Banewarrens - Revision history

imported>Administrator: 12 revisions imported

2023-06-17T21:53:48Z

12 revisions imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:53, 17 June 2023
(No difference)

1d4chan>Zimriel at 01:54, 21 December 2020

2020-12-21T01:54:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:54, 21 December 2020
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	Herein, Donaldson's "bane" concept: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.		Herein, Donaldson's "bane" concept: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.

	One enterprising paladin named Danar figured~~, derrrp~~, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots to go along with his inane scheme, and thus the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".		One enterprising paladin named Danar [[derp\|figured]], let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots to go along with his inane scheme, and thus the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".

	The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.		The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.
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	Uh oh.		Uh oh.

			{{spoilers}}
	==The Plot==		==The Plot==
	The story starts when a bane gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then investigates some of the tamer Banewarrens where they can find more banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the unfinished edge of the system, perhaps because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.		The story starts when a bane gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then investigates some of the tamer Banewarrens where they can find more banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the unfinished edge of the system, perhaps because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.
Line 23:		Line 24:
	But in the meantime other factions get interested. Demon-touched House Vladaam, and the Pactlords of the Quaan who KILL ALL HUMANS, each covet the banes for themselves. Also involved are the Inverted Pyramid who research magic, and the Church of Lothian - although their motives are opposite from what one might think: the Pyramid want it all locked away again, to which the Church says ''noli modo'' until it first retrieves some ancient sword that Malkith stole. So the players' party need to explore the ruins before anyone undeserving gets there first.		But in the meantime other factions get interested. Demon-touched House Vladaam, and the Pactlords of the Quaan who KILL ALL HUMANS, each covet the banes for themselves. Also involved are the Inverted Pyramid who research magic, and the Church of Lothian - although their motives are opposite from what one might think: the Pyramid want it all locked away again, to which the Church says ''noli modo'' until it first retrieves some ancient sword that Malkith stole. So the players' party need to explore the ruins before anyone undeserving gets there first.

	Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the ''Eldritch Might'' line. ~~Leading up~~ to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.		Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the [first 2/3 of the] ''[[Eldritch Might]]'' line. This led to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.

			A side note on the Quaan, that universal-studio club of old-school TSR monsters like [[yuan-ti]] and [[beholder]]s and [[illithid]]s. Some might ask, how did Monte get away with it; more might ask, ''why did he want to''. For this, keep in mind - Ptolus and the 'Warrens were how Monte and his pals got their side of Third Edition tested ''in the first place''. The reason such trademarked content got here, is that WotC paid Monte to bring them here. When Monte went solo was before the Hasbro takeover; WotC was still pretty chill, so Monte got to keep the monsters. But apparently only if they were in the context they were playtested in, which was the Quaan. So... enjoy them in the spirit of a 3e tester. Or hell, you're the DM; just swap out the Quaan for something that makes ecological sense.

	==Reception==		==Reception==

1d4chan>Zimriel: /* The Exposition */

2020-12-09T17:44:52Z

The Exposition

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 9 December 2020
Line 4:		Line 4:
	Ptolus is on the world Praemal, a prison-planet for eeevil like the world of ''[[Midnight]]'' and, more to the point, the Land in Stephen R Donaldson's ''Thomas Covenant'' series. As such, should something Bad get in Praemal or ''form'' in here, the locals cannot fling the dead cat into some other plane's yard. Destroying the Bad would, if Bad enough, let loose Bad energies which might just spread Bad around, to infect something else.		Ptolus is on the world Praemal, a prison-planet for eeevil like the world of ''[[Midnight]]'' and, more to the point, the Land in Stephen R Donaldson's ''Thomas Covenant'' series. As such, should something Bad get in Praemal or ''form'' in here, the locals cannot fling the dead cat into some other plane's yard. Destroying the Bad would, if Bad enough, let loose Bad energies which might just spread Bad around, to infect something else.

	~~Thus~~, Donaldson's ~~concept of the~~ "bane" ~~entered here~~: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.		Herein, Donaldson's "bane" concept: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.

	One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots to go along with ~~the~~ inane ~~plot~~, and thus the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".		One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots to go along with his inane scheme, and thus the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".

	The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.		The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.
Line 12:		Line 12:
	There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.		There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.

	There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over ~~10000~~ in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.		There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 8000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the [[Elder Evil]] thereof.

