View Full Version : Project Belis: Magic in Spaaaaaaace!
Belis: Magic in Spaaaaaace!
Welcome! This is my fourth iteration of this particular setting, which no longer remotely resembles its beginnings. Belis is a Pathfinder setting, intended to give the system a viable cyberpunk/magipunk setting. It spans several solar systems, and dozens of planets. It's currently at the beginning of its most recent overhaul, and I'd love to have the Playground's input and advice. It's meant to contain all of the wonder of a fantasy setting with the grittiness of a cyberpunk setting, and provide the opportunity for any sort of adventure at any level of play.
Table of Contents
So far, the setting includes....
A planet dominated by dinosaurs - leftovers of a long-gone civilization that spanned the system,
A binary star-system ruled by a lich and his army of biologically engineered monsters,
A methane moon containing an ancient civilization of aboleths,
A planet of thri-kreen, ruled by dragons and terrorized by kythons,
And Belis itself - orbited by a massive moon that makes it far, far more geologically active than Earth.
Here (https://drive.google.com/drive/#folders/0B81ZfG3kcAroTm5GQ040SGtHODg) is a link to the Google Drive folder I'm using to organize the setting, and here's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400442-Magic-in-Space-(with-a-side-of-cyberpunk)) a link to the thread for the mechanical homebrew side of it. There's apparently something goofy about the file structure; you may have to refresh when you go into a folder to get everything to show up. Again, advice or input for the setting and for the layout of this thread would be amazing.
- RFLS
Major Planets
Belis
Belis is a world of physical extremes. It has a massive moon, nearly 10 times the mass of Earth’s, orbiting at twice the distance. The massive moon increases geological activity - the planet experiences earthquakes almost like clockwork; nearly once a month one can be expected. It’s also home to more volcanoes than the rest of the solar system put together. Likewise, tides are more extreme, often three times the height of those found on Earth.
Belis also has a steeper axial tilt and a more eccentric orbit than Earth’s. Overall, this means that weather patterns are extreme, climate is highly varied, seasons are harsh, and the very planet itself seems unstable at times.
The planet has three major political players - the dwarven nation of Kazyan, the halfling Moret Empire, and the beastfolk country of Rayunta. Of course, there are a few dozen other countries, but these three are economic and political powerhouses, controlling 95% of the planet's wealth and spacefaring capabilities. Overall, Kazan and Rayunta get along. They're geographical neighbors with one of the longest shared borders on the planet, and they have little in the way of overlapping desires or goals. The Moret Empire, on the other hand, is generally hostile to all but its satellite countries. While not at open war with the rest of the planet, they're always right at the brink of it - one small push is all it would take to plunge the planet into a world-wide war.
The world currently is experiencing a shortage it's never run into before - metals. The known mines are running dry, and the demand for resources has skyrocketed. Recycling can only take them so far, and so, the planet has turned its eyes skyward.
Kazyan is nominally a monarchy, ruled by Emperor Daiki, commonly referred to as the Last Emperor (she's been on the throne for four hundred years (350 of which she's been undead for)). The royal family has a lineage that traces back several thousand years; well past most recorded history. In the last two hundred years, however, the majority of the power in the country has shifted to the Council (a group of 20 lords from the various provinces of Kazyan), and to the various corporations who call the nation their home. The members of the Council are nominally equals; however, Lord Eito has largely dictated Council policy for the last twenty years. The various corporations, meanwhile, are dominated by Suchiru Inc, specialized in mining and processing, Tetsuhige Industries, specialized in shipping and manufacturing, and Ikimono Labs, a research company focused on genetic engineering.
Kazyan is a nation dominated by dwarves - historically, it's been an isolationist nation. Recently, though, its opened its doors, and a flood of immigrants have come in, seeking to become a part of the wealth of the nation. Economically, its on track to be the dominant nation on the planet (and, by extension, the solar system). While many dwarves are wary of the newcomers, many more have accepted the flood with, if not open arms, at least open minds.
Dwarven culture in the nation is built around two facets - their practice of ancestor worship and their practice of raising the dead. Common folk are sometimes (when their family can afford it) raised as zombies and skeletons, working as the common laborers and foot soldiers of the nation, while the wealthy are raised as necropolitans, vampires, liches, ghosts, and more. The terrible reputation of the undead in other cultures is due to who raises them - the fringes, the power hungry, the desparate. In other words, those who can give any practice a bad name with enough time. In Kazyan, though, being raised as an intelligent undead is seen as a great honor, or a sign of great wealth. Often, those raised will use the boon given to them to finish their tasks in life, tying off all of the threads, before finally returning to rest. A very select few (the Emperor among them) either choose to remain in the world, or have threads of their life that last forever. These handful of dwarves last seemingly forever, and eventually become ostracized - not out of fear, but out of a lack of common ground. For this reason, it is rare indeed to meet a dwarf that has "lived" more than a hundred years after their death.
The capital city, Sangyo, is one of the most developed cities on the planet. Living skyscrapers reach for the sky, surrounded by a massive framework of interconnected buildings - some made of pulsing biostructure, others of iron, wood, and glass. Tunnels and ravines perforate the ground beneath the city, with many of the buildings plunging deep into the ground below them. Walkways and bridges cross the gaps, and teem with the city's citizens, living and unliving. Dwarven forges and biolabs pulse energy into the street day and night, the screams of metal and new beings spilling out into the streets.
While the privileged of the city live high above the ravines of the city, sitting in ivory towers, the underclass toil away beneath them. The drug trade abounds in Sangyo, with pills being traded left, right, and center. Some say the trade is fostered and encouraged by the upper class to keep the masses happy, but no one's been able to prove it. All it would take is one slip-up to have riots throughout the city...
Rayunta has one of the most varied populations of any nation on the planet. Almost half of the population consists of catfolk, while most of the rest of it is split fairly evenly between grippli, kitsune, vanara, vishkanya, tengu, and shifters. A minority of the population is dwarves, goliaths, and other immigrants. A tiny portion of the population, however, is rakshasa - and they rule it. Rayunta society's hierarchy is based on species - from the bottom up, shifters, grippli, ratfolk, tengu, vanara, catfolk, vishkanya, kitsune, and rakshasa at the very top. Outsiders to the society are viewed as generally equal to the vanara in terms of status, but it largely depends on the wealth of the individual in question. Recently, the hierarchical nature of the society has relaxed a little, allowing some mobility, but there's still a cap on how far, say, a grippli could rise in status.
