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Xefas
2011-07-26, 04:44 PM
Dawn of Worlds (http://www.clanwebsite.org/games/rpg/Dawn_of_Worlds_game_1_0Final.pdf) is a freely available roleplaying game resource for collaboratively generating a simple overworld map for your fantasy setting among your group. Each player nominally plays a "God", although, for a setting without deities, it's not hard to imagine them as simple forces of happenstance.

The game takes place in three "Ages", the Age of Land, the Age of Races, and the Age of Relations. Each Age is typically composed of 5-10 turns (though it can go longer), with each God getting a certain number of points each turn to exact their divine will on the world. The cost for various actions differs based on the current Age, with geographic manipulation being cheap in the Age of Land, the creation of races and subraces being cheap in the Age of Races, and micromanaging your civilizations being cheap in the Age of Relations.

(For extra customization lulz, if you use this game with your group, try having every player also generate 1-2 cities/dungeons/adventures with How To Host a Dungeon (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207903), and dotting them around the continent.)

Now, this is typically a multiplayer game. But I want to do a Let's Play of it. I could just play all the Gods as I see fit, but that would be boring. I've come up with a few solutions, but here is the one I want to try out.

Basically, we're going to do crowd-sourced deities. After this post, I'd like any of you interested folks to shout out 5-6 descriptors for a God's personality. They could be "Like's Fire", "Saves for the Long Term", "Is a Jerk", "The Great Life-Giver", "Smart", "Dumb", "Death", "Killblood Stabmurder" - whatever. Just, a bunch of things that could describe a god.

In an attempt to keep the same old boring generic gods from arising, I'll try to take the first 40-50 of these descriptors that get posted in order and apply them to four personalities for four gods that will be our players for this game.

So, without further ado, here is our first blank template-world:
http://i.imgur.com/OEyzw.png

As some general rules, unless a God exerts their will over the world, the default is that:
*Any land is temperate grassland with a few scattered trees, small streams, and minor lakes.
*Any sea is salt-water, with narratively generic fish-life.
*Any civilizations are, more or less, morally neutral. They will kill to survive, they will help their fellow man if it's not too terribly inconvenient, and crime happens, but isn't ubiquitous. Specific organizations or subsections of that civilization may differ.

And now, please shout your suggested descriptors for the Gods and we can get this underway. :smallsmile:

gkathellar
2011-07-26, 04:53 PM
Looks cool. Descriptors:


Glutton unsurpassed: Eats everything, all the time. Never stops eating.
Inventor of pottery: This also means "inventor of civilization" since pottery allows for grain storage which makes agriculture profitable, but s/he doesn't think of it like that.
Direct interventionist: Doesn't believe in the prime directive. Will smack mortals s/he doesn't like.
Disappointed creator: Thinks the universe as built is unoriginal and stupid, with a specific hate-on for the laws of physics.
Hates fire: Absolutely hates fire, seriously you have no idea how much.
Ragnarok!: Getting ready to throw a party at the end of the world, since the beginning of the world.

flumphy
2011-07-26, 05:42 PM
Nifty. I've heard of this before but never got around to looking into it.

For deity ideas, how about:

The god of blood and turnips. Your adage is moot.
A god who's a construct.
The inventor of writing. He or she invented it solely because they have a horrible memory. They've probably forgotten that by now.
A xenophobic god. They love the race they created, but loathe anything else.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. One of the other gods let her down romantically, and now she's out for vengeance. On the universe.

Sodalite
2011-07-26, 05:45 PM
Descriptors I have to offer are;

loves metals,
creates mountains and valleys,
forges and leaves behind artifacts,
leaves a path of lifeless badlands,
and hates war and murder, especially when its creations are abused in such a way.

Gobbothegreen
2011-07-26, 06:00 PM
Oh, this looks fun.


Loves Mosquitos
Occasionaly drops his tools leaving massive holes in the ground.
Can't see the point in making things small.
Thinks that the more limbs the better

Knaight
2011-07-26, 06:13 PM
The Mountain King

A god of snow and stone, dedicated to making mountains, peaks, crags, and all that is mountainous and cold.
Believes in the value of hardship, and of toil, and places great resources in hard to reach places.
He believes that survival is only precious because it is difficult.


The Twin Rivers

Two gods, both of which are river gods
Both believe in large civilizations, and in the lands by their rivers being gifts to those who would build and cultivate.
One of the gods is focused on building with the river clay, the other on plant growth in the river valley.
Both of these gods hate war, and will try to see that rivers flood over warlike civilizations.

Zenos
2011-07-26, 07:08 PM
Hates noise.

Loves kobolds.


Loves laws and organisations.
Rather likes to wierd the other gods out.

Shadow Lord
2011-07-26, 07:44 PM
Loves cake

Despises lies

Talks in a strange voice

A god of the inbetween place, such as shadows and alleys.

Xefas
2011-07-26, 08:35 PM
Glad to see there are people interested in this :smallbiggrin:. I count 35 descriptors so far, so I just need one or two more people to get on board, and I can get this train rollin'.

Otacon17
2011-07-26, 08:54 PM
A god who's afraid of all the other gods.
A god who loves music.
A god who thinks the other gods are "lame," views the whole thing as a competition.
A god who is either A) trying to protect or B) completely ignores the fourth wall.

Xanmyral
2011-07-26, 09:18 PM
Loves knowledge, books, stories, and thing related to such.
Love cold, ice, tundra and so such.
Is often happy and kind, but merciless and cruel if pushed to far.
Has a fondness of wine, or ritzy drinks.
Wishes to streamline things for efficiency, cut out the slack.

Xefas
2011-07-26, 11:01 PM
In the beginning, as such things are reckoned, form and function was forced upon the inchoate chaos of that which came before. A singular being gave definition to Time, for it was Timeless; to Space, for it was Boundless; to Matter, for it had no Substance.

Arguably, this being's first invention was Existentialism. It drifted in the void, through the marching of hours, seeing nothing and hearing nothing, and knew that there was no meaning. In the good fortune of all things to come, this being was not one to lose itself to despair, and so enforced its own meaning on the void. Using Matter, it formed a Solid plane and pillar of rock, along with a Liquid sea, and a sky of Gas. With Space, it set this plane at the base of the void, with the sea atop it, and the sky above all. At the very center of this work, it lay the pillar, which rose out of the sea with its great height. With Time, the being advanced its new world, watching as the billions of insignificant variables that he had worked into it brought forth previously unknowable wonders, including the most precious of all - Life. As the being's gaze fell upon the first living thing, something so infinitesimally smaller than it, it realized the possibility of other entities existing beyond itself. So enraptured by this idea, it worked with what it had, pouring some of itself into the process, and eventually manufactured four children.

These four entities, it placed in a grand palace in the sky above its world, and the world was its third gift to them. The fourth child thanked its creator, though no response was given, for it had no mouth to speak. With its work done, it simply receded from their presence and was content to watch them create their own meanings.

Of these four Gods, their names would change in time, but for now, they were simply the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Child.

Year 0-500
First Child
Power: 10

Second Child
Power: 9

Third Child
Power: 5

Fourth Child
Power: 4

"I seethe with power." spoke the First Child. "But I will need more for my grand design. Why don't the rest of you play in the interim?"

The Second Child shook his nearly formless head in disappointment at his sister's words. "Very well. Someone might as well get to work if you are too lazy." He glanced around for a moment, hesitant for a time - not entirely sure what to do. The judgmental eyes of his elder sibling burned down on him until he quickly hefted a stone from the seas and dropped it onto the great earthen pillar. The stone landed near the pillar's center, and shattered the ground there into dozens of massive spires and jagged crags. "Hah! There, you see?" He sounded very pleased with himself, and repeated the process two more times, a grin broadening on his face with each thunderous crash. After the third time, he was exhausted and set to resting himself. Henceforth, he would be known as the Mountain King.

A nearly inaudible hiss emanated from the Third Child. She thought extremely aggressively, rather than speaking. "Must you make such noise? My minds are still ringing!" Her second self wholehearted agreed, adding, "Perhaps we should show you how it's done. No need to be such a brute." The child placed a finger at the southern center of the pillar, and drew it upward into the mountains at the center of the world. Where she had moved, a river of fresh water had formed. Henceforth, she would be known as the River Mothers.

"Wonderful, sister!" The youngest child said, clapping enthusiastically, which irritated her more than he would ever know. He made to draw something of his own, but was secretly afraid the others wouldn't like it. What if he put a lot of work into it, and they broke it out of spite? Perhaps it would be best to wait and see other things his brothers and sisters liked. As he went to withdraw his presence from the world, he sighed, and his divine breath coated much of the world in an icy grip. He clapped an appendage to his mouth, gasping in horror at what he'd done. Henceforth, he would be known as the Cold One.

"Hmph. You know? I kind of like it." murmured the eldest. "Indeed! I find my mountains much improved!" offered the Mountain King.

The River Mothers sulked. She had nothing against the cold, but it would seem that her kindred hadn't noticed the multitude of animals that had begun to grow on the pillar, now frozen and crushed by their actions.

First Child
Power: 10

Mountain King
Power: 0

River Mothers
Power: 2

Cold One
Power: 0

http://i.imgur.com/cIOMm.png

Vire
2011-07-26, 11:06 PM
i just skimmed through the rules for this and grabbed both my roommates and my girlfriend , told them we're playing something quick and new to see how it worked.

it's actually quite a bit of fun to knock around with, we made 2 worlds, first time just a continental landmass, then the second game we expanded it out to a full world, each of us drew a continent, and expanded the turns out, so instead of the 5/10 turn rule per age, we were given 15/30 to accomodate for the extra space for terraforming and fleshing out all the areas. (could have just upped the number of points per turn to similar effect, but we figured more turns around the table was more fun than longer turns per person)

the world we ended up with after the second game was pretty epic, several battles, civilisations rose and fell under guidance of the gods and their fickle whims

this is a great little game to break out if you have a handful of people sitting around with nothing to do while waiting on a straggler player to show up for a game night!

Sodalite
2011-07-26, 11:15 PM
The progress so far looks wonderful! Better than anything I could make with just a few suggestions from internet strangers. I am curious to see what combination of traits got put in to which of the children, though I suppose I'll have to figure that my self.

Xefas
2011-07-26, 11:50 PM
Year 500-1000
First Child
Power: 19

Mountain King
Power: 9

River Mothers
Power: 13

Cold One
Power: 7

"Just a little more time now." The First Child was a burning node of energy in the heavens, and would henceforth be known as She Who Bides.

