Samsara

[Captain Dormos]

Hey, I'm a guy from awhile ago. Gunna post my stuff on here. Most of this is copy/paste. Its really an everexpanding world, so I'm going to add stuff all the time.

Samsara is a world renewed. Just within the past hundred or so years has civilization got back up on its feet from the rampage of The Avatar, a human corrupted by the power granted by the Goddess of Death and Winter. Much of the knowledge of the old kingdoms have been lost to time. All that remain now are three kingdoms. The Flavus Empire, the Takkurah, and the People's Kingdom of Koreyu. As a note, this is a campaign setting that isn't finished. I don't know if it'll ever be. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Also, be as critical as possible. "The keenest blade is made in the harshest forge."

-KINGDOMS OF SAMSARA-

To the deserts of the east, there's the Takkurah. This is kingdom has a very heavy arabic flavor, and is heavily influenced by the CS Lewis book "A Horse and his Boy". May several hundred years ago, the nomadic tribes of the Desert united to destroy the many rogue Janni that roamed. After the spirits were defeated, the champions went on to form the royal and nobel structure. Because the champions were mostly fighter-typed in class, a warrior lifestyle pervades most of the Takkurah's citizens. Despite this, peace is highly prized. Their main exports include glass, small clockwork devices (-very- valuable, and only possessed by the obscenely wealthy, aka Kings). Since most of the land is hot, dry desert, they import alot of Rice from Koreyu and cattle from the Flavus Empire to sustain thier citizens. Its chiefly ruled in a caste system, much like the ancient hindu settlements.

Another important kingdom is the Flavus Empire. The name is taken from an ancient kingdom that exsisted over a thousand years ago, in an attempt to achieve its predecessor's level of glory. However, a little known fact is that the Flavus Empire was decimated at the hands of a single person. A powerful avatar of the Goddess of Frozen Death, Skaeru (spelled that way only so I can use an umlat when I'm writing). The Avatar has alot to do with the first storyline the characters will encounter, and the devistating affect the Avatar had on the continent will echo throughout future stories.

Anyway, more about the modern Flavus Empire. Its very heavily themed with traditional D&D elements, with a heavy undertone of high-mideval England. During earlier ages, the Caliphate extended its power over the central plains. However, the natives there really didn't like it. Chief Isaac of the Beircheart Tribe united all the nomadic 'Barbarian' tribes under the banner of the ancient Flavus, taking seat in the ancient capital of Cadocia. They successfully defeated the Caliphate's most celebrated general (some historical intracacies I've not worked out yet), and became an autonomous Kingdom. Religion is very important to the citizens of the Flavus Empire. While not monothiestic, its highly looked down upon to not consider thier chief god a part of the Pantheon. Wizadry (as the traditional D&D world knows it) is outlawed, and the only ones who may cast spells are liscenced Sorcerers and Clerics. Sorcerers, when discovered, are removed from thier homes and relocated to special towns where the sorcerers may live in peace. While much of the magic community finds this a violation of human rights, the gift of magic use is too rare for them to have any type of voice. Your average citizen is unlikely to see a single use of non-divine magic in thier lifetime. The Empire is having a growing poverty problem. The aristocratic elite (most of which are merchants) horde both money and food from the peasants, forcing many to the lives of rogues and mercanaries. Because most people take thier time growing food to survive, very few goods are actually made. Clothes are usually home made, and shoes are reserved for winter use in the northern regions of the empire. The main imports are spices (including salt) from the Takkurah, and various foodstuffs (Fish, Rice) and silk from Korayu.

Finally we have Korayu. Korayu is based largely off a mix of ancient Korea, Thailand, and Tibet. The southern edge of the kingdom is all jungle, with a large mountain range that expands for most of the country. While the jungle portion is ruled by a peaceful communist system (a successful one, unlike that of real life societies), various mountain valley kingdoms are ran as citystates. The city states may accept being thrown under the heading of the "People's Kingdom of Korayu", they feel no allegence to the communist leaders. This comunist aspect is very rare in preindustrialized worlds. However in Korayu, its mainly by tradition. When the Avatar laid waste to the kingdoms, her second move was on the Korayu. She claimed that they were in league with the often thought of evil Ratkin of the western fens. Korayu was utterly demolished except for a few families, who regrouped in the southern jungles and rebuilt thier kingdom by scratch under basic communist ideals (equal pay for everyone, everyone does what thier best at, etc. etc.) As the city grew into multiples, some disliked the idea. Instead of being aggressive, the government helped these individuals find peace in the mountain valleys. Because of the specialization that many citizens can go in to, the many crafts in Korayu are considered rich and elegant. They export alot of gold, jade, and rice. Thier chief imports include spices from the Takkurah and beef, timber, and wheat from the Flavus.

