A home-brew setting [Archive] - Wizards Community

A home-brew setting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
blindcynic
03-28-07, 04:05 PM Hi all,

I dunno if you've read any of my other posts or not...In the Airship thread I sort of talk about this setting and In warcraft flavoured PRC's thread I talk about some of the PRC's available in this setting I have been making. (This setting is largely inspired by the Warcraft game, Teddy Ruxpin and Firefly.)

The reason I have made my own setting is I own like 50 books and decided I am not going to collect any more setting books. I just want to collect rules books and maybe the Completes. Other than that I am sick of spending so much on this when I usually end making half of it myself!

Here goes-
My setting is based on two continents and several small islands.
The smaller of the two continents is massive (we're talking North America sized here) and is on the western side of the map. It is ruled by an Empire that pretty much slowly conquered large sections and then in the last sixty years or so has vorasciously gobbled by what was left.
The Empire's goal is pretty straightforward, world domination (what else?) and they have several cool Prc's (unyet posted but far more worked on PRC's then anything else I have).
Culture wise the Empire is sort of Asian/persian in influence and being. Most is just made up though. It is by and large monotheistic worshipping one over-god, (which is enforced by the way), with three other special deities who are the over-god's servants that help maintain the Empire. (None of these Deities or the over-god have ever appeared to anyone in millenia, but they do grant spells and part of worshipping them is maintaining the Empire.) The Empire is historically taking over lands once ruled by a different Empire more than 800 years ago...they have technology no other nation has. Access to several gates and pocket demi-planes with natural resources not easily obtained by other nations. They have airships, flintlocks and pistols as well as a few steam-driven things. Control three portal gates that lead to various portions of the continent and are searching for the last five.
The Empire has wizards, but they are closely monitored by one another so that none can gain absolute power. (it's complex and highly ritualized) Unless you belong to one of their four orders you are an outlaw. Sorcerer's are almost unheard of on the Empire's continent. (There are also no non-humans and hardly any monsters) The Empire has subjugated or killed everything alive on it's continent. They use Hydras and Manticores as beasts of war.

The Empire's continent is not connected to the eastern one, but Mountainous islands dot the vast sea inbetween the two. These islands are controlled by the Empire's illustrious army and it's airships.

The Eastern continent (About Asia and Europe combined) is more European and less mountainous than the western one. It has precious little prairies and flat lands though. Food is much harder to come-by and poverty is rampant in many kingdoms.
The wealthier kingdoms have banded together, as they are mountained off from most of their neighbours, and call themselves the Crownlands. They keep griffons for maintaining an everwatchful eye out for invasion either from the Empire or other nations. There are only two passes in and out of the Crownlands by land, one is guarded by a sacred order of knights, the other by a huge fortress.
The Crownlands worship a Heironous like deity and there is a cult to "Klee" a demon Princess who is actually "chained" up somwhere in the mountains and grants spells to those who worship her. Other than that I haven't decided whether or not the crownlands have any other deities.

The rest of the nations of the Eastern continent are only vaguely done so far...so I could use some ideas.

I have no idea what deities or nations to use or what sort of government models I want. (I find copying to many real world historic governments annoying, it's not fantasy enough for me, I'd like to come up with more unique stuff. Any ideas??

I am toying with the idea of outlawing wizards in the Crownlands, as all know they are "puppets of the Empire". Perhaps the odd sorcerers manage to hide out here, but trained wizards and the such will be unavailable without visiting the Empire.

Monsters on the Eastern Continent and monster nations I have so far are:
Hobgoblins (Several different clans, many of which make war on each other instead of humans, the hobgoblins keep Wyverns and worgs as their war beasts and worship several different demon lords)

Dwarves of Reven'thair, a mountain kingdom. Perhaps the last hold

Elves of Lilienthus, three great forests, the elves are dwindling having faced many quick rising and quick breeding human nations. Many of the Elves have turned to dark magic and joined the Shadow souled in the House of blackened leaves (A different darker forest kingdom) and made total war on Humanity.
taradusis
03-31-07, 07:41 AM Some kingdom concepts?An evil nation ruled by half-fiends and worshipping Baphomet.A good nation ruled by a half-celestial and worshippping Hathor (egyptian).Minotaurs redesigned as evolved cattle who are herbivores and have 20 females to every male?scale down the size of sylvan centaurs and base their culture on that of plains indians?A fantasy staple,suppose female worshippers of isis or hecate were oppressed and withdrew to form their own "witches haven"A gnomish city that controls banking?Raises giant space hamsters(spelljammer) to produce the wonderfood known as SPAHAM.scaled down (2hd-smallsize?)versions of sphinxes that breed quickly and are curious as kenders without being annoying,sort of like the sphixes from the movie MIRRORMASK.
GoriceXII
03-31-07, 08:01 AM You might want to go for something like Babylonian or Sumerian mythos, using the consorts or servants of a deity you pick for the lesser gods you wanted.

