| | You are not authorized to post a reply. |
| | Author | Messages | |
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
    
 | | 06/04/2006 9:06 PM |
| Here's the start of my section of the world for your perusal and opinions.
Yuan-Ti Collective
The Yuan-ti collective is made up of 5 large islands and a dozen of so flyspeck islands (no more than a mile or two across) located at X5 - AC7.
Population: 95% Yuan-ti, 5% other.
Yuan-ti make up the bulk of the sentient population on the islands with the rest being slaves,escaped slaves, the decendants of escaped slaves and shipwrecked and/or otherwise stranded peoples (scattered in hidden villages through out most of the islands).
The Yuan-ti are highly xenophobic and tolerate no other races on there lands except slaves.
The Yuan-ti collective is isolated from the bulk of the rest of the world by a vast mountain range on the mainland and a stange reef system surrounding the islands a few miles out. The reef system seems to change over the course of years,months and sometimes days so even if you find a way through that path may not exist a month later.
This has made the Yuan-ti believe they are the chosen race living in paradise and all other races are lesser,inferior, created to serve the Yuan-ti. They have a limited contact with the outside world. Enterprising peoples have created a trade enclave on the mainland on the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea. Only Yuan-ti purebloods deal with the other races and only on the mainland with a small navy patroling the waters around the islands to make sure the inferior races don't try to get to the islands.
There are rumors of secret trades going on with races in the underdark through the mountain on the main island.
There are ancient ruins scattered throughout the islands,some hidden some known, the party line is these are the remains of older Yuan-ti citys abandoned or destroyed by the yuan-ti gods for questioning the status quo and are therefore off limits to the general population. This may or may not be true, but the rumors that sometimes reach the outside world have caused a few adventurers and scholars over the years to seek out and try to get on the islands.
| | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/04/2006 9:10 PM |
| THE FIVE MAIN ISLANDS:
The main government is located on the largest island of Seseth(X5-Z6), roughly 70% of the population lives on this island. It has LE government and a strict caste system.
Two main cities and dozens of towns and villiages exsist on this subtropical jungle island. The Island is dominated by a single large mountain about one third of the way down the island from the northern coast.
The second largest population is on the southern most island of Therith (AC7), about 15% of the population lives on this island. Mostly made of of exiled dissidents,there decendants and 'tainted*' Yuan-ti it is the most outward looking of the islands and has the most contact with the outside world.
EDIT:* tainted in this case means influenced to much by the outside world.
The second island in the chain, Shoth(AA6), is a hunting perserve and penale colony. This island has been seeded with many dangerous creatures and any truely dangerous Yaun-ti are exiled to this island. Yaun-ti warriors and nobles test there skills by hunting on this island,this includes hunting the exiled criminal Yuan-ti. This island also has the largest population of other sentient races.hidden in isolated villiages throughout the forests on this island.
The fourth island is Isanu (AB6,7), about 7 to 10% of the population live on this temperate island. Its climate,grassy fields and light forests make it ideal for growing. it has become the breadbasket of the Yuan-ti collective. It also has the highest population of slaves,this and its proximity to the dissident island gives it the highest percentage of soldiers to civilians in the empire.
Middle island(AA7): open for suggestions right now.
I will flesh out the islands and the collective in the future any ideas,suggestions and opinions will be apreciated.
Right now I am planning on having any Yuan-ti out in the world members of the disidents or yuan-ti cut off from the islands and trying,sometimes over generations, to get back. | | | |
|
Venport
Sergeant
738 Posts
| | 06/05/2006 11:21 AM |
| | Sounds good so far | |
Sacramento DDM http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16854
New world Project http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20745
| |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:21 PM |
| THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE YUAN-TI *
*according to the yuan-ti peoples.your history may vary.void where prohibited.
Merrshaulk created the Yuan-ti and a world on which to test them into perfection. The other deities saw the wonder of the world Merrshaulk created for his chosen people and were jealous.