   The New Settlement
 Within the past fifteen years, a new island has been discovered to the west of the Civilized Continent. Most citizens tell the difference between the new lands as the 'New World' and the 'Old World'. At this point a single city has been established, first by the Flavus. Through negotiations, the 'New City' (called Psion by some, Salem by others) has become a shining jewel  of internation co-operations. Currently there is a rather hot debate about what exactly to name the town. The Three Kingdoms decided to let that fall on the citizens of the city, so any name is possible.

-RACES OF SAMSARA-

   The Ratkin
In the modern world, the Ratkin are just a myth. It is thought that the Avatar eliminated them all over a thousand years ago. As a DM secret, however, there are a few tribes that still exsist, allthough they have not come into contact with humans yet (heck, the last time they did, they were almost completely obliterated).

   Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings
After the fall of the Korayu Empire, the demihumans caught wind of what was going on. As a self preservation tactic, they all dissappeared. Elves are rumored to have fled to another continent, along with most of the gnomes. Halflings are said to have migrated to the Northern Wastes, living in deep burrows, abandoning thier nomadic ways. Dwarves burrowed downwards as far as they could, blocking off all entrance ways to thier tunnels. It has only been within the past 200 years that dwarves have re-emerged and had contacts with humans once more.

    Orcs and Goblinoids
Orcs and Goblinoids live in nomadic tribes, much like your sterotypical barbarian. While Orcs stick mainly to the western fens and the centeral plains, goblins have been scene everywhere. Many have adapted to thier enviroments, making different 'breeds' depending on thier location (desert goblins, tundra goblins, mountain goblins, etc.)

   Goblins and their Breeds

Goblins have adapted to thier surroundings.

Mountain Goblins
Mountain Goblins are your standard variety of goblins, found mainly in the Korayu Mountain Range.

Snow Goblins
For Snow Goblins, I use thier entry in the Frostburn book. They live in the Northern Wastelands.

Jungle Goblins
Jungle Goblins live in the wild jungles of Korayu. They are slightly taller than normal goblins, and have perfected spear fighting to an art in thier 'culture'.
Alterations:
AC 14 (+1 Size, +3 Studded Leather)
Str 13, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8
Feats:
Scent
- Jungle Goblins have elongated noses, used to sniff out thier prey

Desert Goblins
Desert Goblins reside in the Takkurah Desert as Nomads. They are shorter than thier cousins, and are immune to the heat of the scorching desert. They do not wear any substantial armor. Because of this, thier skin is naturally leathery.
Alterations
AC 14 (+1 size, +1 Natural Armor, +2 Dex)
Str 8, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8

   Half-Elves, Half Orcs, Etc.
Half Orcs do not exsist, due to the fact that orcs and humans are two completely different species. It is more common for goblins and orcs to breed, but such a scourge has not been encountered for hundreds of years. Elves, thought by many scholars to be a similar form of human, do have the ability to breed with humans. In modern times, however, half-elves are nonexsistent. Many powerful aristocrats do claim to have elven blood in thier veins, however.

   Gnomes
 I dislike gnomes. They're nothing but an excuse for technology. While gnomes are no longer part of the known world, I doubt they'll return. Because I dislike them.

-GODS OF SAMSARA-

   Chief Pantheon
Ifreet, Lord of Fire
Domains: Fire, Chaos, Nobility
Ifreet is thought to be the Patriach of the Flavus Empire, and the inspiration that gave King Isaac, the first king of the Second Empire, the urge to free Flavus from the Takkurah.
Due to the heroic aspect Ifreet is given, anyone who does not follow him is very highly looked down upon. Apart from this fact, it is illegal to establish a temple to anyone but Ifreet or Ifreet's children. He is often credited with creating humans, though this idea is only accepted by priests in Flavus.

Marid, Lady of Water
Domains: Water, Storm, Family
If Ifreet is the Patriach, then Marid is considered the Matriarch. The most motherly of the goddesses, she is also worshipped by nurses, teachers, and wetnurses. Her main body of followers are in Korayu, and some settlements in the western fens. Worship in the northern wastelands is practically unknown.

