Discussion: History

[Soup Nazi]

It could always be just like the fall of Rome... it starts with something as simple as lead pipes, everyone getting poisoned.  Then there are the civil wars and arsons, then there's a plague, then the rulers of the empire lose the extremely minimal control over the totem gods that they had, and the gods go "wacky" on the empire.

Sounds perfect. A nice series of unfortunate events weakening the stability of the empire, and then BLAM godzilla time! And the nice part is that it puts a precedent in place for high level or even epic level encounters, if you ever decide to go down that road.

EDIT: I do not however advocate that the totem gods are running around smashing cities today. This was a unique occurance that has happened only once in the past. Normally the totem gods should only be active a few at a time, and in the wilder parts of the world, nowhere near the cities. I don't want the setting to turn into 8-bit Rampage (I suspect only Cymro is going to have any memory of this game).  

-Nasty-

[brainface]

dude, was that where you were godzilla, kingkong, or the wolfman, and had to destroy all the buildings on the level? punching out people who were trying to shoot you thru windows?
cuz that game ROCKED.

[Soup Nazi]

That's the one! I loved it too, but it wouldn't make a good RPG now would it?

-Nasty-

[daggerhart]

I don't want the setting to turn into 8-bit Rampage (I suspect only Cymro is going to have any memory of this game).

that[/i] old of a game is it?

i mean, i totally remember it.

[Xeviat]

Hey, I played it on the Sega Master System. I'm getting the feeling that I'm one of the older 'gents' here.

I agree that "most" of the totems shouldn't be smash happy all the time, but I disagree that they should be "inactive" most of the time. They're creatures, they should be awake regularly like regular creatures. They'll be peaceful most of the time, living in their secluded areas. They're gods, so they don't really "need" to eat, so they aren't going to mess up the ecosystem or anything like that.

[Soup Nazi]

its not that old of a game is it?

I think I was about eight years old when it came out, so that means it was released about 20 years ago. Here we go http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampage_%28arcade_game%29. 1986 release date.

-Nasty-

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Time to condense most of these ideas and expand other ideas and get this history straight.  Any particular thoughts on this before we start posting things in the wiki?

[Poseptune]

This is a proposal for the history of Cebegia, based on what I have read that people like and dislike.

[spoiler=Cebegia History]
Millennia have past since the world was born. The present day inhabitants each have a story that explains the events that have shaped the world into what it is today. While most share commonalities very few if any are correct.

In the beginning the gods watched their world shape itself. Most of the intelligent creatures seem to gather around creatures they believe to be living deities. These creatures became totems for the early development of the worldâ,¬,,¢s inhabitants. Each civilization that grew began to take on the characteristics of the creature it worshipped. The gods just watch. Some grew jealous of these totems. They did not like that their work was being credited to these mindless creatures.

Centuries passed, the civilizations grew, some forcibly crossing the borders laid down by others. Wars raged, and fizzled throughout the worldâ,¬,,¢s history and the gods still watched. It was their way. They had agreed long ago to quell the bickering and arguing that they would let the beings of this world live without their interference. Four gods abandoned this agreement because of their jealousy. Each picked a civilization and began to aid them with their power. These four civilizations grew larger and stronger than the others.

When the other gods found out about the betrayal, they banished the traitorous deities, but not before they made one request. The rogue gods had planned for this eventuality. They asked that if they were going to be stripped of their power and sent to the world that they keep their memories of the gods and these events so that they will remember their transgressions. It seemed to be a fitting punishment. The second thing they requested was to be sent down as the offspring of the ruling powers of the civilizations that they interfered with, so that they may correct the wrongs that they committed.

With their memories mostly intact the former gods grew each in the civilization they aided. While they grew they started to spread word of the real gods, especially themselves. A new religion started and competed with the totemist of these regions. When they came of age, each seized power of their civilization. They outlawed the worship of the false gods; the totems of these four nations were hunted and destroyed. Anyone that still worshipped the totems was either banished or killed. The four former gods banded together to conquer the world. Lead by Cecil the Wise, Bertrand the Strong, and Gialra the Mystical. The fourth former god, Silve stayed hidden and much is not know about what events he was responsible for during this time.

Before they died they had conquered many of the city states that surrounded the original four. The totem creatures died, fled, or became trapped by the newly forming empire. There was not much that could stand in the way of the empire. The former gods death is the only thing that stopped the spreading disease that was soon to be named Cebegia, named after the leaders that formed it.

