State of the Empire and the leech (class)

I have gotten quite a few questions about this stuff, especially considering comments are off. In order to avoid discouraging interest I will share a little as I go along. The art is all placeholder shit, at this point, so be kind.

I can be reached at themetalearthATgmailDOTcom. You must of course, replace the caps with the appropriate powerglyphs.

Data-Map of Karkul, province of Empire

Below, Outpost 17

STATE OF THE EMPIRE:

Everything is broken and dirty, but somehow things keep moving along. Most machines are patched and repaired, often with parts from other machines. Structures and fortifications exist more as products of accretion, modification and erosion than architecture. Everything is old, drafty and haunted. The feeling on the mainland is that the real empire has shifted to the deepwater islands and beneath the sea. Almost all inland settlements have been abandoned. Beast and worse overrun the food-caves. A few coastal settlements remain, but are squalid and under populated. The movements of citizens, even aristocrats, are restricted or the coast would be empty too. Endemic corruption and shortage remain facts of life. Loyalty to the Emperor is always in question. You are being watched. On clear nights you can see the Wurm.

Winter is coming.

 

 

LEECH: (Princess, Prince) Officially the Emperor’s personal slaves, leeches have managed transform thralldom to power in the millennia since their subjugation. Leeches are the healers of the empire; everyone living requires their service. Nobody, aside from the leeches, perhaps, is very happy about it, though. Unlike yeti, leeches may move from place to place unimpeded- although they must carry papers like everyone else. Leeches view each other as social equals. Many are known to extend this courtesy to commoners, seemingly unaware of, or too polite to acknowledge, the superstitious hate often given in return.

Leeches are slight, pale white-green skinned, humanoids schooled in blood magic. Leeches are not quite undead, nor are they completely alive; they exist in a liminal state known as half-death. According to rumor, a leech’s heart beats but once an hour and they are said to be without feelings. The former is true, or mostly so; the latter is a slur. Leeches exist in the present as vestiges of a vanished pre-imperial culture. Due to their healing abilities and power over the undead, leeches occupy an important niche in imperial society. As a group they are both revered and despised.

The leech's prime requisite is intelligence; a minimum of 9 is required; a score above 13 result in a 10% bonus to all earned experience points.

RESTRICTIONS: The leech uses a d6 for hit points. A leech must feed upon blood to draw upon his powers (eg, spell casting, turning the undead) and to survive. Each keeps what might best be described as a small external organ, or tumor, known as a kaul, upon which he must feed once a day to maintain access to spells and other special-abilities. The leech must feed once weekly (more or less) to retain its half-dead status. Failure to take a bloodmeal for ten consecutive days will drive the leach into a full dead state until he is force fed the fresh lifeblood of a living beast. Leeches may use any weapon and wear any armor. However, the spilling of blood is considered to be unseemly by most; as such, they tend to reserve the use of edged weapons for duels, and use blunt or energy -weapons in most other circumstances. This is not a hard restriction, merely a societal norm, violation of which will not go without notice or remark, however. Leeches must cover their skin out of doors in the daytime, and traditionally wear a moon mask while in the company of others, day or night. During the day they suffer 1pt of damage/turn if caught outside (even when it is overcast; which, indecently, is always). Once inside, the leech heals all damage so incurred at a rate of 1hp/round.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: The leech exists at the threshold of life and death, and draws energy from the necrosphere, whilst feeding from his kaul and gains spell-casting ability and power over the earthly dead as a result. The leech has access to cleric spells and turns the undead as a cleric of equal level (X5,X7). At 5th level the leech no longer has to carry his kaul; it levitates beside him.

Below: kaul, owner unknown.

 

B/X Cosmonaut.pdf and what is next...

I had hoped to get this out a bit earlier, but whatever:

B/X Cosmonaut

Feedback would be nice, but don't get worked up about it.

 

 

And this will probabaly happen next.

 

Districts of Skull: The North Gallery and the Kennel

Map of Skull

The North Gallery:

This neighborhood occupies the north central area of the city, north of the Canal of the Moon and roughly bounded by the Lesser Ziggurat in the east and the Kennel in the west. Streets and tenements in this area tend to have poetic names, which sometimes seem ironic given their generally dilapidated state; the vegetation in the North Gallery, while kept from completely overwhelming the avenues, is otherwise largely allowed to grow unchecked. Creepers crawl up the sides of nearly every building and weeds of every variety trust up through cracks in the ancient pavement.

This Gallery is the most densely populated section of the city, with most of its residents crammed into over-crowded multi story tenements., or, as is the case with the slaves, kept below ground in the green shaft.  Despite the ubiquity of coster mongers selling various kinds of food (mostly a dubious sort of sausage served on algae bread) the majority of the population subsists for the most part on pap and water. There is a little money here though, as the Kennel employs grooms from amongst the laborer caste and skilled workers from the artisan class. With the exception of the lanes and streets surrounding the Kennel and the Lesser Ziggurat, nymphs are in abundance, although, unlike their counterparts in forecourt the nymphs are named and attached to families. Priest tend to move through this neighborhood in force. 

 

The Kennel

This is large long building belongs to the Dogmen and their charges the Nuerohounds.  The Dogmen are males of the mixed humanoid type generally known as the blend, although there are a few other types in the corps as well.

Priests, regardless of their ministry, stay away as the predilection of the neurohounds to snatch and kill nymphs without warning or provocation has resulted in the deaths of many of their number. Of course unaffiliated and family nymphs do not approach the Kennel or its immediate vicinity.

The taverns frequented by the Dogmen and their servitors are among the most relaxed places in the city. Regular citizens and visitors must be wary, however, as more than the occasional visit to these places will attract the interest of the Ministry of Control. This interest is more than just bureaucratic interference however, as this section of the city conceals the heart of the city’s underworld/black market.

Skull: The Lesser Ziggurat

Map to the left, third from the top.

The Lesser Ziggurat:

A step pyramid built of starstone, the Lesser Ziggurat houses the ancient oracular god-creature known as the Mollusk and his devotees, the Mollusk Maidens. Travelers come from all over the Spine, and perhaps beyond (if such places exist outside the tales of children) come to Skull in order to receive the Mollusk’s wisdom.

The Mollusk is served by the Mollusk Maidens, a diverse cadre of a dozen women with reputably formidable sorcerous and martial abilities.

Coil’s relationship with the Mollusk is poorly understood, and is a subject of great deal of debate amongst scholars.  The current theory, constructed from half remembered accounts of the Fugue, is that the origins of Coil, The Mollusk and the great skull are linked in some way.

