for the amusement and service of the fabulously wealthy.

Myrma, is a studious and well-meaning girl, but not the most observant... She set off an inadvertent chain reaction by tripping over a bucket of crystals and material components for Hianwou's research, igniting an explosion and becoming blinded by the shards....

Qao, crushed with guilt and beholden to the Frommes to care for their daughter, feels obligated to make things right... Withdrawing to the lab, he sorts through the remains of the elemental components and creats a pair of amethyst eyes for the injured young woman.

Recognizing that Myrma will one day likely inherit the family business, he incorporates a number of protections and benefits into the faceted orbs:

• mild infravision
• Protection from mind-reading or mind-effect spells,
• Create an aura that hampers thieves (-10% or -1 for respective skill checks)

Unfortunately the faceted, unblinking eyes are off-putting, yielding a -1 to initial  reactions, and causing the already shy girl to be more self-conscious of her appearance.  Time will tell if Myrma becomes acclimated to the new eyes, and finds ways to grow her skills and confidence. especially in her first forays into representing the family business...

Mini-review: Tacitus' Agricola & Germania

Tonight, a brief review of two of the Roman writer Tacitus'  best-known works - The Agricola and The Germania.

Tacitus lived in the late First-early Second Century, A.D. and was an administrator, senator and writer during his life.  He weathered Domitian's corrupt reign, and served in the Roman colony in Britain, likely in some administrative capacity.

His time in Britain was spent under the command of Julius Agricola - the commander of the colonial military and Tacitus' father-in-law.  Tacitus had ample opportunity to study Agricola's leadership style and document it for posterity.  Agricola had taken command of the colonial forces in AD 69, approximately 9 years after Boudica's failed rebellion.  Agricola secured Rome's hold on the island, a well as expanded the empire's influence, both by military action and expeditions (including as far north as present-day Scotland) and by assimilation and 'civilizing', including construction of Roman baths and theaters.

Tacitus wrote a glowing biography of Agricola, describing his administrative and tactical skills in glowing terms.  Good way to stay on your dad-in-law's good side...  But more likely a not-so-veiled commentary on the corruption and graft of the Roman leadership and society.

The second piece in the collection is the Germania, which may almost be considered a follow-up to Caesar's Gallic Wars. The Germania focuses on the tribes beyond the Roman frontiers formed by the Elbe, Danube, and Rhine rivers.  Tacitus catalogs the German tribes, telling of their sizes, dispositions and cultures. But again, he couches them in a sideways commentary on the Roman leadership, describing the honor and self-discipline of the 'uncivilized' Germans.

These two books are classics of early 'histories' along with Herodotus, Prokopius, Caesar, and other contemporaries.  Tacitus' writing style, as translated, is a straightforward, clear read.  I pounded through the whole book on a 2.5 hour flight.  Like his contemporary historians, he played fast and loose with details, and there are many geographical errors, as well as descriptions based on hearsay.

But where the books are useful, especially Germania, are as snapshot resources/inspirations for tribal groups a party may encounter in their journeys.  Tacitus describes various traditions, leadership, martial styles, and appearances of the various tribes - any of which may plucked wholesale, or mixed and matched for colorful and useful NPC groups. The Suebi have elaborate hairstyles, the Semnones may only enter a sacred grove while bound by a particular cord, Chatti warriors wear an iron ring until they have killed their first opponent in battle.  Some elect kings, or make decisions in raucous congresses, some are cheered in battle by their women. Fleet-footed warriors keep up with their own cavalry.

So a good piece of found inspiration - grab a copy or download and pick and choose your next barbarian horde!