Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:38 AM	First of all, I'd like to preface by saying that this is going to be a thread comprised largely of fluff. There will be some reference to mechanics, but I'm a fan of using crunch right out of book. Any modifications to existing mechanics will be detailed in further posts. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello fellow traveller. I am Agria Garian, a vagabond. I wander this land in search of those who know more of this land than I. There are not many. That is not because I am special, though, but rather due to the fact that I have been travelling since The Fugue. Ahh, The Fugue. The day five years ago when everyone woke up with no recollection of the past. Some were worse off than others, not remembering their professions, their family, their names. It intrigues me that there were no children, and few elders. None who could not take care of themselves. It brings many to the conclusion that The Fugue was deliberate, inflicted upon us, as opposed to some natural event. Some even believe that there was nothing prior to The Fugue, that we were all created just five years ago. I assume nothing. I, as well as other travellers and adventurers, am known as an Aithanphosian. A bit of a jab at people like me, it refers to a legend, mostly passed around by travellers and bartenders who wish to trade hope for money. The tale refers to a grand city, always seen by a reputable friend of a friend. This city, defended well from all the dangers of the world, is said to contain all the world's knowledge, including that from the time before The Fugue. Some undertake a life of travel and adventure in a search for this mythical city, some are drawn by the freedom of the road, the excitement of new locales, and others, like myself, travel out of a desire to discover the truth; Truth behind The Fugue, truth about the world, or just a personal inner truth. Regardless of the reason for adventuring, it is common for any traveller to be referred to as, "One who seeks Aithanphos," or Aithanphosian, in short. This land has no one name, simply referred to as The Land when reference to the entirety is necessary. Generally, though, one does not reference the land in it's entirety, but rather by kingdom, or more often geographical area; for example, we currently are in the midst of the Kolkala Hills, lands mostly inhabited by small tribes of Padravan, Kurga-Kel, and the occasional wandering Chekre clan. Land, since The Fugue, tends to belong to those who claim it, and protect it. Kingdoms are small, many villages unprotected, and the lands wild. Of course, one does hear stories. I have heard tales, recently, of conquering bands under a united flag claiming large tracts of land, villages and town being overrun, and resistance being met with force. If the stories hold truth, these forces originate from what was once the town of Kailor. This, "Kailorian Empire," if it exists, may be what will be known as the first attempt to unite this fallen land since The Fugue. I doubt the truth of the stories, but one can never know for sure. In any event, I have taken up space around this campfire for long enough. Perhaps we shall meet on the road again, and I can bend your ear with news of the world. May your search for your own Aithanphos go well, fellow adventurer.
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:38 AM	All still yet to be detailed. Nys'sha Liana Mountains Chem Tella Mountains Agrika Highlands Al'Kurgana Archipelago Kolkala Hills Tolara Plains L'ranian Forest Morgathi Wastelands Silithan Swamp More to come here Work in progress Destoro Crater Mount Gojiir Masir Peak Betar Plains Bilante Forest Kairae Subterra Gidoran Plains
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:39 AM	With the exception of humans, I'm using substitute names for all races in an attempt at deconstructing full on stereotypes. Lots to come here. (Race / Based On) The Primata Human / Human Durmalk / Dwarf Padravan / Halfling The Orcs Gurak / Orc Lokan / Elf w/ serial numbers filed off? Shera / Eladrin w/ serial numbers filed off? The Kurga Kurga Kel / Goblin Kurga Shan / Hobgoblin Kurga Do / Bugbear The "Others" Mythgul / Gnome Wildling / Shifter Nihilo / Tiefling ---------------------------------- Hee, just realised that each set of races has 3 per set. Unintentional synchronicity, perhaps.
