I think the zip has every thing in it. so here goes.
[spoiler History]History
The first two gods where the Lord of Darkness and the Lady of Light. They had two children, the Creator and Chaos. The Lord of Darkness renounced the Lady of Light as being any thing to him.
The creator created the world and every thing in it, it was a nice place. During the time after the beginning of the world, many wonderful thing where built. Farms and towns prospered and grew, the gnomes with help of humans, dwarves, elves, and halfling built sewers, some running water. Some time after the beginning of the world, new gods start to show up. As people start worshipping the new gods, the creator got angry and killed three of the new gods; witch started a war amongst the gods. The lady of light trapped and imprisoned the creator, then formed the council of gods. The lord of darkness left the court of the gods. The castle and the universal church were put in the capital city.
Some time after that, the lady of light made everyone forget about what had happened. They remembered day-to-day stuff like friends and family, but the war of the gods and the creator was forgotten. Those who worshipped the dead gods or the creator felt they had worshipped someone but couldn't remember who or what, but they knew that what ever it was is gone now.
Dwarven Goblin War
It started when the Goblins punched a hole into a Dwarven mining tunnel deep in the earth, all the workers where either killed or captured. After the workers didn't come back at the end of the day, a section of guards were sent to investigate. They only found mangled reminds and reported back and a guard was set up to watch the tunnel and a message was sent to their Gnomish neighbors. The Goblins filled the empty tunnels and at the break of day they attacked both the Dwarves and Gnomes. The battle waged on all day and into the night. A group of Halfling on a supply run meet up with some of the Dwarves trying escape and found about the war, they sent a messenger back and went to help. When the Halfling meet with the Dwarf in charge, he told them that the Dwarves didn't need help but the Gnomes might, so the Halfling went and helped the Gnomes. Some how the Elves heard that the Dwarves needed help and showed up with magical weapons and fought with the Dwarves, which the Dwarves didn't like. With the help of the Gnomes, Halfling on the Gnomes side and the Elves, the Goblins where beaten back to where they entered to Dwarven tunnel. A squad of eleven and Dwarven warriors chased the Goblins down their tunnel and an eleven mage sealed the tunnel. Ever since that day the Elves and Dwarves have been on uneasy terms.
Gnome Kobold War
Soon after the Dwarven Goblin was the Kobolds attacked the Gnomes. The Gnomes and Halfling battled for two days and the Elves showed up. After three more day of fighting the Elves chased the Kobold back down there tunnel and sealed it be hind them. The Dwarves didn't help because they where rebuilding.
Time After The Wars
Once the wars where over, those who needed to rebuild did so and there was an uneasy peace. There was not one law to govern the land and war could break out for no reason. In the great city of Arcaina, where it was said that some of the gods lived among man kind, a Great Council was formed of nine people and they opened the training school, so that the people could be better trained in they occupation. After the council was in place it started helping the rest of the land into a time of peace.
The Clone War
A few Dragon ages later, a Gnome mage/scientist created the first clone. Soon after that people where getting clones to do house work and such. A few years after that, the clones banded together into an army and started to fight ageist there creators. The was lasted four years with the last of the clones dieing.
The Psionic War
During Clone war it was found that some people had power over the minds on others. They where mainly used to tell who was a clone and who wasn't. After the clone war, Anobus organized the psionics and convinced them to fight. During the beginning of the war Wind Runner (council member) was hit with a new weapon and became three people, Wind Runner, Shadow (battle mage), and Ambrena (mind slayer). Ambrena joined Anobus's side. She figured out how the use the psionic powers to cause massive damage to people and started to train others, which became know as the mind slayers and for this she was know as Lady Slayer. The war waged on for seven years and in that time there where whoâ,¬,,¢s who to up sides with Wind Runner and became mind walkers, trying to undo what the mind slayers did to the troops. That started to turn the tide of the war and soon after that the war was over and the mind slayers where exiled.
Time After the Wars
After the wars, most every thing had to be rebuilt and there was uneasy acceptance of psionics. Once every thing was rebuilt people went about their lives and started to trust psionic again.
