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Содержание
Введение
Dragonmech – это сеттинг в стилях стимпанк и фэнтези для d20-фэнтези, разработанный компаниями Goodman Games и Sword & Sorcery Studios. Он посвящен гигантским мехам – мощным боевым машинам, приводимым в движение паром, часовыми механизмами, магией или рабским трудом. Персонажи в этом сеттинге вовлечены в эпические конфликты в мире древних руин, могущественных мех-государств и огромных городских мехов.
Dragonmech is a steampunk/fantasy campaign setting for d20 fantasy developed by Goodman Games and Sword & Sorcery Studios. It centers on giant mechs, powerful war machines powered by steam, clockwork, magic, or slave labor. Characters in this setting are engaged in epic conflicts in a world of ancient ruins, mighty mechdoms and towering city mechs.
Обстановка
Драгонмеч разворачивается в мире, где Луна буквально распадается на части, что приводит к регулярным метеорным дождям по всей планете. Лунная магия начала проникать на поверхность, вместе с лунными существами, включая лунных драконов, лишь отдалённо напоминающих своих земных сородичей. Для борьбы с этими новыми угрозами были созданы Дракон-Мехи – специально разработанные боевые машины для сражений с крупными существами. Также были созданы городские мехи – огромные передвижные города, способные поддерживать не только большое население, но и собственную экосистему. Основной континент в этом мире – Хайпойнт, необычайно высокий континент, разделённый на несколько уровней высоты. Самая низкая его часть – пустыня, затопленная морской водой почти по колено на протяжении половины из 250 дней хайпойнтского календаря. Важной особенностью является река "Бесконечная", которая протекает через значительную часть континента и на протяжении почти половины своей длины – под землёй, в Подземном мире, служа важнейшим торговым путём. Река "Бесконечная" выходит на поверхность в виде мощного водопада, обрушивающегося со скалы. Крупнейший город Хайпойнта, Эдж, построен именно на этой скале, вокруг водопада, и его процветающая экономика во многом основана на перевозке людей и грузов вверх и вниз по скале. Торговля в Эдже настолько выгодна, что даже дроу имеют здесь торговый анклав, и всем его членам строго приказано быть учтивыми и вежливыми со всеми, кто приходит вести дела.
Dragonmech is set in a world where the moon is quite literally falling apart, resulting in regular meteor showers across the planet's surface. Lunar magic has started finding its way onto the planet below, along with lunar creatures including lunar dragons, which only vaguely resemble their terrestrial counterparts. Built to combat these new threats are the DragonMechs, specially designed for combat with large creatures. Also created were the city mechs, huge mobile cities that can support not only a large population, but its own ecology. The main continent in the setting is Highpoint, an unusually altitudinous continent broken into several levels of elevation, with the lowest area of it being a desert that is knee deep in seawater for half of Highpoint's 250 odd day calendar. A major feature is the "Endless" River, which runs through a large section of the continent and, in fact, runs for about half its length through the Underdark, and serves as the most important trade route on the continent. The Endless river exits the underground as a large waterfall from the side of a cliff. Highpoint's largest city, Edge, is actually built on this cliff and around this waterfall, and a thriving local economy is in large part based on the transport of people and goods up and down the cliff. Trade in Edge is so lucrative that even the drow have a trading enclave there, and all its members are under strict orders to be civil and polite to everyone who comes to do business.
Фракции
В то время как во многих кампаниях d20 неизбежны трения между расами, в DragonMech эти трения усиливаются до уровня, близкого к ксенофобии. Одной из определяющих характеристик этого сеттинга является то, что он НЕ антропоцентричен; самая успешная и могущественная основная раса планеты – это, на самом деле, гномы.
While in many d20 campaigns, there are inevitable tensions between the races, in DragonMech these tensions are magnified to levels of almost xenophobia. One of the defining characteristics of this setting is then it is NOT humanocentric; the single most successful and powerful core race of the planet is in fact the Dwarves. Dwarves: Many other campaigns characterize the dwarves as a dying breed, a race for whom many of their ancient and legendary strongholds have been overrun, with little hope of recovery. But in this campaign, while they have suffered disastrously from refugee invasions, their innovation has in fact made them able to rebound dramatically, catapulting them into a level of political and social power rarely seen. As the creators of a technology that is capable of reversing the fortunes of those living in this world, they control the largest and arguably the safest sections of open land in the world of Highpoint. They also control the most city mechs; the five city mechs of Nedderpik, Durgen lok, Lokag, Thuron, and Goria form the core of their military might, as well as the centers of their political power. Together with Duerok, arguably the core of Dwarven civilization that remains underground, these five city mechs form the Stenian Confederacy. Elves: The Elves have their part in this world as well, but their role is in fact emotionally similar to that of the Elves in The Lord of the Rings – that their time is passing and their way of life all but gone. This theme is more nihilistically represented in DragonMech for, unlike in Tolkien's work, these Elves have nowhere to go. Rather than their powers fading from them, instead their homelands have been shattered and ruined by the Lunar Rain, their ancestral homelands and forests all but eradicated. All that remains are a few animated mechs serving as repositories for hastily salvaged elven libraries, and the sole Elven City Mech (not to mention the single most powerful construction in Highpoint) known as Tannanliel. Tannanliel cannot be adequately explained without first describing Tannan himself, for it was formed by a pact between the archmage Tannan and the overwhelmed native deities. As a result, its awesome might is being powered by a constant drain on Tannan's life force, costing him roughly a year of his life for each week he operates it. Although he is an elf, with an elf's life span, he still remains mortal, and his time is rapidly running out. The L'arile Nation, last hope of the elves, rests on Tannanliel, which itself is dependent on Tannan himself. Tannan has kept the knowledge of the city mech's price to himself, a fact that is costing him dearly on a personal level. The tragic error of Tannanliel is that all