Endless Blue - Week 38 - Enchanted Items of the Endless Blue

Archaeology

Enchanted Items of the Endless Blue

Some items fit the seas of Elqua perfectly, while others would be anachronistic at best.  Items such as books and elixirs would never survive the ravages of constant immersion in saltwater.  Others, such as the decanter of endless water, make no sense where water is plentiful.

Nautiluses & Aegises

The following Special Abilities are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Acid Resistance
Acid Resistance (Improved)
Acid Resistance (Greater)
Animated
Bashing -- Aegis only.
Blinding
Cold Resistance
Cold Resistance (Improved)
Cold Resistance (Greater)
Electricity Resistance
Electricity Resistance (Improved)
Electricity Resistance (Greater)
Fire Resistance -- Becomes Heat Resistance
Fire Resistance (Improved) -- Becomes Heat Resistance (Improved)
Fire Resistance (Greater) -- Becomes Heat Resistance (Greater)
Fortification
Ghost Touch
Glamored
Invulnerability
Reflecting
Shadow
Shadow (Improved)
Shadow (Greater)
Silent Moves
Silent Moves (Improved)
Silent Moves (Greater)
Slick
Slick (Improved)
Slick (Greater)
Sonic Resistance
Sonic Resistance (Improved)
Sonic Resistance (Greater)
Spell Resistance
Undead Controlling

The following Special Abilities for Nautiluses or Aegises are not suitable for the setting:

Arrow Catching
Arrow Deflection
Etherealness
Wild

The following specific armors exist, but the style of armor will be one compliant with the Endless Blue setting:

Banded Mail of Luck
Breastplate of Command
Full Plate of Speed

The following specific armors do not exist:

Celestial Armor
Demon Armor
Dragonhide Plate -- Possibly may exist, composed of the treated remains of a Kraken, but most like myth or at best a single item.
Plate Armor of the Deep -- In a setting where everything breathes underwater, the usefulness of this nautilus is reduced.

The following specific aegises exist:

Caster's Shield
Lion's  Shield --  Replace the image of a Lion with that of a Shark.
Spined Shield

The following specific aegises do not exists:

Absorbing Shield
Winged Shield

Ungues

The following Special Abilities are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Anarchic
Axiomatic
Bane
Brilliant Energy
Dancing
Defending
Disruption
Flaming -- Renamed Boiling, it sheathes the unques in boiling water and deals heat damage.
Flaming Burst -- Renamed Boiling Burst, it explodes with a burst of boiling water, causing additional heat damage.
Frost
Ghost Touch
Holy
Icy Burst
Keen
Ki Focus
Merciful
Mighty Cleaving
Shock -- Exists, but rarely used due to water's natural tendency to conduct electricity in unforeseeabledirections.
Shocking Burst -- Exists, but rarely used due to water's natural tendency to conduct electricity in unforeseeable directions.
Speed
Spell Storing
Thundering
Unholy
Vicious
Vorpal
Wounding

The following Special Abilities for Ungues are considered unsuitable for the setting:

Distance
Returning
Seeking
Throwing

The following specific ungues exist, but as setting appropriate weapons:

Assassin's Dagger
Dagger of Venom
Flame Tongue -- See Flaming above.  Causes heat damage.
Frost Brand
Holy Avenger
Life Drinker
Luck Blade
Mace of Smiting
Nine Lives Stealer
Rapier of Puncturing -- Can damage some creatures' ability to maintain their buoyancy.
Shatterspike -- Of particular use the rebellion against the Kraken Empire, whose tentacles can be sundered.
Sun Blade
Sword of Life Stealing
Sword of the Planes -- Does not posses the +4 ability.
Sword of Subtlety
Trident of Fish Command
Trident of Warning

The following specific ungues do not exist:

Dwarven Thrower
Mace of Terror -- The ability is inconsistent with the purposes of a weapon.
Oathbow
Screaming Bolt
Slaying Arrow
Sleep Arrow
Sylvan Scimitar

