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The
Chippers, the Exiles
Copyright 1998 by
Galzion
NB: See The
Travelogue, p.38 in the Planes of Chaos
box for an introduction to the Dispossessed
sect.
The
Dispossessed
The
tyranny of the strong over the weak has been constant
since the beginning of time, and it is to be expected
that it will continue. However, one such vanquished
person refused to accept his fate, and fought to prove
that he was one of the strong, and that he deserved a
better fate than banishment. His name was
Marinthaxus.
Marinthaxus
was exiled to the plane of Pandemonium from his home on
Mount Celestia by an evil wizard, who feared the might of
Marinthaxus as a warrior and a leader. The wizard assumed
that once imprisoned on Pandemonium, Marinthaxus would
quickly succumb to the madness that affects so many of
the inhabitants of that plane, and thus no longer be a
problem to him. However, Marinthaxus had more willpower
than the wizard bargained on, and resolved to escape from
his imprisonment. Marinthaxus spent all his waking hours
searching for a way to break out from the howling plane.
So centred was he on his search that not even the
maddening winds of Pandemonium could affect him, or
swerve him from his purpose.
Marinthaxus
searched for almost 10 years before he discovered a way
to break the enchantment that kept him bound to
Pandemonium. He searched for another 10 years to bring
together all the components he needed to allow him to
escape. Finally he was ready, and Marinthaxus escaped
from his unjust confinement.
Having
freed himself, Marinthaxus first sought out the wizard
who had first banished him to Pandemonium, determined to
take his revenge upon him. The search took Marinthaxus a
further 8 years, as the wizard had become aware of
Marinthaxus' escape and sought to hide himself away from
punishment. At last Marinthaxus found the wizard, who had
taken refuge in the Abyss. There a mighty battle was
fought between the two, and after a full day, Marinthaxus
stood victorious and vindicated.
Now
that he had satisfied his purpose in escaping from the
howling plane, Marinthaxus returned there, that he might
teach others who had been imprisoned there, like he had
once been, the way to escape. After spending 10 years on
the plane, helping others, Marinthaxus left once more,
going this time to the Outlands, where he settled. He had
proved that he had deserved better than his original
fate. He had proved that he was not one of the weak, but
one of the strong.
Marinthaxus
left behind him others, whom he had shown a way to
escape. In his honour, those others joined together, that
they too might prove themselves to be strong. And they
took a name, to describe who they were, and what
motivated them. They called themselves 'the
Dispossessed'.
"The
Chronicle of Marinthaxus",
Dispossessed text
Sect
History
"The
Chronicle of Marinthaxus", reproduced above, is
partially true. Marinthaxus really was a paladin
imprisoned on Pandemonium around 88 years ago, although
who imprisoned him is unknown. There is no reason to
assume that the Chronicle is inaccurate in describing
Marinthaxus' enemy as a wizard. However, it is at this
stage that a certain amount of exaggeration starts to
creep into the sect's account of the life of their
founder. Marinthaxus was seen again on Mount Celestia
only 9 years after his banishment, rather than the 20
years that the Chronicle mentions. Also, there is no
doubt that Marinthaxus had definitely been much changed
by his imprisonment, doubtless as a result of 9 years
from listening to the howling winds of Pandemonium.
According to one former companion, who fortunately for
posterity recorded his life in a series of diaries,
Marinthaxus had become paranoid, believing that everyone
wanted to return him to his prison.
Marinthaxus
did indeed track down the wizard who banished him, and
probably killed him, and did return to Pandemonium
afterwards to help others escape. This was, however, less
due to a desire to help others than it was to a desire to
gather around him others who had been through the same
experience that he had, presumably because he felt he
could trust them not to return him to the howling plane
permanently. He was also responsible for the formation of
the Dispossessed, and initially ran it as both ruler and
tyrant. However, after a number of years (the exact
number is unclear) he retired to the Outlands. The sect
went their own way without him, but they still
acknowledge the debt they owe to Marinthaxus.
The
sect has grown in number since then, and is now stronger
than it has ever been known to be. The leadership of the
sect has changed on a constant basis, as leadership is
determined by a duel between the current leader and the
challenger. The current leader (or sector) is Gher the
Axe.
