What I wear is an expression of who I am.

 

A knife dancer. Art By: Me

Author's Note: Here is more information about the Manukari, a group I have based upon: the Romani, Indian Culture, and Noh & Kabuki theater. I have also included 4 magic pieces of head-wear that are commonly used by the Manukari. The first post about the Manukari can be found at this LINK. The Manukari are part of the Dreamland setting I am slowly working on, which can be found at this LINK. The systems I used to make the magic items are: OSR / LotFP / AD&D, Into the Odd, and Pits & Perils. I am willing to convert these things to over systems by request. As always, I look forward to any comments, suggestions, or questions you may have.

But Who Are They Really?

They are like any other group of people, filled with saints and monsters while the majority live between. There are those who revel in the richness of their own culture, while others forsake it for another. In the end, they are human, and in being so have no single story, but rather a multitude from every individual.

A common factor, as common as individuality would allow, is a love for dance and music. One might blame the blood and its influence of genes, while others might point to culture, however, the Manukari hold that it is their souls that call them to love the rhythm of step and strum.

Their magic is based in song and dance, and from it they are capable of wonders both terrible and great. Accordingly, their arcane crafts are focused upon song, dance, and pageantry. One might find these creations in bazaars in far lands, or pawned in dingy shops nearby. While at one time they held their creations dear, their fall from grace has lead to times that become leaner by the day.

A Manukari child dressed in traditional clothing. Art By: Me

With the youth abandoning their caravan homes for sessile life in cities, the nomadic families have become thinner with years. In the hopes that new blood might reinvigorate the Manukari culture, the elders have been allowing those who prove to possess an Atmamanu (a Manukari wise soul) to join their families. Others who assist the families, and show honor, are allowed to journey through the lands with them, or are given rare gifts as a sign of the Manukari's favor.

Perhaps you might hear more of these vibrant, but enigmatic people, perhaps not. A storyteller tells stories as their mood strikes them, and this one may wish to remain silent on the tales of the Manukari. What is less perplexing is their arcane crafts, which I lay before you, an offering for you to take or leave as you please.

Headdresses and Masks

Part of the Manukari culture when concerning dance and song is pageantry. It is not merely enough to dance and make music, one must show outward signs of the message being communicated. Each headdress or mask is linked to a set of dances, each set having its own theme. To gain the benefits of these magical crafts one must dance or make music for a short time before the piece awakens to bestow its blessing. The amount of time needed in order to awake the headdress or mask differs from piece to piece. It is up to the GM/System as to what constitutes a successful roll to dance/make music.

Head-Wear of the Manukari. Art By: Me

I – Headdress of Thana Muse of the Dead

This headdress is used during funeral rites, at the bedsides of the dying, and places where the dead have become restless.

OSR / AD&D / LotFP

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 1 Hour

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer are immune to the pains caused by death, though not the effects themselves.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus necromantic or death effects. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 4 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer gains a bonus to their AC against undead creatures. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 3 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer is capable of striking incorporeal undead with any weapon they are wielding as if the undead was corporeal.

Into the Odd

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 1 Hour

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer are immune to the pains caused by death, though not the effects themselves.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus Arcana and other supernatural effects that drain Strength or effect the soul of the individual. At Novice the bonus is +1, the bonus increases to +2 at Expert, and +3 at Master.

The wearer gains a bonus to their armor against undead creatures. At Novice the bonus is +1, the bonus increases to +2 at Expert, and +3 at Master.

The wearer is capable of striking incorporeal beings with any weapon they are wielding as if the being was corporeal.

Pits & Perils

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 1 Hour

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer are immune to the pains caused by death, though not the effects themselves.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus necromantic or death effects. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 4 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer gains a bonus to their Hits when attacked by undead creatures. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 2 levels after the 1^st. (Hits lost only refresh if the the headdress is reactivated).

The wearer is capable of striking incorporeal undead with any weapon they are wielding as if the undead was corporeal.

A dancer wearing a Mask of Shivsa. Art By: Me

II – Mask of Shivsa Muse of Blades

The mask is warn by those who guard the Manukari caravans, or during the rare instances a family caravan goes to war. Those who wear these masks tend to wield long-knives and shorts-words.

