Letters from Artorius VI - Re. New Voidling Species Discovered

To the Legatus Legionis:



My lord, have made a very important discovery here on Kimyona. When we were here last, 100 years ago, these creatures did not exist on this plane, but now, the world is literally swarming with a previously undiscovered type of Voidling – the Modum.


You are very familiar with the Voidling, we have had numerous run-ins with them in the past as we travel across the multiverse. Most of these encounters have been bloody and tragic, resulting in great losses to our people. The Voidling are a formidable enemy and always appear in areas which have been influenced by Azatar.

This new species of Voidling however is very puzzling. They are totally unlike any other species which we have yet encountered. Our Hypothesers believe that they are part plant, but also have features similar to many Cephalapods. The people of this plane have dubbed these creatures as the Modum.


The Modum seem to be almost totally incapable of prosecuting any form of combat. Our soldiers, when they first encountered one, attempted to slay it, but were incapable. The creature didn’t fight back, but we were simply unable to lay a hand on it. These Modum hover along the earth, moving at a slugs pace, but will occasionally show extreme boosts of speed accelerating into a lightning fast form of teleportion. Any act of violence attempted against them results in an innate defensive reaction which causes them to simply teleport away. Our fights with them are practically over before they start. We have not yet been able to subdue a single one of them.

Although we have not been able to kill one yet, we have been able to study them very, very closely. Though they respond reflexively to violence, they have no qualms about making contact with other living species. We have been able to hold them, look them over, and generally observe their anatomy, but their danger-sense, which border on precognition, is so powerful that we have not been able to cut one open yet and see what is inside.

From what we can tell, the world is literally filled with these things. They are everywhere. From what we can tell, they don’t eat, they don’t sleep, and they leave nothing behind. They simply exist, floating about the world as pollen which has fallen from a tree; that in fact may be exactly what they are – pollen from the Tree of Azatar. The Seed may have taken such a firm root on this world that we may see it come into full growth.


The Modum have several very important qualities which I will need to discuss at length later, but I am being summoned now to make another foray into Kimyona to investigate these beasts further. I will provide more information to you about them following this investigation with the Hypothesers.

Your ever faithful servant,

Justus Artorius, Primus Pilus, Centurion of the First

Letters from Artorius V - Re. Industry & Technology Pt.1

To the Legatus Legionis:


My lord, it has come to my attention that I have been terribly remiss in writing to you with regard to the technology which we have found here on Kimyona. I dare say that found is perhaps the wrong word; cultivated might be a bit better way to describe this plane’s level of development on this front.


As you remember, we found this world 100 years ago and made first contact. We planted our own seed at that time – they people of Kimyona witnessed our technology and our power and realized that we were a mighty force to be reckoned with. We met with little resistance as we waved our white flag coming in peace and commerce to commune with this world’s leaders. But, our first coming was still much too soon. We saw the state of the world then and left with the same degree of freedom in which we came.

However, our first contact was a monumental event for the people of this plane. Although we thought we were observing them, they were in fact observing us. These “humans” and their like were able to reverse engineer our Void Technology. Although at first this technology was powered through very simple means, such as steam, over this last century, they have evolved and have been able to develop their own version of our Void technology. Though they do not possess the purity of the true void to draw upon, as we do, they have found in their own world a source of power which is almost as mighty – The Seed. They have tapped the Seed of Azatar and are drawing on the power of the Void inside it in order to fuel their void engines.

However, this clone technology is still very much in its infancy. They still rely very much on steam power, fueled by resources dug up from within the earth mother. Industry now in Kimyona is widespread. Many huge cities belch out filth into the atmosphere and churn out countless engines of destruction in order to fuel the great war machine which is brewing. Though politically all the current nations of the civilized world fall under the dominion of the Emperor, they fight on small scales almost continuously. What’s more is that they all foresee the coming darkness. The land is growing dark my lord, this dying world’s days are numbered, but the people of this plane do not intend to go out without a fight.


Your ever faithful servant,

Justus Artorius, Primus Pilus, Centurion of the First

Letters from Artorius IV - Re. The Dying World

To the Legatus Legionis:


My lord, today I write to you in hopes that I might elaborate on what I referred to earlier as a dying world. Some of the information which follows has been collected from legends that are spread among the people and some of it comes from actual hard facts that we have collected in our research of Kimyona and the Seed.


