Falk-fury rages on!

[ewancummins]

Right. And there are ways that a being might get through a closed border, be that "hard" or "soft." My understanding is that a darklord power trumps other powers most of the time. But I don't think Ivana's poisons would effect a being whose immunity to poison was intrinsic and total. A stone golem would be unaffected. It does not drink. Nor would the Count's choking fog affect an undead being, because it would not breathe. Ymmv

[jamesfirecat]

Right. And there are ways that a being might get through a closed border, be that "hard" or "soft." My understanding is that a darklord power trumps other powers most of the time. But I don't think Ivana's poisons would effect a being whose immunity to poison was intrinsic and total. A stone golem would be unaffected. It does not drink. Nor would the Count's choking fog affect an undead being, because it would not breathe. Ymmv

Sometimes there are way through them if you are categorically immune to the attack vector involved. In Vampies of the Mist Jander Sunstar walks right through the famous fog of death, because he's a vampire and thus very hard to poison.

The rats of Richemulot deal 10d6 ignoring hardness and as a +6 magic weapon against DR and if you try to fly over them it fails automatically. So I guess maybe a ghost/some kind of creature with categorical immunity to physical attacks might be able to get through them, otherwise you're sort of SOL.


Really I don't know why they gave Richemulot one of the harshest/most powerful domain closes in the book(s).

[ewancummins]

Really I don't know why they gave Richemulot one of the harshest/most powerful domain closes in the book(s).

Because were-rats rule!

[IrvyneWolfe]

Really I don't know why they gave Richemulot one of the harshest/most powerful domain closes in the book(s).

Because were-rats rule!

As a rat owner I agree.

[Mister]

I don't want to derail anything here and I'm coming in late, but I wanted to touch on a point you made early on in your first page about the fertility of Falkovnian women. I think that actually goes along very well with the land being a "breadbasket of the Core". Perhaps Falkovnia is simply blessed with fertility, fecundity, and by being so focused on war and conquest, Drakov can't appreciate the potential of what he has? That also might tie into his kids.

Tied also to the talk of war and conquest, I've often felt that many nations can only sustain themselves when expanding. They need a target to blame, a goal to attain, the stores and supplies of another to reward or feed their own people. "Things will be better after...."

[ewancummins]

Thinking of Drakov, I'm reminded of a line from Tamburlaine, by Marlowe:

Is it not passing brave to be a King and ride in triumph through Persepolis?

[jamesfirecat]

Thinking of Drakov, I'm reminded of a line from Tamburlaine, by Marlowe:

Is it not passing brave to be a King and ride in triumph through Persepolis?

Could you explain the deeper meaning of the quote, I've never seen/heard it before and so am feeling a bit adrift....

[ewancummins]

Thinking of Drakov, I'm reminded of a line from Tamburlaine, by Marlowe:

Is it not passing brave to be a King and ride in triumph through Persepolis?

Could you explain the deeper meaning of the quote, I've never seen/heard it before and so am feeling a bit adrift....

The line comes from the play Tamburlaine.

Here's the play:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1094/1094-h/1094-h.htm

scene in question-

http://www.classicreader.com/book/1078/9/

The main character is a man who has gone from shepherd to bandit to a powerful conqueror, drive by his will and ambition.

The line refers to the glory of being a victorious king.

The action takes place in SW Asia and other nearby regions, because the fictional Tamburlaine is inspired by/based on the real Timur (Tamerlane).
Thus, Persepolis.

But I'm pretty sure Marlowe also meant it as an allusion to Alexander the Great achieving total victory over the Persian Empire and thus becoming a role model for conquerors and warlords for many centuries after his life.

I think that some of this has to do with a certain ideal of glory that's fallen out of fashion in the United States and Europe, but which was still important as late as WW2.(Note, this is not an idea original to me; but I couldn't tell you which historians have written the most about it. Maybe John Keegan touches ion it? I'm sure I've run across it in discussions of Hitler--like Fest's biography.)


That's where I can see some Hitler --or Napoleon-- in Drakov.

