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Cleb
2004-12-14, 04:18 PM
First Impressions

This little celebration was a mystery to him. The man in the dark green cloak kept the hood drawn over his head and kept as close to the outside of the crowd as possible. This was his first visit to the small village and his first trip to the area in general for that matter.

The crowd was frantic. Men and women danced about the streets and ran from place to place. No businesses were open at all. Extra patrols had been gathered, it would seem. Every man in the town’s reserve had been pulled to aid in guarding the local shops and temples. Best guarded was the large tower in the northeastern part of town. It was home to the Mage guild, and they threw around the most weight.

The smaller businesses and less wealthy temples were the first to see trouble. Despite aid from a few helpful souls, the defenses were overwhelmed and goods relieved from their proper owners. It was impossible to determine the thieves from the guards in the foray, and the traveling stranger decided it best not to risk his neck and wind up killing one of the town guards accidentally.

He determined the Day of No Gods was not for him, and sought refuge in the shadows of a nearby alley. He dropped down to the sewers below and found the tunnels too dark, even for his Elven eyes. He recited a cantrip he’d learned forever ago as a youth to light the tunnels, but found his spell fizzled immediately. What is going on here? he thought.

A Cause for Celebration

A small village rests perfectly on a nexus of magical energy. Every three years, an unexplained phenomenon occurs that leaves every magical entity and object within the village and 20 miles in every direction powerless. A day for celebration? Many would argue it is not.

The villagers, however, disagree. The village itself would possess no magical influence whatsoever if it weren’t for the nexus of energy. For generations, mighty wizards have traveled the world to arrive at that very point to use the summoning chambers or the brewing and crafting rooms. The finest magical equipment in the world is created in the small village and has even managed to attract the attention of outsiders from other worlds.

The village is quite wealthy, though its population is smaller than most places of equivalent wealth. The backbone of the economy is magic. When magic is unavailable, no work is done that day. And thus, the Day of No Gods has become a town celebration.

For store owners and investors, it is great danger. Many robberies occur, and without magic protection it becomes all too simple. Some of the most powerful artifacts have been protected by the Mage guild in town, and the world’s greatest thieves always manage to find their way to the guild on the Day of No Gods.

The celebration gets its name from the many rumors that have been generated in the past. Most of the clergy in town believe that the gods tire of the evil that often dwells in the village and, as retaliation, abandon it to the greed of its inhabitants and the inhabitants of the world.

Many of the wealthier shop owners, guilds, and temples have hammered out excellent security measures for the dreaded day. Unfortunately, with limited resources in the way of people willing to provide protection and risk their lives for it, the best security usually only goes to the highest of bidders.

Festivities

Food and drink are often abundant. Local restaurants that are not so drastically affected by the loss of magical flow in the town use the day to profit. With a little bit of security and controlled access, a good amount of coin is possible on this day.

Bards flood the streets with their music and performances. Many are fictional depictions of events that may or may not have led to the “gods’ abandonment” of the village for the day. Others are favorite songs of the area or local productions made free to the public.

Taverns and inns are open. Often enemies of the local guilds and shops, that is thieves, make their way into town on this day. A coincidence? Innkeepers don’t care. They need a place to stay the night after all. And the tavern owners don’t mind the increase in population either. Most bars are tough joints to begin with, and the extra gold possible on those days makes staying open well worth it.

Though the day is not possible to determine very accurately, it does occur at approximately the same time every three years. The flow of magical energy can be felt as it reenters the village, though the departure is not so obvious in the way of a “feeling.” Most often there are serious injuries or deaths that occur because of the sudden absence of magic in the village that mark the beginning of the festival.

Modifications

The modifications due to the festival are fairly obvious. All spells and magic equipment are treated as though dispelled. It is not possible to overcome the dispel within the area, and leaving the 20 mile radius or waiting out the Day of No Gods automatically allows the use of magic equipment and spells. Spell-like abilities or any abilities linked to magic are incapable of being used on the Day of No Gods.

Law and order are completely absent. An increase in guards and an increase in the thieving community see to that. Merchants shops are completely closed, and temples do not accept entrance except from clergy and persons accompanied by clergy.

Magical beasts stay clear of the area because of a negative sensation received by the absence of magic. Other creatures and monsters are possible, though unlikely. Any creature tied to magic will stay away from the area until the presence of magic can be felt again. (The aforementioned creatures are affected in the same way that characters and NPC’s are affected.)

-Cleb

The Wise Assassin

Gamebird
2004-12-15, 02:37 PM
What about familiars?

Why is law and order so difficult to enforce in the absence of magic? Sure our own history saw occasional riots, and when the populace gets in its mind to rob and pillage there's little stopping it, but we managed most of history without wholescale thievery.

To quote a good book I read once, "You fool! A dagger always works." It was said to a fighter who attempted to slay a wizard by creating a zone of antimagic. The wizard willingly entered the zone and stabbed the fighter in the heart. The wizard had not become a mighty wizard by being stupid. Magic is only a tool. There are other tools.

killgore
2004-12-21, 01:55 AM
Posted by: Gamebird Posted on: Dec 15th, 2004, 2:37pm
To quote a good book I read once, "You fool! A dagger always works." It was said to a fighter who attempted to slay a wizard by creating a zone of antimagic. The wizard willingly entered the zone and stabbed the fighter in the heart. The wizard had not become a mighty wizard by being stupid. Magic is only a tool. There are other tools.
"Let me show you a trick mom taught me when you weren’t around!"

Baron
2004-12-21, 05:41 AM
What happens to creatures that require magical abilities to function. Do you find them dying at the edge of the effect?

Sucros
2004-12-21, 10:25 PM
I like it. It makes a great "hook." Considering I usually DM fighter-based groups, I can see my parties finding the festival fun.