'Oxkarrotous--Montporte Dungeon Campaign Critter

'OXKARROTOUS 
Armor Class: 2 [17]
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: By weapon (2 attacks per round)
Saving Throw: 12
Special: Saving Throw Bonus Versus Magic; Limited Teleport
Move: 6
Challenge Level/XP: 5/250

'Oxkarrotous are short, stocky demon-worshiping humanoids.  They typically wear heavy leather cloaks with hoods. Underneath their cloaks, they wear chainmail armor of the finest craftsmanship.

'Oxkarrotous make their homes in remote areas of the Deep Dark, coming near to the earth's surface only to capture humanoids of every variety for slaves and sacrifice. It is rumored that the more powerful 'oxkarrotous can perform the most foul sorcery, summoning and controlling demons to the darkest ends. Some sages have suggested that 'oxkarrotous started as dwarves, whose greed led them to demon worship and the demonic arts.

COMBAT: 'Oxkarrotous often avoid combat by the use of minions, slaves, or even the occasional demon. However, they are capable melee fighters with two attacks per round. Once engaged in combat, they rarely surrender.

SAVING THROW BONUS: 'Oxkarrotous gain a +4 bonus to saving throws versus magic.

LIMITED TELEPORT: 'Oxkarrotous are able to teleport up to 60' twice per day.

Churrelloth (Demon)--Montporte Dungeon Campaign Critter

CHURRELLOTH
Armor Class: 2 [17]
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 2 Punches (1d6+1 each)
Saving Throw: 12
Special: Magic Resistance; Stunning Blow
Move: 12
Challenge Level/XP: 6/400

The churrelloth (plural churrellothii) is a very minor demon inhabiting the plane of Syvyys, where the churrellothii often form vast hordes under the control of more powerful demons. The churrelloth is a small almost featureless bipedal demon, about 3' in height. It has pale gray translucent skin and human-like eyes with black pupils.

COMBAT: The churrelloth knows no fear in combat and will fight until it dies or is commanded to stop by an overlord. It is surprisingly quick and strong, enabling it to strike twice during each round of combat with its fists.

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Like all demons, the churrelloth is resistant to magic. It gains a +2 to its saving throw against arcane magic and a +1 to saving throws versus divine magic.

STUNNING BLOW: When the churrelloth successfully strikes an opponent with its fists, the opponent must successfully make a saving throw or be slightly stunned. The opponent attacks with a -1 penalty for the following 1d4 rounds.

Mazzik (Demon)--Montporte Dungeon Campaign Critter

MAZZIK

The mazzik (plural mazzikii) is a human who has been tainted by the demonic. This usually happens when a human spends its childhood in close proximity to demons and the demonic. A mazzik lives a Jekyll & Hyde existence, living among humans in its human form but occasionally becoming monstrous and demonic.  A mazzik will position itself so that it can prey upon humans, usually by putting itself in a position of trust and leadership in a community.

The mazzik can go for several years with its demonic form in dormant state. The demonic form, when it comes forth, usually creates a feeding frenzy over the course of several days or weeks. The mazzik only has partial control of itself, with the changing to the demonic happening when it is least likely to be observed.

LESSER MAZZIK
Armor Class: 4 [15]
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 2 fists (1d4 each) or by weapon type (1 attack)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: Magic Resistance; Move Silently; Hide in Shadows
Move: 12
Challenge Level/XP: 7/600

The lesser mazzik lives hidden with human communities and preys upon humans, lapsing into feeding frenzies. During each feeding frenzy, the lesser mazzik will consume 3-6 humans.

COMBAT: The lesser mazzik will avoid combat unless it is clear that it has superior odds. In combat, it attacks fiercely but will also seek to escape if it looks like it may be killed.

MAGIC RESISTANCE: The lesser mazzik has a +2 to its saving throws versus magic.

MOVE SILENTLY: The lesser mazzik can move silently at will with no chance of failure.

HIDE IN SHADOWS: The lesser mazzik can hide in shadows as if it were an 8th level thief.

