Broken Utopia
A clan based fantasy roleplaying game
Back at the dawn of the age, there were powerful beings given authority over the world. The daughters of the stars, the sons of the air, the daughters of the water, the sons of earth, and the daughters of the fires beneath the earth. Each union lead to the birth of a race. All analigus unions were just fine. However, two were warned against long ago, and were forbidden. It happened anyway. Thus the Adego and the Tapurim were born, and shunned.
It is now the dawn of civilization... The idea of nationality is a radical concept on the fringes of the minds of philosophers, metal is a super material possessed by the wealthy and technologically advanced. Stone and wood weapons are the most common. There is no law, only blood relation. This is the birthplace of a world, and it is messed up. The clans (interrelated kin) pillage and raid and war against each other, vying for dominance, slaves, wealth, and revenge.
Like it or not, this is the world. You can choose to do nothing and allow one clan murder all of the others, or you can stand up and stop it... but how? There is a terrible disease that afflicts many and few survive, but of those that awaken again hold memories and thoughts of a greater world where the magics of the current broken utopia are an afterthought. The social and philosophical views alone are potent, but the potential of the technologies are frightening. Met with skepticism and fear, but also temptation for dominance or progress, these few “Forgotten” are world shapers, but will their knowledge bring ruination or unification. That... I believe, is your decision.
Ramshamool
Star and Air
The Planners
Nomadic travelers, they travel with the winds and the monsoons. They avoid any barren or dusty environments since the minerals cause similar irritation as a sunburn does to a human. They are neither diurnal or nocturnal and do not have any set schedule, simply choosing to rest when the troupe’s consensus is to halt. Their life is almost entirely hunter-gathering as well as raiding. They are some of the most feared raiders since they can strike just about anywhere and vanish before a defense can be rallied. They are renown wise men, dreamers, and planners. The future almost always seems to be well within their grasp.
Culture: Ramshamool value their bodies as holy places. Touching, or being around the dead or ill is frequently considered taboo. The people will just as soon move to a new location than to handle a dead body even if they passed only a few hours ago. Because of this belief, tattoos or piercings are also off limits as are any form of un-approved “cross breeding.” They are an incredibly soft-spoken people, both being polite as well as quiet. It is considered the greatest insult to argue by shouting.
Appearance: Ramshamool are ethereal creatures, their bodies are more similar to a jellyfish in substance rather than as other animals. This makes them incredibly light as well as ethereal and somewhat ghostly. This is not to say that they are fragile or weak, they sport the strength and resilience as the other races. They appear roughly human. On their heads and faces, they sport feathers and down rather than hair, and they have immensely strong eyes that have the capability of staring directly at the sun. Their entire bodies are translucent to transparent, and are colored either extremely fair or extremely dark. They are almost always slim, and have classical “Elf” ears. Their eyes are always blue and hold a spiral pattern. In addition, their bottom lip is bioluminescent, giving a source of light everywhere they go. This glow can be altered either through instinct (such as detecting danger) and emotional state.
Technology: Polymer age. Because of their vulnerability to minerals; stone, metal, and glass are all avoided. To counter this, the Ramshamool have developed polymers far before other races. These polymers are created from plant life rather than petroleum, and let them make long lasting materials. They also have mastered aerodynamics making collapsible gliders that, with their light bodies, enables them to glide and soar so long as there is a crossbreeze.
Ramshamool Abilities of Note
Perfect Vision: Immunity to blinding or dazzling light affects can see in nearly complete darkness.
Resistance: They can survive in frigid environments without need of clothing or fire. They do not get winded from thin air or high altitudes.
Bioluminescence: Natural light source for close quarters.
Vulnerability to Minerals: In dusty environments, Ramshamool suffer similar effects to a sunburn.
Ramshamool Magical Professions
Dream Walker: They can learn how to travel through dreams. This enables them to spy, search, and an learn of opponents as well as grow closer to their friends. Not only that, but there seems to be a breach in time only accessible through dreaming that opens unpredictable gateways to view the future. Giving them prophetic dreams. Some have devoted their lives solely to the art of prophecy, however, the task is tricky and none seem to have mastered it.
Disindweller: With proper training, they can learn to disperse into leaves and re-collect themselves back into a solid form at will. This grants them access to about anywhere that these leaves can form without detection or danger.
Telekinetic: Proper mental conditioning can enable them to move objects by their will. This, to some extent, includes themselves, giving great leaps, slowing falls, and even holding internal injuries together.
Tamda
Air and Water
The Adapters
Tamda are the most populous and advanced people (perhaps a direct result.) Their capability to wage actual warfare makes them the upper echelon of the races. This, however, is countered by their reservation in waging all out war. This hesitation has earned them a reputation of being a bunch of push-overs, and being a world power simply because of mere population and nothing else.
