You don't need drugs for this out-of-body experience!

In the shared-world I have going based in D101 Games awesomely Hyborian The Savage North, we have a new player joining. Wanting to use that opportunity to add more depth to the campaign, I decided to let him play a new race, that is actually a very old race reawakened in the current time of troubles.

I mentioned above that The Savage North was awesomely Hyborian. As I have previously reported, The Savage North has brooding CImmerianeque Bogdannans, rampaging Northerners reminicent of the natives of Hyboria's Asaheim and Vanaheim, an acquisitive empire much like Aquilonia, savage Wodelanders who work well as the Hyborian version of Picts, and more.

And  just as the Hyborian Age was the "current" age for Conan the Cimmerian, with the Age of Atlantis (remember King Kull) in its ancient past, The Savage North is the current age of this setting. And it too has an ancient world in its distant past - in which the the rise of the Blood Gods enslaved races and reordered the world, only to be brought low by other powers of that time. The Blood Gods of old were worshipped by - yesssss - The Serpent Folk, who used their eldritch powers to create vampires and blood magic and blood beasts with which to rule and terrorize that ancient age.

And in the Savage North of the present day, the Serpent Folk have arisen from a sleep of ages, seeking to return the North to the seething, steaming jungle of their time. Encouraged by this, blood creatures, hiding in the shadows, nooks and crannies of creation, have slithered, slunk and stalked onto the stage of the world once more.

As have heroes to stop them.

Thus far, these heroes have been people of the younger world:

Aquila - A young sorcerer of the Gatan Empire who, unbeknownst to her, follows in the footsteps of her sire to become the White Dragon Knight, reawakening the only dragon of the Savage North and freeing the chief god of the Nord pantheon from where Imperial Blood sorcery locked him away.

Donnan - A Bogdannan/ Sonderlander barbarian halfbreed dunning away from his life of family torment, to pierce the magical Veil and discover the ancient Vampire Kingdom of Altanen, even as he aids the next Queen of Sonderland to topple the puppet-tyrants of the Serpent Folk from her throne, then to rebuild the ailing kingdom.

Evander - A blood sorcerer and brother to Aquila, rescued and cleansed of Blood taint. Now he hunts the scions of the Blood Gods, hoping to keep other young sorcerers from falling prey to the lure of the Blood, but never able to redress the balance for the dark deeds of his past.

Tova - The Sonderlander witch who made a bad deal with the Fey Gods, only to spend three lifetimes as a Hound of the Wyld Hunt, now returned to Sonderland as the Vampire Kingdom crumbles, and the Serpent Folk stir from their lairs.

Since there were so many heroes of the current age, and so many perils and Elder Races from the ancient world, it seemed time to allow for an Elder Race as a player option. Enter the  Athalanta - the Stone Children. When the Blood Gods and Serpent Folk ruled the ancient world, there were other races who opposed them. Some, like the Scyllata or the Basterae, were no better than their foes, and they have perished or hidden themselves in the intervening centuries. Others fought the corruption of Blood Sorcery and the Gods who taught it because to do otherwise was to be destroyed or corrupted in turn. So it was the Athalanta, who would survive or fall as the earth of which they were a part did.   

The Athalanta of the Savage North recall little of their origins, or their ancient past. The ones who have survived, did so because they slept, interred in the earth by their own magical arts, for the past two thousand years and more. Now some are rising from this sleep of ages, dragged from it by fell sorcery, or because they the spreading corruption of Blood Sorcery as of old. As an Elder Race, the Athalanta are magical by their nature. They unlocked the power inherent in the earth and can channel it via their innate Stonesinging ability, which allowed them to fight the Blood Gods, sense the Corruption, and secure themselves against it. Yet it did not save them. The Athalanta who rise now, do so with the knowledge that they did not destroy the Blood Gods, only weaken them - at great cost. The Athalanta that rise now are few, and they have forgotten so much of the past.

So without further ado:

Athelanta - The Stone Children

You are one of the Athalanta, called by those few sages who know of you, the Stone Children. You have slumbered for ages in the earth, awaiting the call to defend it, and something now has awakened you. You have an instinctive understanding of your role as a protector of the earth from corruption and feel a sense that you must reawaken more of your kind. Currently, you do not know how to do that.

                  When slumbering in the earth you are subsumed into it. Otherwise you attain a humanoid form, and many of the limitations and abilities of it. Athalantans appear like solidly built men and women, with sandy or grey complexions. Some have hair that is often metallic in colour, others are hairless. Eyes are various shades of gray or brown.