The legends say that 10,000 years ago, when the Seed of Azatar impacted with this world, the world, Chikyu began to die. The general people of the world had very little understanding of the nature of the seed, but what they did know is that it struck the plane in the most heavily defended and fortified empire in the world – the literal heart of Kimyona. This death blow destroyed a vast empire and caused a great shift in the world’s topography and geography.

The great Kampeki, Perfect of the earth was said to be mortally wounded by that blow from the heavens. Though legends held by druids and the primal worshippers of the Elder Kami hold that for these last 10,000 years Chikyu has been letting out her last breath and dying in the arms of her lover the sky. They claim that is the cause for all the rain. The sky is crying over the loss of its one, true love and mate. However, the earth herself is not dead yet, these same legends say, but will die complete and totally soon. They even go so far as to say that the wound that was inflicted was poison and that poison will be the thing that kills her…. I think you may believe that argument has some weight. We both know what the Seed will do to this plane. They are not mistaken when they claim it is poison.


But, these are all just legends; other legends also prophesize that when the earth Perfect finally dies, the Sky, Father of all, will lash out and destroy all of creation. The Sky will finally break and when it does, the world will end. We know this world is ending, or else we would not be there, but I must say I doubt that end will come from the Sky above. That end is already taking root in the very fabric of the plane itself.

As to the evidence of this world’s death which I spoke of earlier, our research has shown that on this plane, the people have begun exploiting the earth for its vast resources. Massive mines extend deep beneath the earth’s skin and from those depths all manner of minerals and power are being dug up. However, our Hypothesers believe that the more this process continues, the faster the Seed begins to germinate and accelerate in growth. In other words, as the world is exploited, it continues to die; in the end, through their industry and their stupidity, the people of this plane are speeding towards their own downfall. With such little life force to support it, the Earth Perfect has no ability to replenish the stores inside itself and cannot continue to support the growth taking place all across the surface world.

I have mentioned the weather on this plane, I don’t think that necessitates further explanation, but our Hypothesers point to that as well as a sure sign that this world is rapidly increasing in instability.

I have also received reports from my men, who have had more dealings with the people than I, that there are a great number of mutated races which have begun to pop up over the last millennia. The first of these mutated races, something akin to the Orcs in our distant past, are said to have dug deep enough into the Earth Perfect as to actually draw up her blood. That blood has given them great and terrible strength, but it has also led to terrible mutation and genetic corruption. They use this blood of the Earth Perfect in order to fuel massive war machines and grant their soldiers greater power in battle.

I will look into this “blood” more in the future and have our top Hypothesers extrapolate on what it could be and how it could be harnessed without risking gene mutation.

Your ever faithful servant,


Justus Artorius, Primus Pilus, Centurion of the First

Letters from Artorius II - Re. The Seed of Azatar

To the Legatus Legionis:

Our investigation of this world continues. This world is surely dying; we have found the seed of Azatar and it was right in front of our eyes all this time. I am sure that you have seen its shell, the great glowing pink shield was seen from our fleet as we past Kimyona. I believe that you may in fact be gazing down upon it as you read this. All you need do is look out the window of your cruiser and you will notice the giant orb far below, breaking through the sea of endless clouds.

I regret so say that I do not currently know how far along the seed has come in its gestation, though I will say, the signs of its growth are everywhere. In my previous letter, I wrote to you regarding the weather patterns that continuously ravage this world. I cannot help but think that the seed is, the, root cause of it all.

As you have commanded, my brethren and I have made contact with many of the people of Kimyona, the diverse and varied lot that they are, and have been able to ascertain several facets of knowledge about the coming of Azatar’s Seed. I will say that speaking to so many in so many different tongues has left me quite exhausted. I will write to you more about them in the future. Through this interaction, we learned much about “The Legend” of the Seed of Azatar.

The people of Kimyona believe that the Seed impacted their plane approximately ten thousand years ago. It is truly remarkable that the impact of the Seed did not destroy the plane itself, as it has done in so many times about the planes. The people of this world tell of a great host of Kami, what we would call Gods on our world; these Kami so loved this world that they gave up the vast majority of their great power in order to save this plane. They encased the Seed in a great magical barrier. The barrier contained the majority of the Seed’s impact, though they could contain it all. It split the land around the point of impact destroying a massive empire. Though their sacrifice preserved the majority of life on Kimyona, the destruction of this empire, and the aftermath of the impact, caused a great deal of chaos on this plane. What followed is still unclear, but it relates to the coming of a man, a member of what is called here humankind; this man, known as the Kotei, or emperor in our language, put an end to the chaos and united the peoples of Kimyona.

