Merged WotC setting search winners/losers thread

[Cryptomonas]

I sent in three submissions but none of them were selected. I think I'll go home now and mope for awhile--what a weekend! Everyone else's settings have such great ideas, I think I can guess why mine didn't make it. The one good thing is that this 'contest' introduced me to EN-World: the place to get RPG info faster and better than the WotC messageboards. Maybe I'll post the settings I sent in on Monday, or something...
*heaves an expansive sigh*

 

[jgbrowning]

Verdistum

Verdistum:

The world of Verdistum is a cancerous growth where evil reigns, but a vein of good persists. Verdistum began as a tumor off the deep ethereal plane connecting the Abyss to the Hells. Ages of the Blood War provided the semi-sentient plane with the ability of creation and the raw material for creating its own defenders through absorbing the essence of the fallen demons and devils. After eons its defenders, the infernals, liberated their world and evolved to their current neutral evil nature.

Trading in souls, the infernals unknowingly changed the properties of their world. The presence of life within the captured souls spurred a growth within Verdistum, creating a living representation of the traded soul, called a soulspawn. After millions of soulspawn an aberration occurred, good and neutrally aligned spawn.

The first soulspawn to discover Verdistum’s cyclical nature is its greatest hero. The Revelator, as she is known, discovered the cycle of the plane: through its absorption, manipulation and reintroduction of souls and essences that perish in its demesne, Verdistum corrupts the strongest of good. After this discovery she created secret ways of deceiving the plane by cleansing the landscape and soulspawn of their natural evil. But her greatest discovery is the art of conversion. Through conversion she changes the basic structure of the plane towards good. She dreams of eventually converting the entire plane to good.

Ruling much of Verdistum is a group known as the Hierarchs. The Hierarchs are the most evolved infernals on the world. Grabbing land and power, they continually work against each other and against the Revelator and her followers. After many lifetimes of trying, the Revelator succeeded in converting one of the Hierarchs to neutrality, giving the movement its greatest secret ally within the power structure. The Hierarchs employ agents to counter the Revelator’s work, tracking her down in life after life. She has been assassinated, at last count, 6 times.

Verdistum’s continual expansion has drawn outside attention to the isolated plane. It is speculated that Verdistum will engulf all other planes if it continues growing. Though the Hierarchs control all known portals of entry to Verdistum, some outsiders aid the Revelator’s crusade since, in the end, it is the only place where the battle between good and evil matters. But there are other factions of all alignments who prefer the destruction of Verdistum to eventual absorption.

As in all things in Verdistum, the source of magic comes from the plane itself. Arcane magic comes from the generative force of the plane, manipulating the explosive energy of the expanding Verdistum. Certain spells will work differently or be entirely useless since Verdistum is growing off the deep ethereal plane. There is no divine magic in Verdistum because the plane seals itself from the gods’ influence. After reincarnation, many soulspawn learn to channel Verdistum’s power. Channelers use their mind to manipulate the ephemeral touch of the plane to produce magical effects. This is a difficult discipline and success in channeling is not always a certainty. The price for such exertion is physically and mentally demanding, and some channelers have died through the overuse of their art. There are also those who draw power from the soil and stone, focusing their will through their puissant staffs to perform cleansing rituals on the land and the people. As their experience grows, so does that of their staffs. Still others follow the call of the Revelator, practicing her complex art of conversion.

Verdistum gives good and evil characters flexibility in role-playing. Alignments are less rigid, but actions carry more moral gravity. Cleansing rituals allow good and neutral characters to ruthlessly pursue the end of evil while maintaining their alignment; however, such rituals come at great cost. Evil characters have a reason to band together and minimize the traditional internecine conflict. Nothing is more terrifying than conversion.

Because many different souls were brought to Verdistum, experienced players have the ability to play monstrous races. Characters from traditionally evil races can be good, due to conversion or aberrant reincarnation. Verdistum is quick to claim the souls of those who die on it, making the game more lethal since most resurrection magic does not work, but players may chose to continue favorite characters life after life if they maintain their identity through Verdistum’s cycle.