The country is a republic, run by a multitude of states, each clamoring for their share of, well, everything. Most states are run by catfolk, vishkanya, and kitsune, while the central government is ruled by the iron fist of the rakshasa. While outwardly it looks like a well oiled republic, the workings of it are dictated internally by the rakshasa - and large sums of money are generally involved.
The streets of an average city in Rayunta are bewildering. Mechanical walkers and carts cram their way through the crowds of people in too-small alleys, while market stalls filled by yelling merchants fill the air with noise. A dense smog generally clouds the air, thick with the smells of an industry hard at work. Buildings are packed against one another - houses and shops intermingle indiscriminately, and even factories can be found on the average street. Smoke and steam rise up into the cold air, contributing to the dense smog that overtakes large portions of the nation.
Recently, a new species has begun appearing - the warforged. Clearly the products of some factory or another, none of them know who built them or where they came from. They simply wake up, generally late at night in the middle of an alley, knowing nothing about the world they find themselves in. They've begun banding together, forming their own small subculture to shelter their new species against the world.
The Moret Empire has its roots in the decline of the Arkim Empire. As it declined, the small, island nation of Moret began filling the power gap left on the -southern continent-. As the oppression experienced by the halflings of Moret lifted, they reacted in the only way they could. They expanded their own power, attempting to put themselves beyond the reach of any form of oppressive government ever again.
That was nearly two hundred years ago. Now, they've settled into a sort of stability. Year by year, they slowly advance their holdings across the continent. Their standing army is the most powerful on the planet. The core of it is composed entirely of elite halfling units, trained and armed with the best the nation can provide, with auxiliary units drawn from the empire's holdings. Their policies of expansion and isolationism, not to mention the elitism they've developed over the last two centuries, has placed them in a tense position with the other nations of the world, and they're entirely happy with those circumstances.
The government is not stupid - it knows that it cannot maintain an oppressive regime. Instead, it provides the very best it can to its people, even those of its conquered territory. Glittering skyscrapers and beautiful parks abound, bedecked with propaganda praising the leaders of the country.The citizens of the nation work hard and put up smiling faces, but a strain of fear runs through everyone's heart. Punishment for crimes, especially treason, is harsh, but above-board. Work camps are the most common punishment, but, so far, it seems to be working.
Bauth is a small nation on the southern fringes of Moret. The majority of its population is elven, and it has a strong anti-technology movement. This movement has been strengthened over the past decade by dozens of border skirmishes with Moret.
Bauth is a distant ally of Kazyan - while they don't approve of Gramarie, they find Biollurgy the least distasteful of its disciplines, and the pragmatic among them recognize the need for a strong ally. While Kazyan refuses to stand in open opposition to Moret, it lends its resources to Bauth, and many other nations like it.
Aatiko
Aatiko is massive, relatively speaking. If it weren't in orbit about Belis, it could easily be its own planet - it even has a faint atmosphere, composed entirely of nitrogen. The moon has always held sway in the minds of the races of Belis; the massive form above their heads in the night sky is hard to ignore. Many religions worship the moon directly - a practice with dire consequences in the future.
Millennia ago, illithids inhabited Belis, eking out an existence by feeding on the brains of the lesser races. Their appetites were nearly their destruction. Prey grew scarce, and the illithids were on the verge of extinction. Rather than die out, they made a hard choice - they left the planet, arriving on the moon with a small number of the sentient races of Belis. 95% of the illithids were put into a deep sleep, while the remainder farmed the humans, dwarves, elves, and other prey they'd brought with them. Now, though, the illithids are seeing the abundance of prey flying deep into the stars. Several moon colonies have already gone missing, and their spaceships have been acquired. The illithids prowl the system in their fleet of dark ships, preying on whoever they can. The races of Belis know that something haunts the void, something that leaves entire ships dead, dismembered, their brains sucked out, or simply stark raving mad - but they don't what.
Kyoryu
Slightly larger than Belis, it’s closer to geological stability. It has shallow seas and relatively massive continents, as well as a dense, oxygen-rich atmosphere. Its defining characteristics, as far as the races of Belis are concerned, are the massive fauna (dinosaurs) that cover the face of the planet, and the high-yield mining of minerals and gems it offers. The planet is a veritable treasure trove, especially for Kazyan, which has claim to massive tracts of land across the face of the planet.
The flora and fauna on the surface are extremely similar to those found on Belis - to the point that many scientists and magicians theorize that someone or something somehow transplanted life from one planet to the other at some point in the distant past. Of course, this idea has many who oppose it.
Velikan
Velikan is a relatively massive rocky world; about one and a half times the mass of Belis. While Kyoryu has life that suggests a relation to that on Belis, Velikan has life that practically jumps up and down proclaiming it. The surface of the planet is dominated by civilizations of ogres, giants, trolls, and other gigantic humanoids. The fauna of the planet are similarly massive - many of the creatures roaming the planet are apparently the same species as those found on Belis, simply larger. Wolves that stand six feet at the shoulder, snakes measuring in the dozens of feet, sharks the size of a school bus, crocodiles that could swallow a normal-sized horse - the list goes on and on. The civilizations of Velikan were relatively undeveloped in terms of technology, though they possess great strength in magic - often enough to ward off the rather common meteor and asteroid strikes that plague the planet.
The interior of the planet is pockmarked by massive caverns over bubbling pools of lava. These caverns are the remains of ancient, violent volcanic explosions. The end result is dozens of city-sized caverns nearly a mile underground, spread across the entire world. These caverns contain exotic forms of life all their own - fiery insects, bats the size of horses, magma wyrms, mushrooms the size of houses, and, bizarrely, a species that closely resembles the dwarves of Belis.
Recently, though, Velikan has come in direct contact with the races of Belis. The contact was...mixed. The various spacefaring countries of the world all made contact at roughly the same time. Some of them came with open arms, while others came with closed fists. Those that offered aggression made the dangerous - and short-lived - mistake of mistaking simplicity for weakness.
Now, the giants of Velikan possess space-faring technology and the ability to make it; they’ve joined the races of Belis in their domination of the solar system.