The other gods made there own creations and snuck them onto Merrshaulk's world. He was not fooled by there treachery he expected it, he wished for the other creations for the Yuan-ti needed opponents to test against. Happy with his works Merrshaulk turned his attentions to other matters. When he returned to his world he was sorely angered and disappointed to find the Yuan-ti not pre-eminent on his world, they shared it with the other sentient races and in some places were subservient to mighty empires. In his anger he stuck the world, the other gods tried to stop his anger and a mighty war evolved. Merrshaulk would have won this war except he would have destroyed his creation in the process, this did not please him so he struck a deal. He thrust his tail into the land of the mightiest and purest of the yuan-ti and broke the lands off into the ocean raising a huge chain of mountains in the process, surrounding the islands with a living incarnation he isolated the yuan-ti island from the rest of the world. "these are the lands of my chosen people, no others shall live here. Respect this one wish and I will leave this world intact." With that proclamation he left the world in peace.
The Yuan-ti peoples picked up the pieces of the destroyed civilizations and formed there own nation. expanding to the other islands in the chain they strived to create the perfect civilization and achieve perfection in form without the distractions of the outside world. This continued for millennium with the occasional distraction from the outside world to test there resolve.
About a 1000 years ago a fleet of vile outsiders found a way though the barriers around the islands and saw the perfection of the Yuan-ti lands and were jealous. The attacked shipping and raided coast lands until the powerful sorcerer of the true people stopped them. Interrogating survivors and using divination magic the Yuan-ti traced the fleet back to its origin and decided a punitive strike was required. A huge fleet was despatched to the outsiders nation, unprepared for the lands outside the protection of Merrshaulk half the fleet was lost(1) before arriving at the vile attackers island nation. The peoples attacked and ravaged the countryside for months before deciding there revenge was complete and returning to the true lands, only about 10% of the original force managed to return. The church decided this was a sign that Merrshaulk was displeased with the large amount of the true folk leaving his protection and it became doctrine that in the future warfare would be committed with minimum force necessary and subterfuge to disable the enemy in advance.
Unfortunately a few centuries later a powerful and charismatic general discovered a passage through the mountain chain on the mainland and took this as a sign that he was to mount a campaign of conquest on the mainland. He convinced the church this was a sign from Merrshaulk that the Yuan-ti were to spread out and conquer the inferior races. He sent an army to attack the nomadic tribes on the other side of the mountains(2). Using spies and subtle manipulations of the tribes the yaun-ti were, at first, successful in there war gaining much treasure and slaves. However Merrshaulk was displeased at so many of the true people leaving there paradise and being tainted by the outside world that he collapsed the mountains around the pass cutting it off forever. Once again the priesthood pronounced that leaving the islands was against the will of Merrshaulk and an isolationist policy was once again put into effect.
About 150 years ago there was a slave revolt on the main island, the revolt was put down but a city was razed to the ground in the process. All the slaves were put to the sword(3) and the government in conjuction with the priesthood decided that slaves,nor any other non Yuan-ti sentient, would be allowed on the main island ever again.An exception is made for serpentine races such as Naga and special dispensations can be made by the emperor or the head of the church but such dispensations are extremely rare.
the status quo has been more or less maintained for the last few centuries with only the disaffected and dissidents maintaining a tenuous spy network on the main lands, and occasionally sending out a small force on certain secret missions. The only contact with the outside world for the bulk of the Yuan-ti on the main island is a few trade villages on the mainland on the narrow strip of land between the ocean and mountain range.
There might also be limited trade with Venports sahagin empire. The Sahagin being able to bypass the storms and sentient/living reef barriers surrounding the island.
(1) The Yuan-ti are poor sailors, and have poor navigation skills when out of sight of land. Not all ships were destroyed, many were lost at sea and washed up in other lands sometimes half a world away. This leaves enclaves on Yuan-ti scattered around the world with the mission,sometimes lasting generations, of returning to there native lands.
(2) If it fits into his history they could have attacked Devasque's empire before they were fought off. If not then they attacked some other unnamed civilization.
