The Heavens Nest, The Worm & The Zumkata (for China)

[anarchclown]

I am currently writing some things for a campaign I run every monday. I just realized that I had done quite a lot of it. I was wondering if anyone was interested in seeing what I had done so far. I will break down first what my intentions were with this small part of the Chinese countryside.
* I started out wanting to make a community that the PCs could go to to refuel their resources that wasn't the Geofront, since I actually think I will make a faction of Geofront soldiers taken over by an alien intelligence into one of the groups of badguys that I plan on using.
* Considering I have some technology based characters, including a cossack and a crazy, in my group i wanted the community to actually support this and not just be a temple full of monks that seems to be the staple of the setting.
* Another thing that often bugs me about the settings that aren't North America is that they seem to be very uniform and blankety compared to the much more complex tapestry of NA. This is of course in part due to restraints in space to flesh everything out. Still I wanted D-bees, strange technology and magic to be a part of the setting, along with the stuff described in the two China books.
*I wanted a visually appealing place that captured peoples imaginations and not just some shantytown without much in the way of landmarks. Also I wanted the place to be legendary yet hidden from most demonic forces, considering that they would have been overrun by said forces if they hadn't been.
*Dragons, nagas and their spawn are awesome. I knew I wanted to use them and also to use the old myth the eastern dragons guarding a pearl and mix it up a bit, Rifts style.
*Once I figured I wanted to use D-bees I looked through several races to be the dominant one that I wanted in different sources (D-bees of North America, Aliens Unlimited etc). However none of them appealed to me for various reasons. Thus I decided to make my own race that was technologically advanced and different enough to have a complete clash with the locals as far as world views go. The Zumkata were born.
*Once I had decided to make this place a place of legend I also realized that I needed to make some rules for it, including weapons, armor and O.C.C.s of the D-bee race and other things as well. This is where I am currently at while at the same time writing the actual description of the setting.

Now, where am I going with this? I was thinking I would post some of the things I came up with on here to get some opinions on what I have done. I can't very well show all of it to my players who are supposed to be newcomers to the place. I am thus looking to see if any of you would be interested in having a look at what I have done and comment on it. (trolling will be countertrolled ) I will summarize what I have created so far in some short bullet points so people can see what I am trying to create. My goal is to be a writer of RPGs some day in the future and thus I need to hone my trade as much as I can.

The City of Heavens Nest
* Heavens Nest An ancient city ruled by Nagaspawn that have been watching a pearl (supposedly the egg of some mythological dragon that will hatch when the time is right) since the fall of Atlantis. They sided with the dragons against the naga in a great conflict and have been the enemies of the naga that have been waiting to extract revenge in the Hells of the Yama Kings ever since.
* The Zumkata is a young race of Astral Travelers having come here to look for the technology to help them in their fight against the Simvan monster riders that plague their home world. They have the technology to augment themselves and somewhat alien outlook on life. They have three O.C.C. that originated with them, some which are available to other races as well.
*The Lightning Riders (These are the cybernetically augmented people that pilot their Zeppelinesque vessels, their flight systems and the marines that contain
the bulk of their force.
*The Crushers Biologically and magically enhanced soldiers that are shunned by the rest of their society, they have the unique ability to power out of containing
spells and situations as well as the durability and strength to be a menace to anyone that comes close to them. They have been sent out to slay monsters and riders
alike on their homeworld for decades on their homeworld. They have a rebellious streak that put them at odds with the rest of their society.
*The Energy Weavers Strange psionically imbued powersources that were used to power the astral traveling devices on the trip here and that pilot psionic
armors in combat. They have an even more alien mindset and a strange sense of self as they were basically remade into living batteries at one point. This does give
them some pretty impressive powers of energy control however. Think Zapper on steroids.
*The Worm of the White Earth. A strange alien intelligence that have rested for millienia, hidden away by the dragons that defeated it, in the Yin caves far below the ground. Now it has been awakened by a whackjob scientist that couldn't stop her own curiosity.
*The Yugal The banished former servitor race of The Worm. They are spectral beings of evil that had been locked up by the Yama Kings for millenia. When the Yama Kings left the hells they had resided in, slowly the Yugal were set free to once again plot the demise of all life on earth.

Part of this is already finished but I am also still in the process of writing it so I hope people will forgive it the pace is somewhat sporadic. Either way. Use it however you want. Now can I get a head count on people that are interested in hearing more?

[anarchclown]

Heavens Nest
The History of Heavens Nest
The Beginning
The Beginning Clouded in the primordial times of Rifts earth. Before the cataclysm that shook Atlantis even, lived a strange and horrifying beast called the Worm of the White Earth beneath the future lands of southern china. It was a brutal reign as it would devour as many as would please it and it was not easily pleased, with impunity. It was a beast of horror, madness and primal power, born out of the darkness of the Yin-laced earth, an offspring of the first evil that created many of the horrors that we now know as demons.

It is unclear if the Worm had relatives at one time or if it was a unique being in the megaverse. It did rule the ground that primitive man walked upon in this part of the world however; it did birth the races of Yugal and M’ka with its powerful magic. It did force mankind to bring it many blood sacrifices and to erect great temples in its honor. It was as happy as any being of madness and hatred can ever be, but the happiness was not to last.

From the skies above at the beginning of the golden age of Atlantis came a traveler and an exile from that far away land to the future middle kingdom. The Celestial Cloud Warrior Dragon arrived. It had been exiled for getting in to fights with other dragons to prove its strength. Though it had won them all it appeared that the Atlanteans themselves did not like the disturbances and had sent it away to contemplate in faraway lands. Thus it found itself in this land of stone temples and grinning statues, depicting demons of death and decay.

Amazed and appalled at the depravity of the people of this land it started searching for a reason for them to behave this way. Though many civilizations of mankind have been unnecessarily cruel and bloodthirsty without any help from the supernatural since then, the primitive people of the region were clearly influenced by the Worm of the White Earth. The dragon learned of the creature’s existence and it smiled a smile of joy, seldom seen on the faces of dragons anywhere and certainly not in seasoned warrior dragons such as this one, joy at the thought of what a great battle laid ahead of it.

The battle was indeed great and it raged for millennia while the civilizations of Lemuria and Atlantis rose and started to decline. The landscape changed as the creations of The Worm and the brothers of the great Dragon fell and took the shape of the hills and mountains of southern China. It seemed the ancient dragon and its horrible enemy were evenly matched and no end of the war was in sight. Meanwhile humankind, though living in constant fear of the colossal shapes fighting in the skies and beneath the earth, prospered and they themselves started to build temples to new gods. The Heavenly Bureaucracy and the Yama Kings made their entry, though clearly not in the shape they would later adopt. This arrival of the Yama kings made the great M’ka Vreetrah see a way out from under the rule of its master.

The kings, though never a force of good, was at this time at least somewhat honorable. They saw the need for stability to allow for their own ascension and war on the heavens to be launched, using the souls of the imaginative and inventive humans. Their plan was simple, they would turn the M’ka against their master and then they and the M’ka would devour the Great Dragon and his precious pearls as well. It was with this in mind that Vreetrah came to the court of the Dragon Warrior and pledged his allegiance as well as the allegiance of his entire race. They were renamed the Naga by the Dragons court and given a prominent place among the allied forces against the White Worm.

The Worm was chanceless as his most numerous minions suddenly joined the fight on the opposing side. Soon it was buried in the Caves of Dark Dread where no mortal could ever reach and it was safe for all eternity. A kingdom was founded by the Dragon and Naga together but it was a short lived one as the Naga and their Yomi allies soon fell on the dragons. They would quite possibly have succeeded in destroying them and their allied human’s altogether had it not been for a magical mishap of epic proportions on the other side of the earth. As floating cities and magic rocks alike tumbled to the earth when the world was drained of its Chi, the Naga and the Yomi decided it was better to withdraw from this now barren world than to fight to the very last breath against the embittered dragons.

For a short time the dragon kingdom welcomed fugitives from the land of Atlantis, but it was clear that the magic of the world was fading and Atlanteans and Dragons alike were abandoning ship and moving on to other less harsh dimensions. The Great Dragon sighed, having foreseen the end of the world and knowing it would not live to see the start of the new world it hatched several eggs and gave it to those spawn of the Naga that had remained loyal to the dragons even after the treachery of their own parents. It ordered them to remain hidden and to wait for the day when it would return. This day would come once the world was once again ready for it. The greatest beast the earth had ever seen lay down and sighed a last sigh before turning in to a massive mountain range. The Lord of Dragons was no more.

[anarchclown]

The Eternal Wait
For thousands of years the Nagaspawn waited hidden in the far reaches of the world. Some forgot their calling and mingled with mankind, bestowing upon them the knowledge of their dragon masters and no doubt influencing the culture of the Middle Kingdom. Some of the mountain strongholds, where the dragon pearls were held, were turned into places of learning, others fell to human warlords. The power of the Nagaspawn faded along with the magical energies of the world and as it did their ability to defend themselves as well dwindled. Soon they and their dragon masters were remembered only as fairy tales that were a natural part of the local culture.

Only in a few places did the magic hold. Only in a few places did the Nagaspawn remain true to their original task. Even most of them failed however when mankind found ways to take to the skies without relying on magic. Clearly surpassing the Nagaspawn in power and dominating the lands of the middle kingdom completely. Several old nests were found by the secret police of the Peoples Republic during the long wait. The politicians and generals of the time decided it was best to just erase the proof of all that had transpired by slaying the mutated spawn of some strange inbred mountain people.

In the mountains somewhere in southern China only one nest remained. The place became known as Heavens Nest and was a local legend among some of the people living near it. Many even tried to find it, as humanity entered its second Golden Age with an ending even more disastrous ending than the first, but yet Heavens Nest managed to stay hidden. The magic of the Dragon Lord himself still holding on and protecting the Nagaspawn within this small enclave from the aggressive humans spreading across the world.

