Wardens of Heroes Gate

DM Notes – C01.S01.07

[A Note on Notes]

In this session… I finally get to some of the things I’ve been looking forward to. You may have noticed that I’m using the Monk class quite a bit. Don’t worry… there are more monks on the way. I mentioned this in Session Zero, but there are several reasons why so many of  these characters are monks. First reason… I just like playing a monk. More on that later. Another reason is that I have played the monk class more than any other and with this writing project I figured it would just be easier if I didn’t have to manage a lot of different kinds of characters – I know the basics of a monk really well. On top of all that, it gives me the opportunity to really develop some things while not having to develop others. You might notice that most of my characters backstorys are connected to their homebrewed subclass and/or their weapon. I know part of the fun of D&D is finding or obtaining new weapons… but I’ve choosen to make several of these weapons specific to a character and their backstory.

For example, Dawndra. Her weapon is a pike. But it not just any pike, and it is not just any magic pike. This 8 foot long ice pike spends most of its time as a small hairpin holding her immensely long and thick hair into a neat bundle. More than that… when she was found as an infant, that very same hairpin was tying the wrapping closed that kept her warm. She has never been far from it. And… she would know if she was. The greater-level attunment between Dawndra and her weapon creates a  gravity of sorts. If someone were to make off with it (not that any would try) Dawndra would feel a pull. She could home in on where the item was by sensing it. I also gave Yisi the same sort of greater attunement. Valea probably will as well since her weapon is very important to her story. With all three of them, their backstory is tied up with their weapon and their subclass abilities spring from the weapon. Mo Ka Bu is similar. His “weapon” is a magic shield made from the wing and tusk and hide of his long time Arcanax companion. In fact the shield is sentient with the spirit of the Arcanax. But that is enough digression…

What I really wanted to note down was the contents of this scene. When I was younger, I loved Kwai Chang Caine and the Kung Fu TV series. Perhaps the larger part of why I choose so many monks for Heros Gate was because I wanted to spend time a Forgotten Realms version of a Shaolin Temple. I want to try to recreate the martial training scenes, the philosophy training scenes, and the general vibe of Caines early life in the monastery. I’m hoping to avoid some of the obvious Shaolin tropes – but not all of them. These monasteries (Song Moon Temple, Treyvigg Monastery, and The Abbey Ironwall) each have a distinctive flavor and feel that should only slightly resemble the monastery of Master Po and Master Kan. The Abbey was founded by a master from Kara-tur, but other than that, there is no reason why monasterys in Faerun should have a strong eastern feel to them. (Interesting side note, there was a Kane from Yellow Rose)

But the basic concepts of disciplined training, meditation, philosophical balance – these I hope to portray in all three monasteries. Starting with Treyvigg…. I began with a scene in Song Moon Temple and I’ve give thought to going back and re-writing the beginning to include the elements of temple training. Instead I set up the adventure hook and sent the heroes on their way. Perhaps I will rewrite it once I feel better able to… or more likely, just send Yisi and Valea back home and include some training scenes then.

We are now in Treyvigg. They have not yet met Guide Dawndra but Valea is about to. I set things up for this scene when Valea was energized by the long grueling climb up the carved stair in the cliff face. She will do as she said and go to offer the Wwaldyrs a farewell in the morning, but as she exits the gate she will see Dawndra in the front yard performing stance training which turns into forms training. Valea will be hypnotized by the form, its grace, its… art. She will silently mimic the movements. This will become the creative balance Teacher Solomvar asked her to seek. It is in line with both desires – to be martially adept and to balance the martial with the aesthetic.

I feel like I need to determine the colors worn by the various roles at Treyvigg