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Dune
Nov 27, 2007 20:46:53 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Nov 27, 2007 20:46:53 GMT -8
Yes, Dune has begun. Our Fremen have faced dangers and fared well. Now 'tis the time to begin bringing the Outlanders together for their journey into the mysterious land of Dune. I'm hoping to have a non-Fremen gathering for those of you who would appear before the Emperor and embark upon his quest to decide which Great House will represent him in the desert region.
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Dune
Nov 27, 2007 21:18:09 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Nov 27, 2007 21:18:09 GMT -8
Here's some Dune background: 'Tis the World of Arrakeen. Trading is the rule of the land upon Arrakeen. 90% of the worlds population dwell upon the minor, more temperate, continents of Arrakeen. This is due to the fact that the largest land mass is made up of mostly mountainous and desert terrain. While the smaller continents have grown and prospered as civilizations, the major landmass known simply as Dune has fallen aside as a backwater land that is home mostly to drifters and vagabonds...until recently, that is. It has been discovered, as of late, that the lands of Dune hold and ancient knowledge that date back before written history. Ancient treasures that surpass the achievements of the more modern 'civilized' world. Henceforth, the Modern continents and their peoples have elected to send forth representatives to take part in a multi-lateral expedition to discover whether these be just rumors, or fact. All the major Houses stand to gain from the exploration of these barren lands. And all have just as much to lose. 'Tis a time of excitement and peril for all. Here be a few of the Major Houses: House of Ix: The people of Ix are a proud people dedicated to the advancement of civilization through technology. Of course, their Kingdom expects to be compensated for their contributions to the betterment of mankind. House Harkonnen: The Harkonnens' exist under a dictatorship dedicated to obedience and control. The quest for greater power is their true driving force. They are a truly martial people seeking dominion over all the lands in the name of the Emperor. House of Corrin: The Corrino's have long held sway over the great Houses of Arrakeen. With the power of the great Elementals at their command, along with their fabled Sardukar troopers, they have become the great Arbitors of Trade. This has secured for their great leader the title of Emperor. House Atreides: The Atreides are a people accustomed to harvesting the seas for their bounty. Long have they fished and worked their lands to provide food and fine exports for their living. They are rumored to have great disdain for House Harkonnen. Next to follow: The Minor Houses...and Tales of the Barren Land called Dune
Minor Houses: House of the Benegesserit: The 'Witches' they are called. The Benegesserit's have long served the Great Houses as sorceresses and soothsayers to the Lords of the Great Houses. They are rumored to be a major part of the Emperors' powerbase. House of Suk: While the Great House of Ix is purported to be masters of the mechanical, the Suk doctors profess to be the masters of biology. It is said that there is no greater healer to be found than a Suk doctor. The Suk's claim no political allegiance, as they consider themselves to be beyond such matters. House of Mentat: The Mentats are highly regarded as great thinkers. Reknowned for their psionic abilities and loyalty, they have traditionally been hired out as tutors to the future lords and princesses of the Great Houses. There are other Houses to be mentioned at a later time, as this game gets going. Dune: This largely unexplored portion of Arrakeen is rumored to hold the key to the Emperors' powerbase. The other Great Houses seek to know how and why. Thus, expeditionary forces are being sent out as we speak to find the answers behind this great question. So far all that is known is that this is a land of desolation, danger, and despair.
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Dune
Nov 27, 2007 21:19:27 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Nov 27, 2007 21:19:27 GMT -8
House of the Bene Tleilax: The Tleilaxu People are the flesh merchants and slave peddlers to the Great Houses. They are reknowned for their 'replacement farms'...where they grow replacement limbs for wounded warriors. They also produce 'ghola's' for Great Houses that wish to replace fallen members of their House with duplicates of their loved ones. Many Houses have dealings with the Tleilaxu, and many do not.
Free Lands of Dune:
Swordsmasters of Ginaz: While not an official House, the Swordsmasters of Ginaz have trained many Nobles over the years. They are reknowned as the greatest mercenaries the planet has to offer...and once a Swordmaster of Ginaz has sold his services there can be no swaying of his allegiance. In times of peace, they are hired to guard the Royals. In times of war, they are swords for hire.
Salusa Secundus: The Salusan Islands are home to many great beasts. While considered a hunting grounds for the rich, they are nonetheless a perilous and dangerous place. There are few settlers among the islands...mostly hunters and trappers who guide the Royals on safari's.
Rossak: The peoples of Rossak are the great alchemists of the Realm. Within their jungles there are many unique plants...some helpful, some poisonous. These are a people seeking powerful allegiances in order to gain a profit. It is throught their ties to the Benegesserit Sisterhood that they have remained autonomous and unconquered over these many years.
The Butlers: The House of Butler was once a mighty House among the peoples of the Landsraad, with power equal to that of the Corrinos'. And that was their problem in the end. The Butlers preferred peace among all, whereas the House of Corrin sought power, and thus the Corrinos' all but crushed the Butlers. In modern times the Butlers retain a merely ceremonial position among the Great Houses.
