Serpenteye
First Post
Paxus Asclepius said:
Coolness
.Anabstercorian said:
A place like that would be a good base for your organization...
Claim granted.
(IR) Announcing a New Strategic Roleplaying Campaign of Epic Proportions!
- Thread starter Serpenteye
- Start date
- Status
Coolness
.A place like that would be a good base for your organization...
Claim granted.
Creamsteak
Explorer
Can magic affect tech (what I'm looking for, is could I create a 10th or 11th level spell that functions as a large scale "anti-technology" field)?
Second, would there be any benefits to attaining both 10th level magic AND psionics?
Second, would there be any benefits to attaining both 10th level magic AND psionics?
Paxus Asclepius
First Post
Creamsteak said:
That seems devastatingly imbalanced to me; if high-level magic not only directly counters other high-level magic, and increases combat effectiveness, but can directly counter technological improvements as well, there will be absolutely no reason to develop technology.
Thomas Hobbes
First Post
Figure that if an anti-tech or tech-dampening field can be created, its benefits are included in the combat bonuses from high-level magic.
RE: The Theocracy of the pale:
Hmm... it is an intersting question what a theocracy would do in the sudden absence of the actual diety in question. Widespread confusion and despair, which is the perfect environment for a benevolent and charistmatic religious orginization to appeal to the mass of those disenfranchised under the previous regime. I was, in any case, going to pull the diplomatic equivalent of a blitzkrieg in attempting to persuade them to act a paticular way, so I wouldn't object to getting all or part of that soon-to-be-pwned-country.
Some rules questions:
Mostly I'm wondering about cooperation. What benefits can be gained in any given field (tech, industrialization, magic, war) through cooperating with your allies? Militarily, obviously, you just throw your forces in with theirs and smash things.
In terms of industrailization, it seems like their should be some way to spend your PPs or PLs (not sure which is right), perhaps at a reduced efficiency, to invest it in someone else's industrial capacity.
In terms of Tech, it's not a straight "sharing tech secrets" thing 'cause everyone has the blueprints. But cooperation still seems like it would help- even if you have the precise instructions on how to, say, install a DVD player, having someone who is tech-savvy help you with it means it gets done faster.
In terms of magic, you have to figure out what having 10th level spells researched means. Is it transferable knowledge?
More later, must run,.
RE: The Theocracy of the pale:
Hmm... it is an intersting question what a theocracy would do in the sudden absence of the actual diety in question. Widespread confusion and despair, which is the perfect environment for a benevolent and charistmatic religious orginization to appeal to the mass of those disenfranchised under the previous regime. I was, in any case, going to pull the diplomatic equivalent of a blitzkrieg in attempting to persuade them to act a paticular way, so I wouldn't object to getting all or part of that soon-to-be-pwned-country.
Some rules questions:
Mostly I'm wondering about cooperation. What benefits can be gained in any given field (tech, industrialization, magic, war) through cooperating with your allies? Militarily, obviously, you just throw your forces in with theirs and smash things.
In terms of industrailization, it seems like their should be some way to spend your PPs or PLs (not sure which is right), perhaps at a reduced efficiency, to invest it in someone else's industrial capacity.
In terms of Tech, it's not a straight "sharing tech secrets" thing 'cause everyone has the blueprints. But cooperation still seems like it would help- even if you have the precise instructions on how to, say, install a DVD player, having someone who is tech-savvy help you with it means it gets done faster.
In terms of magic, you have to figure out what having 10th level spells researched means. Is it transferable knowledge?
More later, must run,.
Serpenteye
First Post
Creamsteak said:
As a "catastropy type" offensive spell, yes you can. Generally, though, it's probably easier to simply blow up the technology in question. It would be a spell with a limited duration, not exceeding a few days even in the smallest possible area of effect, and the side-effects may be surprising.
(sidebar:
How would one define "technology" in the terms of the laws of nature (Magic is a part of those laws.)? Are not living beings biological machines? What would be the effects of a spell directed specifically against technology, something that we define more from a societal and economical perspective than a physical one?
Granted, magic defies conventional reason. But it's still regulated by certain laws)
Paxus Asclepius said:
The effects of such a spell would be limited both in duration and area, similar in scope to the usual "blow them up"- spells. Some particularly sturdy pieces of technology may even be resistant.
The spell would be viable, but not overpowered.
Thomas Hobbes said:
That's part of it, yes. That would reflect the standard, individual use of 10th level spells, but not the faction-wide ritual spells.
Thomas Hobbes said:
Knowledge of High Magic or High-Tech is not transferable faction to faction. Allowing that would open a huge can of worms and could very well ruin the game for a lot of the players. It would force you all to gang together into huge power-blocks and rob you of much of your ability to make individual decisions. Perhaps that's ok with some of you, but others are going to resent the necessity of it and it's going to cause stagnation in the game as people see that their individual actions do not matter. That's my worst-case scenario, but it's bad enough.
