Sooth content thread located here. (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?8283.0)
UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION, MUCH MORE TO BE ADDED
Welcome to Sooth! Sooth, unlike Datrik or Thaedia, has everything. High flying adventure on cities that float though the air? Check. A mysterious land of danger and suspsense, hiding secrets of Empires long past? Check, check and check (we have three, maybe more!) Lovecraftian Elder Powers that eat on the edges of your sanity? Check. Steampunk elements mixed in with notions from high fantasy adventure and pulp fiction? Check. Elves that rule an ancient empire? Check, only like youâ,¬,,¢ve never seen before. Savages that maintain their proud, dragon worshiping culture on the edge of a massive nation? Check. A nation of Goblins, a power that is both ancient and new? Check. Travel to other worlds? Possibly check, very possibly a check. Anything else you can imagine? Check.
Sooth is born from the fact that
A) I have placed limits on both Datrik and Thaedia. Datrik is severely limited, and Thaedia suffers from extreme racial limitations. With Sooth, I can do anything and everything. Ideas used in Sooth will be found in Datrik and Thaedia, and visa versa.
B) I have a game tomorrow, they donâ,¬,,¢t want to play Datrik or Thaedia, and I need a world to play it in, while I hate using existing worlds.
Sooth will have a much more informal layout that either Datrik or Thaedia, just a single thread here in Elements and Design.
[spoiler=Core Ethosâ,¬Â¦kinda]
Sooth isnâ,¬,,¢t well developed enough to have a Core Ethos. The ideas are too transient, too random, to allow for that. What I have instead are Concept Goals:
1) Compatibility. I want to make it possible to fit almost anything from DnD into Sooth,
2) Flexibility: I want to be able to adapt Sooth to fit any idea that I want to fit into a world.
3) Multitonal and Multigenre (yes, I know those arenâ,¬,,¢t actually words). Unlike Datrik or Thaedia, I donâ,¬,,¢t want to lock play in Sooth into a certain genre/tone or set of genres/tones. Sooth is going to be built to accommodate all styles of play.
Some things I will be having
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Nations of Sooth]
The Divine Lartharin Empire is a world-spanning empire of colonies that are scattered across the continents. The Empire is renowned for its trading monopoly as the quickest way to span the globe, which is maintained by Imperial superiority with airships OR sea travel OR . Based from a trio of small islands off the continent, the Lartharin Empire is ruled by a council of elves. The primary religion in the Lartharin Empire is the worship of the Incarnation Elendiharim. The Lartharin elves look down on every other race, and the non-elves of the Lartharin Empire are treated poorly.
The Vaethim Islands Confederation is not so much a nation as it is a series of islands that sits between two continents, the Confederation is the most powerful trade nation besides the Lartharin empire. Even the Lartharins will pay Confederate shipping taxes and must use Confederate ports, since the Confederation has the most advantageous route across the globe under its control. The Confederation was a Lartharin colony that broke away during mainland wars, and has since become a major power. The Confederation has two very unique principals that govern it. First is their style of government, where people elect those who rule them. The second is their firm belief in individuality, meaning members from every race and every walk of life can be found in the Confederation. The halflings that were native to the isles had mostly adapted to the Confederation by the time of the severance, and the Confederation has profited from their labor. A few halflings still cling to their roots, however.
The Empire of Durmoz is a nation of dwarves, humans, goblins, and orcs, which spans a large portion of the main continent. The dwarves make up the majority of the nobility, though there are two human noble houses. The majority of goblins and some humans are slaves; orcs and much of the rest of humans are barbarians on the northeastern plains that worship dragons, who brought about the fall of the ancient Zaotu Empire. Recently, Durmozâ,¬,,¢s nobility has come under the influence of the mystic and self-proclaimed Incarnation Nasputir, though there has not been time to verify his claim to divinity.
Zaotu, located on a forested archipelago, is a human and orcish empire renowned for its warriors. The Mazirah are the elite cast of Zaotu, made exclusively of orcs who wield Ki, and serve their lord, or tzamu, who are human. Other warrior groups exist, most of which are exclusively human. The tzamu houses make up the nobility of Zaotu, though all serve the Emperor, the being of worship in Zaotu. Rituals to the Emperor include ritualized humanoid sacrifice, leading some outsiders to believe that the Emperor is an immortal non-humanoid. Durmoz and Zaotu are ancient enemies, back from the time when barbarians, aided by the dwarves of Durmoz, caused the downfall of the empire that became Zaotu. Orcs in Zaotu who are not born to the Mazirah are known as Kogurk, which is an ancient orcish word for fecal matter, and they are treated as such.
