RSKennan
Explorer
Hi everyone, this is my first post here, but I've been lurking for awhile.
This is probably going to be a long post, so bear with me. It's been hellish keeping quiet about this for so long and this moment is cathartic for me.
I was fortunate enough to have been selected to compete in round two. This has been a great experience for me, but as you can see, I didn't make it to round three. I had fun with it, though, and I congratulate the three finalists.
I have spent the days since I heard that I didn't make it researching the industry, because I still believe in my idea. I put alot of pressure on myself in round two, and of course I feel that I could have or should have done better in showing WOTC my vision, and the truth is, I choked. But all is not lost...
I feel that things happen for a reason most of the time, and I have gained some new faith in my ability to create. Peter Archer said he hoped I would do something with my idea, and that's exactly what I hope to do.
Because of the confidentiality agreement I signed, I don't believe I'm able to explicitly post my round two submission, since the categories might give away WOTC's "methods of working" as outlined here:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 2a, subsection (i):
information relating to WIZARDS' products, technology, devices, designs, concepts, methods, processes,...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you understand. I'll be glad to post exerpts from my proposal,though. Just ask.
So here it is, my first round submission. I call this setting Morning Star. Please, tell me what you think.
1.Core Ethos Sentence:
Morning Star is a world of epic fantasy, where heroes fight to preserve a golden age of magic.
2.Who are the heroes?
Heroes come from all walks of life in this culturally diverse world. Roles characteristic of Morning Star in particular include the druid-aristocrat (ovate prestige class), who serves as liaison between the civilization and the wilderness, the arcane artificer who creates and commands fantastic machines, or the psionic inquisitor, who solves crimes for her empire.
3.What do they do?
The greatest heroes struggle to prevent a cataclysm like the ones that have wracked so many worlds. This means that a Morning Star campaign has plenty of the tried and true D&D standards; there are plenty of dungeons to explore, treasures to claim, and monsters to slay, but with a “Golden Age” twist. The characters might fly an ornithopter through the Brindorian Gorge while being chased by a dragon, run reconnaissance for a planned underground war on the Illithid Empire, or get lost in Gimmun Gibuldigapp, the gnomish clockwork city. The Strangers (see below) add a darker twist, and with infernals and celestials taking an interest in the fate of Morning Star, the heat is turned up even more.
4.Threats, Conflicts, Villains:
The primary threat to the world called Thraxis comes in the fulfillment of a dark Prophesy called “The Canticle of The Morning Star”. Its verses number in the tens of thousands, and their interpretations are the subject of much debate. The Canticle can help to direct play, as the PCs delve deeper into the mystery, and try to thwart it. Nevertheless, There are five primary predictions that everyone agrees upon, as they are already underway:
Rebellion of the Sisters:Thraxis and her massive, terraqueous, moon Arril have long existed in a state of perfect balance. Now, Arril’s orbit is disturbed, causing great tides and earthquakes. Fierce elemental storms sometimes ravage the land as Thraxis attempts to fight the cancer that is springing up within her.
Celestial Strife: The elder gods war with newer, usurper gods, occupying much of the their time and resources. Strange cults rise and fall, and outsiders meddle in the lives of mortals.
The Strangers: Powerful and bizarre outsiders who were brought in by interested parties and work to undermine civilization. They have a strong “Tarot” flavor. Specific Strangers include:
The King in Mail: This figure’s face is never seen. He is described as perpetually wearing a golden suit of armor engraved with patterns and disks, with his helm’s visor resembling a fanged lower jaw. He is a feared psion.
The Flesh Smith: A worker of unholy miracles, and a creator of abominations. Keeper of an artifact called Mizarah’s Womb.
Rumors of War: The balance between major cultures is being strained by the growing chaos.
The Twilight: The time of the nonhuman empires is ending, as humans begin to take control of their destiny. Now too, are large-scale attacks being planned on the aberrant subterranean civilizations that are older than any in the surface world.
5. Nature of magic:
Magic is the result of the contrasting planar energies that play over the surface of the world. These energies are drawn to places where beings embodying them thrive. Magic is very abundant on Thraxis, and its overall level remains constant. What does change are the proportional relationships of these planar forces. Where and when the balance is shifted, specific types of magic are easier or harder to wield. The nature of magic on Thraxis is part of the reason the empires have been sustained, as prosperity breeds prosperity. Conversely, decline breeds decline on Thraxis.
6. What’s new? What’s different?
Now is the Golden Age: The great empires have not yet fallen. Humans have just come into their own, and dragons and mythical beasts abound. Wondrous and terrible magics, constructs, and creatures are being created everyday. Spellcasters push the limits of possibility further and further.
Two Worlds in One: The planet Thraxis has a large terraqueous moon called Arril. Arril is for now, intentionally kept mysterious, but imagine for a moment what it must be like to look into the morning sky and see a blue world with continents and clouds…
Primal Races: Elves are still (barely) fey, dwarves are even more grim, and can attain powers pertaining to earth and stone, and there are seven noble halfling houses, which work to ease relations between diverse cultures, each in their own way. While there are humanoid enemies of the civilized races, there still exist their nobler predecessors, the thull. Planetouched are a small but growing minority.
A New Beginning: Thraxis is a world still finding its destiny, where anything is possible. Over time the players will be able to see how the effects of their characters’ actions ripple outward.