The Second Ending
It did not take many minutes after the Apocalypse had started before the Nagaspawn were once again the masters of their own fates. Not only were they imbued with the same strength that their ancestors had once felt. The old spell that had protected them shattered into thousands of pieces and they were forced to defend themselves from the demons that came with the mists. Though they had been trained for millennia they were still not at all prepared and several of the weakest of their kind were swept away in the tide of demons that kept moving around the country in those chaotic first times.

Meanwhile they were faced with yet another problem. Humans could now find The Nest and they saw that, while the Nagaspawn were decimated, they were still unbowed before the might of the demonic hordes. The inhabitants of the era fled to the hills and they started pouring up the hill to The Nest as they could now see it clearly laying there. The Nagaspawn were faced with the choice if they should play right into the hands of the demon hordes of Yomi and kill all these refugees or if they were going to give in and ignore the warnings of their ancestors and start protecting the masses that had arrived. After much deliberation and quite a lot of crying and puppy eyed pleading from the humans that feared for their lives and souls, they decided to do the latter.

The Nest managed to survive the total chaos of the first years and as their own magical prowess grew they managed to once again raise some illusions to hide them from the world around them. They made many of the humans move to villages surrounding them and to only come back to the town when they had to get help. They took on the role of hidden benevolent feudal lords. Even with all these precautions, the Nest kept growing in population and prominence however and it was not long before this led to the first big conflict of the new kingdom.

[anarchclown]

The Dragon Heritage
The dragons of other realms heard about the ancient Heavens Nest. Most of them rejoiced to hear that the inheritors of the old Lord of Dragons had persevered and did what they could to help. However there were several that watched in jealousy. Some of these, mostly hatchlings, decided that it was their right as “true dragons” to be the guardians of the Pearl. They informed the Brotherhood of the Pearl of their opinion, in a manner that any Lord talking to his most lowly indentured servant would.

Privately the Nagaspawn were furious at such an insult and their seething anger almost got them to give in to their darker urges. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and they instead answered in the most diplomatic possible manner that they were willing to discuss how the pearl would be handled and that they were in awe of the power of the council of great wyrms that had taken an interest in the pearl. The Council in question took this both as an insult and a sign of weakness and not soon thereafter they attacked in a vivid display of sorcerous might and carnage.

Saddened the Brotherhood took arms and found to their great surprise that several of the local Heroes of the Celestial Court sided with them against the dragon onslaught. In only a few days even the teleporting and bio regenerating tactics of the Council proved ineffective against the battle hardened Brotherhood warriors. Sadly the short battle had not been quite as easy for the civilians of the Nest and hundreds, maybe even thousands, had paid with their lives. The War continued like this although at a smaller and more sporadic pace for over a year. Eventually the Nagaspawn even managed to slay some of the leaders of the Council. It was finally another dragon who together with the Shao Lin monks decided to intervene and once and all ensure that the Council did not continue their acts of aggression. ‘

The conflict ended with somewhat of a whimper as more powerful dragons spoke out and told their younglings that they should stand down and focus on the war against the Yama Kings. Sadly this led to most of the Councils members leaving Rifts Earth altogether in disgust. Feeling betrayed by their own they no longer wanted to stay on this backwater world where they would have to spend many a thousand years in frustration.

[taalismn]

So far, so good. Appropriately epic for Rifts China.

[anarchclown]

I have the whole history written. I just post a little of it each day instead of presenting everything I have at the same time and then running out of things to post anytime soon.

[anarchclown]

The War of the Earth Master
The Naga that had been waiting patiently in the hells of the Yama Kings had not forgotten their unruly children. They had not forgotten their betrayal, not remembering that it was their own betrayal of first the White Worm then the dragons that had started things, and they wanted revenge badly. Still it took them many years to mount any kind of offense that had any chance of defeating the powerful brotherhood.

In the meantime the influx of people to Heavens Nest was increasing to the point where it was now a small city. The new people were quite often D-bee as well as human much to the dismay of the local humans who thought they had fled from the monster menace all those years ago. Yet the Nagaspawn were also alien in some ways and the people of the nest soon learned to cope with their new neighbors. The different cultures of the many people’s that were represented here meshing into one amalgamation.

The Earth Master was a stone master, trained by Atlantean fugitives in the lands of Korea. He did not yet know it when he was seduced by the beautiful Ai Noh, a Naga of considerable power, but he was already destined to be the greatest threat to the nest so far. Ai Noh was the mother of several of the original Nagaspawn that had inhabited the place and being a diabolic and vindictive serpent she longed for the day when she could show her rebellious spawn the error of their ways. She figured the Earth Master would be a crucial part of the plan and thus she poured honey into his ear with her talk of love and her reassurance that theirs would be the greatest and most powerful Nagaspawn that ever lived.

Being young, inexperienced and in love the poor deluded fool agreed to do anything to ensure his future child’s prosperity. Thus it was that he would come to the city as a refugee, offering his help to the Brotherhood, telling them he could build them a pyramid on the nexus point just near the city, where they could control the rifts and storms more easily than through powerful rituals. The Naga did agree and soon the Earth Master began his work erecting the largest Pagoda in the whole city.

Meanwhile the Naga warlord Azengavar had managed to unite several of the treacherous Naga into a single war party. They went on to gather a small army of demons and were looking for a possible target for them to strike. They needed a victory that would give them glory without losses that were too heavy. After all they wanted to build an empire and maybe one day take over one of the Yama Kingdoms. It was at this time that the fair and seductive Ai Noh arrived and offered them the gift of Heavens Nest, served on a plate.

In the year of 102 P.A. the Naga struck. The pyramid that had been many years in the making was finished. The Earth Master had established himself as its master and had taken control of the growing travel that had started going through it. No one suspected that he would one day open a Rift to an amassing army, hiding in a far away land, one day. But that is what he did. The first to come screaming through it in murderous rage was his young son who ensured that his father would not close the new gate by slaying him where he stood. The battle had started and as thousands of demons flowed through the Rift all seemed lost.

The Chiang Ku dragon Wang Lo who had been visiting from far away did recognize the hordes that were pouring through the gate and he knew that the warlord Azengavar was not far behind. Hoping to break the morale of the attackers he snuck up on the warlord and in a battle of magic and snaking writing draconic muscle he slew the general.

Elsewhere, the Nagaspawn did not fare anywhere nearly as well. Their own leader Ang Gao cut down by the young and murderous relative of his, leading a big regiment of Goat Demons. Chaos reigned and the demons swarmed the city, killing, looting, pillaging and destroying all in their path, Ai Noh secretly guiding the troops from far away now that her rival had fallen. The city appeared lost.

[anarchclown]

The New Arrivals
In the midst of all this tragedy and with the impending doom of all of Heavens Nest, its cowering inhabitants looked to the skies looking for a sign the dragons and gods of their world had not abandoned them. They gasped in horror and amazement as a ring of blue energy started crackling in the sky, at least two hundred feet across and clearly some kind of rift, soon a massive cigar shaped vessel, covered in lightning and crackling with energy broke appeared in the sky, followed by more similar crafts. The Zumkata had arrived just in the nick of time. Their powerful Ion Cannons obliterating and routing the already strained servants of Ai Noh. Clearly this was a sign from the heavens. The people of Heavens Nest wept in thanks as the Zumkata started to descend and try to communicate.

Though they were good in nature and well meaning, the Zumkata had trouble adapting to the strange new environment. They came from a world of rolling clouds of psionic power, with a wind of mighty Chi that would destroy all in its path, a place where they and the dreaded Xumbelka Monster Riders were the pinnacles of their world. They had come here searching for allies in their fight as the Xumbelka had been given the gift of flying, half lizards, half dragonflies by the mysterious newcomers El Zhim, and had thus started threatening the Zumkata homelands for real for the first time in hundreds of years.

The great genius scientist Quoulke had crafted the massive generators that would let the Zumkata make travels to other worlds, without aid from others, for the first time in their history. Several worlds were targeted, among them both Rifts Earth and the plane of Primordia. The ships carrying the bravest of the brave had set off into the skies and traveled through the deep astral planes, protected by their powerful lightning fields, and though many a ships had fallen along the way at least this expedition had reached its final destination in a cloud of crackling energy.

Of course the people of Heavens Nest would not accept that they were not sent by the Heavenly Courts and they took this to mean that the Zumkata were great champions of good (an assumption that is, if somewhat lacking in nuance, correct). They took them into their hearts and homes and started, with the help of the forgers of the Zumkata and the help of the returning refugees, to rebuild their homes and once again wait for the rebirth of the celestial son. Thus it is that nothing has changed in some ways, even as the growing settlement has expanded in the last 7 years since the war of the Earth Master, and the Nagaspawn are still watching over their holy artifacts with unflinching eyes and powerful conviction.

Some things have changed quite drastically though. One of these things is the fact that the nest is now mostly plugged in to a big energy web that gives most of its inhabitants access to such things as lighting during the nights, showers, repair shops, a growing specialized marketplace, interdimensional travelers and local merchants finding their way here with growing frequency as well as the growing friction between the Town Elders and the Brotherhood of the pearl. The Zumkata refuse to take sides in this conflict between the mundane interests of society and the near ascended needs of the enlightened. Not because they do not have any opinions on the matter individually, but because they have found that they lack in political savvy when compared to most other races, and because they are themselves going through unforeseen changes within the regiment that arrived here. Splintering and arguing is occurring with growing frequency.