The Sorsogth Pact is a group of nation located in a vast swampland in the southern part of the continent. Some human tribes, reptillian peoples, and other creatures that are far more horrible inhabit Sorsogth. Worship of the Elder Powers is common here, and those who follow the Divine or Its Incarnations are faced with a high prospect of an untimely death. The various humanoid tribes have an uneasy alliance, a pact made in blood in a foul ritual to a nameless Elder Power eons ago, that binds them together in their mutual hatred for outsiders. Deeper within the swamps live the Cerokagil, a race of crocodilian humanoids with immense physical power who worship a Lesser Elder Power that lives on this plane.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Random Thoughts]
These are just thoughts Iâ,¬,,¢m having. The one in the top group should be addressed by tomorrowâ,¬,,¢s session, the rest have a smaller influence on the game so donâ,¬,,¢t need immediate decisions. Help would be greatly appreciated.
The Gnome Question: can I fit them, or should I boot them?
The technology level will defiantly be high. Iâ,¬,,¢m just not sure if I should put airships in there or not.
Iâ,¬,,¢m thinking of making it a series of Prime material planes, chained together. There would be a nation on Sooth, the Baesmoth Protectorate, which is an extension of a the interplanar Baesmoth Empire. Meanwhile, Latharia, Vaethim, and Durmoz would have interplanar holdings, though all on uninhabited primes.
Those are my thoughts for now, more to come as I develop more.[/spoiler]
AAAAAAAAAH! It's the divine avatar of the kitchen sink! RUN!
The divine avatar of the kitchen sink? O.o what?
He's razzing you for having an open-ended approach to gaming and trying to broaden horizons rather than close them.
If you are still confused, I suggest reading his sig. ;)
I thought that was it, the divine avatar part is what confused me. :P
Any thoughts on what little I have up?
Hmmm... crocodilian humanoids... where have I heard that before? (Feel free to use my Dagarax stats if you want.)
Looks like you have a bunch of caste societies and the USA (VIC in Sooth). I'm fine with that. Just be sure to note that it's quite transparent.
Gnomes: The kitchen sink demands it. You have everything but gnomes? Now that makes no sense. You even have the tech to back it up. (If you want clockwork gnomes)
Airships: The kitchen sink demands it. Airships are cool and it seems like you really want them.
Primus Chainus: The kitchen sink demands... wait, WHAT? :eek: An inter-galactic empire?! Brave new worlds? New life and new... Okay, I'll come down from off the fridge. :blink: I need sleep.
Quote from: USA. I was going for more USA prior to the bicarmel legislature we know today, during the Articles of Confederation and all that.
[quoteGnomes: The kitchen sink demands it. You have everything but gnomes? Now that makes no sense. You even have the tech to back it up. (If you want clockwork gnomes)
Airships: The kitchen sink demands it. Airships are cool and it seems like you really want them.
Primus Chainus: The kitchen sink demands... wait, WHAT? An inter-galactic empire?! Brave new worlds? New life and new... Okay, I'll come down from off the fridge. I need sleep.[/quote]
Wait, does that mean you don't like it or you do? :P I think the Primus Chainus (name sounds kinda cool, actually), would give Sooth the originallity it needs, otherwise Sooth was going to wind up FR or Greyhawk with some tech. Plus, the Primus Chainus would allow for the kitchen sink to stick the smelly bits somewhere else. "Sure this obscure race I didn't put in there to begin with exists. It always had. It just lives on distant prime that was recently discovered."
And I could replace Airships with Astral Ships, which would be kinky.
Thinking about it now, I think I am going to make the inter-planar empire aspect much larger than I had orginally. That is going to be a big point of the world, allowing for the feel of space exploration but in a fantasy setting and style.
Thoughts on how to best handle this?
Gnomes could be thrown in there as a very old nation that used to have a homeland, but eventually moved entirely to their air ships (city-size zeppling like in Girl Genius? Big astral ships? floating islants with propellers?).
Going to work now, but more on this later.
This kind of huge-ness (yeah that's a word don't look at me like that) is going to be rather challenging to begin with. Try to pick a couple ideas you like an center you campaign around those. As the need arises you can more by expanding from wherever it is you begin your game. Woot! Bottom up campaign design is often extremely fun.