"You are absolutely no fun, sister!" proclaimed the Mountain King. He reached down a hand and scooped up a chunk of the pillar, grinding it in his hands until it became a rudimentary tool. "We can do so many things, and all you do is sit there."

"Stop, stop, you moron!" thought the River Mothers in unison. At her brothers puzzled face, she gestured to the swath of land he had just wrecked making his tool. It lay barren and rent; unsuitable for life, at least at the moment. His apparent lack of concern infuriated her, and she gleamed with inner light. She stood at the mountains at the center of the world, and drew both hands across the land, creating long, sweeping rivers in her wake, framing the wasteland her brother had made. Between her arms, life flourished into a massive forest, with dense wildlife and a multitude of plants and fungi never before seen in the world.

The Mountain King's eyes widened, and then he narrowed them, crossing his indistinct limbs to show feigned emotional withdrawal. "Big deal. I could've done that if I'd wanted to."

"Guys, don't fight. Even if we have competing interests, it doesn't mean we can't be civil." The Cold One's words were jovial, but the bickering only made him more nervous. Not wanting to intensify the situation, he fell back on his previous action. He dropped the temperature of a big portion of the pillar, creating more ice and snow. Just as he was beginning to feel confident about doing so, his sister interjected. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"I...what?"

"Look, doofus! You just wiped out 1100 species of animal with that trick." She fumed. Only a tiny squeak escaped his lips.

"To be fair, most of them were bugs." shrugged their brother. The River Mothers' gaze was like burning daggers.

She Who Bides
Power: 19

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 0

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 1

Cold One
Power: 1

http://i.imgur.com/pVzOP.png

Xanmyral
2011-07-27, 01:11 AM
Looking awesome so far. I wonder what "She Who Bides" will do with all that power. Pretty funny reading their interactions between each other.

Xefas
2011-07-27, 01:45 AM
Year 1000-1500
She Who Bides
Power: 25

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 7

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 14

Cold One
Power: 9
From the heavens, a blinding light descended between the frigid lands of the Cold One, and the forest of the River Mothers. Where it shone, the earth overturned, and life forms arose from the soil. Unlike the animals that inhabited their surroundings, these beings had minds comparable to the deity that made them, though obviously lacking the divine scope and insight. Physically, they stood nearly as tall as an elephant, their bodies covered almost entirely by a layer of thick fur. They stood on two sturdy feet, with two arms ending in strangely shaped hands. Not only did they host a set of brutal looking claws each, but they appeared altogether larger than was necessary for the body they were attached to, with an odd curvature that would allow them to reliably hold huge amounts of material when cupped.

"I call them the 'Gobah'." said She Who Bides, now known as the Lifegiver, to her stunned siblings. "I got the idea from our own creation. Our progenitor made us, and gave us the power to create and think for ourselves. I figured I could do the same. I was right; which you should get used to, by the way."

Years flew by as they watched in amazement, and the little creatures flourished in their new habitat. A small settlement of rudimentary huts arose, though they served more as a nominal marker than a home. In truth, the Gobah spent most of their time far afield, searching for prime grazing lands throughout the seasons, for they were solely herbivores.

The Earthrender was the first to regain his composure. "Impressive. There is no doubt about that. Perhaps I misjudged you, sister. But, as much as I would love some critters of my own, however, I just don't know if I can wait that long right now." As he spoke, he fiddled with the tool he had previous made, giving it large, blunt protrusion at one end. With a mighty swing, he brought it down on the northern side of the pillar, cracking more mountains into being. With a wave of his hand, the cold his younger brother had made extended westward into his growing mountain range.

The River Mothers' painted yet another flowing steam, their grandest yet, the entire western length between the central mountains and the edge of the pillar. It seemed to be a cathartic experience for her now, as the irritation has left her mind when she next communicated. "Yes, that was quite lovely, sister. I only wished we were all so enlightened."

The first thing the Cold One thought about was the same as his siblings. One day, he knew he would want a little group of thinking, feeling creatures worshiping him, which the Gobah had been doing enthusiastically for She Who Bides since their creation. But he wasn't so sure about them living on the same landmass with whatever his sisters cooked up. With that in mind, he rose a large island from the seas, and covered it in snow-swept trees.

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 3

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 0

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 2

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker
Power: 1

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Cities: Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

http://i.imgur.com/PAnY0.png

Year 1500-2000
Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 16

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 8

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 11

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker
Power: 10
The Lifegiver smiled down upon her loyal shamans. "This worship thing feels pretty nice. The prayers are a little annoying, but that's mostly because they're always asking for stupid things." She thought for a moment, clicking two enormous black claws together, which had grown on all of her appendages since the creation of the Gobah. "Maybe if I give them something practical, it'll put them in the right direction."

That night, She Who Bides appeared in the dreams of all of her shaman simultaneously, and taught them how to construct kilns and fire clay from the rivers into pottery. Upon waking, they spread this knowledge to the other Gobah. Many attempts were made before anything usable was created, but they found their shovel-like hands were well suited to digging, and their shape could easily sculpt the clay into the form of a pot, albeit a rough one.

And so it was that the Gobah could be seen hefting their huge clay containers on their backs during nomadic trips, allowing them to store supplies and venture farther from the river. In time, they eventually discovered rudimentary agriculture on their own, growing vegetation on the banks of the great nearby river, and storing what they could in their clay pots, along with dried fruits and berries. Gobahholm was beginning to look like a legitimate settlement.

In an act of personal indulgence, gleeful with her success, the Lifegiver had her shamans direct the city of Gobahholm to create an immense clay statue in her honor. With little to go on for her appearance, they made it appear more or less like a grand female Gobah, and strangely, the God's true appearance seemed to shift in that direction.

"Not that I'm jealous...", began the Mountain King, "...but as fair warning, sister, when I do decide to make my chosen people, they're going to be a thousand times better than those shaggy furballs playing in the mud. Bigger, too, I imagine." As he spoke, he went about filling the northern mountains with lavishly rich deposits of various metals.

"I'm sorry, what was that, brother? I'm having a hard time hearing you over all the adoration and praise I'm getting." Her smile was truly wicked.

The River Mothers' largely ignored her siblings, spreading her forests around her rivers and the central mountains. She looked to be enjoying herself.

Like the Silvan Twins, the Cold One chose to stay mostly silent, letting the more aggressive gods bicker as they wished. Yet again, he began to expand the tundra, but something about the flourishing forest environs springing to life instilled in him some inspiration. Pouring the rest of his power into a single surge, he caused the south of the world to explode into vibrancy. Its temperature and precipitation rose dramatically, giving rise to all manner of exotic fruit and vegetation. His sisters seemed to approve.

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 0

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 2

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 2

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker
Power: 0

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery
Cities: Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue

http://i.imgur.com/5ov4x.png

Ksheep
2011-07-27, 01:49 AM
Looks like fun. I guess this will be yet another thing for me to look into.

Xanmyral
2011-07-27, 02:05 AM
Seems like you could easily combine this with HYOD to make a player made setting to do games in. Definitely neat.

Cieyrin
2011-07-28, 03:00 PM
Appears I got to this party late, as otherwise I had a couple of deific characteristic suggestions. Ah well, guess I'll sit back and enjoy the show. *gets out lawn chair, six pack and bowl of popcorn and contentedly watches the unfolding of a new world, munching in the mean time*

Shadow Lord
2011-07-28, 03:01 PM
* Brings the cake * Cake is so much more optimized than popcorn.

Cieyrin
2011-07-28, 03:16 PM
* Brings the cake * Cake is so much more optimized than popcorn.

*scoffs at the cake, opens the ice chest and brings out a raspberry mango pie* Pie is the more optimal choice. :smallwink:

Shadow Lord
2011-07-28, 03:18 PM
*scoffs at the cake, opens the ice chest and brings out a raspberry mango pie* Pie is the more optimal choice. :smallwink:

Ha! But contraire, my enterprising companion. The truly optimized choice is the Cookie Cake! * Pulls it out of Bag of Holding *

Ksheep
2011-07-28, 03:41 PM
Ha! But contraire, my enterprising companion. The truly optimized choice is the Cookie Cake! * Pulls it out of Bag of Holding *

Everyone knows that the cake is a lie, and pi is not trustworthy either (it insists that it are square, when it is obviously round). What you TRULY need are muffins. Tasty and nutritious, and they can be used as improvised thrown weapons if they go stale.

Shadow Lord
2011-07-28, 03:44 PM
Everyone knows that the cake is a lie, and pi is not trustworthy either (it insists that it are square, when it is obviously round). What you TRULY need are muffins. Tasty and nutritious, and they can be used as improvised thrown weapons if they go stale.

Nae, it is the Cinnamon Roll that is dominant on this world! They roll with their delicious tastefullness, denying the profane power of the Muffin.

hangedman1984
2011-07-28, 08:36 PM
I raise you all flaming chocolate cupcakes!! (http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/01/chocolate-cupcakes-with-flaming.html)

Urpriest
2011-07-28, 09:14 PM
Gorram it stop making us poor people hungry!!

Xefas, have your gods create some food over here!

Xanmyral
2011-07-28, 09:20 PM
Preferably not the Cold One though. I don't want to have to take a pick to get at my food. Ever since that fruit cake for Christmas, never again. :smalleek:

Dragonmuncher
2011-07-29, 10:17 AM
Cool stuff to do:

Add another race or two... then have one god "steal" converts by giving them psionic abilities!

Create a race of fish-men right off-shore of some other race's capital city.

Have rivers just cover the vast majority of the continent, then freeze them, and have the primary way of getting around the continent through giant sleds!

Have the mountain king make a gigantic, super-mountain... and then turn it into a volcano!

One of the new races should have tails.

Cieyrin
2011-07-29, 02:05 PM
Preferably not the Cold One though. I don't want to have to take a pick to get at my food. Ever since that fruit cake for Christmas, never again. :smalleek:

He could make ice cream, though! :smallsigh:

As for fruit cake, it's obvious he's using that nasty candied fruit instead of fresh fruit. Gives you a much better product that isn't a putrescent solid brick of ick. Whenever I bring one in, my coworkers usually finish it off within an hour of it being there, if the boss doesn't get his hands on it and takes it into his office and locks the door...

gkathellar
2011-07-29, 02:21 PM
Come back, Xefas! They won't stop talking about food, and it's making me hungry!

hangedman1984
2011-07-30, 01:38 AM
where did xefas go? i was really getting into the game posts and then he vanished
:smallfrown:

Ksheep
2011-07-30, 01:40 AM
Didn't he say he was working on some sort of project or somesuch?

