The Ninth World of Amalga [Discussion Thread]

[Elemental_Elf]

Welcome to The Ninth World of Amalga Discussion thread. Please post any and all questions, feedback and comments here.  :)

Some basic ideas about the setting (shamelessly borrowed from Seraphine_Harmonium's Cad Goleór thread):

Scope: The setting includes the continent of Amalga (pictured in the map), four moons and a veritable horde of other planes. The majority of the action, as it were, will be taking place on Amalga.

Political Climate: The once great Kingdom of Adeland has been forever shattered by the host of terrible events that rocked the continent over the course of the last two centuries. Now, there are many small, independent kingdoms ruled over by petty Kings. Some seek re-unification (under their leadership) while others just want to live the high life. Regardless, war and intrigue has become an ever present feature of daily life.

[note][/note]

Tech Level: Late medieval but the recent sundering of Adeland has very much pushed technology backwards a fair degree. Gone are the days of pomp and circumstance, now are the times of brutal efficiency and necessity.

Magic: There are four kinds of magic - That which is given, that which is taken, that which is borrowed and that which is created. Roughly, these equate to Divine, Arcane, Primal and Psionic. The average peasant will likely only ever see Divine magic performed in front of him, and even then it is a rare occurrence. Arcane Magic is almost totally unknown for the whole history of the Ninth World as the Wizards of Umbria and the Mages of Ixen have closely guarded the secrets of the arcane. That changed when Nelos - god of Magic from the Second World - manifested in Ninth World. Second World was best known for its overuse of Arcane magic and was freely taught to all with aptitude. Nelos seeks to bring the same knowledge to the masses of Ninth World (especially given all of the recent tragedies) but his efforts are often violently curtailed by the Umbrians and Ixens. Primal Magic is the oldest magic of all, deriving from the First World's Centaurs. However, the magic holds little sway in the Ninth World. Psionic Magic is the least difficult of all magics to learn but without strict mental discipline, it is fairly easy to snuff out one's own life (like a flame running through the wick of a candle in a flash). For this reason, Psionics are rarely seen or heard of. Magic Items are forged by powerful spellcasters but the best items are those that have survived through the various Worlds down to the present day. Particularly prized weapons are those from First World, where magic had few restraints.

Gods: The God Lord Liffrea created the Ninth World from the ashes of the Eighth. He alone was the only God, until Nelos arrived from Second World. When the latter manifested, he leaked divine energy across the whole of Amalga. Any creature touched by the energy was immediately empowered to that of a demi-god. Just as in worlds prior, the power of one's divinity could be increased by absorbing the divine energy of another god. When the new demi-gods learned of this fact, a terrible war was begun, which decimated the northern half of Amalga. A stalemate has arisen between the demi-gods that survived the butchery, bringing peace to the heavens. The Church of Liffrea - which ruled over the spiritual lives of all on Amalga - was deeply troubled by these "false gods." The Church actively purges what it sees as cultists worshiping pagan creatures and idols.

Races and Monsters: Though Liffrea only (re-)created the Humans, Elves and Dwarves, many other races survived the creation of Ninth World, including the Centaurs, Minotaurs, Gnomes, Halflings, Orcs, Goblins, etc. Additionally, many more races and hundreds of abhorrent, mythical and mystical creatures survived in the Elemental Slough and eventually found their way back to the material plane.

[Ghostman]

Cool stuff. Any chance of a summary explaining what's up with all these numbered worlds and how much is known about previous(?) worlds by the residents of the 9th?

[sparkletwist]

I like this. It's got a kind of "post-apocalyptic" feel, in the sense that the world was once more unified and advanced and has fallen, but, on the other hand, the collapse wouldn't be as sharp or as dramatic because it was more rustic to begin with. So, it lets some of those elements appear without assuming the average person's daily life is completely destroyed-- I like that.

I second Ghostman's question. What happened to the other eight worlds?

Your map is lovely, but maybe you might want to shrink it down for us mere mortals with normal displays?  :grin:

[Mason]

Could you tell me a little bit about how you crafted the map? Was it conceived all at once or were the features/locations added as your game world evolved in sessions? What program did you use?

[Elemental_Elf]

Could you tell me a little bit about how you crafted the map? Was it conceived all at once or were the features/locations added as your game world evolved in sessions? What program did you use?

The map was created over time. It has had many different iterations. Many of the lands were disconnected and separate originally but over time woven into the world. This version of the map came about specifically because I was tired of drawing mountains.  I made the map in Adobe Photoshop.  :)

Cool stuff. Any chance of a summary explaining what's up with all these numbered worlds and how much is known about previous(?) worlds by the residents of the 9th?