GREATER MAZZIK
Armor Class: 2 [17]
Hit Dice: 9
Attacks: 2 fists (1d8 each) or by weapon type (2 attacks)
Saving Throw: 6
Special: Magic Resistance; Move Silently; Hide in Shadows
Move: 14
Challenge Level/XP: 10/1,400

The greater mazzik lives hidden with human communities and preys upon humans, lapsing into feeding frenzies. During each feeding frenzy, the greater mazzik will consume 7-12 humans.

COMBAT: The greater mazzik will avoid combat unless it is clear that it has superior odds. In combat, it attacks fiercely but will also seek to escape if it looks like it may be killed.

MAGIC RESISTANCE: The greater mazzik has a +2 to its saving throws versus magic.

MOVE SILENTLY: The greater mazzik can move silently at will with no chance of failure.

HIDE IN SHADOWS: The greater mazzik can hide in shadows as if it were an 11th level thief.

Montporte Religion Notes: The Great Scroll and the Gods of Montporte

The gods of the Montporte universe are transcendent beings, existing outside the time and space of the universe (see my earlier post, On the Divine and the Mundane, for more on this). At the same time, they are aware of the universe and, in fact, seek to influence the course of the universe and gain more power and prestige for themselves. The gods are able to shape the daily life of their followers and the course of world events by means of the Great Scroll.

The Great Scroll and the Gods
Sages and theologians are at a loss to explain where the Great Scroll exists, but its existence is accepted by all the major religions. The Great Scroll is to the multiverse of Montporte what DNA is to life on earth. All the planes of the Montporte multiverse are under the influence of the Great Scroll. The life and death of every mortal creature is spelled out the Great Scroll.

The Great Scroll is a dynamic document...new words are always being added. The gods vie for the control of this writing, each seeking to sway the unknown hand that pens each word. The gods are transcendent and cannot intervene directly in the affairs of mortals but, through the Great Scroll, the gods can determine the course of existence for every living creature in the world of Montporte.

Once a word is written into the text of the Great Scroll it cannot be erased (except in a limited way by demons). However, the meaning of the older portions of the Great Scroll can be influenced, adjusted and even twisted by subsequent passages. In this way, the gods battle with each other for control of the universe.

The Great Scroll, Dragons, Demons, Fey, and Aberrations
While only gods can create the text of the Great Scroll, creatures from other planes have the ability to connect to it and shape it in one fashion or another.

Dragons, the great creatures of the plane of Zaj, are believed to have some insight and knowledge of the portions of the Great Scroll. Sages believe that the dragons ability comprehend significant portions of the Great Scroll is connected with the dragons' great thirst for knowledge, the only draconic urge stronger than their lust for treasure.

Demons are known to be able to blot out small portions of the Great Scroll text when they slay a mortal creature. The demons do not truly erase the the text of the Great Scroll, but they are somehow able to disconnect a small portion of the text related to their victim. The victim's mind, body and soul are consumed in the process by the demon.

The fey have little direct influence on the Great Scroll. However, through some ancient magic that is lost to the sands of time, the Seelie Accords (the overarching constitution and laws of the fey) are linked to the Great Scroll. While the fey draw power from the Seelie Accords, others who sign its pages put themselves at risk even as they typically find themselves materially enriched by their relationship with the fey.

Some powerful aberrations from Ioucura (the plane of Madness) have the ability to garble a word or two of the Great Scroll, usually rendering a mortal insane in the process.

The Great Scroll and the Religions of Mortals
Religion is primarily the domain of the mortals of the plane of Aarde (the material world of Montporte). Aberrations, demons, dragons and fey are certainly aware of the gods and their divine power, but worship of the gods among these creatures is rare. It is among the mortals of the plane of Aarde that the gods have their power. The symbiotic relationship between the gods and their believers empower both parties to do what would otherwise be beyond their reach.

Not every race of Aarde is equally religious. Dwarves and orcs are universally religious (albeit in very different ways). Elves are rarely so, trusting in the power of magic instead. Gnome and hobbits both exhibit a quiet faith that is manifest in small daily rituals and silent prayer.