Verdistum provides a unique environment for role-playing exploration. New ways of combating evil will clash with traditional solutions. It is not possible to kill a reincarnating evil by spell and sword alone. To succeed good must find a balance between their various factions: conversions increase the total good in the world but may not last, killing evil only temporarily removes a particular evil but provides space for good’s survival, cleansed soil and stone give solace for a weary soulspawn but require continual care. Diversity may be the key requirement for good’s survival and eventual triumph.


joe b.

 

[jgbrowning]

Verdistum

edit. deleted duplicate post. damn 'puter

joe b.

 

[Xyros]

- cutting and pasting -

Remnants of eldritch and alien empires battle over crystal-spired cities beneath skies bright with the glow of multiple moons. Boastful elder races pray to primordial gods so ancient they recall a time before the birth of the universe. Reptilian sorcerers explore the depths of their own decadent vanities while embonded human and dwarven servants cater to their every whim.

This is Siddir.

1. Core Ethos Sentence: Siddir - a world of weird heroic fantasy where adventurers face alien creatures and combat dying empires.

2. Who are the Heroes?: Siddiran adventurers tend to rise from the oppressed newcomer races, i.e. the “standard” races of D&D. Some are revolutionaries motivated by the cause of freeing their peoples. Some are gallants looking to reform the evil they see all around them. Others are simply trying to survive in the plague-ridden streets of the decadent crystal cities. All are looking for a place to call home in a world clearly not their own.

3. What do they do?: Siddir is an old world dominated by elder races like the backward-limbed xos and the reptilian venan dran. They, and foreign/alien races like the mind flayers and aboleth, dominate the world politically, though not to the same extent they once did. Their empires are in collapse, and city-size ruins litter the landscape. “Newer” races (the standard races of D&D) were brought to Siddir within the living memory of the oldest elves. Much of the action of Siddir would revolve around a) exploring the weird setting of Siddir; b) dungeon-delving through the many ruins; and c) winning freedom for their peoples from the elder races.

4. Threats, Conflicts, Villains: The elder races are a dominant villain motif of Siddir. While not all are evil, the majority are decadent and selfish, inspired by weird aesthetics and perverse pastimes (not adult-themed, naturally, please take note). Since they tend to have the most power in the world - magically, politically, etc. - the elder races are a constant threat, and entire campaigns can be built around bringing about the inevitable collapse of their failing empires.
Dark deities (elevated fiends, basically) outnumber good-aligned or neutral gods by at least three-to-one. Most are worshipped by the elder races, as above, and are openly hostile, conducting sacrifices and performing equally evil acts with clear public support from the establishment. Heroes, obviously, would not be able to let such things pass without interference, especially since the establishment (the elder races) is already on the decline.

5. Nature of Magic: Divine magic is more common than arcane magic. Siddiran religion tends to be more “cultish” (i.e., small, regional, and fanatical) than the larger “state” religions featured in Forgotten Realms, etc. Arcane magic, while more secular, is also influenced by and involved with cult activity. Specifically, arcane magic is fiendish in nature. Wizards negotiate or coerce their knowledge from demons and devils, and sorcerers wield magic from the daemonic blood in their veins (“tiefling”-like descriptions or templates are not uncommon among characters).
Siddiran magic is subtle. Flashier spells like fireball or lightning bolt are replaced by equally lethal magics like shatter limb, wracking cramp, and open hole.
Psionics are the hallmark of the elder races of Siddir and are common among them, less so among “newer” races like elves and humans. Psions and psychic warriors are core classes.

6. What’s New? What’s different?: Siddir’s two main inspirations were Lord Dunsany (Vathek) and Wayne Barlowe’s pencil illustrations of Thype in Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials. Though medieval in culture and technology, Siddir is clearly an alien world. It has thirty-two(!) small moons, each the home to a particular demon-god. Its native animal life is weirdly-shaped and motivated. The oldest cities are made of crystal and
unbreakable glass and have been around for millennia. The standard races of D&D are definite newcomers to this wild and exciting world. Can they make it their home? Adventure here and find out!

