NRSASD
2018-09-26, 08:31 AM
Context:
Eons ago, before humanity came out of their caves and looked up at the stars, there were the Masters. They were split into two species: one reptilian, one avian. For a long time they grew and prospered, reaching heights unrivaled in written history. They shaped land and sea to suit their needs, bent the winds to their will, and forged dozens of avian and reptilian species to serve them.
Alas, all things must come to an end.The reptilian Masters separated from their avian counterparts and a war unlike any other began. New species and weapons were unleashed, leading to catastrophic and global devastation. At long last, after centuries of warfare, the war drew to a close. A peace treaty was signed, disarmament deals were agreed, and it seemed that peace would resume.
One avian general, known as the Raptor, refused to abide by the agreement. He had lost both friends and family to the war, and this peace left his thirst for revenge unsatisfied. Just as important a concern was the fate of his weapons, the Kenku. According to the terms, all species created by the Masters during the war had to be exterminated. The Masters saw their servant races as little more than weapons and tools, but the Raptor felt an unexpected sense of kinship with them. He had created them in his image and he would not let his children be murdered without a fight.
And so the Raptor rallied several like-minded leaders to his cause and restarted the war once again. The conflict was short, but the costs were extremely high. Millions died, but in the end the Raptor was apprehended. He was found guilty of treason and had his soul stripped from him, divided and scattered across the world. His spirit was bound to the Well of Souls, the entrance to the afterlife where all souls go, so he could watch over the entire world but be powerless to interfere.
His beloved Kenku suffered a worse fate. While the Raptor's rebellion had swayed the Masters to reconsider their policy of extermination, that they did owe something to their client species, they wanted to punish the Raptor as severely as possible. For as long as the Raptor would remain bound to the Well of Souls, the entire Kenku species would be cursed. They would be skilled mimics and diligent workers, but completely unable to refuse any request made of them. They would lack any spark of creativity, or any taste of ambition. As long as the Raptor remained separated from his divided soul, the Kenku would continue to be a slave race while all others were free.
The Situation:
Our party has managed to unite the Raptor's soul fragments, and we're not sure what to do. We can either hand over the soul directly to the Raptor, which will release him from his torment; or we can cast the soul down the Well, which will obliterate him. Either way, the curse on the Kenku will be lifted. Given that our party has both a Kenku and a Lizardfolk, there's been a fair amount of contention. Should we release a genocidal millennia-old war criminal? One who sacrificed absolutely everything to protect our friend's species?
What would you do?
Bonus points: What alignment is the Raptor? Does it even correlate to the grid?
Eons ago, before humanity came out of their caves and looked up at the stars, there were the Masters. They were split into two species: one reptilian, one avian. For a long time they grew and prospered, reaching heights unrivaled in written history. They shaped land and sea to suit their needs, bent the winds to their will, and forged dozens of avian and reptilian species to serve them.
Alas, all things must come to an end.The reptilian Masters separated from their avian counterparts and a war unlike any other began. New species and weapons were unleashed, leading to catastrophic and global devastation. At long last, after centuries of warfare, the war drew to a close. A peace treaty was signed, disarmament deals were agreed, and it seemed that peace would resume.
One avian general, known as the Raptor, refused to abide by the agreement. He had lost both friends and family to the war, and this peace left his thirst for revenge unsatisfied. Just as important a concern was the fate of his weapons, the Kenku. According to the terms, all species created by the Masters during the war had to be exterminated. The Masters saw their servant races as little more than weapons and tools, but the Raptor felt an unexpected sense of kinship with them. He had created them in his image and he would not let his children be murdered without a fight.
And so the Raptor rallied several like-minded leaders to his cause and restarted the war once again. The conflict was short, but the costs were extremely high. Millions died, but in the end the Raptor was apprehended. He was found guilty of treason and had his soul stripped from him, divided and scattered across the world. His spirit was bound to the Well of Souls, the entrance to the afterlife where all souls go, so he could watch over the entire world but be powerless to interfere.
His beloved Kenku suffered a worse fate. While the Raptor's rebellion had swayed the Masters to reconsider their policy of extermination, that they did owe something to their client species, they wanted to punish the Raptor as severely as possible. For as long as the Raptor would remain bound to the Well of Souls, the entire Kenku species would be cursed. They would be skilled mimics and diligent workers, but completely unable to refuse any request made of them. They would lack any spark of creativity, or any taste of ambition. As long as the Raptor remained separated from his divided soul, the Kenku would continue to be a slave race while all others were free.
The Situation:
Our party has managed to unite the Raptor's soul fragments, and we're not sure what to do. We can either hand over the soul directly to the Raptor, which will release him from his torment; or we can cast the soul down the Well, which will obliterate him. Either way, the curse on the Kenku will be lifted. Given that our party has both a Kenku and a Lizardfolk, there's been a fair amount of contention. Should we release a genocidal millennia-old war criminal? One who sacrificed absolutely everything to protect our friend's species?
What would you do?
Bonus points: What alignment is the Raptor? Does it even correlate to the grid?