For centuries Cebegia stood strong, one day hoping to finish what their forefathers had started. This was not to be so, the nation fell. Plagues and poisons ravaged poorly kept parts of the empire. This prompted six southern city states to try to break from Cebegia, they were quelled but the damage was done. The final blow came when the mighty Tarresque awoke from his slumber and started to lay waste to parts of the empire. The other surviving totems took this as an opportunity to restore the peaceful existence they once had. They destroyed the cities of the empire one by one until no more stood. The people couldnâ,¬,,¢t help but think that this was a punishment for forsaking the real gods. They went back to their roots, back to totemism.

Once again the Tarresque sleeps, and the totems live in their peaceful regions, but history has begun to repeat itself. A strong following of the ways of Cebegia had begun again. Empire has become stronger, swallowing city states as it expands once more.  
[/spoiler]

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Hmmm, apparently CeBeGia's coming back?  If so, I'll be happy to contribute again as well.

[Poseptune]

Well if you would be happy to contribute what did you think of my history proposal? Since you were one of the first group you could tell me if I'm close to what was discussed before.

[Ravenspath]

I really like that history that is listed. It covers a good deal while leaving lots of room for other important things to be added. It is good overview!

Thanks for writing it.

[Wensleydale]

Agreed with the history.

Wiki now?

Although it was suggested in the Wiki thread that Devious could've been responsible for the fall.

[Wensleydale]

This is a proposal for the history of Cebegia, based on what I have read that people like and dislike.

[spoiler=Cebegia History]
Millennia have past since the world was born. The present day inhabitants each have a story that explains the events that have shaped the world into what it is today. While most share commonalities very few if any are correct.

In the beginning the gods watched their world shape itself. Most of the intelligent creatures seem to gather around creatures they believe to be living deities. These creatures became totems for the early development of the worldâ,¬,,¢s inhabitants. Each civilization that grew began to take on the characteristics of the creature it worshipped. The gods just watch. Some grew jealous of these totems. They did not like that their work was being credited to these mindless creatures.

Centuries passed, the civilizations grew, some forcibly crossing the borders laid down by others. Wars raged, and fizzled throughout the worldâ,¬,,¢s history and the gods still watched. It was their way. They had agreed long ago to quell the bickering and arguing that they would let the beings of this world live without their interference. Four gods abandoned this agreement because of their jealousy. Each picked a civilization and began to aid them with their power. These four civilizations grew larger and stronger than the others.

When the other gods found out about the betrayal, they banished the traitorous deities, but not before they made one request. The rogue gods had planned for this eventuality. They asked that if they were going to be stripped of their power and sent to the world that they keep their memories of the gods and these events so that they will remember their transgressions. It seemed to be a fitting punishment. The second thing they requested was to be sent down as the offspring of the ruling powers of the civilizations that they interfered with, so that they may correct the wrongs that they committed.

With their memories mostly intact the former gods grew each in the civilization they aided. While they grew they started to spread word of the real gods, especially themselves. A new religion started and competed with the totemist of these regions. When they came of age, each seized power of their civilization. They outlawed the worship of the false gods; the totems of these four nations were hunted and destroyed. Anyone that still worshipped the totems was either banished or killed. The four former gods banded together to conquer the world. Lead by Cecil the Wise, Bertrand the Strong, and Gialra the Mystical. The fourth former god, Silve stayed hidden and much is not know about what events he was responsible for during this time.

Before they died they had conquered many of the city states that surrounded the original four. The totem creatures died, fled, or became trapped by the newly forming empire. There was not much that could stand in the way of the empire. The former gods death is the only thing that stopped the spreading disease that was soon to be named Cebegia, named after the leaders that formed it.

For centuries Cebegia stood strong, one day hoping to finish what their forefathers had started. This was not to be so, the nation fell. Plagues and poisons ravaged poorly kept parts of the empire. This prompted six southern city states to try to break from Cebegia, they were quelled but the damage was done. The final blow came when the mighty Tarresque awoke from his slumber and started to lay waste to parts of the empire. The other surviving totems took this as an opportunity to restore the peaceful existence they once had. They destroyed the cities of the empire one by one until no more stood. The people couldnâ,¬,,¢t help but think that this was a punishment for forsaking the real gods. They went back to their roots, back to totemism.

Once again the Tarresque sleeps, and the totems live in their peaceful regions, but history has begun to repeat itself. A strong following of the ways of Cebegia had begun again. Empire has become stronger, swallowing city states as it expands once more.  
[/spoiler]

With edits for the pantheon discussion, here is a slightly revised version.

