Post/Author/DateTime	Post
NorthWind 06-12-07, 06:12 PM	Hello, WotC board members. I had a setting idea that came to me in a sudden burst of inspiration while studying, so I had to post it; please tell me what you think! Here goes... WindsThe winds are the moving, changing air of the Erth. The four most powerful winds are the North, South, East and West winds. The Southern Wind is the wind of travel, the Eastern wind is the wind of ideas (she was the wind that brought magic to the many people of Erth), the Western Wind is the wind of adventure, and the long-missing Northern Wind, the wind of change (The last time the North Wind blew, a mysterious empire fell, leaving behind only their magnificent observatories, grand libraries and magical technology). Beneath the directional winds are the named winds (such as the Levant on Earth) and finally the Wandering Winds. These creatures interact with the races of Erth regularly, generally appear as translucent, ever-moving people from the waist up, but below, a long trail of twisting leaves and air. They aren't quite deities, nor are they outsiders or elementals. There will be feats that allow PCs to tap into the wind's power. Judges are people that have found a Wandering Wind within their heart. This class can call their wind to aid them on an X/day basis (more on these shortly). The Bright Power is a high, abstract deity, attended by lesser Powers and Principalities. Most of the races have different interpretations of the Power's role in creation, but share the same themes (think Carl Jung's idea that all myths share key aspects). Races The many peoples of Erth are united by nationalism. There is a human and elven empire (both imperialist), a dwarven confederacy, a series of gnomish city-states, etc. The idea here is Europe in the nineteenth century, with the multiple ethnic groups on the continent. More to come on magic, the mysterious kingdom & languages...stay tuned!
NorthWind 06-14-07, 05:23 PM	Magic, or at least arcane magic, was taught to the people of Erth by the East Wind, who herd of it in the lands East of the world. She taught the many people of Erth the basic theory - how to use the changes in the air to change the world - and from there, many great magicians developed the spells and arcane theories (for example, Spell Extension, Maximizing, etc.) An interesting quirk about working magic is that as one uses it, whatever it is being worked through will slowly turn blue (most magicians use staffs, write spells that use material aids, or wear gloves to avoid this). Each race has it's own traditions of magic. For example, if a wizard is executed in a human country, he or she is always slain with a lead - tipped arrow. Borealis Ruins are a vast network of ruined cities, castles, laboratories, etc. found towards the northern end of the continent on which the above - mentioned races are situated. It's language has baffled historians and scholars for generations, and the miraculous devices within the ruined palaces and libraries motivate both the academic and the practical to translate the instructions and tomes within the ruins. Two books on magic, however, are well understood, having been written in the language of the winds, Caelum. It's assumed that there are more books in Caelum, so many universities and countries are funding expeditions. Another point of interest is the technology to be found within the ruins. Many of the pieces found in the mouldering labs or observatories parallel modern-day items. The most recent find has been described as a long, polished wooden tube with silver inlay, about the height of an elf, with a glass lens at the open end, and another, larger lens on the top of the tube on the opposite end. When the larger lens was placed under light, the device began to hum, and when some of the seemingly ornamental scrolls of silver were pushed, an intense, white-gold beam of light fired from the open end of the tube. It is currently residing in a elven library, but no one can coax it to fire again, and the elven scholars refuse to allow anyone to attempt to disassemble it.
NorthWind 06-14-07, 05:24 PM	--reserved-- please, tell me what you think so far, and where to go next.
LostMage 06-14-07, 08:39 PM	What about the other elemental planes? How are air elementals different from winds?
NorthWind 06-15-07, 10:06 AM	I don't think there are going to be elemental planes, actually. 'Another plane' is going to be something more along the lines of another world. Back to elementals, I think I'll replace them with creatures that are traditionally associated with other elements (i.e. Undines, Salamanders, Sylphs, etc.) Winds are completely different from air elementals; they have a definite form that they can manifest if they so choose (another example: the East Wind, when people actually see her, looks like a young woman, with dark hair, piercing eyes, and a billowing white robe)
NorthWind 06-17-07, 10:28 AM	Bump... (uh - did I mess up these posts, or something? Only one person responded)
ewancummins 06-17-07, 12:42 PM	How does divine magic fit in?