Loirr
Loirr is the first (and only) moon of the gas giant Deith. While Deith has no life forms, or even the ability to support life, Loirr has a rich, if bizarre, ecosystem. The moon has a small rocky core composed primarily of nickel and moonsteel, surrounded by a layer of ice. The atmosphere is primarily nitrogen, but rich in a variety of hydrocarbons.
On the surface of the ice, (haven't gotten here yet).
Far beneath the ice, however, lies an even stranger ecosystem. Liquid methane fills deep fissures down through the ice, with glowing plant-analogues processing the methane around them and the ice they grow out of, turning it into energy for themselves, as well as light to illuminate their surroundings. A variety of fish-like creatures swim through these crevasses, eyeball stalks protruding in all directions and tentacles pulsing out behind them. Chitinous nodules, nearly two meters across, stud some of the walls, containing stationary predators waiting to grab nearby fish - or anything else that might be nearby.
The real danger, though, is the ancient and powerful civilization of aboleths that live inside the icy methane. Their cities are carved out of the ice itself, and are nearly beyond human comprehension. They have no need of sleep, and hunt for all of their food; they have no real need of homes. Instead, they carve massive caverns with arches, portals, and spars directly out of the ice that surrounds them. Intricate mosaics and stranger forms of artwork adorn nearly every inch of an aboleth city - artwork is considered the most valuable talent a creature can have. To an outsider, it might seem that the only purpose of an aboleth city is to gather and share their artwork - which might in fact be the case.
Oeth
Oeth is yet another strange planet in the bizzareness that is the Belis system. It orbits the brown dwarf star Corrach, which in turn orbits the sun of Belis. Oeth is technically habitable - it has a functioning, if low level, ecosystem, receives light (a little), and has water and an oxygen atmosphere. That being said, i does not invite prolonged stays. It's more barren than the deepest parts of the arctic, and has few of the resources required for high technology.
Right at the beginning of the space travelling capabilities of the races of Belis, a small craft containing a crew of almost entirely elves was headed for the fringes of the system, hoping the outer ring of debris would contain some valuable resource or new insights into astronomy. However, things went awry. Their craft crashed into the surface of Oeth, and they've been stranded there ever since. The strange background radiation of Corrach has turned their skin black and their hair white, and left them in near constant pain. The harshness of the world they find themselves on has likewise toughened them to extremes far beyond even the hardiest of Belis' elves.
The drow of Oeth are now a proud, if small, civilization, eking an existence in the middle of nowhere with minute amounts of resources. They've begun expanding their knowledge of magic as quickly as possible, in the hopes of being able to reach someone who can rescue them. However, there are whispers among the younger drow that perhaps they should stay here long enough that they can take a serious fight to those that abandoned them....
Et'riso
Et’riso is a barren, rocky planet. It has little in the way of water, a thin atmosphere, and little native flora. All in all, the planet seems like the last place a civilization would choose to live - and it is. Eons ago, the yellow dwarf star at the center of the system ballooned out to red giant size. The dragons that ruled over the thri-kreen society of the second planet saw it coming a century in advance, and did the only thing they could - evacuated to the farthest habitable planet (Et'riso itself), and set up magical defenses in the vain hope that they could stave off extinction. Their only other hope was a group of sleeper capsules sent into space shorly before the nova - some in a wide orbit around the system, and others into the inky void, bound for distant stars.
This proved to be their salvation - the nova wiped almost all of the life off of Et’riso, blasting most of its atmosphere into space along with vast portions of its water. Only a very few small, burrowing creatures survived, along with one, tiny underground colony of thri-kreen buried as deep as they could manage.
Now, the dragons and thri-kreen have returned to the planet and begun rebuilding their civilization. Much has changed, though - the tiny burrowing creatures have evolved in a multitude of horrifying ways, becoming as brutal as the planet they found themselves on. Bulettes are the apex predator, and kythons rule much of the world below the surface, occasionally ravaging their way across the surface world when prey below ground is scarce. The small colony of thri-kreen that survived has mutated into a strange, hybrid creature that relies on colonies of fungus that live beneath the skin, sustaining them on the very air around them when food runs short.
In many, many distant systems, dragons have landed, beginning anew on dozens of worlds. Belis and Velikan are but a few of many.
Shinsei
Shinsei is a relatively small (¾ the size of Earth) planet, with little tectonic activity. It has developed basic, single cellular life that supports an oxygen atmosphere, but no complex life forms of its own. It does, however, have high reserves of nearly all planetary metals, both in their base forms and in their ascended forms. As such, it is an incredibly valuable asset; possibly the most innately valuable planet discovered so far.
Shinsei was originally colonized by Tetsuhige Industries - at first, they thought it was simply a regular, habitable planet they could call their own. However, they quickly realized its true value, and rushed to exploit it. Unfortunately for them, this happened at the same time as the Tetsuhige family was undergoing a major rift. The favored son and prodigy of Osamu Tetsuhige, head of Tetsuhige Industries, Hayato Tetsuhige was pushed too much to become the new head. To say he broke would be an understatement - he snapped like a taut steel cable, and declared open warfare on his family. The war lasted for six months on Belis, during which Tetsuhige Industries was crippled. At the end of this, Hayato left Belis, traveling to Shinsei (then Tetsuwakasei) in a fleet of living battleships, and, after wiping out any resistance on the planet, declared himself the ruler of the Ichi/Kiiro system.
Now, Shinsei is teeming with life - some imported from Belis, others bizarre creations of Hayato. The landscape is likewise warped by the powers of Geoccultism - massive poles dot the landscape, creating varied climates where once there were none.
Technology
Much of the large-scale technology in this setting makes use of Kellus' gramarie homebrew system. I've copied it into the Google Drive folder, along with modifications to port it to Pathfinder, along with some tweaks to balance things out (so far, I've only re-ordered Yggdratecture to put unlimited teleportation out of reach of 1st level characters).
Here's (https://drive.google.com/drive/#folders/0B81ZfG3kcAroTm5GQ040SGtHODg/0B81ZfG3kcArofkswZUJQZFBkOU9JWVRucm1KUFBIRTVjRlNtO UtWZXdBVHhONnBpM082T1U/0B81ZfG3kcArofnFDajVLQi1HZUg5Ni0zSzNtYzJhbFdWaUhTc GNIY3dJUnR6ZktTa2x0UmM) the folder I've got the modified version of Gramarie in. Suggestions for modifications to the system to make it fit better with the feel of the setting would of course be welcome.
