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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Afrodyte" data-source="post: 823913" data-attributes="member: 8713">This is a continuation of the thread I started  <a href="http://boards.wizards.com/rpg/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=111;t=003619" target="_blank">here</a>.Being that there are many players who like elves, it only makes sense that eventually someone will come up with a game world that highlights them.  However, I am not trying to create Middle Earth or any other type of published setting where elves are the pinnacle of achievement and ability.  Nor am I creating a setting that attempts to accurately represent real mythological ideas about the elves.  I am simply taking an idea I enjoy and putting a spin on it that is not often seen.  As far as my personal goals with this setting, the first and most important is to make it interesting.  The second is to give enough information about the setting to allow players to create characters that fit in it.  In an effort to make the PCs the real protagonists, I have only developed the history enough to tell how the elves made it to Winya Palurin.  Any historical development following that is up to the players.  I want them to be an integral part of the unfolding course of world events, not minor participants in a meta-story.So far, I have detailed the history, cultures, and conventions of Winya Palurin.  I also have two maps: one geographical, showing where each of the elven cultures live; the other topographical, showing the different environments where the elves of Winya Palurin live.From the information I have written, it has become clear to me that the main themes of Winya Palurin are survival and renewal.  After looking at it from a hiatus, it reminds me of the story of Atlantis.  There is an advanced civilization that is lost because of calamity, and the few survivors are left to pick up the pieces with the little information they have.  In an environment totally different from the one that spawned the past civilization, the elves have to make do, even going so far as to develop traditions and cultures on their own.To a lesser extent, it is also a setting that deals with the question of origins.  The other races have yet to develop, but this world will offer reasons as to how and why the other races develop as they do.  What I offer here are the roots of human ingenuity, orcish ferocity, dwarven dedication, and gnomish curiosity.  This is part of the reason why there are no ability modifiers for the various elven cultures.  Besides, in the absence of other races, the scale for normal shifts.  On top of that, I think that giving flavorful suggestions regarding how to distribute abilities is more evocative than flat bonuses and penalties.So, what I basically need to know from you all is this: what information would you, as a player or GM, find essential for you to be able to play in or create a campaign?  When you answer, please give an explanation of how you find that particular thing necessary.  I know that I need some information about typical encounters to be found in various climates.  I will say that magical beasts are rare, but dire animals are a bit more commonplace and widespread than you would expect in a typical D&D campaign.  Intelligent humanoid races (other than elves) probably exist, but they are not what we would call civilized (no mind flayers; sorry).  I may create my own monsters and monstrous races to fit into this setting (suggestions and ideas welcome).I will detail the various cultures in future posts.  However, I do wish to give a few side notes about what I include and omit in this material.  First, I tend to be a minimalist when I create worlds.  As a GM, I like the freedom to make a setting my own.  I like being able to create the meta-story.  As a player, I like to define my character's place in the grander scheme of things.  I like having the freedom to let my character carve out his own place in history, perhaps even rewriting it.  Second, I freely admit that I am more interested in some aspects of the world than others, and this bias shows in my presentation of the world.  In general, I omit what I dislike or am indifferent to.  Why aren't there any other subraces in Winya Palurin?  Aside from the reasons discussed above, I am also not interested in a generic kitchen sink setting.  In many cases, people have certain fantasy elements in a game world because, well, all the other game worlds have them.  It is my personal belief that if I can't come up with a better rationale for including something, I will omit it.  Also, I do not have the fortitude to sit down and make every race as diverse and detailed as the elves I made for Winya Palurin.  They deserve better treatment than making them monochromatic while I give the elves so much color.</blockquote>

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