Obsydia's Races Overview + Dweller, Fey, Fianna Updated (7/13/2006)

[drexes]

Thank you, for the feedback and the kind words. When I set out to build this world (2 years ago) I wanted something more 'Real" not realistic mind you. I just didn't like that all these unique races had primarily the culture with different spins. I wanted more definitive cultural lines, so that there is a discernable reason why the fey consider the fianna uncivilized other than "they dress funny and use spears" Oddly enough I started off building the world by cutting religion out of my thoughts. i just envisioned some real world cultures and some made up ones and asked myself why they would be they way I thought of them. In the end I brought religion back in. Hey I have these passionate elves who like to live among the greens of the forest and etc. Why not celts? That sort of thing. In the end religion became very important IMC. I always felt that the "universal pantheon" of most game worlds seemed silly and oversimplified.

I think that since each race has a long entry I will be posting the other races individually in thier own threads. I am also working on the umpteen PrC's I've written, giving them a MAJOR overhaul (long overdue). I will be posting some of those as well. I've been a member here for awhile but for soem reason I never felt the need to post until recently, I'm glad that changed as the creative juices have certainly started flowing since. Not just because of the people who have so graciously given me feedback but also because I have found a new desire to "yoink" and change stuff from other peoples brains. Anyway this is a long drawn out and overdue THANK YOU, to everybody posting here. I hope I can help you guys as much as you guys help me.

Ok cheesy chick-flick epiphany melodrama officially over...who's got a beer?

Drexes

 

[Land Outcast]

first and foremost: I'm not suggesting I'll read it now

second: I assume you have a compilation of this setting, is my assumption correct?

If it is so, I'd ask if you could drop me a e-mail (just look in my profile) with said information.

Why am I asking for this? well, If possible I'd like to have it all together stored somewhere. My idea would be reading (and commenting where appropiate) on the races as you post them here.

*Hands a cold beer to drexes*

 

[Corvidae]

All of this looks good to me, but I have to ask, what makes them different. Especially with the fey and the fiana, how are they different from the cultures that inspired them. The Tuatha de Dunaan were perhaps the forerunners of tolkiens elves, but his elves became very different from their inspiration, magical yes, but so much more. It seems that tolkiens elves developed on their own after that initial burst of inspiration, so how do your races evolve, what has happened that they became the way they are, and what would you say is a stereotypical member or a paragon member of the race.

Overall though, it looks great.

John

 

[drexes]

I must confess before I start to not fully understanding the question. How does a race evolve? But here's my answer:

What I wrote is a snapshot. It's the beginning of the tale or the starting line. I don't want to write thier story, the story being written is one of the reasons I dislike many published settings. For the game world, I wanted to setup the framework and leave enough open to allow the players and DM to fill in the gaps. How are they different from thier inspirations? In some cases, they are very different, in others not so much. When creating this I could have gone quite a bit further away from true celtic culture than I did, but one of the main problems with campaign settings in general is a lack of culture. I don't mean races that don't get along or think differently, though that's part of it. I mean the reasons why they are the way they are. I think most worlds are so vanilla because these questions are difficult to answer when trying to invent the answers from nothing, and would be even tougher to play, given that they would have no real foundation for players. So then most settings don't try. I wanted to try, but I saw the problem and decided that there was a great wealth of information to be used as foundation already available to everyone, and I stole it. How will the fianna evolve? That's going to have to be determined by what happens to them. Do the Fey try to forcibly convert them or are they attacked by mass numbers of marauding Gryndar? If I knew all the answers what would be the fun of writing and playing in the world?

I could provide more specific answers to how are the cultures different, but I'm lazy and long-winded. As to the Tuatha De Danaan being the inspiration behind tolkiens elves, I would put this to you. If they are tolkiens elves, then what would a culture be like that scratched its life out of the earth one day at a time enjoying the simplest pleasures of the world while worshipping tolkien's elves? How would they evolve? I hope you can't answer, because I want a living world as opposed to one where events are already set.

I hope this answered your questions, but I doubt it did. You probably weren't after some wierd philosophical game design diatribe, which means I am totally off the mark.

Drexes

 

[drexes]

Oops I didn't answer the paragon part of the question...

