>The northernmost parts of society adapt fully to their long and cold nights by having a culture centered around hearths and late night activities around the fireplace
>After the sun goes down and it becomes too dark, there are still several hours dedicated to domestic crafts and arts, the northernmost places have the richest stories and literature from the amount of time they spend writing

>>59469114
Being the autist that I am I must insist that the coldest parts of the setting are the farthest away from the equator not specifically the north. Then again the world could be flat and all heat magically radiates in from the south making this a moot point

The norm is large timberframed cabins of wood with large hearths and nearly flat roofs covered in grass and moss.

>>59468882
>The fire ferns, short orange plants often found in the worlds forests, emit a comfortable heat as darkness falls. Travellers unable to reach a home and hearth often make temporary bedding from the soft plants to keep warm at night.

>>59474036
>The fire ferns grow by the side of streams and rivers, and their roots heat up the water. Communities are built around these warm water sources, and every household has a hot spring bath

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>Mega llamas roam the world. The wool of these docile giants makes for the softest and warmest of blankets and socks.

>>59474036
>>59474263
Wait, no. Those are contradictory.

Either the fern grows pretty much anywhere, but generates natural hotsprings near river where communities are built;
Or it grows only near rivers and streams, but then travellers wouldn't use them as improvised bedding since their growth would attract the building of communities.

I suggest the former: it grows everywhere, but makes water comfy as a side effect.

>>59474365
Hell yeah.

>A secluded community have dwarves have cracked the secrets of transmitting images and sound through the air. Shrewd-minded as ever, these dwarves only broadcast the sounds of birds, lakes, and forests instead of commercialist pap

>Only antennae in the attics of the typical household is high enough to pick up dwarven television. Usually the family has turns the attic into an especially cozy viewing room, complete with books, brandy, and always the sound of rivers on the tube.

>Wherever fern is absent, symbiotic relationships abound. Most "preys" have learned to painlessly shed their own meat, and make their home in and around the mouth of wooly, heatful "predators".
>These "predators" usually spend a considerable amount of their day grazing, in order to feed the "preys" they're hosting.

>>59474463
Alright, let's roll with that.

>Dwarves are known to be prone to sudden, almost manic bouts of inspiration; during these times, they craft wonders few could have imagined, let alone designed.
>More interested in making them than using them, they usually give away those artifacts to communities in exchange for a meal, some sweets, a cup of milk, and a place to park their llama caravans for the night.

Santa dwarves ftw

>Magic is tied to the weather
>Different schools of magic work better under different weather conditions
>Wizards are nomads, who have to chase the optimal weather to cast their spells effectively

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>>59474526
we're getting there

>>59474697

> The working of wizardry is also tied to the seasons and many spells are greatest on the solstices.

>>59474746
>Wizard clans name themselves according to either a season or time of day, depending on which the wizard feels the deepest connection. Noon and midnight wizards are in fact for unknown reasons the best of friends.

>>59473940

> Due to the labor needed to build such large cabins, most families have only one and live together beneath a single roof, grandparents, parents, and children alike, three generations in the same household. Thanks to the physical closeness, the loving bond between families is that much closer.

>>59474782

> Most wizard clans are very informal and function more as a loose fraternity that meets every other month than anything else. Often, rival clans gather to compete in ad-hoc wizarding tournaments, much to the delight of the children of the townsfolk hosting them.

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>>59474732

This thread is nice.

>Large mysterious woodland creatures roam the lands, defending the wilds.
>To see even one during the course of your life is considered a great blessing.

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>Mana flows through the air, and, at night, you will see an aurora of mana through the sky, tracing this world's meandering ley lines while bathing the world below in a soft glow. People place inns along the lines for pilgrims, wizards, or travelers who use them as guides.

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Dwelling among the shallow lakes, rivers, and reefs are an intelligent species of catfish, that can live indefinitely and grow to incredible size. To meet a catfish the size of a man is rare; the size of a wagon, once-in-a-lifetime.
They are capable of speech, and can converse, bargain and be bargained with, and have friends among surface dwellers. Smaller catfish are generally sociable and nomadic, while larger ones prefer to remain solitary in hard-to-access locations.
Wizards seek out the largest catfishes, for while they themselves cannot perform feats of magic, they are very wise and attuned to nature, and can offer invaluable insight into the nature of magic itself.

>>59474526
Something with a similar theme...

