21 posts / 0 new
Last post
The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Author's Note: I'll change the format as needed, add things, correct things, so on, so on--again, as needed. If you have any suggestions for NPCs or what not, feel free to post them here. I'll also add a plothook section later on. This is the basic first draft; subject to change, blah blah blah. Questions? Problems? Raging, relentless, flesh-scorching criticism? UNLEASH THEM HERE. D:

MIRAGE
City of Mirrors and Secrets

"%@$#-ing doppelgangers. Lots and lots of %@$#-ing doppelgangers."
-Arcadia Snips, when asked what to expect in Mirage


Overview

The city of Mirage is never the same place twice.

For the penitent priest, it may be a place where the Powers are shown for what they are--petty, bickering, squabbling children. For the fanatical Athar, it may be a place where the Gods are shown for what they represent--the hopes and dreams of people made manifest. For the ruthless killer, it may be where kindness can be rekindled; for the compassionate heart, it may be where everything they love will be washed away.

It's said that Mirage is, by nature, reflective. A visitor will find only what they have brought with them--the city reflects their inner turmoil back upon them, often inspiring change. The city's chief exports are self-doubt and personal epiphanies (and mirrors--but more on that later).

Despite it's spiritual slant, Mirage is often seen as overtly materialistic by its critics; the doppelgangers (who function as the city's administrators) treat personal epiphany and self-doubt as if they were products to be packaged and sold. Nevertheless, no one can question their unceasing dedication to the task of attacking the preconceptions of anyone who arrives--even those who don't pay to have their core beliefs put under assault rarely leave the city without some new awareness of self or some other subtle change.

"Did I mention the %@$#-ing doppelgangers? I should probably mention the %@$#-ing doppelgangers. There are a lot of %@$#-ing doppelgangers there."
-Arcadia Snips

Located within the first ring of the Outlands, Mirage was at one time a Kamerel city, but was abandoned during the offensive of the rilmani. Since then, a large group of doppelgangers moved into the city, learned the Kamerel language, and began studying the relics and books that the race left behind. It wasn't long before the band of doppelgangers found a way to turn the city into something both profitable and interesting--and adapted a portion of the Kamerel mirror-magic for their own in the process.

Mirage functions as a hub connecting the Rilmani city (Sum-of-All) and the Athar encampment (Refuge) to the rest of the Multiverse. Both Rilmani and Athar will visit the city regularly, purchasing supplies and information that flow into the city by means of its many functioning mirror-portals.

In addition to the trade with the Rilmani and Athar, Mirage has become a general trade-hub for several different hard-to-reach places in the Multiverse thanks to its reliance upon the ancient Kamerel mirror-portals. As doppelganger mirror-mages work to reactivate some of the more difficult portals, Mirage becomes connected to even more remote locations in the Planes. Because of this, Mirage has gained notoriety as a place where one can buy very extravagant and rare items; its markets are said to be unrivaled both in quality and price.

But Mirage's biggest market (aside from self-doubt and epiphanies) is for its mirrors. During their desperate retreat, the Kamerel left behind many relics, including several different types of magical and non-magical mirrors of exceptional quality. The doppelgangers have recovered many of these mirrors and rediscovered the process used in their creation. By putting these techniques into use, the mirror-makers in Mirage have established themselves as some of the best throughout the Planes.

"Seriously, though. %@$#-ing doppelgangers."
-Arcadia Snips


Description

Built in, around, and on top of an ancient Kamerel city, Mirage is a compilation of elegant gothic structures with clumsy additions tacked on. Many of the streets are crowded by recent arrivals and vendors trying to hock their wares, with most of the original Kamerel buildings all ready taken up by rich merchants, craftsmen, or doppelgangers. The city is relatively clean and surprisingly orderly; someone will try to make trouble every so often, but the mercenary force (full of ill-bred bashers) makes short work of them. The fact that it's so close to the Spire that high-end magic is all but impossible just makes the mercenaries' job all that easier.

