The Campaign Builder's Guild

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       Over Under

[ooc]-Is a nonsense word. People do things for irrational reasons, even more so in a fictional world-

Over Under is a city. It is also a feeling of nonsense and 'wtf' moments. The humor should be dark'¦skeptical, irrational, lemming-like! The people are driven to build towers into the sky for reasons no one can remember-for social status. This was an idea that just popped into my head and the more I thought about it...the more I liked it. (I haven't worked on anything in a while as it has been impossible to gather enough people to play a decent table top game in a while...But I like the initial ideas of this bare-bones setting...tell me what you think.)

[/ooc]

The public forums where Druids and radical naturists debate the order of nature, civilization and chaos over structure-or vice versa. The forums began as a public court. (back when the city was ruled by Monarch) The condemned were given a chance to sway public opinion in their favor and thereby escape punishment.

Measuring time and space

Towers are measured in increments of time. i.e. that tower is 4 hours tall (it takes about 4 hours to reach the top or the very bottom depending on what direction your headed) The largest tower in the city-the Sanitorium is approximately 4 years tall.

Description and Colloquialisms

If one were to view the city from above you would see a great pincushion of towers stacked on top of a sharply sloping mound- An enormous half-sphere erupting from the vibrant valley. Towers are the choice structure dating back to ancient times, well before the Monarchy began and certainly well before it ended. It is a city ruled by status seeking families that raise their towers each year in an effort to literally elevate themselves in social circles.
   Bragging rights are given to the families with the highest towers. The families are generally civil in the public light, but since resources to build are quite expensive these days, downright murder has finally entered the scene in the last 20-30 years.

The old generation of building noblemen is being swept away for the newer-cut throat generation that would not hesitate to burn a nemesis' tower to the ground, gather up the salvageable materials and proudly add it to the top of his tower in some form or another.
 
   It is the city called Over Under by Outlanders and the Circles in Eight by many others. Eight towers-Eight Directions or Winds-Eight Gods-Eight Laws and Eight Gates.

The planet itself is very'¦ dimply. Great mounds called the pox of the earth or mumps of the gods cover the planet. Flat land is non-existent. One is almost always traveling uphill or downhill. Valleys of varying climates are found between the mounds'¦ranging from murky swamps and vibrant jungles. Shadows come early to these places'¦settlements most often built atop the mounds.

Mining is incredibly important to the families that own towers in OverUnder. Incredible amounts of resources are expended each year to raise the family towers yet another level. It is a status thing and drives families to bankruptcy. No one really remembers why the wealthy began building towers'¦but they do and they probably always will until the city sinks into the earth.

Sinking feeling'¦

Beneath the city proper is a layer of endless fog-a great shelter for the more notorious and unsightly types that inhabit the city. Beneath these fog layers are the corridors or the beginnings of the old mines.

The mines beneath the city proper (the circles part of the Circles-in-Eight) are incredibly ancient and completely stripped of resource. Vagrants and poor shelter themselves in the endless corridors and shafts.  (debating whether or not to have these layers...good stuff for dungeons)
 
When the floods finally came, the old mines were quickly filled with the storm waters. Ghettos of plank wood platforms clinging precariously to solid rock shafts were swept away to the core of the earth. Some suspect the mines are so deep as to penetrate the molten core of the planet...When the floods came the fog descended soon after...

Travel
  Silk covered balloons (filled with flammable gasses of course) Dirigibles? (probably not depending on my final choice of tech level) Chariots led by gold and silver chained birds-the only birds capable of lift of course being meat-eaters. The all-too popular and least successful travel-by-cannon (yup, that's a throwback to Secret of Mana) Bridges, gap-leaping, ropes and ladders. Fountain jumping...And of course the none-too-popular sooo last year travel by foot.

[ooc] Its a start...I'm having an easier time thinking about this setting visually...I have a few sketches I'd like to upload sometime soon. This is bare bones stuff at the moment but an idea I think might deserve more elaboration[/ooc]

Your measurements have amusing potential consequences for tactical movement. How far can you move in a combat round lasting one second?

One second!

More than darkness and skepticism, I get a sense of earnest and impassioned absurdity. A world of endless undulations, and a city that is a thousand quarrelsome Babels squashed up into one.

Make with the pics.

Quote from: Sir Digby Chicken CaesarMore than darkness and skepticism, I get a sense of earnest and impassioned absurdity. A world of endless undulations, and a city that is a thousand quarrelsome Babels squashed up into one.

Make with the pics.
[/quote]

 Soon...

I was referring to your intended humour ("dark, skeptical, irrational, lemming-like!").

This looks pretty good, really. I love absurd settings. I like the space-time hybrid measure and mad squabbling nobles with a fondness for towers. It reminds me of the world in Chris Braak's the Translated Man where nobles engage in the Architecture War which is quite similar to this.

Fountain jumping?

...the hell? :P

Since Arcane magic (the study of) in D&D 4.0 is pretty rational...Wizards are out. Yup, no wizards. Don't need them.
Sorcerers though...

The Wordy Bird is a small, rare bird native to ___ islands.

Mechanical 'knock-offs' are known to the middle upper class of OverUnder. A sign of a truly wealthy nobleman is a well preened, Wordy Bird affluent in lingual debauchery (a filthy mouth).

What makes these birds unique is their amazing ability to learn words...thousands of them. Specialized guilds have evolved over time to perfect the arduous task of training the birds. In the past birds were trained to cast verbal component spells often resulting in disaster for the trainer, the bird, the building and any nearby buildings. Wordy Birds are Immortal in that they cannot die of natural causes. In Over Under it is punishable by death to intentionally harm or bring into harm's way a Wordy Bird- mechanical 'knock-offs' have flooded the market in recent years.

As I have said, Wordy Birds are immortal and often outlive masters or trainers. Some very ancient Wordy Birds, fluent in several languages (dead ones included) are highly sought after in Over Under. They have become repositories for knowledge and develop interesting dispositions over several hundred centuries of being taught all sorts of words and phrases...These creatures are guarded very carefully, and more than one burglar has met a foul end attempting to obtain them.  

The nobles of Over Under are not permitted to directly insult another noble...which has yielded a curious custom- nobles will tie Wordy Birds to their hats (being careful not to harm the creature in the process) and carry on public conversation with other nobles-(here is where the training comes in) Using cues or signals in the form of whistles or other trigger words, the birds will unleash a barrage of insults upon whoever its master targets it at. Festivals and parties where tensions run high among the nobles often divulge into screeching Wordy Bird arguments, the masters blue faced, furiously whistling commands trying to out-insult their rival.
 

Uses in the past have included casting spells with only verbal components, taunting enemies, sending messages and spreading lies, recording court proceedings, contractual agreements, and pretty much any vocation that involves remembering vast quantities of information...for instance architects trying to remember complex dimensions can assign a set of measurements a single, simple word.

The Grumble is a humanoid, grey skinned creature native to Over Under. They are as diverse in appearance as humans; tall, skinny, stocky, etc...  They have always lived in the city and since they have a rather reserved disposition, no one has bothered to ask where they came from. The Grumblers enjoy mundane, repetitive tasks such as operating lifts, hauling goods and performing minor (simple) repairs to structures. The Grumblers speak in a gurgly muted language that gives them their name.

Grumblers loathe skin to skin contact...even among their own kind. They are never seen eating or drinking and certainly not defecating-but they are organic creatures. (their blood is a nauseating psychadelic blue that, in the past was used to dye garments-far out man)

Every Grumbler has an irrational fear of heights. (any height) It is rare to see a Grumbler more than five feet off the ground. (a general rule of thumb is to never put a grumbler higher than his own height-useful when contracting Grumblers for jobs)

So far, this setting is sounding incredibly sexy.

Quote from: Assless ChapSo far, this setting is sounding incredibly sexy.

It certainly is.

[ic=Memoirs of a Justicar's Conversion]
On Authority

I suppose I should mention the city is not without its authority figures. There are the Justicars the officers of the God-Queen Medb, and the unspoken rules of the nobles-by god-queen if one of them ever broke a rule publicly it would be all murder and burning towers and in the morning divvying up their shit and stacking it back on top of towers and well'¦you get the idea.

These days, religions are not doing well -not in Over Under. Ask the God-Queen, Medb. Well, she's doing Ok. The other gods, captured. Some say she killed them. Not true. She made them fall in love with her. She stuck them in the eight gates to guard her precious city. They just sit there swooning for all eternity, till the city sinks and the pox of the earth burst.  Listen close and you can hear them lamenting after dark.

Just think of that-the gods so easily bound to a mortal-over love!

Medb never aspired to be much. But she was beautiful; Natural beauty too. Not like that noble gaudiness that's so popular these days. Beauty like a mountain spring just after the first thaw, or a ripe apple at the bottom of a barrel of rotten ones-

Because that's what the world was back then-

A barrel of rot

I think Medb realized this. They tell stories now, late at night when they think she's not listening-but she always is-but then again they misunderstand-they think she would be angry at them for telling stories-But she's not. She loves it. She needs it and they love her and need it too.

But Medb she's Ok I guess-Not bad for an eternal Queen. Actually when you think about it-her decrees given in that soft chime-like voice. Oh! And the way her hand stays an execution-rare as it is. I saw her once. Up on that tower of hers. Higher than any in the city. Just standing there watching the moons. It was me and her and the entire city beneath us,

Over and Under us.

 Yeah-I think I love her.

