Sho-Jin Setting

[Azezel]

Now that my current game is drawing to an end, it is my intent to create a new setting. I call it 'Sho-Jin' for reasons which are not important.

(Azezel would like to point out at this time that he does not like the books of T. Pratchet.)

I've decided to make it a roughly disc-shaped world, with a hole in the centre. The sun passes through the hole once every 12 hours, rising and falling at a varying rate. Moving swiflty neare the hole and slowly at the end of each cycle. There are no seasons, but the disc does rotate, once every 360 days.

The world is very thin at the centre (The hole) and gets thicker toward the rim - to the point where people actually live on the rim itself, completely out of the sunlight (Drow, Ithilids, that sort of thing).

The closer one gets to the hole, the hotter the climate, until the last hundred miles or so are just molten black glass completely inhospitable to anything without the [fire] subtype. further out there are deserts and then a ring of temperate land. At the edge, the conditions are frozen cold and mountainous. Water moved cyclically - evaperating near the centre, where clouds and air carry it by centrigugal force further out, where it rains and flows back toward the centre. There are oceans, but there is more land than sea.

My intent is to make the 'top' side a traditional mid to high fantasy sort of afair, with a few extras, airships, printing presses, etc. The other side will be an oriental style fantasy of a similar level.

I don't intend to develop the oriental side too much for now, (Travel between the two sides will be very dificult. One cannot just dig through to china) but PC's will have the option of being a traveler from the strange land.

I intend to play the Formian card, and the Abiel (MM 2) card fairly strongly. I will change Formians' type to Monstrous Humanoid and set them as major villains. There will be a large area of the world dominated by them, and the rest threatened by their expansionist pollicy. The main oponant of the Formians will be the Abiel. I like this, because on the surface, they are very similar races. The Formians will be to Sho-Jin what the Drow are to FR, or the Rakshasa to Eberron (Or what non-Goths are to Dark Sun).

The other races will remain much as they are in the PHB, except for Orcs - who will have a culture somewhere between RL Spartans and the Nietziens in 'Andromeda', and will lose their Light Sensetivity to make them a more atractive player race.

So far as gods go. Gods will not be completely distant, but not utterly in-yer-face either. I will create my own general pantheon (Drawing from the pantheon of my old shared setting) but I will also use the racial pantheons from the 'Races of X' books.

[spoiler=gods]These deities have only a single alignment descriptor, either Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic. All of them are capable of both Good and Evil, and none of them are soley one. This makes all of them apropriate as patrons of Player Characters, and allows interesting rp possibilities, as say, a duel between a Paladin and a Blackguard, both of whom truely worship Feanor.


Pantheon


Greater Gods:


Elhiris:
The Sun God (L)


Weapon - Longbow
Colour - Gold
Portfolio â,¬' Men, Work, Creativity, Strength
Domains â,¬' Fire, Healing, Law, Strength, Sun, Community, Competition, Creation, Glory, Purification, Courage, Nobility.

Elhiris is normally represented as a tall & muscular elf with a shaven pate and wearing a gold toga â,¬' though he is almost as often depicted nude. He is identified with athletes especially, but generally with any who pursue physical prowess or the perfection of the body.

He is also the Patron Deity of Men. Clerics (exclusively male) and devout followers of Elhiris typically shave their heads and often follow rigorous physical regimes. Elhiran Monks are said to be the most flawless physical specimens on En.


Mia:
The Earth Goddess (C)


Weapon â,¬' Unarmed Strike
Colour - Green
Portfolio â,¬' Women, Joy, Creation, Fortitude
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Earth, Healing, Protection, Travel, Celerity, Community, Creation, Purification, Cavern.

Mia is normally depicted as an emerald serpent, though she is also shown as a dark-skinned Human Woman with green eyes. The snake, with its ability to re-generate through the shedding of skin is symbolic of renewal and the changing of the seasons.

Mia is Patron Deity of Women and also artists, builders and others who think themselves creators. The central theme of Mian doctrine is cyclical change â,¬' everything has happened before, and will do again â,¬' one must simply wait out the bad and celebrate the good. Mian Clerics (always female) are often called on for Funerals, since they tend to emphasise the re-incarnation aspect of En theosophy.


