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Author Topic: Brainstorming Shara and the Ayyad
Consul Vido
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posted January 29, 2003 12:52 PM      Profile for Consul Vido      Edit/Delete Post
I know that little has been written about the people of Shara, but I found what little we know interesting, so I have been messing around with ideas on a Sharaman (I believe that's what Rhuarc called them) background and am thinking about trying to make an Ayyad prestige class for the channelers. Of course, most of this will eventually probably be proven wrong, but here's what I've been thinking so far:

Sharaman background

Background Feats
Cosmopolitan, Mercantile Background, Silver Palm, Smooth Talk, Street Smart

Background Skills
Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive

Home Language
Common (Shara)

Bonus Language Choices
Common (Aiel), Common (Atha’an Miere), Common (Carhienin), and perhaps Old Tongue?

I chose the feats and skills based on their reputation as a shrewd and sneaky people. I'm unsure of the Old Tongue as a bonus language, because only the Ogier and the Seanchan have it, but Shara claims it has remained peaceful and somewhat untouched by the chaos around it, so I thought perhaps more knowledge from the Age of Legends and before the Trolloc Wars might have survived there.

For the Ayyad, I was thinking of modifying one of the other channeler prestige classes some. Has anything been written anywhere about their abilities? I don't recall anything so far (I just started Path of Daggers).

For Ayyad organization, I was thinking that Family ties might be part of deciding who's in charge, meaning the oldest woman of each family might speak for all of her descendents.

Which reminds me, I was discussing the matter with my brother, and we came across an idea. According to him, the Oath Rod is what makes the Aes Sedai live somewhat shorter than the other channeling traditions. So the Ayyad should live longer than they do, and since they "breed" channelers, it would be possible to have several generations living all at once.

For example, the oldest channeler I know of in the books is around four hundred years old, so I'll use that for the age of the oldest living relative. And if you assume that every member of the family had a child when they were thirty, you could have thirteen generations all alive at once. And I have no idea if 400 is anywhere near the peak of ages for channelers, since that woman didn't seem as though she was very old for a channeler, since they said she only looked forty or fifty.

Anyway, if you have any ideas about Shara or the Ayyad, from the books or from your own imagination, or anywhere else for that matter, let me know. I'm completely open on this, since it's all conjecture anyway.

From: San Marcos, Texas | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
The Great Gray Skwid
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posted January 29, 2003 12:55 PM      Profile for The Great Gray Skwid   Email The Great Gray Skwid    Edit/Delete Post
I'm guessing you haven't finished reading all the books yet? There are spoilers aplenty around these parts, so you might want to steer clear if you mind that.

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Evan "Skwid" Langlinais
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From: The Big D | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Freya
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posted January 29, 2003 01:19 PM      Profile for Freya      Edit/Delete Post
We've used the Ayyad in our game, in the past. I believe there is some info on them, and Shara, in the BBoBA (Big Book of Bad Art).

From what I recall, all female channelers are required to join the Ayyad. They are tattooed to identify them as Ayyad. (I forget if on face or hands) They channel only with the express permission of the Shabotay (king). Male channelers are kept only as breeding stock until their 21st(?) birthday, then are put down. Members of the Ayyad can only breed with the male channeler stock.

For a prestige class, I'd throw in some good combat casting bonuses, like the Ashaman. (In our game, they were very good at offensive weaves, but sorely lacking in defensive weaves like shielding or wards.)

As for Shara itself, I don't remember what I read from the books and what I remember from our game. But, I seem to recall that they were highly structured into a caste system. Everyone-in-their-place type of thinking.

But yes, Shara is ripe with possibilities for roleplaying. Have fun with it. [Big Grin]

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From: dallas,tx | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
JosephKell
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posted January 29, 2003 02:55 PM      Profile for JosephKell   Email JosephKell    Edit/Delete Post
The woman was over 600 actually, and have always treated the oath rod as making the slow aging effect count as one forth level once on the Oath Rod. The Agelessness is more a factor of a very experianced woman in a more youthful body.

The Ayyad are tattooed on the face (so that they are very obvious) Most of this information is in the Main book in the chapter following encounters.

Poor male channelers...

The ruling monarch is in power for two years, except it works like this:
The King B is married to the Queen C, Two years before the King B was married to Queen A. Before the corination of King B, Queen A is killed. Thus a person is King or Queen for 4 years, the first two they are the one married to power, the second two they are the Power.

It is this way to prevent people from be coming spoiled by power. (Imagine if we did that to our leader... What was that G.W.? You want to undo your election?)

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From: California | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
AvaronGansdell
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posted January 29, 2003 09:46 PM      Profile for AvaronGansdell   Email AvaronGansdell    Edit/Delete Post
Umm theres also Signs that the oath rod was one of the Nine rods of dominion and that it was used to punsh and mark channelers who had abused there powers. infact moghiden at one point was given the choice swear on the oathrod or be severed (stilled) because of her love of inflicting pain. they where going to have her swear to never inflict pain.

the shorter life spand, the ageless look all where punishment for your crimes. you had your life cut drasticly shorter and where permanantly marked as a criminal as well as haveing sworn an oath that you could never break.

It makes sense to me.

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Merclaar
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posted January 30, 2003 01:27 AM      Profile for Merclaar      Edit/Delete Post
The oath rod is not one of the nine rods of dominion.
http://www.arkane.demon.co.uk/WOTFAQ/

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cu

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Merclaar

Registered: Feb 2002  |  IP: Logged
The Great Gray Skwid
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posted January 30, 2003 07:26 AM      Profile for The Great Gray Skwid   Email The Great Gray Skwid    Edit/Delete Post
Furthermore, it was Semirhage who thinks to herself that she could swear an oath to be denied her pleasures and see the end of her life draw near.

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Evan "Skwid" Langlinais
The Humblest Mollusk on the Net
http://www.thehumblest.net/
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From: The Big D | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Consul Vido
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posted February 07, 2003 03:41 PM      Profile for Consul Vido      Edit/Delete Post
Thanks for the info, everyone. But now I have a few more things I wonder about. Mostly nitpicky stuff.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not they should be given Old Tongue as a bonus language?

Anyone have any ideas of what is tattooed on their faces? I was thinking maybe the symbol used to represent the One Power or Aes Sedai. Any other ideas? And where on the face exactly? I would think forehead or cheeks, with forehead being my first choice.

Also, does anyone have any ideas on how the Ayyad would have been formed? By wilders joining together? By renegade Aes Sedai? Were they originally "forced into servitude" somehow by the Shaboam or Shabotay?

From: San Marcos, Texas | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged


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