Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

The plight of your people is upon you. You are the Champion, the Skald, the Shaman that your people now look to for defense. You are one of the barbarian tribesmen from High Moor and you do not shy from combat, you rush forth to take what is yours by force and subdue that which dares to threaten you, but what now lies before your tribe is unlike anything you seen before.

You hear the Skald of your tribe tell his Cheiftain the on goings of the the other more southern tribes:

"A report by some of the tribes scouts, another large and even more vicious tribe is moving up slowly from the south killing Bugbear and hobgoblin where they found them. Some of the tribes have decided to begin uprooting, heading northwest toward the mysterious forests that border our moor and taking up our ancestors call to forage forth and claim better lands. Some of their scouts entered that forest, they have yet to return and so those tribes have begun to form tented camps upon the outskirts, nervously awaiting the return of their scouts.

The other tribes whom remained behind to defend their hard earned lands have now begun to be seen moving as well and the tales of their battles with this new tribe from the south, seem terrible and disastrous. The families whom now come to the tented village have brought with them a panic which needs be dealt with.

They have put forth a call to arms, to unite our peoples Chieftain and they ask for our Berserkers and Skalds to cry our great war cry! What would you have me tell them?"

((Meeting Sat. 1pm Sept 19th for all those interested, bring your Barbarians))

The Greyfox:
Followers of Shaundakul

History:
It was this tribe whom led the others to this land within the High Moor. While once celebrated, they were soon looked at as weaker and less warlike of the other tribes. Only the honor of their achievement has kept them safe from the other more belligerent tribes. It is also this tribe that was first to pick up their settlement.

Current Events:
It was this tribe that was first to pick up their settlement and begin migration towards the northwest when first came word of the dark tribes arrival. It is their scouts that have begun to search the mysterious forest that borders the Moor and while the other tribes once scoffed at their immediate departure, it is now their make shift camp that the other tribes flock to.

The Blackfeather:
Followers of Myrkul

History:
This tribe once part of the Greyfox, came to follow a darker path. Their Doombringer clerics were cast out of the Greyfox and their followers, whom took death as the ultimate act of life, settled with them in the deepest parts of the dark marsh. They remained recluse and communicated little in the past with the other tribes, not venturing far from their grave habitat in the center of the marsh.

Current Events:
The Blackfeather have been seen once more, as news of this terrible plague of war on the horizon, their clerics have been seen moving south, toward this threat. They have begun their silent procession while the other tribes move hastily in the other direction of the coming death.

The Winterfang:
Followers of Auril

History:
The Winterfang reside in the coolest part of the Marsh and long for their ancestral north, with it's freezing cold and bitterness. They are a harsh and unforgiving people whom care little for the other tribes whom they see as giving up on their heritage to forge an unnatural way of life in this warmer climate.

Current Events:
The Winterfang have taken this opportunity to uproot and follow the Grayfox northwest in hopes of being led back up to colder climates. They care very little of what will happen within the moor and wait within the encampment patiently, for the time being.


The Thunderclap:
Followers of Talos

History:
The most volatile of all the tribes, they have waged campaigns against their brethren as well as the Hobgoblin and Bugbear nearby without cause, or slight. Their chaotic nature and demand for campaign always causes tension when they are in the midst of their fellow tribesmen.

Current Events:
They have taken up the call to arms and have rushed toward the south, running headlong and without the support of their fellow tribesmen into the waiting maw of this new enemy. It has been the reports of their skirmishes and the disasters that have followed that now ring through the refugees fleeing the south.

The Foecleaver:
Followers of Garagos

History:
This Foecleavers, the largest and most powerful tribe, is made of great numbers of Frenzied Berzerkers. They claimed the best and most arable land for themselves in the central north land. Their warriors are trained to loose all sense of being in battle, giving themselves completely and violently to the "Blood Rage". Their Chieftain often travels the other moorish Tribes and takes the strongest looking children for his own warriors, to be trained in the Foecleaver tradition. Their tribe holds no prejudice expect against the weak and therefore this tribe holds the greatest number of Half-Orcs.