The price of the oracle is usually a powerful magic/technological item and 100,000 pieces of gold. However, it has been known to go for far more, and occasionally seemingly nothing at all. 

I've made some changes  to the layout of the blog and switched out the header. There are maps linked to the left and some of my art to the right. Hopefully, it's not all too much of an eyesore.

Skull: The Canals, the Nursery and the most wonderful day of the year!

Map of Skull

Three posts in three days- can you dig it?

 

The Canals:

Linked at the Nursery, The Canal of the Sun and the Canal of the Moon provide a convenient way to move goods and people through the city. Although there are only two permanent bridges  (as pictured on the map) one for each canal, temporary wooden bridges are often in service. Coil, however, has a tendency to smash them every now and again- for reasons no one really understands. 

The Nursery:

This huge artificial pool serves as a public bath, a juncture between the Skull’s two major canal systems and as an egg bed for Coil. On any given day dozens of gondolas (private and for hire), hundreds of swimmers and countless nymphs frolic and cavort in the clear water at the surface, seemingly oblivious to the thousands and thousands of fist sized translucent eggs clustered  in twisted pulsating lumps, like some unwholesome coral reef, along the uneven floor of the pool.

Birthday: 
Every spring the Nursery hosts a ritual bloody enough to rival any in the Earth’s history; the eggs hatch and countless nymph-hatchlings swarm into the water of the Nursery. Thousands of slaves are forced into the pool to feed the ravenous hatchlings, earning the ritual its sobriquet, the Blood Bath. When the feeding frenzy is done, nothing remains of the sacrificed slaves but a greasy slick on the churning surface of the pool.  Once the hatchlings are sated, they become torpid and sluggish. At this time Coil descends from its place atop the grand Ziggurat and rampages through the Grove eating or just killing anyone unwise (or unlucky) enough to cross its path. Upon arriving at the Nursery, Coil plunges into water and eats the vast majority of the nymphs in a second and even more violent orgy of consumption. Crowds of loyal citizens watch the entire spectacle whilst picnicking in the square to the East of the Nursery. The nymphs that survive the ritual become part of the city's population.

The end of all things...

As of now, this blog is entering its final year. I have given myself twelve months to finish up here and then I'm going to move on. I have decided to focus my creativity in another direction.

Districts of Skull: the Dunes and the Blind

Map of Skull

 

The Dunes

A small settlement of shanties, inns and warehouses, known as the Dunes, lies in the shadow of Skull. By the consent of Coil, three insector hive-brothers govern there. Merchants unwilling to enter Skull (there are many), deep desert nomads, salvage prospectors and drifters account for much of the town’s transient population; however the Ministry of Control and the Dogmen both maintain a visible presence and act as a constant reminder of Coil's power. There are several taverns and rooming houses- kept separate, as per the Insector custom. The Dunes is notorious for its population of lawlessness rapacious vermin. More than one unwary traveler has fallen asleep in the Dunes and awoken to find herself covered in sand leaches or linked to a slave chain bound for Skull.

The Blind:

Due to the angle at which the god-skull rests on the desert surface, the lower orbit of the right eye socket is situated but three chains from ground level. An ancient stair, carved into the eyesocket leads from the desert floor up into Skull proper and the Ministry of Control's (MoC) fortified checkpoint. The MoC must vet all visitors to the city. Only those who can prove they have business in the city, or wish to become citizens are allowed beyond this point and into the Forecourt. Merchants are directed to the Exchange and prospective citizens are led off to the Tower of Control for processing. Nymphs, free and bonded, are everywhere here, scurrying and watching as they always do.

Deep Desert Gazetteer Part I

This is a first pass. No doubt, it will mutate and expand before we get started with the game.


Map

 

12. Located at the northeastern base of the Hellhole, 12 is a Scorn settlement cluster, consisting of several large dome habitats and a number of underground complexes. The aliens represent the strongest military presence within the Black Smoke Sea, but they cannot be said to truly control the region. The Airlords trade with the Scorn, but neither the Herd nor the Trund do so.

Battlefield Reach:  The trackless, monster infested, radioactive wasteland known as Battlefield Reach sprawls across the ruins of what was once a great super-technological metropolis. Ranging from scrap metal to ancient coins to wondrous items of every possible description, the treasure yielded up by these ruins draws a steady stream of scavengers from across the length and breadth of Satan’s Spine.  Most of the scavenger bands meet up in and operate out of Great Stone Ship.

The Black Smoke Sea:  Comprised primarily of cursed noxious vapors, toxic volcanic gas and malignant spectral plasm, the Black Smoke Sea occupies a great basin situated between the Western Mountains and the Cracked Land. Hazards abound, above, within and beneath the sea’s deadly black clouds. In addition to the unwholesome atmosphere, mysterious tribes and savage, twisted monstrosities evolved to survive in the poisonous environment inhabit and hunt the basin’s floor; violent seismic activity is frequent; and angry spirits filter and prowl through the gaseous murk, jealous of the living and eager to feast upon them.

The Bleak Mountains: High Windy and cold, the Bleak Mountains, present a marked contrast to the heat and aridity of the desert lowlands, but represent an environment as harsh and hostile to life as any in the region.  During the first decades of their lives, before they depart for the stars, many rocs make their nests on some of the higher peaks.

The remoteness and inaccessibility of the chain makes it an ideal refuge. The Dark Mark (an assassins’ guild) the Cult of Gllorr’r (a vile religion centered around an ancient Martian fertility deity) and countless dark wizards are said to have strongholds, hidden away within the mountain fastness. The White Apes have a city, Krag, halfway up the slope of the Thorn, the highest peak in the chain. 

The Cracked Land:  Boulder fields, volcanic vents and uneven, fissured plains of obsidian make up most of the Cracked Land. Magma elementals live and war amongst themselves in the deeper fissures. Loosely knit Sasquatch motorcycle gangs compete with a savage confederation of Minotaur road warrior tribes for control of the area. Each group lives a nomadic lifestyle, growing food in special oversized trucks and drawing on geothermal heat to power their vehicles.  There are no known permanent settlements.

Demon’s Beach: Once the floor of a long forgotten sea, Demon’s Beach is now a vast and flat expanse of crusted salt. The sun pummels the plain with savage, unrelenting intensity. Little lives above ground. However, a vast network of linked natural and artificial caverns, known as the Etros, lies buried deep beneath most of the salt flat. Many dangerous creatures live here. In most of the rest of Satan’s Spine it is commonly believed that Etros is where the souls of the dead reside. Little is known about the nameless domes in the northeastern expanse of Deamon’s Beach.