The Great War / Kalaban's War
After many dragon ages of peace and prosperity, the Lord of Darkness was born into a human body. When he was a young man he went looking for his items, witch where left from the god war. Once Wind Runner found out about this she also started a hunt for his items. Once he had his weapons he set up camp out side Detoone. About the same time a mage named Argaus had found out about the Creator and set out to free him for favours. Kalaban and Argaus met in the shadow run to recruit help from the shadows witch they got. Once they amassed huge armies they attacked. Kalaban at Detoone, the shadows at Nice and Argaus at Turun, after many days of battle the towns fell. Knowing that Kalaban would strike next at the Island of Light, Wind Runner sent a group of messengers to the island, no one knows if they got through. All though a paladin name Paragrin who only the gods had faith in answered the call while he was in Arcaina. The cathedral blessed him by all the gods and gave him some items, then sent him to Detoone. Mean while, the shadows took Tenice and Argaus took Elesnar. Paragrin managed to kill Kalaban, grab his weapons and took them to the cathedral in Arcaina. Once Kalaban was dead, his army took Dragonstooth. After three years of battle Red Wing, while he was on the battlefield, sent out an energy pulse that killed all the technology. Five years after that and losing most of the towns on the lower half of Truce, including Arcaina, Wind Runners orb was stolen. As soon as she found out that her orb was stolen, she marched to the middle of the battlefield and told her men to prepare them selves. The clerics did mass funeral rights, after they where done she call down an energy wave of pure good that spread thought all the fighting in the land and passed out.
After the War
After end of the Great War mages and druids found that the magic as gone out of the earth. The only explanation they could get was by asking the dragons, which was that so much of the magical energy was used and the number of magical being killed drained the earth. People went to work on rebuilding what towns they could and there lives. Once people started exploring again they found there was a bearer between Truce and Neice. Slowly the council reformed and magic came back as artifacts where found and healed.
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(//../../e107_files/public/1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea_truce1_.jpg) (//../../e107_files/public/1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea_truce1.jpg)
(//../../e107_files/public/1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea_neice_.jpg) (//../../e107_files/public/1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea_neice.jpg)
File: 1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea.zip (//../../e107_files/public/1161282934_200_FT0_arcainea.zip)
[spoiler Soical feelings]
Elves
are mainly into art, crafts (wood working/carving, taspestry, ect.), magic, and taking care of nature. have a king and or queen which are also elders of the comunity.
Dwarves
are mainly into stone craft and stone art, mining, stone and ritual magic. they have family groups/clans, live by an honor code and also have a king and or queen mainly to settle matters that aren't easaly solved.
Gnomes
are mainly into gems, every thing having to do with gem working, illiusion and stone magic, and science/techalogy of any kind. the usally have a councel style of government.
Halflings
are mainly into any thing dealing with plants, cooking, and such. they are fond of plant and writen magics.
Humans
they teach magic is schools, draw on magical energys, and steal every one elses knowlage claiming as thier own.
Dwarves don't get along well with elves only because of the Dwarven/Goblin war, where the elves helpped with out asking and some dwarves where trapped on the wrong side of a bearer spell and it doesn't matter that elves and gnomes where trapped also.
Elves don't understand why they can't get along with every one.
Halflings would rather just be left alone when they are mixing in a large town.
Humans think that they are th model for every one else.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Gods]
Main gods and godlings
Lord of Darkness
Self exiled to Hell, he's taken hell over and is quite at home there. one way to gain access to him is though Wind Runner's orb. Lord of all negative emotions.
Lady of Light
Created from the of light the Lord of Darkness ever had in his being. Goddess of every thing good and positive. Mother of Creator and Chaos.
Creator/God Slayer
First child of the Lord and Lady, he created the world of Arcainea. He lost his mind and killed 3 other gods in a fit of jeloisy and rage. the only way he can be accessed is though Wind Runners orb. God of creation/destruction. if he is worshiped it's the creation side of him that is.
Chaos
Second child of the Lord and Lady, he goes around causing trouble. He is the god of chance.
He does not give out stright answers.
Wind Runner (silver)
first born of the godlings. Keeper of the soul of the Lady of Light in mortal form. She is every thing the others aren't.
Rain Walker (blue)
know as the first born of the godlings. Rules over the rains and waters.
Crow (purple)
Keeper of laws, justess, and knowlage.
Fire/Little Flame (red)
Rules of flames of all kindes
Ice (white)
Rules over snow, and frozen water of all forms and winter, healing and light.
Red Wing (yellow)
Rules over air and most flying creatures
Raven (black)
twin of Rain, God of streangth and war
Jade (green)
Rules over earth and most of the fanna and flora
Father (gold)
Keeper of balence and binds the others to one an other
[/spoiler]
that's it for now
I like the looks of what this is and what it'll be. I'm getting a very different feeling from this setting than any others I've read here. It seems like a very romantic and traditional setting, something that becomes increasingly rare day by day in the roleplaying world.
yep, it's one of those classic good vs evil, with a lot of god medalling, tinker gnomes being way to good at thier job, and a geral hogpog of everything. take midevil europe, high technolagy, many gods with personal problems, verous kinds of magic, put in a pot and simmer. :D
wow smiles
I don't have time right now to look at the zip, but unless it contains a lot more detail on the races (particularly elves: why they are necessary, etc) I am warning you that Raelifin will throw a fit about them. I'll try to look into the zip later today and give you a more useful review.