of the remaining real power of the Elves resides in its single form; and that single form can only be one place at a time. While it remains a mighty protector it is incapable of prosecuting the total war needed to drive back and destroy the lunar invaders, and though none are aware of it, all the lunar invaders need do to eliminate it is to wait for Tannan to die. Humans: The rising power of Highpoint, the Legion is headed by a single, massively charismatic figure by the name of Shar Thizdic. Through his personal magnetism and shrewd political maneuverings he united the scattered nomadic humans of the plains to form a powerful nation that is solely for humans. Through the forced labor of enslaved dwarven coglayers, he created the first of two citymechs currently operative, known as Rebirth. Whether the result of shoddy construction, or deliberate sabotage (referred to by its believers as the One Flaw), Rebirth was something of a disaster. Plagued with failures and poor efficiency on a daily basis, Rebirth remains a citymech, and is still a powerful force in its own right. As the first human Citymech, Shar Thizdic seats himself as ruler here, a symbolic gesture of leadership. Because of its problems, Rebirth is generally acknowledged to be the weakest of all existing citymechs, and was originally discounted by dwarves and elves alike. But human engineers, learning from their work assisting the captured dwarves, and from their own works afterward, have caused an uproar amongst the other nations, with their subsequent construction of the second human citymech, Haven. Haven is a significant improvement over Rebirth, and a massive undertaking whose scale is greater than all other citymechs save Tannanliel itself. Already it has proven its power in battles against lunar monstrosities including the terrifyingly powerful lunar dragons, and some doubt has been assayed over the outcome of any battles between it and one of the dwarven citymechs. But the real panic being levelled against the human nation is that Shar Thizdic has plans for five more citymechs. Many in Highpoint are wondering what power the human nations will wield by the time the final citymech has been built, and support is growing amongst both elves and dwarves to deal with the Legion in general, and Shar Thizdic in specific, on a permanent basis. Their mistrust and paranoia are in fact founded on good reason. Shar Thizdic is very much prohuman, a stance caused by the fend for yourself mentality that gripped the races during the early parts of the lunar rain. He holds no actual malicious intent against elves, gnomes, and dwarves, but because they did not compassionately aid humans during the early, and most intense, part of the crisis when the plains nomads humans had no shelter at all, he does not aid them, and if he builds his five more city mechs like he plans to, they each will need a substantial territory to roam—territory which is held by the elves and the dwarves. Non humans are third class citizens in Legion territory, and are never permitted aboard Legion citymechs. His habit of casual betrayal, enslavement, and murder however well he has managed to hide most of the proof may well be the downfall of the only hope that humans in highpoint truly have, should the other races of Highpoint decide to finally take action and eliminate him as a threat for once and all.
Гномы: Во многих других кампаниях гномы изображаются угасающим народом, расой, чьи древние и легендарные крепости были захвачены, и надежды на восстановление почти нет. Но в этой кампании, несмотря на катастрофические вторжения беженцев, их изобретательность позволила им резко восстановиться, вознеся их на уровень политической и социальной власти, редко встречающийся в других сеттингах. Как создатели технологии, способной изменить судьбу обитателей этого мира, они контролируют самые большие и, пожалуй, самые безопасные участки свободной земли в Хайпойнте. Они также контролируют большинство городских мехов; пять городских мехов Неддерпик, Дурген-лок, Локаг, Турон и Гория составляют ядро их военной мощи и центры политической власти. Вместе с Дуэроком, возможно, ядром гномьей цивилизации, сохранившейся под землей, эти пять городских мехов образуют Стенянскую Конфедерацию.
While in many d20 campaigns, there are inevitable tensions between the races, in DragonMech these tensions are magnified to levels of almost xenophobia. One of the defining characteristics of this setting is then it is NOT humanocentric; the single most successful and powerful core race of the planet is in fact the Dwarves. Dwarves: Many other campaigns characterize the dwarves as a dying breed, a race for whom many of their ancient and legendary strongholds have been overrun, with little hope of recovery. But in this campaign, while they have suffered disastrously from refugee invasions, their innovation has in fact made them able to rebound dramatically, catapulting them into a level of political and social power rarely seen. As the creators of a technology that is capable of reversing the fortunes of those living in this world, they control the largest and arguably the safest sections of open land in the world of Highpoint. They also control the most city mechs; the five city mechs of Nedderpik, Durgen lok, Lokag, Thuron, and Goria form the core of their military might, as well as the centers of their political power. Together with Duerok, arguably the core of Dwarven civilization that remains underground, these five city mechs form the Stenian Confederacy. Elves: The Elves have their part in this world as well, but their role is in fact emotionally similar to that of the Elves in The Lord of the Rings – that their time is passing and their way of life all but gone. This theme is more nihilistically represented in DragonMech for, unlike in Tolkien's work, these Elves have nowhere to go. Rather than their powers fading from them, instead their homelands have been shattered and ruined by the Lunar Rain, their ancestral homelands and forests all but eradicated. All that remains are a few animated mechs serving as repositories for hastily salvaged elven libraries, and the sole Elven City Mech (not to mention the single most powerful construction in Highpoint) known as Tannanliel. Tannanliel cannot be adequately explained without first describing Tannan himself, for it was formed by a pact between the archmage Tannan and the overwhelmed native deities. As a result, its awesome might is being powered by a constant drain on Tannan's life force, costing him roughly a year of his life for each week he operates it. Although he is an elf, with an elf's life span, he still remains mortal, and his time is rapidly running out. The L'arile Nation, last hope of the elves, rests on Tannanliel, which itself is dependent on Tannan himself. Tannan has kept