OSR / AD&D / LotFP

Dance/Music Requirement: 1 Turn (10 Rounds)

Benefit Duration: 4 Hours

Benefits:

The wearer gains a bonus to AC in combat. At 1^st level the bonus is +1, this bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer gains a bonus to-hit with Slashing weapons. At 1^st level the bonus is +1, this bonus increases by +1 for every 3 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer gains a +50% bonus to their movement rate.

Into the Odd

Dance/Music Requirement: 10 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 4 Hours

Benefits:

The wearer gains a bonus to their Armor in combat. At Novice the bonus is +1, the bonus increases to +2 at Expert, and +3 at Master.

The damage die of Slashing weapons wielded by the wearer increases by 1 step, even when impaired the lowest damage a Slashing weapon may do is 1D6.

The wearer gains a +50% bonus to their movement rate.

Pits & Perils

Dance/Music Requirement: 1 Turn (10 Rounds)

Benefit Duration: 4 Hours

Benefits:

The wearer gains a bonus to their Hits in combat. At 1^st level the bonus is +1, this bonus increases by +1 for every 3 levels after the 1^st. (Hits lost only refresh if the the headdress is reactivated).

The wearer gains a bonus to-hit with Slashing weapons. At 1^st level the bonus is +1, this bonus increases by +1 at level 8.

The wearer gains a +50% bonus to their movement rate. 

A dancer wearing an unnamed mask. Art By: Me

 

III – Mask of Kossa Muse of the Wounded

This mask is worn by healers and doctors, granting them the ability to heal fresh wounds, aide the poisoned and sick, as well as regenerate lost limbs (though at a cost to themselves).

OSR / AD&D / LotFP

Dance/Music Requirement: Any

Benefit Duration: The benefits of the mask only function while the wearer is dancing, plus for 1 round afterward.

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) heal 1 point of damage per round.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus poison and disease. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 3 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer gains a bonus to their AC while dancing. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 3 levels after the 1^st.

The wearer is capable of regenerating the lost limbs of others, however each time this is done the wearer loses a digit off their hands or feet. While this may be done a few number of times without ill effects, too many fingers lost will mean an individual is unable to hold items, while the loss of a big toe will severely effect someone's balance. When the digits are lost, the individual feels no pain, and a smooth patch of skin is left where the digit once was.

Into the Odd

Dance/Music Requirement: Any

Benefit Duration: The benefits of the mask only function while the wearer is dancing, plus for 1 round afterward.

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) heal 1 point of damage per round. This healing does not effect points lost from stats.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus poison and disease. At Novice the bonus is +1, the bonus increases to +2 at Expert, and +3 at Master.

The wearer gains a bonus to their armor while dancing. At Novice the bonus is +1, the bonus increases to +2 at Expert, and +3 at Master.

The wearer is capable of regenerating the lost limbs of others, however each time this is done the wearer loses a digit off their hands or feet. While this may be done a few number of times without ill effects, too many fingers lost will mean an individual is unable to hold items, while the loss of a big toe will severely effect someone's balance. When the digits are lost, the individual feels no pain, and a smooth patch of skin is left where the digit once was.

Pits & Perils

Dance/Music Requirement: Any

Benefit Duration: The benefits of the mask only function while the wearer is dancing, plus for 1 round afterward.

Benefits:

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) 1 Hit of damage per round.

Those in a 10 foot radius of the wearer (including the wearer) are receive a bonus to their saves versus poison and disease. +1 at 1^st level of the wearer, and another +1 for every 4 levels after the 1^st.

The number required to hit the character while they are dancing increases by 1. 10 to 12 for 1 Hit and 13 for 2 Hits. This increase means that only individuals and monsters with bonuses to-hit are capable of scoring 2 Hits on the dancer.

The wearer is capable of regenerating the lost limbs of others, however each time this is done the wearer loses a digit off their hands or feet. While this may be done a few number of times without ill effects, too many fingers lost will mean an individual is unable to hold items, while the loss of a big toe will severely effect someone's balance. When the digits are lost, the individual feels no pain, and a smooth patch of skin is left where the digit once was.

An unmasked Manukari woman. Art By: Me

IV – Headdress of Tellov Muse of Ways and Roads

These headdresses are worn by caravan masters/mistresses, as well as those assigned to guide members of the Manukari.

