The war of the gods and demons seemed already to have ended; and the gods were dead. The eagles were lost, the legions were broken; and in Rome nothing remained but honor and the cold courage of despair. - GK Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
Welcome to the world of Azoth.
It is the Year of the Sun 3014, as reckoned by the astrologers of the Dratha. Life continues as it has done for uncounted centuries. Peasants toil in fertile river valleys, ever wary of crocodiles and seasonal floods, nomadic tribes cross the dune sea, adventurers look for archeo-tech in the ruins of the Old Ones, mounted warriors fight for land and honor among the windswept steppes and highlands, priests make sacrifices to demons and gods, sorcerers peer behind the veil of reality, and kings and emperors wage wars of faith or wars of honor or wars of greed over food, water, Spice, Ichor, and archeo-tech.
You lead one of the peoples of Azoth seeking after glory or security, wealth or piety.
Azoth: The Setting
NOTE: Please use, but do not feel limited by, the details here. I will be updating this section based on details in players' NSes.
Here is a map with geographic and biome detail. Names of established locations have been placed.
This is the same map as the previous one, just without the names, designed to give everyone the ability to easily mark your locations/borders.
A blank map for reference
Water: In a desert, control over drinkable water is the key to power.
Food
Archeo-Tech: found in the ghul and demon haunted ruins of the Old ones. Types of commonly sought after archeo-tech includes: - Godsteel: a fabled blue-gray metal found in ancient ruins
Ichor: a black, viscous fluid with dangerous mutagenic properties in its unrefined state, Ichor is most frequently found among the ruins of the Old Ones and of course in the polluted waters of the Dread Sea. Refined Ichor in liquid and crystal form has an immense variety of uses, from powering archeo-tech to use as a key ingredient to many potions and spells. Some sorcerers, especially among the Dratha, despise the use of Ichor in magic as amateurish, but its effectiveness is undeniable. Warlocks among the ghul are known to ingest raw Ichor, thus vastly increasing their power, though with often unpredictable results for themselves...
Spice: the spore of several fungoid organisms that thrive in Ichor-rich environments, Spice is a powerful narcotic that can be refined in innumerable ways- forming cheap drugs for the poor to refined ingestives for the rich and powerful.
The Old Ways are a collection of astrological/magical religions and gnostic cults. It is less a unified cult than a collection of folk religions and more sophisticated theologies, philosophies and magical practices surrounding dieties variously known as the Celestial Powers, the Fates, the Astral Hierarchy, or the Old Gods. Much of Old Way practice revolves around dream interpretation and reading the stars for portents of the future and command over nature. The Old Ways are thoroughly non-moralistic, and societies can differ widely in their political arrangements. Among the Old Gods, the chief deity worshiped is the goddess Uan, Queen of the Moon and patron of Astrologers
Uan's holy city is Archeos. It is a city filled with temples to the Old Gods, as well as libraries, arcanums, orreries, and universities dedicated to philosophy and magic. The closest thing Old Way religionists have to chief religious authority is the Circle of Augurs, a council of sixteen seers and astrologers.
Azoth is a world filled with lurking spirits, mysterious intelligences, and haunted sites of power. Some of these- out of vanity or ambition or for other, more inscrutable motives- have set themselves up as gods. Many of these spirits are bloodthirsty, warlike, and feuding, often devouring each other when they become strong enough to do so. They grant their followers boons in exchange for blood sacrifices. The gods and demons making up the Red Pantheon are innumerable- it is not really known if they are all even one kind of thing- and most peoples and tribes who follow the pantheon worship one or a select few of the deities, though some worship the Pantheon as a whole, which they take to be symbolic of the fundamental nature of the cosmos- one of constant battle and unending appetite. Some of the red gods communicate and interact frequently with their devotees, while others remain aloof, answering prayers and rewarding sacrifices only occasionally and indirectly. Likewise, while some of the gods are tied to one specific holy site, others roam the world freely, manifesting themselves wheresoever they please.
