Thrall Assignment Updates

   Kevin, as an Unseelie Fey, quasi-Demon Lord, and would-be Dark Godling, has been making every effort to collect Thralls – people infused with a portion of his power and thereby bound to his service. Until fairly recently, he could only keep a few bound to himself directly at one time. However, his powers have started expanding rapidly recently, allowing him to have a great many Thralls directly in his service.

   Since Kevin’s Thralls are currently an organization unto themselves, and they are becoming an important factor in the great game of intrigue now being played out across the dimensional Manifold, it’s time to update the assignment lists.

   Now that he’s reached the point where he can maintain direct links with large numbers of Thralls, Kevin is attempting to expand his operations considerably. Exactly how far depends on (1) how quickly he can get things snowballing, as existing Thralls recruit others, and (2) what the upper limits on his abilities turn out to be. Even a “Horde” is probably limited to a few hundred (Likely Cha Mod x 50 or similar) per level. That won’t stop him from recruiting more of course, but the additional ones won’t get the benefits of the Positive Levels he usually bestows. Kevin did sell some Thralls outright early on, but he currently prefers to retain ownership and simply sell their services for a time.

General Orders:

   All Thralls have general orders to gather information, be generally helpful (if only to help establish a good reputation), to recruit additional thrall-prospects (showing off when they feel like it or it would help, checking slave-markets in worlds with slavery, scooping up street children in rougher worlds, and simply talking to likely youngsters), and to have fun. They are expected to try and keep at least half their Mana and Power pools in reserve – and to refrain from spending Mana unless it’s either (a) really necessary or (b) they’re already near their accumulation limits. If they have a family emergency or urgent personal business, they should call for a relief Thrall and take care of it.

   Any of them working outside of Core will be taught to maintain a local identity for the worlds they’re assigned to.

Special Bonuses:

   The Thralls – and any other devoted followers – currently get an 11 CP bonus, including a level of Dimensional Adaption (1 CP, reduces the cost of Identities by 1 SP using Enthusiast, Specialized: Only for the “Identities” skill, Corrupted: only changes in new realm), Enthusiast, Specialized in Relics (3 CP, lets them have 2 CP worth of relics of choice if someone – such as several of the other Thralls – helps them make it), Immunity to Sensory-Based Mind Control (4 CP, Uncommon / Major / Minor, blocks effects of up to L3 and provides a +4 on saves against more powerful effects), an additional 1d6 Power (2 CP, a total of 3d6+20), and  one character point left over. Currently Kevin doesn’t even know about this.

Some popular one-point relics include:

• Action: Provides Reflex Action (3/Day variant, may interrupt other actions).
• Amplification: Provides +4 total Bonus Uses on various abilities. Thralls are fond of +2 Bonus uses of Shapeshifting and +2 Bonus Uses of Grant of Aid, but many other combinations are possible.
• Dragonmastery: Provides Leadership with Exotic Race (Specialized: only one follower, Corrupted: must be assigned by someone else, 3 CP), Mystic Link and Animate Summons (Specialized: Requires the expenditure of a Mana point, Corrupted: also requires the expenditure of 3 Power). This normally means a minor Dragon assigned form among Kevin’s Dragonworld properties.
• Enchantment: Provides 5000 GP worth of Innate Enchantments. Common sets include
  • Enhancement: Unlimited use of 3x L1 Spells at caster level one, personal use only, +2 to each of three attributes, plus a +1 Luck Bonus to Skill and Attribute Checks (Fortune’s Favor, L0 version, similar unlimited use).
  • Mage’s Ward: Shield (2000 GP), Cure Light Wounds (1d8+1 1/Level/Day, 2000 GP), and Detect Magic (1000 GP), all at caster level one and unlimited use.
  • Precognition: 4xL1 Spells, 3/day Each: True Strike, True Save, True Evasion, True Skill (all provide a +20 insight bonus to a single roll or against a single attack, activating when needed).
  • Many other combinations are, of course, possible.
• (Energy) Resistance: Provides Immunity (Common / Major / Major, 30 points / 6 CP) to any one form of energy OR a +6 bonus against any specialized form of attack. Fire is always popular, although those Thralls traveling through the realm of “Castle” often select “telepathy”, for a +6 bonus on relevant saves.
• Luck: User may either reroll, or “Take 20? in advance on any roll, once per day (6 CP). This is often combined with a Bonus Uses relic.
• Might: Hysteria (select Physical, Magical, or Psychic abilities, 6 CP). This provides a +6 boost to a relevant roll or to effective level of use of some relevant ability for one round at the cost of one point of Mana or 4 Power.
• Mobility: Provides Split Movement (when Attacking, 6 CP), allowing the user to take a partial move, attack, and then complete his or her move.
• Power: Provides +3d6 Power.
• Warding: Provides Block (select Missile, Melee, or Arcane): DC 20 Reflex save to take 60 points off such as attack as an Attack of Opportunity.

