Campaign setting: Fallen Earth

[dashingswordsman]

Please, I encourage everyone to comment and leave criticism. I'm looking for feedback, positive or negative. Gimme what you got.


This is my first campaign setting, and here I will be recording my decisions for the makeup of my world, as I make them. Sort of a journal, I suppose. Let me know what you think.

The name of the campaign is "Fallen Earth." It is set in the world of Gaea, which uses a High Fantasy level of technology, created with a very scientific approach, and an emphasis on the Divine and the creation of Reality.

Genesis
The intelligent races are mostly ignorant of the actual Genesis. Legends speak of ancient Gods that created the universe, and many cultures have Creation tales, but most of this is taken for children's stories. While it is true that Gods do exist, most of these legends are inaccurate. The actual creation of Reality is described here.

-In the beginning, all Gods exist in nothingness. No space. The Gods are simply abstract forces constantly locked in conflict.

-Several Gods represent the Force of Good, which are "at war" with the Force of Evil.

-Several Gods represent the Force of Law, which are "at war" with the Force of Chaos.

-Some Gods represent slightly different ideals or Forces than others. There is one God for each alignment. There are no actual "patron" Gods of any race, except for those that are fictional "legends" of that particular race.

-The abstract ideals of "Good vs. Evil" and "Law vs. Chaos" become physical manifestations in the world. (once it is created)

-One particularly large conflict of Force creates the universe and reality. The very essence of the Gods becomes trapped in the fibers of Reality.

-In the newly created universe, there are millions of stars and planets, although the other planets are mostly unknown to all the races. The campaign is set on one world in particular, Gaea.

-Life is created by accident.

-Life is created in the form of microorganisms. Evolution takes place, and after millions of years, several intelligent species exist.

That's pretty much all I got, concerning the creation of the Universe and the planet of Gaea. My next post will be on the source of magic (divine, and arcane) and the intelligent races' relationship with the Gods.

 

[dashingswordsman]

Gods and Magic.

Gods and Divine Magic

The Gods do NOT interfere with the physical realm. For the most part, Gods don't even have free will. They are trapped in the prison of Reality. The only connection The Divine has with the intelligent races is the ability to channel their energies through individuals, in the form of manifestations of Force, otherwise known as divine magic.

Intelligent races do not worship the Gods. Instead, clerics worship abstract ideas, to which they have given names. These ideas, or "Forces," are sponsored by the God that represents them. For example, instead of worshiping a Neutral Good God, a NG cleric would worship the ideals that represent Neutral Good. In turn, the God that represents the Force of Pure Good (Neutral good being Good without regard to Law or Chaos) would grant divine powers to the worshiper.

Arcane Magic

Arcane magic is a perversion of the powers granted to clerics through Forces. Because the Forces of the Gods are ingrained into the very fabric of reality, it is possible to tap into these powers without worshiping a specific idea or Force. Instead, through careful study and manipulation of the fabric of the universe, an individual could tap into the energies of the Force and thus create Arcane magic, or Arcana. Because Arcana deals so closely with the threads of Reality itself, it is harmful to the Universe. Every spell cast unravels Reality just a tiny bit. Practically, this means nothing. Most spells affect Reality in such a minor way, that the strands keeping the universe together are able to repair themselves before any real damage is done. However, major manifestations of Arcana can be detrimental to Reality itself. Entire planets have been wiped from existence due to large enough manifestations of Arcana Force, and in the wake, nothingness remains, the lack of anything and everything, a crack in the prison created by the most devastating conflict of the Gods. (Can someone say, "epic story outline?")

 

[steeldragons]

Good start. I especially like the interesting (unique in my experience) take on divine magic and the whole idea that the Gods are "trapped" in reality.
Very cool. Very different.

Interested to see where else it goes...Who are the "intelligent races"? How prevalent are mages? How known is it that arcane magic, basically, tears the universe apart...i.e. are wizards (on the whole) willfully and knowingly damaging reality? Does the public know and hunt wizards down for it? Do the various divine casters understand this element so that clerics and wizards of all/any alignment are at odds?

The more dicey question, what "religions" exist? Humanity/society, almost universally, involves (if not requires) religion...a mythos and system of belief around which personal and community spiritual matters revolve...ritual, rites of passage, that sort of thing. Without actual "gods" to worship, but ideals/alignments available...how is/has religion been formed/built? What "images" have been created for these ideals that have no face...?

It's a very intriguing conept, and again, I look forward to hearing more about this "Fallen Earth."