(3) Not all the slaves were killed many fled into the jungles and have since formed tiny,isolated, hidden villages on both the main island and the hunting island. | | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:23 PM |
| THE GOVERNMENT,RELIGON AND CASTE SYSTEM
seperate but equal
The Yuan-Ti are broken down into 3 main castes. At the top are the Yuan-ti abominations, within the yuan-ti race they are know as the Parvastus(the perfect ones), but are proud of the fear they induce in the lesser races so have accepted the abomination nomenclature. Despite there relative rarity they dominate the upper hierarchy of the church.
The next most respected are the Yuan-ti half bloods, they are considered on the way to perfection but not quite there yet.
The lowest caste are the pure-bloods, so called because while they resemble the lesser races they have the pure blood of the Yuan-ti running through them.
The difference in castes of the half-bloods and purebloods is minor and most positions they hold in government, religion and military are interchangeable with merit,power,and wealth counting for more than societal position but when all things are equal the half-blood are considered superior. However the gulf between the half-blood and abominations is vast, in almost every case an abomination is considered predominant.
There are others type of Yuan-ti that either fall outside the caste system or are on the lowest rung depending on who you ask. The holy guardians in the churches main temple and the mage killers are two examples, specially bred during the abortive attempts at warring with the outside races, they have since found there niche in Yuan-ti society. These others are exceedingly rare and don’t make up a significant portion of the population.
The caste system is much more stratified in the government, military an nobility . In the military rank is everything, a major being considered much more superior to a captain or lesser. Within the bureaucracy of government the higher your position ,the more power you wield the better you are perceived . Within the nobility the emperor and his immediate family are at the top with the rest of the noble class ranked according to power,and wealth.
In the military merit can only take you so far. A significant portion of the officers in the army buy there commissions and are usually members of the nobility or powerful merchant houses. The emperor and council of advisors grant generals their commissions and they almost always consider merit as well as power and wealth in their decisions. Abominations are very rare in the military,and are always officers.
The civil government is exclusively purebloods and halfbloods,abominations never hold civil office except on the council of advisors. The nobility holds many of the top level civil positions but by no means all of them. Within the government merit and power count for more than wealth
With in the church the caste system means very little,outside of abberations being on top, merit and divine power are the main factors of rank in the church. Abominations hold all the top spots but anything below a cardinal can be abomination,halfblood or pureblood.
The Church:
The church is headed by a high priest called the preeminate or the keeper of the faith. Directly below him are the Foremost there is no fixed number of Foremost usually one for each island,major city, two on the council of advisors and a few others with specific functions. Below them are the Ecclesiats responsible for large congregations or as assistants to one of the Foremost or possibly special assignments. After the Ecclesiats in the church hierarchy are the priests,vicars and curates. The last groups are responsible for varying congregations ranging from entire wards in cities to small villages.
Church doctrine is simple,Merrshaulk created the Yuan-ti and a world upon which they could achieve perfection. Life is a test and succeeding in the test helps you move along to perfection. There are 5 levels of exsistance, 1 the inferior races, placed upon the world by jealous gods who imperfectly tried to create perfection they must live there lives knowing there imperfection and if they survive the machinations of the world and achieve great power when they die they will be reborn as a yuan-ti purebloods the second stage of exsistance and the first real step on the road to perfection. A pureblood advances to halfblood after several lifecycles of study and survival as does the halfblood advance to the almost perfect abomination. The Abomination is the peak of perfection on the material world when he or she has proven their world they are excepted into the final stage of perfection at the side of Merrshaulk in his holy armies or if sufficently worthy as infernal beings themselves.
The government and nobility:
The titular head of the Yuan-ti kingdom is the Emperor, the current emperor is Sarog the 4th. Emperor’s create policy and it is implemented by the council of advisors. The council was first created to merely offer advise to the emperor but has since become a political body on its own. The council is made up of representatives from the church,military,civil government and powerful merchant houses. The council elects a chancellor from among its member to head the council.
Each island has a governor that is the supreme power on the island below the emperor but equal to the council in fact each governor appoints a member to represent him or her on the council. All officials from the mayor of a major city to the headman of the smallest village report to the governor through the yuan-ti bureaucracy.