The best part about designing a world bottom up (not belly up...that's bad) is that you can bank good ideas and use them when you want to, and expand in directions that you players like. Ask your players which elements they like, or what they would like to see in the future, and you can make a setting that caters to your gaming group far better than a themed world ever could.
My very first campaign world grew from a series of modules and homebrewed adventures (with the same PCs throughout) that just demanded it all be brought together into a coherent whole.
I enjoyed placing various cities, concepts, and ideas throughout the setting, and mapping the world out around the events that the PCs had played parts in. You may find that running adventures in an incomplete kitchen sink style world extremely liberating, but it can also get very muddled, if you are not cautious and selective about what you really want.
Oh and if you do use gnomes, break the stereotype and make them something totally different, like assassins, kidnappers, and slave traders. Or maybe barbaric people, who destroyed their own society/nation because their leaders were abusing the power of magic, or something else that gets away from their comic relief role as tinkering illusionists.
-Peace-
I hate teh Gnomes!11!!one!
Bad chatspeak aside, gnomes evil. I love the kitchen sink approach, despite it's many failings. Just be careful with it.
Indepth review later, school is calling.
QuoteGnomes could be thrown in there as a very old nation that used to have a homeland, but eventually moved entirely to their air ships (city-size zeppling like in Girl Genius? Big astral ships? floating islants with propellers?).
Going to work now, but more on this later.
Oh and if you do use gnomes, break the stereotype and make them something totally different, like assassins, kidnappers, and slave traders. Or maybe barbaric people, who destroyed their own society/nation because their leaders were abusing the power of magic, or something else that gets away from their comic relief role as tinkering illusionists.[/quote]This kind of huge-ness (yeah that's a word don't look at me like that) is going to be rather challenging to begin with. Try to pick a couple ideas you like an center you campaign around those. As the need arises you can more by expanding from wherever it is you begin your game. Woot! Bottom up campaign design is often extremely fun.
The best part about designing a world bottom up (not belly up...that's bad) is that you can bank good ideas and use them when you want to, and expand in directions that you players like. Ask your players which elements they like, or what they would like to see in the future, and you can make a setting that caters to your gaming group far better than a themed world ever could.
My very first campaign world grew from a series of modules and homebrewed adventures (with the same PCs throughout) that just demanded it all be brought together into a coherent whole.
I enjoyed placing various cities, concepts, and ideas throughout the setting, and mapping the world out around the events that the PCs had played parts in. You may find that running adventures in an incomplete kitchen sink style world extremely liberating, but it can also get very muddled, if you are not cautious and selective about what you really want.[/quote]I hate teh Gnomes!11!!one!
Bad chatspeak aside, gnomes evil. I love the kitchen sink approach, despite it's many failings. Just be careful with it.
Indepth review later, school is calling.[/quote]
Good news is, most of my Players hate Gnomes as well, which means that they will take pleasure in "dealing" with Gnomish slavers. :-)
So now that I have the basics of the top, here is the bottom:
(not much on it yet, just jotting ideas down)
[spoiler=Mithraed]
Mithraed, Captial of Vaethim, City of Hope
Located on the eastern part of the Mithraed Island
Pop 500,000, 30% human, 20% half-elf, 15% elf, 11% Gnome 7% halfling, 7% Dwarf, 10% other (half of Other is Goblinoid or Reptillian)
Mithraed is the crown jewel of Vaemis, and is also its primary trade city. All trade that wants to pass though the Confederation must pass though Mithraed, and any ship that is past Mithraed without a permit is considered a smuggler or pirate and sunk immediatly. Mithraed is renowned for its elite mage guards (duskblades) as well as the fact that if you ware looking for something, it can be found here. The merchants of Mithraed live better than the nobles of most places, and the wealthiest have manors that float in the air to show off their influence. Mithraed is also noted for its extensive docks, usable for sea, air, and astral travel.[/spoiler]
That's what I got for now, more fleshed out as I go along.
Quote from: nastynateOh and if you do use gnomes, break the stereotype and make them something totally different, like assassins, kidnappers, and slave traders. Or maybe barbaric people, who destroyed their own society/nation because their leaders were abusing the power of magic, or something else that gets away from their comic relief role as tinkering illusionists.
Or, if you really want to give your players conniptions, make an ancient civilization ruled by gnomish pharaohs who built their desert empire on the backs of their elven slaves. I tried this once, with entertaining results.
