[quote]Do centaurs qualify under beastmen or are they getting ignored due to the focus on original races? Just curious 
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I'll leave this one to Gorgenmast, since he'll the be final authority on player races.

[quote] 1. Could we have some examples of archaeo-tech? Are these massive machines or more like small devices? I definitely want to make use of them, just need a jumping-off point. [/quote]

You can go ahead and get creative with it. We'll review the archeo-tech and let you know if it's good. Archeo-tech is basically advanced fantasy/sci-fi tech, but it's not always completely understood. There are likely many pieces of Archeo-tech in the world that people haven't gotten into working condition because they don't understand how. Some archeo-tech may be in working condition, but no one would really understand the inner-workings. A very basic example of archeo-tech would be.. staves that shoot lightning, or something. Maybe carried by a royal guard in small quantities. You can get way more creative than that, though, just as long as it's not super overpowered.

[quote]2. What themes are we looking at? Is this political driven or more like a series of stories to work into one narrative? [/quote]

We have a basic, overarching story in mind revolving around the decline of the Salished Empire and the threat of invasion by barbarians from beyond the Rainlands, but this RP will be a sandbox. You can tell whatever story you want to tell through the eyes of your characters. You can get involved in the main plots or develop your own. The main plots will be there to provide everyone with some direction, but of course player-developed stories can be just as involved and important.

[quote]3. That map is sweet. Who made it and is the Dread Sea that large body of water to the West? 
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Gorgenmast made the map. I believe the Dread Sea is that poisoned lake to the east. It's basically a sea of unrefined ichor. If you dive in it or drink from it, you'll probably turn into something hideous. But of course, it's also a good source of ichor for those who aren't afraid to use it.