Assassination,blackmail and bribery are all valid forms of advancement in Yuan-ti politics......as long as your not caught.
Yuan-ti families are different from most other species, with the exception of the Emperor all children are raised communally and assigned or adopted to families at preteen ages. This has made nobility a bit different, since there are no blood ties within a family ranks of nobility depend on wealth and power but are still passed from parent to adopted child. Although it is rare nobility can be bought or revoked with sufficent loss or gain of wealth and/or power.
The Emperor’s family is clearly defined with blood ties. The eldest surviving child becomes emperor when the old emporer dies. Emperor’s can be male or female,pureblood or halfbloods(although pureblood emperors are rare). The children of the Emperor spend most of their lives engage ing in plotting and assassinations amoung themselves all trying to become the next Emperor.
Emporers vary in nature, some actively govern keeping a very hands on approach while some just sit back and enjoy the perks leaving the governing to the council of advisors. The current Emperor is one of the hands on rulers much to the chagrin of the council.
| | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:24 PM |
| Isle of Seseth
Location-(X5-Z6)
Population (Races)- 60% yuan-ti pureblood,30% yuan-ti half blood,2% yuan-ti abomination,5% Ophidian ,3% other. There is also a tiny ‘secret’ population,the decendants of escaped slaves living in hiding in the jungles unknown to the general population.
Size- 1000 miles by 600 miles approx.600,000 square miles
Allignment- L.E.
Major City/s (and locations)- Sariona (north west coast), Yarorrant(south west coast), Anshil (center Island at the foot of mount Sarolk), Rimesh (middle island east coast)
Guilds and organizations of note- Nureh, Tarbeth, Anshil, Sobryn and Virraent trading houses, the guild of magewrights, hunters in the green.
Main Trade goods:.
--Import– information, drugs, gems and jewelry ,magic of any sort
--Export--exotic foods, weapons, drugs(beneficial and addictive it make no difference to the yuan-ti), poisons ,crafted minor magic items
Alliances- the sahagin empire(or one clan anyway), the dragon isles
Known Enemies- everyone not Yuan-ti or in a direct alliance with the yuan-ti.
Notable People- Emperor Sarog the 4th, chancellor Zalaerath, His holiness Vanoba
Noteable events in the kingdom: the great ocean voyage/war(over a 1000 years ago), the invasion of the mainland(about 500 years past), and the great slave revolt(about 150 years ago).
The largest island of the Yuan-ti collective it is approx. 1000 miles north to south and 600 east to west. The center of both the government and religion roughly 70% of all the Yuan-ti live on Seseth . The island is dominated by a single large mountain, Mt. Sarolk, approx. roughly in the center of the island but offset toward the north end.
While there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of towns and villages on the island there are 3 major cities and 1 large town of note. Sariona on the northwest coast is the center of the Yuan-ti government. While by no means is that all that goes on in the city it is where the main bureaucracy is located and the council of advisors meet. The Emperor also makes this city his main residence on the island and can usually be found here. In addition all the major merchant houses have a base here and the city hosts a naval base(such as it is). Yarorrant on the south west coast almost on the direct opposite end of the island from Sariona is the home of the main temple to Merrshaulk and the keeper of the faith Vanoba and is thus the center of the Yuan-ti religion. Home to many religious icons and temples it also has a major merchant presence and is the main port to travel to any of the other islands. The city of Rimesh is on the east coast and faces the mainland it is the center of trade off island and homebase to many of the merchant houses. This is the only city that trades with the villages on the mainland, officially, it also is the central location to receive products from and ship to the other islands. The large town of Anshil sits at the foot of mt.Sarolk, and has, in the last hundred years, become the central point for all the mining of the mountain since the destruction of the city of Pylia during the great slave revolt.