Some thoughts:
1. Is the Imperial Family traditionally respected? How powerful are they? Are they merely symbolic leaders of a powerful bureaucracy, or are they the recognized leaders of a system of aristocracy? What is the basis of power of leadership, in other words?

2. If you have no direct ideas on this, you might want to have interesting balances of power between say leaders of industry and commerce, traditional aristocracy, and a monarchy which is generally (though perhaps not universally) admired and while posessing absolute authority rarely wields it--perhaps like the Japanese monarchy or the latter day Ottoman monarchy quite removed from regular society.
blindcynic
03-31-07, 11:17 AM Hi guys

Awesome input thanx,

I think I will model minotaurs as herbivore cow-like creatures, 20 females to 1 male and make them territorial. I don't think they will be unified nation exactly more of a nomadic people. (Maybe I will model their social setting after lions!? Women do the hunting, raise the babies, while the males protect them from predators and keep away from other males.)

I have never run an Amazon style nation before but I could see how that could be fun. I was thinking perhaps blind sorcerer women ? A la David Eddings and his Seeress' of Kell? Blind sorcerer women who all have a permanent Rary's lesser Telepathic bond to some hulking warrior? Instead it could be blind sorcerer women who rule via some arcane council and men are all slaves. Non-sorcerer women wield composite long-bows and long-swords? Non-sorcerer women champions could be gifted with four-arms, by the blind sorcereress'. Something to do with Maralith Tanari perhaps...I dunno just spit-balling here.

For the Blind Sorcereress' I was thinking some kind of template that gave them a magical blind-sense instead of vision after a few levels or something.

Or the women could ALL be natural Lycanthrope were-wolves...Yikes that would be one powerful nation. But they put all their male babies to the sword to prevent male leadership? So very few births as they have to capture human males...yada yada yada.

The Emperor is going to be one of those BBEG types. He rules through force of will and personality as well as possessing unbelievable leadership qualities.
Heirs of the Emperor (of which he always has many, many) are not considered next in line by birth but must compete against each other, in all forms of testing to move up. How ruthless? How intelligent? How Charismatic? Possible Emperor's are eventually given control over farms by the age of 13 and must work them as best they can with precious few slaves.
After a year at the farm they are put in charge of a unit of soldiers. (Many soldiers vie for this honour, because if the candidate Emperor does rise to power he usually elevates this unit. Particularly men who make a lasting impression on the young man.) For three years the Emperor candidate must live in the relatively isolated North-lands and square off against other candidates in actual battles and intrigue. He (it's always a he) must prove himself a capable leader over and over again in a thousand different ways.
After proving himself a capable Commander/soldier and a farmer he must travel to the Golden City. (The capital)
There he must work as a merchant, trying to outsell other candidate Emperors . At this point all candidate emperors are using subterfuge, assassination and trickery to keep the others from succeeding. Also during this time the Candidate Emperor must have at least three sons. (I will explain why)
Finally after three years as a Merchant each candidate is taken to the Ivory Palace, where they learn the management and abilities of the Emperor, the responsibilities etc. Any subterfuge or trickery at this time results in immediate execution of the candidate and his sons.
At last the Emperor and his advisers, including one adviser from each of the four orders arcane (Wizard orders) and not least of all the Highest priest and his four next highest priests make a choice out of the remaining candidate Emperors. The rest are put to the sword along with their soldiers, their sons and slaves. The existing Emperor makes a speech to the public and stays in office for 221 days while the heir to the Empire is taken through each city to meet his people. (Highly protected etc.) Anyway when he gets back he's Emperor now and his father the old Emperor is just an Adviser.

The reason an Heir to the Emperor must have at least three sons is because should he die as the Emperor in waiting and all of his rivals have been put to the sword who is to rule after the death of the old Emperor??? One of the sons

Many Emperor's hate losing their power and don't give it up easily, they too must be manipulated and out-schemed.

The high priest determines when the competition to be heir to the Empire starts, though in the last seventy five years the Empire has only had two Emperors.

The newest Emperor is exceptionally cunning, exceptionally ruthless and charming enough to appear none of the above when he wants to. It has been mainly under his tyrannical father's tutelage that he has put his talents to annexing gains. Conquering the entire continent in his rule.