Great Stone Ship: A titanic sea-going vessel of unknown origin and purpose, Great Stone Ship lies on the desert floor, marking out the northeast boundary of Battlefield Reach. At the base of the ship, in the shade on its northern side, crouches a lowdown settlement of scavengers and prospectors. It is here that the narcotic telouze is manufactured, distilled from a viscous black ooze that rises up from lesions in the earth, found in secret caverns either beneath or nearby the ship.  As with most aspects of life at Great Stone Ship, the Telouze trade is tightly controlled by the local chapter of the Rogue’s Knot.

Krag:  Halfway up the slopes of the mountain called Thorn, the White ape city of Krag resides at roughly 350 chains (23,000 feet/7010 meters) above sea level. Although considered somewhat reclusive, the yeti trade with both the Airlords and the Nuphal; however such is not the case regarding the Trund with whom the residents of Krag have an age long enmity. The city’s defenses are considered to be invulnerable, and the Snow Guard, Krag’s army, second to none; however, it is not military prowess for which the city is known, but for sorcery.  While the white apes remain aloof, and officially neutral in regards to politics, individual brothers of Thorn’s Shadow (the city’s fraternal order of sorcerers) are employed as viziers in nearly every court across the breadth of Satan’s Spine.

Port: What is left of the ancient city of Port can be found near the summit of a low mountain rising up from the bone white plain of Demon’s Beach. This lonely mountain was once a small island, but the land lifted and the sea receded, leaving the city marooned far inland.

Due to its altitude, Port has a milder climate than the desert below.  Life flourishes there. The city has two functioning ag-caverns and access to clean water.  Seeing a chance for sustained survival, if not endless wealth, several factions vie for control of the ancient ruins. The rat folk are probably the strongest group, but several individual monsters rival them in power. Port is one of the few places with easily found access to the Etros.

Rrouz: Famed for its smithies and their wares, Rrouz is also the home to many artisans, artificers and craftsmen of all sorts. The city is nominally under Shae control, but taxes are used to pay tribute to Skull and in reality the ruling council is little more than a puppet government; it is Coil who actually controls Rrouz.  Despite this affiliation, the city is far less oppressive than Skull itself. Many expatriates live in a small neighborhood called Skull-town. Everyone trades at R’Rouz.

Skull: Located deep within the Anvil of Sun and ruled over by the devious and gleefully malignant centipede creature known as Coil, Skull is a city built inside the final remaining relic of a long dead god. Despite Skull’s location at the center of the waste, cool air flows through its neighborhoods and lush tropical growth looms over its sparkling canals; further, the city boasts some of the most productive agricultural caverns (green shafts) on the continent.  This fecundity can be attributed in part to vast subterranean sea located far below Skull’s bustling streets, and on which the plants and people of Skull depend upon more than any other resource for their survival. It is perhaps the largest source of untainted water on the continent, maybe the world. Another contributing factor is the vast god skull itself; its osseus dome is semi translucent, blocking the worst effects of the sun, yet allowing sufficient light through to nourish the gardens below.

The Skrag:  A generally flat, but somewhat rolling expanse of sage steppe, the Skrag supports a surprising array of life forms. Beneficiaries of rainfall and runoff patterns, scrub and cactus grow in abundance sufficient to support large herbivores and their attendant predators. During lean times, hunters from all over the deep desert will cross over to the Skrag to look for game. This is a dangerous practice, however; the native predators are clever and bloodthirsty opportunists, who wont hesitate to turn a competitor into a meal.

Xolox:

For now, just an inked version of the picture from my last post. 

[Map] Skull and the North Central region of the Anvil of the Sun AKA the intial campaign area

Another map! How exciting, shocking and original.

This is a regional map; the map for the entirety of Satan's Spine can be found to the left.

This is the area with which we're going to begin. I think a clear hex is about 15 miles, or a day's walk. The game will start in the Sea of Soot, which according to my notes is a very deep deposit of extremely light and fine dust, which cannot be crossed on foot and must be crossed in special vehicles or flown over.

I believe Xolox is some kind of island ruin in the middle of all that. I also think the Scorn will be involved as I'm pretty sure they have a settlement somewhere on Hell Gate.

Anyway, this was done in pencil ( although it is likely not complete) and I fooled with the image in iphoto for a minute. I may or may not ink it, as I rather like the way it looks now and I'm sure to add stuff as I go.

Larger version:  HERE.

Beneath Skull: The Facility

 

The Facility:

A vast Ziggurat of pipe work and concrete, the Facility dominates the region of the True Sea directly beneath Skull. The true nature of the monolithic structure is unknown. Delvers of the underworld and sailors of the True Sea have reported sightings of man shapes upon the walls of the great edifice, but no one has spoken to its inhabitants or is aware of their strange purpose. 

It is thought that the Facility exists to purify the water of the True Sea, but the veracity of the claim is unknown. What is true, however, is that the Facility’s pumps carry the water on which Skull depends for its survival from the sea and up to the city.  No one knows how long the pumps have been going or, for that matter, when they might stop.

Built by a human organization known as the Agency, the Facility dates from a short time before the arrival of the Welt. It is combination storage and research facility, curating weapons and other technology as well as hosting a range of laboratories designed to facilitate many different avenues of research.

Although the marks of deep time are easily seen in the ancient, cracked and crumbling concrete, the rusted pipes and omnipresent fungal infestation of the place, the Facility is not derelict.  Gene engineered monsters patrol the endless network of corridors and rooms and a variety of semi sentient humanoid drones maintain the machines. However, aside from the group’s ubiquitous symbol, little remains of the Agency or the culture that spawned it, but for the powerful and insane Dr. Warp. Unquestioned overlord of the Facility and its denizens, the doctor rules it all and as a descendent of the founders, represents the place’s last vestige of humanity, but in truth, he hasn’t been properly human for a very, very long time.

Skull: Some factions

 Another preview.

Skull is alive with conflict and strife. Arrayed beneath Coil, a myriad of organizations, institutions and societal estates struggle against one another, competing for resources, power and, ultimately, survival. These struggles manifest as a pervasive network of striving discord; this bitter and brittle lattice binds the city together; and friction between its components, as they twist and trespass against one another, provides the fuel that runs the engine of Skull’s society.  To understand Skull, one must understand these entities. The following section will look at the most important of Skull’s social constructs, but only in a cursory fashion. It shall, of course, be taken as read that each is, in reality, a universe in and unto itself, possessed of nuances both varied and numerous, the detailed examination of which lie beyond the scope of this inquiry.