It is among the great population of humans that the gods draw their greatest power. Within the vast sea of humanity there can be found wild-eyed true believers, faithful followers, questioning seekers, militant scoffers, and the completely indifferent. The gods of the humans have benefited by the dominance of the human race over much of Aarde. And the humans, in term, are continue to dominate because their gods hold sway over the Great Scroll.

Through religion, gods seek to draw upon the power of their followers to impose their will on the universe and move the great unhanded quill to ink the next passage on the Great Scroll. Religious followers seek to empower themselves to empower their gods and see their the fruits of their own faith as the Great Scroll shapes the course of daily events.

Demons of Montporte (An Unfinished Post)

Demons Pestering St. Anthony

The brave adventurers in the Montporte Dungeon Campaign have had four encounters with demons. It is not yet clear why there are so many nasty demons are milling about. But, what is clear is that the demons of Montporte are tough. The adventurers' record versus demons is 2-2. In two encounters, the party carried the day. In the two other encounters, the player characters were fortunate to escape with their lives. The demons survived those two encounters relatively unscathed.

Demons are an ongoing project me so I am not ready to post a full stat block and description of them, but here are some basic facts about demons in the Montporte Campaign:

Every demon is unique: There is no demon "type" in the Montporte campaign. Each is unique in its size, shape, appearance and capabilities.

Demons come from somewhere else: They come from the plane of Syvyys. Unlike other extraplanar creatures, such as the fey, demons cannot travel to the plane of Aarde (the plane of Montporte) of their own volition. Demons can be brought to Aarde via summoning spells, powerful magic items, and portals/gates. 

Demons are tough: Demons are difficult to hit in combat and they have loads of hit points. They also are highly resistant to magic, meaning that they gain a special saving throw versus every magic spell. If they fail this special magic resistance saving throw, they still get a saving throw for those spells that allow for saving throws. 

Demons can hurt you: Demons are dangerous foes in combat. They do a lot of damage and often have special attacks as well. 

Demons can really hurt you: When a demon kills a mortal from the plane of Aarde, the soul of that mortal is ripped asunder and destroyed. The person cannot be resurrected, raised, reincarnated, wished back to existence or otherwise brought back. They are gone for good. That's a real buzz kill.

Demons don't like it here: Demons really don't like coming to the plane of Aarde. It ticks them off. Woe to the summoner who loses control of a demon. A demon milling about on the plane of Aarde is an angry demon milling about on the plane of Aarde. 

Demons don't move around much once they get here: Once a demon is summoned, it must be compelled to move, otherwise it will simply stay in place until someone takes/sends it back to Syvyys. In the meantime, see the point directly above this. Demons are not happy campers.

Don't think or talk about demons: There are recorded instances of demons being summoned merely when they are mentioned in casual conversations by the mortals of Aarde. Even thinking too much about demons can be a risky activity. This is the primary reason why there is no published literature about demons. Plenty of scholars start a demon treatise. None of them fi

Demons and Devils

D&D 4e Release Depicted in 17th Century Woodcut

I have been thinking about demons and their place in the Montporte Dungeon Campaign. I have also be doing some research in historical sources, such as Hebrew & Christian scriptures, extra-canonical writings, and western tradition. I have also been looking at non-Christian traditions.

One of the things I find interesting is how devils and demons are portrayed in Advanced AD&D 1e. Devils and demons are, for the most part, humanoid creatures of great malice and evil who are distinguished primarily by alignment (Lawful Evil versus Chaotic Evil) and location (Hell versus the Abyss). There are lots of each of them and they are surprisingly similar.