the knowledge of the city mech's price to himself, a fact that is costing him dearly on a personal level. The tragic error of Tannanliel is that all of the remaining real power of the Elves resides in its single form; and that single form can only be one place at a time. While it remains a mighty protector it is incapable of prosecuting the total war needed to drive back and destroy the lunar invaders, and though none are aware of it, all the lunar invaders need do to eliminate it is to wait for Tannan to die. Humans: The rising power of Highpoint, the Legion is headed by a single, massively charismatic figure by the name of Shar Thizdic. Through his personal magnetism and shrewd political maneuverings he united the scattered nomadic humans of the plains to form a powerful nation that is solely for humans. Through the forced labor of enslaved dwarven coglayers, he created the first of two citymechs currently operative, known as Rebirth. Whether the result of shoddy construction, or deliberate sabotage (referred to by its believers as the One Flaw), Rebirth was something of a disaster. Plagued with failures and poor efficiency on a daily basis, Rebirth remains a citymech, and is still a powerful force in its own right. As the first human Citymech, Shar Thizdic seats himself as ruler here, a symbolic gesture of leadership. Because of its problems, Rebirth is generally acknowledged to be the weakest of all existing citymechs, and was originally discounted by dwarves and elves alike. But human engineers, learning from their work assisting the captured dwarves, and from their own works afterward, have caused an uproar amongst the other nations, with their subsequent construction of the second human citymech, Haven. Haven is a significant improvement over Rebirth, and a massive undertaking whose scale is greater than all other citymechs save Tannanliel itself. Already it has proven its power in battles against lunar monstrosities including the terrifyingly powerful lunar dragons, and some doubt has been assayed over the outcome of any battles between it and one of the dwarven citymechs. But the real panic being levelled against the human nation is that Shar Thizdic has plans for five more citymechs. Many in Highpoint are wondering what power the human nations will wield by the time the final citymech has been built, and support is growing amongst both elves and dwarves to deal with the Legion in general, and Shar Thizdic in specific, on a permanent basis. Their mistrust and paranoia are in fact founded on good reason. Shar Thizdic is very much prohuman, a stance caused by the fend for yourself mentality that gripped the races during the early parts of the lunar rain. He holds no actual malicious intent against elves, gnomes, and dwarves, but because they did not compassionately aid humans during the early, and most intense, part of the crisis when the plains nomads humans had no shelter at all, he does not aid them, and if he builds his five more city mechs like he plans to, they each will need a substantial territory to roam—territory which is held by the elves and the dwarves. Non humans are third class citizens in Legion territory, and are never permitted aboard Legion citymechs. His habit of casual betrayal, enslavement, and murder however well he has managed to hide most of the proof may well be the downfall of the only hope that humans in highpoint truly have, should the other races of Highpoint decide to finally take action and eliminate him as a threat for once and all.
Эльфы: Эльфы также играют свою роль в этом мире, но их положение эмоционально схоже с положением эльфов во "Властелине колец" – их время уходит, и их образ жизни почти исчез. Эта тема представлена более нигилистично в DragonMech, поскольку, в отличие от произведения Толкина, этим эльфам некуда идти. Вместо того, чтобы их силы угасали, их родины были разрушены и опустошены Лунным дождем, их исконные земли и леса почти уничтожены. Остались лишь несколько оживленных мехов, служащих хранилищами для поспешно спасенных эльфийских библиотек, и единственный Эльфийский Город-мех (не говоря уже о самой мощной конструкции в Хайпойнте), известный как Таннанлиэль.
While in many d20 campaigns, there are inevitable tensions between the races, in DragonMech these tensions are magnified to levels of almost xenophobia. One of the defining characteristics of this setting is then it is NOT humanocentric; the single most successful and powerful core race of the planet is in fact the Dwarves. Dwarves: Many other campaigns characterize the dwarves as a dying breed, a race for whom many of their ancient and legendary strongholds have been overrun, with little hope of recovery. But in this campaign, while they have suffered disastrously from refugee invasions, their innovation has in fact made them able to rebound dramatically, catapulting them into a level of political and social power rarely seen. As the creators of a technology that is capable of reversing the fortunes of those living in this world, they control the largest and arguably the safest sections of open land in the world of Highpoint. They also control the most city mechs; the five city mechs of Nedderpik, Durgen lok, Lokag, Thuron, and Goria form the core of their military might, as well as the centers of their political power. Together with Duerok, arguably the core of Dwarven civilization that remains underground, these five city mechs form the Stenian Confederacy. Elves: The Elves have their part in this world as well, but their role is in fact emotionally similar to that of the Elves in The Lord of the Rings – that their time is passing and their way of life all but gone. This theme is more nihilistically represented in DragonMech for, unlike in Tolkien's work, these Elves have nowhere to go. Rather than their powers fading from them, instead their homelands have been shattered and ruined by the Lunar Rain, their ancestral homelands and forests all but eradicated. All that remains are a few animated mechs serving as repositories for hastily salvaged elven libraries, and the sole Elven City Mech (not to mention the single most powerful construction in Highpoint) known as Tannanliel. Tannanliel cannot be adequately explained without first describing Tannan himself, for it was formed by a pact between the archmage Tannan and the overwhelmed native deities. As a result, its awesome might is being powered by a constant drain on Tannan's life force, costing him roughly a year of his life for each week he operates it. Although he is an elf, with an elf's life span, he still remains mortal, and his time is rapidly running out. The L'arile Nation, last hope of the elves, rests on Tannanliel, which itself is dependent on Tannan himself. Tannan has kept the knowledge of the city mech's price to himself, a fact that is costing him