Gher the
Axe
(Planar/human male/fighter
15/CN)
Strength: 18/32, Constitution: 18, Dexterity: 16
Intelligence: 12, Wisdom: 10, Charisma: 14
HP: 116
AC: -1
Specialised with Battle-axe and throwing axe
Magical Items: Battle-axe +4, Axe of Hurling
+3 (returns to Gher's hand on command), Plate Mail
+2
Gher
assumed control of the sect 7 years ago, killing then
sector Luran in a bitter fight. The death of one of the
participants in a leadership duel is unusual, but far
from unheard of. Gher is the first sector from the
increasing number of former prisoners from Carceri. It is
a sign of the increasing importance amongst the
Dispossessed of the Carcerian Exiles, and there is
considerable antagonism between those who have escaped
from Carceri and Pandemonium. This has threatened to
spill over into actual bloodshed on a number of
occasions; that it hasn't done so yet is solely because
Gher has threatened to "crack the head" of anyone who
starts such a fight. Most of the sect's members have seen
Gher fight and they have no wish to try their luck with
him. Gher has so far faced only one challenge during his
reign.
In
combat, he is fast, brutal and callous. He takes the
attitude that anyone who is stupid enough to get into a
fight with him is stupid enough to deserve whatever they
get, which is usually a great deal of pain. Who banished
him to Carceri is unknown, but he is said to carry their
left hand in a pouch he keeps on his belt. He escaped
from the Red Prison fifteen years ago; it is widely
assumed that the time between his escape and his
leadership challenge was spent in hunting down his
banisher and gaining revenge. It is considered a terrible
social blunder to ask an Exile about why they were
banished, even within the sect, so no one really knows
what Ghers' background is. He is believed to come from
the Outlands somewhere, and is believed to be about 35
years old, but there is no real evidence that either
supposition is true.
When
not fighting, Gher is slightly more approachable, but not
much. It has been commented that Gher would have made an
excellent Rager. Certainly he is aggressive at all times,
and never far from going over the edge. Gher is
passionate about a few things, these are; being banished
again, the right of the sect to prove itself and his
wife, Cyprexa (whom he met in Carceri). Comments about
any of these are likely to throw him into a rage. He
firmly believes, however, that each sect member must
prove themselves, and is instilling that belief in the
members of the sect. What this means is that it is
becoming less common that one Exile will come to the
assistance of another.
Sect
Headquarters
The
Exiles have no specific headquarters. Gher lives in a
small village just outside Curst. Many of the other
Carcerian Exiles also live here. Most of the other sect
members live in or around Bedlam. The rest are scattered
around the planes, but are mostly in Sigil. However,
there is no location that is specific to the sect.
Traditionally, where the sect leader lives is where the
sect is based, but on the rare occasions that they meet
as a group, it may be in another building in the same
town or village, or may be in a different place entirely.
Gher has so far called one sect meeting each year that he
has been sector, and has alternated them between Curst
and Bedlam. This years meeting is due to be in
Bedlam.
Role-playing
the Dispossessed
Above
all else, the Exiles feel that they have been 'robbed'.
Whoever banished them, to wherever they were banished
(and the sect have been known to admit members who were
simply banished from a city or country, rather than to a
plane), and why they were banished; none of this is
really important to an Exile. What is important is that
they were banished, like the weak, without first having
the chance to prove that they were the strong. All
members of the sect believe that if it wasn't for their
banishment, they would now be great men and women.
They
therefore feel that they have to prove this to the rest
of the multiverse. They achieve this by a variety of
methods. Some set out to achieve tasks held by others to
be impossible. Some seek to acquire wealth, power and
influence. Others simply seek out those who believe
themselves to be powerful, and attempt to bring them down
a peg or two. However they attempt to show their worth,
however, all Chippers believe that they have been treated
unfairly by life, and that they need to give life a good
kick in the teeth in return.