Outsiders:

Several outside groups exert influence in Skull.

Airlords:

Arrogant and xenophobic, the airlords represent the largest independent shae population of Satan’s Spine. No clear indicator exists of the number of either the airlords or the ships in their fleet. What is known, however, is that the airlords are possessed of an advanced and refined airship technology, which they very much do not wish to share. Not only do the airlords wish to maintain sole proprietorship of their airship technology, they, as a matter of policy look upon any independent effort to gain access to the skies with a more than mild disfavor. Traditionally, the airlords have shown they will do whatever necessary to retard or obliterate the progress of any such projects and murder all those involved, as discretely as possible, of course. They currently maintain an embassy in the Forecourt, the main purpose of which is, at least superficially, to further the interest of the lively luxury/sumptuary goods trade, which they engage in with Coil’s priests. As to their feelings regarding Coil’s nascent airship program, none among the embassy contingent has seen fit to offer an opinion official, or otherwise.

The Herd:

Nuphal are large sentient pachyderms that, operating as a collective of clans, known as the Herd, control overland trade throughout the southern half of Satan’s Spine. If it is a staple of life and cannot be produced within Skull, it comes to the city via nuphal caravan. Famed for delivering goods intact and in a timely manner, the nuphal clan caravans boast an excellent reputation. Notably, the Herd represents a key link in the flesh trade. In fact, many worthies in Skull and beyond consider the nuphal caravans the only sensible way to transport slaves, an onerous enterprise at best, but of which the nuphal are the undisputed masters.

Each clan runs a caravan. Currently, twelve clans, each linked to the others through a weak form of ritualized telepathy, are thought to be in existence; each caravan follows the same route, known as the Golden Road, at evenly spaced intervals; excepting the duration of the Season of Storms, a new caravan arrives in Skull every month, usually before or within days of the departure of the most recent previous caravan. Individual nuphal act as caravan organizers, porters and guards. Additionally, the clans employ humanoid agents to further their ends within settlements and mercenaries to help guard their expeditions. Despite the Herd’s use of sell swords, nuphal warriors know few rivals in their capacity for destruction, and, although rare, there are powerful sorcerers among the ranks of the clans.

Currently the Herd is in a dispute with the Brotherhood of Blood regarding pay rates and labor conditions. Their relationship with the Slavers is currently without strife, but trouble may be brewing.

As with the Airlords, the Nuphal are less than enthused in regards to the Worm’s airship program, fearing that it might lead to a compromise of their near monopoly on trade with the city.

Brotherhood of Blood

The Brotherhood* of Blood is a mercenary guild. Skull is their power base as they have a special relationship with the Ministry of Control to whom they supply a large number of warriors. At any given time, the MoC employs roughly two thousand Brothers to act as bodyguards, fill positions in the watch and the city’s small standing army/expeditionary force, the Worm Guard.

Most of the mercenaries within the city are supplied with the necessary unguent and given lodging with their assignments. However, the Brotherhood provides lodging and other services for its members in the Forecourt, at their large compound: Murder House; administrative offices and training facilities are also located therein.

Currently the Brotherhood is at odds with the Herd regarding contractual rates and obligations. Business between the Herd and Brotherhood, however proceeds, for the most part as normal.

The regional presence of the Brotherhood of Blood is under the command of Field Marshal Krogg, a venerable Sasquatch, veteran of 100 battles; a seeming incorruptible individual, who apparently wishes for nothing more than to maintain the status quo and lose as few of her sell-swords as possible in the process.

(*misnomer as the “Brotherhood” consists of  both males and females as well as many individuals of several other less common variations).

The Rogues’ Knot

The Rouges’ Knot, or ‘the crew’ as it’s sometimes called is a criminal organization elements of which can be found virtually in every civilized corner of Satan’s Spine.  However, what ever power the crew wields elsewhere, in Skull, the great organization is represented by a loosely knit band of barely competent operatives and semi-independent perpetrators, who, at best, manage to stay just one step ahead of the Worm’s Watch.

The Knot’s strongest beachhead within the city is within the back market community centered in the neighborhoods surrounding the Kennel.  Conflict between the black market vendors, the cutpurses and the blackguards serve to keep the group focused on internal concerns and almost a non-factor in city politics.

However, the leaders of the Knot in other cities watch and wait for a chance to move into Skull and establish a new power base.

The Slavers:

The Slavers have a large presence in Skull. Most of the slaves come from their pits on the island of Chain in the Stained Sea, as products of either their breeding or raiding programs. Many of the slaves are brought from lands far beyond Satan’s Spine and cannot speak the nameless ancient language of the region, and never seem to learn more than the rudiments of the tongue no matter how many years they spend in service. 

The Envoy of Eyes is the official title given to the Slavers’ chief representative in Skull. Elegant and cruel, the Lady Brand, a peerless huntress and an assassin of legendary skill, is the current bearer of this honor; thus, she wears the Crown of Eyes, a circlet of metal set with ten evenly spaced, living eyes, giving her a 360º field of vision.  It is said that Lady Brand owes her skill to a Slaver breeding program gone terribly wrong. The truth of this claim is unknown. As with all other slavers, Lady brand dresses in furs at all time, even during the hottest weather, never showing her face. Whatever the case, whatever her secrets, Brand is a being of immense power.

The Slavers keep close relationships with the Brotherhood of Blood and the Nuphal. In many cities Slavers have a close relationship with the Rogues’ Knot, but in skull the thieves guild is not worthy of such an association.

As with the Brothers of Blood, it is in the best interest of the Slavers if the status quo remains unchanged. They are quite willing to spill blood to further this end, but will not put themselves at too great of a risk, preferring to ride out change rather than risk over much.

 On a personal note, I spent the last week plus walking across the desert. It sucks and I need to write some rules to mirror that. For one thing, consuming a gallon of water a day would still leave you dehydrated.The good news is you hardly ever have to stop for a piss.

Maps of Skull

From the Side

In Color

From above:

The more I work on this thing the weirder and longer it gets.

Art for the Metal Earth, from the Dungeon of Signs

Gibbering Mother at The Dungeon of Signs has done a drawing of the city of Skull for me as part of art trade. It's awesome! Check it out Here. Go now!

In other news I'm running behind on the big project I'm doing, and it will take me at least another two weeks. It will be a complete write up of Skull with art, maps drawing, critters, NPCs and some tables.