-Memoirs, Brother Broolian, Justicar of the 4th Rank

[/ic]

[ooc=Test run]
 Just trying to get a feel for how an adventure might form in this world. Let me know what you think.
[/ooc]

[ic=Broolians Bird]

     Cambard Broolian, a noble of the 52nd rank has recently commissioned emergency renovations for his pleasure tower, the  Pulchre-Elder II; the foundation of which has suffered severe damages due to rising flood waters. Cambard has ordered his most treasured possessions to be covertly moved to his brother-in-laws tower, approximately 3 blocks (10 minutes) away. Among these possessions are personal documents(mostly poetry of Cambards own design, that would probably be more useful in humiliating the man than selling for profit), some rare artwork from the age of the Monarchy,(depicting the monarch ravishing women, decapitating foes and being bathed by a Grumbler).
   
     The jewel of Cambards fortune is also among the items to be moved. Quetzal, a very old Wordy-Bird given to Cambard by his brother-in-law is rumoured to know the location of the Monarchs personal armory. Cambard has spent the last few weeks trying to crack the birds language code. The Monarchs Armory was said to have been pillaged by invading.....great wealth.

    The adventure would consist of persuading the displeased Grumbler to give out specifics of the move, forming a plan for assaulting either the tower before the move, or catching the caravan out in the open. Either way the Pulchre-Elder II tower will fall by the end of the adventure, letting flood waters finally reach the surface of the city (something which gains the attention of the God-Queen herself).
[/ic]

[ic]Beneath the city proper is a layer of endless fog-a great shelter for the more notorious and unsightly types that inhabit the city. Beneath these fog layers are the corridors or the beginnings of the old mines...[/ic]


 About the fog...

 Residents of this area are effected by what is known as 'fog-sickness' or 'shading'. A popular joke among the nobles goes something like this:
  " A Fogger walks into a bar. Then he walks in again. Then he walks in again. Then he..."

Well, you get the idea.

If one spends enough time in the fog they gain the ability (or sickness depending on your point of view) to copy themselves. "Shading" is quite popular among the religious occult (compare to occult popularity among the Victorian upper class-it's cool but Im only saying that cause its cool to say) Spread too thin, fog and mist dissipate. So too with Foggers.


A shades first copy can eat, drink, feel and hold things, move about and communicate and use all the senses except smell and taste.
A shades second copy cannot grasp or hold objects, and has trouble hearing and communicating. (they sound like they are down a very deep well).
A third copy is very difficult to maintain, but can see. This has proven useful as look-outs and spies.

It should be noted that the original person must stay in the Fog forever-only sending copies out into the world. Cures for 'fog-sickness' have proven mostly unsuccessful, save for temporary effects. It should also be noted that most Foggers consider it blasphemy of one sort or another to attempt to cure 'shading'. It is not known how the sickness is transmitted. As a general rule, anyone traveling through the fog layer will not spend more than a day there for fear of contracting the sickness.

Foggers are distant, quiet and melancholy. They raise families and carry on their lives beneath the city proper. They revere the Mist-King, who is everywhere and nowhere. He has no temples or clergy except for the foggers beneath the city.


The Fog King? Master of shading. Can render up to 5+ shades...

[ooc=uhhhh]
 Get ready for a rambling mess...This is something I thought about doing before..Basically it would be a setting as its written type, almost journal style/creative writing exercise type thing. I'm thinking this setting might be a prime candidate for it.
[/ooc]

 So I'm looking at the economy of this world. Something I've always had trouble with in settings so I usually ignore it. I'm toying with the idea of the noble tower-building class not being able to own land other than the city blocks that the family tower resides on. Basically, all farmland would be in the hands of another middle to lower type class. A lot of food would be required to feed a city of Over Under's size; and not just your basic stuff. Nobles are picky bastards. They want the best cuts of meat, the freshest vegetables and of course, the best wines and spirits.

 Professional hunters are common-a household may retain as many as 10-15 to search the land for exotic meats and herbs-I suppose rangers would be a good class for this. There are some groups-druid types and animal protectors that in turn hunt these hunters. Druid circles are known to put poisons in the public water supplies-large pools of water pumped in from nearby aquifers. Occasionally, psychadelic drugs will make their way into the public baths and pools and send the city spinning into madness for a week or so. The God-Queens Justicars can only do so much to prevent this.
 
There is also the other element of the nobles diets, narcotics. Psychadelic drugs are for the masses and a few 'cooky' nobles who enjoy a good trip. Nobles go for the 'uppers'. They want to stay at parties as long as possible and these narcotics help them achieve that. It also makes for a psychotic, schizophrenic ruling class that happens to enjoy building things straight up.
Now I'm not saying all nobles go for drugs-in fact some loathe the thought of putting the stuff into their systems. It takes all types to make a ruling class...

 Where was I..? Economy. So if the middle class owns the land for food, and the nobles build towers...why do they need the nobles? (I need another name for the ruling class) Perhaps the God-Queen needs the nobles to build towers to somehow give her power? If she loses her powers, she loses control of the 8 gods she imprisoned in her city walls...Delicate balance I suppose...could make for a decent adventure arc.

Which brings me to the other point. The world is dangerous. I briefly touched on that in the first post I believe...
I suppose the world used to be your standard fantasy fare...gods and mortals and magic. Then the God-Queen came along and trapped all the 8 gods in her city. Which she had just built and populated (somehow). By locking the gods up...say...the gods of war and prosperity/wealth, death and life etc. the God-Queen has overthrown the order of the world. The city is basically a Utopia. If the gods power is hers, she can rule as she sees fit. Imagine her on a bad day...

I wanted to talk about spiders too. Spiders have popped up in another setting of mine... The thought of a very tall tower-city just screams for giant man-eating spiders to lay webs in the corridors, miles above the ground. I think I will call them...

archnids.raznids. razins?wtf. RAZNATHAS

or Razi's for short. slang term. Razi's are nasty creatures. They have urban camouflage markings. I suppose they evolved somehow in the city to become enormous, formidable foes. I think they should keep evolving. A Razi will eat and eat and eat until it get's noticed by one of the many species of birds that inhabit the city. (or circle many miles above it) A Razi that matures will eventually grow so large it shatters its own exoskeleton. It's last meal before this event will determine it's next evolutionary step.

Bird spiders? Man-spiders? Spider-Spiders?

More often than not, this is some hapless noble that was one moment flying around the city in an avian chariot, the next minute having his insides sucked out. Humanoid Razi's will actually be accepted into Over Under society- Some are well established members of noble society.

Razi-Humans (for lack of a better word) are very dark skinned with longer than average arms (+ to reach!). They have an extra joint in their arms-about midway between elbow and wrist, as well as an extra joint between ankle and knee...They have two sets of eyes, the extra placed just above the first human set. The eyelids for this extra pair can be shut for long periods of time-making it appear as if they do not even have them.

Poisons are produced differently in Razi-Humans, depending on the species that ate them. Some produce a powder that shakes off of their hairs. Others actually have venom in their teeth-usually the canines. These venoms are extremely valuable. Some are even more potent than actual Razi's. more...


I guess I'll finish this up with a note about life spans. Since the gods have been locked up by the God-Queen, many animals will basically live forever. Not to say that they can't be hurt by physical means...Dying of old age is almost certainly unheard of. Like the ancient Wordy-Birds, their are some creatures that have lived for millenia. I suppose motivations vary among these creatures...which reminds me...I need to do some thinking about who/what the total badass creatures in this world are..

  Thanks for reading.

[note=Organization]
Nope. None. Stream of conscious style here. Maybe if I ever finish this I'll throw it into the Homebrews section. For now, add your thoughts to Seraphine_Harmoniums interesting discussion regarding Setting Organization. (http://thecbg.org/PLUGIN_DIR/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?208619.last)
[/note]

[ic=About Niffs]

Niffs are small creatures that bring good luck. Also result in 'two-shoulder' syndrome. They are advisers for the individual. They are sharp-witted, clever creatures. The term creature is attached to them only because they are not available for PCs.  

They appear to be human babys of about 5 or 6 months old but have fantastic control of neck,arm and leg muscles. They also live for an extremely long period of time. They are capable of full speech, and develop personalities of a full grown human.
 
Niffs are born to human parents (roughly 1 in every 2000?). They are considered good luck and wealthy nobles keep them like pets. It should be noted that Niffs generally attach themselves to people, it is a symbiotic relationship.

Niffs have small wings sprouting from their backs, giving them the ability of a short, awkward flight. They are very beautiful, the epitome of a healthy beautiful boy. They are all male.

Visualize:Niff (http://images.wikia.com/genealogy/images/e/eb/Statue-Augustus.jpg)

[/ic]

[ooc=Gargoyles]

I see these pop up a lot in settings. Or at least they always catch my eye. I really like the idea of Gargoyles. I think for Over Under they will not be inherently magical...in fact in Over Under they are just masterful stone carvings of grotesque creatures. Then I started thinking about why people would go to the trouble of carving them, placing them way up on the outsides of their towers. Nobles being nobles...it is a sort of game for them.

[/ooc]

Gargoyles became popular shortly after the God-Queen Medb took power. In the old ages, when the 8 gods influenced the world, Gargoyles were used to protect the dwelling from evil spirits. People generally don't believe in evil spirits these days. Why should they care? The God-Queen protects all from supernatural power...

Anyways. Gargoyles are a nobles way of telling a rival that he thinks poorly of him. Late at night...teams of men will scale a rival families tower with a statue in tow. Using various techniques they hoist the gargoyles up as far as they can on the opponents tower. The carvings are often caricatures of the Master of the tower. If a noble has large ears for instance this will be exaggerated. The nobles take this all very seriously. Over the years it has become customary for houses to routinely check the balconies and ledges for any new gargoyles that may have 'appeared' over night.

It has become unlawful to remove a gargoyle, some statue feuds have lasted for decades, each family spending a fortune on grander and more masterful statues, all aimed at ridiculing the matriarch or patriarch of the other family. It is however, very lawful to attack any trespassers putting statues on ones tower. Just an idea.