NorthWind 06-17-07, 08:40 PM	Divine magic is always something I have trouble with, but the way I picture it is almost like this: Clerics, paladins, etc. gain magic through introspection. By prayer, meditation, or fasting, they are gifted by whatever Power they revere with the ability to work miracles. I like the idea of Kabbalistic magic, based on intricate interpretations of holy texts, however, I also want to make divine magic different from arcane, so I'm not sure if I want them both to be researching for their magic. Druids, rangers, etc. gain magic through contemplation of nature and herbal knowledge. Their magic (actually, this includes clerics, too) shouldn't look like magic, per se, more like miraculous deeds. So as opposed to chanting magic words, using components, and so on, a Cure Light Wounds may be invoked by the cleric closing her eyes and meditating, or something similar to that.
NorthWind 06-21-07, 11:16 AM	Bump, and a random idea I had for the campaign. The Mail Service on Erth is top-notch, kept in shape by a number of competing messenger guilds and courier services. The three main services are the Mage's Messages, Delivering Winds, and the Scarlet Couriers. Each offers different services, but all share the following: Continental Packaging, Air Shippment, and Word Running. A post office is either divided into three counters, serving each guild, or the postmaster will set his establishment aside for the sole use of one of the guilds. The vying for a postmaster or postmistresses' attention make such people moderately rich. Running a campaign with the PCs as employees of one of these guilds would be interesting, as they would get caught up in the political struggle between guilds as they travel across dangerous countryside...and who's to say that what they're shipping is any safer?
NorthWind 06-25-07, 01:54 PM	Bump (is there something missing from my posts?)
Elemental_Elf 06-26-07, 12:14 PM	This sonds interesting. I'm curious, will you mainly stick to the Core races or is there more? From the sounds of it, you only have the Core Races, then a few sub-types of each representing different ethnicities... Is that what you are going for?
Holy_Beholder 06-26-07, 01:02 PM	Would the Wandering Winds be playable? That would be really awesome. I have a few Ideas. The winds beneath the waves(currents) have a similar, though weaker organization as the winds. The winds beneath the waves have recently gained a new member, called the Current of Change. This member is as powerful as the Northern wind, and showed up when the Northern wind vanished. After the Current of Change showed up, the sea has begun to rise, eventually it will flood the land. There are rumors that the Current of Change is the Northern wind, and that the world is doomed unless the Northern Wind is brought back to the surface. In addition, on costs, the land winds and sea winds can interact, as well as above and below the surface, assuming that they are both close. The Current of Change is also changing the other currents, shipping routes have been disrupted, and in the northern seas, once a place where the current was so strong, anyone caught in it never returned, and vanished to an unknown place, has flipped. It now goes in the opposite direction, at the same power. Things are starting to show up, spirits that were once vanished men are coming back on the waves. The sea is changing, and land needs its wind back. The world is a deadlier place, when the northern wind vanishes under the sea, the last time this happened, in addition to the kingdom vanishing, the northern continent was cut off. Magic vanished as well, mostly to the northern continent. In addition, the surface winds are losing power slowly, as the currents gain them. If this keeps up, the peace between the Winds, and the Currents will be broken, the sea will rule, as it did before the Winds took back the lands and the sky, giving the land bound mortals a chance to live. The Currents, and the mortals beneath the sea hate them, and the mortals, gods, and all others are bound to clash. The northern god is the key to this puzzle, for some reason there is only one of them, not two as with every other god. Perhaps the second has been imprisoned, and one of the things needed to restore balance is to bring back the Northern Wind, so that the Winds and the Currents restore their parallel. There are also rumors of another wind, the strongest wind to ever exist. It is known as the Wind Between the Stars. An artifact of great power, a sword capable of creating effects from the Wind Between the Stars, has fallen to earth. It fell in a crater, that by high tide is in the sea, and low tide is in the land. Someone from the Land, with the Winds, has to get to it before someone from the Sea, with the Currents does. Otherwise, the winds will be corrupted into the currents, and the currents will be able to use it to break the prison that holds the other Northern wind, and bring both of them, as well as a small fraction of the Wind Between the Stars to bear. So, what do you think?