There are 5 major trading houses and many minor ones, the five main are Nureh, Tarbeth, Anshil, Sobryn and Virraent. While all the house trade in many different things they all tend to known for a specialty. The Nureh specialize in the wheats ,fruits, vegetables and other foodstuff not sexy but powerful and wealth making. The Tarbeth have major control of the shipping and overland caravan routes, they build most of the ships in the Yuan-ti empire and have contracts with the navy. The Anshil control most of the mining and logging, the main mining town is named after them, anyone needs raw material from the interior usually go through the Anshil merchant house.The Sobryn are the smallest house but potentialy the most powerfull since they control the magewright guide and almost all magical items on the islands go through there hands. The Virraent house is the most secretive house as they specialize in the drug trade and don’t want any competition.
The hunters in the green hunt in the various jungles on the islands of Seseth and Shoth and sell there product to the houses especially house Nureh and house Virraent but are not considered a merchant house but an independent guild not under the control of any of the houses. They also have been know to work for empire internal security and some member do bounty hunting jobs.
The most notable event to happen in recent history was the great slave revolt. There used to be a large amount of slaves on the island most being used in the mining industry in the city of Pylia. After decades of oppression the slaves finally revolted and took control of the city.They used it as a rallying point and slaves across the island flocked to them. The leaders of the slaves were naive enough to think that they Yuan-ti would have to deal with them since they held the city hostage. The Yuan-ti decided to put down the revolt no matter what the cost and launched a massive attack with the destruction of the entire city and death of every slave as there goal. The Yuan-ti succeeded to a degree, the entire city was razed and a large portion of the slave , and yuan-ti population in the city, were destroyed. However a significant number of the slaves escaped into the jungle and down the many rivers and out to sea. The sea bound slaves escaped in all direction,to the mainland where they fled into the mountains, to the south where they established them selves in the deep interior of Shoth. A few made it to the outer seas and were destoryed on the reefs. Some fled deep into the interior of Seseth where they live in small isolated,hidden villages. Officially they don’t exist unofficially they are hunted by The hunters in the green as one of there duties.
The result of the Slave revolt was three fold. One the church,with the reluctant support of the civil government, declared only the Yuan-ti could be allowed on the main island the destruction of Pylia was punishment for allowing inferior races access to the paradise of Seseth . This rule has relaxed in recent decades to allow other serpentine races and now the Yuan-ti use ophidians as the bulk of there mining labor now. Two there was now an unofficial secret population of non Yuan-Ti living in hidden enclaves on two of the empires’s islands. And three with the loss of the slave population there was a recession that the Yuan-ti are still recovering from this led them to deal with the outside ‘inferior’ races a lot more thus ending there strict policy of isolation
| | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:26 PM |
| Therith (AC7), Isle of the dissaffected and dissidents: a necessary evil or not worth the trouble.
THERITH
Location: AC7
Population (Races)-75% Yuan-ti (75% pureblood,25% halfblood),5% naga, 20% other(any other races both as slaves and residents)
Size-
Allignment-primarily CE
Major City/s (and locations)- large town of Shoraddik
Guilds and organizations of note- presence of the 5 major houses, bureau of outward security, the explorers guild
Technology Level-
Main Trade goods
--Import– information, dragon spice, anything that can make a profit
--Export–spies and information, foodstuff, poisons and drugs
Alliances-many and varied but switched on almost a weekly basis
Known Enemies- office of internal security
Notable People-
Politics/Government- officially part of the empire but outside the major towns it’s survival of the strongest or most cunning.
Therith is a study in opposites to the main island of Seseth. While the bulk of the Yuan-ti are very lawful and rulebound, their word is their bond (although they live for loopholes), the Yuan-ti of Therith bearly pay lip service to the many rules of society. They worship Merrshualk but choose to follow the path of control rather than perfection and if another deity can provide aid to their plots and plans they will sacrifice to it as well. The bulk of the Yuan-ti on Therith choose to obey the rules of isolationism while the Seseths have established a presence in the outside world and actively trade with anyone who wants. And the major difference is they allow non Yuan-ti to exist on there island as residents and not just as slaves.