Here's a brief rundown of the disciplines (think schools) of gramarie.
Alchemetry is the study of matter. More specifically, it's about quantifying and exploring the empirical principles at work in commonplace alchemy. Alchemetry is all about transforming substances and tweaking their properties.
Arcanodynamics is the study of arcane power. Arcanodynamic principles explore the relationships between magical energy (commonly known as puissance) and more common forms of energy, such as heat and light.
Biollurgy is the study of life. It explores the distinction between the living and nonliving, and can walk the fine line between the two.
Eldrikinetics is the study of magical motion. The powers that propel magic vehicles, defy gravity, and generate momentum are the principal focus here.
Geoccultism is the study of the environment and ley lines. It deals with thaumaturgic poles which tweak and modify the world around them, sometimes to extreme lengths.
Heuristicism is the study of control systems and circuits. It allows you to link magic together in fascinating new ways.
Imachination is the study of the real and the nonreal. It explores the mechanics of generating false sensations and illusionary interactions.
Kaleidomantics is the study of the magical prismatism of light. Kaleidomantic filters are refracted curtains of colour which can be used to separate agents based on the nature of light.
Yggdratecture is the study of other worlds and dimensions. The malleable nature of a fantasy planar cosmology oftentimes works in your favour when you are learned in yggdratecture.
Spaceships (and the Ethereal Plane)
At first, the races of Belis assumed space travel to be massively impractical. Sure, they could get from one planet to another, but it would take months. Moving between stars would take centuries. They contented themselves, for a time, with their own stretch of the neighborhood - Belis and its moon. However, on a flight up to a lunar research colony, a wizard noticed something - objects on the Ethereal Plane required less energy than they would to move the same distance on the Ethereal Plane. At first, this was taken as a novelty. Things were apparently still limited by light-speed.
She didn't let it go, though. She commissioned a ship to take her to Kyoryu; something everyone said would take months. Secretly, though, she installed what everyone had assumed to be an Eldrikinetic novelty - an Aetherial engine. The ship jumped to the Ethereal Plane, made it to Kyoryu in two days, and came pack with the proof. Her genius was in realizing that it wasn't taking less energy - there was less distance to travel on the Ethereal Plane. Simply put, objects on the Material Plane distort the Ethereal, adding distance around themselves.
The spaceships themselves are astonishingly varied in appearance - gramarie allows almost any shape to become a viable spaceship. However, the most common ships are those of the dwarven nation of Kazyan - they create giant creatures whose sole purpose is to carry passengers, contrasted sharply by the sleek metal ships of the Moret empire, which are a close second.
Computers
The computers of the races of Belis rely almost entirely on the gramaric discipline of Heuristicism. While most doctorate-level principles are rare, the iterative nature of Heuristicism means that the world can be flooded with low-intelligence EIs and (rarely) sentient Biollurgical constructs that can manipulate almost any gramaric device they're attached to, serve as data storage, and mimic any other use of a computer - essentially, they are computers. Displays rely on the discipline of Ichmachination almost completely; giving input to any and all senses the user might possess. While this is a brief overview of what can be done with Gramarie, I'll be working on expanding it with specifics in the near future.
History
Belis
400 years ago, the human nation of Arkim was the first to develop the science of Gramarie. Instead of using it to bring about peace and prosperity, they deployed it in a border war. Massive biollurgical creatures ambled out in front of eldrikinetic cannons, cutting a swath of destruction through their enemies. Arkim didn't rest there - they overtook nation after nation, eventually establishing dominion over nearly half the planet
Eventually, the empire began suffering the normal problems of a massive empire. Uprising happened almost faster than they could be squashed. The military got restless. A slow economic downturn began overtaking it. All of these were manageable - and then disaster struck. A wave of earthquakes, eruptions, hurricanes and more swept across the planet, leveling cities and creating entire populations of refugees. The enemies of Arkim took the chance to rally and begin a serious offensive. The empire was whittled down in a massive war over the course of a decade, until their holdings were reduced to Tamend and -small continent due east of Tamend-. Forces clashed throughout the entirety of Tamend - it was the last ditch effort of Arkim, their last real stronghold. Losing it would cost them the war. They began developing a superweapon based on phlogiston and sunmetal. It was designed to wipe out cities and render them uninhabitable.
A group of halfling spies from the then-small nation of Moret infiltrated the labs where the weapons were being tested. They wiped out the lab's inhabitants and began dismantling the weapons. One of them slipped, and the resulting explosion wiped out all life withing 500 miles of the lab, and irradiated the entirety of the continent. This event effectively ended the war, resulting in a "ceasefire" that continued for at least a century.
After the war, the nations responsible for the demise of Arkim rose up in its place. Rayunta and Kazyan simply consolidated their nations, securing their borders and rebuilding politically and economically. Moret, on the other hand, had other ideas. They saw it as their turn to be a world power, and launched an expansionist campaign; one that would continue for the next hundred years. Little by little, they annexed pieces of land south of their small chain of islands.
All three nations were leaps and bounds ahead of the other powers of the planet due to one thing - they'd all invested heavily in the new science of Gramarie. Kazyan became the major Biollurgical power of the planet, while Moret and Rayunta opted for the more traditional route of mechanization.
Nearly a century after the end of the war, the powers of the world turned their eyes once more towards Tamend. The cloud of radiation was slowly dissipating, and, in the preceding century, demand for metals had skyrocketed. The continent was ripe for the harvesting, and the opportunity was leaped upon. The port city of Alkstan sprang up almost overnight, and thousands of colonies, mines, logging facilities, and more exploded across the continent, further fueling the economies of the world, to say nothing of the further development of Gramarie.
Eventually, though, this was not enough. The races of Belis turned their eyes skyward. Spaceships were theorized about, and, within a decade, were built. Fuel was never a problem; phlogiston powered reactors saw to that. Just as with Tamend, a wave of colonization spread rapidly throughout the system. Kyoryu and Velikan were discovered, colonized, and exploited, while dozens of asteroids were stripped bare. The races of Velikan were not far behind. Skirmishes between corporations were not uncommon during this era.
