Date:         Mon, 21 Jan 2002 20:36:15 -0500
Reply-To:     Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Sender:       Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
From:         Rip Van Wormer <notallowedyet@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Estavan
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A part of this is inspired by James O'Rance's freeform adventure "The Door
to Everywhere."


Estavan was once a primal ogre on the world of Krynn, one of the magical
race created from evil souls by the greater goddess Takhisis in the Age of
Starbirth. His race was cruel and vile, but extremely powerful. Eventually
it began to wane, however, and Estavan saw each new generation since the
time of Igraine grow uglier and stupider - he began to fear for his world,
and sought the secret of immortality. He began to delve deeply into the wild
magic of his world, trying to find laws and similarities that would allow
him to control it. He learned enough to prevent death, but he knew it would
not last.


Then came the Graygem.


The Graygem of Gargath floated over his homeland, transforming the natives
into strange and new forms. The ogres became goblins, hobgoblins, minotaurs,
giants, and other creatures - Estavan himself became an ogre magus, one of
the few that resembled the ogres of old in any real way. In creating the
ogre magi, the gem had created a stable population that Estavan could be
proud of - it also restored to Estavan his youth and vigor, and the magus
used that vigor to begin tracking the gem down. He was certain that once it
was in his posession he could figure out how to make it work in a consistent
manner,and use it to restore the entire ogre race to its former glory, and
bring immortality to himself.


He didn't find the Graygem, but he did find a portal to the outer planes.
From there, he worked to develop a network of contacts that would help him
track it down. He worked also to discover the hidden laws behind the new
things he discovered - he found that in the wide planes many sorts of power
were possible, and all it took was knowledge and connections to unriddle how
to exploit them. This was how he learned about capitalism, and the workings
of portals, and the god Aoskar.


Estavan's network of contacts had grown into a trading organization. His
thirst for the secret of a portal's workings led him to the home of Aoskar,
the god of portals - it led him to Sigil. When Aoskar died, he began
preparations for a ritual involving portals which might one day allow him to
take the god's former place in the heavens, becoming the new god of portals
himself.


In the meantime, Estavan continues to expand his business empire. He also
continues to look for the Graygem of Gargath, and he may have found it.


He believes the family of the dwarf Traban may have been holding the gem
unaware for generations, and carried it from Krynn to Sigil hidden within
the family forge. He has been trying to get inside Traban's home to test
this theory, but his fear of the Lady of Pain doesn't allow him to travel
through the Cage in any way but by portal - he knows enough about portal
keys to get nearly everywhere he needs to get (and to keep himself young)
but he needs an invitation to make the keys work. Traban's meddling grandson
Tarholt keeps preventing this. Tarholt has been an annoyance anyway,
continuing to operate as an independent, competing in his own petty way with
Estavan's Consortium's business. Clearly, he must be eliminated.


There is much that Estavan doesn't knowl The Graygem isn't in Traban's forge
- it's in Tarholt's axe, and it's the ggem that fuels Tarholt's
uncontrollable wanderlust. The gem wants to be free, to run amuck and
transform worlds, and part of this desire is transferred to the unknowing
Tarholt. While the gem is embedded in the axe, its power is very limited.
Besides a rash of unexplained tiefling births, its main effect is the rapid
evolution of Traban's adopted ogre son. Traban took on the ogrish foundling
in an attempt to prove that no being was inherently evil - Tarholt has
remarked sardonically that Traban would adopt a fiend if he could. The
project is working out well, though - not only has the young ogre not killed
anyone yet, but he seems to be getting smarter, if no handsomer, than most
ogres have a right to be. If Estavan were to discover this, he would want to
take the youngster under his wing.


The gem also protects Tarholt, manipulating coincidence to foil Estavan and
many others' attempts to kill him.


Estavan is fundamentally unable to understand chaos. He will never be able
to control the gem or use it to create anything except a cataclysmic
disaster. He can't comprehend that some things just don't have any pattern.