Therith started as an island of exiles. Its climate made it very uncomfortable for Yuan-ti so used to the steamy jungles of the other islands the rather temperate Therith with its long cold winters kept it from being populated for a long time. Past emperors choose to exile dissidents and troublemakers that, for one reason or another ,couldn’t be killed outright to Therith. Soon these exiles formed their own society, established villages and towns and set about to act and build on their own agendas.
There is only one major town on Thereth, Shoraddik, it holds the major port for the island the enclaves of the 5 major trading houses, the governors mansion, and the major church of Merrshualk. The rest of the population of the island live in scattered smaller towns, villages and personal estates.
Being assigned to Thereth is considered a hardship post and most of the time government and church positions are filled by people you are out of favor at court or have expressed dissident opinions themselves. The only Yuan-ti abominations on the island are the cardinal of the church out of favor for expressing ideas that the yuan-ti should end there isloasionism and one of the very few abomination exiles ever, Kakairzi, once a powerful member of the hunters in the green he found something deep in the jungles of Seseth and a few weeks later was exiled to Thereth. Kakairzi now lives in the interior of the island and has become a member of the explorers guild.
The office of internal security keeps a close eye on the many dissidents on the island but usually allows free reign as long as a group remains usefull. The spy networks and information retrieved from the mainland, and to a lesser extent the trade imports and contacts, makes the problems caused by the troublemakers worthwhile. The dissidents may cause problems to mainstream Yuan-ti society at some point in the future but the many groups and cabals are too busy ploting against and fighting each other to be organized enough to pose a threat to the Yuan-ti government.
| | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:29 PM |
| Shoth(AA6), hunting preserve and small penal colony: A test of manhood,a rite of passage, a hell on earth.
TBA | | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:30 PM |
| Isanu (AB6,7) breadbasket,military training ground.
TBA | | | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/08/2006 11:32 PM |
| island(AA7)????????????????????????????????????
TBA | | | |
|
Venport
Sergeant
738 Posts
| | 06/09/2006 3:20 PM |
| Idea about your trading with the sahuagin empire... The Sahuagin are organized into clans. each Clan is looking for power in one way or another. One of the lesser clans seeking power has truck a deal with "the ones who slither on land" This deal is a traid agreement that is a secret to the emperor and can not be know to other sahuagin.
Questions what would the Yan-ti want from the sahuagin? (not slaves for the islands because this can dose not have access to islands)
mabye some kind of Fish or Shell that the yan-ti need? or even food?
The sahugain would want weapons or anything they could use to amount underwater power. Mabye something made with arcane magic (the sahuagin don;t have access to arcane magic only divin)
Just some ideas let me know what you think? | |
Sacramento DDM http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16854
New world Project http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20745
| |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/09/2006 6:31 PM |
| Off the top of my head two things come to mind, pearls and information. Exotic fish and poisons would also be apreciated but information is more valuable.
It is hard for land dwellers to leave the islands,notwithstanding the dissidents on the southern island, and the major sorce of information about the outside world comes from the troublemakers on Therith. Its always a good idea to have a second source of information if only to confirm what you already know.Pearls are always usefull in arcane societies.
It would amuse the Yuan-ti to give weapons to dissidents of other races if only to forment chaos and rebellion amoung them.
EDIT: another thought perhaps the Yaun-ti have a company or two of sahagin on permenant retainer to patrol the waters between the islands and open sea. They warn of undersea incursions,aid when a yaun-ti vessel is under attack and maybe even act as naval advisors (the yuan-ti are poor sailors on average) although the Yuan-ti arrogance may prevent this last one. | | | |
|
Venport
Sergeant
738 Posts
| | 06/09/2006 9:22 PM |
| | I like it... | |
Sacramento DDM http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16854
New world Project http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20745
| |
|
MechaKingGhidra
Sergeant
632 Posts
| | 06/10/2006 1:44 AM |
| | Very impressive as a collection of society for the Yuan-ti without going into every day life. Although not a DM for my gaming group but instead a player, if I were to hypothetically be the DM would you give me permission to use this, assuming this is your own collection of a made-up perspective on the Yuan-ti. If not, could you please at least explain the World Serpent thing I read about in Forgotten Realms: Serpent Kingdoms? I get that the World Serpent split itself but was it a sentinent being who was an ultimate diety of some sort before breaking off into the many dieties of smaller power such as the one you mentioned in this particular thread? If it is your own version of the Yuan-ti's history, GREAT JOB!!!!! [:D] | |
Champion of the Prismatic Golem
MechaKingGhidra: Infamous for his absolute despisement of Red Dragons and devout worshipper of all Black Dragons. | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/11/2006 12:24 AM |
| MechaKingGhidra,thanks for the kind words. Yep its my own creation based on all the creation mythos I have read over the years, every race thinks there god/pantheon is the supreme one and responsible for all creation why should the Yuan-ti be any different.I have always liked the Yuan-ti as behind the scenes manipulators and always try to see if I can fit them in my campaigns.
