[OOC] Dungeon Keepers

[The 42nd Gecko]

And I'm in college taking graduate level math courses, so, I have the lightest course load of anyone here, it seems. :P

[R4inator]

I take all Pre-AP classes currently, plus varsity band, so yeah... I might drop out of band, it's too hard to juggle around my homework and band practice almost constantly.
Oh, woe is me.

[BBeast]

I beat you for lightest course load, Gecko. Here in Australia, school has finished for the year and I don't move up to university until March.

That doesn't mean I've got absolutely nothing on, though. I've got two days to finish figuring out who I'm going to vote for, and there are 15 parties and several independents to sift through.

Additionally, my location also means I've got no clue what this AP business is. I'm guessing its some kind of college thing. Here we don't have college. We have six years primary school, six years secondary school, then if we want a higher education we go to university or a Technical and Further Education school (TAFE) and get a degree/diploma.

[Cyclone]

You can take AP classes in high school, and if you do well enough said classes give you credit for certain classes in college. This means less time and a lot of saved money in college, because here in the United States college tuition is ridiculous and student loan interest is also ateocious. It's not unheard of to be in debt for 20 years after graduating. It also looks very good on college applications, which can lead to scholarships (where the college lets you attend for reduced or no cost).

Alternatively some school systems offer dual enrollment, where government subsidies allow you to attend college and take a few classes for free while you are still in high school.

Put simply, the American school system is a ridiculous mess, probably stemming from high college dropput rates jacking up tuition costs, relatively unregulated student loan interest rates, and a general mentality that if you don't go to college you are stupid and will never get a good job, which leads to barely any people going to trade schools to be plumbers, electricians, and so on. It also means people choosing stupid college majors like women's studies (basically feminism as a class you pay for...as if being a certified feminist means anything) that won't get you a reliable job or have tons of competition for what few job openings there are.

Well, that turned into more of a rant than I intended

[BBeast]

Interesting to know.

In Australia we have the good fortune of cheap government-run tuition loans, regulated fees and government subsidies (not all of the cost, just keeping prices down) on the majority of courses. With any luck they'll continue and the government won't stuff it up.

Back on track, what do you think of the imps?

[Cyclone]

Well, I'm not a huge fan of the idea in all honesty. The math and rules involved add complexity when I don't really see a need to have such a mechanic in the first place. Would 5 imps at first or 100 imps later even make a difference? I doubt it. And as in for manager roles, your constructs and actual creatures do that.

Sorry if I come across as angry or dismissive, but I fail to see why we need to do this with the imps or how it would really matter, and so I can't say that I support adding it in.

[BBeast]

That's fair enough. It was just a suggestion, after all. If Kangutso still wants it he can debate it with you.

[The 42nd Gecko]

Heh, I've planned out how my keeper will function, and I think it's awesome. ;)

Just need the final write up for the dreammancer to be sure.

[BBeast]

I'll have to write that some time. It may be some time, for I have things on this weekend, but I'll try to get that written some time, along with the rest of the OP.

[Cyclone]

Ah, I've neglected to write more about the fire people. I'll challenge myself to get that done by the end of today.

[Cyclone]

I'll describe both my nation and the land that they inhabit in one go.

The Ashmarch is hell on earth, a black scar that cuts through the land. To so much as attempt traversing that vast wasteland is death, a grim actuality that nature herself seems to understand. A deep, incessant, and rhythmic rumbling permeates the air, staving off what would otherwise be deathly silence. This sound comes from the some half dozen active volcanos to the north, each ceaselessly spewing smoke, ash, and the fiery blood of the earth. Hundreds of miles of land lay trapped in the shadows of those burning mountains, the black soot rising to shroud the lands below in shadow.

Fire, brimstone, and layer upon layer of ash fall down upon the bleak and dead landscape. Clean water is all but nonexistent; what little rain comes is made toxic by volcanic ash and gases before it can so much as touch the ground. Once it does fall, it has been known to moisten loose ash fields, creating something similar to quicksand, although more like liquid cement. What water runs off leeches even more poisons from the heavier ash on the ground, forming stagnant, putrid cesspools of acid. Where there are not gray plains or rolling hills of ash, there are rivers of lava, rocky crags of basalt and obsidian, and the occasional cooled lavaflow with dagger-like protrusions coming out of the ground, easily sharp and lengthy enough to perforate a careless foot.