[The Lesser Evil]

Right. And there are ways that a being might get through a closed border, be that "hard" or "soft." My understanding is that a darklord power trumps other powers most of the time. But I don't think Ivana's poisons would effect a being whose immunity to poison was intrinsic and total. A stone golem would be unaffected. It does not drink. Nor would the Count's choking fog affect an undead being, because it would not breathe. Ymmv

And of course, some folks can't even close their own borders, whether because of the cluelessness they have towards the demiplane of dread (Vlad Drakov) or a divided psyche (Malken).

[ewancummins]

Right. And there are ways that a being might get through a closed border, be that "hard" or "soft." My understanding is that a darklord power trumps other powers most of the time. But I don't think Ivana's poisons would effect a being whose immunity to poison was intrinsic and total. A stone golem would be unaffected. It does not drink. Nor would the Count's choking fog affect an undead being, because it would not breathe. Ymmv

And of course, some folks can't even close their own borders, whether because of the cluelessness they have towards the demiplane of dread (Vlad Drakov) or a divided psyche (Malken).

Right.
ATM, I'm toying with placing Farelle into the spot G'ehnna occupies on the Core map (in the Black Box).

But would Farelle be able to resist conquest by Drakov?

The darklord, Jack Karn, can't magically close the borders.
Would his dogs and jackals be enough to deter invaders?

[The Lesser Evil]

Right. And there are ways that a being might get through a closed border, be that "hard" or "soft." My understanding is that a darklord power trumps other powers most of the time. But I don't think Ivana's poisons would effect a being whose immunity to poison was intrinsic and total. A stone golem would be unaffected. It does not drink. Nor would the Count's choking fog affect an undead being, because it would not breathe. Ymmv

And of course, some folks can't even close their own borders, whether because of the cluelessness they have towards the demiplane of dread (Vlad Drakov) or a divided psyche (Malken).

Right.
ATM, I'm toying with placing Farelle into the spot G'ehnna occupies on the Core map (in the Black Box).

But would Farelle be able to resist conquest by Drakov?

The darklord, Jack Karn, can't magically close the borders.
Would his dogs and jackals be enough to deter invaders?

I would think it would be hard without some great degree of supernatural assistance, but it would make for an interesting opportunity for roleplaying. Perhaps Jack Karn's curse has an exception to the "don't hurt humans" thing if he hulks out in the defense of his people or other innocents? So the Jackal becomes a (perceived) embodiment of good and luck as a guardian of sorts? That would do wonders in the horrible cognitive dissonance it might cause Karn.

[ewancummins]

That could be cool.



I suppose it's also possible that the Three Hags in Tepest have decided that an army of Falkovnians marching over the Timori Road and into their domain would be a bad thing for them, so they aid Faerlle's inhabitants against any aggressive moves by Drakov.
What kind of stuff could they do from their own domain?

Hag-jackalware team up?

[jamesfirecat]

And of course, some folks can't even close their own borders, whether because of the cluelessness they have towards the demiplane of dread (Vlad Drakov) or a divided psyche (Malken).

Alfred Timothy can't close his borders either, though I don't think there's as strong a reason for why as there is with Malken and Darkov.

[jamesfirecat]

Right.
ATM, I'm toying with placing Farelle into the spot G'ehnna occupies on the Core map (in the Black Box).

But would Farelle be able to resist conquest by Drakov?

The darklord, Jack Karn, can't magically close the borders.
Would his dogs and jackals be enough to deter invaders?

I'd need to see a map but didn't G'ehnna border Borca (or possibly parts of Dorvinia that became parts of Borca post GC) at one point or not so much? If it does border Borca would that new nation think about reaching out to (or actively be reached out to by) the Four Towers nations as another way of strengthening the the Ancient Order of "No Vlads"?

[ewancummins]

Right.
ATM, I'm toying with placing Farelle into the spot G'ehnna occupies on the Core map (in the Black Box).

But would Farelle be able to resist conquest by Drakov?

The darklord, Jack Karn, can't magically close the borders.
Would his dogs and jackals be enough to deter invaders?

I'd need to see a map but didn't G'ehnna border Borca (or possibly parts of Dorvinia that became parts of Borca post GC) at one point or not so much? If it does border Borca would that new nation think about reaching out to (or actively be reached out to by) the Four Towers nations as another way of strengthening the the Ancient Order of "No Vlads"?

It bordered Dorvinia, yes.