                  When in human form, you must eat and drink to sustain yourself. If you do not, you will pass into the earth for sustenance, and may have difficulty awakening. In this way, many stone children have passed centuries unaware of the world around them.

Stone Child Abilities:

• Stone Children do not breathe, and are unaffected by inhaled gasses, etc.
• Darksight: Stone Children can see in even absolute darkness up to 30 feet.
• Stonesinging: This magical form is a natural ability of the Athalanta.

Stonesinging:

Stonesinging is a skill and a magical tradition of the Athelanta, in which one communes with the earth, occasionally shaping it to one’s will. Stonesinging produces a resonant humming that changes in pitch (hence the name of the skill) and is audible to those around you – the greater your Stonesinging attempt (which is to say the great the Magnitude and POWer of the incantation), the louder the sound. Stonesinging is as natural to you as breathing is to men, but you are aware that there are drawbacks to so vocal a tradition.

                  To Stonesing, you must succeed at a skill check.

Stonesinging grants a number of abilities:

• Earth Sense: You can, with a Skill check, detect voids, pits, tunnels or other openings in the earth or stone around you, to a distance up POW x5 Yards.  If there are earth-aspected spirits or elementals within that area, you also will know of them. You may also detect any wrongness in the area’s earth at the same time.
• Resilience: Stonesinging determines your form’s Resilience. You gain 1 Armor Point to all locations for each full 20% in Stonesinging to a maximum of your Manipulation Limit. If you wish, you may expend temporary POWer to inprove your Resilience as if you had the spell Protection. You may not increase your total Resilience past your Manipulation Limit.  Stone Children may wear armor instead of enhancing their Resilience, but few would choose to do so, because they cannot carry it into the earth with them.
• Stonesinger Incantations: Though inherently magical, Stone Children practice the art of Stonesinging and cannot learn sorcery or witchcraft. Indeed, these arts are human attempts to codify and regularize the inherent natural abilities of the Elder Races like the Stone Children. Stone Children begin play with two or more Incantations and 4 Magnitude to divide between them.

Range, Duration and Manipulation Limit:

Like Sorcery and Witchcraft, Stonesinging can manipulate aspects of incantations for greater effect. Two of the most common manipulations are of Duration, and Range. Note that the increments of range and duration in Stonesinging are different from those in Sorcery or witchcraft. Sorcery and Witchcraft are in fact, human attempts to emulate and codify the natural and magical abilities of the Elder Races.

Duration:

Incantations have a listed Duration, which may be manipulated upward on the Duration Track by dedicating ranks of Manipulation (and Magic Points) to doing so. To determine how much Manipulation is required, find the increment listed in the incantation, and count a rank of Manipulation per increment until you get to the increment you want. You cannot cast an incantation with more Magnitude + Ranks of Manipulation than your Manipulation limit. To get a longer lasting variable incantation, it may be necessary to cast it at a lower Magnitude.

Example:

Serath, with Manipulation Limit of 5, could cast Crevass at Magnitude 3 and manipulate the duration by increasing the rank of the incantation to 5, paying 2 additional Magic Points and extending the duration by two increments. If further duration is desired, Serath could cast Crevass at Magnitude 1 or 2, settling for a smaller area of effect, but extending the duration from POW x Rounds to (for 3 ranks of Manipulation) POW x Hours or even (4 ranks) POW x Days.

Duration Track: Each Rank/Magic Point added increases by one increment

Instant: Instant spells are not subject to Duration manipulation.

1 Round > POW Rounds > POW Minutes > POWx10 Minutes > POW x Hours > POW x Days > double each further increment.

Range:

Each incantation spell has a set range, which may be manipulated ONLY if (and how) an individual spell description allows it.

Serath realizes that she needs to cast her Crevasse at a range beyond Touch, so she needs to Manipulate the Range as well as Duration, all within her Manipulation Limit of 5. She races forward to get within range, casts a Magnitude 2 Crevasse, using 1 Rank to increase Range to POW x Yards, and 2 Ranks to extend the Duration to POW 10 Minutes. She will Pay 5 POWer to cast, and hopes it will be enough.

Range Track: Each Magic Point added increases the range by one increment

Self only > Touch > POW x Yards > POW x 5 Yards > POW x 10 Yards > POW x 20 Yards > POW x 100 Yards > POW x 1000 Yards > POW x Miles > POW x 10 Miles.