[ic]
This is a Razi (half-human/half-spider) creature. Note the Niff head on the pommel of his sword. Cropped because I lost interest in the drawing and didn't feel like finishing the background. His arms seem odd because he has an extra joint in them. Also not the ridiculous jewelry and the ceremonial belly armor. I gave up on this drawing when I realized I added a cuff to the right arm (but not the left).  

(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p136/channinBsan/Razi.jpg)

[/ic]

Wow, that is amazing!  I love your artistic style... somewhere between Edward Gorey and Mervyn Peake.  Gorgeous!

Quote from: SarisaAnyways. Gargoyles are a nobles way of telling a rival that he thinks poorly of him. Late at night...teams of men will scale a rival families tower with a statue in tow. Using various techniques they hoist the gargoyles up as far as they can on the opponents tower. The carvings are often caricatures of the Master of the tower. If a noble has large ears for instance this will be exaggerated. The nobles take this all very seriously. Over the years it has become customary for houses to routinely check the balconies and ledges for any new gargoyles that may have 'appeared' over night.

It has become unlawful to remove a gargoyle, some statue feuds have lasted for decades, each family spending a fortune on grander and more masterful statues, all aimed at ridiculing the matriarch or patriarch of the other family. It is however, very lawful to attack any trespassers putting statues on ones tower. Just an idea.

That's hilarious.

Quote from: SteerpikeWow, that is amazing!  I love your artistic style... somewhere between Edward Gorey and Mervyn Peake.  Gorgeous!

Thank you. I just googled Edward Gorey and I'm really freaked out. I've seen Mervyn Peake's sketches in the Gormenghast books...very strange as well. Thanks for taking a look!

Okay, this setting looks absolutely awesome - I've never seen an absurdist setting done so well. It's hard for me to comment because there's so much... weird (in a good way), but figured I'd at least offer up a props for the sexyness of this setting.

BTW, that spider person was a bit jarring (again, in a good way) scrolling down slowly the way I do - "Oh, look, a person from this setting OH GOD HE HAS FOUR EYES!" was my initial reaction. :P I love the artwork, it just took me by surprise.

Thanks for the props Xathan.


[ic]

Flight is absolutely necessary in the city. I have decided that extra large insects as well as birds help facilitate this transportation need. Having birds and insects zipping around the city would make for interesting encounters (imagine a hungry, ill treated bird mount snapping at a beetle carrying a noble dandy, half stoned on psychadelia)

Beetle breeding and dragonfly wrangling are two of the industries supported by the need for mounts. Trainers, groomers,feeders etc all inhabit the city.

Dragonfly's are particularly dangerous to other mounts as they feed on any insect smaller than themselves. They are reserved for military sorts. (not sure if dragonfly's will be man-eaters)


Another idea: Since we have giant insects in mass use, it would make sense that most armors, garments and weapons are made from various insect parts. Beetle armor, spider fang swords etc. Metals would be used in construction mostly...I suppose this ties into the economy as well..will have to look at how industry plays out...precious metals would be found in mining for construction materials(the all important tower construction). Unless I simply removed things like silver,gold etc. But what then is the adventurer after? Will have to look at this as well.
[/ic]

Why can't I come up with crap like this?! Awesome is the only word for this. And I also take it you were influenced by british fantasy humor?

Quote from: Newb ClarinetistWhy can't I come up with crap like this?! Awesome is the only word for this. And I also take it you were influenced by British fantasy humor?

 Thanks Newb Clarinetist, I certainly like the ironic/dry/absurd humor that pops up in Hitchhikers...don't know of any other British fantasy/sci-fi humor that I've read....any suggestions for that genre? Might give me some more ideas(which suddenly seem in short supply-hows that for alliteration?)


[ic=About Day/Night Cycles]

 To make better use of game mechanics involving vision (low-light etc) I've decided that the world of Over Under experiences a different cycle of day and night.

   A daily cycle involves two sunsets. The early morning sun rises and then wanes. A small moon rises and then wanes (this is called Middle-Night). The sun reappears for Second-Day and then True-Night comes. I have not worked out the hours/exact mechanics of the solar/lunar cycle but it was an idea I wanted to work on (for the mechanics use) Essentially twilight would happen two times in a day. In addition, certain parts of the city experience almost perpetual twilight. Elaborate lighting systems have been constructed and could make for interesting locales.

So the cycles are:
Twilight                  
Morning
Twilight
Middle Night(Crestfall)
Twilight
Day
Twilight
True Night
Twilight
Morning

 Each twilight has a supernatural looking flash or sometimes an eerie day glow that lasts for a good twenty minutes (depending on the time of year) Any thoughts about day/night cycles?
[/ic]

[/b]

[ic=Inspiration]

Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness!
Moloch whose mind is pure machinery!
Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows!  
Moloch whose name is the Mind!
-from Allen Ginsberg's Howl(selected parts)
[/ic]

 The Molochie are humanoids from Ever Far..."the city that once was and will be again" is how they usually explain it. They are on average taller than humans (about 7-8 ft. tall) and all wear metallic masks that are apparently 'imposed' upon them at birth-or more likely-upon being hatched. All of the masks have four faces on them. Each face is contorted into a different dramatic emotion. Happy, sad, angry etc.
It is unknown exactly what the Molochie look like underneath the masks, but it is assumed that they are horrible to look at (hence the masks). Molochie are subject to racial prejudice in Over Under and keep to themselves in small districts scattered around the city. They prefer to run errands during Crestfall (middle night)

The Molochie have no ears and so depend upon reading lips.
They can see out of all four of their faces. It is supposed they can smell as well, but no one has ever asked a Molochie if they can smell something.
They can sense movement through vibration.
They have an inexplicably complex language that is still mostly untranslated by humans.
From the head down they appear to have all the parts of a human, i.e. two legs, two arms etc.
They never reveal their skin. They wear ornately patterned gloves and pants, with a dark colored long cloak wrapped around their bodies. They never wear bright colors.

Their religion is a mixture of night and earth worship, this religion has been outlawed in Over Under(along with every other religion-see the bit about the God-Queen imprisoning the gods) but they still practice in secret. It involves long mantra-like chants and repetitive dance-like movements.

For sustenance they liquify everything. They are vegetarian enjoying weeds as much as ripe, expensive fruit. They always carry with them a device which liquidates their food and a cup/straw combination thing. This has something to do with their religion as well. (A Molochie will never except food from another persons cup, even another Molochie)

Molochies never group up in more than four or five, and this is often in extreme cases. More often you might see one or two walking together.

Despite the dramatic expressions of their metallic masks, a Molochie's speech is monotone. It is impossible to trigger an emotional response from a Molochie.
Some nobles employ them as thugs and torturers. Molochies are incredible poets. It is said the God-Queen employs one for each day of the year to recite poetry for her.  

I have not worked out much for this place. What I do know is that A)Molochie come from this place B)It was either a city (think sister city to Over Under) or a region or a metaphysical plane of existence. It is still possible to get to Ever Far and certain items of great value are located there.

 The Unveiling of the Molochie is a festival filled with drunken lunacy which crescendos with a play involving the unmasking of a pretend-Molochie, an actor (or actors) portraying a very large Molochie involving an elaborate mechanical costume...each year the horror that is unveiled is greater and greater. The festival goers enjoy the grotesque display with fervor. Nobles are known to hold 'after-parties' in which they unveil their own mock-Molochies, usually captives or slaves that have had horrible mutilations imposed upon them. These parties are held in dimly lit parlors and only very trusted and prominent nobles are invited.  

self note: Molochies reproduce by kidnapping children and 'transforming' them somehow.
  [/size]

>>Thanks Newb Clarinetist, I certainly like the ironic/dry/absurd humor that pops up in Hitchhikers...don't know of any other British fantasy/sci-fi humor that I've read....any suggestions for that genre? Might give me some more ideas(which suddenly seem in short supply-hows that for alliteration?)

-Terry Prachett.
-C.S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters)
-G.K. Chesterton (Not really fantasy, but it could apply)
-Mervyn Peake (maybe?)

monty python.

This might be a too serious/rational question for Over Under, but how do Molochie speak if they can't hear? You say they read lips, but obviously they can't read another Molochies lips as there is the mask to contend with.
Also, are they in any way related to morlocks? :p

Quote from: Superfluous CrowThis might be a too serious/rational question for Over Under, but how do Molochie speak if they can't hear? You say they read lips, but obviously they can't read another Molochies lips as there is the mask to contend with.
Also, are they in any way related to morlocks? :p

 Questions! Finally!

 Morlocks-like from The Time Machine? No.

 As for Molochie not being able to read each other's lips that might explain why they rarely pair up. Why should they? They reproduce by luring children away...their really is no reason for them to actually need to be 'social'. The only reason they might actually have to communicate is for religious purposes...but these are rituals that are well known. I personally know a few deaf people who speak just fine...not to mention Helen Keller...she communicated just fine.

 I suppose when I was writing that bit I was really trying to play up the 'isolation' bit. Dulling of the senses is a sure way to isolate a person/thing/creature/moloch. Does that work?

Quote from: SarisaThe only reason they might actually have to communicate is for religious purposes...but these are rituals that are well known. I personally know a few deaf people who speak just fine...not to mention Helen Keller...she communicated just fine.

Speaking as a Deaf Studies minor, I'd just like to add that there are many deaf individuals I know who can actually speak English (and other languages!) just fine (they might sound a little funny here and there, but otherwise are entirely legible). It's actually pretty amazing, given the circumstances and all. Of course, sign language, being linguistic kung fu, is way more awesome ;).

Also, the setting looks awesome! I apologize for not having much more to say just yet. :)

My question was based on the following:

Quote from: Sarisa...They have an inexplicably complex language that is still mostly untranslated by humans.
... The Molochie have no ears and so depend upon reading lips.

