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CHARACTER CREATION
This adventure takes place entirely in the Shadow of Avernus. Avernus consists entirely of a single continent, habitable only in the northern regions. To the south lies endless desert, and the seas that surround Avernus are usually too stormy for safe passage by sail. The interior of Avernus, though, is a vast plateau, somewhat warm and dry, but able to support a variety of agricultural crops. Corwin’s comment that the colors were “bewildering” refers to the fact that light is reflected at slightly different frequencies than elsewhere, so the sky appears green, fire looks red, and other colors do not fall in their usual spots on the spectrum. Natives of Avernus are very tall and strong. Their eyes have vertical pupils like a cat’s, and they are red-skinned. Both males and females have little or no hair anywhere on their bodies. Their hands and feet have six digits each that end in claws, and they have pointed ears. The technological level on Avernus equates to seventeenth-century Europe on Shadow Earth. There is no central government; each village is ruled by a council of elders with jurisdiction over the town and surrounding farms. Disputes are rare and usually easily settled. There is a highly-structured dominant religion, which is based on prophecies whose origins are from forgotten ancient times. There is a Grand High Prelate who is the highest priest of the religion, with lesser priests to be found in every village and hamlet. The teachings of the religion are known to every inhabitant of Avernus, and they tell of a great war in heaven between brothers, and the greatest of these is the Great God Bleys, who is wise and good. Adherents of this religion are supposed to prepare themselves for the day when Bleys will return to take them away to fight in this holy war. War itself is otherwise unknown on Avernus, but military training is compulsory for all citizens, both male and female, so that all are prepared for the Day of Prophecy. The traditional weapon is a pair of small hooked blades, which are held in each hand.
All player-characters will be inhabitants of Shadow Avernus. For convenience, it would be helpful if all characters were from the same village: Bredalhom, which is typical of most Avernus villages. Your character can have any occupation that might be found in such a village, which resembles something from the late Renaissance here on Shadow Earth. Characters are created without points. To create your character, describe as completely as you can in words your character: his or her name, life story, personality, physical traits, and abilities. Since all player-characters are Shadow beings, assume that the best that they can be is at the high end of the normal range of human strength, endurance, and dexterity. Magical ability is generally not known on Avernus: most people do not believe it exists, and the priests teach that it is reserved for gods, not men. If you wish your character to have any magical ability, you will need to explain how he or she came to acquire these skills. Pattern, Trump, or Logrus powers, or any other supernatural ability not native to Avernus, is not allowed for player-characters. To submit your character, e-mail me your complete character description as soon as possible. I will let you know if I have any further questions prior to the con.
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