Thousands of years ago the land was fertile and rich, the enlightened races prospered with the blessings of the crystals... Sacred artifacts birthed by the planet itself which were revered and sometimes considered divinities on their own right.
That didn't lasted, as mortals grow more advanced and sophisticated they embrace both science and Magic, some civilizations favors one over the other but both became indispensable and eventually converged in the craft called Magitek.
Magitek was however powered by mana, the lifeblood of the planet that comes from the crystals, at first there was no problem as the crystals selflessly bleeds it for the mortals, sometimes it even crystallized into materia, wondrous gems which bestow magical powers without prior training or knowledge...
Thing is, that as the civilizations grows and their Magitek become more complex and numerous mana become a invaluable resource and each crystal can produce just so much mana... the enlightened races then in an act of hubris begin to tamper with the power of the crystals, experiment with them and draining ever more mana from them, as time passes crystal weren't sacred artifacts but mere energy sources.
But like all natural resources mana is limited, at some point the crystals reached it's limit and they stop producing mana, the panic and chaos lead to more experiments and tampering of the crystals, people then learned that the crystals needs time to generate more mana, a rest of sorts as the energies of the planet recycle themselves, the ever faster growth of the civilizations come to a halt, without mana most technology didn't work and wars started between nations to seize the reserves of mana from one another.
This lasted for a time but was just the tip of the iceberg...
The crystals once again shine and started to produce mana, this should have ended the bloody conflict that has ravaged the land for centuries but it was all the opposite... With their hearts tainted by hate and envy born from an endless war the civilizations didn't return to peace.
The Crystal's wars started, knowing that a new mana shortage was unavoidable in the future the nations fight over the crystals, in their hubris they believe that if one could monopolize the crystals and the production of mana that one will rule undisputed.
Weapons of mass destruction were created and used, countless people died and the world was likely ravaged in the process... Two crystals were destroyed and one grafted into a vile construct that knows only destruction... much more untold tragedies happened at that time but most has been to history.
The planet had enough of it.
It gave mortals the crystals, then their blessings, then mana, it allowed them to abuse the power of the crystals and the mana hoping that after the shortage the people will see the error of their ways but they didn't, they go too far this time and the very planet itself retaliated.
The Cleansing, as it is called today was the cataclysmic event in which the planet punished the enlightened races for misusing their gifts, most civilizations were wiped out by a tidal wave of plasma that destroyed manufactured structures and restored nature as it resets the world.
There were survivor but the world now was all but friendly to them, from the pools of mana left by the cleansing surged all kind of monsters, there always has been monsters, dangerous animals and megafauna, magical creatures, dragons and the like but these were different, far different...
Dubbed Scourges these creatures comes in many shapes and sizes, each boasting an elemental affinity but sharing a single mission, destroying every single trace of humanoid life and their civilizations.
Facing annihilation on all fronts the remaining survivors prayed to the gods, to the planet and to the stars...
The prayers of the virtuous reached the crystals which in their limitless love for the mortals spare them of the Scourges by sending them the Last Crystal, a newly formed crystal with no elemental affinity and no purpose but to save and keep safe the remaining humanoids.
The Last Crystal then take them above the clouds where the rage of the scourges can't reach them, that was the creation of Borealis the flying continent... your home.
Centuries have passed and your people has prospered in Borealis, there certainly has been hardships, many of them... You all know this story if War, Hubris and divine punishment, it just basic history.
The civilization here isn't what it used to be, machines and Magitek do exist but the later is very regulated as the mana is an extremely limited resource, a gift from the Last Crystal which still glows and keep your little paradise far from the Scourges and protected by thick and impenetrable mist that not even the flying Scourges can pass through.
You my be wondering what happened to the world bellow now known as Surface, what happened to the other humanoids which didn't make it to Borealis or were considered unworthy by the Last Crystal?
They died, every last of them, no people survived outside Borealis, you're the last civilization, the world bellow was destroyed by the Cleansing and the Scourges, there's nothing for you in Surface... or so you thought...