That's a long answer to your short question GoriceXII; Basically the Emperor is anything but a puppet, the system is so complex and highly ritualized that it would be difficult to say the least, for a puppet to gain power. Even with the backing and help of brilliant men.
GoriceXII
03-31-07, 03:02 PM Here's a thought: the Aztec Empire similarly used merchants as agents of state, and also had candidates for ruler (who were normally related directly to the Revered Speaker but otherwise were people of noble blood) have to prove themselves through various actions. Or perhaps another way to say that was that the unproven were not candidates at all.

One element you could put in is this Retired Emperor being an official in his own right but perhaps in a different way. Silverberg's Majipoor chronicles have this element in which the Coronal upon retirement becomes the Pontifex and retires to an underground city from which he governs all ritual life.

I like the idea of an unusual amazonian nation. Did you know that hyenas btw are matriarchal? The females are larger and stronger than the males, and tend as cubs to dominate them. The largest, most cunning female in a pack will gradually start to favour a possible 'heir' who is likely one of her own daughters. You might want to use these kinds of characteristics for your lycanthropes, actually give more abilities and such to the females.
taradusis
03-31-07, 04:49 PM Some amazonian ideas.an amazon or matriarchal society ruled by medusas and their daughters who are green skinned sorceresses?This would presuppose that the child of a medusa is always female and gifted as a sorcerer?Since medusae make good sorcerers when they take classes this would be useful house variation.A secret council of medusae who rule thru their children the "sisters of the serpent"is plausible or at least playable.Makes for good undercover agents to act as story drivers in your world?imagine a group of female were-lions who are all L/G and were created by ASLAN.Call them the "brides of ASLAN'.They could be a nation of do-gooders who all take preistly classes to better serve their husband ASLAN.New recruits are former villains who are scratched and forced to change shape 3 times so that their alignment becomes L/G.Suppose a preisthood has a magical drum that is a gift from the gods.Two women put hair clippings,blood etc.into the kettledrum.the cover is put on the kettledrum.The two mothers-to-be begin to bang on the magic drum till a babies cries come from inside.The drum is opened and a girl baby that is physically mature enough to eat solid food comes out.In a few days the girl child is starting to talk and walk.Allows for a male free society,eliminates risky births,no birth defects..I have a thread called RANDOM AQUATIC NOTES over on the D+D general board,feel free to visit and pilfer my island ideas for nations.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
blindcynic 03-28-07, 04:05 PM	Hi all, I dunno if you've read any of my other posts or not...In the Airship thread I sort of talk about this setting and In warcraft flavoured PRC's thread I talk about some of the PRC's available in this setting I have been making. (This setting is largely inspired by the Warcraft game, Teddy Ruxpin and Firefly.) The reason I have made my own setting is I own like 50 books and decided I am not going to collect any more setting books. I just want to collect rules books and maybe the Completes. Other than that I am sick of spending so much on this when I usually end making half of it myself! Here goes- My setting is based on two continents and several small islands. The smaller of the two continents is massive (we're talking North America sized here) and is on the western side of the map. It is ruled by an Empire that pretty much slowly conquered large sections and then in the last sixty years or so has vorasciously gobbled by what was left. The Empire's goal is pretty straightforward, world domination (what else?) and they have several cool Prc's (unyet posted but far more worked on PRC's then anything else I have). Culture wise the Empire is sort of Asian/persian in influence and being. Most is just made up though. It is by and large monotheistic worshipping one over-god, (which is enforced by the way), with three other special deities who are the over-god's servants that help maintain the Empire. (None of these Deities or the over-god have ever appeared to anyone in millenia, but they do grant spells and part of worshipping them is maintaining the Empire.) The Empire is historically taking over lands once ruled by a different Empire more than 800 years ago...they have technology no other nation has. Access to several gates and pocket demi-planes with natural resources not easily obtained by other nations. They have airships, flintlocks and pistols as well as a few steam-driven things. Control three portal gates that lead to various portions of the continent and are searching for the last five. The Empire has wizards, but they are closely monitored by one another so that none can gain absolute power. (it's complex and highly ritualized) Unless you belong to one of their four orders you are an outlaw. Sorcerer's are almost unheard of on the Empire's continent. (There are also no non-humans and hardly any monsters) The Empire has subjugated or killed everything alive on it's continent. They use Hydras and Manticores as beasts of war. The Empire's continent is not connected to the eastern one, but Mountainous islands dot the vast sea inbetween the two. These islands are controlled by the Empire's