In game terms I could explain it like this. You all know plenty of High-Tech, but to use it you have to construct the proper infrastructure to construct all the components. That's what the technological arms-race is all about, and that's what costs your people their time and effort. Of course, you could spend your own Power Points to upgrade somebody elses infrastructure of industrial capacity, but that would cost you just as much as if you had spent it on yourself. Helping each others is all fine and well, but it's no shortcut to power.
Magic is expensive. Researching magic requires a huge sacrifice from the most powerful, strong-willed and individualistic people in your faction. These people are willing (more or less) to make that sacrifice for their own faction, but they won't stand to see their work put freely into the hands of their potential enemies. They won't trust even the most lawful or goodly ally enough to put the fruit of their very souls into their hands. They are stubborn like that, so no sharing of researched magic between factions.
Actually actively sacrificing themselves by putting points into another factions magical arms race is simply an unthinkable act for them.
You are free to concieve of a more convincing rationale, but my ruling stands as a firm solid No.
))I realise that any realistic world-simulation would allow you to trade weapons, wealth and magic between each others. But if I'm going to allow that I might as well throw the arms-races out the window because everybody would be able to get their hands on technology and magic (trough trade or infiltration or conquest) and nobody would want to spend their hard-earned resources to develop it.
A game based on a more realistic model would be very interesting. I would personally want to play it, but I cannot put such a game together.
Guilt Puppy
First Post
Thanks for the nice comments, all... Been working on it more, and while it ain't bug-free, I think the next edition is ready to show off ... http://www.rowf.net/ir/maptest/map-view.php will be the map that players ought to be looking at (map-edit is useful for serp, on the other hand.)
I noticed Edena made a comment about "jigsaw puzzle" infiltration... Not sure if it's in direct reference to the map or not, but it reminds me of something I've been meaning to bring up: I hope this map will be a useful tool, but in no way do I want or intend for it to influence actual game mechanics. Meaning I assume and hope that serp is keeping his own track of territories owned and conquered, in a manner which can be more or less detailed as the case warrants... So just because, to stick with the example, the 12 drow cities aren't separated by black lines and filled in with color, shouldn't mean that they aren't unique places, or that they can only be infiltrated/conquered all-at-once. The map should be useful for visualization and for reference, but by no means is it intended to be a game board or other definitive description of the state of the game.
Just wanted to put that out there. I've just had this terrible nagging feeling that I'd end up going down in history as the guy who reduced the 5th IR to a clunky game of Risk.
Updated to-do list:
- Some "broken" territories still need fixing. I've gone so far as to identify different levels of broken-ness, which only complicates the matter.
- Update the faction names & colors once a the list is complete (big applause for those who are currently working on assembling that info)
- Get a better list of territory names -- if anyone spots something incorrect, or has better names for certain territories, let me know!
- Have a non-dynamically-served (but still always-up-to-date) world map available for viewing, to eat less cycles and hopefully avoid angering my webhost.
- Password-protect map-edit for serp
- Fix zooming bugs
- Add driving directions and a dining guide
I think this to-do list is actually longer than the last one... Hate how that happens.
Anyway, I'll give a background/bio of the Scarlet Brotherhood and the Elder Brothers later... for now, I need to head back to my own game and try to catch up on that
... http://www.rowf.net/ir/maptest/map-view.php will be the map that players ought to be looking at (map-edit is useful for serp, on the other hand.)I noticed Edena made a comment about "jigsaw puzzle" infiltration... Not sure if it's in direct reference to the map or not, but it reminds me of something I've been meaning to bring up: I hope this map will be a useful tool, but in no way do I want or intend for it to influence actual game mechanics. Meaning I assume and hope that serp is keeping his own track of territories owned and conquered, in a manner which can be more or less detailed as the case warrants... So just because, to stick with the example, the 12 drow cities aren't separated by black lines and filled in with color, shouldn't mean that they aren't unique places, or that they can only be infiltrated/conquered all-at-once. The map should be useful for visualization and for reference, but by no means is it intended to be a game board or other definitive description of the state of the game.
Just wanted to put that out there. I've just had this terrible nagging feeling that I'd end up going down in history as the guy who reduced the 5th IR to a clunky game of Risk.
Updated to-do list:
- Some "broken" territories still need fixing. I've gone so far as to identify different levels of broken-ness, which only complicates the matter.
- Update the faction names & colors once a the list is complete (big applause for those who are currently working on assembling that info)
- Get a better list of territory names -- if anyone spots something incorrect, or has better names for certain territories, let me know!
- Have a non-dynamically-served (but still always-up-to-date) world map available for viewing, to eat less cycles and hopefully avoid angering my webhost.
- Password-protect map-edit for serp
- Fix zooming bugs
- Add driving directions and a dining guide
I think this to-do list is actually longer than the last one... Hate how that happens.
Anyway, I'll give a background/bio of the Scarlet Brotherhood and the Elder Brothers later... for now, I need to head back to my own game and try to catch up on that
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
To Everyone In The 5th Ir: Please Read
Edena_of_Neith here. Greetings to all my old friends and to the new people too. Glad to meet you!