 

[Ace]

Well with the WOTC thing over and me not being a winner I thought I'd
share this little tidbit (crossposted to Pyramid) and 1 of my 3 setting entrys

About three weeks ago I got home from work only to find a call from
WOTC on my answering machine. Evidently the legal department had
decided that I need three submission forms, one for each game world I
submitted rather than the one I sent

Needless to say, since it was late in the contest I had more than a
few hours of frenzied speculation.

Was I being considered seriously for the final ten? Was I in the
final ten (err 11 now) What did it mean?

Well after a moderate but healthy dose of self delusion and wish
forfillment I decided that it was good news. At least my stuff didn't end up in the round file .

-------------My Entry----------------------------------------------------------


Fantasy Setting Proposal Template for Midrea

1. Core Ethos Sentence.
Midrea is a world where hero’s deeds hold society and reality together.

2. Who are the heroes?
The heroes are the folks who are able to look outside their on narrow interests, with guts and integrity to fight for people who aren’t of their nation or species.

3. What do they do?
Heroes protect folks from gate leakage, stop netherspawn and battle against evil men.
Other heroes are explorers and scholars who keep the memory of mans original world alive or unwrap the mystery of the first race

.4. Threats, Conflicts, Villains
Sometimes it’s hard not to find danger in Midrea. There are 13 gates Elsewhere
For more menace there is the Nether and the First Race. Netherspawn, the leftovers of the first attempt at creation are still out there and they hate all other life.
The First Race, time should have claimed them but Wizardry allows them to linger, still hiding out somewhere, making monsters and worse things. They will return.

5. Nature of magic
Magic comes from outer planar sources, the heavens (for clerical) the spirit world (for druids) the hells (for evil clerics) fae realm (Bards and Sorcerers) and the Nether for the fragments of creation, the spells of the Wizard.

6. What’s new? What’s different?
The flexible nature of the cosmology allows anything to be dropped in with a minimum of fuss. Since the humans on Midrea were originally from our world and time Roleplaying is easy, its Ren-Faire medievalism. And it makes sense. Even the timeline makes adventure fun and easy, historical “points’ help DM’s make a place for heroes.

 

[theburningman]

The Lands of the Black Oath

Core Ethos Statement
The Lands of the Black Oath are a world that has been torn apart by a tragic war that should never have been, a war spawned by the vengeance of a heartbroken wizard, a war fueled by the greed of humans and the pride of elves.

Who are the heroes?
The heroes are peasants and nobles who have fled across the sea to escape cataclysm and settle in a magical new land. They are barbarians coping with the influx of millions of unforeseen refugees. They are dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, wanting nothing more than to shake free from the yoke of their elven creators and masters. They are even, perhaps, elven warriors and scholars who fear the darkness that threatens their way of life, both from outside and from within.

What do they do?
Many cast their lots on one side of the war or the other, whether with the legions of the Empire of Bronze and the Third Faith, or with the elven crusaders of the Greenlords and their orc and ogre thralls. Perhaps the bravest remain unaffiliated adventurers and mercenaries, struggling to make their way in a conflict not of their choosing. Some few will even learn the lamentable truth about the war and be recruited by the monks and psions of the Veiled Eye to hunt down and destroy the wizards of the Black Oath.

Threats, Conflicts, Villains
The greatest threat to the peace of Perros is the machinations of the undying wizard Alzseor. Alzseor was the first human to visit the shores of Perros and dwell among the elves. He was consumed by passion for an elf-maiden and for the natural sorcery of the elves. The Greenlords denied him both. Alzseor cursed them for their pride and swore his Black Oath: he would discover the secrets of arcane magic, and he would use them to destroy that which he could not possess. The cataclysm, the war, and the demonic darkness that corrupts the elves are the result of centuries of obsession and manipulation.

Nature of magic
In the Lands of the Black Oath, magic is life and life is magic. In creatures that have the closest physical ties to the essence of magic, such as elves and dragons, life is prolonged and casting a spell is as natural as running or speaking. Other creatures, including humans, have only the most tenuous connection to this essence, but it may be made stronger through the study and contemplation of wizardry. Unfortunately, the wizard’s path is tainted by the same demonic corruption that insinuates itself into the elven lands.