Hey Shadow,
How about you post some more on the page itself? I've downloaded your zip, but I'd rather you pick and choose as you would prefer to present it, and that way, it'll be more of a clear representation as to A) what you want to show off, and B) what you could use help with.
Cheers!
whoa.... lots of wars. i just gazed through it, but i would love to see more posted onsite :)
I would be interested in seeing you post more here about the relationship amongst the gods.
hmmm...
It's a start, but it needs work. I won't tell you it's something marvellous, because in my opinion, it is not. Not yet. Neither, however, will I say that it is crap, because it isn't that either. It's workable. So let's work it:
I have to say your explanation of the races is very weak. Raelifin WILL kill your elves. It does not seem like they are as arrogant in your setting as they normally are, though. Perhaps you should emphasize this. Make them spritely, pixie-ish. Make them very friendly, wanting to be everyone's friends, and always wnating to help, perhaps too much. Often getting in the way, and taking unnecessary measures to amend a situation (such as trapping members of their own race as well as dwarves in a tunnel as a means of getting rid of the goblins). This sort of thing would make their actions as described in your history make sense, and also make the elves different form the cliche.
Your dwarves are also pretty standard, except for the ritual magic, which I would, like the elven friendliness, emphasize heavily. It sets them apart and makes them interesting, so they aren't just the same old thing dwarves always are.
In your zip it seems like you have a lot of ideas that are just being developed. I would say pick a few of these, expand on them, and then post them so that we can give quality feedback. You have a lot of statistics, but no explanation or fluff to cement it & make it meaningful.
If you are going for the sort of "romantic traditionalism" as WitchHunt calls it, then emphasize that. But we need fluff. How is this world romantic? How is it traditional? Do these features of the world affect history?
I would say to take another look at your world, see what you really want the world to be like, then look for how you can best achieve it. We can help you, but to advance your vision, we too must see it.
That's my :2cents:
To provide a counter-point to S_H, don't worry about making the races different, if standard fantasy archetypes are what you are going for. If you want mostly traditional dwarves and elves, go for it. They are, after all, archetypes for a reason.
You would be well served by a timeline of the creation-to-present-day variety.
Ok, sure they don't HAVE to be different. I just found that the lack of elven arrogance was a pretty significant difference, and hence merited at least a look at a pretty significant difference in the race itself.
[spoiler Elves]
they beleive that all races can and should get along, to accomplish this great unity of races they will do every thing in there power to help thier fellow races even with out being asked. they feel oblogated to help just about any one that's having a problem, but they tend not to be nieve. they will help an oger or orc with directions, but wont help a thief (unless the thief can convence him that it's his house) break into a house. they usally don't understand why other people don't like them. they love to nagosate and talk things over then go to battle, but when battle is the only option left they are no slouch, and usally are know for thier battle plans. They love peace, nature and art of all kinds. Famillys are close and it's not unusal for a town to be made of only a few famillys. thier biggest concers are every ones happyness, learnning and making choices thought thinking every thing through.
drow or dark elves came about because some of the elves helping seal where goblins broke through in the goblin/dwarven war. the ones trapped did so willing, because it was going to be quicker and more effective to have mages woking on both sides then just one, as it makes the spell stronger.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Dwarves]Have a strong work ethic, and take pride in their craftmenship and family. their family history and linage is very important to them. They can be very quick to anger, but they also have a very good sense of humor- even though it's different then every one else's. The worst thing in dwarven culture is to be exiled from your clan. They have no fear of battle, and in fact see it as a way to earn more honor for their familly name. They remain on the field of battle when every one else has gone home to remember/celebrate the dead and make sure that they get a proper burial. A whole town will feast together in the central hall. The only reason they don't like elves is because the elves helped with out being asked, and wouldn't allow some of the troops to be brought back before closing the hole the goblins broke through.
All dark or deep dwarves came from the ones trapped by the elves, and only get along with drow.[/spoiler]
[spoiler gnomes]are constently wanting to know the how and why behind things. when not working with the dwarves or in thier own towns, they can be found with a tome or in a lab. they are fairly indavualistic[/spoiler]
[spoiler Angelous]
"it is said that we came down from the heavens and couldn't find a way back"
no one knows if they are winged elves or angels or half bread of the two. all they know is that they feel out of place and would rather not have any problems with any one else. they tend to keep to thier high homes in the mountens and can't stand to have any thing covering thier wings.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Con]
also know as the cat people. they have the same socail strucher as any other cats and they have 3 forms. full cat about the size of slightly large house cat, a hybrid form which most perfure, and a full human form that they only use when they have to.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Canus]
Like the con, but they are dog instead of cat and have a pack socail strucher
[/spoiler]
More on the Angelous, Con, and Canus, please. They could be really good. At first the Con seem cliche as cat people, but when there are also dog-people, they fit perfectly.