Manipulation Limit:

A Stone Child can never learn an incantation at a higher Magnitude that her Manipulation Limit (which is POW divided by 3, rounding up). Her ability to manipulate aspects of an incantation (Range, Duration, etc) is also limited by the same number. So the total of Magnitude + manipulations can be no higher than her Manipulation Limit.

Example:

Serath’s Manipulation Limit is 5. Depending on the Magnitude of the incantation, he can manipulate it to a total of 5, and pay the same in POW. So if he knew Hurl Shard 3 and cast at full power (Magnitude 3), he could manipulate it by up to 2 further ranks, raising the POWer cost by 2. In the case of Hurl Shard, only Range is subject to Manipulation, but doing so could extend the range of the shard by up to two ranks, from POW x Yards, to POW x 10 Yards. Of course, should he need to reach further, he could reduce his Hurl Shard to Magnitude 2 or 1, to increase the range by another rank or two respectively. In any case, he cannot cast a spell of greater than 5 POWer.

Incantations

Incantations may be Variable, in which case they can be cast at any Magnitude up to the highest known but the caster. Instead, an incantation may have a listed POW cost, in which case that is the Magnitude of the incantation. Either type may be manipulated as stated in each description. Once, many more incantations were known to the Athalanta, but they have forgotten so much in their long slumber. Perhaps they can now recover some of their former power and glory.

1. Awaken Earth
2. Burial
3. Conjure Weapon
4. Crevasse
5. Deep Stride
6. Earth Call
7. Interment
8. Hinder
9. Hurl Shard
10. Rock Wall
11. Stony Grip
12. Sure Step

AWAKEN EARTH – Variable

Range: POW x Yards                          Resist: No             Duration: POW x rounds

You imbue within a portion of earth or stone a certain amount of your will, effectively creating an earth elemental of ranks equal to your Magnitude. This elemental is in all ways identical with those created by sorcerers, and is not truly alive or aware, merely animate via your will. It has the abilities of, and behaves in every way, like a gnome of the appropriate magnitude. You have the same limitations and control over a gnome you create as a sorcerer would, such as spending a Major Action to order an elemental, the number of elemental you can imbue, etc.

                  See the Sorcery spell Conjure/ Dismiss Elemental for full details on Earth Elementals, and their interactions with other elemental beings. If you wish to use your gnome to build, you may make Work Earth and Stone rolls to determine effectiveness.

                  You may manipulate the range and duration.

Earth – The Gnome

The gnome always forms into a man-like shape. It can:

1.   Hit physically for 1D6 damage per level of gnome at 15 x Level%.

2.   Be damaged by physical weapons, but the attacker must make a roll of POW×5 or less on 1D100 or the weapon takes the same amount of damage back to itself.

3.  Find the nearest source of metals or gems within POW in yards, as specified by the summoner.

4.   Destroy an undine by comparing its level to the undine’s on the resistance table and making a successful attack.

5.   Mutually annihilate hit points with a salamander until one is gone.

6.   Move 12 Yards a round over or through the earth, which doubles when moving at full speed.

7.    Excavate or move earth equal to 1 cubic foot per 3 SIZ of the gnome at its normal speed.

BURIAL – 3 POW

Range: POW x Yards        Resisted: Yes                        Duration: POW x Rounds

This ability was in ancient times used as part of a funerary rite among mortals – in which a Stone Child would be called to lay the dead to rest by allowing their bodies to sink into the earth and return to the cycle of life. It can also be used to drive an enemy into earth, gravel, sand or similar, but not solid stone, for a time as well. You must succeed at a POW contest, although the target may elect to Evade instead if it prefers. If you succeed, or it fails to Evade, it is forced beneath the earth. It may then attempt to free itself by climbing out – each round making a single STR x3 Check. If this succeed, the target has climbed partially out of its burial place. The target must succeed at three such checks before it is free. After the first success, its arms and head are free and it can act accordingly, including casting spells, etc. If it does so, it cannot attempt to climb out that round. After the second success, the target is free to its knees, and can fight (at -20% to all rolls) but not move.

                  You can extend the duration of this spell. 

