Re: The Sundered Way - OOC
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 7:32 am
All right, here's the information I've been able to dig up on the Eastern cities and Yuan Ti in general (Nem would have shared this info with the group at the time most likely. Or she will imminently!). Most is rumours and one-off mentions and knowledge checks, but I think we can start piecing a few things together from it all:
EDIT: map
Spider says we're somewhere about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way to Estmont now.
General Info:
The city at the direct end of the main caravan route is Esmont, one of the largest, due in some part to the trade route. There are side routes that head to Torfelna and Krovesh, to the north and south of Esmont respectively. Between where you are and the Eastern cities are the Blasted Wastes that give way to desert before eventually arriving at the Eastern Cities.
Info from Krodop (dwarf):
"The city in the east? You mean Esmont? Or all of the Eastern Cities as a whole? We came up from Krelpo, the snake-folk are causing a stir there, Krovesh is dealing with issues of succession again, though it's more common for that to be the case than not. Esmont itself is about the same as always, but we were only there a few days before heading West, in that time I hadn't heard much out of the North."
Desert Info (from the halfling hermit):
"Ah, uh-huh... the Blasted Wastes were not always such, no they weren't. Used to be cities, towns, all long gone, claimed by rock and desert. Wander far enough, like I did, and you'll find something of interest."
Estmont (info from the halfling hermit):
"psshh. City folk don't know how to listen!". He taps the side of his head. "I do! The Lord of Estmont is not what he seems, if you go there, be cautious of his attention! You show me shinies first, I give good information for good shinies."
"Oh, I answer your purple friend's question, yes? Lord of Estmont only looks human! Used to be old Lord of Estmont, who looks the same, but not-Lord takes his place, you see, yes?"
Warning about gates (from the halfling hermit to Randy):
"The Gate of Y'ah Ga'rihunn must be closed. The Old Ones are moving again. If their followers seize the Gate, this world is lost. I think you know this."
Krelpo (knowledge check):
You recall stories of the Church of Ksszeth, the remnants of a religious order that served the true serpent folk who once held sway over the jungle cities to the southeast. Since the withdrawl of the serpent folk from the goings on of outside civilizations, the Church remained, bolstered by a converts fascinated by the promises that worship of the reptilians gods marketed. For the most part, they were regarded as a quack cult that had gained legitimacy through conversion of several high ranking members of the Krelpo nobility. ((OOC: If you picture a serpent worshiping, smaller, localized Church of Scientology crossed with kids that want to worship vampires because they are exotic and dangerous, you wouldn't be too far off in imagining what I'm meaning here.))
None of the names of political families in Krovesh sound familiar to you.
Comment from Krodop:
A glowing pink Zephyr shrieks and begins mashing the glowing pink vine blight into a pulp, glowing pink bits of vine and tendril scattering across a glowing pink hallway.
Krodop peeks in. "Reminds me of a nightclub I visited in Krelpo... at least, I think it does... that night gets kind of hazy...."
Info on Krovesh (Rudy knew this):
You're somewhat familiar with the storied politics of the Krovesh nobles, though you have no personal connection to anyone currently vying for power, their city is rather well known as exemplifying the worst of political backstabbing.
Torfelna (shouted at Coljin by the Abbey librarian):
"CULTS AND EVIL GODS? HMMM... THERE WAS A SCHOLAR OUT OF ONE OF THE EASTERN CITIES... ESMONT, I THINK? OR WAS IT RAYFALL? NO, IT WAS TORFELNA... THE TORFELNA ACADEMY. I'VE BEEN TO TORFELNA, YOU KNOW. HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT? IT WAS BACK WHEN I WAS ONLY ABOUT TWICE YOUR AGE, MAYBE TWENTY, TWENTY-TWO... I WAS ON A VISITING SCHOLAR EXCHANGE. I WASN'T A MEMBER OF THE ABBEY HERE YET, I ALWAYS WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN BOOKS THAN MY BROTHERS, MUCH TO MY FATHER'S IRRITATION. HE SENT ME AWAY TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTHOLD. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO PORTHOLD? I'VE NOT BEEN BACK SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN...", he takes a sip of his tea, eyes and mind looking back to his youth.