They are frequently sought out by the ambitious or the desperate, who seek to create pacts with them in exchange for material gain, victory on the battlefield, success in love, magical power, or other boons. Some of the more commonly known and worshiped red gods include:
Jadas, the Scorpion Mother, depicted frequently as half-scorpion, half woman and often taken as the patron of pirates and slavers. She is not associated with any holy site, and it is a subject of debate among scholars whether she exists or is merely the name given to a range of demonic activity.
The Gorelord, a powerful spirit often invoked by warriors and ghuls. His holy site is known as the Blood Spring, found deep in the Dune Sea. It is a pilgrimage site for many ghul.
The Mountain Wisdoms are monstrous crones said to lurk high in the Godfang Mountains, often sought out by those seeking hidden knowledge.
[players should invent and run with the red pantheon in any direction they please. it is a catchall term for demons and monsters that some peoples might worship.]
Humans: Humans come in many races, ethnicities and cultures, and have found diverse methods of adapting to the harsh environs of Azoth.
Dratha: An ethno-cultural subgroup of humans, the Dratha are a bloodline of sorcerers who engage in careful eugenics to ensure the purity of their race. Few in number, a Dratha is known by his or her pale skin and intricate, curling tattoos in their ancient script. They have a natural affinity for magic, and are famous for their magical academies, their skill at enchanting and their legendary arrogance and disdain for custom and piety. They venerate the memory of their founder, Othman Dratha, who in popular lore is said to have used cunning and treachery to steal the secrets of magic from the god of the moon (some legends say he ate the moon-deity's heart). Few Dratha believe such superstitious nonsense, but tales of Othman's ruthlessness and ambition illustrate the guiding tenets of Drathan society.
The Ghul: Abhumans and mutants warped by prolonged exposure to unrefined Ichor, the Ghul are everywhere the scourge of civilization and are almost universally despised. Violent tribes roam the vast, empty wastes, haunting especially the ruins of the Old Ones. They are frequently led by wizards, warlords, and the occasional red god. They come in an immense variety of shapes and sizes, most vaguely humanoid, and are occasionally used by other factions as slaves or mercenaries. Occasionally a Ghul warlord or sorcerer-priest will unite several tribes and pose a significant danger to more civilized peoples.
The Red Gods: Whether they are demons or gods or something else entirely, or whether they are even all one kind of thing, is a subject of considerable debate among philosophers and theosophists. See the religion tab for more information.
TBA
WHAT IS THIS RP?
-It is (grim)dark fantasy set in a harsh desert landscape with scarce resources. This is Lovecraft meets Tolkien meets...Mad Max? -This to be an exercise in collaborative world building. That means that we want nations that feel like they inhabit a shared world. Players should collaborate heavily in designing their factions. -It is low-medium fantasy: magic exists. It is powerful, dangerous, and rare. Rare.
A note on Magic: I am not a big fan on fixed magic rules or magic systems. I do want to stress that this is low(ish) fantasy. That means no armies of reanimated dead or golems, no legions of fireball casters, balrogs, etc. We're going to err on the side of how the LotR handled magic rather than say, D&D. Meaning, it is present and powerful, but mysterious and often indirect.
I prefer what I call the Tolkien/GRR Martin approach to magic and religion. Magic is real, mysterious, and powerful, but for the most part takes place 'off-screen', and is for aesthetic purposes somewhat subdued or indirect (eg- no undead armies or mages throwing fireballs around). Likewise, the RP will take the GRR Martin approach to religion: there are as many religions as we can come up with here, but we will leave it an open question as to whether any of them are true. Conflicting mythos and cosmologies and visions of god(s) are encouraged.
-It is vaguely Renaissance tech. Cannons and arquebus are new military technology. There are a few exceptions to this. -It has archeo-tech from a lost, highly advanced civilization -It has original fantasy races -It is inspired by Tolkien, Dune, Warhammer fantasy and 40K, Lovecraft, China Mieville, Morrowind, and Mad Max.
