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>>54471021
>The Dawn Machine: Glorious, Growing, Damning. Upwards, it encourages the abandonment of one's ambition, less its effects grow out of control. Downwards, it suggests one does not stop their ambition, but rather slow it down, observe the current results, and improve it for the future.
>The Mutant: Animalistic, emotional, deranged. Upwards, it warns of one's baser instincts overwhelming and destroying them. Downwards, it encourages one to investigate their emotions and prime urges, and find use within them.
>The Dark Mage: Ambitious, driven, corrupted. Upwards, it encourages the further study of dark arts to achieve ones goals. Downwards, it warns of the darkness overwhelming those who seek it blindly.
>The World: Decaying, wholeness, home. Upwards, it suggests a critical event, one that could very well lead to a moment of enlightenment. Downwards, it suggests a longer, more difficult road before one can find peace.

And that's all my not!Tarot card suggestions. Hopefully it helps make this setting just a bit more rad.

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>>54471331
Thanks for the not!Tarot posts Anon. They were pretty great.

>>54471221
I've actually been thinking over some potential end games for this setting, at least for a campaign. Some include.

>Redeeming a Dark Lord: Somehow the PCs are able to convince one or multiple Dark Lord(s) that it is best to either fight back against the Black Sun by killing the other Dark Lords, or more likely, that they could rule the world completely by defeating all the other Dark Lords.

>Supporting the Dawn Machine: By offering it enough slaves, and finding enough parts necessary for it to grow powerful, the Dawn Machine goes to war with the Black Sun, with who knows what happening as a result.

>Escape: Either by commandeering the Astronomer's space ship, invading the Architect's hidden underground city, or finding some other way to run away from the Black Sun, the party escapes the corrupting rays...at least for awhile.

>Complete Global Revolution: Equally the most unlikely and obvious, the party is able to unify enough forces for good to go to direct war with the Dark Lords and win.

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>The True Birth fast approaches young ones, and when it does, we shall finally gaze upon the true glory of the Black Sun, and transcend this wretched coil, becoming as one in the eternal darkness.
>We shall become as the Dark Champions themselves, and be United for all eternity, the Black Sun awakening in full.

One technical detail we would probably figure out is how the night is different, or not different, than an eclipse. It's been established that an eclipse weakens the Dark Lords and drives branded and mutants crazy, but is it the same rules for when it's night? Maybe the night does weaken beings fueled by the Black Sun, but because an eclipse is such a sudden cut off, those cause even more of a negative reaction than the night does.

Either way, it'd be hard to run a society where every night all your subjects go crazy.

>>54471672
Night doesn't exist the Black Sun shines forever only blocked out by a eclipse.

>>54471447
It coiuld also include solving mysteries.
>Gathering the Eight Gifts of the Dark Lords
>Realizing the secret of the Sunspots
>Winning the Race of Bone and Marrows
>Traveling to the center of the Silent South with the Thundermen
>Use the eclipse to your advantage
>Finding out what is on the moon
>Becoming the champion of the Mourners
>Completing the Crusade with the Lone Clerics

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>>54471331

>>54471606
Filename: Whooo_Ozzfest!

>>54471725
You know what? I'm willing to accept that.

>>54471824
This is a good list as well. There's honestly a huge amount of possibilities with all the mysteries in this setting.

Alright /tg/, let's say someone decided to DM with this setting. No real context given about what the adventure will be other than it's a situation where unlikely people will need to work together (so a loyal branded and a rebel could be in the same party). Knowing that you can play as someone from any faction, what type of character do you think you'd make, and how would you play them?

>>54471938
I think I would most definitely make a Culinary. One of the strange artisans who chase insects, beasts and folk of yore that could potentially be tasty. A journeyman hunter from the Dark Lord of the Hunt, left in human form. It would be fun, being a crazy, suicidal chef, I think, constantly wanting to die from insane battles, as a sort of barbarian with cleavers. I'd play them as someone who sees the world as really, really bleak, and finds joy only in cooking, but haphazardly throws himself into the fray with little concern for himself, stressing himself out more to improve his craft, for it is all he clings to.

That could actually be another Win Condition.
>Find and Slay A beast of Yore.
These may include:
>The Banshee
>The Thief King
>The Scrap Monstrosity
>The Plant Goliath
>The Lone Cleric himself
>The Shaper
>It That Rides As One
>Hallow's Bark
>Corpsekeeper King
>The Depthseeker
>Purifiers
>The Monstrous Brigand
Or something of that sort.

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Bump.

Anon who was compiling the stuff into a google doc here.

working on putting relevant information together under headings next.

feel free to suggest edits.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14WlvAzOgGdCzG_XytF87LvpruNQx_lUGei--Iun10zg/edit?usp=sharing

>>54472884
Good to see you still around, Document Anon.

>>54471938
I'd play as a Curator to provide my party with knowledge and (potentially) pre-dark weapons like guns.

>>54473066
> I have been given a title

The Fire Lord is often seen by his (or her, depending how how you interpret a Dark Lord) followers as a parental figure. A stern parental figure, but one that wants to see his followers rise through the ranks, crush their enemies, and achieve greatness through battle, and celebrate by relaxing in his pools of magma. The truly loyal seek to please the Fire Lord in anyway they can, to please their father (or mother). However, this is a double edged sword, as the Fire Lord's temper is notoriously short, and at any moment he can burst, destroying everything in his path, including his followers. This breaks the hearts of his followers, who have tried their best to please him, only to be betrayed and made the subjects of his scorn. Perhaps the branded of the Fire Lord do not have it as bad as others, but their abusive, twisted relationship with their master is one to be pitied.

Oh hey the previous tread was archived

good news

>>54473315
Yep. Someone give it one more vote so it can achieve Epic status.

>>54473341
> how do i vote lol

>>54473375
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html
Just click vote on the thread, son.

>>54473383
Thanks. the deed i done

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>>54472884
>my stuff got in

Thanks Docu-anon

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During the conquering of the planet, not every member of royalty was brave enough to stand against the Dark Lords. In fact, once it became clear that victory was nigh impossible, many nobles became Branded willingly in exchange for continued rule over the lands. In the mountains of the Archaeologist or the city of the Architect, you can still find the family lines of these nobles, managing the slaves, handling tax collection, and always plotting to gain more favor with their Dark Lord.

Alright everyone we have the major factions and general foundation of the world now we need some major locations.

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>>54474009
Honestly, I think the unmapped setting kind of works. We're sort of in-between a Post-Apocalyptic Earth and Dark Fantasy World, and the inconsistency brings out a very unique atmosphere, where you have survivalist raiders next to sword-toting knights. Very Dark Tower-ish.

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>>54474009
Sure, locations are probably a good place to focus on.

>On the boarders of the Dark Lord of Plants' lands, where the dead line the ground with each step to feed the Lord's children, there is one place surprisingly free from corpses.
>It is a simple forest, full of plants like any other part of the Lord's lands...but the trees all seem to be dead. Dead plants in such numbers are unheard of in this corner of the world.
>This is where the Branded who have particularly offended the Lord of Plants are sent, told that they are free to leave if they can make it to the other side of the woods.
>The banished Branded may at first think they are safe, with no deadly plants to poison, entangle, or feed off of them, but they can not be more wrong.
>Soon, the bark on the trees crack to reveal hungry mouths and soulless eyes.
>The trees grab their victims with long branch arms, and eat the Branded whole, leaving no corpse, absorbing everything into themselves.
>For this is The Walking Ground, home of the Plant Goliath and its children.

>>54474200
>>54474009
I think some interesting landmarks should be in place.

the lords stuff provides pretty good landmarks though

> sprawling city
> dense forest
> underground labyrinth of ruins
> smoldering wastelands, with craters of magma

Other ideas
> a huge observatory
> A mountain, carved out to be a city with both balconies and windows jutting from it, but the entire inside is also city

>>54474200
I agree that the setting should remain largely unmapped but there should be some major landmarks and faction "capitals"

>>54474200
I do agree with you somewhat, since the world should be very vague and mysterious, and the landscape does shift and change, but I don't think there's any harm in having a few known locations to act as landmarks or places of interest that dot the vast uncharted lands.

