HORIZON: In Wastes, Our Dreams

[ERode]

Close your eyes.

What do you see?

Is it the achievements of your peers and your siblings, rising to prominence with the cycles of the sky? Your loved ones shower them with attention, a cascade of stardust that diminishes to mere specks. Nothing remains in your hands, no trade to inherit, no name to claim, no wealth to inherit, no prospects and no support. There is nothing left for you in your home, in your town, in your kingdom.

Is it the scorn of humanity, eyes ever watchful in the presence of Outsiders, in the presence of you? Your homeland exists in naught but fragments of forgotten dreams, your memorabilia having long been sold, scrapped to allow you and yours to find any footing in this hostile world. There is no place for you in a civilization that considers you subhuman, there is no place that would teach you their work.

Is it the crashing of the waves, the siren call of the unseen waters beyond the world’s end? Your studies had drowned you, submerged you in the knowledge of humanity until you found yourself within the Deep Sea, within the chaos of the dark that brought brilliance. You grasped onto it in your erudite isolation, the words of power in which to overwrite the world, and when you surfaced it once more, the epiphany broke what few attachments you had. There is nothing more to learn in a society so stable, nothing to draw your interest within the stagnant sludge of politics and power.

Or is it the flowing of a river, to a lake you’ve never seen? The crossing of a mountain, to a side you’ve never ventured? The call of adventure, the restlessness of youth, whispering for you to risk your life for naught but the fulfillment of your soul? The flame burns for so long as you breath. There is nothing within these walls for you to breathe, nothing within these walls to make you wonder.

Open your eyes.

Beyond the horizon lies Talze-Utera, the Faraway Expanse at the edge of the known world. The ever-shifting domain from which monsters emerge. The uncharted lands from which Outsiders arrive. No laws, no gods, no rulers, no despots. Here, at the frontier of civilization, one needed only strength, smarts, and a small helping of serendipity to make a name, to make a fortune.

Before you, stands the Outlanders’ Guild.

You take a breath.

You enter.

…

The Wardens watch from the Branches of the Celestial Tree.

Do or Die.

Roll the Dice.

Sancta-Manzst, the Patchwork Empire

Can there be Empire when there were never others to conquer? Can there be Kingdom when there was never a king to rule?

The Empire of Sancta-Manzst rules this land constrained on all sides by the encroachment of the Faraway Expanse. Entirely landlocked, its scholars know only of the ‘ocean’ through records of disputed veracity unmined within ruins and wastes, its people know that it is by the mercy of the Celestial Tree that their sanctuary remains untouched by the monstrous hordes lying past the world’s end. From the branches of Tree are they granted daylight and nightlight, for every star in the sky are but leaves, and the Moons and the Sun are but fruits for the Wardens to partake.

Fiefdoms split this Empire into a patchwork of competing interests, the nobility constantly maneuvering their human resources to better their own lot, to expand the territories of their family, but for all the skirmishes between domains, all the backstabbing and negotiations, Sancta-Manzst never falls into a true civil war, for all fear or revere the Pale Regent who sits upon Unmoving Throne, awaiting the return of their King. In the middle of the Empire stands the cloud-piercing mountains of Kamari-Teinda, and it is through its glacial reserves and snowmelt that the rivers and lakes of the Empire remain full. To anger the Pale Regent is to face a miserable drought or a savage flood, and for that, the monarchs of the patchwork fiefdoms offer the Regent their rings, their loyalty.

But while the Pale Regent possesses the loyalty of their subjects, it is the Wardens, the deities who tend to the Celestial Tree, who monopolizes their faith. Their testaments, divined through visions whilst immersed by nature, guide the people to be custodians of their enclosed world. There is no afterlife that awaits them, no escape from what disasters they afflict. This world is already heaven, and when death comes, the fragments of their soul will wander until a new vessel is formed. The seeds sown by the righteous shall be enjoyed by their successors, and one ought never to take more than what is needed.

Loyalty sees the flames of conflict quenched by snowmelt. Piety sees the flowers blossom in unbreaking cycles. And yet, this Empire remains a birdcage, and freedom lies beyond the edge of the horizon.

Talze-Utera, the Faraway Expanse

Where does our world end and where does their world begin? Where shall one live and where shall one die?