Random info on Yuan-ti:
Ulmwin and Tess recall that Vrael Olo is what those known as the yuan-ti refer to themselves as, Ulmwin recalling that it means "favored ones". From the context, Sibilant Death must be higher than Zihuassal in their social hierarchy, either some greater lord, or possible a deity.
EDIT: map
Spider says we're somewhere about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way to Estmont now.
General Info:
The city at the direct end of the main caravan route is Esmont, one of the largest, due in some part to the trade route. There are side routes that head to Torfelna and Krovesh, to the north and south of Esmont respectively. Between where you are and the Eastern cities are the Blasted Wastes that give way to desert before eventually arriving at the Eastern Cities.
Info from Krodop (dwarf):
"The city in the east? You mean Esmont? Or all of the Eastern Cities as a whole? We came up from Krelpo, the snake-folk are causing a stir there, Krovesh is dealing with issues of succession again, though it's more common for that to be the case than not. Esmont itself is about the same as always, but we were only there a few days before heading West, in that time I hadn't heard much out of the North."
Desert Info (from the halfling hermit):
"Ah, uh-huh... the Blasted Wastes were not always such, no they weren't. Used to be cities, towns, all long gone, claimed by rock and desert. Wander far enough, like I did, and you'll find something of interest."
Estmont (info from the halfling hermit):
"psshh. City folk don't know how to listen!". He taps the side of his head. "I do! The Lord of Estmont is not what he seems, if you go there, be cautious of his attention! You show me shinies first, I give good information for good shinies."
"Oh, I answer your purple friend's question, yes? Lord of Estmont only looks human! Used to be old Lord of Estmont, who looks the same, but not-Lord takes his place, you see, yes?"
Warning about gates (from the halfling hermit to Randy):
"The Gate of Y'ah Ga'rihunn must be closed. The Old Ones are moving again. If their followers seize the Gate, this world is lost. I think you know this."
Krelpo (knowledge check):
You recall stories of the Church of Ksszeth, the remnants of a religious order that served the true serpent folk who once held sway over the jungle cities to the southeast. Since the withdrawl of the serpent folk from the goings on of outside civilizations, the Church remained, bolstered by a converts fascinated by the promises that worship of the reptilians gods marketed. For the most part, they were regarded as a quack cult that had gained legitimacy through conversion of several high ranking members of the Krelpo nobility. ((OOC: If you picture a serpent worshiping, smaller, localized Church of Scientology crossed with kids that want to worship vampires because they are exotic and dangerous, you wouldn't be too far off in imagining what I'm meaning here.))
None of the names of political families in Krovesh sound familiar to you.
Comment from Krodop:
A glowing pink Zephyr shrieks and begins mashing the glowing pink vine blight into a pulp, glowing pink bits of vine and tendril scattering across a glowing pink hallway.
Krodop peeks in. "Reminds me of a nightclub I visited in Krelpo... at least, I think it does... that night gets kind of hazy...."
Info on Krovesh (Rudy knew this):
You're somewhat familiar with the storied politics of the Krovesh nobles, though you have no personal connection to anyone currently vying for power, their city is rather well known as exemplifying the worst of political backstabbing.
Torfelna (shouted at Coljin by the Abbey librarian):
"CULTS AND EVIL GODS? HMMM... THERE WAS A SCHOLAR OUT OF ONE OF THE EASTERN CITIES... ESMONT, I THINK? OR WAS IT RAYFALL? NO, IT WAS TORFELNA... THE TORFELNA ACADEMY. I'VE BEEN TO TORFELNA, YOU KNOW. HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT? IT WAS BACK WHEN I WAS ONLY ABOUT TWICE YOUR AGE, MAYBE TWENTY, TWENTY-TWO... I WAS ON A VISITING SCHOLAR EXCHANGE. I WASN'T A MEMBER OF THE ABBEY HERE YET, I ALWAYS WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN BOOKS THAN MY BROTHERS, MUCH TO MY FATHER'S IRRITATION. HE SENT ME AWAY TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTHOLD. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO PORTHOLD? I'VE NOT BEEN BACK SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN...", he takes a sip of his tea, eyes and mind looking back to his youth.
Random info on Yuan-ti:
Ulmwin and Tess recall that Vrael Olo is what those known as the yuan-ti refer to themselves as, Ulmwin recalling that it means "favored ones". From the context, Sibilant Death must be higher than Zihuassal in their social hierarchy, either some greater lord, or possible a deity.