Americans fucking love symmetry. Can't leave their fingers off of it

>>82094674
'Ate rocks.
'Ate slabs.
'Ate delvers.
Simple as.

>>82094686
Luckily we have gone for far more descriptive axis than the american ones. Fish to Stone is far more indicative of one's life than Left to Right.

>>82094689
luv me kelp
luv me seaweed wine
luv the Tsarina
simple as

>>82094736
Yooz fish lads is good folks. Better'n rockfuckers.

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THE TSARINA IS A DECEIVER AND A TRAITOR TO HER PEOPLE
FREEDOM LIVES

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>>82094689
>>82094736
>>82094789
If only you fools could but hear the Song of the Stone and read the Menhir as I do, you would understand how lost you are.

>>82094848
THE ONLY SINGIN' A ROCK DOES IS WHEN ME HAMMER SMASHES IT, AND THE IRON RINGS IN REJOICE OF ITS PASSIN'

>>82094674
Once, all was of the ocean. There was only sea and sky. Then the Monolith came. From where, none know, for it was from a time before time. From the Monolith came the Land, and with it, broke the union of sky and sea. The Fisher King wishes to reunite with his queen in the clouds, and all the bargains and deals are all so the sea may reclaim the land, and the blessed union may become whole once again.

The Monolith is the first and final bastion against total destruction of all of man's work.

>>82094863
Dude, you're being used.

>>82094875
I am destruction! I break the unbreakable, I move the immovable, I change the unchanging! The monolith will fall, and all those who seek stone will be destroyed with it!

>>82094931
And then what?
The Tsarina will just destroy you next after you're done with the Monolith.

>>82094933
Tsarina based and destruction pilled?

>>82094933
Nothing should last forever. Even change should change.

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>>82094674
I guess I'll bring up that I filled in stuff for Masovii and Sligaff in the doc. If anyone has more to put in or thoughts on stuff, put that up. Sligaff as a whole could probably use a bit more brainstorming, particularly on the Vassal (Suzerain) relationship between them.

Masovii, the Commonwealth of Opal and Oak Stone
Probably multiethnic and deeply inland. Monolith faithfuls [Stone / Faith]

>A dry land, with little rain happening so far from the coast.
>Primary exports are Salt [see below] both the regular and black varieties
>While not heavily industrialized, the many tribes that comprise the Masovii give it considerable strength and influence, even in the foreign courts of Lapsaria.
>Though officially neutral in the conflict between Lapsaria and Durites, they have vested interests in both monolith worship as well as maintaining black salt as a primary fuel source instead of Oil.
>Absolutely backing the Durites, but at the moment no one has the balls to call them on it
>Hope the Durites don’t get too crazy because if they keep pushing the envelope someone will call them on it

The Salt Pans
>Not the Monolith, but the biggest centre of worship for the Masovii outside of it
>A steady stream of sacrifices, animal and human, are brought out to the pans to be killed, dried, and mummified as heat and the salt steals their life away.
>The shamans hold religious and political power over the area, which includes directing the excavation and export of the salt mines
>Once a year or less, or the rare days when a rainstorm reaches the salt pans, an unholy ocean is made from the mixing of fresh water and salt.
>The Mirror Walkers, sacrifices made long ago, are stirred to motion by the natural violation of the Sea in the Vast. Though creatures of driest earth, the Monolith does not call for them, so when Father Oyster’s song reaches them they act, create, and destroy across the salt mirror until the waters return to the sky.

Can we make another setting now :(

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>>82095069

Sligaff
>Vassal state to the Mosovii Commonwealth, but a comfortable peace. As long as the right stuff gets done the Sligaffi are free to live their lives as before. But the son listens to the father
>Monolith worship is the most common, but is typically much less fanatic - the Sligaffi are practical people - with more of a head for what’s in front of them than gods
>Often used as traders and movers by the Mosovii in legitimate, grey area, and outright illegal trade
>Weaponry and supplies to Durite communities, Black Salt to the industrialists of Lapsari
>Lots of Sausages. Don’t ask what’s in them

I remember someone wrote that the Mosovii should be sorta Hungarian in their influences, but ibh I don't know enough about Hungary to get that to shine through

>>82095081
Just start expanding the not-HRE nation.

>>82095084
>>82095081

Yea, post a Jasentorf 5x5, it'll get filled real quick

Why do settings in this format always turn into some kind of horrible unlivable grimdark?

>>82096078
because one person introduces something bad and then someone else wants his own thing that's even worse and it spirals from there

>>82096078
Wojaks are often by design an ugly cynical meme. That, >>82096211 and one of the 4 axes literally being PAIN makes it unlikely it could have gone any other way which I'm glad it didn't because this has been great fun, grimderp and all

>>82096078
>Grimdark
a misuse of the phrase. But the reason why they tend to make settings with conflict in them is
A - Those tend to be more interesting to think about
B - As a /tg/ board, conflict means problems to deal with and solve for a (theoretically) playable game
C - Real life is full of conflict, and though they- like most fantasy - exaggerate aspects of it, real life is the basis from which they get created

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>>82094674
The Entire setting gives of a Machine for Pigs vibe.

Where a industrialist tries to save man kind after visions of WW1 by Sacrificing mankind Aztec style but did it via Victorian nightmare industrial scale

>>82094674
So what's the deal with the seal wall?
And what's up with Capri Bay?
The crew and the marine make it look like there was way more behind it than a simple uprising, but the bargain should be older than that no? Were there several?

>>82097285
the Great Bargain is pretty young. Smaller Bargains have been happening forever, but the great bargain is something that has happened within the current Deacon's reign.

>>82094674
Isn't this just Sunless Sea + Dishonored?

It's complete
Now we may rest

>>82094674
>other boards always pissing and moaning about how pepe and wojak ruined 4chan and oc and how oldfag memes had SOVL
>see these compass threads and the sheer amount of creativity expressed through 3 shitty meme templates
I honestly love you fags.

>>82097773
FICTIONAL CONCEPTS ARE A LIMITED RESOURCE THAT PERMANENTLY BELONG TO THE FIRST AUTHOR WHO DOES ANYTHING LIKE ONE OF THEM

>>82097821
There can never be peace, we still have maps and lore to do.

>>82097849
Wojaks as spammed usually are garbage, compass threads just so happed to leverage their ease of use to generate engagement. Getting good stuff out of what's otherwise shit is the essence of /tg/ at it's best.

>>82097854
... I was honestly hoping for some kind of explanation of how I was wrong, but I guess I hit a bit too close to home.

>>82097900
>>82063556 your ignorance is owed nothing.

>>82097900
Just look at the archive and read the explanations there, someone comes here saying it's copied from other settings 3 or 4 times per thread.

>>82097900
NTA (who seems to be weirdly upset), but to answer you question: It's definitely a lot of dishonored but I don't think it's that much sunless sea. The world's decidedly non-apocalyptic and the theme is progress, rather than decay. Could you elaborate on the sunless sea comparisson?

>>82097932
and yet you reply. chill out.

>>82097954
Idiots often unironically spout what >>82097854 is parodying. All art contains imitation but only autists obsesses over their inbred reference pools.

>>82097995
and you choose to be upset about it. Draw a wojak, stretch your legs, live a little. If you give me a concept, I'll draw you one

>>82097954
>the theme is progress, rather than decay. Could you elaborate on the sunless sea comparisson
Sunless Sea is the same - the march of industry and progress in spite of a bleak world. The concept of the monolith and strange, unknowable Stone deities is very much present in Sunless Sea, so I assumed that was the inspiration.

>>82098028
huh. Maybe that is where it's from.

>>82098023
What sort of theme ya looking for? Could do another round of "Fill the grid" and make yet another shitshow of a setting via wojak politics compass like this one was.

>>82096078
I mean, Dark Souls is quite grimdark. I think humans just have a fascination with the idea that some semblance of civilization and fragile humanity can survive in a world of supernatural devastation. What would that look like? 40k, Dark Souls, and this all have the same patterns: Humanity embraces terrifying ideologies and magics to hold things together. Then there's a struggle, both for civilization and for each individual, to maintain a hold on humanity and resist slipping too far and becoming yet another supernatural threat.

So we were having a discussion on the technological era of the setting on the google docs, and it evolved into a something bigger that could relate to bigger lore.
We decided ro also put the ideas here so this doesn't turn into some closed discord project.

Basically, why is the Lady in Gray so advanced, and Lapsaria going so far into tech when the rest of the setting seem ro be stuck in late 17th century? Specially since

So the idea was that the bargain is older than the Tsarina's rule, started during the rule of her father, and that the Deacon did the bargain (or atleast a bargain) that started to industrialze the country, and the Lady in Gray was a massive ego project to show the strength of the nation.

>>82098451
>Basically, why is the Lady in Gray so advanced, and Lapsaria going so far into tech when the rest of the setting seem ro be stuck in late 17th century? Specially since
How is the rest of the setting stuck in the late 17th century? Looks more like early 19th to me, with the sole eception of the Ythestein Merc

>>82098451
>the Deacon did the bargain (or atleast a bargain) that started to industrialze the country
Seems like there's some ambiguity right now on what the Bragain is. Is it the one that provided lapsarians witth Oil? Or the deal that caused the Last captain and his crew to turn
I personally like the idea of The Bargain that resulted in the oil (And in industrialization) being somewhat recent (The rule of the Tsarina's Father), and for the sake of keeping things simple (Not having several events with the same generic name) have this also be tthe bargain that dealt with the rebels. Maybe the Rebelion of the Last Captain sprung up during her father's rule, and they were used as sacrifices to finalize it, and have been a problem ever since.

