Casting Shadows

This week’s seed is for Palladium’s rich fantasy setting and takes a stab at racial intolerance at the same time.

The Seed

One of the characters comes into possession of a magical blade which proves itself able to communmicate with its accepted owner emapthically. As the days pass, it soon becomes obvious that it also provides a window into the secret lives of others – urging its user to get involved.

Planting the Seed

This seed assumes the characters are travelling and adventuring in the Timiro Kingdom and that racial unrest and slavery has continued to build to the point where many communities are in danger of facing violent uprisings of oppressed beings. When you are ready to get your characters involved in this directly, introduce the blade as the spoils of adventuring and use it to personalize the struggles of the individuals your players’ characters cross paths with, and allow them to more proactively take the reins in determining the next course of action

The details

The blade, unnamed and unsung, communicates with its user on several levels but typically provides insight into the thoughts and feelings of those around it which it perceives to be victimized. For the most part, it serves the user well as a tool of war and personal defense adding +2 to hit, and +1 to damage, but it also adds a mystical +3 to AR whether drawn or sheathed to the user, and any oppressed individual the user selects.  When in the presence of slaves, or those who are being oppressed by their “social superiors” the blade projects a stream of their thoughts and feelings into the user’s mind, and literally forces the user into experiencing the treatment of these victims first-hand.

It does not control the actions of the character, but it certainly goads, coaxes, cajoles, and outright badgers them to do something. The blade does not bind itself to the user, and will not itself force the user to do anything. If the user is incapable of feeling empathy for those the sword wishes them to aid, it will cease to provide its AR bonus, and merely bide its time until someone more worthy comes along to put it to proper use.

What’s going on

Racial tension and disparity in Timiro has been growing unchecked for decades and threatens to boil over into open war. A small cabal of more enlightened beings has taken it upon themselves to seed the world with tools to aid those who can stand between the surging forces of hate and discrimination as a buffer against war, and an avenue toward understanding and reconciliation.

One small step can put the characters on a journey of unimaginable impact and lasting change for their world.

Related articles

• Saturday Seed ~ 82 (Palladium Fantasy) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)
• Saturday Seed ~ 84 (Fantasy) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)
• Saturday Seed ~ 76 (All for One) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)