Celtricia-World of Factions-Re-Introduction

[LordVreeg]

This thread is in response to a lot of comments over the last few years.  Complaints that the threads for Celtricia were too dense or too long to even get started on were heeded, as were the comments that many of the posts were very specific, and that the need to go back and spend a ton of time going through a thread was daunting.  Or painful.
Whatever.

So the specific point of this particular thread is to post the new, revamped basic intro to the Celtricia setting and game, and then a second post on the longer, more "GM-oriented' intro page.  For people familiar with the setting, I'd like to know if they ring true or if I am missing anything that you think is critical.  For those who have not been familiar, I'd like to know if you are getting a clear feel for the setting, and is it condusive to wanting to play in it or at least be interested in it.
I also linked the wiki pages these come from; since they might be a bit better read on the wiki, as an option.

The setting and paired ruleset  has been a long project; closing on 30 years now.   And with denseness comes the need to go back and rewrite and cull, as well as reformat.  This is an attempt to reformat the introduction to the setting.  Maybe I'll go into the way the rules synergized later.  

And since this is a very directed, precise thread, feel free to post directly in it.

[LordVreeg]

Basic Intro to Celtricia

From Here...
[ooc=Setting Overview 1]

History, in some ways, repeats.  But it is in the small ripples of hope sent out by acts of courage, and of ideals, that truly stamp a time and place as uniquely memorable.  The times of our peoples, of all peoples, is full of unwritten and unremembered bowing down and swimming with the current.  It is the ennobled stand against the waves of time that we remember, and call history.
-Shar Losly, First of the Way of the Hero and Fool, Stenron, 114 RON



The Feel of Living in Celtricia

Imagine living on a continent that was so big no one you had ever met knew the size of it, with huge open spaces between settements. Imagine existing, and sometimes struggling, in an existence where civilized folks crowd together for safety, where tribes of humanoids range around the wildlands between cities, where ferocious predators stalk herds of giant herbivores, and where the night is often terrorized by walking dead searching out the unprotected living.  The space between settlements is huge, and except in the most civilized of climes, dangerous.  


At the same time, this is no feudal world. Temples heal the sick as often as not, and magic replaces the need for some technology, and this magic, while not overly powerful, is present enough to allow time for the philosophies and political awakenings of an advanced society.  And since only one in twenty can 'touch the void', as magic is called, this is a component in social class, though wealth as well as political and guild rank, create a web of social interaction.  

The religions of the world compete daily; and the sacredness and protection of a soul after death is of great importance.  Unshriven souls have trouble breaking the bonds of earth without help from the priests of the world, so undead and necromancy are all around the people of Celtricia...and everyone feels their presence, especially at night.

The last impression that Celtricia should give is the weight of ancient civilizations over everything and everyone. The most indifferent farmer has heard legends from the past referenced while at temple, and has passed ruins or seen ancient buildings in a town, while scholars pour over the incomplete and patchwork written works of over eight thousand years of recorded history.


From a player's standpoint, the things that differentiate this game in terms of the setting is a system that focusses on skills, allowing for as much social gaming as combat.  Character's grow in many skills, and mainly in just the ones they use, so the creation and development of each character is different.

Players all belong to various guilds, churches, organizations, or all of the above, with the social web thus woven being a tremendous starting point, and the player is expected to move from there, building relationships and alliances.  Players will be enmeshed in a world that is very aware of social status and social level; but the traditional social order is much more in flux due to the rise of merchant guilds; and this constant social battle between Guild, God and Country is huge, and sometimes the choices are not clear.

Players who adventure do so as a means, not as an end.  Armed conflict is very real and violence, while somewhat hidden in the wealthier areas of a town, exist in duels and in the lower class areas..and outside the walls, unnaculturated tribals and huge, powerful beasts make self defence a decided necessity.

Racial issues are real in Celtricia, as the tribal Ogrillite races such as the orcash have started to acculturate in some areas, yet not others.  The ancient races such as the fey Omwo~ have shrunk and also have faced acculturation, and the prominence of the state over the race has become reality.  
[/ooc]

[LordVreeg]

In-Depth Intro...

From Here...

