jensun said:
Well, I finished reading the last section of this story hour yesterday so I just had to start the thing from the beginning to find out where the whole business started.
I have to give you props for some very good writing. I was particualrly impressed that you turned what could easily have been a rather long and dull journey into the Little Kingdoms into an interesting series of adventures. Also, lots of different plot arcs and twists and small personal side quests and issues really add to the mix. It has been a very enjoyable read and I am still not finished (about to start part 2 of the second section).
Thanks a lot for reading the ending and going back and tackling it from the beginning, and I am glad you enjoyed it.
jensun said:
Having said that a couple of things have niggled me throughout.
1. Use of the egyptian pantheon? Was there any particular reason you chose to go with them. The setting doesnt seem to have much of an egyptian cultural theme to it and personally I found the use of the names a bit jarring and tended to break the mood somewhat.
I chose the Egyptian pantheon way back in '89 when I was 17 and first started detailing Aquerra. I think after years of people almost exclusively using Greek & Norse gods I just wanted something different - but I also knew that (at that time anyway) people were not excited about totally made-up pantheons - so I took the general form of Egyptian gods with their familiar names (and unfamiliar stories) and just used them as needed - using some Egyptian stuff for flavor, but not really caring if I got it "right".
Later, when I was detailing the pre-history of the setting (what they call 'The Time Before') I described something akin to a fantastical Nile delta/Egypt.
By now, we are all so used to it, no one blinks.
jensun said:
2. Is there any particular reason you decided to hit arcane casters so hard with the nerf bat and yet leave clerics mostly alone?
I don't know that I left clerics "mostly alone" if anything - they are the most changed class in my set of house rules.
However, all the priest classes have strong ethos that must be followed, essentially limiting how they can use their powers if they want to keep them.
Wizards have no such thing.
jensun said:
3. You have mentioned a few times that Aquerra is low magic and yet it still seems to have lots of arcane casters around. I can definately see it as low magic item, but certainly not low magic.
I think it is only "low" in comparison to the power creep common to the standard D&D magic guidelines. I have always prefered the term "moderate" magic - but no one knows what the means when I used it.