Appearance: Roughly Caucasian with a most common hair color of red. They wear rough spun clothes, and the upper castes frequently dawn some sort of metal for both patriotism and a display of wealth. Usually they wear tunics and long vests. Hair for both male and female is usually kept in a queue.
Tamda Culture: The Tamda have a strict caste system. This has enabled them to have an exceptionally powerful economy (for the time) because of the division of labor. However, this is so strict that no one is allowed to violate. Once a farmer… always a farmer. Violators are outcaste, and unfortunately (because of the lack of knowledge) do not live for very long, being easy prey for nature or other clans and races.
Their culture is based in thinking, logic, and wisdom. This is normally a healthy environment for invention. However, because of the caste system, this has lead to elitism and thus stagnation. Most of the “wise” and “scholarly” are simply considered so because that is the caste they were born into. Often times they are strongly motivated by politics and thus little substantial progress is achieved. Should someone present himself as un-chick, unimportant, or (frequently) from a lower caste they are simply ignored by those with real power.
Women: Women are considered as unequal to men in their reasoning capabilities, but still hold the rite to education, land ownership, and say in politics. However, they are commonly told to be quiet and or perform menial tasks.
Technology: Bronze Age
Tamda Abilities of Note
Mad Thinking: can devote their subconscious to problem solve without having to actually contemplate on solutions.
Rapid Intuition: they often choose potent responses when there is no time to think
Country: Holds a lot of swing particularly in lesser tribes. They will be hesitant to toy with someone who has thousands of spears that can be leveled against them.
Tamda Magical Professions
Alchemist: Through the use of the elements, they can concoct some sort of potion that can do wildly impossible things.
Enchanter: With careful and intricate runeing, this seems to write a portion of the story of creation onto a surface that then is infused with the power.
Arcanite: Through ritual and experimentation, the have learned a wide spectrum of spells that have many uses.
Yudiass
Water and Earth
The Cautious
The heart of artizens, Yudiass are considered perfectionists in just about every regard. This also comes with a level of arrogance, seeing other races as sloppy wannabees to their perfection. They live in swamps and wetlands, and it suits them well since they do not waterlog like other races. These clan lands are often jealously protected and outsiders are often assaulted on sight.
Yeudiass Culture: They are governed entirely by a panel of what we might consider scientists, but also serve as a council of elders. They have developed hybridization and eugenics that are effective. These techniques have enabled them to engineer everything. From growing/self mending shoes, to their houses, this also is how they control their population from “unwanted” traits. When marrying age arrives, the elders examine the moles and birthmarks of each young man and woman, and compare them.
Should a match be particularly good, they will unite the two (even if they dislike each other.) If the match is acceptable, they will allow the young adults choose their partner. But if the match is deemed unacceptable, they will be moved to opposite sides of the colony, and forbidden to socialize.
Yeudiass Art: Yeudiass art is that of the aquatic environment and inscribed on anything and everything, from a throne, to a prison cell. This is not simply for aesthetics, because each inch is also examined while ornamenting. Yeudiass products are often times some of the best quality that can be attained. Traders and craftsmen can tell the high quality Yeudiass pieces because the art work on them is of superior craftsmanship, and thus made by a more observant eye. Yeudiass look upon unornamented products as foreign junk.
Women: Women are considered superior citizens in Yudiass culture. While they cannot hold property, or a voice in council, that is because they do not need to. The men are considered the servants to women (even if there is no relationship to them)and women are the recipients of the men’s toil. This functions much like a noble class. This is because is common belief that women were created from the wind tossed mists from a great lake, and that they are similar to an angel. Mistreatment would be the same as mistreating an angel (you are viewed as a wicked man.) While it is not uncommon for them to become fighters and warriors, they are expected to surrender should a fight become too perilous for them, and no retribution can be dealt (on either side) without major scrutiny.
Appearance: They appear to be slightly bigger and bulkier than your average human, which does not mean that they are all bigger and bulkier; simply they have more of them. They tend to be a little darker on average. They have thicker coarser hair (more like a boar than a human’s) and have double pointed ears that appear similar to a crab claw. The Yeudiass have pigmentation and skin patterns (usually spotted, striped, or textured) in order to camouflage them in aquatic environments. Their pigmentation is not restricted to the browns of humans, but can be radically bright or in a rainbow of colors. This coloration is dependent upon the Yeudiass’ diet. If they eat a great many things from a brightly colored reef, those same colors will exhibit themselves in their pigmentation.
