Selan- A SE Asian campaign (Critical rebuilding)

[Aikuchi]

I know sometimes having visuals about you own world (races, or classes), can inspire - keep going as well.
I was thinking of perhaps picking up some of my pencils again after a long break from illustration. Perhaps some pertinent details could help me help you get some rough skectches ?

 

[Sound of Azure]

You're an illustrator? Well, I'd be pleased if you would do something. I really should get out my own pencils and start sketching again (a long hiatus there, myself). Thank you very much...

I'm actually wondering what kind of costume I should use in the first place... esp. for Shamans, and our Spirit binders too (would they even have a costume?).

I don't really know where to start, yet...

That is often a problem.... stopping half way through (I think that's what happened to my Korean game). I cn't see that happeneing this time, though.... with a lot more planning at the start, it seems better.

I just hope one of my players doesn't mourn the loss of wizards too much! Or Elves for that matter....

 

[Aikuchi]

Your players will find a decent substitute - i'm sure (hehe) or just make one of the existing classes something "like' or similar to that

 

[Sound of Azure]

Yeah, I can see that happening, actually. Short, squat man with beard...not a dwarf, honest!


I got thinking about the idea of the "Pusaka"/Relic idea. This could be one of the few ways for magic items to exist. It would certainly make them far more special, and not necessarily just loot.

The 6 Worlds.... cool. The research I conducted (very limited, I'm afraid) only touched upon these ideas. I especially like the description of the undead. This is a very useful idea, and also helps differentiate between the "god/spirit" types. I had begun to worry about having a way to explain it that fit the setting. I'll have to exchange some terminology, perhaps.

Now the matter of the two outsider cultures (or even whether to include them!). The Deng Hua are deists... that is, they believe that the divine is in everything (I hope that's right! ). I'm not sure if there would be conflict here. Their religion/philosophy is completely different to that of the main culture.

Meanwhile, the Astur seem to be Monotheistic... with an overdeity and his servants. I'm seeing that they actually believe in the same thing (the Garuda), but have interpreted the legend very differently. But who is the overdeity (its name is Astur... the people are literally the people of Astur)?
I had the thought to naming them after the Deva, and haven't entirely abandoned that idea. Sounds closer to that of the Selanese culture as well. Clashing over the definition and nature of the Garuda would reate a lot of conflict... and lead to this culture being more of an enemy than they are now...

Thinking too much? maybe

 

[xenoflare]

hiya!

Glad to be of help! i think this is a great project... but then again i'm biased.

Aikuchi - ya i change my talismans every year when the Lunar New Year swings by... i need to replace my +1 sacred bonus to saving throws every so often lol!

Sound of Azure - about the West, historically, Southeast Asia has some contact with Rome. Weird huh. Well, the mystery cults of Hecate and the other gods kinda required lotsa incense and spices for the rites, so lots of silver flowed out to Southeast Asian places like the indonesian islands etc in exchange for the rare woods and animal products in those jungles. In the dig sites around Singapore, we come across Roman coins quite a lot, as well as Chinese coins.

Also, keep in mind that since refrigeration hasn't been invented, and it's a low-magic world... your Westerners in the campaign may want spices for the same reason the West wanted spices - to keep food flavoured and edible. Meat didn't keep well, and salted meat isn't all that nice after a while - the spices from SEA made it possible to cook and disguise the poor quality of meat in those days. A luxury item for the rich, that was very lucrative.. You can now write in the Dune Spice Wars into your game

Visuals would be good! You want any references to books and stuff that may interest you? Which part of Australia are you at? i'm thinking of heading over to Oz to do my PhD next time in the far flung future, ANU in Canberra is supposed to have an excellent Asian Studies dept.
Come on Aikuchi, do some illustratin'!

 

[xenoflare]

Yeah, I can see that happening, actually. Short, squat man with beard...not a dwarf, honest!


I got thinking about the idea of the "Pusaka"/Relic idea. This could be one of the few ways for magic items to exist. It would certainly make them far more special, and not necessarily just loot.