Talze-Utera, the Faraway Expanse, is an ill-defined territory past the frontier fiefdoms of Sancta-Manzst, where the dirt-patched wasteland gives way to vibrant sceneries that ought to be impossible without the waters of Kamari-Teinda to sustain it. The air is heavier here, uncomfortable for humans to breath in for long, and those that remain within Talze-Utera for long periods of time would inevitably succumb to a life-eroding fatigue. Monsters too, creatures far removed from the toothless wildlife or the domesticated burdenbeasts of the Empire, roam freely, some more intelligent than others but all dangerous in their own rights. They all seek, in one way, shape, or form, to cross the wastelands that separate Talze-Utera and Sancta-Manzst, to destroy humanity for any host of disparate, nonsensical reason. And for those that wander into the Faraway Expanse with neither caution nor allies, death is a swift inevitability.

But those possessing both caution and allies are privy to the power and possibilities granted only to the brave Outlanders. The air within Talze-Utera is heavy, but gradually acclimating to it becomes a boon from which warriors gain might surpassing their Imperial peers. The monsters within Talze-Utera are cunning and ferocious, but slaying them allows one to drain their essence and take it in as their own, forging a more intimate connection with the nature of the world. And, inexplicably, enigmatic artifacts can be plundered from the ruins of an Expanse that has never known civilization. Artifacts that grant forbidden knowledge. Artifacts that grant thunderous power. Artifacts worth great amounts of coin, if one could discern their true value.

Yet not all that stumble out of the Faraway Expanse are monsters.

Once in a blue moon, groups of Outsiders emerge from Talze-Utera, caravans of alien peoples possessing humanoid traits and some humanoid speech, but strangely bereft of any knowledge of how they arrived in Sancta-Manzst. Treated with suspicion or derision by humans, afforded only the right to live on the edges of the Empire, these Outsiders stake out what existence they can alongside the frontiersmen, forming small villages that dot the wastelands. The most beautiful or intelligent of them may be able to curry the favour of a local lord and obtain special rights, but for many others, they can only labour with their bodies or risk their lives.

And so, it’s oft the case that Outsiders return to the Expanse as Outlanders.

Outlanders, Delvers at World's End

To whom do you appeal as you draw your blade or pull your bowstring? To whom do you plead as your clasp your Totem or proclaim your Words?

While the private armies of the lords and aristocrats maintain order within the Empire and push forth the agenda of their masters, it is under the Pale Regent’s authority that the Outlanders’ Guild operates. Granted the Imperial Edict, any member of the Guild are bequeathed certain privileges that accompany their appropriate rank, as well as a certain amount of expectations. While most Outlanders are ultimately just freelancers, mere Runners, who work odd jobs within the frontier fiefdoms and wasteland villages, that alone is enough to sustain the lives of those who once had nothing else going for them. Monsters will still emerge out of the Expanse and into the wastelands, and it is no secret that some monstrous populations have already wormed their way into Sancta-Manszt.

Only when recognized as Rangers does the Outlander obtain the privilege of plunging into Talze Utera properly. It is known, then, that the ones most at risk of dying on the job are new Rangers. But those that survive, those that thrive, those that reliably complete their work and obtain both achievements and power within the Faraway Expanse, become Riders, individuals of fame and renown, granted the ability to accept any work across the Empire, to offer their allegiance to any fiefdom or aristocrat and obtain a stable employment. It is a dream of many to reach that stage, to obtain what was once lost to the wayward wanderers who enter the Outlanders’ Guild.

And those Riders exceptional to become heroic are granted an audience with the Pale Regent themself.

Despite being able to make bold decisions as an extension of the Pale Regent’s authority, the administration of the Outlanders’ Guild still collaborate with the local fiefdom in as many cases as possible, simply for the sake of convenience. Due to this, local cultures and influences play a great role in shaping the character of each individual Outlanders’ Guild, and on occasion, two Outlanders from different Guilds may find each others’ common sense and professionalism absolutely intolerable.

---

Sometimes, ya want to do a standard fantasy RP with a steady progression system because apparently you just can't get into any actual RPGs. You finish your Goblin Slayer and your Grimgar, binge a couple of nice adventure-y songs, watch someone play Skyrim for a bit, take a look around, realize you're already running like, two-and-a-half RPs and think to yourself...nawwwwww.

Then you write all this shit down in one night and ignore sleep to get it all done.

Anyhow, character-arc-driven fantasy adventure RP, where players are Outlanders with relatively heavy and dramatic backstories, and the wilderness they encounter is savage enough that life and death is decided within three rounds of combat. I'm generally looking for player casts that number in multiples of 6. This is basically still an anime RP, so things will gradually become more superhuman as people get their power ups and their stat boosts, but also it would be cool if y'all were the type that are into inter-character skits while journeying and are comfortable flatout getting murdered or maimed if things go hilarious. I'll pull my own punches back because I already have immortal meatsacks to bully in another RP, so it probably won't be that bad...but you also never know.