Almost 3 years ago, I ran the 3rd IR. It went from early January to late March of 2001.
We carried the 3rd IR to a point in the storyline where I felt I could stop.
But, I want everyone to know just what it meant, to run the 3rd IR, with it's 25 players and rules complexity - and this, the 5th, IR has a large number of players and some rules complexity, so there is a rough analogy, and what applied there may well apply here too.
I had to work 8 to 12 hours a day, every day, for 3 months straight - working day and night - to conduct the 3rd IR. That's hardly a boast: many people were greatly dissatisfied with the pace of the IR (it was too slow.)
I collapsed under the pressure and workload on Turn 5, then recovered, and the IR recovered ... miraculously. I guess it really recovered because most of my players really wanted it to, wanted the fun to continue, and refused to let my mistakes kill it.
The single biggest thing that caused pressure on me was a deluge of e-mails. A literal deluge.
I had 25 people simultaneously:
- Sending in plans for the tech arms race, magical arms race, troop build-up and movement, alliances, special plans for special inventions, special plans for how those inventions would be used, and so on.
- A lot of questions concerning the rules. This includes people asking me to resolve a rule where I had already e-mailed them with the resolution, and in a few cases people accusing me of ignoring their question when I had already e-mailed them with a resolution (I did miss a lot of questions, though, and this angered players justifiably.)
- A lot of grand plans. By grand, I mean plans on the order of creating new races, colonizing other worlds, taking over another power by wildly nefarious means, and some rather incredible magical and technological inventions that were all too plausible in the environment (for example, someone figured out how, using low level spells and basic materials, to blow up the planet! If that sounds like a joke, think again: I had to arbitrate that.)
The deluge of e-mails, coming day and night, was in addition to everything happening on-screen. A double whammy.
By freak circumstances, I had the time to spend, back then. I had the 8 to 12 hours a day, every day. And I was obsessed: obsessed with making the IR work, keeping it going, and making it great (I may not have succeeded in making it great, but I tried.)
Now ...
Serpenteye is brighter than I am.
Serpenteye has a stronger work ethic than I do (he can accomplish far more, per hour of work, than I can.)
Serpenteye has access to better computer programs than I do.
And Serpenteye has the help of Guilt Puppy, in making the map (a CRUCIAL development, without which I don't know how we'd do this at all. Without Maudlin, the 3rd IR wouldn't have worked at all, much less been as good as it was for many people.)
But ...
Serpenteye has limits: physical, psychological, timewise, and otherwise.
If those limits are overthrown, we will have a burned out Gamemaster.
A burned out Gamemaster means the 5th IR is over.
Finis the fun. Finis the IR.
We don't want that to happen.
I will go out on a limb here, and say the following:
We must coddle Serpenteye along. That's not meant to be condescending in any way, but is the literal truth. We must help him, must be patient with him, must NOT attack him or accuse him of ignoring us, and otherwise give him every bit of slack possible.
Even if we do that, Serpenteye will still face overwhelming pressure.
We MUST NOT deluge Serpenteye with e-mails!!! We must limit e-mails as much as we can: trust me when I say that he will still have a LOT of e-mails to deal with, even if we exercise great restraint!
Anyone who can help with maps (THANK YOU, GUILT PUPPY) needs to work with Serpenteye and help him as a surrogate.
We players must not be lazy. We must proactively read the rules, understand the rules (and accept the consequences on ourselves if we do not understand, rather than blame Serpenteye), and act on them.
Those players who have not claimed factions, should claim them, and aggressively develop them.
Players should try to be self-reliant as much as possible. Don't lean on the Gamemaster any more than is possible. We must do it ourselves.
If that sounds unreasonable, imagine being a gamemaster where everyone wants every single little question about their power answered in triplicate, then has more questions from the answers, and is constantly hitting the gamemaster with e-mails and online comments, and ... we have a burned out gamemaster.
We players are the bearers of the IR. That has ALWAYS BEEN TRUE of the IRs. We, not the gamemaster, carry the game. The gamemaster simply arbitrates, going along with our insanity!
If we rely on the gamemaster to make all the calls, to play the game for us, he will be whelmed. Remember that Serpenteye has his hands full with rules and unclaimed powers as it is: he has no time to play our game for us too!
We must do this in the spirit of fun. The SECRET of a successful IR (take it from the IR's creator, folks) is that it is slightly tongue-in-cheek. It is not dead serious, and neither is it totally frivolous, but somewhere in between.
In a scenario where you have a faction seriously trying to take over the world in a strategic game, yet the possibility exists of someone blowing up the world with some crazy invention (or, in the case of the 1st IR, turning all the evil races good, turning the sky green, letting pure Chaos hit Realmspace, and other things of this sort), there has to be a kind of ... compromise ... between seriousness and frivolity.
