So I’ve not yet received the book (fingers crossed tomorrow) but I’m already working on two settings.
if any of you who do have it would like to offer some guidance on areas I’m going to have to do work on I’d appreciate it
Renshall
So I’m currently writing a new campaign in a setting I can only describe as
‘a pre-apocalyptic industrial revolution magitek setting’
The primary (starting) location is the port city of Renshall a bustling city of industry in the country of Crowthorn in the midst of social, political, Magiteknological and environmental change.
Conflict points
· Class (Old Blood vs Wealthy vs Poor) – The rise of the untitled wealthy industrialist has diminished the power of nobility and demonstrated for the first time to the masses that not just birth determines your fate.
· Religious (Industrial driven atheism vs Old Faith vs Lightbringer Cult vs Dark Gods) – The rise of an industrial class and the concept of man defying the natural laws of God has greatly diminished the churches influence in (TBC) but the darkening world has led to the rise of the Lightbringer Cult. The Dark God’s are a story driven mystery and their origins and purpose will be revealed later.
· Race (Human vs Dweller vs Iron Cast vs Ogrun vs Undead) – Humanity sits at the top of the race pyramid in an uneasy relationship with the once more numerous dwellers and the savage and exotic Ogrun. Both the dweller and Ogrun race can and do intermingle with humanity in (TBC) with only moderate social stigma/difficulty. The Iron cast are an immortal race of fey that for reasons they will not (cannot) reveal have subjected themselves to the Iron Curse, binding them to the mortal realm and form. The Undead are an ancient problem that is seeing a resurgence as the wheel of life wobbles on its axis.
· Industry vs Nature – The event known as the darkening has led to the world becoming darker and colder which has led to further magiteknological advancements to counter this, requiring a greater push for material and resource further damaging a wounded ecosystem.
· Progress vs Survival vs Environmental Apocalypse vs Supernatural Doomsday – The magiteknological advancements made have ensured the survival and even prospering of the races but un-tempered by the understanding environmental impact it has. Powered as they are by Magick the devices use far greater levels of that energy in far greater quantities than a spellcaster, additionally the material that forms the essential core for the bridge between machine and power is part of an ancient spell that banished the dark gods and its removal from key sites has weakened the gates of their prison.
Notes
1. Magick is life and life is magick and is finite. The material used to power the magitek devices draws its energy from the planetary lifeforce .
2. Lightbringer Cult. This is a doomsday, messianic cult that believes a saviour will rise to restore the sun and warm the world. The different sects have varying and sometimes radical or destructive beliefs.
3. Old Faith. Not as popular in (TBC) the churches opposition to advances in Magitek led to both nobles and the bourgoius pushing its influence to the boundaries.
4. Dweller – This mole like race have dwelled in the caverns and underground caves that criss cross the lands for time immemorial. (Picture gnomes from Chronicles of Shannara) Claws/Goggles.
5. Iron Cast – Possibly the most alien of the races. Slightly taller on average than man but lean to the point of being skeletal, they have no irises with their eyes being swirling single colours or black when enraged. Their most unusual feature is the iron spike that runs from the centre of their forehead to just through the back of their skull (Hudrefolk).
6. Ogrun – Large heavily muscled humanoids who in their natural environment are savage and cannibalistic. The ‘civilised’ Ogrun were introduced to the kingdoms of man by the magisters of the old empire. These Ogrun are slow, gentle and steady but few are comfortable around them as there are enough tales of these massive beings going ‘native’ to chill the blood of the common folk
7. Undeath – This unholy plague resulted in the fall of the old empire and the start of the darkening age. The sudden rise of the horde nearly overwhelmed the civilised lands ultimately only being defeated by the great magus Alexandrus and the High Priest Caephus. It was a pyrrhic victory as too few were left to maintain the empire. (Shard of Sol)
8. Magiteknology – The world stands at a steam age level of tech but powered by magic and in some places more advanced. Large scale auto production has yet to replace a manual workforce and computers / internet etc do not exist.
9. The Darkening – In the defeat of the forces of undeath the sun’s rays ‘lessened’ so that the world is a colder, duller place. Crops still grow and life goes on but the struggle to thrive only succeeded with the development of Magiteknology.
10. Environmental Damage – Despite being essential to civilisation and to some degree humanities survival the impact of the materials and industry of magitek cannot be ignored. Filth ridden poverty, ill health and wild life are all factors.
11. Dark Gods – Centuries before the old empire when men still dwelled in huts the dark gods walked the land, these ancient deities were primal and demanded great sacrifice to withhold their wrath. Only with the rise of the Old faith and the gift of magic were they defeated. Their physical forms dispersed and their essence trapped in the void between.
12. Magisters (Magic users) - The ancient Magus were phenomenal users of will, able to effect great changes with an ease modern magisters can only envy. Todays willworkers are still men and women of great power and have been instrumental in the development of magitek.
13. Material most fabulous – This wonderful material is the prime component in nearly all forms of Magitek. It is also the physical remains of the Dark Gods.
Renshall
Renshall is the most important city in Crowthorne outside its capital (some would dispute), this air and maritime port is the central hub of all trade in and out of Crowthorne sitting on a natural confluence of air and water tides as well as a central location to the rest of the continent.
Renshall
Crowthorne
Inspirations
In Gaming
Eberron
Blades In The Dark
Secrets of Zi’Ran
Thrugh The Breach
Castle Falkenstein
Masque of the Red Death (Ravenloft)
In cinematography
Mel Gibson's Braveheart, for its landscapes, its roughness and its romanticism;
Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow
Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining
Dark City