Who is the best Dark Lord to be branded to and why is it the Dark Lord of Black Waters?

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>>54474253
sound like the tangle trees from the Xanth series of books

> this is the only drawing i could find, i always imagined them closer to sea anemones

>>54474009

Throw in that "valley of withering heads" that confused that one guy.

The Black Sea (centered on the Dawn Engine?) and each Lord has their own Island/continent, except the Lord of the Black Sea who lives in an underwater place (which may or may not have an associated island/landmass near it).

Little world building advice for locations: There are really only 2 types of location; "goals" and "paths"
A goal is defined by having something that PCs would want to get from that location, and a path is generally defined by being the area that has to be passed through to get to a goal and also has either some low level obstacle that PCs must overcome to travel through it or have sub-locations that present obstacles that need to be overcome to continue travel (which can vary as much as "some bandits live in the hills here" to "there's a customs checkpoint along this road" all the way up to "to cross this canyon you have to solve a puzzle dungeon that lowers a drawbridge" or "you can only get through htis barrier with one particular spell that is located at [$GOAL]"

Another location worth exploring also counts as one of the Eight Gifts that players might want to hunt down. Going back to a post from the previous thread, the Lord of Cities' castle is somewhere in the world, controlled by ex Branded who use it as a base to perform necromancy experiments. I assume they'd have to move it somewhere the Architect couldn't get to it easily, since the Lords probably want those gifts back.

I have a good idea, I think.
>On the islands between the ever-shifting continents, there are small shacks made of wood from the Old World, that seem to be avoided by every path that is taken by Parting the Dark Sea.
>What travelers seldom know, however, is that these are used as resting spots for couriers that are of utmost importance to the Dark Lords' communications to one another.
>These small shacks look strange in a landscape dotted by storms, darkness and the laughter of the jealous sun on the horizon, but they remain almost entirely untouched.
>This has led to stories and rumors being made of the relic, mentioning that this is the Last Respite. >The only thing to remind anyone of the Old World, and to show those born in the world of the Black Sun what things used to be like.
>These shacks are also used as torture cells for enemy spies, and those beyond refuge, but the twisted couriers with their mutated wings oft rest here.
>Lately, however, they have had metal spires built on these islands, a mystery to even the couriers themselves.
>The Stitchers seem to have taken a liking to the isolated islands in the middle of the Dark Sea, surrounded by constant storms and corpses that wash ashore.
>Skaab messengers are sent like threats, and the Couriers send messages back in the form of hellfire and brimstone from the sky.
>A sort of border skirmish between two almost unrelated groups has become sport at this point, to where the Couriers enjoy this back-and-forth so much, that they no longer tell their lords about it anymore.
>It's something to look at in a long passage while you're pulling a cart as a slave. The Branded seldom complain about it.

Do we want to expand on the Humble 67?

>>54474522
If you have ideas, go right ahead and suggest them, but right now I think they're a decent enough mini-faction.
>Hide knowledge instead of sharing it.
>Monks of the setting
>Recruit children and raise them into warriors
>Who knows if there are actually always 67 of them or if it's a Crazy 88 situation?

>>54474488
>Winged mail men monsters that fight zombies
I like it a lot.

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>In a whistling chasm that is far to the north, the cracks in the fault line supposedly reach to the core of the planet.
>If that wasn't enough, the chasm's rock seems to creak and groan in pain when it crumbles or shifts in any way.
>The chasm is long, steep, and extremely narrow, essentially a large crack on the face of the planet, the harsh rays of the Black Sun unshielded by clouds.
>Supposedly, The Banshee resides in these parts, screeching along the winds and groaning alongside the rock.
>What makes this chasm so well known to revolutionaries, is that it leads to the supposed secret base of the Children of the Dawn Machine.
>In addition, it is the only land bridge available that crosses to the north pole, and that connects the eastern continent to the western, when Parting the Black Sea is not an option
>Nomads and travelers seek refuge frequently here, and the walls are filled with camps suspended from cracks, staring at travelers with the mysterious Unbranded mutants.
>The Voidnarrow is a beast of a terrain to cross, but there are known paths that guides or Marrows are more than willing to risk their lives for, if it gets their rocks off.

>>54474582
I like to think that the masters and original monks are called the Humble 67, so while there are always willing students, the long-living masters will forever remain as 67.

I know there are a few people looking at it already, but the setting info is mostly sorted on this google doc.

Feel free to comment and suggest things on it

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14WlvAzOgGdCzG_XytF87LvpruNQx_lUGei--Iun10zg/edit?usp=sharing

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>Deep below the deadly waves, at the bottom of the sea, live the gilled people.
>They were a race of people shrouded in mystery even before the Black Sun came, but now, with knowledge so limited, many believe them to only be myths.
>But they are real, and so are their sunken cities.
>These cities sank to the bottom of the sea during the War Against the Abstracts, and became makeshift homes for the, at the time, waring hunter-gather societies of the gilled people.
>Over time, as the gilled people united under one rule, and gained a desire to become civilized like the land walkers they learned about through the information trapped in the sunken cities.
>They learned to love these sunken cities as if they were always their own. Symbols of their growing society and civilized nature, laughing as the War above continued while peace had finally come for the sea folk.
>But once the darkness came alive, and the gilled folk's bodies were corrupted, so too did the sunken cities begin to rapidly decay into hives for mutated sea beasts and poison ocean moss.
>They are now places of scum and villainy, where the gilled folk who refuse to join the Dark Lord of Black Seas struggle to survive against sea monsters and their own tainted kind.
>For some reason, the Dark Lord does not touch the sunken cities. He offers to rule over them and establish order, but he will not outright attack unless provoked.
>Perhaps the old world secrets hidden within them hold too much sentimental value for The Dark Lord to risk destroying.

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>What know you, of Hallow's Bark?
>We all heard 'a Ol' Nic's prophecings, course. Where th' Nine-of-Eight be a-birthin'. Where th' Endbringer will sing a bring this tarnation to a black-hearted end.
>Might you've heard them masked librarians say that the ol' H.B. is a fairy's tale, told to th' young 'uns and th' simple. Might be some who say it's a state 'a mind, that th' Ninth will come from within' Man's own soul.
>Horseshit, I says. I'd seen it wit' my own eyes.
>A'course, ain't got no eyes anymore. Hee hee. I was lucky enough to take 'em from my skull 'fore the Dragon could take me. He's mite protective of his charge, y'see. Can't abide a stranger carryin' away too many secrets.
>But this l'il thing I kept. Seek the Town at World's End. Th' Barkeep will point ye rightly next.
>Now leave me, 'fore th' drink wears thin.

>>54474752
I see you have a section for History on here. Maybe you can try to break down the elements of the timeline we do know about. It's not much, but we at least have three distinct time periods so far.

>The War against The Ancients
>The War against the Dark Lords
>The Rule of the Dark Lords

Gifts of the Dark Lords could be last purified things in existance. Little shards of hope. Assasination night purified them and now they absent black sun taint. They now have reverse properties.
Flower is last beatyfull thing and plant grow normaly around it.
Last water is infinite source and slowly dripping clean water out of it.
Castle is last heaven. Completely safe location protected from any danger.
Pup is last friend. Vigilant and loyal.

>>54474958
Bag of bugs becomes a bag of... good bugs?

>>54474608
>Thundermen recruits often make the dangerous journey from the South Pole to the North in order to find potential recruits for their Silent South expedition.
>Some nomads and travelers, strong enough to brave the journey and determined enough to escape from the Dark Lords, agree to go with the Thundermen instead of going inside the cavern.
>Unbeknownst the the Thundermen, these recruitments are actually saving potential victims of the Dawn Machine's enslaving powers from a life of mindless praise and servitude

>>54474958
I dont think they were meant to be corrupted in the first place. they were gifts being used to gain favour.

>>54475056
>>54474958
Besides for being excellent spies, a purified bag of bugs might also lead to more purification in the future. The vermin, instead of spreading more filth, feed off of corruption, purifying things by eating the corruption off of them.

Some say they could even eat the mutations off of people and return them to normal.