>Light bugs are an odd species of firefly. They mainly make their homes in pine trees and are quite active in the winter. In fact, the winter solstice typically lands in the middle of their mating season. It is at this time that their evergreen homes are alight with the bugs glow. Most light bugs shine white, but specimens living near ley lines tend to absorb mana and switch colors every few seconds.

>>59475307
Some people can use the aurorae to enter a shared dreamworld in their sleep known simply as "the world dream". It is a place that reflects the subconcious of the world, where distance is meaningless and travel instant. Those who can enter the world dream effortlessly are known as dreamers, but anyone can learn it with practice, and many people use it to keep in touch with friends over vast distances, exchange information, and remain connected.

Some people even have whole groups of friends they have never met in person, only in the world dream.

Winter is brought upon by a mass of small magic sprites called Winter Wisps.
Legends say that the Wisps come down to play with people, and return north when they've had enough fun.
Because of this, it's a common activitiy for children to seek out Wisps and play with them, hoping to bring an early end to winter.

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>>59475755

> Rarely, nightmares, malicious representations of people's deepest, darkest fears plague sleepers in the world dream, but the worst they can do is scare someone awake, and they're powerless to do anything outside of the world dream. And no matter how terrible a nightmare is, they only represent one fear, and by working together, sleepers can banish nightmares from the world dream.

>>59475432
Believe it or not, bigger-than-a-man catfish exist irl, and they're pretty much the norm in a species that grows to that size. Maybe smaller catfish are nomadic, and are constantly searching for a lake or pond that's Just Right for them to live in when they're to big to leave? Could be really interesting: little catfish spread information about like crazy, and the big ones have literally all the time in the world to ponder.

>>59475755
>>59477118
>Though the catfish have no magic in waking world, their power in dreamworld is unsurpassed. The largest and wisest among them are capable of creating entire regions of whimsy and wonder within the collective dream.
>They often use this power to aid those who have personal issues in the waking world; taking them on dream adventures and helping them handle whatever troubles them.

>>59478046
Why cant real therapists take me on whimsical adventures to help me cope with my problems?

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>>59474463
>>59474526

> Another invention of the Dwarves which is widely popular in the world is the Ice Chest, a type of magical box which keeps anything it contains freezing cold. Since the air is usually chilly it's not very useful, but it's an interesting novelty and can be handy during the summer months.

Thousands of temples of every type and age are scattered about the landscape, accumulated over the centuries. Once constructed, it is considered bad luck to allow a house of god - any god- to fall into disrepair, so orders of wandering monks maintain even the smallest and most obscure shrines.

>>59479542

> Given their constant travel and metaphysical ambitions, there's much more overlap between the wizard and monk professions than one might expect, though they're often stereotyped as insular toward one another.

>>59479542
Of course often a family will move in and use it as a house, but that's fine. The Small Gods like the company.

>Stories, songs and poems are widely popular currencies, and their worth is directly dictated by their quality. Indeed, a particularly moving song is worth just as much as a beautiful dress or a quaint dwarven invention.

>>59479542
Incredibly small / specific gods are my jam. There was a pdf with like a 1000 of them a while back.

>>59481241
>>59479542

> Cases of families moving into houses are so common that a surprising number of families can boast about having adopted deities into their mix. Small gods can often become surrogate uncles, aunts and grandparents to entire generations, blessing his or her new family as they see fit.

> It is said that the relationship they have with monks is much more like that of teachers and students. In fact, some scattered poems and songs seem to frequently mention some sort of transcendence, or maybe ascension, from which small gods are born. Such tales are widely regarded as mere tall tales from zany bards.

>>59483482
oops. moving into temples*

>The cold has been pushing further south for generations and rainfall has been declining. Some years little changes, others are quite drastic Coastlines recede, forests die and previously temperate lands are transform into frigid deserts. However, vestiges of the former landscape survive in certain sheltered areas and both animals and sentient beings have relocated there. Close-knit bands of pastoralists and their wooly-rhino life livestock are steadily migrating south, encountering urban civilizations racked by declining harvests.
It's not a total shit hole, the pastoralists are adaptive and absorb many new members into their society.

>>59483768
This is like the opposite of comfy.

>>59476852
While some people find them creepy, spiders born near ley lines have the ability to catch nightmares in their webs and eat them, producing pleasant - if slightly bland - dreams for any nearby sleepers. Those who find themselves troubled by frequent bad dreams sometimes seek out these spiders and bring them inside.

>>59469414
That's fuckin Norse for you. Niflheim and Muspell.