I will make that my first post.  :grin:

I like this. It's got a kind of "post-apocalyptic" feel, in the sense that the world was once more unified and advanced and has fallen, but, on the other hand, the collapse wouldn't be as sharp or as dramatic because it was more rustic to begin with. So, it lets some of those elements appear without assuming the average person's daily life is completely destroyed-- I like that.

I second Ghostman's question. What happened to the other eight worlds?

Your map is lovely, but maybe you might want to shrink it down for us mere mortals with normal displays?  :grin:

I scaled the map down by half. :D

[spoiler][/spoiler]

I kind of wanted the feel of a medieval apocalypse but not one that ended where Mad Max or Dark Sun did. I think it's more of a Dark Age perpetrated by magic (but really, what's a dark age other than an post-apocalyptic?). So I'd describe it as complicated more than anything else.  :weirdo:

[Eilathen]

Are you rewritting everything? Because i remember there already was an Amalga project before this one.
The new map is a lot cooler then the old one ;)

Btw, is this still a setting especially tailored for the DnD 4e rulesset? (I think you said that about the last iteration of Amalga)

[Elemental_Elf]

Are you rewritting everything? Because i remember there already was an Amalga project before this one.
The new map is a lot cooler then the old one ;)

Btw, is this still a setting especially tailored for the DnD 4e rulesset? (I think you said that about the last iteration of Amalga)

I'm rewriting a large portion of it. The old thread was drawing info from my 30 page Campaign Guide. This version of Amalga draws inspiration from that guide but a lot of the world has changed. The timeline is much advanced. Some of the basic/fundamental stories have been altered and expanded. The Gods are totally different (and far more interesting to me). The map is larger and has more/new countries.

The setting is designed to encompass the best aspects of all editions, though it still has a lot of 4E aspects in it (including the races).

[Elemental_Elf]

I'm starting a PbP game in Amalga. Here's some info I gave the players about the 4 magical power sources. The info isn't really setting thread ready but it will help showcase some of the world's unique fluff.



Arcane Classes: [SPOILER]

Arcane Magic has gone through a renaissance of sorts. 60 years ago, the demi-god Nelos appeared out of now where. He came from Second World (that is, the second iteration of the Amalga (we're on the ninth now)). On his world, he was the god of Magic and Death, given the mantles by the previous goddess who died trying to save the world. Prior to  his arrival, Arcane Magic was horded by two organizations - the Empire of Ixen and the Wizards Congress of Umbria. Together they kept a tight lid on Arcane magic and ensured few outside of their respective orders had access to such magic.

Since coming to Ninth World, Nelos has sought to spread the use of Arcane magic because he fundamentally believes it can help save the world from all the disasters that has befallen it. The Congress and the Empire vehemently disagree. The two sides are at an impasse because Nelos is unable to punish the other two for they each control very powerful relics that can penetrate any divine restrictions he places on Arcane Magic's use.

For Arcane classes, this means you must choose a side.

- Ixen is a powerful Dragonborn Empire lead by an equally mighty Archwizard who lends her name to her Empire. Ixen is fundamentally a Lawful/Evil Empire that dreams of dominating the continent through mastery of the arcane. Not all Wizards from Ixen are evil but most care little for freedom, dignity, or the lives of those who are weaker than themselves.

-  The Wizards Congress of Umbria is an enigmatic organization located far to the north. The Congress was founded by Humans who sought to master the ways of the arcane and ensure all races had access to its power, not just the Dragonborn of Ixen. Over time, the Congress became much more hardline and rejected almost everyone who applied. Old and powerful families now dominate the Congress and ensure only a select few are ever given the privilege of mastering the Arcane.  Fundamentally, the Congress is a Lawful/Neutral organization.

- The demi-god Nelos came from a world where Arcane magic was not controlled or fettered. Magic was truly for anyone and everyone who showed aptitude. He despises what the Ixens and the Congress have done to the Arcane and now seeks to spread his knowledge across the continent. He is the most powerful demi-god in existence and his philosophy is radically changing the world. To differentiate his beliefs from those of the Congress and the Empire, Nelos has deemed that all who use Arcane magic through him shall call themselves Mages (as opposed to Wizards). Fundamentally, Nelos is Chaotic/Good. Be warned though, Nelos has been deemed a pagan god by the Church of Liffrea and his worship is outlawed (or at least discouraged) in most lands.
[/SPOILER]

Divine Classes: [SPOILER]

Since the dawning of the Ninth World until sixty years ago, there was one singular church and one singular God. His name is Liffrea. He created the Ninth World as well all life that dwells within it (well, most of it anyways). Having lived through the disastrous effects of the Gods War that lead to the destruction of Eighth World, Liffrea sought to distance himself from mortal beings and use Angels as intermediaries. Four Fifteen centuries, the world accepted that there was just one God and one Church.

