Interested, though I admit I'm not sure how I'd even start a character. But, all the information is very detailed and I can see the effort put into this and I'd love to see it flourish.

Interested, though I admit I'm not sure how I'd even start a character. But, all the information is very detailed and I can see the effort put into this and I'd love to see it flourish.

A general fantasy archetype is not a bad place to start. For instance, the sample character was a take on a standard fantasy knight or paladin, with inspiration taken from Joan of Arc.

Well, that was a read. Okay, I'll begin working on something, but this will take me a little while to complete.

@Dead Cruiser Hm... I've got a few questions to ask, to see if my character concept would fit in this world.

Is it possible that someone could use magic via a lost artifact, instead of having learned it before? Naturally they'd need to practice it to wield it properly, but their magical prowess doesn't come from themselves. It comes from an object they wield.

Second question might be a bit strange. Would an artifact like a gauntlet, which is imbued by magic, be able to replace a lost hand? Or just magical artifacts acting as replacement limbs in general.

Third, are hidden temples a thing? Because I would have had a temple be discovered by my character, where he discovered the artifact mentioned in 1 and 2.

Fourth. If there were to be a gem with inherent power of some kind, would they be able to shift the user's personality? And would a person be able to wield multiple of such gems, each having a different effect on said personality?

Fifth, would someone be forced to retire from the military of Thule if they were no longer suited for combat? And at how young of an age could one enlist in said military?

If to any of the above you answer 'no' I might need to change my concept slightly (or drastically) but I feel like these need to be answered in order for this to work. I might have more questions, but I can't think of any at the moment.

@Ammokkx

1. Yes, this is possible. Your wizard-types in the Age of Dawn generally study magic from ancient relics and texts, or in some cases draw power directly from them. However, unless there is some sort of entity within the artifact or associate with it, it will function only really as a power source. Your character would still need to learn magic. You'll also need to explain the origin of such an artifact, or justify its existence; who made it and for what purpose.

2. I don't have any problem with that. Sounds kinda cool.

3. Yyyyyes, but it really depends on where you look. Most of Borea has scattered druidic temples from before their conquest by the Atlanteans, Iiram is full of ruins of their ridiculously old empire, Hyperborea has a variety of ancient shrines dedicated to their gods, and Lemuria is filled with all kinds of weird shit. There's also the ruins of ancient Atlantis, but those are under the sea.

4. This I don't like as much. In combination with what you've mentioned previously, it makes me think of a cross between Killer 7 and the infinity gauntlet.

5. What's important to recognize here is that Thule does not exist as a nation in the Age of Dawn, and hasn't in for over 50 years. If your character were a soldier for some nascent state that balkanized from Thule, all of those details would be up to you.

First off, I would like to compliment you on your work with the detailed backstory and the world that you have built. It is very good, and it was a pleasure to read both the backstory in the first post as well as the descriptions in the glossary.

Second, I'm obviously interested in participating (if I wasn't I probably wouldn't be posting, would I?).

And thirdly, my first question is how long magic has been around. The lore provided so far states that it has returned and is present at the start of the RP, which I'm guessing will be year 56 of the Age of Dawn. I guess what I'm wondering is if the magic returned during the Years of Dusk, somewhere around the transition into the Age of Dawn, or just a few years back? I have a character idea in mind(two actually if that is allowed), and how long magic has been around will obviously influence the degree of mastery that the character has.

There will likely be more questions in due time, but that is all for now.

Regards,
Carthang

How advanced is technology? How compatible is technology with magic/alchemy? What's the difference between science/magic/alchemy? Is it easy to learn all three systems, or does one have to choose one or the other?

First off, I would like to compliment you on your work with the detailed backstory and the world that you have built. It is very good, and it was a pleasure to read both the backstory in the first post as well as the descriptions in the glossary.

Second, I'm obviously interested in participating (if I wasn't I probably wouldn't be posting, would I?).

And thirdly, my first question is how long magic has been around. The lore provided so far states that it has returned and is present at the start of the RP, which I'm guessing will be year 56 of the Age of Dawn. I guess what I'm wondering is if the magic returned during the Years of Dusk, somewhere around the transition into the Age of Dawn, or just a few years back? I have a character idea in mind(two actually if that is allowed), and how long magic has been around will obviously influence the degree of mastery that the character has.

There will likely be more questions in due time, but that is all for now.