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:39 AM	On second consideration, I'm going to wait for 4e to come out to put anything substantial here in any way. Still leaving the 3.5 stuff for reference, though. (More or less abandoned by me, just here for completeness.) Warblade Swordsage Barbarian Paladin (Complete Warrior variant) Rogue Swashbuckler Scout Cleric Druid Divine Mind Sorcerer Wizard Channeler (Heavily reflavoured Warlock) Erudite Wilder Ardent Ranger Bard Lurk Duskblade Artificer Truspeaker Binder
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:40 AM	There are three main sects of worship in the world of The Fugue. The bodies of massive beasts litter the land. By appearances invulnerable to harm or decay, and larger than the largest of dragons by far, coupled with the fact that those that first woke near them woke to deific visions, many have begun worshipping them as the God Beasts. Each represents a different concept based on the visions of those who awoke near them: Battle, Crafting, Life, Protection, Magic, Conquest, and Destruction. High temples have been constructed around each of them, while smaller shrines abound in villages and towns. A grand temple to the God Beasts as a pantheon is currently under construction outside Linari Castle, and a small town has sprung up around the site. (Gojiir, Grand Dragon of Battle) (Destal, Star of Destruction) (Masir, Winged Lady Protector) (Betar, Dark Eye of Magic) (Bilante, Grand Vines of Life) (Kairae, Stone Master Artisan) (Gidoran, The Three Fists of Conquest) The Elves are beings of deific scale, and hold court in the Chem Tella Mountains. From there, they manipulate events in the realm of The Fugue, yet remain tight-lipped to any who ask about the time before. As beings of godly proportion, the Elven Court is worshipped effectively as a pantheon. Separate from the court are the Wanderers, or Exiles, depending on who one asks. Each individual Exile has found his or her own following of worshippers, as a being of individual deific heights tends to. Elves being capricious beings, the Exiles are worshipped individually, inspiring belief in those they come across. The most well known Wanderers are Paethae Draeto, the Wild Cat; Ahae M’s’kllae, the Angel of Love; Mesh Tak, the Dread Sorceress; Ama Il’ali, the Gift of Shadow; and Kar’n T’kll’aya, Lust For Rage. Followers of the Elven Court in and of itself hold high magic, revelry, and stochasticity. They revere each solstice of the sun, and hold decadent events during the new moon. Those who seek Paethae Draeto commune with the beasts of nature, hold felines in high regard, and have great respect for lycanthropes. Days held holy are the full moons, with higher regard held for the blue moon, as well as the month of Longday, when the sun passes through the constellation, The Great Tiger. The Consorts of Ahae M’s’kllae are devoted followers of the concept of love. To them, love is not simply something one feels for another, it is something one does for all around them. They also have a fine appreciation for all matters intimate, and many are trained in the art and science of child-birth. The Angel of Love holds the anniversary of her first covennent formed, post Fugue, as a high holy day. Other times highly celebrated are births, heart-fastings, and deaths. "Slaves," as they refer to themselves of Mesh Tak, revere magic, especially as a destructive force, and have an especially rigid heirarchy for a world so young. Each member knows their place, and is taught to covet but respect that which is above them. Nights at the midway points between the full and new moons, when the plane of Arcus is closest, are full of rituals, both those that are to be performed in masses, and those that are to be performed when alone. The pinnacle of the autumn is the Slaves holiest day. The followers of Ama Il’Ali divine the secrets of darkness; they send light away, and bring the dark to the forfront. Subterfuge and intellect are held as high attributes, and her priesthood prize solitude. They pray at dawn, the death of night, that the horrors of the day do not come upon them, and only come together for a great moot in the month of Longnight, during the sun-phase of The Dark Snake. Not many form the priesthood of Kar’n T’kll’aya, as many of her followers spend much time in the arts martial. Of course, the Paragons of Fury show a perfect fusion between battle readyness and worship, praying always before a in imporant battle, and saying words of thanks after even the smallest encounter. While Kar'n does not hold any days with particular regard, many of the devout have attempted pilgrimages to The Red Pit, where Love For Rage holds her own mockery of the High Court. The Kailorian Empire is united in a belief that the God Beasts and the Elven Court are not true deities at all, but rather that there is and unseen deity, sometimes referred to as The Overgod, that deserves true worship and is responsible for creation. The Kailorian faith teaches that the "false gods" are agents of the eschaton and brought about the Fugue, and that only faith in the true creator of the land can protect one from the scheming Elves and the destructive Beasts. Kailorians are taught to not tolerate faith in false gods as the faith only strengthens them. Prayers to The Overgod are made at sunrise, sunset, and midday, and a fast is undertaken by the devout during the first week of harvest.