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>>59483288
Fuck. Got a link to that by chance?

>>59485146
I'll see if I can dig it up

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>>59468882
>Remains of ancient stone villages and mounds are very abundant.

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>>59485146
I looked and found 2 you might like - here's the first one

File: the unknown gods.pdf (2.89 MB, PDF)

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>>59485146
>>59485979

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>>59468882
>Your breathe always mists in the air, it is said when you're scared you grow hot
>Everyone wears fur coats, a typical punishment for crime is to strip a person of their furs and send them out into the wild
>A rite of passage for younglings is to kill and skin their first large animal before succumbing to the cold and arrive back in the village with the fur draped over their body

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Those long nights around the hearth has resulted in traveling merchants always looking to come and enjoy the hospitality. These merchants like to bring small gifts as thanks for the hospitality. One of these gifts was a small gaming set from a game to the south. Now, many of the local townschildren are enjoying it.

The land is dotted with geysers and volcanic activity. It is said that in secluded places there are entrances to a vast world beneath the surface where the hot waters find their source. This place is filled with brilliant gems and magma flows and is said to be home to mischievous goblins and other faerie folk.

>>59486429
legends speak of mermaids who lounge in hard to reach hotsprings, but dont startle them or they will dive down into the underground caverns and flee. many a young man has ventured out in search of love, seeking some means or sweat gift to keep the maidens from fleeing.

this myth frustrates many a townsmaiden, who get in a huff regarding the matter.

I really dig this. But what would you play in this setting? What adventures are there?

>>59488181
if Ryuutama is used as the system, I am sure we could have something set on wanderlust and 'small adventures' things with limited stakes

>>59488181
Good question.
I'd aim on making the campaign lower on the "cosmic scale" if you will. Nothing that ever decides the fate of the world will come into play. I'd focus on exploration or vignette style sessions, where the players spend their downtime in a comfy town, and venture out solving problems, only to return soon and recoup.

>help a wizard find a magic catfish >>59475432
>monks can't find a temple they're supposed to upkeep >>59479542
>a defender of the wild appears, signaling for help >>59475064
>help a young boy quell his fears in the dreamscape >>59476852
>a cry for help is heard on the dwarf-net >>59474463

>>59488438
>>59488289
>>59488181
I could see a lot of ruins of earlier civilizations that could be explored. Though more of a comfy type of dungeon delving, with puzzles and odd inhabitants to interact with.

>>59488553
For combat in dungeon delves you can throw in animated statues, mindless undead, or automatons.
Not sure what kind of combat I'd have above ground though. Interpersonal combat seems kind of out of place in this little idyllic setting.

>>59474365

They also seek out mankind annually in order to be sheared. Failure to shear the llamas makes them angry and sullen, tramping through your house and refusing to leave until you shear them.

Nobody said a comfy setting has to be without danger, and unless you like llamas sitting on your bed refusing to budge, better shear em and get blankets.

>>59488623
I feel like a lot of encounters above ground in this setting would be solved via work arounds or pacification of something, like dealing with a water elemental fucking with a dam.

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>>59468882
>damn it anon..

And everyone keeps getting raped by piss-goblins.

>>59468882
Spirits of the deceased can manifest for an hour a day for as long as they are remembered. They aren't restless dead, but rather mentors looking after and giving advice to those they left behind. Because of this, genealogy is an important practice.

Scholars, philosophers, and theologians debate what spirits that aren't currently manifesting themselves are going through because he dead are tight-lipped about the subject. Still, the dead seem generally content and at peace.

Different areas have different cut-off points for when it is socially acceptable to continue burdening ancestors with the responsibilities of the living. Some stop after a certain number of generations, some after a certain number of years since they passed. These taboos are only broken and older ancestor spirits called on for advice in times of great need.

>>59489069
No!

>>59474490
This has gone from comfy fantasy to gay hippy fantasy

>>59485979
>Contents:
>Zzyzz ................................................ 123
>The Last Petty God .............................. ???
>There's nothing between Zzyzz and the closure
I don't have a proper reaction image of fear

>>59485409

> These remains are generally decrepit, but sometimes they're inhabited by spooky skeletons and wraiths that don't appreciate trespassers.

>campfires, candlelight and lamplight bear soothing and calming properties
>most oil/wax/timber burned have magical properties and shed a more orange, welcoming light while calming emotions of those near the flames, desease and wounds are said t heal faster too

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How about some locations?