We will continue our search for knowledge and I will inform you with all haste whatever we find out about the Seed and this Kotei. For now, this is all.

Your ever faithful servant,

Justus Artorius, Primus Pilus, Centurion of the First

Letters from Artorius I - Re. The Rain That Never Ceases

To the Legatus Legionis:

My Lord, it has been too long since we last met in person. Our endeavors here on Kimyona are going swimmingly. Given your position in high orbit, I thought it relevant to report on our findings here. I hope you will find this information most fascinating.

This world is a strange one indeed, but ecologically speaking, not so dissimilar to our old world. From orbit, I am sure you have seen the massive clouds that cover most of this world’s face. From here, you would know just how far those clouds spread. The world is covered in a constant rain, which opens only in tiny pockets to let in beams of sun. However, vegetation seems to be unaffected, as though this rain were literally giving life to everything below. We have begun to conduct studies on the moisture here, but so far, tests fail to produce anything conclusive. However, these tests have yet to indicate anything out of the ordinary.

Contrary to the rain, which is constant and ever changing, the weather here varies significantly by region. Many areas of the world experience extreme heat, turning rain to steam almost as soon as these droplets hit the ground. Other areas, feature extreme cold, rain turning to ice before it even hits the ground. Other areas of the world have vast winds which have been known to even knock our Praetorians off of their feet unless anchored firmly to the ground.

Despite all of these strangeness in temperament, the people of this world go on as though it were the norm. It appears as though they have simply learned to live with these changes in their plane without ever thinking about the cause or origin of the shift. I fear they may not understand these signs and portents. Their world is assuredly dying my lord. It is as we expected. Perhaps this world will prove useful in our studies after all. I truly believe that our efforts on Kimyona will serve most fruitful.

Your ever faithful servant,
Justus Artorius, Primus Pilus, Centurion of the First

Genesis Journal #18 - Describing Worlds, 1st Person FTW

So, I have been rethinking how I want to describe my new setting. Let's just say that I really like writing letters, which is a bit of a problem in this day and age, when we never really write letters that much anymore.

One of the interesting points in my setting, which I may not have pointed out before, is the nature of the foreigners, the outsiders, that come to the world and have a part to play in the world. Given the fact that that the setting is taking a very, very Japanese style the farther into setting development that I get, I thought that the best way to develop this, outsider, is by modeling them after another well known human empire, the Romans.

I wouldn't call this race of interplanar visitors as being necessarily good, or evil, or even human, but I like the way the Roman Empire offers up images of Order and Power, two things that I want this outsider race to bring along with them to the world of the Mad Lands.

Getting back to the point of this post, I think that describing this world in the 1st person sounds like an interesting prospect, especially when you describe it from the point of view of that outsider, who is just as foreign to the world as the reader is; I think that gives them a way to connect. The reason I say all of this is because I will be posting these letters up on the blog from now on. They will be going on Obsidian Portal as well, for good measure, but I want to put them up here too in order to get feedback from all of my readers. Comments are always appreciated.

Genesis Journal #16 - WoW, Amethyst, Mystical Mounts vs. Motorcycles

I have been reviewing Amethyst: Foundations for a bit over a week now I think. It takes me quite a while to get through a setting bible like this one. It is really detailed and has some awesome content. I really liked the images and content they presented in the vehicles section. Awesome stuff.

But, getting onto my World Building Journal for the day, I wanted to go back to the Mount issue that I brought up when I went exploring World of Warcraft. I love mounts, and I love having players that use them. I really think that Mounts open up the world for the players and having cool mounts really adds flavor to the character himself.

World of Warcraft has some steam/mechanical elements built into it. If you take the Engineering Profession, you can build yourself a bag-of-holding full of mechanical mounts. Just off the top of my head, you can get yourself a Motorcycle as well as a Gyrocopter. I have always wanted to take a character to the maximum Engineering profession level just to get my hands on those mounts. But wait! Are those really mounts at all? In the typical D&D world, Mounts are intelligent, and often Mystical/Magical. Giant Birds, Dragons, Gryphons, Flaming Horses, etc. are mounts, but a Motorcycle?! That isn't a mount, its a vehicle!!