EDIT: Oh, and since we have Table tags now:
[table=Adventuring Gear]
[tr][th]Item[/th][th]Cost [/th][th]Weight [/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Sink, kitchen [/td][td]10 gp [/td][td]20 lb.[/td][/tr]
[/table]
Sink, kitchen: Though this large, metal sink with faucet provides no measureable benefit, it is customary that no adventuring party claiming to be ready for anything travel without one.
LOL. That would be hilarious, but I want to give the whole thing a bit more serious tone than that, and want to use the gnomes as a present day threat. Still, that's a fun idea...
I am so gonna put one of those in my game... :P
Planes
In Sooth, which Iâ,¬,,¢m thinking of giving for a setting name â,¬Å"The Thousand Worldsâ,¬Â, planes are like planets in a sci-fi story. As such, they deserve a lot of attention, and for that reason I am going to do a lot of information on them today. Iâ,¬,,¢m going to include information on the Aether, which combines the function of the material planes, some random Prime Materials, and Nexus, the heart of existence. First, though, the Aether:
[note=Angels and Demons]One question about Sooth I am often asked is â,¬Å"Where do Outsiders come from?â,¬Â The answer: Different Aethers. The Aether binds together the various Primes. Past the Aether is the Astral, and past that are the realms of outsiders. Wrapped up inside these are other transitive plane, Shadow and the Dreamscape and The Mirrored Paths and what not. Beyond that is the Divine, which is the Monotheistic power that watches over Sooth, as well as the Elserealms, my take on The Far Realms. No one really worships the divine, though, but polytheistic gods organizes into Pantheons and such like standard DnD. Also, just because they are â,¬Ëoutsideâ,¬,,¢ of Soothâ,¬,,¢s Aether doesnâ,¬,,¢t mean the planes donâ,¬,,¢t get closer in some places, or further away in others, and influence from other Aethers is common.[/note]
[spoiler=The Aether]
The Aether is the transitive plane that runs between the various prime materials. The Aether has the following traits.
Quote from: Ethereal as a bubbleThanks for the idea, Crit. And by Thanks, I mean I shamelessly am stealing the Ethereal bubble idea from him.[/note] A person who travels into the Ethereal and than travels outwards into the Deep Ethereal will wind up in the Aether, and a person in Aether who floats down without gating in to the Prime will be on the Ethereal. Ethereal planes are much more dangerous than standard DnD, though, and Aether ships in the Ethereal attract all sorts of creatures. Also, most nations have Ethereal defenses, to prevent easy smuggling or attack from that direction. Most ships will enter the surface of the deep Ethereal, then gate into the world itself, openly or secretly.
The rest is as expected on the Prime Material, but there are some changes that donâ,¬,,¢t fit into normal listings.
When on the Aether, sustenance is partially provided by the Aetherstuff. A character that is fully exposed to Aether needs only a fourth as much food, water, and air as normal for a Prime. Aetherstuff is absorbed through the skin, and therefore a character contained within an airtight suit will
The Aether is not the empty void the Astral is, but instead inhabited by a number of things. Here are some things that might be encountered on the Aether:
[spoiler=Slavers, Pirates, and Smugglers, Oh My]
[note=Slavery in The Thousand Realms]Slavery is illegal in some areas, and legal in others, depending on the culture. Some cultures are built around ritualized slavery, but abhor the idea of taking unwilling slaves. Others hate the idea of slaves, and try to set them free whenever possible. As such, slavers assume other ships that are not bearing the colors of a friendly power are hostile, and will attack or flee on sight, enslaving the ships members who survive the attack.[/note]
Various ships will be encountered on the Aether. While most of those ships are on legitimate business, the significant minority that is not on illegitimate business doesnâ,¬,,¢t share space well. Githyanki pirates, gnome and neogi slavers, and other pirates, privateers, and smugglers from all walks of life will attack weaker ships without hesitation, and will flee from larger ones. Smugglers are less likely to attack than slavers or pirates, and often can be bartered with to get rid of their gains, since in the Aether, there are no official laws. However, nations still have â,¬Ëpoliciesâ,¬,,¢, and people caught by the Latherian Empire, Diabolii Enclave, or other plane spanning powers will have a tough time explaining a hull full of contraband, especially if they are in Aether space claimed by that power.