 

Located deep within the Anvil of Sun and ruled over by the devious and gleefully malignant centipede creature known as Coil, Skull is a city built inside the final remaining relic of a long dead god. Despite Skull’s location at the center of the waste, cool air flows through its neighborhoods and lush tropical growth looms over its sparkling canals; further, the city boasts some of the most productive agricultural caverns (green shafts) on the continent.  This fecundity can be attributed in part to vast subterranean sea located far below Skull’s bustling streets, and on which the plants and people of Skull depend upon more than any other resource for their survival. It is perhaps the largest source of untainted water on the continent, maybe the world. Another contributing factor is the vast god skull itself; its osseus dome is semi translucent, blocking the worst effects of the sun, yet allowing sufficient light through to nourish the gardens below.

[Satan's spine] Three Features of Acid Lake

 

Map

The Cracked Land: The landmass at the lake’s center is broken into thousands of pieces by fissures that run from the surface down deep into the bedrock. The island also seems to be undergoing a continuous bout of seismic activity, manifested as a steady earthquake and frequently erupting acid geysers. Areas of the island rise above and sink below the surface of the lake all the time without warning.

The Library:

Legend places a vast library known as the Hall of Humanity upon the Cracked Land. Although there are many myths, stories and works of art based upon the library, no reliable accounts of the place exist.  Currently, scholars argue that if the library ever did exist, it has long since been destroyed.

 

The Monastery of the Broken Oath: 

Of the many ruins that lay strewn along the lakeshore, the remnants of what was once a large monastery, located on the southeast shore of the lake near where the Acid Lake cedes to the northern Glurrg, are among the most significant.  The monks who once resided there were unwise enough to renege upon a compact made with the vile space god, Karad Narg, the Eater of Hope. The entity laid a curse upon the monks condemning them and their offspring to forever live within the acid of the lake, forever burning, but never wholly consumed, thus were born the burning men.

The upper works of the monastery are still largely intact, due to the enchanted stone of which the place was constructed. It is said if one visits the ruins on a night with two full moons and performs the proper ritual, it is possible that contact with the Karad Narg and perhaps seek his favor.

Satan's Spine: Anvil of the Sun

Map on the left.
 

Anvil of the Sun:

A vast expanse of broken, sun-blasted earth and black sand, the Anvil of the Sun girds the center of Satan’s Spine, creating a nearly impassable barrier between the northern and southern extremes of the landmass.  The desert is home to a host of strange and often hostile life forms, each caught up in the desperate, savage struggle to survive.
Food is scarce, and water even more so. In addition to the searing heat, frequent high-energy sandstorms, each of which is believed by the residents of the desert to be a separate manifestation of the one true eternal sandstorm, which they call the Groove, rip across the barren landscape; the sand laden wind of the Groove moves with such force that it can scour flesh from the bone, and turn the bone into dust all in the space of two or three heartbeats. 

Nomadic gangs of scavengers, brigands and outcasts prowl the interior, searching for artifacts and valuable mineral deposits and warring amongst themselves.

History/Myth:

Known universally as The Squandering, the story of the Anvil’s formation is told several versions, the minor details of which vary from region to region; the most prevalent version of the tale states that at some indefinite period in the past, what is now the Anvil of the Sun was the last pure place in Satan’s Spine. Green fields stretched form horizon to horizon; all people lived in harmony and in peace with the beasts of the land. The water, the food and the air were all clean and mutation was unknown.  The gods, it is said, stored their most valuable treasures here in the last pure place- among them, the pool of eternity: a body of shimmering water, which, if bathed in, would grant any mortal eternal life. 
Attracted by tales of the beauty of the Pureland and rumors of the Pool, the humans came; in their avarice and despite the best efforts of the gods and their faithful servants, the humans brought about the destruction of the Pureland. The gods endeavored to spirit away the Pool of Eternity, but were destroyed; somehow, the Pool was lost in the resultant confusion. Its ultimate fate and location remain unknown until this very day. In the end, the last whisper of purity in the world was ravaged the gods were killed, and the humans were, as is usually the case in such stories, responsible. 

Although there is no concrete evidence to support or contradict the existence of the Pool of Eternity, it is obvious that at some time during the deep past two gigantic forces clashed across what is now the Anvil.  The ruins of many settlements are known to nestled beneath the black sand, thus proving that at one time what is now desert was perhaps something else. As to weather or not humans were responsible- or even involved, as they are completely absent throughout the Spine today, who can say?

Satan's Spine: The Trund

 

The Trund are a nomadic humanoid people, who make their living as traveling tinkers and traders, forever moving across the Anvil of the Sun. They are organized into bands. Comprised of 30-50 individuals, each band lives and travels in a large power driven wagon known as a trundle. It is not known for certain how many bands there are.

The Trund are, as a rule, extremely proficient at making repairs to ancient technology and they can easily mend and fabricate far more mundane items. Although they all carry revolvers and are rumored to have access to weapons even more potent, the Trund will not make or repair weapons for outsiders.

It is said the Trund wander the desert in a perpetual round, always searching for some treasure they claim to have lost long ago but cannot name or describe. Although, they travel in small groups and are never aggressive, all agree that it is unwise to attack the Trund. It is difficult to tell the exact nature of the trund as all of them wear outlandishly psychedelic protection suits with full headgear at all times.

Outside of trade and work for hire, the Trund have minimal interaction with other folk of the Anvil. They rarely enter the relative comfort of Godskull or other settlements, preferring it seems, to remain in the desert with their vehicles to the near exclusion of all else.

Megadungeon Monday: Halls of the Hidden Prince LVL 2; areas 9-15

Well its Monday here for two more minutes anyway.
Map is on the left.


 

9.  The Room of Skulls.

Illumination: None

Smell: None

This room is lined with shelves. Hundreds of skulls, from every manner of folk, crowd the shelves. Set in the face of the eastern wall, a plaque written in the script of the Minotaurs reads “Enemies of the House”

If the characters touch or otherwise disturb any of the skulls they will attract the attention of the malevolent spirits that haunt the room.

Spectral Horde

Ac 2 [17] HD 4; Attack: Telekinesis 1d6; Move 6;  Special Can attack 1d6 times a round; XP 300

A spectral horde is a conglomeration of petty ghosts who come together to combine their otherwise insignificant power. The horde cannot only be hit with magical/radiation based weapons. The horde cannot leave its source area (in this case it can not leave the Room of skulls.

