Odd Society

[Grizzled Gryphon]

the players in a game I will be running soon are going to be alienated by most of the kingdoms due to the machinations of the nefarious enemy. The only society that will help them is going to be a bit odd.

Essentially, this society will be very low tech, tribal even. The odd part of this society will be that necromancers are considered not only good guys, but holy men. In this society, they will have the belief that using there ancestors, both body and spirit, is not just a good thing, but a matter of high honor. Thus, the necromancers from this society will be using the ACF from UA wherein the necromancer has a skeleton minion instead of a familiar. These minions are ancestors of the necromancers, and they call them by there names.

So, what I am looking for is unique aspects of this society that will set them apart from other tribal societies that directly have to do with the necromancy of the society. Maybe they bury the dead differently, so as to have easier access to the remains.

Any ideas?

[Mutazoia]

the players in a game I will be running soon are going to be alienated by most of the kingdoms due to the machinations of the nefarious enemy. The only society that will help them is going to be a bit odd.

Essentially, this society will be very low tech, tribal even. The odd part of this society will be that necromancers are considered not only good guys, but holy men. In this society, they will have the belief that using there ancestors, both body and spirit, is not just a good thing, but a matter of high honor. Thus, the necromancers from this society will be using the ACF from UA wherein the necromancer has a skeleton minion instead of a familiar. These minions are ancestors of the necromancers, and they call them by there names.

So, what I am looking for is unique aspects of this society that will set them apart from other tribal societies that directly have to do with the necromancy of the society. Maybe they bury the dead differently, so as to have easier access to the remains.

Any ideas?


Canibalism. Eat the flesh of your dead ancestor (and only your own ancestor) to take their wisdom into you. Cheaper than a funeral/burial plot.
Healing and "Cure" spells are taboo. They prevent people from joining the ancestors.
Resurrection/Reincarnation spells are outlawd. Anyone discovered to be resurrected or reincarnated are attacked and killed on site.
Bone fetish charms. Enchanted or not, these bits of bone, engraved with runes, are talismen that the common members of the society (non necromancers) use to keep in contact with their ancestors. She has her grandmother's cheekbones.
Neat freaks. Oddly enough...nobody wants to eat uncle Harry if he hasn't had a bath in 40 years.
"Dry" society. Alcohol kills brain cells...nobody wants to commune with idiot alchohlic ancestors.
Posession. Real or not, who knows. Like mediums of today, the priests of the society are used to contact the other side for advice. Often a deceased loved one will posess the priest to impart cryptic wisdom.
Ouiji boards! Those that can't afford a consult with a priest can play the home game.
Bitter, raging hatred of the Undead (not created by the necromancers). It goes against the natural order of the universe not to join the ancestors. Despite what you may think...it's definitely personal.
Ruled by a Lich (or counsel thereof).
Constantly searching for the Underverse...sorry that's Necromongers.

[Skysaber]

Look up Hallowfaust, City of Necromancers, to give you some ideas.

[Weirdlet]

Someone on these boards once mentioned something that made my mind fizz in this direction, regarding Skyrim and all its tombs full of draugr- a Viking-like people who have a short summer and crappy soil, so they need labor beyond just what they can muster among the living. The honored dead rest in their cool, dark tombs, then get summoned up to do the work of two men apiece when needed.

[Bullet06320]

this just speaks egyption, with mummification, not only as a way to preserve the dead, but as a way to keep them around
and the egyptions mummified everything, animals of all sorts too
in a dnd game, I would see necromancers being very high in an egyption type society

pharoh would be a greater mummy with necro levels, probly more on the priestly side of necromancy tho

[Mutazoia]

Someone on these boards once mentioned something that made my mind fizz in this direction, regarding Skyrim and all its tombs full of draugr- a Viking-like people who have a short summer and crappy soil, so they need labor beyond just what they can muster among the living. The honored dead rest in their cool, dark tombs, then get summoned up to do the work of two men apiece when needed.