Forty years after the colonization of Tamend, and twenty after the first spaceship was launched, the first Yggdratectural portal was established and tested. A test flight was set to the nearest system, and soon travel between the two systems was commonplace. Other ships were launched, and a network of portals spread through the stars.
Now, two centuries after the fall of Arkim, nearly forty systems have been discovered and colonized. Still more are soon to be connected. Other life has been discovered; some low, and a very few with intelligence. Tension is high - Velikan has united under a powerful leader with a grudge against their "oppressors" from Belis. The Moret Empire has upped its expansionist policies, overrunning more and more territory, on and off planet. Hayato's fleet of living ships grows by the day. The dragons of Et'riso are turning their heads skyward, searching for a new home among the stars. And, deep within the confines of Corrach, ancient evil stirs....
Ichi/Kiiro
Tetsuwakasei
Planetary Metals
Conversion to Shinsei
Current Day
S'athim
Wars
Peacetime
Nova
Escape
Recolonization
Current Day
Major Organizations
Tetsuhige Industries
Massive corporation centered in Kazyan. Currently recovering from internal war.
Alkstan Shipping Co
Previously backed by a subsidiary of Tetsuhige Industries, they've since begun expanding into the economic power vacuum.
Chuch of Everesti
Church in the central part of -continent the Moret Empire is on-. Preaches peace, joy, and self confidence. A rapidly growing religion, some find its sudden rise to be...disturbing. Rumors of conspiracy abound.
K.A.R (Kyoryu Animal Rights)
A small, militant group of activists focused on stopping the exploitation of dinosaurs on Kyoryu. Counterintuitvely, they ride dinosaurs into battle.
Ar'Xin's Hive
Hive of dragons that colonized Belis. Possibly responsible for the arrangement of the solar system. Definitely keeping the Elder Evil at the center of Corrach imprisoned. Giant spaceship.
Random Ideas I Haven't Gotten To Yet
Waterfall city (probably sits on a shelf of adamantine or some similar, erosion-proof material (maybe riverine)
Some sort of wormhole that is mostly inside of itself - orbits several different stars, has entrances that are sometimes there, and is full of debris - and people.
The very first interstellar spaceship. It's going slow, and no one knows where it is anymore. All record of it has been lost. It's now a self-sustaining ecosystem, headed for who-knows-where.
Space stations in the asteroid belt. Don't forget they're terrorized by illithids.
Roaming biollurgically-created megafauna in the seas of Belis. Godzilla sized.
Thri-kreen ride bulettes.
Elves have the same life span as a human, but reincarnate at the end of it. They slowly gain access to their previous memories over the course of adolescence.
Lycanthropy is a stress-relief mechanism.
I've updated the major political players of Belis under the planet description, as well as in the Google Drive folder. I've also included a direct link in the technology section to the folder I'm using for Kellus' Gramarie (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291019)project (with some modifications).
EDIT: It just occurred to me that I should include a brief explanation in the technology setting as to what gramarie actually is.
EDIT 2: Also added a description of Et'riso.
Changelog
02/04/15: Major political players on Belis.
02/04/15: Explanation of Gramarie.
02/04/15: Description of Et'riso.
02/06/15: Description of Shinsei.
02/06/15: Outline of history of solar systems.
02/06/15: Brief explanation about moonsteel/Loirr.
02/12/15: Velikan's caverns.
02/12/15: Allowed spells to be prepared into HEUR 302.
02/12/15: Description of Moret Empire.
02/13/15: Reworked Yggdratecture.
02/20/15: Described capitals of Moret/Rayunta/Kazyan.
02/23/15: Reworked Eldrikinetics.
02/23/15: Described Oeth.
02/28/15: Described Aatiko/added illithids.
03/01/15: Expanded on history of spaceships.
03/04/15: Started a list of major organizations.
03/15/15: Wrote a history for Belis.
03/25/15: Added an acknowledgements section.
Acknowledgements
ReturnOfTheKing for much needed input and encouragement across the board.
Demononion for the church of Everesti.
Grek for the Order of the Silver Cross.
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-02-09, 12:55 PM
This. Is. Awesome!
I like, I was reading the first post and saw the world descriptors, then I saw the dinosaur world and my jaw literally dropped! I just- this- it- I-
(Takes deep breath)
Ahem…
Okay, as long as I can form coherent sentences, couple little issues. Firstly, Halfling, Dwarf and Beastfolk nations are fine. If you're a Halfling, a Dwarf or a Beastfolk. I mean, what if you want to run a campaign in this world and have the players be an elite Moretian platoon or something, but the players, for some bizarre reason, don't want to all be Halflings? Not to mention that racially-defined nations are a bit cliché. Now, giving Moret a high population of Halflings is fine, but making it all Halflings just doesn't work, in my opinion. Of course, Moret is just an example (because I forgot the names of your other nations :smallredface:) and the same rule applies to all Belisian powers.
Anyway, that is all I have to say. Keep up the good work :smallbiggrin:
Thanks! I was starting to worry this thread would be me talking to myself for eternity =P
For your suggestions as to the nations, yeah, I totally agree. I should probably/am about to include demographic breakdowns of the nations I've got set up. My biggest problem right now is that I don't have a map yet, so I can't plan out epicenters of various species in order to make the demographics of individual nations make sense. I'm working with someone to get a map made, though.
It's funny you should mention a platoon of elite Moretian soldiers, though. I was considering/had decided that the backbone of the Moretian shock troops would be these guys (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YKwu13oX_zVzNnlBSPguqs3FYCp_w5OQuxVfU9NySYc/edit).
In a similar vein (if you're mechanically inclined in the PF system), I was considering rewriting the Armor Sentience ability of the Magitech Templar to, instead of creating a sentient item a la Item Familiar, have the armor become occupied by an EI from Gramarie's Heuristicism discipline. The purpose would be to allow the armor to interact more smoothly with gramaric devices. Thoughts?
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-02-10, 07:22 PM
Yeah, maps are one of those essentials for creating a world. Another suggestion I have regarding your nations is giving each a clear cultural identity. You don't have to create one from scratch if that's not your thing - copying real-world ones definitely works too. (I see you've already done that with the crazy Japanese businessman)
Also, magitech spacetroopers? That is- I- wow. (Loses ability to form coherent sentences. Again.)