Membership
of the Dispossessed
There
is only one requirement to becoming a member of the
Dispossessed; you must first have been banished. In the
vast majority of cases, this means banished to a specific
plane, which is almost always either Carceri or
Pandemonium, as these are the two planes where people are
most commonly banished to. However, occasionally people
are banished to other places (other Lower Planes), and
such people meet the requirements for sect membership. In
fact, as mentioned earlier, you meet the membership
requirements if you have been banished from a country or
city. However, this is the sort of punishment most
commonly handed out on Prime Material worlds, and the
sect has little time for primes. However, there have been
members from prime worlds. Where you come from, who you
are, the nature of and reason for the banishment; this is
irrelevant. Membership is offered to anyone who has been
banished, and is adjudged to be strong enough to live up
to the sect's expectations. Those who are offered
membership, and refuse it, however, are viewed as cowards
and weaklings who doubtless deserved their punishment,
and treated with nothing but contempt and scorn by the
sect's members.
Members
can be of any alignment, but as the vast majority of
members have been imprisoned in either Carceri or
Pandemonium, and as both planes can leave their mark on
those who spend time there, there is a tendency towards
chaotic and evil alignment. most common is probably CN,
then CE and NE. There are a few TN members. Most who have
spent time on either plane will have shifted somewhat
towards the plane's alignment, however, so although there
is no reason why the sect would exclude a person due to
their alignment, there have been very few lawful or good
members, and no LG members ever.
The
sect also admits any class. They really don't care who
you are as long as you have been banished. However,
priests tend to find solace in their faith, not
bitterness, so few priests join the sect. A significant
number of people become priests having joined the sect,
though. See The Dark for more details.
Allies
and Enemies
Well,
actually "allies" is stretching it a little far. That
would imply working together, or at least getting on with
one another, and neither of those are things that the
Exiles are good at. But whilst they don't really have any
allies, as they don't want to be caught leaning on
anyone, there are a few factions that somewhat admire the
attitude that the Dispossessed bring to the multiverse.
These factions are the Fated, Indeps, Anarchists and
Signers. Of course, not everyone in all these factions
finds anything admirable in the Exiles, but in general
they are fairly well received by them. The attitude of
the Dispossessed towards the factions, however, is much
the same as their attitude towards everyone else.
As
for enemies; well the Exiles have got up the nose of
pretty much everyone. However, their desire to prove
themselves often involves doing what the Harmonium
describe as "causing trouble". This being one of the
biggest sins that a person can commit (in the Harmonium's
books, anyway), the Hardheads have a pretty low opinion
of the Exiles as a group.
Advantages
and Disadvantages
Exiles
are tough people, determined that no-one will take
advantage of them. Because of this, they tend to be
strong mentally, earning a +1 bonus to all saving throws
against mental attacks. In addition, they are hardened
against what life can throw against them. To reflect
this, they roll twice for hit points at each level,
taking the higher value.
Unfortunately,
their attitude tends to make other people dislike them.
The Exiles view themselves as the strong, and are
determine to prove this to the rest of the multiverse,
but to do so, they often annoy (at least) the rest of the
multiverse. Apart from other sect members, Exiles suffer
a -2 reaction adjustment penalty from the people they
meet.
The
Current Chant
A
sect that is well known for the fact that its members
regard themselves as individuals rarely produces any
organised activities. However, recently one interesting
rumour has come to light. It has been reported that
instructions have come from Gher to increase the number
of members in the sect, by any means necessary, and more
importantly, to increase the number of truly influential
members the sect has. As a result, the sect has been
actively courting the most famous being banished to
Sigil, Shemeshka the Marauder. The theory goes that most
chant reports that Shemeshka was forced to Sigil to
avoid.... someone. Or something. Rumours about
Shemeshka are notoriously hard to come by; ones backed up
by a certain amount of evidence even more so. Whatever,
Gher has decided that she has been 'banished', and
therefore qualifies for sect membership. The fact that
Shemeshka shows no interest in joining (she has thus far
killed at least three recruiters) appears not to be
relevant. Gher seems to be working on the premise that if
they keep trying, eventually she'll give in and join.
Most others are praying that she doesn't.
The Dark
Here's
the biggest secret in the sect, although in recent years
it's become more general knowledge. When Marinthaxus
first lead a group out from Pandemonium, they admired him
as one who had done something they regarded as
impossible. Some of them idolised him. And some of them
came to worship him. And as time passed, and the numbers
of the sect grew, so the belief in Marinthaxus grew, and
he became a God.
Only
a very minor one, of course. But the sect continues to
grow, and as all members of the Dispossessed pay at least
lip service to Marinthaxus, so he grows in
power.