"Van Winkle's Labrynth" goes by several other names, "The Endless Dream", "The Devil's Cushion", and most of all "The Pillow Purgatory".

No one truly knows its true extent, but some of the most 'lucid' survivors have been able to describe the last few hours before they escaped the dungeon.

Within the Labrynth is an endless maze composed entirely of things soft or padded. Mattresses, couch pillows, thick carpet shag, curtains, and so on, connected by endless series of dividing curtains, pillow tunnels, soft ramps and so on.

The sense of fear is suppressed here, even if one tries to be afraid. Bodies do not hunger, sweat, age or produce waste or get filthy. The mind does not seem to notice these things, as though it felt natural. Nor are people able to harm or be harmed here, even if they bring weapons or fire, which simply reappear at the entrance. Though there are places dark or pitch black, there is always a way to create soft light or find one's ways back to the bright places illuminated by elaborate and decorative lighting fixtures. From corners and cracks in the walls, or sometimes as a breeze, flows a cool or cold air that feels and smells exactly like window box air conditioning though its source is never known. In certain hallways the temperature drops dramatically, but these are always stocked with thick mattresses and soft bedding on the floor, or with thick sleeping bags.

Despite not being able to be fatigued or sweaty, one can get tired here and evidently it is very easy to nap. And despite its seemingly unknowable size, those lost in the maze tend to encounter others. Most survivors report not ever being able to feel or desire lust, though a select few have and acted on it, but there is a strong tendency to cuddle in the labrynth, even with complete strangers that suddenly feel like family or a close friend or loved ones, even despite any attempts to convey or share life details being easy to forget.

>>59485993
OD&D? I'm thinking OD&D, because I've got most of the AD&D 1e books

>>59468882
The spirits of the forest have alligned themselves with good and nature itself is kind and safe for travelers and adventurers. Evil beings have gone largely extinct by the efforts of the large pantheon of good aligned enitities focussed on perservance and tranquility in the wild parts of the world.

>>59488553
Make the PCs be children with toyswords, sticks, itchy powder and slings. Spells are very basic and harmless (restraints, blinds, stuns, knockdowns, scares) 0 HP is the loss of fighting spirit i.e. characters/monsters breaks out into tears or runs away or just apologises

Bomp

>>59474365
>Mega llamas
>Mega spit
eeeewwwww

>>59492198
I think so, yeah

There needs to be a small fishing hamlet on a gentle beach.

>>59468882
There's some nice ideas here, good thread!
>>59494247
something something "come into thread you don't like image" something something

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>From the equator, where the sun shines brightly and the land teems with life, hail the Giants
>Sustained and granted prodigious size by the benediction of the warm light, they venerate the Sun and draw energy from it
>The giants live in scattered communities where they live long, do war among themselves and spend centuries honing crafts
>Their tribes are small, no more than a few dozen, for if too many of them accumulate in one area they will doubtlessly strip the land bare to feed themselves
>Their cultures unanimously acknowledge this, barring their communities from growing too large, often by banishing the elderly or the young when they come of age, equipping them well with gifts from each member of the tribe
>Among their legends is a tale of a land in the extreme North, where the sun never stops shining
>Countless banished giants, once cast out from their lands, head Northwards in search of the Land of Neverending Day where they might bask in their Lord's glory in perpetuity
>On occasion the smaller races encounter them in the overcast boreal forests, astride upon their gargantuan steed towering among the trees, sluggishly marching Northward as the sun grows weak and the nights long
>some steal giant llama to feed themselves, most starve
>Some settle among the towns of Men and Dwarves as protectors, labourers and friends, fascinated by the multitude of individuals that make up their communities
>Some die on their wanderings, huddled and alone, their body's decomposition bringing an explosion of life wherever they fall, their grand treasures picked over by passersby but mostly left alone
>They say when you reach the top of the world, where the sun never sets, you can find giants, sleeping, basking, becoming one with the very earth as they slumber, the sun unable to sustain their consciousness for long.
>They can awaken, long enough to impart advice, to greet new arrivals, to help lost travellers, or simply to admire the light as it dances across the skies

>>59495250
i never thought dark souls would be so comfy

>>59495301
hah i didnt notice the similarities while writing it but i suppose they are there

>>59492135
While not incredibly happy with tresspassers, if you observe the ruin as thiers and ask politely to enter, often you will be treated to an evening of entertainment and amusement, for you see, being dead is a dull lot, and often the dead pass the time by practicing something, be it musical talent, performances or jokes, some even taking to cooking in more notable ruins.

