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I have not RPed in a week, and thus gaming stuff starts eating my brain again. This is how I get into having too many games...
Anyway, though. Been considering playing with the idea of a D&D campaign that really tries to play up the epic, prophetic feel. So, was thinking.
It is the year eight hundred and forty-three on the continent of Deschair. The coastal countries, bastions of civilization, are ailing. Since the turn of the new year, dark signs have been spotted in the temples, and now spring seems to be delayed. It is well into the season of earth's turning, and yet the fields are still blanketed in snow while the few plants that seek to flower are frozen on their stems. In the five countries, food is running out, and even the bountiful seas are turning colder and colder, the fish fleeing...or the fishing boats attacked by strange, sea-dwelling elves mounted on carnivorous swimming beasts.
And now, a strange plague sweeps the countryside. Not a plague of the body, but of the mind. Entire stretches of land are gripped by screaming nightmares by night, some frightened to death, others so shaken that sleep becomes nearly impossible, even when the dreams pass. The waves of nightmares seem to move along the coast in waves, each of the three occurances growing stronger, more terrible, more damaging. Very few of those afflicted remember anything of their dreams.
You are among the exceptions. For you, the dreams do not pass with the wave, but remain, visiting you every night. Images both intimate and bizarre, dominated by the appearance of faces you don't know, and a building...the Great Library on the cape of Solthis, capital of the country of Marsis. The certainty grows within you with each passing night: somewhere there is the key to stopping the dreams and saving your sanity. And, perhaps, the key to restoring peace and summer to civilized lands.
The Five Countries
(All countries are coastal, along the eastern shore of the continent. From north to south, they are Albis, Ochuri, Sovven, Marsis, and Searest.)
Albis: The small, but fiercely independent country of Albis is nestled in a wedge between the Skyblood Mountains and the shore, with little farmable land but great mineral wealth. Mines of salt, iron, silver, gold, and rubies are this nation's pride, and its people are known for their physical strength and uncompromising practicality. Dwarven clans live in elaborate stone cities carved into the cliffs, and share soverignity with a sparse human and gnomish population. Most citizens know at least a little about mining or metalworking, and many of the rural areas still have operating temples to Besix, the culling god. Infants born deformed or sickly are often left at these temples as symbolic sacrifices. Well, usually symbolic.
Ochuri: Just south of Albis, Ochuri spreads out as the Skybloods arc towards the interior, a rolling land of hills and rivers. Bargefolk and herders dominate the landscape, moving the herds of deer-like cattle from one end of the country to the other with the seasons. Towards the coast, fisheries and rice fields are in evidence, and there are few large cities in this land of semi-nomadic human and halfling guild-families. Hardest hit by the incursions of sea-elves, the fishing fleets and coastal villages of Ochuri are in dire straits. The High Council has attempted to hire more warships from other countries, but with things as they are, few are willing to sell. The people of Ochuri tend to be knowledgeable of the land and the animals within it, good riders and sailors, but with their loyalty rarely extending beyond their own extended families...a problem which has caused a number of small civil wars throughout the land's history, and which even now prevents the guild-families from uniting for common defense. Some are even blaming other families for the incursions.
Sovven: With the smallest shoreline of the five countries, Sovven is also the least hard hit by the recent troubles. Most of the country rests against the sheltering trees of the wild Morrow Forest, and the citizens have been busily harvesting the wood to ship out as fuel and building materials to other countries. In fact, this upswing in the country's profits, and the Sovvenians' reputation as sorcerous folk have raised suspicion in the eyes of other nations that they may be behind the recent problems. The capital city of Beli Sonda is a center of magical learning, with texts on arcane lore that not even the Great Library can rival. However, it is also closed to those not of the Order of the Silver Stone, an elf-dominated arcane guild based in Beli Sonda. Political tensions between Sovven and Marsis have been rising with the Sovven government's refusal to allow other groups to research the texts. The people of Sovven are tight-knit and private, known for their ability to keep secrets, their arrogant airs, and as the only kingdom of the five to retain a slave class, largely formed of criminals and debtors.