Rome:
The Sky God (N)


Weapon - Trident
Colour - White
Portfolio â,¬' Wisdom, Fraternity, Peace, Temperance
Domains â,¬' Air, Healing, Knowledge, Luck, Trickery, Celerity, Dream, Liberation, Inquisition, Oracle, Weather, Fate.

Rome is Normally shown as a Cloud Giant, though confusingly he is sometimes depicted riding a Roc, and sometimes depicted as a Roc himself. Rome is associated with the abstract â,¬' concepts such as wisdom and morality are his territory.

Romans pride themselves on seeing both sides of any argument, and on not judging another. This is not to say they are equivocal or unlikely to act. A Roman believes that, in the absence of objective knowledge, a man is entirely justified in acting according to his subjective morals. Roman Clerics are renowned as fair, if harsh judges and adjudicators.



Lesser Gods:


Ulla:
The Moon Goddess (L)


Weapon - Sickle
Colour - Silver
Portfolio â,¬' Magic, Change, Charity, Evil
Domains â,¬' Evil, Magic, Good, Dream, Liberation, Madness, Mysticism, Pact, Fate, Darkness, Moon.

Ulla is always depicted as a dark-haired Human girl of around seven or eight. This is because she appeared as such the last time any mortal saw her. Whether she still has this form is a matter of debate. Ulla is Patron of Mages, Philanthropists and lost causes. When every God and Mortal has turned their back, Ulla will listen, or so it is said. She is also popular with criminals who think of themselves as misunderstood, martyrs or freedom fighters.

Ullans are commanded to be charitable to those less fortunate than themselves and Ullan Monks & Wu Jen vow never to own more than they can carry.


Lihr:
The Sea Goddess (C)


Weapon - Warmace
Colour - Blue
Portfolio â,¬' Water, Secrets, Retribution
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Destruction, Knowledge, Luck, Travel, Trickery, Water, Dream, Inquisition, Madness, Ocean, Retribution.

Lihr is depicted as an Aquatic Elf, sometimes with a sharkâ,¬,,¢s tail, sometimes with legs. She is Patron of the sea and or mariners, but is also associated with the secret, the clandestine and with vengeance.

Naturally Lihrâ,¬,,¢s followers include those who work in, on or near the sea, she is also worshipped by spies, rogues and those with something to hide. Lihran Clerics are called to bless new vessels, and to exorcise those vessels which have suffered catastrophes. Fishermen usually solicit blessings at the beginning of winter when their task is most dangerous.


Feanor:
The War God (L)


Weapon - Longsword
Colour - Red
Portfolio â,¬' War, Science
Domains â,¬' Destruction, Knowledge, Protection, War, Celerity, Competition, Domination, Force, Glory, Mind, Oracle, Courage, Planning.

Feanor is depicted as a tall Orc in armour, usually holding his sword upraised. He is said to ride a six-legged horse and to have the heads of his enemies tied to his saddle by their hair. Very occasionally he is shown as an Abiel soldier.

Feanorans pride themselves on their wit, cunning and strategy. Soldiers, scientists engineers and artisans are all likely to be worshipers of Feanor. Feanoran Clerics employ their cunning and politicking to make themselves irreplaceable in their communities and then strive to make the community ordered and secure. Feanorans have a nutural bent for adventure, either to increase their knowledge or their martial prowess, and often the church will hand down missions to its Clerics.


Farran:
The Peace God (C)


Weapon â,¬' Club (Followers of Farrain are forbidden from spilling blood)
Colour - Indigo
Portfolio â,¬' Peace, Art
Domains â,¬' Chaos, Healing, Luck, Protection, Community, Liberation, Pact, Purification, Courage.

Farran is typically depicted as a Human or Elf â,¬' often images and statues represent him as a colossus, larger than any giant. He is immovable, inflexible and stronger than the roots of the mountains.

Farranite doctrine emphasises stoicism and fortitude. Farranites accept that the universe is not a good place infected with evil, but at best a neutral place contaminated by good. Farran is popular with philosophers, healers, soldiers and is popular with those who have no strong reason to choose one god over another. Farranite Clerics are ineradicable â,¬' when worship of Farran has been suppressed his Clerics went underground happily. Farranites take a strange pleasure in attempts to suppress or oppress them.


