Thornspace: Colonial Progeny, part 1

  The 15^th issue of Threshold: The Mystara Magazine’s “Flight of the Nachtklaue” article introduced the soulbound-construct known as Darzayitr,  the Sarimaarn equivalent of Silva, from Thorn’s Chronicle. Since then, there have been some questions (okay, one or two) about her nature and origins. And so, with no further ado, we delve into the intricacies of the Blackmoor Colonial branch of the Project SONATA demonic defense program.

Rowena and Leansethar discovered — nearly too late — that the sands of Sarimaar are deadly to those of even half-sidhe origin. Efforts to harden their compliments of shrikes and sirens against the harsh environment by the Blackmoor colonial technomancers met with very little success. As the number of Imperial Progeny (as those coming through the Gates were eventually defined) dwindled, the technomancers discovered that the vast distance from Mystara and the differences between the magical fields of their homeworld and Sarimaar warped the magic involved in the operation and function of the Well of Souls.

Because the magical field permeating Sarimaar was very weak, Progeny awakened from colonial Wells took on far less of their magical bloodline. Slightly smaller, still pale of skin, colonial Progeny sport the dark hair and eyes of their Andahar ancestry. While they awakened and were biologically functional, the soul-shard binding process did not completely take to the weakened clone bodies; they were very nearly as zombie-like as the first trials of Project: SONATA back in the early days of the University. Very little of the personality imprint or mother-consciousness took hold within these Sarimaarn Progeny. It was soon discovered that they also lacked connection to their Imperial sisters’ memories stored in the Thoughtshare Matrix.

Though physically and mentally weaker than their Imperial sisters, Colonials demonstrated a marked resistance to the environment. Black dragonstones could be used to enhance their rudimentary personalities. Gaps in their knowledge from disconnection from the Thoughtshare could be partially filled using blue dragonstone catalogs and intelligence-imprints. 

While capable of tapping into the defensive and offensive magics of dragonstones, their lesser-magical nature was found to actively deplete those stones’ powers after prolonged use.

Blackmoor Colonial technomancers tried to work with both lines of Progeny stock, and both siren and shrikes were awakened. While their Imperial sisters were usually only able to be distinguished by the make of their Val'kiran armaments or eye color, Colonial Progeny shared a platinum-based version of Val'kira's bracers. When not synched to a blue or black dragonstone -- at which point their irises would take on either a crystalline blue or smoky purple hue -- the eyes of both lines are a disturbing, unreflective leaden gray. 

A Colonial Shrike, approximately
two years active, garbed for operations
in the Sarimaarn summer months.

Colonial shrikes awaken with a pair of small, stubby horns barely visible beneath their dark hair. These horns grow more pronounced the longer the shrike remains active.
Unfortunately, it was also discovered that the longer they remained active, shrikes showed a tendency to become more and more mentally unstable. Shrike production was suspended after a flight of them went berserk in one of the colonies, resulting in the destruction of one of the Wells, its complement of technomancer staff. The rampage continued into the colony proper, resulting in nearly one hundred more deaths, some of them of the nobility.*

*Rumors circulated, in the massacre’s wake, that the shrikes’ acts were entirely justified, that the attack centered on and around several brothels that had come into possession of a number of unregistered newly-awakened siren simulacra.

• For BECMI/RC D&D: The Colonial Progeny Race/Class. (Covering a siren-based build)