The Oracle, the link between mortal races and the Last Crystal has spoken, and what she said is all but good... The Last Crystal is growing weak.
Lacking an elemental affinity resulted in a weaker Crystal and keeping a whole continent floating for so long has been taxing, the mist has growth thin and no more mana is being produced if the situation continues Borealis will fall from the sky and all life on it perish.
However, there's still hope though, according to the Oracle there's a way to heal the Last Crystal, or more accurately to recharge it.
In order to restore the last Crystal one must travel to the Surface and find the other six crystals in order to collect their Protomateria an exotic kind of Materia which contains a sliver of their elemental essence, these will heal the Last Crystal and save Borealis.
You're one of the brave humanoid who will descend to Surface in order to save your home, you'll board the Celeste, the best Skyship that Magitek can make, a mobile fortress on their own right equipped with all that you may need to face the challenges of surface...
Hey there! Welcome to my very first PbP game, first and foremost thanks for reading that chunk of text :D
As you may have already guessed your PCs will be crew members of the skyship the Celeste, you're the best that Borealis has to offer and likely aren't there by accident (I'm not saying that a thief couldn't have sneaked in the ship...), your mission is to localize the crystals and get their Protomateria in order to restore the last Crystal and save Borealis!
Simple isn't it? we'll see...
Anyways, the piece of lore above isn't nearly enough to make a character so here comes more lore and information about Borealis..!
Borealis the Sky Continent
Borealis is a little smaller than Australia and has a mostly temperate clime yet has an arid patch of land and two snowy mountains, there are plenty of forests and plains as well, a single yet kinda big swamp and two really big lakes which are the main sources of fresh water.
There is plenty of wildlife including monsters but these are usually not a huge problem to the humanoid population...
Many humanoid and so humanoid races inhabit Borealis but as you may expect Hume is the most numerous race, followed by Moogle, Elvaan, Dwarf, Mithra, Taru Taru, Bangaa and Varg but these are only the most common, Viera, Gypelo, Nu Mou, Aegyl, Au Ra, Gria, Qu, Ronso, goblin, kobold, Sylph and even more obscure ones like Tonkin live on Borealis.
The technology level is... well there's electricity, most of it produced by windmills, these are pretty common in populated areas and across roads and trade routes.
Radio was developed a decade ago and has become pretty much a fixture on all homes with the exception of those who prefer a more tribal lifestyle like the Ronso of course.
Phones exist but each town only has one or two so they're more akin to telegraphs.
Television has not been properly invented but the Celeste, having the latest technologies has computer screens and the like but to common folk these are cutting edge, next generation technology.
Guns... yep, there are guns but are mostly limited to pistols and rifles and Gunarms of course, modern sub machine-guns and automatics don't exist, a black mage is just better.
Magitek however is much more advanced than normal electricity powered machines but unlike those it's only used when necessary since it's powered by Mana, the current state of the Crystal just aggravated it and the mana is being tightly regulated.
Blitzball is everyone favorite sport and every city has it's own team, every three years there's a big tournament at the Crystal Capital.
There are plenty of small and medium sized towns and to be honest none is painfully important so you are free to make up the hometown of your PCs if you like and likewise elaborate on them.
There are two big cities which are relevant along with another twenty or so more scattered then and there, due to the vows made to the Last Crystal centuries ago civilization can't expand much more than that or truly exploit nature, the cities are...
Dyson AKA The Crystal Capital
Dyson is the biggest and most important city in Borealis it has around 120000 citizens and a constant influx of visitors, it holds the elders council which is pretty much the government and rules Borealis with the help of the Oracle who is the only humanoid which can hear the voice of the Last Crystal which is located under the Great Temple.
The current Oracle Elisha the Faithful (Female Viera Astrologician 8) is liked by everyone and is impossibility wise but as all Oracles she's distant to all other humanoids, incapable of truly comprehend anyone but the Crystal which softly whisper to her.
The council of elders current leader is Neu (Male Elvaan Scholar 10) a quite old and experienced leader, he tends to political affairs such as laws, taxes and law enforcement, he isn't too popular but does the job and no one can deny that.