Arten:
The Nature Goddess (C)


Weapon - Shortbow
Colour - Yellow
Portfolio â,¬' Plants, Animals, the Hunt
Domains â,¬' Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Healing, Plant, Water, Competition, Weather, Purification.

Arten is occasionally represented as a Humanoid or an animal â,¬' but more often she is shown as a landscape. Artenic churches have murals on their walls and ceilings showing scenes of wilderness. Arten is shown as mountains or plains, or clouds or the open sea.

Balance and diversity Are watchwords of the Artenic church. Hunting, exploring and adventuring are of central importance to Artenâ,¬,,¢s followers. Concepts of man versus nature and pitting oneself against the elements are strong in Artenic doctrine. Explorers, scientists and all kinds of outdoorsmen are her worshippers. Artenic Clerics are perhaps the most likely to take up a life of adventuring. Artenites and Druidic peoples celebrate many of the same ideas, but Druids see Arten as part of the natural world, rather than the other way around.


Oz:


The Death God (L)


Weapon - Scythe
Colour - Black
Portfolio â,¬' Death, Forgetfulness, Good
Domains â,¬' Death, Destruction, Evil, Good, Cold, Pestilence, Liberation, Fate, Darkness.

Oz is usually depicted as a smiling Halfling swathed in black, sometimes with a watch or hourglass. Oz is said to be cheerful and jocular, but unbending. He has only ever made on exception to his rule that every mortal dies â,¬' Ulla.

Ozzans believe that the purpose of life is to acquire a fine range of anecdotes, jokes and bon-mots. When one dies Oz will come to take oneâ,¬,,¢s soul to the afterlife â,¬' and Oz will judge the worth of a soul by the stories it tells. Make Oz laugh, or cry, or offer some insight or tale adventure. All souls will spend some time, seconds or centuries in an afterlife before re-incarnation, and the quality of that afterlife is dependant on Ozâ,¬,,¢s being edified by the stories one tells. Ozan Clerics and worshippers tend to keep journals and typically have a fine selection of jokes and tales prepaired. Ozans like to adventure for obvious reasons.

Minor Gods:

Certain gods are worshipped by only a small number â,¬' or have portfolios that are very narrow. These deities are considered Minor, les than the Lesser gods. They still have Clerics, Favoured Souls and followers, but they are fewer in number.

Shide:

Goddess of Ice and of Heroes (L)

Weapon â,¬' Spear
Colour â,¬' White
Portfolio â,¬' Cold, Adventurers
Domains â,¬' Courage, Cold, Windstorm, Nobility, Destiny

Shide is considered Goddess of Heroes because in 2450 the Bard/Cleric of Shide Alastor the Brave single handedly rescued the Queen of Westernestratullis from the Empireâ,¬,,¢s prisons and claimed the achievement was Shideâ,¬,,¢s and not his own.

Shidi doctrine teaches that the universe is like a clockwork mechanism, and will eventually wind down. One day the universe will be utterly lifeless and cold, and Shide will rule an unchanging, dead world for eternity. In the meantime Shidis live life to the fullest and seize every opportunity. Shideâ,¬,,¢s church is small, but there are a disproportionate number of Adventurers who worship the Goddess of Heroes.

Shinto:

God of Arms (N)

Weapon â,¬' All
Portfolio â,¬' Weapons, Weapon smiths
Domains â,¬' Fire, Forge, Metal, Craft

Shinto created the weapons of the gods and his masterpiece is Feanorâ,¬,,¢s Sword, which is called â,¬ËAll Creationâ,¬,,¢. Almost all weapon smiths have a shrine to Shinto in their workshops and many swords have the Dwarven runes for â,¬ËNSBACâ,¬,,¢ stamped on the blade or tang â,¬' standing for the weapon smithâ,¬,,¢s mantra â,¬ËThere is no Sword but All Creationâ,¬,,¢.