Something like this? ("http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAukGWuVyEo) :nale:

[Grizzled Gryphon]

I see this society as having very few clerics, as the necromancers are the "holy men". However, spirit shamans would be pretty common as well. The rest of the character mix would be barbarians, rangers, druids, fighter-types (I think the Warblade will be the most common).

There will be very, very few other wizards, and the vast majority would be foreigners.

Essentially, this will be a jungle society with semi permanent villages scattered around, but there will be the Holy Temples, where the necromancers live and learn their craft. The warblades will be the temple guardians, as the ancient scrolls that teach the necromantic arts also have the teachings for warblades.

I don't want the cannabalism, as that is degrees harder to explain as a 'good' thing, I think.

Also, there is no taboo or anything against resurrection or the like, as it is felt by the society that the living are vastly more useful than the dead.

Creating Undead is done regularly here, but they know that the transition changes people. That is why bringing back uncle Joe as a Ghoul is great, but everyone know that uncle Joe will try to eat you unless controlled. Just the nature of crossing over.

So, no one wants to die, but they know that when they do, their descendants will be calling on them at some point, and they look forward to it. Sort of a psuedo-immortality, so to speak.

I like the bone totem and ruled by liches idea, though... Probably a lot of Necropolitans around as well.

The egyptian idea would fit, but its been ssoo done... I want to try something else.

[BWR]

You might be interested in the Scarred Lands supplement "Hollowfaust: City of Necromancers"

[Sian]

Fluff them as using Deathless template instead of Undead :smalltongue:

[Mutazoia]

I see this society as having very few clerics, as the necromancers are the "holy men". However, spirit shamans would be pretty common as well. The rest of the character mix would be barbarians, rangers, druids, fighter-types (I think the Warblade will be the most common).

There will be very, very few other wizards, and the vast majority would be foreigners.

Essentially, this will be a jungle society with semi permanent villages scattered around, but there will be the Holy Temples, where the necromancers live and learn their craft. The warblades will be the temple guardians, as the ancient scrolls that teach the necromantic arts also have the teachings for warblades.

I don't want the cannabalism, as that is degrees harder to explain as a 'good' thing, I think.

Also, there is no taboo or anything against resurrection or the like, as it is felt by the society that the living are vastly more useful than the dead.

Creating Undead is done regularly here, but they know that the transition changes people. That is why bringing back uncle Joe as a Ghoul is great, but everyone know that uncle Joe will try to eat you unless controlled. Just the nature of crossing over.

So, no one wants to die, but they know that when they do, their descendants will be calling on them at some point, and they look forward to it. Sort of a psuedo-immortality, so to speak.

I like the bone totem and ruled by liches idea, though... Probably a lot of Necropolitans around as well.

The egyptian idea would fit, but its been ssoo done... I want to try something else.

You'll probably want to go more toward a mixture of Haitian Vodou (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou)and Egyptian practices (probably a little more vodou).

As for the cannibalism...it's not so much "we eat everybody"...it's closer "Mike Smith" in "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Heinlein. When a loved one dies you eat their (now useless uninhabited flesh) to take them as part of you forever. So it's a funeral rite not an everyday meal practice.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

As for the cannibalism...it's not so much "we eat everybody"...it's closer "Mike Smith" in "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Heinlein. When a loved one dies you eat their (now useless uninhabited flesh) to take them as part of you forever. So it's a funeral rite not an everyday meal practice.


I know, but these people use the flesh of their ancestors when they create undead of them.

[Skysaber]

If you are going to set this in a jungle, natural decay rates become a real issue. I know archeologists down in South America have a real hard time finding anything to back up their theories because even bone, unless it has something to protect it (like deep in a cave style of protected) is gone before twenty years have passed.

Not "reduced", not "affected", gone as in "ain't nothing left" kind of gone.

Jungle rot sets in on more stuff than you'd believe. And it's a bit embarrassing to say, "Yes, this jungle moss ate my undead." especially when it's not even a magical moss.