The 6 Worlds.... cool. The research I conducted (very limited, I'm afraid) only touched upon these ideas. I especially like the description of the undead. This is a very useful idea, and also helps differentiate between the "god/spirit" types. I had begun to worry about having a way to explain it that fit the setting. I'll have to exchange some terminology, perhaps.

Now the matter of the two outsider cultures (or even whether to include them!). The Deng Hua are deists... that is, they believe that the divine is in everything (I hope that's right! ). I'm not sure if there would be conflict here. Their religion/philosophy is completely different to that of the main culture.

Meanwhile, the Astur seem to be Monotheistic... with an overdeity and his servants. I'm seeing that they actually believe in the same thing (the Garuda), but have interpreted the legend very differently. But who is the overdeity (its name is Astur... the people are literally the people of Astur)?
I had the thought to naming them after the Deva, and haven't entirely abandoned that idea. Sounds closer to that of the Selanese culture as well. Clashing over the definition and nature of the Garuda would reate a lot of conflict... and lead to this culture being more of an enemy than they are now...

Thinking too much? maybe

Some thoughts about Astur-Monotheism - you can actually tie that in with Reincarnation. Just a thought - if all beings are of the same divinity - of the One God, so as to speak - then everyone is a subset of that divinity. People die, live, are reborn, with their lives serving as "refining processes" of their souls that on the cosmic level reflect Astur refining his essence.

Maybe you can tie that in with divine heritage - some deva blood, aasimar or half-celestial maybe? People looking at the divine-blooded among themselves as products of ethical living and spiritual advancement...

Obviously, the best way to save the world in this view would be to go out and spread the religion, by procreating with people. As the divine blood spreads, more potential aasimars are born... and thus Astur is served? You can have a tolerant monotheism - it's like how Christian missionaries go to Cambodian and Thai hill tribes and claim that the animistic gods the tribesmen worship are actually part of God?

So the religion is monotheistic and expansive, but culturally tolerant to a degree - it's also innovative and capable of change as it expands, but it also has internal strife as you have purists who deride the new changes as being heresy? It's kinda like Islam, with its splits between the Shi'ites, Sunnis, Sufis etc.

Over time - as more devas are brought under this cultural umbrella, Astur will truly manifest, of sorts?

Maybe you can use that for the Deng Hua instead, hehe, that may work better?

 

[xenoflare]

I got thinking about the idea of the "Pusaka"/Relic idea. This could be one of the few ways for magic items to exist. It would certainly make them far more special, and not necessarily just loot.

You could have items demanding to be made. Like, you know.. they exist as spirits that whisper to people in omens and dreams, demanding to be shaped into weapons of power for virtuous men and women.

These items are not just sentient - they are consciously working to get themselves into existence, and they may actually be spirits or gods in their own right?

Typical powers of Kris in Malay legend include:

stabbing the blade into the foot-steps or shadow of an opponent, thus causing him injury to his very essence.

being able to summon hordes of insects and plagues, that can be directed by pointing the blade at an opponent.

being able to put out or conjure fires.

being able to fly infinite distances to strike opponents from across the ocean.

 

[xenoflare]

Hey Aikuchi, you're from Malaysia? Which part ah, abang? I'm guessing Penang.

 

[Aikuchi]

PJ (selangor )

(muahahaha -teehee-)

Questing_gm is from malaysia too, east coast!

 

[xenoflare]

Petaling Jaya ah? I went to visit my friend there last yr, he brought me to this really cool place with wild boar curry haha!

Good, there're some Singaporean players on this forum too, we should go JB for curry fish head lah. On bohz?

LOL look at how i'm talking.

On an off-note, have you ever tried playing DnD in non-English? We tried it with Chinese and it was hilarious. Malay was also quite funny. "Naga di sini! Saya memburuh dia! Saya ialah Ranger, bonus untuk favored enemy plus empat!"