Kinaniz
When the spirit of the city of Q'in Sanizaj, in a desperate attempt to stave off the Wyld forces assaulting it, attempted but failed to create a stable merger of itself, the city and its inhabitants, the tragic result was an unshaped, Wyld monstrosity, an entity now known as Kinaniz.
Formed from a slowly shifting mix of environments, some urban, some natural, some a disturbing or wondrous melding of both, Kinaniz moves slowly, using its outer waypoints like the legs of an insect to propel itself. When stationary, it will elevate itself on a tree trunk miles in diameter and a hundred miles high, and arrange its waypoints into a more defensible arrangement, generally forcing visitors to enter through the hall of glass.
History
Little is known about Kinaniz's history, even to Kinaniz itself. Barely sentient when initially formed, it's first act was to eject Wyr'palja's mausoleum, it's reality engine irritating the innards of the beast. It then assimilated, destroyed or expelled the vast majority of the raksha who had been trapped by its formation, shaping what remained of them and their freeholds into itself. Those citizens, both alive and dead, who were incorporated into Kinaniz remained protected by the unshaped as best it could manage, and many of these ghosts remain within Kinaniz today. As the Fair Folk invasion of Creation continued, it wandered the Wyld. By the time the Empress had expelled the invaders, Kinaniz was in the Deep Wyld, slowly mutating even further.
Stories of its existence would surface occasionally in Fair Folk courts, usually as an unstoppable force that wondered in from the deep Wyld, absorbing or destroying those foolish enough to try to tame it, then wandering back out again.
As time progressed Kinaniz become more intelligent, self-aware and focussed. About a century ago, it realized that it was once a city, and wasn't sure what to make of that. A few decades later, it realized that not only had it been a city, but it was possibly one of the greatest cities ever made. A few decades after that, he decided it could be so again and began looking for its original location. During its search, it also realized that, quite naturally, it was the site of a great deal of treachery, murder and conflict. Concluding that this must be the natural state of all great cities, certain changes began to take place within itself to embody this idea.
Most recently, it came across Wyr'palja's mausoleum, which had come under the control of Cahlenna a high ranking member of the Opal Court. Without realizing exactly what it was, Kinaniz realized the tomb was once important to the city and promptly surrounded it. Cahlenna, of course, led an expedition into Kinaniz to get the tomb back, which did not end well for Cahlenna. Most of the expedition was destroyed, and Cahlenna and her entourage were bested and force to swear an oath to protect the tomb. She remains within, torn between scheming to escape and scheming to gain control of Kinaniz.
The tomb itself is now nestled like a pearl within Kinaniz, its reality engine now more of a source of comfort than irritation to the rest of the unshaped's body.
Structure
An an unshaped Kinaniz is a mobile freehold, currently containing 16 waypoints. As a freehold, it contains an arcane redoubt, a stronghold, a fountainhead and a glory, but lacks a throne room. This means the unshaped has purpose, strength, self-awareness and majesty but no real society. Life within the freehold functions much like an ecosystem or immune system would, guided by its own internal forces but without any guiding society. While the guiding intelligence and more powerful fair folk function on a network of oaths, the vast majority of manikins, poppets, ghosts and common fair folk do as their natures dictate. The result is a city without a society, making the majority of the freehold a somewhat familiar urban setting hosting extremely unorthodox behavior (and, occasionally, vice versa).
The urban landscape is more dense with both structure and ideas. As such, the narrative waypoints that make up Kinaniz are fairly compact for waypoints, usually only a one or two miles across. Some are even smaller. Kinaniz may occasionally grab additional waypoints, usually sections of wyld forest, with which it surrounds itself.
The Glass Lamentation
During Wyr'palja's final days, for reasons known only to her, she turned an entire neighborhood, including inhabitants, into multicolored glass. Mortals of the time felt that those transformed remained alive, trapped immobile but aware of their surroundings. True or not, the sorcery that transformed them has proven powerful enough to withstand the effects of the wyld and, barring the occasional statue or building moving on its own from time to time, the neighborhood remains much as it was when first transformed and incorporated into Kinaniz.