[Mutazoia]

I know, but these people use the flesh of their ancestors when they create undead of them.

I was assuming that not every person who dies would be raised. And as dead things in the jungle tend to decay fast I also assumed that those raised would be mostly skeletons.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

Yeah, I know that things decay fast in the Jungle, but for the game, we will overlook that little bit of reality. If any of the players ask, I will say they have some magical way of preserving the dead. Perhaps a persistent Gentle Repose affect, of something.

So, people have little bits of their ancestors that they carry around with them in the form of bone charms and the like. Perhaps this is the (perceived) way that they control the undead? Having non-necromancers with undead at their beck and call could be explained by this. However, the powerful undead are the sole purview of the necromancers,; anyone else would have zombies or skeletons.

Summon Undead spells would be a way that various folks would temporarily gain the help of the ancestors, as well. Does anyone think that dread Necromancers would not fit in this society? Would they be a lesser holy man, per se? Perhaps they would not be liked as much, or maybe they would be liked more. After all, the established necromancers learn their craft; the Dread Necromancer gets it intuitively. This will be a very tolerant society, not prone to warfare unless they have to defend themselves. Non-expansionist, but not pacifists, either. The few attempts to take them over have met with armies of the dead marshalling to this kingdoms(?) defense.

Most of the other kingdoms would not like these folks, for the most part. All the others would see necromancy as a vile thing, except for some very rare circumstances. However, this country has some protection of a sort, via there relative remoteness, and the neighboring kingdom realizing that they don't summon the undead out of evil intentions, even if they don't agree with the practice.

Also, this kingdom (no, I haven't named it, yet) is a coastal kingdom, and they are on the end of the discovered lands, for the most part. There are other known kingdoms beyond them, but they are very far away, and even more exotic.

[awa]

you could do bog mummies it takes a lot less technological know how then Egyptian mummies and works in a wet environment the only thing is you are kinda making an investment becuase only the older bodies will be useable.

If our tribal people say lived on boats or rafts in the middle of the bog all the mummies bursting out of the muck to defend there descendents could be quite the impressive visual. Actually mummies or just zombies is a matter of how strong do you want them to be.

Personal i would think no taboo against healing just like most real religions with an after life don't advocate suicide to get there faster worshiping ancestors and pointless death don't necessarily shouldn't be a problem. since raise dead requires the person to be willing it should likewise not be prohibited its just delaying ancestorship not taking it off the table.

[Mutazoia]

So, people have little bits of their ancestors that they carry around with them in the form of bone charms and the like. Perhaps this is the (perceived) way that they control the undead? Having non-necromancers with undead at their beck and call could be explained by this. However, the powerful undead are the sole purview of the necromancers,; anyone else would have zombies or skeletons.

The bone charms could carry minor "control undead" enchantments, only working one one skeleton/zombie at a time , and even then only on undead with a familial link to the one using the charm (the one who's bone was used to make the charm perhaps). The richer the family, the more charms they have (they're a pain in the ass to make but every family get's one free one) and the more ancestors they have stomping around the house. This makes them not only functional but a status symbol as well, so PC's liberating one would be a high crime. (not that it would function for them. Maybe anyone attempting to use a charm that isn't a family member causes the controlled ancestor to attack the offending person.) Each new family get's their first bone charm free...so if Igg and Ook get married...years later, when grandpa Igg kicks the bucket, he's raised as a skeleton/zombie and becomes that families first ancestor servant (or what ever they're to be called) and a bit of his bone is used to make the charm. After that when grandma Ook shuffles off the mortal coil the family can make a substantial donation to the "church" to have her raised and a charm made for/from her as well.


Summon Undead spells would be a way that various folks would temporarily gain the help of the ancestors, as well. Does anyone think that dread Necromancers would not fit in this society? Would they be a lesser holy man, per se? Perhaps they would not be liked as much, or maybe they would be liked more. After all, the established necromancers learn their craft; the Dread Necromancer gets it intuitively.

