Monday, April 09, 2012

Alabast - Unwilling Exiles

They were like men but with hair and skin of purest white, and their eyes were pale,shimmering orbs of hate. Their leader addressed us, his tone one of curt disgust, "You are not wanted here, beasts. Leave or die"


The alabast appear to be kin to the elves and eladrin of other worlds but these mysterious beings take the isolationist tendancies of the fey to an extreme. On their shadowy homeworld, they dwelt in great ziggurat cities, the only sentient species on the planet; now, one of those cities lies on a strange and hostile world filled with bizarre, unwholesome species like and unlike the alabast.

It is unknown even if "alabast" is their name for themselves or one coined by the natives of their new world (i.e. the PC races). The alabast view all other sentient life-forms with at least distaste, and in some cases, hatred. Like the more familiar elves, alabast have a strong cultural tradition of blending swordplay and spellcasting, but this reaches its pinnacle in the warrior-mage caste of each alabast city state.


Labyrinth Lord stats

No Enc: 1d4+1 (1d10+10)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (40')
AC: 5
HD 1
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: Sword 1d8 or Crossbow 1d6
SQ: Alabast are only surprised on a roll of 1 on 1d6
Save: Elf

These stats are for a typical NPC alabast warrior. For every 10 alabast encountered, one will be of higher HD of the iladan, teladan or koradan castes. Iladan ("Mage-warriors) are able to reflect magic back on the caster using their sword blades by making an attack roll as if attacking the caster in melee. Teladan ("Dancing-warriors") are able to make a riposte attack if their opponent misses them in melee. Koradan ("Shell-warriors") are more heavily armed and armoured than the other alabast one will encounter, usually wielding sword and shield or a two-handed weapon and wearing plate armour (but with no reduction in speed).

Alabast originally appeared in The Diamond Throne (Malhavoc Publishing)and the cultural terms used are from that work. My only original contribution is the LL stats and the abilities for the various types encountered.


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