In the primary sources of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Bible, we get a different picture. There is surprisingly little information about demons or devils, except that they exist. If we only look at the Christian New Testament, we can see that the existence of both devils and demons is assumed so there is little offered in the way of proof or description. If we leave out the book of Revelation for a moment, we discover the following:

Devils: There is actually only one devil mentioned and that would "Satan" (insert Church Lady voice). There is no physical description given of the devil nor are we told where he lives. The devil is described as the adversary, the wicked one, the Accuser, and the Father of Lies. He is also called the prince of this world and the prince of the power of the air. He is said to have been cast out of heaven and Christian tradition has held that the devil (i.e. Satan) is a fallen angel, maybe even the chief angel. The devil is said to disguise himself as an angel of light in order to lead the faithful astray. While possession tends to be the purview of the demons, the devil is said to have entered Judas to lead or tempt him to betray Jesus. There is not enough detail to conclude that Judas was actually possessed, many have drawn that conclusion.

Demons: There are many demons in the Christian New Testament. There are several cases of demon possession, with Jesus driving out the demons. Demons are not described but based on the accounts, they seem to be evil spiritual creatures that are capable of possessing or taking over humans and other animals (a herd of swine is the given example). It is clear that there is a connection between demons and the devil, but there is not much information given.

Beelzebub: There is a mysterious reference in all three Synoptic Gospels (Mathew, Mark and Luke) to a "Beelzebub." He is referred to as the Master of demons, but there is also a hint that Beelzebub is either Satan or closely allied with him. However, these passages all describe how Jesus is accused of using the power of Beelzebub to drive out demons. The point of these passages is not to describe the relationship between Beelzebub and Satan. Unfortunately, Queen had it wrong, Beelzebub has a demon set aside for Freddy Mercury, not a devil.

Whereas the devil seems to live somewhere else besides earth, only to come here to tempt us, demons are presented as being all around us, lying in wait to possess us and drive us to madness. One has the power of temptation and deception while the other uses brute force to possess us. Neither is really much like the AD&D 1e Monster Manual, not that it should be.

All this is stuff that I knew from years of theological study, including a lot of reading in the original Greek. What I had forgotten is how little information is actually in the Christian scriptures about Satan (the devil) and demons. Most of what the average Christian believes about devils, demons and even Hell comes from extra-Biblical sources. There is more about these matters in the book of Revelation, but even the book of Revelation provides scant and unclear details about such things. But that is a story for another post.

The Montporte Region: History and Geography

The Montporte Dungeon Campaign started as a one-shot adventure with this two-sentence backdrop: The Captain of the Guard of Montporte (pop. 1,028) has his hands full. Bandits have holed up in the castle ruins to the south, orcs have been harassing the mining village of Wootspil (pop. 106), the wildlands to the east continue to spew forth all manner of foul creatures (most recently giants), and a rebel force commanded by the Duke’s upstart brother lies between Montporte and help to the west.

That has been enough information to propel us through 25 sessions of play. Along the way, the party has picked up additional information about the area that explains some of what they have experienced in the dungeon. I have also created a few NPCs that are based in Montporte for those rare times when the player characters are shopping or doing some other town-based activity.

Overview of the Montporte Area
Montporte lies beyond the eastern edge of the civilized world. It is a small, ancient town that was established, if common knowledge is to be accepted, by the Lyndanians as an imperial outpost. It was an important military outpost, guarding the eastern frontier of the Lynanian Empire from invasion through Mont Pass, one of few east-west crossing points of the Dragonfang Mountains. Montporte also developed into a regional trade center and a hub for mining activity along the western slopes of the Dragonfangs.

Montporte is one of the few settlements in the vast eastern wilderness that separates the Dragonfang Mountains from the Western Kingdoms. Its fortunes have waxed and waned throughout its very long history, yet Montporte has proven to be resilient to war, disease, famine, economic woes, and host of unpleasant creatures that inhabit the area.

Physical Geography
Montporte lies at the base of Mont Pass, one of the few readily traversed passes in the Dragonfang Mountains. The Dragonfangs occupy a geographic location that is akin to Earth's Ural Mountains, being a long north-south mountain range bisecting a very large continental mass. The difference here is that the Dragonfang Mountains rival the Himalayas in height. Montporte is located on the western flanks of the Dragonfangs, at the northern end of the range.