Marsis: The First Kingdom, formed by a coalition of races on the Founding Fleet when they first reached these shores, remains a center for learning, culture, and (until recently) prosperity throughout the five kingdoms. The Dowager Queen Amaryllis, the half-elven ruler, sits on the Sea Throne in the capital city, Solthis, and rules over both city and rich farmlands and fisheries. The Red Fleet has been called back from its traditional duties of pirate hunting along the civilized shore, and is instead protecting Marsian properties from the sea elves...a move which has prompted protests from other nations. Marsians are known to be educated, refined, and familiar with a wide variety of cultures. They are often seen as shallow, but pleasant, company, and number many diplomats and merchants among their ranks. The Great Library is the largest central store of information on history and knowledge in all the five kingdoms, and more, is available to any citizen of Marsis for free, and any outlander for a three gold per season fee.
Searest: Searest is actually situated on a chain of islands off of the coast proper. The youngest of the five kingdoms, it has perhaps the most precarious situation of the civilized lands. The cooling of the waters has hurt this nation considerably, and many of those along the impoverished island villages have turned to piracy, looting the ships of Marsis for edible and salable goods. The government, a confederation of regional governors ruled by High Captain Edgars, is too busy fighting off the sea elves from the deeper waters, and trying to figure out how to feed the nation's people, to care much about the piracy, so long as it isn't against native ships. In fact, the government's sympathetic reaction to the pirates has provoked outraged demands for investigation from the powerful Marsian Merchants' Guild. Travel between Searest and Marsis is a tense and risky thing these days.
General Overviews
Magic: Wizards and Sorcerers are generally given respect according to what guild or Order they belong to. Orders and guilds have elaborate relations among themselves, with alliances and rivalries going back centuries. Among the general population, an unguilded mage is considered a loose cannon, dangerous and unreliable, except in Searest, where none of the established guilds have yet gained a good foothold. Many renegade or independent mages live on the Searest islands, bartering cantrips and spells for food, fees, and passage on ships.
Religion: Each country has its own set of religious icons...while several bear strong resemblance to each other, and can be traced back to the pantheon brought by the Founding Fleet, several cults have developed, branched, and grown as the population dispersed. Most of Marsis still worships the Seven, gods of Truth, Love, Justice, War, Sea, Sun, and Healing whose temples date back to the founding. Elsewhere, gods such as Besix, the culling god, and Alena, goddess of vengeance, have found their niche. The highest god of Sovven, Montaru, is claimed by the elven wizards there to reflect a much older, elven religion that predates even the founding.
Anyway, though. Been considering playing with the idea of a D&D campaign that really tries to play up the epic, prophetic feel. So, was thinking.
It is the year eight hundred and forty-three on the continent of Deschair. The coastal countries, bastions of civilization, are ailing. Since the turn of the new year, dark signs have been spotted in the temples, and now spring seems to be delayed. It is well into the season of earth's turning, and yet the fields are still blanketed in snow while the few plants that seek to flower are frozen on their stems. In the five countries, food is running out, and even the bountiful seas are turning colder and colder, the fish fleeing...or the fishing boats attacked by strange, sea-dwelling elves mounted on carnivorous swimming beasts.
And now, a strange plague sweeps the countryside. Not a plague of the body, but of the mind. Entire stretches of land are gripped by screaming nightmares by night, some frightened to death, others so shaken that sleep becomes nearly impossible, even when the dreams pass. The waves of nightmares seem to move along the coast in waves, each of the three occurances growing stronger, more terrible, more damaging. Very few of those afflicted remember anything of their dreams.
You are among the exceptions. For you, the dreams do not pass with the wave, but remain, visiting you every night. Images both intimate and bizarre, dominated by the appearance of faces you don't know, and a building...the Great Library on the cape of Solthis, capital of the country of Marsis. The certainty grows within you with each passing night: somewhere there is the key to stopping the dreams and saving your sanity. And, perhaps, the key to restoring peace and summer to civilized lands.
The Five Countries
(All countries are coastal, along the eastern shore of the continent. From north to south, they are Albis, Ochuri, Sovven, Marsis, and Searest.)
Albis: The small, but fiercely independent country of Albis is nestled in a wedge between the Skyblood Mountains and the shore, with little farmable land but great mineral wealth. Mines of salt, iron, silver, gold, and rubies are this nation's pride, and its people are known for their physical strength and uncompromising practicality. Dwarven clans live in elaborate stone cities carved into the cliffs, and share soverignity with a sparse human and gnomish population. Most citizens know at least a little about mining or metalworking, and many of the rural areas still have operating temples to Besix, the culling god. Infants born deformed or sickly are often left at these temples as symbolic sacrifices. Well, usually symbolic.
