Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Forgotten Realms Journals
 General Forgotten Realms Chat
 Idle Speculation: Auppenser
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2015 :  21:28:58  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Random thought: what if Auppenser's faith has been kept alive by sivs?

Sivs may not rise to mastery of psionics, but it's entirely possible that they have wild talents. Auppenser strikes me as a perfect choice for a race which thinks very highly of itself and values discipline. We've seen stranger things than "nonhuman monks of Auppenser."

Another upshot is that this theory allows you to justify the return of Auppenser (making it more convenient to use whatever adventures etc mention him) even if you don't use psionics in your campaign. Just make him a god of discipline, structure, and organization.

For whatever it's worth, there's that thought.

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2015 :  22:09:49  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
If you go the angle of discipline, structure, and organization, he could cover some regular monastic orders.

You could keep a mental angle in the equation by having these guys develop eidetic memories and/or Sherlock Holmes levels of observation. Maybe also some magical abilities that mimic certain psionics, like detect thoughts.

As for me, for helping keep Auppenser around, I have a surviving Jhaamdathi psionicist, now an eidelar (one of my Realmsified warforged) with a hidden academy for psionicists, and some other surviving Jhaamdathi eidelar scattered around the Realms.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!

Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 25 Nov 2015 22:11:32
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 25 Nov 2015 :  23:16:12  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

If you go the angle of discipline, structure, and organization, he could cover some regular monastic orders.


True!


quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

You could keep a mental angle in the equation by having these guys develop eidetic memories and/or Sherlock Holmes levels of observation...


I like! A siv version of Holmes (or Poirot, or Colombo) seems almost slapstick, but it can be finessed, and I like a bit of comedic relief here and there anyway.

"I'll take 'Notable Adventurers' for 600, Alex."

"Here's the question. This famous siv traveled across the galaxy, and trained many individuals of different races in the use of their minds."

"Who is Yoda."

"Correct!"


quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

As for me, for helping keep Auppenser around, I have a surviving Jhaamdathi psionicist, now an eidelar (one of my Realmsified warforged) with a hidden academy for psionicists, and some other surviving Jhaamdathi eidelar scattered around the Realms.


Interesting. I hadn't thought about warforged in Jhaamdath. I like it.
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  00:30:31  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh



Interesting. I hadn't thought about warforged in Jhaamdath. I like it.



My spin was based on the B'Omarr monks from Return of the Jedi, and the psicrystals in 3.x. Basically, a powerful psionicist forges a crystalline body, and then puts his own mind into it, giving him a new, eternal body free of mortal concerns and thus able to focus more on the mind.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!
Go to Top of Page

Dargoth
Great Reader

Australia
4607 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  00:36:09  Show Profile  Visit Dargoth's Homepage Send Dargoth a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Im more of the view that Auppenser never actually died but when Jhaamdath was destroyed by the elves he went into a "Coma" from the shock of so many worshipers dying at once, since then he has been unable to knowingly run his church but he has been able to grant spells to his followers. This lack of divine direction has resulted in a number of Heretical sects to arise including one in the Drow city of Menzoberranzan.


House Oblodra in Menzobereanzan worshiped in Auppenser in a Heretical form

They worship him as a Spider god

With the 8 Psionic specializations representing the 8 legs of a spider.


Not long after the fall of Jhaamdath House Oblodra which was a minor house at the time manged to obtain a group of Jhaamdathan Refugees as slaves. Some of whom where Psioncists of various talents and abilites and as well as several low level Clerics of Auppenser. Upon finding out about the slaves abilities the houses Matron Mother tried to get the Jhaamdathans to teach the Drow of her house the secret of Psionics however it became obvious that the chaotic drow mind could not adapt to the rigid discpline that Psionics required.

So the Oblodrans tried another tactic they secretly bought female drow battle captives and abducted female drow commoners and forced them to breed with the Human Psioncists. The resulting Half Drow offspring possessed Psionic powers or at least some did and these where then bred with Full blooded drow which produced Drow children who had Psionic powers.

At this point the Matron Mother decided to breed Psionics into every new child that was born into the house including those produced by her own daughters, any child that was born that didnt posess psionic powers would be killed.

The Jhaamdathan's also altered House Oblodra religious idealogy in addition to their biology. While trying to unlock Psionics the drow spoke to the Novice clerics of Auppenser at length about their god, believing that Psionic may only be granted to Auppensers faithful while they later found out that this was not true several leading members of House Oblodra where intrigued by what the novice clerics taught and over time it was merged with the laxed teaching of Lolth taught by the house to form a hybrid of the two gods idealogy but as House Oblodra worship revolved around Psionics it was the sleeping Auppenser and not Lolth who granted their spells

In the age of 5th edition...