>>82098451
>So the idea was that the bargain is older than the Tsarina's rule, started during the rule of her father, and that the Deacon did the bargain (or atleast a bargain) that started to industrialze the country, and the Lady in Gray was a massive ego project to show the strength of the nation.
also, except for the fact that the bargain is older than the Tsarina, what is new about this? The bargain brought the oil, the oil brought industrialization. That's been lore since day one.

>>82098490
>have this also be tthe bargain that dealt with the rebels. Maybe the Rebelion of the Last Captain sprung up during her father's rule, and they were used as sacrifices to finalize it, and have been a problem ever since.
I don't think the rebels should be dealt with a bargain at all. Why not just have it be a military clash?

>>82094674
Might be slightly premature, but I'm thinking up ideas for scenarios you might run in the setting using elements from the chart. Here's what I've got so far:
>the Dredging Pit Owner pulls up a strange terracotta idol from the depths
>the idol is covered in runes and symbols that act as a map to an ancient Delver ruin where the Stone of Ages, a mythical artefact said to have miraculous properties, is hidden.
>Word of the discovery gets out, lots of people want to get their hands on it
>The True Innovator wants it because he thinks its some kind of super-dust that will usher in a new age of progress
>The Durite rebels want it because they want to unlock its power to free their people
>The Slab Knights want it because they think it holds the key to destroying the Monolith
>The Last Captain and the ghosts want it because they think it can free their souls
>the Hooks want to destroy it because they believe it could be used against the King
>the Deacon wants it to use as leverage against the Hooks
>The Archeologist wants it so he can unlock the secrets of the Monolith
>etc.
>Various factions send out agents to steal the idol, chaos ensues
>PCs are hired by one of the factions or drawn in to the conflict in some other way

>>82098451
Fuck, specially since navies are so important or advanced in a Pangea world.

Anyway, the bargain being sealed by the blood of the rebels was just the point of no return for the crown. The Deacon would have convinced the Tsar that the nation needed to have a leg up against their rivals. My idea was that he blamed the Masovii were planning to invade, since they seem to be very powerful, having a vassal nation and influence with the Gilded States.
The previous Tsar trusted the Deacon, most likely they were friends or distant family, so he accepted the paranoia. Some time later, the Tsar starts to beco.e deathly ill, and tge Hooks come to him with an offer to take the pain away. He than disappears into the night, giving regency to his daughter, and letting the Deacon influence her.
>>82098475
Because I'm retarded and keep saying 17th instead of 18th.
Anyway, it's around a 50 years tech jump in adecade max.

>>82098518
>Anyway, it's around a 50 years tech jump in adecade max.
that's also how I would estimate it

>>82098503
I would also ratther have them be something separate, but The (Or at least a bargain) is mentioned in their spot in the compass, as well as the Brackish Ones being mentioned in The Last Captain.
It could be a separate bargain that dealt with the Lapsarian Rebels, but I personally don't want several separate bargains running around.
> Why not just have it be a military clash?
My take is that they were dealt normally with a militay clash, the Bargain just used the remains of the battle to seal the deal. So it didn't actually do anything to the rebels while they were alive, just afterwards

>>82098451
Well magical oil as powersource can jumpstart technological advancement
And using that to make a big ass ship as pilot project works well with both the sea-related faith and the invasion plans concerning certain island nations

And who knows, maybe there's someone interested in spreading the influence of Lapsaria and knows quite a bit about the sea and all that floats on it that could have given them a hint or two

>>82098451
The Lady in Gray was definitely a cutting edge project, probably one of a kind (which is why it's loss is so strongly felt). It likely incorporated technology and developments that were only possible due to the Bargain.

As for the rest of the Lapsarian military, the vibe we seem to be going for is late 19th Century Imperial Russia. Their main advantage is the vast numbers they can bring to bear, but they are constantly hindered by their inability to organise efficiently or properly supply their troops.

>>82098518
>My idea was that he blamed the Masovii were planning to invade, since they seem to be very powerful
Back then you could make propaganda about them wanting to attack you but nowadays calling them out on something they really did is inacceptable? Seems like an unlikely jump.
I think mapping this out this specifically is a really, really bad idea for the setting in the first place.

>>82098539
Ah you are right. Well then I think we gotta have them seal the bargain proper, the chart uses the term non ambiguously.

But then again, it's SEALING the bargain. They didn't pay their share in seaman blood, they killed them to seal it. Maybe to show good will on the side of the deacon. Or maybe it's just a metaphor for consolidating support for the (already in effect) bargain.

>>82098539
>>82098503
My reasoning is that the bargain was a way for the sea gods to mobilize people on land against the monolith and it's worshippers. the gods of the sea provide knowledge and resources so that those that receive them may destroy the monolith and stop the spreading of the stone.

>>82098575
It was not propaganda to the people, was the Deacon convincing the Tsar.
He never wanted to fight the Masovii, he just wanted an excuse to get the Fish faith expand.
All that the serfs of Lapsaria knew, was that the nation was having a technological boon and entered a goldsn age.
It's very convenient for the Deacon that when the ruler that he lies about Masovii stopped being a problem as soon as the nation became stronger militarily, isn't it?

>>82098640
I mean, if you think this adds something to the setting, knock yourself out

>>82098691
Alright, just didn't want to start chamging lore put of nowhere without a discussion on the thread.
That's how most of these worlbuilding projects end up dying.

>>82098630
>a way for the sea gods to mobilize people on land against the monolith and it's worshippers
I think that goes somewhat against the idea of the pwoers in both sides of the conflicts being uncaring against each other.
Though it could work if we rebranded it as the Fisher wanting to protect his children from the Monolitth.

>>82098731
Well the King FIsher is less uncaring about hte monolith than the monolith is about the King Fisher. For good or for ill, it's been established that King Fisher demands the end of Durite religion

>>82098731
well it is stated that the sea gods know the monolith is causing the land to spread, and have a vested interest in preventing it, and that the slab breakers were the pawns of the sea gods to that end

>>82098575
>part of the bargain involves suppressing other groups, such as the cult of the Monolith
If you take this the other way around, then Laprasia as a whole is the enforcer of the Kings will on land, as part of the bargain, even if they might not have understood id that way.
In that sense, with all their conquest and expansion they may have spread the Kings will, but it wasn't something they would have done (or attempted to) without the bargain anyway.
From the Kings point of view, putting down those their own people that went against Lapsaria might have been more proof that they uphold the bargain than centuries of conquest and suppression

>>82098509
The professor wants the location in hope that it can stop new terracota idols from showing up.
He has ran out of run to put them in.

Maybe the Bargain should involve ongoing payment from the land-dwellers - the King upholds his end by supplying the oil, and the Deacon has to prove his loyalty by sacrificing a number of humans to the King every year and doing his bidding against the Monolith-worshipers. The Last Captain and the rebels were just the first installment, and every year the Deacon takes a number of captured Durite rebels out to sea to be thrown over the side.

there are some real basic lore contradictions in the google doc

>>82098824
Yeah but it's more fun trying to make sense of them than just changing it

I have awoken. As I said yesterday I will be slow on doing things for the next few days. I will be taken items from the lore doc and filtering through to make more 'definitive' lore.

I will also be working on a system for this. Both of these will take a fair bit of time.

>>82098748
>it's been established
>>82098762
>it is stated
You mean on the Docs? Because it isn't on the compass directly as far as I can tell.
The Doc is still a WIP and we're still trying to make sense of most information there

>>82098905
Will there be a place for a compass-like mechanics in your system?

>>82098921
for the first thing, in the OPs of this and the last two threads. That's probably the second highest level of canon. I'd not be against changing it, but I feel like it's pretty firm canon.

>>82098938
Compasses don't point to the poles
They point towards the Monolith.

>>82098921
the first thing though is in the doc, and therefore has lowest possible canonicity

>>82098962
Cool idea though I was implying allegiance (fish-stone pain-faith) compass and maybe benefits from it.

>>82098967
Fair enough. Though it still contradicts the idea of the Gods being uncaring, unless there was a specific reason this would fit their needs.
Maybe that's not directly part of the bargain but something the Lapsarians thought was part of the Bargain? They were warned against the Monolith and it's influence and took that as an order to exterminate the Monolith Worshippers, when in fact the Fisher King only wanted them to beware and lookout.

>>82098944
Forgot to reply to you as well >>82099023

>>82099023
well the Gods not being uncaring IS on the compass. The King Fisher gives gifts and loves his children

>>82099080
They care for their children, but not for each other. Unless he explicitly had a reason related to protecting his children for wanting to anhilate the Monolith, it just sounds like he's a petty god who doesn't want to share followers

>>82099023
>The Monolith is responsible for The Vast, and the landmass will continue expanding if left unchecked and overtake the sea
Depends entirely on if this process is stoppable/reversible or not
Either the King and the Monolith are opposites in their very being and the King is fighting a war against time - in favor of the monolith, as it gets further and further out of reach of the King as the vast expands - of the King could simply intend to keep the balance between land and sea, enabling life to flourish on both (preferably under his rule or influence)

>>82099108
>Unless he explicitly had a reason related to protecting his children for wanting to anhilate the Monolith, it just sounds like he's a petty god who doesn't want to share followers
Well this is exactly why there is lower level canon trying to explain this. There is the proposal that he wants to stop the continent from expanding so that the Ocean, which is conducive to his children, to fish and men with mutations, can expand.