RULES - Writing standards are advanced - Have fun, act like a human being, and remember this is a vehicle for story telling and world building and not a competitive strategy game. If you want that, try Civ or Total War. They're fun. - Respect the judgment of the GMs. - Please try to post once a week. If you can't, that's no big deal at all, but check in here to let the GMs know you're still with us. - One more note on posting: everybody gets writers block, or burned out, or is unsure how to proceed once in awhile. If that happens, nbd- but maybe try to find other ways to stay active? Help flesh out the history of the world, or invent a new subfaction or religion. Worldbuilding might prompt a solid IC post. Let's keep this alive and awesome.
NOTE: this sucker is long. Fill out first the bits that are important for your faction and to you. Feel free to re-jigger this format to suit your faction.
Also, please post your WIP NSes in the Characters Tab with UNAPPROVED at the top until I give it the all-clear.
-Faction name: -Faction Type: (nomads? guild? church? kingdom? empire? mercenary company? All sorts of factions allowed) -Flag/Banner:
NATIONAL (if applicable) -Capital: -Government Type: -Currency: -Population: (absolute max of ~5 million [a little over estimates of ancient egypt's population] which would require a great deal of two very rare things: water and food. Most factions will be considerably smaller, given the harshness of the setting.) -Unique Trait #1: (Created by the player, needs to be approved by me) -Unique Trait #2: (Created by me) -Unique Flaw #1 (Created by the player, needs to be approved by me) -Unique Flaw #2 (Created by me)
GEOGRAPHICAL -World-Realm Map: -Major Cities: -Major Castles: -Buildings of Interest: -Geographic Features of Interest:
RACIAL -Majority Race: (Please avoid the bog-standard D&D fare here. If using versions of fantasy races pls give them your own twist, and please find ways for different factions to include races created by different players.) -Majority Race Appearance: -Majority Race Characteristics: -Minority Races: (If any)
NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE -Head of State/Monarch: -Ruling Dynasty (If applicable): -Constable Of The Army (If applicable): -Religious Head (If Applicable): -Persons of interest:
CULTURAL -History: -List of Historical Grievances -Relations -Cultural Notes
RELIGION, MAGIC and ARCHEO-TECH -State Religion: (If applicable. Either create your own local religion or take on a major religion. If creating your own, I will need to approve.) -Religious Information -Religion Demographics: -Holy Relics In Possession: -Holy Sites Under Control: -Magical Information -Archeo-Tech: (I'm going to regret this, but I will allow factions to utilize recovered ancient tech found in the ruins of the Old Ones, an ancient space faring civ. I will allow players wide discretion in inventing types of archeo-tech, but this tech has to fit the setting (eg, no mech suits with missiles capable of taking on entire armies), and used as appropriately. I will need to approve archeo-tech details. See more under the tech tab above.)
MILITARY -Total Military Size -Military Details (Unit Types and distribution of numbers)
Chat for collaboration Please keep this Empires of Sand focused, and recall that this is to serve the IC. Chats, while useful, occasionally tend to take away from IC posting.
I like the premise...what are expectations for posting frequency? I've got another RP going but this looks too good to pass up.
I would ideally like a post once a week, but as long as I know you're still active and you dont hold up the story, I can make exceptions or we can work something out where the GM can help move things along if you dont have time to post one week.
No I would start the IC once we get three or four solid NSes. I have a story-arc in mind that I can deploy if that would be useful to prodding the IC along, but otherwise I'm content to let players devise their own paths.
The benefit of this setting is that people can join and we can explain their absence from the story so far as "there's a huge amount of desert between us, so you havent been part of the story yet". I do want to emphasize collaborative world building and having the NSes feel as though they belong in a shared world, however, as well as working together to design the geography and history, etc etc. But hopefully not to the detriment of the IC, which I will be emphasizing more than I have in the past.
First, the desert is the country of madness. Second, it is the refuge of the devil, thrown out... to "wander in dry places." Thirst drives man mad, and the devil himself is mad with a kind of thirst for his own lost excellence--lost because he has immured himself in it and closed out everything else. So the man who wanders into the desert... must take care that he does not go mad and become the servant of the one who dwells there in a sterile paradise of emptiness and rage.