10. The Orchard

Illumination: Very dim dull red glow emanating from the trees, limited visibility (see below).

Smell: Like Rotten Bacon. ST or gag for 1d4 rounds (-2 to all die rolls for duration).

This area is a natural cavern. The river runs through it, and the noise of water is loud but not overwhelming.  Bats flutter everywhere, their wings set aglow by the dull red light.

North of the river: Twelve meat trees depend from the vaulted, stalactite-covered ceiling. 

Each meat tree exists as a distended spindle of moist, pulsing ligature and flesh; clusters of faintly luminous, man-sized, scarlet, translucent, bulbous and blister-like sacs of glistening, squirming membrane are spaced unevenly along its length. Sacs that have been recently filled betray vague outlines of the bodies of animals and humanoids, writhing away their final agonizing moments as they are digested by the tree, and thus turned into food for the grublings The meat sacs provide both the room’s illumination and odor.

At any given time, 2-12 grublings will be feeding from the sacs, each thrusting its large, hairy proboscis into one of the writhing nodes and drawing forth a gory slurry of liquefied flesh and bone in a rapturous feeding trance. Feeding grublings will always be surprised if attacked and can also be stealthily avoided - see below.

If he has not appeared already, a 1-2 on a D6 indicates that two grublings are stuffing what looks to be the body of a dead Shae sorcerer into one of the sacks as the characters enter the room. This is Pheen Vox* who may or may not be alive at the referee’s discretion. His facial tattoos make him instantly recognizable.

The Bridge is thoroughly coated in sticky brown mucus, but it is open and uncluttered by meat trees.

The river running beneath the bridge has a depth of about 4 feet. The water has an oily sheen and stinks of garbage. Streams of mucus, fragments of insect chitin and offal pollute the stream. 

South of the river: Ten meat trees.1d8 grublings feedings. Three pairs of drones are stationed on this side of the river. Squad A stands before the door to room 13, and Squad b stands at the mouth of the passage leading down to room 11.   Squad C is stationed by the between the door to area 33 and the river’s point of entry in to the cavern. The squads are unable to see one another but will sound the alarm and come to one another’s aid during the second round of combat.

The Skeleton in the Lake: A giant skeleton (15’) lies supine in the lake, resting on its elbows, with its skull, thorax and right knee above the surface. A stylized star-like ruin is burned in to the middle of the forehead, and in the center of the ruin there is what appears to be a very large keyhole.

Grublings: AC 6[13]; HD 1+1; Attack Proboscis 1d6; Move 10; XP 15.

These creatures represent the larval stage of the roachmen. They are stupid and hungry.

Drone:  AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40

Drones are roachmen at a more advanced, aware stage of their development. Drones will fight to defend the nest at all costs.

11. Lair of the Duchess:

Illumination: Bioluminescence 

Smell: Acrid, chemical

This large cavern is the lair of the Insectress’ chief lieutenant and queen of the roachmen, the Duchess: a bloated, egg-producing arthropod monstrosity. The cavern floor is covered with a crusty landscape of dried secretions, from which the acrid chemical smell noted above emanates. Half eaten carcasses of people and animals protrude from the crusted slimy nightmare-scape. The Duchess lolls atop a raised dais at the west end of the room, the disarticulated remains of her most recent lovers scattered carelessly about her.  

The Duchess: AC 2 [17]; HD 6; Attack: Tentacles, Fangs 1d6; Move 18; Special:  See below    XP 500 l

This huge beetle-like arthropod is covered with a bulbous and ruin marked carapace. A glowing orange-red tentacle sprouts from the top of the Duchess’ head. During combat the Duchess may attack with both its fangs and one tentacle each round. Any character hit by a tentacle attack must roll a d6 and add in either their strength or dexterity bonus. If the roll with bonuses equals a 6 or more the character manages to avoid being immobilized and takes no damage, but they are still caught within the grasp of the tentacle. If the character remains conscious through the next round they make attack or make another roll to try to get free (1d6 + Strength or Dexterity bonus. A roll of 6 or greater results in the character escaping from the Duchess’ grasp.  Once a day the tentacle can cause petrifaction (negated by a successful ST).

Treasure: Two large amphorae are leaned against the far western wall of the cavern (on the far side of the river from the entrance). These can only be seen easily from the west side of the river, they remain invisible from the other side unless a superior light source is in use.

Amphora 1 contents: 1500 sp; 1 neutron knife ( Standard rules:1d12 damage, functions as a magical weapon; Metal Earth House Rules: wounds on a successful hit, unless target makes a successful ST, in which case 1d6 damage).

Amphora 2 contents: 2500 GP and assorted gems equaling roughly 4000 GP in value.

12: The Robot Shrine

Illumination: Faint and flickering orange light from a dying wall-mounted glowstrip.

Smell: Rust and oil.

Shelves laden with all manner of mechanical hardware line the walls of this room. There is a break between the shelf rows along the southern wall of the room; here, hidden behind a veil of burlap, sits the rusted out body of an old mining robot upon a throne made from twisted metal wreckage. Candles have been placed around the figure, and ruins drawn on the floor at its feet. An altar made of discarded machine parts stands before the throne, at the center of the ruin marked space.

13. Roachmen Ready Room

Illumination: None

Smell: Shit

This room is meant to serve as a buffer between the egg chamber and the dungeon beyond the area controlled by the Duchess. 4 Drones wait here they are asleep and hanging upside down. The floor is a trash heap of bones and insect casings.

Drone:  AC 4 [15]; HD 3; Attack Sword 1d6; Move 12; XP 40

14. Holding Pen

Illumination: None.

Smell: Shit and Blood.

This heavy iron-bound door is locked with two chains. 8 slaves wait within. Two shae; a sasquatch; three minotaur and two lizardmen. They will all make promises of how much they can pay if they are helped out. 1d4 of them are beyond help and cannot be moved, although given constant care and successful STs they might recover in 1d6 weeks. All of the prisoners  are adventurers and the group may make a good pool from which to draw henchmen and/or new PCs.

15. Nursery:

Illumination: Green glow emanating from egg bioluminescence

Smell: Ammonia

Any signs of this room's original purpose have long since been obliterated. Each about the size of  a grown man’s head, hundreds of green glowing, gently pulsating translucent eggs cover every available surface of the room. The eggs are grouped together in clusters. Three Matrons move amongst the eggs, tending to them and will respond to any threat with immediate and violent action.