Regards,
Carthang

I appreciate the kind words.

Magic returned at the beginning of the Years of Dusk, roughly 66 years ago. Note that this is the oldest I will allow your characters to be. This is not a coincidence.

How advanced is technology?

One of my previous players summed this up quite nicely.

Think High Medieval / Early Renaissance, or more specifically 16th-17th century Europe. Gunpowder is a thing, and armies of this period would be mixing gunpowder with the push-of-pike. Cavalry are still relevant, obviously, and crossbows and longbows have strengths over the guns of this period (like actually being able to hit their targets), so they're still very relevant as well.

Now, combine that with a plague that decimated a lot of people.

Steel, plate armor, muskets/arquebuses, blunderbusses: all are available. But barbarian hordes are out there, too, and they don't generally use such weaponry/armor. So, you can have equipment (depending on where you're from) ranging from crazy dudes in mail and fur to knights in shining armor to a musket-carrying man with a breastplate and a cabasset.

How compatible is technology with magic/alchemy?

This is a difficult question to answer, because "technology" is not an outstanding or distinguishable force or resource in this setting. What is available is what is available. Perhaps there are some savant engineers crafting something vaguely clockpunk/steampunk out there, but from my point of view there is not "science vs magic/alchemy" dichotomy because technology is not nearly advanced enough to have any meaningful impact on this concept. This information is applicable to all of your other queries, I'm just not going to repeat myself.

In any case, alchemy has a fundamental role in the technological level of the setting, as it is literally chemistry, only somewhat more fantastic. It has a great influence on medicine and metallurgy, and is the only way to craft gunpowder. Magic is a much more abstract concept, and the only reliable way to imbue a weapon or something like that with magic would be to expose it to a great deal of magical energy and hope something beneficial happens, or to bind some sort of magical entity to it.

What's the difference between science/magic/alchemy?

See above for "science."

Magic is the power to reshape reality by force of will. The acquisition of this power relies on many vague, fickle and poorly-understood variables, and so magical talent is seemingly granted at random. The capacity to wield magic is distinct from the ability to do so, as for most magic still must be learned. One can learn lost rites and sorceries from ancient grimoires and relics, or can be taught by some otherworldly power. Others have a more innate magical proficiency that manifests unconsciously or by instinct. People without inborn magical power can still learn to channel magic from other sources, such as magical entities or artifacts. The important things to remember is that magic is inherently dangerous and unpredictable, and really nobody truly understands what it is or how it works. It's extremely abstract at the best of times, and is a far cry from casting Level Four Fireball.

Alchemy is a learned skill, really like any other trade. Alchemists know the recipes, formulas and procedures for crafting a variety of fantastic things, such as rare, advanced metals or curative elixirs. It functions much like chemistry, though its rules are based more on symbolism than interactions between atoms. That is not to say that alchemy can be made up as one goes along, as it is a well-studied field with documented research and experimentation.

Is it easy to learn all three systems, or does one have to choose one or the other?

Alchemy is a complex skill that can take a lifetime to fully master. It is dying out as a craft in the Age of Dawn due to the deaths of most of its masters, the collapse of its guilds and the loss of much of the accumulated knowledge and secrets regarding it.

Magic is an otherworldly, reality-bending force that is barely understood at best, and actively destroying the world at worst. Its practitioners are frequently viewed with justified suspicion, and are often subject to violent persecution. To even approach reliability with magic requires years of meticulous research, or selling your soul to an otherworldly entity if you're lazy or short on time.

Technology, see above. I guess you could consider this becoming an engineer or blacksmith or something.

You tell me if you think it's reasonable for a person to learn some or all of these in a single lifetime.

@Dead Cruiser

Would a character with (admittedly rather heavy) Napoleonic influences be acceptable?

@Dead Cruiser Yeah, I can work with that. Thanks for clearing all of that up.

@Dead Cruiser

Would a character with (admittedly rather heavy) Napoleonic influences be acceptable?

Yeah, just as long as they're influences. A character should still fit into the ideal of a fantasy hero.

Hi there, still interested in this but I'm having a bit of an issue with my ISP and gonna be busy with work till about Sunday so if I don't drop my character, well, that's why. I'd rather be able to focus and get it done right.

As promised, I came up with a few more questions, I hope you don't mind. They are all questions concerning the various mentions of Gods in the Glossary,

1. Am I correct in my understanding that the Old Gods, the Dead Gods, and the Dark Gods of the North are three separate groups of mystical beings, and that all three walked the earth in the Age of Myths, at least according to lore and legends available at the time of the start?