    These are usually taken as rings, talismans, or amulets, but the form really doesn’t matter much.

   Kevin also offers access to a couple of Package Deals. Currently, the most common is the 12 CP Fantasy Zone Package Deal:

• Create Relic: Specialized (2 Point Relics Maximum), Corrupted (only points from Enthusiast) (2 CP).
• Increasing their Dimensional Adaption to +2 SP on their Identities Skill (1 CP).
• The Secret Order (May use all basic Witchcraft Powers, +4 Power, 6 CP).
• Enthusiast, Specialized in Relics (1 CP, lets them have another 1 CP relic of choice).
• Martial Art: Spellweaving +11 (1 CP). Known Abilities: Defenses 4 (+4 on saves versus occult attack), Whirlwind Attack, Ki Focus (-1 Con to pick from +4 Caster Level, +4 Effective Hit Dice, +4 Con, +4 Dex, +4 Charisma, or +4 Negotiation for 1d6 minutes).
• Martial Art: Wind Dance +11 (1 CP). Known Abilities: Defenses 3, Mind Like Moon, Instant Stand, Inner Strength (provides six “phantom” Constitution points to power other martial arts effects with).
  • They’re taught to remain in stance for one of these two forms as a default.

Current Assignments:

   Kevin has collected 213 human thralls since the start of the game, and had five in his service to begin with, for a total of 218. Here’s where they’re all assigned right now.

With the Group (11)

• Daniel, Gerald, and Bard (core youngsters picked up in Crusader): They are now equipped with the English Fantasy Zone package deal, minor (level one) dragon-mounts (on call via Dragonmaster’s Rings), and identities for Crusader, as Dragons in the Dragon-Worlds, and probably others. They normally serve as personal assistants / servants / bodyguards / pets for Kevin.
• Meara (from a core colony world, rescued from the Arena in the Roman Imperium) and Tanis (a young noblewoman from an egyptian world): Healers, witchcraft backup, and concubines at night. During the day, they normally remain in ferret-form in Kevin’s pockets.
• Jaiden Kehail: A girl from Baelaria assigned as assistant/servant to Jarvian.
• Taraq, Sorith, Kaliat (F), and Pakria (F): assigned to Jarvain as mechwarrior cadets.
• Elara and Minel: Girls from the Forgotten Realms (purchased from Thay), given Sun Elf and Dark Elf styling and assigned to Marty as personal companions. Like Kevin’s friends, they usually stay in ferret-form in his pockets to provide healing and magical backup.

In Core (53):

• Marty’s New York Offices: 8. Six in two three-man mission teams (working as manifold tour guides/bodyguards/escorts, gate-openers, search-and-rescue workers, and import-export staff). Two alternating manning the desk and providing demonstrations for possible customers.
• Marty’s London Offices: 4. As per the New York Offices.
• House of Roses, London: 3. One liaison (and a subject for their examination, since Kevin knows they will) and one as an aide to the “Followup Crew” – or wherever the House assigned him, and one currently awaiting assignment.
• Roaming Assignment (Earth/Solar System): 6. These are scattered around as agents for returning very small children, cookie monsters, and other strays to where they belong, communications contacts, and monitors. They’re generally assigned to (1) carry out odd jobs as needed, and (2) to be generally helpful – especially during manifold incursions. They’ll be spending a good deal of time recruiting.
• Roaming Assignment (Major Core Colony Worlds): 8. Pretty much as above.
• House of Roses: 12. Davis (primary liaison) and five additional.
• The Military/The Department of Mysteries: 10.