illustrious army and it's airships. The Eastern continent (About Asia and Europe combined) is more European and less mountainous than the western one. It has precious little prairies and flat lands though. Food is much harder to come-by and poverty is rampant in many kingdoms. The wealthier kingdoms have banded together, as they are mountained off from most of their neighbours, and call themselves the Crownlands. They keep griffons for maintaining an everwatchful eye out for invasion either from the Empire or other nations. There are only two passes in and out of the Crownlands by land, one is guarded by a sacred order of knights, the other by a huge fortress. The Crownlands worship a Heironous like deity and there is a cult to "Klee" a demon Princess who is actually "chained" up somwhere in the mountains and grants spells to those who worship her. Other than that I haven't decided whether or not the crownlands have any other deities. The rest of the nations of the Eastern continent are only vaguely done so far...so I could use some ideas. I have no idea what deities or nations to use or what sort of government models I want. (I find copying to many real world historic governments annoying, it's not fantasy enough for me, I'd like to come up with more unique stuff. Any ideas?? I am toying with the idea of outlawing wizards in the Crownlands, as all know they are "puppets of the Empire". Perhaps the odd sorcerers manage to hide out here, but trained wizards and the such will be unavailable without visiting the Empire. Monsters on the Eastern Continent and monster nations I have so far are: Hobgoblins (Several different clans, many of which make war on each other instead of humans, the hobgoblins keep Wyverns and worgs as their war beasts and worship several different demon lords) Dwarves of Reven'thair, a mountain kingdom. Perhaps the last hold Elves of Lilienthus, three great forests, the elves are dwindling having faced many quick rising and quick breeding human nations. Many of the Elves have turned to dark magic and joined the Shadow souled in the House of blackened leaves (A different darker forest kingdom) and made total war on Humanity.
taradusis 03-31-07, 07:41 AM	Some kingdom concepts?An evil nation ruled by half-fiends and worshipping Baphomet.A good nation ruled by a half-celestial and worshippping Hathor (egyptian).Minotaurs redesigned as evolved cattle who are herbivores and have 20 females to every male?scale down the size of sylvan centaurs and base their culture on that of plains indians?A fantasy staple,suppose female worshippers of isis or hecate were oppressed and withdrew to form their own "witches haven"A gnomish city that controls banking?Raises giant space hamsters(spelljammer) to produce the wonderfood known as SPAHAM.scaled down (2hd-smallsize?)versions of sphinxes that breed quickly and are curious as kenders without being annoying,sort of like the sphixes from the movie MIRRORMASK.
GoriceXII 03-31-07, 08:01 AM	You might want to go for something like Babylonian or Sumerian mythos, using the consorts or servants of a deity you pick for the lesser gods you wanted. Some thoughts: 1. Is the Imperial Family traditionally respected? How powerful are they? Are they merely symbolic leaders of a powerful bureaucracy, or are they the recognized leaders of a system of aristocracy? What is the basis of power of leadership, in other words? 2. If you have no direct ideas on this, you might want to have interesting balances of power between say leaders of industry and commerce, traditional aristocracy, and a monarchy which is generally (though perhaps not universally) admired and while posessing absolute authority rarely wields it--perhaps like the Japanese monarchy or the latter day Ottoman monarchy quite removed from regular society.
blindcynic 03-31-07, 11:17 AM	Hi guys Awesome input thanx, I think I will model minotaurs as herbivore cow-like creatures, 20 females to 1 male and make them territorial. I don't think they will be unified nation exactly more of a nomadic people. (Maybe I will model their social setting after lions!? Women do the hunting, raise the babies, while the males protect them from predators and keep away from other males.) I have never run an Amazon style nation before but I could see how that could be fun. I was thinking perhaps blind sorcerer women ? A la David Eddings and his Seeress' of Kell? Blind sorcerer women who all have a permanent Rary's lesser Telepathic bond to some hulking warrior? Instead it could be blind sorcerer women who rule via some arcane council and men are all slaves. Non-sorcerer women wield composite long-bows and long-swords? Non-sorcerer women champions could be gifted with four-arms, by the blind sorcereress'. Something to do with Maralith Tanari perhaps...I dunno just spit-balling here. For the Blind Sorcereress' I was thinking some kind of template that gave them a magical blind-sense instead of vision after a few levels or something. Or the women could ALL be natural Lycanthrope were-wolves...Yikes that would be one powerful nation. But they put all their male babies to the sword to prevent male leadership? So very few births as they have to capture human males...yada yada yada. The Emperor is going to be one of those BBEG types. He rules through force of will and personality as well as possessing unbelievable leadership qualities. Heirs of the Emperor (of which he always has many, many) are not considered next in line by birth but must compete against each other, in all forms of testing to move up. How ruthless? How intelligent? How