Points of Light: Setting search finalist?

[olshanski]

For we’re a nation of community; of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique.

This is America: the Knights of Columbus, the Grange, Hadassah, the Disabled American Veterans, the Order of Ahepa, the Business and Professional Women of America, the union hall, the Bible study group, LULAC, "Holy Name" - a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.

I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

Rockin' In The Free World
--------
There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it, any way I can.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away, and she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what she's done to it
There's one more kid that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand
We got department stores and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world.

Neil Young's song was a direct reference to what was considered (at the time) a fairly famous inaugural address.
Looking at those quotes again for the first time in about 17 years, it strikes me as having very little to do with the 4E default setting.

 

[Grog]

Snuh.

 

[Asmor]

Well, I feel a lot better for not having gotten that reference now, considering I was only 4 or 5 at the time.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I wasn't trying to. If I'd have thought it was inflammatory, I wouldn't have responded, I'd have reported him. Just wanted to make sure nothing nasty grew out of it.

Incidentally, thanks for the history lesson. I did a quick google search for GB and Neil Young and nothing immediately obvious sprung up so the reference was completely lost on me.

Man, now I feel old. That wasn't that long ago, by my reckoning. Only...18 years...um... *sigh*

 

[Korgoth]

I kind of assumed the "points of light" thing was a not-a-setting. Wilderlands was my first thought, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, I think it was their idea of: we're not going to identify anything particularly big or momentous, just a town here, a burg there, a dungeon, an evil forest, etc. Just plop down whatever module you buy or adventure you write and don't worry about it.

An "archipelago" setting, if you will (my application of the term here, but I didn't invent its use as a description for disjointed fictional settings). I think it makes a perfectly reasonable default (non-)setting.

 

[KingCrab]

The one true god?

Well we do know that this default setting will be specific enough to include Asmodeus as a god. It will very likely have some good gods to go along with him (though a 4e setting where Asmodeus was the one true god would certainly stir up some controversy .) Whatever those gods are will have a great affect on the flavor of this setting and make it feel more specific than generic.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Neil Young's Harvest Moon would be a pretty good inspiration for a campaign setting, I should think.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well we do know that this default setting will be specific enough to include Asmodeus as a god. It will very likely have some good gods to go along with him (though a 4e setting where Asmodeus was the one true god would certainly stir up some controversy .) Whatever those gods are will have a great affect on the flavor of this setting and make it feel more specific than generic.

Ooh! Rock me, Asmodeus! (Asmodeus, Asmodeus!)

Ahem. Sorry. This nonsensical comment was brought to you by a guy whose musical tastes are still stuck in the 80s. If you don't get it, you're younger than I am.

 

[Asmor]

Oh oh oh Asmodeus!

(yay! A reference I get!)

 

[Aeric]

Great, now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all night.

What about "One Night in Greyhawk?"

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