CONJURE WEAPON – Variable

Range: Self            Resisted: no                          Duration: POW x Minutes

You can manifest a melee weapon of elemental stone. The weapon manifests in your hand(s) and does damage based on the magnitude of the spell. At Magnitude 1, you can manifest a single-handed weapon with all the attributes of that weapon) including adding your Damage Bonus if you have one), and doing +1 Magical Damage (Earth). If you lose contact with the weapon (by dropping it, being disarmed, etc) the weapon is dispersed. At Magnitude 2, you can manifest a two-handed weapon, with all the attributes of that weapon, but doing +2 Magical Damage (Earth). If you lose contact with the weapon (as under Magnitude 1), the weapon disperses but may be recalled by you spending a Major Action to do so, without any expenditure of POWer for the duration of the effect. Each Magnitude thereafter, increases the Magical Damage you do when you hit by 2. So if you have Blade 4, you might manifest a broadsword doing 1d8+7 (with +6 of that being Magical Earth Damage).

                  Your usage of the weapon you conjure is based on your skill with that weapon. You can manipulate Conjure Weapon to increase the range to Touch – thereby granting a weapon to another for the spell’s duration. You can also increase the duration.

CREVASSe - Variable

Range: Touch     Resisted: No                         Duration: POW x Rounds              

You rend earth and stone to create a crevasse in the ground over the course of a melee round. Any creature in the affected area can elect to move to one or the other side of it in time to avoid falling in. Your crevasse is 1 yard wide, 2 yards deep, and 3 yards long at Magnitude 1. Each further Magnitude doubles the size of the crevasse, though you need not use the full extent possible.

                  You can manipulate the range up to 2 Increments, and the duration as you choose.

DEEP STRIDE – 3 POW

Range: Self            Resisted: No                         Duration: 1 Round          

You can move through the earth (but not hard stone of any sort), finding your way with Earth Sense if necessary. You speed is equal to your Magnitude x2, but cannot exceed your Manipulation Limit. If you are trapped within the earth (when you spell ends), you suffer 4d6 damage to your total hit points.

EARTH CALL – Variable

Range/ Area: POW x 10 Yards     Resisted: Yes                        Duration: Instant

You can extend the range and sensitivity of your Earth Sense (Stone Child ability). Each Magnitude may increase the rank, or grant you +10% to your Stonesinging skill for Earth Sense. You may also devote a rank of Magnitude to impart a message that will be understood by any earth-aspected being within the area. The message is not a command, and can be resisted simply by deciding to do so.

INTERMENT - Variable

Range: Self                            Resisted: No                         Duration: POW x Minutes

You sink into the earth or stone at your current location, and enter a healing trance state. You are semiconscious but aware (you may use Earth Sense to perceive around you), and cannot act during this time without ending the trance. You may end the trance at any time, rising from the earth as a Major Action.

                 You are undetectable and all but impossible to affect by normal means while interred, though magical senses and any ability that can detect or affect earth, spirits, etc; will do so.

                 During Interment, you recover 1 HP per Magnitude per minute up to your Manipulation Limit in HP. You recover lost Magic Points normally while interred. You may manipulate the Duration to extend the duration of interment, which allows you to stay within the earth for longer periods, but it does not increase the amount of healing available. You may take with you into Interment up to your normal Encumbrance limit of material, none of which may be alive.

You are not invulnerable when interred, and can be affected by anything that affects the ground in which you have immersed yourself.

HINDER – Variable

Range POW x yards          Resisted: DEX x 5%                            Duration: POW x Rounds

You invigorate the earth in an area, causing the stones and rubble to tremble and roll, making it difficult terrain to cross. Every round within the area, subjects must make a Dexterity x5 success on Percentiles or have the movement reduced by 3 per Magnitude. At Magnitude 1, you cover up to a five yard radius area. Each Magnitude thereafter can double the radius or increase the penalty to Movement by 3.

                  You can manipulate Range or Duration.

HURL SHARD - Variable

Range: POW x Yards                          Resisted: No                        Duration: Instantaneous

This spell is a specialized version of HURL ENERGY. You magically create a charged shard of stone, that you physically throw at a target. You gain the Skill Hurl Shard, at DEX x2% on casting the spell, which may increase via experience as any skill. If you hit, the shard does your damage bonus, + 1d6 damage.  Each rank of the spell adds +1d6 damage to your shard. A success is a hit, and you should roll location to determine where your shard hit the target. If you succeed with a special, the shard may Impale. Targets may try to Evade. Armor in the location will absorb the damage. If the location is also shielded, it gains +6 AP. The spells: Protection, or Resistance: Earth will also impede Hurl Shard.