>>54475073
>The flower was coming out of a dead person's mouth
>The gold was covered in blood
>The bag of bugs was a bag of bugs
They may not have been intentionally made to corrupt anyone, but a lot of the gifts had corrupt origins. I can dig the idea of Assassination Night's sheer badassary being enough to clean up some of the lingering evil from the gifts.

>>54475104
fair

>>54474839
I love stories or dialogues in this setting. Really helps give things flavor.

And if you collect all the gifts together you will get... A nice place to live. Nothing more. With shelter, food, water, company, protection etc, but it will be just one place in fucked up world.

>>54475269
Another interpretation is that none of the gifts can be used simultaneously. Since they're all a part of the Dark Lords, each of them are repelled by one another. Water will turn stale. The pup will disappear into the night. The castle's keys will vanish, etc.

>>54475269
I've been thinking about how to have a campaign focused on finding the gifts and how that can help defeat the Black Sun, and what you're suggesting, for as small as it is, is the ace in the hole I'm considering.
>Find all the gifts, and bring them all together.
>...
>Nothing happens.
>You have really nice stuff but it doesn't really do anything magical or wonderful. It's just some nice stuff.
>But that purified water saves many people from being forced to drink poisonous liquids.
>And the plants you grow feed hungry refugees.
>And the flame sword scares off the beasts that go bump in the day.
>And the bugs help cure people of corrupting mutations.
>And the castle is large enough to keep many families safe.
>And the gold helps buy people weapons and gear to defend themselves with
>And the globe allows you to see how the world is changing and learn how the planet works
>And the dog not only defends the castle, but is beloved by the children
>By collecting all these gifts and creating a home for so many people, you've inspired more hope in a single few years than has been seen in generations
>You have the chance to start a new kingdom, one that Ezra and Marisol would have been proud of, one that through hope, just might save the world.

>>54475379
It would be a dickish thing for the Dark Lords to do, but I can see that happening.

>"Just in case those two choose a different Lord to follow, I'll make sure my gift doesn't even work if they try to use anyone else's"

>>54475384
This seems too happy to me for some reason, you know? I don't think there should BE a happy ending. Like Call of Cthulhu, it should end with a big, dark question mark, with only a few questions answered.

>>54475416
I agree, it is super happy, to a cheesy degree. But I think that it could be a unique way for the players to interpret and try to handle the gifts. It's not like having them all together instantly makes things better, the world is still a terrible place. But all the players can do is try to make the best out of it, and in that regards, using the gifts for good could be a way to gain a sense of greater victory.

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>We are The Walkers Three
>We Herald the Final End
>With our thirty-four thousand tongues, we shall sing the song to end all songs, the Song Of Ruin, and we shall blight the lands forevermore
>We shall burn the world to cinders with our great wings of blackest fire
>We shall pave the way for HIS coming
>With HIS coming, there shall be no more light

I am going to bed and wont be able to update the Doc until late tomorrow night if at all.

try to keep the thread alive until then

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>>54475720
Can do Anon. But I might be going to sleep myself, so we'll see what happens.

>The Lord of Black Waters is often seen as an infuriating Lord by others for his random and chaotic storms, his high prices for safe travels, and his general lack of co-operation with other Lords.
>It seems like the Dark Waters Lord would be content sitting at the bottom of the sea doing nothing of value
>Yet some say that this Lord does have operations on the surface, they are just kept very quiet.
>Some say they see gilled men, branded in service of the Black Waters Lord, sneaking into the deep caverns and mountains, searching for something.
>Confronting these gilled men proves to be treacherous, as they are armed with the acidic waters as a weapon, controlling it with dark magic.
>Some believe that these gilled men are searching for the Dawn Machine, attempting to use their waters to flood it out and extinguish it before it can become too powerful
>Yet as more gilled men are spotted, it seems they have yet to succeed.

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>>54475791
>In fact, many a time the followers of the Dawn Machine and the gilled men in service to the Black Water Lord can be found clashing, blades of clockwork and solar energy against the dark water that the gilled men manipulate through their magic.
> These battles are usually fought within the deep caverns and mountains, but the flashes and flares of dark magic and solar power are easy to spot.

>>54475920
These battle infuriate the Mountain Lord, as they often are held in his territories, leaving his caverns and mines in complete disarray. But since the Waters Lord is so hard to reason with, and the Dawn Machine cannot be found, there is little he can do other than try using his Branded to kill off whichever side survives the skirmish when he can as revenge.

Someone in previous thread mentioned Artifacts of the Abstracts. Got ideas?

>>54476011
>Much like the Abstracts themselves, the Artifacts of the Abstracts are broken, destroyed, mere shells of what they once were.
>However, they still contain great power for those who know how to unlock these half-broken puzzle boxes
>Each artifact is different in its own way, designed with a different power in mind, but all seem to have a key ability to alter reality.
>One artifact may freeze time
>Another may rewrite someone's memories of the past
>If their powers are used too much, the artifacts will turn to dust.
>However, a smart user may choose to only open the artifacts slightly, using their energy to better reinforce their protective armors so they may have an easier time resisting the Black Sun's rays

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>>54476011
>A blade of pure crystallized Hope, laughter given form, sealed within an ancient tomb buried deep in the depths of the earth.
>A book holding all the names of the Dead Abstracts, and the old rites once performed in their name, bound in dark leather and kept hidden from the world, in a place outside normal reality.
>A great machine which holds a deep power, one which still animates the great mass to this day.
Some ideas before I go to sleep.

>>54475416
But its just a small place. Soon black water consume the land and all that is left will be your castle. Forever.

>>54476011
Early in the original thread, it was mentioned that the massive corpses of the Abstracts still leaked their essence as a source of power.

We could give some of those Abstracts identities like we did for the Dark Lords. But only a couple, as it seems the Abstracts have fallen into myth at best, if not altogether forgotten. Maybe only a name and some vague hint at their purpose in the world before the light inverted came to be.

If the Unbranded have the Dark Lords to curse, wouldn't they might have some obscure deity to pray to for salvation? A rumor, some seemingly made-up name, a battlecry, but something more than just blind faith that opposes the dark ones? A chance, however slight, of receiving power to oppose the Black Sun? If reality is Hell, shouldn't there be Hope of a Heaven to escape to? Even if Hope is the most damning gift of all, wouldn't it be better than simply surrendering?

>>54476404
Are you saying that the sequel setting is a high seas adventure following survivors on an ocean castle battling sea monsters?

>>54476469
There are still worshipers of the Abstracts, they just need to go into hiding as their worship is now considered illegal. The Mystics, basically traveling super priests, are collecting Abstract energy scraps in order to build them up and either use them to fight the Dark Lords, or maybe even try resurrecting an Abstract.

>>54471725
Does the Black sun cover entire planet? Is there darkside of the planet with unspeakable horrors and ancient cities long lost in annals of history and time?

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>>54476469
>Howdy, stranger! I see you've an eye for my wares. Might be you see a piece for that there belt?
>Oh, this ol' thing? Heh, I see you've got an eye for quality, sir.
>No, it ain't no mundy razor at all, nosir. You can smell it, can't you? The blood of the Powers That Were?
>That it is, sir, that it is. Meat-steel carved out from Mount Juno in yonder north, where the Sky-King fell. A piece of God himself, stuck on this hilt.
>Them Machinists found it, hammered the marrow-bone of lightning into a shape most pleasing. Might be they hoped to make iron what can wound the Sunners in the service of the Lords. Whatever they did, they got that piece o' god into this thing here.
>You feel it, don't you? Power from times back when? Before the Sun, when the Lords Above still walked? You feel that bit o' God in this, doncha? I'm guessin' you'd be wanting that for whatever questing you're on right now.
>How'd I get it? Heh, well, don't you be worrying your head off on that. Just know, for but a hand 'o silver, this piece of God right here? It's all yours.

54469603
>If your fantasy setting is so generic grimderp shit that it bears similarities to low-hanging fruit fa/tg/uy grimderp porn, you're better off not publishing it.
if you don't like grimdark settings, what are you doing in these threads?

