Re: Vadeli characterization

From: Chris Lemens <chrislemens_at_WazBsFqSragRkduW7cFPeUjC5B95Ca7sH32y04zV9_cx2aUvzlwBP7Gf0HJS6SCw>
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:22:18 -0700 (PDT)


The Vadeli visited us once when we were busy solidifying our conquest of the island of Trond (off the northwest coast of Genertela). All kinds of people had recently been showing up because we had performed the "Fall of Malkonwal" heroquest with us as the attackers and our enemy as Malkion. (Think of it like his own personal Alamo and us as the Mexicans.) The ritual had attracted representatives from all of the peoples who had actually participated in the Fall of Malkonwal. We made friends with some, allowed others to settle, and saw others off with no losses. Then a Vadeli ship waded ashore and sat down. (Yes, the ship, not the Vadeli. The ship has legs underneath.)

It turned out that they, too, had been attracted by our HeroQuest. (We should have known that the Vadeli would have participated in the Fall -- or at least the pillaging -- of Malkonwal.) But their actual reason for visiting was different. Our enemy had discovered a race of perfect women (so called because all of their stats were 18). One of them was born each year and was destined to rule a people. He had been bringing them to Trond to power these plinths that he used to suppress our ancestors' magic. (The entire population of Trond had been wiped out by a sorcerer's rain of fire. So the ancestors were mainly ghosts, zomies, skeletons, wraiths, bogmen, and the like. We were on their side, trying to repopulate Trond.) We didn't know where the source was, but we had rescued at least one perfect girl. The Vadeli wanted her; they wouldn't tell us what they wanted her for. We needed something from the Vadeli, but I can't remember what it was. Needless to  say, we were highly reluctant to make any kind of trade. Finally, we agreed to a deal where we got whatever it was we wanted and they got an opportunity to talk to her, far enough away so that no one could overhear, but close enough to prevent anything other than talking. I think we gave her some magic trinket that allowed to detect lies. The deal was that, if they could convince her to go with them, we would let her, but otherwise they would leave in peace.

We watched the perfect girl start to cry as the Vadeli talked to her. Then she came back over and said that she was going with them. We didn't get all of the details, but apparently they wanted her to come be queen of the Vadeli. To convince her, they told her -- truthfully -- of all of the terrible things that would happen if she didn't come with them. We think that they were things that the Vadeli would themselves do, and that they implied that she would at least have a chance of preventing those things. We tried to convince her not to go, explaining how horrible they were (90% based on reputation). In any case, off she went, of her own free will, never to be heard from again.

Note that:

1. The Vadeli never told a lie, as far as we could tell.
2. The Vadeli never attacked anyone while on our island.
3. The Vadeli honored their guests' ancestors, as any good guest would have.
4. The Vadeli were unfailingly polite.
5. The Vaedli adhered strictly to the deal that they cut.
6. We still gave a great sigh of relief when they left, entirely because of their reputation.

It would be amusing to have the Vaedli be the source of their own reputation and have them actually be quite normal people, trading on that fearsome reputation.

Chris Lemens

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