	Oh, and ''The Banewarrens''' last chapter and the near-last part of the penultimate chapter ''do'' allow the party to bugger right off this prison for some other plane. Probably, again, because Monte hadn't finished; he'll throw some provisos around these exits in ''Ptolus'', 61-2. By that point, the party is in a concentration of baneful might - so the DM might allow it anyway. They'll probably end up in a demon's S&M dungeon, and back home the Galchutt stand a good chance of learning about the exit.		Oh, and ''The Banewarrens''' last chapter and the near-last part of the penultimate chapter ''do'' allow the party to bugger right off this prison for some other plane. Probably, again, because Monte hadn't finished; he'll throw some provisos around these exits in ''Ptolus'', 61-2. By that point, the party is in a concentration of baneful might - so the DM might allow it anyway. They'll probably end up in a demon's S&M dungeon, and back home the eeevil - the Galchutt - stand a good chance of learning about the exit.

	Uh oh.		Uh oh.

73.109.62.231: /* The Exposition */

2020-09-24T09:23:56Z

The Exposition

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:23, 24 September 2020
Line 6:		Line 6:
	Thus, Donaldson's concept of the "bane" entered here: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.		Thus, Donaldson's concept of the "bane" entered here: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.

	One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots ~~that~~ the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".		One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots to go along with the inane plot, and thus the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".

	The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.		The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.

1d4chan>Zimriel: /* The Exposition */

2020-06-05T21:50:58Z

The Exposition

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:50, 5 June 2020
Line 14:		Line 14:
	There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.		There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.

	Oh, and ''The Banewarrens''' last chapter and the near-last part of the penultimate chapter ''do'' allow the party to bugger right off this prison for some other plane. Probably, again, because Monte hadn't finished. ~~But by~~ that point, ~~they're~~ in a concentration of baneful might - so the DM ~~should~~ allow it anyway. They'll probably end up in a demon's S&M dungeon.		Oh, and ''The Banewarrens''' last chapter and the near-last part of the penultimate chapter ''do'' allow the party to bugger right off this prison for some other plane. Probably, again, because Monte hadn't finished; he'll throw some provisos around these exits in ''Ptolus'', 61-2. By that point, the party is in a concentration of baneful might - so the DM might allow it anyway. They'll probably end up in a demon's S&M dungeon, and back home the Galchutt stand a good chance of learning about the exit.

			Uh oh.

	==The Plot==		==The Plot==

1d4chan>Zimriel: /* The Exposition */

2020-06-05T21:25:47Z

The Exposition

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:25, 5 June 2020
Line 8:		Line 8:
	One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots that the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".		One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots that the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".

	The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.)		The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.) The sequence of events is contested: ''Ptolus'' says Spire first then Malkith, as here; ''The Banewarrens'' in reverse.

	There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.		There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.

	There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.		There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.

			Oh, and ''The Banewarrens''' last chapter and the near-last part of the penultimate chapter ''do'' allow the party to bugger right off this prison for some other plane. Probably, again, because Monte hadn't finished. But by that point, they're in a concentration of baneful might - so the DM should allow it anyway. They'll probably end up in a demon's S&M dungeon.

	==The Plot==		==The Plot==

1d4chan>Zimriel at 12:37, 5 June 2020

2020-06-05T12:37:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:37, 5 June 2020
Line 6:		Line 6:
	Thus, Donaldson's concept of the "bane" entered here: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.		Thus, Donaldson's concept of the "bane" entered here: it's something Bad that you haven't the time and will to flush down whatever toilet passes for Mount Doom here. It's magical nuclear-waste.

	One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots that the Banewarrens were born. The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire~~. The banes meanwhile were seeping their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network in a "banemight"~~. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping ~~this~~ in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.)		One enterprising paladin named Danar figured, derrrp, let's sweep all this Bad under a thick magical rug and lock it up with magical wards. And let's do this under my own castle, Mosul Pearl. Danar convinced enough idiots that the Banewarrens were born. But then the banes seeped their maleficent energies throughout the cavern-network, interconnecting into a "Banemight".

			The Earth herself cried out in pain (metaphorically) and tried to eject all this crap (literally), but Danar's wards were too good so it all rose up in an unnatural spire. Danar's wards did pretty well at keeping the Banemight in, too... until it started trickling into Planes Man Was Not Meant To Know. Danar was seduced by these forces and became a bane himself, Eslathagos Malkith; his castle got renamed "Jabel Shammar" like the badlands of Saudi Arabia. (Why all the Arabic? Monte probably just thought it sounded cool.)

	There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.		There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.

1d4chan>The Hat That Was at 12:36, 5 June 2020

2020-06-05T12:36:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:36, 5 June 2020
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The '''Banewarrens''' are the dungeons honeycombing the lower part of the Spire at [[Ptolus]]. They feature in Monte Cook's d20-system (''i.e'', 3e [[Dungeons & Dragons]]) adventure of that name, WW16111. They're the reason Ptolus even exists.		The '''Banewarrens''' are the dungeons honeycombing the lower part of the Spire in [[Ptolus]]. They feature in Monte Cook's d20-system (''i.e'', 3e [[Dungeons & Dragons]]) adventure of that name, WW16111. They're the reason Ptolus even exists.