dearly on a personal level. The tragic error of Tannanliel is that all of the remaining real power of the Elves resides in its single form; and that single form can only be one place at a time. While it remains a mighty protector it is incapable of prosecuting the total war needed to drive back and destroy the lunar invaders, and though none are aware of it, all the lunar invaders need do to eliminate it is to wait for Tannan to die. Humans: The rising power of Highpoint, the Legion is headed by a single, massively charismatic figure by the name of Shar Thizdic. Through his personal magnetism and shrewd political maneuverings he united the scattered nomadic humans of the plains to form a powerful nation that is solely for humans. Through the forced labor of enslaved dwarven coglayers, he created the first of two citymechs currently operative, known as Rebirth. Whether the result of shoddy construction, or deliberate sabotage (referred to by its believers as the One Flaw), Rebirth was something of a disaster. Plagued with failures and poor efficiency on a daily basis, Rebirth remains a citymech, and is still a powerful force in its own right. As the first human Citymech, Shar Thizdic seats himself as ruler here, a symbolic gesture of leadership. Because of its problems, Rebirth is generally acknowledged to be the weakest of all existing citymechs, and was originally discounted by dwarves and elves alike. But human engineers, learning from their work assisting the captured dwarves, and from their own works afterward, have caused an uproar amongst the other nations, with their subsequent construction of the second human citymech, Haven. Haven is a significant improvement over Rebirth, and a massive undertaking whose scale is greater than all other citymechs save Tannanliel itself. Already it has proven its power in battles against lunar monstrosities including the terrifyingly powerful lunar dragons, and some doubt has been assayed over the outcome of any battles between it and one of the dwarven citymechs. But the real panic being levelled against the human nation is that Shar Thizdic has plans for five more citymechs. Many in Highpoint are wondering what power the human nations will wield by the time the final citymech has been built, and support is growing amongst both elves and dwarves to deal with the Legion in general, and Shar Thizdic in specific, on a permanent basis. Their mistrust and paranoia are in fact founded on good reason. Shar Thizdic is very much prohuman, a stance caused by the fend for yourself mentality that gripped the races during the early parts of the lunar rain. He holds no actual malicious intent against elves, gnomes, and dwarves, but because they did not compassionately aid humans during the early, and most intense, part of the crisis when the plains nomads humans had no shelter at all, he does not aid them, and if he builds his five more city mechs like he plans to, they each will need a substantial territory to roam—territory which is held by the elves and the dwarves. Non humans are third class citizens in Legion territory, and are never permitted aboard Legion citymechs. His habit of casual betrayal, enslavement, and murder however well he has managed to hide most of the proof may well be the downfall of the only hope that humans in highpoint truly have, should the other races of Highpoint decide to finally take action and eliminate him as a threat for once and all.
Таннанлиэль невозможно понять, не описав самого Таннана, поскольку он был создан в результате соглашения между архимагом Таннаном и подавленными местными божествами. В результате его колоссальная мощь питается постоянным истощением жизненной силы Таннана, обходясь ему примерно в год жизни за каждую неделю эксплуатации. Хотя он и эльф, с эльфийским сроком жизни, он все еще смертен, и его время стремительно истекает. Нация Л’Ариль, последняя надежда эльфов, покоится на Таннанлиэле, который, в свою очередь, зависит от самого Таннана. Таннан скрыл цену Город-меха, и это дорого ему обходится на личном уровне. Трагическая ошибка Таннанлиэля в том, что вся оставшаяся реальная сила эльфов сосредоточена в его единственной форме; и эта единственная форма может находиться только в одном месте одновременно. Хотя он остается могущественным защитником, он не способен вести тотальную войну, необходимую для отпора и уничтожения лунных захватчиков, и, хотя никто об этом не знает, все, что нужно лунным захватчикам, чтобы уничтожить его, – это дождаться смерти Таннана.
While in many d20 campaigns, there are inevitable tensions between the races, in DragonMech these tensions are magnified to levels of almost xenophobia. One of the defining characteristics of this setting is then it is NOT humanocentric; the single most successful and powerful core race of the planet is in fact the Dwarves. Dwarves: Many other campaigns characterize the dwarves as a dying breed, a race for whom many of their ancient and legendary strongholds have been overrun, with little hope of recovery. But in this campaign, while they have suffered disastrously from refugee invasions, their innovation has in fact made them able to rebound dramatically, catapulting them into a level of political and social power rarely seen. As the creators of a technology that is capable of reversing the fortunes of those living in this world, they control the largest and arguably the safest sections of open land in the world of Highpoint. They also control the most city mechs; the five city mechs of Nedderpik, Durgen lok, Lokag, Thuron, and Goria form the core of their military might, as well as the centers of their political power. Together with Duerok, arguably the core of Dwarven civilization that remains underground, these five city mechs form the Stenian Confederacy. Elves: The Elves have their part in this world as well, but their role is in fact emotionally similar to that of the Elves in The Lord of the Rings – that their time is passing and their way of life all but gone. This theme is more nihilistically represented in DragonMech for, unlike in Tolkien's work, these Elves have nowhere to go. Rather than their powers fading from them, instead their homelands have been shattered and ruined by the Lunar Rain, their ancestral homelands and forests all but eradicated. All that remains are a few animated mechs serving as repositories for hastily salvaged elven libraries, and the sole Elven City Mech (not to mention the single most powerful construction in Highpoint) known as Tannanliel. Tannanliel cannot be adequately explained without first describing Tannan himself, for it was formed by a pact between the archmage Tannan and the overwhelmed native deities. As a result, its awesome might is being powered by a constant drain on Tannan's life force, costing him roughly a year of his life for each