There is a tale about a group of uncorrupted artificers that escaped in a spacefaring vessel during the early wars. They hide to this day in the very shadow of their homeworld. They investigate changeling materials, able to resist corrupting entropy of the Black Sun. With enough of those, they will be able to eclipse the Sun permanently.

Bump, also is there an archive for this thread? I'm interested in running a campaign in this setting.

>>54480255
There's an archive for the first thread, and a more organized document. I'll give you the links.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14WlvAzOgGdCzG_XytF87LvpruNQx_lUGei--Iun10zg/edit#heading=h.l8yjw13zvvpu

Make sure to share how the campaign goes!

>>54476802
>The Mystics
Weren't the Mourners the last worshipers of the abstracts?

>>54476469
>Identities
If we do give the Abstracts some domains, they shouldn't be standard things like fire or water or anything. They were called abstracts, that sort of implies they were gods of abstract concepts.

>>54481733
Shit, you're right. The Mourners, not the Mystics.

What are some good strategies that rebels are able to use to fight against the Dark Gods without taking them head on?

A few I've thought of

>Killing a black mage while he's Parting the Black Sea, drowning the entire slave caravan and destroying a Dark Lord's supply route
>Manipulating the not!Tarot card readings of black mages so they predict outcomes that hurt enemy moral
>Using predicted eclipses to their full advantage, stealing key information or supplies while Branded are crazy and distracted

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>The Abstracts had names, but few remember the names of these great deities who once held sway over the world
>Most of the what is currently known about the Abstracts is uncovered through ancient texts and tomes, and from what the Mourners care to reveal.

>>54482315
>What names can be found in the texts are often missing letters and key markings, making the true names of the Abstract lost forever.
>Xc'__fe-da__m, or Ve___a_ae, and the like
>As such, when a specific abstract is mentioned, they are either referred to by the concept they were most associated with (joy, accomplishment, discipline,) or through the jumbled mess of sounds left from whatever their true names were.

Christ, this place makes Athas look like Disneyland.

Something I like about this setting is its flow of time. It's not a dumb as the dark souls flow of time stuff. The Black Sun never sets or moves, and it's corrupting influence has so warped reality that you have space stations orbiting an earth where low-tech humans exist alongside higher tech people. And it's not a matter of one Advanced or the other degenerated, but that's just how reality is.

And how the world is constantly shifting. The only stability in geography provided by hellish dark lords.

I really wanna run games in this setting, be they wargames, skirmish, or rpgs. I might turn my hand to some short fiction in this setting to.

Excellent job everyone so far.

>>54483094
Oh dude, if you want to write some fiction for the setting, go right ahead. We already have the Eight Gifts storyline, and now that's a big chunk of the lore, you could bring in some sweet stuff.

What factions would be in a Black Sun war game? You'd have dark lord armies for sure, but lore wise the resistance groups are pretty small. Still, I'd love to see a painted army of Thundermen.

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>it is said that if one follows the Black Sun into the west they will eventually come to The Fleshmire.
>a sight of many battles in the Days of the Old Sun, the Black Sun's corrupting rays have turned it into a waste of flesh, blood, and jagged bone. Unspeakable horrors are said to haunt it's bloody runs.
>consequently, this is also one of the best places to obtain quality world-flesh for making of protection against the Black Sun.

>>54483261
It definitely wouldn't be on the level of the Eight Gifts lore. Low level stuff: I was thinking about a story where a wanderer crosses into what he thinks is a safe place where the sun doesn't shine but is actually the dominion of a high level branded of the Mountain Lord.

I think skirmish level games would work the best. Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes I think would allow the flexibility needed. As for models...bit at a loss. Humans are easy, but it would be hard to find suitable minis to represent the horrors of the Black Sun.

>>54483281
>Harvesting from the Fleshmire is a dangerous task, but not just because of the horrors that haunt the land.
>For you see, the Dark Lords know that world-flesh resists the Black Sun's rays. It is not something that interests them, as they and their Branded have little to fear (well, the Branded have plenty to fear from the Black Sun, but to a lesser degree as they would if they were unbranded)
>The Dark Lords know, however, that rebels need the world-flesh, and take great joy in crushing rebellion where they can.
>When traveling the Fleshmire, be ever vigilant. For its not just monsters you need to look out for, but traveling war bands, hidden traps, and creatures trained to sniff out the blood of the untainted.

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>>54483281
>the Fleshmire is still hotly contested ground between the Dark Lords to this day, and a simmering cold war has been brewing for access to the valuable world-flesh.
>cruel taskmasters dominate the newly branded of the Dark Lords at the harvest sights. Blessed by their masters and the Black Sun, they have given themselves entirely over to soulless productivity and blood-curdling tortures to ensure it.
>rebels have lately been sighted in the Fleshmire, picking at the outskirts for world-flesh. Nothing is invisible to the Lord of the Thousand Eyes, and the Lord of Hounds is quick to send his wolves to prevent interlopers from utilizing the Fleshmire.

>>54483393
Little stuff can go a long way all the same, go right ahead if you have the time.

As I'm more on the RPG side of table top than the wargaming side, I'm probably not the best guy to suggest advice, but Warhammer daemons and cultists might be a decent enough start for the corrupted factions.

>>54483493
Dude perfect I love that.

>>54483562
I've also considered Warhammer 3rd edition. Lots of freedom In army creation and a freakin SWEET mutations table in the main book.

>>54483555
>>54483493
Well shit. These two ideas kinda contradict each other, but I love the idea of a Dark Lord cold war. More opportunity for stories. Rebels would jump on the opportunity to harvest world-flesh for themselves, so really it could be an all out rush between the Lords and the rebels to get whatever flesh they can.

>>54483639
I don't see a contradiction. Maybe the Dark lords harvest the world-flesh to keep it from being used by rebels.

>>54483668
Eh, you're right, that works.

>some of the most useful world-flesh is that which lies beneath the pools of the Fleshmire.
>Corrupted water and blood mix to create a slimy red ichor that only those Gilled Ones branded by the Lord of Black Waters can access.
>why the Dark Lord sends his agents to collect this red world-flesh is unknown.

>"Come, step into my parlour," said the dark mage, waving the lumbering Branded task master into the building.
>He was a mid ranking Branded, but one of ever growing fame, in charge of the slaves on the outskirts of the Architect's sprawling city, creating homes for their ever growing society.
>"Tell me my fortune, wizard" said the Branded. "I must know if I am to receive the Dark Lord's favor. I must know if there is a future for me beyond whipping slaves to stack bricks faster."
>The mage softly chuckled. "Then you came to the right place, let me see what the Black Sun thinks." He took out his cards, shuffled his deck.
>The Branded looked at the mage's hands as they moved over the cards. He never believed in the cards before, but at this point he was willing to take whatever confidence he could get.
>The Dark Mage drew a card. The City.
>"Yes," said the Branded, "the City! That must be a lucky card! That must mean I am promoted, right?"
>The Dark Mage frowned.
>"This card is faced down."
>"So?"
>"You must run. The people you command, the people you serve under, they will destroy you. There is no safety in community for you, you must leave the City now, before it is too late."
>The Branded's heart sank.
>"No...no...I must...I must tend to my things..."
>The Branded ran out of the building, too panicked to question anything.
>The Dark Mage laughed, and began to pen a letter.
>'It is done. Your rival will be out of the city within the week. I expect the next half of my payment.'

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>The Dark Lords tremble when the Blood Moon rises, and rebels dance in fire's light.

>>54483989
The Blood Moon is amazingly rare. Unlike an eclipse, which can be predicted with enough knowledge, the Blood Moon's presence can only be figured out by those who work under the Dark Lord of Stars. Even this Lord of Stars fears the Blood Moon, despite knowing when it should come, for his past endeavors have proven that he, for some unknown reason, cannot touch the moon or alter it.

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>"I'm telling you, those machinists have lost their minds!" The hall was silent as Trebow told his tale of his journey far from the Hermitage.
>"It stood as tall as Gurrick's Hill, and was all ablaze like something out of the core of the Earth. I don't know how it moved, but it strode over the forest like a flaming god!"
>Those gathered weren't used to hearing Trebow tell such strange tales. He was a reliable man, not prone to irrational hysterics. The commander told him to hush up, that he was scaring the children. Trebow lapsed into a sullen silence, his words falling in deaf ears.
>"Those machinists are up to something...." he muttered.

