[note]Feel free to post your questions here or send them to me in PM. I will update the first (and possibly second) posts here, as well as answering the questions in further posts. This should make it easier to read for both new readers and veterans to the thread.[/note]Terran Primer
Terran is a world much like our own. It covers a vast area, with several lands separated by grand oceans, filled with many peoples each with their own faiths, history, and culture. In this world, though, myth and legend are undeniably true; spirits live within every thing, fantastic beasts and monsters fill the land and sea and sky, the priests wield magic blessed by the gods, and wizards can harness the very element's themselves. Terran is a world where all of mankind's wildest dreams and nightmares come alive in a vivid, but true-to-life fashion. As a player, it is your job to put yourself into your character, to imagine the world around your character is real, and to respond as a real person would.
Terran is a world of dualities, where the struggle between Light and Dark, the Civilized and the Wild, and the New and the Old dominate. The history of the common races is relatively new, but the world abounds with signs of older civilizations, be they the mysterious ancients, the fallen reptilian races, or the antediluvian mad ones. It is where these dualities combine that adventures are found. Adventurers in Terran will focus upon exploring the wide world and its past, get caught up in the politics of the various nations and races, and help defend against enemies both new and old. The actions of your characters will shape the world itself.
The Holylands
The game begins in the Holylands, a region on the western coast of Krellshah. Hunerst, the dominant country in the region, is a republic recently grown out of the shattered remains of an old empire. The old empire fell into ruin four hundred years ago after a vast army of giants attacked, and this caused the destruction of 4 of the 5 Holy Knights' houses. A tyranny grew out of this event, one which lasted hundreds of years in many hands. Eighty years ago a peasant revolt grew into a full fledged revolution, and out of those events grew the republic which stands today. Now an elected body and the Chivalric church run the nation. Hunerst is predominantly human, but members of the other common races are welcome in Hunerst's lands and cities.
Common Races
There are ten common civilized races on Terran. They have their differences, but members of these races are welcome in most every settlement players pass through or adventure in. Most commoners have seen members of these races, and everyone has at least heard something about them. Some may illicit an amount of fear (hobgoblins and ifrits), or wonder (elves and half-fey), or seem quite different (tritons and valkyries), but they are all given a chance to prove themselves as individuals.
Dwarf: The people of the earth, creations of the Earth Dragon. Mountain dwarfs make their kingdoms deep under the (Northern) Mountains, while hill dwarfs make their kingdoms in the cool (Southern) Hills. Mountain dwarfs are militaristic isolationists who care most about defending their ancestral homes, while hill dwarfs are merchants and artisans amongst the other races. Dwarfs are well known for their craftsmanship, but they are more likely to sell ore to other races than works of their make.
Elf: The people of the wilds, descended from the sidhe of the spirit world. Elves are free spirited, living in small tribes throughout Terran, with many different cultures in many different biomes. They are reasonably peaceful with all of the civilized races, but they are distant and withdrawn, having little trust in the "younger" races; even though they are technically a wild race and get along well with many of the other wild races, their disdain for war and wide conflict makes them welcome in civilized lands. Their hatred of goblins binds them to the plight of the civilized races, though. They are well known for their music and poetry , as well as their enjoyment for mead and wild revelries.
Feyborn: Though they are often called half-elves, they have the mixed blood of humans and the sidhe of Avalon in their veins, not that of an elf. Feyborn possess an unearthly beauty, but they are far more grounded than the otherworldly sidhe from who they descended. They have a potential for magic (all possess some measure of power), and a connection with nature spirits, but they are vulnerable to iron. Many live as intermediaries between Terran and Avalon. Although they are of mixed blood, most are now born from other feyborn.
Halfling: Nomads and travelers, halflings are short and slender with soft fur-like hair, large eyes, brown to black skin, and long monkey-like tails. Originating from Draconia where halflings lived a wild and nomadic life, civilized halflings have turned their survival skills into opportunism. Halflings lack their own settlements or their own language (their accent is a lazy lower-class dialect of the Human's language), but they have their own wards within human cities.
Hobgoblin: Born from a union of the goblins of Sylphenhest and humans, hobgoblins are crafty and shady (literally). Their skin ranges from dark green to nearly gray, their eyes are pitch black orbs, and their features possess sharp angles. Their hair is dark and fine, though baldness is common. When they do not come off as fearsome, they are often seen as dangerously handsome or beautiful. They possess the ability to blend into shadows, and their own shadows seem to be darker and fuller. They frequently face distrust from others, but they are also prized for their intelligence and cunning.
Human: The descendents of the ancients, humans possess great regional diversity. Two-thousand years ago, humans were slaves to the giants before five legendary heroes fought and defeated the giants and freed humanity. They are well known for their racial destiny, capable of achieving greatness or falling to corruption. They used to rule a great empire, but it has since fallen.
Ifrit: The people of the hottest lands, creations of the Fire Dragon, ifrits are people with dry and cracked black scaled skin, fiery eyes, hair-like spines, short fangs and claws, and a pair of small horns jutting from their brow and sweeping back. They are a passionate, religious, and artistic race, strong in both physical might and presence, steeped in tradition and possessing a strong sense of loyalty. They are well known for their capacity for awe inspiring expressions of hatred, anger, or love.
Ogre: Ogres are the offspring of humans and giants. The first ogre was Huner, the man who killed the giant king and freed humans from their enslavement. It is this history alone that allows ogres to walk the streets of human cities without coming at odds with the guards and soldiers. Ogres are rarely welcome in the cities of non-humans, and ogre adventurers learn quick how to prove their value and valor.
Triton: The people of the seas, creations of the Water Dragon, tritons are hairless people with smooth and shiny blue or green skin, large eyes, no outer ears or noses, and webbed hands and feet. They are at home on land and in water, and are skilled in invention and ship building. Tritons come from open communities with little rules and regulations, where friendships bind others together rather than contracts.
Valkyrie: The people of the sky, creations of the Air Dragon, valkyries are tall winged people with large eyes and vaguely beaked faces; the more common females (who make up the leaders and warriors) have dull white skin and white, gray, or black feathers, while the rare males (who are sheltered and treasured) have bright blue feathers and stark white skin. Most other races assume that the valkyrie are all females as that is all they see, or they are uninformed about the coloration differences. When they are not migrating or fighting their own wars, valkyrie warriors serve as mercenaries for other nations. They are swift footed, reveling in battle for the challenge and adrenaline rush, and are capable of limited flight.
Power Sources
The world of Terran does not operate with character classes, but some measure of classification of powers can be made. A character's skills are either magical or skill based, and magical talents can be broken up into one of the five elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Æther.
Training: Characters with abilities of this source are non-magical, even though some of their talents far exceed the abilities of normal folks. Training powers can be unarmed or weapon based attacks, extensions of skills, or magnificent feats of athleticism. A noble's words of inspiration that bring his comrades back to full strength, a warrior's devastating sword swing, an archer's bow attacks, or a rogue's bag of tricks are all training based abilities.
Because of the elements links to the ability scores, some seemingly non-magical individuals have abilities that actually belong to the physical and mental spheres of magic (such as fire magic's strength related abilities, or air magic's quickness related abilities). To remain "non-magical", these abilities must remain subtle, but non-magical individuals of high power can still do things like lift incredible weights (fire), jump unbelievable heights (air), or take hits that are otherwise fatal to normal individuals (earth).