Yudiass Abilities of Note
Aquatic Life: Resistant to waterlogging, cold, and can hold their breath an additional 5-10 minutes
Murk-Vision: Can distinguish detail from extremely cloudy, murky, or foggy conditions.
Yudiass Magical Professions
Swifter: Trained and conditioned for sheer speed, a swifter can be in and out of an opponent's defenses before they are ready to raise a hand. Likewise, they are capable of sprinting faster and impossibly far without getting winded.
Arborian: Trained and conditioned, an arborian can move through tree branches and almost any climbable surface without any form of hindrance to their speed or effort.
Abyss: Trained and conditioned, an abyss can stay underwater for hours without need to surface. They can detect ripples in the water and identify the object which has caused it. Likewise, they can dive to the deep bottoms of lakes without fear of being crushed by the pressure. This is a favored profession among the Yudiass because they also can move through shallows without any hinderance to their ability whatsoever, thus making their lakes and swamps kill zones and ambush sites for intruders.
Peori
Earth, Fire
The Mavericks
Renown mavericks, the Peori prefer to stick to what works and refuse to budge even if a better option is provided. They are comfortable with what they have, and, like the stone they live in, are as stubborn and unchanging. Renown historians, and record keepers, if something has been forgotten, you can be sure to re-discover it from the Peori. Unlike most, their culture is nocturnal rather than diurnal. This is caused by their extremely sensitive eyes that have no trouble seeing quite far and detailed in even perfect darkness, but are hurt by bright lights.
They live underground or in extremely thick vegetation. This is because sun burning and light blindness are extremely common, and thus the brilliance of day is avoided just as a Human might avoid the dark of night.
Though religious and reclusive, they attempt peace, but do not frequently succeed. They are the most driven from religion or superstition. Because of their limited resources, they are the first to develop metals.
Appearance: Peori are either short or tall with very little in-between. They rarely produce lanky offspring, and always have pale skin. Their “hair” is actually more like roots than fur, with branches randomly shooting shooting from their scalp and other tendrils. They have sharp features, and their ears (though rarely seen) are very geometric. They always have extremely dark eyes, usually described as black though some extremely subtle coloration can be found.
They are very superstitious, and all wear ear coverings to prevent spells from being cast upon them. In addition they wear a heavy makeup to express who they are and their status in life, similar to permanent tattoos of all color that can be removed if a certain solution is applied. While functioning well against sunburn, the true nature of this tradition is much more profound. Peori wear their history on their skin. Every color, shape, or contrast has symbolic meaning. Should such dressings not be worn it would be similar to wearing a bag on your head, or running around naked. It is their very identity.
Culture: Unlike most humans, their culture is nocturnal rather than diurnal. Peori culture is inhospitable at best. This is because their small clans and rare race. They are reclusive from strangers preferring steep mountain cliffs to build their dwellings. They are runners over fighters, and can actually succeed in doing this because of their incredibly quick construction techniques. One tribe boasts that they relocated their entire settlement while an uninvited guest slept in one of their caves. Even so, raiding of other races is commonplace.
In the evenings, they share history and morality through stories told by the elders over fire light. This is the most sociable time when the entire clan is collected together and conversation is whispered among those who have already heard the stories and know them well.
The tribe is governed by a few extremely old people, and once in a while by those who offer quiet pressure on the others. This is more of a family gathering than a government, in that it is the individual’s choice to follow, but it is also his responsibility to prevent ill fates to befall
Women: Women are thought of as equals, though usually looked down upon should they not rear children. They are free to do whatever they like.
Technology: Archaic. They were the first to develop metallurgy and use it to cut shafts into the hard stone. They have some primitive machines using cogs and wheels made of metal or stone.
Peori Abilities of Note
Mining Sense: can detect weak points, structural flaws, and likely mineral deposits in stone and earth.
Resistant to Asphyxiation
Heat Resistance: they are known for crafting metal and glass with gloves and bare hands
Darkvision: can see in perfect darkness without any trouble
Vulnerable to Light, increased blindness from flashes and brightness, gets sunburned easily from UV
Peori Magical Professions
Mandrake: with attenuation to the environment, a Peori can learn how to dive into soil and treat it like water. The size of the particles they are passing through takes more effort and concentration, thus arrows and rocks are still hazardous... but not to true master mandrakes.
Illman: There is a disease which afflicts Peori only, that causes muscle density to increase dozens of times more than normal. While this gives them incredible strength without actually having to do much of anything, it also means that they are so strong that they can push themselves beyond what their own bones can handle. A desperate Illman is capable of uprooting trees and throwing boulders, but might expire shortly after.