So I finally have time to GM a proper NRP, my earlier attempts at doing so in recent months being somewhat overly-ambitious. Here's the big idea: a low-to-mid fantasy NRP set on a desert world, one recovering from an ancient cataclysm brought on by a now-lost advanced magi-tech civilization. The emphasis would be on scarce resources and impassible landscapes and Lovecraftian secrets hidden beneath the sands. While there will be different 'biomes' and areas to the world (fertile river valleys, oases, dune-seas, mountainous areas and plateaus, ruins of ancient civs, etc), the basic idea here is that our nations will inhabit a harsh, demanding world. As always with my NRPs, I'm placing a premium on collaborative worldbuilding- each nation and faction ought to feel at home with each other, possessing shared histories and entanglements. Likewise, the geography, fauna, flora and history of the world itself will be something all of us will jointly design.
The setting would take what I call the Tolkien/Martin approach to magic. Magic is real, mysterious, and powerful, but for the most part takes place 'off-screen', and is for aesthetic purposes somewhat subdued or indirect (eg- no undead armies or mages throwing fireballs around). Likewise, while multiple sentient species will inhabit this world, I would like to stay away from the elf/dwarf/gnome/orc/goblin mainstays of D+D. Players would be encouraged to give the traditional fantasy races a unique twist, or better yet invent their own! Our tech level would be around that of late antiquity, but of course factoring in the existence of magic and fantasy beasts.
Hope this whets your interest! I look forward to RPing with you!
By any chance have you noticed the cycle of intensive world building, progressive loss of thematic focus and eventually player drop out sprees that seems to affect sci-fi NRPs?
Interstellar Ascension is perhaps the most interest case study of such NRP cycle.
Old wounds cut deep. Though I agree, this cycle results in the death of easily 90% of the NRPs here. Myself and @Terminal, by his suggestion, had been deliberating writing a guide on what causes this, how to avoid it and to just generally raise awareness of it. It is the number cause of death in the NRP section.
If that work would possibly be better transferred here, then I'm happy to speak frankly and honestly about that particular RP, as a case study, as the GM.
One possibility, I've experimented with and enjoyed, is just to embrace the dynamic being bemoaned here. Alot of RPers seem to be very interested in world building- and frankly, the world building ideas of most RPers are more interesting (at least to me) than reading their prose. So just give the people what they want, and a framework to do it in.
Consciously spinning an NRP as a collaborative worldbuilding exercise and encouraging people to worldbuild to their heart's content has at least two upsides: 1) it's (apparently for many people) flat out fun, and can frankly be more fun than reading IC posts about what space-queens and space-diplomats or not-zergs are doing as written by amateur authors 2) worldbuilding can lend itself to fiction set in-universe, and can be a fruitful source of real collaboration as opposed to the ridiculous pseudo-RTS dynamics that so many NRPs fall in to (and which I think is part of what is being complained about here). In my experience it can actually help the IC side of things. I know that the most creative and successful I've been at writing science fiction or fantasy scenes or short stories has been in the context of collaborative worldbuilding. My most successful experiments with this dynamic have been in fantasy settings- NRPs which were extremely healthy for months and only failed because I could no longer GM for RL reasons, but the principle holds true for scifi/space opera as well.
Just my thoughts. If the people like worldbuilding, give them worldbuilding, and try to structure the worldbuilding so as to enhance the IC rather than compete with it.
Appearance: A tall, thin man of pale complexion, with angular features heavily scarred. His left eye is missing, the mangled socket is usually covered with a patch and his dark hair is greying at the temples. Dratha usually wears simple steel chest plate and armor, over which he wears a black, cowled cloak.
Personality: A hard drinking man with a wry sense of humor, Dratha is a rather cool and unflappable character. He has the rare gift of a great commander: to demand fear and respect from his men, without seeming haughty, unrelatable or aloof. Years of warfare against the barbarians has deepened a native ruthless streak in him, but towards his own people he tries to be temperate and just, though a strict disciplinarian. In recent years, he has grown increasingly grim and strange, prone to trances and fits and talking to himself in alien tongues. There are whispers among the ranks that tampering with magic has made him slightly unhinged.