Matron: AC 4 [15]; HD 4; Attack Claws; Move 12; XP 120 




*Pheen Vox is an 3rd level Shae Sorcerer who entered the Halls of the Hidden Prince in search of treasure. His family has offered to pay 10k GP for his safe return 0r 5k for his corpse. I will flesh out this hook when I revise the dungeon. 

Halls of the Hidden Prince LVL Area 8 & 9

7. The Audience Chamber

Illumination: Shimmering ball of ghostly blue energy at the room’s center.

Smell: Dust and ozone

The broken remnants of furniture and art objects cover the floor of this large chamber. A rusted throne of wrought iron sits on a dais of crumbling limestone in the center of the room’s north wall. 1d4 rounds after the room is entered. The shimmering blue ball will explode (no damage). Ghostly energy will disperse about the room and two spectral armies will form, a force of Lizardmen and another of quite ones and stone dead. These armies will engage in a savage battle, complete with screams and the clang of weapons that last for 3 rounds, after which the armies will be sucked back in to the newly formed ball. This process repeats itself every 4 rounds.

A secret compartment in the rear of the throne (found on a roll of 1 on a 1d4) contains an energy pistol with three charges. [Using conventional rules the pistol does 3d6 damage]. Metal earth house rules it does 1d6 if the target makes a saving throw or a roll on the wound table if they do not.

8. The Faux Bedroom

Illumination: very dim yellow light from a ceiling mounted crystal

Smell: Dust with a hint of oil

The noise of snoring can be heard immediately upon entering this room- or before that if someone listens at the door.

This chamber is an obviously an ornate bedroom. It is full of fine furnishings, including a large writing desk; a beautiful wardrobe with gold inlay and (beneath the dust) a painting of the Cloelle the minotaur corn goddess (think of a really hot chick, but with a cow’s head); and a four poster canopy bed.  The room is, of course, as cobweb and dust covered as all the rest, however it appears that someone is sleeping on the bed. If the sleeper is disturbed (or 3 rounds after the room is entered if ‘he’ is not)  the door will slam closed and lock of its own accord. At this point the sleeper will rise and attack the party.

The room is actually a trap for would be assassins and the sleeper is, in reality, a techo-magical construct set there to lure in and destroy said assassins.

Magical Minotaur Robot

AC 4 [15]

Hit Dice 4+4

Attacks: Blade 1d6/Gore 1d8+1

Move: 8

XP: 400

Special +2 to hit with Blade

The construct is a mass of gears and widgets held together by glowing ruin inscribed brass and stone plates. It has the shape of a minotaur.

The construct will fight until it is destroyed and is immune to all magic.

A sword is welded into the robot’s left hand at the beginning of combat. This is a +2 magical weapon and if the MMR is defeated the sword can be removed in 1d6 turns.

The MMR’s horns are made from strange luminous blue crystal. If removed they will fetch ~ 250 gp each.

Hiddeln Halls, level two area 4, 5 & 6

Map is on the the left.

4. Spy Hall I

Illumination: Dull green radiance, emanating from an ancient glow strip mounted in the ceiling.

Smell: Dust.

The stonework here is rough and functional. No allowance is given to artifice and the entire length of the passage is bare- with one exception. A 15’ long stone bench is situated along the last twenty feet of the south wall of the corridor’s southernmost east-west extension. Opposite the bench  [on the wall contingent with Area 3] a brass disk, just a bit larger than a human hand, is inset into the stone. If anyone touches the disk, the corridor’s glowstrip dims and the wall becomes transparent, providing a complete view of Area 3’s main chamber. The wall remains opaque on the Area 3 side.

The only way out of this area is through the secret door leading to area 5, or through the portcullis leading back to Area 3.

5. Spy Hall II

Illumination: None 

Smell: Dust

A second brass disk, identical to that located in Area 4, is set in the wall contingent with the short corridor connecting Areas 3 and 4. If anyone touches the disk an arrow/gun slit opens in the wall, providing a perfect vantage point over the passageway between the two portcullises.

The door leading to area 6 is unlocked.

The secret door adjacent to the door leading to Area 6 is extremely obvious and can be found on a roll of 1 through 5 on a d6. The door’s ‘hidden’ seams don’t quite line up with the wall in which it is set and it juts out a bit. It can be ‘opened’ by moving a small light hued stone. Doing this does not actually open the door, it triggers a rock fall- 4d6 damage. The trap is slow and leads off with an ominous rumble. Who ever opens the door is allowed to roll two separate saving throws. If both saves are successful the character takes no damage; if one save is successful the character takes ½ damage. The rock fall will block the opening it will take 1d6 turns to clear the way.

6. Ornate Hallway

Illumination: Flashing glowstrip, alternating from very bright to absolutely pitch black two or three times a second. Unless the characters make use of a good light source, all combat rolls will be made at a -2. 

Smell: rotten carpet (dry) and dust

Note- The secret door leading to Area 5 is trapped- see above.

This corridor is more elegant than Areas 4 and 5 the threadbare remains of a moldered carpet trail across the polished marble floor. Like everywhere else a thick layer of dust covers everything.

A huge sculpted human face covers the location of the secret door. If anyone touches the face, it animates and attacks the party.

Stone Face

AC 5 [14]

Hit Dice 3+3

Attacks: Expectorate (1d12), Bite (1d8)

Move: 8 (See Below)

XP: 200

The stone face can levitate. At the commencement of hostilities it lifts away from the wall and bites the closest enemy. The Face cannot leave the corridor.

The stone face will expectorate a huge wad of stinking acidic phlegm in the second round and once every two rounds thereafter until the end of combat. The first time a character is hit with the loogie, a saving throw must be made, failure results in the loss of one combat round; this round is spent vomiting.

If the Stone Face’s hit points are brought to 0, it immediately returns to its place on the wall, releases a horrific wail and crumbles away to dust, revealing a small alcove lined with shelves. Most of the room is empty, but an ornate vase and a strange looking pair of goggles sit side by side on a shelf near the door.

The Vase: Covered with a finally detailed depiction of what might be a wrestling match between two over muscled male minotaurs, this item is worth 400 gp.

The Goggles are made of brass and encrusted with strange, glowing gemstones.  The wearer of this eyewear can see any secret door (on level 2 only) within 50’- regardless of lighting condtions.

The Hidden Halls Lvl 2, Area 3

The map is on the left

3. Ante Chamber:

Illumination: Pale green crystal, gently pulsing on the ceiling.

Smell: Dust and Mildew

The noise of rushing water is very loud here; it’s cold and the floor is coated in a very thin layer of frost.