[ooc=Setting Overview 2]

The Setting Overview

Celtricia is a large world, created for size and depth. The world has room to spare so that a multitude of cultures and clashing ideologies exist simultaneously. The general feeling daily existence of the setting is one of open space and resources still abundantly available, but also one of danger in these wild areas. There is also a major theme of layered histories, with cultures going back over ten thousand years. Open areas that current inhabitants may look on as open space can hide the ruins of major ancient cities, and every child's tale has roots in the tragedies of elder days.



The world itself is almost two and a half times the square mileage of earth, and is a satellite orbiting the binary start system of Tribin and Gerin (so named by the Omwo~ people). Neither Tribin or Gerin is as hot as Sol (Earth's sun), but together they produce slightly more heat. Gerin is a smaller, cooler orange/red star, and orbits the larger Tribin in the same period in which the Celtrician planet rotates upon its axis. Because of these unique solar and planetary mechanics, the Celtrician day dawns red, when only Gerin's lesser and reddish light illumines the planet's surface. As the Celtrician planet rotates through its day, The larger Tribin seems to revolve around red Gerin, producing a distinctly 'rose' light again as evening approaches. In the final 10 days of the Omwo~ month (see calendars), Gerin appears in front of Tribin throughout the day, during which time Gerin is referred to as "the red eye of Tribin." On the lithe day between the Omwo~ months, Gerin is eclipsed by Tribin and the day has a more yellow dawn and evening. The Celtrician planet also has two satellites of its own, and therefore two lunar cycles.



Celtricia is over two and a half times the size of our Earth, with 4 major continental groups. The history of this world (known to the Westic populace as the Tale of Years) is well over ten thousand years old, although most of it is hidden to the inhabitants in the mists of time, and thus the players have only found choice little bits of this. The History is divided into the Age of Legends, the Age of Heroes, and the Age of Statehood. Some will say that the Age of Statehood is coming to an end, and that Celtricia is transitioning into the "Age of Culture," but the people who use the Reckoning of Nebler (RON) to mark the date often just call the current period since the time of the founding of the Theocracy of Nebler "The Common Age."

Celtricia is a 'diverse setting', as opposed to a 'concept setting' or 'thematic setting,' in that the scope of the world and history has been created in such a way as to allow for multiple campaign themes. Even though there is one great history and creation mythos, there are multiple overarching 'adventure themes', such as: the search for the lost god Amerer; and also for the broken god of lost causes, Pablar; the rediscovery of the Magic of the Shade; the release of the Dreadwing; and Y'gorl's Curse.


With all of those deep and fantastic storylines, it is vital to grasp that the Celtrician setting is a world where the presence and necessity of magic has slowed the growth of technology to a crawl. The curious and intellectually superior explore the laws of magic, instead of science, and have discovered ways to bend physics to their wills. Artificers are paid to create a town clock that can be seen on top of a temple, Earth and Animist mages create the Marcher cow breed that produces an average 8 gallons of milk a day, and Fire and Air mages dominate a battleground... of what use is science here? Ships are never becalmed and are pushed along the water by Air magic, and major cities can communicate instantly through guilds that specialize in mentalist magic. Through the ability to channel power and structure it from the eleven sources, daily jobs are made easier, and even miracles can happen.



The 'necessity of magic' comes from a major component of the Celtrician experience, that of the Migration of the Spirit. The ancient name for Celricia is the 'Waking Dream', and it is considered the space between life and death. In broad terms, The Celestial Planars let loose spirit energy into the Well of Life, and this is what inhabits every new birth. Continuing this journey after death, the souls migrate to the Well of Death, where their merits are judged before they are free to continue through the Well of Death and reabsorbed by a Planar. However, the key here is that the journey from death is long and difficult, taking decades or centuries, asuming the spirit is free to leave the 'Waking Dream' at all. Necromantic magics can greatly aid the spirit in freeing itself and travelling through the void, and can also protect it from other forces. These are called Shriving Necromancies, and while strange and difficult, such practitioners are seeen as beneficial. Necromacy is also, however, the vehicle for snaring and enslaving spirits, or for those who are not ready to leave Celtricia. Those who face death in Celtricia may fear it, but more, they fear dying alone, unshriven, their spirit tied to the 'Waking Dream' and an eventual puppet of some unscrupulous Necromancer.