Meanwhile the Worm of the White Earth stirs once more, awakened by the mining operations of the Geofront, and it sends its new human agents to see what has happened to the ancient dwelling place of its nemesis. The young Nagaspawn general of the Demon armies is imprisoned by his relatives in the Brotherhood who are doing their best to turn him onto their path. Also the Yugal, spectral beings from the realms of Yin, are returning once more to take their place as the true terrors of the Middle Kingdom. They are planning to destroy human, dragon and demon alike. Though they are no longer bound by their master’s will they are still a force of great evil. Their necromantic arts perfected through millennia of study in the Yin Prisons. They have been coming to Rifts China for decades, plotting their return carefully and planning the demise of all its denizens.

Next: A description of the Zumkata Race.

[anarchclown]

The Zumkata R.C.C.
The Zumkata are a race of D-bees originating from another dimension. They have come to earth to familiarize themselves with its technology and its martial traditions. They are fairly aggressive though mostly good natured, having troubles back home with a race called the Xumbelka (possibly another name for the simvan) and their monstrous minions, they have come here to trade and explore. Sadly their social skills are mostly lacking and they have an intimidating appearance which has left them forced to trust in the somewhat duplicitous nagaspawn of Heavens Nest and help them guard their dragon pearl for the time being. Their knowledge of technology, especially the Azbari War Zeppelins and the Garix Body Armor has helped defend the place quite admirably and they are starting to grow on the locals to a point where they might eventually replace the Brotherhood of the Pearl as the guardians of Heavens Nest.

Brown and grey skinned aliens with crackled skins that make them appear to be made of stone with a smooth surface. Possibly a less powerful relative of the Amaki Stone Men, these aliens are nonetheless charismatic and advanced. Their chiseled and somewhat slender quite impressive physiques give them a grace that is emphasized with their love of tight clothing and head-plumes. Their eyes are normally rather large and surprisingly similar to those of humans. The experimentation with body control and augmentation have however given them a quite varied range of appearances that are a lot more diverse than those of the average Chinese human. Their usual fashion is a strange blend of 19th century European and strange elaborate plumes and helmets that seem to belong more with some sort of primitive Mesoamerican culture. They do seem capable of adapting however and some of the more progressive elements of their society, especially the rebellious crushers, have started wearing local clothing.

They are somewhat socially handicapped however, since their aggression and arrogance is quite off putting to most people. This has them still trying to adapt to the new environment where they are no longer the masters of the land. Several of them do seem to have trouble doing this though since they are scarred from the quite vicious wars in their homelands. The Zumkata are somewhat displeased with the location of their home on Rifts Earth since it appears they have landed quite far from any of the technological powerhouses of the planet. They have heard rumors of the mysterious Geofront though and they are searching for more clues quite feverishly hoping that they in the meantime can show everyone that they are worthy allies by defending the city of Heavens Nest.

Alignment: Any, but leans towards Principled (50%) or Aberrant (20%). A growing number of Zumkata, especially among the Crushers, are starting to adopt a Taoist (good) alignment that would appall the strict and proper Zumkata of their home plane.
A.R.: Skin has a natural Armor Rating (A.R.) of 16.
S.D.C.: By O.C.C.
Hit Points: P.E. attribute number, plus 1D6 per level of experience.
Attributes: I.Q.: 3D6, M.E.: 3D6, M.A. 2D6, P.S.: 3D6+6, P.P.: 2D6+6, P.E.:
3D6+6, P.B.: 2D6, Spd. 2D6
Size: 5 to 7 feet tall (1.5 to 2.1 m).
Weight: 100 to 300 lbs (45 to 135 kg).
Horror Factor: By profession only.
P.P.E.: 2D6
Natural Abilities: Exceptionally good hearing as they hear not only through their
ear slits, but pick up the vibrations through their entire body. They also have an
almost infallible ability to sense movement on or in the ground (75%+3% per
additional level of experience).
Experience Level: Variable. Typical NPC is 1d6+1
Combat: By skill
Damage: By skill
Bonuses: Initiative +1, +1 to save vs. horror factor.

Magic Powers: None, the Zumkata are incapable of learning magic except possibly
through being mystics.

Psionic Powers: The Zumkata can become minor or major psionics but never take
any of the standard psionic classes (Not including the cyberknight and the
mystic). Though possibly related to the Amaki Stone Men the Zumkata lack their
talent for psionics even though their advanced science lets them create individuals
with powerful powers based on similar phenomenon.

Vulnerabilities/Penalties: The Zumkata sense of smell and taste is quite
substandard however and they prefer to use animals or technology to pick up on
and protect them against gas leaks and other harmful smells.

Common O.C.C.s: The Crusher, The Energy Weaver and the Lightning Rider are
the most common along with the Operator and Rogue Scientist classes. However
the Zumkata are capable of entering almost any non psychic, non magic using
classes, as well as some that have learned how to become mystics strangely
enough since it seems to suit their mindset quite well.

Alliances and Allies: The Zumkata have a lack of allies here on rifts earth except
for the Nagaspawn and the inhabitants of Heavens Nest and other nearby lands.
Back home however they are allied with several other astral plane faring races,
some say this even includes the mysterious “Guardians”.

Enemies: The Xumbelka have existed on the same planet as the Zumkata for a long
time. They are an advanced fighting force for such a primitive level of technology
and have been quite capable in the past of destroying the Zumkata and erasing
whole cities from the face of the planet. With the invention of several pieces of
technology by the Zumkata however they felt they had finally won the conflict
and moved on to other more esoteric endeavors. Sadly it appears that the El Zhim
(local name for Djinn demons most likely) have found a way of resurrecting the
Xumbelan threat by giving them access to flying monsters that allowed them to
attack the aerial fleet of the Zumkata. Thus the war starts anew on that other
world. On this one the Zumkata have been too busy fighting demons to think
much about those old conflicts however.

Next Time: General Description of Heavens Nest

[anarchclown]

Heavens Nest Overview
Population: 87,000 inhabitants
Racial Breakdown
59% Humans
28% Zumkata
5% Nagaspawn
1% Reformed Demons (though some are just stamped and collared)
2% Were Panthers
5% Other (D-bees, Goblins and Nature spirits among other things)
Average Transient Population: 1D6x1000 present at any given moment.
Surrounding Communities (100 mile radius): 12,000 mostly human rice farmers.

On a small mountaintop somewhere in the old Guanxi province, surrounded by rice terraces for miles, lays the hidden city of Heaves Nest. The clouds are always obscuring it from sight so that the people living in the lowlands can never see it. Most people do know that it exists somewhere in the area though, they are unsure of exactly where it is located. As one does break through the clouds, one comes across the sight of a city several cliffs, that appears to be floating in the air several hundred feet above the with ancient pagodas, castles and technological marvels, all crammed in to a small space behind walls erected before the time of the middle kingdoms birth even. A nexus of ley lines is suddenly visible beneath the city where a big exotic looking pyramid stands.

This vibrant small city is hidden and yet it appears to be busy with commerce, clearly this is a place where travel through the pyramid is a common occurrence and the people here appear at ease around strangers. Still those that come walking along the stairs are met with some suspicion as the inhabitants of the Nest are fully aware of what dwells in the valleys beneath them. They are always on the lookout for demons in human guise and other dangers. Once inside the city though one is greeted with a smile and a hearty hello.

The technological wonders of this city seem to be a new part of the city life and only the young or the Zumkata that brought it are fully appreciating it. There are big Zumkata chandeliers hanging from the roofs of many of the traditional Chinese buildings, providing much needed lighting. Most houses are also getting piping, radios and other comforts installed in them.

The city has always had a sort of big city feel to it since the limited space has made its inhabitants build tall but primitive buildings that are at least 4 stories high and sometimes as tall as 10. The cramped conditions that existed before the war of the Earth Master have been lessened by the many that died during that conflict. Of course the almost 25.000 Zumkata that came with the astral fleet have yet to find living space for everyone. This has led to a situation where individual members of their fleet can be found living in a spare room somewhere in just about every building in the city, some crushers even living with the monks in the temple and some of the leadership living in the Palace with the Brotherhood.

Mostly the members of the fleet are still confined to the big vessels they came in. The Azbari are thankfully vast spacious structures that are more than capable of housing them all. Therein are their manufacturing plants that are still used by their operators and rogue scientists who are not only repairing old equipment but also experimenting with some new things as well having been inspired by their new surroundings and any technology they could get their hands on since the arrival.

As overwhelming as a visit to this small oasis in the midst of hell on earth can be the locals are mostly friendly and helpful, the commodities are very impressive compared to what it anywhere else above ground in China and this is a good place to repair, relax and restock for any mercenaries or adventurers that aren’t known to be demonic spies or make nuisances of themselves.

Note: Enlightened demons or demons in the entourage of a demon queller (in fact anyone that is detected as supernatural evil) are checked by the blind mystic Yao Li and his associates who by asking the demon to try to use its empathy and imagination to solve different quite simple puzzles. They are quite thorough and do not mind terribly the use of pain or intimidation if all else fails to keep the demon in check. If the demon is owned by someone and fails the screening process he is returned to his owner when said owner leaves the city. Yao Li and his men are based around the pyramid beneath the city. Yao Li seems friendly and unassuming enough but he will not hesitate to call in the brotherhood guards if he is unhappy about the situation. (See the description of the Pyramid for further information.)


For any that are actually reading this. Do you want a Zumkata O.C.C. next or one of the neighborhoods of the city? Possibly an organization. Would mean I have to start writing that down since I haven't gotten to the organizations yet. Any other ideas?

[anarchclown]

Since noone really seems to care right now I will just post one of the Zumkata O.C.C. I made.