In my Amethyst review this week, I brought up the Organizations section that players can join and talked about how much I liked that setup. These Organizations give the PC's a reason to be together; the benefit that you get for this sometimes comes in essentially loaner vehicles that you get from the Organization to which you belong. In WoW, you can earn all kinds of different Mounts by gaining Reputation with certain groups. Some of these Mounts essentially mark you in the world as an incredibly lucky, or dedicated individual, but in general, they are just a more flashy way to get around.

So, what I arrive at is an idea. Since I am building a sandbox world, that I honestly want my players to be able to explore, I would love to give them exceptionally speedy mounts at or around their first level. I want them to be able to experience open world content in a Table Top game. But, just giving my players really fast horses seems a bit underwhelming. If at all possible, giving them some type of conveyance which not only is awesome, but also adds flavor to their character and the game world in general, is something that I feel I should be aiming for.

So, where am I? Well, I think going the way of Amethyst and WoW and allowing my players to either join or work with a particular organization at 1st level is a great idea; the benefit for joining one of these organizations: a vehicular style mount. Since my world isn't pure fantasy, but falls somewhere in the steampunk/cyberpunk categories, I feel that 1st level characters with Motorcycles, or Jeeps, or Ornithopters, would not only be a very cool way to give flavor to the characters, but also give me the opportunity to open up the world and make travel more realistic.

Genesis Journal #15 - World Changing Disasters

There have been a few posts around the blogosphere these last few weeks with regard to natural disasters in your game world and the effect those disasters have on the world itself. But, not only that, but reading through Amethyst: Foundations over the last couple days has really spiked my interest in how natural disasters effect your game world.

Amethyst went the way that I want to go - a massive heavenly body falls from the sky and really screws up the planet. I really, really like these kinds of disasters and I have wanted to use a meteor impact in my game setting since I started thinking about building this setting.

But, what I am most interested in is how one uses a natural disaster in the ancient history of your setting. The meteor impact that I want in my world is happening about 10,000 years ago. How would you leave the scars of such an event on your world?

Beastfolk - Inoshishi (Boarfolk)

My next beasfolk race -

Inoshishi (Boar-folk)

Average Height: 5’8’”-6’2”
Average Weight: 300 – 400 lbs

Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom and +2 Strength or Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 6
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Inoshishi
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics +2 Endurance
Stubborn Mind: Inoshishi are not easily swayed from their own mental path. They gain a +2 Bonus to Will and have a +2 bonus to defense against charms.
Inoshishi Weapon Proficiency: Inoshishi are proficient with all simple and martial flails, clubs, and crossbows.
Close Charge: Inoshishi can use charge powers against enemies to which they are adjacent. If they do so, they push the target 1 square instead of moving.
Charging Boar Rage: You have the Charging Boar Rage racial power.

Charging Boar Rage Inoshishi Racial Power
Streaming with blood, the Inoshishi flies into a terrible rage goring everything it can.
Encounter
Free Action when bloodied for the first time in an encounter.
When bloodied, the Inoshishi enters the Charging Boar Rage. While in the Charging Boar Rage, the Inoshishi gains a +1 bonus to damage on attacks that it uses when it charges and whenever it makes use of its close charge racial power, it pushes the target an additional square.
Level 11: The bonus damage increases to +2 and the target is pushed 2 additional squares.
Level 21: The bonus damage increases to +3 and the target is pushed an additional 3 squares.


*****
Found this image online through google images. It is most likely (C) Blizzard. It is just a place holder until my own art is finished.

Beastfolk - Nezumi (Ratfolk) Pt. 1

Here, we have another one of the Beastfolk Noble Races of Mad Lands, the Rat Folk or Nezumi.

*****

Nezumi (Rat-folk)
Average Height: 3’5”-4’5”
Average Weight: 80 – 150 lbs

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity and +2 Intelligence or Charisma
Size: Small
Speed: 5
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Nezumi
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff +2 Stealth
Speedy Skitter: While prone, if the Nezumi has nothing in its hands, it can move at its full speed and doesn’t grant combat advantage.
Poison-Trained Fortitude: Nezumi have a +2 bonus to Fortitude and also have +2 to Saving throws to resist ongoing damage from poison.
An Extra Set of Hands: A Nezumi can hold a single item with its tail and can transfer an item held by a tail to a hand, and vice versa, as a free action..
Poisoned Bite: You have the poisoned bite racial power.