TildeSee 09-11-07, 04:41 AM	(reserved for now... and yes, persons)
Tegemea 09-11-07, 11:10 AM	I like this idea! I'm eager to see what else you've got coming to flesh out the concept. Do the people in these various places remember the names of where they live, or all the place, race, etc.. names also only five years old? Does it have a lot of implications on cultural practices? With all old traditions and patterns lost, do humans still think of goblins as evil or pests? Do goblins or orcs necessarily revert to evil, or can they form a new sort of cultural identity? Anyway, cool stuff TildeSee!
mattymorgs 09-12-07, 02:37 AM	Do goblins or orcs necessarily revert to evil, or can they form a new sort of cultural identity? I wholly concur. With the reset button essentially pushed, it will be interesting to observe the newborn cultures come back. In this setting you can challenge your players to think about the true nature of good and evil, how does a society function that is only five years old yet provided with everything they need, or more personally...what do you do with yourself after having essentially lost everything? Simply because I'm a nut for storytelling and themes, as you flesh out your world post-Fugue make sure to maintain the universal theme you are going for. Calling dwarves durmalks is a start at breaking misconceptions and stereotypes, just don't let the details overwhelm you and derail your plans for this world as you are breathing life into it! :cookie:
Tegemea 09-14-07, 12:31 PM	here's the idea that jutted up in my mind, based on The Fugue concept of a great forgetting. I think it would also be a good time, if you have your players build 4-5th level characters (or anything other than 1st, really - pick your favorite level to DM for), tell them not to write any character history this time. The very opening of this campaign would be the PCs waking up in a field outside a walled fortress, or a room in a dungeon, or something indicating the middle of an adventure.. maybe they're wounded... and they have no memory. They don't know how they got there, they don't know what they were doing there, they don't even know their own names... And the baddies filling up the fortress or dungeon, they have no recollection, either .. no recollection of being baddies, for that matter. anyway, it stemmed from The Fugue, so i thought i'd post it. plus, thought it might give the thread a little bump!
mattymorgs 09-14-07, 02:57 PM	Don't forget a mecha robot named Big-O for the campaign. Hehe. :cookie:
TildeSee 09-14-07, 08:09 PM	Wow, Tegemea, I can actually say I hadn't thought of running a First Day style adventure, or RP session, however it would end up. Of course, now my head is buzzing crazy with ideas. ACK! I think it would actually be a great way to explain some traditionally evil character archetype being in the party, too. Figure maybe have the characters wake up to a chunk of boxed text, give them a few to converse, maybe look around a little, and have them all jumped by some mindless undead or dire animal or something. Well hey, ideas are up for grabs, if anyone wants to throw in :). Don't forget a mecha robot named Big-O for the campaign. Hehe. :cookie: Well actually, the God Beasts pantheon is based on Godzilla series Kaiju, Kairey being based on Kiryu (Mechagodzilla III), and is basically a beyond colossal mechanical dragon. Anyway, back to writing furiously, hoping I can get more up to replace filler ;). ~C
TildeSee 09-17-07, 03:23 AM	Partial update to the religions section. Still mega work in progress though. Comments?
Tegemea 09-19-07, 02:59 PM	The bodies of god-beasts littering the land - this is another very cool idea! it makes me wonder, were they there before The Fugue, or did whatever erased the world's memory do something to these beasts as well? And if they are equally deific with the elves, how'd the elves arrange to be unaffected? elves as a pantheon is also an interesting notion. when you say they are of godly proportion, are you talking about physical size, or magical ability, or some combination? I think you've got a good thing forming, here. Do you have a map of this realm/world?