To call Celtricia merely a 'medieval setting' would be inelegant. The Countries of Trabler and the Bright Lands might be best compared to the Dutch Republic as it moved towards its zenith, with the strong local governments and the plutocratic emphasis. Gunpowder has not been created due to the availability of magic. This availability eventually created a fairly modern approach to trade, fully backed by insurance, speculation, guilds and even corporations recently. The Grey March may feature the public wearing of togas, but their enlightened republic, complete with seperate powers of elected Consuls and the Courts of Reason and freedom of religion and emphasis on the rights and responsibilities of the individual, has nothing to do with medieval Europe. So while technology as we view it on Earth is little advanced in Celtricia, magic has advanced far enough that culture, philosophy, communication, monetary policy and political science would be more analogous to our Age of Reason and the following Age of Enlightenment. Even in terms of gender equality, Magic has acted as an equalizer. Celtricia as a whole is roughly three-fifths female, and that ratio holds true for those who can touch the void.

An outsider may see the setting as the 'World of Factions.' Tybalt the Unquenchable from the Campaign Builder's Guild mentioned that the rules have begotten a setting rife with interwoven guilds, churches, secret organizations, and political entities. The short list of what can be considered 'Sacred' would be God, Guild, and Country in that order. Many of these guilds and organizations are older than countries and at least as powerful. Churches and religious groups are often very ancient, and the Collegium Arcana is older, more wealthy and better placed than any mere state.

It could be said that the 'factionalism,' and incredible diversity of the politcal, religious, martial, economic, and political entities is what makes Celtricia so vibrant. One should not, however, get the impression that Celtricia is affected by urban sprawl. Days and weeks of travel can be done without passing a hint of civilization in every country. The tribal humanoids and wild creatures generally have no shortage of empty, wide-open areas... places where strong creatures have no law but their own.

There are racial issues alive in Celtricia as well. Small Hobyts and the strong Orcash are the most numerous races in Celtricia, followed by the three original clans of the Humans, the ancient Omwo~ (Elven), the Klaxik (Dwarven), the Gnomic, and the Gartier. These races comprise the primary inhabitants of Celtricia that are within the civilized world. Understand, however, that it is considered an effect of culture to be able to integrate and work with other races, especially in the North-West Cradle areas where Orcash live side-by-side with Omwo~. Barabarians are tribal, integrated cultures are civilized. So in hyper-integrated cultures, race is considered much less of a divider than Guild or Country, however you will find many areas that hold to their own.

But this very disintegration of racial identity is another dynamic that needs attention. The Omwo~, the firstborn servants of the Planars, are a race in remmision. Many ancient writings point to the advent of humans as a replacement for the Omwo~. The Stunatu, the Klaxiks, Gnomics, and Hobyts, were created to be workers, servants of others, back in the Age of Legends. In the last five centuries, the humans, who were created to replace the Omwo~ as the stewards of the 'Waking Dream' in most older religious texts, have watched the Hobyts outpace and supplant them with a cheeful, hard-working smile. And overshadowing that, the even more recent inclusion of many of the the Ogrillite races, the servants and tools created to defend the Cairnhold in the Age of Legends, and the bloody-handed soldiers of Arbor and the Dreadwing throughout the Age of Heroes and the early Age of Statehood, into the sunlit streets, shops, and even governments of today's Celtricia.

Despite the social and intellectual progress, Celtricia is still a world of violence and gritty conflict. Life can be very cheap in the under-town of Stenron or the dockside of Igbar, especially for those unfamiliar with the local customs. The wilderness areas that stretch for unbroken miles between settled areas are even more dangerous, with tribal humanoids and wild beasts protecting their own territories. But even more dangerous are the areas left by ancient civilizations to protect their secrets. There is mud in the alley ways of Igbar, and under the bright, dappled domes on the street of the gods in fabled Stenron, there are huge sewers, which bespeaks an often unfortunate realism. Violence and death are daily realities in for the inhabitants of this world.

Celtricia is a world in motion. Some people seek to rediscover the artifacts and secrets of the Age of Legends, when the world was young. At the same time, others are forging forward with clumsy and powerful movements, as nations clash and ideologies contest.
[/ooc]

[O Senhor Leetz]

Excellent stuff as always, Mr. Vreeg. I like the opening word of "Imagine." For me, I get everything I thing I think I need to know within the first 4 paragraphs - the rest is somewhat of a "Wall-O-Text": informative and applicable, but somewhat threatening nonetheless.