NorthWind 06-26-07, 03:21 PM	I'm curious, will you mainly stick to the Core races or is there more? From the sounds of it, you only have the Core Races, then a few sub-types of each representing different ethnicities... Is that what you are going for? Yes, races will most likely be core only, since I've only got Core + the Eberron campaign setting :embarrass I'm considering using the racial variants provided in Unearthed Arcana (they're on the SRD) to accentuate the multiple ethnic kingdoms. As I said before, the kingdoms and states are based on the state of Europe in the nineteenth century, with a number of powerful states (e.g. France, Britain, or the German principalities) or empires (such as the Ottoman empire, or imperialist colonies) I do plan to have countries of LE humanoids, such as goblinoids or drow. Would the Wandering Winds be playable? That would be really awesome. Most likely not, since it will be possible for Judges (which I envision as a base class) to use a Wandering Wind as a class feature. However, if they were (which is a possibility) they would have difficulty fitting into organized society. The winds beneath the waves(currents) have a similar, though weaker organization as the winds. The winds beneath the waves have recently gained a new member, called the Current of Change. I like this a lot, actually. I had originally intended to make this focused on only the element air, but I like the added element that Currents brings. Also, this gives the North Wind an interesting dimension, which I also like. I had intended to introduce sea exploration at some point; lots of campaign setting seem to have airships (including this one, just haven't gotten to them yet) but no submersibles. The blueprints for a submersible found in the Borealis Ruins are decoded, etc. This member is as powerful as the Northern wind, and showed up when the Northern wind vanished... I like the idea of the potential that the North Wind is also the Current of Change, and the conflict between them. The Current of Change is also changing the other currents, shipping routes have been disrupted, and in the northern seas, once a place where the current was so strong, anyone caught in it never returned, and vanished to an unknown place, has flipped. It now goes in the opposite direction, at the same power. Things are starting to show up, spirits that were once vanished men are coming back on the waves. The sea is changing, and land needs its wind back. The world is a deadlier place, when the northern wind vanishes under the sea, the last time this happened, in addition to the kingdom vanishing, the northern continent was cut off. Magic vanished as well, mostly to the northern continent. I like the idea of change in current, making travel more dangerous. The very first draft of this took place in a world lit by moonlight where people lived in floating cities, or in fortified towns on the surface of the world, with the focus on Judges as the only people really capable of running the dangerous distances of the dark countryside. The Current of Change may be causing Wandering Winds and Named Winds to blow from the north, awakening monsters and making Erth a more dangerous world. Magic, however, has a rich tradition on Erth, and the civilization that built the Borealis Ruins also had powerful magic. In addition, the surface winds are losing power slowly, as the currents gain them. If this keeps up, the peace between the Winds, and the Currents will be broken, the sea will rule... Again, the Winds-Currents conflict I like a lot. Even sailors would look to the Winds to propel their boats. However, as opposed to the Winds losing power, the Currents will gain it. But, I'm wondering where the northern god came from...was that a suggestion of your own, or did you draw it from the above material? In case there is any confusion, the Directional Winds aren't deities. But having the winds blow the sea off of the land at the command of the Powers to give the creatures of land a chance to live fits right in, and gives the winds a nice purpose. There are also rumors of another wind, the strongest wind to ever exist. It is known as the Wind Between the Stars... This is an interesting idea, I like the Wind Between the Stars, however, an artifact to control it isn't what I have in mind for such an entity, but the concept of people of the sea using Currents against people of the land using Winds is definitely something I'll keep in mind. I think that the Currents adds a nice dichotomy, and certainly a good alternative for campaign focuses. Actually, in the original draft of this setting, there were Winds, and there were Shadows, which were sort of the antithesis to Winds. They would fill more or less the same niche as Currents, and would make a nice contrast if I placed them underground. The reason why I would think of Currents over Shadows is that they a.) are another element in motion, unlike shadow and b.) can exert a tangible influence on the world (travel) as opposed to being quite corrupters (which is what the Shadows were originally conceived as)
Holy_Beholder 06-26-07, 04:04 PM	Well, I didn't say control the wind between the star, the artifact controls it as we control normal winds by blowing really hard. Except for scaled up to the point where it annihilates entire cities. I'm not even going to go into what the full force of the wind could actually do. And when I said the winds were weakening, I was trying to convey a power transfer, I just worded it poorly. Edit: I just noticed your user name was North wind, is this related to this campaign in any way?