Rings

The following Rings are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Animal Friendship
Blinking
Chameleon Power -- Called Ceph Stealth, but otherwise identical.
Counterspells
Elemental Command -- Water elementals only.
Energy Resistance
Evasion
Feather Falling -- Called Buoyancy, it activates as per the original item any time the wearer's buoyancy changes from neutral.
Force Shield
Freedom of Movement
Friend Shield
Invisibility
Mind Shielding
Protection
Ram -- Renamed Porpoise, but otherwise the same.
Regeneration
Spell Storing (Minor)
Spell Storing
Spell Storing (Major)
Spell Turning
Telekinesis
Three Wishes
Wizardry
X-Ray Vision

The following Rings are deemed not suitable for the setting:

Climbing
Climbing (Improved)
Djinni Calling
Elemental Command -- Anything other than water elementals.
Jumping
Jumping (Improved)
Shooting Stars
Sustenance
Swimming
Swimming (Improved)
Water Walking

Rods

The following Rods are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Absorption
Alertness
Cancellation
Immovable
Lordly Might
Metal and Mineral Detection
Metamagic
Negation
Python -- Becomes a sea snake, otherwise same as original item.
Rulership
Splendor
Viper
Withering

The following Rods are seen as unsuitable for the setting:

Enemy Detection
Flailing
Flame Extinguishing
Security
Thunder and Lightning
Wonder

Staff

The following Staves are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Abjuration
Charming
Conjuration -- No unseen servant ability.
Defense
Divination
Enchantment
Evocation
Fire -- Produces heat damage equivalents.
Frost
Healing
Illusion
Illumination
Life
Necromancy
Power
Size Alteration
Swarming Insects -- Summons aquatic vermin.
Transmutation -- No baleful polymorph ability
Woodlands -- Called Coral Reef

The following Staves do not exist in the Endless Blue setting:

Earth and Stone
Passage

Wondrous Items

The following Wondrous Items are suitable for the Endless Blue campaign setting:

Amulet of Health
Amulet of Mighty Fists
Amulet of Natural Armor
Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location
Bag of Tricks -- The ball inside feels slick to the touch, like fish scales.
Bead of Force
Belt (Monk's)
Belt of Giant Strength -- Called Belt of Behemoth's Strength
Boots of Elvenkind -- Called Flippers of Silence
Boots of Speed -- Called Flippers of Speed
Boots of Teleportation -- Called Flippers of Teleportation
Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals -- Reverse the effects for salt and fresh water.
Bracelet of Fiends
Bracers of Armor
Brooch of Shielding
Cape of the Mountebank
Chaos Diamond
Chime of Interruption
Chime of Opening
Circlet of Blasting (Minor)
Circlet of Blasting (Major)
Circlet of Persuasionz
Cloak of Charisma
Cloak of Displacement (Minor)
Cloak of Displacement (Major)
Cloak of Elvenkind -- Called Cloak of Silence
Cloak of the Manta Ray
Crystal Ball -- Rare items, made from the eyeballs of Kraken
Cube of Frost Resistence
Darkskull -- Size of skzull determines the size of unhallowness.
Drums of Panic
Dust of Dryness -- An alchemical capsule that when broken removes all water from an area.  Usually employed in small, sealed containers to extract elements and compounds for alchemy.
Dust of Tracelessness --  Another alchemical concoction that blocks currentsense when released into the current.
Elemental Gem -- Water elemental only.
Eyes of Charming
Eyes of Doom
Eyes of the Eagle -- Called Eyes of the Flounder
Eyes of Petrification -- Effect turns victim into coral, but otherwise exactly as original item.
Figurines of Wondrous Power -- All figurines are of aquatic species.
Gauntlets of Orcan Power
Gem of Brightness
Gem of Seeing
Gloves of Dexterity
Goggles of Minute Seeing
Goggles of Night
Hand of Glory -- Must be the hand of a Mer.
Hand of the Mage -- Must be the hand of a Chelon.
Harp of Charming
Hat of Disguise -- Called Headband of Disguise
Headband of Intellect
Helm of Brilliance
Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic
Helm of Telepathy
Helm of Teleportation
Horn of Blasting
Horn of Blasting (Greater)
Horn of Fog -- Creates a cloudy current, but otherwise exactly as original item.
Horn of Goodness/Evil
Horn of Valhalla -- Called Horn of Narwahl, summons barbaric Narwahl Orcans
Horseshoes of Speed -- Just as Flippers of Speed.
Lens of Detection
Lyre of Building
Mantle of Faith
Mantle of Spell Resistance
Mask of the Skull
Medallion of Thoughts
Mirror of Life Trapping
Mirror of Mental Prowess
Mirror of Opposition
Necklace of Fireballs -- Creates boiling equivalents.
Pearl of Power
Periapt of Health
Periapt of Proof against Poison
Periapt of Wisdom
Periapt of Wound Clousure -- Very useful to help prevent stalking by creatures with bloodscent.
Plylactery of Faithfulness
Plylactery of Undead Turning
Pipes of Haunting
Pipes of Pain
Pipes of the Sewers -- Summons aquatic vermin, but otherwise exactly like original item.
Pipes of Sounding
Robe of Blending
Robe of Bones
Robe of Eyes
Robe of Scintillating Colors -- Becomes less effective the deeper under water you go.
Rope of Entanglement
Salve of Slipperiness -- An alchemical salve
Scabbard of Keen Edges
Scarab of Protection
Sovereign Glue
Stone of Alarm
Stone of Good Luck
Stone Salve -- Works on coral petrified creature.
Strand of Prayer Beads
Unguent of Timelessness
Universal Solvent
Vest of Escape
Vestment (Druid's)