I have never read the Serpent Kingdoms or anything in the forgotten realms for about a decade.I still have a few FR source books but Eberron is my campaign setting now. I use Wikipedia to get the names and racial details right.
Feel free to use anything you read here if it interests you.I am going to try to add the politics and religion tommorrow and then work on the details of the individual islands.
| | | |
| 
zenthrus
Commander
4591 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 06/12/2006 4:38 AM |
| Question: Do you have any objection to an annual trade emmisary from the Dragon Isles coming to the Yuan-ti Collective? Mainly it would be a ritual meeting to keep a (very) tenuous association between the Yuan-ti and the Dragon Overlords maintained. As an upshot, the Overlords would be offering dragonspice (highly addictive, highly potent inhalant), darkwood, and (possibly) dragonhide armor or (potent) magic items. In return, they'd be seeking metals (possibly available through the 'secret trade' with the Underdark that the Yuan-ti engage in), and artwork/skilled craftwork.
Let me know what you think. | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/12/2006 9:11 PM |
| nope no objections, however trading with the Yuan-ti is difficult. It is hard to get to the islands and non serpentine races are not allowed on the islands at all......officialy. Also the Yuan-ti as a race are incredibly arrogant they would give the dragons a run for their money. If you are willing to put up with them you can make some incredible deals and potentialy powerfull allies.
The secret trade with through the underdark is secret because its non yuan-ti trading out of the mountain on the main island. The bulk of the official trades take place on the narrow stip of land on the mainland between the mountains and ocean (about 10 to 20 miles wide). So the dragon emisaries have 3 options set up trade in one of the 'inferior' races trade villages on the mainland, trade out at sea(dangerous due to the shifting reef system), or negotiate a secret arrangement with one of the merchant houses.
There is a 4th option I haven't written about yet the dissidents and troublemakers on the 5th island play fast and loose with the rules and have better access to the outside world so they would be willing to trade with you but they couldn't offer the best deals and can be very untrustworthy (think CE as opposed to LE of the bulk of the Yuan-ti).
I am also toying with the idea of making the small middle island a diplomatic island, the only place representatives of other races can live and conduct business. I was going to make the Yuan-ti collective very isolated but it seems there is going to be alot more interaction between the kingdoms in the world than I thought so I need to open up the yuan-ti a little. | | | |
|
zenthrus
Commander
4591 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 06/12/2006 9:19 PM |
| A secret arrangement with one of the merchant houses would probably be best. The dragons wouldn't be interested in upsetting the isolated nature of the Yuan-ti since that could potentially lead to drawing greater interest to the dragon isles. Additionally, dragonspice isn't exactly what you'd call legal in most kingdoms (something along the lines of concentrated opium), though it does tend to have a high trade value.
While Yuan-ti are notoriously arrogant, a human suddenly turning into a Huge (gargantuan or colossal if space permits) dragon does have an unsettling effect on even the most notoriously arrogant creatures. Besides, dragons are serpentine [:D]
| |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/12/2006 9:25 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by zenthrus
A secret arrangement with one of the merchant houses would probably be best. The dragons wouldn't be interested in upsetting the isolated nature of the Yuan-ti since that could potentially lead to drawing greater interest to the dragon isles. Additionally, dragonspice isn't exactly what you'd call legal in most kingdoms (something along the lines of concentrated opium), though it does tend to have a high trade value.