Air Magic: Air includes travel magic (such as teleportation, flight, and incredible speed), magic of the senses, magic that allows travel between the planes and time magic, and of course air and weather magic.
Earth Magic: Earth includes protection spells, creation magic (making or altering objects), magic that wards and binds, and magic related to stone, soil, plants, and metal.
Fire Magic: Fire includes strength and destruction, magic of the emotions, the power of light and darkness, and of course fire.
Water Magic: Water includes transformation magic (shape changing), illusions, healing and death, and water, cold, poison, and acid.
Æther Magic: Æther is the emptiness the elements that binds them together. As such, there is no magic that is purely Æther, though a magician can specialize in Æther magic. Each of the elements has a sphere that is Æther; Air's Æther deals with time and the planes; Earth's Æther is warding and binding; Fire's Æther is light and darkness; Water's Æther is healing and death. Most practitioners of Æther focus on either its light side (warding, light, healing, lower planes) or its dark side (binding, darkness, death, upper planes), but this is due to moral and ethical obligations, not the magic itself.
Magician Types
While there are no true differences in the types of magic different users can use, there are differences in the sources of one's magic. There are four sources:
Magi: Magi draw their power from the world around them through the study of the arcane, using complex gestures, phrases of power, and other arcane rituals. They do not possess a personal or spiritual link to the spirits whom they draw power from. Magi gain their power through years of study, storing their energy inside of them until it is needed.
Sorcerers: A normal individual possesses five chakras, each tied to the five elements: Brow is Æther, Throat is Air, Heart is Fire, Center is Water, and Base is Earth. These chakras draw are the centers of elemental energy within all balanced creatures (elemental creatures possess only one chakra). A sorcerer is an individual with a mutant chakra; one of their chakras has enlarged, and absorbs far more energy than the body can use. This excess energy becomes the fuel for their magic. While training is required to perfect it, training for a sorcerer is simply a matter of practice; no arcane studies are required.
Priests: A priest is an individual who has a personal relationship with a deity, or the spirit world as a whole. They perform tasks and follow the tenants of a deity, and thus are rewarded with their magic for their services. A priests magic is intrinsically tied to the deity they serve, and thus can be taken away if they fail to abide by their restrictions.
Shaman: Shaman, or druids, serve the spirit world as a whole, rather than serving the whims of a single deity. A shaman is an individual who generally serves the interest of a group of people, and deal primarily with the spirits of the dead; a druid is an individual who deals with the spirits of nature, and may or may not deal with or care about people. Like priests, they have to abide by restrictions, but these are more ritualistic in nature, as the whims of the multitudes of spirits they serve differ wildly; if one angers one spirit, it is easy to find another to deal with.
Common Creatures
Terran is different from our world, and one of the most noticeable differences are the lack of familiar animals. Terran lacks dogs and cats, for instance, and no whales swim through its seas. Many new animals fill the roles of ours, such as large domestic rodents filling in the role of dogs and tall flightless birds filling in the role of horses. Other creatures like land octopi and mobile carnivorous plants make the world a place much different from ours. Birds are quite common, as well as an animal group unique to Terran: Drakes.
Drakes are a group of bird-like animals possessing six limbs; four legs and two wings. They lay eggs and have feathers, though some of the larger ones have scales covering much of their body instead of only feathers. Unlike birds, they have long tails and they have teeth instead of beaks. Many drakes are small, the size of house cats, but the most famous are large: griffins, wyverns, and the Valkyrie race.
Terran also possesses creatures of magic: the spirits. Though most spirits are native to Terran's sister world, Avalon, they can be found on Terran near their bonded objects frequently. Famous spirits include the dryads who are bound to great trees, sprites who are the spirits of wild flowers, and nymphs who are spirits of fresh water bodies. Other common spirits are the elemental spirits: Gnomes, Salamanders, Sylphs, and Undines. On Avalon, these spirits are part of civilized society along with the Sidhe, but they are rarely found on Terran outside of magical study. As every object and plant has a spirit, there are many kinds of spirits, though not all can leave their object or are even sentient.
Core Assumptions
Terran operates under a number of core assumptions, some of which are different from the standard fantasy world.
Terran Is a Fantastic Place: While the world is fantastic, it is written with a nod towards believability.
Terran Is Young, but Ancient: All of the common races, except for elves, have short histories; humans have only been free from their enslavement for two-thousand years, while the other common races have histories that do not extend much further. But the world is obviously far older than these races, with remnants and artifacts of the Ancients, the ruins of the reptilian empires, and terrible echoes of beings from beyond the stars.
Terran Is Known, Sort of: The civilized lands are well known, but the wilds are dark and mysterious. Common folk don't dare to venture beyond their home towns, and traders and politicians typically travel with retinues of guards.
Monsters Are Rare, Animals Are Not: The term "monster" does not apply to fantastic animals like drakes, behemoths, griffins, or the various wild humanoids. Monsters are terrible and feared.
Adventurers Are Not Unique Beautiful Flowers: Adventurers are not the only people possessing great power. What separates adventurers from others with great strength is their drive. Adventurers are the ones willing to put their lives at risk for wealth or what is right.
The Civilized Races Band Together, Sort of: While the civilized races are not universally enemies with each other, they are not always peaceful. Conflict and war happens. The people of Terran are generally cultured enough to not hold an individual of a race responsible for the actions of their race, but characters should expect animosity and bad assumptions from time to time. What does bring the civilized races together is their shared struggle with Goblins, Orcs, and the bestial humanoids.
Magic Is Natural, and Minor Magic Is Everyday: Technology is relatively simple because minor magic makes advancement unnecessary. In wealthy regions, streets are lined with magical light, minor magic items are sold, and rituals are commonly practiced. True masters of spells are rare, but reading a scroll is only a matter of following instructions exactingly.
Gods Reshaped Terran: Long ago, the Ancients ruled the world, but they forsook their gods. Zion, the last of their gods, destroyed them for their sin, but she was forced to sleep for an eternity afterward. While she slept, she gave birth to three daughters and four sons, the Elemental Dragons, who brought the world back to life and created dragons and giants. The world has its creations, and there are still echoes from the ancient past.
Deities Are Active, but Not All Powerful: Terran is an animistic world. Every natural object has a spirit, and these spirits have power based on the importance of their physical form (the spirit of a mountain is stronger than the spirit of a stream) and the reverence they receive from mortals (the spirit of a sacred hill is stronger than the spirit of an unknown hill). The most powerful of these spirits are deities, but they are not omnipotent. Deities are separated into the benevolent gods, whom are worshiped to receive their blessings, and malevolent demons, whom are worshiped to redirect their wrath; also, there is a distinction between the nature spirits of the mists and the ancestral spirits of the shadow. Most people offer prayer and veneration to many deities and spirits. Spirits are only a short ritual away, and if one were to travel to their world you could meet and speak with them. Most deities have physical forms (the spirit of a forest might be a great oak tree served by a harem of dryads, while the spirit of a lagoon might be a massive shark), and while they are ageless they can still succumb to death.
The Game
Where will the game begin?
The game will begin in the Holylands, in the Hunerst Republic.
What is the premise of the game? (no one wants to play obsolete characters)
It all depends on the game in question. I usually design plots after players give me their character concepts, and I work with them on integrating them into the plot.
Do the characters know each other from the beginning, or do they meet in-game?
I tend to leave this up to the players. I have found that it is best for every character to know at least one other.
Are there any inherent limitations? (can you play evil, etc.)
I allow evil as long as it is not psychotic evil. Players need to be able to work with each other still; I do not stand by players who disrupt the party. Players generally cannot play members of the 'uncivilized' races, since they are less than welcome in civilized settlements, but this is a decision made on a case-by-case basis. In an exploration focused game, a Feral race might be allowed.
History
Recent History? I have only really focused on the Holylands. Eighty years ago, the Dark Age came to an end when the House of the Red Knight started a peasant revolt against a tyrannical leader who had managed to defeat and conquer a large swath of the region. The revolt was lead by David of Daerkholm, a warrior formerly from the Tyrant's army who had recently been converted to the Chivalric Church. The rebellion took two years, but when the dust settled the House of the Red Knight helped Daerkholm and other liberators to form the Republic of Hunerst. The Church, who's loyalty to the republic was unquestioned (Since the Red Knight's tenant is Loyalty) was made into the Courts for the new country, while the various kings and soon elected representatives from the cities and towns joined together in a Senate centered in the capitol Hunerst.
The first real test of the Republic came thirty years ago. A barbarian who claimed to come from Blaircath (one of the continents on the other side of the world) took over a tribe of elves to the north of Hunerst with the aid of an army of goblins from Sylphenhest and the Dragon Goddess of Darkness herself, Vandek. The combined army of Goblins, Elves, Unseelie Sidhe (who joined to sow chaos), the pressganged Highlanders, under the command of Vandek, waged war upon the Republic and its dwarven allies. Many of the northern Republic cities and towns were defeated or destroyed, before a group of heroes were able to win the assistance of Galdenfether, the Dragon Goddess of Light. Galdenfether battled her sister Vandek, but when Vandek slew her sister she died as well; the two were linked in cosmic balance. Their leader dead and their divine power broken, The Republic and its allies were able to push back their enemies. The Highlanders returned to their ways, and were not punished because they had not willingly fought. The Unseelie Sidhe were chased back to Avalon, as the Goblins were chased back to Sylphenhest. But the elves were nearly decimated, and were forced to retreat to their jungles to hide.
To this day, there is still distrust amongst the Republic towards wild Elves. The Elves dislike Republican expansion into the wild lands that the Elves consider sacred, and the humans blame the Elves for everything from bad weather to animal attacks. In the hopes of ending this conflict before it started, a southern Republican city, Quermas, had its king marry an elven woman from the south, in hopes of uniting the people.
Where did the giants go after they kicked everyone's ass in the Holylands? Were they defeated in a Pyrrhic victory? Did they just up and leave? Do they live nearby?
The giants were defeated and forced to flee back into the mountains, where the dwarfs keep them at bay behind the Great Wall. It was, though, a Pyrrhic victory for humans and their allies; four of the knights houses were destroyed. Humans were able to fight them off because the spirit of the Red Knight's sword was released, a grand phoenix, who helped tip the tides of the battle. Also, the other four Knights' swords were lost in the battle, and many journeys have been undertaken to find them.
(In relation to Vandek killing Galdenfether) Did Vandek know this would happen? Seems something rather silly to me, mutually assured destruction is something avoided by anything with a survival instinct.
Vandek wholly knew that if she killed her sister, she would die as well. In the story this happened, her last words were something like 'the world will be a worse place without you'. In my first D&D campaign, which will be made into my second novel (I'm working on the first right now), one of the plot points is the resurrection of Vandek.
Survival instinct is not in question when dealing with gods. While many gods have physical forms, they are not mortal creatures and thus think very differently. Death for gods as powerful as the dragon gods, who are the most powerful of deities, is simply a matter of being denied physical form.
Currently, Vandek's role in the world has been taken over by the Moon deity, and Galdenfether's role has been taken over by the Sun deity.
Character creation
What decisions should we make before gamestart?
Race, Culture, power source, background. Race and Culture actually affect your game statistics, and power source and background should influence your decisions.
Is it most common to have one of the elemental sources, or is a training-only character viable? (i.e. does everybody know a bit of magic)
A training only character is perfectly viable, and most people in the world lack magic. There are some magics, rituals, that can be performed without extensive training, following recipes and using proper ingredients (like cooking, only more exacting). Some races have tendencies towards certain elemental sources: Valkyries favor Air, Dwarfs favor Earth, Tritons favor Water, and Ifrit favor Fire.
Are there any special character options you can build your character around or towards? (prestige classes, cool tricks etc.)
The game utilizes the Mutants and Masterminds system, so there are no special features that you have to qualify in order to enter. Leveling is less important than character growth and development. Some world organizations offer special training in particular abilities, but such abilities could conceivably be researched individually as well.
Countries
What countries is it plausible that you could originate from?
I have not fully developed all of the countries yet, but I have begun work on broad culture groups (which will come along with game statistics). Each true race has at least two cultural groups (humans have 3; the half-bloods have only one each of their own). A member of any race can belong to any culture, allowing for a human (for instance) to be raised by dwarfs and be different from one raised by humans.
So far, only the nation of Hunerst has been detailed extensively. I will make countries as needed, and will happily take player ideas from their character backgrounds.
Are there any national conflicts that we might want to know about before char creation?
In the immediate region, there is a conflict between the Republic and the independent humans, especially the Highlanders to the north. The Republic wants to expand to control what the Empire used to, but the Highlanders resent the idea. The Highlanders have their own faith, and do not want the Republic pushing chivalry on them.
Additionally, the Republic is at odds with the Tritons. The Tritons have been in self imposed isolation for the last two-hundred years, and just now opened their boarders and have begun to seek diplomacy with the Republic. The human kingdoms during the Dark Age had a war with the tritons, souring triton opinion of humans.
Also, the local elves have been in conflict with humans for years. They dislike human expansion, and humans are still uneasy with them due to a war only 10 years ago. Elves are often seen as wild and uncivilized, too chaotic to have proper diplomatic relations.
The World
How much like this world is Terran?
Aside from magic, non-human intelligent hominid races, and various flora and fauna (plants and animals), exactly. There's a sun, there's a moon, and there are other planets that can be seen moving amongst the stars (as other stars, not as visible as the moon). Terran orbits the sun, it has oceans and continents, and the weather obeys standard models.
In fact, Terran is designed after a projection of what Earth could be like in 50 million years, if it had magic. Here's a map: Terran Climate (http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq131/Xeviat/Three%20Worlds/Terran_Climate.jpg)
Races/Cultures
What sort of cultural personalities do the various races have?
Each true race has at least two cultures. Here are quick descriptions of each (quick is a relative term):
Dwarf
Hill Dwarf: Hill dwarfs separated from the other dwarfs early on in history. When humans defeated the giants, the giants encroached onto dwarven land. Most dwarfs thought it best to hide and let the threat past, but the hill dwarfs saw strength in humans that deserved their attention. While most dwarfs dug deep into their citadels and closed their doors, the hill dwarfs battled the giants and forced them deeper into the mountains; they then built a wall to keep them out. This racial history is alive and well within the hill dwarfs, who believe in meeting challenges head on (rather than just outlasting them). They are far less xenophobic than other dwarfs, believing that knowing your friends and your enemies puts one in a stronger position.
Mountain Dwarf: These dwarfs live in their deep mountain citadels and prefer to deal with other races as little as possible. Even within their society, their families and clans are more independent from others: the family looks out for itself, the clan looks out for itself, and the citadel looks out for itself. It takes large events to unite these dwarfs. Outside of trading ore for necessities, and those mountain dwarfs who flee due to exile or disagreement, mountain dwarfs rarely interact with other races.
Elf
Elfs lack a monolithic culture, but they share many qualities. Elfs seem very stable and unchanging to the shorter lived races, but from a larger view they are very changing. Elf children are raised by their adolescents. Parentage is unimportant, though it can be known; to an elf, their tribe is their family. Elf couples stay together for as long as they care to, usually a decade or so. This creates elfs who both think about the tribe as a whole while also strongly looking out for their own interests. 'What's in it for me, my tribe, my land' is typical elven thinking, even more so than humans. The most major difference is that elves consider the animals and spirits of their land to be just as important as their tribe. An elf's longevity also changes their outlook; they are more than willing to spend ten years letting a plan come to fruition.
Halfling
Civil Halfling: The first civil halflings came to Krellshah aboard Emperial ships, seeking their fortunes. This adventurous opportunism still runs through their veins. Civil halflings are courageous risk takers. Like all halflings, they have an oddly rational control of their fight-or-flight response, and rarely find themselves afraid unless it is truly appropriate; when a halfling runs, it is because they know they cannot fight, not because they are terrified. This extends to their interactions with society; halflings are notorious risk takers. Civil halflings have learned to deal with humans, the people they live amongst mostly; they foster an appearance of being meek and unobtrusive, so that they can insert themselves into society and be more secretive. Many turn to a life of crime, but others are savvy business owners or investors, and some are even advisers and advocates of various sorts. For a halfling, the best thing anyone can do for them is underestimate them.
Nomadic Halfling: Halflings were unknown to the world until one-thousand years ago, when the Empire began to expand and travel the seas, setting up colonies wherever they landed. One such colony was set up on the southern coast of Draconia, a massive island to the north of the continent of Krellshah. Amongst the many strange animals of Draconia, the colonists found the tribal halflings. These short humanoids lacked a unified government or even a language, and they did not build permanent cities due to the massive drakes that would destroy any settlements made in the inland. To this day, some halflings still live on draconia, but many nomadic halflings grew out of those who traveled to the Empire to seek fortune. Finding a new massive land to explore, many set out for the wilds of the world instead of settling in its cities. Nomadic halflings are fiercely independant. Their social group is the extended family; the leaders are generally the parents and grandparents of the rest of the group. They are not as in touch with nature as elves, but their faith is a mixture of nature and ancestor worship. Since they travel ceaselessly, they learn the names and natures of many spirits in their travels, and they carry fetishes that represent their ancestors. The concept of home does not include a place; to nomadic halflings, home is your family and your most prized possessions.
Human
Barbarian: Human barbarians embody the purest of humanity, lacking many of the trappings of civility that force people to act against their instincts. Barbarians are fiercely prideful and xenophobic. They are afraid of what is different, and they often hate what they are afraid of. Barbarians dislike arcane magic, which they see as unnatural, but are in awe over divine magic. Barbarians respect strength, typically physical strength. They fear change and hold stubbornly onto tradition. While they tend towards warrior societies, they are not without their art; they love to sing, though most lack the writing to transcribe their poetry.
Golden Lands: The people of the northern Golden Lands, named for the fields of golden grain they cultivate, are focused with death, legacy, and the divine. They are deeply religious, worshiping both the divinities of the land around them as well as the dragon gods (unlike most humans, who typically do not worship the dragons due to their ties with the giants). They are fixated upon their deeds, either working towards creating a legacy (supporting the family, founding businesses, purchasing grand tombs) and ensuring reincarnation into a better caste. Life is lived following a ridged order, an order which the people of the Golden Lands believe extend to the world around them, seen in the progression of the seasons, the coming of the monsoon, and the paths of the sun, moon, and stars. In their caste system, if someone in a lower caste helps someone in an upper cast, it betters the lower caste person's standing in the next life; the cast follows thusly: slave, to peasant, to tradesman, to to noble. Almost everything is determined by birth, including the rulers (the current ruling family has been in power for six hundred years) and the priests; peasants have a chance to rise to tradesmen, and the occasional chosen can be adopted into priesthood. Castes are to marry into castes, and every cast has their own prides.
Holylands: The people of the Holylands are largely educated, having learned history, math, science, literature, and religion in public school before they become apprentices or go onto private finishing schools and colleges. The religion of the land is Chivalry, its tenants summed up in five words: Courage, Justice, Honesty, Loyalty, and Prowess. The Holylands are dominated by the Hunerst Republic and several unaligned city-states. The Holylands are the birthplace of the Holy Knights, and the first people to rise up and defeat the Giants. Eight-hundred years ago, the Holylands were home to the Great Empire, lending to a cultural pride for the people of the Holylands. They believe themselves to be the pinnacle of humanity, and hope to export their ideals to the rest of the world.
Three Kingdoms: The Three Kingdoms lay in a cold land in Southern Krellshah, bordered on the north by the Sea of Ice. Its people are hardy, but they are far more cultured and civilized than human barbarians. The Three Kingdoms grew out of a warrior people, which they still are today, but now they are also focused heavily upon their art and economic development. These humans of the south saw the prosperity of the humans of the Holylands and wanted to emulate it. They practice their own honor code (though it isn't followed to the extent of a religion). They are fond of astronomy and astrology, especially the appearance of the aurora in the sky. The three separate kingdoms are often a hair's length away from war with each other, breeding a strong people.
Ifrit
Gray Ifrit: These ifriti separated from the red ifriti because of their differing religious viewpoints. To the gray ifriti, blood is sacred, only to be spilled when it is vastly important. Because of this, they objected to the ritual sacrifices that the red ifrit performed, so they exiled themselves, traveling far south to the Majne Desert. They are far more calm than the red ifriti, seeking to control their powerful emotions, seeing this as a test of strength. To the gray ifriti, saving one's emotional power for when it is truly needed strengthens them: anger is saved for war, and lust is saved for one's love. Gray Ifriti do not participate in the ritual wars that the red ifriti are famous for. Instead they focus their efforts on works of art and music. They are better at dealing with other peoples, because they are often hired as guides to take people through the desert, a shortcut from the Holylands to the Three Kingdoms.
Red Ifrit: These ifriti live in the Northern jungles of Krellshah, where their grand stone cities lay scattered about through the jungle. They are deeply religious, so much so that their priests effectively rule their society. Technically there is a King, chosen once every 5 years in a tournament (meant to test the strength of the king; volunteers and those to be executed fight to the death, and the king battles the winner; whoever wins eats the other's heart to gain their power, and then they become the king), but the King answers to the priests (the king is in charge of the military, and that is why they are chosen for their battle prowess). They are the most villainous of the civilized races, so much so that they rarely deal with others except during war, where the Ifriti burn enemy settlements to the ground as tribute to Firdel, their creator, the Dragon God of Fire. They are a race lead by their passions. They respect strength (be it physical or magical), and are prone to following the strongest down to the lowliest peasant (anyone from any class can participate in the battle to determine kingship). Ifriti take many husbands or wives, and one measure of an Ifrit's strength is the number of spouses they own. Their chief virtue is their boundless courage. Fear is an emotion to be tested, a grave showing of weakness. While their neighbors fear them for their reputation of lacking honor, they make the most formidable allies if they can be kowtowed.
Triton
Coastal Trition:
Sea Triton:
Valkyrie: Most of the time, valkyries are calm and collected. When they can, they simply do not react to outside influence. To other races, a valkyries actions can seem chaotic and without cause, but that simply isn't the case. It is just that, like the weather, valkyries are guided by unseen influences. But, when they perceive a threat, all valkyries are quick to act; they prefer offense over defense, and are prone to taking on a threat before it even has time to hurt them.
Holy Valkyrie: The holy valkyries are guided by their faith. They follow omens, either ones they see themselves or ones given to them by their diviners, who guide the flocks. During the winter months, they live on the Divapeaks Plateau along with the other valkyries. They intermingle, but their devotion to their faith keeps them a little separate. They are more withdrawn than other valkyries. Holy valkyrie males live together as priests, and mate with any female devoted to the Air Dragon. The children are raised communally; they are conceived at the beginning of fall at the start of their southerly migration to the holy site, and each female carries her egg during migration.
Secular Valkyrie: While they are calm, secular valkyries also prefer to be busy with their work. Warriors group together in flights of four to eight and sell their services out as mercenaries. Hunting parties group in flights of two to four and rarely return home without meat. While they are active, it seems to lack passion; to them, their jobs are simply work. When something threatens them or peaks their interest, they can quickly turn to tremendous ferocity. For instance, if an enemy invades their land, and they successfully defend, they will typically send flights to follow to ensure none of the attackers survive, and they frequently will take the fight back to their enemy's land. Secular valkyries group together in multiple flocks lead by head matriarchs; villages are made up of single flocks, while towns and the few cities are made up of multiples. When something calls upon a decision from multiple flocks, the matriarchs decide together (and will seek the council of the holy valkyrie diviners if it is summer time).
Feytouched
Hobgoblin
Ogre
What do each of the races thinks of each other race.
Dwarf
Elf: 'They're an alright people, in touch with the earth spirits, but they're a bit too arrogant, always telling us how our carving and digging and mining is hurting the Mother. Snakes and rats dig, and they're just as much a part of nature as we are. What they lack in discipline they make up for in passion, so while they're not always the closest of friends, they can be counted as allies in a pinch.'
Feytouched: 'If elves are aloof, then feytouched are out right out of touch with reality. Sometimes I think they care more about ghosts and spirits than they do about us mortals. They are always arguing against whatever position you hold. I think they just don't like to make decisions.'
Halfling: 'The little wanderers are the best source of information around, if you've got the gold to put the sparkle in their eyes. You cannot trust them for too long though, always looking for something more they are. They're good workers though; they'll do anything for a coin.'
Hobgoblin: 'Scary bastards they are, always looming about; shifty eyes they have. Cannot trust them for a second; I'd rather leave a halfling in charge of my investments than do business with a hob.'
Human: 'Fine people, the honorable sort that is; I could care less for those uncivilized barbarians. Have to keep them focused on the goal, though; they can often lose sight of the bigger picture. Like to think of themselves too, think they're the center of the world.'
Ifrit: 'Not the best of friends, but it is best to not make them your enemies either. Real passionate they are, can almost match a good dwarven rage. Still, it's necessary to keep up ones defenses, they prey on weakness they do. It's good to pit them against each other, or against your enemies, keeps them nice and busy.'
Ogre: 'It's a sad mold their forged from. I'd almost feel pity for them if they tried harder to better themselves, but they're no better than the giants that brought them into being. Still, it's common courtesy to give an ogre the chance to turn back from the wall before firing the cannons.'
Triton: 'Mighty crafty folks they are. Don't see much of them in the mountains, though. They make good bombs, though, good for cracking open a mine or a giant. Not really friends, but we aren't going to be fighting them over the sea anytime soon.'
Valkyrie: 'Best to keep the peace with them, idiots and their dishonorable fighting. One season they're fighting on your side, next they're taking coin from your enemy.
Elf
Dwarf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Feytouched
Dwarf:
Elf:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Halfling
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Hobgoblin
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Human
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Ifrit
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ogre:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Ogre
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Triton:
Valkyrie:
Triton
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Valkyrie:
Valkyrie
Dwarf:
Elf:
Feytouched:
Halfling:
Hobgoblin:
Human:
Ifrit:
Ogre:
Triton:
Is an Elf more 'fey' than a Feyborn?
Very good question. The easy answer is that I am not sure, so I'll make up an answer right now. In game terms, both are fey (they can both be targeted by effects that target fey).
The simple answer is that a feyborn is probably more fey than an elf. Elves have been living on Terran for thousands of years, and as such have adapted to the world and lost many of their spirit qualities.
Each element seems to be it's own melting pot of various mythologies. What is the primary cultural influence for each of the major races?
I am basing human cultures off of various real world cultures (my first three will represent Celtic, Roman, and Egyptian), but I am trying to base the non-human races on no cultures (at least intentionally). I am designing the non-human races based off of (hopefully) unique psychologies determined by their physiology. I am sure some things will happen (Ifrit have pyramids and sacrifice like Aztecs), but these are not intentional references.
You mention the elemental races favor their element (Ifrits and Fire), is there a race that favors the Aether side of things? Or even a race that favors training?
Humans have a propensity for Æther magic, as well as anything human blooded (especially fey-touched and hobgoblins, who favor light and dark Æther respectively). Only neutral races (humans, fey-touched, hobgoblins, elves, and halflings) can be Æther sorcerers (Sorcerers will be detailed in the first post shortly).
Religion
What are they?
The Three Worlds is an animistic setting. Every creature, plant, and thing has a spirit. Most of these spirits lack power and sentience, some have one and not the other, and a rare few have both power. The spirits of living creatures are inexorably bound to their bodies, though they can become separated through magic or death and become ancestral spirits. Sentient spirits can range from flower spirits (pixies), tree spirits (dryads), river spirits (nymphs), and others. Non-sentient spirits are best represented by the spirits of powerful items, like the spirit of a magic sword. Some spirits reside permanently on Avalon, the Spirit World, but some are bound to the world of Terran and walk around in physical form. The three spirits of the Kino Forest, for example, are embodied in a massive wolf, a massive buck, and a massive oak surrounded by a harem of dryads.
A spirits power is based on two things: the importance of its physical form, and the amount of reverence it receives from mortals and other spirits. The spirit of a mountain, for instance, is stronger than the spirit of a rock, but the spirit of the rock could be more powerful if it was the object of worship (such as a rock used by a hero to slay a giant).
Animism dictates that all spirits deserve reverence. If one is going to travel through the woods, then it is best to appease the spirits of the woods. But some spirits are elevated to the status of deities, and they pass on teachings and power to mortals.
Outside of animism, many deities command individual cults. The elemental dragons, who rebuilt the world after it was destroyed during the time of the Ancients, command vast numbers of followers amongst the dwarfs, ifrit, tritons, and valkyries. The humans of the Hunerst Republic worship the spirits of the knights' swords; each of the five represent one of the tenants of chivalry. Most deities, such as the three spirits of the Kino Forest, have followers. Most followers of deities still respect and acknowledge the other spirits; it is impossible to doubt the existence of a spirit when they can be contacted by even normal mortals.
How quickly do the relative power levels of various spirit/gods change?
Quick answer: Probably slowly.
I have not created a formula yet, nor do I think I will. I figure that change begins quickly, but progresses slowly. If 10,000 people all of a sudden decide to worship the sacred cowpie, it will quickly gain power but will take some time to become as powerful as the sacred pebble that has been worshiped for the last thousand years (just some hypothetical answers there). Worship is more important than physical importance; the spirit of a holy hill will be more powerful than the spirit of a tall mountain unknown to anyone.
For spirits, can a non-natural thing gain a spirit if it is revered enough? Like a great Cathedral or a historic sword (that doesn't have its own spirit) or something else?
Yes. Nearly everything has a spirit because they were once natural objects. Cathedrals used to be stone, and a sword used to be metallic ore. In fact, manmade things have a high chance of having a potent spirit due to the act of creation; a manmade object automatically has one worshiper. A Cathedral's spirit will be aligned to the parent deity of the cathedral, so if it ever becomes powerful it will probably be focused upon protecting the worshipers inside.
I'll use the sword example extensively here. Iron ore is by default an earth spirit. The act of smelting and forging it, though, brings it into contact with the fire spirit of a forge. The craftsmanship of the blacksmith making the sword is a form of worship, and together the sword's spirit is transformed. While the spirit begins as an earth spirit, most sword spirits are transmuted into fire spirits by the act of forging; this is good because fire is far more aggressive than earth. Master swordsmiths can awaken the spirit of the sword through the process of forging, making magic swords straight from the forge rather than having to awaken the spirit later through deeds and veneration.
-----------------
How does the energy they use up return? How long does it take? Is there a maximum amount of energy they can store? How do they gain energy? Can they forcefully drain energy from a spirit without its consent? Can they destroy a spirit from draining it too much?
Mana, the term I'll be using from now on for 'magical energy', returns to the world as long as the spirits residing in the area are still alive; it's like drawing blood.
In typical situations, it returns quickly because mana is not lost in spellcasting; a caster draws in fire energy in order to cast a 'fireball', and the energy is returned to the environment upon casting (I'm aware this violates physical laws, but that's why it's magic).
An individual can only store a given amount, which restricts the power of their spells.
Different casters gain their energy through different means: wizards draw it in through ritual, sorcerers draw it in subconsciously due to their mutation, priests are given it from their deity, and shaman/druids are given it by the spirits.
Wizards often draw mana from spirits without their consent; this is what separates wizards from others.
Under normal circumstances, one cannot drain a spirit of so much mana as to kill it without using a particular spell.
Are Sorcerers more common then Wizards? How fast does a chakra return? Can they only draw on a single kind of chakra?
Wizards are far more common than Sorcerers. Sorcerers are only born to people with elemental bloodlines (including the elemental races), people with ties to spirits (children of dragons), or people who are exposed to a great deal of magic at one time (such as if a pregnant mother is attacked with magic, her unborn child might be born a sorcerer).
Chakras never go away, so they never have to return. Most sorcerers can only tap into one element, the element of their mutation, but they are technically only forbidden from using the opposite (in effect, their mutant enlarged chakra has consumed the other): Fire =/= Water, and Air =/= Earth.
(About Priests) How different is this from a Wizard? Do they have access to every kind of chakra or only the kind their diety has?
Priests are given their mana, wizards take it. Functionally a priest and a wizard can have the same sorts of spells, but priests generally focus on things within the nature of their deities (a priest of an elemental deity will focus on that element). Priests use prayers to form and guide their magic, and generally learn spells like a wizard does; the difference is in how they get their power, and the fact that a deity can take their priests' powers away.
(About Shaman/Druids) Is their power related to the power of the spirit they serve? Can they serve multiple spirits? If they serve a spirit in a smaller object (like a famous ancient sword) can they carry it around with them? Can they access all kinds of chakras? Or only elemental ones?
Shaman and Druids venerate multiple spirits by default. You draw water mana from water spirits and fire mana from fire spirits, so their power is related to the spirits they are drawing upon, but they can draw upon any spirit (nature spirits for druids, ancestral spirits for Shaman). 'Serve' is probably an incorrect term for these casters, their nature is more informal than that, with bargaining and quid-pro-quo. One day a druid might ask the spirits of the wind to guide a storm away from the foothills where it will cause a landslide, and another day a druid might as fire spirits to ignite the gunpowder of an invading army.
Why has no one destroyed the Red Ifrit? Are they powerful enough to be able to get away with being such big jerks? I do like their culture though, very aztec feeling. Crunch wise I take it they have a bonus to resist fear? Are Ifrit (Gray and Red) restricted to what classes they can be? Can they not be sorcerers (or only Fire Sorcerers I gather)? Can they use non-elemental energy/chakras if given to them from a spirit (Shaman/Priest/Wizard)?
The red ifriti are a rather large society, but except for their attacks on bordering settlements they generally squabble with each other more than others. It would be like France caring about what was going on in Turkey; it would take a lot to mobilize other nations against them. Yes, a resistance to fear is one of their stats. No races are restricted in their 'class' (the system lacks class's technically). Ifrit are an elemental race, so Ifrit sorcerers have to be fire sorcerers, but nothing stops an Ifrit druid from drawing water mana from water spirits (only their own preferences would limit them). There's no such thing as non-elemental magic, but anyone can use the 'training' power source.
(Placeholder)
(Placeholder #2, you may reply now)
This is a great idea, Xev. More settings need a well laid-out FAQ.
Since this is a FAQ, I'll contribute by posing some questions, and really, not much else more:
How quickly do the relative power levels of various spirit/gods change?
How much like this world is Terran?
Is an Elf more 'fey' than a Feyborn?
Really, what does each race think of one another?
Each element seems to be it's own melting pot of various mythologies. What is the primary cultural influence for each of the major races?
I'll try to have some more later, but this should be a good start.
How quickly do the relative power levels of various spirit/gods change?
Quick answer: Probably slowly.
I have not created a formula yet, nor do I think I will. I figure that change begins quickly, but progresses slowly. If 10,000 people all of a sudden decide to worship the sacred cowpie, it will quickly gain power but will take some time to become as powerful as the sacred pebble that has been worshiped for the last thousand years (just some hypothetical answers there). Worship is more important than physical importance; the spirit of a holy hill will be more powerful than the spirit of a tall mountain unknown to anyone.
How much like this world is Terran?
Aside from magic, non-human intelligent hominid races, and various flora and fauna (plants and animals), exactly. There's a sun, there's a moon, and there are other planets that can be seen moving amongst the stars (as other stars, not as visible as the moon). Terran orbits the sun, it has oceans and continents, and the weather obeys standard models.
In fact, Terran is designed after a projection of what Earth could be like in 50 million years, if it had magic. Here's a map: http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq131/Xeviat/Three%20Worlds/Terran_Climate.jpg
Is an Elf more 'fey' than a Feyborn?
Very good question. The easy answer is that I am not sure, so I'll make up an answer right now. In game terms, both are fey (they can both be targeted by effects that target fey).
The simple answer is that a feyborn is probably more fey than an elf. Elves have been living on Terran for thousands of years, and as such have adapted to the world and lost many of their spirit qualities.
Really, what does each race think of one another?
I'm working on it!
Here's it from the human perspective; dwarfs: they're hairy and smelly; elves: they're pretty and full of themselves; feyborn: they're trustworthy; halfling: they're short; hobgoblin: they're untrustworthy; ifrit: they look like monsters; ogre: they're big; triton: they're wet; valkyrie: they're feathery. More detailed answers to come.
Each element seems to be it's own melting pot of various mythologies. What is the primary cultural influence for each of the major races?
I am basing human cultures off of various real world cultures (my first three will represent Celtic, Roman, and Egyptian), but I am trying to base the non-human races on no cultures (at least intentionally). I am designing the non-human races based off of (hopefully) unique psychologies determined by their physiology. I am sure some things will happen (Ifrit have pyramids and sacrifice like Aztecs), but these are not intentional references.
Quote from: Kapn XeviatCommon Creatures
Terran is different from our world, and one of the most noticeable differences are the lack of familiar animals. Terran lacks dogs and cats, for instance, and no whales swim through its seas. Many new animals fill the roles of ours, such as large domestic rodents filling in the role of dogs and tall flightless birds filling in the role of horses. Other creatures like land octopi and mobile carnivorous plants make the world a place much different from ours. Birds are quite common, as well as an animal group unique to Terran: Drakes.
Drakes are a group of bird-like animals possessing six limbs; four legs and two wings. They lay eggs and have feathers, though some of the larger ones have scales covering much of their body instead of only feathers. Unlike birds, they have long tails and they have teeth instead of beaks. Many drakes are small, the size of house cats, but the most famous are large: griffins, wyverns, and the Valkyrie race.
I have to say this is the section I enjoy the most.
he had me at land octopus (http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/)
I'm having a hard time coming up with a different skin covering than chitin, scales, slimy skin, skin, fur, and feathers. I'd really like to make a new class of animals, but I'm just not that damned creative.
I think you've eliminated all the possibilities. Chitin, scales, skin, feathers, and fur are all made of the same stuff anyway. (You missed shells.) Natural animals just do not have a lot they can draw on for uniqueness.
I don't know, Earth went quite a long time before feathers and fur were "invented". Who's to say something new couldn't come about. I'd just need to think about it.
So, any more questions? I'm going to work on answering the rest of the ones I had in the opening post, and then I'll update the post as well.
Quote from: Kapn XeviatI don't know, Earth went quite a long time before feathers and fur were "invented". Who's to say something new couldn't come about. I'd just need to think about it.
So, any more questions? I'm going to work on answering the rest of the ones I had in the opening post, and then I'll update the post as well.
The fundamental problem with imagining something new, is that we cannot generally imagine something wholesale beyond our experience. Even the weirdest Lovecraftian monstrosities still take their traits from things we are aware of in the physical universe. Anything else becomes almost nonsensical.
Which is not to say you couldn't have animals with a covering that animals do not currently have, like an insect's exoskeleton, metal skin, or bark.
You can always combine something. Hairy scales are something I use in the Bronze Setting.
Metallic skin could be something fairly new. It would probably have to be set in scales a bit, for ease of motion, but I could see a class of animals gathering healthy doses of metallic minerals from their diet or from rocks to make their scales or plates.
Hairy scales would be interesting.
Oh, I realized something that I cannot think of any animal truely having, aside from horns on the head: actual spines. Not modified scales, but spines that are directly attached to the skeleton. Could make for an interesting draconic trait.
I've added a few new things in Red.
Quote from: Kapn XeviatHairy scales would be interesting.
Oh, I realized something that I cannot think of any animal truely having, aside from horns on the head: actual spines. Not modified scales, but spines that are directly attached to the skeleton. Could make for an interesting draconic trait.[/quote]
Wouldn't those just be bones in turn? Or claws?
They'd be exposed bone, yes. But not claws. Claws don't grow out of someone's back and joints.
Giving a bump with an offer. Ask a question (hopefully a set), and post a link to something you'd like reviewed (be specific as to what part you'd like reviewed if you don't want me to amlessly find something) and I'll review it before I answer the questions.
Which race above with their personality unlisted would you like to hear about.
OH, and on a slightly related note but not part of the FAQ: Can you think of any other topics than the following to detail the races:
Race
Physical Description
Personality
Culture
Physical Description
Personality
Relations (with other races and cultures)
Other Races (position of other races within the culture)
Society
Religion
Names
Adventurers
As you can see, much of these are based on the 3E D&D model, as that was my first real foray into RPGs and my setting was originally worked for that system. I'd like to add other things that are important, but am willing to remove things that aren't as well.
Thanks.
Quote from: http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?65206.0The Bronze Setting[/url]
Divergence 2.0 (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?69762.0)
Hen Mut (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?70211.0)
Corcadia (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?69759.0)
Quote from: Kapn XeviatOH, and on a slightly related note but not part of the FAQ: Can you think of any other topics than the following to detail the races:
Race
Physical Description
Personality
Culture
Physical Description
Personality
Relations (with other races and cultures)
Other Races (position of other races within the culture)
Society
Religion
Names
Adventurers
Galdenfether, the Dragon Goddess of Light. Galdenfether battled her sister Vandek, but when Vandek slew her sister she died as well; the two were linked in cosmic balance
Did Vandek know this would happen? Seems something rather silly to me, mutually assured destruction is something avoided by anything with a survival instinct.
You mention the elemental races favor their element (Ifrits and Fire), is there a race that favors the Aether side of things? Or even a race that favors training?
For spirits, can a non-natural thing gain a spirit if it is revered enough? Like a great Cathedral or a historic sword (that doesn't have its own spirit) or something else?
Quote from: Kapn XeviatOh, I realized something that I cannot think of any animal truely having, aside from horns on the head: actual spines. Not modified scales, but spines that are directly attached to the skeleton. Could make for an interesting draconic trait.
What do you mean by "directly" attached? The boney plates of dinosaurs grew out of their skin, not the bones. The only animals I know of that haves bones and plates fused together are the turtle group, and that makes them very rigid. I think there'd be a lot of problems with the spikes not moving with the skin and muscle.
Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawWhat do you mean by "directly" attached? The boney plates of dinosaurs grew out of their skin, not the bones. The only animals I know of that haves bones and plates fused together are the turtle group, and that makes them very rigid. I think there'd be a lot of problems with the spikes not moving with the skin and muscle.
Not plates, just spines. Like the tips of the spine jutting out as horns down the back, elbow and knee spikes, rows along major bones. Muscles would have to be wrapped through and around them, but it would definitely be something new.
Bony plates are something different as well, calcified growths. Different then scales because they would be more mineral.
Thanks for the questions, I'll give your setting a look over and one a review before I answer them. Good questions though; the one about Vandek and Geldenfether delves into one of the plots for a future novel.
Did Vandek know this would happen? Seems something rather silly to me, mutually assured destruction is something avoided by anything with a survival instinct.
Vandek wholly knew that if she killed her sister, she would die as well. In the story this happened, her last words were something like 'the world will be a worse place without you'. In my first D&D campaign, which will be made into my second novel (I'm working on the first right now), one of the plot points is the resurrection of Vandek.
Survival instinct is not in question when dealing with gods. While many gods have physical forms, they are not mortal creatures and thus think very differently. Death for gods as powerful as the dragon gods, who are the most powerful of deities, is simply a matter of being denied physical form.
Currently, Vandek's role in the world has been taken over by the Moon deity, and Galdenfether's role has been taken over by the Sun deity.
You mention the elemental races favor their element (Ifrits and Fire), is there a race that favors the Aether side of things? Or even a race that favors training?
Humans have a propensity for Æther magic, as well as anything human blooded (especially fey-touched and hobgoblins, who favor light and dark Æther respectively). Only neutral races (humans, fey-touched, hobgoblins, elves, and halflings) can be Æther sorcerers (Sorcerers will be detailed in the first post shortly).
For spirits, can a non-natural thing gain a spirit if it is revered enough? Like a great Cathedral or a historic sword (that doesn't have its own spirit) or something else?
Yes. Nearly everything has a spirit because they were once natural objects. Cathedrals used to be stone, and a sword used to be metallic ore. In fact, manmade things have a high chance of having a potent spirit due to the act of creation; a manmade object automatically has one worshiper. A Cathedral's spirit will be aligned to the parent deity of the cathedral, so if it ever becomes powerful it will probably be focused upon protecting the worshipers inside.
I'll use the sword example extensively here. Iron ore is by default an earth spirit. The act of smelting and forging it, though, brings it into contact with the fire spirit of a forge. The craftsmanship of the blacksmith making the sword is a form of worship, and together the sword's spirit is transformed. While the spirit begins as an earth spirit, most sword spirits are transmuted into fire spirits by the act of forging; this is good because fire is far more aggressive than earth. Master swordsmiths can awaken the spirit of the sword through the process of forging, making magic swords straight from the forge rather than having to awaken the spirit later through deeds and veneration.
Added information on the Ifriti, and also information on the different types of magicians.
I was wondering, and something a player might want to know too. which kind of powergroups exist that isn't tied to a nation, a diety or a culture?
there's the 5 knight houses offcourse and you mention that the world have varius organizations, and I was wondering what the specifics for those are. noticeable merchant houses? mercenary companies? scholar order? renown academy?
Aside from the Knight's Houses, the only other major organization I have is "The People's Trust", a thieve's guild with much political influence in Hunerst. I have yet to create worldspanning organizations, though I do think I will have a group of people who worship The Ancients and are seeking to bring them back. There will probably also be a group who battles aberrations and seek to hold the Old Ones at bay.
Just me again, some more questions on your new stuff. I found it very thought provoking.
Quote from: Kapn XeviatSorcerers: A normal individual possesses five chakras, each tied to the five elements: Brow is Æther, Throat is Air, Heart is Fire, Center is Water, and Base is Earth. These chakras draw are the centers of elemental energy within all balanced creatures (elemental creatures possess only one chakra). A sorcerer is an individual with a mutant chakra; one of their chakras has enlarged, and absorbs far more energy than the body can use. This excess energy becomes the fuel for their magic. While training is required to perfect it, training for a sorcerer is simply a matter of practice; no arcane studies are required.
Shaman: Shaman, or druids, serve the spirit world as a whole, rather than serving the whims of a single deity. A shaman is an individual who generally serves the interest of a group of people, and deal primarily with the spirits of the dead; a druid is an individual who deals with the spirits of nature, and may or may not deal with or care about people. Like priests, they have to abide by restrictions, but these are more ritualistic in nature, as the whims of the multitudes of spirits they serve differ wildly; if one angers one spirit, it is easy to find another to deal with.[/quote]
Is their power related to the power of the spirit they serve? Can they serve multiple spirits? If they serve a spirit in a smaller object (like a famous ancient sword) can they carry it around with them? Can they access all kinds of chakras? Or only elemental ones?
Why has no one destroyed the Red Ifrit? Are they powerful enough to be able to get away with being such big jerks? I do like their culture though, very aztec feeling. Crunch wise I take it they have a bonus to resist fear? Are Ifrit (Gray and Red) restricted to what classes they can be? Can they not be sorcerers (or only Fire Sorcerers I gather)? Can they use non-elemental energy/chakras if given to them from a spirit (Shaman/Priest/Wizard)?
Wow, awesome questions.
How does the energy they use up return? How long does it take? Is there a maximum amount of energy they can store? How do they gain energy? Can they forcefully drain energy from a spirit without its consent? Can they destroy a spirit from draining it too much?
Mana, the term I'll be using from now on for 'magical energy', returns to the world as long as the spirits residing in the area are still alive; it's like drawing blood.
In typical situations, it returns quickly because mana is not lost in spellcasting; a caster draws in fire energy in order to cast a 'fireball', and the energy is returned to the environment upon casting (I'm aware this violates physical laws, but that's why it's magic).
An individual can only store a given amount, which restricts the power of their spells.
Different casters gain their energy through different means: wizards draw it in through ritual, sorcerers draw it in subconsciously due to their mutation, priests are given it from their deity, and shaman/druids are given it by the spirits.
Wizards often draw mana from spirits without their consent; this is what separates wizards from others.
Under normal circumstances, one cannot drain a spirit of so much mana as to kill it without using a particular spell.
Are Sorcerers more common then Wizards? How fast does a chakra return? Can they only draw on a single kind of chakra?
Wizards are far more common than Sorcerers. Sorcerers are only born to people with elemental bloodlines (including the elemental races), people with ties to spirits (children of dragons), or people who are exposed to a great deal of magic at one time (such as if a pregnant mother is attacked with magic, her unborn child might be born a sorcerer).
Chakras never go away, so they never have to return. Most sorcerers can only tap into one element, the element of their mutation, but they are technically only forbidden from using the opposite (in effect, their mutant enlarged chakra has consumed the other): Fire =/= Water, and Air =/= Earth.
(About Priests) How different is this from a Wizard? Do they have access to every kind of chakra or only the kind their diety has?
Priests are given their mana, wizards take it. Functionally a priest and a wizard can have the same sorts of spells, but priests generally focus on things within the nature of their deities (a priest of an elemental deity will focus on that element). Priests use prayers to form and guide their magic, and generally learn spells like a wizard does; the difference is in how they get their power, and the fact that a deity can take their priests' powers away.
(About Shaman/Druids) Is their power related to the power of the spirit they serve? Can they serve multiple spirits? If they serve a spirit in a smaller object (like a famous ancient sword) can they carry it around with them? Can they access all kinds of chakras? Or only elemental ones?
Shaman and Druids venerate multiple spirits by default. You draw water mana from water spirits and fire mana from fire spirits, so their power is related to the spirits they are drawing upon, but they can draw upon any spirit (nature spirits for druids, ancestral spirits for Shaman). 'Serve' is probably an incorrect term for these casters, their nature is more informal than that, with bargaining and quid-pro-quo. One day a druid might ask the spirits of the wind to guide a storm away from the foothills where it will cause a landslide, and another day a druid might as fire spirits to ignite the gunpowder of an invading army.
Why has no one destroyed the Red Ifrit? Are they powerful enough to be able to get away with being such big jerks? I do like their culture though, very aztec feeling. Crunch wise I take it they have a bonus to resist fear? Are Ifrit (Gray and Red) restricted to what classes they can be? Can they not be sorcerers (or only Fire Sorcerers I gather)? Can they use non-elemental energy/chakras if given to them from a spirit (Shaman/Priest/Wizard)?
The red ifriti are a rather large society, but except for their attacks on bordering settlements they generally squabble with each other more than others. It would be like France caring about what was going on in Turkey; it would take a lot to mobilize other nations against them. Yes, a resistance to fear is one of their stats. No races are restricted in their 'class' (the system lacks class's technically). Ifrit are an elemental race, so Ifrit sorcerers have to be fire sorcerers, but nothing stops an Ifrit druid from drawing water mana from water spirits (only their own preferences would limit them). There's no such thing as non-elemental magic, but anyone can use the 'training' power source.
Little update, especially for Rorschach Fritos. I'm starting on the racial opinions of each other.