                  You may Manipulate this incantation increase the range by up to two Magnitude.

ROCK WALL

Range: POW x Yards                          POW Check – No        Duration – POW x rounds

You summon a wall out of the ground or a stone floor. It appears as you decide within range with dimensions of 1×1×3 Yards. Each additional Magnitude add 1 Yard to one dimension of the wall. The wall has 30 hit points and 8 AP per cubic yard if any attempt is made to destroy it.

                  Wall may also be used to create a bridge or other such structure, if the Stonesinger can make a skill check.

                                     Levels may be spent to increase Duration.

STONE GRIP – 2 POW

Range: POW x yards        Resisted: Yes                        Duration: POW x Rounds

Cast upon the ground beneath a target, you raise rocky limbs to bind the individual. Make a POW contest. If you succeed, roll for the target’s immobilized Hit Location. The target cannot move from its current position, and the affected Hit Location cannot be used unless the stony limb can be destroyed. It has AP and HP equal to your Manipulation limit (ex: Manipulation Limit 5 = 5 AP/ 5 HP).

                  You can manipulate this spell to increase the duration.

SURE STEP – 2 POW

Range: Self            Resisted: No                         Duration: POW x Minutes

You are neither slowed nor affected by poor terrain resulting from rubble, soft sand, quicksand, or other “earth” related issues. Trees, buildings, hills, and other such things affect you normally.

                  You can manipulate this spell to increases the range to Touch, and to increase the duration.

Common Feat of Arms:

Aspect Power: Earth – POW 15, Magic Skill at 50%

Cost: 4 Hero Points, and you must train with a mage with the feat or an appropriate supernatural tutor for 1d4+1 weeks, paying what they demand.

When casting Earth spells or using Earth-based inherent abilities your Manipulation Limit is increased by 1 and your casting percentage is increased by 20%.

Using The Athalanta in your own games:

Because the Athalanta have forgotten so much of their past, they are perfect as mysterious strangers, semi-divine beings, or inhabitants of a "lost world". But they are just as good introduced as described, as beings from the ancient past of your world. And since the PC Athalantan has little memory of her own past, she will discover it along with the rest of your players, which means you don't have to info dump on any one, and need not worry if you have only partially fleshed out your world as it was a few thousand yerars ago.

Athelanta (Stone Children)

Attacks                                   Reach                     Attack                    Parry                      Damage               Special

Stone Blade                               2                             60                              60                              1d8+2+1d4         Slash

Flint Shard                             POW x yards       60                                                                  1d6+1d4               Impale

• Flint Shard: costs 1 Magic Point to throw shard

Common Skills: Stonesinging 60%

Athletics 40%

Hide in Cover 30% (+20% in Rocky Terrain)

Speak Athalan 80%

Spot Hidden 50%

Lore: Earth 50%

Work Earth and Stone 50%

Stonesinger Incantations (4 Magnitude chosen from those below): Common: Conjure Weapon 1, Hinder 1, Hurl Shard 1, Interment 1.

Attribute Parasite

Type: Mental

Frequency: Uncommon

Power Score: Yes

Range: Touch

Duration: 1d6 plus power score modifier in hours

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: Once plus power score modifier every 36 hours

Attribute Parasite Table

Feralization (drawback)

Type: Physical

Frequency: Rare

Power Score: Yes

Range: Personal

Duration: See description

AI Recognition: +4 (only when mutation is active)

Damage: See description

Uses: Constant

Cerebellum Consumption

Type: Physical

Frequency: Rare

Power Score: Yes

Range: Personal

Duration: Instant

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: 1 plus power score modifier (minimum of 1) times per week.

Retains Leaves (drawback)

Type: Plant

Frequency: Uncommon

Power Score: No

Range: Personal

Duration: Permanent

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: Constant

Chameleon Metamorph

Type: Plant

Frequency: Rare

Power Score: Yes

Range: Personal

Duration: 1d6 plus power score modifier hours

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: One plus power score modifier every 12 hours.

Dyscalculia (drawback)

Type: Mental

Frequency: Very common

Power Score: Yes

Range: Personal

Duration: Permanent

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: Constant

Astral Projection

Type: Mental

Frequency: Rare

Power Score: Yes

Range: Power score in miles

Duration: Twice the power score in turns

AI Recognition: None

Damage: None

Uses: One plus the power score modifier times every 48 hours.