>>54484071
Yesss.

This is one of the coolest settings I've ever read.

>>54484071
>The Moon and The Blood do not generally walk together, but when they do it is always with some shared purpose in mind.
- Collected Musings of the Star Lord, v.IV

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>Nrot stalked the plagued forests where once Ezra, Lord of the Lumber Kingdom, reigned. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten there, or why he clutched a bloodied pair of ladies gloves to his chest like a talisman.
>Travellers avoided Nrot, and the branded gave him wide berth lest he notice them and give them a taste of his axe.
>One word was constantly on his mind and in his slumber it slip from his lips. "Mari...."

>>54484474
I am intrigued. Continue.

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The Lord of Cities, compared to his fellow Lords, is very merciful. Instead of executing a slave for not meeting a quota, he'll just have them whipped. If a soldier proves cowardly in the heat of battle, instead of flaying him for all other soldiers to see, he will allow them to redeem themselves through the Gauntlet of Struggle. Yet there are some crimes the Lord cannot forgive, and to those that prove irredeemable, he has a special punishment. They are dropped in the Infinite Maze, a secluded labyrinth so complex, so alien in design, that death from starvation is considered a blessing, an escape from such mind crushing confusion. That's not even considering the trap doors that lead to unending loops or hallways that build themselves around the victim, trapping them in an endless walk. However, the maze is not truly endless. There is an exit...that only one man has ever found. He stepped out a husk of his former self, chin stained from old blood from the fellow prisoners he consumed, eyes sunken in. The Architect pardoned him for his crimes at that point, allowing him to walk the City as a free man. He was braindead of course, so this pardon meant nothing other than to make him an example for all who saw him to never test their Lord's forgiving nature.

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>>54484474
>Gurrick's Hill is the highest point in the Lumber Kingdom, its wooded heights rising high above the forests below. At its summit sat Castle Fullon. once the home of King Ezra, now a broken ruin infested by Branded.
>For some reason unknown to Nrot, this made him angry.
>It started with supplies disappearing from the castle's larders. Then slave caravans bound for the coast would mysteriously go missing in the gnarled wood. Arze the Horned One, a powerful branded in service to a Dark Lord, was tasked with investigating and eliminating whatever could be causing such trouble.
>The investigation proved difficult, however. The Branded of the castle didn't trust Arze, and an atmosphere of mutiny was in the air.
>Whem Nrot next came to the castle, he found it ringing with the clash of battle. Those loyal to Arze battled those who hated him. It was easy to infiltrate the castle for Nrot in these conditions, and he made a beeline for the throne room.
>Ezra's great throne was broken, empty. The great hall, where once the wedding of Ezra and Merisol had taken place, and the Dark Lords were humbled, was now nothing more than a empty ruin devoid of life.
>Nrot silently ascended the dais where Ezra's throne stood. Seating himself in it, he felt a sense of peace. Clutching the bloodied gloves to his chest, tears filled his eyes. "We're home, Mari...we're home".

A wanderer, covered in garments of bright colours and shining armoured plates, is said to travel the disused trails between the rural settlements. His handsome face is quick to smile and his voice eases into pleasant laughter, calming the mind of those who hear him speak. His words tell of a wondrous change on the horizon, of powerful men and women gathering in secret that plot the end of the Dark Lords and the very dousing of the Black Sun. Rather than being dismissed as the ravings of a lunatic, his declarations rally the men and women of the village, stirring something long forgotten in their hearts, and prompting them to grab whatever can pass as a weapon and join the Wanderer in his crusade. With a mob in tow, the Wanderer leads them to the nearest stronghold of the local Dark Lord, worked up to a fever pitch.

These uprisings end as quickly as they start, with the enthralled people led to their deaths - or worse - like livestock to a butcher. The Wanderer always survives - whether he vanishes just as the tide turns, or he was never there to begin with - and moves on to another village to plant the seeds of hope and reap a bloody harvest.

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>The Dark Empire is a reminiscent of a much larger political entity back when the Sun hasn't turned black.
>Although it has lost much of it's power, it's prestige and industries still hold strong.
>Now, their re-gearing to rebuild it's vast armies to take back what was once theirs and maybe try for the whole globe.

>>54485024
Oh man, this is brutal. I love it.

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>>54483989
>When the Blood Moon rises, the Black Sun let's out a wail, a keening cry that echoes in the minds of all those who hear it, most especially it's servants, driving many of them to their knees, and sending the Dark Lords themselves into catatonic fits of pain.
>The Blood Moons rising also seems to have an effect on the Dawn Machine that lies deep below the earth, causing it's flames to brighten and grow, and its followers to be bolstered with their strength renewed.

>>54484920
>Whispers of the axeman with bloodied gloves have extended beyond the remains of the Lumber Kingdom, to the neighboring Dark Lords.
>Though filled with Branded, it and the former lands of Marisol do not official have one Lord's complete claim over the other Lords.
>Perhaps they are still bickering over who deserves them, since those two tricksters never said who's gift was the best.
>So it is a mixture of Branded from different Lords who live here, getting raw materials for their masters, and fighting amongst each other when tensions rise (there is a reason Arze the Horned One did not have complete support, after all)
>Either way, whoever this Nrot is, even if he is just a mad axeman with no connection to the royal family whatsoever, the Dark Lords do not like it, and have placed a bounty on his head.

Have little idea on how sun became Black. Dont have time to turn it into poetic story so here is tl dr:
1)Group of men try to summon eldritch being for power. Its actually world devourer and tales of power is just a trick to get creatures from inhabitate worlds summon him.
2) None of the man are actually mage, and spell req greate amount of power. They discard sacrifice option, but scientist among them propose tweaking of the spell so it will draw energy from other source. Sun for example.
3) As there is no mage in a group they tweaked spell wrong forgetting that summoning place and energy source are kinda coded in one variable.
4)So they summoned eldritch world eating god... Inside the star effectively killing him
5)In the process star plasma became polluted with remains of old thing and now its boiling mess slowly radiates away.

>>54485917
I think the exact details on what the Black Sun is and how it was made should be kept vague, but the idea of an eldritch horror being burned alive in the sun is pretty badass. Plus since it was the Dark Lords who summoned the Black Sun (before they were officially Dark Lords), it's fun to try to imagine each of their roles in the summoning process.

>>54483261
God, I love how everyone has really taken off with the Thundermen. I'm glad that so many people have loved these factions that I've made, it's really satisfying. If people want me to write more stories about plots, factions and such, let me know, I just didn't want it to get too oversaturated.

>>54486365
Not wanting to flood the thread with your own content is a good trait, since it allows everyone a shot at building on the world, but there's nothing wrong with being a prominent contributor. Just make sure to keep what you add varied, so it's not just ALL this faction or that faction content.

For real though I'd be up for learning more about the "research facility" that the thunderbros hang out in, since locations seems to be a big focus in this thread.

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>The White Tree Of Corrandor

It is said by travelers, usually those who are deep in their cups, that if one travels the byways and paths of the forest one can find the White Tree of Corrandor. Now, some who've said they've seen it say it glows, others say the bark is white as snow. Regardless of its luminosity, the tree has a very special legend attached to it.

The tree is said to bring both purity and damnation. The Black Sun and corrupted rains nourish it. Those who touch it will have their desires fulfilled, but in doing so make themselves known to the Black Sun. They will find their dreams haunted by its mocking laughter, and will never cease to feel the heat of its cold rays, be they clad in ensorcelled world-flesh or deep in a Hermitage beneath the Earth.

Corrandor? I...I don't know. The name...I-I can't think...why does it hurt to remember the name...

>>54486421
Sounds good! I certainly don't mind having a shot at the headquarters of each faction, or where they reside. It actually might be a better idea, to flesh the ideas out moreso. Here we go!