week he operates it. Although he is an elf, with an elf's life span, he still remains mortal, and his time is rapidly running out. The L'arile Nation, last hope of the elves, rests on Tannanliel, which itself is dependent on Tannan himself. Tannan has kept the knowledge of the city mech's price to himself, a fact that is costing him dearly on a personal level. The tragic error of Tannanliel is that all of the remaining real power of the Elves resides in its single form; and that single form can only be one place at a time. While it remains a mighty protector it is incapable of prosecuting the total war needed to drive back and destroy the lunar invaders, and though none are aware of it, all the lunar invaders need do to eliminate it is to wait for Tannan to die. Humans: The rising power of Highpoint, the Legion is headed by a single, massively charismatic figure by the name of Shar Thizdic. Through his personal magnetism and shrewd political maneuverings he united the scattered nomadic humans of the plains to form a powerful nation that is solely for humans. Through the forced labor of enslaved dwarven coglayers, he created the first of two citymechs currently operative, known as Rebirth. Whether the result of shoddy construction, or deliberate sabotage (referred to by its believers as the One Flaw), Rebirth was something of a disaster. Plagued with failures and poor efficiency on a daily basis, Rebirth remains a citymech, and is still a powerful force in its own right. As the first human Citymech, Shar Thizdic seats himself as ruler here, a symbolic gesture of leadership. Because of its problems, Rebirth is generally acknowledged to be the weakest of all existing citymechs, and was originally discounted by dwarves and elves alike. But human engineers, learning from their work assisting the captured dwarves, and from their own works afterward, have caused an uproar amongst the other nations, with their subsequent construction of the second human citymech, Haven. Haven is a significant improvement over Rebirth, and a massive undertaking whose scale is greater than all other citymechs save Tannanliel itself. Already it has proven its power in battles against lunar monstrosities including the terrifyingly powerful lunar dragons, and some doubt has been assayed over the outcome of any battles between it and one of the dwarven citymechs. But the real panic being levelled against the human nation is that Shar Thizdic has plans for five more citymechs. Many in Highpoint are wondering what power the human nations will wield by the time the final citymech has been built, and support is growing amongst both elves and dwarves to deal with the Legion in general, and Shar Thizdic in specific, on a permanent basis. Their mistrust and paranoia are in fact founded on good reason. Shar Thizdic is very much prohuman, a stance caused by the fend for yourself mentality that gripped the races during the early parts of the lunar rain. He holds no actual malicious intent against elves, gnomes, and dwarves, but because they did not compassionately aid humans during the early, and most intense, part of the crisis when the plains nomads humans had no shelter at all, he does not aid them, and if he builds his five more city mechs like he plans to, they each will need a substantial territory to roam—territory which is held by the elves and the dwarves. Non humans are third class citizens in Legion territory, and are never permitted aboard Legion citymechs. His habit of casual betrayal, enslavement, and murder however well he has managed to hide most of the proof may well be the downfall of the only hope that humans in highpoint truly have, should the other races of Highpoint decide to finally take action and eliminate him as a threat for once and all.
Люди: Восходящая сила Хайпоинта, Легион, возглавляется одним, невероятно харизматичным лидером по имени Шар Тиздик. Благодаря своей личной притягательности и умелым политическим маневрам он объединил разрозненные кочевые племена людей равнин, чтобы создать могущественную нацию, предназначенную исключительно для людей. Используя принудительный труд порабощенных гномьих шестеренщиков, он создал первый из двух функционирующих в настоящее время Город-мехов, известный как Возрождение. Независимо от того, является ли это результатом некачественной конструкции или преднамеренного саботажа (который его последователи называют "Единственным дефектом"), Возрождение оказалось катастрофой. Постоянно страдая от поломок и низкой эффективности, Возрождение остается Город-мехом и все еще является мощной силой. Шар Тиздик, как правитель первого человеческого Город-меха, символически демонстрирует свое лидерство. Из-за своих проблем Возрождение обычно признается самым слабым из всех существующих Город-мехов, и изначально было недооценено как гномами, так и эльфами. Но человеческие инженеры, перенимая опыт, полученный при помощи захваченных гномов, и в своей последующей работе, вызвали переполох среди других наций, построив второй человеческий Город-мех, Гавань. Гавань – значительное улучшение по сравнению с Возрождением, и масштабное предприятие, превосходящее по своим размерам все остальные Город-мехи, за исключением самого Таннанлиэля. Уже сейчас он продемонстрировал свою мощь в битвах против лунных чудовищ, включая ужасающе сильных лунных драконов, и некоторые сомневаются в исходе любых сражений между ним и одним из гномьих Город-мехов. Но настоящая паника, направленная против человеческой нации, заключается в том, что Шар Тиздик планирует построить еще пять Город-мехов. Многие в Хайпойнте задаются вопросом, какой властью будут обладать человеческие нации, когда будет построен последний Город-мех, и поддержка идеи разобраться с Легионом в целом и Шаром Тиздиком в частности растет как среди эльфов, так и среди гномов. Их недоверие и паранойя имеют под собой веские основания. Шар Тиздик яростно поддерживает людей, позиция, обусловленная принципом "каждый за себя", который охватил расы во время ранних этапов Лунного дождя. Он не испытывает злобы к эльфам, гномам и гномам, но поскольку они не оказали сострадания людям во время ранней и самой острой фазы кризиса, когда кочевые племена людей на равнинах не имели никакого укрытия, он не помогает им, и если он построит свои пять дополнительных Город-мехов, как он планирует, каждому из них потребуется значительная территория для перемещения – территория, принадлежащая эльфам и гномам. Нелюди являются гражданами второго сорта на территории Легиона и никогда не допускаются на борт Город-мехов Легиона. Его привычка к случайным предательствам, порабощению и убийствам, хотя ему и удалось скрыть большинство доказательств, вполне может стать причиной гибели единственной надежды людей в Хайпойнте, если другие расы Хайпоинта решат наконец принять меры и устранить его как угрозу раз и навсегда.
While in many d20 campaigns, there are inevitable tensions between the races, in DragonMech these tensions are magnified to levels of almost xenophobia. One of the defining characteristics of this setting is then it is NOT humanocentric; the single most successful and powerful core race of the planet is in fact the Dwarves. Dwarves: Many other campaigns characterize the dwarves as a dying breed, a race for whom many of their ancient and legendary strongholds have been overrun, with little hope of recovery. But in this campaign, while they have suffered disastrously from refugee invasions, their innovation has in fact made them able to rebound dramatically, catapulting them into a level of political and social power rarely seen. As the creators of a technology that is capable of reversing the fortunes of those living in this world, they control the largest and arguably the safest sections of open land in the world of Highpoint. They also control the most city mechs; the five city mechs of Nedderpik, Durgen lok, Lokag, Thuron, and Goria form the core of their military might, as well as the centers of their political power. Together with Duerok, arguably the core of Dwarven civilization that remains underground, these five city mechs form the Stenian Confederacy. Elves: The Elves have their part in this world as well, but their role is in fact emotionally similar to that of the Elves in The Lord of the Rings – that their time is passing and their way of life all but gone. This theme is more nihilistically represented in DragonMech for, unlike in Tolkien's work, these Elves have nowhere to go. Rather than their powers fading from them, instead their homelands have been shattered and ruined by the Lunar Rain, their ancestral homelands and forests all but eradicated. All that remains are a few animated mechs serving as repositories for hastily salvaged elven libraries, and the sole Elven City Mech (not to mention the single most powerful construction in Highpoint) known as Tannanliel. Tannanliel cannot be adequately explained without first describing Tannan himself, for it was formed by a pact between the archmage Tannan and the overwhelmed native deities. As a result, its awesome might is being powered by a constant drain on Tannan's life force, costing him roughly a year of his life for each week he operates it. Although he is an elf, with an elf's life span, he still remains mortal, and his time is rapidly running out. The L'arile Nation, last hope of the elves, rests on Tannanliel, which itself is dependent on Tannan himself. Tannan has kept the knowledge of the city mech's price to himself, a fact that is costing him dearly on a personal level. The tragic error of Tannanliel is that all of the remaining real power of the Elves resides in its single form; and that single form can only be one place at a time. While it remains a mighty protector it is incapable of prosecuting the total war needed to drive back and destroy the lunar invaders, and though none are aware of it, all the lunar invaders need do to eliminate it is to wait for Tannan to die. Humans: The rising power of Highpoint, the Legion is headed by a single, massively charismatic figure by the name of Shar Thizdic. Through his personal magnetism and shrewd political maneuverings he united the scattered nomadic humans of the plains to form a powerful nation that is solely for humans. Through the forced labor of enslaved dwarven coglayers, he created the first of two citymechs currently operative, known as Rebirth. Whether the result of shoddy construction, or deliberate sabotage (referred to by its believers as the One Flaw), Rebirth was something of a disaster. Plagued with failures and poor efficiency on a daily basis, Rebirth remains a citymech, and is still a powerful force in its own right. As the first human Citymech, Shar Thizdic seats himself as ruler here, a symbolic gesture of leadership. Because of its problems, Rebirth is generally acknowledged to be the weakest of all existing citymechs, and was originally discounted by dwarves and elves alike. But human engineers, learning from their work assisting the captured dwarves, and from their own works afterward, have caused an uproar amongst the other nations, with their subsequent construction of the second human citymech, Haven. Haven is a significant improvement over Rebirth, and a massive undertaking whose scale is greater than all other citymechs save Tannanliel itself. Already it has proven its power in battles against lunar monstrosities including the terrifyingly powerful lunar dragons, and some doubt has been assayed over the outcome of any battles between it and one of the dwarven citymechs. But the real panic being levelled against the human nation is that Shar Thizdic has plans for five more citymechs. Many in Highpoint are wondering what power the human nations will wield by the time the final citymech has been built, and support is growing amongst both elves and dwarves to deal with the Legion in general, and Shar Thizdic in specific, on a permanent basis. Their mistrust and paranoia are in fact founded on good reason. Shar Thizdic is very much prohuman, a stance caused by the fend for yourself mentality that gripped the races during the early parts of the lunar rain. He holds no actual malicious intent against elves, gnomes, and dwarves, but because they did not compassionately aid humans during the early, and most intense, part of the crisis when the plains nomads humans had no shelter at all, he does not aid them, and if he builds his five more city mechs like he plans to, they each will need a substantial territory to roam—territory which is held by the elves and the dwarves. Non humans are third class citizens in Legion territory, and are never permitted aboard Legion citymechs. His habit of casual betrayal, enslavement, and murder however well he has managed to hide most of the proof may well be the downfall of the only hope that humans in highpoint truly have, should the other races of Highpoint decide to finally take action and eliminate him as a threat for once and all.
Боги
Богов Драгомеха можно сравнить с божествами в других сеттингах, но есть несколько существенных отличий. Во-первых, эти божества медленно проигрывают войну лунным богам. Непривычные к сотрудничеству, они серьезно уступают объединенному фронту богов лунных монстров. Но есть луч надежды – новое божество, стремительно набирающее силу и сознание, известное как Дотрак. Черпая силу из растущей веры в машины, Дотрак проявляет себя через случайную анимацию разбросанных куч механизмов, спонтанное превращение людей в механических пророков и даже обращение друидов в хранителей машинных рощ. Если Дотрак обретет полную божественную силу и присоединится к борьбе с лунными богами, ход сражения кардинально изменится. Однако Дотрак – это пока что бесформенная сила, лишенная личности, целей и настоящего разума. Не все, кто отвергает старых богов, поклоняются Дотраку. Многие коглейеры и пароборги видят в нем создателя и строителя Великого Механизма Вселенной – силу, которой не нужно, чтобы о ней думали, достаточно, чтобы думали.
Dragonmech deities are similar to those in other campaign settings, with only a few significant differences. First, the deities are slowly losing a war with the Lunar gods. Unaccustomed to working together, they are losing ground badly to the unified front presented by the gods of the lunar monsters. But there is one factor of hope an emergent deity who is rapidly gaining power and consciousness known as Dotrak. Gaining in power from the rapidly blooming faith in machines, Dotrak is making his powers known by the random animation of free roaming gear piles, the spontaneous transformation of persons into mechanical prophets, and even the conversion of druids into caretakers of machine forests. Should Dotrak emerge as a fully empowered deity and join the fight against the lunar gods, the tide of battle will shift drastically. However, Dotrak is a mostly unformed power, with no personality, agenda, or real intelligence—yet. Not all people who reject the old gods worship Dotrak. Many coglayers and steamborgs view him as the designer and builder of the Great Engine of the universe, a power who does not require that mortals think of him, only that they think.
Новые расы
С изменениями в мире возникают новые расы, чтобы занять новые экологические ниши по мере их образования.
With the changes in the world, new races are coming into being to fill new ecological niches as they occur.