What’s new? What’s different?
The war touches every aspect of life on Perros; no adventurer (or adventure) can escape its influence. Even neutral cultures like the lycanthrope nomads of the Quuarth and the winged spearmen of the Dragonfly Throne will eventually have to choose sides. The war is affecting the magical essence of the land as well; as the conflict rages, the destruction caused by misused magic creates more horrible abominations and even gates to the lower planes. The gods have not manifested themselves for eons, but celestial allies may be needed as the bloodshed escalates.

*********************

Ah, well. *snuffle,sniff*

*********************

Congratulations to the final 11!

 

[Aloïsius]

Not a surprise...
Anyway here it is :


Core Ethos Sentence

Yas is a world of epic-high fantasy shaped by unleashed magic, where the people have pinned all their hopes and dreams in their heroes, for many dangers arise with the first dawns of the new era.

Who are the heroes?

The destruction of the City of Souls and the New Dawning of the sun have brought many changes, and heroes face new challenges and bear new duties. In the wild lands, the dawn may be the herald of death rather than hope. There, heroes stand up to save their kin, the so-called Night Folks, from oblivion. Within the realms of the Empire of the Sun, many people have rallied the Eternal Princes to protect the tenuous peace and harmony just achieved. Moreover, several persons begun to have haunting dreams that stir them into perilous quests.

What do they do?

Fighting for their freedom and to save their culture from assimilation, the Night Folks face dire odds. Since the Empire’s legions vastly outnumber them, they are searching the fabled cities of Telluria, hoping to find there the magic they need. On the other hand, the faithful subjects of the Eternal Princes, seeing the promises of the Empire, are eager to ensure its flowering. This leads them in endless intrigues against evil plotters, fierce battle with lunar pirates and tense encounters with the Night Folks. Meanwhile the goals of the Dreamers are shrouded in age-old mysteries, they often end up fighting each other.

Threats, Conflicts, Villains

Reveling in the conflict between the Empire and its neighbors, evil powers are adding fuel to the flames, while others are willing to propose unholy pacts to the desperate. The Eternal Princes’ divine status makes them targets of countless plots, to subjugate, corrupt, or destroy them. Should these children fall under the sway of evil, nightmares would blossom upon the world. With the destruction of the City of Souls, the passage between the Red Moon and Yas is left uncontrolled, and lunar pirates now have easy access to the skies of Yas. And furthermore, if the ever more numerous Dreamers are pawns on a chessboard, who are the players?

Nature of magic

Magic comes from dreams. While arcane magic requires a state of daydream to be accessed, divine magic is granted by plane of dreams denizens, known as Spirits or Gods. Magic is a primal force, feared and dangerous. Rains of light, swarms of flying rocks, rifts opening suddenly in silence are common examples of magical manifestations encountered, especially in the Lands of Night. But should the telluric lines be broken, the planet itself would suffer the fate of the City of Souls. A powerful and dangerous thing to deal with, practice of magic is strictly controlled in the Empire, but unregulated in the Lands of Night.

What’s new? What’s different?

For millennia, the world knew an eternal night, all the light from the sun being channeled to power the City of Souls. Only through magic was life able to flourish on the darkened lands. Long ago prophesized, the New Dawn struck peoples with awe and wonder, but also with anxiety and dismay, when it finally happened. Now while humankind is rising after eons of terrors, other civilizations are waning in the light, seeking refuge underground or in deep forests. Ordered civilization and wild nature battle as the Empire claims lands from the Night Folks for its own development, and both side will suffer bitter loss if cunning heroes don’t succeed to establish a new balance between Law and Chaos. Meanwhile the fallen lords of the City of Souls, although stranded in the deeply buried Tellurian ruins, secretly continue their destructive conflicts against each other by manipulating people through dreams; for good or for ill. Many other players will join the game, coming from the wrecked surface of the Red Moon, the arcane circles of the Empire of the Sun or the frozen depth. The winners will define the future of the world.

 

[derverdammte]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds these proposals--and not just the interesting ones--extremely instructive.

Besides that, there are several so far that look *great*. In light of what's been posted, it'll be really interesting to see what eventually gets picked by WotC.

 

[orbitalfreak]

Might as well post mine.


1. Core Ethos Sentence
Adventurers combat the forces of evil threatening a continent-spanning kingdom, while an ancient order of Guardians protects the entire world from an ancient power bent on planetary destruction.

