The Age of Man: Need Help!

[Enforcer84]

Hello herophiles!

 

need some help. I might actually "get the band back together" this summer, my gaming group from highschool (my brother, Best friend, his brother, and myself, my wife, my sister in law and maybe even best friends missus) might actually be in town at the same time this summer. Crosses fingers.

 

Anyway, So if we can get together, I want to run a little thing I call the Age of Man. Its a Manga/Superhero adventure set in a parallel earth of "Victorian Fantasy".

 

The Characters are going to be Legacies from Nine great Clans of beasts who banded together near the end of the Age of Faerie to help Humanity survive a threat that the Clans fprsaw happening in the far future. These "monsters", paragons of thier respective species took human form and began bloodlines that would last through the millenia to follow.

 

I have eight of the monster leaders but I am balking at the ninth. I'm looking for a canine base beast of epic proportions. Something like a mystic guardian dog. I am unsure if there is such a thing. I am sort of leaning toward calling the clan Clan Cerberus.

 

Anything else out there that would fit my needs better?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I will be asking for more of your help soon.

[McCoy]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Old Shuck, Padfoot, Pooka

 

Black Dogs in Folklore

 

"When Ma'ûna created the world he made four wolf brothers, Blue Wolf, Black Wolf, White Wolf, and Gray Wolf. Earthmaker gave Blue Wolf the name Kératcóga, "Blue Sky," and gave him charge over the day. The second wolf, Cûktcâksépga, was given charge over the night. Cûktcâkskaga, White Wolf, was put in charge of all things holy (wákâtcâk). The last wolf Earthmaker called Hîxotcga, "Gray Fur." He was made the protector and guardian of humanity." The Gray Wolf Origin Myth

 

Sirius, dog star and hound of Orion.

 

I favor Pooka if you haven't used it already.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Many of these dogs of myth seem to be malevolent, like the Barghest, a monstrous dog with huge teeth and claws from the area around Yorkshire, northern England. It only appears at night. People believe that anyone who sees the dog clearly will die soon after the encounter. In Wales, they have the red-eyed Gwyllgi, the Dog of Darkness. On the Isle of Man it's called Mauthe Dog.

 

Even the guardian dogs of the underworld, like Cerberus or the Norse hound of Hel, Garm, are not really protectors. I searched the Encyclopedia Mythica looking for canines that were beneficent, or at least of neutral disposition:

 

Cusith: An enormous hound of the Scottish Highlands. It is said to be a dark green in color, with a long braided tail and the size of a bullock. Whenever his baying was heard on the moors, farmers would quickly lock up their women because the hound's mission was to round up women and drive them to a fairy mound so they might supply milk for fairy children.

 

Sarama: The dog of the Hindu god Indra.

 

Bagat: A creature from Philippine folklore. It assumes the form of a large dog and haunts lonely paths. They are usually harmless unless they are hurt. They can be seen during a full moon or after a drizzle.

 

Kratim: The dog of the seven sleepers (Christian youths who sleep in a hidden cave until the Resurrection), more correctly called Katmir or Ketmir, which according to Muhammad sleeps with them. It is one of the ten animals to be admitted into his paradise.

 

Kimat: The lightning-dog of the thunder-god Tadaklan (of the Phillipines). When his master orders him to, he will 'bite' a house, so it burns.

 

Khentimentiu :The Egyptian god who rules the destiny of the dead, seen as the guardian 'dog of the dead'. Chontamenti was a similar god.

 

In ancient Armenian mythology, the Dev are a group of immortal spirits who inhabit old ruins. They mingle with the living. Some of them are beneficent, such as the dog-shaped Aralez who restores those fallen in battle to life by licking their wounds. Others, such as Ays, Vishap and the torturer Chival, are truly evil.

[Koshka]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Even the guardian dogs of the underworld, like Cerberus or the Norse hound of Hel, Garm, are not really protectors. I searched the Encyclopedia Mythica looking for canines that were beneficent, or at least of neutral disposition:

 

 

IIRC, Cuchulain (spelling probably way off) got his name when he agreed to "replace" a guard dog he'd killed by taking on its duties/role. (The name means "hound of [whoever the dog's owner was]".) Could you play around with that myth a bit? Either give the original dog more powers than the average guard dog, or use a Cuchulain variant who was actually transformed into a dog when he was renamed?

[NecroBob]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

How about Fenris, the giant asgardian wolf that would one day devour the sun and plunge the world into darkness during the time of Ragnarok.