If you go all serious, you will take the frivolous elements of the IR as ridiculous, and we lose players, and that disheartens everyone. Not to mention, Serpenteye will be accused of being a ridiculous gamemaster (I know, for it happened to me, folks.) This will not make Serpenteye feel very good, will it?
And if Serpenteye is not feeling good, and is not having fun himself, you have a burned out gamemaster, and why not? Why should he run the game when people are attacking him, or not having fun themselves, or quitting en mass?
If you go completely frivolous, this won't work either. Serpenteye (and I, in the 3rd IR) developed rules, and the rules were meant to be used. A guideline by which to hang all the impossible inventions, dreams, and plots upon.
Learn the rules, respect the rules, and use the rules to win! That is what Serpenteye did himself in the 3rd IR as a player, and he was winning because of it!
And when Serpenteye sees that players are working hard to win, using his rules, he will take that as a sign people are truly interesting in his game, truly respect his game, like his game, and want to stay the course. That will mean more fun for him, and more inspiration for him.
Did you know that when the players are having fun, it generates fun for the gamemaster?
And when the gamemaster is having fun, he is generally a better gamemaster, and runs a better (read: funner) game?
And that this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle, and feeds on itself?
I am presuming that all of you know this. And the cycle can feed on itself until the players are all but maniacal in their efforts to play and win! (I should know. I watched the 1st IR explode like a rocket. It was astounding. I had never expected a casual question to turn into a major game!)
Try to have fun, try to help others have fun, try to help Serpenteye have fun, and that will be reciprocated! If it looks too frivolous (or absurd, or over the top) let it go: it's only an IR. If it looks too serious, let it go and loosen up: the strain on you will kill your power as surely as the enemy will!
Now, I may have offended people with this post, but that was not my intent.
I may have told you a LOT of things you ALREADY know. I appreciate that: I am just trying to relate what I learned from the 3 IRs I ran.
I am informed that the 4th IR, the Rokugan IR, died due to burn-out.
We don't want that to happen to us!
And it won't happen if we are having fun, and we are trying to have fun and help others have fun, and cutting slack for others, and maintainng the compromise between the frivolous and the serious.
That does not mean that everyone is going to be happy with the 5th IR.
Some players will simply find the situation unfun and/or intolerable. And they will quit.
This is inevitable.
But, if we work at this, most of us will stay the course, and we will make this an IR for the record books.
And THAT will be remembered, and cherished in our memories, and the legacy of the IR will be one of fun, friendship, and perhaps a desire to start a 6th IR!
I CARE about this 5th IR. I cared enough to post this. If we care about the IR, and we work hard to make it work, and we compromise between seriousness and frivolity, and we fight to aid Serpenteye against burn-out ... this could be an IR that goes down in legend.
Yours in True Sincerity and in Humbleness
Edena_of_Neith
Edena_of_Neith here. Greetings to all my old friends and to the new people too. Glad to meet you!
Almost 3 years ago, I ran the 3rd IR. It went from early January to late March of 2001.
We carried the 3rd IR to a point in the storyline where I felt I could stop.
But, I want everyone to know just what it meant, to run the 3rd IR, with it's 25 players and rules complexity - and this, the 5th, IR has a large number of players and some rules complexity, so there is a rough analogy, and what applied there may well apply here too.
I had to work 8 to 12 hours a day, every day, for 3 months straight - working day and night - to conduct the 3rd IR. That's hardly a boast: many people were greatly dissatisfied with the pace of the IR (it was too slow.)
I collapsed under the pressure and workload on Turn 5, then recovered, and the IR recovered ... miraculously. I guess it really recovered because most of my players really wanted it to, wanted the fun to continue, and refused to let my mistakes kill it.
The single biggest thing that caused pressure on me was a deluge of e-mails. A literal deluge.
I had 25 people simultaneously:
- Sending in plans for the tech arms race, magical arms race, troop build-up and movement, alliances, special plans for special inventions, special plans for how those inventions would be used, and so on.
- A lot of questions concerning the rules. This includes people asking me to resolve a rule where I had already e-mailed them with the resolution, and in a few cases people accusing me of ignoring their question when I had already e-mailed them with a resolution (I did miss a lot of questions, though, and this angered players justifiably.)
- A lot of grand plans. By grand, I mean plans on the order of creating new races, colonizing other worlds, taking over another power by wildly nefarious means, and some rather incredible magical and technological inventions that were all too plausible in the environment (for example, someone figured out how, using low level spells and basic materials, to blow up the planet! If that sounds like a joke, think again: I had to arbitrate that.)
The deluge of e-mails, coming day and night, was in addition to everything happening on-screen. A double whammy.
By freak circumstances, I had the time to spend, back then. I had the 8 to 12 hours a day, every day. And I was obsessed: obsessed with making the IR work, keeping it going, and making it great (I may not have succeeded in making it great, but I tried.)
Now ...
Serpenteye is brighter than I am.
Serpenteye has a stronger work ethic than I do (he can accomplish far more, per hour of work, than I can.)
