I think I'm going to have to drop out. Sorry.

Understood. Have fun!

@ERode, doing all right? Anything we can help with?

@Rabidporcupine
I just realized I didn't give you a complete hook to start off on. Need me to whip something up?

@Thinslayer
Nah I think I should be ok. I’ll just mention how his brother took him back to the Claybitah territory afterwards, and he only has a couple of those super vague, toddler memories of the whole ordeal. Might also make his brother the current chief actually, because going into humie territory not only alone, but with a baby to take care of, and then actually making it back to the tribe alive practically makes him a badass among Gobs.

It also helps explain why Chatak wasn’t just banished for bringing in these strange, new ideas like what the other races do, which he very well might have been otherwise.

@Thinslayer
I mean, unless you want to add more stuff, in which case I’m definitely ok with that too!

I mean, unless you want to add more stuff, in which case I’m definitely ok with that too!

If inspiration strikes me again, I just might do that. ^_^

@Thinslayer
Ok, you’ll have to be quick though, because I’ll probably get to work on my post later this afternoon. It’s still only morning now though, so you’ve got a good few hours if you do decide to.

Just a couple of questions.

How powerful is an average mage in this world? There's a couple of characters with the ability to teleport; is space manipulation a common sort of tech? What exactly are the mechanics of magic (as understood by the natives) in this universe? Are we talking about the fairly rigid 'incantation + ritual' combination of more traditional fantasy? Or the more natural superpower-esque stuff from action-fantasy stories? Do we come in with the sorta general isekai cheat powers that people usually snag? What sorta religions are prevalent in this world anyhow? And are the gods real, or just cultural constructs?

Also, considering how characters seem to all be major players in some way, do we have control of the NPCs around us, or would the GMs be handling all PC-NPC interactions?

@ERode
As someone who holds absolutely no authority on this, I can at least say that I think the isekai cheat powers might be what the power section is for, and Yakeru at least got naturally good swordsmanship from it, though that could also be from the original person whose corpse he ended up possessing. For NPCs, I’m sure it’d be fine outside of the especially important quest related ones.

How powerful is an average mage in this world?
The average mage is fairly weak. They'll specialize in one or two spells, and use some sort of "augment," like a tome or magic crystal, to assist with other spells. Stronger mages can use magic like a natural extension of their bodies and have an intuitive grasp on its principles.

There's a couple of characters with the ability to teleport; is space manipulation a common sort of tech?
Fairly. The number of people who know the spell is fairly small, and the number of people who can do it naturally is even smaller, but they've made their techniques widely known so anyone can make use of it. Even a novice mage can attempt to copy the spell described in the tomes, and teleportation circles are a fairly common means of transportation.

What exactly are the mechanics of magic (as understood by the natives) in this universe?
There are several different schools of magic.

• Symbolic: Directly communicates with the world, whether with runes, signs, magic circles, or some other method, to request its obedience. Requires a sacrifice of equal value to the intended effect. Lifeblood is particularly valuable, and the usual method of payment. You'll typically draw a magic circle or inscribe a set of runes and offer a few drops of your blood.
• Conjury: Contracts with a spirit to make use of its magic power. These are usually evil spirits (demons), since angels are usually preoccupied elsewhere. You have unlimited use of your familiar's power; you have only to ask (i.e. chant). The hidden cost is often your body, which will eventually fall under the familiar's control if you use enough of their power. If you're lucky enough to find a good spirit to contract with, they'll usually have some sort of stipulation attached to the use of their power.
• Thaumaturgy: Uses your natural soul-binding energies (or mana) to exert your will on the world. Can temporarily cause out-of-body experiences; excessive use can cause death. Replenishes either by consuming living matter or by sleeping. This is the most common school of magic.

Are we talking about the fairly rigid 'incantation + ritual' combination of more traditional fantasy? Or the more natural superpower-esque stuff from action-fantasy stories?
That will depend on the school of magic. Conjury (external power) falls into the former, while Thaumaturgy (innate power) resembles the latter.

Do we come in with the sorta general isekai cheat powers that people usually snag?
Yup, broadly speaking. The reincarnations arrive with greater power than most of the residents of this world.

What sorta religions are prevalent in this world anyhow?
All kinds. The Zodiac Tribes are largely polytheistic, though they'll focus on one or two patron deities. The outskirts of the Empire is also usually polytheistic, while the inner city folks tend to be monotheistic, believing in either a god or goddess depending on the region. There are even groups here and there who believe modern Earth religions. Since I'm at work at the moment, I can't go into much more detail just yet.

And are the gods real, or just cultural constructs?
Depends on your perspective, and on the region. Some of the individuals being worshipped are real people with real power; they may be called "gods," but the locals' perception of what godhood entails may not line up with modern earth perceptions of it. Sometimes the deities are purely social constructs derived from higher concepts, with no literal foundation whatsoever.

Also, considering how characters seem to all be major players in some way, do we have control of the NPCs around us, or would the GMs be handling all PC-NPC interactions?
You know, I hadn't thought about that. I feel like this is going to be a guided story, so for the time being, I think the GMs will be handling all the NPCs. It's a lot of work, though, and player freedom often makes better stories, so that's likely to change in the future.

@Thinslayer
Do you mind if I still control the Claybitah Gobs, or at least some of them?

@Rabidporcupine Sure! I think that'll be the major exception to the rule - the NPCs you make, you get to control.

@ERode I can be pretty flexible about the magic system if need be. At bare minimum, there's just mana magic, spirit magic, and rune magic. The costs and caveats are up for debate.

Mm, I guess the main thing I'm wondering about right now is that, as a consequence of everyone being a major player belonging to a different faction, whether the RP will advance largely with people going about doing their own business (so PC-PC interaction would more commonly be through the effects individual PC actions have upon the world) or if there's the expectation that they'll eventually all be partying together.

I mean, so far I’m pretty sure most of the group is waking up in the same place, so they’re already probably gonna be travelling together, and my gob is conveniently making his way to that town for totally unrelated reasons, so he’ll end up with them as well.

@ERode I'm honestly not sure what direction the story will take. I put most of the PCs together to encourage cooperation so the GMs can guide them, but I've got a few twists up my sleeve that may drive the plot through PC-PC interaction later on. So, we'll see where it goes. :)

Mm, so in general, it's still expected that everyone's characters are on the same time and will be partying together (so whatever social/occupational obligations they have will take somewhat of a backseat)?

Also, noticed a bit of a discrepancy between when everyone's popped into the new world. I'm guessing that's just a side effect of everyone having different methods of getting isekai'd?

Mm, so in general, it's still expected that everyone's characters are on the same time and will be partying together (so whatever social/occupational obligations they have will take somewhat of a backseat)?
No. I intend to tailor their environment to whatever situation they find themselves in. If they're partying together, we'll have a party-centric story; if they split off to take on other obligations, we'll tell those stories instead.

Also, noticed a bit of a discrepancy between when everyone's popped into the new world. I'm guessing that's just a side effect of everyone having different methods of getting isekai'd?
Pretty much.

You know it occurs to me that Chata’s personality might actually be pretty different after for years as a Gob than what I wrote in the personality section, which was still mostly based on my idea of him when he was human. He’s probably a fair bit more confident now, even if the idea of being the smartest member of his clan is still pretty terrifying to him.