Establishing Horror

So anyone that has been paying any amount of attention is probably aware that Vathak is a horror setting. Unfortunately, that doesn't really tell anyone a whole lot of anything. Horror is like most other genres, in that it encompasses dozens of other stories and styles under that single unifying umbrella. And while Vathak is a great place for most of these types of horror, a quick comparison can be made to Pathfinder RPG's Golarion. Although (almost?) every fantasy RPG trope can be found in Golarion, each individual nation generally focuses on one particular style. (The shadowy Ustalav being Golarion's version of horror-land.)

"Horror" adventure set piece exhibit A

In Vathak, the various nations and regions each have a particular brand of horror they're best suited to. Landon has a great discussion on these different elements of horror and the forms they might take over on the official Fat Goblin Games blog.

Instead of retreading that same ground, I wanted to talk a bit about the different levels of horror. Whether you'd exploring the traditions of gothic horror or creeping everyone out with body horror, one cannot simply just straight to the hit points and baddie-smashing. There's nothing horrific about that. It's just another day in murderhoboton, where greatswords solve all problems.

The first element of horror, in my own humble opinion, is establishing a sense of unease. And achieving this also requires some sense of what "normal" is. Technically speaking these are problem two different elements, but they go hand in hand.

For instance, my lycanthropic paladin has returned to his hometown after two decades of separation. The town has changed since then, and certainly not for the better. There's not a whole lot of need to establish normalcy, since he's already shared a bit of backstory about the town. On the road I detail a few more memories--people and places he would have remembered and might still be around.

It is the subversion of the mundane that makes unease so powerful.

What horrors might happen here that would not in Exhibit A?

But once the PCs arrive, something is immediately wrong. A not-so-subtle ominous cloud hangs over the town and murders of crows perch upon dreary homes. Open, unguarded gates lead into the empty streets of the city, where flickering lamplight reveals a trio of heavily armed svirfneblin dragging a laden cart. With a crack of thunder, the birds descend upon the locals and the PCs must rush to intervene (successfully, at that). The cart is occupied by a pair of bodies, the newest of which my paladin recognizes as the local herbalist and healer.

Something is very wrong with this town, and now the PCs are in the thick of it.

A Glimpse of Vathak's Heroes

Heroism in Vathak is a strange thing.

It's a world of gray morality. It's a world constantly at the brink of war and festering in its own corruption. It's a world where every ally one might find is flawed. A paladin of the One True God might smite down an aberration in the same moment he looks upon non-humans he is protecting with unadulterated contempt. Adherents to strange, shadowy cults follow esoteric rituals they cannot truly comprehend in feeble attempts to get a hold of their own lives.

The existential dread of something far, far greater than humanity and civilization and even sanity drives even the most pure of heart to their limits.

 "I can probably fix this."

This is no different for my players, who are perhaps among the most evil non-evil PCs I've ever had the pleasure of running a game for. From the paladin with an increasingly worrying lycanthropy problem to the sometimes-racist gunslinger (whose distrust of non-humans is rooted in childhood trauma--but still pretty awful), to the necromancer who would rather rule over the undead himself than let them be dominated by something worse, and a dhampir who cannot escape the malevolent forces that have a hold on his bloodline.

Flawed heroes are not unique to Vathak, but something about this group has truly endeared me to the setting. They are as broken as the people they try to help. They are not paragons of good that can save the world--if such a grand scheme is even possible. They, like so many others, are simply trying the best they can. Making mistakes along the way.

In that vein, I wanted to tackle the iconic heroes of Vathak's unique classes. So I present my take on the iconic soldier, a variant fighter that masters teamwork feats and cooperative combat to take down dangers three times her size with the aid of her allies. But as is the nature with war, this soldier is no hero. She is relentless and merciless. Retired from the frontline of the war against the Old Ones, she now works for the highest bidder and goes wherever the coin leads her. More often than not, she now employs her mighty longhammer against her own people. Corrupt officials pay heavy fees to direct her against political rivals. Others hire her as extra muscle for their illicit, back-alley dealings. Others still use her to remove troublesome parties without the social fallout. The blood on her hands runs deeper than Vathak's greatest rivers.

Perhaps The Soldier will become an ally in your game. Or maybe a rival trying to beat the PCs to a quick bounty. Or, perhaps, the PCs have made one too many enemies... and now this soldier needs to silence them before they have another chance to play "hero."

 Rick's awesome art of Vathak's soldier poorly cropped by myself.
 Pick up the Player's Guide for more of this stuff!

Vathak's Soldier Iconic CR 7

Female romni soldier 7 XP 3,200

N Medium humanoid (human)

Init +7; Senses Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 21; touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex)

hp 64 (7d10+21)

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee +2 lord's hammer +15/+10 (1d12+9) or +1 romni crescent sword +12/+7 (1d6+5/19-20) or mwk dagger +12/+7 (1d4+4/19-20)

Ranged mwk flintlock pistol +11 (1d8/x4) or mwk dagger +11 (1d4+4/19-20)

Special Attacks weapon training (hammers +1)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 13

Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 24

Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (lord's hammer), Power Attack, Iron Will, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still, Vital Strike, Furious Focus^APG

Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +8, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Ride +11, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Handle Animal, +2 Ride

Languages Common, Sylvan

SQ armor training 2, drilled teamwork, flexible weapon training, infantry training (Power Attack), regiment (infantry), weapon flexibility (typically lord's hammer)

Combat Gear +1 aberration bane bullets (2), potions of bear's endurance (2), potion of cat's grace, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of darkvision, potion of fly; Other Gear +2 lord's hammer, +1 romni crescent sword, mwk daggers (3), mwk flintlock pistol with 10 lead bullets, +1 breastplate, belt of giant strength +2, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, flintlock tinder lighter, powder horn (10 doses), backpack, bedroll, 91 gp

  

^{APG This feat can be found in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide.}

^{(Stuff that looks unfamiliar is probably from Shadows over Vathak: Player's Guide to Vathak. Shouldn't you have this by now?)}

Within the Walls of Eisin'dorf

After a few successful adventures across Vathak, my players wanted a place to take their [ill-gotten] goods and purchase new supplies. They had gained a few levels and were now moderately capable individuals that deserved a proper look at the world beyond the small city they started in. It was time to visit the bustling metropolis of Eisin'dorf!

 Above the streets of Eisin'dorf, courtesy of the Fat Goblin Art Patreon!

As the capital city of Grigoria, the Eisin'dorf I envisioned is one that proudly declares itself the greatest city of Vathak. Whether or not this is true, it is the heart of an empire that stretches an impressive distance and has (so far) held back impossible foes. So I wanted Eisin'dorf to be a place that told that tale from a glance alone. A city that told stories of the broader threats to Vathak that might not be Lovecraftian horrors, but the people themselves.

My players weren't going to stay in the capital long--just long enough to do some business and resupply before heading off to take care of a pressing lycanthropy problem. Which meant I had only a bit to try and establish a few key elements of the city. I drew up a map (I am not good at this) that I thought highlighted some of these elements and drafted a quick side-trek that might involve a few different factions and loyalties around the city. It wasn't much, but it was supposed to introduce them to four different groups that I felt told part of the story of not just Vathak as a whole, but the unique culture the capital cultivates.

This is why I don't get paid to draw stuff.

The Military: The city is highly militarized and extraordinarily fortified. Built in the mountains where no city has any right to stand, it relies heavily upon vindari technical ingenuity. A great dam blocks the flow of a mountain stream, creating a massive lake from which the city can pull its clean water. A pair of massive fortresses oversee the valley before the gates, with rows of bombards looking down upon any that approach. Soldiers are respected, regardless of rank, as they are essential in keeping the city safe from the things that yet lurk in the mountains. As happens to any given too much power, however, the soldiers of Eisin'dorf can be haughty and troublesome. Some push for new offensives, while others play the politico to gain new power for their own regiment or their hometowns across the continent.

The Crown: The Church of the One True God controls a lot of Vathak with a theocratic dominance that actively seeks out and prevents "heresy" in whatever form it might take. But in Eisin'dorf, the Crown remains the primary authority. This is not to say that the OTG is not revered, but things that may not fly in other cities are allowed to persist by the blessing of the king. One might see romni caravans actively discussing the Court of Signs, svirfneblin speaking to ghostly ancestors, and cults of various religious orders meeting in dark alleyways. This means that Eisin'dorf has a problem with cultists and other secret organizations, if only because the king does not approve of unadulterated slaughter of citizens under his direct protection. The Crown scrambles to hold onto its power, not wishing to cede any more of its control to the Church of the OTG--no matter how "faithful" he might be.

The Republic: One of the factions I added to the city that has no bearing in Vathak lore is a small minority of political activists lobbying for some measure of control in the world. Left feeling helpless against a world of evils incomprehensible to them and being instructed left and right by Crown and Konig alike, these average folks have felt like their own willpower has been stripped away. They do not wish to overthrow the king (for such talk would surely end in their execution) but rather to create a system to advise him that takes the will of his people--whatever size or shape they might be--into account. But their organization is not all good, democratic souls. Anarchists and rabble-rousers use the banner of this faction to riot through the streets. With greater numbers of commoners than guards, even in this highly militarized city, it would not take much to overturn the city and throw it into complete chaos. Thieves that act under the guise of "justice for all" mar the public face of these hopeful individualists.

The Cults: This isn't so much one faction as a catch-all for divergent thought and the shapes it might take. These cults need not even be based in religion or the Old Ones. The common factor is their secrecy and their (typically violent) response to the world beyond their walls. For my game, the side-trek took the PCs into the depths of the Eisin'dorf's sewers, to the border where the overworld and the dangerous underworld of the Filth Reaches met. Here an orphaned cambion, abandoned by her noble parentage for her disfigured, corrupted appearance, had begun building a cult of personality around herself. Sharing her corruption with true-blooded vindari, she believed that only embracing Vathak's corruption could bring true security to Eisin'dorf. And with a dozen newly created half-cambions enthralled by her mesmerist powers, she had begun to grow increasingly bold. She would twist others into an image of her "perfect" form--or see them executed. Was she influenced by the Old Ones, or just a mad woman? Are cambions truly the evolution of humanity in a world assaulted by the Old Ones? Or perhaps it was all nothing but a ruse, one that enabled her to sate her own narcissism and hunger for power--reclaiming a title she deserved by birth but was denied by blood?

But that is just one such corruption festering beneath the surface of [my version of] Eisin'dorf. What lurks in the heart of yours?

Weeks Late and Several Dollars Short

So thanks to sickness and more, this post is not one but three weeks late. I apologize to anyone that actually cared enough to read these things.

Getting back to my adventures in Vathak, I wanted to talk a little bit about scale and pacing. Vathak doesn't look it at first glance, but it's frickin' huge. The continent is intended to be roughly the same size as North America, making the vast empire that Grigoria has managed to acquire a seriously impressive accomplishment.

Now, part of this is due to the fact the map of Vathak lacks a scale. I believe (I am not in charge of anything, so this is just my personal understanding of the decision) the map was left without a scale to better accommodate dropping Vathak into GMs' games. Vathak can be as big or as small as you need it to be, since only the major cities are on it.

In trying to stay as canon as possible, I've kept Vathak big. Really big. And the scale of just getting across Grigoria was staggering to my players. It would take two to three weeks to move from the foothills of the Gray Peaks to the capital of Grigoria. They would need to deal with the trackless hills and windy highlands between the two mountain ranges, all while keeping supplied with food and water and making sure the cart they'd loaded full with ill-gotten-goods (as any good adventurer's goods should be) survived the journey.

This could have been a quick pan-and-skip to the city, but I wanted to highlight some of the more mundane aspects of Vathak. They'd just come off the bloody halls of the Sanguine Laboratory, revived their friend from the dead, and made a new necromancer ally... so showing off some parts of Vathak that didn't involve murder cults or vampire lords seemed a nice change.

Enter the town of Verdenalder, a simple hamlet of no more than one hundred souls. They knew little of the war with the Old Ones, knowing only that some of the young men had journeyed off to Eisin'dorf to join the army. They had little to provide the players, offering only a place to keep warm in the village's Common Hall. Their most powerful residents paled in comparison to the players, but they showed not a glimmer of the same world-weary troubles as the adventurers. In Verdenalder, the sun shone high over great fields of grains and the troubles of Vathak were distant.

A lovely sampling of Vathak's more homely folk, thanks to Rick's Patreon.

Within the week the PCs would find themselves struggling to navigate their cart over a half-flooded bridge in the midst of a storm. But, for a brief moment, they got to experience a calm and peaceful Vathak. One that was not mired in the gray morality of the Church's actions, nor the grim reality of an endless, unwinnable war. They could see priests sans political motivations, and cambions living (mostly) free of the discrimination they might face elsewhere, getting along just like everyone else.

And sometimes, especially in Vathak, that is just fine.