This post is a Work in Progress.
INSPIRATIONS: Princess Mononoke, Dark Souls, The Witcher(s), Godzilla
THEMES:
This game is about monsters fighting monsters. It also stresses that one need not be a giant, tentacled horrorterror to be a monster; man is plenty monstrous.
This game's core themes are "hatred" and "ambiguity." It is for those who like their adventure fantasy with an underlying aspect of darkness and despair, especially since that subscoring tone makes the bright moments all the brighter and more emotionally driven. This game is very much one where the players are to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, frequently battling foes and darknesses many times their strength and size. It makes the physical stature of a person less significant than the stature of his determination, his cunning, and his resourcefulness.
This is a game where men walk with Gods, and the term "God" only really refers to level of power.
THE SETTING:
The main continent of Ankalar is split up into directional quadrants, the most expansive (and dangerous) of which is the West. Our journey should likely begin in the Eastern region, the most comparably docile of Ankalar's regions. It is home to the city-nation of Rheat, and Hero's Solitude or the Eastern Wood. The Eastern Wood, which swallows most of Ankalar's northeast, is home to several Training camps, in which most capable adventurers are forged. Long ago, the Eastern city of Rheat funded these camps directly, so as to ensure the protection of innocent villagers against monstrous wilds and spiteful demons, but this tradition has become loose with age.
The West is a dire, dangerous place. War rages between Brekksyn and Noeggmaar, two of three major Western Kingdoms.
"GODS"
Many folk refer to beings of great power as Gods or Spirits, and the same reverence occupies the same breath as "Demon." Something need not be expressly a deity to be regarded as a God, Spirit, or Demon of some sort. But any particularly powerful creature — especially those with extraordinary or magical abilities — might be referred to this way. The level of respect people offer things that they refer to as Gods, Demons, or Spirits, is up to the individual.
"DEMONS"
The word "demon" is a catchall term in this setting. It does not exclusively refer to creatures from "hell" or any similar equivalent. The way that other worlds (The Witcher, WoW, D&D, etc.) fall back on the term "monster," this world falls back on both the terms "monster" and "demon." It simply refers to any being of great malice or destructive force.
The only time that the word "demon" exclusively applies is when a being is so overcome with hatred that it has been physically transformed by it (see "THE CORRUPTION, below).
"HEROES"
"Heroes" is a term loosely applied to by-trade monster hunters, sellswords and other mercenaries, whose culture has been spun out of what was once an order of thoroughbred protectors of the innocent. When the Training encampments (initially the "Camps of Hero's Solitude," or simply, "Hero Camps") were born, they were directly funded by Rheat's then-King, Torro, and upheld strict heroic values. When these camps came to a place where they could be self-sustaining, their culture morphed and became more independant and individualistic. Plenty of adventuring mercenary bands still use these camps, be they still-functioning relics of a bygone age of heroism, but most are out for themselves, which may or may not involve helping or saving others along the way. This isn't to say that they're inherently bad, selfish people, they just aren't paragons of virtue, and commonly lead their lives with their own sustenance in mind. As well, none of this is to say that heroic bands do not exist — it's just that such is not the guaranteed norm.
"THE CORRUPTION"
"The Corruption" is a vague attempt at naming a monstrous force capable of tearing apart entire villages in mere hours. It is one of our most forefront catalytic elements for this campaign, and seems to originate in the West. It is an infectious, malicious curse that suffuses its victims with hatred, rage and fear, twisting their bodies into bloodlusting thralls. Dark red worms and tendrils of hate, typically 5 to 7 inches long each, wriggle and writhe off of Corrupted bodies, rooted in their skin. These tendrils are able to detach and reform as if liquid despite a solid form, like some kind of amorphous, fleshy, demonic flame. These tendrils can bunch up and form extran appendages, stretching themselves to grab hold of their adversaries. The longer these tendrils take hold, the longer they become, and the more of the Corrupted body they envelope. When killed, a Corrupted creature's flesh typically melts off of the body into thick, reddish black liquid, giving off much heat and leaving only a bloody skeleton.
Interesting plot.
Someone recently watched Princess Mononoke, eh?
Not recently, no, years ago. It's actually based on a game my friends and I would play outside when we were in single digits ("play pretend," but with ongoing plot, so I guess we were just LARPing?) and Princess Mononoke happens to line up with it, visually, pretty perfectly. I actually cited the inspirations in my first iteration of the post, but I think it got deleted in my tinkering with format.
Princess Mononoke is a good baseboard for the culture and visuals, whereas the tone and mood are very Dark Souls, and the physical execution of things is very Godzilla.
I see. To be honest, my friends and I did the same sort of make-believe, right up until we were... oh, twelve or so. At which point I started my own LARP.
Sorry for the late reply, my internet was unavailable for a while.
I like the setting, it's pretty neat. The concept intrigues my inner worldbuilder, and the 'true creation story' amuses me as both a worldbuilder and a student of mythology. In a good way, that is, not an 'I think it's laughable' way.
Also, really good map. Did you draw it by hand? If not, what did you use?