You say they have a complex language, yet they don't speak to each other? Maybe it is body language-based? or can they feel sound/vibrations in the air in a sense even though they can't hear? A chant language.

I think the natural world will supply the majority (if not all) of the magical phenomena. Imagine covering one's self with the dust of a giant moth to gain the ability of flight, eating the eggs of a fire breathing reptile to (you guessed it) shoot fireballs from one's (ass?...how silly should this get?).

For the school of thought on using substances to gain superhuman powers I'm thinking their will be external and internal uses. The difference of swallowing a concoction or applying a substance to the skin or whatever. I'm also keen on the idea of their always being a downside. In layman's these would be side-effects ranging from severe hallucinations (licking toads to gain immunity from poisons) to a horrible, crippling diarrhea (too many fireballs).

Although it is not an original idea I think it fits the setting well. More than one adventurer will meet their end at the hands of miscalculated substance use and will supply plenty of situational irony that I'm aiming for.

In writing this I'm realizing that the setting is gaining thematic polarity. Compare the jackass's planting gargoyles on a rivals tower to the creepy Molochie stealing children away to reproduce. Thoughts on this?

My thoughts for the moment are that I think you have made the start of a wonderfully humorous setting wherein the humor relies less on standard comedy fair and more on the ludicrous actions of your settings actors. I haven't really had time to look in depth at what you have written but I recall a little blurb on the tavern about gods that would be appropriate for your setting. The bit about a god of leaving kittens in front of your house was rather amusing. Have you given anymore thought to other such farcical deities? Perhaps a goddess of wearing mismatched clothing or a god of irritating music who is worshiped by bards without musical talent.

Quote from: Nomadic
My thoughts for the moment are that I think you have made the start of a wonderfully humorous setting wherein the humor relies less on standard comedy fair and more on the ludicrous actions of your settings actors...The bit about a god of leaving kittens in front of your house was rather amusing. Have you given anymore thought to other such farcical deities? Perhaps a goddess of wearing mismatched clothing or a god of irritating music who is worshiped by bards without musical talent.

I really like the idea of 'inconsequential gods'..or gods who aren't necessarily the real movers and shakers of the world. The mythology of OverUnder involves all of the major gods being seduced and eventually imprisoned by the Queen of the city. Of course with her busy schedule...she didn't have time to round up all of the odd gods. Odd Gods...I like that.

I liked your bit about the god of drunken buffoonery or some such. Annoying music would be a good one as well. I'm completely open to suggestions.
Another thing I was thinking about was all of the insane parties and festivals that the nobles throw. I was working on one called the Gala ala Glass...in which party goers carry enormous ornate glass balls filled with poisonous/narcotic gasses...something like that.

I don't think there's too much discord in themes/mood so far.  The whole thing feels like a twisted children's story, a dark, quirky, sinister, bizarre nonsense-world.  It doesn't shy away from the shadows but it retains a very real sense of humour at the same time.

EDIT: Thinking of the Molochie and the gargoyles, a real family disaster would be to wake up one morning to find the kids snatched and the balconies festooned with stone grotesques (sounds like a job for adventurers!).

Quote from: Nomadic
My thoughts for the moment are that I think you have made the start of a wonderfully humorous setting wherein the humor relies less on standard comedy fair and more on the ludicrous actions of your settings actors. I haven't really had time to look in depth at what you have written but I recall a little blurb on the tavern about gods that would be appropriate for your setting. The bit about a god of leaving kittens in front of your house was rather amusing. Have you given anymore thought to other such farcical deities? Perhaps a goddess of wearing mismatched clothing or a god of irritating music who is worshiped by bards without musical talent.

Also the God of lost things, who regularly borrows your keys and deposits them in places you've looked 3 times already and they weren't there before, and steals the socks from your dryer.

Perhaps a god of poetic justice, and a god of irony.

Flea Men
Flea men supposedly hail from the layer beneath the Fog (called the Speleothem-more about this later). Flea men are on average about 2-3 feet in height. (in OverUnder terms height is measured in time....have to figure that one out) Anyways Flea Men are small and round and usually plump. If you were to consider them in standard fantasy fair take a halfling and smash him together with a goblin. Whatever blob remains is a flea man. Obviously they get the name from their size...but also because they are generally the social leeches...stealing,pilfering,plundering,smashing and causing general disruptions in an irritating flea-like way. Also all of their names are onomatopoeia
   Onomatophoeia Reference (http://www.writtensound.com/index.php?term=a_f)
   All Flea Men and woman suffer from acute personality disorders. Split personality is by far the most common (it would be considered extremely rare for a Flea Man to have say...agoraphobia or something like that). And I'm talking theater quality schizophrenia. So they are thieves...possibly steal from the rich and give to the poor...except their are no 'poor' per say in OverUnder...

[ooc]
Have to go...more later. Just wanted to get back into OU, as its been a while. Also writing an adventure for OU)
Also need to get a main Over Under thread set up at some point...And finish two or three drawings I started.
[/ooc]

[ooc=uh]Wow...have to get back to this. Crazy with the holidays and freaking skyrim eating my life. Continuing with the stream of consciousness style writing method:[/ooc]

I like the Molochie(see previous posts) a lot. I picture them as somber foreigners in a distant land-strange,beautiful (the highly ornate 4-faced masks of bronze and silver) and shrouded in mystery.  I suppose the Molochie are a priesthood of sorts...of which little is known. They do however communicate through dance which could be compared with real world whirling dervishes.
The pilgrimage they make to the city of Over Under is necessary to repopulate their dying race-they steal children and train them to become Molochie in adulthood. The black robes of the Molochie signify that they are chosen for this task in their own home city of EverFar, which nobody seems to be able to visit let alone find.

With the addition of Ever Far to the Over Under world I've added a whole new aspect to think about-what occurs outside the bizarre walls of Over Under? Do other cities pursue inane projects like pointless tower-building? I could ask myself a whole bunch of questions like what?,how?,when?, and where?, but until I have ideas for other areas I plan on keeping it pretty vague and open.

I also need to get back to Razi's, cause they are damn cool. I imagine there are cults of some sort that imbibe the venom from these creatures...maybe in a primitive-power-gaining ritual way? (think primitive peoples eating the hearts of slain foes to 'gain power') except that they actually would. Perhaps they grow spider parts (not always predictable which parts) from consuming the venom. The Venom would actually be a pretty valuable trade commodity for assassins and rituals etc.

I'm also thinking of "borrowing" Corpse Artists from the short-lived CBG community project Lexicon(see sig.) I think they fit rather well and probably originated from the anti-Monarch protests shortly before the Queen came to power in Over Under.

The history of Over Under is giving me trouble as well....I use general less fleshed out terms like THE MONARCH and THE QUEEN because I don't  really have anything too fleshed out for these aspects...I suppose it will come in time.
   

There are great firms of Architects that are tied to families for generations upon generations. Architects are constantly adventuring (or hiring adventurers) to find new source materials, ideas for new forms and structures.

"The more adventurous architects seek out other lands and cities, delve deep into the depths of the earth searching for the one pure perfect form that will outdo all other families for eternity. The search for this 'Ultimate Form' has become an obsession for the great Architect Firms and the fanatical families contributing unfathomable funding for the projects"
    -Guide to Over Under

Also, quarries that have been exhausted of materials are flooded and stocked with fish. Since most families built there towers right next to the quarries, the city has grown up around hundreds of these pools and ponds. Canals have been dug to join the larger ones. Boardwalks, ferries, floating platforms and barges cover the lakes as open ground for commerce is not easily found. All public places are built on top of these lakes.

Alliances are sometimes struck between families. Bridges are occasionally built from tower to tower...Long bridges that curve and twist around non-allied family towers. In the old days, bridges would be torn down when there was a falling out between the families. Nowadays, either side of the bridges are heavily fortified and gates installed (along with ingenious traps and defensive mechanisms)

Ah, this setting is still lovably insane. Love the bridges, although for the sake of structural integrity I hope there are supports of some kind! Maybe these far-reaching free-standing support pillars have an effect on the landscape below in and off themselves?
Stealing an idea from Paizo's Golarion's Magnimar, you could also have less valued ground estate be in the shadow of the larger bridges.

When I first read the thing with the fish, I missed flooded, so I thought they just had huge piles of fish lying around the base of the tower, thinking that maybe you were implying the mineral-rich quarry ground preserved or seasoned them or some such :P
Do go with the canals though, because canals are awesome. And I'm sure it's a good idea to have free-flowing water surrounding already precarious architectural designs. :p

Now we are at it, how common is tower collapse? I assume not too common since some of these towers sound like they'd devastate half the city if they fell. Also, with the bridges and the high tower density of the city, would a falling tower cause a domino effect?
What happens to an aristocratic family if they lose their tower? If a (maybe deliberately!) poorly-constructed tower fell into their tower, could they sue the family that started the chain reaction?

Random train of consciousness. Some of these questions have probably already been answered previously, I was just writing based on what I could remember of the setting!

Tower collapse is incredibly devastating. The last great war between the nobles was so bad that an entire quarter of the city was abandoned. At least a dozen towers were tumbled over and thousands lost their lives. Nowadays, a family can declare a sort of bankruptcy- I.E. if their families tower is in peril of collapsing due to overwhelming damage, they can declare "tower fault" in which case any families hostile to said family must cease all aggression towards them. It is incredibly embarrassing for a family to declare a tower fault-but it's a matter of losing everything versus losing prestige.

If a tower collapses due to structural problems the architects are rounded up and executed, the family is exiled and any and all assets are seized. For this reason families are very careful about their choice in materials/design. Accidents do happen and there is a sort of investigatory committee consisting of well-to-do nobles that make the final choice in judgement on tower collapse. It is a rare thing for a tower to completely tumble over...but accidents do happen.