Lightning Rider O.C.C.
A men at arms class
The Zumkata armed forces mainly consists of these lightly augmented aerial acrobats that man the Azbari War Zeppelins and the small vehicles known as the Stavz.that are used to protect them. They are the backbone of the aerial fleet that have been the mainstay of the Zumkata defense since it was invented several hundreds of years ago. Unlike their warrior brethren the Crushers and the Energy Weavers the Lightning Riders are just lightly modified and theirs is not a biological but a cybernetic change. This has led to them being considered heroic noble (unlike their strange and alien brothers in arms) and being depicted as the heroes in many media productions back in their homeworld. They have a strict code of conduct that they try to follow to the letter, this gives them a reasonably charismatic almost swashbuckling attitude that has become quite popular with the locals here. Sadly they represent the conservative masses of the force that have yet to adapt to their new surroundings fully.
The few more diplomatic Lightning Riders among the officers are doing their best to integrate and to get to influence matters in what they consider to be a positive direction. The Lightning Riders do love to take the role of the hero though and for that they are loved by the other inhabitants of the Nest. The dashing caped marines are known for their wild stunts and their love of challenges as well as their willingness to admit defeat.
The average Lightning Rider is quite concerned with his identity at the moment as he does not quite know where he fits in here in this new and more docile society. He does not however talk about this with others since to do so would be to break the code. Instead he contemplates and worries in silence whenever he is alone. This has led the riders to start seeking out company at all times so they do not have to think about it. Making them sociable although in a kind of stuffy and restrained way that amuses the local youths to no end. It is somewhat of a sport among the young to make fun of the Riders and watch them try not to show any reaction to the harmless antics. Still this is actually something appreciated by the riders who see it as a sign that they are becoming a part of society and being accepted as people instead of being feared by the people they are protecting.

The Lightning Rider Code
• Never show fear in the face of danger. Your face appears to be made of stone, act like it is. Emotions are quite all right but there is no need to show them openly.
• Always behave and dress in the most impressive possible manner. You are supposed to be an inspiration to others. This goes for taking risks as well. Always chose the risky but impressive move over the safe one.
• Never get bogged down in negotiations or arguments.This is the role of civilians. There is no need to argue about something, unless it is very important you might as well just hold your tongue.
• Decisive and quick action is better than attrition. The Zumkata are not interested in long conflicts that keeps taxing them for resources. It is better to lose decisively at once and then get to dealing with
• Civilians matter more than the military. If you can give your life to save a civilian one in any meaningful fashion then you should do so. It is the life that you have chosen to fight and die for those not as brave.
• Invention is not your job. Though it is clearly quite all right to do unexpected and unpredictable things to overcome a situation it is not your role to make permanent changes in things, even if you perceive them to be better.

The Skills & Abilities of the Lightning Rider O.C.C.
1. Bionic Arm & Hand (Augmented P.S.): All lightning riders give their right arm to be in the service. This is to give them the tools needed to survive in the harsh environment of their home world if they are downed and left to fend for themselves. The arm is strong, nimble and durable with a surprising amount of touch still available to the user (80% compared to a normal unaugmented arm). The arms actual statistics are as follows.
Maximum Attribites: P.S. and P.P. both start at 16 and have a maximum of 20 which can be reached by paying 2.000 per point.
Weapons & Features
• Micro-Manipulation Hand: This hand adds +2 to P.P. for any tasks that requirefine manipulation and +5% to any skills that benefit from such.
• Lightning Fist: The character has a built in lighting blaster that stuns and injures those struck with it. It does either 2D6 S.D.C. or 2D6 M.D. to whoever is struck by the Lightning Rider. It is also capable of stunning both machines and people with it’s powerful electrical charge. Robots and Cyborgs are +5 to save vs. Pain while the base difficulty for the save is 16. Those that fail are -8 to strike, parry and dodge and have their speed and number of attacks reduced by half until they manage to make the save (one can be tried every round). After having failed his save 3 or more times the character falls unconscious. This ability even works against enemies in fully environmental body armor but they too are -5 to save.
2. M.D.C. Reconstruction: The character has been reconstructed to handle the high g-forces that could be involved with supersonic flight and the harsh life of the soldier. They gain a cybernetic armor to their main body (50 M.D.C.) and all four limbs (Arms 20 M.D.C., Legs 30 M.D.C.) as well as have their skeletons and hearts improved. This gives them more S.D.C. as well (the numbers are added in the bonuses section). However they still keep all of their old organs apart from this and do not in any way count as a full reconstruction.
3. Cybernetic Head Augmentation: Not much is done to the head except that all Lightning riders are equipped with a multi optic eye and have their skull slightly reinforced (this too is included in their S.D.C. bonus), the Zumkata very rarely get augmented hearing since this is not much of an improvement over their normal senses.
4. Bonuses: +1D6 to M.A.,. +2 to P.P., +40 S.D.C., +1 to initiative, +1 to strike with all acrobatic maneuvers such as leap kick or body slam, +2 to save vs. horror factor at levels 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 13.
MOS
Azbari Crew
Weapon Systems (+20%)
Field Armorer (+5%)
Electronic Countermeasures (+10%)
W.P. Heavy M.D. Weapons

Stavz Pilot
Pilot: Flight System (+20%)
Acrobatics (+10%)
Weapon Systems (+5%)
W.P. Heavy M.D. Weapons

Marine
Boxing
Sniper
W.P. Targeting
W.P. Energy Rifle

Lightning Rider O.C.C. Stats
Ability Requirements: P.P. 12, M.A. 6 required, a high P.E. and P.S. also
recommended but not required.
Alignment Requirments: None though most lean towards Principled or Aberrant.
Racial Requirments: Zumkata are the norm but some young humans have been
recruited as the Cyber Docs of the Zumkata fleet have figured out how to make
the conversion on them as well.
O.C.C. Skills
Radio: Basic (+10%)
Sensory Equipment (+5%)
Language: Native (+10%)
Language: Any one of choice (+10%)
Literacy: Native (+30%)
Intelligence (+10%)
Paramedic: (+5%)
Military Etiquette (+20%)
Climbing (+10%)
Gymnastics (+10%)
Pilot: Jet Pack (+5%)
Military: Jet Fighters (+20%)
Navigation (+5%)
Seduction (+5%)
Mathematics: Basic (+10%)
W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Blunt
Hand to Hand: Martial Arts (No other alternatives)
O.C.C. Related Skills: Select 6 other skills from the following list at level 1 and an
additional two at levels 4, 8 and 12
Communication: Any
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Any, except Robot Electronics (+5%)
Espionage: Detect Ambush and Interrogation only.
Horsemanship: Cossack and Exotic Animals only (+5%)
Mechanical: Any, except Robot Mechanics (+5%)
Medical Skills: None
Military Skills: Any
Physical Skills: Any
Pilot Skills: Any, except Robots and Power Armor (+15%)
Pilot Related Skills: Any (+5%)
Rogue Skills: None
Science Skills: Any
Technical Skills: Any
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness Skills
Secondary Skills: Select four secondary skills at level 1 and an additional two at
levels 3, 6, 9 and 13.
Standard Equipment: A blue ZA-20 armor, one ZA-18 armor, one 1 Energy
Pistol of choice (Usually a ZP-2 or ZP-5), a jet pack. A red cape, a pair of blue
tinted shades, shoe polish, a roll of golden thread, three full normal uniforms. One
small pocket knife. A personal radio pin normally worn on the chest. One first aid
kit and an IRMSS.
Azbari Crew Equipment: One portable toolkit, battle station key, personal
portable computer.
Marines Equipment: 3 Concussion grenades, 1 ZR-3, shielding goggles and active
earplugs, forearm climb chord.
Stavz Equipment: One fully loaded Stavz jet wing.
Money: The character starts off with 1D6x1000 credits. The usual monthly salary
is around 3,000.
Cybernetic Implants: No others than those mentioned earlier to start but tend to be
more enhanced the longer their career is.

[anarchclown]