Working for Other Factions (4):

• One each currently working for: Advanced Technology Exchange, the Commonwealth (King Arthur’s domain), the Oracle Archona, and the Necropolis. These are currently in entry-level positions, and are primarily just gathering general information and keeping a line of communication open. While they’re unlikely to be trusted with too much, they’re just too useful for the various factions to ignore.

Trade Representative Teams (45):

• These groups are working on establishing trading outposts, making local connections, locating lost core kids, and getting lists of cheaply-available and hotly-desired commodities. As things get moving, they’ll become coordinators and gateway operators, leaving the basic sales work to local employees. They normally work in groups of three. Currently there are groups assigned to Baelaria, (Londinium and Carleon [the same group handles Galdren on the New Imperium side), the New Imperium, the Old Empire (two groups, mostly shopping for ensouled slaves), Faerun (Thay/the Red Wizards, three Drow Cities in the Underdark, the Surface Drow, and Waterdeep), the English Fantasy Zone (these also serve as representatives to the Potterverse and to the linked Talking-Animal and Anthromorphic Animal worlds), the Linear Developments, The Colonial Era, and the Battletech Realms.
• Their local 3-Point Identities normally include relevant Commercial Favors (3 CP), 1 SP each in Wealth, a Local Language, and Business Operations (3 CP), upgraded defenses against Magic and Mental Influences (6 CP), and 6 CP worth of abilities of choice – normally one with Sanctum (for putting various defenses and resources in their place of business), one with local divination and an upgraded ability to detect souls, and one who makes local contacts.

Reliefs (12):

   These Thralls are relieving others while they go in for advanced training – or go on short leaves to handle family emergencies and such.

Caravan Escort Teams (8):

• Currently (8, all from Baelaria), assigned to opening up the Baelaria-Faerun trading route. The initial cargo is going to be Aluminum/Mithril in exchange for bound elementals.
• Their local 3-point identities are mostly devoted to acquiring minor mental defenses (6 CP) and to acquiring Dragonfire (6 CP) and the Eye of the Dragon (6 CP).

The Roman Imperium (3):

• Ardiff, slave-selector and trainer, originally from the Linear Developments Realm. Since business is picking up there, he’s also been assigned a new assistant and a manager for the Estate.
• Ardiff’s Imperial Identity is an occult expert in slave-training and trade. His assistant can tell which slaves are ensouled, and thus prospective Thrall-candidates, with a mere glance and has a variety of local connections for getting to inspect incoming slave caravans – and purchase his choices from amongst them – before other prospective buyers get a chance to do so.

The Dragonworlds (2):

• Lysira (Gold Dragoness Role): Kevin’s estate and harem manager, defense coordinator, and bait (among others) for young male metallic dragons. Now has a new assistant, Elkien, a core youngster with a draconic Role who – not realizing that Kevin’s estates belonged to a powerful adventurer rather than being a generic prize for claiming – attempted to simply seize the place.
• The Thralls here have invested their local Identities in simply being Dragons. That suffices to soak up their identity points all by itself.

The Wylds of Faerie (1):

• Dernulf (originally from core): Kevins communications link with Lord Darcia, of the Unseelie Fey. Other than that, his job is mostly to (1) stay out of trouble and (2) to enjoy himself.
• Dernulf’s local identity mostly revolves around having gradually accumulated many favores from the Fey (Major Favors, Bonus Uses, Immunity to the Fey calling for favors in return, 18 CP total). He mostly uses them to quietly get the numerous other mortal youngsters in Faerie out of trouble.

