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Post by oversoul on Mar 25, 2007 5:55:27 GMT -5
Factions
While most of the factions in Drakkenheim are small and many come and go. There are a few that are better known and are more or less stable. These factions consider themselves in a prime postion for claiming Castle Drakken (mostly by themselves..)
These are just a few.
House Draconis
Not all of the Drakken blood has vanished from the Earth. A distant line, Draconis, is trying to capture the city for themselves. Years ago they two lines had a split and House Draconis, has been waiting in the shadows for the right time to strike. With the disappearance of Count Vlad von Drakken, the Draconis saw their chance. Lead by the youthful and cruel Viggo Draconis, they are one of the more powerful presences in Drakkenheim.
Ferdinand the Ravenous
Living men are not the only ones to battle over the secrets held within Castle Drakken. Some among the eternally damned also seek to possess them. Among them one of the fiercest is the vampire, Ferdinand Amanar. Little is known of Ferdinand's past. He is thought to be two centuries old. What is known is that he rules over a small province just north of Drakkenheim, deeper within the Carpathian mountains. None venture there who do not want to join the living dead.
Ferdinand came to Drakkenheim and unleashed his hordes of zombies, wights, and vampires on to the other factions and the civilian populace alike. Ferdinand earned his title from his insatible thirst in battle. He drains as many victims as possible during the course of the fight, till he is drenched in fresh blood.
Edward Rathbone and his Devilish Devices
Edward Rathbone is a brilliant visionary, years ahead of his time, according to him, but not to government of his home country of England. Rathbone created many innovative warmachines to try and sell to the British Crown. He claimed they would revolutionize warfare and put England at the very forefront of a new era. When he demonstrated them however their cruel, appaulling, and completely inhuman means to that new era was apparent. Rathbone continued to push that these devices were the only way to achieve the place of power that England wanted. When the government agents still refuse, Rathbone turned his devilish device upon them.
Since that day he has been hunted by the British government. He sees Castle Drakken as a means of building even more incredible machines to further his true goal of conquest of his shunned homeland and perhaps the world. He brought with him a host of followers and vile contraptions to take the castle for himself.
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Post by oversoul on Mar 31, 2007 10:15:54 GMT -5
Well things are coming together nicely ;D In the past few days I have been writting alot about the city. I have come up with several districts and am working on another infamous faction. I will post some more soon.
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Post by oversoul on Apr 27, 2007 19:38:49 GMT -5
Here are a few more districts within Drakkenheim:
Blackheart
Blackheart sites next to Castle Drakken and was one of the city's 3 richest districts. It was once full of the decidant homes of the Counts grovelling lackeys and corrupted merchants. Now Blackheart is one of the most ruined and battletorn areas in Drakkenheim. Not only do you have various factions fighting for control, but you also have a few remaining nobles and merchants fighting to defend their homes. These makeshift forces are comprized of slaves and a few mercenaries they managed to cobble together.
Castleshadow
Another of the three former wealthiest districts of Drakkenheim. Now it is as sought after as Blackheart.
Old Gallows
This district is named for infamous gallows in the center of the district. This was the favorite place of the Drakken's to execute prisoners, it did not matter if they were innocent or guilty. As such this district is considered to be extremly haunted and full of arcane power.
Pikeswall
Pikeswall earned its name some years back. The city had become overrun with "criminals" according to a proclaimation from the Drakkens. Indeed this was true and not in the imagination of the Drakkens. Criminals of all types where thicker in the city than normal. The Count sent out the High Guard to purge the city of this vile element. They rounded up hundreds of criminals, real or fictional. Drakken had them all beheaded in Old Gallows. It is said the gutters ran with blood for days. As a symbol of his power and an attempt to keep crime down he had each head placed upon a pike along the battlements of this district. The pikes remain to this day, many of them still with skulls afixed.
The River Ubelwasser
Lurching through the city is the foul and dark Ubelwasser. It smells nasty. Twisted, vile, and non edible things dwell in its mirky depths. The river is shallow but has been used for centuries to transport goods into and from Drakkenheim. It is only navicable by light drafted vessels. The river follows a twisted course and divides the city in two. Several small tributaries also cut through the city and dump into the Ubelwasser. At several points bridges span its oily water, connecting the two halves. As well the city's sewers actually go beneath it. There are also several quays and docks on the Ubelwasser. These are highly prized. A faction controlling one can ship large amounts of items, relatively quickly and slightly safer than overland. At either end of where the Ubelwasser crosses the city's exterior walls are large fortifications built to repel waterborne invaders. These are equal fought over. The faction that controls one controls who enters and exits the city at that point. Ubelwasser Keep
Ubelwasser Keep sits on a sand bar in the middle of the Ubelwasser. It marks the more or less center of the warped city. The Keep was built as a last ditch defense in case any of the city was breeched. The Keep is nothing more than a square walled structure. It's construction and location were handled poorly. As such the Keep is sinking into the river and leans heavily to once side. Despite that the Keep has stood up to some of the fiercest poundings in the struggle for the city.
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Post by oversoul on Jun 2, 2007 8:10:13 GMT -5
To help facilitate soem inspiration on my part I have decided I am going to develop the FOW table version of this game as I develop the rpg. Working on one part sometimes kicks up a great idea for the other part.
So here are the first of the FOW units I am developing
Drakken High Guard Though their master is lost the members of the High Guard still remain loyal to the Drakken family. The High Guard finds itself splintered and reduced to mercenary work, but in their hearts they hope to re-enter the Castle and return to their duties. They carry the traditional medivel weapons and armor used when the High Guard was first formed centuries earlier. This can put them at a disadvantage when fight more modernly equipped units. However the High Guard is highly skilled with their archaic weapons and their prowess in a fight.
