Re: Daxdarius

From: robin <robin_mitra_at_irGWgnCfOrVyC4CX7HQFTHsTquX92JgbuNhaHy4B-Em_vmNjAzv1K2XGgKs0OCA->
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:50:42 -0000

Alright, so no bear powers at all.

I like the Third-Eye-Blue connection (and the feat). Does it mean Daxdarius has an affinity for iron? Or is it regular bronze? Or gold like his spear?

About the runes: It seems everybody agrees on the Death rune. The second rune however is disputed: none at all, Balance/Harmony or Sky. Apparently nobody likes my suggestion of Mastery :-( I can see the point that fighting in a Phalanx and forming a shield-wall needs some degree of coordination. But does that really justify the Balance/Harmony rune? Is it not just a specialised way of bringing death? Jeff, when you emphasis that in Eastern Carmania and Doblian Daxdarius is associated with Death and Sky, does that mean, in Pelanda he has same or different runes? I didn't see a Sky-connection yet. Where does it come from? What would be his Sky powers?

It's not mentioned anywhere I can see, but from my knowledge of the Pelandan culture I believe the Daxdarius cult would be restricted to male worshippers only. Is that correct?

> I've never found the description of Daxdarius as the War Bear to be all
> that convincing. To me, it's just stray padding that should have been
> ruthlessly culled in the editing process.

> Death and Balance (not Harmony) seems to me the appropriate runes for
> Daxdarius.
>
> There are three feats of Daxdarius.
> 2) The destruction of the Andam Horde. Gloriously retold in the
> Entekosiad. When fighting in battle, the worshippers must be wearing
> arms and armour made by the Third Eye Blue and their spear must be
> golden. They can step aside to avoid a charge. In battle, the
> worshippers are protected against enemy weapons, drive away foes that
> are not killed and can pursue a fleeing enemy for a day and a night.

> This suggests that a Daxdarius cult should provide only weak magic when
> treated as an isolated cult. No more than one "rune" worth, which would
> have to be Death. In my game I've restricted him further.

> Daxdarius was the first man to equip his men with bronze armour, from
> the Dwarf slaves of Third-Eye Blue, and the first to drill men as
> hoplites. His army defeated the Andams Horde. After that victory his
> empire spread over Wendaria, and He was apotheosized as the Hoplite God.
> Daxdarius is the widely used, Dara Happan, name of the Hoplite God. In
> Pelanda he is also called Daakdaranos.
>
> Daxdarius provides Hoplite affinity magic, for hoplite combat and
> warfare. Magicians have been know to use the Hoplite affinity to do the
> following: pierce with a spear, destroy a shield, thrust through a
> phalanx, cause a phalanx to break and flee in terror. Magicians who use
> the Hoplite affinity are brave and disciplined.

> Friend of the Third-Eye Blue Dwarfs (contacts), Hoplite Affinity (magic
> keyword), Hoplite Combat, Must Drill as a Hoplite (flaw)

> Daxdarius is worshipped by a few regiments in Eastern Carmania and as a city patron in Doblian. He's probably associated with Death, or maybe Sky and Death.

> I don't know if Death and Harmony is also the canonical pairing of runes for Polaris, but I can see a certain logic behind it. Though maybe Mastery and Harmony would suit a god of war which is not especially bloodthirsty better? Also wouldn't Polaris have a Fire rune in there somewhere?
>
> I can see a logic behind giving the Death/Harmony combination to a god of hoplite warfare (Harmony represents the unity of the shield wall, defending or advancing as one). A further attraction of the Death/Harmony combination for Daxdarius could be that it gives a uniquely Pelandan twist to this god of war (For example I could see a case for giving them a feat like the old Harmonize spell, which in Avalon Hill RQ became a specialist feat of Donandar, a very different god of Harmony -- and maybe one could link the spell/feat to the playing of music to keep the troops in step, like a Satyr's Harmonize).

> /// Death and Harmony do make an interesting mix. Polaris could have these runes ; I'm not too sure about Daxdarious. But why not ?