K'yorl Odran (who is a prisoner in the Abyss)there also a minor drow house that was founded by a previous Oblodra Matrons sister who went off and founded her own house and they still worship Auppenser.

“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”

Emperor Sigismund

"Its good to be the King!"

Mel Brooks
Go to Top of Page

combatmedic
Senior Scribe

USA
428 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  01:46:25  Show Profile Send combatmedic a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh

Random thought: what if Auppenser's faith has been kept alive by sivs?

Sivs may not rise to mastery of psionics, but it's entirely possible that they have wild talents. Auppenser strikes me as a perfect choice for a race which thinks very highly of itself and values discipline. We've seen stranger things than "nonhuman monks of Auppenser."

Another upshot is that this theory allows you to justify the return of Auppenser (making it more convenient to use whatever adventures etc mention him) even if you don't use psionics in your campaign. Just make him a god of discipline, structure, and organization.

For whatever it's worth, there's that thought.



Sivs are cool. I have given serious thought to jacking them for GH, as minions of Wastri.

Monks in some editions learn abilities that may be treated as being related to psionics.

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :)

Edited by - combatmedic on 26 Nov 2015 01:49:09
Go to Top of Page

LordofBones
Master of Realmslore

1477 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  02:09:01  Show Profile Send LordofBones a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Poor Auppenser, he gets a paragraph in his debut sourcebook and is then forgotten again.
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  05:53:48  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth

They worship him as a Spider god... With the 8 Psionic specializations representing the 8 legs of a spider.


Nice work, Dargoth. Their heresy (blending the gods) goes a long way toward explaining why Lolth would hate House Oblodra, while the other Houses believed that Oblodra was favored because of its continued strength, and also how the Oblodrans can have a huge percentage of psions without blatantly breaking the "thou shalt worship Lolth" rule.
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  05:54:31  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Basically, a powerful psionicist forges a crystalline body, and then puts his own mind into it, giving him a new, eternal body free of mortal concerns and thus able to focus more on the mind.


I like this. Kinda a lot.
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  05:55:58  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by combatmedic

Sivs are cool. I have given serious thought to jacking them for GH, as minions of Wastri.


And I've thought about replacing bullywugs with grippli in the Realms.
Go to Top of Page

Wrigley
Senior Scribe

Czech Republic
605 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  17:37:55  Show Profile  Visit Wrigley's Homepage Send Wrigley a Private Message  Reply with Quote
As the mission is to let Aupenser alive I will ad my take which is based on him being alias of Oghma at the time of Jhaamdath. It might not be entrely cannon proof but it make sense to me. There are many renamed god in that era and he is still pretty close to what he represented - god of mind. For me psionics itself is just a variant of magic similar to sorcery (3e) and it was introduced by Batrachi and through their progeny - Mind flyers - tought to duergars and Jaamdathi. Connection to duergars is better known because Mind Flyers did't wanted to expand above ground directly so they just influenced from afar. End of this experiment was caused by new power Bane who pushed later emperor to action. Aupenser was Jhaamdathan chief diety of reason, knowledge and power of mind and after their fall he merely pursued his other domains more.
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  18:28:09  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well reasoned.
Go to Top of Page

combatmedic
Senior Scribe

USA
428 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  21:08:15  Show Profile Send combatmedic a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh

quote:
Originally posted by combatmedic

Sivs are cool. I have given serious thought to jacking them for GH, as minions of Wastri.


And I've thought about replacing bullywugs with grippli in the Realms.




Module spoiler, minor......





IIRC, in Needle, the bullywugs and grippli are two distinct groups within one race.

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :)
Go to Top of Page

combatmedic
Senior Scribe

USA
428 Posts

Posted - 26 Nov 2015 :  21:09:53  Show Profile Send combatmedic a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Could Auppenser have kept a worshipper base by creating a number of psionic items (meaning the sentient kind from the Complete Psionics Handbook)?

YMMV= Your Mileage May Vary. I'm putting it here so I don't have to type it in every other post. :)
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2015 :  13:45:55  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Just a note on this last idea, one of my main story only NPC's was a woman named Lady Jillian Doncastle of Neverwinter. She was from 2nd edition as a dual-classed mage-priest of Deneir, a bit of an outcast from her family for not worshipping Tyr primarily, but they forgave her for being a detective. I remade her in 3e as a mix of Theurge and Fochlucan Lyrist (her Deneiran training in languages had enabled her to learn druidic, but it also forced her to serve in the Fochlucan Lyrists when they needed an agent). Anyway, long story short, she possessed a very jealous, snooty, and convinced of its utter intellectual superiority sai.... a sai that worshipped Auppenser. The below is the beginning of a story that I was writing that I think the lorelords here would love.