Serpenteye has access to better computer programs than I do.
And Serpenteye has the help of Guilt Puppy, in making the map (a CRUCIAL development, without which I don't know how we'd do this at all. Without Maudlin, the 3rd IR wouldn't have worked at all, much less been as good as it was for many people.)
But ...
Serpenteye has limits: physical, psychological, timewise, and otherwise.
If those limits are overthrown, we will have a burned out Gamemaster.
A burned out Gamemaster means the 5th IR is over.
Finis the fun. Finis the IR.
We don't want that to happen.
I will go out on a limb here, and say the following:
We must coddle Serpenteye along. That's not meant to be condescending in any way, but is the literal truth. We must help him, must be patient with him, must NOT attack him or accuse him of ignoring us, and otherwise give him every bit of slack possible.
Even if we do that, Serpenteye will still face overwhelming pressure.
We MUST NOT deluge Serpenteye with e-mails!!! We must limit e-mails as much as we can: trust me when I say that he will still have a LOT of e-mails to deal with, even if we exercise great restraint!
Anyone who can help with maps (THANK YOU, GUILT PUPPY) needs to work with Serpenteye and help him as a surrogate.
We players must not be lazy. We must proactively read the rules, understand the rules (and accept the consequences on ourselves if we do not understand, rather than blame Serpenteye), and act on them.
Those players who have not claimed factions, should claim them, and aggressively develop them.
Players should try to be self-reliant as much as possible. Don't lean on the Gamemaster any more than is possible. We must do it ourselves.
If that sounds unreasonable, imagine being a gamemaster where everyone wants every single little question about their power answered in triplicate, then has more questions from the answers, and is constantly hitting the gamemaster with e-mails and online comments, and ... we have a burned out gamemaster.
We players are the bearers of the IR. That has ALWAYS BEEN TRUE of the IRs. We, not the gamemaster, carry the game. The gamemaster simply arbitrates, going along with our insanity!
If we rely on the gamemaster to make all the calls, to play the game for us, he will be whelmed. Remember that Serpenteye has his hands full with rules and unclaimed powers as it is: he has no time to play our game for us too!
We must do this in the spirit of fun. The SECRET of a successful IR (take it from the IR's creator, folks) is that it is slightly tongue-in-cheek. It is not dead serious, and neither is it totally frivolous, but somewhere in between.
In a scenario where you have a faction seriously trying to take over the world in a strategic game, yet the possibility exists of someone blowing up the world with some crazy invention (or, in the case of the 1st IR, turning all the evil races good, turning the sky green, letting pure Chaos hit Realmspace, and other things of this sort), there has to be a kind of ... compromise ... between seriousness and frivolity.
If you go all serious, you will take the frivolous elements of the IR as ridiculous, and we lose players, and that disheartens everyone. Not to mention, Serpenteye will be accused of being a ridiculous gamemaster (I know, for it happened to me, folks.) This will not make Serpenteye feel very good, will it?
And if Serpenteye is not feeling good, and is not having fun himself, you have a burned out gamemaster, and why not? Why should he run the game when people are attacking him, or not having fun themselves, or quitting en mass?
If you go completely frivolous, this won't work either. Serpenteye (and I, in the 3rd IR) developed rules, and the rules were meant to be used. A guideline by which to hang all the impossible inventions, dreams, and plots upon.
Learn the rules, respect the rules, and use the rules to win! That is what Serpenteye did himself in the 3rd IR as a player, and he was winning because of it!
And when Serpenteye sees that players are working hard to win, using his rules, he will take that as a sign people are truly interesting in his game, truly respect his game, like his game, and want to stay the course. That will mean more fun for him, and more inspiration for him.
Did you know that when the players are having fun, it generates fun for the gamemaster?
And when the gamemaster is having fun, he is generally a better gamemaster, and runs a better (read: funner) game?
And that this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle, and feeds on itself?
I am presuming that all of you know this. And the cycle can feed on itself until the players are all but maniacal in their efforts to play and win! (I should know. I watched the 1st IR explode like a rocket. It was astounding. I had never expected a casual question to turn into a major game!)
Try to have fun, try to help others have fun, try to help Serpenteye have fun, and that will be reciprocated! If it looks too frivolous (or absurd, or over the top) let it go: it's only an IR. If it looks too serious, let it go and loosen up: the strain on you will kill your power as surely as the enemy will!
Now, I may have offended people with this post, but that was not my intent.
I may have told you a LOT of things you ALREADY know. I appreciate that: I am just trying to relate what I learned from the 3 IRs I ran.
I am informed that the 4th IR, the Rokugan IR, died due to burn-out.
We don't want that to happen to us!
And it won't happen if we are having fun, and we are trying to have fun and help others have fun, and cutting slack for others, and maintainng the compromise between the frivolous and the serious.
That does not mean that everyone is going to be happy with the 5th IR.
Some players will simply find the situation unfun and/or intolerable. And they will quit.