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I did the lapsarian nobleman afterall

>>82099342
Based.

I'm going to talk about the general rolling mechanics of my system 6PIP (6 Points In Pools).

>6PIP is a d6 dicepool system
>a character is defined by a number of statistics & skills
>there are 6 statistics, Brawn, Coordination, Reflex, Nerve, Memory, and Insight
>each statistic governs 6 skills (as an example Brawn governs Endure, Block, Athletics, Heavy Melee, Forge, and Menace)
>skills and statistics go from 1 to 6 with 7 being possible through perks, but only for specific things
>your number in a statistic is the base number of dice you roll
>your number in a skill is what you need to roll under to succeed
>as an example a Brawn 3, Athletics 4 character rolls 3 dice and is trying to roll a 4 or below
>natural rolls of 1 may be rolled again to try for additional successes
>in addition to the Statistic dice every character has an addition pool called their Effort Pool, this is a number of d6 you have to throw towards any task
>effort dice refresh after resting
>the difficulty of tasks are measured between 1 and 7, 7 being superhuman near impossible tasks
>some skills, such as Forge, must be taken for a certain subskill. Forge: Gunsmithing, Forge: Silversmithing, Forge: Armor Smithing, etc.
>in addition every character has a number of perks
>perks do a number of things, such as give you an extra dice when a specific condition is met, ignore penalties once a day, give you a larger effort pool, temporarily increase success range, etc.


(1/2)

>>82099536
Combat related:
>the body is defined by having 6 regions, being: Head, Chest, Abdomen, Right Arm, Left Arm, and Legs
>all attacks are aimed at a particular location, wounds to each location comes with penalties dropping held items, losing ability to hold items, speed slowing, immobility, penalty to physical statistics, penalty to mental statistics, loss of turn actions
>to sustain a wound an attack must: 1. Hit (opposed by Dodge), 2. Bypass Armor (opposed by the armor's score and Block), 3. Damage (opposed by Endure)
>a character with 6 wounds dies permanently
>weapons can have special abilities, such as most firearms having Armor Piercing and Hard To Dodge (meaning firearms are very deadly)

Magic Stuff:
>what little magic there is relies on multiple skills and statistics, and is ritual oriented
>Nerve governs the most magical skills, with Memory and Insight each getting a smaller amount
>Memory governs Alchemy & Symbology, Insight governs Phrenology, Nerve governs Occultism, Spiritualism, and Ceremony
>rituals often require multiple skills, often from multiple statistics, meaning it is often advantageous to have multiple characters work together
>generally rituals are used to prepare items or triggered effects at a later point, or to buff/harm for a long period (a buff to an ally, a curse cast on an enemy)

>>82099342
very nice

>>82099614
>Alchemy
>Symbology
>Phrenology
>Occultism
>Spiritualism
>Ceremony
Finally some real magic

>>82099841
Who needs magic when you can have Stone?

>>82100118
>>Complications: 2
>Meaning there is one additional requirement outside of your control
Is this a typo?

>>82095069

I don't remember if we directly placed the monolith anywhere yet in the world other than being deep inland in the vast but I think it would be interesting if the main pilgramage path for the Masovii ran through the Durite lands. This would provide direct precedent for them attempting to keep the territory firmly within the stone allegiance, but not to the point of full out war against Lapsaria.

>>82100164
>>82099873
>>82099841
>>82099841
>Is this a typo?
Yes.

One example of a ritual and how rituals are designed:

The Hand of Silver
>Complexity: 4
Meaning it requires 4 skill checks
>Leniency: 0
Meaning you can fail none of these checks
>Complications: 2
Meaning there are two additional requirement outside of your control
>Checks
Phrenology 4, Alchemy 3, Alchemy 5, Ceremony 3
>Materials
Alchemical Mercury, Alchemical Supplies 4, Blood Thinners

>Description
The arm of the affected must be removed at the elbow, tendons and bones removed intact, sustained 2 permanent wounds to the arm. The subject must pass a Endure 3 check or pass out. If unconscious the subject must be aided by an addition Phrenology 3 check. The stump must then be allowed to bleed freely into a stone basin. The arm must then be ground into a paste and mixed with mercury and other alchemical components. A ritual is then performed beneath the clear light of the full moon. The stump is dipped into the concoction, and when withdrawn will come back with a silvery arm of mixed blood and sinew.

>Success
Permanent +1 to Brawn & Coordinate, removal of the 2 Permanent wounds.

>Failure
Sorry about the arm.

>>82099342
Wrote the outline for this guy, thanks for getting him drawn up anon. Looks awesome.

>>82100178
>Sorry about the arm.
kek

Someone keeps deleting the fact that oil comes from whales in the google doc lmao
What the hell is going on there

Unironically, these threads have been the most creative and enjoyable Endeavor I have seen on here in a while.

>>82100290
Looks like it's specifically mentioned down in the 'Resources and Commodities' section. At the end of the day the fact that oil comes from whales is clearly established in the spectrum itself.

>all human setting
>isn't mono-ethnic per nation
>Lapsari alone has like 7 nationalities around
neat

>>82100290
Just going to post here what is written right now in case it gets deleted again.
A substance which works both as a fuel source and as an edible supplement. Comes from the sea, (Harvested from the whales, which have appeared in great numbers since The Bargain, but had been rare, exotic sights before) and was one of the main consequences of The Bargain. As a fuel source, the Oil pushed Lapsaria towards rapid industrialization and technological advancement, substituting (Though not without opposition) older fuel sources like the Black salt. As a supplement, the oil grants several boons to those who partake in it, such as increased lifespan, minor health improvements, and others, as well as being used for medicinal purposes, though it also has some consequences such as the transformation of the eyes, minor mutations, the loss of some basic human emotions, and in the long term, more extreme mutations.
It is harvested from whales. This means the bargain must have led to more whales.

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>>82100290
Dude, it's literally there

>>82101009
Was both bold and to increase the font size by the units necessary?
Although it's kind of funny, so I approve of it.

>>82101009
This makes me wonder what the fuck whales are in this universe

>>82101129
> Was both bold and to increase the font size by the units necessary?
Not really, just wanted to get the point across that it wasn't deleted. I even responded to one of his previous comments saying it was deleted pointing out where it waas, but I guess he didn't see it.
> Although it's kind of funny, so I approve of it.
Appreciated

>>82101162
sounds like a fun question to answer

>>82101162
They are the holy grail.

>>82101162
children of the deep like you or I

>>82101236
SPLIT YOUR LUNGS WITH BLOOD AND THUNDER

Should I move all rules related items into a separate private document since mechanics are harder to coordinate as a group. Then post rules sections as I finish?

>>82101306
Probably would be better to have a document for lore and one for rules, it might get too convoluted otherwise.
Just remember to have a link to each other somewhere.

>>82101354
>>82101306
I seconds this
independent docs for rules and lore, and have a link at the top of both to lead to the other

>>82101354
>>82101420
Sounds good, will make another document. I still feel as if rules creation requires a more steady process and is more easily spoiled by too many cooks in the kitchen. Making a rules doc I might restrict things to comment rather than everyone edit.

>>82101473
sounds fine. small suggestions are usually all you need for rules

>>82101473
Seems a good compromise.

So if anyone is particularly knowledgeable about the geography of Lapsaria, specifically the details of the major rivers and cities that lie on them, I don't think that it's been documented on the doc yet

>>82101534
CCA said he's gonna do maps

>>82101420
just gotta make sure those people don't get too separated. i worked on one a while back where the fluff guys wouldn't shut up and i was left alone on the mechanics. The system sucked because of the lack of collaboration. You guys can do better than them. My recommendation is to keep it simple. maybe Polymorph or something else with a more narrative edge than one like dnd with too many options.

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An idea I had regarding the whales:
There are theories by the academics that one day humanity's hunting of the whales will drive them to extinction, and certain events in recent history have made it seem that these fears were true. Whaling ships went out by the hundreds and came back empty, with only a few scattered sightings of solitary whales which quickly disappeared.
BUT, suddenly the whales came back in huge abundances - with no explanation from scientists or the whale hunters or the church. It seems like for a few years the whales just up and left, disappearing from the oceans to an unknown location.

In universe, this is a complete mystery, but for the sake of a full explanation basically the whales went off to some other plane of existence to feed or mate or do other whale things. Now the whales can't fuck off from the planet entirely, they NEED to come back to the material plane as part of their life cycle; but at the same time their true numbers cannot be surveyed or managed. So while hunting them to extinction is entirely possible, you'll never know when that is actually a thread because the whale hunting industry can just say "they disappear for a few decades every so often, we have strategic reserves to get us by now. Whale extinction is fearmongering."