OSR / AD&D / LotFP

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 2 Hours

Benefits:

Anyone within 10 feet of the wearer is able to see perfectly in any natural lighting condition, be it low-light or complete darkness.

The wearer is able to see perfectly through any type of darkness, even magical darkness. Furthermore, the wearer may see through fog and smoke without hindered.

The wearer is enabled to find the shortest, most direct route that he or she is seeking, be it the way to or from or out of a locale. The locale can be outdoors or underground, a trap but not from spells like the maze spell. The ability will enable the wearer to select the correct direction which will eventually lead him or her to egress, the exact path to follow (or actions to take).

Into the Odd

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 2 Hours

Benefits:

Anyone within 10 feet of the wearer is able to see perfectly in any natural lighting condition, be it low-light or complete darkness.

The wearer is able to see perfectly through any type of darkness, even magical darkness. Furthermore, the wearer may see through fog and smoke without hindered.

The wearer is enabled to find the shortest, most direct route that he or she is seeking, be it the way to or from or out of a locale. The locale can be outdoors or underground, a trap but not from confinement created through supernatural means. The ability will enable the wearer to select the correct direction which will eventually lead him or her to egress, the exact path to follow (or actions to take).

Pits & Perils

Dance/Music Requirement: 5 Rounds

Benefit Duration: 2 Hours

Benefits:

Anyone within 10 feet of the wearer is able to see perfectly in any natural lighting condition, be it low-light or complete darkness.

The wearer is able to see perfectly through any type of darkness, even magical darkness. Furthermore, the wearer may see through fog and smoke without hindered.

The wearer is enabled to find the shortest, most direct route that he or she is seeking, be it the way to or from or out of a locale. The locale can be outdoors or underground, a trap but not from spells like the maze spell. The ability will enable the wearer to select the correct direction which will eventually lead him or her to egress, the exact path to follow (or actions to take).

And they wept upon the shores of dream and memory.

The Dance of Edges and Blades. Art By: Me

 

Author's Note: Here is a legend of the Manukari, a group I have based upon: the Romani, Indian Culture, and Noh & Kabuki theater. I plan on expanding on them further, but I wanted to present this part to see what others think. This culture is an expansion on my Dreamland setting (LINK). I would really dig hearing your opinion as well as suggestions for possible sources of inspiration.

Manukari

Left behind to dance the dance of dreams and sing the songs of sleep, performing along waking shores of Rem. Once nobility in the court of a dreaming king, grand lords and ladies, their right to rule founded in a talent for expression. Each bent knee and will to the wounded poet king Eoin Leutz, a lord lamed by a mundane world made hard by casual cruelty.

King Eoin with his wise court in tow crossed the world, collecting creators whom mundane society had little use for. They became an avalanche of dances, stories, and music as they moved over countrysides made almost monochrome in earthen hues. Towns, bored as any place mired in the mundane, celebrated their coming and became melancholy at their departure.

I think I may start making collages again. Collage By: Me

In time the king and his court became too wondrous for a quotidian world, soon finding themselves on the shores of the Rem Sea. Upon its prismatic waters, the pier-city of Traumstadt was founded, the stone of its construction mined from the petrified bodies of stillborn gods. Having never emerged completely from the waters of birth, the dead deities stood like small mountains out of dream waters.

Wounded in both spirit and flesh, the king soon grew tired of his city, wanting for better lands on which to gain respite. Taking half his court with him, he set off across the dreaming waters to find a true Dreamland, one that did more than merely act as a border to sleep. Leaving incredible wealth to those who remained, a wealth he refused to tell of its acquisition, he left for places that may have only been fantasy.

King Eoin's final commandment: dance, sing, and speak of fine things, call to the dreams of all until the king calls. There, upon the shores of Rem, those that remained sat a wept when they remembered their king. Soon their tears would run bitter, as they were made paupers from nobility.

Eoin had left Bahram, his bastard son born of a dalliance between the king and a living poem, to reign over those remaining who had taken to calling themselves the Manukari. Soon, Bahram's heart was made dark through the whispers of Marchen, turning him from the Manukari. Tales twist into arenas both true and false when called to make testament of the nature of Marchen: some say man and others woman, some speak of one and others many, some say old while others speak of youth.

