Resurrection in Pneumos
Oops it's September
Uh, I did mean to do glaugust, but then I got busy with gender medicine and guitar practice. (To those interested, I started voice training and did a bit of a big wardrobe reset this month, replacing a lot of my masc clothes and I can play like 6 songs on guitar now!). Anyway, I still want to do all the prompts I picked, but it may be more like Glogtember/glogtober for me. Whoops.
Resurrection Magic
This post's Glaugust prompt is Resurrection Magic, from Purple!
In most of my games, I don’t include resurrection magic. I felt like death was not sufficiently meaningful in Pathfinder and D&D 5e, so my knee-jerk reaction was to make death permanent. I like this choice, but I thought this prompt would be a good way to explore how I could do resurrection in a way I like.
The Cost of Life
What is the value of a life? 300 gold pieces and a 3rd-level spell according to 5e. So, a person is worth roughly a fifth of a set of full plate.
I used to think my problem with this was that the cost was too cheap, but it's actually that I don’t like resurrection being a financial transaction. I don't think kings should buy eternal life, they should send adventurers to quest for it, and it should make them a weird skeleton at the end or something.
Resurrection magic in my games should be:
- Rare: Resurrection should not feel like a given when a character dies.
- Hard to achieve: If resurrection were easy, everyone would do it.
- Carry a social cost: My players don’t care that much about spending money. Social costs motivate them more, and I think they are more interesting.
So here’s an idea for the fantasy setting I’m working on, Pneumos.
The Leylines of Pneumos
Each of the Southern nations of Pneumos contains a frozen tear of White Queen. Each tear contains a fragment of the dead Goddess. The Tear enchants the land, enriching the soil, protecting from disease, calming the seas.
Each Frozen Tear is sealed in a chamber beneath the ground by the power of 3 enchanted pillars, connected to the entrance of the chamber by ley lines.
When the pillars are destroyed, the seal breaks, and the guardian of the Tear awakens.
The Frozen Tears
There are 3 Frozen Tears, one in each southern kingdom. The ley lines that seal the Tear draw from their power to protect the kingdom from disaster. If the Tear is removed, the disaster it was preventing occurs.
A Frozen Tear, if melted and ingested, restores life to the dead and imbues the user with its power.
The Tear of the Western Kingdom
Guarded By: A golem constructed of moss, stone, and blooming chrysanthemums.
If Taken: The land wilts. Within a week, plants slink and dull; by the end of the month, crops are devastated, and the branches of trees are grey and barren.
If Imbibed: The user’s eyes develop a verdant glow. When they touch a dying plant, they restore it to perfect health. Their Wisdom increases by 2 permanently.
The Tear of the Eastern Kingdom
Guarded By: 8 enchanted stone soldiers with human legs, but scaly, fishlike torsos.
If Taken: The tides encroach. After 7 days, ships in the region sink, beaches flood. After 30 days, lowland towns flood, and residents evacuate. After 60 days, the entire coast is underwater.
If Imbibed: The user develops bright green gills on their neck. They no longer need to hold their breath underwater. They can speak to fish, but all fish are hostile to them. Their Constitution increases by 2 permanently.
The Tear of the Southern Kingdom
Guarded By: 3 human-sized contraptions of flesh and steel that spew oil like blood.
If Taken: The volcano in the center of the kingdom erupts. In 7 days, the towns adjacent to the volcano are destroyed. In 30 days, ash covers the land, killing crops and ruining the air.
If Imbibed: The user’s skin turns bright red. They cannot take fire damage, but fully immersing in water kills them instantly. Their Strength increases by 2 permanently.
Resurrection of the goddess
If the same person imbibes all 3 tears, they die instantly. The White Queen is restored, their body her vessel.