Crusher O.C.C.
A men at arms class
Sometime in the past the planet of Uztar was the home of demonic creatures that fought the Xumbelkans and the Zumkata both. These creatures were slain by great heroes and their blood was kept in a mystical cauldron by shamans for eons. However when the Xumbelka attacked the Zumkata during the age of inventions the Zumkata decided that they needed every edge they could find in that early era. Thus they began experimenting with a serum based on their ancestral enemies blood. The first results were horrifying hulking monsters, Jyckel and Hyde personalities and other tragic mishaps, yet defeat was not an option and more volunteers were not hard to come by. Thus it was that the art of demon blood infusion was perfected.
The first Crushers to come out of the then primitive laboratories of the Zumkata were nothing like the sophisticated and often kind hearted and valorous warriors of today. They were monsters through and through and the Xumbelka were right to fear them as superpowered stalkers. With time however the demonic elements were mostly distilled out of the process (though some rebellious and mean tendencies still remain) as the Zumkata became more and more advanced. The juice that is used in their creation is synthesized and the Crushers are now capable of living a normal life after their retirement (which is usually at an age of at least 150 as they live for about 200 years). Though not completely accepted by society this has more to do with their lack of respect for the rules and their lack of proper conduct than their demonic features.
The Crusher is normally blackish green or red with some spikes and frills, sometimes even horns, that are not normal among their race. Their appearance and aura of menace makes it harder for them to be accepted by societies that are unfamiliar with them. Yet they are the most willing to learn the ways of others, to adapt to their environments and to prosper. They are also the most likely Zumkata to travel elsewhere, leaving their allies in the Navy behind to go exploring. They have therefore been used in scouting missions though usually with somewhat disappointing results as they are not trained in any intelligence gathering skills.
Either way their love of exploring has led them to travel extensively with some even leaving China either through a rift or through the mists. This means they might wind up just about anywhere.
Crusher Special Abilities & Powers
1. Supernatural Creature: The Crushers are minor supernatural creatures with Supernatural P.S. and P.E. They are also vulnerable to silver which causes them normal damage. They are also magical creatures who get access to one earth or fire spell per two levels (starting with one at second level) from a level equal to half their level. He also has an aura of menace surrounding him that affects most strangers and those facing him in combat. He is also somewhere around 7 ft (2.1 m) tall and weighs somewhere around 400 – 500 lbs (200-250 kg)
M.D.C.: P.E. attribute number plus +1D6 per level of experience. P.P.E.: P.E. attribute number +1D6 per level of experience. Horror Factor: 8
2. Power Through: Not only does the character possess supernatural strength. He is also able to power his way out of some things that normal people do not have a chance getting out of like magic nets, body slams, bio-manipulation, knockdowns and carpets of adhesions for example. Roll a D20 plus one for every two steps of P.S. above 14 against whatever the initial hit roll or save difficulty was. He is also +1 to do this at levels 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 13. To use this ability is reflexive and does not take an action.
P.P.E. Cost: 5
3. Crushing Terror: The crusher is capable of entering a furious trance, this is a state, supposedly brought on by the demon blood in their veins, that allows them to increase their already considerable strength and durability. He becomes immune to horror factor and boosts his own Horror factor by one for every two levels. He gets +5 to his P.S., +10 per level M.D.C. and bio regenerates 2D6 M.D.C. per round.
P.P.E. Cost: 20
4. Bonuses: P.S. +5, P.E. +2, Spd. +30, save vs. horror factor +1 at levels 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 15. +3 to save vs. poison, +2 to save vs. mind control. +1 to strike unarmed at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15
Crusher O.C.C. Stats
Attribute Requirements: P.S. 15, P.E. 15, a high M.E. also suggested but not
required.
Alignment: Normally Scrupulous (good) or Anarchist alignments. Very seldomly
any honor bound alignments like principled or aberrant.
Racial Requirements: Zumkata only (So far this is the only race that can undergo
the conversion necessary).
O.C.C. Skills
Language: Native (+10%)
Literacy: Native (+10%)
Language: Pick one other (+10)
Mathematics: Basic (+10%)
Paramedic (+5%)
Prowl (+20%)
Track Humanoids (+20%)
Track Animals (+20%)
Gymnastics (+10%)
Outdoorsmanship
Radio: Basic (+5%)
Fasting (+5%)
Hunting
Wilderness Survival (+10%)
Land Navigation
Swimming (+5%)
W.P.Heavy M.D. Weapons
Hand To Hand: Martial arts (or any Chinese if in china and G.M. allows it).
O.C.C. Related Skills: Select Four at level 1 and an additional 2 at levels 4, 8 and
12. These are chosen from the following list.
Communication: Any
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Basic Electronics only
Espionage: Intelligence and Interrogation only
Horsemanship: General and Exotic Animals only
Mechanical: Basic and Automotive only
Medical Skills: Animal Husbandry only
Military Skills: Any (+5%)
Physical: Any
Pilot Skills: Any ground based vehicle. (+5%)
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any
Science: None
Technical Skills: Any
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness Skills: (Any +10%)
Secondary Skills: Select two at level 1 and 1 more at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15.
Standard Equipment: One black ZA-15 armor, one Zumkata Lightning Hammer, one ZC-2 cannon.
One civilian set of clothing, local or Zumkata in style. Two black uniforms.
Goggles, automatic climb chord, survival kit, big knife, heavy back pack, bedroll,
silver knife (for duels between crushers), one book on philosophy (preferably
subversive or foreign philosophy).
Money: The character starts off with 1D4x1000 credits (Crushers are not much for
saving things). The usual monthly salary is around 4,000.
Cybernetic Implants: None and would preferably never get any either as they are
slowly pushed out of the body incrementally every time the character enters a
Crushing Terror state.

[9voltkilowatt]

Nnnooooooooo.... I just reached the end of the Crusher O.C.C. and realized there was no more awesome to be had!

Give us more awesome!

[anarchclown]

I will do my best. I have sort of lagged behind on crafting this now since there was no input and I have other projects but I will get at least one or two updates done within the week.

[anarchclown]

The Market District
This district contains most of the center of town with the monasteries kind of coexisting with it though along different stairways. It is the most busy and most populous part of the city (as a matter of fact it might be one of the most densely populated human majority places in all of China). Several inns and stores line the streets and stairs here. Sometimes the stores are even in the second or third floor forming sort of primitive apartment stores. The Earth Master helped build much of this part of the city and it shows in the many decorations and the tall almost frail looking arches of some of the key structures.

It also houses several official buildings such as the Town Hall and the Militia Headquarters. It is impossible to reach almost anywhere else in the city without passing through the Market District, there are several stairs between the lower Stairways levels, one very thin bridge leading to the Monasteries, several bridges that can be used to dock the Azbari War Zeppelins (1D4 are almost always docked like this at any given moment), and the main stairways leading up to the Palace Plaza.
The Great Market

This is one of the biggest buildings in the city. As with all things in Heavens Nest it is built narrow and tall by the Earth Master and his fellow Stone Masters. The place is packed with people selling just about anything available. The glaring exception being tracked or wheeled vehicles bigger than a motorcycle since they are mostly useless in a city made of stairs and elevators. Things involving slavery of any kind or dark magic are also mostly outlawed.

The place can be quite overwhelming with its neon signs, escalators and other modern and confusing elements. The peddlers here are usually surprisingly honorable and some of them even refuse to haggle and just try to set a price for their merchandise in the local currency. This can also be frustrating to newcomers that are used to bartering and dickering. Inside the mall one can also find several cafés and restaurants that serve food of various qualities.

The most popular restaurant here at the moment is Cathy’s Diner that is run by a redheaded Rogue Scholar in her thirties that have moved here from Lazlo to study the local culture but ended up buying and running a restaurant when she was about to run out of funds and wanted to stay longer. Her hamburgers, apple pie and other exotic dishes are quite popular with the locals who like being reminded of the fact that they, through the pyramid, are not as isolated as the rest of China.

Most of the merchandise and traders here are local though and have different ways of importing things from the countryside without drawing too much attention to themselves. They supply many of the citizens with much needed food and other natural resources. This growing commerce with the surrounding lands is one of the biggest hidden threats to the city’s survival, as it alerts the demons of Guanxi to its presence. Sadly it cannot be avoided, as the growth of the city has led to it being unable to support itself through magic and trade alone.

The Green Scarf Outlet
The former owner of this operation secretly ran most of the, quite few, criminal operations through this place. However after having seen the Zumkata as a threat to his business and tried to get them thrown out of the city he was dispatched by the Brotherhood who figured that he had more than overstayed his welcome. The new owner is quite content to ply his trade and offer unique merchandise to those that ask for it while at the same time buying any cheap technology from the Zumkata or mercenaries and moving it to other parts of the Eleven Hells to be sold for a good profit.

The house has been painted green to avoid any confusion as to what it is there for. It is located just next to the great market building and though it is smaller it is still quite impressive in size. The Green Scarf have been forced to relocate any trade in demonic slaves to a nearby village called Mother Goose just north of the mountain and now they have quite a lot of extra space. This has led them to take up manufacturing things on a somewhat larger scale than normally and even sending sales representatives to other places to see if there is any interest in their wares there.

Via the Rifts of the Pyramid the Green Scarf here has actually gotten in contact with the Yakuza House of Fortunes in the Empire and Republic of Japan and are looking in to starting a most profitable relationship with them. Apparently Japan too is full of demons in need of quelling and it shouldn’t be completely impossible to make a stamp that could dominate the Oni should it? Besides even if not the tech market of the Republic is just too ripe with possible profit to say no to. Sadly the locals here in the city do not make Rifts directly into the Republic or the Green Scarf might have skipped right past the middle men.

Note: The Green Scarf here offers most of its usual products (save for those that involve demonic slavery) as well as some high technology and magic items from Japan. Possibly even the Tattoo of Strength with the GMs approval. They can also get their hands on Necromantic items if asked in the right way though dark magic is generally outlawed here.

The Weavers Guild
This guild is run by the caterpillar people known as the Wang Mao Chong, a creature of magic that make armors and other clothes made of silk that they themselves weave. Once they enter chrysalis they become moths of quite big proportions that wander on into the Megaverse to never return. Their caterpillar cycle appears to be quite long though and possibly based on some sort of enlightenment since master Wu Cho has been the manager of the guild for over one hundred years. The Wang Mao Chong are not the only ones working here though. tailors of just about any have been hired to update the designs and gardeners of magical herbs have been hired to keep the rooftop garden well supplied with foodstuffs for the massive Wang Mao Chong. In spite of their great size and apparent strength the Wang Mao Chong are normally a gentle people that detest violence and would rather spew silk at someone and roll him up in a neat little ball of it than actually hurt him. The rooftop garden is open to the public as long as they do not hurt any of the plants or disturb the eating caterpillars. It is somewhat of an oasis of calm amidst the otherwise quite busy market district that is used by meditating monks and courting couples.

The Heavenly Monster Inn
This odd place that is located across the street from the Green Scarf Outlet is something as odd as a place run by an Enlightened Demon. He runs the place as a cheap inn for Demon Quellers and Enlightened Demons to live. He chose the location because he wanted to keep an eye on the former leader of the Green Scarf. His help was invaluable in finding out that the man was responsible for the plot against the Zumkata that ended in his demise.

The demon is known as Blue Bell and is a docile and quite content Pig Demon with blue tattoos over both his human and his demonic body (though they are merely decorative when he is in his demon form which is not that often any more) that were given to him by the Chiang Ku Dragon called Wang Lo. He sees his friendship with Wang Lo and other strong champions of good as a sign that he is on the right path. The queller that started him on his path has long since died of old age but he still reveres these “Celestial Morons” as he calls them. The first drink for demon quellers is always for free and the room is half the normal price.

The house itself is a bright yellow painted building with several happy, dancing , demon statues on the archway above the entrance. The windows are very big and let in a lot of sunlight during the day hours, giving the spacey rooms a bright and happy feel to them. This is almost comical considering the clients that come here are big, loud, rough and often ugly or scarred. The exception being those curious people that are fascinated with bad boys (or girls) and who are looking to party with their idols. The drinking here is severe and the parties are completely wild which makes it a place also favored by Crushers and other people that like to blow off some steam every once in a while.

