(I think I posted this in the wrong place before since this isn't DnD related, so I'm posting it here.)
Title. I was thinking of basing it on the old genre of Dark Romanticism, which was defined not only by strong emotions but by the awareness of human fallibility and their tendency towards sin and self-destruction. A fascination with the dark and supernatural is also par for the course, so adding Dark Fantasy elements was an easy choice.
Also, this is worldbuilding for a universal system. You don't need to worry about the mechanics of the system, I just wanted you to know that players aren't going to be disappointed then there isn't lore for elves or anything like that.
Not so long ago, humanity entered a golden age of enlightenment, progress, and plenty. They built amazing machines: the printing press, the electric generator, the radio, the automaton... brilliant inventions seemingly sprung up from nowhere. Castles were filled with electric servants, the lame could walk, the blind could see... it was an amazing time. So amazing, in fact, that humanity collectively decided to declare war on Falderath, the God of this world, for allowing such terrible things to happen in the past. After all, humanity had surpassed Him, hadn't they?
The war was short. Falderath conceded when he saw the hate and rage in the eyes of the creatures created in His own image. Humanity (or at least the leaders of it) decided on a punishment for thousands of years of torment and treachery: They would lock Falderath in a massive machine. Thus, the Miracle Engine was born.
Seven houses, formerly the strongest governments of the world, were founded around the Engine. The device has never been used due to the squabbling of the houses, but it is said to be able to harness the power of God. Even when the Dark appeared, they didn't use the device.
The Dark sprang up on every continent, appearing without warning and covering a massive amount of land literally overnight. The Dark is a corruptive force, but can only affect those of weak minds or those who willingly surrender to it. The ground, animals, and plants began to mutate in areas infected by the Dark, transforming into terrifying, monstrous forms.
The Dark is an embodiment of evil. It appeared in a different form on each continent, born to suit the primary sin of the house that was built there. The Dark does not simply attack its victims with an all-out assault; it tempts them, wears them down until they can't help but indulge, and then indulge until they give in to the Dark's promise for more. Giving into the dark doesn't make you evil, but the power that comes with it often corrupts those who wield it by virtue of it being such great power alone.
The campaign takes place on the continent of Nachtisch, home of Schloss (House) Waffel. The sin of this land is Gluttony, the crime of indulging in excess to the point of wastefulness or damage to oneself. Nachtisch is a land of plenty, but the Dark preys on the desire for more. Those who succumb to the Dark are given a secondary, monstrous form, perfect for consuming and indulging in all before them... or destroying anything that stops them from doing so.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
The Dark is the only source of supernatural power in Guter, other than the Miracle Engine. Anyone who has supernatural power has at least witnessed the Dark.
However, the Dark isn't just a force. It is the embodiment of unforgiven sins and has been growing ever since Falderath, the only being able to forgive sins, was locked away. Even worse, the Dark isn't just a spontaneous growth; no, it was created.
The Abyss is a mighty being, also known as the Father of Lies and The Evil One. For a long time, it watched humanity nearly destroy itself over and over, and now it has a chance to do something about it. If human nature is the cause of almost all of life's problems, and human nature is universal in humans, why not just... make them no longer human?
You know what? I might use this world in the future, actually. But I'm considering removing the Apostles and lowering the emphasis on the 7 deadly sins.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
You know what? I might use this world in the future, actually. But I'm considering removing the Apostles and lowering the emphasis on the 7 deadly sins.
Probably a good idea. Play up the dark fantasy angle.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Not everyone fears the Dark. Some people have come up with a way to “control” it. Enter cards. Cards are used by many practitioners of the Dark arts to record information and store dark energies. They resemble small, thin tanks of black liquid covered on one side with nearly indecipherable labels. The writing is almost always in Pitch, a shorthand developed by the scholars of the Dark. They say the use of cards has the same effects as the Dark itself, but advocates of card use refute this claim with the logic that there is no safer way to access the divine power man was always meant to hold.
Cards contain modified, condensed Darkoil, altered through advanced chemical processes. What this really means is that the Dark knows what humanity wants and is willing to waste some time getting there by pretending that it can be safely altered by science. Cards can do a large variety of things, such as:
allowing the holder to summon specific monsters out of flesh, plants, or raw Dark,
The Dark has been around for longer than most would like to think. It was born in the darkest, deepest depths of the oceans. The first signs of the Darkening were found in whales that tend to dive down deep, long before humanity even thought of declaring war on Falderath.
Whaling ships began to find oil in greater amounts and with stronger combustions. First, this Darkoil replaced typical fuels for power, like wood and coal. Then it even surpassed gunpowder and fossil fuels as the combustion agent of choice.
The oil wasn't the only thing that was Darkened. The fat of the whales was found to possess healing properties when processed with herbs. It was also found that it smelled and tasted delicious beyond anything humanity had ever dreamed of. And the stuff had so many uses in magic and industry that it was unbelievable. This doesn't even begin to mention the metal bones of the whales being stronger and sharper than any other metal once forged.
Whaling is the lifeblood of Nachtisch, and is what makes it such a plentiful land. Whale parts are worth more than gold, and oil means everything to the people of Guter.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
(I think I posted this in the wrong place before since this isn't DnD related, so I'm posting it here.)
Title. I was thinking of basing it on the old genre of Dark Romanticism, which was defined not only by strong emotions but by the awareness of human fallibility and their tendency towards sin and self-destruction. A fascination with the dark and supernatural is also par for the course, so adding Dark Fantasy elements was an easy choice.