>On the outskirts of the Silent South lie icebergs and permafrost untouched by time
>These strange branches of ice into the water create these intricate, frigid patterns that resemble runes.
>These runes seemingly shift in and out of the forms of ice, proving to be warnings for travelers
>The Thundermen, however, see these runes as signs of fortune, whether that be good or bad, and have somehow devised how to interpret these symbols in the frost
>They record these in a facility made from the Old World, that was perhaps aged even when it was in the Old World, as a corroded metal longhouse, with large chimneys that prop up into the sky as testaments to their tenacity
>These Old World buildings are linked together with insulated tunnels on the surface to prevent any cold from prying its way inside, and the Thundermen have made measures to be sure that the old buildings would be able to do the same
>The strange spires atop these metallic structures spew a thick smog, as a testament to the Thundermen challenging the storm clouds with their own
>Within the facility, however, the recording of runes is a job handled with utmost importance, as the secrets in the ice can communicate the safest ways to travel, the climate and even the movement of the landscapes, if only the very near future
>The Thundermen capitalize on this to do practice drills, avoiding the Dark Lords on their recruitment journeys, and to plan what scouting runs into the Silent South are most profitable
>With this information, scouting runs are sent into the Silent South to obtain more information about the center, small teams led to discover the nature of the storm in preparation for the Big Hike

continued...

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In such dark times, you cannot blame one for wanting to drink their problems away. Just hope they know where they're getting their liquor from, as alcohol fermented from the fruits of the Plant Lord. Eating too much of the Lord's fruits and vegetables has been known to result in nightmares, and hearing whispers of death and rebirth as plant life. However, those who drink their alcohol? They experience waking dreams; hallucinations that both dull the senses and fill them with dread. Promises of peace in exchange for the life of the drinker. The liquor poisons their insides, not just their livers, making the body nice and soft, perfect for fertilization of plant seeds.

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>>54486421
>>54486734
>With this in mind, the Thundermen will occasionally take ventures into the Silent South out of pure arrogance, but not without preparing
>A true Thunderman knows that preparation and patience is a virtue, and underneath their boistrous and loud exterior are patient, thoughtful minds
>Without preparation, they would not survive, and armed with the glowing beacon of the Eight Gifts, they charge into the silence, fire everburning in their hearts
>Knowing that sound is not a way that they can communicate, or even determine the danger of where the flurry of lightning comes from, the Thundermen use complex hand signals used by armies of the Old World in order to communicate danger
>With these expeditions, they charge deep into the Silent South, where harsher and harsher conditions await them, blizzards, lightning and supernatural events tackle them, playing tricks on their senses and disorienting them further
>Knowing that something lies in the ice, however, these insane footsoldiers clad in thick coats, muscle and huge packs on their backs continue forward, into the center of the Silent South's storm
>In the center is where strange, alien relics lie from ages, races, wars and even visitors long past that the rest of the world has never seen
>With each venture, they lose valiant Thundermen, but gain resources unlike any other that they intend to save for when they reach their goal
>The Eye of the Silent South is the absolute centerpiece of the storm, where refuge and their supposed goal awaits them. What it may be is unknown to even most Thundermen, but they believe it will help them take their world back
>With each venture helping them edge further and further into the storm, little by little, they are sure to spend time to prepare, to ensure the greatest success with the least lives lost
>This preparation is tradition, as to prevent the harrowing events from the first Hike from repeating themselves.

To be continued...

(2/3?)

What would be a good system to run this setting in? I'm really struggling to come up with an answer.

>>54486992
Heroquest or Burning Wheel maybe? They give the massive amount of freedom necessary for this setting where nothing is really concrete.

>>54486992
Try to find a low fantasy system of some kind, mostly martial focus.

>>54486983
>>54486734
I'm really digging this frostpunk angle going on, and them having a more Old World tec focus is nice too.

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>The Lord of Black Waters is not the only lord with an interest in the Dawn Machine.
>The Lord of Stars will occasionally send some of his trusted Branded down to the mountains in search of the machine.
>Unlike the Lord of Black Waters, the Lord of Stars does not seek to extinguish the Dawn Machine, but rather study it, and gain information on how it works.
>For what is a sun but a star?
>And imagine what the Lord of Stars could become if he could make the stars themselves?

>>54487401
I love this

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>>54486734
>>54486983
>The First Hike is a tragedy that all Thundermen know, for it is the only reason that they are as prosperous as they are today in the first place
>The first Thundermen were seldom unprepared, and were mere salvagers and rebels that took refuge in the Old World buildings of the Silent South
>The original leader of a motley crew, Captain Reiland was a rebel and explorer at heart, and riled the Thundermen to the boistrous lot they are now, making inspiring speeches about fighting back the Dark Lords
>The Captain said that he would first take them to the center of the Silent South, to prove to the world that they could, and maybe bring the strength of the storm back with them, to combat the Dark Lords
>Met with undying cheers and energy, the Thundermen readied themselves and charged into the snow, thinking themselves mentally prepared for this journey
>They did not realize how much worse it got nearer to the center, and many Thundermen were obliterated by the storm, or frozen where they stood
>Their morale paralyzed by the foolhardiness of their leader, they looked to him one last time for comfort, as he gestured to merely keep moving forward
>When they stopped in a crater for rest, burdened by casualties, the warmth of the Captain's attitude became harsh, barking commands lost to the soundless air at his sparing men that were few and far between
>The Captain had shown his true face, that he believed them to be invincible, and that he cared more about the defeat of the Dark Lords than he cared about the lives of the Thundermen, and, more importantly, the lives of the people
>The Black Sun had not gotten to him, however, his garments were sealed shut, and he had not mutated, but the Troop of the First Hike saw him as a monster nonetheless
>The Thundermen knew what they must do, and stood silently in opposition to their former Captain.

(3/4) for certain this time

>>54485024
This guy clearly serves the Vermin Lord.

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>>54487692
The Vermin Lord is peculiar amongst his brethren in that he often likes to choose his own Branded. Those unbranded whom the Lord of a Thousand Eyes deems worthy will often be visited by his servants, who will infest the target and carry him off to submit to the Vermin Lord.

>>54487158
Any suggestions for such a system?

>>54487897
Not only does the Lord of a Thousand Eyes choose Branded himself, but he often chooses ones from groups of rebels and enemies of the Black Sun, not just lone groups of unbranded trying to survive. He does this for multiple reasons.

1. They've proven their usefulness by acting as good spies and manipulators for their rebel companions.
2. Once they are converted, he can place them back into their rebel groups and gain information on their plans, or even destroy them from the inside.
3. He enjoys breaking the wills of the defiant.

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I'd like to imagine the not!Tarot cards aren't just dedicated to predicting the future alone. There are probably some Branded out there that use from for card games. The question is, what is the most popular card game under the Black Sun?

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>The Forests of the Black Sun

>>54487633
I appreciate seeing a character who despite not being corrupted by the Black Sun is still an asshole.

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>A Ghlibik

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>The Seer

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>>54488214
>Black Sun Morem. A game where each player has a set deck, and with each card that is removed from that deck, more and more tortures and mutations afflict the Branded players, slowly growing in intensity with each card removed from their respective decks.

>>54488603
The game is only played by the deranged or those desperate for the prize money bets on the game can get them. A dark mage acts as both referee and game master, cursing and casting hexes on the players that depend on the card drawn. A Branded card is a free pass, while the Sun card is some of the most agonizing pain the dark mage can cast.

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>The Ethereal Arts

The Ethereal Arts are the mysterious magics of the World of the Black Sun. Both damned and praised, sometimes in the same sentence, these magical arts allow what remains of humanity to cling tenaciously to existence. When the world-flesh is ensorcelled via this magic, it creates armor and clothing that can repel the corrupting rays of the Black Sun. Some areas around the world are suffused with this energy, and locuses of it are highly guarded secrets.

But why are these Arts so effective against the Black Sun? And what connection is there between them?

>>54488671
Is it a test in endurance? Or is there a specific win condition?

>>54488814
Black Sun Morem is both a test of endurance and a test of crowd pleasing. You see, the game would not be played if there was not a crowd to watch and bet on a winner, as there would be nothing to compel the dark mage referee to watch the game. The competing Branded go through their decks, trying to endure each torture as best as they can. There are two win conditions.