Portions of the city are still buried beneath rubble and ash left over from the previous Rilmani attack. Tents filled with doppelgangers sorting through the wreckage for useful artifacts, relics, and books is a fairly common sight; in addition, the doppelgangers have blocked off portions of the city that might contain potent Kamerel magic ("for the safety of the citizens," they claim), paying mercenaries to regularly patrol and keep the area abandoned until they can move in and thoroughly search it.


Government

The city of Mirage is run informally by a group of several dozen doppelgangers, most of whom have taken the Lesser Change Shape feat (see below) and Mind Reader feat (see below). Several are also Mirror-Mages, and avidly pursue any information concerning the magic of the Kamerel.

The doppelgangers have a fairly open-door policy in the city, with few laws on the books and order maintained chiefly by an ad-hoc mercenary force funded by a tax on all goods that travel through and out of the mirrors. However, despite their light grip on the citizenry, the doppelgangers are the unquestioned rulers of Mirage--only they know how to operate the mirror-portals, and they will not abide by any competition in their realm of influence. The doppelgangers guard the secrets of mirror-magic with an almost zealous fanaticism.


Places of Note

The Brothel of Infinite Delights: Run by several irrepressible doppelganger actors, this specialty brothel panders to any taste a visitor may have--happily acting out the role of a lost love, a hated adversary, or even the client themselves. It's become immeasurably popular among several Athar, who have taken the opportunity of the Spire's proximity and the doppelgangers' willingness to take up any role to play out some racy fantasies with a God or Goddess they particularly despise.

Eye of the Looking Glass: A notable mirror-shop run by a doppelganger who calls himself (or herself) Mortimer. The mirrors produced by Mortimer are of unsurpassed quality--some even claim that they reflect things too well, and on occasion a person who peeks into one may see something that they were never meant to see at all. Mortimer produces various magical mirrors and ships them out all across the planes; his client-list reads like a regular who's-who of the various Bloods across the Multiverse. However, his true masterpiece is not for sale--he has recently produced a mirror that he refuses to allow anyone to look into, keeping it locked away in the privacy of his room. It's rumored that the mirror has a way of reflecting the dark of a person--a dark so deep that it can easily drive the poor berk barmy. Many of his mirrors were destroyed during the Shattering, but--according to the stories, anyway--not that one.

The Market Quarter: Located on the spireward side of the city, it's here that extravagant and expensive products from all around the Multiverse meet and collide in an open-air market. Vendors from various corners of the Planes arrive in Mirage through the mirror-portals, coming here to sell their wares. The mercenary presence is heavy here, keeping an eye out for clever thieves; there are no protections for unwary buyers, however.

Hall of Reflection: A githzerai monastery located in an isolated portion of the city. Renowned for its study of the self, the inside of the monastery is built entirely of polished steel mirrors--all of which survived the Shattering. Anyone standing inside finds themselves surrounded by countless reflections upon reflections, lost in an indecipherable maze of mirrors. The githzerai believe that by successfully traversing the labyrinth and it's various challenges, one may gain knowledge of the self.

Palace of Broken Glass: Once known as only the Palace, the Palace of Broken Glass attained its 'new' moniker after the events of the Shattering. Owned by an eccentric wealthy wizard who retreated to Mirage after contracting an incurable magical illness that could only be repressed by the Spire's dampening effects, the Palace is filled with a collection of magical artifacts and mirrors, most of which have had their various effects suppressed. Directly before the events of the Shattering, the wizard disappeared and the Palace locked down.

Forbidden Quarter: This wide swathe of rubble is regularly patrolled by doppelganger-funded mercenaries with direct orders to forcibly remove any non-authorized parties from the area. Many Kamerel artifacts and relics remain buried here, with doppelgangers regularly setting up camp to sort through the ruins.