Charismatic? Possible Emperor's are eventually given control over farms by the age of 13 and must work them as best they can with precious few slaves. After a year at the farm they are put in charge of a unit of soldiers. (Many soldiers vie for this honour, because if the candidate Emperor does rise to power he usually elevates this unit. Particularly men who make a lasting impression on the young man.) For three years the Emperor candidate must live in the relatively isolated North-lands and square off against other candidates in actual battles and intrigue. He (it's always a he) must prove himself a capable leader over and over again in a thousand different ways. After proving himself a capable Commander/soldier and a farmer he must travel to the Golden City. (The capital) There he must work as a merchant, trying to outsell other candidate Emperors . At this point all candidate emperors are using subterfuge, assassination and trickery to keep the others from succeeding. Also during this time the Candidate Emperor must have at least three sons. (I will explain why) Finally after three years as a Merchant each candidate is taken to the Ivory Palace, where they learn the management and abilities of the Emperor, the responsibilities etc. Any subterfuge or trickery at this time results in immediate execution of the candidate and his sons. At last the Emperor and his advisers, including one adviser from each of the four orders arcane (Wizard orders) and not least of all the Highest priest and his four next highest priests make a choice out of the remaining candidate Emperors. The rest are put to the sword along with their soldiers, their sons and slaves. The existing Emperor makes a speech to the public and stays in office for 221 days while the heir to the Empire is taken through each city to meet his people. (Highly protected etc.) Anyway when he gets back he's Emperor now and his father the old Emperor is just an Adviser. The reason an Heir to the Emperor must have at least three sons is because should he die as the Emperor in waiting and all of his rivals have been put to the sword who is to rule after the death of the old Emperor??? One of the sons Many Emperor's hate losing their power and don't give it up easily, they too must be manipulated and out-schemed. The high priest determines when the competition to be heir to the Empire starts, though in the last seventy five years the Empire has only had two Emperors. The newest Emperor is exceptionally cunning, exceptionally ruthless and charming enough to appear none of the above when he wants to. It has been mainly under his tyrannical father's tutelage that he has put his talents to annexing gains. Conquering the entire continent in his rule. That's a long answer to your short question GoriceXII; Basically the Emperor is anything but a puppet, the system is so complex and highly ritualized that it would be difficult to say the least, for a puppet to gain power. Even with the backing and help of brilliant men.
GoriceXII 03-31-07, 03:02 PM	Here's a thought: the Aztec Empire similarly used merchants as agents of state, and also had candidates for ruler (who were normally related directly to the Revered Speaker but otherwise were people of noble blood) have to prove themselves through various actions. Or perhaps another way to say that was that the unproven were not candidates at all. One element you could put in is this Retired Emperor being an official in his own right but perhaps in a different way. Silverberg's Majipoor chronicles have this element in which the Coronal upon retirement becomes the Pontifex and retires to an underground city from which he governs all ritual life. I like the idea of an unusual amazonian nation. Did you know that hyenas btw are matriarchal? The females are larger and stronger than the males, and tend as cubs to dominate them. The largest, most cunning female in a pack will gradually start to favour a possible 'heir' who is likely one of her own daughters. You might want to use these kinds of characteristics for your lycanthropes, actually give more abilities and such to the females.
taradusis 03-31-07, 04:49 PM	Some amazonian ideas.an amazon or matriarchal society ruled by medusas and their daughters who are green skinned sorceresses?This would presuppose that the child of a medusa is always female and gifted as a sorcerer?Since medusae make good sorcerers when they take classes this would be useful house variation.A secret council of medusae who rule thru their children the "sisters of the serpent"is plausible or at least playable.Makes for good undercover agents to act as story drivers in your world?imagine a group of female were-lions who are all L/G and were created by ASLAN.Call them the "brides of ASLAN'.They could be a nation of do-gooders who all take preistly classes to better serve their husband ASLAN.New recruits are former villains who are scratched and forced to change shape 3 times so that their alignment becomes L/G.Suppose a preisthood has a magical drum that is a gift from the gods.Two women put hair clippings,blood etc.into the kettledrum.the cover is put on the kettledrum.The two mothers-to-be begin to bang on the magic drum till a babies cries come from inside.The drum is opened and a girl baby that is physically mature enough to eat solid food comes out.In a few days the girl child is starting to talk and walk.Allows for a male free society,eliminates risky births,no birth defects..I have a thread called RANDOM AQUATIC NOTES over on the D+D general board,feel free to visit and pilfer my island ideas for nations.