If interested, feel free to toss questions. Also sorta weird, but I've probably been really vibing with the idea of a 'closed' world. This might be the first step to becoming a flat-earther.........

Also, tabletop is there because I might have people throw some dice, but there won't really be much of a system here. Probably just yeeting d6s like ye olde JTTRPGs.

[Letter Bee]

@ERode, I might be interested.

[Cu Chulainn]

immortal meatsacks to bully, huh

[Dark Cloud]

Well I'll keep an eye on this for now but it definitely looks cool!

[Dark Cloud]

@ERode So I wanted to ask, will the tabletop be d6 and result effects how successful something is? Like 1 is an absolute fucking disaster and a 6 would be an overshoot, right?

[Jumbus]

Yeah I'm interested

[Dog]

I'll be down for this.

Is there only one Outlanders’ Guild or many Outlanders’ Guilds?

[ERode]

It’s not generally going to be anything so insane, Dark Cloud. Basically don’t think about it too much. You’ll usually be rolling multiple d6s, so extreme results are rarer.

There is one Guild. That Guild has many branches.

[Dark Cloud]

It’s not generally going to be anything so insane, Dark Cloud. Basically don’t think about it too much. You’ll usually be rolling multiple d6s, so extreme results are rarer.

There is one Guild. That Guild has many branches.

@ERode

Cool, cool good to know. I got an idea of an character that'll be cool in this somewhat grim & realistic world. "Beware the old man in a profession, where the young man doesn't last." sort of sums up my idea.

[Dog]

Another question - how will combat work? You mentioned three rounds of combat deciding your fate of victory or death in the intro.

And oh, when we might get character sheets to fill out?

[Letter Bee]

@ERode, Are all 'Isekai'ers' amnesiac? And is there no possibility of returning 'home'?

[BangoSkank]

What races/classes are we choosing from? What tech level are the Outriders/Empire at? What about magic?

I'm interested basically.

[Dark Cloud]

I'm assuming: hooman, more hooman, short hooman and human.

[ERode]

Combat will progress slightly more fluidly, perhaps, with a bit more emphasis on intent and strategy rather than single actions. Still puzzling it out.

Outsiders suffer from a degenerating memory, yes. By the time they make it out of Talze Utera, they'll only have fragments of memories of a past homeland, and even then, it's more a feeling than anything concrete. Also, by the time a couple generations pass, you'll basically have Outsiders with no recollection at all of whatever homeland they've had.

Tech level is generically medieval fantasy. No guns, and magic is generally fairly rare, as it's half based off of obsessive study and half based off of managing to 'connect' with this 'dimension', from which you uncover words of power. Most spells take three words to be effective in a combat scenario, and even then, only on an individual level. Some artifacts recovered from the Faraway Expanse allows for certain conveniences such as plumbing to exist, but out where the frontier is, it's pretty savage.

Races are basically any permutation of humanoid. The less human you look, the more effort you'll have to put into disguising yourself as human. You can toss me a generic race you're interested in, and I'll give you the general deets on them. Classes are whatever, though warlocks aren't a concept that exist, and mixed martial-magical people are pretttty rare when you're starting out as scrubs.

CS template will be established once I figure out if I actually have the time to run this or not.

[Dark Cloud]

@ERode Well I'd hella be interested in playing a kobold or a goblin.

[Dark Cloud]

And if our memories are shattered in bits why would our backgrounds be extensive?

[Dark Cloud]

Actually I have several races to ask and will list them:
- Goblin
- Dwarf
- Kobold
- Jotun-kin (Like a Half-Giant or Goliath)

[Letter Bee]

Combat will progress slightly more fluidly, perhaps, with a bit more emphasis on intent and strategy rather than single actions. Still puzzling it out.

Outsiders suffer from a degenerating memory, yes. By the time they make it out of Talze Utera, they'll only have fragments of memories of a past homeland, and even then, it's more a feeling than anything concrete. Also, by the time a couple generations pass, you'll basically have Outsiders with no recollection at all of whatever homeland they've had.

Tech level is generically medieval fantasy. No guns, and magic is generally fairly rare, as it's half based off of obsessive study and half based off of managing to 'connect' with this 'dimension', from which you uncover words of power. Most spells take three words to be effective in a combat scenario, and even then, only on an individual level. Some artifacts recovered from the Faraway Expanse allows for certain conveniences such as plumbing to exist, but out where the frontier is, it's pretty savage.