A rusted portcullis blocks the easternmost entrance to this room.  A character with 14 or greater strength has a 1 in 6 chance of being able to lift the portcullis. A character with an18 or greater strength has a 2 in 6 chance. Two characters may pool their efforts, but the space is too constrained for more. Unless it is propped up by something, the portcullis will close immediately after it has been released. A metal pole will hold it indefinitely, a wooden staff will hold for 1d4 rounds.

Beyond the first portcullis lies a reception area. The walls are painted in a flaking pastel yellow. The decayed remains of a wardrobe lie in a heap against the south wall; broken fragments of what may once have been a table and chair are strewn across the northwest corner. A search through the wreckage of the wardrobe will yield 200 GP contained within a purse of rotten leather.  The remains of the desk conceal a gold pen and a matching inkbottle cut from onyx; the workmanship on these items is exquisite and if sold as a set they may yield up to 100 GP.  What appears to be a broken gearbox of some sort is situated on the west wall, north of the exit. Presumably its function related to the portcullises. It is rusted, smashed and in no way reparable.

The corridor exiting the room to the west is blocked by a set of portcullises separated by a 10’ passage. An assortment of bones are scattered across the floor of this passage. Any one who cares to examine the bones will note that they are exclusively phalanges, ulna, radius, carpals and metacarpals (bones of the hand and forearm). The portcullises both operate under the same principles listed above.

Two rounds after the portcullis set in the west wall is raised the skeletal hands on the floor will become suffused in a sickly green glow, reassemble themselves and attack; there are 20 of them in all.

Guard Hands

AC 8 [11]

HD 1 hp (attack as 1hd monster, can not score a critical hit)

MOVE: 6

ATTACK: Gouge 1d4-1

No more than 5 hands can attack a human sized target at once.

If the bones are not destroyed (burning is the only way to be certain) the trap will reset itself in 6 hours.

NSFW?: The Scorn, Part 2

Note: the pic above is just so that nobody gets boobs on their blogroll by accident. See below for the source drawing in its entirety.

Scorn Drone:

AC: 9 [10]

Special: Can only attack every other round

HD: 4

Move: 6

Attacks: Fist (2d6)

HDE: 2/

Drones are the work force of the Scorn people. They are slow witted, slow moving sexless creatures usually organized in groups of 10 led by a technician or a leader. Drones are immensly strong and can lift at least a ton unaided. Dependant on the type of work they do drones range in height from 3' to 12' tall; they have dull gray hides and usually wear no clothes, except for the occasional tool belt. Drones will enter combat if urged to do so by a Leader, Technician, or Imperial, but left to their own devices they will allow themselves to be slaughtered without fighting back.

Scorn Warriors:

AC: 7 [12]

Special: Natural Camouflage -2 to hit during the first round of combat

HD: 5

Move: 12

Attacks: + 2 combo gun: energy blast (3d6) or pain bolt (save or paralyzed for 1d6 rounds). Tooth and nail (2d6).

HDE: 6/400

Scorn warriors are smarter and more savage versions of the Drones. They are organized into squads of 5 each led by a Sargent who is slightly more intelligent than the others. Scorn warriors are fearless and will fight to the last unless ordered not to do so by a Leader or a Technician. Scorn will usually shoot to kill, but situations sometimes arise which compel them tho take prisoners. In these cases, they will use the pain bolt. Warriors have no sex organs, and no sense of modesty- although, sometimes senior warriors will tie a bit of cloth around one arm, or apply war paint. Warriors have thick leathery skin and natural camouflage.

Scorn Technicians:

AC: 5 [14] (Shipsuit, silver)

Special: 2cnd level MU

HD:7

Move: 15

Attacks: + 2 Blaster (3d6) (15 charges), Energy sword (3d6)

HDE: 9/1100

Unlike drones and warriors , Technicians have a biological sex and reproductive capability. Technicians keep the complex technology of the Scorn settlements functioning; they are also responsible for supervising drones, and occasionally, groups of warriors. Every technician is (effectively) a 2cnd level magic user. All are equipped with the power up spell and another first level spell of the referee's choice. Despite their name, Technicians are able and formidable combatants. Unlike drones and warriors, technicians have a sense of modesty and tend to wear clothing when outside of the domiciles. Standard attire is a silver shipsuit- a skin tight garment, which is actually a form of high tech armor. The armor works by activating a localized micro force field at the point of impact/contact of any weapon or blow. The reaction system is controlled by a highly efficient logic circuit woven into the fabric of the shipsuit which can effectively react at light speed. The listed armor class is valid against any sort of weapon including firearms and energy weapons.

Scorn Leaders:

AC: 3 [16] (Shipsuit, black)

Special: 4th level MU

HD:7

Move: 15

Attacks: + 2 Blaster (3d6) (15 charges), Energy sword (3d6)

HDE: 12/2000

Scorn leaders run the day to day affairs of Scorn society. Like Technicians, leaders are also sexed and capable of reproduction. Leaders use a slightly better version of the shipsuit, which is black and somewhat more loose fitting. Leaders have a complex inner hierarchy which informs their every interaction with one another and with the other castes. This hierarchy is sometimes (intentionally) subverted by the Imperials. Leaders are formidable combatants, without fear, but will not throw their lives away for a lost cause.

Imperials:

AC: 1 [18] (Super skin)

Special: 5th level MU

HD:14

Move: 15

Attacks: + 4 blaze pole (5d6/ 3 attacks/round)

HDE: 15/2900

Imperials are the executives of each Scorn settlement. Although they defer to the Collective, imperials have absolute rule at the local level. At any given time there is one Female and one male Imperial for each settlement. However, Imperials are usually content to leave the day to day management of local affairs in the hands of Leaders and Technicians, preferring to fill their time with hedonistic pursuits. Imperials are hyper sexed, with exaggerated primary and secondary sexual traits. They rarely wear any clothing, and although they can reproduce, they are not, as is the case with Leaders and Technicians, compelled to do so. Imperials will occasionally go mad with lust for a member of the opposite sex- they especially prone to do this in regards to Humans who show a high degree of competence. A lust crazed imperial is liable to sacrifice anything in the pursuit of this desire.

Imperials are extremely potent on the battlefield (and in the bedroom) and will only withdraw if they are seriously over matched and losing- and even then they virtually never forgive or forget.

Here's the pic, and yeah I made some mistakes with perspective.
Edit: this looks a lot racier on my drawing board but I'll leave the NSFW tag up just in case.


Click the image for a bigger version