He was born to rice farmers, in what remained of the Empire of Atlantis, at the place where the desert meets the mountains. At ten he was dragooned into the legions- at this point little more than privateers serving under Atlantaen warlords. At fifteen he had made a name for himself as a warrior and a commander, even as the legion he served devolved and fractured. At twenty he was second in command of what was left of his army, a ragged band of bandits and desperadoes, with nowhere left to run, making a living by raiding barbarian and beastmen camps. It was then his destiny changed.
His company was ambushed by beastkin in a high pass among the Wolves' Teeth. The fighting was fierce, and he cut down many of the mutant hordes, but there was no hope. Slashed across the face by a poisoned blade, half blinded and dying, he abandoned his men, taking refuge in the ruins of an ancient tomb hidden among the sandstone spires of the pass. It was there he found the Book, resting in the clutches of skeletal corpse of some ancient, nameless priest.
He could not read the ancient tongue, and yet the Book spoke to him, told him secrets, gave him hope. More than mere mortals feared the beastkin and the dark gods they served, said the Book. The northmen and their gods were not the only ones who knew of the ancient Art. evil can with evil be expelled...
He emerged from the tomb, haggard and alone but filled with new life. What beastkin came forth to oppose him he slew, and slowly he gathered to himself the remnants of his lost army, and the remnants of many lost and desperate peoples, including flame-haired Hyperboreans left reeling from the Nameless Warlord's whirlwind advance out of Lemuria.
His life since has been one of near constant warfare, attempting to forge a new people and give to them the goods of a settled and secure life, the type of life he barely remembers from his youth, while fending off hordes of barbarians, beastkin and bandits. To that end, he has forged his Iron Legions from refugees of all nations, modeling his armies on those of great and ancient peoples, as the Book has taught him.
His citadel is called Sepulchrave, a fortification high in the Wolves' Teeth mountains. It is in the highlands he has set up his kingdom, such as it is: villages huddled around re-conquered, crumbling Atlantean forts and terrace-farms hidden away in inaccessible valleys.
His wars with the barbarians and mutants have been savage. Every invasion he has countered gives birth to a new enemy. And yet the Witch-King and his Iron Legions endure.
He has gained a reputation among the Northmen, steppe-hordes and his fellow warlords as a dangerous enemy, a skilled commander of a disciplined army, and wielder of ancient and ghastly magickes, hence his moniker. Of course, for the blood thirsty nordlings, he is everything they want in an enemy.
Journey: Dratha's primary goal is to survive, to weather the storm, to provide his people with something of security and peace, and to honor his venerated Atlantean ancestors, who forged the greatest society yet known to the world. It is for these goals he first used the secrets of the Book, but he has become increasingly obsessed over the years with magic and history, amassing an impressive library in his Citadel through trade and the plunder of ruins. When not on campaign he spends hours pouring over scrolls of ancients sorcerers and kings, and of course in contemplation of the Book.
Ideals: In a world of chaos and death, Dratha prizes Order, Discipline, Justice, and Piety to the Ancestors, and is trying to build a new state based on all three. He is also more and more interested mastery of the arcane, the High Art of the ancient wizards and the immortality promised by the Book.
Holdings:
The Citadel of Sepulchrave, an ancient fortress of grey stone nestled high in the Wolves' Teeth mountains, as well as several outlying forts and farming villages tucked into valleys and passes.
The Iron Legion, a mongrel force of a few thousand heavy infantry famed for their discipline and loyalty.
The Library: As the Witch King has grown increasingly interested in matters obscure and hidden, he has amassed a patchwork library in his citadel of books and scrolls of philosophy, theology, history and arcana.
The Book: an ancient tome, not particularly thick, bound in crumbling leather and written in a tongue long lost to time. The Witch King carries it with him where ever he goes, usually in a harness underneath his armor.
Dagoth: the Witch King's sword, forged by his own hands and infused with spells and secrets learned from the Book.