The bridges are ingeniously designed, that's about all I can say about that at the moment.

And yes, canals are freaking awesome. 

Also. I was working on a tower sample room list: (if anyone has ideas about what sorts of rooms could be added to towers chime in!)
Sample Tower-Room List
(wip)
Conservatory
Libraries
Laboratory
Stables
Aviaries
Sun Rooms
Reading rooms
Vaults
Offices
Personal Chambers
Servants Chambers
Guest Chambers
Blacksmith
Storerooms
Family Crypts
Kitchens
Boiler Rooms
Airship supply rooms
Playrooms
Parlors
Great Hall
Dining Halls
Armories
Automaton Workshops


I was also working on a fortune teller type character that ally with families and are occasionally taken hostage...more on this later...

A Random Tower Generator would be fairly simple and practicle if you ever played a game in this setting.

Yeah, a generator would be best for any sort of random tower-crawl instance. Thx Leetz

About the fortune tellers...Nobles are highly superstitious people. A guild of fortune tellers and augurs hold sway in Over Under. Particularly accurate predictors are highly sought after by nobles. In some situations an augur or fortune teller might be held hostage for months or even years to prevent other nobles from learning about certain upcoming events. This is hardly a misfortune for the teller as they are treated like royalty while in captivity.

The depth of a reading depends on the skill of the teller. Anything from wars, plagues, deaths in the family to market prices, weather patterns or who the next heir to a family estate might be. The tellers are very powerful people and the guild is untouchable.

Maybe I missed this earlier, but what are other guilds and groups in the city like? The Hurdygurgy Guild? Canal Fishermans Club? Gargoyle-Scultpers Syndicate?

Would the univerase collapse if you were to put a Role-Playing Society within a setting?

Fine questions Leetz. Don't have anything but bare-bones ideas on guilds in the city. But they would operate out of Collegiates...buildings dedicated to teaching trades and performing clerical work. Guilds will probably be the basis for the economy...

Guilds:
Some sort of travel guild (airships, aviary associations etc.)
Canal running guild tied in with the operation of the many locks in the city(remember the city is build on a hill)
Historical societies
Military organizations of all shapes and sizes (see Flea Men in above posts)
Metal workers
Masons
Architects (possibly the same as the masons)
Poets and artists
Precious Stone Appraisers
Some sort of magic guild (once I know what the hell type of magic exists)
Alchemical guilds
Agricultural guilds
etc...

As far as a role-playing society goes the closest thing would be an actors guild. Also, nobles are known to "war-game" with one another when they don't want to commit tons of resources to a real war.

I'll spend a little more time on this now..

The Mourning Quarter

Morning, Mourning
Your all going to die!
Ask us for truth
and we'll give you a lie!

-Collected Nursery Rhymes of the Nobles Children

[ic=Did I mention?] A noble who enjoys viewing the ghastly is a rare thing...Unless it is by his or her design. The sick and poor...they are hidden from view. We wouldn't want to spoil a nobles appetite for the glorious would we? [/ic]

The Mourning Quarter was once the great housing projects for the Monarchs enormous standing army. Large villas and walls, fortifications from an older, harder age stand firmly on the rocky islands accessible only by bridge or barge outside the main city. Fading murals depicting the Monarchs conquering army wading through endless seas of bloodshed contrast sharply with the quarters inhabitants...the old, sick and infirm.

By public decree, (and ruthlessly enforced) all persons that appear sickly for more than three days (as determined by the Lord Practitioner of Well-Being) shall be banished to the Mourning Quarter. Any person once found guilty of Bodily, Mental or Otherworldly sickness shall not ever enter the dominion of the City without express permission, oral and written, by the Lord Practitioner of WB.


[ooc]
gotta go while writing this more later[/ooc]

Fog King come
show us the way
give us flesh
and make them pay!
-Collected Nursery Rhymes of Nobles Children

What is between stone and flesh? The fog...but truly, all else is between the fog!
-Prophet of the Yellowing Skin

The Fog kings realm is that between life and death...true death to be exact. The point of no return is final. But before that is a shadowy still-here sort of place. Drab. Sad. Cold. Shades of former lives walk here. (or float about depending on who you ask). He was a man once, that old King but died before his destiny could be fulfilled. It is said if a life is ended in anger or unjustly, if their is still a debt to be paid or a favor to begot, then the Fog King comes and drapes over your quickly cooling shoulders the shroud of his own fog.

I've touched on the fog king and his shades before, but I've narrowed down the rules a bit more...a shade has a second chance (not at life) but rather at finishing tasks left untended. Once the task is completed then the shade is free to move on to true death, i.e. whatever happens next. The inhabitants of the world are as clueless to the afterlife as any creature can be...but they are certain of the fog realm in between life and death.

The Mourning Quarter embraces the faith of the Fog King. They are all dying, sickly or already dead. A cult has arisen in the Mourning Quarter that lends aid to a shades quest. (A shade may reside in the fog realm for days, months decades...however long it takes to not only complete that one last all important task, but in some cases, truly figure out what that task was). more on the cult later...

Thinking about Ever Far (the land where the Molochie come from) a little more. It should be mysterious, romanticized in popular culture (imagine novellas about far off EVERFAR in the hands of nobles) - much in the same way the Orient was found to be mysterious in Marco Polo's time. I suppose it is a catch all for all the weird and strange creatures and customs in the world...for example:

Third Eyes Third Eyes are the floating disembodies eyes of the ancient king Narmar of the Thousand Eyes, Ears and Mouths. This king was so brutal in ancient EverFar that his own bodyguards eventually murdered him. They left the body unattended while trying to figure out who was going to be king next, and the next day found that Narmar was quite alive. (so the story goes). Anyways. Narmar magically 'implanted' in his bodyguards 999 of his own eyes, mouths and ears so that he would become privy to any plots against his persons in the future. He reigned for another 1000 years or so before he vanishes from the EverFar histories.

Third eyes do just that-float around until they find a likely candidate and then implant themselves in the foreheads of the creatures or take over one of the two (normal) eyes. They have purple iris' and always close at night. Third eyes sometimes take complete control of the subject, sometimes bestow special abilities on the creature, and sometimes drive them mad (usually ending in the creatures death, but the eye is unharmed; it simply plucks itself out of the corpse and moves on).

Parasitic floating eyeballs?!?  Why didn't I think of that!??

EDIT: are the Ears and Mouths around as well in some capacity?  Can one use a Mouth and Ear to speak to the lost King?

Quote from: Steerpike
EDIT: are the Ears and Mouths around as well in some capacity?  Can one use a Mouth and Ear to speak to the lost King?

Why didn't I think of that!??

...and yes. I'll work on that.

King Namar is very creepy and very cool.

A couple random things....

Nobles of the Silverhand dip limbs in silver to produce a frightening fashion statement. This renders the limb completely useless but some are cast in molds in the shapes of knives, cudgels, hammers etc. depending on the noble family. Silverhand is an elitist Masonic like cult that is shrouded in mystery. To solve their problems and get things done they simply throw money at it.

Certain....stigmas are known to appear in Over Unders populace....One who is Cloudspun is afraid of touching the ground.

Certain minerals can achieve magical effects. For example Amethyst prevents the wearer from becoming intoxicated and also allows better vision in Fog-ridden areas (usually worn as goggles) Hematite (also known as Blood-ore) can bring defensive properties to the wearer. Jade is know to give invisibility etc...

EDIT: People who are addicted to the magic might try and consume the stones faster...I'm thinking Iron Jaw implants (rock-chewers?)

I might add more on stone-magic properties later. I think it's a cool concept and goes along with the stone/building theme. I'm basically stealing from this page. (http://www.ellensteiber.com/thestones.htm)

Good stuff :)

Quote from: Magnus Pym
Good stuff :)

Should I continue with the 'stone' magic stuff?

[ic=A sample Noble Family]
The Vivectii Family never outgrew their military roots (recall that the majority of nobility in Over Under are descendants of the Monarchs military elite). The oldest lineage is traced to Fortinbras Vivectii, a general tasked with guarding the all important trade routes to and from EverFar.  Fortinbras made a fortune levying unsanctioned taxes on merchants traveling the ancient Chrysoprase (literally Green-Gold) Road.
   Fortinbras' grandson continued the tradition after the fall of the Monarch, but secured direct trade relations with a fledgling religious sect called the Molochie, which had seized power from the old kings of EverFar. It was rumoured this Vivectii willingly gave away twenty of his daughters to the Molochie in order to secure both a male heir for himself (ensuring no sibling rivalry) and to strengthen trade relations. With the fortune made on the Green-Gold market, he bought a dozen blocks of land just outside Sanctuary from which to rule his Mercantile Empire.
    The current Vivectii, Olivia despises the Molochie and her ancestors for giving away her potential grandmothers. She uses her resources to covertly sabotage their missions in Over Under and fund opposition to the Molochie order in EverFar. She reveres Ordis, an obscure god of war that her Great Ancestor Fortinbras revered.

A thought:

What we might call Magic in Over Under is scientific and Logical. Extensive charts, formulas diagrams and schema are used to produce predictable, stable results. The mechanics of which have been studied for centuries. Unfortunately a great deal was lost sometime around the deposing of the Monarch (that was quite the event no?) and now contemporary Magicians or Magus Magi? spend a great deal of time trying to fill in all the missing parts of their most sacred texts at the Academy of Magic (omg that name sucks).

The Academy is responsible for not only preserving and restoring the 'old works' on magic but also in searching out new formulas and knowledge about this power. The Academy funds expeditions and performs experiments to gain ever more knowledge. Magic is also studied rigorously at the Academy at the end of which licensure is granted. Rogue practitioners of magic can be imprisoned, fined, exiled and even executed in some cases.

