The Heresiarchy of Thand

The Heresiarchy of Thand (1)

Small herding village(1) in a high valley of the north-western mountains (1). Main export goats and goat-related items.

Founded centuries ago by the mad wizard Karial Thand (1), an apostate of the Church of the Allmother(1). Villagers kept the name over the centuries purely out of local pride (1).

Oh my.

Jon, are you a good witch or a bad witch?

Hey, now. I cannot comment on any water allergies I might or might not have.

Goats of the HoT are especially fertile (1 coin), which according to local lore is due to a blessing of the Allmother (1 coin). Non-local legend holds that it is the result of Thand's mad, unnatural goat experiments (1 c). The goatherds have to be amazing warriors therefore to protect the goats from zealots seeking to purge them (2 c). They are predominantly barbarians with Goat as the totem animal (2c). This Aspect gives them increased climb and jump distances (1c). They are known as the Mad Caprine (1c)

Hah! Either the Allmother plays things fast and loose with Her heretics, or the locals are joyously sarcastic about religion. Either way, I like it =D

That is in fact why Karial Thand was excommunicated from the Church of the Allmother. Thand was discovered performing extraordinary (and abominable) experiments with the Life magics given by the Allmother(1). Today, a variation on one of Thand's original formulas, passed down and altered through the ages, fuels the Rage of the Mad Caprine barbarians(1).

The recent, unexpected appearance of a dwarven tunnel entrance at the northwest end of the valley(2) is slowly beginning to turn Thand from a backwater into a small but significant stop on a new trade route(1). Locals are moving to adjust, though there is some grumbling (mostly from Nevin(1). It's always Nevin. What the hell, Nevin?). Work has begun on a new Public House(1), and there is even talk of electing some sort of trade overseer or village liaison(1).

Bad things happen in Thand (1). Not to locals of course (1) but always to foolhardy adventurers that don't mind the better sense of the Thandians (1). For some reason, many of the local roots and eggs are powerful reagents for alchemical recipes (1) which brings a steady stream of adventurers to their untimely deaths (1).

Kariel Thand is the founder of The Tangled Thicket (1).

What's a Tangled Thicket?

Rage of the Mad Caprine is actually also a stage production that captures the story of Thand in five acts.

(This Tangled Thicket. Now that I read that again, the Drow might also subscribe to a version of that..)

Every Thuletide (winter solstice), the Mad Caprine lodge sponsors a production of RotMC that does a small circuit of surrounding villages. Roles in the play are filled by Thand locals, and given the level of talent available, most of the enjoyment of the production comes from both actors and audience getting drunk and arguing the finer points of local history with each other.

Dreadroot is one of the active ingredients in the formula but is too powerful on its own. Those that take it go into an induced rage while their eyes turn coal black. Imbibing the root on its own means certain death as the body burns through energy in an unslakable bloodlust. As such, vials of Rage of the Mad Caprine come with the warning: "If you have rage lasting more than four hours, please contact a local alchemist."

Nevin, disgruntled with the new encroachment of outsiders on peaceful Thandian life, is known to pull pranks on visitors, hoping to scare them off. *Mostly* harmless things.

The people of Thand share a secret. The Allmother did indeed bless the goats of Thand and the experiments that are rumored to be fertile goats are in fact a race of intelligent goat people that are clerics of the Allmother. They defy the natural order and keep themselves hidden, waiting for the end times that are said to be coming. They are what the goat barbarian shepherds protect with dual pickaxes and a bonus headbutt attack that can be made even when restrained. The clerics are nature clerics that are strong in herbal knowledge and medicines. The goat people are who actually make the Rage of the Mad Caprine and continue the formula passed on to them by Thand.

The random evens that kill people are actually a strong protective magic that Thand himself worked into the land. He saw the work of Javed and knew he had to keep the future for both his children, the ones by blood and his experiments guided by the Allmother.

The Tangled Ticket is actually partially correct and perpetuate a last defense from the Allmother. While is it heresy to the normal church, the Allmother sometimes gives hypocritical but equally correct claims to her followers. It prevented Don Joswee's armies from predicting her moves.