Meanwhile, pirates rarely negotiate or barter, and Githyanki will scuttle ships they have raided on general principal, taking the survivors as slaves to sell to the Gnomes or Neogi. Gnome slavers are more interested in doing business than neogi, and one can negotiate or even just outright fly by and ignore gnomish ships without problem, so long as that ship isnâ,¬,,¢t behind quota. Meanwhile, neogi ships are less understanding and more likely to attack.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Lots and Lots of Rocks]Aether debris is more common than Astral. Aether debris is simply big rocks that float through the Aether. Their origins are unknown, but they exist almost everywhere. People have built stopping stations on some pieces of Aether debris along more popular fairways, since Aether debris will not move without some outside force influencing it.
Most Primes have much thicker debris field surrounding them, and they are inhabited by traders, military instillations, and some even have residences sitting on them, for people who wish to escape the troubles on their Prime.[/spoiler][/spoiler]
More to come soon!
*preforms thread necromancy* Sooth now has a separate thread, since I'm getting more serious about it. :)
And it looks good. I'll be trying to keep up with this.
Regarding Elves.
Color me impressed.
I like the power hungry nature.
I like the logic behind the various types of elvoids.
But do you really need all of those subtypes?
Some are junk, unless you plan on amping/altering them.
I'm glad you like. :)
I have a little write up for all of them. I'm probably going to cut some of them...here's where they are in priority:
[spoiler=Really want]High, Drow, Star, and Feral (I have some really cool cultural ideas for Feral elves (homebrew), Star elves will be mechanically changed and highly interesting, while Drow and High elves are built into the setting too firmly.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Interesting to have]Painted, Snow, Wood, Aquatic, Fey'ri. All of these have great possiblities, and I'm going to be expanding on them greatly. Painted, Snow, and Wood would all get mechaical updates.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Can go]Sun, Wild, Moon, and pretty much everything else. Yeah, these are weak and redundant. Of course, I will put a little side bar saying if you want them in, you can stick them in...there is always room in Sooth.[/spoiler]
QuoteSun, Wild, Moon, and pretty much everything else
Yep, those can definitely be tossed in File 13. In my opinion.
Hey, great work on the elves. Two questions:
- If Larethian means Empire, isn't the name "Larethian Empire" redundant? You seem to be suggesting Larethian Empire is just two words for empire thrown together.
- Is the (Second) Larethian Empire in post #5 the same empire that was named the Divine Lartharin Empire in post #2?
Túrin
Glad you likes. Larethian means Emperor (I typoed that pretty badly)...so the name needs to be changed. :P
Yes. Post number 2 is going to be heavily altered in the near future, alot of that material is no longer relevant due to various revisions.
As is my usual practice, massive updates will be coming to celebrate Sooth being setting of the week. Unfortunately, most of them will be coming later on, when I'm officially back, but I can give you a preview of what to expect:
Steam Armor - I've been playing with it for a while, so this should be fun.
Diabolii Racial Stats - Demonic creatures without the demon.
Final Rest - a prison that drifts in the Aether, housing some of the deadliest criminals known to the cosmos.
3 new races - the Cephaliths, a tentacled race with some odd habits, Henenth, aestecis who utilize ki to achive trancendance, and the Chirit, crazed flying squirrels.
A histroy of Sooth, also hinting at the greater, worlds spanning history.
And more!
This setting appeals to me on a very profound level. If you continue on this perilous path, you could quite possibly use everything in one setting. Now, it's not exactly by the book, but some things have to bend.
I love the elven drifting, it's very creative... Bears a stunning resemblance to an idea of mine, although it's probably just a coincidence. The use of a Core deity in such an original way is ingenious though, and i love how you did Lolth as well...
The steam weapons are beautiful, if a bit cheesy, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fight zombies with a chainsword...
Anyway, I've been keeping up with this setting, and I like what I see so far. If you need critique on anything specific, lemme know.
Also, you spelled heavy wrong in the first post of this thread, right at the top. just so you know...
Quote from: My name is CritThis setting appeals to me on a very profound level. If you continue on this perilous path, you could quite possibly use everything in one setting. Now, it's not exactly by the book, but some things have to bend.
I love the elven drifting, it's very creative... Bears a stunning resemblance to an idea of mine, although it's probably just a coincidence. The use of a Core deity in such an original way is ingenious though, and i love how you did Lolth as well...[/quote]The steam weapons are beautiful, if a bit cheesy, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fight zombies with a chainsword...[/quote]Anyway, I've been keeping up with this setting, and I like what I see so far. If you need critique on anything specific, lemme know.[/quote]Also, you spelled
heavy wrong in the first post of this thread, right at the top. just so you know...[/quote]
I actually can't find any use of the word heavy......*feels stupid*
This thread, first post, big text and italicesed "UNDER HEAVEY CONSTRUCTION, MUCH MORE TO BE ADDED". Please fix it, it bugs me.