Why would someone go rogue with magic? The cost of Academic training is outrageous. The nobility of course can finance such an education, but the regular working people would never be able to afford such training.  Once a year, full scholarship is granted to a member of non-noble lineage (i.e. not wealthy enough to afford the tuition) This is one of the rare arenas where nobility and non-nobility are free of any social stigmas. Once a Mage, always a Mage-no matter the stock.

Sorcery on the other hand, is supernatural and unpredictable. It is not necessarily evil-but the two schools of thought are at odds with each other morally and ethically. It could be likened to the tension between religion and science in the real world. (that is a bit sketchy but wth-would like thoughts on that)

Like most things strange and terrifying, Sorcery has its origins in ancient times. Most of the skill has trickled into Over Under by way of the aforementioned Green-Gold Road from Ever Far. Sorcerers are like the cowboys of the old west, tolerated-until they do something craaazy.

Legends usually speak some truth about the old Sorcerers methods. In Ever Far, Sorcerers regularly take on pupils, usually 1-2 per lifetime and the bond created between pupil and master is legendary. Some say that a Sorcerer who practices but does not teach in his lifetime is doomed to a horrible afterlife.


Most sorcerers live by a code of ethics, regardless of what the Academy would have people believe. Some in truth are evil bastards and would like nothing more for all the towers to come tumbling down-but the Academy has those as well-and they are usually better funded.

[ooc] Not the most original stuff...[/ooc]

Edit: Stone magic (if I keep it) would be considered magic.

The Mage Academy might be a tad uninspired in name and overall feel, but what about creating a series of Colleges - much as Oxford University consists of a whole bunch of Colleges, somewhere between Hogwarts-style Houses and standard university Departments, responsible both for housing students and for providing tutorials - with much more outlandish customs, quirks, idiosyncrasies, and whacky names?  Rivalries and architectural oddities would, of course, abound.

I imagine magic as being really freaking weird in Over Under, with a lot of strange disciplines.  How about mages that specialize in changing something's size, mages who can commune with buildings (sub-specialties including the Attic Mage, the Basement Mage, the Fireplace Mage, etc), mages who divine things from pigeon droppings and plumes of dust, mages who make doors and windows lead to places they shouldn't, or mages that specialize in physical affection (a kiss that endows great strength, an embrace that heals wounds, a caress that maims)?

Quote from: Steerpike
Parasitic floating eyeballs?!?  Why didn't I think of that!??

Not playing enough Terraria, then. :D. Though admittedly their eyes aren't parasitic as far as I understand.

[ooc]
Not sure if this is going to make sense...but I'll give it a shot.
[/ooc]

Chrysoprase is an incredibly unique mineral found exclusively in EverFar. It is almost indestructible but can only be manipulated inside (Fog?) Geodes. Fog Geodes are naturally hollowed out spheres found in the earth beneath OverUnder...The mineral from which these geodes are formed are similiar in appearance to Chrysoprase but lack the luster and the neigh indestructible quality.

(Grumblers believe these geodes to be spiritual in some form or another...more on that later)

Some genius figured out that Chrysoprase is easily transformed into armor, weapons, amulets and almost anything imaginable inside a geode. Smithies operate inside these naturally forming geological formations.(that would be a cool visual) Once the item is removed from the geode is 'solidifies' and can only be manipulated/broken inside/in close proximity to a geode. The tricky part is mining the Chrysoprase in EverFar (where there are no geodes). This precarious balance of geode/chrysoprase industry is heavily regulated.

The point is that Chrysoprase is incredibly useful for high-end market weapons and armor. It is believed that 10 pounds of Chrysoprase could be hammered out 1/4 of a mile while still maintaining its resilient qualities. Of course 10 pounds of the material would cost several large fortunes.


EDIT: To make this a little more Over-Under-ish I'm thinking there is an Absinthe-esque drink that is distilled from a byproduct of the metal working of Chrysoprase. The Hallucinations would actually take physical form..ala C.S. Friedmans Coldfire Trilogy.

Quote from: Steerpike
I imagine magic as being really freaking weird in Over Under, with a lot of strange disciplines.  How about mages that specialize in changing something's size, mages who can commune with buildings (sub-specialties including the Attic Mage, the Basement Mage, the Fireplace Mage, etc), mages who divine things from pigeon droppings and plumes of dust, mages who make doors and windows lead to places they shouldn't, or mages that specialize in physical affection (a kiss that endows great strength, an embrace that heals wounds, a caress that maims)?

Very interesting! I like the idea of communicating with buildings...."who knows what these walls have seen!!??" Wizard: "I do."
Perhaps mages could team up to combine effects for a spell....I will think about this more; I am a little dry on ideas for now but thanks for your input Steerpike!

[ooc]
Here is a quick sketch meant to convey what an architect might look like. Notice the clocks on his shoulders, all meant to measure time and distance, his left hand has a mechanical false-arm used for breaking rocks and lifting (also holding onto ledges). On his right hand is a glove with all sorts of surveying devices. His waistcoat is kinda messed up but you get the general feel for the profession
[/ooc]


[spoiler=Professional][note=Architect]
As I mentioned before, Architects are very adventurous, seeking out new lands and ideas for architectural features. An architect is first and foremost a designer, but a wide array of sub-professions is acknowledged in builders circles. An architect should always be prepared to absorb as much information about a place as possible and many choose traditional studies such as geology, zoology, biology and rudimentary chemistry-in essence they are true renaissance men, preferring to know a little about a wide range of subjects rather than everything in a single field.
[/note]
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p136/channinBsan/Architect.jpg)

[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Moloch]
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p136/channinBsan/molochi-1.jpg)

Don't feel like home, he's a little out...
And all these words elope, it's nothing like your poem
Putting in, inputting in, don't feel like methadone
A scratching voice all alone, there's nothing like your baritone
It's nothing as it seems, the little that he needs, it's home
The little that he sees, is nothing he concedes, it's home

-Nothings As it Seems , Pearl Jam

(What I was listening to when I drew this)
[/spoiler]

that's fantastic art - matches the settings vibe perfectly. Diterlizzi would be proud.

Quote from: Sarisa
[ooc]
Not sure if this is going to make sense...but I'll give it a shot.
[/ooc]

Chrysoprase is an incredibly unique mineral found exclusively in EverFar. It is almost indestructible but can only be manipulated inside (Fog?) Geodes. Fog Geodes are naturally hollowed out spheres found in the earth beneath OverUnder...The mineral from which these geodes are formed are similiar in appearance to Chrysoprase but lack the luster and the neigh indestructible quality.

(Grumblers believe these geodes to be spiritual in some form or another...more on that later)

Some genius figured out that Chrysoprase is easily transformed into armor, weapons, amulets and almost anything imaginable inside a geode. Smithies operate inside these naturally forming geological formations.(that would be a cool visual) Once the item is removed from the geode is 'solidifies' and can only be manipulated/broken inside/in close proximity to a geode. The tricky part is mining the Chrysoprase in EverFar (where there are no geodes). This precarious balance of geode/chrysoprase industry is heavily regulated.

The point is that Chrysoprase is incredibly useful for high-end market weapons and armor. It is believed that 10 pounds of Chrysoprase could be hammered out 1/4 of a mile while still maintaining its resilient qualities. Of course 10 pounds of the material would cost several large fortunes.


EDIT: To make this a little more Over-Under-ish I'm thinking there is an Absinthe-esque drink that is distilled from a byproduct of the metal working of Chrysoprase. The Hallucinations would actually take physical form..ala C.S. Friedmans Coldfire Trilogy.

Regarding minerals, I once mused on the notion of a rock that could be used alternately as gunpowder, magical reagent, and drug (similar to your absinthe notion, which is why I'm mentioning this).  The reasoning behind tying all these functions to a mineral was the ability to introduce steampunk elements to a magical setting without always having to account for armies with large quantities of guns.  The rarity of the material makes trains and guns exotic, accessible for players and villains, but still rare enough to not be everywhere.  Just some ideas I was tossing around that might help with this.  Totally love the location specific manipulation by the way, brings the material out of the city itself, where it would be most valuable in practice, I imagine.

I've been struggling for a few days to condense my notes into some kind of narrative, but eventually realized that my desire to make every piece of writing look like an academic essay may be counterproductive to the actual purpose of this post - that is, to convey my view on your setting.  A setting which, by the way, was a real challenge for me; I'm very much a big-to-small worldbuilder, and Over Under proceeds from the exact opposite point.

The style of your writing, correspondingly, is a series of details - you touch on races, places, concepts, organizations, and so on.  The more you add, the more of Over Under is revealed, but in some cases this detail-writing leaves gaps that beg an explanation.  For instance, there's an overwhelming emphasis on the people at the top (aristocracy) and those at the bottom (those with Shading, people in the Mourning Quarter, and other unfortunates).  I'm left wondering about the people in the middle, who presumably provide most of the labor and materials for not only the tower-building but everything else the nobles engage in.  They may not be as curious and bizarre as the nobility, but one presumes that an adventurer in Over Under is going to be spending a not-insignificant amount of time interacting with these kind of people - at the very least, shopkeepers and such.  Do the guilds essentially rule on the ground, and if so, how do they interact with one another?  Do the nobles ignore the people on the street or are they potential competitors with each other (or with the guilds!) for influence and control over quarters and neighborhoods?  The former seems more likely given the aloof, elitist tint you've given to the aristocracy, but it also seems like nobles could potentially find avenues of competing with other nobles by putting pressure on various craftsmen and merchants to only sell luxuries and fine goods to them.  Obviously the nobles wouldn't do this sort of thing personally, but one gets the feeling they have plenty of intermediaries to handle such things for them.  There's also the question of where the nobles get the resources to participate in their great game - the Vivectii have trade interests, but is this true of all nobles or do they have alternative sources of income?  You've said that the middle/lower class controls the farmland, so presumably that's not an answer.  I think this question eventually ties into the one you ask on the first page, "why do they need the nobles?"