Current Events:
The Foecleavers have been eerily quiet, remaining behind their palisades and not following in the footsteps of the Thunderclap. This goes against their normally warlike tradition but those Skalds and scouts who venture near hear the sounds of a great war machine being produced with the sounds of the smithing hammer pounding into the night. The swishing and great sparking of blades hum like a cacophony beyond their camp.


The Battlesong:
Followers of Milil

History:
The Battlesong tribe is the most proud and austere of all the High Moor tribes. They trumpet the banner of the warrior poet and maintain the slogan, "Live free, or die". There settlement has become the most prominent since the settlement in the High Moor and it is their focus on Skaldic tradition that maintains the rigid peace between all the tribes. Their Skalds are highly prized as emissaries and diplomats of the High Moor Tribes.

Current Events:
The Battlesong are reticent to move from their new home. Their Chieftains have sent out emissaries to try and bring all the tribes to talk but have had little success in the matter. They now sit nearly paralyzed awaiting word from their emissary from the Thunderclap Tribe, whom has yet to report back from the front line.

Maverick 40 wrote:((Meeting Sat. 1pm Sept 19th for all those interested, bring your Barbarians))

///September? That is a looong time! Interesting I don't think i'll join, but, i'll like to see how it develops.

Maverick 40 wrote:((Meeting Sat. 1pm Sept 19th for all those interested, bring your Barbarians))

GMT, I assume, as there would be no other reason to leave out timezone?

Jaden wrote:

Maverick 40 wrote:((Meeting Sat. 1pm Sept 19th for all those interested, bring your Barbarians))

///September? That is a looong time! Interesting I don't think i'll join, but, i'll like to see how it develops.

No shit huh

You got me, was a little over tired writing that up but it's Jan. 19th 1pm EST which is GMT-5.

can it be a little later? like 4 pm?

Maverick 40 wrote:

Jaden wrote:

Maverick 40 wrote:((Meeting Sat. 1pm Sept 19th for all those interested, bring your Barbarians))

///September? That is a looong time! Interesting I don't think i'll join, but, i'll like to see how it develops.

No (#2) huh

You got me, was a little over tired writing that up but it's Jan. 19th 1pm EST which is GMT-5.

// Sadly in the mountains skiing that weekend.
But I'll make my barbarian before that.

I would be willing to roll a gnomish barbarian/bard. Would that be okay, mav?

The barbarians moved into the valley between clearing and the hobgoblin Village. The fifty warriors they brought that day looked around at the still and quiet of the morning and knew then that something was wrong. No wildlife was about, except for the forever challenging flies whom now seemed in great abundance. The warriors could smell the cooking of rank meat and steam as it blew in from the west at the sight of the Hobgoblin Village, but their scouts and shaman were not about.

The barbarians and berserkers looked to their Chieftain who stood within the center of their line with his great spear and shield ever at the ready. A bronze jeweled crown sat upon his head, as long blond locks of hair fell down upon his hide armor. The chieftain of Thunderclap had come prepared for war but his crystal blue eyes looked about for a foe he had been told would be here, but whom he could not see.
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Too long had his rivals, the Foesplitters, held sway over this land. They would be shown the righteous way, the way of the true god whom reigned terrible vengeance from the sky. It would be he, through the great power of his god, that would show his people who truly was meant to reign supreme. The chieftain looked up into the grey sky and a calm over came him, his god would be with him this day. He felt victory within his grasp.

It was then that the powerful chieftain looked back toward the rocky pass of the east and saw the doom-bringers, the Blackfeather clerics watching on from above and grinning. The Chieftain spat upon the ground, looking up in defiance but he then noticed that the doom-bringers were not watching he and his warriors but alas were looking past them to the ridge beyond. It was there when the Chieftain looked that he first saw the harbinger of his doom.

There stood the black beasts holding their spears, sharp white teeth could be seen snarling behind black helmets. If this was not unsettling enough, upon the beasts two spear points held the heads of hobgoblin shamans, a look of shear terror seemingly upon their shriveled dead features. The chieftain took one step back and then felt the prying eyes of his men. He knew that these men looked to him for courage and morale and so he raised his chin higher, calling forth in his own tongue, "Beasts, what space you claim here will be your own grave site, turn back or face us in combat!!!"