Bahram cast out the Manukari from Traumstadt, calling them thieves and lairs in tones that the people would believe. Now, made to survive by hand and wit alone, they wait for their king upon the shores of Rem, at times weeping for his memory.

Dreaming cities upon a beach

 

Stillborn gods petrified at the moment of their birth. Pictures Mangled By: Me

Pictures Mangled by Me: Any picture with this in its caption means it is a collage I made using 19th and early 20th century illustrations. All these illustrations are public domain, meaning I didn't rob anyone by using these pictures for my own gains.

Twinned cities upon and above a dreaming sea. Rem, adobe and sandstone buildings stacked atop one another, an urban mountain reaching toward strange skies. Traumstadt, city upon a pier of dark stone, prime example of medieval Teutonic architecture, the pier stretching out onto a prismatic sea.

The Rem Sea, its prismatic waters ebbing and flowing as the other watery bodies of the world. A surface of rainbows stretching out beyond the horizon, beneath, a blue filled with life mythical and mundane. Images the waters reflect are rarely the same as the visage that created them, at times fantastic, at times strange, and yet others the images make the caster recoil from what they see.

From these waters a rare god or goddess might be born, though they are more likely to be a stillbirth, if they are born at all. These stillbirths protrude from the sea, stone shapes, some twists on familiar forms, others completely alien. Even in their fetal state, these deities are massive, their now lifeless bodies petrified into a dark stone. It is from this very stone that the wounded poet-king Eoin constructed the pier city Traumstadt, before leaving to found his kingdom in the Dreamland.

Strange dead gods among sailors and ships. Pictures Mangled By: Me

Rem and Traumstadt are the beginning points of any journey to the kingdom of dreams, though many find the allure of these shore cities to strong to abandon. Rem and Traumstadt are charmed places, being in some ways more innocent than their mundane counterparts. While crime, cruelty, and poverty exist within the cities, their reign is far diminished. Rem and Traumstadt are fable places, where heroes are consistent and pure, and where villains still hesitate before certain crimes.

The destruction of Rem and Traumstadt at the height of the Storyteller Wars was the bitterest loss among the conflicts' casualties. But, those deaths are two centuries away, and the world is ignorant to the coming loss. Be of good cheer, for happiness and grandeur can still be won in these diminishing times. 

A fabled place of strange wonders. Art By: Harry Clarke

 

Author's Note: This setting, which I am calling 'The Dream Age' is the counterpoint to the Infinite City. It takes place 200 years before the setting of the Infinite City, filled with the wonder that died in the trenches while the world warred with the Marchen.

The Dream Age is more of standard fantasy setting than the Infinite City, though it is still filled with the same surreal dream logic/imagery/themes. Its culture and technology resembles an idealized version of the late medieval/early renaissance commonly found in fantasy settings. I will be explaining the history of the Storyteller Wars from both sides of the conflict, before and after.

Initially, I began work on this city as a gift to a guy named John Leutz, however, it has morphed into something more. I wanted to work on something with the same level of weirdness as the Infinite City but far more light/hopeful. I will be back to the dark surrealism of the Infinite City in my next post, I will be trading off between places in future posts. 

Rem, a mountain of a city. Pictures Mangled By: Me

 

Rem

This is a city constructed of adobe and sandstone, ruled over by sphinxes. It would look at home among the cities of the middle east. Due to the Storyteller Wars the sphinxes had fled to the Infinite City to war with the spiders over libraries and knowledge. But in this age, their beauty and mythic nature is undiminished. These daughters of the sand and savannah are the keepers of secrets and wisdom, and rule over Rem with a sagacity that would put king Solomon to shame.

The monarch of the city is queen Inanna, the timeless mother of all living sphinxes who gave birth to the very creature that Oedipus slew. While she rules from a palace that bears her form, her daughters keep peace in the streets, striding proudly on two legs and four.