1. One branded surrenders. The branded that did not surrender winds.
2. The players both make it to the ends of their decks, at which point the crowds determine who is most deserving of victory. The crowd makes this decision by observing how each player had handled the curses. Usually the win is given to the one who seemed the most strong during each torture (cried less, stood up faster, kept a good attitude, ect).

>>54488771
How are the Ethereal Arts a negative?

>>54488909
You mentioned prize money in the last post, have we establish what branded and others use as currency?

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Norn of the Nine, Champion of Belsak Hermitage, Knight of the Moon, Slayer of the Evil Eye and the Flesh Rope, was about to die. How could so brave and powerful a warrior find himself in such position? The Black Sun doesn't give. It only takes.

The Black Water had been lapping closer and closer everyday, and plans were made to move the Hermitage further inland and link up with other rebel groups who made war against the Dark Lord of the Mountains. Norn had been tasked with scouting a path. Unfortunately, what the people of the Hermitage had failed to realize is that the Black Water had been at high tide in other areas as well, and the land where the Hermitage was hidden had been cut off by a narrow strait of the black Ichor.

Despair seized Norn of the Nine, and as he railed against the tyranny of the Lord of the Black Waters and the Black Sun, he failed to hear the approach of a beast from the sea.

When he finally did notice it was too late. His sword flashed from its scabbard, and the battle was fierce, but caught as he was so close to the waters, the best had little trouble dragging Norn of the Nine down into the inky depths.

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>>54486734
>>54486983
>>54487633
>The Captain, thinking them all traitors, went mad, assuring himself that the Thundermen he had bled and led in the past had always been spies of the Dark Lord, his screams swallowed by the cold
>The storm granted him the gift that he had desired from the expedition in the first place, to be filled with the power of the storm
>The Captain thought this to be a gift, and welcomed it without resistance

>The rest of the Thundermen, their captain being replaced with a smoldering pair of boots, were without morale, energy or a leader, disoriented from the illusions that the storm created
>Once someone enters the center, the winds and lightning create illusions, they disorient the travelers, morphing the landscape, creating illusions of people, creatures, and drive people mad with the laughter of the Black Sun itself
>With no bearing on where they were, the Thundermen sat in the crater of the frozen wastes they sought refuge in, and merely waited for the inevitable
>The center of the crater, however, were found to have the remains of an intricate wooden case from the Old World, polished and made with oak instead of the lumber from the Lumber Kingdom or the Lord of the Plants' domain
>The metal lining this case, however, was designed with protection in mind, made from the twisted steel of the Lord of the Fire's furnaces
>The navigator, an adventurer at heart, rose to step next to the case, and removed the clasps that held it shut
>Within the case, a great blade, shining a vivid yellow never seen in the lands of the Black Sun, was an elongated saber.
>The navigator, the new Captain, took this sword as a beacon, stabbing it in the ground, showing a path home made of light that pierced the storm.
>The Thundermen now see planning as a way to prevent their downfall, lest they make the same mistakes as Captain Reiman yet again.

>>54488976
I remember in the first thread how it was speculated that the ethereal Arts may have given rise to the Black Sun in the first place.

>>54471331
>The Dawn Machine

THESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESU

>>54488987
Huh, I don't think we actually have established that officially just yet.

I imagine that currency is split into two forms. For rebels, refugees, and those who go against the Dark Lords, trading and bartering is the main economy.

For the actual Dark Lord civilizations, they probably have a shared currency of some kind. For some reason, I think the name "dregs" sounds good for it.

>>54489073
Yeah, the Dawn Machine is very much lifted from Fallen London, but it really works for this setting.

>>54489130
The currency used by the branded, the Dreg, is forged by the servants of The Dark Lord of City using the cast off metal deemed unfit for use in construction, hence the name.

>>54486734
>>54487633
>>54486983
>>54489040
That was a great story anon. Really awesome background for the Thundermen, and a cool way of finding one of the Gifts too.

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Black hole sun, the game?

>>54489311
Because The City Lord's construction skills are such a hot commodity for the other Lords, it did not take log for dregs to spread across the world and turn into the commonly accepted currency of the lands.

>>54489331
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg

Game's main theme.

>>54489368
On the other hand, those unbranded that still remain barter weapons and tools for food and clothing infused with Etheric Arts. Relics from the past are valuable indeed, and even the smallest plate or dish of untainted metal is considered a treasure befitting a king.

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>Queen Marisol's kingdom of the sun worshipers has long since been claimed by Branded from all corners as the Dark Lords eternally bicker over who has rightful claim, similar to what is left of the Lumber Kingdom.
>Once a humble place of honest men worshiping the sun (a somewhat peculiar religion, considering most of the world still worshiped the Abstracts years ago), their faith was questioned when their sun was consumed and replaced by the corrupting black star.
>The Branded that live here now have long since forgotten about worship of the yellow sun, believing that these the temples and shrines were always made for Black Sun.
>Unlike the Lumber Lands, where Branded of different Lords fight for the resources, there is unity with the Branded here.
>They believe that here, they can forget about rivalries and disputes between the Lords, and one day usher in a new age of undivided worship of the Black Sun.

>>54489316
Thanks! I really appreciate it.
I love the Thundermen, and I know it's a favorite, but I want to give some love to the Marrows and the Sunspots, because they are less-so factions, and more so stories or events that surround the world of the Black Sun. The Race of Bone and Marrow taking care of the adrenaline junkies, keeping people "happy" and dealing with criminals/rebels all at once, and the idea of crazy masochists just wanting knowledge for knowledge's sake, even if it destroys their minds is a really interesting idea to me.

>>54489851
By all means, add some RoBaM lore or Sunspot lore. They're neat areas of the lore that have only gotten a little bit of fleshing out.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUamYxDhog0&t=38s

I like to think that this is the main theme of The Race of Bone and Marrow, to get an idea of what it's like a bit more.

Rambunctious, violent, fast-paced and full of this primal sort of urge. This competition makes the crowd cheer out for blood, and the contestants more than willing to race across the continent to do so.

>>54490056
>LISA
My nigga

Do you think people bet Dregs on the winner, or would the Lord of Hounds frown on something as civilized as currency being in his races?

>>54490125
I think the other Lords would allow it, as the Race seems like it brings the Kingdoms together, but I think the main 3 judges are the Lord of Fire, Lord of Hounds, and Lord of the City. If one can't make it to that event, however, I think they're content with another Lord or even a Scribe taking their place.

>>54490200
Fire and Hounds I get, but City? I feel like the Architect is too driven on concepts like structure and expansion to be into an event that promotes more wild, individualist ideals. Maybe Mountain Lord would be a better fit.

>>54490200
While many Branded bet amongst themselves over various outcomes, the Race serves as a lottery of sorts as well. A Branded can stake all of their Dregs on the Grand Bet, and if they can successfully guess the winner and the exact number of corpses he collects they will receive a prize beyond their wildest dreams. Few have ever won this, and those that have are not seen again after, leaving the nature of the reward uncertain.

>>54490286
I just thought city because he's the one to remand the criminals.

Maybe the Dark Lord of the Stars? I thought it would be cool to have him broadcast the commentary through a form of signal that only Branded individuals can pick up, so that everyone can enjoy it even when the racers aren't at that part of the track

Maybe the Star Lord just broadcasts it, and the Mountain Lord would bring his special type of crazy to be a hilarious radio host.

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>Rebel activity is very heavy the Fleshmire. Guerilla warfare against the Branded has resulted in developments in combat that are being applied at other hermitages.
>The rebel warriors utilize the Fleshmire's bones to create brutal weaponry, and they're clad in such ways that it is hard to distinguish being Branded and Unbranded.
>Is there a distinction anymore? Perhaps the Fleshmire consumes all who enter into it.

>>54490332
I think that each Lord provides something to the event.