The English Fantasy Zone (2):

• The two Baelarian Thralls assigned here turned out to have some talents for artificing and transmutation, and are helping the other Thralls make their own relics, providing divinatory magical support for the group, managing the estate, providing a link with Hogwarts and some of the other schools of magic and groups in the area, and managing the defenses. It’s always good to have some intelligence backing those “Occult Wards and Guardians”. Kevin just isn’t high enough level yet to provide anything too powerful.
• Not too surprisingly, the local Identities for these Thralls resemble Kevins local Identity – giving them access to a Sanctum with Occult Wards and Guardians (15 CP; grants access to Privilege/Major [trainers who can supply a high-end Package Deal, 6 CP], Privilege/Neutral Meeting Place [3 CP], an extensive Library [bought as Double Enthusiast and Adaption, 9 CP], and Witchcraft/The Sight [6 CP]), as well as 3 SP worth of local wealth and knowledges (3 CP).
• They can call on the local trade-team if necessary.

Ealor (2):

• Two youngsters from Baelaria, currently assigned to help the Singularites get settled in and make some connections.

Guarding the Rosary of Memory (4):

• These are – for the moment – mostly assigned so as to be ready to raise an immediate alarm if Vekxin attacks the Rosary of Memory.

Helping guard the Drow City/Fortress (8)

• These are currently assigned to help stabalize the evacuation gate, to help with the defense, and to keep an eye on the Hogwarts gate.

Assigned as Gatekeepers in Kadia (60):

• Three each to Core Earth, Moon, and Asteroid Belt, Hyerdahl System (12 Billion), Gutahbend (10 Billion), Mu (9.5 Billion), Seilichspeur (8.5 Billion). Below that, Anbetsu, Gelderlich, Ksahko, Daimi, Adama, Rifaan, Curmac, Vriksha, Tellus, Uhran, and Kurk (45 billion between them). (Between them these cover worlds containing about 108 billion people, and the vast majority of those with meme-infections).
• Hogwarts, Faerie, Waterdeep, the Roman Imperium, Crusader, and the Dragonworlds have gates available, but only one gatekeeper each: they aren’t normally required to be available on a round-the-clock basis.
• These will eventually be replaced by NeoDog Thralls, but Kevin wants to keep the fact that NeoDogs can become Thralls at all a secret for the moment.

Assigned To Baelaria Power Groups (5):

• One each assigned to the Military, the Mob, the Alchemists, the Independent Mages, and the Government.

Non-Thrall Followers and Properties:

• Eofram: An ensouled Silver Dragon from the Dragonworlds: Currently kept in the English Fantasy Zone as Kevin’s personal steed – and very very happy with that situation considering the alternatives. Since Kevin is now capable of infusing him with the Thrall-template, he’ll probably be joining the Thralls soon.
• Slaves:
  • Kevin has quite a few slaves: he regularly buys ensouled youngsters on the markets of the Roman Imperium, from the Goblin Markets – and numerous unscrupulous traders – of the English Fantasy Zone, from the Crusades, from the Dragonworlds, and from wherever else he happens to go – and, at least initially, the percentage who take his offer of Thralldom is relatively low (it eventually reaches about 25%). Some of those who don’t get sent home (wherever that may be), some are troublesome and are resold to take their chances, and a very few insist on attempting to “win their freedom” doing extremely risky things (rather than just saving up to buy themselves out) – but a solid majority (50-60%) simply become servants and workers at his various estates. Yes, they’re property, and the Thralls are entitled to order them around – but they get life extension, supernatural medical care, a relatively light workload, occasional indulgences, and a decent lifestyle. If they work on it, they can earn their freedom eventually. Even if they don’t, most of them will soon build up a local identity – giving them enough local perks to become quite comfortable right where they are.
  • In the English Fantasy Zone there are about 150 (and another 50 or so who’ve bought their freedom, but who find the pleasant country lifestyle congenial), who handle all the usual tasks around the manor – tending the horses, trimming the hedges, planting and harvesting, cooking and cleaning – albeit with the help of minor local magics. A fair number are from Core, but most of them are from the Manifold – usually either purchased from slave traders or – occasionally – offered to Kevin in exchange for magical aid (he usually accepts such offerings: better with him than with anyone who’d be willing to offer up a kid – occasionally even one of their own – in such a fashion).
  • In the Roman Imperium, there are about 800 – enough to staff a sizable series of plantations and houses. While there isn’t much in the way of modern or magical conveniences here, at least most of the really heavy fieldwork is handled by anonymous phantasms – and it does offer agelessness and the usual benefits of working for Kevin. A fair number are from core, but – as Kevin has sold a number of Thralls to the imperial legions, allowing them to start pushing out beyond the borders more easily again – an increasing percentage are from neighboring regions of the Manifold.
  • The Dragonworlds only support 28 ensouled slaves – mostly forgotten half-drow and half-elven offspring of passing core “adventurers”. It does, however, include hundreds of phantasmal draconic slaves and concubines. In fact, Kevin’s physical and draconic wealth is enough to attract a steady supply of young male challengers – who become slaves and wind up as harem attendants, being bonded to Thralls as steeds, or being sold outside of the Dragonworlds.