The sai lay upon a small table with a hexagonal bronze plaque with the representation of a cobalt blue eye lying unwinking at its center. The plaque was a holy symbol of the slumbering deity of the ancient Jhaamdathi people, a being known as Auppenser, Lord of the Invisble Art, God of Psionics, Master of Mind Magics. The sai sent its mental worship through the plaque, in hopes that it would make its way to his slumbering god. Of course, Lorey, as the sai had taken to naming itself, was unsure if what it was doing had any effect whatsoever. After all, the accident of “his” creation was a bit unique to say the least, leaving the question of whether “he” had a soul in doubt. Lorey had to take it upon faith that he did somehow possess a soul, because anything else would simply make the weapon go mad.

The blue sapphire in “his” hilt had been the amplified psi-crystal of a powerful psion of ancient Jhaamdath. The runes down the shaft, or monouchi, of the sai were in ancient Roushoum, an Imaskari Script, and had been used to instill powerful magics within the weapon . The scribe of Candlekeep who had discovered both items, who was also both a mage of considerable skill and a bard with a sagely repertoire of lore, had seized upon an intriguing idea for an experiment. The scribe had discovered a latent intellect still entrapped within the blue gem he'd discovered in the hoard of an Ogre-magi that had been raiding settlements south of Amn. Though he didn't truly understand what this intellect was or how it had come to exist, the scribe did understand that it was possible to awaken minor intelligence within magic items. The scribe decided that he would seek to enhance the sai for which he'd recently traded a wu-jen of Kara-Tur a captured red wizard spellbook filled with flame magic. Unable to cast some of the divine spells needed for some of the additional augmentations he planned for the sai, the monk-scribe elicited the aid of a mage-priest of Azuth, the Lord of Spellcraft. Of course the mage-priest joyfully agreed to help with the experiment, for to do so would be considered an act holy to his lord. Unfortunately for the scribe and mage-priest, this great act of magical enchantment would also coincide with the fall of the gods from the heavens, or as it would later be called, “the Avatar Crisis”.

The two spellcasters were in the midst of the ritual of unleashing the intellect within the sapphire and tying it to the weapon. Even under ordinary circumstances, the trial of marrying a mind to a magical device can be taxing, but neither of them were prepared for the struggle they would be dragged into when magic suddenly went awry. Spinning out of control, the magic seeking intelligence found it within not only the gem, but also the skulls of the two spellcasters seeking to guide and control the laying of the magical bindings.

Thus had Lorey's “birth” caused the comatose deaths of its creators. Even the very idea that “he” still thought of himself as male in this sexless form was a bit absurd, but his origins definitely wouldn't allow for himself to think of himself as a feminine personae. He possessed the partial knowledge of all 3 individuals who had been involved with the formation of his “mind”, though he still had little knowledge of how exactly his base physical form had been created, beyond the sapphire attached to the tsuka or hilt of his body.

Lorey's research into his own history had led him to some basic facts, such as the fact that the wrappings on his tsuka were no ordinary leather, but rather the supple underbelly of a song dragon named Amathandara Trillingmoon. The fact that the only physical part of his being that was even remotely organic belonged to a female didn't bother him at all. The fact that he could find no solid history of her death and only that she lived over 2 millenia ago was highly disconcerting however. Lorey had had better luck with the physical form of his sai however. The runes inscribed were in Roushoum, an ancient Imaskari dialect that had also been taken up my many mages of the Raumathari empire. The original weaponsmith had left markings upon the yoku, or sideguards as Westerners often called them, which corresponded to markings seen on several masterwork weapons created by a family of crafters in the Raumathari Empire. The adamantine of which he was forged had come from mines beneath that which would become modern day Thay.

However, his knowledge of the psi-crystal embedded to the tsuka brought lots of information on his former self in Jhaamdath, the ancient Empire built on mental magic. Supreme in their control of psionics, the Jhaamdathi people had flourished, building a wonder filled society that made the modern day pale in comparison. Their deity, Auppenser, smiled upon that which they had built, a peaceful culture of collaboration and helpful co-existence. With the creation of their udoxias artifact that bestowed the powers of the invisible arts upon even its least citizens, the plights of the common people of Jhaamdath were lessened. The Bladelords of Jhaamdath still had to defend their borders from encroachment, and his psion personality had been chief amongst those who had pushed back against their nearby Untheric oppressors. Still, for the most part, his life in Jhaamdath had been one of mostly quiet research. In contrast, the blood filled brutality of today's insufferable, power grabbing, backstabbing, greedmongers quite frankly made him ill, or as ill as a magically animated object can feel.