And no, this does not make the whales gods or spirits or whatever. They're still animals, just weird ones. Think of it like Lovecraft's story "From Beyond" with all those weird jelly fish and eels from another dimension, and same thing here - only the whales have a flipper in both worlds. Oil probably has something to do with their dimension hopping. Maybe.

What do you think? Too weird?

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>>82101547
In due time.

>>82101547
I just mean documenting the peoples, I think the Venitii are the only river people that are there now, but there was 4 major rivers that all have their own inhabitants if I remember correctly.

still need stuff about the Timajor and Nemijski

>>82101587
Take it easy, OP. You do God's work, but even God rested.

>>82101580
I am digging out my relatively simply homebrew system from years ago. It's d6 only.

>>82101587
don't worry too much about the map, it's a good tool for fleshing out a world when you're working on your own, but we probably have enough cultures to fill it out fine, so it's not hugely important right now

>>82101618
It will be cool to create map of the capital.

>>82101628
Did we decide on a name? I was joking about Oskau but a city inland between two rivers that is a restored capital does still work. Very distinct geography too.

>>82101652
Oskau may be a little too similar to Moscow, but I do like the name and we should use it somewhere.

>>82101652
At the meeting of the rivers is the Seawall.

You must not look in the water.

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>>82101628
An industrial era capital going through rapid urbanization will have a population north of 1 million. A million people translates to an enormous city map. I do city maps for my campaigns, but it's district level stuff and it takes quite a while.

>>82101591
Well, the Nemijski is closer to the conflict, so it probably it probably was what marked the border between durite land and Lapsaria.
Maybe the crossing of the Nemijski is a great event for the Kossoki, the moment they stopped considering themselves durites? That way they respect the river, but they aren't it's people.

>>82101676
I wasn't around when the seawall was first brought up, but I kind of imagine it as a structure that runs the length of the coastline. Sort of like the Great Wall of China.

>>82101683
I think districts (with detailed description) and landmarks will be ok. No need in drawing each house.

>>82101688
yea, I imagine it being a bullwark to the sea, but like the great wall of china, it's not a complete circumvention, there is always a going around.

>>82101685
might've been that they crossed it due to Durite taboo's against crossing the river, so they wouldn't be pursued due to their disparate religious beliefs

>>82101688
That's where the wall lies, and why the movement of the old Capital to the Capri Bay area started the road to the Bargain. Now, even though the Old Capital is back as the centre of state, the Shadow of the King hangs over the rivers and the city like never before.

>>82101685
Papa Oyster is as a passive figure, and it would make sense his river is where the old borders existed. but likely the crossing occurred ages ago and the Nemijski is now closer to the (general) center of the country as Lapsaria reaches far into the Vast.

When we do the city, we should keep in mind that it was a Medieval style city once and later industrialized. So stuff like an old city wall that's been partially demolished, old castles, previously important cathedrals that have been supplanted by newer larger ones. That sort of thing.

>>82101683
Dan, this looks pretty good. I think like >>82101714 said, districts and landmarks would be enough for a city map

>>82101581
Sounds to natural, if that makes sense
They hunted the whales, so there were less whales.
They made the Bargain, and there were more whales, a gift from the King

>>82101753
We should also take note of the unique position. While modern cities require a lot of roads, the old city was uniquely able to make use of rivers and canals for transport, and likely the new city is at odds with the old one.

>>82101783
I bet some of those old canals were converted into sewers, although that's not going to be apparent on the map.

>>82101741
ONe thing I would caution against is a too essentialist reading of the Kossoki/Durite conflict. It shouldn't be that every Kossoki would kill every Durite in every instance or whatever. There still would be (at least before the recent Lapsarian poppression of Durites) all manner of trade, cultural exchange and so on, even if on a grander level there is animosity and disrespect

>>82101806
It's kind of like the actual nature of Russia's Cossacks. The hyper-aggressive Crown-royalists are basically rewarded for destroying the old horde cultures while those closer to the horde cultures go ignored. Although both groups are quick to rebel in the event their privilages and freedoms are infringed upon.

We could set up some of the Kossoki great Clans and their 'Qoşuns' or Hosts. Define a bit of their own political landscape and whose got the hard-on for genocide.

>>82101806
the way I think of them is like the Sunni and Shia branches of islam, they'll generally coexist if begrudgingly, but they'll fight readily if given a decent enough reason

>>82101581
Sounds interesting though thing with whales existing in two worlds already have been in dishonored. Someone proposed idea about the Ocean becoming deeper when the vast becomes wider. What if this depth has connection with another world and whales so not "phase" into it but instead "dive" deeper. (who said that our whales have lungs)

Does the Church get its money primarily from wealthy donors, from tithing (and thus the poor/middle class), or do they get gold from the Deep Innsmouth style?

>>82101581
i don't think it fits the setting very well. It's also a bit overly derivative of dishonored

>>82101897
Tithes and state funding, definitely. They are itghtly interwoven with the state.

>>82101897
There's a division between the 'new' religion of Lapsaria and the 'old' religion. The New religion has stricter ranks and proper hierarchies, and likely collects money from all sources after the Pact. The old faith is much more muddled, and is probably closer to Shintoism with removed temples and shrines that revere the river deities. And perhaps the Stone, although those have long since been destroyed beside Lapsaria's Stone-Worshippers, as the country has gone completely fish over the past centuries.

Ironically, this produces a situation where there is conflict between the world of the Deacon and the world of the River Bandits. The Deacon is likely working to consolidate the new order and is giving a fair shake over the disorganized worship of the lesser gods outside of his positions. But that certainly isn't easy.

Should we designate the Deacon's Clerical structure? Like, is it a Patriarchal set-up or something else?

In the old tales - no, not those tales, the truly old ones, whispered by Kossoki grandmothers to impressionable children, there are gods who are not of the sea, nor of the singular stone. They are the gods of the sky, the winds - furious, beating the steppes and the waves alike, with a fury and sheer force unseen since. They tell of their wars and their glorious deeds, their battles against the unchanging earth and the uncaring ocean.


There are no gods of the sky.

There will never be sky-gods ever again.

>>82101844
The way I have it thought out right now is they mostly travel in relatively small bands, comprising 3-5 familial groups, usually with their extended relatives. The bands gather on a few holidays throughout the year so families can change bands and keep the blood fresh.

There aren't any particular leaders among them, noone controls the entire Host of Kossoki, and it's up to individual bands to seek enlistment with the war effort, but most join as it allows them to cross borders freely, whereas a unenlisted band found crossing borders would be considered outlaws from the Lapsarian state

>>82101956
*distant sound of zeppelin*

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>>82101956
We're the Gods of the Sky now, Groundie.

>>82101956
>Where did the gods of wind and light go, asked the man to the monolith
>Lol, said the monolith, lmao

>>82101980
>"What Gods of the Sky?" The King Fisher shrugged, spitting out feathers as He chewed something.

>>82101943
Old believer vs new faith because some high ranking priest decided to remake the faith? Organize them like a mixture of catholic and orthodox church.

>>82094674
I have need of the monolith art

>>82101943
Yea, I can't cosign this. Everything seemed to imply that the state religion of the Tsardom has been in tight interaction with the state before the bargain, and that to other peoples, like the Kossoki, no apparent change in religion has occured.
This idea that there was a massive, rapid change in religion but everyone is fine with it isn't just implausible, I also just really dislike it.

>>82101980
>>82101988
kek

>>82101970
The actual forcing of the Kossoki as a landed estate kept on their own lands is an interesting twist, although I'd add that in recent times the actual gathers have been changing, as opportunistic Qoşun use the war as an excuse for increased mobility. Potentially to the point wherein they'd be just as much of a problem as the rebels if the Crown ordered them back.

>>82102007
At this point the Old believers are almost extinguished and completely in the case of the Lapisian Stone-Folk. To the commoner who isn't a malnourished renegade, the current status-quo is all there is.
It's been a change centuries in the making centered from the center of state. But it is important to note there was something before that status-quo, and that it occasionally reveals itself.

>>82102035
>At this point the Old believers are almost extinguished and completely in the case of the Lapisian Stone-Folk. To the commoner who isn't a malnourished renegade, the current status-quo is all there is.
>It's been a change centuries in the making centered from the center of state. But it is important to note there was something before that status-quo, and that it occasionally reveals itself.
Oh I was confused by
>after the Pact

I thougth you meant this change just rapidly happened after the bargain. But I see I misunderstood, and this is fine, good even.

>>82102035
like the compass says, they'd likely be the ones revolting, but the freedoms allowed by the current war have alleviated the pressures that would cause the Kossoki to fight against the Tsardom

>>82102061
Yea no, the Bargain is sort of a culmination of that centralization. Prior to this ages back, no one had the authority or the power to make such a deal on such a scale.

There is a man who speaks to whales, from the deck of his ship.

Give of your bounty, he might say, so that I, too, may taste beauty and progress.

Not much more unusual is that they answer him - the only part out of the ordinary, is that he can hear, truly hear, their answers.

No, the whale might answer - what I have and what I am is for me and mine alone. Even as the harvest comes, the whale gives nothing freely, offers nothing of what is asked.

The whale is the greediest of all creatures.

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I wanted to draw a kossoki priest but acidentaly did a Timajor priest of the Lapsarian faith. oops.
Only important tidbit is: he's got holy scripture tattooed on his face.