Dyson controls the Mana distribution and as such is the most powerful player in Borealis politics and economy, it also boast the best libraries, colleges and universities.
Devotion and faith are another facet of Dyson, it has temples to all good and neutral deities and even a few dedicated to the most accepted evil deities.
As any capital Dyson has it's own elite, nobility don't exist everyone is supposed to equals but in practice the rich merchants, the mages and those who are part of a knightly order are akin to nobles commanding both power and influence.
Crime exist as well but since Borealis is supposed to be an utopia of sorts most people don't speak about it openly yet everyone know about the thieves guilds and other criminal activities, Mana smuggle is a capital crime but a very lucrative one so even today the greed for mana hasn't disappeared, slavery is another serious crime but since a good part of the continent has been left to the natural world is very easy to create hideouts far from the eyes of Dyson and it's law enforcers.
Speaking of which, Dyson has three law enforcement organizations, the Crystal Knights which are the closest thing to birthright nobles, this knightly orders are in charge of protecting the last Crystal and by extension all of Dyson, the title if knights is usually inherited from parent to child but there's no need to a blood relative so in some cases the knights adopt promising children and teach them the ways of the knight, there are eight orders in total all with their own tenets and oaths, the most infamous being the Inky Void whose Dark Knights are ruthless enforcers and administer punishment when needed, feel free to make up another Knightly order if you like to tie to your PC backstory or use the Inky Void if it fits your theme.
Then there are the Guardians, a far less pompous and regal organization which is pretty much the Dyson police department, they deal with small crimes and problems that aren't worth the Knights time, in truth they do much more than the knights to keep the city safe but are usually overlooked.
Lastly is the Oneiroi, the government secret service and the most feared organization in Borealis, you don't see them, you neither speak of them, the so called gods of sleep only appear to take care of things that threaten the designs of the Council of Elders or the Oracle and they do so discreetly... They're far dangerous and possibly more powerful than any of the Knightly order and they apparently have agents everywhere, no place is safe from then, magic, blade, magitek... they have access to these all and more, luckily they appear to be uncaring of most crimes and even if one agent where to witness a robbery, murder or similar they wouldn't act without first receiving a formal mission from the elders.
Tesla AKA The Cradle of Invention
The second most important and powerful city, Tesla is where new technologies are studied and the craft or Magitek is passed down to the new generations.
A city of mechanics, tinkers and scholars, radio was invented here by the now leader of the technology guild Lady Katleya (Female Moogle engineer 9) who also happens to be the richest person in Borealis, her fortune comes from the patents of the radio and all it's applications and she uses it to fund the technology guild research and development of new technologies that can displace the Magitek...
The worst keep secret on Tesla is the rivalry and enmity that exist between the Technology Guild and the Magitek Artificers, the former strive to create and improve new technologies and the later stick to keep the art of Magitek alive despite it's low usage... For many years the Artificers looked down upon the engineers and machinist's feeble creations but with the creation of electrical Illumination and now the radio and the regulations on mana and thus the usage of Magitek has caused a shift in power in Tesla, whereas a dedicated team of Artificers can make a living with one complex piece of Magitek once or twice a year the Technology Guild is now mass producing light bulbs, radios, guns and other newer technologies which don't need mana at all, sure they're not as potent as their magitek but what's the point if most people can't use Magitek at all?
At the time there's a heated dispute over the windmills which are originally Magitek but without mana they'll eventually stop working and without electricity the energy crisis will be catastrophic! But then an Al Bhed kid called Rufus invented a new model which is purely mechanic and don't need mana at all! too good to be true, the prototypes are at this time still full of glitches and they don't produce as much electricity as the Magitek ones but the promise of free energy with no mana usage is tempting...
However both the technology guild and the artificers were forced to work together in the construction of The Celeste, it has been ages since the last particular Skyship was created and this one incorporated the best that both crafts has to offer, a selected number of the best engineers and artificers will accompany the heroes down to the surface in order to keep The Celeste working and fix any damage.
Besides that Tesla is a fairly normal city if steampunkish, it has most of Borealis factories and there's is no shortage of employment if cheap at these.