Xefas
2011-07-30, 02:30 AM
where did xefas go? i was really getting into the game posts and then he vanished
:smallfrown:

Its only been a couple days. I've been busy. It doesn't take long to play a turn, but it does take a while to write the blurbs - that is, for someone like me who isn't used to writing a whole lot.

Year 2000-2500
Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 9

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 9

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 10

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker
Power: 8

Under the continued tutelage of their blessed shamans, the Gobah flourish. Eventually, with the aid of their god in the form of dreams and divine signs, a small group of them are lead north along their great river and found a second settlement, which they name Levende. Although their fortune persists for a time, eventually, the dramatically colder weather begins to wear on them. Not just physically, but the colder months make acquiring food far more difficult for them. Their talent for preservation lasts them for a winter or two, but only barely.

Then, suddenly, a few of the Levende Gobah appear before their shaman elders, offering wisdom never before present in the tribe. They relate how to grow extensive underground lichen and mushroom farms in the underground caverns beneath the permafrost. With the new teachings of these wise men, calling themselves the Brotherhood of the Frost Father, Levende manages to barely survive in their new environment.

"Mmmm...I don't remember telling them how to do that." pondered the Lifegiver, a note of suspicion in her voice.

"If I may, sister, I do hope I was not overstepping my bounds." The Cold One glanced around sheepishly, taking extra effort to hide the tiny black talons that had begun to manifest on his otherwise amorphous hands.

When his sister spoke, it was with more shock at his audacity than malice. "You did this? My people are...no, surely?"

"They were having such a hard time of things. And I told them not to make a big deal out of it. They came up with the whole "frost father" thing, not me. I was just trying to help!" Despite determinations of shape and size being mostly pointless for the forms of Gods, it nevertheless seemed as if he were shrinking before the towering Lifegiver.

And then she laughed, a deep, biting, condescending laugh. "Oh, well done. I can hardly do else but thank you, little brother! My people are safe, for the moment, at least, and I didn't have to lift a finger. I doubt anything will come of this little, adorable cult you have going."

The Cold One attempted to laugh with her, nervously. "Surely not, my dearest sister.", and as he turned his back to slink away, a grin spread across his face for none of his siblings to see. A cold grin, just for him.

The Mountain King continues sculpting the land. The River Mothers, however, remain conspicuously silent - perhaps sensing the impending turning of ages.

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 1

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 1

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 10

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 0

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue

Levende
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

http://i.imgur.com/ae1Pq.png

Sodalite
2011-07-30, 12:17 PM
It is understandable that you take a fair amount of of time to post, as these are quite specific, and have far more a narrative than ordinary, multiplayer Dawn of Worlds game. Two days was perhaps just slightly jarring, as it is slower than such a multiplayer game, which are more common.

Xefas
2011-07-31, 01:22 AM
Year 2500-2600
Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides
Power: 16

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender
Power: 12

River Mothers
Epithets: The Silvan Twins
Power: 18

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 13

And so it was that the turning of ages fell upon the world and its gods. The amount of their own essence that they had poured into the pillar amidst the sea, which the Gobah call Arah, was sufficient enough that it called unto them. No longer would they be required to wait for such great lengths to accumulate enough divine power to act, and they would find their influences upon the world now expend far less effort in some endeavors.

As her first act in the new age, the Lifegiver plucked her most powerful and loyal shaman from the fields of Gobahholm, and instilled within her a tiny divine spark, transforming her into an Avatar of the Lifegiver's holy will. She would now live longer than her kin, with great supernatural power and fortitude, and her spark would always reincarnate upon death. First, unto her eldest child, if they were available, and so on among her bloodline. If there were ever a complete lack of related recipients for the spark, it would merely transfer to another promising Gobah. This avatar, she named the Empress of all Gobah, and the Empress easily rose to rulership among her people, with a loyal counsel of shaman beneath her.

With her leading the Gobah people, the Lifegiver channeled a portion of her holy energies through the Empress, among all the people of her civilization. The Gobah had always been unparalleled diggers with their mighty shovel-like claws, but now, a few among them would be born with the capacity to channel supernatural feats of geomantic manipulation, moving large quantities of earth and stone with only their mind and faith.

New blessing in hand, the Empress would later use her divine prerogative to send out and settle new colonies farther outward from Gobahholm, one of which would eventually grow into the city of Helligflod.

Meanwhile, the Mountain King worked his own magics. Deep within the northern mountains, his sight fell, and there, advanced lifeforms grew in the dark. Some strange fusion of arachnid and primate, these small creatures crawled on six legs, with the pronounced thorax and spinnerets of a spider, but with a hairy torso where a spider's face would normally be, topped with its own monkey-like head. Just for good measure, their torso branched into four limbs, ending in opposable digits, for a total of ten limbs.

Fiercely intelligent, these "Leohm" quickly developed crude stone tools, digging their way to the surface. The sun burned them terribly, though they occasionally would venture forth at night to gather wood and other materials that grew on the surface in order to further innovate. Eventually, they would advance far enough to make a stationary community feasible, and found the subterranean city of Armon amidst the plentiful precious metals that their God had planted there in the previous age.

The River Mothers, in turn, exploded into action, thrusting a hand down from the heavens. From her, innumerable particles drifted forth, at first appearing as seeds, but eventually revealing themselves to each by a tiny fish-like scale that floated down from the sky. Where each fell, a creature arose, wide-eyed and ready to meet the world and all of its trials and pleasures.

Each creature that arose shared many similar traits. All of them were small, standing only a few feet tall, comparable to the Leohm. They had only two arms and two legs, completely hairless, covered in tiny reptilian scales. They hunched, with somewhat flat heads, sporting a long snout and sharp teeth. The River Mothers called this basic template, a "Kobold".

Those scales that fell upon the central mountains were a tad broader and burlier than the rest, with a propensity to burrow and mine, and a ferocious carnivorous appetite, capable of storing consumed energy for long periods of time. They were called Whitescale Kobolds, for their coloration.

Those scales that fell in the rivers surrounding the central mountains were a little bit taller, with extremely lanky arms, and a quick wit. They were herbivores, and exceptional swimmers, as well as naturally social, inventing a multitude of games and traditions with one another. They were called Bluescale Kobolds.

Those scales that fell among the trees of the central forests were a little bit weaker than the others, but their fangs produced a virulent poison, and they had a natural cunning for unmatched stealth and hunting ability. They were omnivores, and would be referred to as Greenscale Kobolds.

Among all the Kobolds, the Whitescales and Greenscales managed to quickly found stable settlements (Belyj and Zelenyj, respectively). The Bluescales satisfied themselves with a much more transitory existence, wandering about, with many of them trading with, and between, the two other tribes.

Finally, the Cold One deigned to take his actions, moving to the island he formed in the first age, and castsing a blessing down upon a particular kind of animal that inhabits the island. Among them, those relatively few that received the blessing grew giant, easily the size of a large horse, with a dull, though sapient, intelligence. More importantly, a malevolent intelligence. These creatures quickly formed packs, sweeping across the land, eating their fill, but also taking an unsettling pride in the utter brutality of their kills. These, the Cold One named the Medo. Their form, the long ears, the cottonball tail, the beady red eyes of the snow rabbit, would become a source of repulsion to the Cold One's siblings. Regardless, they form a crude society known simply as The Burrows, little more than dirt hovels with paw-scratched symbols of reverence to the Cold One.

"I really have no idea why they're doing that."

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother
Power: 3

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 1

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 0

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 4

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Levende
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Crafting
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Religious Order: Mouths of the Cold One

http://i.imgur.com/ADnBk.png

Immonen
2011-07-31, 06:39 AM
You forgot Helligflod on the civilization breakdown.

gkathellar
2011-07-31, 08:59 AM
Evil rabbit people.

Huh.

I'm looking at your avatar, Xefas, and it's almost like I'm missing something, but I can't quite figure it out ...

Cieyrin
2011-07-31, 09:34 AM
I totally expect a great general named Woundwort to come forth from the Medo, to lead in their conquests. :smallbiggrin:

Xanmyral
2011-07-31, 09:47 AM
I'm putting my dice on the Frost Father coming out of the scrape that will undoubtedly happen in the future.

I wonder how long before the Life Giver infuses a rock to where it explodes at the count of five three.

Xiander
2011-07-31, 10:56 AM
I am enjoying this thread a great deal Xefas :smallsmile:

I do have a question though: Do you know the danish meanings of the words "Levende" and "Helliflod"?

If you do its cool, if you don't i am doubly impressed by the way they fit into your work.

Keep the cool stuff comming :smallbiggrin:

Xefas
2011-07-31, 02:28 PM
You forgot Helligflod on the civilization breakdown.
Ah, thank you, I've gone and fixed it now.

I totally expect a great general named Woundwort to come forth from the Medo, to lead in their conquests. :smallbiggrin:
Y'know, that's not a bad idea...


I do have a question though: Do you know the danish meanings of the words "Levende" and "Helliflod"?
Vaguely. I'm not great with names, so I try to pull words from other languages to help color the world. For the Gobah, I'm going to try to pull from Danish/Swedish/Norwegian. I doubt the way in which I use foreign words in the game is going to be perfect, but IIRC Levende means "Living", and Hellig+Flod is "Holy River".

Zenos
2011-07-31, 07:02 PM
Where do the kobold names come from?

Xefas
2011-07-31, 08:41 PM
Where do the kobold names come from?

The Kobolds use Russian. I'm planning ancient Hebrew for the Leohm, and Portuguese for the Medo and an associated race that you'll meet when I'm done with the next turn update (which will also hopefully be more PC friendly than the Medo themselves).

I may end up throwing some random fantasy names here or there, or swapping a few letters if I think it'll make it look or sound better in what is primarily an English-speaking fantasy setting.

Jjeinn-tae
2011-07-31, 08:57 PM
Where do you find all these games Xefas? This looks interesting too.

Xefas
2011-08-01, 02:29 AM
Where do you find all these games Xefas? This looks interesting too.