Poisoned Bite Nezumi Racial Power
Everyone knows that when it comes to the Nezumi, their Bite is pretty fowl.
Encounter
Standard Action * Melee
Dexterity +4 vs. Fort; deals 1d4 ongoing damage (save ends) and the target grants combat advantage to the Nezumi for as long as it is taking ongoing damage.

Beastfolk Races - Usagi (Rabbitfolk) Pt. 1

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

In Character Adventure Log - Session 3 pt. 1

Here is part 1 of the third, awesome in character adventure report from our Dwarf Battlemind.

*****

I stood there on a train car, dead dragon beside me, and stared at the orcs behind us. I was not sure if they were going to ignore us or were just choosing now to focus instead on the cargo car and save us for later. I turned to face my companions, a battered group of adventurers. I watched them as the cleric, Awnya, moved among them and began healing wounds. Francis pulled himself up from where he had apparently grabbed the edge of the train after getting blown off, and took a knee beside Ronan. They began to speak in soft tones.

Cora hurried over to help Odelle stand and began to help patch her wounds. Keras shook himself and padded over to stand beside me. If we were to face the remaining orcs, we should need to present a united front and not split off into groups like this. I lifted my hammer into the air and then let it fall against the roof of the train car. A low knell issued forth from the car and sped across the plain. A few of the orcs stopped their scavenging and looked our direction. It had the desired effect amongst my companions, though. Standing in front of them, Keras at my back, I knew that our lives could well depend on the words that I mustered. I took the time to look each of them in the eye, acknowledging them. Readying myself, I drew a breath to begin.

"It'sh probably besht that we work together a bit better than we have," Francis said. Everyone nodded in agreement. I stood there, still holding my breath, wondering what to say now that Francis had already started the conversation for me. I had been trained from birth to command, and while I did not feel comfortable issuing commands to my new companions, I was willing to attempt to guide them.

"You are right, Francis. Without a unified front, those orcs behind us could pose too great a challenge. Our best bet is to take the fight to them and use what tools we have available to help us. We have an enormous train, an armored car, and enough firepower to demolish a dragon. The first thing we need to do is get the wounded out of the car and get them seen to. Then I think we should throw this train in reverse and head back towards the orcs. If we position our Francis, Awnya, and Ronan on top of the train or inside the armored car, they'll be able to fire upon the orcs from a safe place while the rest of us form up and take the fight to them."

This got nods all around except for Awnya. "While I realize that I would be helpful in the upcoming fight, my true calling is healing. I have a train car full of injured people who might die without my help. I can't leave them to die."

Cora gave a longing look in the direction of the orcs before saying that she would stay with Awnya in case they found themselves in any danger.

Without much more said, we began to carry the wounded from the train car out onto the plain. As we neared the front of the car, a severely wounded elf called out softly for our attention, "I don't have long to live, but I need your help. You have to ... you have to save the cargo. If the orcs get their hands on it, we are all dead." I knelt down beside him and began checking him for wounds. I did not see any that seemed life threatening, but the sight of blood seeping out of his ears made me realize that he had survived several psychic blasts from the the dragon. He was dying from damage to his mind, not from damage to his body. I didn't know if Awnya could heal damage like this, but I hoped she would return soon enough to try.

Ronan leaned over my shoulder and, with an urgency I hadn't expected from him, said, "What does this cargo look like? Is it volatile?"

"The cargo is black crates. They aren't volatile, but the orcs must not ... don't let them orcs get them. Please, retrieve them and take them to Kalm. Please."

Not sure what else to do, I attempted to make the elf comfortable. I realized that something he had said did not quite make sense. I looked up at Keras, who had been listening, and gave him a questioning look. Keras leaned forward and rumbled, "You said the cargo is black crates, not in black crates. We need to retrieve the crates themselves?"

The elf gave a weak nod. I could feel his life force slipping away. "Yes, you must protect the crates. They are the key..." With a soft sigh, he died in my lap. We had been so close to finding out what was happening. Now, however, short of trying to question every injured person we had removed from the train, we had only one option. I stood up and jumped out of the train car. "Awnya, you and Cora take care of these people but don't put yourselves in harm's way. We'll try to finish the orcs off as fast as possible and then bring the train back here to you. The rest of you, up in the train. We have some business to finish."

