Starbarian is the working title of a Dragonbane setting inspired by Thundarr the Barbarian, Jack Kirby's work on DC Comics' Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, and Palladium Book's Rifts.
The Scarlet Citadel appeared via Wyrmhole, unpredictable gateways between worlds, nearly a century ago. Its name comes from the way the stone glows red under moonlight. It is situated in the area known as the Kentucky Bend, along the Mississippi River. The leader of the Citadel holds the title of Scarlet Sorcerer.
The Citadel became a haven for mages and Wyrmbound, those who had become stranded here via Wyrmhole, 60 years ago, when the Psalm of Earth, human supremacists out of what used to be Nashville, began a pogrom of genocide as it marched north and west.
The Psalm's defeat at the hands of the Citadel gave hope to other settlements in the area and established it as a force to be reckoned with within the region. It also caused the Psalm to abandon its northern conquest.
The current Scarlet Sorcerer is Fibbio Maladroit, an ogre from Livid, formerly known as Joplin, MO, who has mastered Mentalism and Elementalism and is proficient in Animism. Maladroit is seeking the Siege Perilous in the hopes of freeing Merlyn from Morgan Le Fay's captivity. The ogre is a longtime admirer of the legendary mage and hopes to recreate Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table here.
The citadel is home to about 1200 sentient beings from all over the Polyverse and currently has about sixty students studying under the Scarlet Sorcerer. Due to its study of magic and its diverse population, the Citadel is mostly self-sufficient and rarely trades with or maintains diplomatic relations with other settlements in the area, such as Covenant, Skunkape, or Lexing Towne. The current Scarlet Sorcerer, though originally from Livid, was exiled for unlawful magical research, so there is zero contact between the two settlements. Many citizens believe the Psalm has spies within the Citadel and relations with the Swarmmm, to the north, and Coal, to the east, are chilly at best. The Citadel's only official ally is the Free-City of Syzygy, which is located in what used to be Indianapolis. Syzygy has a full-time ambassador stationed at the Citadel named Jonen Qross, who is an accomplished knight and animist. It is well known that Qross has a keen interest in stories of Camelot, and rumors link him romantically to the Scarlet Sorcerer. Over the last decade, the Citadel's greatest threat has come from the Night's Templar, a murderous horde based in what used to be Jefferson City, led by the demon Baphomet.
Adventure Hook 1: A bard named Tiger Lily, a karkion from Western Gate in what used to be Topeka, KS, has a map for a dungeon, the ruins of A.R.E.S., about a two-day ride south from the Citadel.
Adventure Hook 2: Ezekiel Parliament, an ogre from Livid, claims to have proof that the Scarlet Sorcerer is innocent of the charges that exiled him from his home. Ezekiel claims to represent an insurgency within Livid that wants to topple its current ruler, Maladroit's Aunt Phinika Femur. The players need to escort Parliament from Livid to the Citadel while staying ahead of the Night's Templar, who were hired by Femur.
Night's Templar Harrier
Mov.: 10 Damage Bonus: AGI: +D4 HP: 15
Typical Armor: Micromesh* 4
Skills: Awareness 12, Bushcraft 11, Evade 9
Typical Weapons: Laser Sword** (skill level 13, damage 2d6)
Bolt Rifle*** (skill level 13, damage 2d8 + 1d4)
*Treated as Chainmail
**Treated as Broadsword
***Treated as Heavy Crossbow