Oh, I probably have a hundred unplayed games either owned or with their purchase page bookmarked that I've just run across over the years. I did How To Host a Dungeon, because it's one of the few single-player RPG related games out there (even though it's not an RPG in and of itself). Dawn of Worlds has set a dire precedent now, as it's a multiplayer game and, though slow and not conveying nearly the amount of enjoyment one would get from playing with an actual group, it's still been entertaining enough.

With a little tinkering, I may be able to showcase some other normally multiplayer RPGs after Dawn of Worlds finds its conclusion. I'm currently looking at Kobolds Ate My Baby. On the one hand, once again, an LP of it is never going to convey the whole depth of enjoyment possible with the game, but on the other, it's essentially a tabletop Roguelike, and that could be very entertaining, I think. It has a lot of character turnover, so each poster in the thread can get their own Kobold and watch its progress through the sword and baby filled gauntlet of hilarious horror that is KAMB.

But, enough about that:

Year 2600-2700
Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother
Power: 13

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 10

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 10

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 16

The gods congregate once more to perform their divine shapings upon the world of Arah. As they convene, they marvel at their transitioned forms, confirming all of their suspicions that they and their siblings are being physical altered by those that worship them.

The Lifegiver now appears fully as a matriarchal Gobah, huge and muscular, decorated in the many colorful stones, beads, and woven adornments of her people. Her fur is a rich brown, with an immaculate sheen. She has begun to carry a vase inlaid with exquisite artistic carvings denoting the many triumphs of the Gobah.

The Mountain King has not taken on many arachnid traits, though he has grown a full ten arms, each wielding a different tool, and has taken to carving out part of the gods' sky palace into a subterranean workshop into which no light may shine.

Though each of her tribes knows her by a different name, and worships her nearly as a pantheon unto herself, the newly denoted Zhizn Coils appears as two great serpents, coiled amidst one another. At her tails, many reptiles swarm in a cloud of shimmering scales; snakes, lizards, alligators, tortoises, and many more.

The Cold One's form has maintained some of its vague, ethereal nature, though his skin is an unmistakable stark white, like the tundras for which he is named. Black talons glisten at his hands and feet, and his single pair of eyes gleam a bright red.

It is he that acts first. "I just wanted to clear the air a bit, dear sisters, and of course, you, brother, as well. The Medo were an experiment, and now we know something of the extent of how we may influence the mindset and culture of our people. Unfortunate as the result may have seemed. But, allow me to demonstrate my commitment to a balance of sorts. I truly meant no harm."

With that, he worked his magic through the Brotherhood of the Frost Father, and over many years, the Gobah of Levende began to change. Their hair became shaggier, more insulating to the cold, their feet widened and flattened to be better suited to the ice of their homeland, their eyes formed filters to protect against snow blindness and, miraculously, their culture changed as well. Charity and kindness became largely more desirable traits. Justice began to creep into the world, infiltrating the mostly vengeance-based forms of law practiced prior to this point.

"You see? Nothing to worry about." continued the Cold One, smiling with pride.

"Fool! You overstep your bounds!" raged the Lifegiver, taking full advantage of the even more guttural qualities her voice had manifested recently. For the first time, one of the divine children went so far as to strike another, knocking the Frost Father flat on his back. Below, all across Arah, unseasonal storms thundered over the lands for several days.

"Monstrous as your prior creations may have been, it balances nothing to enforce some sort of weakness upon my own. Whatever moral perversions you choose to inflict in the future, stay away from what is mine!"

The Cold One regained his feet, taking a few steps back. When he spoke, there was no anger in his voice. Only something akin to disappointment. "Very well, sister. If that is how you feel, I will respect your decision. However, before you make such claims to ownership, I would look once again upon the Gobah of Levende."

And she did so. Her godly eyes looked upon Levende, and saw worship for the Lifegiver had waned considerably, amounting to a few shrines in out of the way nooks of their caves. Instead, the new Tundra Gobah had turned to the Frost Father for guidance and prayer. It was clear who the city belonged to, metaphysically speaking.

Her rage shook the palace, but when the Lifegiver turned her gaze away from the mortal realm, the Cold One was gone, having retreated to some far chamber of the heavens. The commotion was a significant enough distraction that no god seemed to notice the new life creeping into the world alongside the Medo. By the grace of their god, some of the giant rabbits had begun to change. These offshoots were much more intelligent, standing on only two legs, much as the Kobolds. They were lithe, with very little if any fur to speak of - instead garbing themselves in the warm hides of their more bestial kin. Their malevolence stayed intact however, and these "Raiva" soon learned to hunt with their brethren, riding atop them like mounts, wielding bows and arrows, and partaking in the same brutal sports and traditions that they had before.

Meanwhile, the Lifegiver fumed. She wanted revenge, but she did not wish all her people to be touched by that poisonous hate. And so, she had the Gobah Empress form a new tribe between Gobahholm and Helligflod, which she named Verdenkrig. Into these, she poured her hate - the hate of a child whose favorite toy had just been cracked by their little brother. The Gobah of Verdenkrig were incensed, becoming vicious warriors, training themselves in many killing arts, though distinctly dissimilar from those that their fellows were familiar with. In the other tribes, the Gobah that learned to fight, learned to protect their families from wild animals. These were skills meant to end the lives of other Gobah.

Soon, the most capable warriors of Verdenkrig gathered, dying their fur a rich red hue, and forming a legion to their Red Goddess, ready to march upon the traitors and heathens of Levende.

Long ago, Zhizn Coils may have balked at her siblings childish nature. She may have berated them over the meaningless loss of life that would ensue. But now, she was more concerned with the well being of her own people, and was simply glad no grave ire or misfortune had befallen them. In fact, an idea occurred to her that might allow the Kobolds to profit from all of this.

Focusing all of her power into the Bluescale Kobolds, she invested them with knowledge and aptitude that would ensure their place in the world for all time. Firstly, their race now hosted the most excellent shipwrights in all the land, capable of constructing and sailing boats up and down the Four Great Rivers with incredible skill. Secondly, their already social nature grew further than ever, and they attained an intuitive understanding of haggling, basic number crunching, and soothing platitudes. Both skills they put to use after sailing down the Great Northern River and discovering the existence of the Gobah. They established a trade route, selling the stones and ores mined by the Whitescales, and the medicines and balms concocted by the Greenscales, and then doing likewise with the beautiful clayworks and textiles of the Gobah, back to the other tribes, always taking a cut for themselves in the process. Though they still had no official home, in this way, the Bluescales grew exceptionally wealthy.

Unchecked by the rest of the machinations of the world, the Leohm continued to live happy, productive lives. As a reward, the Mountain King crafts for them a mighty pickaxe of divine essence, and drops it on the surface outside Armon. The Godpick is soon discovered and brought back to the city to decide its fate. It is briefly discussed that he that bears the Godpick should be their king, but this idea is shot down by popular consensus of "being stupid". Instead, the Leohm elect a public servant, which they name the Chief Architect. This Architect wields the Godpick by vote of the people, and his role is defined purely as a subservient one, utilizing the power of his artifact to design plans for new tunnels and structures, and imbue the Leohm miners to increase their productivity tenfold.

Should the Chief Architect ever become corrupt with power, or shirk his duties, he is deigned to be beaten with his own pick until apologetic, and then his station is to be given to someone more worthy. His mother is also encouraged to be loudly and publicly disappointed.

With the advent of magic spider communism, so ends the century.

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Red Goddess
Power: 1

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 3

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 0

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 0

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Verdenkrig
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Berserk Fighting
-Religious Order: Chaplains of the Red Goddess
-Army: The Red Legion

Tundra Gobah
Levende
-Alignment: Pure (+1)
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Crafting
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Architect

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Shipbuilding, Trading

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)

Raiva
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Mastery: Mounted Archery
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One

http://i.imgur.com/KqNCP.png

Xiander
2011-08-01, 03:30 AM
Vaguely. I'm not great with names, so I try to pull words from other languages to help color the world. For the Gobah, I'm going to try to pull from Danish/Swedish/Norwegian. I doubt the way in which I use foreign words in the game is going to be perfect, but IIRC Levende means "Living", and Hellig+Flod is "Holy River".

I thought that might be it. I was surprised to see my native language mixed up in something like this and got curious. :smallwink:
For the record you are spot on with the meanings so far.

Also, Verdenskrig... that can't be good :smalleek:

flumphy
2011-08-01, 04:47 AM
Unchecked by the rest of the machinations of the world, the Leohm continued to live happy, productive lives. As a reward, the Mountain King crafts for them a mighty pickaxe of divine essence, and drops it on the surface outside Armon. The Godpick is soon discovered and brought back to the city to decide its fate. It is briefly discussed that he that bears the Godpick should be their king, but this idea is shot down by popular consensus of "being stupid". Instead, the Leohm elect a public servant, which they name the Chief Architect. This Architect wields the Godpick by vote of the people, and his role is defined purely as a subservient one, utilizing the power of his artifact to design plans for new tunnels and structures, and imbue the Leohm miners to increase their productivity tenfold.

Should the Chief Architect ever become corrupt with power, or shirk his duties, he is deigned to be beaten with his own pick until apologetic, and then his station is to be given to someone more worthy. His mother is also encouraged to be loudly and publicly disappointed.

With the advent of magic spider communism, so ends the century.


This last bit made me laugh out loud! :smallbiggrin: You're doing an awesome job playing a four-player game all by yourself.

hangedman1984
2011-08-01, 08:30 AM
Its only been a couple days. I've been busy. It doesn't take long to play a turn, but it does take a while to write the blurbs - that is, for someone like me who isn't used to writing a whole lot.

consider it a compliment that everyone is enjoying your posts so much that a minor gap in posting is met with such sadness

Sjet
2011-08-01, 03:06 PM
consider it a compliment that everyone is enjoying your posts so much that a minor gap in posting is met with such sadness

I come back to the boards more often just to see if this updates lol.

Xiander
2011-08-01, 03:17 PM
I come back to the boards more often just to see if this updates lol.

Me too. It's good stuff :smallsmile:

Xanmyral
2011-08-01, 03:44 PM
Me too. It's good stuff :smallsmile:

Indeed. Also, you have to tell us what the new town name means. Please?

Xefas
2011-08-01, 04:27 PM
Also, Verdenskrig... that can't be good :smalleek:

Actually, I'm beginning to think I may have made that sound a bit more dire than I intended. It was my intent to say something like, uh, "mortal war", or "earthly war", something like that (as opposed to a 'war in heaven' or a 'war amongst the gods'). Only recently did I do more research and learn that "Verdenskrig" refers to World War, as in World War I and II.