The latitude, altitude, and a large continental mass all have an effect on climate and weather. Orographic effects magnify the climate and also create wild swings in the weather, depending up the season and direction of air masses. Suffice to say that that winters are long and bitterly cold with significant snowfall. Summers are cool and damp. Prevailing weather patterns travel from west to east, bring moisture. Occasionally, the weather patterns change and very dry air sweeps over the mountains and through Mont Pass. Depending on the conditions, this can either raise or lower the temperature significantly in a very short time.

Economic Geography
The eastern slopes of the Dragonfang Mountains are rich in mineral wealth. Gold, silver, tin, and copper have all been mined in the Montporte area. There are significant deposits of iron ore in the mountains, south of Montporte.

The challenge to mining these natural riches are threefold: (1) The climate and topography make prospecting, mining and transport difficult; (2) The distance to transport to markets can be a challenge, particularly during times of unrest in the Western Kingdoms; and (3) The constant threat of orcs, ogres, giants and even more dangerous predators and foes creates a daunting challenge to set up and maintain mining operations.

Magical Geography
The plane of Aarde is the home of Montporte, the Dragonfang Mountains and the Western Kingdoms. The physical geography of the plane of Aarde is such that the presence of mountains stretches the fabric of the universe, creating cracks and crevasses for beings from other planes to make their way to Aarde. The tension present in the very foundation and framework of Aarde generates a tremendous amount of magical energy. Pliny the Alder wrote: The Eastern Mountains lie at the very boundary of civilization and much danger there awaits anyone who travels to their peaks and valleys. But this land also has a deep underlying magical power, as the fabric of our world is stretched thin [there is also additional information in my post, Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Planes].

All manner of creatures and horrors from other planes are rumored to have found their way to Aarde by way of passages in the Dragonfang Mountains: Fey (from the plane of Umírající); Demons (from the plane of Syvyys); Dragons (from the plane of Zaj); and aberrant horrors (from the plane of madness, Ioucura).

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On The Planes

I recently posted a short description of the cosmology of Montporte Dungeon Campaign. In today's post, I’ll give a bit more detail about the Five Planes. I may also do some posts on the individual planes at a later date, but don’t hold me to that.

The average inhabitant of Montporte would have very little knowledge of the planes. Even this scant knowledge is corrupted by ignorance, superstitions, and just plain inaccurate information. Humans, in particular, display very little knowledge of or interest in the planes. Elves and dwarves, being the Elder Races of Aarde, know the most. Gnomes and halflings fall somewhere in the middle.

The Five Planes
The known universe, in which the Montporte Dungeon exists, contains five planes. They are:

• Aarde: The plane where humans and their ilk dwell.
• Ioucura: The plane of madness.
• Syvyys: The plane of demons.
• Umírající: The plane of the fey.
• Zaj: The plane of dragons.

The spatial relationship of the planes has been speculated on by many scholars and mages over the years, but the reality is that no one really understands where one plane is in regards to any of the other four. No one even knows if there is space or matter or even existence in between the planes. Despite this lack of knowledge, scholars do generally agree that Aarde lies in the middle of the other four planes.

The planes do appear to “move” in some way, at least in relationship to each other. There are times when each plane seems somehow to be "closer" to Aarde and other times when each plane seems "further away." Syvvys is the one exception to this, as it always appears at the same “distance” from Aarde. Umírající and Zaj “move” in a regularly cyclical pattern in relationship to Aarde. Umírající is typically the “closest” to Aarde, except when Ioucura pops up right nearby Aarde.  Ioucura’s “movement” is completely random. The “proximity” of one plane to another greatly influences the ease or difficulty of travel between them.

The Plane of Aarde
The plane of Aarde lies at the heart of the known universe. In Aarde is the home of human cities, the elven dales, and the dwarven mountain strongholds. Montporte and its environs are part of Aarde. For the player characters, Aarde is home.