Yeah, maps are one of those essentials for creating a world. Another suggestion I have regarding your nations is giving each a clear cultural identity. You don't have to create one from scratch if that's not your thing - copying real-world ones definitely works too. (I see you've already done that with the crazy Japanese businessman)
Excellent point, thank you. I took your advice and did some quick write-ups of Rayunta and Kazyan society (vaguely Indian and Japanese, respectively). I'm a little stuck on the society of the Moret Empire - partly because they have several nations enveloped within them, whose cultural identities I haven't figured out yet. I'm thinking the core nation, though, will be the standard fantasy-European, with a little fascism thrown in for good measure. Thoughts?
EDIT: Also, there will of course be other nations I'll write up, but I figure that having a few starting points will let me map cultures onto the world in a way similar to how I'm working on the populations of various species. If that makes sense.
Also, magitech spacetroopers? That is- I- wow. (Loses ability to form coherent sentences. Again.)
Glad it's having that effect =P
Added a small blurb to Velikan's description concerning some caverns under its surface. I'd appreciate input for what to do with that.
EDIT: Added a few lines in HEUR 302 to allow self-resetting spell traps based on Gramarie. If someone's mechanically inclined, I could do with input on the phrasing; I don't want it to be abusable.
EDIT 2: Added a blurb on the Moret Empire.
I've reworked Yggdratecture to make sense/not be game breaking. Next up is Eldrikinetics. Thoughts on that would be great. Again, if you can't see the contents of a folder, tap refresh; it's been a regular problem.
EDIT: Just realized I've been getting away from the cyberpunk feel I'm looking for. I'm thinking I'll have to write in a new skill for dealing with technology (just call it "Computers") and have it function as an Int-based Diplomacy (using the Giant's Diplomacy fix) for dealing with the EIs created by Heuristicism. I'm also going to have to rework the blurbs on the major countries to include more developed infrastructure to keep it in line with cyberpunk. I'm going to make a page for errata to specific things and a page for changes or additions to the actual rules under the Homebrew folder.
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-02-13, 07:37 PM
Fascist Halflings sound absolutely glorious :smallbiggrin:
It's funny, I had a friend who played a Halfling Nazi once. He was basically a 3-ft-tall version of the Aryan Man who loathed Dwarves. Also, he was Chaotic Good for some reason, which is basically the opposite of Nazism :smallwink:
Anyway, can't wait to see more soon!
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-02-17, 02:37 PM
Hey, someone read this already! It's amazing!
Hey, someone read this already! It's amazing!
XD What they said!
On a serious note, cyberpunk normally entails a certain breaking down of political barriers in favor of economic barriers, but that's very much not the case here. Does anyone have a cyberpunk setting I can read for a few pointers on how to do it while retaining political barriers as a major influence?
EDIT: I've also included descriptions of the cities of the three main nations. Next up is probably working on the lesser nations - as soon as I get those maps done....
Looks nice so far. If I have any other comments/questions/concerns, I'll try and post them here.
Rearranged Eldrikinetics to put the aetherial engines in the magisterial range of principles, to keep it in line with the setting. Thoughts, anyone?
EDIT: I've started a changelog in my last post; it'll make keeping track of things a bit easier.
Added a description of the moon Oeth in the Belis system. We now have drow.
EDIT: I'm considering there being some sort of evidence of the solar system being deliberately arranged as it is by some sort of civilization - it's currently very strange from an astrophysics point of view. Anyone have thoughts on the who/what/when/where/how/why? Thoughts so far include illithids, dragons from the S'Athim system, some form of godlike creatures, and...that's about it so far.
EDIT 2: I've created a thread for the homebrew mechanics accompanying this. The link's in the first post.
Added a section on the moon of Belis (and, by extension, the illithids). Hopefully it's suitably creepy.
EDIT: Does anyone know of an artist that's willing to do commissions of maps?
EDIT 2: Expanded a little on spaceships in the technology section.
Started a list of major organizations. Could do with input on this front.
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-03-04, 10:15 PM
EDIT: I'm considering there being some sort of evidence of the solar system being deliberately arranged as it is by some sort of civilization - it's currently very strange from an astrophysics point of view. Anyone have thoughts on the who/what/when/where/how/why? Thoughts so far include illithids, dragons from the S'Athim system, some form of godlike creatures, and...that's about it so far.
What about, yanno, gods? Seems a bit of a no-brainer to me :smallamused:
That being said, dragons are epic and I'd love for them to be the guys. It'd be an awesome touch, which seems characteristic of this setting :smallbiggrin:
What about, yanno, gods? Seems a bit of a no-brainer to me :smallamused:
That being said, dragons are epic and I'd love for them to be the guys. It'd be an awesome touch, which seems characteristic of this setting :smallbiggrin:
I actually haven't decided on how faith/gods will work. I'm generally inclined to have gods be silent and/or nonexistent, but that's not an absolute. I might steal an old idea and have the gods be powered by faith, but that wouldn't explain how they had the power to arrange the solar system.
Maybe, instead of actual gods, there are beings of immense power that essentially treat civilizations as their pawns in a war (or game) against each other. The only rule is that a civilization can't be aware you've pushed it.
If we go with dragons, what do you think the explanation should be? I mean, specifically XD
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-03-05, 07:21 PM
If we go with dragons, what do you think the explanation should be? I mean, specifically XD
For why they created the system? Well, maybe after the destruction of their original homeworld, they wanted a new home. Wait, a better idea - they worshipped, and gained power from, a god/deity/being which is essentially Lovecraft's Gaia hypothesis taken up to 11. Essentially, it's the soul of their original solar system, which was left homeless after most of the planets in the system, which orbited waaay too close to the red dwarf, were consumed when it went boom. Rescuing their deity and finding no other suitable systems for it to inhabit, they decided to make a new home for it, so they created Belis' system and got sapient life going so the deity wouldn't be bored. But of course, something went wrong, because otherwise, the dragons would still be there, there'd be a very obvious god meddling in mortal affairs and it wouldn't be plot-twisty. What do you think?
