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THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD. Things end. The rot away. The balance falls apart. At the center of the world of Orphos is a city built atop the skull of a long forgotten, dead god. Once a capital of ancient empires, it now sits as the central metropolis for a republic of magi.
It is a time of great change and upheaval. The vampire clans of Crux continue their schemes beneath its streets. The University of Crux digs further and further beneath the city for lost knowledge. Intrigue, crime and secrecy rule the streets. Everyone is looking for somebody to do their dirty work in Crux, to find things and to get things done. In interesting times, Adventurers have no shortage of business to find.
I've managed to cobble enough bits of a setting together to start the process of thinking out some mechanics. But in the meanwhile, I figured I share my absurd amount of fluff and flavor. I decided to focus on thinking out the basic pillars of flavor and themes in Crux before I attempted to think out how to adapt Pathfinder to it.
Most of the following links to my personal blog, but it should help anyone interested in reading more on Crux. I'm always eager to hear suggestions/improvements. I'm currently looking for anyone willing to read and give me their two cents on the project. That and I'm spreading word about it as I go.
This is my main theme document. I've been writing material expanding out from it.
WHAT IS CRUX?
Its a city set in the center of the setting. The world of Orphos is entering a period not unlike the Napoleonic era. A revolution has taken over most of one continent, only to be ruled by a Empress standing on revolutionary reforms and values; a new nation built on new radical ideas was founded only fifty years prior after a war for its independence; an ancient empire dominates world trade through slave labor, arrogantly thinking it still is a power worth fearing; and a world-spanning monarchy is struggling with reforms of its own, while still pursuing colonies its own people don't want.
Guns are prevalent, and religions are largely unaligned, supporting members of all alignments while espousing their own central values. Crux sits at a place central to world trade, that once was a capital of empires and has a university sitting atop the skull of a long forgotten god.
Right now I'm preparing to do some retooling of races for some balance concerns, as well as detailing more of Crux itself. Adventuring sites, plot hooks and the like, all of which I'd more than happy to hear suggestions for. If I like something I plan to use, I'll try and link back to whatever or whoever posted it. They should get the credit if turns out to be good idea.
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Interesting. I like the non standard elements, non aligned religion, higher tech, and the fantasy 1800 A.D. setting. I have some questions as much as comments.
1) Industrial revolution - did it happen yet? Textile factories came first historically, but DMs/Magic can cause tech to come in a different order or be combined with magic on semi widespread scale.
2) will your races be customized for world? Do elves get the same core bonuses or are elves proficient with dueling pistols in the new revolutionary republic, for instance?
3) I notice you have a British empire type country focused on trade. Have you decided where natural resources of value (i n cluding popular places for slaves? If you have designed their territory already on your map, try to justify their territory with local wealth or exploitation of trade routes.
4) As much as I hate the dude with a passion, fantasy Andrew Jackson (as in the US president) would be an interesting character to interact with.
5) any large countries/empires of non - core or non playable races, such as a large section of The Slave Coast where it is controlled by a Customs Union of Neogi slavers (extraplanar spider slavers)?
6) Underwater civilizations - do they exist and how do they interact with the surface? A lot of thing s available top side would be valuable underwater and vice versa.
All in all, I Dig your ideas.
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Thanks! Let me try and address these points as I go.
1) The Industrial Revolution is in progress in places. Ith, the magocracy, is currently the most industrialized, although doing so through applications of magic and not quite tech yet. Ith has created a race of Androids through magical techniques, creating a worker/slave caste that has helped it start the progression through industrialization.
2) I'm customizing races. I dislike using Tolkien races when I create new settings, as all setting have their own X Orc or Y Elf. Instead, I've focused on other races to add flavor and to try to make it different. Most guns will be simple weapons, meaning that most races will be proficient with them.
3) I haven't decided quite yet. I've split up aspects of Britain between two different nations. Maliph, (also sort of inspired by the Ottomans) gets slaves mostly from a continent I call Soram, but I haven't done much more thinking on it. I suspect that they probably have been raiding for slaves from a variety of places until more recent years.
That's a question I think I'll have to create something more definitive for. Thanks! Its great to have something like that pointed out!
4) Yes, he'd be interested. My version of Napoleon is a chick who didn't go into exile. The idea of a female version of Andrew Jackson, from the magocracy of Ith... welp, that'd be cool I think.
5) The Tengu control the asian part of the setting (the Jade Lands). Maliph and Ith both grant citizenship and some government power in various monstrous races. The current Shah of Maliph is Karim Venomfire, a dragon, for instance. Because I'm focusing on the City of Crux, I don't want to get too deep into each nation. However, nations in this part of the setting's history mirror the hegemonic model.
States tend to control and influence regions of diverse populations. Much like Europe, these regions they control aren't purely the same as their rulers. There are some nationalistic and ethnic murmurings, though, as some monstrous and other races feel like they should have the right to govern themselves without the tyranny of human rule.
6) I HAVE NOT TOUCH UNDERWATER AT ALL.
[Head Explodes with Realizations]
Uhh... I'll get back on that one. I'd imagine Maliph exerts some strong influence among various underwater species, possibly using them to obtain some valuables to corner markets and the like. Othebea could also have some religious pull down there as well, possibly have undersea converts to the massively popular Church of the Twins.
Um... that help any?
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I find myself creating stats for races in Crux now. So, I start with the feral Ursyklons, whose race once had conquered entire worlds. They've forgotten the druidic magicks that let them travel between stars. They are a variation on Halflings, except the Ursyklon regard the word Halfling as a racial slur. Theirs is a proud conqueror race. They expect respect, even when some plan pogroms and genocides against them.
I've decided to up the baseline power level of races to match Tieflings and Androids, so the Ursyklon are the first of the mechanical crunch I have to tinker with.
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Continuing in my series on altering races to fit my setting, I've tweaked Humans and Tengu to fit with my "stay away from Tolkien" paradigm. Both races have been bumped up to 16ish RP instead of their previous lower numbers.
I'm still posting for anyone who might be curious. Right now Napoleonic is the closest my dark gun fantasy has for a description; I'm open to suggestions and the like. :D
Thanks for stopping by even if this isn't your bag.