Older Thralls:

• Over the past twelve years, Kevin has bonded and either contracted out or sold outright (rather rare) some 743 Thralls – 323 recruited in the Roman Imperium (about 204 from Core, the rest from neighboring areas of the manifold plus a very few born there), 206 from the English Fantasy Zone (147 originally from core – and 153 from Hogwarts: virtually all the Slytherin’s, and a scattering of the others, sign up pretty much every year. The remainder were mostly offerings from mages and purchases from local slave traders), another 37 from the Dragonworlds (almost all purchased on the slave markets), 72 from the Linear Development Realms, and the remaining 105 from an assortment of slave-traders, casual pickups in various worlds, and recruit-referrals from Thralls and Contacts. He expects to get almost of all of them back eventually.
• Of those 743 the Legions of the Roman Imperium are employing 108 as aides, messengers, gate-operators, healers, and military mages (they also check out the new slave-stock for referral to Kevin’s purchasing agents). Another 104 are serving major figures in the Roman Imperium as personal bodyguards, healers, and babysitters. 237 are serving as companions, servants, entertainers, and breeding-stock in Faerie. 16 are serving as crewmen for Captain Rata and Navigator Maui (see Contacts), 11 are working as gate-operators for Orman Valif and his trading operations out of Core (also see Contacts), 123 are serving as bodyguards/familiars for various mages (mostly in the English Fantasy Zone and mostly in animal forms), 23 are working for Xellos, 67 are working for various caravan- starship- and sailing- masters to facilitate cross-manifold trade, 8 are working for Dumbledore at Hogwarts, and the remaining 46 are working for people who were wealthy and powerful enough to be able to purchase them through secondary dealers in the earlier days, when Kevin was still learning. Note that most of their masters know how to resummon them if they’re killed – so they have few compunctions about putting them at risk.

Recent Thrall Origins (212 Total):

• 3 Core kids picked up in Crusader, 8 Core youngsters who tried to go adventuring in the Underdark, 5 Half-Drow slave children from the Underdark, 28 from Baelaria, 8 from the Roman Imperium (5 young Manifolders, 3 from Core colonies), 3 from the English Fantasy Zone (all from core), 1 from the Dragonworlds (a core youngster with a draconic ID who thought that swiping Kevin’s properties would be an easy way to move up), another 38 from Baelaria, a mixed selection (92 total, including some recruited in core and from wherever they were assigned by the Thralls and slaves from the Roman Imperium, the English Fantasy Zone, Faerun, Old Star Wars, and even the Dragonworlds), 9 random Manifolders, 5 from the Red Wizards, 12 more Half-Drow from the Underdark,

NeoDog Thralls:

• 142 Current, probably hundreds more as soon as he give the recruiting-speech to the 2000-3000 additional prospects now available. The NeoDogs have not yet been assigned

Older Thrall Origins (5):

• The Linear Developments Realm (2), English Fantasy Realm (1), Core (2), and The Roman Imperium (originally from elsewhere in the Manifold, 1)