Коглы
Дикие полурослики, приспособившиеся к новому миру, коглинги устраивают свои дома, стараясь жить как можно незаметнее в механических лесах самых больших мехов. Хотя они и происходят от полуросликов, они быстро эволюционируют в отдельную, самостоятельную расу. Коглинги построили целое общество, основанное на принципе "Не попасться". Коглинги живут в постоянном страхе быть обнаруженными, что доводит их навыки скрытности и маскировки до совершенства. Они также взялись за профилактическое обслуживание механических лесов, в которых живут, справедливо полагая, что никто не забирается во внутренности самых больших двигателей, если только это не абсолютно необходимо для поиска и устранения неисправности. Поэтому коглинги развили механические способности, чтобы поддерживать механические леса в идеальном состоянии, и многие коглайеры городских мехов хвастаются тем, как мало проблем доставляет их участок двигателей, не подозревая, что бесперебойная работа – заслуга племени коглингов, устраняющих мелкие неполадки до того, как они перерастут в серьезные.
Feral halflings who have adapted to the new world, Coglings make their homes by living as unobtrusively as possible in the gear forests of the largest mechs. Although from halfling stock, they are rapidly evolving to be their own distinct race. Coglings make a whole society based on "Don't get caught." Coglings live in constant fear of discovery, which makes them hone their stealth and hiding skills to perfection. They have also taken up preventative maintenance on the gear forests in which they live, correctly reasoning that no one comes into the dangerous innards of the biggest engines in the world unless they absolutely must enter to locate and fix a problem. Therefore, the Coglings have taken up mechanical aptitude to keep the gear forests in perfect shape—and many are the coglayers of a citymech who brag about how little trouble their section of the engines have given, unaware the smooth operation is due to a tribe of coglings smoothing out small problems before they escalate.
Тик-Токи
Полностью механическая жизнь, Тик'ток напоминают Warforged из Эберрона, но созданы исключительно из технологий, а не магии. Их несовершенные формы из шестеренок и деталей придают им более человеческий вид, чем у Warforged с их тщательно отточенными формами. Тик'ток испытывают эмоции и создают потомство, однако этот процесс сложен и часто заканчивается неудачей, что может оставить глубокие шрамы на долгие годы. Они склонны к почитанию или, по крайней мере, признанию Дотрака, восходящего божества, чья сфера влияния – Машины.
Entirely mechanical life, Tik'toks are reminiscent of the Warforged of the Eberron setting, but made entirely from technology rather than magic. Their imperfect forms of gears and parts make them seem more human than warforged with their carefully sculpted forms. Tik'toks have emotions and build their own children, but the process is difficult and prone to failure, a consequence that can scar them for many years. They tend towards the reverence or at least acknowledgement of Dotrak, an emergent Deity whose demesne is Machines.
Тортоги
Рептилоиды, гуманоиды, похожие на черепах, чьи тяжелые панцири и бронированная кожа защищают их от всего, кроме самых сильных осадков лунного дождя. Они сделали эту защиту основой расового промысла – торговли. Их общество причудливо, но известно, что они придают большое значение снам и видениям, что является странностью, учитывая их в целом развитый уровень.
Reptilian, tortoise like humanoids whose heavy shells and armored hide protect them from all but the worst of the lunar rain. They have turned this protection into a racial profession of trading. Their society is strange, but it has been shown to place importance on dreams and visions, a peculiarity given they are otherwise fairly sophisticated.
Слэтем
Слэтемы – это рыбоподобные гуманоиды, которые одинаково хорошо существуют как в воде, так и на суше. Лунный дождь не оказал на слэтемов существенного влияния. Некоторые из их городов и поселений на часть года оказываются под водой из-за огромных сезонных приливов, характерных для Хайпойнта. Сезоны зимы и лета приводят к более интенсивному таянию и замерзанию полярных ледяных шапок, чем на Земле, поэтому сезоны на Хайпойнте называются периодом высоких вод и периодом низких вод. Усиление приливных эффектов из-за Луны лишь усугубляет эту проблему.
The slathem are fish like humanoids who exist equally well both in and out of the water. The slathem have not been too terribly affected by the lunar rain. Certain of their towns and cities are underwater for part of the year, because of the immense seasonal tides characteristic of Highpoint. The winter/summer seasons result in more polar ice cap melting/freezing than on earth, so the Highpoint seasons are labeled Highwater and Lowwater. Increased tidal effects due to the moon only amplify this problem.
Зулепы
Воинственные гуманоидные лептоцератопсы. Их философия заключается в том, что сила – это возможность получить желаемое без каких-либо компромиссов, и поэтому они считают торговлю признаком слабости. Однако они не могут достичь всего лишь посредством набегов, поэтому вынуждены торговать с другими расами, но из-за своей гордости участвуют в ритуальном поединке со своими торговыми партнерами. Этот ритуальный поединок крайне серьезен: он заканчивается только тогда, когда кто-то погибает в бою.
Warriorlike humanoid leptoceratopses. They philosophy is that strength is, when you can get what your want without any compromise, and therefore they see trading as a sign of weakness. However, they cannot get everything with raiding, so they are forced to trade with other races, but because of their perceived pride, they take part in a ritual fight with their merchant partners. This ritual fight is indeed very serious: it ends only, if somebody lost his life in the battle.
Мехи
Большинство мехов в Dragonmech работают на пару. Это общепринятые стандарты и второй по стоимости вид мехов. Различные типы мехов следующие:
Most mechs in Dragonmech are powered by steam. They are the widely accepted standards, and the second cheapest kind of mech around. The different kinds of mech are as follows:
Мехи с ручным приводом – Эти мехи приводятся в движение рабами, вращающими рукоятки и приводящими в действие ремни для поддержания работы меха. Особенно популярны среди орков, которые используют их как основной тип мехов. Самые дешевые из всех. Паровые мехи – Используя паровые двигатели, эти мехи требуют большого количества топлива для работы. По соотношению цены и эффективности они лучше всего подходят для армий. Первый тип мехов, созданный в последнее время. Мехи с часовым механизмом – Работающие на тонкой механике, эти мехи могут обеспечивать себя энергией, требуя подзарядки лишь раз в неделю. Это один из самых эффективных типов мехов. Мехи нежити – Эти редкие мехи создаются из мертвых тел и оживляются могущественными некромантами. Анимированные мехи – Особый вид големов, используемых аналогично мехам. Предпочтительны для эльфов. Они чрезвычайно эффективны, но и невероятно дороги.