Miners of Chusuk: Chusuk is a land riddled with gems and precious metals. They have maintained a stronghold on their lands by providing their riches to the Emperor at a reasonable cost, which is then inflated to make a great profit for the Emperor. However, there is a great deal of gems that escape the island to be sold on the black market. This causes the Emperor displeasure, and may cause things to change very soon for the Chusuk people.
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Dune
Nov 27, 2007 21:21:20 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Nov 27, 2007 21:21:20 GMT -8
Each Great House has their own specialties...choose your House and I shall clue you in as to your granted skills and feats, as well as preferred classes. May the Spice be with you.
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Dune
Dec 4, 2007 20:29:09 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 4, 2007 20:29:09 GMT -8
Here’s a list of Houses and their accepted classes (Atreides has been taken):
The House of Corrin, the Emperors' House, is off limits for now. Any of the other Houses are open. House Harkonnen: Fighter, Cleric, Barbarian, Rogue...Alignment: any Evil House of Ix: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric....Alignment: any Good or Neutral House Atreides: Fighter, Ranger, Cleric....Alignment: any Good House of the Benegesserit: Cleric, Sorceress, Druid, Monk...Alignment: any Neutral House of Mentat: Cleric, Wizard, Monk, Rogue....Alignment: any Neutral House of Bene Tleilax: Cleric, Necromancer, Druid, Monk...Alignment: any Evil Rossak: Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Druid, Monk, Rogue.....Alignment: any Neutral or Good House of Butler: any Class (except Druid)....Alignment: any Good Miners of Chusuk: Dwarven Fighter, Ranger, Cleric, Barbarian, Monk...Alignment: any Neutral Priests of Vieltoor, Holy Church of the Instrumentality: Wizard, Monk, Cleric...Alignment: any Pick a winner. Gary
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Dune
Dec 5, 2007 14:43:02 GMT -8
Post by Joseph Barros on Dec 5, 2007 14:43:02 GMT -8
Also don't be afraid to to pick an evil alignment just because a good one is locked in. There is a hired peacekeeper on his way (tho time will tell how effective he will be) and I think Gary is fully prepared if not outright expecting some PC infighting.
Only mentioning this because I know some people try to pick an alignment not too far removed from the rest of the party.
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Dune
Dec 5, 2007 16:15:10 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 5, 2007 16:15:10 GMT -8
Yes, it's true, I am expecting infighting...it's a necessary part of this world. There are Houses that are aligned with each other, and Houses that are mortal enemies. There are safeguards in place that will assure there are no outright PCK's, however, that doesn't mean everybody likes each other. The Emperor himself plots with and against families under his rule, so bear all this in mind.
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Dune
Dec 5, 2007 16:16:24 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 5, 2007 16:16:24 GMT -8
Almost forgot....ANY House can have a Bard....heh.
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Dune
Dec 8, 2007 17:17:48 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 8, 2007 17:17:48 GMT -8
Since there is thus far a shortage of evil representation I'm running a Bene Tleilaxu NPC along with you guys. Either that, or maybe one of you guys will play him. We can figure that one out. He's looking to be a real bastard so far...heh.
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Dune
Dec 9, 2007 21:53:50 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 9, 2007 21:53:50 GMT -8
BONUS!!!! For any PC that played today...12/9/07.....take an extra 250 EXP for reading this. I appreciate your playing and bothering to check the boards!!! Next week is Vince's game, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store for us...BUT, I'm going to talk to him this week about determining our rotation for DUNE.
That's right...I'm a greedy bitch that wants to DM AND roleplay....not that Vince or Kyle could relate...heh.
Be well, Gary
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Dune
Dec 9, 2007 22:37:28 GMT -8
Post by earthwizard on Dec 9, 2007 22:37:28 GMT -8
Cool, extra experience is always a good thing. Thanks for running the game today Gary, it was fun. I look forward to meeting the emperor and carrying on to Dune.
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Dune
Dec 13, 2007 17:37:58 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 13, 2007 17:37:58 GMT -8
That works out well, I think. It gives us both a chance to split time between playing and DMing. I had forgotten how much work goes into being DM. It takes about as much prep time as it does to actually play the game...especially when trying to do illustrations to accompany the game.
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Dune
Dec 16, 2007 21:44:43 GMT -8
Post by Joseph Barros on Dec 16, 2007 21:44:43 GMT -8
I know I read this. I even remember the replies. And yet... completely missed the 250 XP part. Ah well better late then never!
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Dune
Dec 17, 2007 20:14:35 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 17, 2007 20:14:35 GMT -8
Well, I hope you all enjoyed yesterday, as that was our last bar brawl for a very long time. Not many people consume alcohol, which dehydrates you, among the desert towns and tribes...and not many opprtunities to drink tea, either. heh.
I'll talk to Vince about game rotation so we can keep everyone informed as to what game is being played when.
Gary
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Dune
Dec 19, 2007 0:50:50 GMT -8
Post by agroson1 on Dec 19, 2007 0:50:50 GMT -8
Our resident Suk Doctor seems obsessed with finding, buying, and drinking tea...that and avoiding combat at all costs...lol.
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