>>82101591
on the note of documenting peoples, there isn't much information in the doc about the Slab knights, or slab breakers

>>82102292
If you're a river bandit who isn't Venitii, you've got good odds you're born from Kossoki seed somewhere down the line, realistically.

>>82102299
they're less a people and more an institution

>>82102355
I just feel they should probably have their own heading but currently they're only mentioned in the sections on dust

>>82101956
>Aerialist cloud seeker
>Heard a whisper in the wind once
>Obsessively ties to fly higher and higher
>Might be mad

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>>82102292
And just a Lapsarian priest.

>>82102292
>>82102447
Nice,

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>>82102447
fixed the eyes

So will firearms have received any revolutionary changes during the technological boom brought on by the bargain?
Would Oil alchemy give any new substances that could be used as propellant? Or the rapid industrialization give new production processes that were previously impossible for the weaponsmith working by hand?

>>82102527
I think the biggest change in guns would be mass production

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Maybe we should add some decadant cultural stream? Like futurism or dadaism.With poets sniffing coral dust from durite prostitute hip and creating nonsensical poetry or intellectuals holding a esoteric séance at the closed club.

I added a few lines on the Timajor in the document, feel free to change em

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Landmark Ideas:

>Iona Square - named in honor of a famous historical naval battle against Jasentorf, Lvyatan Square is the off-center heart of the Capital; featuring a majestic fountain whose waters have been blessed by the church (although tithes are appreciated, please do not throw coins) as well as a statue garden of four of the history's most important Tsars. Many clamor for the Tsarina's statue to be added as well.

>The Old Wall - broken in several places and scattered around the circumference of the city's old quarter, this ancient defensive structure is no longer necessary and has served as a stone quarry, a sorry barricade during the Captain's rebellion, and more recently the site of increasingly high slums that now run along its length and sometimes spill over top of it.

>St. Tikhon's Holy Cathedral of the All Accepting Baptism - the architectural pride and joy of the city, it displaced many churches in the city in terms of popularity and influence; especially since it sits beside the royal palace. Its domes are carved from whalebone and said to "sing" in the wind. Nice songs, mind you. Like a lonely choir singing in the distance during a stormy night. (totally not Saint Basil's Cathedral)

>Deacon's Eye - The largest railway station in the Capitol, with lines that stretch (however tenuously) all the way into the steppe. It is most commonly used by the middle class and poor just for getting in and around the city and its suburbs, though. It has a smuggling problem, with its location near a set of canals making it easy to traffic goods from a barge into a boxcar and on to wherever it might go throughout the city. It is considered in recent popular fiction to be ABSOLUTELY FULL of returning soldiers and desperate sweethearts hoping to see their beloved amongst the crowd. The grand decor in the main lobby helps this image.

The names are honestly the hardest part. I'm trying to keep them Russian-y, but I just end up with not-London.

>>82102549
>>82102527
Yeah, guns as a technology are not that difficult to create in the first place once you have gunpowder production figured out. The real problem in making good firearms is having precise enough tools to reliably and cheaply produce rifles.

>>82102693
> Lvyatan Square
Yeah, this was the old name; but "Leviathan" is too on the nose.

>>82102693
I like it. Not too off the wall.

>>82102693
in fact, reading this carefully, this is actually low key some of the best and most A E S T H E T I C things for this setting

>>82102712
>>82102549
that said the time period that the technology level is around was a period of fairly rapid change in firearms technology irl, for instance, in military service, multi shot double action revolvers were in service with the british while the germans were still using single shot muzzle loading pistols

>>82102693
>Tombslab
>Scandalous cabaret located at the city outskirts near Capri Bay alienation zone border
>Still open only because the Hooks use it to recruit new members and informants
>lair of all sorts of debauchery from drugs to occultism
>popular among Lapsarian creative class and aristocracy

>>82102795
I think each landmark should tell a very short story about the crowds that come there.

>>82094674
>[U
so the true innovator... does he have durite ancestry or is the grey skin an artistic choice?

>>82103064
>does he have durite ancestry
HOW DARE YOU IMPLY SUCH A THING

>>82098962
I like that. That’s the kind of fluff that adds good flavour to the setting

>>82098962
This is why real sailors use the stars for navigation.

>>82103150
>sail away from the monolith to find whales
>sail towards the monolith the find the way back to the vast
And then it's just figuring out if you have to go up or down the shore. Bonus points if you only went right or leftwards and you know that already too.
And it doesn't force you to sail at night, so you can turn all lights and not be the sole glowing beacon in a vast sea of dark. Who knows that might come check you out?

>>82103064
I like the idea of him being an outsider and self made man, a true representative of the rising bourgeois middle class. The half-breed son of a Lapsarian artisan and a Durite woman, he started out life working in his father's shop in the slums and clawed his way up to being one of the nations wealthiest new-money industrialists.

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>>82101581
>>82101893
Sorry to shut down an otherwise interesting idea, but I second this anon. >>82101775. Over-explaining the eldritch is the worst thing you can possibly do to to it. Plus, the sea is, by its very nature, mysterious and unexplainable to the PCs. They don't know where the whales go, and nobody needs to know.

I really don't thing we should go greek mythology style where the gods are buff dudes directly interacting with mortals. King Fisher should not have a clear cut, easily understandable plan. He might not even exist, for all we know. But rituals that work and those that don't, lead to the interpretation that the ruler of the seas hates the monolyth.

Or rather, the Deacon's church always believed it, intrigued its way into the imperial court during the last century and suppressed most of the other voices.
>>82101943
>>82102035
>>82102061

And then the Bargain happened. Probably something like the Deacon directing a public ceremony on the beach now known as "whale's fall", where a gigantic whale (twice the size of the largest hunted so far) stranded right on the spot. A new one appearing regularly, carved and sold by the church.

The new oil kickstarted the whole industrial revolution, which allowed Lapsarians to bully the continent, and power more ships to hunt more whales.

(I'm just spitballing, take what you want)

>>82102572
This is definitely required. And remember that said intellectuals are probably infiltered by/in cahoots with the hooks.

>>82103064
Obviously all the powdered dust of progress inhalation has made him a little stony

>>82099841
>>82099614
>Phrenology
>Roll to explain to the young fishwife why Durites have inferior thinking and angry temperaments without having ever met one yourself

>>82103362
>And then the Bargain happened. Probably something like the Deacon directing a public ceremony on the beach now known as "whale's fall", where a gigantic whale (twice the size of the largest hunted so far) stranded right on the spot. A new one appearing regularly, carved and sold by the church.
>The new oil kickstarted the whole industrial revolution, which allowed Lapsarians to bully the continent, and power more ships to hunt more whales.
>(I'm just spitballing, take what you want)
the bargain is a secret thing. They are still prosecuting fish cultists.

>>82103362
Damn, tthise are some really great ideas anon! I also like how you entertwined Whalefall, which has mostly been left out of the lore

>>82103382
>"Why yes, my character is min-maxed to specialize in explaining the merits of racial hygiene and sterilization, why do you ask?"

>>82103416
I see a bright future in Lapsarian academia for him, anon. We need to explain why rounding up Durite villagers and forcing them to dig their own graves is for the best, after all.

>>82103403
>the bargain is a secret thing.
The public ceremony doesn't have to expose the Bargain. People must know tthat the oil is coming from somewhere, and they know it's increasing in quantity, maybe the Deacon makes claims on how this is a blessing from their religion to cover it up.

>>82103471
I think it makes sense for the Oil to come from the whales which are primarily harvested by the booming Lapsarian whaling industry. The King's part of the bargain is to allow the whales to be harvested without interference, maybe even directing whales to allow themselves to be killed. Perhaps whaling was much more dangerous and risky before the bargain was struck and mass harvesting of whales for enough oil to power the new industry is only possible because the King is allowing it to happen.

>>82103471
>maybe the Deacon makes claims on how this is a blessing from their religion to cover it up.
You're thinking of it wrong
Whales are just animals aren't they? Who knows what oversized fish think anon. The deacon might claim it's all thanks to his faith but all I know neither my dad nor my ads dad nor his dad ever had so much oil as we got under the Tsarina now, she sure is a good ruler

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>>82103403
Right. I had missed that point.
But the storyline is still salvageable : from the average Lapsarian's point of view, the Deacon called for God's power and whales just kept on appearing on the shores. They don't have to know something was given in return.

They don't even have to know this has any link with the weird fish cultists getting prosecuted. I mean, anyone with two brain cells could guess, but this is the reason why we have a secret police.

>>82103533
Oh I agree. the Oil coming from whales, and the whales being way more frequent/easy to harvest now because of the Bargain is something I'm 100% down for.
The point of >>82103362 I really like is the idea of there being one big event (aka Whalefall, a massive whale being caught ashore) tho mark the start of the pact. That would also help tie in whalefall to the rest of the lore, as right now we have nothing on it.
>>82103549
kek

So this all raises another interesting question: besides the Deacon, who else knows about the details of the Bargain? I think it'd be interesting if a few more people were aware of what's going on behind the scenes, even if they don't have the full picture. The Oil Tycoon definitely seems like he's in the loop.