NorthWind 06-26-07, 09:33 PM	(Yes - the North Wind, the Wind of Change. That's where the North Wind went... to the WotC forums :P ) Controlling the Wind Between the Stars is, in retrospect, fine, now that I think about it. Judges, in a small way, control Wandering Winds. A staff or sword that has power over all winds (including Wandering Winds, etc.) could be used not only to call down the Wind Between the Stars, but also the North Wind.
NorthWind 06-30-07, 09:17 AM	Alright, now, another question: I'm planning a summer campaign, and more likely than not, most all the players will be rank beginners. Now, since just about all the material is Core only, with the exception of Judges (which I'm thinking would make a better PrC now, anyways) would this campaign be good for beginners? The only thing I would wonder about would be the added element of the Winds, but I can't think of what impacts it would have on the rules. Also, does anyone have any ideas as to how to condense this information for a campaign packet?
Holy_Beholder 07-01-07, 09:41 AM	Why do you need to condense it? Its not really all that long, even with all the currents and stuff. You might need to remove bits about controlling the Wind Between the stars, and the currents could be a secret at first.
NorthWind 07-01-07, 02:25 PM	Cool, I guess you're right. I think I'll have them play as messengers, in one of the aforementioned guilds, and some of the things they'll be carrying across the countryside will pertain to the Wind Between the Stars.
Holy_Beholder 07-03-07, 10:18 PM	That works. Post more details later I need to stea- I mean borrow this idea for later. Once I'm finished with anthropomorphic rodents and ferrets being PC races, fighting against the evil lizards. But this is better.
NorthWind 07-05-07, 11:53 AM	"Borrow", right :P (I don't mind all too much, since it looks like I'm not going to be able to use any of these ideas, anyway) Right now, I'd like to expand on the traditions of magic, and get some history in general. Most of what I've posted already is very detail-oriented. I tend to work best when answering questions, so any questions about the setting (anything about the setting, not just what's posted above) would be appreciated. I think, however, that the next post will include the original draft of this setting.
Holy_Beholder 07-05-07, 12:12 PM	Alright, Questions: Where did the winds come from? What has changed in the past from the north wind becoming a current? How did the other north wind get imprisoned? When did the races appear on the world? What does the Wind Between the stars bring with it from other stars/planets? Who shot JFK:P ?