This is inevitable.
But, if we work at this, most of us will stay the course, and we will make this an IR for the record books.
And THAT will be remembered, and cherished in our memories, and the legacy of the IR will be one of fun, friendship, and perhaps a desire to start a 6th IR!
I CARE about this 5th IR. I cared enough to post this. If we care about the IR, and we work hard to make it work, and we compromise between seriousness and frivolity, and we fight to aid Serpenteye against burn-out ... this could be an IR that goes down in legend.
Yours in True Sincerity and in Humbleness
Edena_of_Neith
Last edited:
James Heard
Explorer
I picked out three jigsaw pieces off map precisely because I saw the whole invade a single part and die situation already. Another note related though: The Marchwards I talked about are the rulers of the "Kingdoms of the Marches" shown on the map here http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif that I was using as my basis for pickin' and choosin'.
The Mare Mysticum Alliance
For ages the elven nations of the Mare Mysticum lived in relative isolation from the human and other demihuman powers that ruled to the east and west across the sea. Their only true contest of powers were with the giants of Fireland and the primitive monsters of Gigantea, but that changed with the coming of mankind to the south. With the establishment of the Eryptian refugees that came to call themselves the Empire of Lynn the elves found themselves in conflict, war had come for the first time to groves since the dark ones were cast down into the depths of Oerth.
Still, the Lynndites were primitive compared to the elves and more vulnerable to manipulation by ancient minds of the elven elders. The humans were seeded with heresies and embroiled into civil wars, sympathetic and promising humans were seduced by fair elven maidens for the good of the People. Once the dust settled the Empire of Lynn was cut into three portions, the Empire, the heretical tribes of the Enllave, and the half-elven protectorate kingdom of the Marches. Today, Lynn still covets or claims areas of the Mare Mysticum such as the Marches and Elven Forest. The Mare itself is unclaimed by either side for the most part, being a place difficult to travel to thanks to difficult seas and of questionable value due to its enormous swampy prominence (roughly the size of the Suel Empire at its height).
Physically the Elven Forest itself is the least forgiving of all geography around the Mare. Some of the treants of the Forest remember when the elves and their dark brothers the drow were one people, and when humanity was a mere myth used to frighten gullible elven children. Portions of the faerie court hold residence here deep in the recesses, and the ghosts of fey elven heroes lurk in the shadows to waylay the unannounced into the forest. The Elven Forest is what defines the Mare Mysticum region for what it is, a magical place. Even though few brave elves actually make residence in the forest, its presence is the entire reason for being for the elves to be in the area. Time itself seems to pass more slowly and sometimes less clearly within its borders, and elven and sylvan priestesses and seers come from all across the world to consult with the forest itself's strange intelligence. It is said that before the breaking with the outer planes that Corellon Larethian would while away hours in conversation with the rocks and trees of the Elven Forest. Some say that the legendary patience of the elves was learned in this place, and that in the center of the forest the most ancient of all elven holy sites - a temple dedicated to Sehanine who led the ancient elven people to Oerth - sits untouched by the sands of time.
The Kingdoms of the Marches spread to cover the lands between Gigantea, Lynn, the lost dwarven lands of the Landspire mountains that provide a buffer between the Marches and the lands of the Khanates and Celestial Imperium, and most of the land between the Elven homelands and the Elven Forest. Once the Marches were much smaller, and the Elven homelands much greater, but as time has passed the elves have retreated more and more as their number dwindled and the Marchward's subjects multiplied. The Marchwards are a hardy, industrious folk of mostly half-elven descent. Pledged eternally to their ancient task of guardianship, the Marchwards divide their lands according to celestial accordances garnered from the seerage of the elves. Few humans are allowed to immigrate to the Marches unless they pass a series of tests of magic and skill maintained to establish their loyalty to the elves, but those same tests guarantee that the rulers of the Marches are mighty and committed to their task indeed. Much of the land of the Marches is wide, fertile valleys left over from glaciation. Few occupy the lands, but ancient elven fortresses dot much of the countryside and are occupied by their now half-elven defenders and their fey allies. The overall governship of the Marches is covered by the Council of Y'Cind, whose traditional members include the Prince of Elvenkind, the high priest of Y'Cind, and an ambassador from the Faerie Court of the Elven Forest.
The Elven nation itself is empty. No, not entirely - but the cities of the elves lie mostly unoccupied and the storm wracked seas off the coast sometimes wash through the ages old magics that once protected the shores from the worst of the blizzards that wash over Gigantea. One of the first thing most notice about the place is that most of the residents are old, visibly old as few elves outside the Elven nation are ever seen. A few reckless and ill-tempered young elves pledged as honor guard stay here, and the occasional pilgrim seeking knowledge that might only be found in the capital Coronel's hallowed libraries come for moments. Elves in the ancient homelands live longer than they might live someplace further from the Elven forest and the magic invoked over the years in the Mysticum. The only ambassadors to the Elven nation is a single solitary building in Coronel hosting the delegation from the Celestial Imperium. There has never been an embassy for the Empire of Lynn, all such conversations having been between intermediaries such as the Marchward kings. Even though the Elven nations and the Mysticum alliance covers a huge amount of acreage it is quite thinly populated, being the home of mostly elves, their fey allies, ancient treants and awakened animals, ghosts, and their half-elven knight-protectors.