>>82103533
>>82103594
But i agree that active whaling is much more interesting than the whales just washing up ashore. The ashore thing would be a one time (or somewhat rare) event that marked the beginning of the end

>>82103587
I like how in that picture they got the orca's dorsal fin basically perfect but everything else is about as close to incorrect about whale biology as you can get

I am spitballing for the main base for the Sky Pirates.

>Highharbor
>Formerly the main military outpost for the Lapsari Air Marines, now taken over by the deserters.
>Positioned in badlands on the interior of the vast, extremely dry and needing to pull their water from elsewhere via zepplin runs.
>Sits atop of Lapsari natural gas reserves, which is used to keep the airships afloat.
>In the few years since Capri Bay it has turned into a den for criminals, insurgents, partisans, and more.

>>82103635
The Tsarina's father, before his 'unfortunate' death. The Last Captain likely knew or suspected some details before his death. Whoever the leader of the Hooks is likely knows.

The Crown Executioner, The Hasyyiam Oil Wrestler knows everything. He simply doesn't care.

>>82103635
Given the way she's written, the Handmaiden is almost certainly aware of the Bargain in some capacity. Her debt to the Hooks means that she'll not necessarily be able to reveal anything about it even if she wanted to, though. The Tsarina's Maid is probably starting to get an inkling of the Bargain, too.

It will not end well for her.

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RULES ITEMS:
How 6PIP is designed is on a Lifepath System. With a character having a number of Lifepaths at character generation. The number of Lifepaths a character has at creation defines the basic level of power of a campaign. Some notes on it are:
>the minimum number of paths is 2, your Novice (childhood) Path, and your Journeyman Path you enter as for the beginning of the campaign
>there are three kinds of paths, Novice (your background), Journeyman, and Mastery
>more paths can be defined at character creation
>a Path does several things, supplying a small number of skills/abilities/perks on purchase, and discounting further related skills/abilities/perks
>if a character has more than 2 paths at creation they may end up qualify for a Mastery path out the gate
>in addition a character will have a small pool of additional points to help you define your character's specific skill set
>these extra points are assigned per path level, meaning you need to finish spending your Novice points before gaining a Journeyman path and spending its points
>points are also exchanged for money to purchase things outside the basic purse
>during play a PC may use Advancement Points to gain a new Lifepath, and generally will need to in order to gain a Mastery path
>the Maximum life paths a character can ever have is 6

>>82103533

Oh yeah.Whaling is definitely much cooler than just waiting for the best to kill itself on the beach. So, either whale's fall is a one time event, or it doesn't bring nearly enough whales to supply the industry. (and that may be when the oil tycoon steps into the picture)

Thinking again about it, I prefer >>82103647 over my initial idea. It avoids the church being too powerful from the continuous supply, and leaves a door open for deniability.

>>82094674

Music of the Vast

Durites play bowed instruments similar to the morin khuur in their traditional music, though they'd likely play other strummed or plucked stringed instruments too, and drums are common to most cultures irl.

The Kossoki, being an offshoot of the Durites likely use a lot of the same instruments.

But what do people in Lapsaria play?
what's the most common instrument in Yothestein?
what styles of singing are most popular in the sunset isles?

These are the questions we must ask ourselves

>>82103993
I feel traditional Durite music would be fairly melancholy, melodical, and droning, similar to mongolian throat singing. but less traditional durites, that aren't busy singing to the stone would play something a little more upbeat.

Kossoki music would probably do away with the melancholic droning, and be more rousing and high tempo, songs to be played while your Band dances around a bonfire. Though slow droning funeral songs are fairly common

>>82103993
and just to nip this one in the bud, there will be no drunken sailor in Lapsaria, get more creative

The carver monks have actually been outlawed in Lapsaria long before the Bargain. The traditional Lapsarian stone workship is iconoclast, believing that copying or rasing stones is to insult the monolith.
That is because there was an old schism within the parent organization of the carver monks (name pending), and although they lost, it was their mercenaries that converted an old Tsar of Lapsaria, back when the land was still a duchy surrounded by tribes, ibstead of an empire.
This allowed the Deacon to argue that the destruction of the slabs was justified, for they were just another blasphemy to the stone. When came time to ban stone workship, he simply claimed that the Monolith is simply another icon of the true deity of stone, and therefore is not holy.

Don't know if this goes against the established lore for the Lapsarian faith, but I tried to think of a way for why the Lapsarian people would accept suddenly baning their faith, while the Deacon kept his power and fish workship stayed officially persecuted.

>>82104109
Concertina's are a blessing. It's part of the Bargain. This is what you go to church for
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJQFNdCZvLk

>>82103909
>waiting for the whales to beach themselves
>not wanting to HARPOON

I will be GMing this evening and so won't be able to do much:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f5_EIAdm3fwycQjU4nyoCoAqdRtDj0-rDgtw170SpsA/edit?usp=sharing

I plan on when I can doing some things to make character creation rule creation more interactive. Mainly:
>template for creating spells
>template for creating lifepaths
>template for creating backgrounds
>templates for creating assets

For reference, Assets are any item too large to be carried on one's person (Vehicles and property are the most common).

So that in the thread people can design Lifepaths and Spells to go in.

>>82104530
>I will be GMing this evening
Are you planning on using LEVIATHAN as setting?

>>82094674
Someone might have said this before, but has anyone tried for the Trawlerman from The Silt Verses? It would work as a fifth Fish God, on a neglected river. If there's room for it, it can have two positions. Both in the same spot on a fish-aligned column, but mirrored (however far apart) positions in faith/pain.
Possible captions, assigned to either the faith or stone position as needed:
>two-faced
>the faith before pain, the pain before faith
>Broken legs shall skitter again
>from heart-spring to kelpgarden
>The withertide comes
>why's the river dry?

>>82104618
Unlikely, it's too early.

>>82104648
I know, I was thinking more as a play-test to try stuff out.

>>82104624
>The Silt Verses
>Google that
>Podcast serial
no man the whole point is we're making our own shit, why would we take someone else's stuff
Did you even look at the thread before posting or did you just want to shill a podcast you're into holy shit

>>82104624
No, not really. Everything that comes of this ought to be organic or from some historical basis.
So far this has been the status quo and it has made LEVIATHAN incredibly strong.

>>82104618
>>82104648
>>82104659
While I would want to playtest one shots I believe more info comes from non-developers trying to GM. It more easily identifies things that aren't clear since the writer will always know what they mean.

>>82094674
so when did the old Tsar and the Deacon go through with the bargain? I'm thinking when the Tsarina was just a little girl, with her being in her 30's now.
Shortly after the bargain was struck the Tsar's payment was collected, and the Tsarina took the throne as a child, advised by her father's most trusted Deacon. being both the youngest ruler the Tsardom has ever had, yet the country never prospered as much as it has under her.

>>82104761
Discussion in the threads and the Google Doc so far indicates that it's been around a few decades or thereabouts, so the idea of it happening when the Tsarina was a child definitely fits.

>>82104668
Not really here to shill, I finished that series a while back, and it was sticking in my skull as I lurked. Seemed like it would have fit the debate about including a dried river.

>>82104687
That's fair, and I'll admit, even at the best point in time to introduce it in the previous threads, it would have taken work to adapt creatively. Not because it's not an organic fit (as a carcine god would be wonderful), but because it's hard to differentiate from the source without reducing the impact, unfortunately.

In both of y'all's cases, I concede.

>>82104761
I would make that the Tsar ruled for a few more years after the bargain, and that the Tsarina took the throne when she barely of age.
That way there was a brief period was the Deacon was the regent, so he could hide all that he did, but not too long. Also that the Tsarina would trust him, since he was a father figure for a while.

Was the old Tsar popular, or has his legacy been muddled by the Captain's Rebellion?

>>82104842
He represents a calmer era, before the sudden changes and turmoil brought on by the Bargain and the subsequent discoveries of Oil and Dust.

He will be remembered more fondly than he deserves.

>>82104761
I'm thinking about 25-30 years ago, if the Bargain was set at more or less the same time the Rebellion of The Last Captain was ended.

>>82104842
I like to think he was very paranoid, but cared deeply about his nation.

>>82104808
>>82104884
>>82104761
One problem with the Bargain being too recent is how to explain the population boom and teh industrialization. It would take at least 30 years for the industry to expand to the point where it would start having a significant effect on the population.
Either that or there was already some industry beforehand, it just grew a lot with the Oil.
>>82104883
> the subsequent discoveries of Oil and Dust.
Was Slab Dust discovered after the Bargain? Or was it's collection just expanded after it?
I know in the Docs it currently says that's how it was discovered, but it feels weird for the Lapsarians to get both the Dust and the Oil as part of the deal. And considering there's moire than one group responsible for harvesting tthe Dust, maybe it'd make sense if it was already known to them, but only after the Bargain they began expanding it's collection (ie Creating tthe Slab Knights)

>>82104808
>>82104883
>>82104884
definitely want a few decades to have passed since the Bargain for it's boons to really start becoming apparent, though the Tsarina in the compass looks fairly young so I think this is probably a pretty good timeline

>>82104957
>It would take at least 30 years for the industry to expand to the point where it would start having a significant effect on the population.
Agreed, but that would still fit with the idea of the Tsarina being a child when the Bargain was sealed if she's now in her early-to-mid 30s.
>And considering there's moire than one group responsible for harvesting tthe Dust, maybe it'd make sense if it was already known to them, but only after the Bargain they began expanding it's collection (ie Creating tthe Slab Knights)
I was mostly going by what we have on the Doc so far, but I think you make a good point. Stone is ancient, and Dust is the by-product of Stone. The Lapsarians might just be the first people bold/foolhardy enough to start grinding it up en-masse as fuel for growth.

