PLEASE NOTE: You are expected to read the entirety of this post before posting. If you've been to the interest check already, you may skip any parts that are drawn directly from there, but it is suggested you read anyway.
Welcome to the world of Orvell, or at least the known world. It is a realm of squabbling city-states, each struggling to survive in the aftermath of the fall of the Orvelli Empire. Though the previous age was called the Age of Empires, we now stand in the Age of Adventure, a time when strange and beautiful things can be found in the untamed wilderness... as can dark and dangerous beasts. This is a time when the few beacons of civilization must survive against an omnipresent shadow that cloaks the land.
But who populates this land, and what lurks in the ancient forests? Where are these beacons of light, and what shadows do they cast? What rests on those isles in the middle of the world? And, just as important as all those, what lies beyond the known world?
Those are the questions we have to answer together. What answers do you have?
Now that I have your attention: this is a world creation thread. You and I are going to work together to make a setting that people will enjoy playing in. Yes, I will be GMing this world later, when I decide the world creation phase is finished and have enough material to keep a thread going for a while. I may, in fact, run multiple threads based on this setting, and others are invited to do the same should they wish to. Blah blah blah, we're making a freakin' world, man.
That said, this won't be a "first come first serve" thread. I am the GM. I am going to be very selective about what becomes a part of this world's history, and there will be guidelines you will have to follow. Those guidelines are as follows:
Hopefully this seems pretty straightforward. Now, you may be thinking "Inlaa, this thread is starting to sound a little totalitarian." Well, yes: I am claiming complete rights to approve or disapprove of whatever pieces are submitted. Still, I am a friendly totalitarian dictator, so that makes it okay.
Jokes aside, I'm going to be selective, but anyone may submit material and I will give everything a serious critique. I only ask that if I tell you "No" you accept my answer rather than argue.
When I eventually create a roleplay based on this thread, I will allow people who participated in world creation the first opportunity to join. As with this thread, however, there will be no "first come first serve" basis for acceptance. If a potential player submits a character that I do not want in my thread, I will simply refuse them. So long as the character is acceptable, however, that player will have a spot in the roleplay.
Finally, please note that I am not going to rush the creation of the world. It will be done when it is done. It's as simple as that.
So, if you want to submit something to be part of the world of Orvell, you need to use one of the seven formats included below. These seven formats represent the seven categories:
As stuff is finished and approved, I will add it to the relevant posts in the Characters section. With luck, enough content in all seven categories should be added over time until we have a large, fun-to-explore world in our hands.
I am going to make an example for each category for you to inspect. These examples will be found in the Characters section under their respective sections (one post per category). If you aren't sure where to start when creating a submission, it may be worth looking at my work (and the works others have made as they become approved) for an idea of what you're supposed to do. As of now, these examples are not complete, but they are being constructed at a fair pace. I will delete this message when I have finished making them all.
You will find the format you need to use in the hiders below. If you are unsure how to make your format look like mine, simply open the "No Parse" hider for a given format, then copy its contents and paste that into your reply.
Remember that anything you write here may be used by other players to add more to the world. You might make a nation of elves, for instance, and another player may use that nation as the birthplace of a character, the home of a criminal organization, or the antagonist in a piece of history. It's best to communicate with people whose material you want to use, and I will, as always, be the final arbiter when the time comes to approve or disapprove a submission.
PLEASE NOTE: Refrain from using trademarked material from other settings. Halfling, for instance, is NOT a trademarked term, but Hobbit is. Use Halfling, not Hobbit.
Please remember: You are creating a world for yourself and others to play in. Don't make something because you want to see the halflings wiped out by dragon-men - make something because it would be interesting and engaging to interact with. Don't just make races and cities you want to play - make races that you want to fight, places you want to explore, or mysteries that you think others would like to solve. Again, do NOT "play to win." Instead, "play" to make the world a more interesting place.
There are several themes you should keep in mind when submitting content. They are as follows:
Since you have read this far, you may begin submitting things. You may want to read the Characters Tab to see what's already been posted (I'll have seven sections and constantly edit in content there). You should try to make both things you want to play and things you think would be fun to face in an adventure. If you plan to write but not to join the roleplay thread, that's fine as well - just make whatever you think is interesting and I'll tell you if I accept or deny each given piece.
Some of this information may already have been stated, but I'll say it all again:
The first roleplay for this setting will begin when I feel the setting is complete.
The setting will be complete when I believe it needs no further submissions.
Submissions may still be made after the setting is finished, but I may be less likely to accept them.
I expect some decent quality from your submissions and will critique them as they're presented. I reserve the right to refuse your submissions.
Anything I accept for use in this setting may be used by other players for their own submissions.
You are expected to cooperate with your fellow world builders to create a vibrant setting.
Dark dungeons, ferocious monsters and bandits that plague the roads are all just as desirable as city-states, legendary heroes, and so forth.