The following Wondrous Items are unusable in the Endless Blue setting:

Amulet of the Planes
Apparatus of Kwalish -- This amazing device is a major artifact.
Bag of Holding
Belt of Dwarvenkind
Boat (Folding)
Boccob's Blessed Bookz
Boots of Levitation
Boots of Striding and Springing
Boots of the Winterlands
Boots (Winged)
Bottle of Air
Bracers of Archery
Brazier of Commanding Fire Elementals
Broom of Flying
Candle of Invocation
Candle of Truth
Carpet of Flying
Censer of Controlling Air Elementals
Cloak of Aracnida
Cloak of the Bat
Cloak of Etherealness
Cloak of the Manta Ray
Cubic Gate
Daern's Instant Fortress
Decanter of Endless Water -- Mythical artifact that is said to be the source of all water.
Deck of Illusions
Dimensional Shackles
Dust of Appearance
Dust of Disappearance
Dust of Illusion
Efreeti Bottle
Elemental Gem -- Except for Water elemental.
Elixir of Fire Breath
Elixir of Hiding
Elixir of Love
Elixir of Sneaking
Elixir of Swimming
Elixir of Truth
Elixir of Vision
Eversmoking Bottle
Gauntlet of Rust
Gloves of Arrow Snaring
Glove of Storing
Gloves of Swimming and Climbing
Golem Manual
Helm of Underwater Action
Heward's Handy Haversack
Horn of the Tritons -- This fabled horn is a major artifact.
Horseshoes of the Zephyr
Incense of Meditation
Ioun Stones
Iron Bands of Bilarro
Iron Flask
Keoghtom's Ointment
Lantern of Revealing
Manual of Bodily Health
Manual of Gainful Exercise
Manual of Quickness of Action
Mattock of the Titans
Maul of the Titans
Murlynd's Spoon
Necklace of Adaption
Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments
Orb of Storms
Pearl of the Sirines
Portable Hole
Quaal's Feather Token
Quiver of Ehlonna
Ring Gates
Robe of Stars
Rope of Climbing
Scarab (Golembane)
Shrouds of Disintegration
Silversheen
Slippers of Spider Climbing
Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals
Stone Horse
Tome of Clear Thought
Tome of Leadership and Influence
Tome of Understanding
Well of Many Worlds
Wind Fan
Wings of Flying

Endless Blue - Week 36.5 - The Icht: The True First Ones

Archaeology

 

The Icht:  The True First Ones


Common wisdom tells that the Orcans are the oldest race, that their precursors, the Cetacean Barbarians, rose up first and formed the basis of society while the other races still swam mindlessly in schools.  But there is evidence to challenge this notion -- scant, dispersed, and teasing -- that there existed intelligence, fully formed and functional, when the pods of Cetaceans began their unification.  These rumors, forgotten memories of a time when life meant surviving until the dawn of the next day, tell a different story that the one the Orcan's lay claim to.  They speak of the ones before, the Ashamed, the great civilization known as the Icht Dominion.