For those curious, here are two Diabolii, a male and a female. The male is a member of the Imperial Court, and wearing the traditional garb. He has the Wings and Prehensile Tail evolutions (Diabolii are a very variable race. Having both Wings and Prehensile Tail can only be gained through levels in the Diabolii racial class.) the female is a Keeper of the Forgotten Path, the arcane casting clergy of the Diabolii. The Forgotten Path is the main religion of Tarot. Both pictures made using HeroMachine (http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heroMachine2/heromachine2.asp)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/TheLastOfTheFallen/FemaleDiabolii.gif)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/TheLastOfTheFallen/MaleDiabolii.gif)
Nice pictures. I like the imperial garb, but what Empire? In general, give us more!
Weeeeeee. Glad you like. I'll have up in a bit a common Diabolii and maybe a Diabolii soldier (though maybe not, it's hard to produce steamtech with the program I'm using.)
As for the Empire, that is the Diabolii Empire, the predominant power on Sooth's 'sister' plane of Tarot, and one of the major rivals of both the Vaethim Confederation and the Latherian Empire. The Empire is highly industrialized, and the pollution on their home plane has radically altered the environment, to the point where the skys are dark even at noon, and their blood red sun only occasionally slides through the perpetual cloud cover.
It's interesting how a few pictures can get your imagination going. Now I want more on the Diabolii. Stats, perhaps? How about history? Origins?
I've always thought pictures had that effect. More information will be coming, probably tommorrow since I'm taking that as my "work on everything" day.
Okay, it certainly took me long enough, but here I am in Sooth.
I'll give a bit of a disclaimer: I've never been fond of the "Everything is in this setting!" approach. Whenever I warm up to a setting written in that style, I tend to like it in spite of its all-inclusiveness, rather than because of it.
That said, you have impressive technique. I like the logical justification for the status quo that you're working into the setting as you go. Expecially for an all-inclusive setting, making everything logically fit can be a headache, but the rewards are worth it. Your story of the elven drift not only makes some sense out of that race, but it manages to actually justify the existence of 8,738 elven subraces in the process, an impressive accomplishment which deserves applause. Heck, you even go into linguistics, to the point of defining "Larethian" and adopting it as the name of the nation. Very cool.
I do rather wish the same level of detail were available for the other cultures. Frankly, the bit on the elves has piqued my curiosity, and I'd like to see how you handle the rest of the cultures and localities of Sooth.
Speaking of that, what precisely is the nature of the relationship between Sooth and Tarot? If there are "seemingly infinite" material plane worlds, what makes these two so closely bonded? Mere proximity, or something more? (Speaking of proximity, do these worlds move or shift in the Aether, getting farther apart or closer together? If they move, do they move in predetermined orbits or paths, or do they just float along like corks in a river?)
Incidentally, I imagine that a Stargate-like approach would work really well in a setting with seemingly infinite Material Planes. You know: all the major cities have a gate or two that can open up to any of the other gates across the multiverse with the right key. That sort of thing.
Large update on Sooth, all for the Diabolii. Now, to answer some questions/comments.
QuoteThat said, you have impressive technique. I like the logical justification for the status quo that you're working into the setting as you go. Expecially for an all-inclusive setting, making everything logically fit can be a headache, but the rewards are worth it. Your story of the elven drift not only makes some sense out of that race, but it manages to actually justify the existence of 8,738 elven subraces in the process, an impressive accomplishment which deserves applause. Heck, you even go into linguistics, to the point of defining "Larethian" and adopting it as the name of the nation. Very cool.
I do rather wish the same level of detail were available for the other cultures. Frankly, the bit on the elves has piqued my curiosity, and I'd like to see how you handle the rest of the cultures and localities of Sooth.[/quote]Speaking of that, what precisely is the nature of the relationship between Sooth and Tarot? If there are "seemingly infinite" material plane worlds, what makes these two so closely bonded? Mere proximity, or something more? (Speaking of proximity, do these worlds move or shift in the Aether, getting farther apart or closer together? If they move, do they move in predetermined orbits or paths, or do they just float along like corks in a river?)[/quote]
First, it is proximity. Second, both Sooth and Tarot obtained Aether travel at roughly the same time, along with a few other worlds, which put them in instant and direct rivalry. There are other conflicts as well, but those two are the primary factors. Also, keep in mind while the number of material plane worlds are seemingly infinite, the number worth the efford of colonizing are not. Some planes are simply too dangerous to colonize, while others don't offer enough of a reward for colonization.
