|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| - | ==The Stone Lair (Kobolds)==
| + | [[Crucible:Kobolds|Kobolds] |
| - | According to commonly held historical views, the Stone Lair is the second state to be created, shortly after the Orcs got one. Sheltered by the mighty peaks of the Greyjaw mountains, the Stone Lair civilization formed as an alliance of individual warrens ruled by a patriarch loosely subject to the Supreme Matron. These positions can be quick to change hands due to various violent reasons, so to maintain the appearance of an uninterrupted royal presence, each patriarch wears metallic armour of a unique colour. The Matron’s armour is said to be an elaborate iridescent pearl design that represents her dominion over all the colours. As only patriarchs are permitted to even know the location of the Matron’s warren, very few kobolds, and no outsiders, have seen her in person.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | A patriarch is required to maintain a royal guard of at least fifty master swordsmen, and a contingent of spellcasters that make up the administrative branch of the patriarchy. Typically, a patriarch will also command several legions of warriors, depending on the patriarchy’s budget and the necessity of such a force.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | A new patriarchy can be formed by either a binding decree from a Matron or a coalition of patriarchs that willingly pledge some of their soldiers and citizens to form the royal guard and administrative office of the new settlement. The prospective patriarch must, however, pay for his own armour and construction labour, and so must be extremely wealthy in addition to his talent.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | Until recently, the Stone Lair was the only nation without a southern frontier, as they were cut off from development in that direction first by the terrain and then by the dwarves. That, combined with the strength of the Lair’s warrior caste, guarantees stability for the lower classes of koboldkind (and whatever other races – usually gnomes and dwarves – choose to live in the Lair). Anyone with any connection to the nobility, however, is soon drawn into a subtle war, with patriarchs jockeying for position, wealth, and influence against one another, as well as against neighbouring states. The losers of this struggle that are deemed likely to make a comeback are rarely killed or imprisoned, but either exiled or posted to the Tail.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | The Greyjaws are both a blessing and a curse to the kobolds. While their narrow passes and treacherous slopes deter any would-be attackers, the high altitude and cold climate of the mountains has always made food difficult to find. Kobolds developed advanced weaponry largely as a result of this scarcity, climbing up the food chain with impeccably constructed hunting tools. It is said that skilled weaponsmiths became the first patriarchs, gathering warriors to them with the promise of the best tools with which to fight. <br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | The Lair has mostly good relations with orcs, going back to their shared history. Orc shipping along Clearwater Lake and Silver River provides the Lair with a lifeline of trade and markets for its rich natural resources and locally produced weapons. They are less friendly with the elves, admiring their crafts but being generally distrustful of their lack of organization. They have no problem with gnomes, as they have no sovereign territory, and even permit them into positions of authority, as the gnomes don’t play the kobold game of power. Kobolds see dwarves as manufacturing and trade rivals and often try to undermine their mining operations, and view humans as immature savages.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ====Adventuring in the Stone Lair====
| + | |
| - | There are few monsters in the region, and it is exceedingly difficult to so much as draw a weapon without having to get eleven different permits first. There is, however, demand for pawns to be used in the political game. Mercenaries, especially non-kobold ones, are often kept on retainer for an indefinite length of time, after which they receive orders to go and do a seemingly inconsequential thing without being told why. Those adept in social graces, on the other hand, will find it more profitable to enter the game as players instead of pieces. Alliances with other players are possible as long as you only seek to obtain resources, but the moment someone thinks you're making a grab for power, prepare to meet some of the mercenaries from earlier in this paragraph.
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ===Stone Lair Culture===
| + | |
| - | '''Casus Belli:''' A method of planning initially developed by kobold nobles to draft attacks on elven and human holdings turned into a game after a general peace was reached, and embraced by many of the other races (including the very same elves). Over time, it has developed into a competition of historical knowledge as well as strategy, and includes complicated combinations of cards, pieces and dice.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | Play requires at least two parties of any size. Every round, each member makes three of the following checks (chosen by party consensus), and the party uses the highest result in each: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty), Sense Motive, Survival. If the party got the highest result for that skill, they gain a token (unchallenged rolls must still exceed DC11 + the number of objectives). Subsequently, parties may use the tokens they have to make double blind bids. The winning bidder gets to claim an objective on the board. It is possible to take an already claimed objective, but you must win the bid by more than the objective’s bid was originally won by. Once all objectives are gone, the game ends.
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ==The Tail (Kobolds)==
| + | |
| - | Nominally a colony of the Stone Lair, the Tail is a small stretch of land in the Greyjaw mountains bordered by the Deeplands to the north and frontier land to the south. Though it is ruled by a patriarch, he is not expected to remain in contact with his equals in the Lair due to the foreign lands separating the two. Etiquette demands that he make no attempt, allegedly because of risking intelligence leaks but in actuality because the leadership of the Stone Lair uses the Tail as a dumping ground for dissidents more than anything else. The Tail is formally known as the White Patriarchy, both for the colour of its patriarch’s armour and the snow that blankets the area most of the time.
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | Rivers to the east and west allow the Tail to maintain trade with humans, dwarves, and orcs, and thereby ensure a continued survival of the colony. Racial prejudice is all but forgotten in the face of adversity, and for this reason, the Tail is the best springboard for an expedition into the unexplored South due to its considerable goblin population. Likewise, there is no tolerance for the political games of the Stone Lair here, and few even make the attempt, because being even the patriarch of the Tail is not worthy of very much respect by the standards of the Lair.<br>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ====Adventuring in the Tail====
| + | |
| - | Dragons and goblins are a constant source of problems for the local administration, which is generally much more open about its affairs than the Stone Lair's various patriarchies are. There is very little crime here, mostly because there is nothing to steal. It is understood that trade is the lifeblood of the Tail, and all efforts that do not go towards fighting off monsters from the south go into securing trade routes, scouting for new trade routes, arranging more trade, reclaiming lost supplies, and more trade-related things.
| + | |
| | | | |
| | ==The Great Host (Orcs)== | | ==The Great Host (Orcs)== |