Maybe put the rest of the points after the first key 3-4 paragraphs into spoiler tabs so that readers can click them as they see fit? Like a tab for "Races", "Religions", "Guilds", etc.

[Weave]

First of all, this is a very solid introduction, if I do say so myself. I wish this was around when I started playing, to be honest! I was particularly drawn to the lunar cycle, which I actually knew little of; I know it's not the crux of the setting, but I want to know more about each moon and its unique colors they give off.

Excellent stuff as always, Mr. Vreeg. I like the opening word of "Imagine." For me, I get everything I thing I think I need to know within the first 4 paragraphs - the rest is somewhat of a "Wall-O-Text": informative and applicable, but somewhat threatening nonetheless.

Maybe put the rest of the points after the first key 3-4 paragraphs into spoiler tabs so that readers can click them as they see fit? Like a tab for "Races", "Religions", "Guilds", etc.

I'll echo the sentiments of Mr. Leetz and say the word "Imagine" can do wonders leading any paragraph I'm reading. It's a cue for fantasy goodness to follow. The in-depth intro does get a little onto the "wall of text" side of things, but I think adding some headers to a few of the paragraphs could go a long way in breaking things up into more manageable chunks to read. Otherwise, good stuff here. Looking forward to other entries!

...Honestly, what we really need is a "Celtricia for Dummies" book on the CBG. And, along those lines, a "Guildschool for Dummies" book, too.

[LordVreeg]

sometimes, when you put something on the CBG page vs on the wiki pages where this stuff normally lives, it is different than the wiki because of the lack of visuals and links.  One thing you cannot see on the pasted CBG page is the dozens of links embedded on the wiki pages.

First of all, this is a very solid introduction, if I do say so myself. I wish this was around when I started playing, to be honest! I was particularly drawn to the lunar cycle, which I actually knew little of; I know it's not the crux of the setting, but I want to know more about each moon and its unique colors they give off.

Excellent stuff as always, Mr. Vreeg. I like the opening word of "Imagine." For me, I get everything I thing I think I need to know within the first 4 paragraphs - the rest is somewhat of a "Wall-O-Text": informative and applicable, but somewhat threatening nonetheless.

Maybe put the rest of the points after the first key 3-4 paragraphs into spoiler tabs so that readers can click them as they see fit? Like a tab for "Races", "Religions", "Guilds", etc.

I'll echo the sentiments of Mr. Leetz and say the word "Imagine" can do wonders leading any paragraph I'm reading. It's a cue for fantasy goodness to follow. The in-depth intro does get a little onto the "wall of text" side of things, but I think adding some headers to a few of the paragraphs could go a long way in breaking things up into more manageable chunks to read. Otherwise, good stuff here. Looking forward to other entries!

...Honestly, what we really need is a "Celtricia for Dummies" book on the CBG. And, along those lines, a "Guildschool for Dummies" book, too.

Thanks for the positive feedback first...that always helps, and I know it is often harder on the older stuff.

I am also liking your ideas for intro pages onto the different subcategories.  I did magic once.  And it may help to prepare more of a layered 'intro' that way.  Hmm.

"For Dummies"?
Weave, Dummies don't play Guildschool...

[Ghostman]

I'd like to know if you are getting a clear feel for the setting, and is it condusive to wanting to play in it or at least be interested in it.

Overall it's painting a fairly clear picture. To better invoke interest in prospective players, you could add a few words on what sort of adventures they might look forward to - does the setting/system lend itself to fast-paced casual action, high-stakes nerve breaking suspense, Holmesian detective mysteries, chivalrous romance dramas, old skool dungeon crawling, etc?

The religions of the world compete daily; and the sacredness and protection of a soul after death is of great importance.  Unshriven souls have trouble breaking the bonds of earth without help from the priests of the world, so undead and necromancy are all around the people of Celtricia...and everyone feels their presence, especially at night.

This part could benefit from some revision. An unfamiliar reader would not know what shriving means, so could be confused by the word. The presense of undead and necromancy is defined vaguely; by the wording it could be interpreted as outright zombie apocalypse.

[Llum]

This part could benefit from some revision. An unfamiliar reader would not know what shriving means, so could be confused by the word. The presense of undead and necromancy is defined vaguely; by the wording it could be interpreted as outright zombie apocalypse.