As for the cosmology - they are as fixed as the locations of various stars in the milky way galaxy. So they retain a similar relative distance to each other at all times, but they are moving around Nexus, the center of Sooth's Aether.
Quote from: Epic MeepoIncidentally, I imagine that a Stargate-like approach would work really well in a setting with seemingly infinite Material Planes. You know: all the major cities have a gate or two that can open up to any of the other gates across the multiverse with the right key. That sort of thing.
Hmmm....interesting. I like it, but the problem is it would reduce the importance of Aether travel, and the Aetherships are one of my favorite elements of Sooth. Maybe there is some way to make them both work well...*ponders*
A blind (blind as I haven't read this setting yet) suggestion:
The "Gates" would be for single traveler or small pedestrian groups that would bring them to say an airport type place. While Aetherships could travel to the next plane and would end up in a ship yard/port custom area. These ships could jump planes from anywhere but would all appear from a larger ship size "gate" that they "dialed". This way different nations can run their own "gates" and a ship or "gate" could "dial" any one of these "gates" on the different planes. Corrupt organizations could construct their own "gate" to run smuggling operations and other illicit activities.
Again I haven't read this setting yet, so I don't know if this is even plausible or that it makes sense.
hmmm.....interesting. *ponders more*
[Dr. Suess]He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore...[/Dr. Suess]
For your convience (and also to hopefully encourage more reviews :halo:) here's the text of the Diabolii update.
[spoiler=Diabolii] Diabolii
[ic=High Prophet Iseranda Marenez deâ,¬,,¢Alejandro]What is forgotten is not forever lost, and what once was can be again.[/ic]
[note]pronounce all diabolii words as you would pronounce that word in Spanish.[/note]Origins: The diabolii believe themselves to be the spiritual descendants of the Dios, a race of creatures that conquered multiple aethers long before the Aether of Sooth formed. While this claim is dubious at best, the diabolii have a few artifacts that are impossible to explain any other ways. Regardless, the diabolii mythology claims the Dios traversed the aethers by a construct known in diabolii mythology as the Path, and the diabolii intend on finding this Path and reclaiming the glory of the Dios.
History: the diabolii are natives to Tarot, or at least their physical forms are native to Tarot. Proven history begins for them roughly 15,000 years ago, when the first crude drawings on caves appear on Tarot, likely of diabolii production due to the skeletons found in the area. Pre-historic Diabolii was much larger than modern Diabolii, nearly nine feet tall, and all recorded skeletons had the wings, tails, horns, fangs, and other physical modifications that diabolii only selectively manifest today. Rumors exist of primitive diabolii existing deep beneath Tarotâ,¬,,¢s surface, and with the recent discovery of hidden Neanderthal tribes in the jungles of Sooth, there is a possibility there is truth to the rumors.
After those cave paintings, there is very little evidence of diabolii culture until roughly 7000 years ago, when modern diabolii appeared with a grand culture, almost from no-where. While this supports the diabolii origin theory, records from the empire itself are inconclusive and often contradictory. This Empire collapsed due to external pressure roughly 5000 years ago, around the time of the Feyâ,¬,,¢riâ,¬,,¢s arrival on Tarot.
[ooc]rest coming later, including expanded information on this Empire, the Darkborn Wars, where the Feyâ,¬,,¢ri warred with diabolii, Al Ezad de Escondida, the Diabolii equivalent of the Dark Ages, Al Garanz Resurgimiento, when Diabolii culture evolved and Tarot had first contact with Sooth, and more, all the way up to the Empireâ,¬,,¢s rebirth.[/ooc][/spoiler]
No love fo rthe Diabolii? :(
Quote from: Captain XathanNo love fo rthe Diabolii? :(
Ooh! Me! Me!
This is a nitpick more than a genuine issue I have with the Diabolii, but the language thing bugs me. One one hand, saying "pronounce all these words as if they were Spanish" lets me know
exactly what you want them to sound like, which is good, but it's throwing me that some of them are
actually Spanish while others seem to be merely... Spanishesque. My brain is giving me mixed signals regarding whether or not I can read it.