Marinthaxus
(Demi-power,
"the Paranoid Power", "the Freedom Lord")
AoC: The Dispossessed, the
imprisoned, the escaped, paranoia.
AL:
CN
WAL:
Any
Symbol:
A clenched fist
Home
P/L/R: Pandemonium /
Cocytus / The Free Land
Marinthaxus'
transformation to a power was slow and gradual, and
further unbalanced an already deranged mind. It is one of
the great planar ironies that having searched for so long
for a way to leave Pandemonium as a mortal, and having
deliberately set up home on the Outlands, one of the
first things that happened when Marinthaxus became a god
was that his home, now his realm, slipped back into
Pandemonium. He is said to have been unhappy at his turn
of events. Then he became convinced that some other God
had caused it to happen, and circled deeper into
paranoia.
Marinthaxus
remains deeply unbalanced, and his paranoia reaches new
heights every year. He trusts no other deities, and
deliberately shuns their company. However, his sanity
remains focused by his devotion to the Dispossessed, to
whom he remains devoted. He has recently made his high
priest, Darlaith, his first proxy, and there are rumours
that Gher will become his second.
The
Free Land is a small realm hidden deep in the heart of
Cocytus. It is extremely difficult to find without
assistance, or previous knowledge (mostly because the
paranoid God does not want others to come visiting
unexpected). However, once found it is one of the most
hospitable places on the howling plane. The winds of
Pandemonium do not affect those within the realm (they
can still be heard, they just don't cause madness).
Further, as it was Marinthaxus home on the Outlands that
was dragged into Pandemonium, there is relatively normal
landscape within the realm. Perhaps most importantly,
there is a known permanent portal off the plane located
there (in fact, possibly more than one). Many of
Pandemonium's inhabitants make for the Free Land in the
hope of escaping. Those who do almost always join the
Exiles, thus adding power to Marinthaxus. And make no
mistake, Marinthaxus is growing in power.
Since
his existence as a God became known outside the Exiles,
Marinthaxus has picked up the nickname "the Paranoid
Power". Accurate though this is, the Dispossessed, who
call him "the Freedom Lord" (or sometimes "the Lord of
Freedom"), find this extremely objectionable. Calling
Marinthaxus "the Paranoid Power" within the earshot of a
Chipper will almost certainly be taken as reason enough
to kill you by the sect member. Those who have openly
laughed at Marinthaxus have become the hated enemies of
the Exiles, who will go to any lengths to bring them
down.
As
mentioned earlier, all members of the Exiles at least pay
lip service to Marinthaxus, and many worship him above
any other God (even ones that they followed before their
banishment). Some have become specialist priests of the
Freedom Lord.
Marinthaxus'
Priesthood
(Free-walkers)
Description:
The priesthood exists for two reasons; the Dispossessed,
and Marinthaxus. They seek to do whatever they can to
enable either, or both, to grow stronger.
Weapons
Allowed: The Free-walkers
are allowed bludgeoning weapons only.
Armour
Allowed: Priests of
Marinthaxus may wear any armour up to chain mail. they
cannot use a shield.
Limitations:
Only that they must be members of the Dispossessed. If
Darlaith has his way, this may not remain as a
requirement.
Granted
Powers: Free-walkers can
walk Pandemonium without being affected by the wind at
all. Furthermore, they are protected against all
mind-affecting spells; they gain a +2 bonus to saving
throws against such magics.
Major
Access: All, Chaos, Combat,
Protection, Charm,
Minor
Access: Divination,
Guardian, Summoning, Thought
The
high priest of Marinthaxus, Darlaith, is seeking to
increase his God's power. He is attempting to persuade
people from outside the sect to take up the worship of
Marinthaxus. So far he is having little success, but
isolated worship of Marinthaxus is occurring in some
parts of Pandemonium and Carceri, separate to the
Dispossessed. The next step in Darlaith's plan is to
bring an outsider into the priesthood, which he believed
will greatly increase the number of people who are not
Exiles who worship Marinthaxus. So far his plans appear
to be working, though not as quickly as he had hoped.
Nevertheless, it seems likely that in 20 years or so,
worship of Marinthaxus will no longer be associated
solely with the Dispossessed, and this would mean that
the God will continue to grow in strength.
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