Well, the last few sessions of the SIG have felt exactly like that :P

Speaking of sparking interest in players, perhaps a small blurb about the various campaigns/groups that have wandered around chunks of celtricia, like the Igbarians, the SIG, the Mistonians etc?

[LordVreeg]

I'd like to know if you are getting a clear feel for the setting, and is it condusive to wanting to play in it or at least be interested in it.

Overall it's painting a fairly clear picture. To better invoke interest in prospective players, you could add a few words on what sort of adventures they might look forward to - does the setting/system lend itself to fast-paced casual action, high-stakes nerve breaking suspense, Holmesian detective mysteries, chivalrous romance dramas, old skool dungeon crawling, etc?

I agree.  That would be a good addition, worth the space. 

The religions of the world compete daily; and the sacredness and protection of a soul after death is of great importance.  Unshriven souls have trouble breaking the bonds of earth without help from the priests of the world, so undead and necromancy are all around the people of Celtricia...and everyone feels their presence, especially at night.

This part could benefit from some revision. An unfamiliar reader would not know what shriving means, so could be confused by the word. The presense of undead and necromancy is defined vaguely; by the wording it could be interpreted as outright zombie apocalypse.

Well, there IS a level of zombie apocalypse in the setting.  A few groups have killed live tribal or acculterated opponents and found they had to fight the same enemies in undead form later if they did not profane the bodies or shrive the spirits.  There have been 2 major "CairnNight' periods, where undead have seriously gotten out of control and were led by more powerful creatures, and a number of minor simialr localized issues.  The whole first chapter of the New Legion Igbarian Campaign involved this. 
But I think describing what shriving is and does, and some historical incidents may help. I was trying to get that fear across without being too exact, but I agree, that after your repsonse, I should do somehting about it. 

[LordVreeg]

As to that Zombie apocalypse...
Does this page do well describing the feel of the way Celtricians view death and the passing of the spirit?


[ooc=Death, an end to one Journey and the Hopeful Beginning of Another]


Even in an existence with a somewhat unified cosmology, the fear of death can be strong, and history is full of myths describing the lengths people have gone to avoid the final end. Couple this with the tangible evidence of the soul and the horrors that can be inflicted on it, by way of undead which walk the Waking Dream, and a reader might get some insight into the particular fear of death and dying alone that lies beneath the surface.


The term "Migration of the Spirit" normally is used to describe the passage of the spirit of a deceased person from the Waking Dream to the Well of Death. It is the returning of the energy spent in the Well of Life to the Void, and of the eventual return of this soul back to the Waking Dream. Different faiths use different legends and perspectives to describe this event, but this passage is described almost universally.  And another phenomena that is universally described is the difficulty a spirit has in making this journey.  Some faiths or legends talk about the power of unfinished labors or relationships, some speak of the hold of collected memories or unnatoned sins, but the evidence of necromancy and the manifestations of bound spirits is obvious to the most cultured cityfolk.


For the personality of a person in Celtricia, this manifests as a fear of dying unshriven. For without the shriving magics, the soul of a creature can be tied to the Waking Dream for decades or centuries.  To die and become the toy of some careless, nefarious necromancer is the not-so secret fear of anyone with intelligence in the Waking Dream, except for a few death worshippers.

Shriving magics are literally magics which can protect a soul from other necromancy, and can aslo speed the journey into the Void to the Well of Death.


This is obviously a reincarnation mechanic, and one that is supported by the ability of some mentalist spells to actually unlock fragmented former life memories. Couple this with the ability of unscrupulous Necromancers to use the spirit wrongly, and this gives you the proper feel of the Migration of the Spirit.  Necromancers can shrive spirits and calm or learn from spirits, but some necromancers also use their powers to enslave these earthbound spirits.

Because of all of this, coupled with this very common and strong cultural fear of undeath is a very large population of undead creatures and undeath, as undead servants can last for centuries or even longer, as well as areas where the large amount of unshriven souls have found twisted, elongated, life hating existences.   Ancient batlegrounds, tribal feuds, barrow-lands, all of these can literally be over-run with dozens or even hundreds of souls unable to leave the Waking Dream finding vessels to continue.    Which makes the shriving priests an important position for most faiths, and the need to deal with undead a serious issue for any population and one of the reasons that in Celtricia, there are no small, isolated population centers.
[/ooc]