Then the valley seemed to come alive with shrieks and sounds that none had heard previously. Drums soon began to beat and the chieftain then knew why there were no goblin shaman about, for their killers soon rose the ridge to join their sentries. They rose in the hundreds, surrounding the band of barbarians on all sides but the rocky pass behind them. Then rhythmic cry began to ring out from amongst the beasts, shrill and unyielding. The barbarians on the end of the line began to fall back but the chieftain cried out, "Destruction comes the father of the skies!" and struck his spear within the earth, with it a great crack of thunder rang over head.

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The barbarians moved into a circle of shields and spears that any wise creature would see as death but these black beasts did not see what others saw. They had been hungry for so long, they did not know the taste of food. Here these fool things were, seeking to thwart them from their next meal. They would not allow that to happen!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Chieftain had been in many battles before and knew the most terrifying look of all was that of desperation upon an enemies eyes. That was how these beasts were looking down upon him. It did not matter, his god was with him he thought as he picked up his spear and beginning to clap it upon his shield to his own rhythmic pace. His men followed suit and soon the whole valley rang of shield and drum, beastly howls and cries of defiance.

The chieftain did not know which of his men it was until after he called out his Blood Rage, and charged forth. The nearly naked giant warrior charged with his shield and spear across the field and up the ridge-line. Then the blacks charged down upon him and the rest of the valley like a rushing dark flood. As his warrior's rank tightened, the chieftain lost sight and could not see what happened to his man. Rage boiling up within him, he cried out to his god while stomping his foot upon the ground. A great lightening bolt crackled down from the sky to light his spear.

"Let them come, let them die!!!", the Chieftain cried out in defiance and his men took heart, each man gritting his teeth and tensing his muscle. What came down upon them now, snarling black beast, ragged blade, claw and spear would have broken any lesser man but this was the proud Thunderclap tribe whom broke for no one. They stood their ground and as the first of the beasts entered into charge, some of the barbarians charged out to meet them, the rest of the shield wall sliding into place to close the gap.
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The great crash of these terribly swift creatures upon the shield wall sounded like a giant wave breaking upon a rocky cliff, and the barbarians shifted back as their feet gave way to the force. They quickly recovered though, stiffening against the pull of the tide, and so began the great struggle. The Doombringers continued to smile down from atop their perch in the rocky crags. Their once fellow tribesmen were now in a desperate struggle and it would finally be their god that would free them, as they had prophesied. The day of their deliverance from the shackles of their own people were at hand.

They watched as the black wave poured through the shields like water to take the Chieftain of the great Thunderclap Clan. He did not go without a great struggle, as he called down a great storm from the sky in defiance, that rang down on his own people as well as the beasts. Man and beast alike who were struck by the great conflagration, lie in smoking ruin, but alas there were many more beasts than men and the Chieftain was soon over taken. The beasts did not kill him though, instead holding him pinned upon the ground.

The Head Priest of the Blackfeather tribe then nodded in grim satisfaction for he knew what was to happen next. The black sea began to part below them as a large and terrible looking Shaman came forth. The being wore a large skull, perhaps of a manticore of a helm, a jagged tooth necklace hung about it's neck and large spear it carried for a walking staff. When it approached the Thunderclap Chieftain, the shaman took his captured spear within its hands studying it as he began a long and deliberate enchantment. A mist began to swirl around the beastly shaman as it raised this spear high into the air. Then, suddenly and with a great violent force it drove the butt end of the spear down upon the Chieftain's chest.

A great crack of thunder could be heard overhead as the Doombringers looked down in awe of this spectacle. The once great Chieftain of the Thunderclap clan now lie a shriveled up corpse, the likes of which men whom had been dead for decades might look in their graves. The Beastly Shaman seemed to grow in size, it's muscles rippling in a manner that could been seen from hundreds of yards away.

Then the Blackfeather clerics' smiles ran from their faces as the Shaman looked up upon the crags for which they stood. These beings steal souls from the Dead God, they thought although truly within the back of their minds they feared loosing their own souls to this beast. They now looked down upon the carnage with dismay, looking to one another with mutual confusion. It was now clear that what lie before them was far greater than any one tribe. They could not rejoice in their breathren's death as they watched the beasts hack the bodies of the dead apart.