The historians of the Cetacean Oceans vehemently deny any such culture, and decry those that espouse such nonsense as addled dreamers that cannot separate fact from fiction.  Where is the proof, they ask, where is the evidence?  Where are the ruined cities, the lost artifacts?  Where are the bodies?  No remains have ever been found, no bone or tooth, no art or text describing these enlightened predecessors of the civilized races.  What proof is there that these ancient pisceans even existed, save for the fevered imaginations of a small collection of disenfranchised conspiracists?

True, no tangible records exist of that time, an era in Elqua's history of primitive violence when writing had yet to be codified.  And no remnants of settlements can be found to attribute to the existence of the ancient pisceans.  But no relics?  No, the faithful responded, relics do exist...

The Icht did exist, pioneering a society that started in the rich valley known as the Creche of Civilization, stretched across the northern parts of the Periphery and the Hinterseas, with minor arms of influence reaching southwest.  Their influence is believed to have reached as far as the mountainous barrier called the Spine of the World, or even further beyond.

Map of the territory in the Known World believed to be under the purview of the Icht Dominion during the heyday of their reign.

The area said to belong to the Icht is a wavy, inconsistent coverage of the Elquan seas.  There is a conspicuous avoidance of truly deep waters, as if during their expansionist movement certain areas of the world were anathematic for them.  Perhaps they could not survive the harsh conditions of life of the Shelf, or maybe it was locations themselves that repelled the Icht rule, but the Dominion surprisingly flows around these areas like an aquatic fungal ooze.

The Icht were indeed the earliest known society to flourish in the clear, bountiful seas of Elqua, a highly advanced culture easily surpassing their contemporary neighbors who where little more than the primitives pisceans treat the Ceph of today.  The society apparently disappeared abruptly under unknown circumstances. There is no evidence of natural phenomena doing them in, such as famine or catastrophic effect.  Word of mouth retelling, passed down so many generations that the veracity is on par with a child's dream, states that one day the Icht were plentiful, and the next...  It was if they willed themselves to no longer exist.

Some of the few relics credited to Icht creation are some highly ornate masks. Broad and hemispherical, these half-mask covered the upper portion of the face and  gave it a roundish look that swept forward into a two foot long point above the lip.  Rectangular holes for the eyes are widely spaced apart, suggesting the Icht had to tilt their heads in order to look at someone right in front of them.  The mask are constructed from a type of dark quarried stone rich with shiny flakes, then apparently hand-engraved with a pictographic trim and polished to a glossy texture.  The thickness and expansive coverage of the face suggests the race may have aesthetically reviled their own visages, and worn these masks to hide appearances that would normally offend.  Scratching and wear on the inside of the mask where the forehead rested against the stone makes it plausible that these masks were worn at all times an Icht walked in public.  This conjecture is further reinforced by discovery of small infant sized versions among those larger ones.

There seems to be a general consensus of how the Icht looked, despite there being no record of their appearance from which to infer.  Perhaps some racial memory, or simply due to repeated mythology, but a definite morphology has been detailed.  Severly hunched-backed, the Icht stood not even as tall as a Mer, yet were as thick as the fittest Orcan.  Like the Lumulus, they possessed a chitinous plating, but it only covered their forehead, face, and jaw.  A second plate of armor grew as a stiff collar around the neck, jutting upwards from the shoulders and hovering over their bent backs.  Tiny, beady pupils gleamed from beneath the armored forehead, with smaller bones circling around their eyes almost like a segmented Orcan dirham.  Their lower jaw was a mandible that not only moved up to mold against the palette, but pulled to each side as the jaw parted at the chin.  Those jaws had a form of teeth but no true dentin -- instead large bone edges like meat cleavers jutted from their gums.  Their hands were stunted and spindly, barely able to reach their own face, and their tails tapered off to a point instead of the furled fins and flukes that are part of the piscean form.  Their coloration is cited as muddy browns and pale olive, a drab camouflage pigmentation that may have helped to keep them hidden from notice did nothing for their attractiveness.

The Icht are credited by their supporters as being quite advanced technologically than even the current state of the Fluid Nations.  For a body of water so spread out, they must have mastered the arts of domestication and aquaculture in order to maintain the populace's need for food.  There is no proof of what kinds of tools they had at their disposal, but some of the more learned postulate that the Icht are the ones that erected the mysterious Spurs in the Bronze Epoch.  There is little to support this line of thought, but neither is there anything to disprove it.  And if the Icht are not the ones that created them, then what race did?