>Fire is a judge
>Hounds is a judge
>Stars has a broadcasting system
>Mountains is either a judge or a commentator
>Plants provides food for the audience
>Vermin is in charge of security, making sure that rebels don't try to assassinate anybody at the event.
>Black Waters provides refreshment
>City constructs the race track, obstacles, pitfalls, and brings in criminal contestants

>>54490487
Hounds I would imagine also brings meat for the event as well. Fire brings the weapons and armor worn by the racers.

>>54490487
Holy shit I love this idea. I'll have to write a story of one of the races when I can, I'm unable to right now, but I love how people are taking off with it. This is a fantastic idea.

>>54490551
Yes. Hounds brings the meat, Plants brings the veggies.

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The Dawn Machine's minions mainly work in secrecy, capturing people to convert and tinkering to improve the Machine, only directly fighting when the Dawn Machine demands it of them, or when they are attacked. But some worshipers have a deadly devotion. Calling themselves the Star Makers, they sneak into Dark Lord territories, usually going to factories, mines, farms, ect, and set up crudely made explosions. Before setting them off, they will scream out their devotion to the Dawn Machine, and offer the souls of those it kills to fuel its flames. They offer their lives to the Dawn Machine as well, staying in the explosion. The Dark Lords refuse to acknowledge these cultists as anything more than madmen, with no true magic or power over souls, but superstition runs deep in the lands under the Black Sun. What do you think is worse? To have your soul burned by the Black Sun, or the Dawn Machine?

>>54490708
*crude explosives

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>>54490708
>There -are- those amongst the Dawn Machines followers who do not forcefully convert those they come across, instead leaving the option open as to whether or not they would wish to bind themselves to the Dawn Machine, and to join their fight.
>These faihaul of the Dawn Machine can even be seen alongside the Mourners, praying with them and participating in their rites.

>>54491087
It is hard to tell why some who see the Dawn Machine are driven mad, while others are able to stay in control. Some believe that it is simply about one's will power. Others think that it all depends on how much Dawn Machine light the worshiper absorbs.

>>54490708
>The Architect holds a special contempt for the Star Makers, their destructive ways have toppled several projects during their construction.
>The Plant Lord, too, has a greater hatred for them. Within the gardens the Star Makers prefer the use of incendiary devices that have burnt away great swathes of plant life.

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>Deep beneath earth, far below even the Underground Empire of the Vermin Lord, deep enough that very few can reach those antediluvian depths, much less survive the journey, the Titans Of The Black Sun lay bound, wrapped in ancient runic bindings, dreaming.

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>>54492001
>The Lord of A Thousand Eyes is one of the very few who knows of these bound Titans, sending his rats up and down the single path he has created between his empire and their resting place, always checking on them. But is he waiting for them to wake, or hoping that they never do?

>>54492001
Gonna have to point out that the Black Sun isn't ancient and its light hasn't pierced that deep.

It having ancient servants all the way down there doesn't fit very well with everything we've established.

>>54492105
Perhaps these golems are not naturally from the Earth, but creations from whatever dimension the Black Sun originated from, intentionally placed down there by someone?

>>54492105
>>54492144
What if the titans are not corrupted by the Black Sun and were ancient beings that existed at the dawn of creation. The Abstracts bound them beneath the ground to awaken at the end of creation. This way we can have another potential horror in the world or maybe a way to defeat the Black Sun.

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>>54492105
Time and space are warped by the Black Sun, and it's affecting the entire universe with its evil. We don't even know if linear time is even in effect for this thing, it may very well be acausal. It may also have servants in the black void of space, or on other planets for all we know. It having ancient servants isn't all that strange considering what it is.

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In the high echelons of the Sprawling City, the noble Branded watched as the working class toiled away slowly, without passion or quality in their work. It was clear that despair had overtaken then too much, making them dreadfully inefficient. Torture and beatings could only speed up production so much, and if quotas were not met, the Dark Lord would be displeased. So how could they lift their spirits, you ask?

Their answer was the Black Sun Ballet. All Branded with even a shred of talent when it comes to music, acting, or performance were gathered up and set to work to create the most thrilling entertainment event they could to raise spirits. But not something as dreadfully violent as the Race of Bone and Marrow, that would encourage the working class to run off and behave like animals. No, this show needed to inspire a passion for servitude. A love for the Black Sun, a drive to contribute to the spreading of corruption and darkness.

In short time, it was on. The Black Sun Ballet was more than -just- a ballet, it was an extravaganza. Three days of epic dramas, operas, orchestras, dances, all singing praises to the Dark Lords and the Black Sun. It was an astounding success, increasing dedication (and productivity) to levels never seen before!

Now, the Black Sun Ballet travels from Lord to Lord, putting on shows and teaching the lessons of evil to all that are willing to watch and listen.

But how are they so effective? Their shows are jaw dropping spectacles, yes, but their influence seems almost hypnotic. Well, perhaps it is. Some say that the Black Sun Ballet is using the Ethereal Arts, or the energy of the Abstracts, to alter the minds of their listeners, to change their very natures. Perhaps it is just rumors and here-say, but they are one of the few parties under the Black Sun that could take a proud rebel, determined to destroy all evil in the world, and turn him into a true devout sinner.

>>54492410
While I do like how the past of this setting is general vague, having a few potential ideas on what their world creation myth is, and it involving titans, could be neat.

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>>54492538
>>54492410
>>54492144
>The Mourners speak of a time where the Abstracts still danced and sang on high, when life was abundant and the joys of reality were still prevalent, when the darkness had not yet devoured all things born of the great light.
>But they also speak of terrible things lurking in the dark, of mad scrides scribbling away, writing with mad notes with bloodied hands, of seers screaming and tearing out their eyes, having seen a Great Darkness eating the light, of Abstracts growing weak, their divine powers fading, of Champions garbed in darkness coming to make vile bargains with the Broken people of the world. >They speak of great Titans dreaming of a Black Sun in the dark depths.

>>54484071
In the original thread, it was suggested that a solar eclipse only happens when a god finally dies. maybe thats what the blood moon is instead?

>>54492891
>They say that when a god truly dies, when all their energy is about to be lost, they have one last surge of spirit and burst, their blood covering the moon itself.
>This is their last gift to mankind, a stab in the heart of the Black Sun and its minions.

>>54477011
one posts suggests monsters that existed before the black sun were hiding, but it seems that we're not rolling with that

>>54477011
I believe we're going with the idea that the black sun is in a supernatural fixed point in the sky, where you can somehow see it no matter what part of the world you go to.

>>54482805
Who would in in an all out brawl between Dark Sun's Sorcerer-Kings and Black Sun's Dark Lords?

Doc Is updated with everything above this post

> mostly at least

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14WlvAzOgGdCzG_XytF87LvpruNQx_lUGei--Iun10zg/edit?usp=sharing

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>>54493885
Good shit, Document anon!

Should I attempt to archive this thread just so we have it around with the first thread, or should we not push our luck and just stick with the doc?

>>54493407
>>54493369
All right. I can live with that.

So only true place where the Black Sun cant reach are underground and South Pole due to storms?

>>54494790
For the most part, yeah. The three places the Black Sun can't fully reach are

>Underground, for obvious reasons.
>South Pole, due to storms
>The deep sea, since sunlight can't reach that far (though the poisons of the water above have tainted deep sea life)

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>>54493447
The Dark Lords seem to have more raw power at their disposal, and may be capable of shapeshifting if the Fire Lord bursting forth into full cosmic horror mode is any indication. The Lord Of Stars even has a space station with a full blown laser Cannon at the ready, so that's also a thing.

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>>54494893
All good points. But I offer a rebuttal. The Sorcerer Kings have DRAGON PARTS.

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>>54494947
I offer my own rebuttal. The Fire Lord *also* has dragon-parts, and can have any assortment of them whenever he/she/it so desires, being an amorphous mass of flame and all.

>>54494986
>Fire Lord can be more dragon like than the sorcerer kings
Yep, the Dark Lords win. Can't argue against it.

Speaking of Dark Sun, I do love how despite the initial similarities (apocalyptic society, evil super powered rulers), the styles are vastly different.

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Bumping this before sleep. Keep the thread alive please.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

Archived this thread just in case we wind up dying out again. As always, vote if you can to make sure it doesn't get scrubbed later.