The Campaign Builder's Guild

dunzo.

[ic=Sailor Speak]"I once sailed into the Endless Ocean. Me and ma' mates aboard the Fallwyvern. Foolish thing to do I tell ya'. For days we was stalked by a beast. At first it would just nudge at our ship. A few days later it would bump us a bit 'arder. It toyed wit' us until one day a great slimy tentacles came from the depths and crushed our ship in two. I drifted for twelve days until I finally reached the shores of Norsund. There is nothin' in that ocean but death and fear."

-Old Grey Jenkins, former captain of the Fallwyvern


"They came from the sea I tell ya'!. Soggy-looking ghosts, all covered in sea-kelp, cursed creatures took my brother Pavil, he didn't stand no chance."

-Bim Reedheart of the Fisherman Kingdoms


"Blue upon blue and naught but sea, the cold Teyrander's home for me!'

-Drinking cheer[/ic]

That's an intriguing start, Leetz. The in-world quotations, while not very informative, really make the setting feel alive. Welcome to the CBG :)

I am looking forward to seeing something a little more concrete then the in-character posts, but a nice start.

This is pretty interesting. I like your style of presenting so far (in-world snippets) I think it really helps to bring the setting to life.

I think you should check out Steerpikes Cadaverous Earth, I think it has a kinship with what you've presented so far.

Finally, welcome to the CBG :D

[note]First off, thanks for the replies - it's great to hear feedback.

Secondly, in response to the requests, I'll start to describe portions or Arga in varying detail. (I'm working on finishing a map, so that should come soon-ish.) The easiest way for me to describe things would be to split up the world in five rough segments - the north, east, west, south, and middle lands.  

I also hate using other things that are not part of my world to describe me world (ex. these people are like Vikings, kinda. or these people are kinda like Tolkiens elves.) so I apologize in advance, because I'm sure somethings may seem confusing. [/note]

It's a misnomer and a mistake on my part to have labeled this thread "The World of Arga", as it really isn't the whole world, but only a small portion of it. Arga is the most common word used by people of this area of the planet to describe the area of my setting. Therefore, there are numerous lands, cultures, and peoples outside of what I will describe, leaving open the possibility for additions in the future.

The "Feel"
Arga is a world that's fantastic, gritty, mature, intelligent, and strange. The people of the world have a cynical and ragged air about them, as the world they live in is visually dying in front of their eyes as the years progress: seas become acrid and stormy, shorelines chip away and fall into the seas, creatures and beasts are as vicious and brutal as folk how consider themselves civilized. Everything is colored gray: there are no pure heroes and few true villains and almost everyone is out for themselves.

Arga falls into the fantasy genre in the broadest sense. There are new, crude steam-machines and ancient, delicate clockword mechanisms. There are seas where a wave never crests and seas that are slowly emptying into the bowels of the earth. There are cities built upon the ruins of their forefathers and there are cities that are alive. Giant pack-beetles plod alongside smelly reptilian steeds through pitted roads while jury-rigged zeppelins meander through the clouds.

The magical is feared and admired, mysterious and rare. As the world dies, so too does magic, and those who wish to harness it's power scramble and search for new, dangerous to harvest what remains. Some harness the powers of dreams and shadows at the costs of their minds, while others control the entropy the crumbles the world at the cost of their bodies. Others still search the ruins of long past empires for knowledge and machines that may unlock long lost secrets.

And as the world dies, so too do it's god. Old deities are forgotten and replaced by new cults and churches as people grow desperate for protection from the impending end. Some faiths are exclusive, others inclusive. Some wish to convert every last soul, while others worry only about themselves. And some gods even walk the land of Arga itself, ruling with unrivaled might.
 
Arga is strange, old, and rugged. It is a world of violence, exploration, crude and dark magics, selfish gods, and heroes with an angle. Arga is a bashed-in head, left in a shadowy alley still grinning with it's tongue in it's cheek.

I am looking forward to seeing more of this develop. Especially the clockwork mechanism part.

Just a question- steampunk, while fun, may perhaps be overdone... have you considered candlepunk? 1790s/1820s technology. Or are you planning on a more 1890s technology level?

How precipitous has this decline been?  Were things 'fine' at some point in the no-so-distant past?  Or are the sages of the current day pouring over old tomes for some clue how this started?
Is this a human-only world? I see notations as to some races that are absent, but i am making sure.

Is there a particular system that this is tied to, as that will tell me something about the magic you describe?

Speaking of Steerpike-- "city of Illix," :o

QuoteIn a blue glass jar Brother Hilael carried the hand of one of these creatures, twitching and grabbing with an unholy fervor.

Amusing. Very pulpish.

So in terms of myths and faery tales, you are venturing outside of the usual greco-roman ones correct? Will we see arabian, egyptian, norse, ukrainian/slavic, latin american myths? It seems that is what you are offering.

[ooc]Here is a rough map of Arga with the most prominent places pointed out. Enjoy. [/ooc]

Pretty cool start. :)

I like your map and would be interested in learning more about the Sea of Ghosts, as much for its eerie name as its odd almost circular shape.

The map is drawn in a good style but is pretty confusing. It's hard to tell land and sea apart. Darkening one or the other even slightly would do wonders.

That is a very nice map, however Ghostman makes a good point, initially its a tad confusing before you get the hang of it. I don't know if you want to make it easier to read, or if that will ruin the style.

Quote from: GhostmanThe map is drawn in a good style but is pretty confusing. It's hard to tell land and sea apart. Darkening one or the other even slightly would do wonders.

Took me a while to figure it out as well, so I'd have to say I agree. The easiest way of differentiating is coloring the ocean. I took the liberty of coloring a low-rez copy of your map to showcase what I mean...  [spoiler] [/spoiler]

@ Elemental Elf - would it be asking to much if you could color the larger map I posted the same way? I only have the most basic of photo editing programs as my computer is also, for a lack of a better word - basic. (If you want to throw in any extra flourishes while keeping with the look, go for it.)