Also, this is worldbuilding for a universal system. You don't need to worry about the mechanics of the system, I just wanted you to know that players aren't going to be disappointed then there isn't lore for elves or anything like that.
Not so long ago, humanity entered a golden age of enlightenment, progress, and plenty. They built amazing machines: the printing press, the electric generator, the radio, the automaton... brilliant inventions seemingly sprung up from nowhere. Castles were filled with electric servants, the lame could walk, the blind could see... it was an amazing time. So amazing, in fact, that humanity collectively decided to declare war on Falderath, the God of this world, for allowing such terrible things to happen in the past. After all, humanity had surpassed Him, hadn't they?
The war was short. Falderath conceded when he saw the hate and rage in the eyes of the creatures created in His own image. Humanity (or at least the leaders of it) decided on a punishment for thousands of years of torment and treachery: They would lock Falderath in a massive machine. Thus, the Miracle Engine was born.
Seven houses, formerly the strongest governments of the world, were founded around the Engine. The device has never been used due to the squabbling of the houses, but it is said to be able to harness the power of God. Even when the Dark appeared, they didn't use the device.
The Dark sprang up on every continent, appearing without warning and covering a massive amount of land literally overnight. The Dark is a corruptive force, but can only affect those of weak minds or those who willingly surrender to it. The ground, animals, and plants began to mutate in areas infected by the Dark, transforming into terrifying, monstrous forms.
The Dark is an embodiment of evil. It appeared in a different form on each continent, born to suit the primary sin of the house that was built there. The Dark does not simply attack its victims with an all-out assault; it tempts them, wears them down until they can't help but indulge, and then indulge until they give in to the Dark's promise for more. Giving into the dark doesn't make you evil, but the power that comes with it often corrupts those who wield it by virtue of it being such great power alone.
The campaign takes place on the continent of Nachtisch, home of Schloss (House) Waffel. The sin of this land is Gluttony, the crime of indulging in excess to the point of wastefulness or damage to oneself. Nachtisch is a land of plenty, but the Dark preys on the desire for more. Those who succumb to the Dark are given a secondary, monstrous form, perfect for consuming and indulging in all before them... or destroying anything that stops them from doing so.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
The Dark is the only source of supernatural power in Guter, other than the Miracle Engine. Anyone who has supernatural power has at least witnessed the Dark.
However, the Dark isn't just a force. It is the embodiment of unforgiven sins and has been growing ever since Falderath, the only being able to forgive sins, was locked away. Even worse, the Dark isn't just a spontaneous growth; no, it was created.
The Abyss is a mighty being, also known as the Father of Lies and The Evil One. For a long time, it watched humanity nearly destroy itself over and over, and now it has a chance to do something about it. If human nature is the cause of almost all of life's problems, and human nature is universal in humans, why not just... make them no longer human?
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
I just followed your link from Last Comment Wins. This is really cool.
So is the Dark caused because humanity imprisoned the god Falderath?
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Sort of. The Abyss was freed when Falderath was imprisoned, and it made the Dark by weaving together the unforgiven sins of humanity.
I know it's weird to not have grey-and-grey morality in a dark fantasy setting, but I think it works here.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
I like the morality system. But are you concerned it’ll lead to less nuanced characters?
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
A little. I don't expect my players to care all that much, though.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Makes sense. Good luck with your campaign.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
This is for a one-shot.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
You know what? I might use this world in the future, actually. But I'm considering removing the Apostles and lowering the emphasis on the 7 deadly sins.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Probably a good idea. Play up the dark fantasy angle.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Not everyone fears the Dark. Some people have come up with a way to “control” it. Enter cards. Cards are used by many practitioners of the Dark arts to record information and store dark energies. They resemble small, thin tanks of black liquid covered on one side with nearly indecipherable labels. The writing is almost always in Pitch, a shorthand developed by the scholars of the Dark. They say the use of cards has the same effects as the Dark itself, but advocates of card use refute this claim with the logic that there is no safer way to access the divine power man was always meant to hold.
Cards contain modified, condensed Darkoil, altered through advanced chemical processes. What this really means is that the Dark knows what humanity wants and is willing to waste some time getting there by pretending that it can be safely altered by science. Cards can do a large variety of things, such as:
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
The Dark has been around for longer than most would like to think. It was born in the darkest, deepest depths of the oceans. The first signs of the Darkening were found in whales that tend to dive down deep, long before humanity even thought of declaring war on Falderath.
Whaling ships began to find oil in greater amounts and with stronger combustions. First, this Darkoil replaced typical fuels for power, like wood and coal. Then it even surpassed gunpowder and fossil fuels as the combustion agent of choice.
The oil wasn't the only thing that was Darkened. The fat of the whales was found to possess healing properties when processed with herbs. It was also found that it smelled and tasted delicious beyond anything humanity had ever dreamed of. And the stuff had so many uses in magic and industry that it was unbelievable. This doesn't even begin to mention the metal bones of the whales being stronger and sharper than any other metal once forged.
Whaling is the lifeblood of Nachtisch, and is what makes it such a plentiful land. Whale parts are worth more than gold, and oil means everything to the people of Guter.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
This is so good!
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Thank you! Although I kinda stole the idea a bit from this video. (Go to the 24 minute mark and watch for a bit. You'll see what I mean)
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
The best ideas are usually the borrowed ones
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True.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
wanna rp on YonStore? Completely fine if not
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Sure!
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Yay! Mage isn't on, so it's a little quiet
🍅 PM me the word 'tomato' 🍅 Extended Signature Musk Sucks, Quit X!