[anarchclown]

The Town Hall
This large building is one of the oldest in the city. It started out as a barn but is now a rather modern building with electricity, a computer system and air conditioning. It is the administrative center of the city though it’s not as important as one might think since most of the city’s expenses are paid for by the Brotherhood or the Zumkata. The courts are run by magistrates from the House of Calligraphy and are in no way tied to the Mayor’s office but they are located in the same building. The chamber of commerce though does have some real power and it is among the few members of this chamber that the real movers and shakers of the lower cities can be found. The organization is the oligarchy that passes for a democracy that in theory represents the people of different areas of the city but in practice just bought a seat on the board. They are the ones that appoint a Mayor of the city and they are the ones that try to wrest power away from the Brotherhood and are conspiring to put a much weaker Zumkata government body in power so that they can manipulate things to their own liking.
The problem with this plan is that they do not realize the level of change the Zumkata should implement if they were in power. The Brotherhood mostly stays out of the day to day business of the city. The Zumkata on the other hand see room for improvement in almost all areas, including the undemocratic leadership of City Hall. However for the time being the

The Militia Building
This is where the town militia meets. It is basically every man, and woman, that have a personal interest in defending the city with weapons in hand. The membership here has boomed in the last few years for two reasons. First the War of the Earth Master has raised interest in defending the city as people have realized magical camouflages and the military might of the Brotherhood can not always be counted on to protect every citizen during wartime. The other thing is that the Zumkata have supplied every volunteer they can find, that isn’t deemed to be a complete nutjob, with an energy rifle, two shocker grenades and a decent civilian version of their uniform armor.
The Militia is a sorry fighting force if there ever was one. Most of them do not train more than a few mandatory days per year, they prefer to shirk away from duty or danger and they generally are prone to trying to save their own hides. They are very good at policing the streets though and some of the members have been deemed so good at it that they are in fact forming a small independent police force that is paid for by the other members of the militia. A police force so effective that most people prefer to turn to them instead of the much too stuffy Gate Guard.. It is a fact that most people in the city feel a bit safer with the militia around and act a little more natural than they do around any other armed force in the city.
The building itself is quite cozy considering what it does. It has been around for a long time and rebuilt many times which is why it is not the most beautiful building in the city with it’s mostly red exterior with statues of different spirits across the surface in alcoves, the art styles greatly varying. There is not a lot of space inside the building to train so the actual training sessions often take place out in the field in the mountains not too far from the city.

*Next time something quite overdue in Rifts: China. An Imperial Bureaucrat O.C.C. with a reworked mystic martial arts version of the White Jade Fan Hand to Hand.

[anarchclown]

Imperial Courtier O.C.C.
The imperial courtier is the heir of an ancient tradition. He belongs to a class of highly educated special scholars that used to be the elite of Chinese Society for thousands of years. During the Golden Age of mankind this art was all but forgotten and only lived on in old texts and with individual masters and intellectuals. After the descent of the Chinese Hells into the Middle Kingdom and the return of magic the Imperial Courtier did make its return.

There are two very different ways to become a member of this O.C.C. Either one swears allegiance to one of the more traditional of the Yama Kings and enters one of their schools to be taught the ways of the Calligraphy, Bureaucracy, Courtiership and Politics. This leads to becoming one of a few trusted humans aiding in the running of the Kingdom and it is often combined with witchery or other pacts with the dark forces. The training is still as formal as ever and even while living and serving among demons do the courtiers stand out as pillars of good taste and etiquette, being mostly shielded from being harassed by their stern faces and their impeccable manners.

The other way to enter this O.C.C. is through entering one of the schools founded by dragons, celestial messengers or scholars of the ancient times in hidden places across China. They are champions of the Celestial Court helping administrate and spread law and order across the lands. Often traveling with a retinue of defenders to try to educate and protect the masses among the living.

1. Unassailable: The character has spent most of his life making sure his behavior is such that people assume that he is in charge and unassailable. This seeps through his every pore and people can see the confidence and righteousness living within him. Thus most people fear to lay a hand on him to such an extent that they will hesitate to do so. Even some lesser demons and other brutes will hesitate to attack or harm him. Horror Factor: 9 plus one at levels 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11 and 14.

2. Storyteller & Teacher: Imperial Courtiers are natural born storytellers and educators with a flair for making dry subjects like history, science and math sound exciting and fun. A passion that enables them to teach others over a period of time (equal to a Secondary Skill after 1D6 +8 weeks of lessons; with at least 12 hours a week devoted to the teaching and another 10 hours of study by the student).

3. Mystic Martial Arts: The courtier does detest combat in all its forms. However he does recognize the need for self defense in some form, as well as the need for physical and mental training. To this effect he does train the White Jade Fan mystical martial art. I.S.P. Base: M.E. attribute number + 1D6 per level of experience. The Imperial Courtier counts as a major psionic.

4. O.C.C. Bonuses: +2 to M.A. and P.B. attributes, +3 to Perception Rolls, and +1 to save vs. horror factor at levels 1, 3, 5, 8 and 12.
Imperial Courtier O.C.C. Stats

Alignment: Any, but tends to be Principled or Aberrant more than any other.
Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 10 and M.A. of 12 or higher; a high M.E. and P.B.
is helpful but not mandatory.
Racial Requirements: None: though most are human.
Literacy: Chinese (+50%)
Literacy: Literacy Ancient & Classical Chinese (+30%).
Literacy Other Two of choice (+30%)
Language: Chinese Speaker at 98%
Language: Two of choice (+20%)
Basic Math (+20%)
Advanced Math (+20%)
Law (+10%)
Imperial Bureaucracy (+20%)
Calligraphy (+20%)
Creative Writing (+10%)
Public Speaking (+10%)
Research (+5%)
Dance (+5%)
Seduction (+5%)
Philosophy (+5%)
History: Pre-Rifts (+10%)
History: Post-Apocalypse (+10%)
W.P. Fan (same bonuses as a knife)
Hand to Hand combat can be selected as an “O.C.C. Related” skill at the cost of
one skill selection for Basic.
O.C.C. Skills: Select 11 other skills, but at least four must be selected from
Technical: Plus select two additional skills at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12.
Communications: Any, except Electronic Countermeasures, Optic Systems,
Sensory Equipment and Laser Communications (+10%)
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any
Espionage: Any
Horsemanship: General and Exotic only
Mechanical Skills: None
Medical Skills: Holistic Medicine and Psychology only (+10%)
Military Skills: Military Etiquette, Naval History and Recognize Weapon Quality
only
Physical: Any, except Actobatics, Gymnastics, Kick Boxing and Wrestling
Pilot: Ground based, non military vehicles only.
Pilot Related Skills: None
Rogue Skills: Any
Science Skills: Any, except Astrophysics, Artificial Intelligence and all
Chemistry skills.
Technical Skills: Any (+10%)
W.P. None
Wilderness Skills: Any
Secondary Skills: The character gets 3 secondary skills at first level, +1 at levels 2,
5, 8, 12 and 15.
Standard Equipment: A suit of light M.D.C. body armor (never uses heavy,
prefers silk armor made from Wang Mao Chong silk (40 M.D.C.), calligraphy kit,
several suits of court clothing, round sunglasses, four white jade fans. Set of
traveling clothes, at least 5 hand written books in ancient Chinese, two pocket
notebooks, sketch pad or blank paper, a dozen pencils and markers, several hats,
bedroll, knapsack and backpack usually brought along while traveling.
Money: 1D6x10.000 credits in savings. Usually makes around 6.000 per month as
a judge and scribe. Normally owns a spacious building with servants that costs
about half of what he makes per month.
Cybernetics: Since he does not care much about physical his physical
accomplishments or abilities the Courtier does not often get cybernetics or
bionics. A particularly adventurous Courtier might consider them as replacements
for lost body parts though.

