Return of the Unthread! Nightfall returns to the Scarred Lands! Ask the Sage!

[Nightfall]

So I decided. I should probably help EN. World by posting about my favorite setting. No, not Dark Sun or Ravenloft.

Scarred Lands.

yes folks ole NF (and I'm getting older it feels) has been thinking and thinking AND thinking about the Scarred Lands since...well since at least last week.

That being said, I'm here mostly to see if a) people want to see the return of this thread

and b) suggestions, comments, critiques for what I plan on doing to make my own brand of SL fun.

 

[Nightfall]

Well I managed to wait 12 hours folks. Should I just start with what I'm thinking about?

First let's look at what is about the Scarred Lands that makes it different from various other fantasy realms. I think the major aspect is the fact that we have true schism of power between those that serve the gods and those that serve or act for the Titans. Admittedly there is a third section, those that follow 'spirits' or Ushada. But we'll cover that later. What is important to note is the fact that because of this, wizardry and sorcery are two actually different disciplines, not merely just "arcane spellcasters." To me that signals a sign that we need to take the whole school approach to wizardry just as seriously as we would a sorcerer of say, Mesos or even just a dragon blooded sorcerer. Next is the fact that druids and clerics aren't the same. A cleric of Tanil isn't the same as a druid of Hrinnruk or Gormoth.

With those aspects in mind I also think we need to delve a little deeper into the various races, especially as it relates to dwarves (mountain versus charduni) and elves (forsaken versus wood elf). I think looking deeply into those aspects is something I really want to ensure the players and GMs understand when they play Scarred Lands.

Finally I think some revision might be necessary but it also depends on this basic question: What system? For me I'd like to stick with Pathfinder...but that doesn't mean I wouldn't give 5th edition D&D a shot. Hell I might even consider FATE or Cypher System system.

But honestly I want to hear what YOU folks have to say. Do you care? Are you indifferent? Will you hang me for wanting to make Nemorga a more balanced and therefore strong God of Death (in the sense of being a guardian of the Dead, not just killing in general.) Will like the fact I want to have the Forsaken elves STILL be forsaken, but now aligned with the Gnolls of the Ganjus to make a new empire, one that might even make a cross breed of gnoll and elf?

So go ahead folks! I'm all ears.

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

I feel seeing it go a different direction from Pathfinder/d20 fantasy would be really interesting.

Fate would be interesting, but perhaps doing what Green Ronin has done with Freeport and instead of going with just one system... Write up a world book and then open it up for others to write systems for it and/or write up your own SL system books for the world book.

I think it would be awesome to see a *World Engine book for SL. (*World Engine being Dungeon World, Apocalypse World, Monster of the Week games).

 

[Nightfall]

I feel seeing it go a different direction from Pathfinder/d20 fantasy would be really interesting.

Well it's a possibility. I'd still like to have paladins of Corean, but they wouldn't necessarily be like default D&D paladins. Maybe more like aura casting paladins. If we do go that way, alignment MIGHT have to be tossed aside. I'd miss it but only in the sense I like going back to older ways.

Fate would be interesting, but perhaps doing what Green Ronin has done with Freeport and instead of going with just one system... Write up a world book and then open it up for others to write systems for it and/or write up your own SL system books for the world book.

Uhm not sure I'm THAT ambitious just yet, Stacie. I'm just tossing out ideas I've had as a fan of the setting and one time contributor to the setting.

I think it would be awesome to see a *World Engine book for SL. (*World Engine being Dungeon World, Apocalypse World, Monster of the Week games).

So what something more like OSR or maybe Lamentations of the Flame Princess?

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

I personally am not a fan of any OSR game and the *World Engine games are their own unique beasts of awesome sauce.

I've always been a fan of Scarred Lands and I think any fan of it would just love to see it come back to print someday regardless of system.

 

[Nightfall]

I personally am not a fan of any OSR game and the *World Engine games are their own unique beasts of awesome sauce.

Well I'm not sure what about World Engine you want but okay! OSR was just something that popped into my head when I thought about the whole "retro gamer" thing.

I've always been a fan of Scarred Lands and I think any fan of it would just love to see it come back to print someday regardless of system.

Well I can't promise I'll be the one to put it back into print. That said I am going to post a little tidbit of what I've come to expect when people want Scarred Lands: Wood Elf as a race! A very detailed look at Wood Elf.

 

[Nightfall]

I should also clarify that last statement: Wood Elf entry as a setting NEUTRAL race. IE I'll detail ecology of the elf, it's habits, religious beliefs, physical description, and probably some social mores common to the race.

 

[megamania]

I always liked the imagination that went into the results of the war of the Titans and gods and how it has forever altered the world. That and I like their creature books- Creature Collections.

 

[Nightfall]

Well the results can always return! Especially since I think some of the setting needs a little more...coalescing to get it to feel less disjointed.

With that I present you the opening preamble by yours truly!

To the Heads of Ghelspad, Asherak, and Termena,

With the advent of the Second Great Era, we are all looking towards what changes have been wrought by the Second Titanswar. But it of course a misnomer to consider this merely a divine versus titan issue. It was and still is very much a mortal issue. An issue for us, we band of humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnolls and terali to find our way in light of much change. The second demise of Mesos, this time culminating with his imprisonment by Yugman and his tower, provides more stability. Indeed thanks to his sacrifice of sanity and soul, along with the return of Hedrad's daughter, Immatuk as the goddess of wizardry, much of the arcane heat generated by Mesos first demise has been diminished. Still there are some that claim that this is a temporary solution. While I cannot say for certain, I believe it will be many centuries before this occurs. Perhaps by then, mankind and the divine races will have reached a power equal to Titans, if only to preclude their return.

So it is now, that I turn to writing this history, brief and recent to many, but still important to our futures. For without the past to guide us, the dead that gave their lives have little to enjoy. It is, however, not for enjoyment I write this treatise. No, it to showcase the actual truths that had been hidden from us for so long. Because only by truth, no matter the color, we can truly be able to prepare our way towards the future.

- written by Bl'ayne Nightfall - Sage of Shelzar, Page of Nemorga, God of the Dead and Balancer of All.