I guess you mean what class combo or something...The dweller artificer, the fey wizard/shiekh, and the fianna scout. A buddy of mine played a dweller artificer until recently and it was really fun. Now he is DMing in the world and I am playinng a Fianna Scout/Barbarian which is more fun than I can tell you here. And his relationship with a Hundyr Swashbuckler...whoa! The fuel of separate cultures there is so fun to roleplay, it's ridiculous.

If that's not what you meant sorry, please clarify.

Drexes

 

[Corvidae]

You answered exactly what I meant. The only thing I would ask is a little bit of the history of your races. You gave part of that, but I mean, in traditional D&D the dwarves are shaped by their wars with goblins and orcs, and in eberron the elves are shaped by their ancestor worship. I don't think you need to write a whole story, btu you have a little bit of it already. The fey because of their religion look down on others, but what has shaped that viewpoint. Were they isolated, xenophobic, or simply felt superior because of their contact with others. I mean, were they an advanced race before all the others and then looked down on others because they were not advanced.

In my opinion very few cultures are shaped by a single event or aspect, but too much complexity makes the game no fun. So I think what you are doing is very good.

As with the paragon of the race, I meant favored class but more than that. For example my opinion of a paragon elf would be either a ranger, or a druid. Those classes seem to fit in my mind what elves are meant to be, yet their favored class is wizard. So even though more are wizards than anything else, the ones that are full of elfness are nature oriented warriors and worshipers.

If that makes no sense I am sorry, i wrote both of these while very sleepy.

Great work though

John

 

[drexes]

I will work on a short racial history synopsis in the next few hours, It's all up there I just need to put it to print. I'll try and give a paragraph or o for each race as I present it so the next post will have at least these first few races. I am also working on some much needed revisions of the source material and as soon as it is done, I'll post a link to it.

Oh I thought more on the paragon question. We don't use favored class IMC, so it's been kind of an afterthought. But I would say the paragon of dwellers is the artificer or craftsmen/merchant. The paragon of the fey is actually more likely a fighter/paladin type of character, they are a little harder to quantify, but I can definatley see a Arabian Knight thing there or the court vizier. The fianna paragon is probably a scout/barbarian. When I give the histories I'll make a notation of the paragon as well.

Thanks for the feedback.

Drexes

 

[Land Outcast]

Oh... so the Fey's society is akin (somehow) to an arabian society?

another thing:
-Figures of Power?

 

[drexes]

Well I initially started them with an islamic feel. But I didn't set them in a desert, instead they live on a jungle covered island, in jade cities...

Figures of power... I'll let you know.

Drexes

 

[drexes]

OK, so here's the write up on the lands of they Fey which includes the basics of thier government:

Meshaccah: The island nation of the Fey is located off the western coast of Caradon. Large tree covered mountains dominate the island. The capital city of Jerussa is built atop the highest of these peaks and is considered one of the most beautiful sights in all of Obsydia.
Government and Law: Meshaccah is ruled by its aristocracy, and each noble house will settle its own affairs. When two noble houses have a legal dispute then a higher house will often settle the dispute for them. In the case of two houses that cannot find an intermediary then the Jibralles will become involved. A council of Elders, the three most powerful noble leaders of Meshaccah, handles government for national purposes. There are few written laws in Meshaccah outside those presented in the holy books of the Ker’Jurakah, but those laws, such as laws against murder and theft, are punished severely. Most minor offenses result in fines that must be paid to those trespassed and the noble house that passed judgment. Those who cannot pay their fines are indentured for a period of time reflective of their crimes.
Geography: Meshaccah is a large island nation off the coast of Valderia. It is made of three major mountain peeks. The land of Meshaccah is covered in vegetation and clear water cascades down the mountain slopes in great falls and streams.
Climate: The climate of Meshaccah is temperate and mild with warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation in the area is heavy but steady winds keep the island from becoming overly humid
Jerussa: Jerussa lies at the top of the highest of the three peaks of Meshaccah. The city, constructed almost entirely of enchanted jade is gleaming and beautiful. It has great majestic towers and enameled roofs. (Population: 84,000)
Commerce: Trade in and out of Meshaccah relies entirely upon shipping. It is no accident then that the Fey are renowned shipwrights and sailors. The Fey export fruits, silks, fish and fish products, and finished goods. They import metallic ores and stone.