Then Nelos, a demi-god who traveled to the future from Second World, arrived. His disastrous return to the mortal plane leaked divine energy across the whole of the northern half of the continent. Any being who came in contact with the energy was immediately empowered with demi-divinity. So many new gods were created, that they crowded the heavens and made war upon one another. Not knowing the extent of their powers, their battles devastated the north, destroying whole hamlets, villages, cities and kingdoms. For this reason, the Church has deemed all demi-gods pagan in nature. It is heresy to worship a false god, and heresy comes with the strictest of punishments - death by fire.

Since the campaign is beginning in the South, none of the new demi-gods have amassed enough clout or followers to have a presence in the South. That is,  save for Nelos, who is worshiped by many as a loving a virtuous god who cares about the common man. He is seen as being above the corrupt bureaucracy of the Church. Nelosians gather in Temples.

The Church is ruled by Vater St. Orion, from his throne in Kirchenland. Those who have been given the power to act with Liffrea's might do so through Angelic intermediaries. Most Divine casters choose a single Angel as their patron. The most popular are: 

- Adel: Patron Angel of chivalry, justice, oaths and honor
- Erga: Patron Angel of sun, light, mercy and healing
- Hark: Patron Angel of scholarship, discovery and invention
- Laune: Patron Angel of music, art, storytelling, revels, wine and humor
- Rasbaum: Patron Angel of forests, nature and travel
- Sinarde: Patron Angel of love, beauty and passion
- Starke:  Patron Angel of athletics, brawling, strength, and bravery
- Warhung:  Patron Angel of battle, war and valor
- Weslie: Patron Angel of nature, freedom, hunting, and beasts


There are many other Angels, so if these do not suit you, I'm sure we can find someone who works (or make a new Angel).[/SPOILER]

Psionic Classes: [SPOILER]

Psionic magic was discovered by the Dragonborn twins Ixen and Nargosa, who also discovered Arcane magic. The two differed on which form of magic was superior; Ixen said that the Arcane was superior because it gave one great power with little restraint. Nargosa favored Psionics because it was easier to learn and required a greater control to master. Their debate lasted for many centuries before the two eventually broke off contact with one another and founded their own realms. The lands of Nargosa are serene and mystical, filled with beings who seek self improvement and greater mastery of Psionics. At one point in their lives, almost every Psionist trains at the feet of a great Nargosan master. Many of the masters strike out and find worthy apprentices from across the world. One of the greatest bastions of learning is in the town of Aurix, located in what is now Myntain. Those trained there often become great psionic warriors, serving in the Order of the Veiled Mind, which was once one of the most prestigious Knightly Orders in Adeland.

[/SPOILER]

Primal Classes[SPOILER]

Primal magic is exceedingly rare in the Ninth World. Its practitioners are often solitary masters who train their own apprentices in various traditions. The largest Primal organization is the Brotherhood of the Old Oak. The organization was founded by the ghost of the original Archdruid, Thero. He was a Centaur who believed that nature was the most important aspect of the world. That gods and civilization were fleeting. That the only eternal constant was nature. Throughout the ages, the Order of the Old Oak has mended and preserved the natural world. The current master of the order is the Archdruid Treff Jarasal, who sought to secure the barriers that separated the material plane from the other planes. May in the order disagreed with his plan as they saw the confluence of the planes as a means of ensuring the longevity of nature in the face of civilization's continuing encroachment. Treff rejected their beliefs. Many left the order in protest and formed the Conclave of the Dead Oak. They corrupted Jarasal's work and brought about the Reea Roca - Nature's Revenge. The barriers between the planes has been weakened and now all manner of beasts stream into the material plane. The Order of the Old Oak is now seeking ways to stem the tide and turn back the clock, as it were. However, many fear the damage is irreparable...

[/SPOILER]

[Seraph]

Interesting.  There are at least a few aspects that Amalga and my own Avayevnon have in common:

Both are a world that has "died" and been reborn, more than once.
Both feature a prominent "One True God" who is now being challenged by one or more "Old Gods" from previous "lives" of the world.
The "One God" works through angels.
Airships.  Sounds like yours USED to have them, whereas mine has them NOW, but still...