NorthWind 07-05-07, 04:19 PM	Where did the winds come from? The winds were the creation of the Power of Wind (the Powers aren't going to be addressed by name yet), who saw that Creation had been covered in shadow. It became the first wind, the Wind Between the Stars, and from there, stirred the frozen, dark air into movement and light, and created the first four winds, the North, South, East and West. From there, these winds moved the air more, creating the named winds, and finally, the Wandering Winds came into being. What has changed in the past from the North Wind becoming a current? I don't think the North Wind will be a current, now that I think about it. It just vanished ages ago - it's last appearance in recorded history was the mysterious crumbling of the kingdom of Borealis. That in and of it self was the change, after which not even Wandering Winds would blow from the north. In the aftermath of this ruined kingdom, however, the common races were able to slowly build states and countries of their own, progressing from wandering barbarians, to absolute monarchies, to the present states and countries. How did the other North Wind get imprisoned? It didn't...or maybe it did. No one knows what became of the North Wind (only one, by the way, like all the other directional winds - one East Wind, one West Wind, etc.) When did the races appear on the world? The races appeared shortly after the Wind Between the Stars created the other winds to keep the world in motion by blowing darkness from Erth. So, shortly after the directional winds began to blow, life appeared on the Erth. The directional winds bestowed Change, Thought, Motion and Curiosity in some of the early peoples (all those that have mental ability scores that would allow for independent thought). What does the Wind Between the stars bring with it from other stars/planets? As mentioned above, the other Winds were created by the Wind Between the Stars. Who shot JFK? ...I'll get back to you on that one ;) Also, I'm thinking of taking Shadows from the original draft back. Since the Wind Between the Stars allowed life to come about by blowing back the darkness that was choking the Erth, the shards of that primordial darkness have hidden themselves away, and are going to be my "anti-winds". They're responsible for corruptions of other races (i.e. drow) and the creation of aberrations. Thanks for your questions, more would be appreciated :D
Holy_Beholder 07-05-07, 09:02 PM	So the shadows kind of replaced the currents or what? How do the currents fit into all this? What happened to the people of Borealis? What are the shadows currently doing? Has the wind between the stars brought anything besides other winds? How do tornadoes and hurricanes fit in, are they minor spirits or what? Do the shadows control any other planets? If so, are any of these planets on an elliptical path that allows life forms to leave them to enter Erth when they cross? How does the Bright Power interact with the Wind Between the Stars? I'll come up with more later.
NorthWind 07-05-07, 09:39 PM	Yeah, the shadows will be filling the role of "villainous force". The currents will be the underwater analogue of the winds. I liked the idea of currents, however, not the role. To the land based populace, they may as well not exist. However, they do affect sea travel, and I think they would make an appearance later in a game in this setting. The upshot of all of this, is that instead of being the opponents of the winds, they work along side them. The people of Borealis were said to be a beautiful, magical race. Their artwork shows them in wonderful dance and festivity. Libraries and laboratories are filled with books and scrolls, yet all save two are in a language incomprehensible to the peoples of Erth. What became of them? The Wandering Winds whisper of it, the Named Winds discuss it, but the people know not. (When the North Wind started to blow through their kingdom, it crumbled. Change filled the northern lands, and the people vanished, leaving for some unknown destination in the clouds, and leaving their entire civilization behind. Was the North wind acting out of malice, or benevolence?) The shadows have been doing what they've been attempting to do for the past aeons: stop the motion of the air and sea, so that the Erth again falls to darkness. To accomplish their goals, they work in many varied ways - they create aberrations, they corrupt mortals, they attack directly in the darkness. But now, with rumors of a Staff having fallen to the Erth that can command the Winds, they have bent all their efforts towards finding and wielding this staff. The Wind Between the Stars has brought only wind, stirring the air of Erth into motion. Tornadoes and hurricanes would be a type of named wind or current, respectively. No one really knows what the deal with them is, since they aren't the talkative type. The common belief is that they were normal winds or currents that the shadows have bent to their whims. The Shadows come from the plane of the same name. This is where the Wind Between the Stars blew them to, where they hold sway. There aren't any planets, however, there are probably other planes that can be accessed at certain times and seasons. The interaction and interplay of the Powers is generally unknown to the people of Erth. The Bright Power is the abstract good of the universe. The Wind Between the Stars has severed itself from the other powers by using all of its own strength to become what it is. If the Bright Power thinks of the Wind Between the Stars, it would be with pride for what it did for Creation. The interplay between deities is again something I'm not used to working with, so suggestions on how to go about doing this would be appreciated. Look forward to more questions!