I think at this point I'm just going to note specific things and give my comments and impressions.

Raznathas - I adore the idea of "maturing" based on the creature they consume.  One question I have is WHY Razi-men are accepted so easily into society - Razi are "formidable foes" and "nasty creatures," yet a Razi-man noble will be welcomed into society even though he - by definition - murdered and ate another noble.  It seems sort of contrary to how you'd expect people to behave if a four-eyed humanoid introduced himself as the guy who just sucked the guts out of your neighbor, even if you weren't particularly fond of said neighbor.  The Molochie are "subject to racial prejudice," so it's not as if Over Under society is simply endlessly welcoming.  Is there some sort of tradition or law that makes people respect Razi-men, or are they just afraid that if they don't they'll be eaten?

Speaking of nobles, you mentioned you were trying to think of alternative names for them.  I assume it would be something related to verticality - maybe Skygazers, or "Gazers" for short.  Alternately, Cloudheads?  Windbags?

It occurs to me that, given the extensive use of agents by the nobles, there might be some kind of "Messengers' Guild" or "Herald's Guild" for such people.  I'm imagining a sort of hired professional who is simultaneously a runner, messenger, herald, middleman (for dealing with "lessers" on business), someone who is both streetwise enough to get around and know who to talk to, while also possessing the etiquette necessary to talk to their employers.  Of course, maybe such people are "permanent staff" for nobles rather than hirelings, I just sort of like the idea of runners-for-hire in the setting.  It seems like it must be a pretty difficult place to navigate if you don't have good clocks and real familiarity with the city.

And while we're on guilds, I was wondering about how one becomes a fortune-teller, since clearly the benefits are substantial.  If it's a learned art, how are apprentices chosen, and how is it kept secret?  Are certain rare substances required, or can any trained person simply do it?  You mentioned that they vary in accuracy; is that a reflection of inborn talent or simply how experienced they are?  One wonders how it would be to be a "novice" fortuneteller, since you might be too innacurate for your predictions to actually be useful!

Moving on to materials, I think the dependence on chitin for armor and weapons and such suggests a few possibilities you could build on.  It might be that only certain insects provide usable chitin, and perhaps even then only in certain stages of life (i.e., "you've got to get them right after they've molted so the skin's still pliable!").  It's hard to see chitin as being used for everything, however, simply because you can't "forge" it like metal.  Maybe the two are used together in some way?  Maybe there are insects that could grow or develop into certain shapes, in a similar manner to how the Razi "evolve" based on what their last meal was?

Regarding the day/night cycle, I'm interested to hear more about the implications of the unusual progression of daylight and darkness.  Do people take a "siesta" during Middle-night, or are they active like the Molochie?  Are insects utilized at all in lighting, or is it "magic" light, or mundane, or something else?  Why is it that some areas are in twilight?  When one lives beneath the towers, how much light does one see anyway, or is that what you meant by some areas being in perpetual twilight?

Molochie - The "Moloch!" part of Howl was a favorite of mine back in the day, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it pop up here.  You have succeeded in making them seem very alien and sort of vaguely threatening, but the price of this is that there are still some apparent paradoxes that may need to be worked out.  Crow brought up the fact that they have a "complex language" yet are presumably unable to hear, which raises the question of exactly what this language is - some kind of sign language, or based on feeling vibrations or something?  I didn't see any response to Crow's comment (at the bottom of page 2) but I might have missed it.  The other thing I'm not quite able to explain about the Molochie is how it is they're tolerated at all given that they steal children.  Obviously the nobles have commercial reasons to keep them around, but the middle/lower classes presumably benefit only inderectly from their presence (if at all) and seem like they wouldn't take kindly to child-snatchers running errands in their neighborhoods.  Are they simply afraid to stand up to the Molochie, or are the visitors protected by law?

The Mourning Quarter is a very neat idea; a city this size surely wants to protect against plague, and accomplishing this with a big quarantine is certainly novel.  It seems like there would be fantastic pressure to hide sickness to keep yourself from being "deported."  Are there illness inspectors that search for hidden sick people, or are there rewards for "snitching" on an invalid?  Maybe PCs could find themselvers investigating some noble who is rumored to be sick, but lives in seclusion to prevent anyone from knowing.  How does society work in the Mourning Quarter?  Is it basically anarchy, or is there a sort of Fog King theocracy?  I wonder who runs the joint, since it seems like healthy Justicars and other public servants would want to stay out.  At this point I'm visualizing a Lepers' Gang with bandaged limbs and waving their special gang colors staking territory and roughing up cripples for pocket change.

Though it might not be tenable, the Shades got me thinking about a Mystery Campaign in which the PCs were all shades and working together to figure out what they were supposed to do (and then doing it).  Even if that's just fantasy, though, could PCs find themselves helping shades in the same manner as the fog cultists?  Do shades have anything to offer, like information from memories of their former life, or do people only help them out of religious obligation or altruism?

I would like to hear more about the Third Eyes; as with a few of the details you've laid out for us, the concept is interesting but there's not yet much explanation there.  If they were intended as spies in EverFar, why would they attach to people in Over Under?  What kind of host do they prefer, or is it essentially random?  Are they ignored or do people try to "swat" them when they're floating around?

Regarding minerals - I'm a great fan of adapting alchemy to settings, and I'm keen to see where you go with magic stones.  Echoing what Numinous said, you could have a system in which powdered (or whole) stones were used for a whole variety of purposes, including reagants and drugs.  Perhaps there is a whole branch of magic that is basically geomancy (or some other appropriate term), the use of precious stones and powders to produce spells, with the caveat that it's possible to poison or drug yourself with some minerals (if you need cinnabar for a fireball, better take it easy...).  One suggestion I thought I'd add is that you might consider gemstone-teeth like those of D&D's Demilich; the demilich is basically a floating skull with some of its teeth replaced with gemstones that can, among other things, trap people's souls in those gems.  In your case, maybe such implanted gems could impart abilities or ward people from danger, and it seems like replacing teeth with gems would fit right in with a noble class that considers it acceptible to cover your limbs in silver!

I've nearly come to the end of my notes here.  The last thing I'd like to bring up is the confluence between artisans and magicians.  You mentioned "magic" (as opposed to sorcery) being very ordered, relying on charts and diagrams and precise rituals.  You have been wondering about what to call mages and their academy, but I wonder if it might work more organically if instead of being an independent class of people, "mages" were simply practitioners of existing trades.  An architect, for example, makes all kinds of charts and diagrams and careful measurements; might there be sort of an innate magic in architecture, evoked by precise blueprints in the same manner that a building rises from those blueprints?  I'm just suggesting that "magic" need not be entirely seperate from "mundane" trades in Over Under, particularly since the "ordered" nature of magic makes it seem like it would come naturally to certain tradesmen.  I don't mean that the Architects and the Mages are necessarily one and the same (though that is certainly one way to go), but that magic might be most prevalent in the upper echelons of certain guilds, and one's guild might determine what "school" or "kind" of magic one practices.  An architect-wizard could have a different sort of power than an accountant-wizard (hey, balancing books is a pretty precise and ordered activity!).

I enjoyed reading this thread, Sarisa, and I look forward to your continuing work on it.  You have a lot of really intriguing details, and I'm interested to see how you end up bringing things together into a consistent whole.  Of course, you may not be to that stage yet - there may be much more brainstorming ahead, and if so, I look forward to that as well.  Sorry it took me so long to get this together!

Wow my friend, what a review! So many ideas popped into my head while reading. Thanks for your review and appreciation Polycarp. Thanks for your kind words and appreciation. Will post some responses next week I think.

(still reading your setting material!)

I absolutely love the Molochie, and I started writing some notes for you, if you didn't mind, and I still would want to play this!


A race of beings that fabricate themselves.
They have bifurcated arms, one forearm is normal sized, the other looks like an analogous structure. (Imagine claws on a python) It still has a wrist, but only two to three digits.
In public, or in areas where humans could potentially see them, they keep their third and four arms up their sleeves. On top of their shoulders there could be a metal plate or some sort of growth that allows them to tap with minimal movement and it would reverberate through their skeletons and into the ground a few feet or so. This would help them in their communication. When they are completely alone they would take their second arms out and use them in a seriously complicated sign language, depending on which hand is used per word different emotions can be inferred.

    Which brings me to their usage of the four masks. They would use the four masks to show how their hands display their emotions for them? Like their symbolism, as a part of who they are? Reminds me of how christians use crosses and such!


About their religion, they still pray to their god and I was thinking about how the God-Queen Maub (Spelling) essentially locked up the other gods, maybe these guys want their god back? Man I really love the whole idea, but my brain literally exploded at the sight of Molochie!


*EDIT* I imagined them wearing bulky robes to help hide their arms, and the mask with the robes reminded me of the king or emperor in Kingdom of heaven, whoa.
*EDIT2* Don't know if I can link images here, but this is what I was getting at, appearance wise, http://www.edward-norton.org/chimage.php?image=koh/enpremierekoh.jpg

Quote from: Palindromes
I absolutely love the Molochie, and I started writing some notes for you, if you didn't mind, and I still would want to play this!

Awesome!

Quote from: Palindromes
A race of beings that fabricate themselves.

Stated like that I didn't even realize the implications of the fact that they must actively seek out new members for their race. I'm going to think about this more and what sort of institutions/resources they need and how it affects the world. I do know that it is heavily tied into their religion (how could maintaining the continuity of their race not be?) and is a sacred ritual.