Perhaps you could have a hierarchy of priesthood, with the true necromancers at the top and shaman novices at the bottom (Well technically the Lich counsel would be at the tippy top but they would be more like the Roman Emperor version of "divinity"). The Dread Necromancer's could be revered as holy men when encountered but I wouldn't have any in the actual society (so any PC D.N. could reap some benefits (perhaps the reason the society is willing to help them)) or any other NPC's around...make them super rare (or just rule them out all together).


This will be a very tolerant society, not prone to warfare unless they have to defend themselves. Non-expansionist, but not pacifists, either. The few attempts to take them over have met with armies of the dead marshalling to this kingdoms(?) defense.

Liches with restraint...interesting concept lol.


Also, this kingdom (no, I haven't named it, yet) is a coastal kingdom, and they are on the end of the discovered lands, for the most part. There are other known kingdoms beyond them, but they are very far away, and even more exotic.

So again probably modeling them a bit on Hatian vodou with a bit of Thai/Cambodian culture (such as the Khmer Loeu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Loeu))* thrown in for good measure (the spirits of the Khmer Loeu could easily be the spirits of the ancestors). Being in the jungle, on the coast they probably would only have one or two largish cities..building anything large in the jungle is a pain, even with magic. I would suggest having many small villages on the rivers and lakes with a Necromancer and a couple of attending shaman initiates providing guidance, both secular and spiritual. The few major cities could be ruled by a Lich "prince", much after the fashion of the Italian city states, and each "prince" would sit on the counsel that governed the "kingdom".

*
Highland tribal groups, most with their own local religious systems, probably number fewer than 100,000 persons. The Khmer Loeu have been loosely described as animists, but most tribal groups have their own pantheon of local spirits. In general they see their world filled with various invisible spirits (often called yang), some benevolent, others malevolent. They associate spirits with rice, soil, water, fire, stones, paths, and so forth. Sorcerers or specialists in each village contact these spirits and prescribe ways to appease them. In times of crisis or change, animal sacrifices may be made to placate the anger of the spirits. Illness is often believed to be caused by evil spirits or sorcerers. Some tribes have special medicine men or shamans who treat the sick. In addition to belief in spirits, villagers believe in taboos on many objects or practices. Among the Khmer Loeu, the Rhade and Jarai groups have a well-developed hierarchy of spirits with a supreme ruler at its head.
Although most Cambodians adhere to Buddhism or the other main religious groups like Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, there is a strong belief in guardian spirits of the ancestors, Neak Tha, Yeay Mao and many others.


you could do bog mummies it takes a lot less technological know how then Egyptian mummies and works in a wet environment the only thing is you are kinda making an investment because only the older bodies will be usable.

Actually you could use Bog Drowned (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Drowned_(4e_Creature)) instead...cheaper, easier to create, and the attacking army could then be "recycled" and become your reinforcements/new recruits.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

So, this society comes more and more together.

This is going to be an island society instead of coastal. However, the islands in question will be Haiti sized, so there not small islands.

The normal way of life for these folks is small villages, and each island will have the Lich Prince running it. there are five large islands in all, with several, say 20 or so, smaller islands around them, making for an archipelago.

There is only one Small City in the entire kingdom, and it is the political and learning center for the kingdom. Even on the other islands, the Prince will be in a relatively small village.

One of the decisions I have come up with for the cultural strangeness is they don not bury the dead. When someone dies, instead of a funeral, they have a raising. This is a time of celebration instead of mourning, so the players should be confused when someone dies, and the people start rejoicing.

The body is laid in state, and either a necromancer is called, or, if the family is well to do or very lucky, the prince will come and raise the dead in whatever most powerful form of undead they can. As the most common necromancers around are low level, this will usually mean a skeleton or zombie. Then a charm is keyed to the newly arisen, and the charm to control it given to the head of the family of the deceased choice.