Also, for the record I found some reference to an article by Skip Williams in Dragon about some of this - I didn't actually get a cite for the article, just some vague murmurings that perhaps the Celestial Imperium might be a Roman sort of nation according to Skip. That's what I've been acting on, since the Sage is probably a better source for starting on things Oerthian sans Flan than me at least. If anyone has a cite on the actual article that would be great, I'd like to see what there is to see (and there's a good chance that I have the Dragon...somewhere I guess). If anyone's got the Dragon cd text to blurb at everyone far away from LGG-land that might even be better, because while I have no doubt my version is awfully cool I'd at least like to give a looksee at what the pretense of canon might garner me.
The Mare Mysticum Alliance
For ages the elven nations of the Mare Mysticum lived in relative isolation from the human and other demihuman powers that ruled to the east and west across the sea. Their only true contest of powers were with the giants of Fireland and the primitive monsters of Gigantea, but that changed with the coming of mankind to the south. With the establishment of the Eryptian refugees that came to call themselves the Empire of Lynn the elves found themselves in conflict, war had come for the first time to groves since the dark ones were cast down into the depths of Oerth.
Still, the Lynndites were primitive compared to the elves and more vulnerable to manipulation by ancient minds of the elven elders. The humans were seeded with heresies and embroiled into civil wars, sympathetic and promising humans were seduced by fair elven maidens for the good of the People. Once the dust settled the Empire of Lynn was cut into three portions, the Empire, the heretical tribes of the Enllave, and the half-elven protectorate kingdom of the Marches. Today, Lynn still covets or claims areas of the Mare Mysticum such as the Marches and Elven Forest. The Mare itself is unclaimed by either side for the most part, being a place difficult to travel to thanks to difficult seas and of questionable value due to its enormous swampy prominence (roughly the size of the Suel Empire at its height).
Physically the Elven Forest itself is the least forgiving of all geography around the Mare. Some of the treants of the Forest remember when the elves and their dark brothers the drow were one people, and when humanity was a mere myth used to frighten gullible elven children. Portions of the faerie court hold residence here deep in the recesses, and the ghosts of fey elven heroes lurk in the shadows to waylay the unannounced into the forest. The Elven Forest is what defines the Mare Mysticum region for what it is, a magical place. Even though few brave elves actually make residence in the forest, its presence is the entire reason for being for the elves to be in the area. Time itself seems to pass more slowly and sometimes less clearly within its borders, and elven and sylvan priestesses and seers come from all across the world to consult with the forest itself's strange intelligence. It is said that before the breaking with the outer planes that Corellon Larethian would while away hours in conversation with the rocks and trees of the Elven Forest. Some say that the legendary patience of the elves was learned in this place, and that in the center of the forest the most ancient of all elven holy sites - a temple dedicated to Sehanine who led the ancient elven people to Oerth - sits untouched by the sands of time.
The Kingdoms of the Marches spread to cover the lands between Gigantea, Lynn, the lost dwarven lands of the Landspire mountains that provide a buffer between the Marches and the lands of the Khanates and Celestial Imperium, and most of the land between the Elven homelands and the Elven Forest. Once the Marches were much smaller, and the Elven homelands much greater, but as time has passed the elves have retreated more and more as their number dwindled and the Marchward's subjects multiplied. The Marchwards are a hardy, industrious folk of mostly half-elven descent. Pledged eternally to their ancient task of guardianship, the Marchwards divide their lands according to celestial accordances garnered from the seerage of the elves. Few humans are allowed to immigrate to the Marches unless they pass a series of tests of magic and skill maintained to establish their loyalty to the elves, but those same tests guarantee that the rulers of the Marches are mighty and committed to their task indeed. Much of the land of the Marches is wide, fertile valleys left over from glaciation. Few occupy the lands, but ancient elven fortresses dot much of the countryside and are occupied by their now half-elven defenders and their fey allies. The overall governship of the Marches is covered by the Council of Y'Cind, whose traditional members include the Prince of Elvenkind, the high priest of Y'Cind, and an ambassador from the Faerie Court of the Elven Forest.