As we headed towards the train, a low rumble began to grow in the distance. It came from the direction of the bridge. We readied our weapons, Ronan scrambling to the top of the train car and sighting with his rifle. Within seconds, we could see a squat vehicle roaring towards us. They stopped about 50 feet away from us, engine revving. A gnome sat on the motorcycle while a strangely clad female elf sat in the sidecar. Raising one hand in the air, the halfling began to slowly advance his bike towards us.

"Now who," said Francis, "do you shupposhe thish ish?"

*****

Part 2 will be coming when it is done.... sorry.

Genesis Journal #12 - Who is the foreigner? - Blending Cultures

After thinking A LOT about the Meiji Revolution and about how the world works in general, something very obvious hit me in the face like a whip cream filled water balloon. In order to achieve something like the Meji Revolution you really have to have a foreign nation which can influence said nation of focus.

The Meji Revolution was the Meji Revolution because the people of Japan were drastically changed through their contact with outside forces from other European countries, as well as contact from America, and Japan's imperial push into China.

I am having trouble visualizing a stand-alone setting, like I want, which is dominated entirely by a quasi-Japanese, quasi-European look and feel. So, what do I need??? A foreigner, or a couple countries full of foreigners.

The grand map of Sigilsval which I drew up in the past was dominated by a massive land mass in teh center, but what I have decided since then is to open up this map and expand it. What it really needs is another half, another whole map to represent the other parts of the world which have influenced the world in general.

At this point, I am totally unsure of how I am going to accomplish this, or if I am even going to worry about it. I think referring to some ambiguous 'other' country during the design process is acceptable (as long as I get back to it in the end).

Does anybody else have any experience of this kind?? I would love to find out.

Elaborating on Campaign Characteristics #11 - Steampunk meet Cyberpunk

Based on some discussion about what Steampunk is really defined by, you would not define Mad Lands as the same traditionally recognizable Steampunk. It has elements that are distinctly different. However, you would not call it traditional high fantasy either - it is far too *cough* steamy for that. I would like to compare Mad Lands - my homebrew setting - as something that falls in between Steampunk and Cyberpunk. I'll explain after you read the following article.
*****
by Sarah Brandel
After reading Sara M. Harvey’s novella The Convent of the Pure this weekend , I spent a while thinking about steampunk stories in general, and how their aesthetics, attitudes, and ideas compare to those of cyberpunk stories.
What struck me most with respect to these two genres were the differences in attitude, especially with respect to technology, society, and the individual. Below are some sweeping generalizations made about the genres with respect to these areas. Don’t take these as my last word on the genres; after all, these summaries are written to encourage debate!
Steampunk
Stories and novels in the steampunk genre seem to be more optimistic, with society riding a wave of technological wonders toward a brighter future, much like the scientific romances of yore. Of course, there may be rumblings of trade-offs and potential misuses of the new science and technology that underscore the optimism–and the novel’s antagonist may well be building a clockwork doomsday device–but a new era is dawning, and it is full of possibilities. Secret societies (composed of individuals in power) or conspiracies are often the source of problems rather than society in general. Individuals have the potential to accomplish great things, no matter how humble their beginnings.
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk stories and novels, on the other hand, seem to wallow in dystopian futures where the world is overrun by megacorporations and the individual is just one more cog, or circuit, in the machine. Technology–specifically, plugging into a virtual network via computer or neural jack–can be both an escape and an addiction. Things have gone wrong with the world, or perhaps just a localized portion of it, and it’s up to individuals working outside of the mainstream culture to set it right. In general, however, there’s only so much that can be done, since society is sick to its core. Society is Darwinian with respect to individuals: the weak are swallowed whole and only the strong, the rich, and the clever survive.

＊＊＊＊＊

My current setting although primarily a steam based fantasy world escpaes from the steam tech only standard through some very alien means; the Far Realm influence on the world is so strong that some have been able to tap into this power to create technology that simply goes beyond anything that human hands could produce. Therefore, the world falls, technologically, into both the Steampunk and Cyberpunk categories. However, I would say that I want the overall feeling of the world to be a little bit of both, and a lot of neither.

What I mean by this is that I want the world to be filled with unsurity and disharmony, much like the "modern" world we live in. It is not the optimistic past that you see so much in Steampunk, nor is it really the dystopian future. It is more of a very screwed up present that could go either way.