7. Entrant: Ronald Scott Kennan
<edit: placed spaces to break up text better>
This is probably going to be a long post, so bear with me. It's been hellish keeping quiet about this for so long and this moment is cathartic for me.
I was fortunate enough to have been selected to compete in round two. This has been a great experience for me, but as you can see, I didn't make it to round three. I had fun with it, though, and I congratulate the three finalists.
I have spent the days since I heard that I didn't make it researching the industry, because I still believe in my idea. I put alot of pressure on myself in round two, and of course I feel that I could have or should have done better in showing WOTC my vision, and the truth is, I choked. But all is not lost...
I feel that things happen for a reason most of the time, and I have gained some new faith in my ability to create. Peter Archer said he hoped I would do something with my idea, and that's exactly what I hope to do.
Because of the confidentiality agreement I signed, I don't believe I'm able to explicitly post my round two submission, since the categories might give away WOTC's "methods of working" as outlined here:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 2a, subsection (i):
information relating to WIZARDS' products, technology, devices, designs, concepts, methods, processes,...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you understand. I'll be glad to post exerpts from my proposal,though. Just ask.
So here it is, my first round submission. I call this setting Morning Star. Please, tell me what you think.
1.Core Ethos Sentence:
Morning Star is a world of epic fantasy, where heroes fight to preserve a golden age of magic.
2.Who are the heroes?
Heroes come from all walks of life in this culturally diverse world. Roles characteristic of Morning Star in particular include the druid-aristocrat (ovate prestige class), who serves as liaison between the civilization and the wilderness, the arcane artificer who creates and commands fantastic machines, or the psionic inquisitor, who solves crimes for her empire.
3.What do they do?
The greatest heroes struggle to prevent a cataclysm like the ones that have wracked so many worlds. This means that a Morning Star campaign has plenty of the tried and true D&D standards; there are plenty of dungeons to explore, treasures to claim, and monsters to slay, but with a “Golden Age” twist. The characters might fly an ornithopter through the Brindorian Gorge while being chased by a dragon, run reconnaissance for a planned underground war on the Illithid Empire, or get lost in Gimmun Gibuldigapp, the gnomish clockwork city. The Strangers (see below) add a darker twist, and with infernals and celestials taking an interest in the fate of Morning Star, the heat is turned up even more.
4.Threats, Conflicts, Villains:
The primary threat to the world called Thraxis comes in the fulfillment of a dark Prophesy called “The Canticle of The Morning Star”. Its verses number in the tens of thousands, and their interpretations are the subject of much debate. The Canticle can help to direct play, as the PCs delve deeper into the mystery, and try to thwart it. Nevertheless, There are five primary predictions that everyone agrees upon, as they are already underway:
Rebellion of the Sisters:Thraxis and her massive, terraqueous, moon Arril have long existed in a state of perfect balance. Now, Arril’s orbit is disturbed, causing great tides and earthquakes. Fierce elemental storms sometimes ravage the land as Thraxis attempts to fight the cancer that is springing up within her.
Celestial Strife: The elder gods war with newer, usurper gods, occupying much of the their time and resources. Strange cults rise and fall, and outsiders meddle in the lives of mortals.
The Strangers: Powerful and bizarre outsiders who were brought in by interested parties and work to undermine civilization. They have a strong “Tarot” flavor. Specific Strangers include:
The King in Mail: This figure’s face is never seen. He is described as perpetually wearing a golden suit of armor engraved with patterns and disks, with his helm’s visor resembling a fanged lower jaw. He is a feared psion.
The Flesh Smith: A worker of unholy miracles, and a creator of abominations. Keeper of an artifact called Mizarah’s Womb.
Rumors of War: The balance between major cultures is being strained by the growing chaos.
The Twilight: The time of the nonhuman empires is ending, as humans begin to take control of their destiny. Now too, are large-scale attacks being planned on the aberrant subterranean civilizations that are older than any in the surface world.
5. Nature of magic:
Magic is the result of the contrasting planar energies that play over the surface of the world. These energies are drawn to places where beings embodying them thrive. Magic is very abundant on Thraxis, and its overall level remains constant. What does change are the proportional relationships of these planar forces. Where and when the balance is shifted, specific types of magic are easier or harder to wield. The nature of magic on Thraxis is part of the reason the empires have been sustained, as prosperity breeds prosperity. Conversely, decline breeds decline on Thraxis.
6. What’s new? What’s different?
Now is the Golden Age: The great empires have not yet fallen. Humans have just come into their own, and dragons and mythical beasts abound. Wondrous and terrible magics, constructs, and creatures are being created everyday. Spellcasters push the limits of possibility further and further.
Two Worlds in One: The planet Thraxis has a large terraqueous moon called Arril. Arril is for now, intentionally kept mysterious, but imagine for a moment what it must be like to look into the morning sky and see a blue world with continents and clouds…
Primal Races: Elves are still (barely) fey, dwarves are even more grim, and can attain powers pertaining to earth and stone, and there are seven noble halfling houses, which work to ease relations between diverse cultures, each in their own way. While there are humanoid enemies of the civilized races, there still exist their nobler predecessors, the thull. Planetouched are a small but growing minority.
A New Beginning: Thraxis is a world still finding its destiny, where anything is possible. Over time the players will be able to see how the effects of their characters’ actions ripple outward.
7. Entrant: Ronald Scott Kennan
<edit: placed spaces to break up text better>
Last edited:
Just joking, of course. 