The gulf beween modern and primitive Diabolii confuses me a bit. I take it the modern Diabolii are smaller, and the demonic-style traits are all still present, but much less frequently occuring in the population? Additionally, that this change didn't happen gradually from one generation to the next, the way one might expect, but extremely abruptly? (Also, how closely--if at all-- does this process mirror what went on in neighboring Sooth? You mention primitive races possibly living below the surface on both planets; is this a theme that might extend to all the Aether worlds? Perhaps time flows differently inside the planets than it does on the surface?)
I'll be perfectly honest and say that on the surface-level, I find the Diabolii pretty thoroughly unappealing. I can't really put it into words; maybe something about the concept of "this is a fiendish-looking race, but not actually fiendish" is rubbing me the wrong way. But regardless of my visceral dislike, you've hooked me on the concept with the hints about their strange origins, their magnificent empire, their wars. I really want to hear more about them, so I'll be looking forward to that further update you mention.
I like the way things are unanswered, here. Your elves have their whole origin story worked out and explained, and that works for them. But I like that the diabolii are handled differently, with more unanswered questions. It lends them a mysterious air that (in my opinion) serves better to characterize them than horns, wings, or barbed tails ever could.
Quote from: Captain XathanHmmm....interesting. I like it, but the problem is it would reduce the importance of Aether travel, and the Aetherships are one of my favorite elements of Sooth. Maybe there is some way to make them both work well...*ponders*
I suppose I should clarify that I'm refering to a later-season, Stargate approach; the approach where every major city has a gate that can dial the gates of every other major city, but there are also ships that can generate their own wormholes. You know, for travelling to places that currently have no functioning gates; for travelling to places far away from major cities; for smuggling or otherwise sneaking past gate-centered defenses; and for generally outflanking your opponents with huge fleets of world-hopping whoop-ass.
Well, itâ,¬,,¢s over two months late, but Iâ,¬,,¢m finally getting around to these posts.
QuoteOoh! Me! Me!
This is a nitpick more than a genuine issue I have with the Diabolii, but the language thing bugs me. One one hand, saying "pronounce all these words as if they were Spanish" lets me know exactly what you want them to sound like, which is good, but it's throwing me that some of them are actually Spanish while others seem to be merely... Spanishesque. My brain is giving me mixed signals regarding whether or not I can read it.
The gulf beween modern and primitive Diabolii confuses me a bit. I take it the modern Diabolii are smaller, and the demonic-style traits are all still present, but much less frequently occuring in the population?[/quote]Additionally, that this change didn't happen gradually from one generation to the next, the way one might expect, but extremely abruptly?[/quote]may[/i] run on these boards, and I donâ,¬,,¢t want to ruin the fun.
Quote(Also, how closely--if at all-- does this process mirror what went on in neighboring Sooth? You mention primitive races possibly living below the surface on both planets; is this a theme that might extend to all the Aether worlds? Perhaps time flows differently inside the planets than it does on the surface?)
I'll be perfectly honest and say that on the surface-level, I find the Diabolii pretty thoroughly unappealing. I can't really put it into words; maybe something about the concept of "this is a fiendish-looking race, but not actually fiendish" is rubbing me the wrong way. But regardless of my visceral dislike, you've hooked me on the concept with the hints about their strange origins, their magnificent empire, their wars. I really want to hear more about them, so I'll be looking forward to that further update you mention.[/quote]I like the way things are unanswered, here. Your elves have their whole origin story worked out and explained, and that works for them. But I like that the diabolii are handled differently, with more unanswered questions. It lends them a mysterious air that (in my opinion) serves better to characterize them than horns, wings, or barbed tails ever could.[/quote] I suppose I should clarify that I'm refering to a later-season, Stargate approach; the approach where every major city has a gate that can dial the gates of every other major city, but there are also ships that can generate their own wormholes. You know, for travelling to places that currently have no functioning gates; for travelling to places far away from major cities; for smuggling or otherwise sneaking past gate-centered defenses; and for generally outflanking your opponents with huge fleets of world-hopping whoop-ass.[/quote]
The more I think about it, the more I like it. I think I will incorporate a gate system between the major cities, although I will impose limits upon them so that ships are also needed for shipping goods among all the other purposes you listed. Plus, the various cultures and planes of Sooth would want to impose sever restrictions on how these gates can be used, to prevent an army from walking into their major cities. (So much warfare will breed that sentiment.)