Animator: With sheer stubbornness, they are capable of inflicting their will on any sculptural piece. Objects that are similar to people in size and appearance are easier to control. Once active, the animated will perform its verbal commands with slavish loyalty until destroyed or until the animator releases them.
Adego
Air and Fire
The Distracted
Outcasts of society as part of a forbidden union, even so, they grew in population to reach sustainability. They are the only race that reproduces through laying eggs, and therefore do not always hold family ties. They are masters of metaphor much of their behavior seems nonsensical but actually does seem within reason from a certain point of view. All Adego are scatterbrained and never really stay focused on any one topic for very long. This has lead to fractured rogues traveling about the world. Most find some solace in Peori culture, but rarely stay for long.
Disposition: Adego are excited and interested in just about everything, which often times gives them a diverse knowledge of many skills. This freedom extends to their incomprehension of leadership. When commanded or ruled to a specific action, you can be sure they will take the opposite stance just to undermine the authority. Often times this displays itself as passive aggression, but also can come in the forms of undermining as well as direct defiance.
Appearance:
Their bodies do not grow in size beyond their parent’s unless they receive breast milk from another race. This is not to say that they look like an infant; rather, they develop much like every other race with mature proportions and functionality. However, their weight (and therefore height) remains the similar if not the same. Because of this dependency on other races, many of them are small ranging from the size of an infant to about half the size of a Human. When they do grow, they also evolve, developing features of animals and other races, and when it happens it all happens at once.
Upon hatching, they are nearly featureless, the only distinct features are their entirely black eyes that many consider to be proof that they do not have souls, as well as their incredibly pale skin. They have bodies similar to pseudopods or snails, being able to sprout limbs wherever they desire.
Culture: None
Adego Abilities of Note
Pseudopod: Can stretch, sprout, and retract limbs at will
Scatter Brained: Cannot remain focused on a task
Adego Magical Professions
Tributary: this comes innately with some Adego, an ability to enhance and boost other magical powers. This has made them prized more as an object, being that the more drugged or out of it the tributary is, the more potent the flow. Rumor has it that some few have actually learned some control over this ability.
Filamentamorph: some Adego are born with an ability to grow their hair at will and change its color, not too unlike a cuttlefish. However, that is not the extent of it. They are also capable of manipulating it much like tentacles. This gives them an incredible chameleon ability that is not limited to color, but form as well.
Skin Crawler: With careful training, a skin-crawler is capable of sprouting additional limbs and other features wherever they like with as many as they like. Because of this infinite growth, they are also hold an incredible ability to regenerate (in particularly well practiced cases, even before someone’s eyes.)
Tapurim
Star and Earth
The Obsessed
This is a rare variation. Tapurim were never as populous as Adego in their origins, and have never reached a level of self-sustainability. Most clans and races believe the Tapurim a myth or extinct, however, the Yudiass have taken great measures to collect and breed them. Even so, this is more of a power-play than true concern about the race’s extinction. Often times, this is also done in secret, since other races might be inclined to extinguish these abominations.
They are obsessed, usually over one single thing. This makes them incredibly adept should their goal be attainable, but many times it is not. This leaves them derelict in most other aspects, keeping a blind eye to the rest of their lives.
Disposition: Most do not view their obsession as a true problem, or even something necessarily to be excited about. Most view themselves as normal. However, they will always be working on achieving their end goal often times impossibly distant to reach. Many times they will take up side tasks to diversify, only to realize that it couples up to the rest of their efforts working towards their dream. It is a bittersweet and melancholy mood of the Tapurim, having a great goal, but no ability to actually achieve it. In essence they are visionaries so far ahead that there is no earthly means of achieving it.
Appearance: There is no definite form to a Tapurim, as they range in height and weight as extremes, and there are so few samples that it is impossible to get an accurate picture of the race. Generally speaking, though, they can blend in with Tamda as well as Yudiass relatively easily. Held by all, however, is their distinct double pronged ears.
Culture None
Tapurim Abilities of Note
Willpower: Can push through exhaustion, pain, and other hardship that would normally cripple others.
Obsessed: Has a dream that it is not possible to give up.
Tapurim Magical Professions
Haunt: With inexhaustible willpower, they are capable of operating without need for any form of sustenance, water, sleep, and in some cases even hope. They do not get winded or sore in their labors, or at least it does not appear to affect them.
Undestined: This means that no destiny or fate can hold them. They do not show in prophecy, scrying, or any other form of matical observation, and are immune to all forms of mind altering abilities or drugs.
Exempt: Some hold a unique ability to simply have magic hold no power over them. Spells and abilities directly influencing them don’t do anything at all.