Aarde features a wider diversity of life and lifeforms than the other four planes combined. All manner of creature, mundane and magical, can be found here. Among the humanoid races, the elves and dwarves, hold a special place as the Elder races. Humans, gnomes, and halflings have been around for less time. Love them or hate them, humans are the dominate race. They bring a dynamism that is unique to them, because or in spite of their shorter life span.

Travel from Aarde to the other planes is impossible without the use of rare and powerful magic. Despite the challenge, denizens from the other planes do find their way to Aarde on occasion. Summoning spells, magical gateways, and dreams (in the case of Ioucura) are all ways that “outsiders,” as non-Aardian creatures all called, end up in Aarde.

There are areas in Aarde where the fabric of existence has been stretched thin. In these areas, travel to and from Aarde happens more frequently—sometimes on purpose and sometimes not. Mountain building (orogeny), the persistent presence of powerful magic, the close proximity to large bodies of waters, and even lightning can stretch the fabric that is Aarde.

The Montporte Dungeon lies in the foothills of the Dragonfang Mountains, the largest, highest and oldest mountain range of Aarde. Historically, the Montporte area has been the site of countless acts of magic, great and small. While travel between planes is always next to impossible, few areas of Aarde offer easier access from other planes as does the Montporte area.

The Plane of Ioucura
Ioucura is the plane of nightmares and madness. It is the plane of chaos, entropy and unmaking. The distance between Aarde and Ioucura is occasionally bridged when mortals of Aarde are sleeping, through bizarre dreams and nightmares. Insanity also creates a path from Ioucura.

Unspeakable horrors of the worst sort do, on occasion, cross over into Aarde and are made manifest in the flesh in the form of magical aberrations.

The Plane of Syvyys
Demons dwell on the plane of Syvyys but seek every occasion to make their way to Aarde, as they feed off of the life energies of mortals. Elves are immune to this demon feeding and have earned the special enmity of demonkind.

Demons fall into one of three groups: Lesser, greater, and lords. Each demon is unique and even the lesser demons are incredibly powerful, violent, and cruel. Any semblance of order that exists in Syvyss is there only through the threat and use of violence.

Each demon has a true name, known only to itself. Knowing a demon's name gives one power over that demon, although the demon will seek every opportunity to kill any being that knows its name.

The Plane of Umírající
Umírající is the plane of fey creatures and it is a plane filled with natural beauty. Yet, just below that beauty lies danger and death. The creatures of Umírající are divided into three camps: The Summer Court, the Winter Court, and the Wild Ones.

The Summer and Winter Courts are made up of nobility, with each noble being unique and extremely powerful. Each Court also has a vast array of folk and creatures who live under the rule of the respective Courts and are there to serve and obey the nobility.

The Wild Ones do not owe loyalty to either Court. They include:

• The Hunters--A few very powerful and unique beings that seek to hunt and owe no allegiance to anyone but the Hunt. 
• The Pack--The minions of the hunt who join in on larger hunts, but otherwise go their own way. 
• The Beasts--Unintelligent magical and mundane creatures that live in the forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers of Umírající. 
• The Loners--Powerful and unique creatures who live on their own, without regard to Courts or the Hunt.

Umírající is the most hospitable plane for those from Aarde, but it is still treacherous, even for the powerful and wary. Likewise, Aarde is visited more by the fey than any other outsiders.

The Plane of Zaj
Zaj is a mysterious place and nothing is known of the plane itself. It is inhabited by dragons, perhaps the most powerful of all creatures in the five planes. Each dragon is said to have the power of 10 wizards and can breath fire enough to melt the very roots of the mountains.

Dragons are not cruel and do not delight in the suffering of other creatures. Yet, at the same time, they have very little regard for anyone other than themselves. They are known to visit Aarde on occasion. Sometimes it is to seek knowledge, for they have an unquenchable thirst to study and know every aspect of the universe. They also are notorious hoarders and will travel about, accumulating great piles of treasure.  

Other Planes and Universes
Scholars and sages have speculated about the existence of other planes and even universes beyond the Five Planes. If there is any concrete evidence or information regarding such things, however, it has not been recorded.