2. Who are the Heroes?
“We, the Mercenaries of Matchfort, have just returned from another successful mission. Calin put on an exemplary performance, though I’ll never admit his magic is more effective than my sword. He thinks too highly of himself; then again, all of the Cabal does. Malcolm almost disappeared on us with the treasure, the thieving scoundrel. I’ll have to keep an eye on that little halfling more often. I am glad Jome was present. Her faith kept us inspired, and her healing powers kept us in the realm of the living.

“I just hope there’s more work to be had in this kingdom, though. There’s been an increase in the number of adventurers as of late, and competition has set in on the “market” for mercenaries. Some even work for free. I’ll never understand their altruistic ways…”

--Ahlanna Elvenblood, March 13th, 1247.

3.What do they Do?

“There has been an uprising in the number of raids by the evil races as of late. Luckily, there are those amongst the populace willing to risk their lives to combat those who would do them harm. The monastic order of the Far Reach Mountains keeps the majority of the orcish hordes from overrunning our kingdom, blocking the Great Path with their monastery. The Paladins of Purity aid anyone battling the evil deeds of the duergar, drow, and the goblinoids.

“I do fear that the jobs of these fine adventurers will soon have to expand to include protection on a global scale, maybe more. How I long for the protection of the Interstellar Army of Freedom. Alas, they’ve been gone for over a millennium now, and I doubt I’ll ever see one of their magnificent ships again. And I doubt anyone of the common populace will ever hear that name spoken. Sometimes, the past is best forgotten…”

--Joran of the Guardians, 15th of April, 1247 A.S.

4.Threats, Conflicts, Villians

“The humanoid tribes are as active as ever, maybe more now than before. They are a constant threat to the populace. The drow are beginning to get more daring in their plans, though are still held in check. And of course, corrupt politicians run rampant, especially in the border regions.

“The ones I fear, though, are the Illithid. Luckily, they keep to themselves, and have ever since the Barrier Shield was established. May the Gods help us if ever they discover the secrets of their ancestors, if they ever discover the truth of all our pasts. Besides those of the Guardians, only the Illithid retain knowledge of the truth of what came before the Barrier Shield, however diluted that knowledge may be now. If they ever discover the lost Archives of the Ancients, I fear that all on this world will suffer. Some secrets are better left…secret.”

--Zalar of the Guardians, 23rd of April, 1247 A.S.

5.The Nature of Magic

“… and that is how magic is done by those of the arcane arts. Strict formulas and rigid structure, it is an academic process to create magic. There are those of the arcane heritage who develop these powers spontaneously, however. These prodigies are yet to be understood.

“But, as for us, where does our magic come from? Both we clerics and our more combat-minded paladin brethren obtain magic from divine blessing. By praying to the Gods, they grant us the privilege of protective and healing spells. The druids who reside away from civilization, and the rangers who study under them, gain their power from the very land itself.

“There are still other ways of obtaining the ability to do magic. For instance, some, such as the drow, are able to cast spells innately. Further study is needed to determine the true source of these powers, but…”

--excerpt: “The Intricacies of Magic,” delivered at the annual Conference of the Enlightened.

6.What's New, What's Different?

“Once, we sailed amongst the stars, in an empire spanning many worlds. That was before the Great War of the Invaders. Forced, eventually to settle on a single world in the once far-reaching empire, it was determined that no-one was to know the truth of this history. We feared the Great Enemy would destroy us once and for all if ever we faced them again. For the safety of our world, we have put in place the Barrier Shield.

Part technology, part magic, and part life-force, it shields our world from those who would do us harm. If this shield fell, I fear not a single being on this world shall continue to exist. So great is their hatred for us, the entire world would be destroyed. We will not be able to survive another centuries-long war. If it comes to that, however, may the Gods have mercy on all our souls.”
--Kaira, First of the Guardians, 3rd of November, 3 A.S.

*edit: formatting*

 

[EarthsShadow]

a comment...

Dang, I was hopin to get into the final 10 (errr, 11) but it wasn't meant to be. To bad Wizards couldn't have posted a list of the 11 names that made it or something to that effect.