Man powered Mechs These are powered by slaves turning cranks and pedalling belts to keep the mech going. Favored among orcs, who use this as their primary mechs. Cheapest by far. Steam Mechs Using steam engines, these mechs require great amounts of fuel to keep running. They are, price and effectiveness considered, the mechs best suited for armies. The first kind of mechs constructed in recent times. Clockwork Mechs Operating on fine mechanics, this mech can support itself with power, only needing a recharge about once a week. It is one of the most effective mech designs around. Undead Mechs These rare mechs are constructed from dead bodies and animated by great necromancers. Animated Mechs A special kind of golem used similar to mechs. Favored among elves. They are extremely effective, but also enormously expensive.
Покрытие из коглайера
Коглайер – механик и специалист по паровым механизмам. Они используют энергию пара для создания технологического оружия, устройств и улучшения механизмов.
The coglayer is a mech and steam mechanic. They use steam powers to create technological weapons, devices, and to augment mechs.
Паровые мощности
Силы Пара наделяют Коглайеров способностями, выходящими за рамки создания Мехов. Эти модульные силы можно комбинировать для создания сложных эффектов. Силы Пары можно объединять с существующим оружием, таким как арбалеты, мечи или паровые ружья, чтобы создавать автоматизированное оружие, или использовать как самостоятельные эффекты, например, устройства для допросов или паровые нежить, такие как мясные стеллажи и дымящиеся мертвецы.
Steam Powers give the Coglayer abilities beyond Mech construction. These modular powers can be combined in order to create complex effects. Steam Powers can be combined with existing weapons such as crossbows, swords, or steamguns to create automated weapons, or stand alone effects such as interrogation devices or steam powered undead, such as meat racks and smoking dead.
Мех-жокей
Мех-жокей – непревзойденный пилот меха. Посвятив все свое время тренировкам с мехами, они обладают невероятным мастерством пилотирования и умеют точно определять пределы возможностей меха, чтобы знать, насколько можно его нагрузить.
The Mech Jockey is the ultimate mech pilot. Spending all their time training with mechs, they have incredible piloting skill and can skillfully gauge the limits of a mech so they know exactly how far they can push it.
Пароход
Стимборг – это гибрид человека и технологий. Благодаря хирургически имплантированному паровому двигателю, стимборг использует силу пара и искусственные конечности для усиления своих возможностей. Кроме того, Mark 2 Стимборг, второе поколение, немного жертвует множеством функций оригинальной модели в пользу значительно большей универсальности. Считается, что он даже более опасен, чем обычные стимборги, и, по-видимому, предвещает непрерывную эволюцию стимборгов, пока плоть и кровь не утратят свою актуальность.
The steamborg is a hybrid of man and technology. With a steam engine surgically implanted into his body, the steamborg uses steam powers and artificial limbs to augment himself. Also, the Mark 2 Steamborg, the second generation, trades the vast number of features of the fixed Steamborg slightly for a far greater degree of versatility. Considered to be even more alarming than regular steamborgs, seemingly heralds the constant evolution of the Steamborg until flesh and blood become obsolete.
Часовой Рейнджер
Судя по рейнджеру, Рейнджеры-Часовой механизм живут в недрах самих городских мехов. Эти регионы называются Шестерёнчатыми лесами – огромными машинными залами, которые развили собственную уникальную экологию.
Based on the ranger, the Clockwork Rangers live in the bowels of the city mechs themselves. These regions are called Gear Forests, vast engine rooms that have developed their own unique ecology.
Престижные классы
Существует множество престижных классов, представляющих дальнейшую специализацию в сеттинге Dragonmech, многие из которых описаны в Steam Warriors. Как и следовало ожидать, многие из этих классов связаны с мехами и фокусируются либо на пилотировании меха (например, грозные Меховые Дьяволы), либо на борьбе с мехами (например, Анклебитер), а два класса (Ассимилированный и Меховой Симбиот) посвящены тому, чтобы стать частью меха. Некоторые другие классы предполагают особую специализацию или использование технологий, которые могут включать их сочетание с магией. Наконец, существует множество классов, основанных на концепции Steamborg. Они столь же разнообразны, как и Некроборг (нежить, приводимая в движение паровым двигателем), Лунарборг (физиология которого изменяется за счет сжигания вещества в его двигателе), Цепномускул (который обретает огромную физическую стойкость, улучшения боевых навыков и повышенные характеристики по мере замены всё большей части своего тела) и Призрачное Снаряжение (которое объединяет Steamborg с убийственной скрытностью). Есть даже Разборг, который, пройдя столь долгий путь Steamborg, добровольно отказывается от трансформации и начинает возвращать себе человечность.
There are many prestige classes that represent further specialization into the setting of Dragonmech, many of them presented in Steam Warriors. As can be expected, many of the prestige classes involve mechs and these focus around either piloting a mech (such as the feared Mech Devils), fighting a mech (such as the Anklebiter), and two classes (Assimilated and Mech Symbiote) revolve around becoming a part of a mech. Some other classes involve special focus on or uses of technology, which can include combining it with magic. Finally, there are many classes based around the Steamborg concept. These are as varied as the Necroborg (undead and powered by a steam engine), the Lunarborg (whose physiology is being altered by burning a substance in their engine), the Chainmuscle (who gains great physical toughness, improvements to their combat ability, and improved attributes as they replace more of their body), and the Ghostgear (who combines the steamborg with lethal stealth). There is even the Unborg, who, after going so far down the path of steamborg, voluntarily rejects the transformation and begins to regain their humanity.