White Jade Fan
Chi Hsuan Meu
Started in the 5th Century as a defense mechanism for the bureaucrat class of the ancient Chinese dynasties, all the movements of this arcane martial art revolve around the use of “the white jade fan,” which can be for both attack and defense, as well as disarming opponents. In addition to its power as a martial art, it can be used as a performance, since the combat routines call for measured steps, while the fan(s) open and close continuously. This form of martial arts is a sign of the most refined scholar or noble, who disdains the use of ordinary weapons.
To train this mystic martial art the character has to seek out one of only a few still open courtier schools across the Middle Kingdoms. Training is mostly reserved for the Courtier O.C.C. but some Administrators (Rifts Australia) or conceivably a Rogue Scholar could also qualify as someone of culture and learning.
White Jade Fan Level Advancement
1st Level: The character can perform the following maneuvers with a fan. These all do S.D.C. damage to S.D.C. targets and M.D. damage to M.D.C. targets.
Closed Fan Thrust (1D8 damage), Open Fan Slash (1D6 damage), Thrown Fan (1D4 damage), +1 to roll with punch/fall/impact.
Unassuming Presence: The character can come across as unassuming and not much of a threat in any combat situation which starts out with a discussion or where more than one person are involved on both sides. This only works once per combat. Once he does lash out (which can be in the very first action) the target of his attack needs to roll a perception against a difficulty of 10, plus one at levels 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 13 or lose initiative and his next attack in surprise. This ability does not work if the character is clearly armed with anything other than a fan. I.S.P. Cost: 5
2nd Level: Jade Fan Disarm: In the place of a melee action/attack, the fan is used to loosen an enemy’s grip and then, by twisting the closed fan, yanking the enemy’s weapon away. This is done with a +4 bonus to disarm.
3rd Level: Chose one Jade Fan Special Training
4th Level: Critical Strike on unassuming presence or 18-20 when using a Fan.
5th Level: Double the characters permanent I.S.P. Base.
6th Level: Jade Fan Doubling: So long as the character has two fans, he can use them both simultaneously. In other words during each attack/action, the character can use the two fans at once, effectively doubling the damage he can inflict on any one targe, or strike two different opponents simultaneously in one fluid motion. This does not count as the Paired Weapon skill so the character can still parry incoming attacks. This ability cannot be combined with normal Paired Weapons however.
7th Level: Chose one Jade Fan Special Training
8th Level: August Personage: The character can turn into a very resilient being indeed. His Hit Points and S.D.C. are turned into M.D.C. for 1 round per level of experience. I.S.P. Cost: 5
9th Level: Deflection The character gets the ability to parry all kinds of ranged attacks against him while using two fans. This is done with none of the normal bonuses for parry. Just the bonuses for P.P. and +2. If the parry exceeds 20 then the attack is deflected back at the attacker if he is within 100 ft (30.5 m).
10th Level: Falling Fan Trick: Moving purely defensively for at least two consecutive melee rounds, the character will continuously and rapidly play the fan or fans at tremendous speed. During these two rounds the Jade Fan adept will have a +3 to parry and +1 to dodge, but will not be able to make any attacks. Then, at the beginning of the third melee round, before any opponents have a chance to attack, the fans will flicker up in strange motion… and the wielder of the Jade Fans will be gone. This is basically a sleight of hand trick, based on keeping all eyes on the movement of the fan or fans, and covering the character’s quick exit.
11th Level: Chose one Jade Fan Special Training
12th Level: Double the characters permanent I.S.P. Base.
13th Level: Critical strike on a roll of Natural 15-20 while wielding a fan.
14th Level: Jade Fan withering Flesh Attack: This attack knocks out a victims natural S.D.C. leaving them vulnerable to attacks directly to Hit Points. The victim can attempt to roll with punch/fall/impact and, if successful, reduce the damage to only 1D6 S.D.C. Otherwise a successful attack leaves the victim with zero S.D.C. This attack never does any damage to Hit Points. In the alternative, this attack can be used against Mega Damage creatures and supernatural beings, doing 1D6 M.D. per level of the character.
I.S.P. Cost: 20
15th Level: +1 attack per melee round.

Jade Fan Special Training
Jade Fan Courtier Training: Add +5% to Imperial Bureaucracy & Administration, Literacy Ancient & Classical Chinese and Calligraphy.
Emotion Control: +2 to save vs. Horror Factor, +1 to Perception.
Consort Training: +2 to P.B., +5% to Dance, +5% to Seduction, +5% to Undercover Operations.
Tactical Training: +5% to Interrogation, +5 to Intelligence, +5% to Military Etiquette and +1 to initiative.

[anarchclown]

Now back to our regular programming

The Great Hospital
This place is quite a new addition that was the first collaboration between the Zumkata and the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood supplied the new Living Rock space for it and the Zumkata built and manned the first incarnation of the hospital. In the few years that have passed since then, most of the serious traditional Chinese doctors that use Chi and herbs have also moved to the hospitals Holistic Wing.
The building itself was originally planned to look more like the oddly archaic looking buildings of the Uztar cities, it was finally decided that a mix between the normal Chinese style of roofs blended with the sand colored slightly inwards sloping walls of the Zumkata would not clash as much with the rest of the city. Still the central spire covered in what appears to be brass does stick out among the more traditional roofs that surround it both by its height and its design.
The hospital was originally built because the Zumkata convinced the Brotherhood that they needed somewhere to treat the injured of any future conflicts that they may become involved in. This was not the actual plan of the Zumkata however who have turned this into a place of healing the sick and the destitute and to peacefully study and learn about the human physique so that they can better help them in the future.
This is obviously one of many projects that the Zumkata has done that has made them very popular among the population. Not only does because they get almost free health care but also because the zumkata cyber docs and body fixers that work here are not as stone faced and boisterous as the Lightning Riders that at first was the lone representatives of their culture here.

The Honey Bee Hotel
This brothel is run by a very friendly and good hearted were bear that runs the place with a long term plan. She has a love for sweets and have over the years grown a bit more chubby than is normal for her kind. She is also over 6 feet (182 cm) tall and quite intimidating when she has to be. Most of the time she just runs her place in a surprisingly loving manner. Wishing both her patrons and of course her employees the best.
Though she has no illusions about the fact that some of the mostly girls that work here are here because they like it and not because they have no other choices she still tries to make them feel less stigmatized and is always trying to get them married off or into another job whenever they are unhappy.
This has over the years given her a network of allies and friends that rivals that of the most well connected merchants in the city and she can actually influence city politics at times should she wish to (she never has).
The place is run like a hotel and most of the customers stay over the night though there is some commerce during the lunchtime as well. Services are priced accordingly and only the well off, those that save or those with a lot of spending cash can afford to use them. The hostess Lo Lie does cook a very good meal however and during lunch and the early hours of the evening there are quite a lot of visitors here just to enjoy the food and conversation.
For some reason the current leaders of the chamber of commerce consider this place to be a blight upon the face of their city and they are actively trying to get it closed down (possibly because it does more well than some of their own poorly managed establishments) by constant harassment though any legal means they have at their disposal. It has reached a point where the owner will soon have to either call on some of those favors she is owed, unless someone comes around that could help her.

The Cyber Clinic
This place is run by Chinese Cyber Docs which has made the place instantly more trustworthy in the eyes of most visitors from the surrounding lands as well as some xenophobic inhabitants of the city. It also has a very high level of quality that can be appreciated even by their Zumkata rivals. This venture unlike the great hospital is run as a business and most customers are encouraged to come in, browse the catalogues and most often get operated upon in the same day as they arrive.
While reawakening from the surgery they are treated by sociable and pleasant nurses that talks to them extensively and that cater to their needs in a very ingratiating manner. Customers are likely to be quite willing to spend money on tips to everyone around them and speak readily about their past experiences and current plans.
This is as it should be according to the Yaksha that runs the place behind the scenes. Sent here by one of the bigger companies in Guangdong province to spy on the locals he spent many years looking for a way to even find the place and enter it without being detected by the Brotherhood. He found his opportunity when he attacked the city along with the Demon Army during the War of the Earth Master.
He was never really giving his side the light of day though and imagined they would fail. He was even surprised at their level of success but did not let this sway him from his actual purpose in the city. While demons were flooding the streets looting, raping and killing he snuck in to a small storefront in the commercial district. He murdered the hiding owner and took his place as the head of a family and proprietor of a small business.
Since that day a few years ago now he has managed to bring in more people from back home, though he refrains from using other demons since they are not trustworthy and likely to give in to their baser instincts, losing track of the long term plan. Instead he has set up this clinic as a perfect front to gather information about the city, its allies and inhabitants.
The Yaksha known around these parts as Hu Wei is a man with orange hair, which is assumed by most to be cosmetic cybernetics. He almost never meets anyone from outside in person these days but prefers to do things by proxy. Meanwhile he spends his time torturing his family members, who are the only ones to suspect him of any wrongdoing, with different games of humiliation and manipulating them into a more and more untenable situation. Several of his children are starting to consider suicide without actually really knowing why their lives are so miserable.


Note: Been doing this for a while now. Any comments or should I just keep posting without really knowing if it is even useful to anyone?

[taalismn]

I'm really enjoying reading this...Having visited the transplanted Chinese house up in Salem, Mass., and reading about it extensively, helps me get a feel for the rich culture of China...This just adds more of the fantastic to that richness.

Useful in day to day gaming/imagining? No. For sheer entertainment value? Immensely.

[anarchclown]

Glad to hear it. I think not that many people do play Rifts China.

[taalismn]

Glad to hear it. I think not that many people do play Rifts China.

People like playing off of what's familiar to them.."Oh gee, that's part of the Chrysler Building sticking out of that swamp! I'm in my old neighborhood!'. Rifts China is so honking VAST that you can fit several United States into it, so it's not easy to get into it aside from the occasional visit.
It's still a fascinating and epic setting, though.

[anarchclown]

I actually like playing in North America and I'm from Europe myself so I guess I just like the exotic more than I like the familiar.

[taalismn]

I actually like playing in North America and I'm from Europe myself so I guess I just like the exotic more than I like the familiar.

Whatever works.
Plus it sometimes takes somebody from outside a region to really appreciate what the locals take for granted.."How can you be interested in THAT?! I walk past that every day and it's just a pile of rocks and brick!"

[anarchclown]

Yes besides what I feel is the original setting established in the first few books with the New West, the Psi Stalkers, the Coalition troops, the Lone Star Complex and all the other core concepts is still pretty damn awesome. I do feeel some of the other places have the potential to become that awesome though with some more work. And the more they are described the better they become to play even for people that live in the U.S. and aren't familiar with them first hand.

[anarchclown]

A new part of the city has been started. Also I'm figuring that even if most people don't play in China it seems, Heavens Nest is only a Rift away.

The Stairways
The Pyramid
The pyramid functions much like an international airport might these days though somewhat less busy. Almost every day does the Stone Masters here open a portal to a far away destination to allow for trade. The pyramid itself is more of a mountain of earth and stone that resembles the pyramids of Yucatan than the classical pyramids of Giza. Its surface is also covered in a pink stone that gives it a different look from most other pyramids like it.

Having suffered through one invasion through the gates already the Brotherhood has learned to defend this location heavily and now a big contingency of troops is working here though there is no room for barracks. The Zumkata keep patrolling the area surrounding it as well.

As with all pyramids there are ley lines intersecting in a nexus here that are one of the major weaknesses of the Heavens Nest defense since anyone that follows them will run in to the pyramid eventually. This is why the Brotherhood has Elementals patrolling the ley lines at all times and scaring off or if need be killing any would be trespassers that are moving along them. This has led to some demons referring to the mountains near Heavens Nest as the Elemental Minefields.