TildeSee 09-20-07, 08:58 AM	All good questions :) Two of which I can answer at this point: I guess, specifically, I just meant to imply that they are effectively corporeal deities. Thus far have more or less stayed out of mortal affairs, stay quiet about whether they know anything about the time before the Fugue or not, etc. Still deciding on a number of things. Most of my ideas for this campaign setting are still evolving in my head, and I'm jotting them down as they really come together. And I have a few sketches of the main area, and am currently working on working it out more in CC2. Might just upload the sketches if I can track down a scanner. But yes, back to frantic writing (or attempts at such). ~C
marius4 09-23-07, 02:56 PM	Sorry, no crunchy suggestions here. Just a big "wow." What an awesome idea! I would love to read novels from this setting.
TildeSee 10-05-07, 07:52 AM	Sorry for the lack of update. Working on something tasty, wanna make sure it comes out right. ;) ~C
TildeSee 10-31-07, 03:23 AM	Almost finished the basics for the Elven Pantheon, changed the races section, and temporarily abandoned several things that haven't even come close to these boards, other than me saying "Hey, cool stuff coming~!" A lot of it just isn't panning out yet, so I'm focusing more on just updating what I have here. Thinking of dropping the Triat, as I'm not thinking of near as much stuff there as I thought I would, and thinking of replacing it with something else. Just need a good idea. ~C
Delfedd 10-31-07, 10:31 AM	I'm sorry, I just don't understand this setting. What is the fugue?
Tegemea 10-31-07, 11:23 AM	I really enjoy the naming of feastdays and celebrations for each of the elven wanderers. however, it begs the question - are these traditional celebrations and events all just being newly developed since the Fugue, or were memories of the traditions retained by clerics/worshippers? Did the Wanderers themselves re-seed their favorite modes of worship in their followers? as for replacing the triat, are you familiar with Niel Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels? They're fresh in my mind since i'm just now reading through the series, but perhaps some variation on the beings he calls The Endless would be an interesting substitution for the triat. Some sort of eternal beings that personify aspects of the mortal experience - Gaiman uses Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delirium, and has them all siblings. Perhaps instead you could have personifications of Imagination, Memory, Intellect, and Knowledge - and five years ago, Memory was destroyed. I'm just brainstorming, of course, but maybe the God-Beasts were producing so much terror, fear, and madness that the collective mortal memories were beginning to be filled with nothing but horror, and Memory took it into his/her own hands to end the horror by removing all memory of the raging beasts, all recognition of them by the world, ending their ability to have power there. However, Memory found that the memories of the God-Beasts were so fresh, powerful, and raw that the only way to remove them was to remove all memory, including him/her very self.
Lareonis 11-08-07, 08:55 AM	If memory was lost 5 years ago, and yet the people of the world are creating new memory... perhaps Memory (as described above) is but a 5 yr. old, vulnerable, new deity with no recollection of what he or she is.
TildeSee 12-22-07, 07:34 AM	After working through several concepts for the third religion, I felt I needed a monotheism, and so that I wasn't just copying the Silver Flame in all it's pseudo-monotheistic glory, I just went with the "not explicitly evil, possiblly oppressive" monotheistic direction. It doesn't hurt that I came up with a motivation for the small but growing empire at the same time. I figure that the centre of the empire, Kailor, will probably be kept as a relative unknown so that any campaign run in it can have it's own interpretation on the Kailorian "no false gods tolerated" ideal. When I finally get to detailing the empire itself, I figure that it is mostly "fringe towns" loosely held in the empire by a top priest who at least nominally takes orders from the emperor/empress, but is mostly left to run thing "so things go smoothly." Those towns with a greater military presence would likely be more reactionary, while in those with a more necessarily liberal bent the priest/town lord will keep military presence relatively lax. Makes for varied, and very interesting campaign possibilities. Now, to finish the basics for the God Beasts, and then on to people, places, and organizations. ~C