Traumstadt, reaching out into the dream sea. Pictures Mangled By: Me

Traumstadt

Constructed of stone taken from the bodies of stillborn and petrified gods protruding from the Rem sea. Its architecture, and culture, is that of medieval Europe with high Gothic towers and arches looming over the city. Traumstadt was constructed by the wounded poet-king Eoin Leutz after leaving the mundane world, dismayed and dejected over the cruelties he found there in his lifetime. He did not spend long in the city he created, having soon left to found his own kingdom in the Dreamland.

Traumstadt is built on a stone pier that reaches out into the dream sea like a city-wide bridge without ever touching land. It grows slowly, new arches and pylons appearing suddenly at night while the city dreams. The population of the city will build onto the new open spaces as they appear, continuing the architectural tradition of the rest of the city. It is believed by some that the city is a god or goddess that continues to grow in the womb of the Rem sea, and one day it will awake and be born. 

Traumstadt, near the shore. Pictures Mangled By: Me

 

The city is ruled over by spiders, the descendants of ancient arachnids that made their homes in the library of Alexandria and the temples of Sumeria. Traumstadt's king, Uttu, is responsible for saving the works of Homer (who was in fact a spider wearing a human disguise) from the burning of Alexandria's library. While returned many of the works to the world, he kept three to himself with the promise to reveal them after he had written something better.

His sons and daughters roam the city, keeping order when the can be pulled away from their own writings. Most are no larger than medium sized dogs, but few have reached truly incredible sizes, growing as large as elephants. Rumor has it that many of the young arachnids have abandoned the traditional way of writing using webs and silk, going instead to write upon parchment using ink.

Knights of the Resurrected Dreamer

In Traumstadt, an order of knights has been founded based upon the teachings of the Sainted Dreamer. The Dreamer crawled from the waters of the Rem sea, having nearly been stillborn, but being born twisted and lame. This order is founded on bringing back ability to those who have been born broken, or who were broken in life.

The Dreamer calls on its followers to gather the disabled, and give them tools to live a life on par with the abled. It is the will of the Dreamer that all be given a chance to live the lives they might hope for, to walk with purpose. These given tools do not mimic their natural counterparts in shape, rather they flaunt their existence. The Dreamer commands pride in those who have been given its blessings, those of mundane form should be pitied for all looking the same. 

A knight jousting on a Bed Mount. Pictures Mangled By: Me

 

Chair and Bed Mounts

These devices act as legs for those who do not have the use of their own legs, or for those with the coin who do not wish to use their own legs. For people without the use of their own legs, the order inserts a enchanted splint into the individual's lower spine. The splint directly transmits the user's will and reflex to the chair or bed. For those with the coin to spend, they may buy a crown to control the devices in the same way. These mounts can walk as long as the user remains conscious, if unconscious the mount will remain still.

OSR / LotFP / AD&D

While using a Chair or Bed Mount, the device uses the character's Dexterity score, allowing the individual to avoid attacks as anyone else would.

Splint Cost: Free

Crown Cost: 2000 gp (OSR / AD&D) / 2000 sp (LotFP)

The cost of the first device, be it bed or chair is included in the cost of the crown, or given away in the case of the splint. The second device costs 500 gp/sp, this cost can be higher of the user wishes the device to be made using expensive materials.

Chair Mount -

Base Speed: 40 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: None

Bed Mount -

Base Speed: 60 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: -2 out of 6, -33%, or -6 depending on the skill system used.

A Chair Mount. Pictures Mangled By: Me

Pits & Perils

Splint Cost: Free

Crown Cost: 2000 gp

The cost of the first device, be it bed or chair is included in the cost of the crown, or given away in the case of the splint. The second device costs 500 gp, this cost can be higher of the user wishes the device to be made using expensive materials.

Chair Mount -

Base Speed: 50 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: None

Bed Mount -

Base Speed: 75 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: Very Difficult / -3 to 2D6 roll.

While more innocent, there is still darkness in these lands. Art By: Harry Clarke

Pathfinder / 3.X

Splint Cost: Free

Crown Cost: 2000 gp

The cost of the first device, be it bed or chair is included in the cost of the crown, or given away in the case of the splint. The second device costs 500 gp, this cost can be higher of the user wishes the device to be made using expensive materials.

Chair Mount -

Base Speed: 30 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: None

Bed Mount -

Base Speed: 45 ft.

Penalty to Climbing: -6 to all skill rolls made to climb.