Serpentine
2008-05-31, 02:08 AM
Is this okay? We've got ourselves a nice little item, the previous owner of which parted with it in a somewhat dramatic manner, and I'd quite like to do something cool with it. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time on my hands at the moment, and I keep changing my mind on what direction I want to take it... So! I humbly request/arrogantly challenge someone to make it for me?
Background
Captain Bezzne was an Abeil soldier in command of a jungle outpost, a hive-fort. It was her first position of authority, and it became quickly apparent to her that she wasn't cut out for leadership. She worked well in a structured environment, as a second-in-command or lower, where someone else made the decisions and she just made sure they happened. She did not cope well in a crisis. And a crisis came swiftly to her new post.
She was just barely finding her feet when the fort began losing contact with the settlements it was meant to service. Refugees started to trickle in, telling of waves of ordinary army ants pouring into the villages and leaving noone alive who didn't flee at first sight. Reports started to come in of travellers trying to leave the area being attacked by giant ants, and she ordered that all travellers be detained for their own safety. Nomadic merchants were extremely unhappy with this precautionary step, and added their angst to her already frazzled nerves. Afraid and helpless, she withdrew from the Abeil hive-mind, worrying her soldiers even more.
Finally, as the last stragglers fleeing from the last settlement limped into the fort, a raggamuffin band of adventurers arrived. They brought with them a plan, and she gratefully bowed before their confidence as word came that a hoard of insects had been seen heading towards the fort, the last bastion of defense left within weeks.
The wanderers' plan worked, and the waves of giant and normal ants were driven back... Into the waiting arms of their Vermin Lord master. The slaughter it dealt was swift and brutal. Two of the adventurers were downed in seconds, and a third braved the whirling blade and poisonous tail to grab them out. Bezzne, seeing that the day was lost, urged them to see to the refugees and to escape with them through a secret tunnel.
Confident that her charges were as safe as could be, she opened her mind to her comrades once more and rallied them to the last stand, hopeful only that their sacrifice would be enough to save as many innocent lives as possible. The Vermin Lord had to cut her completely to pieces before she finally succumbed, and took her armour as a proud trophy of a determined foe.
The Item
Medium-sized Masterwork bone breastplate. I haven't thought too much on its material or history, so that's plentily flexible.
The Creation
When the gnome Detected Magic on it after the final fall of the Vermin Lord, she saw a sudden flare of divine magic settle into the breastplate as Bezzne's soul entered it upon the death of her slayer.
I would like it to be a Legacy Item. I think her death works pretty well as the founding of a legacy. In our game, we're a bit flexible with Legacy Items. For example, we're not terribly fond of the RAW costs (it costs a bloody lot of money just to use it), so custom-make fluffier ones for each one. We're still working these out, but one example would be the rogue's rapier, shadowspark. It's dedicated to the drow goddess Eilestrae (sp?), and so any time Nuturion has an opportunity to, he must do everything in his power to help such drow as wish to leave the Underdark and the evil drow society. Sooo... yeah, feel free to make up whatever for that. I'll probably tweak it as necessary, but we all have a lot of trouble coming up with anything anyway.
Some things the breastplate should/could emphasise are bravery, sacrifice, defense, strength (inner and outer), honour, courage... That sort of thing.
Another possibility is that it could be intelligent. For the sake of ease of DMing, a non-talky one would be best, but even a talky one could just be quiet - especially one with the Id of someone who always preferred to work in the background. Either way's fine, though.
If it matters at all, Bezzne was Lawful Good.
Hmm... I think that's all the detail I can think of. Let me know if you want to know any more... Thanks in advance for thoughts/ideas/designs :smallsmile:
Background
Captain Bezzne was an Abeil soldier in command of a jungle outpost, a hive-fort. It was her first position of authority, and it became quickly apparent to her that she wasn't cut out for leadership. She worked well in a structured environment, as a second-in-command or lower, where someone else made the decisions and she just made sure they happened. She did not cope well in a crisis. And a crisis came swiftly to her new post.
She was just barely finding her feet when the fort began losing contact with the settlements it was meant to service. Refugees started to trickle in, telling of waves of ordinary army ants pouring into the villages and leaving noone alive who didn't flee at first sight. Reports started to come in of travellers trying to leave the area being attacked by giant ants, and she ordered that all travellers be detained for their own safety. Nomadic merchants were extremely unhappy with this precautionary step, and added their angst to her already frazzled nerves. Afraid and helpless, she withdrew from the Abeil hive-mind, worrying her soldiers even more.
Finally, as the last stragglers fleeing from the last settlement limped into the fort, a raggamuffin band of adventurers arrived. They brought with them a plan, and she gratefully bowed before their confidence as word came that a hoard of insects had been seen heading towards the fort, the last bastion of defense left within weeks.
The wanderers' plan worked, and the waves of giant and normal ants were driven back... Into the waiting arms of their Vermin Lord master. The slaughter it dealt was swift and brutal. Two of the adventurers were downed in seconds, and a third braved the whirling blade and poisonous tail to grab them out. Bezzne, seeing that the day was lost, urged them to see to the refugees and to escape with them through a secret tunnel.
Confident that her charges were as safe as could be, she opened her mind to her comrades once more and rallied them to the last stand, hopeful only that their sacrifice would be enough to save as many innocent lives as possible. The Vermin Lord had to cut her completely to pieces before she finally succumbed, and took her armour as a proud trophy of a determined foe.
The Item
Medium-sized Masterwork bone breastplate. I haven't thought too much on its material or history, so that's plentily flexible.
The Creation
When the gnome Detected Magic on it after the final fall of the Vermin Lord, she saw a sudden flare of divine magic settle into the breastplate as Bezzne's soul entered it upon the death of her slayer.
I would like it to be a Legacy Item. I think her death works pretty well as the founding of a legacy. In our game, we're a bit flexible with Legacy Items. For example, we're not terribly fond of the RAW costs (it costs a bloody lot of money just to use it), so custom-make fluffier ones for each one. We're still working these out, but one example would be the rogue's rapier, shadowspark. It's dedicated to the drow goddess Eilestrae (sp?), and so any time Nuturion has an opportunity to, he must do everything in his power to help such drow as wish to leave the Underdark and the evil drow society. Sooo... yeah, feel free to make up whatever for that. I'll probably tweak it as necessary, but we all have a lot of trouble coming up with anything anyway.
Some things the breastplate should/could emphasise are bravery, sacrifice, defense, strength (inner and outer), honour, courage... That sort of thing.
Another possibility is that it could be intelligent. For the sake of ease of DMing, a non-talky one would be best, but even a talky one could just be quiet - especially one with the Id of someone who always preferred to work in the background. Either way's fine, though.
If it matters at all, Bezzne was Lawful Good.
Hmm... I think that's all the detail I can think of. Let me know if you want to know any more... Thanks in advance for thoughts/ideas/designs :smallsmile: