The Campaign Builder's Guild

If you're intimidated by the story, just keep scrolling and ignore it for now.

QuoteTrapping the Gods:
Long ago, when the world was still known as Hyre, the gods used it as a gameboard.  From wars and politics, to the tiny creatures whose lives usually ended in a crunchy squeak, the gods controlled it all.  And not content to simply play with the world, they instituted the practice of worship: teaching the intelligent creatures to praise and thank the gods for something they did, good or bad, and that the will of the gods was always what was good.  And ignorant of the true state of things, the people did this and none questioned.

But there were other beings of the godsâ,¬,,¢ power who did question.  They question everything.  They are the Tricksters, and poking holes in the world is what they do.  For good or bad, they do what they do and they make no excuses.

They questioned the actions of the gods, and thought that the beings the gods controlled should be free to decide their own actions.  The Tricksters first went to the Peopleâ,¬'the Renac in their own langaugeâ,¬'and asked them if they wished to decide their own lives.  And the Renac were afraid, for not only did they fear the wrath of the gods, but they also feared a world that did not respond to their wishes, that they had no control over.  And so they labeled the Tricksters as Evil, and tried to kill them.

Saddened, the Trickster went next to the Beasts.  And their response was different: â,¬Å"We have always felt that the world was beyond our control.  The gods cannot give us anything, and they expect everything from us.  Were the world to be rid of them, we would be at least free to die in peace.â,¬Â  And thus the Beasts decided to fight the gods.

It was at this time that the Cats approached.  Dragons of a different sort, they had always resisted the gods.  They knew that no mortal could match a god in power.  It would take creativity instead, something that the gods had little of.  First the Cats proposed that the Demons be freed from the Underworld.  Long the slaves of the gods, these creatures were tired of being the â,¬Å"evilâ,¬Â of the world.  Even if it meant giving up their existence, they were willing to do anything to simply have the freedom to choose their own actions.  The Tricksters agreed, and it was done.

The Demons organized on the planes of the gods, battling the godsâ,¬,,¢ highest servantsâ,¬'the Celestialsâ,¬'with a spirit never seen before or since.  They fought with cunning and raw determination, surprising the superior attitude of the Celestials.  Even death could not stop them, for those Demons that fell used their own will to marshal the energies of decay, reanimating themselves as creatures never before seen: the undead.

The Beasts threatened the Renac, but also spread dissention among them.  Some Renac began to question the legitimacy  of the godsâ,¬,,¢ rule.  Those who questioned openly were cursed by the gods to loose all that made them one of the Renac.  Adopted by the Beasts, they became transformed, gaining qualities of their distant animal kin.  They were the first Graa-shama, the Beast-People.  Some who questioned silently chose to undergo their own transformation, transforming secretly into animals to aid the struggle of the Beasts.  These were the first Renac of the Changing Skin, the first versipellis.

So with the Demons loosed from the underworld, and the Beasts influencing the Renac, the gods were distracted.

While all this happened, the Cats and the Trickster created mirrors of subtle power.  When viewed the mirrors created moving images accompanied by sound, showing things that looked real but werenâ,¬,,¢t, seemed more real than reality but were really poor imitations.  When the mirrors were completed they were secretly placed within the homes of the gods.  Any god that viewed the mirror was hooked by the stories it told, being even more amused by them then anything that mortals did.  Without imagination, the gods could not tell the difference between reality and fantasy, and were trapped by their own minds.

Without the gods the Beasts, the Demons, the Cats, the Tricksters, and many of the other creatures were free.  The Celestials still loyal to the gods either slowly went insane out of need for praise from the gods, eventually becoming Oni, or formed cults of mortals to feed their great egos.  Those that rejected worship were spared this fate.  Some of the creatures of the world retained the worship of the gods, even though the gods could no longer hear them.  But these were few in number.  The worldâ,¬'Sasamâ,¬'could exist without the control of the gods.

The trapping of the gods didnâ,¬,,¢t happen that long ago, only about 1,000 years.  So Sasam is still feeling some effects of it.  One is the divide between the Beasts and the Renac.  Even after 1,000 years many Renac donâ,¬,,¢t trust the Beasts.  Old fears brought on through the war still appear in Renac folklore.  Some of this extends to the Graa-shama and the versipellis.  Prejudice is a big part of the tone.
Another important aspect is that magic is now much harder to access than during the time of the gods.  Wizards are now the stuff of legends, and even the least of magical swords is coveted.

Races:

â,¬'the Renac:
â,¬Å"the Peopleâ,¬Â, the ones who followed the gods in the age of Hyre.  Most of the Renac alive today are descended from individuals who never questioned the gods during the Trapping.  Some hold this to mean they have a higher position than the other creatures of the world; others feel ashamed of their ancestorsâ,¬,,¢ support for the gods.
Dependency on the gods means that Renac cannot support themselves without the use of tools.  Further, Renac generally live in communal groups where they can cooperate for the good of all.
Renac have strained relationships with Beasts, and to some extent with Graa-shama.  They are generally able to overlook the animal forms of the versipellis.
The Renac are the most likely to still worship gods.
[This is a wide group including all core â,¬Å"humanoidsâ,¬Â (known in this world as elvi), giants (jotun), and fey.  There is no cultural divide by race; they all live in more or less integrated communities.  Since they have cities and knowledge from before the Trapping, Renac have the most developed civilization.]

â,¬'the Graa-shama:
Rebels in origin, cast out by their gods and their own kin, Graa-shama generally define themselves by personal freedom.  Many Graa-shama hold themselves proudly because their ancestors openly defied the gods, and these use that fact as an excuse to lord it over the Renac, though this is probably a counter-reaction to Renac prejudice.  In the presence of Beasts, however, they are reverent and respectful.
As a combination of Beasts and Renac, Graa-shama are capable of living without the aid of tools.  They still prefer to live communally.
Graa-shama maintain a close relationship with their Beast allies.  They deal with Renac when the other allows them to, yet harbor a fear that their furless kin are not to be trusted.
Graa-shama abhor the suggestion that their lives be ruled by the very gods that cursed them, and the rare god worshipper is looked on as a deluded fool or simply crazy.
[The Graa-shama group includes any creature combining humanoid and animal features.  Sometimes they live among Renac, but due to prejudice they have built cities of their own, though not quite as extensive as the Renacâ,¬,,¢s.  Some live hunter-gatherer style.]

â,¬'The versipellis:
Defying the gods in secret, versipellis (â,¬Å"People of the Changing Skinâ,¬Â) willingly choose their condition.  Because they never quite left the arena of the Renac, yet were allies of the Beasts, versipellis grew into a middle viewpoint between the two factions.  Recognizing adaptability as a virtue, most have tried to keep that flexibility.  Because they acted in secret, they also gained an unwanted reputation for trickery and deceit among the Renac.
Young versipellis are not actually as capable at surviving in the wild as Beasts and Graa-shama.  Most, in fact, live in traveling communities that resemble those of nomadic Renac.  As they grow older versipellis sometimes take up the practice of â,¬Å"wildlivingâ,¬Â, until there is no way to tell the difference between them and animals.
Because they can change their form to suit the other party, versipellis act as the middle between the worlds of the Beasts and the Renac.  They are still more comfortable around Beasts and Graa-shama.
Versipellis pay homage to whatever is appropriate at the moment.  They often recognize the spirit of the moon as a patron, though this is sometimes misinterpreted as worship.

â,¬'The Beasts:
Independant always, the Beasts simply live.  They chose to fight against the gods to be allowed to live without meddling, without need for involvement.  Animals have no need of higher thoughts.  Magical beasts may venture into the territories of creation or pure knowledge, but mostly they apply their brains to survival.
Beasts are quite capable of surviving without the aid of tools, and, depending upon type, without the aid of others.
Beasts usually do not interact with other creatures beyond what they feel is needed.  In cases where they do bond themselves to other creatures it is often out of pragmatism.
Beasts believe that survival is what matters, though since the trapping of the gods many have colored that viewpoint with the idea that such a life must be lived free of influence.
[Note: â,¬Å"Beastâ,¬Â does actually encompass animals as well as magical beasts.  However when characters in the game are referring to Beasts they generally mean only the sentient ones.]

So, do you even want us to comment on this or is this only to make a point? I mean, we've all had the "no one comments on my stuff at WotC" experience, so I think we'll all agree with you on that.

If you want to comment, comment.  If I didn't want comments I wouldn't have put it up.  I just want to see if anyone gets interested in an all-fluff setting.

Well, it's an interesting story, and the fact that it is not supported by crunch from the start does not weaken it at all, IMO. However, at this point it is not very interesting as a campaign setting because it has to much history compared to too little actual content about the "current day" (which do not even seem to have reached with your detailed historical acount). Who are the current peoples of the world? What are their lands, religions, cultures, conflicts? How do these relate to the story you have given us?
Túrin

I have to say that I consider the history the most important detail when dealing with the present day.  A world is made by its history, it does not exist in the present and then grow backwards.  Until I know what history I want to setting to have I can't be sure what I want the current day to be.

I'm not saying you can't start creating your setting from history (it's at least as viable a creation method as any other I could think of), but you can't stop there either. As it is now, I can see why it wouldn't get too much interest: it's not actually a setting yet, but more like a story that may or may not become the basis of a setting.
Túrin

I'm not stopping.  It's just that I need time.  Clearly my problem is that I'm too interested in what people will think before I've given them what they want to think about.  I'll hold off until I'm done writing the history.

Well, my little comment is that I'd like to see more.  I put off reading it due to the large block of text nature it presented, but it's all good.

I like how you've given a definitive place in the setting to lycanthropes, and how the beasts are a viable force in the history.  Although truly, I will need more material to comment more effectively.

This has been updated with race information if anyone is interested.  I'm particularly looking for opinions on the Graa-shama.

Religion:

QuoteRise of the Spirits:
Even after the fall of the gods the Renac and the Graa-shama needed something.  They had learned to use the worship of gods to give their lives purpose and direction.  Now they searched for an element in the new world that could give them that sense again.

