Wandering Mendicant
New Member
Below is the core premise and pitch of a mythic fantasy tabletop roleplaying setting I’m developing which I'd like some general feedback on. The basis is Indo-European mythology with particular emphasis on Greco-Roman and Hindu influences. A group of gods known collectively as the Pantheon are loosely aligned with one another and watch over various city-states, many of which consist of civilians from a variety of god and titan created races. I deliberately avoided the most common fantasy races such as elves, dwarves, halflings and orcs to make the setting more distinct.
The player characters are champions of the gods who face the titanspawn, creations of the titans that have not made peace with the Pantheon and the cultists of the Mad Gods, deities who refused an accord the Pantheon reached on rules of engagement when in conflict with one another.
I imagine the aesthetic as a mix of bronzepunk and clockpunk with a combination of greco-roman and Indian influences in styles of clothing and architecture for most city-states. Forms of government are also non-traditional. While you might have an aristocracy of sorts in some city-states monarchies would be rare. Most societies would be stratocracies, technocracies, democracies, theocracies, magocracies or some combination of the above.
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In the early days, when the world was not yet fully formed there existed only the gods and the titans. The gods were beings of order, in the habit of making things while the titans were beings of chaos in the habit of breaking what the gods had made. Overtime the gods grew increasingly frustrated with that titans and their destructive tendencies but matters finally came to a head after the gods learned how to create life.
The god’s adored their living creations and doted over them like any parent would a child. Most favored among the god’s creations however were the mortal races who displayed an uncanny capacity for understanding and self-awareness that far surpassed that of mere plants and animals. With proper direction mortals thrived in the world that the gods forged for them out of the primordial chaos and developed increasingly advanced civilizations dedicated to singing the praises of to their divine patrons.
The gods in their wisdom held council on how best to manage mortals and conceived of a Grand Design that would decide their fate. But there was a problem. The matter of what do about the titans. The gods soon realized that in order to protect their children they would have to do away with the titans and so they conspired to wage war against them. Some of the titans were convinced to side with the gods in the great conflict while others remained neutral and agreed never to threaten mortal civilization. Those titans that resisted the demands of the gods however were slain or imprisoned their own children, the titanspawn to be hunted down on the fringes of civilization for the sin of being born to monsters.
With the titan’s neutralized the gods were finally able to develop civilization as they had intended but there was much disagreement amongst themselves as to how best to plan it’s course. And so yet another war was waged. This time between the gods and their mortal followers. Realizing that their conflict risked undoing all their great work most of the gods came together and forged the Covenant, an agreement to mitigate divine influence in the realm of mortals and to emphasize persuasion over the use of force in the advocacy of their ideals. Those gods who did not agree to the Covenant found themselves and their followers sorely outnumbered and fled beyond the Firmament. Their worship was outlawed. Their temples torn down. Their followers slaughtered.
The gods of the Covenant rule till this very day as a loose alliance working together against their fallen brethren and the remaining titans but also plot against one another to pursue their own agendas and ideals.
Races
The Mer – an amphibious race that live largely near bodies of water. Water magic can be used to create auras of unusually high humidity around them allowing them to thrive in environs where their skin and gills would otherwise dry up. The Mer can live in fresh or salt water but may have trouble acclimating to one if they are accustomed to living in another. Over the centuries some Mer have moved to deep sea habitats to escape the wars that occur on the surface, sometimes raiding surface dwelling communities for resources. The Mer are known to tame and hunt massive sea creatures and sell the exotic goods of the sea to the other mortal races.
Ghouls – a race of people adapted to live underground. They were initially created by the God of Death to serve him in the underworld. Ghouls are humanoid with generally pale or dark skin, pitch black eyes and thin, wiry, but muscular bodies. Because they live in environs where food sources are rare they have adapted to be carrion eaters. Otherwise poisonous mushrooms also contribute to their diet but they cannot digest most fruits and vegetables. Ghouls do not fair well under the sun’s light and typically wear heavy clothing to avoid getting sun burns when on the surface. Most underground ghoul city-states have a strict caste structure and population controls. Excess populations are often banished to the surface.
Dryads – sentient tree people created by the goddess of life to be stewards of nature. Can stand as tall as thirteen feet. Vaguely humanoid but can have non-standard morphological features such as additional appendages or leaves in the shape of wings. Able to produce an addictive nectar that they use to train and breed animals that they mutate using life magic. Are gendered but don’t actually reproduce. They grow from massive ‘mother’ trees planted by the goddess of life herself millennia ago and they defend these trees fanatically.
Drakes – descended from dragons but cannot reproduce themselves. Drakes are about 15ft tall head to tail and stand roughly at a man’s chest. Drakes can live for centuries but spend considerable time (sometimes months) in hibernation. They are relatively rare and live fairly independent lives. They cohabitate but are self-sufficient enough that they have little need for complex social structures like more fragile races. Drakes worship Tiamat, the Mother of Dragons a titan who sided with the gods and her seven children known as the High Dragons. The High Dragons in turn sired hundreds of true dragons and all drakes are sired from them.
Giants – stand on average about twice as tall as a human. Giants have high concentrations of metal in their bodies giving their skin a gray or bronze metallic sheen. Giants were created by the Titan Magog who sided with the gods after seeing the wisdom of civilization and the potential benefits it would have for his children, Magog was slain in battle against another titan and many Giants hope to revive him. Others have turned to worshiping the Pantheon, especially the god of craftsmanship. Giants live for up to 200 years but have a significantly slower fertility rate and development cycle then humans. A giant is not considered an adult until they are at least 50.