Quote from: Palindromes
They have bifurcated arms, one forearm is normal sized, the other looks like an analogous structure. (Imagine claws on a python) It still has a wrist, but only two to three digits.
In public, or in areas where humans could potentially see them, they keep their third and four arms up their sleeves. On top of their shoulders there could be a metal plate or some sort of growth that allows them to tap with minimal movement and it would reverberate through their skeletons and into the ground a few feet or so. This would help them in their communication.

So they have one shoulder joint and four hands. I'm trying to think why they would want to keep these parts covered at all times. I think it lies in their religion as well-they are hyper-conservative and perhaps their religious laws prevent them from revealing any skin to outsiders. (that and the fact that they take children away and turn them into one of these things)

The other thing I love is the vibration communication. I'm thinking they developed this when they lived underground- (a whole history is starting to form-more on that later) It was necessary for them to communicate through rock walls and in darkness. This "silent" communication might also help them talk to each other when dealing with outsiders-especially arranging business deals. Being able to communicate between each other silently would be invaluable in striking up the best possible deal in a financial arrangement.

The only thing I have to figure out is how they actually communicate with other races-and I think the key is the emotion masks they wear (recall that they have four-faced metal masks that each convey a separate emotion) Maybe it is the norm for humans to ask them only yes or no questions for example-the Molochie would reply by showing an angry face for displeasure (NO!) or a happy face for agreement (YES!).

Quote from: Palindromes
When they are completely alone they would take their second arms out and use them in a seriously complicated sign language, depending on which hand is used per word different emotions can be inferred.

That's brilliant and goes right along with their masks (Four masks-four hands to correlate with each other). Which emotion is assigned to a hand has been ordained for century and as is with most of their social customs is religious dogma. 

Quote from: Palindromes
About their religion, they still pray to their god and I was thinking about how the God-Queen Maub (Spelling) essentially locked up the other gods, maybe these guys want their god back? Man I really love the whole idea, but my brain literally exploded at the sight of Molochie!

That, would be an interesting motive for them to be involved in the politics of Over Under.

http://zakath-nath.joueb.com/images/baudoin6.jpg

Gasp! You found my inspiration. Great movie.
[ooc]
Anyways, Welcome to the CBG Palindromes and thanks for reading! :)
[/ooc]

[ic=About Magic take 2]

There are four ranks in the mages school. Each has its own implications and responsibilities:

Mundi
An entry level student is known as a Magus Mundi and they comprise the largest proportion of the student body. In the beginning a Mundi learns only basic spells like creating light, levitating small objects or making noise. (pretty basic d&d stuff w/e).

Mundis are stripped of all there possessions and are not allowed to buy or sell anything. They cannot receive gifts from family or friends and are basically isolated from society. These are the 'lean' years of learning, designed to strengthen the bond between Mundi and the college. They rely on the college for everything. Sometimes, this practice has the adverse effect-distancing the Mundi from the college and resentment follows-sometimes these dissidents turn to sorcery or fortune telling.  

The Mundi stage lasts as long as is necessary, measured by the third rank up known as Magus Praetor (more on them in a bit) who act in the role of supervisor or professor. The Praetor has the best relationship with a Mundi.

What I mean by necessary is it is the curriculum that lays the foundation for greater things. The bond between Mundi and college is formed, the basic theoretical spellcraft is taught, and the weaker (resentful/unwilling) are rooted out. A student can remain a Mundi for his whole life; this has happened on occasion, but it is by no means the status quo.


Adai
Directly above the Mundi is Magus Adai. Adai ranked students withdraw to small laboratories and isolated libraries to pursue ever greater learning. Adais build strong relationships with each other, and healthy competition is often the case. The bonds formed between Adai often last a lifetime; but great rivalries are often forged as well.

This is perhaps the hardest rank to complete-because the student is no longer directly guided, but using the tools given in Mundi class, must continue to learn on there own volition. Not to say that Praetors do not look in on the students from time to time-in fact more than the average Adai would know-the guidance given is often subtle and cryptic. Self-confidence and the moral and ethical use of magic are just as important to develop as shear skill and knowledge of spellcraft at this rank.  

On paper, Adais' are not as socially isolated as a Mundi. The nature of their work is strenuous-already isolated to the point of near-madness, and a little family and friend encouragement for the festivals and such is deemed healthy by the higher ups. But most Adais do not wish to rejoin society at this stage. They have truly been transformed from an average person into a learner of a 'higher profession', and do not wish to put their meddle in jeopardy by petty social interactions. In some cases (more often than not) an Adai is so full of him/herself that the family simply doesn't invite them home-egos in the mages college are like you know whats.

Praetor

Magus Praetor are the truly transformed, often finished product of a student at the mages school. Some magus' are perfectly content to continue to teach and guide lesser ranks, remaining Praetor until the day they die (which, for a magus' can be a very long ways away).
Praetors have great responsibility-they ensure that only the best magus' reach the rank of Adai-rooting out the bad apples at Mundi rank.

Praetors are the bearded eccentric men often found in tea shops and coffee dens, arguing obscure arcane theories. They can recite word-for-word entire tomes of spellcraft text, and recall hundreds if not thousands of complex formulas for spells with ever greater potency, power and effect.

EDIT:Ignore this next paragraph until I take into account the fact that 90% of magus' are from noble/upper class blood
They are the talk of Over Unders upper social circles; they are invited to the most exclusive noble formal occasions, festivals, galas etc. and they are welcomed with open arms-But they are never truly ingratiated with nobility-who find people of even 'higher professions' distasteful at some level. In truth, Praetors are often used by the nobility to further themselves just like countless others. Not to say that Praetors are pushovers, but once again, a magus' ego is often the way to manipulate them-and the nobility know this.  

Ultim
Praetors answer directly to the rank of Magus Ultim. Ultims are few and far between. They are diplomat, weapon, archaeologist and councilor in one package. Their first duty is to ensure that Arcane knowledge is not lost (again) but continues. In addition they must seek out new knowledge, whether that be through experimentation or following a trail of ancient clues to lost secrets of spellcraft.

Ultims are rarely in Over Under. They have access to spells that make travel quite easy. They do not bother themselves with silly noble parties or day to day affairs of the college. They are the real deal...oof more later.
[/ic]

[ic=A bit about Fortune Tellers]

Higher professions like Arcane Magic and Architecture are based on empirical evidence, extensive data and other logical tools. Fortune Telling is not. Fortune Tellers are the rock stars of the city that are there to entertain as much as inform. The best are very expensive and the worst-well often starve or find other professions.

Fortune Tellers call themselves Augurs or Diviners or simply Artists and loathe the name Fortune Teller. They often have entourages attached to their 'shows' that work behind the scenes or in some way run the business of Fortune Telling. They prefer the exotic and shocking, employing underground Sorcerers or disillusioned Mundi for "special" effects and other stage wizardry (literally). Many starting in the profession are just that-failed wizards or on the run sorcerers building a new career.  

They use mechanical tools, trap doors and lifts, glowing orbs and smoke machines. They are actors first and foremost...

The actual telling is a bit more complicated. The results are not always accurate, but a Teller can produce satisfactory results for a noble (recall that the nobility employ Fortune Tellers as much for their show as for their company and personality) based on gossip, informants and other underground tricks. Fortune Telling is not easy and it is often make or break...vast fortunes can be made and lives can be lost.

[/ic]

[ic]
The Hive and the Sea of Kwal

  The Sea of Kwal is fed by a number rivers and streams that seep through mineral rich fissures to the north of Ever Far. The Sea is the life blood of the home of the Molochie, (called for now The Hive). They breed dragonflys and raise crops of lichen, moss and lily pads all made possible by the phosphorescent glow of those same flora. The sea is worked with the help of human laborers from the regular quarters of Ever Far. The fish caught in pound nets are used to fertilize the vegetation, and any excess is taken to the surface to market
[/ic]

[ooc=busy !]

My schedule has been stupid busy...tourist season. School. other stuff. Trying to get back into overunder.
[/ooc]

Couple things:

The quarters still need detailed write ups. Keystone has been a struggle for me especially, because it should be awe-inspiring in a city that is already awe-inspiring. A giant tower that houses the wizards school is simply not enough...

A new Quarter popped into my mind this morning.

The Fortune Quarter.
  Home to the renegade merchant king, Gold Cup. Legend holds that Gold Cup once owned a simple gambling booth on the outskirts of the market in the time of the Monarch. His game was simple: Three gold cups, turned over on a table, indistinguishable from each other, with a silver coin beneath one. He would require the punter to choose the cup that held the coin after a dizzying rearranging of the cups. Stories say that the Monarch himself lost a fortune one-hundred times over playing Gold Cups game.

Gold Cup is an enigmatic figure with a gold-clad finger dipped in many pies around Over Under. He is responsible for the corruption in the Queens own Office of Weights, Time and Measurement. He taxes illegally, loans money to nobles and has a small private army that enforces his draconian rules. The Queen tolerates the man because of the popularity (and a decent cut/bribe) of his gambling houses. Gold Cup is at war with the Molochie merchants and the markets in Over Under they seek to break into.

Fortune is also home to the Fortune Telling houses...(more on fortune tellers somewhere in this thread)


The Worm Rings.

Twelve tunnels dug straight into the ground nearly an acre across and lined with stone walkways. Home to giant worms that have resided in the city forever. Immovable, insatiable- living legends that are simply avoided. Convicts, criminals, garbage and anything undesirable is thrown into these holes. The worms have not been seen in centuries (not since the monarch tried to kill them) but they are known to be there by the rumblings and ground tremors that mark there movement. The city holds a  policy of "keeping them fed" to avoid any from surfacing... Now they are landmarks in the city. Rewards have been offered for the worms destruction, but no one has ever come back from the holes.

I've also been writing a few stories (mostly based on the Monarchs experience and frustration in trying to build the city) based in over under...