People of Note

Morimin (Doppelganger, CN Wizard 5): A brilliantly deceptive member of the Anarchists who reportedly has gone so deep undercover that he had the Harmonium thinking he was a triple-crossing spy--secretly working for the Harmonium while pretending to be an Anarchist spy working for the Hardheads--when actually he was a quadruple spy. Confused? Don't worry--most of Morimin's deceits are so complex that people need a flow chart to understand them. He's one of the major bloods of Mirage, and regularly oversees access to the mirror-portals and the excavation of Kamerel mirror-magic. He's also still got loose ties to the Anarchists, which explains why he's shipped off to the one place in the Multiverse where divination magics are nearly worth squat--scarcely anyone knows he's here, and he prefers to keep it that way. Morimin's primary joy in life is running the Game: a Plane-spanning role-playing game involving countless numbers of doppelgangers and shapeshifters who all work in concert to manipulate a paying client's sense of reality until they don't know which way is up. Only the most wealthy of clients can afford Morimin's rates, but his success rate is unusually high (he considers completely driving his clients barmy a success). He usually communicates with his various contacts by means of a magic mirror, but since the events of the Shattering, he's in desperate need of a new one.

"A triple-cross is the sure sign of an amateur."
-Morimin, Mirage Official

Arcanum Blackmantle (Human, TN, Wizard 13/Archmage 5): Infected by a terrible curse that's caused his skin to all but rot away, Arcanum Blackmantle has fled to Mirage, where the proximity of the Spire nullifies the flesh-rotting enchantment. Constrained to a wheelchair and wrapped from head to toe in antiseptic-soaked bandages, Arcanum relies upon 1st-level spells (several of his own design) to oversee his day-to-day affairs. He resides in the Palace, an incredibly expensive mansion built with his own considerable funds, where he collects various magical trinkets and thousands of mirrors. Directly before the events of the Shattering, Arcanum disappeared and the Palace went into lockdown. Since the Shattering, all the mirrors in the Palace simultaneously exploded--and no one dared to venture inside for fear of what might have been unleashed.

"Magic corrupts. This is not a polite suggestion. It is not helpful advice. It is not even a dire warning. The best a wizard can hope for is to die happy and young, before their ambition consumes all they love."
-Arcanum Blackmantle, Archmage of Mirage

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Rereading this, it's kind of discordant and weird and I'm not capitalizing on half of the great stuff I could capitalize on (like mirrors revealing images from the past, so on, so on). So definitely consider this a very rough draft--and if anyone's got some suggestions, feel free to throw them out there. That includes setting it up into a different format (I just kind of winged it).

Anyway, for now I'm going to collapse and listen to loud music.

Iavas's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2006-07-12
Mirage

I love it, particularly the part about the Game. I assume you're hinting at the eponymous movie? Because if not, it's quite coincidental and you can find a lot of inspiration for details therein.

A couple of things I find questionable:
1) The mirror aspect of the city has so much room for original architecture that saying it is simply 'gothic with tackons' is a waste of a fine opportunity.

2) Perhaps this is personal preference, but I would downplay the doppelgangers' knowledge of mirror magic. Sure, they're combing through the kamerel artifacts (as are the Rilmani), but they are probably far from mastering it. I would emphasize the fact that while they can get some of it to work, it is not always in the way that they intend and not always successfully. Treating it as a sort of wild magic, perhaps? What if each spell in a particular mirror spell school mirrored the alignment of the recipient (or caster) on a particular (or randomly chosen) axis each time it was cast? Less minor messups might include simple reflections, so the unlucly sod affected might suddenly become right-handed (if he was left-handed before) and/or appear as a reflection of his former self. Perhaps the use of a less than perfect mirror might have less than perfect effects. A stain or a crack might cause abberent changes in the result, making a ray spell go in ways other than a straight line.
Also, mirror magic should, in my mind at least, be the magic of power through clever use. It is intended for low level spells that can be used in new ways. This way, the Spire is still in charge, but there are certain ways to 'reflect magic around the effect'. One neat spell that I just thought up would be the reflection of all living creatures within the AoE around a chosen point. That way, before casting, the caster would have to consider who would appear where, either inside a wall, outside said wall, or over a large pit.
I'm not too sure about mirror portals being just nifty looking portals. Perhaps they can only do line-of-sight (which can be infinitely extended by carefully placed mundane mirrors), or, at the very least, one had to search through the plane of mirrors before finding the connecting portal. That latter bit, though, strikes me as too 'transitive plane'-like, and I would rather we come up with something a tad more original than that.