The Elven nation itself is empty. No, not entirely - but the cities of the elves lie mostly unoccupied and the storm wracked seas off the coast sometimes wash through the ages old magics that once protected the shores from the worst of the blizzards that wash over Gigantea. One of the first thing most notice about the place is that most of the residents are old, visibly old as few elves outside the Elven nation are ever seen. A few reckless and ill-tempered young elves pledged as honor guard stay here, and the occasional pilgrim seeking knowledge that might only be found in the capital Coronel's hallowed libraries come for moments. Elves in the ancient homelands live longer than they might live someplace further from the Elven forest and the magic invoked over the years in the Mysticum. The only ambassadors to the Elven nation is a single solitary building in Coronel hosting the delegation from the Celestial Imperium. There has never been an embassy for the Empire of Lynn, all such conversations having been between intermediaries such as the Marchward kings. Even though the Elven nations and the Mysticum alliance covers a huge amount of acreage it is quite thinly populated, being the home of mostly elves, their fey allies, ancient treants and awakened animals, ghosts, and their half-elven knight-protectors.
Also, for the record I found some reference to an article by Skip Williams in Dragon about some of this - I didn't actually get a cite for the article, just some vague murmurings that perhaps the Celestial Imperium might be a Roman sort of nation according to Skip. That's what I've been acting on, since the Sage is probably a better source for starting on things Oerthian sans Flan than me at least. If anyone has a cite on the actual article that would be great, I'd like to see what there is to see (and there's a good chance that I have the Dragon...somewhere I guess). If anyone's got the Dragon cd text to blurb at everyone far away from LGG-land that might even be better, because while I have no doubt my version is awfully cool I'd at least like to give a looksee at what the pretense of canon might garner me.
Creamsteak
Explorer
Serpenteye said:
For the purposes of the IR I would define technology as anything derived from technology or plans brought to Oerth by the Demons. That seems both finite, clear, and pretty accurate for the IR.
Second, you didn't answer my earlier second question: Would there be any benefit to researching BOTH magic AND psionics?
The Forsaken One
Explorer
So, up to date again having read all of it I'll post a description of my faction in the next few days. I'm kinda ill (like when haven't I been for the last 5 years but now just a tad worse then normal) and my study is killing me and I still have a D&D game to run tomorrow so it might take a few days to get it all together and with decent descriptions and stuff.
So please bare with me here hehe. Looks good btw, everything and all that Just one thing I'd like to contribute as advice to Serp:
Keep the players on a short leash on several levels. People will attempt the weirdest, boldest and most severely power increasing plans and plots from the start. Don't give in to that, giving too much power too fast will destroy the game like what happened in the Rokugan IR.
Keep the power increase kinda low, no super plans and stuff happening and allowing in the first couple of rounds. Alot of people will enjoy playing with the map as it is. Like as in the RISK game and all that. Most people will enjoy battleing it out with normal armys over borders, without having to think about nukes, airstrikes and magical catastrophes. Not even mensioning Spelljamming and teleporting armys that appear all over the world in an instant (or the 6 seconds it takes to cast the teleport spell in question) that destroy your most intrecate defense plans for your borders and the pleasure you get from natural borders and obstacles like mountains and stuff.
Let the first few turns be simple, not too complicated with everyones plans comming to fruition too soon. This is what destroyed the Rokugan IR and what caused the reset for the 3rd IR in the first place (yes if you remember, the 3rd IR was reset after the 3rd turn orso when I abused the system and had like 8 people summoning my devils which resulted in my amount of PL exploding and ruining everything for everyone, my bad.).
Everyone will enjoy the classic battlefields and that kinda stuff, the weird magic and tech stuff will come later. People will grow into it over the course of a couple of turns.
Hope I said something usefull to increase game enjoyment for everyone
I'll post a description of my faction in the next few days. I'm kinda ill (like when haven't I been for the last 5 years but now just a tad worse then normal) and my study is killing me and I still have a D&D game to run tomorrow so it might take a few days to get it all together and with decent descriptions and stuff.So please bare with me here hehe. Looks good btw, everything and all that
Just one thing I'd like to contribute as advice to Serp:Keep the players on a short leash on several levels. People will attempt the weirdest, boldest and most severely power increasing plans and plots from the start. Don't give in to that, giving too much power too fast will destroy the game like what happened in the Rokugan IR.
Keep the power increase kinda low, no super plans and stuff happening and allowing in the first couple of rounds. Alot of people will enjoy playing with the map as it is. Like as in the RISK game and all that. Most people will enjoy battleing it out with normal armys over borders, without having to think about nukes, airstrikes and magical catastrophes. Not even mensioning Spelljamming and teleporting armys that appear all over the world in an instant (or the 6 seconds it takes to cast the teleport spell in question) that destroy your most intrecate defense plans for your borders and the pleasure you get from natural borders and obstacles like mountains and stuff.
Let the first few turns be simple, not too complicated with everyones plans comming to fruition too soon. This is what destroyed the Rokugan IR and what caused the reset for the 3rd IR in the first place (yes if you remember, the 3rd IR was reset after the 3rd turn orso when I abused the system and had like 8 people summoning my devils which resulted in my amount of PL exploding and ruining everything for everyone, my bad.).
Everyone will enjoy the classic battlefields and that kinda stuff, the weird magic and tech stuff will come later. People will grow into it over the course of a couple of turns.
Hope I said something usefull to increase game enjoyment for everyone
- Status
Similar Threads