>>82104957
Maybe they figured a use for dust after banning all other religions and started destroying the slabs then?

>>82105002
>Agreed, but that would still fit with the idea of the Tsarina being a child when the Bargain was sealed if she's now in her early-to-mid 30s.
Fair, then I'm down with the 30ish years timeline.
Hell, if the Oil can increase Lifespan, nothing prevents the Tsarina from looking younger than her ~35 years due to oil usage, so taht she matches her portrait better.

>>82105027
I mean her eyes do look a little funny.

I'm sure it's fine, though. Nothing to worry about.

So what are the long term effects of the oil? The golden octopus eyes are probably the immediate stuff, and turning into a fish is more related to deals with the Fish Gods rather than just the oil, so what would the oil do if you were taking it throughout your entire life? Does it just keep you young and only a minority go insane?

>>82105386
Gaining gills seems like a mutation you'd gain after a while of consumption, prob even more fish mutations and becoming more alien in mindset until you then likely go into the sea or get put in the asylum.

>>82105422
Altho depends on how blessed you are, there is the oil savant that likely gains a fair bit of power and I'd imagine kept quite a bit of its faculties.

>>82105386
Oil is addicting, gives you vitality and virility, beauty, and probably makes you smarter too.
Thing is, it not always impart the gift.

>>82096444
>the reason why they tend to make settings with conflict in them
the question isn't about conflict. a setting doesn't have to have a totalitarian nightmare empire that enslaves its people and hyper-sadistic unkillable demons scheming behind the scenes just to have conflict. this is just a patronizing mischaracterization from a grimderp apologist

>>82105466
None of our demons are sadistic. If anything they average towards caring for you. It’s also not really totalitarian, ‘cept if you’re a fucking quartz licker that is.

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I just want to post art and inspiration for this.

>>82105466
>totalitarian
Is an absolutist monarchy totalitarian? Not even doubting your point, just curious if the term applies, considering the Government doesn't have tthe technologial means to spread propaganda and control the citizens to the extent of normal Totalitarian regimes.

>>82105653
That's a good question actually.
Would imperial Japan during WW2 count as a totalitarian regime?

>>82104530
These are cool rules on the base system. resolution is cool, and the effort pool is a nice mechanic. I feel the complexity can be brought a lot lower on the skills, magic and such without losing player engagement (probably raising it desu). i've posted some suggestions in the doc for you. Take a look and respond when you like.

>>82105729
Meiji Japan under kokka shintô was very much a totalitarian state at least in intent from the outset, even if not immediately in practice to the extent that would later be technologically possible.

>>82105653
in this case, they're less totalitarian on the homefront than most totalitarian dictatorships, most definitely imperial, and militant with it's colonies but relatively benign at home

>>82105779
For skills I like to keep the number because it keeps the 6s, and for complexity I can see that being an issue. It may be something more readily solved with formatting and explanation in the rules document rather than in the removal of skills.

The assumption is most players will only have a small number of these skills, the rest being rolled only with effort dice.

>>82105729
>Would imperial Japan during WW2 count as a totalitarian regime?
Maybe? I'd say imperial Japan had some of the means to make something like this possible and definitely had the intention.
>>82105857
Oh yeah, most definitely imperialist and colonialist.

>>82105892
as a 3.5 veteran, nah the amount of skills is fine, in fact I'd like more

>>82105653
>>82105820
>>82105857
I personally don't like the application of the term "totalitarian" until you get to post-WW1 technology and culture. Otherwise the vast majority of human history suddenly falls under that label.
I think absolute monarchy, or just plain old Czarism, is all that is necessary.

>>82104530
>Spiritualism (Mystic)
>Phrenology (Mystic)
>Symbology (Mystic)
>Numerology (Mystic)
>Occultism (Branched, Mystic)
>Alchemy (Mystic)
>Ceremony (Mystic)
What are these magic skills?

>>82105903
>as a 3.5 veteran
yeah, this is where i differ from this anon. not a fan of the 3.5 variety.

>>82105904
>I personally don't like the application of the term "totalitarian" until you get to post-WW1 technology and culture. Otherwise the vast majority of human history suddenly falls under that label.

The vast majority of human history WAS totalitarian. Most pre-WWII government sucked ass, and there are a lot of loud-mouthed ideologues who don't seem to realize this.

>>82105904
>I personally don't like the application of the term "totalitarian" until you get to post-WW1 technology and culture
Yeah, that's why I raised the question. They might have simmilar intuitions behind their actions, but the available means and how thosse means define how you percieve the possibilities makes the term Totalitarian seem weird.

>>82105938
It sucked ass, yes, but throwing around terms too often causes them to lose meaning.

>>82105920
>How
>Who
>Why
>How Many
>Where
>What
>When

>>82096078
I don't know. But Lapsaria isn't actually that bad, and for the still-mobile Durits it isn't either.
Most of the really fucked shit is around Capri Bay and the Venit River, and in the warzone.

>>82105938
They were mostly authoritarian, totalitarian needs a specific set of extra requirements on top of that.

>>82105938
eh britain got wise and came up with a constitutional monarchy pretty quick that wasn't all that bad

File: average Kossoki party.png (3.08 MB, 1920x1080)

3.08 MB PNG

For those that don't feel like reading through the doc, this was the inspiration for Kossoki fashion

>>82106017
>>82096078
yeah on the whole it's actually a bit of a nicer place to live than actual imperial russia

>>82106380
That's true, the factory drone had to sell his freedom instead of being property from the day one.

>>82106416
and Lapsaria is leading the world in industry and technology, kinda hard to beat that

File: Agitator.png (209 KB, 974x1058)

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Hey, I originally suggested the Union Agitator as a concept.
Thanks a lot to the Anon that made the portrait!
You nailed the aesthetic.

I took the liberty to edit it a bit, to make him scarred and angry.
I suggest adding (some) tension by making him anti-oil and violent.
Specifically, he's angry specifically because the Lapsarian Factory Drone is 'bloated and dulled' from oil-use, forced to scrape a meager existence under the thumb of the Oil Tycoon.

>Wanted comfort without Faith.
>Wanted change without Pain.
>Rejects the Oil.
>Embraces the gun.
>"Sic Semper Tyrannis!"

As for the life paths in the system how fleshed out is it going to be, will there be more generic roles like farmer, soldier, and noble or is it gonna be super in-depth with practically every wojack being a path?

>>82106455
I imagine every wojak could be reach through combinations of paths and deals made with whatever eldritch fish or rock you choose

>>82106345
Doesthis look kinga Gipsy-ish to anyone else?

>>82106487
despite what people seem to think, the Kossoki are based more on Gypsies than Cossacks

>>82106515
But anon, the Yechod are meant to be the Gipsy/Jews!

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So, do we have info on the fish men yet? i really want to know more on them.

>>82106527
they're more jew than gypsy

They're religiously persecuted sedentary artisans and craftsmen.

The Kossoki on the other hand are nomadic, rowdy and generally considered to be mostly thieves by the Lapsarians

>>82106380
Some parts of it. Capri-Bay is basically the Zone but with ghosts and fish people instead of radiation, and the whole Capri river is absolutely porked.
Of course the Yechods and the Lapisian Durites are getting railed, the Salt Pans are all kinds of fucky-wucky, and Industrialism is gonna go on to make the Slab-knights look like a minor coal incident if they keep going.
Which leads us into the situation where...

>Hey friend listen, I know the world is very scary right now but
>It's gonna get way worse

>>82106527
The real Roma was inside us all along anon.

>>82106527
I just had a deja-vu were I replied calling them jewpsies and someone complained about it.
It was quite vivid too.

>>82106438
You are welcome anon.
I have been thinking of trying to do the indentured durite, his descriptions hit hard.

>>82106764
Too hard for me. That shit is what makes me practice the old country language.

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The Whole fish/stone dichotomy reminds me of the imagery always used for lovecraft's dagon.

>>82106964
WHOA, you can't just post heretical porn like that on a blue board.

Don’t think I’ve ever seen such an organized project on this durite rock carving forum

>>82107264
we fags occasionally get shit done.

>>82107457
The sheer amount of autism contained on these boards terrifies me. Sometimes it gets inspired and pointed in an interesting direction, like with this crowd sourced project.
Kudos to the organizers.

>>82107688
Honestly, this is still in the early phases. I'd say this isn't "done" until we have the map sorted and flesh out some of the minor nations a bit more.

>>82107748
I'd love to, we'll keep adding shit to it.
Let's see what the autists have in the doc.

>>82107748
That and pooling our considerable autism to finish detailing Lapsaria, and get art together to go with all this information

>>82107748
I still don't get how this works, can I just add stuff or? I won't remove anyone's stuff just wanna know.

>>82107897
When it comes to the Google doc, talk about stuff here in the thread first and see what people think. If there is a positive response after a few hours; consider adding it to the Google doc. It's a bit of a give and take process.