'World' and 'Earth' are two words that are easy to mix up, apparently. :smallredface:

Also, a little table chatter between turns:

Year 2700

The rhythmic 'clang, clang, clang' of a smith's hammer striking metal echoed through the cavernous darkness of the Mountain King's workshop. In the pitch black, which must have stretched for miles by the reckoning of mortal perception, the only lights were that of the blazing inferno of the King's forge, and the brilliant molten hue of that which he now worked upon.

Still, even amid that dark and clangor, the King's workshop was his own, and he heard the soft footfalls approaching him.

"Speak, brother." he said, in his gruff tone, booming over even the metallic clatter, though making no notion to break his rhythm.

"I apologize, brother. I did not wish to interrupt you." came the much smaller voice of the Cold One as he crept in the dark, avoiding the heat of the forge as best he could.

"It is no interruption. Speak your mind. You never visit me in my workshop, so you must have something important to say." The Mountain King sounded only slightly irritated at the sudden imposition.

"Very well." The Cold One cleared his throat, attempting to imply that the sound of the King's smithing was an issue, and that perhaps he should stop for a moment. The Tenfold Smith did no such thing. A little deflated, he continued. "You must see the signs. Our elder sister, she has been afflicted with some sort of madness, indeed. You, most of all of us, have quarreled with her in the past, but this is different. I tried to help her - not once but twice I protected and aided her people, and she repays me with violence!" There was a strategic pause in which the Cold One waited for his brother to give some sign of agreement. But the Mountain King continued his work, not speaking a word, nor even averting his eyes from the glowing object taking shape under the blows of his hammer.

With little recourse, the younger god continued. "What's more, I have gone above and beyond simply protecting them from harm. I gave the world justice. I gave it to her children. I do not know if you agree with those sentiments, but at the very least you must agree that when a person's response to justice is outright war - well, something must be wrong indeed!"

There was a silence in which the two gods simply stood in the dark (a silence of words, at the very least), the Cold One gazing at his brother's back, not wishing to leave, for he felt it would divulge some sort of weakness in his words. At long last, the Mountain King hefted the fully formed Godhammer in his blacksmith's tongs, shining like the sun, and dropped it into a basin of water, where a cloud of steam erupted into the air with a thunderous hiss. Once it had settled, there was true silence, until the Smith spoke. "What is it that you want, brother?"

"I want..." he paused, taken aback by his brother's directness. "...I want to know that should our eldest continue her destructive behavior, you will take my side. I plan to try to save Levende from her wrath, and protect my creations from her. And, should she prove unreasonable, we need to take action. Decisive action." The Cold One's final word barely had time to resonate in the cave, before his brother had turned sharply to face him, a note of contempt on his stony visage. "You ask this of me? My own sister?"

"I do." The Cold One did his best to maintain an even tone, even as his brother's monumental stature loomed aggressively.

"I- The Mountain King hesitated for a moment, not having expected an actual answer. "...Our other sister. What of her? She would never abide-"

His words were cut off in a moment of uncharacteristic confidence from the Cold One. "You leave her to me."

Neither god could see the Frost Father's smile, spreading from ear to ear, wide and razor-sharp, in that utter darkness.

Xanmyral
2011-08-01, 04:51 PM
The Frost Father seems to be trying to pull a deceitful, dirty ploy. Can't wait to see what happens. :smallbiggrin:

Also, by the end of this, can you form a list of what traits you put to the various players? Would be interesting to see.

Xefas
2011-08-01, 09:03 PM
Also, by the end of this, can you form a list of what traits you put to the various players? Would be interesting to see.

Sure, I'll post them at the end.

Year 2700-2800

Lifegiver
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Red Goddess
Power: 12

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 15

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 9

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 14

The tension is palpable as the gods gather once more.

"Your traitorous stooges will meet their doom, filth. Perhaps you'll learn to keep your hands to yourself from now on." Sneered the Lifegiver, snapping her jaws at the Cold One, who was standing a strategic distance away.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, sister. I will not stand by and let you take out your malice towards me on innocent creatures that had nothing to do with the affair." he said with an overabundance of self-righteousness in his voice.

The Red Goddess merely laughed, low and mirthless. "Simpleton! It is too late. The Red Legion marches on Levende! I will see them made an example to all those who would turn to heresy!" She gestured down to the mortal realm, where, indeed, the seething ranks of Verdenkrig soldiers closed in upon Levende's location.

However, unbeknownst to them and their Goddess, they would not find it when they arrived. Weeks prior, the Cold One had kicked up a truly terrifying snowstorm, engulfing the city, as well as the land for miles around. When the storm had cleared, the Tundra Gobah found they were still in icy lands, but quite different icy lands - ones they'd never seen before. The Great Northern River was nowhere to be found and, in its stead, there was an ocean they were unfamiliar with. He had transported them to the Frozen Isle, what the Frost Father considered his own personal sanctuary.

And now, with the soldiers closing in, and finding nothing, the Red Goddess made the realization. She screamed and howled, and beat her fists upon the marbled pillars of the godly palace. "I won't be denied this!" With those words, she cast a bolt of red lightning and burning ash down upon the Frozen Isle, to smother it, but with a second moment of horror, found that it was deflected harmlessly into the sea by some sort of interposing, ethereal barrier.

"Sister, it's time for you to calm down. I think-" but his words were lost, as seething bolt after bolt was cast down from the heavens, until whatever force lent its protection to the Frozen Isle shattered entirely. Medo, Raiva, and Tundra Gobah watched the heaven's fires and lights clashing in the sky for days, until shards of some mystical glass came crashing down into the snow from high above.

The next bolt would be the end of them.

The Red Goddess reached back her right arm to gather enough power for a final blast, a wicked grin contorting her face.

And then, suddenly, she reeled, the skies blurring into a haze as she tumbled through the air and her face met alabaster floor, the left side of her skull seeping divine blood. The same blood that now coated the end of the Mountain King's mighty smithing hammer.

Her thoughts were all confusion and pain and hate and sorrow as she rose and lunged ferociously at him. The two gods grappled for a few moments, seemingly in a stalemate, until the Red Goddess managed to heft the Mountain King over towards the open balcony from which they looked upon Arah. She pushed with all her might, attempting to shove him off, shove him down onto the world, to kill him with the fall.

And then she felt the cold grip of death upon her heart. A dagger of ice, more icicle than blade, pierced the Lifegiver's chest from behind, before melting, and allowing a torrent of blood to pour forth in its place. She gasped, and the Mountain King took the opportunity to spin her in place and cast her from the palace. Her last thoughts before she fell were as her eyes glanced back to her sister, Zhizn Coils. Their eyes met, and the Red Goddess mentally pleaded - then questioned - then begged. But her sister remained silent. She did not move, she did not help, she did not answer.

All of Arah shook as the god landed on her back, square in the middle of the Lonely Wastes on the far east of the world. Her body lay in a crater of its own making, half submerged in the roiling, burning blood that it once contained.

In the dead hollows of her extinguished mind, the Cold One gloated in the emptiness. His power had grown considerably that day. Not directly but, rather, whereas he once had to share creative control of the world four ways, it was now diminished to three. 1/3 of the world was his now. A gain to be sure. And those fractions could always be...amended further, shall we say, if he felt it was necessary.

The remainder of the century transpired with an uneasy quiet in the heavens.

Under the guidance of the Chief Architect, the Leohm constructed and populated a new city, Maoz, which benefited from similar mineral wealth as the spiderfolk's capital.

Zhizn Coils laid her blessing upon a select few of the western rivers, uniting them and elevating them until they met the Great Western River and connected it near where the Leohm made their home. Following this auspicious event, Kobold explorers followed the new river, meeting the strange Leohm, and establishing trade with them and informing them of the existence of other races.

Red Goddess
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Fallen Star
Power: 2

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 4

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 4

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 0

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Verdenkrig
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Berserk Fighting
-Religious Order: Chaplains of the Red Goddess
-Army: The Red Legion

Tundra Gobah
Levende
-Alignment: Pure (+1)
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Crafting
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Architect

Maoz
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Shipbuilding, Trading

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)

Raiva
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Mastery: Mounted Archery
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One

http://i.imgur.com/olfpz.png

Xanmyral
2011-08-01, 09:16 PM
Wow... That was epic.

Now I'm wondering what one would find if they were to go to the crash site... Perhaps giant bones? A twist in the planes due to the death? How does the godling's creator feel about this death? So many questions.

hangedman1984
2011-08-01, 11:22 PM
that was...
AWESOME!!!!!!
need more!!

GideonRiddle
2011-08-02, 12:31 AM
This is so cool to read.
I want to participate in a campaign on this world.

Xefas
2011-08-02, 12:45 AM
This is so cool to read.
I want to participate in a campaign on this world.

It's funny you should say that. I've been thinking of writing up some basic stats for running a campaign in Arah between this LP and the next. D&D is not my fantasy system of choice, but it would probably be in that just to be useful for the widest range of people possible.

If I do it.

(If you can't wait, using just the information in this thread, you could play it using Donjon (http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16276&cat=0&page=1).)

Xiander
2011-08-02, 03:49 AM
Indeed. Also, you have to tell us what the new town name means. Please?

"Verden" means "world". "Krig" means "war". Verdenskrig is the danish name for the world wars.


Actually, I'm beginning to think I may have made that sound a bit more dire than I intended. It was my intent to say something like, uh, "mortal war", or "earthly war", something like that (as opposed to a 'war in heaven' or a 'war amongst the gods'). Only recently did I do more research and learn that "Verdenskrig" refers to World War, as in World War I and II.

'World' and 'Earth' are two words that are easy to mix up, apparently. :smallredface:



Ah, i thought that might be the case. Jordiskkrig is probably closer to what you were going for. Jordisk meaning worldly, with a hint of mundane.
I don't think theres anything greatly wrong with verdenkrig but it does brin th great wars to mind.


Regarding the latest update. I did not see that coming, but it was EPIC. I am seriously enjoying this thread, and would love to take part in a game made in the setting. :smallsmile:

Keep up the good work :smallbiggrin:

(Also If you would like to have your planned names checked by a native speaker, you can shoot me a pm :smallwink:)

Xefas
2011-08-02, 04:13 AM
Jordiskkrig is probably closer to what you were going for. Jordisk meaning worldly, with a hint of mundane.
Ah, thank you, thank you. It's a little late to go back and change, but I may name a future city Jordiskkrig in honor of my blunder. :smalltongue:

(And because it sounds cool.)