Teh'Rah, Lord of Terrain
Domains: Darkness, Cavern, Earth
Teh'Rah is the second oldest brother in the chief pantheon. He commands all things tied to the earth below. He is the chief god of the Dwarves, but generally ignored by all but a few city states in the Korayu Mountainrange.

Fuh, Lady of Wind
Domains: Air, War, Charm
Fuh, as stated, is the Matriach of the Wind. She is generally reguarded as a benevolent deity in Flavus and the Northern Wastes, and thought to be evil in Korayu and Takkurah. She is also known to be an active Goddess, as many Paladins, Fighters, and Athletes follow her teachings. She is known to have two daughters, the dark Skaeru, whom it is said she concieved herself, and Ahpalla, the god of the Sun, Heir to the pantheon.

Iblis, Demon of Nothingness
Domains: Hate, Metal, Illusion
Even though Iblis is a god, his worship is all but unknown. There is no record of Iblis followers in modern history. It is commented in some historical accounts that the Ratkin used to worship the deity, but no modern contact has been made with that species to verify this. It is also rumored that a few city states in Korayu worship Iblis, allthough none of the cases prove to be true. Iblis is generally thought of to be an evil god, having no care for anyone, not even his siblings. Many in the modern age chalk Iblis up to be nothing but a horror story that parents tell thier children at night in order to get them to behave.

   Lower Pantheon

Skaeru, Goddess of the End
Portfolio: Death, Winter, Passing of Time
Domains: Death, Winter, Evil
Skaeru is the daughter of Iblis and Marid. In ancient times, she was identified with the ravages of winter, and was only worshiped in the Northern Wastes. In modern times her ministries are almost all but forgotten. A few outposts in the northern wastes worship her, but they are under the premise that she is a wonderful, benevolent Goddess. She often feels that her father is useless and lazy, selecting Avatars to take vengence on the world for him.

Aphalle, Child of the Sun
Portfolio: Sun, Love, Truth
Domains: Sun, Law, Good
Aphalle is the son of Marid and Ifreet. According to the ancient myths, Marid and Ifreet were lovers, despite the fact they were already married. One night the two stole away to make love to eachother. When Ifreet's phallus entered Marid, she became pregnant instantly, conceiving Aphalle on the spot. Aphalle burned bright with the passion the two felt for eachother, shedding light on the two lovers. Iblis was furious that his wife cheated on him. He forever declared a Jihad against the followers of Ifreet, and forbid Marid to ever see him again.

Muse, the Ideal of Perfection
Portfolio:Music, Artistry, Creativity
Domains:Travel, Trickery, Charm
Daughter of Teh'Rah and Lady Fuu, Muse is the Patron of Bards and other artists. Her temples are dotted across the land, mainly around centers of culture.

-MAGIC IN SAMSARA-
 Magic, in general, is very uncommon. Like in your common campaign setting, there's both arcane and divine magic.

 Divine Magic
 Divine magic is magic channeled through the gods. Generally, this is the magic of Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Rangers. In the realm of Samsara, the Goddess of Culture, Muse, offers some small power to Bards. While their spell selection mechanically includes their normal lists, Bardic Magic is considered Divine for all intensive purposes. In the Flavus Kingdom, many can't tell the difference between Bardic Magic and Clerical Magic anyway. Koreyu treat bards very highly, as they act as the main way news spreads throughout the country. Bards from Takkurah are treated as nothing more than Clerics of Muse.

 Arcane Magic
 Arcane magic is a little different. Magic is not a normal thing. Studying magic takes years...and it is generally looked down upon by many cultures. In the Flavus kingdom, studying magic is completely illegalized. There is not enough public outcry to change this...much of the country is near or below the poverty level, and those who would have the money to afford such schooling care too little or are too lazy to do it. This does not mean that it doesn't happen, however. Much of the magic in Flavus comes from the Sorcerers. Once a person comes to display the abilities, word quickly reaches government officials who remove the individual from the home and stick them in private cities and schools. This is done for multiple reasons. Sorcerers in Samsara are very similar to the Mutant Gene in Marvel Comics. Those who can do it can do it at all levels...its just the process of taking control of and understanding their powers. Sorcerers in Flavus are entered into private schools that teach them the 'proper' way to use their magic...which is the way the government decides they should be used. Many sorcerers are entered in to the Flavian Army. Rumors persist that there is a 'weapons build-up' of sorcerers happening amongst the Flavian ranks, with plans to attack other kingdoms. Spies are unable to verify this, but the rumors persist.