Cost: 32(38) Die: d8 Range: 0 Move: 6(10*) Attributes: Aggressive(+4), Brave(+4), Mounted(+6)*
*The High Guard can either be mounted or unmounted, the numbers in parentheses are used if mounted. Soldier Out of work soldiers, of various nations and wars find their way to Drakkenheim. These soldiers crave no only wealth but have a deep bloodlust and hungfer for war. A soldier carries a rifle and whatever hand weapons he was armed with while still in regular service. Soldiers are often undisciplined, fighting while only their advantage remains and is quick to change sides to another faction if the price is right.
Cost: 18 Die: d6 Range: 12 Move: 6 Attributes: None Townsfolk Often times the simple townfolk of Drakkenheim are drawn into the struggle. Many are coerced into the service of one villain or another by gold or fear. Yet some join by their own freewill and have hearts as filled with greed as those that employ them. Townsfolk are poorly armed. They carry no armor and armed with pitchforks and other domestic implements quickly converted for combat.
Cost: 4 Die: d4 Range: 0 Move: 5 Attributes: None Fortune Hunter These individuals come to Drakkenheim lured by the tales of untold treasure held within Castle Drakken. They can careless about the squabbles for control. They join a faction they feel likely to succeed, if they make a little money on the side, well that is fine as well. They see fighting as a means of eliminating competition for the treasure. Fortune Hunters are well armed and are very proficent in fighting. Face it a Fortune Hunter who is not hand with a weapon does not live long.
Cost: 70 Die: d10 Range: 8 Move: 10 Attributes: Aggressive(+4), Brave(+4), Command(+8), Lucky(+6), Tough(+4) Sorcerer These individuals have spent years studying the dark arts. They are capable of tapping unseen and vile energies to cast sinister spells. Their years spent hunched over moldy books in shadowy, musky libraries may have made them capable Sorcerers, but it has also made frail and weak. Sorcerers have almost no skill in combat.
Cost: 28 Die: d8 Range: 0 Move: 0 Attributes: Frail(-4), Magic(+8) Zombies Sometimes a faction manages to get a hold of a few corpses and can get a sorcerer to reainimate them. Zombies make perfect troopers. They move forward mindlessly attacking the enemies of their master. Zombies have no mind to speak of so cannot be harmed by any sort of spells affecting the mind or fear. Their only real flaws is they are slow due to their interupted decomposition and they have only enough sense to use a melee weapon.
Cost: 16 Die: d6 Range: 0 Move: 5 Attributes: Fearsome(+8), Slow(-8), Tough(+4) Wights Wights are the next worse thing to zombies. Like a zombie a wight is a reanimated corpse. However the corpse is possessed by some minor demon. The demon is completely in control of the corpse. They imbue some sort of magical essence into the corpse keeping it limber and very agile. Wights are quite fast and vicious, they use their agility to make rapid and savage attacks. Wights prefer to use no weapon, enjoying tearing their enemies apart by claw and fang. Since a wight is controlled by a demon it can be affected by mind spells and fear.
Cost: 50 Die: d8 Range: 0 Move: 8 Attributes: Aggressive(+8), Fast(+8), Fearsome(+8), Tough(+4)
I have several more units designed but not stated yet. The units in this game are mostly universal available to any villian. The main goal of Drakkenheim FOW was to design a pygmy like game that utilized not only combat but strategic territortial and resource development and control. Villains must spend resources to maintain their force and terratory. Units will have resource costs as will some attributes. Terratories will not only provide certai resources but some may also require them to out put other types of resources.
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Post by squirmydad on Jun 3, 2007 15:05:21 GMT -5
Bobby, do you have any ideas for a city map or Drakkenheim architectural ideas?
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Post by oversoul on Jun 3, 2007 19:30:40 GMT -5
Glad you asked and I do I will put up some sketches and inspirational art
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Post by oversoul on Jul 1, 2007 3:48:50 GMT -5
hmmm perhaps I should try and fine a few spare moments and scan in some stuff to upload....
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Post by shaungamer on Jul 27, 2007 4:34:31 GMT -5
Ok, time to add a few ideas of my own: I don't know exactly which faction would have these, but I wouldn't mind adding a few war machines to the mix. In particular, some steampunk conversions of the Splatball vehicles.
The Badger Scout Wagon This fully armoured clunker has a demolition blade at the front to make a path through rubble or even light buildings. It has no armaments and is purely a working vehicle.
The Armadillo Gun platform This Armoured crawler has two side sponsons with 12 pounder cannons. It can go over rubble, but the protruding guns stop it from going through things.
GroundHog Mortar platform This vehicle uses tracked wheels to support the heavy mortar mounted on its roof. The Mortar is innacurate but can take down heavy bunkers . . . if it hits?
Let me know what you think?
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Post by shaungamer on Jul 27, 2007 18:35:47 GMT -5
Just thought I would make a note that the previous listed vehicles, would be small one or two man machines. Drakkenheim would be too cluttered for any conventional sized vehicles and they would be quickly overcome.
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Post by oversoul on Jul 28, 2007 5:51:10 GMT -5
I had always intended on including vehicles into Drakkenheim just have not made that far yet!
You are right Shuan. The layout of the place makes it near impossible to bring in large vehicles.
The FOW list is missing I few things I chose to leave out because of lack of stats, but there is also mechanical monstrosities- automatons that factions employ in their fighting. There is also Patchwork Men like Frankenstein's monster. PLus lots more.
As to factions several of the larger ones and smaller ones would use such vehicles if they could get their hands on them!
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Post by shaungamer on Jul 29, 2007 21:18:27 GMT -5
It sounds like there are some really cool things in the wind for Drakkenheim. The Automatums sound particularly cool.
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