It was as then the thought, The battlesong were right, came into their minds as they saw the black beast flood rushing up the pass. They knew having watched the flood of these beasts upon their brethren, that despite their barbarian swiftness, they could not outrun this threat. As they all began to look frantically at one another, the head priest stepped forward and began a chant. Suppressing their rising alarm, each Blackfeather looked from one to the next and began to circle around their master, just as the Thunderclap had around theirs.

Suddenly, the un-molested bodies below began to come to life, reaching up to mindlessly claw at the life before them. The Black flood suddenly stopped and turned to finish this new threat. The Doombringer Priest took one last look down and there caught the one eye of the Giant Shaman who had already moved half way up the pass. As the being's grotesque kin ran by, it simply continued to stare back up as if it wished to express This is unfinished business. Urgently, the Doombringer turned and began to retreat, his priestly order in tow, save that all of them loose their souls this day.

They ran, for a full day and near into night before they were found by their kin whom they once had forsaken. They unwillingly found that which is greater than any earthly fear, that of their soul's utter and complete obliteration. They knew now, that the only hope they might have lie with their weaker kin and so they labored, in great despair...........

// I have made a Thorgrim Foecleaver! I'll post his biography as soon as I'm done with it! Some suggestions to background would be nice!

//Characters thus far created:

Battlesong Tribe:
Nerys Battlesong
Uthred Battlesong

Foeclever:
Thorgrim Foeclever

Now, all the custom lore is now in place. It is up to you to fill in your characters place within the tribe, it's background lore outside of what is established. Most are rolling brand new toons, Lvl 1-15 are welcome. You may roll any member of one of these tribes, except a chieftain. You can be High Priest, High Shaman, Champion, etc.......just no CHieftains. That is for the DMs only

Meeting is set for this Saturday 1pm EST. Please post your character here within this topic, his tribe and if you wish, any relevant information like build, background, etc......

I look forward to RPing with you guys Sat.

// Awh, but I was looking forward to daily battles for Chieftain.

I assume most of you have played Mask of the Betrayer and become Jarl of the Frost Giants! Good fun!

// Not saying you can't challenge your tribes chieftain, or even challenge to become high chieftain of all of the High Moor Tribes but you simply can't start off being one and you would have to challenge the DM

Here is are some great questions that I received from someone. I will keep his name anonymous and I hope he doesn't mind my answering this in the topic for all to see:

Hello, I just like to start by saying the Tribes of High Moor sounds like a great idea and a lot of fun. I just had a few questions on what classes can be involved and how we are to interact with the general population or other tribes.

first off Would a ranger/FB be acceptable?

Second as stated above, how does a member of a tribe react to other tribes or players in general?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and hope to hear back from you.

1.) The golden rule is half your levels must be Barbarian/FB in any combination. So, if you have a Ranger 10/ FB 10, that is perfect. Now, if you want to go to 30 then you should look like Ranger 15/ FB 10/ Barb 5, or Ranger 15/ Barb 10/ FB 5, or Ranger 10/ FB 10/ Dervish 5/ Barb 5. Any mixture of the allowed classes, as long as you are half Barb/FB

2.) Now, for how your character might interact with other characters of other tribes. I will not dictate how you must interact, that would limit RP and that I do not condone but I would set some guidelines that might foster good RP:

a.) Strength is king in a tribal society!

b.) These tribes share a similar culture, but how they interpret their religions and place within the hierarchy of the High Moor will lead to divisions.

c.) Tribalism has often lead to blood feuds that stipulate an eye for an eye.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan

d.) The strong rise to the forefront, while the cunning pull the strings. Just because your character was defeated in battle doesn't mean he can't befriend an even more powerful character to act as his/her champion.

e.) When faced with an outside threat, these Tribes would most likely band together under some common banner. Although some might turn on each other, the whole would be more fearful of outsiders than their ill-conceived tribal brethren.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vercengitorix

f.) Barbarians would react violently toward anyone who tries to institute laws and controls over them

These are just thoughts and ideas to foster RP and are by no means set laws. To do so, would not be very Barbaric, now would it