In Koreyu, magic is generally a welcomed part of society. Sorcerers are also helped in developing their powers if they wish, though many see sorcery no different than having a talent for woodworking or shop keeping. Many potential sorcerers (as few as their are) usually end up doing something else they have more interest in. Those who have an interest in magic but are not graced with the power of sorcery do have a chance to study. There are assessment tests for such things, though...if a person scores high enough they are given the chance. Since studying magic requires a very high intelegence, none but the smartest are given permission. If permission is given, a proper tutor is selected, and the student is placed under their care.

The Takkurah dislike non-divine magic all together. Being a society based upon Fighters and Warriors, magic is seen as the path of Liars, Cheats, and Djinn. Much magic is like the powers of the Djinn, which causes fears in many small uninformed communities. The government reportedly kills all those who practice magic. Sorcerers are exiled to other parts of the continent, and Wizards are imprisioned away from their books.

 Technology
 Technology is, generally, magic defined. Most technology is explained by the existence of gnomes for many D&D campaign worlds. The technology in the world is helped along by the existance of magic. Many Sorcerers and Wizards choose a life of peaceful scientific developement. Many breakthroughs have come to frutation due to this. Wizards in Koreyu have recently developed what is known as 'clockwork technology', used in time keeping and toys for the rich Flavian merchants and nobility. Generally the technology level matches that of your typical D&D campaign. The most amazing technological developement is the discovery of Portal Magic. Through study of teleportation magic and good old fashion archeology, Flavian Sorcerers have nearly perfected the use of portals. The Empire has convinced Takkurah and Koreyu to build a portal in the new city, to make it easier to transport supplies back and forth. Of course, many conspiracy theories are circulating that this is nothing but a power grab by a corrupt society.

(To Be Continued...)

[Xathan]

Now that my brain is fuctioning, here are some coherent comments. :)

I like it, alot. Very well thought out, and the three kingdoms concept is very cool, with the added bonus of keeping things from becoming too complex. The influence of CS Lewis is obvious, which isn't a bad thing: most settings are Tolkienesque, so it's refreshing to see a Lewisian world. BTW, what does the word Samsara mean? I know I've heard it before, possibly in relation to hi nduism or buddism.

Questions I have: It looks like, for the players, the options for races are: Human, Dwarf, Orc, or XXXX Goblin. If that's what you are going for, that's fine, though I think that is a bit limited. My questions are did you intend to make it that way, or are the other races still viable options? Also, what will you do if someone has a burning desire to play an elf, halfling, or even a ratkin.

Speaking of which, I'd like to know more about them. I know they are only a minor portion of your world, but I'm very curious about them.

As for magic: if all Arcane casters are peacfully locked away or prevented from studying, what happens to people who want to play an arcane caster? Do they have to play a renegade sorcerer, or a bard? Are their any people who secretly teach magic?

I think that brings me to my largest question about your setting: Where is the conflict? Most of the races fled to distant lands, the three kingdoms get along, the leaders of all three a benevolent, the only question about the new land is what to name the new city, arcane casters are not treated poorly enough to rebel...so what would you do as an adventurer?

Anway, that's my 2cp for now. Great stuff, overall: keep updating! :)

[Captain Dormos]

Samsara is actually not quite representative of what's happening in this world. Samsara is a buddhist term, for the painful cycle of death and rebirth. Existance itself is pretty painful, so being here just kind of sucks.

Most of this stuff is copy/pasted from the original WotC forum. I have two notebooks filled with stuff that I need to write in here. The conflict itself, really, has little to do with the setting itself. I have two conflicts right now for two different groups of people I'm running. One has to do with New City. There's a lot of different things that can happen to a colonized city (including the discovery of Wild Elves, but that's described down a bit). The other has to do with the city of Aesgil, an outpost in the Northern Wastes. The reason why there's so few conflicts is because I haven't written it yet. Also, I keep my world -very- open ended for my players. I place them in it, and let things fall like my own little political commentary (three kingdoms: One Korea-esque, one like the Middle Eastern countries, and a third with Western Ideology?). Actually I guess Samsara does have a lot to do with this stuff.