The frozen "residents" of this waypoint, largely petrified into silent, horrific grimaces, paint a macabre scene that most visitors find disquieting. When pressed, some admit the dead silence of the place keeps them away. Others claim they can sense the souls trapped in the glass slowly going insane. A rare few don't mind either and admire the colorful glow of the place. Most, however, stay far away, which suits the primary inhabitant and guardian of the waypoint just fine.
The glass dragon Diamaskratos prowls the waypoint, and does not like visitors.
The Perpetual Bustle
If there are millions of stories in the naked city, this waypoint acts out all of them. At once.
- Parades
- Dragon Kings dueling/heart sacrificing
- Muggings
- Friends meeting
- Revolt march
Main street life, but all at once. A parade, revolts, stabbings, happy couples, friends greeting, etc. Manakins and dream creatures going about daily life.
The Consummate Repose
Mish mash of houses. Sleep.
Glamour Sorcery to make people want to sleep in bed.
The Vaporous Anchorage
On top of trees, towers flying vehicles would connect to.
The Vicious Bazaar
A trading zone. Buildings from all angles. Gravity on surfaces.
The Clamorous Smoke
Production.
The Antediluvian Necropolis
Transluscent Dream Sheathing Technology
The Amaranthine Esplanade
A city park, sort of.
The Sauroid Mnemonic
Remnants of Dragon Kings.
The Impecunious Propinquity
A maze of slums.
The Imminent Eminence
Glory. Center and focus of majesty of the freehold. Magical and wondrous place. Hall of Memory? Causes beguilement throughout freehold (pg 190). Might be some stray mortals hanging around. Hanging Gardens style place.
Misplaced Promise has embedded his own Cup into the spiritual structure of the freehold, forming this glory. This allows him to prevent selected raksha within from naturally regaining Essence. He can also Cup-shape in any of the freehold's waypoints, and defend the waypoints from Sword-shaping. He could also reflexively give himself the Curse of Alienation though he would be unlikely to do so.
The Determined Citadel
Stronghold. Center for active and aggressive strength.
Symbolism using both trees and the idea of power from the people.
The Regency has embedded his own Sword Grace into the structure of Kinaniz to form its stronghold. This allows the freehold to control 40 waypoints, which the Regency may arrange has he sees fit. He can also Sword-shape in any of the freehold's waypoints, and defend the waypoints from Sword-shaping. He could also reflexively give himself the Curse of Namelessness, though he would be unlikely to do so.
Defended by The Regency and Revolting Proletariat.
The Avian Valence
Fountainhead gives freehold self-awareness and identity. Feminine/passive symbolism. A wooded glen, filled with Tribute Birds. These birds are elemental birds, made in tribute to Wyr'palja's love of birds. They hate Misplaced Promise and will bargain against him, but they hate each other more, so will undermine attempts of others.
Hoi Polloi has embedded her own Ring Grace into the spiritual structure of Kinaniz to form its fountainhead, making the freehold conscious. This allows her to sense anything that happens in the freehold or near its pennants or cysts. She can also Ring-shape in any of the freehold's waypoints, and defend the waypoints with Ring-shaping. She could also reflexively give herself the Curse of Meekness, though she would never do so.
Defended by Hoi Polloi and birds.
The Angelic Sacrifice
Before Q'in Sanizaj fell prey to the Great Contagion and the Fair Folk, a handful of raksha called the city home. One of these, an entertainer named Angel Finger, witnessed the formation of Kinaniz, and willingly joined it. Heartbroken at the loss of the city she loved, she volunteered her Heart to Kinaniz, sacrificing her existence to become the bonefire at the center of the unshaped's existence and turning it into a mobile freehold.
A single cathedral-like room makes up this waypoint, Kinaniz' arcane redoubt. The room originally was an unrivaled First Age music hall, one of the wonders of Q'in Sanizaj, constructed from equal parts crystalline and vegetative technology of the Dragon Kings. The room has been warped nearly beyond recognition, of course, the tall silver bonefire burning in the center. Air flows through the massive crystal and wood organ pipes, driven by large, misshapen bladders that expand and contract on their own accord. Gilded cages have been added over the centuries, holding wyld creatures possessing unnatural voices that sing, act, lecture or recite poetry. The choir loft is filled with what appears to be the happily singing heads of a mortal children's choir, all connected to the same millipede-like leather body. Instruments of all varieties, including an abundance of those not yet invented, play and move on their own accord, occasionally dancing to the music of their brethren. Individually, every sound, voice and song within the redoubt would make mortals weep with their beauty and passion, but combined the noise can nearly drive men mad.