(Also If you would like to have your planned names checked by a native speaker, you can shoot me a pm :smallwink:)
Don't be surprised if I take you up on that. :smallbiggrin:

Xiander
2011-08-02, 04:37 AM
Ah, thank you, thank you. It's a little late to go back and change, but I may name a future city Jordiskkrig in honor of my blunder. :smalltongue:

(And because it sounds cool.)

Don't be surprised if I take you up on that. :smallbiggrin:

I like helping :smallwink:

I should warn you that being in denmark, i might be in a very different timezone than you.

Xefas
2011-08-03, 01:59 AM
Year 2800-2900

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 9

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 15

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 11

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 11

It is a secret to no resident of Arah that some dark event transpired in the heavens on that fateful day. No auguries to the gods reveal any information on the occurrence. The divine channels are uniformly silent on the matter. The one fact that all may glean is that something fell from the sky that day, landing somewhere in the Lonely Wastes - a place previously uninhabited and wholly uncharted.

It is a desolate, unfriendly place. No plants grow there, no animals will enter. After the "Day of the Falling Star", it has become even more so, for now, not even clouds will gather there, allowing the sun to beat the land mercilessly.

Still, it is the misfortunate fate of mortals to only grow their curiosity the more they should not. And, soon, an expedition of Gobah and Kobolds enters the Lonely Wastes on a fact-finding mission. Among them numbers a few of the greatest Geomancers that have ever risen amongst the Gobah people, as well as the singular Hunter-Champion of all the Greenscale families.

They are never heard from again.

The Gobah Empress feels an unpleasantness settle upon her people. And as the days go by, she feels ever drawn towards the mystery of the Fallen Star. What is it? She must know. A second party is sent. And a third. And a fourth. Until, finally, a few remnants of the fifth expedition return alive. They speak of horrible creatures out in the wastes, the likes of which they had never seen. Small, grotesque, spindly little monsters, faceless and silent, seeming to appear and disappear amid the twisted, burnt landscape. Their flesh, the survivors said, was the unmistakable color of blood, and the first warning they ever had that the beasts were coming, was the foul stench of the grave that proceeded them.

With this new information, the Empress ordered a new fortress-city to be constructed on the border of the Lonely Wastes, and had the Red Legion repositioned there for defense. She named this city "Jordiskkrig". Its existence, she proclaimed, was for the defense of her people against this new, unknown threat. But, in reality, it was a beachhead meant to be used as means to sate her curiosity. A bounty offering a king's fortune in return for the discovery and revelation of the Fallen Star's true nature was posted, and soon Jordiskkrig swelled with fortune seekers looking to chart and best the Lonely Wastes. Around them, culture followed. Where the best warriors went, fighting circuits erupted, as well as smiths, taverns, and places of entertainment.

Above, the Cold One paced uneasily. He had expected the torrent of questioning prayers that they would all be receiving after the death of the Lifegiver. And he had planned to not answer them. What he hadn't planned on was not being able to answer them. When he looked down upon the Lonely Wastes, the site of the Fallen Star lay veiled to his eyes.

The prospect of some mortal stumbling upon it frightened him. What could be there? Could their sister still be alive? The thought struck a primal fear in him that left his stomach churning. Eventually, that fear began to verge on paranoia and madness. He did not know what he should do, but a voice in his head (several, actually) told him that he must stop the Fallen Star from being examined at all costs.

The Mountain King, however, did not feel fear. It was, guilt, rather, that spurred him to action. If his sister was indeed alive, he needed to know, but he was powerless to reveal the answer to himself. And he knew the chaotic scrambling of mortals now vying for the prize was unlikely to ever yield the results he wished. And so, his guilt prompted him to divinely inspire the formation of a secular guild within Jordiskkrig. This guild he named "The Adventurers Sidereal", its sole mission to organize skilled men and women with more guts than sense towards collecting the Empress' Bounty, and incidentally acquire a pretty penny in the process via membership fees and the sale of equipment, charts, and connections.

Afterwards, he gazed at his Godhammer - the item he had been forging when he made the cursed deal with his brother. He had always intended to give it to his people, but now he thrust it from the palace with even greater gusto, hoping in vain that it would take its grim memories with it.

Where the hammer fell, the Leohm gathered into a new colony, named 'Qashah'. The wielder of the Godhammer was named the Chief Artificer, and joined in service with the Chief Architect.

For the part which she played, or rather didn't play, in the death of the Red Goddess, Zhizn Coils remained outwardly indifferent. Not that her brothers would notice. The three convened very infrequently in the last few decades, making their actions upon Arah independently. For now, she used her influence to unify the wealthiest Bluescale traders into a single Trade Syndicate, who proceeded to draw enough of their kind to create the floating city of Sinyj nestled inside the Great Western River (though, quickly, it grew to overtake both banks).

As the years progressed, the Cold One still debated about what actions he should take. Fear of the Fallen Star consumed him. Until, eventually, a desperate solution came. He had followers. Followers separated by a sea, who remained completely unconnected to the cultures of mainland Arah. They knew that a star had fallen, but were unable to pursue it, and so a definitive opinion had not formed.

Indeed, the only noticeable changes that had happened with Levende and The Burrows was that one, they had discovered each other, and were now assuming open hostility across the entirety of the Frozen Isle (which seemed inconsequential to the Cold One), and two, each had begun collected the shards of Skyglass that had rained upon the island from the barrier he raised to protect them from the Lifegiver.

Quickly, he spun a tale to the Brotherhood of the Frost Father and the Brides of the Cold One. He told them that the Skyglass had immense religious significance, and it had been a divine blessing to save them from their untimely death. In a far away land, the evil god that had attacked them now lay dormant. But, a host of vile races sought to awaken the evil god so it could finish its work and destroy the Frozen Isle. Among them were greedy serpentfolk, terrifying spider monsters, and a ferocious and twisted offshoot of the Tundra Gobah (which, time having passed, tales from several generations back told of Levende's escape from the mainland, and mentioned other, different, tribes of Gobah). The visions ended with the respective god-personas promising a way to the mainland would be revealed soon, but that the two races must prepare for war in order to save themselves.

Fighting between the Tundra Gobah and the Raiva continued after that day, though the two races saw it in a different light. They were training, hardening themselves for the prophesied time when they must cast judgment on the blasphemers that worked towards their destruction. Even though they were enemies, the Tundra Gobah seeing the Raiva as far too savage, and the Raiva seeing the Tundra Gobah as overbearing and self-righteous, they found common ground. And they knew, one day, they would fight side by side in a war for their survival.

All the Cold One could do was hope his brother and sister did not discover what he was up to, and that no mainlander managed to make it to the Fallen Star in the mean time...

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 0

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 2

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 0

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 1

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Verdenkrig
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Berserk Fighting
-Religious Order: Chaplains of the Red Goddess

Jordiskkrig
-Alignment: Neutral
-Army: The Red Legion
-Religious Order: Seekers of the Fallen Star
-Secular Order: The Adventurers Sidereal

Tundra Gobah
Alignment: Pure (+1)
Cities:
Levende
-Alignment: Pure (+1)
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Crafting
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Architect

Maoz
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals

Qashah
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Artificer

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Shipbuilding, Trading
Sinyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the River Mothers
-Secular Order: The Trade Syndicate

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)

Raiva
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Mastery: Mounted Archery
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Skyglass Forging
Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One

Bloodlings
Alignment: Corrupt (-2)

http://i.imgur.com/VcdXd.png

Xiander
2011-08-03, 12:49 PM
And Jordiskkrig goes on the map :smallbiggrin:

Also bloodlings:smallsmile:

I like this update.

Xanmyral
2011-08-03, 04:32 PM
Same here. So it seems the fallen goddess is still kicking... Somewhat. That, or her very presence is warping the land by her dying thoughts.

Xefas
2011-08-03, 08:41 PM
I think the Fallen Star could be a number of things. I certainly have thoughts on the matter but, as always, I attempt to let the dice, the circumstances, and my helpful sheet of god-descriptors do the most talking. If I'd just sat down to write a world without this game and those things, I can guarantee it would be very different. A lot less interesting, for one.

In other news, for those of you who like this sort of game, you may want to keep an eye on another world-building game that is currently in the works, called "The Quiet Year (http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/games-in-playtesting/the-quiet-year/)". As far as I can tell, you take control of, and subsequently build upon, a post-apocalyptic settlement for a year. At the end of that quiet year, horrible things happen. It seems the intention is to have more player choice than in something like How To Host a Dungeon, and the choices you make may determine whether the settlement lives beyond the year.

Very very interesting to me.

Xiander
2011-08-05, 06:48 AM
I think the Fallen Star could be a number of things. I certainly have thoughts on the matter but, as always, I attempt to let the dice, the circumstances, and my helpful sheet of god-descriptors do the most talking. If I'd just sat down to write a world without this game and those things, I can guarantee it would be very different. A lot less interesting, for one.

Which is why it's fun to base world creation on a game in the first place. I should admit that you have given me a strong urge to try this particular game myself.



In other news, for those of you who like this sort of game, you may want to keep an eye on another world-building game that is currently in the works, called "The Quiet Year (http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/games-in-playtesting/the-quiet-year/)". As far as I can tell, you take control of, and subsequently build upon, a post-apocalyptic settlement for a year. At the end of that quiet year, horrible things happen. It seems the intention is to have more player choice than in something like How To Host a Dungeon, and the choices you make may determine whether the settlement lives beyond the year.

Very very interesting to me.

Sounds like boatloads of fun :smallbiggrin:

Xefas
2011-08-07, 01:18 AM
Everyone waiting for an update is welcome to blame a combination of the Humble Indie Bundle (http://www.humblebundle.com/) and the 4th season of the Venture Brothers for the gap between entries. :smalltongue:

Year 2900-3000

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 11

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 14

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters
Power: 10

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father
Power: 12

Two pairs of eyes gazed into the immaculate crystal throne-room of the Cold One. And yet, that throne had sat unoccupied for some time. Its maker had taken to standing and pacing at all hours of the day and night, new sets of glimmering red eyes having grown in strategic patches across his body, ever vigilant. No longer was he content to just sit with his back to something. He had far too much to plan, and far too much to fear.