Sith:

Goddess of Vampires (N)

Weapon â,¬' Razor
Portfolio â,¬' Vampires, Yaun-Ti
Domains â,¬' Trickery, Undeath, Hunger, Skalykind

Sith, Ullas daughter is the progenitor and goddess of Vampires and Yaun-Ti. Ulla and Sith hate one another and a state of open and permanent war exists between the two churches. Sithans, even those who are not Vampires, have to operate clandestinely and are feared and persecuted by the common people of all races (save Yaun-Ti).

Io:

Goddess of Merfolk (L)

Weapon â,¬' Shortspear
Portfolio â,¬' Merfolk
Domains â,¬' Water, Ocean, Magic

Io, Lihrâ,¬,,¢s daughter is patron of the races which live beneath the waves. Unlike Lihrans, Ions are respected and treated well by Ullans, and it is thought that Io sometimes visits Ulla in her imprisonment.

Jagger:

God of Storms (C)

Weapon â,¬' Javelin
Portfolio â,¬' Storms, Strife and merriment.
Domains â,¬' Destruction, Force, Storm, Lust

Jagger, son of Rome is the God of storms. Heâ,¬,,¢s a wild spirit who does what he wishes without thought for the consequences. Heâ,¬,,¢s as likely to strike his own church or worshipper with his lightening as he is to smite down his enemies. Typically Jagger is hap-hazard and without malice, but his temper and anger are legendary. Jagger is also patron of anyone who pursues his three â,¬Ëvirtuesâ,¬,,¢ of wine, [gender of your choice] and song. Heâ,¬,,¢s attempted (and occasionally succeeded) seducing several gods and goddesses, and likely hundreds of mortals.

Sillan:

God of Beauty (N)

Weapon â,¬' Rapier
Portfolio â,¬' Love, beauty, poetry, wander
Domains â,¬' Charm, Nobility, Pride

Sillan is a Beautiful, romantic dreamer â,¬' his church espouses art and love and strives to further such causes. Sillan is Farranâ,¬,,¢s brother, the two gods rarely see eye to eye, and their two churches are politely distant. Sillanite doctrine teaches that the universe is, in all ways a good and beautiful place, and that if you cannot see this, then the problem is on your end. This idea is difficult for a lot of people to accept, and Sirranâ,¬,,¢s church remains small because of this, but those who do follow Sirran tend to be very devout.[/spoiler]

These are the basic concepts I have created. I will certainly develope, change and add to them, but for now I seek criticism or suggestions from you.

[SA]

Man, this idea is freaking shweet.  I love Pratchett, but your idea beats his hands down.

(It's a shame to have to put up a disclaimer identifying a dissociation with Discworld, as though Terry originated the concept.  Besides, yours is more of a... donut-world, anyway.)

I like the way you explain the cycle of water: evaporating at the centre and moving outwards.  Does that mean that all oceans flow Centre-ward?  Also, just an interesting notion you might want to consider: as the sun moves to the other side of the planet, might the surface cool to a habitable temperature? (Such that exceptionally speedy creatures might traverse it safely, and its natural denizens actually have to move underground to stay in the heat)

And Orcs as Spartans?  Hell yes.

[Azezel]

The world of Sho-Jin is shaped like a CD, a disk with a hole in the centre. In fact, I have used the proportions of a CD, since it seems about right.

The world is 4'800 miles across and 15'079 miles around. The hole 560 miles across and 1760 miles around. The world has a surface area of 17'844'272 square miles, this is just under 1/3 the Earth's land surface area.

Both sides of Sho-Jin are habitable, so the area is effectively doubled.

The edge of Sho-Jin is also inhabited by races which shun the light, the edge is about 753'950 square miles.

The hole in the centre is 560 miles across, but surrounding the hole is a belt of molten black glass and unbearable desert for another 200 miles. Beyond this there s hot, but more-or-less survivable desert.

The world is not of uniform thickness. At the inner edge it is very thin, and grows thicker toward the outside, until at the very outer edge it is nearly 50 miles thick. The aproximate thickness of any given point can be found by squaring the fourth root of the distance from the axis of the world.