File: satellite.jpg (1.37 MB, 4096x2160)

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I have finished running my game for this evening and will get back to things. For maps I am more experienced in creating Satellite style maps, but also have done other styles in the past.

I am thinking an Atlas style map would be best for this project.

For reference pic related is what I mean by a satellite style map. This one took me months to finish though, an Atlas Style map takes less time.

>>82108006
Jesus that's amazing, nice work CC

>>82108006
That's pretty good.

>>82094674
I'd like to propose an Idea.
If the coral is a unholy abomination of stone-in-the-sea.
Shouldn't we complete the duality by adding a swamp deity in the Vast? lakes and marshes more lakes and more marshes and occasionally some bits of solid land here and there.

>>82108053
I don't think we need any more deities. Monsters and demi-gods are fine.

>>82108053
And a god to accompany them of course.
An actual god, not like a force of nature like the monolith/coral.

>>82108078
Demi-god seems fine yeah. Some swamp thing, but tell me what you think about this duality thing, is ti good or thrash.

>>82108053
The incessant human desire for symmetry isn't always a good impulse to follow
I'd let it be. Frankly, the water in the Vast is already Father Oyster's domain

>>82108132
Fair. Fair.
Must contain the monkey.
Anyhow, the other states. I'll brain storm some of it.

>>82105637
you inspired me. I'll d a Northern Border Soldier.

>>82106017
>still-mobile Durits
what do you mean? Which Durites are still mobile? Haven't they been forced into agricultural lifestyles by teh occupiers?

>>82108053
>SHOULDN'T WE COMPLETE THE DUALITY?
Why are Americans so obsessed with symmetry. There's no need for everything to be mirrored. There is nothing less itneresting than "like X, but upside down"

>>82108580
It's just in fantasy culture. Fire, air, water, earth. Really we're lucky that the Gods of Wind and Light are dead.

>>82108580
Fuck you I'm Italian and I like symmetry

>>82108594
>the Gods of Wind and Light
ah heck, did you guys add those while I was asleep? At this point it's p funny, I'm almost for it.

>>82108619
See >>82101956 >>82101980 >>82101988
It could easily be just a myth.

>>82108149
Ok ok, here it goes. I have done some more in-depth research on the HRE (Not very, just Wikipedia and other bullshit) And I'll now try to start dishing out jasentorf Ideas.
>The region still hasn't come to a concensus on whether they are a loose confederation that exists to maintain themselves from getting annexed or if they should stand behind an actual emperor as they (kinda) do now. They still have conflicts about this, less intense than before though.
>This is assuming there is an emperor who is nominally top dog of the trenchcoat state.
>Some regions are still being repopulated from the absolute carnage of the bigger wars in the past.
Will elaborate more in another post.
>>82108580
I am not from the U.S.A (though I am from the American continent) Please keep the regional/political autism out of the thread for the love of God.

>>82108651
>I am not from the U.S.A (though I am from the American continent) Please keep the regional/political autism out of the thread for the love of God.
I'm talking about time zones and am mostly fooling. Although I must admit this >>82108635 is funny.

>>82108618
Italy has some of the most interesting asymmetries in its history out of anyone. you're missing oot.

Personally, I vote in favor of the Dead Gods being canon because it shows the power of the King Fisher and Monolith, as well as the consequences for losing the divine struggle. We don't need to get into any further description of the Dead Gods other than that they're dead. It's like what the Professor is obsessed with. "They were here before us, and we could join them in extinction." That's what's important about them, not completing elemental symmetry.

>>82101956
>It is said, in the dinghy rooms of old portside taverns, that if a damned soul where to ask the loving fisher king about certain things, that once were in the sky, that even he would briefly sour.
>There is a plate, somewhere, say artists in their cafes, carved of pure white bone, depicting something... something else. One of them, fishy chap, asked a hook what that was, but the only thing he did was wryly smile, ask him to give him the plate, or else.

>>82108668
Asymmetry being beautiful does not invalidate the beauty of symmetry.

>>82108729
The plate itself would be lost to time somewhere. Might have never existed. But the rumour is what matters.

I HATE FISH, I HATE OIL

>>82108816
weirdo

>>82108651
>Empire in itself could be divided into some regions
>Main jasentorf: The main area of the empire, Yothestein included hopefully bordering massovi or something similar. This is where most of the princedoms, duchys, Prince-bishoprics, marquisates, etc are. The climate here can be from cold forests (which in some regions can get quite thick) to steppe, and of course, cultivated farmland. The imperial realm/capital would probably be here. More on that later. Assuming you people are ok with the emperor idea.
>Aleria (WIP name), because between the searing sun of the sunset isles and the cold of lapsaria and the steppes, there should be some Mediterranean climate. They're separated from the mainline empire by mountains (more on them later too), life is good in aleria, where the poison flows freely under the glow of the gibbous moon. Here be more city-states, with cultural differences to the mountaineers and the mainlanders. Religious differences too.
>The Mountains: kinda extensive, separate the empire. Not only mountains and valleys, but they also have some hilly regions and the like. Theyre mainly inhabited by shepherds/farmers under some city-states/minor princedoms in the few cities/keeps. Despite being in one of the few mountain ranges, they are pretty secular, as far as other stone worshippers are concerned. They take no shit from no one else in the empire, the region is still pretty poor and harsh, and the locals don't really want to go near the caves...

>>82108891
Also, the mountains contain some very nice lakes, and you can swim in them without much care to boot. For this reason, it has a little of a tourism industry where the rich go to bathe in thermal waters and the like.

>>82108651
>>82108891
I encourage you to voice your opinions on my shit. Even if isn't fully fleshed out yet.

>>82108816
Ok quartz licker

>>82108938
Nice. Maybe we should do a 5x5 for the Frontier. Put the Indentured Durite in that too.

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>>82108053

>>82108132

That and there is also the salt pan which is salt on land... and that too, apparently, can get you high - if we are going by the Chief Wall Officer ("salt to pass the time").

I'm having a look and I can't find it now... Maybe I dreamt it? I honestly did dream about this compass last night..
I think I saw it in one of the previous threads and it got removed, or didn't get added in the end.
Either way, I could have sworn there was a giant salt desert on the compass somewhere. Like the Bolivian salt flats... A sea of salt on land.

Also, I get that not everything needs to be a duality and going for something asymmetrical has a much more discordant, unsettling appeal to it; an appeal which fits this projects perfectly.
But to be fair we did start with a fucking compass with 2 axes and 2 sets of opposing poles built into it from the start.

>>82094674
Finally, someone explained what a slab was. Half of the setting was done, and half of that (25%), based around destroying something without any definition.

>>82094686
I still think putting pirates up for pain was stupid.

>>82109057
yea, who would want ambiguity in a compass based setting like this

>>82104078
Post examples

>>82108947
loads of small 5x5s that only iterate and dont completely change dynamics or add monumental stuff would be p neat

>>82109010
yea it's in the doc i think. There is a big salt flat in Masovii that is central to their stone worship - but that is really just the dormant form of Ocean, and when it rains, Father clam comes with gifts from his king

>>82108891
>Now, the government.
>By the way, we should establish that while the place is falling behind it's not as much of a backwater as massovi.
>I propose it has 2,3, or even 4 branches. Nah, maybe 2, and then the others aren't as institutionalized, officially at least.
>Hmm, what about this, 2 branches, one of the imperial sovereign, political(Who can vary between a decoration or an active force) and one spiritual comprising of some type of organized stone worship church. That's the official ones, of course, it's more complicated than that. Plus I'd be very happy if you were to bring your own feedback and ideas.
>The real or royal branch is that of the emperor and his nobles, he can call a council/diet/Duma to deliberate on issues whenever jasentorf is forced to unify by an outside threat. He or/and some deputies can assign knighthoods, he can declare places free cities, etc. It's currently trying to resist modernization/bureaucratization.
>the second estate would be some type of stone church, at occasional odds with the nobles and certainly unhappy of aleria's existence and tolerance of the other faith, some say conflict is on the horizon. Some of their members would have landed titles but would be excluded from the other estate. There are still a couple of religious orders running around but they are a relic even by jasentorf standards. They have connections to the carver monks, a couple orders of them come from this church. An ancient treaty between the 2 estates mandates that the emperor and the pontifex reside in the same city, although they live on opposite sides, leading to a strange divide in the capital.
>>82108938
That's pretty cool anon, that guy even looks like he misses his old life. He deserves an extra alcohol ration.
>>82109010
You didn't dream the salt pans. I think they do exist.

>>82109158
btw, should I namefag?

>>82109164
as long as you dont think it gives you ownership over the concept, go ahead

>>82109192
Yeah, It's not my concept, I'd rather not. I'm still going to pump out more autism about it. Because I have an untapped HRE fetish.

>>82109158
Yothestein should be incorporated into this officially too, being a region with special status. In my headcanon of course. This is still up for debates

>>82108891
i think it has been said frequently that Yothenstein is "a collection of microstates on thr coast" or something tp that effect. So i would depart from the Germany parallels by giving them more coastline. Maybe an excess of Schleswig-Holstein/Denmark kind of geography

>>82109223
>Yothenstein
I meant Jasentorf of course

>>82109233
My nigga I know what dumbassery I said, time to re-read the lore docu and see why the thing that I said is massively retarded.