In a world without gods, power began to flow into everything.  Every piece of matter, every bit of energy, gained a tiny piece of awareness.  These pieces communicated, and as their awareness flowed together they became beings in their own right: they are â,¬Å"spiritsâ,¬Â.  Spirits are at once beyond the material world, and at the same time totally dependant on it for their existence.  They can perceive the world and learn from it.  But they have no need to change the world.  They exist simply to exist.

The Renac sensed this, and decided that the spirits could give them the meaning they sought.  But this would not be about the control of the world through a more powerful entity.  The Renac decided that they would instead learn from the spirits, letting the spirits act as models for their lives.  Their priests would be teachers and not leaders or rulers.

Religious Profession: Unlike before the War, the â,¬Å"clergyâ,¬Â of this new religion have little more importance than the lay-person.  An individual who decides to teach the lessons of the spirits needs only a keen mind and a willingness to kindly point out the strengths and weaknesses of the things and people around them.  Most do this in their course of their daily lives, but a few dedicate themselves to it, traveling to sing songs, recite poetry or speeches, or tell stories about that which can be learned form spirits.

Elements: The material elements are the primary object for most spirit veneration.  Teachings focus on the virtues and flaws of a particular element to emphasize both how one can learn to improve themselves and to see their own innate talents.
[These are by no means all the possible facets that an element can have.  Additional contributors are listed in prenthesis.]
Air: associated with grace, speed, being untouchable, going with the flow, ubiquity, being far reaching, flying (both metaphorical and literal), vapidity
(Phoenix Knight) aware, excitable
Water: associated with mixing, adaptability, power, change
(witchhunt) danger, unpredictability
(Luminous Crayon) wealth, life-force
(the_taken) unrelenting force, absolution, eternity; River and Bay for wealth and travel, Lake and Coast for serenity, healing and rejuvination, the Deep Ocean for age, eternity, wisdom, death, and mystery
(Phoenix Knight) resilient, unyielding, steady
Lightening: associated with speed, surprise, power
(Phoenix Knight) mentally quick, hyperactive, excitable
(Natural 20) being energetic
Stone: associated with stubbornness, old age/wisdom, knowledge
(Natural 20) tradition
(Phoenix Knight) strength, stamina, grounded, hearty, courageous, determined, slow to act, level head
Wood: associated with life, strength, knowledge
(witchhunt) friendship, love, kindness, resilience
Flesh: associated with life, vulnerability, youth
Fire: associated with warmth, destruction, sight, consumption, prudence
(Luminous Crayon) change, courage, brash/recklessness
(Phoenix Knight) strength, aggressive, tenacious, fearless, arrogant, confidence, passionate, intense
Shadow: associated with protection, danger, the inner mind, mystery, deception

Important Individuals: Another source of veneration and teaching are those individuals who have distinguished themselves as something special.  Heroes, successful business owners, teachers of great renown, etc.  In some cultures any ancestor is worthy of this attention.  It is said that the spirits of these great people stay on after death to allow others to know such greatness.

QuoteThe Dream World:
In time the interaction with the spirits of the world connected it with the world that lay in the minds of living things.  Ideas gained a shadow of reality, even to the level at which minds may touch them as minds may touch the spirits of the outside world.  Yet the spirits of this world are like the minds that created them: they can reach back and touch the world.  These idea-spirits, known often as daan, change what they touch and what touches them.

Daan: Because creativity was what separated the mortals and tricksters from the gods it has become the newest source of spirits.  The inclusion of daan (which incorporates any sort of creative thought) is quite a recent event in the scale of history, and is still in controversy and not widely accepted.  Some see it as a form of hubris, that what the other spirits inspire is in itself worthy of being recognized, a â,¬Å"sentient-centricâ,¬Â concept.

Now Iâ,¬,,¢m going to start with the bottom-up approach and just describe one city and how it fits into its surroundings.  Iâ,¬,,¢m thinking desert trading city on an isthmus.  The desert is cactus and scrub rather than Arabian sands, and the city itself is Pueblo-style adobe houses but on a more massive scale.  It occupies the whole base and sides of the best canyon pass on the north-south trade route.  Since I set them up for this, the city is mainly verspiellis, one of the few places where their kind stay permanently.  It sits between Renac-territory temperate forests to the north and Graa-shama-territory savanna to the south.

So the gods were trapped... by television?

Quote from: beejazzSo the gods were trapped... by television?

Yes.  Soap-operas, your average drama, "reality" shows, etc, you can't tell me that wouldn't trap someone devoid of all sense.  It traps your average human every day.

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpaw

Quote from: beejazzSo the gods were trapped... by television?

Yes.  Soap-operas, your average drama, "reality" shows, etc, you can't tell me that wouldn't trap someone devoid of all sense.  It traps your average human every day.

GENIUS! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!
*traps gods*
But it isn't nearly as fun without the butterfly net.

Quote from: beejazzGENIUS! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!

It's part of an ongoing theme with me: the more power one has, the less likely one is to be able to really think anything different.  The gods are trapped because they can't think that the things they see in the mirrors aren't real and they can't not try (though a futile effort) to control the things they see.