The sun is always at the axis of the world, and rises and falls daily, giving each side of the world about 12 hours light (Less near the outer edge due to the shape of the world). At Noon, the sun is 1'200 miles above the plane of the world. It moves at an average of 200 miles an hour. IT is possible to work out exactly how far one is from the axis by measuring the angle of the sun at noon (Or any other well defined and measured time).

The world rotates (as compared to the stars visible at night) one degree every 24 hours, and has a 360 day year, with no seasons. It is possible to tell how far turn-ward or anti-turnward one is by noting the date and the position of a known star.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Also, just an interesting notion you might want to consider: as the sun moves to the other side of the planet, might the surface cool to a habitable temperature? (Such that exceptionally speedy creatures might traverse it safely, and its natural denizens actually have to move underground to stay in the heat)

That reminds me of Chronicles of Riddick.


This is an interesting idea.  I like your idea of two sides two the world, with travel between made difficult.

[SDragon]

this....
is....
AMAZING!!!

seriously, it's an incredible idea for the world.

a few things: you commented on how "one cannot simply dig their way to china". what is the reasoning for this? does it still hold true closer to the inner diameter?

you also said the inner diameter is only 560 miles. this makes me wonder how big the sun is. that said, the distance (or, rather, lack thereof) between the sun and the planet might make up for any of the effects of a small sun.

i like the idea of such a defined barrier between "east" and "west", but you mentioned that a character could be a traveller from a strange land. just how hard is it to get from one side to the other, and how frequently does it happen?

[Epic Meepo]

This has to be one of the best ideas for a disk-shaped world ever! Take that, Terry Pratchett!

Now that you've explained the world and its sun, does Sho-Jin have any moons, and how do they fit into the equation? For that matter, what about comets and rings and other orbiting bodies?

[Azezel]

I'm honoured.

No, seriously, you are all very kind.

Let's see.

Digging through the world - I am unwilling to simply hand wave it 'No - you cannot dig through 'cos I say so', but if I'm honest, that is what it comes down to.

In a world with dwarves, transmutation spells and the ol' Sphere of Anihilation, digging is a viable thing, on the face of it. I feel that it should not be possible, but I am for the moment unsure as to how to prevent it. (Suggestions more than welcome.

My intent is that anyone who wants to move from one side to the other should have to travel to the oute rim, cross that and emerge on the other side (That or Telleportation Magic - but by the time one has fifth level spells, one deserves to travel freely).

Long story short - travelling to the other side should really be a quest in itself for anyone below Ninth level.

The sun is fairly small - probably less than 100 miles in diameter. I have several undeveloped ideas for the sun - including the current favourite - that the sun is actually the realm of all of the gods, and simply glows with pure divine energy (hence undead do not like it). If this is the case, then the 'sun' might not have any physical dimensions at all, but be a single point of brilliance.

As for moons and other satalites - I would like at least one moon - it makes things easier so far as lycanthropes and sundry other things are concerned. Also - If I am importing my old Pantheon, I already have a moon goddess, though that is small beer.

I thought that a moon with a set of rings might be fun. If the moon orbited the same plane as Sho-Jin, but the rings were always at 90 degrees to the plane of Sho-Jin, then the moon would appear as a dot with several rings around it, when seen from the rim, but further toward the centre, one would only see a series of arches on the horizon.

A lot of this setting is undecided - I have had the idea only for a week - and I will not start the real work until my current game finishes on Friday. That said - I am very encouraged!

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Digging through the world - I am unwilling to simply hand wave it 'No - you cannot dig through 'cos I say so', but if I'm honest, that is what it comes down to.

In a world with dwarves, transmutation spells and the ol' Sphere of Anihilation, digging is a viable thing, on the face of it. I feel that it should not be possible, but I am for the moment unsure as to how to prevent it. (Suggestions more than welcome.

Well, presumably even a disc-world would need plate-tectonics, magma veins, and all that.  It's not like there's just dirt beneath you: there's dirt, then rock (in varying types), magma, and hopefully a molten core.

That said, a sphere of annihilation should dig through it all, but the consequences would be disasterous.  Of course, if one can control a sphere, one can probably teleport.

