Post/Author/DateTime	Post
farmboymdp 01-24-08, 08:20 PM	ALTERITY Alterity: (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alterity) The state or quality of being other; a being otherwise. ALTERITY is a multi-system campaign I have been working on for several months now, set in an alternate universe where fantasy and mythology are made reality. This is due to a cataclysmic event that occurred on March 15, 44 BC; on this day was the Emperor Julius Caesar assassinated and on this day all that was once imaginary, superstition, and myth was wrenched forth from the trappings of a spirit prison and thrust upon the world. The game is set a little over 1,000 years after this momentous event, and traces a small group of individuals who were marked from birth as destined for great things and a unique position in the shaping of world history. Mechanically, this campaign uses the E6 Rules Variant (http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=206323) created by Ryan Stoughton. These rules are meant to present a more "realistic" version of D&D that captures the feel of a classic fantasy novel, which is precisely what I'm going for. Frankly, I think it's the bee's knees, and has given my group a kick-start into a fresh D&D they never knew and now love. Keep this system in mind at all times when reading this thread; I know I am. DISCLAIMER: What I post on here may not be coherent or easily organized. I will do my best to keep things in order, but I will be focusing on the things that are essential to the progression of my IRL game. Also, I am a minimalist in life and so it will likely carry over to the design of this campaign. I welcome any comments, criticisms, or corrections, but be forewarned that this is my baby and I'm treating it as such. Acknowledgements My players, who inspired me to start DMing and put up with my many neuroses in the process. Araes, for making (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=12394325#post12394325) this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=12579945#post12579945) much (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=854352) easier (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=518823) on the rest of us beginning designers. Ryan Stoughton (aka rycanada) for creating the E6 system. And, of course, all the brilliant authors whose material has inspired me directly or indirectly. Here is my current ToC (aka the To-Do List): Table of Contents Introduction (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14914498&postcount=2) What Is ALTERITY? On Gods, Monsters, And The Chosen On The Nature Of Time
farmboymdp 01-24-08, 09:25 PM	Introduction What is ALTERITY? On Gods, Monsters, And The Chosen In ALTERITY, the world has been warped far beyond how we know it today, or have known it for thousands of years. Where once the world was populated by only humans, filled with the mundane, it is now inhabited by several parallel races and creatures wrought from magic and myth. In the most literal sense, all of the ancient mythologies of the past are real, with all the expected consequences of such a premise. In this world the gods are many, local, and powerful. Be it the Ęsir of Scandinavia, the Pantheon of the Mediterranean, the Orishas of West Africa, or even the monotheism of East Asia, these entities all exist, and the mythologies surrounding them hold as much power in the real world as science or politics. When a Celtic witch sends a curse on you, you can expect it to be a potent one, even if you are an infidel, and this logic applies to all cultures. The relationships and intentions of these gods outside of the mortal realm is mysterious; what is clear are their relationship to their worshipers and the power they bestow upon them. In this world the word "monster" is not thrown around so casually as in ours. At first, humanity was so distraught at the situation that anything that was not mundane was given this label. However, now that the world is a bit more stable, the question is begged: what is indeed monstrous? Are the elfs and dwarfs, with civilizations dotting the continent of Europe, monsters? Are the dragons, genius monarchs of high mountain peaks and desert oases alike, monsters? As the world evolves and history is shaped, more and more humanity is growing to accept (and even embrace) what they may have called "monstrous" in the past. The autonomy of a people, regardless of race, cannot be denied, nor can the presence of wild beasts that permeates nearly every stretch of uninhabited countryside. One thousand years after the fact, and these are just things everyone has grown to live with, with a few exceptions. While humans still outnumber any other race by a large magnitude, their current situation is a far cry from the complete dominance of the earth that they once enjoyed (and that few can currently fathom). In this world, a man is a man and a woman is a woman, but a human is not always a human. There are those, born the same as everyone else, raised the same as everyone else, that come out of adolescence a wholly unique being outside of the realm of "normalcy", and even "humanity". These people are born for special purposes, to participate in the grand scheme of history in ways that only they can. There are the temporali, whose destiny is to navigate the currents on the ocean of time and bear witness to the events that shape the world. There are the sęculi, whose destiny is to captain the ships of humanity across the ocean of time and to shape the world through the events that make up their lives. There are others as well, lesser known but equally as important and powerful, whose combined existence make up the deus electus, the Chosen of the Gods. On The Nature Of Time In ALTERITY, time does not obey the rules of science as we know them. While it may appear as a traditional linear progression to the bulk of humanity, others know it to be both malleable and navigable, comparable to a vast ocean. Just as sailors tread the open waters of the sea, so do all humans traverse across the waves of time, sometimes with purpose and sometimes without. Similarly, as each ocean has multiple currents that guide the flow of water and the course of ships, so does time guide the course of history with temporal "currents" or "trade winds", that are linked to the concepts of destiny and purpose in ways that most don't comprehend. Most beings are bound by these currents, at the mercy of the time they were born into; from the smallest ant to the grandest king, for them time flows in a certain direction, and they are carried down this path. There are a few, however, that are able to perceive the true nature of time and manipulate it, usually in limited ways specific to their purpose in the universe. The temporali, for example, are the navigators of the seas of time, capable of free-form movement within the currents (ie teleportation), cross-current movement (ie time travel), and even the discovery of new currents the world might follow (ie a very limited manipulation of the flow of history). The sęculi, on the other hand, are the captains of the metaphorical ships of humanity along these currents. They are capable of commanding the fates of their crew and leading them into new and uncharted waters (ie extensive manipulation of the flow of history), as well as being the idols and exemplars that everyone else looks to for leadership (ie extraordinary talents and potential). Whereas the temporali are masters of getting around in time, the sęculi are masters of the flow of time.