	=The Exposition=		==The Exposition==
	Ptolus is on the world Praemal, a prison-planet for eeevil like the world of ''[[Midnight]]'' and, more to the point, the Land in Stephen R Donaldson's ''Thomas Covenant'' series. As such, should something Bad get in Praemal or ''form'' in here, the locals cannot fling the dead cat into some other plane's yard. Destroying the Bad would, if Bad enough, let loose Bad energies which might just spread Bad around, to infect something else.		Ptolus is on the world Praemal, a prison-planet for eeevil like the world of ''[[Midnight]]'' and, more to the point, the Land in Stephen R Donaldson's ''Thomas Covenant'' series. As such, should something Bad get in Praemal or ''form'' in here, the locals cannot fling the dead cat into some other plane's yard. Destroying the Bad would, if Bad enough, let loose Bad energies which might just spread Bad around, to infect something else.

Line 12:		Line 12:
	There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.		There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.

	=The Plot=		==The Plot==
	The story starts when a bane gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then investigates some of the tamer Banewarrens where they can find more banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the unfinished edge of the system, perhaps because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.		The story starts when a bane gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then investigates some of the tamer Banewarrens where they can find more banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the unfinished edge of the system, perhaps because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.

Line 19:		Line 19:
	Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the ''Eldritch Might'' line. Leading up to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.		Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the ''Eldritch Might'' line. Leading up to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.

	=Reception=		==Reception==
	The module sold. Lots of people played it; there was a whole forum on Malhavoc's site dedicated to it. It's agreed as a classic, one of the best modules in the 3e / d20 line up there with Necromancer's ''[[Rappan Athuk]]''. Because it sold, Monte expanded the lore of the city into what's the ''Ptolus'' tome today.		The module sold. Lots of people played it; there was a whole forum on Malhavoc's site dedicated to it. It's agreed as a classic, one of the best modules in the 3e / d20 line up there with Necromancer's ''[[Rappan Athuk]]''. Because it sold, Monte expanded the lore of the city into what's the ''Ptolus'' tome today.

	[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Modules]]		[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Modules]]

1d4chan>Zimriel: /* The Plot */

2020-06-05T12:28:59Z

The Plot

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:28, 5 June 2020
Line 13:		Line 13:

	=The Plot=		=The Plot=
	The story starts when ~~some Banemight~~ gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then ~~enters~~ some of the tamer Banewarrens ~~and~~ can find ~~some of the~~ banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the edge of the system, because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.		The story starts when a bane gets loose and turns certain local citizens into X-Men mutants a la ''Chronicle'' (a fine movie, go see it). The party then investigates some of the tamer Banewarrens where they can find more banes, which they really shouldn't keep for themselves. These banes aren't the worst - they're on the unfinished edge of the system, perhaps because Danar himself at the time was musing that those particular banes might be destructible without adding to what he could already tell was going Banemight. But they're bad enough. Normally that would be the end of it: the party gets a taste of the Awful, and understands that it's all best left under lock and key.

	But in the meantime other factions get interested~~: demon~~-touched House Vladaam who~~'d love to have~~ the banes for themselves, the Inverted Pyramid who research magic, the Church of Lothian ~~who~~ want all ~~this to go~~ away, ~~and~~ the ~~Pactlords of the Quaan who KILL ALL HUMANS~~. So the players' party need to explore the ruins before anyone undeserving gets there first.		But in the meantime other factions get interested. Demon-touched House Vladaam, and the Pactlords of the Quaan who KILL ALL HUMANS, each covet the banes for themselves. Also involved are the Inverted Pyramid who research magic, and the Church of Lothian - although their motives are opposite from what one might think: the Pyramid want it all locked away again, to which the Church says ''noli modo'' until it first retrieves some ancient sword that Malkith stole. So the players' party need to explore the ruins before anyone undeserving gets there first.

	Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the ''Eldritch Might'' line. Leading up to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.		Yadda yadda yadda, events keep drawing the party and other factions further into the Warrens, they find more banes, with many callbacks to other Malhavoc products in the ''Eldritch Might'' line. Leading up to a sequel, which ended up in the ''Ptolus'' hardcover. All very ''[[Temple of Elemental Evil]]''.

1d4chan>Zimriel: /* The Exposition */

2020-06-04T22:08:02Z

The Exposition

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:08, 4 June 2020
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	There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.		There was a war - which Malkith ''né'' Danar lost, some various other stuff happened, and now it's the present day and the wards are failing.

			There's some mild retconning, in that the 'Warrens in the module are 500-1000 years old but over 10000 in the later [[Ptolus]] book. As Monte revised the setting, he'd decided to make Malkith's legacy the Elder Evil thereof.

	=The Plot=		=The Plot=