Spellcasters are not 'locked up'. Perhaps I described it wrong. In a traditional Magic setting,   'normal' people study magic, and strange people have it naturally. In Samsara, Sorcerers are thought to normal (though still disliked and untrusted in parts of Flavus), and the study of magic is thought to be strange and unnatural. Just because of this, it doesn't mean that there aren't people who study magic. Just that there is very few of them. The common person can't tell the difference between Bardic magic and Acting. Sorcerers are taken from Flavus society when their powers come to fruitation so the Flavus government knows where they are. Magic is a threat to society, against those who don't know it. This is another possible conflict.

Actually as of right now, the two base races are Humans and Dwarves. Like the Rokugan campaign setting, Ratkin, Elves (Wild, Moon, Drow), and Halflings do exist, but they are far from common and are more likely to keep away from human society due to past transgressions.

The main goal of my setting was to make an open-ended world that my players can do anything they wanted. Of course, the world just doesn't revolve around them. Lots of stuff still happens. Just haven't written it down yet :)

[Velox]

This looks cool. The three kingdoms are simple but flavorful. Oftentimes people strive too hard to make cultures that are unique from those we have here on earth, but I think that is a mistake. Places like Tukkurah, Flavus, and Korayu are representative of nations here on earth, but it's often more fun to be from them. Real-world nations are oftentimes shady and flawed, like most modern communist countries, for example. In a fantasy game, you can present such a society in a completely different light (which you have done). People often use the liberty one has when making a game world to do silly or unnecessary things. This seems like the opposite.

I'm usually not one for limiting player race options, but for some games it works. Wheel of Time, for example, really only allows humans. But what that does is forces players to build a character more upon history, striving to be different for something other than race. Not everyone is going to settle for a no/few-elf policy (something I personally support); unless you know your players, you can expect some fan-boys to decline.

Why the decision to do away with half orcs? I personally like them, but aside from my own opinions, I was curious. Is there a particular reason? I suppose if someone likes to play half orcs, they could just play an orc instead...

The Avatar/Skaeru storylines sounds interesting... let's hear more about that and a bit more about what the world was like before that (or whatever people know about it -history makes me happy).

Yay for mysterious and uncommon magic. Magic as normally presented is boring. I beleive that changing up magic a bit from DnD standards adds alot of flavor and life to a fantasy game.

Overall it seems simple and appealing.

[Captain Dormos]

The Avatar/Skaeru storyline is the most developed point of history I have, because its directly related to Aesgil. I'm cleaning up my notes and writing it up soon.

The reason I did away with half orcs is just like I said. Humans and Orcs are obviously two completely different creatures. Elves, dwarves, and halflings are at least conceivably a similar species.

[Numinous]

I like your gods, very simple.  The family structure is used a lot, but it really works here.  Do you plan to make the pantheon a prominent part of the world?  Besides Skaeru I mean...  Or is it there just for clerics and background information?

[Soup Nazi]

Real-world nations are oftentimes shady and flawed, like most modern communist countries, for example.

Like most real world nations period. Turin once posed a curious questions to me. He asked me if I could name one good aligned government in the history of mankind...I found it quite challenging.

-Nasty-

[Captain Dormos]

The reason why Skaeru is so important is because she works in with one of the adventures I'm running. Iblis and Aphalle are also going to be important in the stories I'm creating, but I'd love to see some one else take my settings and use that as a place for other things to happen. There's tons of things that could happen in this world, and no matter how much I create or play, it'll never be as interesting as if others spun their own tales. Overall I guess for what I'm writing now, they're pretty much just Cleric Information. However I do let my players and...well, anyone who wants to...think up of stories and stuff if they feel like it.

[Velox]

I kind of got the feeling that this was a story-driven game rather than a "Here, I created an intricate world, now you will play in it" game. Story games are cool, and probobly the way to go. I've tried the former, and it's difficult.

As far as getting someone else to play with your setting...  I say good luck, although you might not need much of it. I can easily imagine the lazier gamers out there coming to this site and playing using one of the many homebrew settings available. I think most of the registered members would rather toy around with and play their own CS, but some of these guys have 3 or 4 settings. We need to start advertising... "Free Campaign Settings! Not Half-Baked Garbage! Not FR or Ebberon, either! Somethin different!"

[Captain Dormos]

Heh, while it would be awesome to hear of other people play my setting, I don't really expect them to. I agree with the advertisement, though. We could up traffic, heh.