For why they created the system? Well, maybe after the destruction of their original homeworld, they wanted a new home. Wait, a better idea - they worshipped, and gained power from, a god/deity/being which is essentially Lovecraft's Gaia hypothesis taken up to 11. Essentially, it's the soul of their original solar system, which was left homeless after most of the planets in the system, which orbited waaay too close to the red dwarf, were consumed when it went boom. Rescuing their deity and finding no other suitable systems for it to inhabit, they decided to make a new home for it, so they created Belis' system and got sapient life going so the deity wouldn't be bored. But of course, something went wrong, because otherwise, the dragons would still be there, there'd be a very obvious god meddling in mortal affairs and it wouldn't be plot-twisty. What do you think?
Ooh, how about this? Instead of dragons being individuals, they're a hive. Each dragon is as intelligent as written, but they all serve a central queen (with no option to do something against her will). These "hives" are separated in tasks and duties by their color (whites and coppers are hunters, blues are guards, etc). Whenever a queen gets to be too old, a new queen rises up to challenge her; the winner becomes the ruler of the hive. The dragons of Belis would all be of one hive, ruled by an incredibly ancient and powerful queen. They've spent millennia arranging the solar system to their liking for some unknown purpose.
Thoughts? It's relying heavily on (read as: basically stealing from) the Dragonriders of Pern series, but I think the idea fits the setting pretty well.
EDIT: My brother just suggested that Corrach (the brown dwarf star orbiting the Sun) is a prison for some number of the Elder Evils. That might be part of why the dragon hive has arranged the solar system.
EDIT 2: Maybe the Elder Evils destroyed the star of the S'Athim system, and the dragon hive of the Belis system is keeping them in check.
Also, I think that the spaceship rules I'm writing absolutely allow for the dragons to possess a massive spaceship.
ReturnOfTheKing
2015-03-09, 07:33 PM
Ooh, how about this? Instead of dragons being individuals, they're a hive. Each dragon is as intelligent as written, but they all serve a central queen (with no option to do something against her will). These "hives" are separated in tasks and duties by their color (whites and coppers are hunters, blues are guards, etc). Whenever a queen gets to be too old, a new queen rises up to challenge her; the winner becomes the ruler of the hive. The dragons of Belis would all be of one hive, ruled by an incredibly ancient and powerful queen. They've spent millennia arranging the solar system to their liking for some unknown purpose.
Thoughts? It's relying heavily on (read as: basically stealing from) the Dragonriders of Pern series, but I think the idea fits the setting pretty well.
EDIT: My brother just suggested that Corrach (the brown dwarf star orbiting the Sun) is a prison for some number of the Elder Evils. That might be part of why the dragon hive has arranged the solar system.
EDIT 2: Maybe the Elder Evils destroyed the star of the S'Athim system, and the dragon hive of the Belis system is keeping them in check.
Also, I think that the spaceship rules I'm writing absolutely allow for the dragons to possess a massive spaceship.
This, I like :smallbiggrin:
Just wondering, how much individuality and free thought do the individual dragons possess? Because if the dragons are a complete hive mind and they can't move against the queen, how could one dragon challenge the old queen and become the new one?
This, I like :smallbiggrin:
Just wondering, how much individuality and free thought do the individual dragons possess? Because if the dragons are a complete hive mind and they can't move against the queen, how could one dragon challenge the old queen and become the new one?
I'm thinking that the default'll be a fair amount, but some queens are incredibly controlling and paranoid, while the more benevolent ones trust in their subordinates.
Wrote a brief history of the planet Belis. I'll have to check that the various points of the timeline line up, but it should be good. Thoughts would be appreciated.
Plerumque
2015-03-25, 07:49 PM
I figured it made more sense to put questions about the setting here than in the recruitment thread, so: How common is interplanetary travel for civilians, exactly? It sounds like the majority of travel is conducted using an alternating flux, which shouldn't be that difficult for nations to create and maintain if they have easy access to high-level gramarists, but given that they could hold a monopoly fairly easily it wouldn't be difficult for the nations and/or gramarists in question to charge prohibitively high prices. So are citizens of the Moret Empire popping out to Kyoryu for a picnic, or is that kind of travel restricted almost entirely to explorers, scientists and workers? Is it less likely for halflings to be traveling due to Moret's policy of isolationism? Is land owned by corporations or nations unfriendly to visitors blocked by large-scale pink filters and the like, or do they just count on gramarists and magicians powerful enough to have interplanetary travel being under the thumb of someone or other?
The history of Belis looks good, although I'm curious about its relationship with Velikan: have the early attempts at imperialism by some nations permanently colored its view of Belis as a whole? It seems like if the Moret Empire initiated war and Rayunta or whoever made attempts at diplomacy, that could actually push the giants towards allying with those offering aid. Or is it just that the current leader of Velikan is nationalist and dislikes any interference with the nations of Belis?
Sorry about all the questions, but personally I feel that answering questions is one of the things that helps me flesh out concepts to a greater extent, by giving me something concrete to focus on rather than "oh, better write this next paragraph about aboleths." If you work differently, I'm happy to only ask questions that I actually need the answers to and focus more on other kinds of advice.
Sorry about all the questions, but personally I feel that answering questions is one of the things that helps me flesh out concepts to a greater extent, by giving me something concrete to focus on rather than "oh, better write this next paragraph about aboleths." If you work differently, I'm happy to only ask questions that I actually need the answers to and focus more on other kinds of advice.
No, questions are great. Ask away; I find it incredibly helpful.
I figured it made more sense to put questions about the setting here than in the recruitment thread, so:
How common is interplanetary travel for civilians, exactly? It sounds like the majority of travel is conducted using an alternating flux, which shouldn't be that difficult for nations to create and maintain if they have easy access to high-level gramarists, but given that they could hold a monopoly fairly easily it wouldn't be difficult for the nations and/or gramarists in question to charge prohibitively high prices. So are citizens of the Moret Empire popping out to Kyoryu for a picnic, or is that kind of travel restricted almost entirely to explorers, scientists and workers? Is it less likely for halflings to be traveling due to Moret's policy of isolationism? Is land owned by corporations or nations unfriendly to visitors blocked by large-scale pink filters and the like, or do they just count on gramarists and magicians powerful enough to have interplanetary travel being under the thumb of someone or other?