2. Am I also correct in my understanding that the Dead Gods were the worst of the lot, the Dark Gods slightly less malicious, and the Old Gods were the good guys, or at least not the evil guys(yes there is technically a difference between being good and just being "not evil", being not evil doesn't stop them from being neutral, indifferent towards mankind, or something of the kind)?

3. In the glossary, it says that the individual identities of the Old Gods has been forgotten, and that the worship of these has be replaced in all parts of the known world. Is it the same way with the identities of the Dead and Dark Gods? There is mention of worshiper for both of these two groups, but it doesn't say if they worship the whole collective group of the gods, or if each sect/cult/order worships a specific being among their ranks.

4. Regarding the identities and worship of the Old Gods, is the loss of all information and worship an absolute fact, or is it that all knowledge and open worship among the general public has disappeared? I guess what I'm asking is: Could there exist a secret/hidden quasi-religious order that worships either the Old Gods as a collective, or one god in particular?

5. When you say that the individual identities of the gods has been forgotten, does it mean that we as players don't know but you as the GM knows, or is it intended as an opening for us to come up with entities that fit with the backstories of our characters if the need arises, with your approval of course. After all, the plot/lore is yours.

So I might have come up with a few more questions than I started with, but I figure it is better to ask questions first instead of having to change stuff later because some things might not work with the lore.

As I write more and more of my signup sheet I come to the realization that I might not be able to keep up with this after all.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to play this as it looks... Well, fantastic. But I can't see myself finding the time to dedicate to this RP. If I were in less others I might've been able to, but not in the current situation.

In any case, I really hope this flourishes. It's clear you put a lot of effort into this. I hope it succeeds for you, @Dead Cruiser.

@Carthang

Happy to answer any and all questions... as long as they don't spoil too much of the metaplot.

1. Yes, you are correct, short of the "walking the earth" part. All of these "gods" were distinctly otherworldly in nature, and while they exerted influence on the mortal world, never physically manifested in it.

2. The Dead Gods are not "worse" than the Dark Gods, just different. They are more alien in nature and behavior, and perhaps more contemptuous of human life, but the Dark Gods are more openly malicious and willing to torment mortals for their own amusement. The Old Gods were, not necessarily good, but at the very least benevolent, and generally shared the goal of protecting the mortal world from the influences of the Dark and Dead Gods.

3. Generally, yes, the Dark/Dead Gods were by and large forgotten in the Age of Kings, though remnants of their worship persisted in such distant reaches as Hyperborea. The general understanding is that these are the same entities, not because of a 1 to 1 resurgence of their worship, but because of the distinct similarities between the entities in the Age of Myths and the Age of Dawn. It depends on the sect/cult if they worship a single entity, or the group as a whole. It is in the nature of some of the Dark Gods to present themselves as something other than what they truly are, such as a nature spirit or an incarnation of Ignis Divine. Though worshippers of the Dark Gods and those aligned to the Dead Gods do not mix.

4. The Old Gods were not only lost to time and history; their presence and worship steadily vanished from the world by some unknown influence. All knowledge remaining of them is vague and indistinct at best. Any group that worships the Old Gods, or believes themselves to be, is probably worshipping a Dark God without realizing.

5. The identities of the Old Gods are generally irrelevant to the RP. No one alive remembers their identities, and they have not returned in the Age of Dawn.

@Ammokkx

Best of luck.

@Dead Cruiser Best of luck to you too.

Would you be cool with someone playing an Orc Warlord wandering around PILLAGING AND BURNING THE COUNTRYSIDE with a tribe of 100 people or so?

Would you be cool with someone playing an Orc Warlord wandering around PILLAGING AND BURNING THE COUNTRYSIDE with a tribe of 100 people or so?

The fact that there are no Orcs in this setting aside, we've had a barbarian warlord sort of character in each other incarnation of Age of Dawn.

Heavily interested, I don't quite have any questions yet that I didn't see answered in the glossary section. In all likelihood I'll have a character up tonight.

<Snipped quote by mpcommander>

The fact that there are no Orcs in this setting aside, we've had a barbarian warlord sort of character in each other incarnation of Age of Dawn.

Okie doke, I'll be sure to make a Warlord Character whenever the OOC thread pops up.