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Yes on the Game (I'm totally ripping off of it because I think it's hilarious for it to be run by Doppelgangers with Detect Thought and Change Shape), and I completely agree on the architecture; I just kind of spat out 'gothic' without really thinking about it. I'm mulling over some architectural designs based on mirrors (maybe illuminating rooms through a complex web of reflective mirrors that channel light through rooms--who knows).

The idea that the doppelgangers are just stumbling in the dark with mirror magic is a great one, and it emphasizes kind-of where I was going with the mirror portals--the fact that the doppelgangers are activating these strange portals they scarcely understand to turn a bit of profit and get to new markets, while simultaneously not paying attention to the fact that clients passing through the portals simply disappear or come out the other end substantially different than before. In addition, there may be quite a few mirror portals that should under no circumstances be activated.

The idea of basing mirror-magic off of ballsy level 1 cleverness is something I've been thinking about, too; I'm not exactly sure what to do with this yet, though. Oh, and something else I didn't note here--

The doppelgangers have learned how to reduce their Change Shape and Detect Thought abilities to level 1 spell-like abilities, allowing them to employ them near (but not at) the Spire's base. Basically, they grab a specialized Feat (I'll list them both here later) which allows them to 'trade out' their abilities for lesser powered level 1 versions (Change Shape becomes a non-illusion version of Disguise Self, and Detect Thoughts becomes a weak LoS telepathy between other people with Detect Thoughts).

Edit: My idea with the mirror portals boils down to... No one understands how the @$%# they work except the Kamerel. The doppelgangers have figured out how to turn them on, and how to let other people step through them, but something isn't right--people disappearing, coming out 'reversed' (opposite alignment, flipped around). Possibly something else coming out the other end and pretending to be the original client (maybe the now-barmy Kamerel?). The doppelgangers are semi-aware of this, but don't see it as a serious issue yet.

Second Edit: I'm also thinking that most of the mirrors in Mirage didn't shatter--not, at least, the ones that were originally designed by the Kamerel (the mirror portals, specifically). This makes the doppelgangers look very suspicious, but it's also been great for profit (they see the Shattering as a boon, since now everybody needs new magic mirrors). The fact that the Kamerel-made mirrors links the events of the Shattering either to the doppelgangers themselves or the Kamerel.

Triple Edit: And there's a group of exiled Nerra here, but I haven't explained them since we're not sure yet what's up with the Nerra. And I was thinking that the mirror-portal the PCs may need to get into the Mirror Plane (the most readily accessible portal, anyway) was part of Arcanum's collection, hence can be found in the Palace of Broken Glass (along with some other very crazy, frightful things).

Hymneth's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2006-08-01
Mirage

I love this. But I agree with Iavas about Mirror Magic being a more 'hush hush' sort of thing. In "Tales" the Kamerel were the only ones who could even fathom it, and mostly because they were forced to and never had any access to an alternative. I think the idea of doppelgangers using it is fine, but it needs to be far from a science. A few ideas:

Kamerel mirrors and mirror magic are plentiful, but undamaged ones are rare as hell. Most of the functioning items are just 'not damaged enough' to prevent their use.

The outcome of using any Kamerel item is tied to the quality of the mirrors involved. Ex: A pair of mirror gates. The one you step through is pretty good, but the recieving mirror was broken in half at some point. You emerge at half size. Or in two separate, functioning halves. Or as a mess. It tends to vary.

That also clears up a little about just having mirror gates act like portals. You had better well know what shape the other mirror is in before you step through.

The Kamerel as a race are pretty obscure in planar knowledge. The doppelgangers are probably trying to pass the mirror magic off as their own invention to those that don't know any better.

Broken Kamarel mirrors don't just break the glass. It's possible to damage the reflection without hurting the glass and visa versa. In some situations, this can be employed as a weapon. Being reflected in a mirror that thinks you're inside out isn't a pleasant experience, even if it's still better than actually being turned inside out.

The doppelgangers have a decent number of mirror gates functioning on some level. That's a given for the city setting. Beyond that, the actual number of functional Kamarel devices is probably pretty small. Maybe a up to a hundred items that work on a cantrip level of power, a few dozen that work on the level of a 1st level spell, and maybe a handful that have really weird effects that still work for some reason.