As long as you have angel-people, why not have demon/devil people?
For your dwarves, the thing you keep emphasizing is their anger at the elves for "helping" without permission. This to me suggests that the dwarves in your campaign are even more proud than the elves. Basically, the dwarves hate the elves, because accepting help was a blow to their pride. Help from the gnomes was more acceptable because they are more like kinsmen to the dwarves. But the elves are outsiders. Their aid is viewed as condescending. actually, having the elves as spritely would accentuate this, as it would have been humiliating for any self-respecting dwarf to accept aid from a "pixie." I would suggest that as you develop the dwarves, give them a name for themselves with a more glorious connotation. (something that they use amongst themselves rather than the human word for them that just says they are unusually short.)
I agree with Seraphine - I like the idea of swapping the roles of elves and dwarves around in particular. Why not make dwarves the more proud race, with their unmasterable language of complicated grammar and sixteen tenses?
As for names...
Ayulafin
Dayali
Ordacri
Manayatol
Goriv
Arcenia
[blockquote Seraphine_Harmonium]More on the Angelous, Con, and Canus, please. They could be really good. At first the Con seem cliche as cat people, but when there are also dog-people, they fit perfectly.
As long as you have angel-people, why not have demon/devil people?
[/blockquote]
I don't have a lot on the Angelous, Con and Canus only because the tend to keep to them selves. As far as demon/devil people, the tefiling work quite nicely for me, but I haven't seen a low powered angel race out there, maybe i'm not looking in the right places.
[blockquote Seraphine_Harmonium]For your dwarves, the thing you keep emphasizing is their anger at the elves for "helping" without permission. This to me suggests that the dwarves in your campaign are even more proud than the elves. Basically, the dwarves hate the elves, because accepting help was a blow to their pride. Help from the gnomes was more acceptable because they are more like kinsmen to the dwarves. But the elves are outsiders. Their aid is viewed as condescending. actually, having the elves as spritely would accentuate this, as it would have been humiliating for any self-respecting dwarf to accept aid from a "pixie." I would suggest that as you develop the dwarves, give them a name for themselves with a more glorious connotation. (something that they use amongst themselves rather than the human word for them that just says they are unusually short.)[/blockquote]
your right as the dwarves see gnomes as kinsmen, because it's kinda those who live under my mountain are mountain brothers, kinda thing.
Part of it is that fact that eleves are outsiders, but they wheren't asked because they where outsides. It's more of the french just showing up to "help" the irish or the scotts fight the invading english. if that makes any find of sence.
[blockquote Golem]Why not make dwarves the more proud race, with their unmasterable language of complicated grammar and sixteen tenses?
[/blockquote]
proud, yes. complicaed, not all that much. think more like scotish, irish or greman pride as a people. they are not all that complacated when you get down to it, they are just more centered on familly, custems and such.
i know i already offered help for your setting, but i figured i would throw on a review, just for good measure :)
Quote from: shadowlsI don't have a lot on the Angelous, Con and Canus only because the tend to keep to them selves. As far as demon/devil people, the tefiling work quite nicely for me, but I haven't seen a low powered angel race out there, maybe i'm not looking in the right places.
have you checked out Aasimar? they're just as "low-powered" as tieflings (and, in fact, seem to be made as the ngelic counterpart to tieflings). if Aasimar aren't suited for your taste, try celestials (which, for some reason that i cannot comprehend, have a lower LA then half-celestials).
Con and Canus sound very.... lycanthrope, to me. i'd like to hear more when you develop them further :)
Quoteyour right as the dwarves see gnomes as kinsmen, because it's kinda those who live under my mountain are mountain brothers, kinda thing.
Part of it is that fact that eleves are outsiders, but they wheren't asked because they where outsides. It's more of the french just showing up to "help" the irish or the scotts fight the invading english. if that makes any find of sence.
proud, yes. complicaed, not all that much. think more like scotish, irish or greman pride as a people. they are not all that complacated when you get down to it, they are just more centered on familly, custems and such.[/quote]we[/i] put in the hard work neccessary to earn what we's got!".
the reason they don't like the elves, as far as i can see, is that the elves are too spritely and light, and don't put any work or effort into anything. when the elves tried to help the dwarves, the dwaves seemed to have thought of the elves as not taking the war as seriously as it should have been taken, and at the same time, insulting the dwarves ability to put in the proper effort to do what needed to be done.
am i getting this right?
[blockquote sdragon1984]am i getting this right?[/blockquote]
kinda, it's not that the elves didn't fight side by side with the dwarves. it's the fact that they knocked on the cave door, came in and started to clean.
Kudos for submiting hand drawn maps :heart: SISters, R doin it for themselves! And yay for tradition.
thanks