Homebrew Update - Ramfolk (Ibixians)

Not to give away too much, but one of the component of my homebrew setting are the Beastfolk races, all of which are said to have been sired by the 12 Great Beasts. One of these Beastfolk races, which will make an appearance in an upcoming campaign session is the Ramfolk, or Ibixian (if you want to go by the 3.5 name from MM3). I decided to roll up a homebrew version of this race for 4e to add into the campaign guide.

*****

Ramfolk (Ibixian) - 3.5 Update

Racial Traits

Average Height: 6' - 7'

Average Weight: 250 - 350 lbs

Ability Scores: +2 Stength, +2 Constitution or +2 Dexterity

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 Squares

Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Ramfolk

Skill Bonuses: +2 Intimidate, +2 Perception

Racial Weapon Proficiency: Greataxe and all Simple Weapons.

Herd Fighting: When fighting adjacent to another Ramfolk, you gain

a +1 Bonus to all Saving Throws and a +1 Bonus to attack while bloodied.

Headbutt: You have the Headbutt racial power.

Headbutt Ramfolk Racial Power

You ram your horns into the skull of your opponent dizzying him.

Encounter

Standard Action * Mellee

Strength vs. AC

Hit: 1d6 + strength damage and the target is dazed until the end of

your next turn.

Genesis Journal #11 - Caste Systems

My homebrew world uses a caste system which is loosely based off of the four-tiered caste system which was present in Feudal Japan and the Floating World period up through the 1860's. I would love to explain this all, but I have found an excellent source which can do it for me, so I will defer here to this article by Kallie Szczepanski.

*****
"Between the 12th and 19th centuries, feudal Japan had an elaborate four tier class system.
Unlike European feudal society, in which the peasants (or serfs) were at the bottom, the Japanese feudal class structure placed merchants on the lowest rung. Confucian ideals emphasized the importance of productive members of society, so farmers and fishermen had higher status than shop-keepers in Japan.
At the top of the heap was the samurai class.
The Samurai Class:
Feudal Japanese society was dominated by the samurai warrior class. Although they made up only about 10% of the population, samurai and their daimyo lords wielded enormous power.
When a samurai passed, members of the lower classes were required to bow and show respect. If a farmer or artisan refused to bow, the samurai was legally entitled to chop off the recalcitrant person's head.
Samurai answered only to the daimyo for whom they worked. The daimyo, in turn, answered only to the shogun.
There were about 260 daimyo by the end of the feudal era. Each daimyo controlled a broad area of land, and had an army of samurai.
The Farmers / Peasants:
Just below the samurai on the social ladder were the farmers or peasants.
According to Confucian ideals, farmers were superior to artisans and merchants because they produced the food that all the other classes depended upon.
Although technically they were considered an honored class, the farmers lived under a crushing tax burden for much of the feudal era.
During the reign of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, farmers were not allowed to eat any of the rice they grew. They had to hand it all over to their daimyo, and then wait for him to give some back as charity.
The Artisans:
Although artisans produced many beautiful and necessary goods, such as clothes, cooking utensils, and woodblock prints, they were considered less important than the farmers.
Even skilled samurai sword makers and boatwrights belonged to this third tier of society in feudal Japan.
The artisan class lived in its own section of the major cities, segregated from the samurai (who usually lived in the daimyos' castles), and from the lower merchant class.
The Merchants:
The bottom rung of feudal Japanese society was occupied by merchants, both traveling traders and shop-keepers.
Merchants were ostracized as "parasites" who profited from the labor of the more productive peasant and artisan classes. Not only did merchants live in a separate section of each city, but the higher classes were forbidden to mix with them except on business.
Nonetheless, many merchant families were able to amass large fortunes. As their economic power grew, the restrictions against them weakened."
*****
you can find the full text of this article here: http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm

Genesis Journal #9 - The Noble Clans of Sigilsval

So, I have really been playing around with the ideas of corporate nobility a lot. I think what I have decided to go forward with is a group of about 5 Mega-Families, who are the oldest, strongest, and most diversified, globally. Each of these Noble Houses is responsible for controlling a signficant portion of the world's wealth. They each have different specialties and backgrounds. They are involved in various industries and deal primarily within the family for gathering of materials, resources, etc. as well as the sale of their goods and resources to the public.

However, in addition to these 5 Large Noble Houses, very similiar to Conglomerates, There will also be a, yet to be determined, number of other smaller Noble Families, each with varying levels of business-mindedness and essentially making up smaller corporate entities.