Unperturbed by this new, unsettling behavior, the twin goddesses of Zhizn Coils glided into her brother's presence. "I was concerned." she thought at him.

The Cold One stopped pacing for a moment to contort several of his eyes into an incredulous gaze. "I find that hard to believe. But noted all the same."

"Not about you. No, of course not." The Cold One momentarily considered looking hurt, but instead resumed pacing. "I was concerned you had gone back on our deal. It was not easy to watch my sister die. If she is indeed dead." The mind-words of Zhizn Coils showed little concern, though her two serpentine bodies writhed in something resembling sadness. The Cold One merely shivered at the thought.

"Worry not, dear sister. I have not betrayed you. I simply had-...a few things to take care of last century. That's all. I will strengthen your people with my blessing, in your name of course, and then we will be square." With that, the throne room once more contained only a single entity in its solitude.

True to his word, the Cold One took a small number of downtrodden Bluescale entrepreneurs from Sinyj and blessed them with a certain divine inspiration. With what money they could scrounge together, they formed a foolish hail-mary business venture down the Great Southern River. Once they had sailed so far that they had nearly reached the sea, the company felt a strange compulsion to abandon their boats and hike inland. Eventually, running low on rations and even lower on hope, the intrepid kobolds crested a hill only to find the most lush and beautiful valley they had ever lay eyes upon. There were plants and animals there they had never seen or heard of, and they greedily hunted and gathered to their hearts' content.

After a few weeks of languishing in the fertile bosom of this paradise they had found, several of the company awoke with memories of an auspiciously lucid dream. A pair of red snakes, grinning forth from a sea of white stone, had spoke to them and instructed them to perform a rite in their honor for the blessing of bringing the kobolds to this valley.

To perform the ritual, the kobolds picked one of the local red berries, filling a massive vessel they had prepared from the wood of a sweet smelling tree. There, they crushed the berries with their hands and feet, before sealing the crushed berry-slurry in barrels, allowing it to rot in the bacteria from the berries' own skins until it began to stink of the must of ages.

Reluctantly at first, to appease the gods, they then drank this fermented blood-red liquid in supplication.

And, then, after a while, they started just drinking it because praise the Joyous Serpents in all things they do. Thus, booze was born into the world. It didn't take long before the kobolds began refining the process and making plans for a much larger, official, operation. They sent word back to Sinyj with samples of their wine and, before long, a bustling city had grown around the grape-valley, hosting a multitude of vineyards and wineries. This city was called "Krasnyj", and its owners became rich from the alcoholic boon of their reptile-god.

So moved were those kobolds that they painted themselves the red of the grapes and the red of their god until, one day, the dye became their flesh, and the Cold One left his mark upon them. Decades past, with the first few generations birthed becoming Redscale Kobolds. Despite this flourish, Zhizn Coils was extremely pleased. Her people had become yet more rich and powerful. The Cold One was pleased as well, for the new debaucheries that had spread among the mainland races still had yet to touch the Frozen Isle, where his zealots tirelessly trained. When they descended upon this world, it would be all the weaker, devoting so much of its time and resources to entertainment while the Raiva and Tundra Gobah hardened themselves in the fierce, unforgiving north.

With the pact fulfilled, Zhizn Coils now moved to act herself. Feeling as if she had perhaps neglected the White and Green tribes of her children to a degree, she gave each of them a blessing of her own. To the Whitescales, she inspired an artistry of Gemcutting, so that they would become known as great artists using the very minerals they mined from the earth, rather than just simple miners. To the Greenscales, she inspired a number of breakthroughs in the fields that they already had taken a liking to. Specifically, the concoction of poisons and herbal remedies from the forests of their homeland. From this, they became known to Arah as celebrated chemists, and their society, which had remained mostly crude and unrefined until now, began to progress at a rapid rate.

For the Mountain King, times had not been so fruitful. A few decades into the century, as he had been teaching the Leohm how to perfect their craftwork with wood, as they had done with metals, an eerie red cloud had appeared, miles in diameter, over the Northern Mountains. Its exact center hovered directly over where the city of Qashah would have been, had it been on the surface. There it remained, unmoving.

Not long after, it had begun to rain. But not water. The snow in the mountains quickly melted under the downpour of warm blood, turning into a foul-smelling slush as it ran down from the peaks, turning the valleys into disgusting pools of gore that smothered the local life. Worse, the blood began to seep into the ground, down, down, until the earth around Qashah turned red.

Fearing the worst, the Mountain King had his disciples prepare the Leohm to defend themselves. They trained in the tools of violence they had so long forged for the other races, forming the Leohm Protectorate, an army of guardsmen ready to face whatever impending doom would befall Qashah.

And come it did. Very similar to the Bloodlings still being fought upon the Lonely Wastes, these faceless, screeching monsters tunneled through the earth with shovel-like claws not unlike those born by the Gobah, rising up from the deeps to attack the Leohm city. Prepared, the Protectorate held fast, unable to be defeated in their entrenched positions. Yet, the Deep Bloodlings continued to come without end, a constant threat that turned Qashah from a peaceful city of craftsman to a war-torn military stronghold where only the most desperate of civilians chose to live.

Why these horrors had come to his people with such obvious candor, the Mountain King dared not guess.

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 3

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 4

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters, Joyous Serpents
Power: 0

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father, Joyous Serpents
Power: 0

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Verdenkrig
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Berserk Fighting
-Religious Order: Chaplains of the Red Goddess

Jordiskkrig
-Alignment: Neutral
-Army: The Red Legion
-Religious Order: Seekers of the Fallen Star
-Secular Order: The Adventurers Sidereal

Tundra Gobah
Alignment: Pure (+1)
Cities:
Levende
-Alignment: Pure (+1)
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Smithing, Carpentry
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Architect

Maoz
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals

Qashah
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Artificer
-Army: Leohm Protectorate

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Gemcutting
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Chemistry
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Shipbuilding, Trading
Sinyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the River Mothers
-Secular Order: The Trade Syndicate

Redscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Krasnyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Joyous Serpents
-Mastery: Winemaking

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)

Raiva
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Mastery: Mounted Archery
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Skyglass Forging
Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One

Bloodlings
Alignment: Corrupt (-2)

Deep Bloodlings
Alignment: Corrupt (-2)

http://i.imgur.com/gWTQo.png

Xanmyral
2011-08-07, 04:26 PM
Seems like things are going to start coming to a head now. This is gonna be interesting to watch. I'm curious as to what the godlings creator thinks of this however.

FelixG
2011-08-08, 05:40 AM
This, is a really, really good read!

jebob
2011-08-08, 10:57 AM
Would anyone be interested in playing this on the forums?

Cieyrin
2011-08-08, 11:17 AM
Would anyone be interested in playing this on the forums?

If this is half as fun as Xefas implies it is, I would be quite intrigued, though I have no idea of the rules.

hangedman1984
2011-08-08, 12:47 PM
Would anyone be interested in playing this on the forums?

I wanna play!! I wanna play!!

ExtravagantEvil
2011-08-08, 12:50 PM
I'm definitely down for a game of this on the forums. It'll be interesting to see it go down here. Color me divinely interested. :smallcool:

Zenos
2011-08-08, 01:49 PM
I might consider playing this.

Ksheep
2011-08-08, 02:59 PM
I'd be up for it if I werent busy for the next couple of days.

jebob
2011-08-08, 03:06 PM
If this is half as fun as Xefas implies it is, I would be quite intrigued, though I have no idea of the rules.

Rules (http://www.clanwebsite.org/games/rpg/Dawn_of_Worlds_game_1_0Final.pdf)

Right, I'll set up a thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11596299#post11596299).

EDIT: Closed to new interest. That filled up fast!

Lost Demiurge
2011-08-08, 03:58 PM
This is some awesome stuff, and I'm going to look into these rules for home use with my regular playgroup.

I'm also reading the posts with a lot of enjoyment... I like where this is going!

Acanous
2011-08-08, 05:56 PM
DoW is a game which scales directly based on your playgroup. If you've got imaginative, fun playera it's awesome, if you've got snippish, lawyery players it's dull.

Xefas
2011-08-08, 06:35 PM
I'm glad interest is still growing. :smallbiggrin:

I'm curious as to what the godlings creator thinks of this however.

I dunno if I'll be writing it into the narrative, because I like the progenitor deity as an unknown background force only. But, unofficially, it concerns him. It concerns him greatly, for a variety of reasons. While he is certainly distant, as most fictional progenitor deities are, he isn't quite as alien and incomprehensible.

If Arah were a campaign setting, I like to think a sufficiently epic mortal (not as in Epic levels, but in epic deeds) could possibly get the progenitor's attention and carry on a conversation without being inflicted with Lovecraftian madness. Their values would be different, certainly, but there is some commonality passed down from progenitor to gods and from gods to mortals. That feeling of concern he feels at three of his creations murdering the fourth is not entirely unlike the feeling a human would have at the same.

The biggest disconnect would be, I think, that while the gods are his children, he is immortal and capable of making more children if he wants to. To a human, a child is something precious and unique. They can only make a certain number of them in their short lifespans, they spend a significant chunk of that life raising them and shaping them, and their bloodline is their biggest lasting legacy on their world.

The progenitor is more concerned about why these things are happening with his children than that they are happening. He doesn't want his child to die, not because the Lifegiver was this big irreplaceable wonder, but because her dying means that there is some unstable and violent variable somewhere in the cosmos (likely somewhere within himself) that he doesn't entirely understand. He made four children in his image, not intending for them to destroy what he had made, and yet they did. The possible implications of this are vast and terrible.

graymachine
2011-08-08, 07:46 PM
A possible comparison could be drawn to how UL views the works of his children, the gods, in the Belgariad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belgariad), or possibly even the drives that motivate the Necessities.

Xefas
2011-08-08, 10:56 PM
Year 3000-3006

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 14

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 13

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters, Joyous Serpents
Power: 8

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father, Joyous Serpents
Power: 8

Much time had passed, and yet again the might of the Gods grew. The gravity of the world pulled them ever closer, such that their machinations over it became effortless.

The great sky palace forged by the maker of the gods was now too cramped to hold their vast, discordant egos. It had now fractured into three sections, held together by only the most tenuous relations the gods had with one another.

The wondrous halls and dungeons had broken away, becoming more like a worked cavern than a stone construct, a network of mines, forges, and workshops for the Mountain King. Ten hands, ten eyes, and ten weights upon his shoulders, he walked the darkness in solitude.