The Celeste
For most of the adventure this will be your home and HQ, the Celeste is a Magitek powered Skyship, it's the best the Borealis has but is a mere shadow of the warships that once existed during the Crystal Wars, it has a crew of 500 humanoids including your PCs, it has all the installations that you may find in a town, a forge, laboratory, hospital, armory, enough rooms to accommodate it's crew and some guns to defend itself.
The captain of the ship is Thurg Skyrunner (Male Dwarf Gambler 10) a rough man who has piloted Skyships for more than three centuries, sure The Celeste is very different animal, impossible to compare to the feeble cargo Skyship used in Borealis but all in all he's the best suited man to be in charge.
There are a few other important NPCs aboard BUT I rather introduce them during the gameplay...
Not everyone is here out of sense of duty, patriotism or righteousness, there sure are a good deal of those but the payment is also too tempting, without a doubt many crew members are motivated by this and if being paid isn't enough... just imagine the countless treasures and riches ready to be plundered in Surface, without humanoids neither the animals, monsters or the Scourge has use for those, right?
There's yet another thing... Mana, after the Cleansing there was mana everywhere, if the tales are true that's it... What about Materia? Some of the mana should have already crystallized by now and become materia! And just you know, having a Magitek engine means that The Celeste is fueled by mana and it can carry just as much... it is expected that you refill the tank every now and then.
Alright, that's enough to get started, I know that there are a lot of holes and you may have one or two questions and that's okay, I can answer them or make up something but I think we've covered the bases.
Character Creation
5 Players, maybe 6 but let's stick to 5 for now, the recruitment will be open until February 20.
20 Point Build
All Core and most Base Races are available, beastman tribes upon request but I'm not a big fan and these may not fit the setting.
Half-Breed is a case by case, Hume/Elvaan is okay but things like Moogle/Ronse needs more scrutiny.
Banned Races Shindroid, Immortal and Monstrous Races.
All classes are playable but...
Blue mage is kinda touchy, I'm not too hyped about having to hunt specific monster to get new spells while everyone else can buy scrolls, if you're interested in playing a blue mage we can talk about it, maybe gaining a extra spell per level or being capable of learn from scrolls or other blue mages.
Necromancer as usual will get some glares, necromancy while not inherently evil as in Golarion is very frowned upon, no one likes undead but since the Celeste crew is supposed to be the best that Borealis has to offer a necromancer may find it's way into the crew, perhaps... they're expected to raise dead crew members to get the most of them? that would be really amoral but may be a necessary evil to save Borealis.
Freelancer requires some work and can easily get out of hand so I rather not but if you have a really neat concept that don't fit any other class or archetype or is a mix of two incompatible ones... we can talk about it.
Also Take a look at each class Archetypes, some are amazing and quite unique :D
Starting level is 3 and average wealth but mundane weapons and armor that cost less than 100 Giles are free, issued from the ship armory.
You can't buy materia, no crafting.
No gestalt, sub class or VMC.
Multi class is fine.
You get 2 Background skills ranks per level.
You get 2 Traits and a Drawback.
As for backstory it doesn't need to be overly long or complicated but make it interesting and state why your character will be in the Celeste, only the best ones were selected and even if just a hired mercenary that will be used as shock troopers against the Scourge...
You'll also need a motivation, Surface is known to be deadly you gotta have a really good reason to carry on this mission.
Above all else I want colorful and interesting characters.
No evil Characters, this is Final Fantasy, you aren't adventures, you're heroes.
House Rules
Power attack isn't a feat but an option that every character can use if they have a positive strength modifier (minimum of 12)
Weapon Finesse is likewise an option rather than a feat, you need a positive dexterity modifier to do so.
Furthermore if a class feature grants you Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat you instead get weapon focus or if you already have it a bonus combat feat.
That's all for now, will add a few more tidbits later about my GMing style and expectations, in summary: PbP one post per day, here on the paizo forums, much role-playing, skill based challenges and a hopeful interesting plot.
Link to the main FFD20 Page is Here