Misplaced Promise has attuned his heart to the redoubt, which allows him to enflesh himself within the freehold, becoming aware of all things the happen within and shape as if present anywhere within (all such test adding Essence successes). He can also spy on any carrying the freehold's pennants or cysts, and may wither this objects at will.
Defended by Misplaced Promise.
The Thoroughfare Lattice
Web of streets. You can fly inside if you want, but this makes you vulnerable to shaping? (Sorcery that allows flight, but forces you to respect the temple.)
Within this reality, rasksha will use a shaping action to declare that "the heroes see the impressive display and run away, avoiding the freehold's guards." If the players accept this reality, they will have +1 die to escape the freehold. If they refuse, they suffer environmental penalties as per pg 134. Other raksha will form similar realities. Single target at a time?
Perhaps other locations attempt to move the party in specific directions.
Defended by Cahlenna and her entourage.
The Reclaimed Sepulcher
This is Wyr'palja's mausoleum
Inhabitants
Guidance
The primary guiding intelligence of Kinaniz, Misplaced Promise is all that remains of the original spirit of Q'in Sanizaj. He has embedded his own graces in both the redoubt and the glory, and spends most of his time enfleshed in the body of Kinaniz. He occasionally takes the form of a winged, parrot-headed man. He seeks to return the city to its former glory, but has some confused notions about what its former glory. He will be torn about intruders trying to breach the tomb, concerned about what they might take or damage, but extremely curious about what is inside.
The Regency
In addition to everything else it was, Q'in Sanizaj can legitimately claim to be the first city taken over by a largely mortal revolt (with the help of Dragon Kings, god-blooded and a raksha or two). All that remains of this revolutionary spirit and the government-by-the-people it spawned has coalesed into the Regency, the second guiding intelligence of Kinaniz.
Hoi Polloi
Pulled in during the merge. Slightly insane
Deeper Into Trouble Technique, Furiously Stalling Destiny, Ill-Approving Eyes, Inauspicious Moment for Attack, Laughing Monster Stance, Subtle Hammer; plus Assertion of a Greater Vision, Howling Dream Consumption Prana, Sapphire Emptiness Kata, Shuffling the Pieces, Thieves Fall Out and Unitary Being Forge. This model is suitable for an unshaped wielding litany bones and focusing on defense and support. The guiding intelligence with this model would enter into battle with Howling Dream Consumption Prana and Laughing Monster Stance active, using Shuffling the Pieces to collapse the defense of enemies already wounded by its lesser minds.
Inhabitants
Raksha
Misplaced Promise does not trust the Fair Folk (a reaction against the Fair Folk's destruction of Qin, which he remembers only subconsciously). As a result, Promise tends to turn the Sword grace of any raksha he defeats into behemoths with Great Words of the Sword. He then forces the raksha to maintain the behemoth and take the shape of a Tribute Bird. The graces of common raksha are usually forged into a Mute Sentinel. Those of nobles, typical of the "run by the common man" nature of Qin, are usually forged into mounts of the sentinels. Some, however, become more esoteric beasts that prowl the labryth.
Behemoths
- Revolting Proletariat
- Diamaskratos and Erratic Threnody
- Mute Sentinel
- Mortals mutated by Behemoth-Forging Meditation
Others
- Poppets
- Awakened Dream Manufacture, some as citizens, some as their tools.
- Shape Forged Servant
- Tainted Creature Command
Booty
- Regrettable Evacuation Curse - Held by Misplaced Promise
Statistics
Freehold ●●●●●
Heart: Embedded by Misplaced Promise.
Stronghold: ●●●● - formed using the Regency's sword grace. 40 waypoints maximum
Glory: ●●●●● Misplaced Promise embedded own cup grace
Fountainhead: ?● - formed using
Hoi Polloi's ring grace
Throne Room: none
Tokens: Cyst ●● (Misplaced Promise), Cyst ● (The Regency), Cyst ● (Hoi Polloi), six pennants