Holy_Beholder 07-06-07, 12:41 PM	How do the shadows plan to stop the motion of the air and sea? Have the shadows bent any currents to their will besides the hurricanes? Have the shadows bent any winds to their will besides the tornadoes? How do winds change, for instance get bigger? What role, if any does the jet stream play in this? How did the shadows get off the plane of shadow to Erth? What are the people of Borealis doing now that they have entered the clouds? Have you noticed that we are pretty much the only people on this thread:confused: ?
NorthWind 07-06-07, 08:06 PM	The shadows have various methods, most of which are corrupting or attacking just about anything that can think (for starters, at least) but with rumors of this Staff, if they control such an artifact, they can command the winds, and twist them towards their own destructive ends. Which winds and currents have or have not been corrupted is unknown. Most of the time, if a wind or current is corrupted, they become shadows themselves. Of course, tornadoes or hurricanes could also be in the service of good characters, it's just most often, given the destruction they cause, they're connected with shadows. The winds haven't changed in status since the last time the North Wind blew. The jet stream would either be a.) a very powerful named wind, or b.) a weather pattern that does not occur on Erth. Shadows slip through unknown means from the plane of shadow. (It would be, most likely, a one-way plane shift spell like ability) The people of Borealis have turned to introspection and philosophy in their lands high above Erth. And, yah, looks like it's just the two of us...any good ideas on how to advertise :P
Holy_Beholder 07-07-07, 01:35 AM	Is their any way for winds to join up into a bigger kind of wind? How do you get a wind, especially something as powerful as a tornado in your service, or is the tornado some sort of incredibly powerful judge ability? By the winds haven't changed in status, is this with exception for those controlled by the shadows? If the jetstream is a powerful named wind, where did it come from, as it is clearly the second most powerful wind(since lets face it, the wind between the stars is so much tougher? As for good ideas on how to advertise: PM people who might be interested in this sort of thing. Maybe people on your friends list, thats what I'll do. EDIT: I came up with more questions. What is the geography, and how do the currents affect it? Is The Wind Between the Stars a unique entity or simply a much stronger type of wind? Are there any winds bound to objects? For instance, a wind bound to a tube, that can release itself as a pressured ball? Is there any way to release a wind from the control and form of a shadow, since the winds can be turned into them? Are there different types of winds with different abilities, for instance desert winds and sea winds? Can winds contain traces of currents, that are essentially humidity? If so, are there ways to control the current without controlling the wind and separating them? Are there any lunar winds, if so can they get to Erth? How intelligent are the winds?
NorthWind 07-07-07, 10:30 AM	well, I don't see why Wandering Winds couldn't team up temporarily...I had never thought of that. Yes, winds can work together to accomplish goals, though not permanently. Well, the in the original draft (I'll need to post that soon) a judge had a wind that had a relation similar to a master-familiar connection. Now, I've been revising the original draft to fit the DnD rules, and that element has sort of faded. So, anyways, the upshot of all of this, is to have a wind (and by extension a tornado) in your service, you'd either have to be a judge, or know some sort of magic to achieve this. I'm still not sure how magic is going to interact with winds. The winds controlled by the shadows would have a position in the hierarchy of the shadows, so their status would change in a way. I think that the jetstream might be a weather element I'll drop from this world, since realistically, it would take priority over the directional winds, which I don't want. Advertising: good idea. I'll do that. Geography: hmm...I've yet to draw a map for this, so once I've got some sort of map going, I'll see if I can post it. The Wind Between the Stars is a unique entity. Winds bound to objects...no, I don't think so. They're always in motion...they wouldn't consent to being bound to something. I'm undecided at this point. Since winds haven't changed in status, the only way to get a wind back from control of the shadows would probably be to find the North Wind. Desert winds and sea winds...yeah, there probably would be. Makes sense. I think I might have currents be strictly the province of the sea, so I'll have to say no on that one. You know, I always liked the idea of the moon of the campaign world being able to support life. Yes, there will be lunar winds, and the only way they'd be able to travel between the moon and Erth would be if they're in the service of a judge. I would probably give the average Wandering Wind an intelligence of 13 or so. Named winds would probably be around 15, directional winds 18, and the Wind Between the Stars maybe something like 24 or 25. Thanks for your interest and questions, by the way. Do you have a thread here for your setting?
