Re: Heroquest secrets

From: hcarteau_at_rpS-YSUJwHdfpmou9W4nrOxf_14OXlO8gfrro4cErzn6Q3zh_KE6fMR1Vr03YQe2wUU
Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 23:11:13 +0200 (CEST)

Excellent question. We certainly didn't move up to Dragon Pass with all the other human dragonfriends, I wasn't aware the Dragonkill extended beond that area.
/// It did not, officially ; in fact I'm sure the Dragons were not paying much attention where they flew. There were all these armies of ants running around and they ate the whole of them. So why didn't they eat your kin ? Perhaps you were away at that time ?

I admit I have no real ideas.
/// That's fine. I also like to start from a single idea and weave something. To me, Dragons are ALIEN. You can never anticipate what they'll do, and my players know I play a D20 before any encounter with a Dragonewt : 1 is super-friendly, 20 is try to kill on sight, anything in between gives an orientation to the contact. I also use a "random dragonewt actions" table published long ago in a french Fanzine. I cannot think of a way to develop friendly contacts with the bastards, but it's what you want to do.

So... One of your ancestors did something for/to a Dragonewt, many many centuries ago. This creature considered itself in your ancestors' debt. For many generations. Every generation, a group of dragonewts come dancing to your tula and... do something positive for your people (turn one your cows to silver, deliver a useful and accurate prediction, make coconut trees grow before the Hall, whatever). And the clan ancestors love it.

Of course, the dragonewts were just our ancient allies, the relationship might have atrophied since hen.
/// Yes. One of the Clan's secrets is that the original dragonewt has almost completely paid its debt. The next visit will be the Last. With it, a good part of your clan magics will collapse. What are you going to do about it ?

GOlden hord?
/// The Invicible Golden Horde was the greatest army in Time. It assembled one million warriors and soldiers who fell down from the north (danger always comes from the north) on the remains of EWF, already shattered by dragonewt betrayal. It lusted after revenge and killed all forked tongues. But when it started destroying Eggs and Nests, the Dragons came. And killed. Not one man in one hundred made it back. Whole cults disappeared in Dragons' maws. Peloria was never the same afterwards. The local EWF clans were wiped out as a mere snack.

I REALLY wonder what your ancestors did to that Dragonewt. Perhaps it came to warn your clan to leave Dragon Pass before the cataclysm. Perhaps it has sworn to save your clan three times, and it has done it twice already ? And then it comes again...

What d'you think ?