The terraces, courtyards, and balconies drifted above this, lashed together with a multitude of mosses and vines. Here and there, small streams poured forth from seemingly nothing, ending in waterfalls that cast rainbows upon the horde of slick, scaled beasts that were now the Zhizn Coils.

Soaring above all, however, were the windswept towers and parapets, thick with frost and eternally bitten by a frigid wind. Amid the pure white blanket of snow shown many red eyes, unblinking, for the ice itself was The Cold One now. Form was weakness, he thought. Who shall strike the wind and the snow?

And it is the Cold One who acts first. Unseen by his fellows, he prepares for the onslaught his people will bring to the world. Amongst the Raiva and the Tundra Gobah, their priests promise that the prophesied time is at hand for their great crusade. Each race forms a massive fighting force, and makes the long trek to the southern tip of the Frozen Isle as they are instructed. There, they make a war camp that is a city unto itself in size and grandeur. They name this camp "Sagrado", uniting both armies under the single banner of the "White Coalition".

With the passing of ages, the city of Sinyj has fallen to corruption, becoming a wretched hive of scum and villainy. On floating mansions, the Trade Syndicate bullies their fellow kobolds and, to a lesser extent, the other races as well. Goods are taxed with little regulation, organized crime permeates all business practices to one degree or another, and banking families take mercilessly from the poor to line their own pockets, creating a distressingly binary social system.

In an effort to inflict some manner of decency on her people, Zhizn Coils chooses true believers within her various faiths and orders a massive reform within the temples, excommunicating the impious to ensure her word is carried out effectively. Next, through her prophets, she has two monuments of unity constructed at the center of the world, in Belyj. The first, the Observatory Divine is a place for members of all religions to congregate and exchange ideas, as well as utilize the staggering array of telescopic apparatuses to gaze upon the firmament of the gods.

The second is the Confederation Spire, a thin tower rising above the frosted peaks of the central mountains. She calls to the other races to gather their elders and their leaders there to discuss the problems of the world and work together for the betterment of all (but especially to aid in fixing the corruption of the world's trade systems).

Both the Mountain King and the Empress Gobah answer that call. Politicians from both the Leohm and the Gobah meet at Confederation Spire, and along with the best and brightest of the four Kobold tribes, they begin working to form a unified code of law for all Arah.

In the interest of progressing the idea of unity and the dissemination of knowledge, the Mountain King has Leohm craftsman design and aid in the construction of three universities: The University of Science in Zelenyj, the University of Artifice in Armon, and the University of War in Verdenkrig. These schools would be staffed by members of all mainland races, and open to all willing to put forth the effort.

Fallen Star
Epithets: She Who Bides, Earthmother, Lifegiver, Red Goddess
Power: 13

Mountain King
Epithets: Earthrender, Tenfold Smith
Power: 1

Zhizn Coils
Epithets: Silvan Twins, River Mothers, Snow Sisters, Joyous Serpents
Power: 0

Cold One
Epithets: Island Walker, Frost Father, Joyous Serpents
Power: 3

Civilizations
Gobah
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Pottery, Geomancy
Cities:
Gobahholm
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver
-Wonders: Clay Lifegiver Statue
-Avatar: Empress of the Gobah

Helligflod
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Shamans of the Lifegiver

Verdenkrig
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Berserk Fighting
-Religious Order: Chaplains of the Red Goddess
-Wonder: University of War

Jordiskkrig
-Alignment: Neutral
-Army: The Red Legion
-Religious Order: Seekers of the Fallen Star
-Secular Order: The Adventurers Sidereal

Tundra Gobah
Alignment: Pure (+1)
Cities:
Levende
-Alignment: Pure (+1)
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father

Leohm
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Smithing, Carpentry
Cities:
Armon
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Architect
-Wonder: University of Artifice

Maoz
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals

Qashah
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Stewards of the Tenfold Smith
-Special Resource: Abundant Precious Metals
-Avatar: Chief Artificer
-Army: Leohm Protectorate

Whitescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Gemcutting
Cities:
Belyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Snow Sisters
-Wonder: The Observatory Divine
-Wonder: The Confederation Spire

Greenscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Chemistry
Cities:
Zelenyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Silvan Twins
-Wonder: University of Science

Bluescale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Mastery: Shipbuilding, Trading
Sinyj
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Religious Order: Children of the River Mothers
-Secular Order: The Trade Syndicate

Redscale Kobolds
Alignment: Neutral
Krasnyj
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Children of the Joyous Serpents
-Mastery: Winemaking

Medo
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)

Raiva
Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
Mastery: Mounted Archery
Cities:
The Burrows
-Alignment: Corrupt (-1)
-Mastery: Skyglass Forging
Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One

Sagrado
-Alignment: Neutral
-Religious Order: Brides of the Cold One
-Religious Order: Brotherhood of the Frost Father
-Army: The White Coalition

Bloodlings
Alignment: Corrupt (-2)

Deep Bloodlings
Alignment: Corrupt (-2)

http://i.imgur.com/7Zhax.png

Xefas
2011-08-10, 04:57 AM
No update today, and I'm heading to bed now. Please continue to blame Steam and its associated indie game bundles :smalltongue:.

Still, I wanted to give a heads up to everyone about Microscope (http://www.lamemage.com/). Instead of a map-generator RPG resource like How to Host a Dungeon, Dawn of Worlds, or The Quiet Year, this is a Timeline-Generator.

For a quick run-down, it is completely setting and genre neutral, and may thus be used with absolutely anything. It's GMless, and can be done with as few as two players, but the game suggests three or four as the "sweet spot". The only required materials are index cards and writing utensils.

To setup, you choose a sort of big-picture thesis statement about the story you want to map. The examples they give are "Humanity spreads to the stars and forges a galactic civilization.", "Fledgling nations arise from the ruins of the empire.", and "An ancient line of dragon-kings dies out as magic fades from the realm." Something short and evocative like that.

Then, you make a starting and an ending point for the timeline. Examples from the book for a spacefaring setting are "(Start) Mankind makes new life among the stars", and "(End) Humanity stagnates isolated and alone". You write these on index cards and place them next to each other.

From there, each player takes turns adding Periods, Events, and Scenes. Each Period is a big, sweeping section of history, such as "The settlement of an abandoned alien dyson-sphere". Periods are written on cards and placed chronologically between other Periods, such as the Start and End points.

Events are single important events, such as the discovery of said dyson-sphere by a particular ship and its crew. These are written on cards and placed sideways beneath the Period they take place in.

Scenes are what you might expect in a traditional roleplaying game. The person who places the scene describes the setting and the characters present, and then the whole table takes control of characters they wish to play and roleplay out the scene to its conclusion. These are written on cards and placed under the Event which they elaborate on. An example might be the bridge of the spaceship discovering the alien dyson-sphere, with the players playing the ship's captain and his two lieutenants as they discuss the potential applications the sphere could have for humanity.

You can mess around with the way you place these items chronologically. This is important, because you can actually add Periods/Events/Scenes chronologically before other items have been placed. So, if someone plays an Event "A party of adventurers discovers a long forgotten dwarven fortress." in the Period "Adventurers go forth to explore the ruins of ancient civilizations.", you can play a Period "The rise of the Dwarven Civilization" afterward, that chronologically happens thousands of years before that other Period, and then add Events and Scenes to explore what the Dwarven Fortress was like at its peak, which you can then use in the other period where the adventurers are exploring its ruins.

At the end of it all you have a full, awesome-looking timeline made of index cards, which can actually stack up into a deck, and then unstack back into the exact same timeline (and be subsequently added upon if you so wish) because of the way the cards are organized in play, which is neat.

Those are the basics. There are quite a few things I didn't cover, but that should give the gist.

If you need any more proof of the game's potential, I direct you to the linked website, where they have an Actual Play of a group using Microscope to retell the Star Wars prequel trilogy, with a Start of "The Old Republic shows its first signs of weakness" and an End of "The Rebels have their first victory vs the Galactic Empire." The middle has an alternate Clone War, the origin of the "Lightsaber" as the symbol of the Jedi Order, and no Jar Jar Binks. :smallwink:

I'm thinking I may have to rope two friends into doing this with me in short instant message based sessions, and recording the results into a Lets Play/Actual Play sort of thing.

EDIT: And, of course, you can combine Microscope with your RPG of choice. Either playing out placed Scenes using that RPG, or simply generating a timeline and then zooming in on part (or parts) of it for your play. You could even record your adventures into Events and Scenes to expand your timeline after the fact, and then go back in with Microscope and tweak them further, if you wanted.

FelixG
2011-08-11, 02:12 AM
Another wonderful read, cant wait for more!

FelixG
2011-08-18, 07:14 AM
Sooo, did this LP die?

Xiander
2011-08-18, 10:04 AM
Sooo, did this LP die?

We hope not, but as Xefas already said, he has a life outside this thread.

hangedman1984
2011-08-18, 12:31 PM
pfft, stoopid people having lives of their own and not basing their entire existence around entertaining me *sulk*

Xiander
2011-08-18, 01:10 PM
pfft, stoopid people having lives of their own and not basing their entire existence around entertaining me *sulk*

If you pay me well enough i'll totally base my life around entertaining you :smallbiggrin:

Xefas
2011-08-18, 11:02 PM
Sorry guys, I've been busy studying for and subsequently taking my finals. Tomorrow will be my graduation ceremony for culinary school, and I'll be a full fledged Chef :smallbiggrin:.

So, I've been dead tired for a long while now, and I'll likely be tired and boozed up for much of tomorrow. But, expect one or more updates Saturday or Sunday. I'll be much less busy then (in theory).

FelixG
2011-08-19, 05:05 AM
Sorry guys, I've been busy studying for and subsequently taking my finals. Tomorrow will be my graduation ceremony for culinary school, and I'll be a full fledged Chef :smallbiggrin:.

So, I've been dead tired for a long while now, and I'll likely be tired and boozed up for much of tomorrow. But, expect one or more updates Saturday or Sunday. I'll be much less busy then (in theory).

Congratulations! If we were not all internet personas to one another I would suggest a party with much pie and merry making to celebrate! :smallbiggrin:

incandescent
2011-08-19, 06:02 PM
Thanks for posting this! In addition to an awesome narrative, you've given my group a way to generate our own campaign world. We're in the process of making new racial mechanics and building a world history. I'm trying to coax them into using the timeline generator you posted.

Thanks again for bringing this stuff to light!