>>59492182
>>59495250
Do you guys write books?

>>59473940
I call bullshit.

If we're talking cold, then snow should not be uncommon. Anyone with any experience building places to live in climates with snow knows flat roof is a deathtrap when the heavy snows come. Angled or GTFO.

>>59496446
Nah, I read a lot and do definitely like writing.
I can hardly ever write anything good unprompted.

>>59468882
>It's pretty much always overcast

>>59495250
...that makes me really sad, and I can't really manage to articulate why. You're a great writer Anon.

>>59492269
Comfy doesn't have to mean without danger.
This thread compiles elements that makes the world seem and feel very comfortable and welcoming, but you could still introduce danger into it. The backdrop is just very tranquil and cosy, which can create an interesting contrast.
For instance it may light a desire to protect, or that danger and adventure presents something exhilarating to the more venturesome individual.
Moderately cold climate is comfy, but it still cold. Exposure to elements is a danger.
Nature is comfy too, but nature also has wildlife, and not all wildlife is docile.
Tightly knit communities are comfy, but humans are still human. Everyone is an individual as much as in any other setting.

>>59492182
This is a passage from an old thread. Good times.

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>>59495250
good one

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>Seasonal magic grows weak near the equator, where the seasons hold a weaker grasp on the world
>As the sun intensifies and all life grows, the world paradoxically becomes more mundane
>The creatures though thrice the size of their frigid counterparts are entirely nonmagical
>The giants never use magic and rely only on stout labour and their strength
>even those few men who settle in this strange warm land rely on strong walls and guile to survive
>the Equatorial men trade the gargantuan pelts and oversized fruits they hunt and grow frequently with others, exclusively by sea, rowing through the warm sunlit waters on large barges bristling with artillery to fend off sea beasts
>their ships aren't designed for use in the icy seas of the further latitudes, so they hand off their goods, often exchanging magical services at outposts on the very edge of the colder regions

>>59492182
Well I just found a new random location for my home campaign

>>59499892
Would seasonal magic grow weaker near the equator, or would specifically Winter and Fall based magic grow weaker?

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>>59469114
Thanks im moving to iceland now

>>59474365
Their only natural predators are the packs of dickwolvez that stalk at night

>>59474490
Nah this kind of dynamic is so alien it upsets our perception of comfy and ends up being some unsettling uncanny valley of not-quite-sure-why-this-is-bad

>>59489530
You get pissed on. OP gets pissed on. Everyone on this thread gets pissed on. I'm pissing on this entire thread. Roll to avoid getting raped with disadvantage.

>>59478046
I love this

>>59496777
Well of course

>>59497655
Strong agree, without something spooky and menacing around, huddling around a hearth with good friends and nice food doesnt feel as rewarding

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>>59496777
>>59503581

> overcast skies are "comfy"
> being this spiritually disturbed

>>59505027
Cloudy skies make the best sunsets dumb subhuman.

>>59505027
Terrible outdoor weather is incredibly comfy if you're within a toasty home.

>>59488181
Not every game has to be about combat. You can have people solving more mundane problems, actually adventuring(not murderhobo’ing) or investigating mysteries.

>>59503360
I'd join in, but I'd be ruining something pretty wholesome here. You should put your piss-goblins in the uncomfy setting.

>>59497655
Comfy means without danger. Being safe and being able to relax means comfy. If you want to design a cosy place then you're right but it's about an entire setting.

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As the leafs began to fall the frog folk on there steam powered paddle boats began to travel up and down the rivers playing their music.
https://youtu.be/5lDbSb6um54

>>59468882
>it's always raining
I don't care if nobody else thinks so, but rain is the comfiest weather.

>>59509346

You can't properly enjoy the time by the fireside if there's chilling winter or sinister nasties to hide from outside.

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>>59468882

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>>59468882
>>59514000

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>>59514000
>>59514007
Post more if you have anything. Don't have to be Moomin, Jansson's art is top.

Isle of Death, a continent located far east, shrouded by a mysterious fog. Many have travelled to the Isle of Death, but none have returned, leading the common folks to shun its existence. In actuality, the Isle of Death is a haven for the races who are not so well-received in society. (Skeletons for example?) Those driven to their wit's end usually travel to the Isle of Death in search of release, or simply hoping to go out in a blaze of wonder, but instead are met with enveloping warmth and a welcoming society, which is why no one ever returns from the Isle of Death; to them, it is Home.