Sometimes, it's better to make something small than something big. You don't need to have vampires, dragons and demons to have a cool adventure site. Some goblins ruled by a warlord can be just as threatening and interesting as a vampire lord ruling his lonely keep.
It pays to be vague, sometimes. It can be better for the details of an Adventure Site or non-playable Race to be a little vague and uncertain, for instance, and it can make them better opponents.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Orvell
Welcome to the world of Orvell, or at least the known world. It is a realm of squabbling city-states, each struggling to survive in the aftermath of the fall of the Orvelli Empire. Though the previous age was called the Age of Empires, we now stand in the Age of Adventure, a time when strange and beautiful things can be found in the untamed wilderness... as can dark and dangerous beasts. This is a time when the few beacons of civilization must survive against an omnipresent shadow that cloaks the land.
But who populates this land, and what lurks in the ancient forests? Where are these beacons of light, and what shadows do they cast? What rests on those isles in the middle of the world? And, just as important as all those, what lies beyond the known world?
Those are the questions we have to answer together. What answers do you have?
The Premise
Now that I have your attention: this is a world creation thread. You and I are going to work together to make a setting that people will enjoy playing in. Yes, I will be GMing this world later, when I decide the world creation phase is finished and have enough material to keep a thread going for a while. I may, in fact, run multiple threads based on this setting, and others are invited to do the same should they wish to. Blah blah blah, we're making a freakin' world, man.
That said, this won't be a "first come first serve" thread. I am the GM. I am going to be very selective about what becomes a part of this world's history, and there will be guidelines you will have to follow. Those guidelines are as follows:
- 1) Don't play to "win," but to create a setting that's fun to play in.
2) Adhere to the themes of the setting (which will be listed shortly).
3) Make certain your submissions adhere to the formats provided (which will be listed in the Characters tab).
4) Be ready to make changes based on my critique.
5) And generally don't be a dingleberry, okay?
Hopefully this seems pretty straightforward. Now, you may be thinking "Inlaa, this thread is starting to sound a little totalitarian." Well, yes: I am claiming complete rights to approve or disapprove of whatever pieces are submitted. Still, I am a friendly totalitarian dictator, so that makes it okay.
Jokes aside, I'm going to be selective, but anyone may submit material and I will give everything a serious critique. I only ask that if I tell you "No" you accept my answer rather than argue.
When I eventually create a roleplay based on this thread, I will allow people who participated in world creation the first opportunity to join. As with this thread, however, there will be no "first come first serve" basis for acceptance. If a potential player submits a character that I do not want in my thread, I will simply refuse them. So long as the character is acceptable, however, that player will have a spot in the roleplay.
Finally, please note that I am not going to rush the creation of the world. It will be done when it is done. It's as simple as that.
Categories and Formats
So, if you want to submit something to be part of the world of Orvell, you need to use one of the seven formats included below. These seven formats represent the seven categories:
- Settlements - The bread and butter of most settings, these are places where people live: towns, cities, city-states, villages, hamlets, etc. They can be built just about anywhere based on who lives in them: in the mountains, on a volcano, around a lake, in a forest, whatever. There will be certain limitations, but we'll talk about this soon.
- Races - Every setting has different races in it. Sometimes these races aren't bound to any one place. They might be monsters for killing or something you intend to be playable in the future. Either way, you can write up a race - even if it's just dwarves or elves or kobolds - if you like.
- Terrain Features - Perhaps you want to talk about a certain mountain range, forest, or river. Perhaps there's a wetlands area that's been floating around in your head that you want to write about. Or, perhaps, you want to make something more fantastic: a crystal lake, a wall of obsidian, or floating sky islands. Stranger things have existed before, so why not make them here?
- History - Sometimes, the past is more important than the present. Maybe you don't want to add something onto the map, but instead want to talk about something that happened in the distant past. Was there a great war between the dwarves and elves? Were the orcs once a proud civilization that was rumored to have been ruled by an almighty wizard-king? Why is that ruin in the woods abandoned...? History is part of world building.
- Adventure Sites - These are places that people can go and explore. Dungeons, dark forests, forgotten tombs, strange portals - whatever would make for an interesting story. When writing these places, DO NOT spell out everything in these places; instead, be vague and talk about what the history and what the denizens might be.
- Important Characters - Important characters are people that have impacted the world in huge, powerful ways. This might be an elusive wizard that's spoken about only in legends, a legendary hero - either past or present - that has slain not one but three dragons, an ancient ent that has been around since the dawn of the world... etc. NOTE: Do not use this to make a character you want to play. Characters made in the world-building stage are NPCs ONLY.
- Important Organizations - Again, these organizations are important to the world in some way. Religious sects, the fantasy equivalent of the Illuminati, a secret demon-worshiping cabal, a thieves guild that spans several cities... Etc.
As stuff is finished and approved, I will add it to the relevant posts in the Characters section. With luck, enough content in all seven categories should be added over time until we have a large, fun-to-explore world in our hands.