I know that's all been random, but its late and I've had a few. Gnight everybody

Edit: Oooh! A way to get into the actual plane of mirrors instead of just glancing off it while travelling might be to utterly destroy one of a set of mirror gates, then go through anyway and hope for the best

Kay
Kay's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2006-09-20
Mirage

I sense a big Baatezu invasion about to roll over this city.

Iavas's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2006-07-12
Mirage

'Kay' wrote:
I sense a big Baatezu invasion about to roll over this city.

Eh?

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Kay's probably referencing the fact that a Cornugon or other fiend could wreck havoc on the settlement thanks to its proximity to the Spire in conjunction with their high DR (hard to overcome someone's DR when you can't wield the right equipment). I imagine the mercenaries have been trained in Spire-styled tactics though (silver tipped crossbows, so on). Besides, why would fiends--or anyone, for that matter--invade? The city's got relics and artifacts, yes, but they're all low level effects. The doppelgangers are interested in them because they see a big future in mirror-magic--I don't think the Baatezu would see much of a point.

I mean, they can just cast 'Gate' anyway.

Kay
Kay's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2006-09-20
Mirage

'The Great Hippo' wrote:
Besides, why would fiends--or anyone, for that matter--invade?

Well, I was just adding ancient knowledge + portals + exposed position and got Baatezu. I might be wrong though (you know I'm not precisely the best at doing the math).

Hymneth's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2006-08-01
Mirage

Well, if you get right down to it, I imagine most baatezu high ups would be pretty afriad of the spire. I mean, think about it.

DR is strong, yes, but would DR/holy exist close to the spire? Holy is a +2 effect added to an already +1 weapon. Protection from it is at least as high a level of power. With that gone, silver weapons are pretty cheap, comparitavely.

SR is nice, but it's the equivilent of something granted by a pretty high level spell. Might not function, or function at a much lower strength.

Lots of spells and spell like abilities are good, but any with a level over 1 don't even exist in Mirage. No teleporting, no calling friends, no Wishing or Power Words. Not even a Fireball or Lightening bolt

About the only thing they still have going for themselves is their innate strength and durability, and that can be whittled away pretty quickly without all those defenses.

Given, this is purely guesswork, and Rilmani probably aren't subject to that sort of thing, but at least it's something.

Bob the Efreet's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2004-05-11
Mirage

'Iavas' wrote:
2) Perhaps this is personal preference, but I would downplay the doppelgangers' knowledge of mirror magic. Sure, they're combing through the kamerel artifacts (as are the Rilmani), but they are probably far from mastering it. I would emphasize the fact that while they can get some of it to work, it is not always in the way that they intend and not always successfully. Treating it as a sort of wild magic, perhaps? What if each spell in a particular mirror spell school mirrored the alignment of the recipient (or caster) on a particular (or randomly chosen) axis each time it was cast? Less minor messups might include simple reflections, so the unlucly sod affected might suddenly become right-handed (if he was left-handed before) and/or appear as a reflection of his former self. Perhaps the use of a less than perfect mirror might have less than perfect effects. A stain or a crack might cause abberent changes in the result, making a ray spell go in ways other than a straight line. Also, mirror magic should, in my mind at least, be the magic of power through clever use. It is intended for low level spells that can be used in new ways. This way, the Spire is still in charge, but there are certain ways to 'reflect magic around the effect'. One neat spell that I just thought up would be the reflection of all living creatures within the AoE around a chosen point. That way, before casting, the caster would have to consider who would appear where, either inside a wall, outside said wall, or over a large pit. I'm not too sure about mirror portals being just nifty looking portals. Perhaps they can only do line-of-sight (which can be infinitely extended by carefully placed mundane mirrors), or, at the very least, one had to search through the plane of mirrors before finding the connecting portal. That latter bit, though, strikes me as too 'transitive plane'-like, and I would rather we come up with something a tad more original than that.

I approve of all your mirror-magic suggestions. They seem like great ideas to me.