[Old Man]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

How about Fenris' date=' the giant asgardian wolf that would one day devour the sun and plunge the world into darkness during the time of Ragnarok.[/quote']

 

(rolling up newspaper) Bad dog! *swat* *swat*

[Zeropoint]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

I can't remember where I read this, but I've heard of two versions of the "black dog" that were genuine guardians.

 

In the first case, a person travelling at night would sometimes find himself being stalked by a black dog of immense proportion. If he tried to leave his intended path to avoid the dog, it would "herd" him back in the original direction. Just about the time the poor traveller was about to collapse in fright, the dog would mysteriously vanish, leaving the traveller to continue on his way.

 

That was the last the traveller would see of the dog...but he would later hear of a group of bandits who were planning on killing and robbing a traveller--himself!--but were warded off by the traveller's fearsome canine companion.

 

The other example was called a "kirkgrim" or something like that. Apparently it was believed that the first being to be buried in a new church graveyard would be tasked with guarding the graveyard against whatever might threaten its sanctity. Obviously, it would be a bum deal for a person to be stuck with eternal guard duty instead of going on to their reward, so when a new church was built, a dog was buried in the graveyard. This dog's spirit would manifest in the classical calf-sized, coal-black, red-eyed form when the graveyard was threatened.

 

These stories appeal to me because I like the idea that even when something is "on your side" it can still be bone-chillingly frightening. I suppose, technically, that the dog guarding the cemetary isn't really on anyone's "side".

 

Zeropoint

[Barwickian]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Many of these dogs of myth seem to be malevolent' date=' like the Barghest, a monstrous dog with huge teeth and claws from the area around Yorkshire, northern England. It only appears at night. People believe that anyone who sees the dog clearly will die soon after the encounter.[/quote']

 

The barghest, or padfoot as it's more commonly known in my part of Yorkshire, wasn't always malevolent. Yes, it *usually* was, but there are tales of black dogs protecting travellers at night. From what, and why, never seem to be exmplained in the tales...

[Enforcer84]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Padfoot eh? Harry Potter makes that much more sense to me now.

 

Actually Clan Barghest doesn't sound to bad.

 

is pronounciation Bar-Gest or Barg-Hest?

[Barwickian]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Padfoot eh? Harry Potter makes that much more sense to me now.

 

Actually Clan Barghest doesn't sound to bad.

 

is pronounciation Bar-Gest or Barg-Hest?

 

I'd go for BAR-gest, but it's not a name we commonly use so I wouldn't swear that's right; as I mentioned, it's a padfoot in my bit of Yorkshire.

[Enforcer84]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Great.

 

Now, please bear with me here.

 

I am ranking the various clans from best to worst in the (in my opinion) relevant characteristics. The I realized that I had Ten Clans. . Color me embarrassed But I move on.

 

Attribute Rank

STR: Sphinx Dragon Griffon Leviathan Sea Lion Pegasus Barghest Unicorn Ki Rin Phoenix

DEX: Phoenix Pegasus Griffon Unicorn Ki Rin Barghest Dragon Sea Lion Leviathan Sphinx

CON: Leviathan Dragon Sphinx Sea Lion Pegasus Phoenix Barghest Griffon Unicorn Ki Rin

INT: Dragon Ki Rin Unicorn Sphinx Phoenix Pegasus Barghest Leviathan Sea Lion Griffon

Ego: Ki Rin Sphinx Barghest Dragon Phoenix Leviathan Unicorn Pegasus Griffon Sea Lion

PRE: Dragon Sphinx Sea Lion Phoenix Unicorn Ki Rin Pegasus Griffon Leviathan Barghest

COM: Unicorn Ki Rin Pegasus Phoenix Dragon Leviathan Griffon Sphinx Sea Lion Barghest

SPD: Pegasus Unicorn Sea Lion Phoenix Barghest Griffon Dragon Sphinx Ki Rin Leviathan

 

So they all get a bonus based on the cost of the power.

STR: +30 to the Strongest (Sphinx) +3 to the weakest (Phoenix)

DEX: +10 to +1

CON: +20 to +2

Etc.

 

I also want to give each clansman a few benefits of his Legacy: Here are a few I have

 

Sphinx: +4 to Int rolls in regards to Puzzles, Riddles, and Secrets (12 pts)

Unicorn: Immune to All Terrestrial Poisons (10pts)

Barghest: Tracking Scent; Discriminatory and Analytical Olfactory (15pts)

Ki Rin: Move without Trace (Gliding on ground) 6" (4 pts)

Griffon: Fearless (see Fantasy Hero) 14 pts

Dragon: PS: Appraisal 15-, Lore Skill Int/5+12 (+3 levels) (12pts)

Etc.