Holy_Beholder 07-07-07, 12:15 PM	My setting? No, I never needed one. Also, about winds being bound to objects, believe me, they weren't ever supposed to be happy about it. Thats why you wouldn't want to walk in front of the tube, they would shoot at you. They would also move their objects around as much as they want, making them never avaliable. Also, I have told 3 people about the setting(Rustmonster, Celestialkin, Master_Vega) so its only a matter of time before we get some help here. I can't come up with endless questions. But I have a few: If winds can come together into a single entity, how would they do that mechanically, how much control would they have alone, and what new options would be open to them? How could the winds oppose the shadows? How are the shadows and currents interacting? Where did the judges come from? If you decide to put in the jetstream, could he, she, or it could be a servant of whatever wind corresponds to the way it is currently travelling? What do winds and currents do for fun(for instance, using erosion as an art to make cliff faces. Mt. Rushmore of Erth, I'm looking at you) Are there any winds weaker than the wandering winds, for instance the whispering winds, small weak things? Are there any animal intelligence winds or currents, that are used as pets? How do air and water elementals interact with the far superior winds and currents, if they even exist? Would the earth and fire elementals side with the shadows because they have no earthen wind or fiery wind and are vastly overpowered by the winds and currents along with the air and water elementals? Where did the shadows come from, since you said earlier that the Wind Between the Stars took them from somewhere? Where did the winds come from originally, as the Wind Between the Stars brought them too? Just how powerful would the wind between the stars be? I'm guessing that the wind between the stars could easily destroy any wandering wind with the wind equivelant of both hands behind his back blind folded fighting with padded weapons. Would the Wind Between the Stars be a deity? What about the directional winds? Among the shadows do they have different ranks, or directions, or anything like that? Do all the winds and currents get along perfectly, or is there rivalry between different winds when the shadows aren't there, for instance how do sea winds and desert winds get along? Thats all I can think of right now. I don't really know how I have thought of all the questions I have (44 that actually apply, +2 where is everybody?, and who shot JFK? questions.)
NorthWind 07-08-07, 11:49 PM	Thanks for the promotion, there, Holy Beholder, and all of your input; it's really been helping in shaping the world. As for winds bound to objects - yeah, not bad. Trapping them in something...good idea. I think I misunderstood you the first time. Well, winds I've not really thought of in terms of mechanics quite yet. I was almost trying to avoid that, but obviously I'm going to have to stat them somehow, along with shadows. In the original draft, winds were the only thing that could hurt shadows, which is why judges were so good. However, the original draft was supposed to be a novel, not a campaign setting. So winds would oppose the shadows along with the rest of the population of Erth. The interaction between shadows and currents would probably interact in a way similar to winds and shadows, but I don't want to just slate currents as an underwater analogue to winds, nor did I want them to be antagonists. Currents I think will be more capricious and chaotic than winds, but I've no reason to say that yet. I'll have to re-invent that one, I can't remember the original reason why they existed. Judges would have come about as people who have connected with the wind inside of them. As a base class, they'd have moderate combat abilities, and their big class feature would be the ability to call on their wind. I like the idea of such a shifting of power there. Every few decades, the jetstream serves another directional wind, and their influence would be increased (i.e. if the jetstream served the East Wind, the spread of ideas would be more pronounced). What do winds and currents do for fun...hmmm. I really like that question, very fun one. But I'll have to get back to you on that one, since one of the things I need to do is pin down the winds as a unique group of entities. Mt. Rushmore of Erth...definitely gonna be in there :D Well, the Wandering winds would be common