Creative Exercise: The Sovereign Dominion of Eyros

[Khorod]

More important than not adding deities to the setting is that by defining them, and writing down cosmic law you highlight it. Part of having a setting with no known deities is that you don't want to draw attention to any truths along those lines. You want to leave it as mysterious to the reader of the setting as it is to the people that live in it.

That said, the crazy ranting of some philosopher about time, space, and divinities contemplating their own navels would perhaps add something to the setting. It might even be a growing heretical group that uses specks of arcane magic and Jagged Eye induced miracles to prove its power.

Not to mention this kind of talk is bread and water to gamers, so creating an in-game opening for it would allow for an interesting role-play session.

As a sidenote, the convoluted mythology with the crazy consonant names is the thing I have the most trouble understanding at this point. My eyes glaze over all the letters. I think it might help immensely if we had a Storyteller NPC explanation of some of this, particularly as the educated people of Eyros might know it.

 

[Rystil Arden]

More important than not adding deities to the setting is that by defining them, and writing down cosmic law you highlight it. Part of having a setting with no known deities is that you don't want to draw attention to any truths along those lines. You want to leave it as mysterious to the reader of the setting as it is to the people that live in it.

That said, the crazy ranting of some philosopher about time, space, and divinities contemplating their own navels would perhaps add something to the setting. It might even be a growing heretical group that uses specks of arcane magic and Jagged Eye induced miracles to prove its power.

Not to mention this kind of talk is bread and water to gamers, so creating an in-game opening for it would allow for an interesting role-play session.

Thanks Khorod. This is basically what I was trying to say in a more concise form.

 

[Arkhandus]

Khorod, the Kelnar Mountains are the range in the west of Eyros, north of the Steppes that House Mulcibe controls. Maybe the Blue Mountains are further north, or eastward?

 

[Sarellion]

I change it a little bit and inserted following paragraph..

The celestial council and the elders of the other planes have a certain theory how the universe came to be. Nobody knows as the ones who are supposed to know have removed themselves from the company of their fellows. The elemental lords merged with the plane, the legendary ruler of Celestia dissappeared and Taufenacht doesn´t reveal secrets.

 

[Sarellion]

Not to mention this kind of talk is bread and water to gamers, so creating an in-game opening for it would allow for an interesting role-play session.

As a sidenote, the convoluted mythology with the crazy consonant names is the thing I have the most trouble understanding at this point. My eyes glaze over all the letters. I think it might help immensely if we had a Storyteller NPC explanation of some of this, particularly as the educated people of Eyros might know it.

We have not established what the people of Eyros know or think they know, especially about some rather important questions.

How did the world came into being?
Why are we here?
Where do we come from?
What happens to us in the afterlife?

 

[Rystil Arden]

We have not established what the people of Eyros know or think they know, especially about some rather important questions.

How did the world came into being?
Why are we here?
Where do we come from?
What happens to us in the afterlife?

The cool thing is, by not forcing one truth, there can be many opinions.

Here's a random possibility:

Q: What happens to us in the afterlife?
A: Crucible- The fire of death consumes us completely
A: Dawnists- Our positive energy becomes one with the Light
A: Druids- We are reincarnated as a new animal form, conserving our spirit
A: Draconic Legacy- Our spirit is housed in the great lizards, where all souls reside, waiting for the day they will be needed

 

[Mouseferatu]

The cool thing is, by not forcing one truth, there can be many opinions.

Here's a random possibility:

Q: What happens to us in the afterlife?
A: Crucible- The fire of death consumes us completely
A: Dawnists- Our positive energy becomes one with the Light
A: Druids- We are reincarnated as a new animal form, conserving our spirit
A: Draconic Legacy- Our spirit is housed in the great lizards, where all souls reside, waiting for the day they will be needed

Exactly. We've got four or five religions; why do we feel we need to have a single creation myth?

 

[Khorod]

Hmm. I didn't realize there was a big mountain range to the west. I only saw the map once for a couple minutes, so its kind of hard for me to place it.

The idea was that the mountains blocked a convenient direct trade-route, or route to a great natural resources or something. In other words, there is money and military tactics that demand passage through. So it can't be between civilization and the howling horde. Any suggestions?

 

[Khorod]

You're absolutely right. One creation myth is ridiculous. We need five.

Actually, one thing we don't have yet is dogma or ceremonial practices formalized for a lot of these faiths, just political role and organizational goals. I'll stick that on my contribution agenda.

BTW: I never said it Mouseferatu, but this is the most clever idea for a messageboard thread I've just about ever seen. I think its a powerful approach to world-building.

 

[Arkhandus]

Contribution:

Taufenacht is not the only great fiend of myth and legend in Eyros, for Cururultar the Bladed Tyrant is named in many scrolls as the lord of a dark army, frequently clashing with both the celestials and Taufenacht alike. Cururultar is not nearly so subtle as Taufenacht, but draws many fiends to his ranks and coaxes many mortals to acts of war, for combat and conquest are his passions, and it was Cururultar who spurred the elves to conquest millenia ago, and then the orcs and humans to further conquest over Eyros in latter years. Some in the Legions of Eyros secretly hold sacrifices to Cururultar hoping he will grant them victory in battle. The Bladed Tyrant appears as a large fiend with adamantine plates fused to his flesh, and all manner of swords and knives and axes sprouting from his flesh-armor.