Ochuri: Just south of Albis, Ochuri spreads out as the Skybloods arc towards the interior, a rolling land of hills and rivers. Bargefolk and herders dominate the landscape, moving the herds of deer-like cattle from one end of the country to the other with the seasons. Towards the coast, fisheries and rice fields are in evidence, and there are few large cities in this land of semi-nomadic human and halfling guild-families. Hardest hit by the incursions of sea-elves, the fishing fleets and coastal villages of Ochuri are in dire straits. The High Council has attempted to hire more warships from other countries, but with things as they are, few are willing to sell. The people of Ochuri tend to be knowledgeable of the land and the animals within it, good riders and sailors, but with their loyalty rarely extending beyond their own extended families...a problem which has caused a number of small civil wars throughout the land's history, and which even now prevents the guild-families from uniting for common defense. Some are even blaming other families for the incursions.
Sovven: With the smallest shoreline of the five countries, Sovven is also the least hard hit by the recent troubles. Most of the country rests against the sheltering trees of the wild Morrow Forest, and the citizens have been busily harvesting the wood to ship out as fuel and building materials to other countries. In fact, this upswing in the country's profits, and the Sovvenians' reputation as sorcerous folk have raised suspicion in the eyes of other nations that they may be behind the recent problems. The capital city of Beli Sonda is a center of magical learning, with texts on arcane lore that not even the Great Library can rival. However, it is also closed to those not of the Order of the Silver Stone, an elf-dominated arcane guild based in Beli Sonda. Political tensions between Sovven and Marsis have been rising with the Sovven government's refusal to allow other groups to research the texts. The people of Sovven are tight-knit and private, known for their ability to keep secrets, their arrogant airs, and as the only kingdom of the five to retain a slave class, largely formed of criminals and debtors.
Marsis: The First Kingdom, formed by a coalition of races on the Founding Fleet when they first reached these shores, remains a center for learning, culture, and (until recently) prosperity throughout the five kingdoms. The Dowager Queen Amaryllis, the half-elven ruler, sits on the Sea Throne in the capital city, Solthis, and rules over both city and rich farmlands and fisheries. The Red Fleet has been called back from its traditional duties of pirate hunting along the civilized shore, and is instead protecting Marsian properties from the sea elves...a move which has prompted protests from other nations. Marsians are known to be educated, refined, and familiar with a wide variety of cultures. They are often seen as shallow, but pleasant, company, and number many diplomats and merchants among their ranks. The Great Library is the largest central store of information on history and knowledge in all the five kingdoms, and more, is available to any citizen of Marsis for free, and any outlander for a three gold per season fee.
Searest: Searest is actually situated on a chain of islands off of the coast proper. The youngest of the five kingdoms, it has perhaps the most precarious situation of the civilized lands. The cooling of the waters has hurt this nation considerably, and many of those along the impoverished island villages have turned to piracy, looting the ships of Marsis for edible and salable goods. The government, a confederation of regional governors ruled by High Captain Edgars, is too busy fighting off the sea elves from the deeper waters, and trying to figure out how to feed the nation's people, to care much about the piracy, so long as it isn't against native ships. In fact, the government's sympathetic reaction to the pirates has provoked outraged demands for investigation from the powerful Marsian Merchants' Guild. Travel between Searest and Marsis is a tense and risky thing these days.
General Overviews
Magic: Wizards and Sorcerers are generally given respect according to what guild or Order they belong to. Orders and guilds have elaborate relations among themselves, with alliances and rivalries going back centuries. Among the general population, an unguilded mage is considered a loose cannon, dangerous and unreliable, except in Searest, where none of the established guilds have yet gained a good foothold. Many renegade or independent mages live on the Searest islands, bartering cantrips and spells for food, fees, and passage on ships.
Religion: Each country has its own set of religious icons...while several bear strong resemblance to each other, and can be traced back to the pantheon brought by the Founding Fleet, several cults have developed, branched, and grown as the population dispersed. Most of Marsis still worships the Seven, gods of Truth, Love, Justice, War, Sea, Sun, and Healing whose temples date back to the founding. Elsewhere, gods such as Besix, the culling god, and Alena, goddess of vengeance, have found their niche. The highest god of Sovven, Montaru, is claimed by the elven wizards there to reflect a much older, elven religion that predates even the founding.
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Of course, I'm already having trouble with scheduling in my other games but I'm curious.
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