drafts and stuff, but I like the sound of Whispering Winds. Yes, I think a light breeze or something would qualify as a whispering wind (and it would also give some interesting character to spells of similar names) I think all normal winds would have at least a 12 or so for intelligence, however a corrupted wind may drop to animal intelligence. I believe I covered that in a post above - there are no elementals, per se. Calling an air elemental would probably be calling a sylph, a type of animal traditionally associated with the element of wind, and they'd just use the elemental stats. (This would also go for fire, water, etc. with salamanders, undines and other mystical animals taking the place of standard elementals) The only problem I have with this, and I'd seen it coming, is that I'm rather partial to standard elementals, and that would make Summon Monster X when used for a Wind or Current have the [good] descriptor, since winds and currents are benevolent. Then again, corrupted winds would be available to evil casters, never mind. Another good question. The earth and flames, however, haven't been stirred to sentience by the Wind Between the Stars. Shadows were the creation of a Dark Power to mess up Creation. The Wind Between the Stars brought movement back to the world, and thus negating the efforts to stop life. The Winds were originally the still air of Erth, until the Wind Between the Stars started to move them, creating the moving air that was needed for wind. The Wind Between the Stars, if it had to cause some damage, would probably come in the form of a sweeping wind at Mach something, flinging shock waves and lightning, etc. So, yeah, pretty tough. The Wind Between the Stars was a deity, but used it's power as a god to become the Wind Between. (by the way, thanks for the idea there, the Wind Between the Stars and Currents are being incorporated in here, and that's thanks to you :) ) Yes, shadows would have different ranks, but not directions. The most powerful Shadow would probably be the dark deity, but there was another idea I had that I can't remember...when I think of it, I'll compare them. I think they'd get along, but a rivalry between them would add some nice depth to them. It'd probably be in the form of friendly competition, however. Thanks for your time, and interest, Holy Beholder. It's given me a lot of good ideas, I appreciate your questions!
Holy_Beholder 07-09-07, 02:10 PM	Are you still going to write the novel? I would buy it, especially if my ideas were in it. If the different winds do get involved in friendly competitions, what would they do? If the winds do enjoy carving mountains, and get along with judges, would they carve a mountain into the shape of a judge they were close friends with to honor them? How do winds interact with normal, non judge humans and such(since lets face it, they need someone to talk to besides other winds)? The world is really well covered at this point, so I probably won't be able to come up with any more questions.
NorthWind 07-09-07, 10:06 PM	Nah, I'm not gonna write it, 'least, I don't think so. Friendly competitions I think would probably be races, patterning dirt (y'know, a little whirlwind picks up some dust and makes a swirl pattern) maybe gathering scents (smells travel by air). I really like that idea, of judges carved from by the winds. Maybe not entire mountains, but cliffsides, etc. that would look like the judge to other winds, but may seem different to normal people. Winds would probably just blow past them. I don't see them making small talk with people, but they'd interact in subtle ways, I think. A Wandering Wind might hear a farmer comment about a drought, so the wind might pull some favors if it usually blows around his farm, and see if it can get some rain. Or, a sailor might voice aloud the need for a wind to fill the sails of her ship, and a wind might push the craft along. The people just may not realize that they're being assisted. Thanks for your questions all the same, I think what I'll do now is copy and paste all the questions and answers thus far, and work them into a cohesive whole, then place it in the reserved spot.
Holy_Beholder 07-10-07, 06:51 PM	When shadows take over winds, do they do it gradually or instantaneously? How old is the world, what monumental events(besides the north wind leaving) have happened? What ranks and types do shadows have?
LostMage 07-14-07, 09:21 AM	Are you going to start detailing the countries and such?