[SDragon]

The sun is fairly small - probably less than 100 miles in diameter. I have several undeveloped ideas for the sun - including the current favourite - that the sun is actually the realm of all of the gods, and simply glows with pure divine energy (hence undead do not like it). If this is the case, then the 'sun' might not have any physical dimensions at all, but be a single point of brilliance.

very nice touch. i assume the divine energy also provides sufficient heat, otherwise you'll need a reason for the innder diameter being molten.

as for the digging... it's probably best to come up for a reason it isn't possible. it's not really fair or realistic to say "yes, that normally would be a viable option, but not here. why not? because i said so." if you get the chance, check out The Jade Stage (the setting made by Luminous Crayon, or LC) for a prime example of this; a very large portion of that setting is explained with "why"s and "why not"s.

pheonix- the strata of earth works the way it does, in part, because it's a globular planet. don't ask me to explain, though, because kmy understanding of the concept is too vague to articulate. while a discworld may have a slight sense of earth-like strata, i imagine it would be very hard for something so relatively thin to withstand a molten core, and i don't think the strata would be quite like ours.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Yeah, I realize it is unlikely to work exactly that same, but the problem is going crop up no matter how you slice it when you try to apply science to a scientifically implausible setting.  It is perhaps best to stick with fantasy explanations for such settings, but on the other hand, molten rivers fit pretty well with fantasy, too.

[Seraph]

First off, I have to agree that this is awesomeness incarnate.

Secondly, I have two thoughts as to why you couldn't dig through to the other side.
1.  The center is composed of an immeasurably strong metallic element that no mortal tool can penetrate.  This could also be surrounded by molten rock as has already been suggested.  While the sphere of annihilation could conceivably overcome this, by the time the characters could have access to it, they'd have plenty of other ways to get to the other side as well.
2.  The center of the earth is composed of a sheet of magical energy which resembles a wheel turning about the point where the sun passes from one side of the world to the other.  The torque of this rotation powers magic throughout the world.  At the sheet, the magical energy is so strong that it repels even the mighty sphere of annihilation.

Just my two cents.  Take it if you like, ignore it if it doesn't appeal to you.
Good job, again.

The Angel has spoken
~Seraphine_Harmonium

[Epic Meepo]

The middle layer of the disk could contain dust particles that act as rods of cancellation. Anyone digging down into the earth will risk having all of their magic obliterated; even a sphere of annihilation is destroyed by a rod of cancellation.

[Ninja D!]

This is a great idea, really.  I'll probably try to watch the development of this setting.

I, personally, like the idea of the magic wheel.  I think it works very well.

[Azezel]

pheonix- the strata of earth works the way it does, in part, because it's a globular planet. don't ask me to explain, though, because my understanding of the concept is too vague to articulate.

I have an A-Level in geology - I could take a stab at explaining it if anyone really wants me too.

Er, moving on...

I like Seraphine_Harmonium's second idea - that of a sheet/wheel of magical energy.
I also like Epic Meepo's Username, I mean idea, of an area that acts like a Rod of Cancellation.

How's about this: In the centre of the disc is a plane of magic - pure magic, a wheel if you will, which turns ever so slightly faster than the world. IT has two effects. When one is far away from it, it radiates magic, powering all things, as one gets closer to the magic wheel, the force gets stronger (So someone casting a spell within a mile or so of the Wheel would find their spell maximised), but at a certain point, say 1/2 a mile, the effect is suddenly reversed and the Wheel absorbs magic.

Even though it is absorbing Magic it is giving off heat (Just like the Divin radience of the sun is partially heat). if the Wheel gave of heat then it would provide a source of heat to those living on the outer rim, out of sight of thr sun - which is nice. However, close to the wheel, magical protections against heat do not work, so one cannot just dig through it.

Sound plausable?

Now: The Moon. Let us say the Wheel of Magic (Find a better name later) is turning slightly faster than Sho-Jin - what if the Moon orbited at the same rate...

In fact!

The sun is the source of Divine Power, and the Moon the source of Arcane power? Hm... Interesting.

The moon is actually draging the Wheel of Magic with it, forcing it to rotate - which is the source of Arcane Magic.

I just came up with that - it could be interesting...

[Ninja D!]

That sounds great.  That could be just what you're looking for.