While Yuan-ti are notoriously arrogant, a human suddenly turning into a Huge (gargantuan or colossal if space permits) dragon does have an unsettling effect on even the most notoriously arrogant creatures. Besides, dragons are serpentine [:D]
A loophole, yuan-ti love loopholes.[)]
Hmmm I have a tentative trade deal with the sahagin empire as well. The Yuan-ti as middle men(or snakes)in the drug trade, I sense much profit. | | | |
|
zenthrus
Commander
4591 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 06/12/2006 9:37 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by maijstral
I sense much profit.
And many happy dragons and fish-men to boot [:D]
| |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
|
Venport
Sergeant
738 Posts
| | 06/14/2006 11:22 AM |
| I'm trying to think of an interesting way that the sahuagin could use Dragon Spice. Any ideas?
Maybe the Sahuagin are allergic (then it could be used as a weapon)
Maybe it has been the cause of the rare birth difect* that creates 4 armed sahuagin?
maybe it can bring out arcane abilities (or pysonics) something that the sahuagin don’t have access too as of now.
Any thing else that might work? If this was something a clan could have access to via the yang-ti it could be very profitable for them not to mention powerful for that sahuagin clan.
What do you think? Any other ideas on affects? Witch affect should I run with?
| |
Sacramento DDM http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16854
New world Project http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20745
| |
|
orcdoubleax
Sergeant
692 Posts
| | 06/14/2006 12:00 PM |
| | did I hear of metion of narcotics. Zohran's interest is peaked. | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
| |
|
maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 06/14/2006 9:46 PM |
| Orcdoubleax: remember the first taste is always free [)].
The Yuan-ti are masters of poisons and what are narcotics but a type of poison.
As to what the dragon spice could do that would ultimately be up to zenthrus, i'm assuming he created it.
But I could offer up some suggestions, as he mentioned in the sahagin world thread shor term use could be a mild euphoria with minor gain in sorcerey or psionic ability. You could gain a first level spell as a spell like ability useable once per day. Continued long term use could have a cumulative effect and cause mutations such as the 4 armed Sahagin and in rare cases even give the victim the half dragon template with suitable drawbacks of course.
just a few ideas off the top of my head. hey if it potentially increases sorcerey or psi abliitys some of the yuan-ti may break the cardinal rule of dealers and taste there own product.
Venport wants a rogue group of sahagin to trade with the Yuan-ti as a powerplay.A lesser clan wants to gain some power against the more powerful ones. If the dragon spice gave them that power they might decide the side effects are worth it. It his empire though so his decision..... but as I said at the beggining of this post, the first taste is free.
| | | |
|
zenthrus
Commander
4591 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 06/15/2006 1:23 AM |
| I didn't want to hijack the Yuan-ti so I posted some ideas on the Sahuagin thread.
Basically, I see the dragonspice filtering through the Yuan-ti to the Sahuagin. It's up to Venport where it goes from there. My guess is, it would flow into Zohran and from there spread across the continent. Looking at the map, trade moving from the dragon isles west would be a pain in the scale-covered tuckus (hence the reason the dragons primarily trade east).
I'm still not sure what all the side effects will be. I love the idea of prolonged use causing mutations. I also kind of like the idea of it granting some sort of arcane boost. I'll have to sit on the idea for a while and mull it over.
I love the idea of Yuan-ti druglords, by the way [:D] | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
|
orcdoubleax
Sergeant
692 Posts
| | 06/18/2006 8:19 PM |
| the book of vile darkness has some drug in it already. You could take a look at thier format to help with the initial effects. long term effects would of course be a little harder.
You could have the long term effects be based on the lenght of time a person is addicted as opposed to how long they have used it. Rules for addiction are also in the BVD | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
| |
|
| | You are not authorized to post a reply. |
|
| |
ActiveForums 3.7 | You must be signed in to participate in the
games. |