Still, there was always a light in the darkness to brighten the gloom. For Lorey, that had come when he'd been flitting about Candlekeep's library shelves several months after his “birth”. During the entirety of the Avatar Crisis, he'd spent his time perusing the history books to catch up on all the changes to the world over the past two millenia. He'd learned of the fall of many of the great empires he'd known in his life as a Jhaamdathi citizen.... militant Raumathar, demonic Narfell, mystical Netheril, and even the God-King ruled empires of Mulhorand and Unther had lessened in power. In their wake had formed new governments, the magocracy of Thay, the masked wychlaran of Rashemen, the kingdoms of Cormyr, Aglarond, and Impiltur, as well as numerous city states. Luckily, Lorey's convergence with the other two unfortunate souls had enabled his “mind” to rapidly assimilate this new data, for as he made connections in his studies, often facts known by those two individuals would come to the fore. Still, the more he knew about this new world, the more out of touch he felt in it.

Then one day a young, raven-haired beauty had shown up in the dank and drafty section of the Candlekeep library in which Lorey had been hiding. It was obvious from her dress that the woman was of noble birth, but she carried herself as if she didn't realize the value of the frock which she wore. The fact that the dress was covered in ink stains on the sleeves only attested to her lack of care. Her index finger was darkened, obviously from long amounts of time dipping a quill into ink for transcribing texts. Her lips also showed a slight darkening, a testament to her bad habit of sticking her finger in her mouth when she was thinking. Of course, this bad habit of hers was something that the lonely sai found even more endearing as he watched. Hours led into days, and days led into weeks, but the sai never approached the young woman who had so captured his attention.

Then came the day in which the young woman had come into the library and begun to read the treatise on Neverwinter nobles which Lorey himself had been perusing the night before. Oddly, the woman had turned to the same section which Lorey had been reading. This intrigued the sai. Floating in the air behind and above her, the weapon began to read. Suddenly, the young woman spoke, “So, are you done yet? Can I flip to the next page?”.

Aghast at being discovered, the sai mentally froze in his tracks. What would she do to him? Would she tell the scribes of his existence? Would they experiment on him to determine how he'd been created? The questions were unfolding in his mind nearly faster than he could completely think them. Then the young woman turned around to look at the floating said and spoke again, “Look, if you're going to stare over my shoulder, at least be polite enough to introduce yourself. My name is Lady Jillian Doncastle of Neverwinter, but you can call me Jillian or Jilly for short. And you are?”

At that time, Lorey hadn't actually considered the concept that he'd need a name. Oddly the names of all his former personalities seemed wrong to him, as if he'd absorbed their memories but in an oddly factual way. Sheepishly pointing his tip towards the floor, he answered her, “I don't rightly have a name to tell the truth, mistress Jillian. I've only been created in the last several months, and I've never talked to anyone else since my creation.”

Jillian smiled at the awkward little weapon. It was a smile that would change the sai's life, as she said, “Well, I've been paying attention to you for these past few weeks. You seem to like all of this lore just like I do. How about the name 'Lorey'?”

The sai thought about it for a second, before answering, “Why yes, I do believe I like that mistress Jillian. Please, do call me Lorey, and as pertains to your previous question, why yes I had finished reading the page two minutes ago and was quite hoping you would turn the page soon.”

Thus had started a relationship that would span the next twenty-seven years.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2015 :  16:58:22  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Nice!

One of my protagonists was a sword discovered in Myth Drannor, but I never finished it and then it was lost to a dead hard drive. Computer malfunction: the Shar of our world.

Anyway, I suspect there's more to tell of Jillian and Lorey.
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2015 :  23:03:29  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh

Nice!

One of my protagonists was a sword discovered in Myth Drannor, but I never finished it and then it was lost to a dead hard drive. Computer malfunction: the Shar of our world.

Anyway, I suspect there's more to tell of Jillian and Lorey.



Yeah, I've used her off and on. She works as a detective, but also kind of like paparazzi. She publishes a broadsheet anonymously and freely that she's named the Waterdhavian Herald. This broadsheet reveals both noble gossip and tales of "dark dealings" by various guildsmen, guards, etc....

Regarding this particular story, I had a decent amount written leading into a story about Mirt's disappearance and how he was entrapped in a blueflame item, Jillian trying to find out what happened to him. It involved her kids, Lorey, another mystic theurge serving the Red Knight, and of course her father in law, Sleyvas (who has turned from the dark side to become a fervent follower of the red knight). Rereading this makes me want to finish it.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore

USA
1853 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2015 :  02:03:48  Show Profile  Visit xaeyruudh's Homepage Send xaeyruudh a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Rereading this makes me want to finish it.


Need a nudge?

*nudge*
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000