Races are basically any permutation of humanoid. The less human you look, the more effort you'll have to put into disguising yourself as human. You can toss me a generic race you're interested in, and I'll give you the general deets on them. Classes are whatever, though warlocks aren't a concept that exist, and mixed martial-magical people are pretttty rare when you're starting out as scrubs.

CS template will be established once I figure out if I actually have the time to run this or not.

@ERode

So, just to make sure, I cannot make a Human who wants to get back home and is willing to move Heaven and Earth (metaphorically) to get his goals?

[Lucky]

Stumbled across this and would like to express my interest!

I'm currently in two D&D campaigns as a player and DMing one myself, but I need to keep the creative juices flowin'! I honestly love a "generic fantasy" because what that really means is we can flesh out our characters uniquely without absolutely relying on the world to make us interesting.

I do have questions, and they may be answered if/when you decide on making a CS and are up to running another, but before then I'm curious about magic (among other things). I like to do a sort of numbered list thing for the sake of efficiency, if you don't mind.

1. As you said, magic is typically the combination of both "obsessive study" and a "connection to this dimension." Are we able to start off these scrubs with any semblance of magic, even if just effectively cantrips (minor, weak, multiple castings per day)?

2a. Is magic limited to Anything Arcane™ and acts similar to the Force or are they divvied up into a range of schools, such as Evocation, Abjuration, Pyromancy, Wild, Necromancy. . . ?

2b. If the latter: is there a type of magic that would be illegal, immoral, or generally frowned upon? Necromancy is the usual target of such, and in many places Enchantment as well.

3. Will there be defined classes to follow, or will we be constructing our own?

4a. With technology being in the state that it is, can Artificers or Engineers be a concept if we want to pursue that?

4b. If not guns as we know them, what about Constructs and other kinds of devices?

5. Can technology develop with magic, to create some staples of the genre such as airships or batteries?

6a. Is there a universal language like Common?

6b. Are there multiple languages, whether or not Common exists?

I'll stop there for now, but I'm attracted to what you've written up and hope to get a positive response!

[ERode]

@Dark Cloud
Most Outsiders were born and raised in Sancta-Manzst. Remember that a new group of them showing up out from Talze-Utera is a very rare thing. Being a first-generation Outsider is possible if that’s what you want your backstory to be, but otherwise, like I said, it’s prettttty rare.

For your list of races, living as a kobold or a goblin is going to be a life in fear of getting murdered out of the blue because you look pretty much like the monsters that people kill. Dwarves are mostly treated like shorter humans, but being short and hairy comes with its own set of prejudices. Half-Giants are likely kept a closer eye on, but don’t lack work due to physical capabilities.

@Letter Bee If you’re a pure blooded Human, you’re not an Outsider.

@Lucky To clarify, the dimension that you need to connect to for Magic is a different dimension than the one you exist in.

Magic is powerful, but limited. Think spell slots without cantrips. Most pure casters have a side arm or play a strategist role as well due to being a back liner. Even a new caster could one shot a big boy. He just can’t do it more than twice without getting gassed…and then he gets got by all the other small boys.

Magic refers to the generation and manipulation of energies and fluids. Generally doesn’t have anything to do with the animation of the dead or golems, nor would it be able to heal, physically enhance, or do any truly psychic shenanigans. Stuff like that is more under the purvey of miracles invoked by worshippers.

The very nature of magic is a bit taboo, because you’re essentially denying the very real power of faith in pursuit of some extradimensional thing. That being said, there’s nothing out of bounds within the realm of energies and fluids.

There won’t be defined classes. Engineers and artificers as understood in the context of DND magitech dudes don’t exist though. If you just wanted a science fellow though, they would be more like, Royal Alchemists or Scholars under the employ of a lord rather than a stinky Outlander. There’s ways to make that work as an Outlander thoughhhh.

Artificial life doesn’t exist. As far as the characters’ lived experience goes, it’s swords and sorcery fantasy with a few “modern” plumbing conveniences.

Magic is wild and pretty rare to be melded with technology. It’s basically just something that’s not reliable enough for any advances to affect daily life. As an example, “schools” that teach magic just make their students go through the exact same lifestyle as famous mages in hopes of somehow lucking out into an interdimensional interface.

The universal language is Human. There’s regional dialects, and Outsiders come with their own languages, but Human is the base upon which everything spins.