Estavan also has some ties to the Japanese pantheon. He is able to access,
in a limited fashion, the resources of the goddess Takhisis, for she is
delighted at the prospect of one of her creatures gaining access to the
Stone of Chaos. Estavan can summon an abishai once per week, at the price of
owing it a favor. He is reluctant to use this power; the master owner
doesn't want to be owned.


The tanar'ri called Rule-of-Three is also interested in rumors of a gem that
transforms all it comes near - he's interested in the chaos it could cause.


_________________________________________________________________

Date:         Thu, 17 Jan 2002 04:52:01 -0500
Reply-To:     Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Sender:       Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
From:         Rip Van Wormer <notallowedyet@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Japanese realms and Estavan
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The Celestial Bureaucracy is a tightly organized empire of spirits that
dominates several afterworlds, including those of the Chinese, Japanese,
Koreans, Kara-Turans, and Rokuganese. While the pantheons are technically
independent, most of the inhabitants of their realms are required to report
in some way to Shang-ti's court of jade every year.


The Japanese pantheon have grown increasingly frustrated at this involuntary
subservience in recent millennia, and have decided to do something about it.
One of the things they've done is tasked the merchant lord Estavan to help
them gain power. Estavan is an ogre mage, a blue-skinned horned devil of the
huang gui caste native to the Celestial Bureaucracy's infernal pits of
punishment. A thousand or so years ago Estavan came to Sigil to petition
Aoskar - the children of Heaven wanted the god to join them, adding his
talents to strengthen the whole. In return, Aoskar would receive their
protection from his enemies, as well as the sentient rose who protected him
in his childhood, which he had thought long lost. Aoskar said he would
consider it - he wanted the benefits badly, but feared the clannish kami
would never accept him as one of them, treating him as a servant as they did
the gods of the Ainu.


Aoskar was found dead the next day, is corpse torn apart by the Lady of
Pain.


The kami still use Estavan. His Planar Trade Consortium grows with each
passing hour, bringing wealth and power to the gods' home in Arcadia. They
hope to gain enough to become untangled from the Celestial Bureaucracy into
which Estavan was born.


Estavan is often found in Feng-to in the Abyss, in Arcadia and of course in
Sigil (indoors), Tradegate, and Yeoman. His employees can usually be seen in
the City of Glass, attempting to deal with the marids, in the Dismal Delve
and the City of Brass too. Estavan is everywhere except outside a building
in Sigil - is it because he fears the Lady because of his long-ago
association with the dead god of portals?


Estavan has heard that the Sign of One is considering resurrecting Aoskar at
last. He fears the consequences of this, but hopes that it might finally
mean the end of his indenture to the gods of the rising sun.


_________________________________________________________________

Date:         Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:43:12 -0500
Reply-To:     Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
Sender:       Planescape RPG Discussion <PLANESCAPE-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM>
From:         Rip Van Wormer <notallowedyet@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Japanese realms
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The Land of Gloom is the realm of the goddess Izanami. It is a place of
decay, inhabited by female fiends called the Shikome, or furies, and hungry
ghosts. The river Sanzu-no-Kawa, the River of Three Routes, flows through
it, leading also to the hells of punishment and to the Beastlands. It's
located in Pluton. Emma-O rules his own court downstream.


The Plain of High Heaven is found in Arcadia. This is the realm of
Amaterasu, Izanagi, and the moon god Tsuki-yo-mi. The river Yasu and the
river Ama-no-kawa flow through it. Susa-no-wo does his own thing in an ocean
in Limbo.


There are three main paradises: Tosotsu-ten, the Heaven of Contentment
(which is still being built by celestials); Gokuraku Jodo, with a pond
filled with ambrosia, lotus flowers, jeweled trees, birds of paradise,
bells, and flower-throwing celestials; and Ryojusen, the Vulture Peak, which
is an idealized vision of the Prime.


Inhabitants:
Devas
Hungry Ghosts (undead)
petitioners
einheriar and tengu
Oni






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