What do we call our campaign setting?

[airwalkrr]

Some of you may have noticed that I have started up a campaign in which the central idea is that players help design the world as we go. We are in the process of laying groundwork and creating characters, but we not have a number of central themes unique to our world and need a name by which to refer to it. So what should we call our campaign setting? Here are the ideas proposed by myself and my players. To help you get an idea of the feel for the setting, I've selected what I consider some of the best entries.

[sblock=The Dreamer]The world still remembers the terrors of the Dreamer, centuries later. One small boy, locked in an endless sleep, a pure gateway for Chaos. Completely removed from reality, the imaginings of a human mind ran rampant across the land. Some areas escaped relatively unharmed, but many were instead torn asunder by nightmares unwittingly made real by the Dreamer.

The land was wracked with darkness, fear and despair until a single warrior of law was able to find his way to the boy, and do what was required to end the nightmare.[/sblock]

[sblock=Religion]There are only two sources of divine magic: the primal, fundamental forces of Law and Chaos.

Law is universally worshiped as embodied by the Lawgiver, a deity dedicated to laws, cities and order. The Lawgiver's worshipers build churches and temples to provide gathering places for worshipers. A rigid hierarchy of priests guides the flock, seeking to impose order. The Church of the Lawgiver is the only church, and they can be found in every one of the great city-states. Conflict sometimes arises between different branches of the Church, but the Lawgiver himself remains silent on the correct interpretation.

Worshipers of Chaos have no organization, no gathering points for worship. Reverence of Chaos is a very personal religion, and sometimes it isn't even recognized for what it is. A cultist seeking dark powers, a primitive tribesman praying to a fickle god, a gambler whispering entreaties to Lady Luck; all are in reality worshiping Chaos.[/sblock]

[sblock=The Arm of Luthes]
Upstream from West Fork, where the river narrows, lies the region known as the Moorlands. In the middle of the Lawless Hills, a colossal monument stands in memory of a long-lost era. It was known as the Arm of Luthes, from the name given to the Lawgiver by the Imperials. The legend says that the One God himself came down from the heavens to raise a mountain of metal from the earth, which he then melted and shaped in the form of an outstretched arm with an open palm. It was a symbol of peace and fraternity. For centuries, the mountain was used as a base of operations by warrior priests from the various branches of the Church. The hills were slowly settled by humans from all over the empire. However, in the space of a few days, everything changed. The fortress and the nearby villages were all razed. No one was left alive. The Arm itself is now entirely covered in rust and its fist is clenched; it is only a mockery of the wonder it once was. What caused the devastation and this hideous transformation? Scholars do not agree on the subject, but most seem to think that it was due to the actions of the Dreamer.

Since the corruption of the Arm of Luthes, numerous creatures of Chaos made it their home. Bandits and gnolls live in its vicinity. The closer you get to the monument, the more brutal they get. Harpies are said to nest at the summit. Few have gone inside and returned to tell the tale. Those who did talk of living shadows and dreamwraiths*. No main doorway exists, but many tunnels are said to lead into the ancient complex. Unfortunately, the tunnels move and thus aren’t on any map. Even to this day, the most fanatical holy orders keep watch over the region. They fight the bandits and humanoids in hope to reclaim the sacred site for the glory of the One God. The soldiers are few in numbers and their expedition is poorly funded, however, seeing as the Lawless Hills don’t have a real strategic importance.[/sblock]

[sblock=Gnomes]
The gnomes were always sensitive to Dream, and when the time of the Dreamer came they adopted rather than become twisted like so many others. Their entire race became like conduits of the Dream plane and they were able to form their own imaginings into substance. Now every gnome can exert a taxing effort in order to create minor illusions, such as lights that dance in midair. Many gnomes now suffer forms of mania or autism, some minor while others show extreme, detrimental symptoms. Mania-inspired gnomes usually end up acting as travelling minstrels or showmen, thrilling in a chaotic, emotionally-charged life. Gnomes with minor autism often seem emotionally detached, but are excellent engineers and tinkers-- it is said they dream of gears and mathematics.[/sblock]

[sblock=The Arcana Compact] This is a written agreement with the benevolent fey courts and the elves in return for arcane magic they refrain from using baleful and corrupt spells which in there basic nature are evil that hurt the dreamers creation the pact is dead since the foundation of necromancy but the elves of the vale still uphold the principles within the document.[/sblock]

[sblock=the Moaners]
While there are no recorded deaths by the so called "Dreamblades" there are rumors about. Anyone who has followed the road between cities during the dead of night have spoken about so called "Moaners" spectral entities that haunts the roads, howling and moaning. Most reports of these ghosts seem to be ghosts in the image of normal folks, many in there nightgowns or sleeping clothers(thus the rumored correlation). The reports also say that the Moaners seem to care nothing about anyone on the road, and seem to just pass thourgh oncoming travelers as they follow the road along.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Forest of the Bronze Dragon]
To the eastern side of the road that leads between Narovan and Westfork is a rather large forest with an ancient tale. Legend has it that the original trees of the forest were first grown from the body of a thousand year old Bronze Dragon as a gift from him to the Elves and Townsfolk of the region for all the help they had given him in his life. Before the time of the nightmares, the forest was a rich and full of life, and very much a paridise of sounds and smells to thoes who chanced a walk though it. The forest seemed to also give a blessing of a plentiful harvest to thoes that farmed around it.

This all changed when the nightmares came, as the forest and the animals within it were thoroghly thrashed and twisted by the nightmares, warping the place and blacking the wood, and removing much of the living life from within. Since that time, very few people have ventured within, as the warped tries, and sudden growls heard when you are near scare them away.

There is a strange hope however, as there seems to be a new lively, rampant growth occuring along the fringes of the forest which is very primal in nature...a rampant growth which is scaring the farmers as the forest seems to be attempting to rapidly gain more ground from thoes that live around it. This strange growth has led to many a whisper, including talk of the emergance of a council of druids inside the forest, the forest itself taking land that supposedly the farmers took long ago...or possibly even that the dragon has been reborn agian within it...
[/sblock]

 

[hafrogman]

Well, far be it from me to gratuitously *bump* a thread, but looking over the voting, I can't help but notice that the only people that have bothered to vote are those who are participating in the game.

C'mon people, just a little helping hand.

You don't even have to do all the course reading, there won't be a quiz following. Just vote with your gut if nothing else.

 

[airwalkrr]

Yes, those not participating in the campaign are welcome to vote as well. We welcome input from the community!

 

[airwalkrr]

It looks like Shatterscape is the narrow winner over Nightmares and Dreamscapes.