There will also be another noble caste within the upper echelons of the world, represented by the Beast Folk, who have decended from the Great Beasts of legend, and are respected, for the bloodlines, throughout the world. Think Minotaur, Naga, Kenku, etc. These races will be more closely tied to the upper elite, and will possess a great deal of respect, but not so much on the corporate side of things.

Genesis Journal #8 - The Keiretsu vs. The Family Business

I have actually been going back to my business classes in order to get a better idea for the feeling of the Noble famalies and their clans which I want to build into my setting. I majored in International Business, specializing in mainly Japanese business and economics.

As many of you are probably not familiar with this world, i'll give you a bit of a summary. Prior to World War II, the Japanese economic world was dominated by the Zaibatsu, vertically integrated family corporations, which locked down and controlled Japanese industry. The Zaibatsu controlled each step of the product manufacturing process, from harvesting raw materials, to selling that product.

However, after the war, the Zaibatsu were forcibly disbanded and the Keiretsu were established. These corporations were not that much different; instead of being vertically integrated, they were horizontally integrated conglomerates. There may have been many companeis in many industries all of which resolved around a corporate bank and shared control of each other. Many of these conglomerates were also based off of the earlier Zaibatsu.

You might be familiar with the company Mitsubishi - one of the biggest and most well known of the Keiretsu. This company has its hands in numerous industries and has the power to loan itself money through its own bank.

If you compare these giant corporations to the family businesses in the rest of the world, you get a very different image in your mind.

The reason that I am writing about this is because I want to create an image of the Noble families of Sigilsval as being these giant Keiretsu spanning multiple industries and having their hands in a lot of different businesses. I hope the summary above is enough to provide an illustration of what I want to accomplish.

More Steam Attachments Pt. 3

Here is the third installment of my fresh batch of homebrewed Steam Powered Weapon Attachments.

*****

Second String Level 1 360gp
This bow has been outfitted with a second
string which can fire an additional projectile at
the enemy.
Weapon: Bows, Crossbows
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack. If the attack hits, you fire an
additional arrow or bolt and apply that arrow or bolts
effect to the target. If the arrow or bolt does not have
a magical effect, then you deal 1d4 additional damage.

*****

Pull Assistant Level 1 360gp
This bow has been outfitted with a series of steam
powered springs and pulleys which allows the bow to
grant even more power out of a single attack.
Weapon: Bows
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with a bow. If the attack hits, you deal
damage as though the the bow was one size larger than
normal.

*****

Shredder Blade Level 1 360gp
This blade has been outfitted with a set of
Additional motorized teeth that tear into a
foe when triggered.
Weapon: Axes, Heavy Blades
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with this weapon. The weapon gains
Brutal 2 for the attack; if the weapon already had a source
of brutal damage, increase the amount of Brutal damage
by 2. I.E. a Brutal 1 weapon becomes Brutal 3 for the
attack.

*****

Concussion Piston Level 1 360gp
This heavy weapon has been fitted with several pistons
that deliver a devastating blow that is capable of knocking
foes flying.
Weapon: Hammers, Picks
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with this weapon. If the attack hits, you
push the target one square, or extend the range of any
push effect by one square. If the attack was a critical
hit, you knock the opponent prone.

Okay! That is all for this batch. What do you think?

More Steam Attachments Pt. 2

Here are some more of those attachments I have been talking about. This is part 2 of 3 for the current load.

*****

Auto Reloader Level 1 360gp
This quick steam arm affixed to a crossbow or
to a firearm allows you to reload your weapon
with incredible speed.
Weapon: Crossbows, Firearms
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to reload your weapon as a free action.

*****

Bullet Shield Expander Level 1 360gp
Several piston loaded metal plates extend out
from your shield providing you with cover from
projectile attacks.
Shields: Light Shield, Heavy Shield
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to gain cover from projectile attacks until the
start of your next turn.

*****

Roto-Buckler Level 1 360gp
This light shield is fitted with several steam
powered motors allowing it to spin and deflect
blows more accurately.
Shields: Light Shield
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to increase your shields AC Bonus by 1 until the
start of your next turn.

*****

Reflex Xcelerators Level 1 360gp
The steam pistons equipped to this set of
armor allows is to help improve your reflexes
for a short period of time.
Armor: Leather, Hide, Chainmail
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to gain a +1 Power Bonus to Reflex until the
start of your next turn.


More coming soon. You will have to wait. Come back tomorrow.