Jon_Dahl
2018-11-03, 04:43 PM
I would like to get your suggestions and opinions about the following idea that I have had.
A long long time ago, before the human civilizations, there was a shaman who had powerful dreams and she was able to train herself to control her dreams. She used these dreams to heal people. She slept close to a person who was mentally or physically sick. The sickness was personified in her dreams and then she slew this persona, which cured the person. Eventually people's jealousy drove her to become a hermit and she started to live in a mountain cave. People often came to her to seek help and she always helped everyone, until one night she tried to cure a schizophrenic child. The persona was too strong for her and she was enslaved by the persona, which severed her mind from her body. The mother fled the cave with her child and sadly they weren't able to descent the mountain ridge alive. After the bodies of the mother and child were found, no one dared to visit the shaman or even mention her name.
Shaman's body has rotten away a long time ago and her bones have turned to dust, but her enslaved spirit and the schizophrenia persona still exist in that cave. The persona, with the help of its slave, is willing slay the mind of anyone who sleeps in that cave. One mountain trekker, a friend of the PCs' friend, found the cave. He had to return because he was out of water, but he asked people to come with him and see the cave, because it had some marvelous cave paintings. No one wanted to go. He went to examine the cave and he spent hours interpreting the cave paintings, which told stories about people who had dreamed and healed. He made lots of insightful notes. He slept in the cave and died in his sleep, despite the fact that he was a fairly young man. Now the PCs' friend sends the PCs to find out what has happened to the man. The truth must be uncovered and if someone killed him, then justice must be served.
But what happens if the PCs sleep in the cave? What game mechanics should I use? Any ideas?
(Sorry if the world-building or homebrew forums had been better choices. I thought about it but decided to send it here because this is very much 3.5 specific.)
A long long time ago, before the human civilizations, there was a shaman who had powerful dreams and she was able to train herself to control her dreams. She used these dreams to heal people. She slept close to a person who was mentally or physically sick. The sickness was personified in her dreams and then she slew this persona, which cured the person. Eventually people's jealousy drove her to become a hermit and she started to live in a mountain cave. People often came to her to seek help and she always helped everyone, until one night she tried to cure a schizophrenic child. The persona was too strong for her and she was enslaved by the persona, which severed her mind from her body. The mother fled the cave with her child and sadly they weren't able to descent the mountain ridge alive. After the bodies of the mother and child were found, no one dared to visit the shaman or even mention her name.
Shaman's body has rotten away a long time ago and her bones have turned to dust, but her enslaved spirit and the schizophrenia persona still exist in that cave. The persona, with the help of its slave, is willing slay the mind of anyone who sleeps in that cave. One mountain trekker, a friend of the PCs' friend, found the cave. He had to return because he was out of water, but he asked people to come with him and see the cave, because it had some marvelous cave paintings. No one wanted to go. He went to examine the cave and he spent hours interpreting the cave paintings, which told stories about people who had dreamed and healed. He made lots of insightful notes. He slept in the cave and died in his sleep, despite the fact that he was a fairly young man. Now the PCs' friend sends the PCs to find out what has happened to the man. The truth must be uncovered and if someone killed him, then justice must be served.
But what happens if the PCs sleep in the cave? What game mechanics should I use? Any ideas?
(Sorry if the world-building or homebrew forums had been better choices. I thought about it but decided to send it here because this is very much 3.5 specific.)