The city is now dependent upon the portals to get even some of the most basic necessities and any delays in traveling through it is felt by most of the inhabitants. Food can not be produced in the surrounding villages to support the growing population and even if it could, having to travel through the clouds would expose the city more than the opening of Rifts locally does. So far the Brotherhood has been keeping people from revealing too much about their location to others as they go to different places across the Megaverse but still more and more travelers from faraway places trickle through and add to the cosmopolitan feel of the city.

Common destinations include the Cities of Manoa and Omagua in South America, Lazlo in North America, the planet of Uztar (The Zumkata homeworld) and The Empire of Japan. The trade is not exactly booming as most of the resources are spent on getting enough raw materials and food for the place to survive. The influx of cash and equipment from Uztar is growing though and is helping the locals prosper like never before.

The Drunken Peacock Inn
A six story building with quite cheap rooms (considering how crowded the city is) this is probably mostly due to the fact that the place has horrible food and drink and the owner is quite the rude man, the wenches are thieves and the people here are mostly drunkards and lost visitors. A room for one is just 20 credits while a two man room is 30 and a four man room is 40. There are no showers or any other comforts and the beds are sometimes worse than just sleeping on the wooden floor. People can hear each other through the walls and there is a monkey spirit leaving on a roof nearby that visits people at night and looks through their things, pranks them or generally makes their lives miserable in a mostly harmless kind of way.

Living here is not recommended by anyone but the inn makes do anyway due to the small influx of new travelers that do not know better and the customers that do know better but that can’t afford or don’t have time for anything else. Those usually just come in for the, not quite as horrible, lunch buffet.

There has been talk of closing this inn down due to how it makes the city look to newcomers, being the first available residence for them. This talk has largely led nowhere though as there generally isn’t that much interest in controlling the commercial ventures in the city on that level from the local government. Also the owner, though cantankerous and a drunkard, is also somewhat of a popular figure with the locals, due to his motormouth criticizing whoever is currently in power and doing anything he could conceive to be wrong. He does this without fear and for this he is loved in spite of his many flaws.

[anarchclown]

Wang Mao Chong R.C.C.
These huge silk worms/mystical moth people from somewhere across the Megaverse have visited the earth in the past. They are the origins of several legends surrounding giant butterflies and their silks are legendary on many worlds. They look like giant sized caterpillars that move around on small stubby legs. Their color is a white pearl color and their eyes are a swirling black that looks like oil spilled on water. Looking at them for too long could cause a man to become hypnotized with their swirling patterns.

Eventually after hundreds of years of feeding, learning and trading the Wang Mao Chong will enter Chrysalis and develop into the Starmoths that travel the planes through the astral plane as well as the physical space. They are true creatures of magic that are sometimes called Fey Moths but the Wang Mao Chong are still mostly physical beings bound by the ordinary laws of existence. It is even rumored that to become a Fey Moth is not something that is certain. It requires a certain level of enlightenment that few can attain.

On Rifts Earth the Wang Mao Chong can be found almost exclusively in East Asia (though rumours of caterpillar people in Spain and Italy persist) where they eke out a living working as weavers for any who require their armors and anything else that they might offer.

Attributes: I.Q. 3D6, M.E. 3D6+6, M.A. 3D6+2, P.S. 3D6+20 (augmented), P.P. 2D6, P.E. 3D6+6, P.B. 5D6, Spd. 4D6 (half while climbing).
Size: Between 11 and 15 ft long (3.3 to 4.5 m).
Weight: Between 300 and 400 lbs (135 and 190 kg)
Life Span: Up to 500 years before chrysalis or death.
P.P.E.: 1D6x10+P.E. plus 2D6 per level of experience.
Horror Factor: 11
Hit Points: Normal
S.D.C.: 1D4x100
Natural Abilities: Nightvision, see the invisible, impervious to paralysis and possession. Can climb on any surface, including upside down, at half their normal running speed. It can spit silken strands that work as a rope for the purposes of using the W.P. Rope skill.
Metamorphosis: At level 5 and over the Wang Mao Chong can take the shape of an ordinary human. This form can be maintained for two hours per level of experience per day.
Bonuses (in addition to attribute bonuses): +1 action per melee round, +5 to Perception rolls, +1 to dodge, +1 to strike, +3 to pull punch, +3 to roll with impact, +4 to save vs. horror factor and +1 to all other saving throws.
Damage: Varies with strength but normally in the normal S.D.C. range with power strikes going in to the M.D.C. range.
Magic: The character starts with no magic but is capable of learning spells in the same manner as a Ley Line walker would. He can draw P.P.E. from ley lines as well as other living beings.
Psionics: Master Psychic: The player can select a total of 6 healing powers and 6 sensitive powers as well as 2 weaving psionic powers at level 1. Select one more Weaving Psionic at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12, one super psionic at levels 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 and two more healing or sensitive powers at levels 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 18, 23 and 28. I.S.P.: 2D6x10+ M.E. +3D6 per level of experience.
R.C.C. Skills:
Language: Faerie Speak, Dragonese/Elven and one of choice as native language.
Literacy: Faerie Speak, Dragonese/Elven and one of choice (+30%)
Gardening (+20%)
Sewing (+20%)
Sing (+10%)
Holistic Medicine (+10%)
Botany (+10%)
Lore: Faeries & Creatures of Magic (+15%)
Lore: Magic (+10%)
Lore: Psychic (+10%)
Philosophy (+10%)
Barter (+10%)
Running
W.P. Rope
Hand to Hand: Basic
Secondary Skills: May also pick 4 secondary skills at level one and 2 additional at levels 3, 6, 10, 14, 19, 24 and 30.
Weapons & Equipment: The character starts out with writing tools, several weaving tools, a silken armor and one appropriate weapon per W.P. he possesses.
Money: Starts with 2D6x1,000 credits. Can easily make up to 5000 credits per month (after expenses, which is usually a lot of money spent on food) just from gardening and selling weave.
Cybernetics: None to start and will never consider it since this would forever prevent it from undergoing chrysalis.

[anarchclown]

Weaving Psionics
These psionics are normally exclusive to the Spider Demon and the Wang Mao Chong. Mystics that are working along the Wang Mao Chong may however pick them up instead of super psionics.

Create Fabric
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute per level of experience
I.S.P. Cost: 50
This allows the character to create a mystically woven silk that can be turned into clothing. The clothing will protect up to around 40 M.D.C. and be considered a light armor that gives no penalties to the wearer. It normally looks like the silken robes of the Chinese elite. The weave is created at a rate of one M.D.C. worth per minute. This means it takes many uses of this power to get enough weave for one armor.

Ectoplasmic Web
Range: 10 ft (3 m) per level of experience
Duration: 1 minute per level of experience
Save: Dodge
I.S.P. Cost
Using this power the character spits an ectoplasmic web that catches a subject of a size no more than 10 ft in any dimension within. The target is unable to do anything physically save to try to cut himself free while he is caught within the net. The web can withstand 10 M.D.C. per level of the psionic. The web hits with a bonus equal to the psionics save vs. magic (since this is more of a physical than a mental effect) and can be dodged normally.

Unweaving
Range: 10 ft (3 m) per level of experience.
Duration: Instantaneous
I.S.P. Cost: 30
This power can unweave any magical or psionic effect currently impairing someone within the range. The psychic rolls a save vs. the spell strength or psionics of the originator of the power. If he succeeds the effect ends.

Mindweave
Range: 100 ft (30 m) per level of experience
Duration: 1 day per level of experience
I.S.P. Cost: 100
The character creates a mental weave around him that calcifies the behavior or those around him. For each hour that someone remains within the range of the weaver he will have to roll a save vs. psionics. The first save takes place instantaneously when entering the weave. How severely those within the weave are affected depends on how many times they fail their saves.
1st failed save means the character no longer wishes to leave the weave without first locating the weaver and making him end the effect. He cannot conceive having leave and must be carried or otherwise forced out of the area.
2nd failed save means the character starts to behave predictably. No longer fully capable of having original thoughts he starts to repeat whatever he is doing. Every task he performs takes 1D4 times as long as it normally would since he keeps repeating it over and over.
3rd failed save means the character is now stuck doing the same thing over and over again. He now automatically loses the initiative in any physical altercations and is incapable of changing his behavior. All combat bonuses and skills are halved.
4th failed save means the character now only sits around doing nothing and staring blankly. If he is made to he can defend himself with one attack per round and half his normal bonuses.
5th failed save. The character now sinks into a coma he needs to save vs. coma/death. If he succeeds he will wake up when the effect ends and only partially remember what has happened to him during the time he spent within the weave.
Anyone that dies after a coma within the area during the weaves duration gives the psionic responsible for it 10 I.S.P. temporarily and the weaver can glean any information he likes including knowledge of spells and other powerful secrets from his mind as his psyche dissolves into the net.
Should the weaver be forced to move outside of the area that he has spun his weave over the effect ends.

Cushion Blows
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute per level of experience
I.S.P. Cost: 10
A mental weave is spun around the psychic which cushions any attacks against him. This power causes M.D.C. attacks against the S.D.C. creature to do their M.D. in S.D.C. for the duration of the power. This does not work to protect any armor the character is wearing and it does not help creatures that are already M.D.C..

Weave Time and Space
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
I.S.P. Cost: 30
The character can instantly transport up to 100 ft (30 meters) per level of experience away. He can only take that which he carries with him. This may include up to one rider should he be able to carry one.

[taalismn]

Excellent new additions! They'll go in the hardcopy files. Can't have China without mystical silk, can we?

[anarchclown]

Nope. That's impossible.

[taalismn]

Nope. That's impossible.

Cool...I've been thinking off and on over the years of something like Lantern Magic...shining normal light or magical light through msytically-icon'ed paper lanterns for area of effect. Sound plausible?

[anarchclown]

Sounds doable. Make it and I will probably use it.