I'm looking for a variety of optional choices for each "Clan" based on the legendary animals. Any help in this venture ladies and gentlemen?

[Guest C_Zeree]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Just a few quick thoughts.

 

Levithan/Sea Lion: Natural environment: underwater. Breathe under water, or extended breathing. Natural swimmer (more inches) or skill bonuses for swimming.

 

Phoenix: Minor Healing: lay on hands, detect diseases, bonuses for paramedics, natural healing: regen.

[Enforcer84]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Hmm. I had 10 clans but Leviathan and Sealion are basically the same. And I have Sphynxes...so perhaps I'lll take Sealion out.

Two years ago hmm.

 

We never played it but I still have the ideas sometimes.

BTW thanks for the aid those who did aid me.

[Wolfe-Chan]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Garm is the dog that guards the realm of Hel in Norse mythology. Fenrir is not really a guard dog more one of the bringers of ragnarok. While Garm guards the gates of Hel, and stops those that are not dead from entering the realm of the dead.

[Savinien]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Necromancing your own threads now, E84? There can be only one!

 

And... uh... German Sheperd!

[Enforcer84]

Re: The Age of Man: Need Help!

 

Okay, not only have I rezed the thread, I've Started thinking about it.

 

 

The Fires of War had begun to die and young human kingdoms had risen as one and put down their Elven, Dwarven, and Giant masters. With the aid of several of the "Monster Races" mankind had come out on top. As the war ended, the man who led humanity met with the representatives of humanity's unlikely allies. The nine monstrous ambassadors were grim. A seer amongst the Dragons had foretold a threat, greater than the enemies they had fought, greater than anything. This threat would call all of Earth's creatures to battle. With the legendary races taking to The Path; humanity would be hard pressed to defend Earth on their own. And coming home from the Lands of Legend was not nearly as easy as the path to them.

The human king; worried what would happen to his people, beseeched the monsters to find a way to help him. He was told to summon nine of his most potent, wise, and trusted minions, then to meet with the Beast Kings on a high mountain to discuss this further.

It was decided, on that mountain, that the beasts would use strong magics to take human forms and begin lines that would forever be vigilant; guardians of the King, his line and the world. The Nine Clans were thus born.

Magic faded, humanity turned towards science. The creatures and beings of legend eventually all walked the Path. In the early 1800's, mystics for the nine clans, now stretched across the planet, began to sense a great, impending dread approaching. Indeed, it was true, an invasion fleet of inhumanoid extraterrestrials was headed to Earth intent on enslaving the populous and raping the planet of it's resources.

As the invasion fleet approached, the Nine Clans began to fulfill their destiny; Clan Kirin sent envoys along the Path to the Lands of Legend, an alternate Earth, stuck in the shadow of the true planet. As Humanity faced a crushing defeat, their military technology was ill equipped to deal with the alien battle fleet, scions of the First King suddenly appeared, and they marshaled Earth's forces. While the Nine Clans fought a guerilla war against a massive invasion fleet, the Beast Kings, and Humanity's old enemies and masters, the Three Kingdoms of Legend marshaled their forces and on January 1st, 1871; a series of dimensional gates opened and the Lands of Legend fought with the forces of Mankind and destroyed their invaders. A last ditch effort by the invaders to destroy what they could not conquer caused the two Earth realities to join. Suddenly Mankind was no longer alone on this world.

The Oregon Accords, signed February 14th 1875; by Kingdoms of Legend, the Beast Kings, and members of 17 of the greatest countries of Earth, began the rebuilding of Earth. Humanity had suffered tremendous losses and their allies from the lands of legend felt the wounds of war as well. The former denizens of the Lands of Legend were given space on the scarred planet. Magic has returned, science has advanced, and time has marched on. It’s now 2005 in the New Age of Man.

 

This is bull****, but it's got some of my ideas on it.

 

At anyrate, Earth is not what we are today. Modern day Earth looks like Victorian England, streamlined. There are 27 human nations on Earth. The Elves, Dwarves, and Giants have had their kingdoms returned somewhat. The Beasts have their realms. Earth is Earth biggie sized. The sentient population of Earth is about 4 billion beings. Humanity counts for 2.5 billion. This is a superhuman/pulp/fantasy. ...

The ideas are sketchy, but ... I like them.

Give me time. I might do something with this.

 

The Nine Clans are still around. They are the guardians, historians, protectors of humanity. The Tenth Clan is basically the leaders of the human nations.

 

Gaahh!