The very lucky will get an incorporeal undead, as then a lesser necromancer can use the remains for another, corporeal undead. In this case, the incorporeal undead is considered the spirit of the deceased, and the corporeal is inhabited with the spirit of a more ancient ancestor.

Some of the wealthiest and most influential families will have generations of ancestors still working and serving the family's interests.

So, skeletons would be far more common then zombies, mostly because zombies stink. LOL! After that, you have some wights, ghouls, shadows, wraiths, dread wraiths, and other undead. I am not so sure they would make mummies, though. I think they would focus on the ones that can be made fairly quickly.

I am kicking around the idea of Bone Creature Template creatures instead of skeletons. Basically, the undead they make out of their ancestors would moslty be intelligent. I want to steer away from the undead that feed on the living, though... So maybe not so much on th wights...

[Mutazoia]

One of the decisions I have come up with for the cultural strangeness is they don not bury the dead. When someone dies, instead of a funeral, they have a raising. This is a time of celebration instead of mourning, so the players should be confused when someone dies, and the people start rejoicing.

So now we're adding a New Orleans jazz funeral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_pOf1QHDY) into the mix :smallwink:


I am kicking around the idea of Bone Creature Template creatures instead of skeletons.

You could always use the old Bone Golems (http://www.dotd.com/mm/MM00141.htm)*
And while your at it use the Flesh Golems (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Flesh_Golem) instead of Zombies

But if you start doing that the whole necromatic flavor of the society starts getting diluted..

* There's a 3.0 conversion HERE (http://www.pandius.com/bnegolem.html)

[Balyano]

For longevity use ohaguro. Ferment fruit juice to alcohol, then make vinegar. Soak iron fillings in vinegar. Combine with vegetable tannins. The water insoluble result is a black glaze that can be applied to the bones, as well as the teeth of the living. It acts as a sealant and prevents decomposition of the skeletons and cavities for those still alive.

As for cannibalism being evil there are two main forms of non-starvation related cannibalism found in human societies. One form is evil and involves eating your enemies to dehumanize them/gain their power/ect. The other involves eating your dead loved ones and is mostly found in jungle environments, those natives are horrified by the idea that you could allow your loved ones to putrefy into a stinking maggot filled mess. (too wet an area to reliably build funeral pyres.)

[Fouredged Sword]

I think that the liches should be muted presences on the islands. They are separate from the rest of the society. They are around, but don't take a hand in the day to day of the island. They leave that to the elder councils and sages of the island to do while under the guidance of the ghosts of the ancestors. The liches should be the ancient sages that aspiring dread necromancers seek out to learn lost arts and histories.

Revered and deferred to, but more worshiped than followed.

Another idea is that warriors could deliberately allow a ghost to possess them. I would be tempted to refluff the fiend of possession class for incorporeal undead rather than demons.

[Balyano]

Perhaps liches are revered sages. Perhaps barbarians rage by having ghosts possess them.

[Fouredged Sword]

There should be whole bloodlines who have tomb tainted souls. These individuals are considered touched by the ancestors and destined for the path of the necromancer. They are worthy of the power that the dead wield, so it heals them instead of harming like it does to the unworthy.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

Good ideas! I like the rage being possessed by the ancestors. maybe the substitution for rage in UA would be more appropriate?

As for the Liches, they are the Big Dogs of government, and don't deal with the day to day stuff. Most of the time, they are teaching new necromancers the art. But when something comes up that would affect the entire kingdom, they are the final authority. They CAN overrule any lower government official, but this is rarely done; for the most part, the local village chief is the final word about local problems, and the princes of the individual islands and the surrounding smaller islands deal with territory wide issues. They, too, teach the new necromancers for most of the time.

But the liches are far more common here, as well. Most of the necromancers that attain the right levels become liches themselves, usually with the help of the other liches. So, seeing a group of liches wandering around town isn't unheard of, and WAY more common then other parts of the world.