The player characters are champions of the gods who face the titanspawn, creations of the titans that have not made peace with the Pantheon and the cultists of the Mad Gods, deities who refused an accord the Pantheon reached on rules of engagement when in conflict with one another.
I imagine the aesthetic as a mix of bronzepunk and clockpunk with a combination of greco-roman and Indian influences in styles of clothing and architecture for most city-states. Forms of government are also non-traditional. While you might have an aristocracy of sorts in some city-states monarchies would be rare. Most societies would be stratocracies, technocracies, democracies, theocracies, magocracies or some combination of the above.
_________________________________________
In the early days, when the world was not yet fully formed there existed only the gods and the titans. The gods were beings of order, in the habit of making things while the titans were beings of chaos in the habit of breaking what the gods had made. Overtime the gods grew increasingly frustrated with that titans and their destructive tendencies but matters finally came to a head after the gods learned how to create life.
The god’s adored their living creations and doted over them like any parent would a child. Most favored among the god’s creations however were the mortal races who displayed an uncanny capacity for understanding and self-awareness that far surpassed that of mere plants and animals. With proper direction mortals thrived in the world that the gods forged for them out of the primordial chaos and developed increasingly advanced civilizations dedicated to singing the praises of to their divine patrons.
The gods in their wisdom held council on how best to manage mortals and conceived of a Grand Design that would decide their fate. But there was a problem. The matter of what do about the titans. The gods soon realized that in order to protect their children they would have to do away with the titans and so they conspired to wage war against them. Some of the titans were convinced to side with the gods in the great conflict while others remained neutral and agreed never to threaten mortal civilization. Those titans that resisted the demands of the gods however were slain or imprisoned their own children, the titanspawn to be hunted down on the fringes of civilization for the sin of being born to monsters.
With the titan’s neutralized the gods were finally able to develop civilization as they had intended but there was much disagreement amongst themselves as to how best to plan it’s course. And so yet another war was waged. This time between the gods and their mortal followers. Realizing that their conflict risked undoing all their great work most of the gods came together and forged the Covenant, an agreement to mitigate divine influence in the realm of mortals and to emphasize persuasion over the use of force in the advocacy of their ideals. Those gods who did not agree to the Covenant found themselves and their followers sorely outnumbered and fled beyond the Firmament. Their worship was outlawed. Their temples torn down. Their followers slaughtered.
The gods of the Covenant rule till this very day as a loose alliance working together against their fallen brethren and the remaining titans but also plot against one another to pursue their own agendas and ideals.
Races
The Mer – an amphibious race that live largely near bodies of water. Water magic can be used to create auras of unusually high humidity around them allowing them to thrive in environs where their skin and gills would otherwise dry up. The Mer can live in fresh or salt water but may have trouble acclimating to one if they are accustomed to living in another. Over the centuries some Mer have moved to deep sea habitats to escape the wars that occur on the surface, sometimes raiding surface dwelling communities for resources. The Mer are known to tame and hunt massive sea creatures and sell the exotic goods of the sea to the other mortal races.
Ghouls – a race of people adapted to live underground. They were initially created by the God of Death to serve him in the underworld. Ghouls are humanoid with generally pale or dark skin, pitch black eyes and thin, wiry, but muscular bodies. Because they live in environs where food sources are rare they have adapted to be carrion eaters. Otherwise poisonous mushrooms also contribute to their diet but they cannot digest most fruits and vegetables. Ghouls do not fair well under the sun’s light and typically wear heavy clothing to avoid getting sun burns when on the surface. Most underground ghoul city-states have a strict caste structure and population controls. Excess populations are often banished to the surface.
Dryads – sentient tree people created by the goddess of life to be stewards of nature. Can stand as tall as thirteen feet. Vaguely humanoid but can have non-standard morphological features such as additional appendages or leaves in the shape of wings. Able to produce an addictive nectar that they use to train and breed animals that they mutate using life magic. Are gendered but don’t actually reproduce. They grow from massive ‘mother’ trees planted by the goddess of life herself millennia ago and they defend these trees fanatically.
Drakes – descended from dragons but cannot reproduce themselves. Drakes are about 15ft tall head to tail and stand roughly at a man’s chest. Drakes can live for centuries but spend considerable time (sometimes months) in hibernation. They are relatively rare and live fairly independent lives. They cohabitate but are self-sufficient enough that they have little need for complex social structures like more fragile races. Drakes worship Tiamat, the Mother of Dragons a titan who sided with the gods and her seven children known as the High Dragons. The High Dragons in turn sired hundreds of true dragons and all drakes are sired from them.
Giants – stand on average about twice as tall as a human. Giants have high concentrations of metal in their bodies giving their skin a gray or bronze metallic sheen. Giants were created by the Titan Magog who sided with the gods after seeing the wisdom of civilization and the potential benefits it would have for his children, Magog was slain in battle against another titan and many Giants hope to revive him. Others have turned to worshiping the Pantheon, especially the god of craftsmanship. Giants live for up to 200 years but have a significantly slower fertility rate and development cycle then humans. A giant is not considered an adult until they are at least 50.