[spoiler=Cebegia History]
Millennia have past since the world was born. The present day inhabitants each have a story that explains the events that have shaped the world into what it is today. While most share commonalities very few, if any are correct.

In the beginning the gods watched their world shape itself. Most of the intelligent creatures seem to gather around creatures they believed to be living deities. These creatures became totems for the early development of the worldâ,¬,,¢s inhabitants. Each civilization that grew began to take on the characteristics of the creature it worshipped. The gods just watched. Some grew jealous of these totems. They did not like that their work was being credited to these mindless creatures.

Centuries passed, the civilizations grew, some forcibly crossing the borders laid down by others. Wars raged, and fizzled throughout the worldâ,¬,,¢s history and the gods still watched. It was their way. They had agreed long ago to quell the bickering and arguing that they could let the beings of this world live without their interference. Four gods abandoned this agreement because of their jealousy. Each picked a civilization and began to aid them with their power. These four civilizations grew larger and stronger than the others.

When the other gods found out about the betrayal, they banished the treacherous deities, but not before they made one request. The rogue gods had planned for this eventuality. They asked that if they were going to be stripped of their power and sent to the world that they keep their memories of godhood and the events of their downfall so that they would remember their transgressions. It seemed to be a fitting punishment. The second thing they requested was to be born within each of the powers that they had aided, in such a position as to correct the wrongs they had done.

However, as they grew older, they turned once again on the edicts of their fellows. Through political meddling, blackmail, murder and thievery, three became the true powers behind their chosen nations. The fourth-god, Silve, however, reborn by a cruel twist of fate as a farmboy, established himself as not just a power, but a ruler. 'Theo' conquered his state in a civil uprising and became the lord of Cebegia. His military mindset allowed him to build a force capable of taking on anything... and he proved it.

Whilst the others wished for alliance of nations, Silve destroyed them and conquered their lands. Their names are lost in history, but it is possible that their last act of power and spite was to form the seed of doubt and maliciousness that festered inside Theo's greatest ally. His name, too, is lost to time, but he is known now as Devious. Silve had lost any power with magic along with his godly might, but Devious was a cunning and wise man with more arcane strength at his command than any other within the known world. This made him a useful tool in Silve's plan.

Silve, however, realised too late that his life was coming to an end. He rapidly began establishing a cult to himself, seeking ascension in the form of deification through belief - but belief shapes a god, not the other way around, and upon ascension he was transformed into that which he had propagated - a fatherly, loving figure, watching over the empire. Dying childless, he left his empire to his old ally - but the seed had grown within his mind. The Archmage ruled the empire as his predecessor had done - but he was not going to die, he decided. He became a lich, researching the principles of undeath and unlife, and the first lich at that. When the people discovered his twisted nature, however, he was rapidly deposed, beginning what is known by some as the decline and others as the Golden Ages. Devious, enraged, cast a mighty curse upon the throne - damning the Empire to destruction. A cult of Devious sprang up, however, led by he himself, and he was worshipped as a saint by many amongst the empire, especially mages.

 The empire went through numerous rulers after Devious, many extending the Empire far and wide beyond its original scope, but trade with far-off nations brought plague and disease which spread like wildfire. Six southern states attempted to secede, and were rapidly quelled - but the damage was done. Cebegia was cast into a state of rebellion and anarchy, with the ruler, (name), incapable of preventing the rapid slide into destruction. The final blow came when the Mighty Tarrasque awoke and rampaged across the countryside, killing all in its way and destroying the colossal and focused metropoli of the Empire. Culture degenerated, and worship of the Saints all but disappeared in most regions. People returned to their roots, and the Totems were re-established as the main religious idols.

Now, though, history is repeating itself. Empire, glorious Empire, is growing a strong following in the Old Heartlands, expanding to swallow the City-States and feudal kingdoms that believe themselves free from this power.
[/spoiler]

[Poseptune]

It's too early to wiki it, There needs to be more agreement than just two people.

Golem, I'm going to have to read the pantheon discussion again, but the last time I read it not much has been agreed upon. I think totems and non-interactive gods and saints were the only things agreed upon. That is why I let the events very vague, as they are discussed details can be filled in.

[Wensleydale]

That was just what I got from the suggested (and apparently agreed upon) Saints. I have no problem with your version, it's just the two threads seem to be contradicting one another. :P