Hmm....I'm thinking fairly common, depending on the destination. Interplanetary travel between planets in the same system is definitely easy; you don't need an alternating flux to do it. Depending on where you're from and where you're going, interstellar travel should end up being fairly easy, too. You're not going to catch people from Rayunta taking a quick jaunt out to a star system controlled by Moret, but the expenses aren't prohibitive. Some places will use large scale pink filters, but it's difficult to impossible to find the manhours to do anything on the scale of a city, much less a planet.
The history of Belis looks good, although I'm curious about its relationship with Velikan: have the early attempts at imperialism by some nations permanently colored its view of Belis as a whole? It seems like if the Moret Empire initiated war and Rayunta or whoever made attempts at diplomacy, that could actually push the giants towards allying with those offering aid. Or is it just that the current leader of Velikan is nationalist and dislikes any interference with the nations of Belis?
Velikan's view of Belis is definitely colored from the initial contact; most of its peoples hold a mild grudge against them. Most don't make the distinction between the various races, they just generally dislike the planet as a whole. The current leader is just a step or two past that opinion, which is why he has support.
Plerumque
2015-03-26, 04:56 PM
So I would assume there are factions in Velikan that disagree with this view, or consider it overly simplistic, it's just that they don't have enough support to make a difference? Are natives of Belis required to be fugitives if they want to travel to Velikan?
So I would assume there are factions in Velikan that disagree with this view, or consider it overly simplistic, it's just that they don't have enough support to make a difference? Are natives of Belis required to be fugitives if they want to travel to Velikan?
Hmm...I hadn't gotten that far. I suppose there'd be factions that disagree; possibly a few that are outright opposed to it. Natives of Belis aren't fugitives, but it's made extremely clear that they're not welcome.
Just rewrote how spaceships work. Decided that the Ethereal Plane gets a lot smaller away from masses on the Material Plane, meaning that if you move to it, the distance between two planets is much, much smaller than it would be on the Material.
Plerumque
2015-04-08, 07:54 PM
Did you add Bauth, too? That's kind of interesting to me, just in that a nation presumably without any Doctorate-level and probably not many Magistrate-level gramarists is capable of holding its own (in that it hasn't yet been wiped off the map) against the highly industrialized Empire. I suppose they must have quite a few high-level casters, but if it can keep a hold on its territory without gramarie, it seems like it's just begging for a single charismatic scientist to come in and turn it into a force to be feared throughout the universe.
Yeah, I added Bauth in. Right now it's a tossup between "Moret doesn't care that much" and "Bauth has incredibly powerful casters" as to why they haven't been subjugated yet. Possibly both. If it's at least the second one, I was considering having it be the bastion between Moret and the rest of the unnamed continent.
It occurs to me that I should probably upload (and work on) a map. Know a good mapmaker?
EDIT: I'm running a game to flesh the world out. IC is here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?407937-IC-Spec-Ops-Halfling-Size&p=19087049), and OoC is here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?407398-OoC-Spec-Ops-Halfling-Sized).
Plerumque
2015-04-09, 04:31 PM
I had a GM once who used this (http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world), just setting the specifications and randomizing it until he found one he liked. Might not work for you, though, since you have specific ideas about the continents.
I had a GM once who used this (http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world), just setting the specifications and randomizing it until he found one he liked. Might not work for you, though, since you have specific ideas about the continents.
Yeah, I've used that before. Pretty useful for the initial maps, but I also need to do a political one (and label it).
altona
2015-04-13, 03:50 AM
XD What they said!
On a serious note, cyberpunk normally entails a certain breaking down of political barriers in favor of economic barriers, but that's very much not the case here. Does anyone have a cyberpunk setting I can read for a few pointers on how to do it while retaining political barriers as a major influence?
EDIT: I've also included descriptions of the cities of the three main nations. Next up is probably working on the lesser nations - as soon as I get those maps done....
If your still looking for a cyberpunk setting honestly I would look no further then Shadowrun. Its history is well documented and with little effort can be found online and the progression away from political barriers into the realm of the more economic is realistically plausible you see the nations still holding sway over land but the major decisions tend to fall in the court of corporations. Megacorps are just a different kind of political influence.
Question on Rayunta: Where would Ratfolk fall on the social status spectrum? Above Tengu, below Grippli? Equal to Rakshasa? This is mildly important for the backstory of my Scientist character in Rise of the Warforged. I'll restate this question in the recruitment thread.
If your still looking for a cyberpunk setting honestly I would look no further then Shadowrun. Its history is well documented and with little effort can be found online and the progression away from political barriers into the realm of the more economic is realistically plausible you see the nations still holding sway over land but the major decisions tend to fall in the court of corporations. Megacorps are just a different kind of political influence.
Yeah, I've read almost everything published for Shadowrun; it's been a big help.
Question on Rayunta: Where would Ratfolk fall on the social status spectrum? Above Tengu, below Grippli? Equal to Rakshasa? This is mildly important for the backstory of my Scientist character in Rise of the Warforged. I'll restate this question in the recruitment thread.
Thanks; I'd missed them on my initial pass. I just edited them into between grippli and tengu.
kopout
2015-04-23, 02:48 PM
I have a question about Et'riso. Has the star actually exploded yet or merely ballooned? If it has exploded Et'riso will be so far away from the resulting white dwarf that it will probably need some sort of magic to hold onto enough heat to be habitable.
Also, about Loirr. I'd suggest making it water rather than liquid methane. If the aboleths live in liquid methane then they are almost completely uninteractable, their blood would boil at anything resembling our temperatures while from their perspective we would have liquid rock for blood.
I have a question about Et'riso. Has the star actually exploded yet or merely ballooned? If it has exploded Et'riso will be so far away from the resulting white dwarf that it will probably need some sort of magic to hold onto enough heat to be habitable.
Just ballooned. I edited the post to clarify that just now; thank you.
Also, about Loirr. I'd suggest making it water rather than liquid methane. If the aboleths live in liquid methane then they are almost completely uninteractable, their blood would boil at anything resembling our temperatures while from their perspective we would have liquid rock for blood.
I think I'll leave it as methane - immunity to cold/fire are both trivial to come by, meaning that powerful individuals can travel in either direction without too much hassle, and it prevents large-scale colonization of Loirr by Belis.
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