__________________

Pants of the North!

weishan's picture
Offline
Factor
Joined: 2007-04-16
Mirage

I don't think SR or DR should be affected by the spire. Both are inherent traits, not spell-like abilities. Neither are magical in and of themselves. DR, reflects that the pit fiend's LE essence is too tough to damage with ordinary weapons, and this should be the case everywhere.

Iavas's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2006-07-12
Mirage

I seem to remember there being certain defensive aspects, although I'm not sure if that includes DR and SR, that were reduced near the Spire to balance out the utter uselessness of magical weapons and high-level spells there. It certainly requires some thought, because otherwise, as Kay pointed out, one Pit Fiend could destroy a city without anyone being able to stand in his way.

eldersphinx's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2004-12-06
Mirage

You can deal with DR, even in a completely non-magical environment, simply by pulling in an attacking creature with the same DR type. The mephits at the Athar guardpost of Sweltergate take advantage of this. And the Yugoloths do hire out mercenaries.

(Also, there's nothing that says that DR x/alignment can't be overcome with nonmagical means. A properly forged blade of Baatorian green steel could likely cut through DR/evil. Talk to the Bytopians or the Elysiumites for something that make fiends near the Spire hurt.)

Xjel's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2007-08-23
Mirage

Well, consider how any outsider views going to the Spire:
Almost none of your spells or supernatural abilities work here, so you have to rely solely on physical strength and pure cunning. To something with innate magic, that would be like trying to run a race with your knees tied together, you can do it, but it's kinda awkward and probably embarrassing.
For something like a pit fiend, while you could run rampant here but you still can't use anything like... teleport. This leaves you particularly vulnerable. Sure, it's not permanent death, you'll reform on your native plane, but still, it would cause a massive loss of status to have done something so foolish as to go to the Spire without taking enormous precautions. Such a loss of status could warrant something as severe as a demotion, something no outsider wants.
So, sure the big, scary stuff could come along and run rampant, but it's still vulnerable, and probably paranoid. Would you really want to meet your most hated enemy somewhere where you can't play all your cards?

Anyway, I think you should fill the palace with invisible servants (phantasmal killers, unseen servants, that sort of thing). They'd probably serve the wizard and not be distracted by the bajillion mirrors.
Oh, and I agree with the point about the doppelgangers having not quite mastered the kamerel mirrors, more mishaps for the adventurers to adventure into.

__________________

It writes and designs dungeons, adventures and encounters. Do not feed after midnight.

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

I haven't dropped this; I'm just working on a significantly large rewrite incorporating a lot of things mentioned here and following a somewhat more standardized protocol. Including stat-blocks, and maybe even maps of the Palace of Broken Glass.

Should have it up and ready to fly in a few days.

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

As I'm putting this together--could I get some base suggestions for format of all the information on the city? I'd like to set it up and organize it so you can use it as is--make the necessary edits that you think need to be changed, of course--but basically just 'plug it in' as a chapter. If we have some sort of 'base-format', it'd help me to see it; otherwise I can use Armoury99's format from back when he defined those areas for the Gray Wastes (which I think he took from another supplement).

Anyway, uh--there's a LOT of information I'm writing down, here. It might not actually be done until a bit into the week. D:

Hymneth's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2006-08-01
Mirage

I was messing around on YouTube this evening and blundered into this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me5Zzm2TXh4

Might give you something to think about when it comes to ephemeral, mirrored architecture, particularly at right around 1:00 in

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Yeah, there's definitely potential there. It gives me some ideas as to how the architecture should pan out; thanks, I was troubled by the lack of any visual style on my part.

Iavas's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2006-07-12
Mirage

Wow, Hymneth. That was beautiful. Great find.

Now I can't conceive of Mirage being built out of anything but stabilized ferrofluid with potential to move like that. Staircases melting out of the ceiling and all. If you don't use that here, then the next best bet is karach dwellings in Limbo.

The Great Hippo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-07-28
Mirage

Posted the idea for Mirror-Magic in another thread.

Planescape, Dungeons & Dragons, their logos, Wizards of the Coast, and the Wizards of the Coast logo are ©2008, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. and used with permission.