I am going to make an example for each category for you to inspect. These examples will be found in the Characters section under their respective sections (one post per category). If you aren't sure where to start when creating a submission, it may be worth looking at my work (and the works others have made as they become approved) for an idea of what you're supposed to do. As of now, these examples are not complete, but they are being constructed at a fair pace. I will delete this message when I have finished making them all.
You will find the format you need to use in the hiders below. If you are unsure how to make your format look like mine, simply open the "No Parse" hider for a given format, then copy its contents and paste that into your reply.
Remember that anything you write here may be used by other players to add more to the world. You might make a nation of elves, for instance, and another player may use that nation as the birthplace of a character, the home of a criminal organization, or the antagonist in a piece of history. It's best to communicate with people whose material you want to use, and I will, as always, be the final arbiter when the time comes to approve or disapprove a submission.
PLEASE NOTE: Refrain from using trademarked material from other settings. Halfling, for instance, is NOT a trademarked term, but Hobbit is. Use Halfling, not Hobbit.
Please remember: You are creating a world for yourself and others to play in. Don't make something because you want to see the halflings wiped out by dragon-men - make something because it would be interesting and engaging to interact with. Don't just make races and cities you want to play - make races that you want to fight, places you want to explore, or mysteries that you think others would like to solve. Again, do NOT "play to win." Instead, "play" to make the world a more interesting place.
Themes
There are several themes you should keep in mind when submitting content. They are as follows:
- Medieval Fantasy - Swords, axes, bows, crossbows! Dragons, manticores, wyverns, hydras! This is a world where mortals face off against each other and fantastic creatures with medieval era equipment.
- Points of Light / Fallen Empire - Our world stands upon the ashes of a once great empire. Much of the world is unexplored and dangerous. Bandits wait in ambush along the roads; dragons hoard gold in ancient halls; the restless dead rise from haunted battlefields. Still, civilization clings on; though the old Imperial Highway may be difficult to traverse, people yet live in city-states and small realms scattered about the continent. Nobody travels alone in these days: adventurers form companies, merchants travel in well-guarded caravans, and anyone that wants to settle a new village is careful to make sure they settle near other villages for defense. Wars are waged between neighboring city-states as they vie to procure new lands, but the threat of a monstrous invasion lurks in the back in the minds of the rulers of the frontier kingdoms...
- Magic Users Are Rare - Wizards are not a dime a dozen. Wizards are, in fact, incredibly rare and powerful beings, similarly to how rare they are in the Lords of the Rings series. Mages are famous people that wield considerable power and strictly are not playable. You should feel free to make them as characters, but don't expect to play that mage. Furthermore, remember that mages are incredibly powerful, moreso than mortals, and some may even be worshiped as deities.
- We Must Have Faith - There are no clerics calling down the wrath of the heavens. The Gods themselves do not walk the land, nor do their avatars. No: much like in the real world, a person that believes in a God must simply have faith that they exist.
- One Continent - Everything we're building will be on one subcontinent. There may be other continents out there, but we don't know where they are or what exists in them. We're sort of backwards like that.
- Hope - This is not a grimdark setting. Yes, the world is pretty awful. Yes, the mortal realms are ruled by self-serving monarchs; there are bandits and monsters; even the dead cannot always seem to find rest, as proven by how they rise from tombs and graves at the beck and call of some supernatural force. Still, we press on. Still, we keep our eyes to the sky, hopeful that a better, brighter future awaits out world. The world may be against us, but adventurous heroes can make the world a better place. They have to.
Final Notes
Since you have read this far, you may begin submitting things. You may want to read the Characters Tab to see what's already been posted (I'll have seven sections and constantly edit in content there). You should try to make both things you want to play and things you think would be fun to face in an adventure. If you plan to write but not to join the roleplay thread, that's fine as well - just make whatever you think is interesting and I'll tell you if I accept or deny each given piece.
Some of this information may already have been stated, but I'll say it all again:
The first roleplay for this setting will begin when I feel the setting is complete.
The setting will be complete when I believe it needs no further submissions.
Submissions may still be made after the setting is finished, but I may be less likely to accept them.
I expect some decent quality from your submissions and will critique them as they're presented. I reserve the right to refuse your submissions.
Anything I accept for use in this setting may be used by other players for their own submissions.
You are expected to cooperate with your fellow world builders to create a vibrant setting.
Dark dungeons, ferocious monsters and bandits that plague the roads are all just as desirable as city-states, legendary heroes, and so forth.
Sometimes, it's better to make something small than something big. You don't need to have vampires, dragons and demons to have a cool adventure site. Some goblins ruled by a warlord can be just as threatening and interesting as a vampire lord ruling his lonely keep.
It pays to be vague, sometimes. It can be better for the details of an Adventure Site or non-playable Race to be a little vague and uncertain, for instance, and it can make them better opponents.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