One might be inclined to think that nothing would call this wasteland home. In a way, that is right. No beasts that you will have heard of would dare venture there; even the flies and carrion birds avoid the Ashmarch. There are other, viler monsters that make the entire Ashmarch their lair. Warlocks. They came from across the sea in centuries past, banished from their faraway homeland for their disgusting practices of necromancy, blood sacrifices, and other forms of blood magic. They were spurned by the people here just as they were in their homeland, and so with none willing to so much as tolerate their presence, they ran off into the Ashmarch and claimed that waste for their own. There they and those followers that went with them began to carve out a civilization, swearing vengeance on the rest of the world that had denied them everything and forced them to endure living in such a ghastly land. Whether from the soot that stains everything in their land or from the gods that they defile, the warlocks and their serfs have skin as black as coal.

Entire settlements near the edge of the Ashmarch have been known to vanish. The warlocks send their soldiers to have the buildings burned, valuables looted, and denizens taken back to the warlock masters for some nefarious ends. For this reason, most keep a wide berth from the Ashlands in their travels, but a few have entered those wastes and returned to tell the tale. They spoke of the descendants of those that followed the warlocks into the wastes being reduced to serfs, brutally oppressed by their masters. The occasional outpost exists hugging onto a rocky bluff or some other sort of high ground, often no more than a few squat stone buildings coated in ash and soot, blending in to the stark surroundings almost perfectly. These settlements vary in size based mainly on their function, though they usually have a few hundred of serfs with perhaps a dozen warlocks serving as overseers and administrators.

Deep into the wastes and away from prying eyes, the majority of the warlocks make their home. Their towers come up from the land like plague boils, in the form of massive, black spires of rock. They are like estates, with the most powerful warlocks having palatial towers that claw at the sky, with hundreds of other warlock subordinates cohabiting the tower and entire cities of serfs clustered nearby. When their towers can no longer reach up, the warlocks go down; some have sprawling subterranean slave pits, grand chambers to cultivate fungi for food and other purposes, and elaborate underground tunnels to allow safe travel across the wastes.

Gah, I have more to say than I at first realized. I'll finish this up later since I really need a break now. But in the meantime, any thoughts?

[The 42nd Gecko]

Well, the question of "Where do they get water" is raised but never answered. :P

Regardless, good and scary land. Wouldn't want to invade it myself.

[KabenSaal]

The 42nd Gecko said
Well, the question of "Where do they get water" is raised but never answered. :PRegardless, good and scary land. Wouldn't want to invade it myself.

Magic. But, even in the most volcanic lands, the ground still holds water. If not on site, then drawn from many miles away.

Also, thinking of making a race of my own, if you have a space.

[Cyclone]

Incredibly deep wells and what few springs can be found are their only options, since there are no glacial-fed rivers and anything that flows over the landscape or rains get contaminated.

And I haven't gotten to this part yet, but invading them wouldn't be a bad idea. Nobody ever goes into the Ashmarch, and as such their settlements aren't fortified or guarded that well, they would be taken completely by surprise, they've managed to accumulate copious amounts of wealth unmolested by raiders and barely ever trading, and they even have their own little rebellion going on with the fire cultists. In fact, conquering this civilization would almost be too easy. Their soldiers are nothing special, so the only real fight would come from the warlocks and their demonic minions, but neither are wont to leave the safety of their giant towers.

Honestly the land itself is the main threat. Any keeper that braves marching an army through the place will be rewarded with some easy pickings.

[KabenSaal]

So, is there a set number of races, or is it just as many as people can make?

[BBeast]

For major races, we have set it at those five, the four lesser tribes and the fifth large central nation. There is not much room for too much else. Although, there is no reason there can not be more minor races/tribes, living in the gaps and corners of Cyprus, but those do not need much pre-planning.

Edit: Here is the next section of the OP.

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Keepers:

As mentioned before, you exist through your Avatar, which is your physical body. As a Keeper, you can wield quite potent power and abilities, although greatness in one aspect generally requires trading off some other ability. While you could be an all-rounder, Keepers typically focus on a particular theme or element, which allows them to allocate more of their power to those abilities. You are free to modify your Avatar and develop new abilities in your Heart at any time, provided you have the power to do so.

Keepers gain power passively from the land and people under their control. The amount of power you have is determined by how much you have conquered, how big your Dungeon is, and how many slaves you have under you. Clearly, a Keeper who has only razed a few villages, lives in a hovel of a Dungeon and has only a meagre collection of slaves will be greatly outmatched by a Keeper who has conquered cities, lives in a fortress Dungeon, has numerous outposts and has whole townships of slaves. Now, a quick way to gain power is to conquer other Keepers, because in doing that you assimilate their Dungeon, slaves and conquered lands into your own and gain their power.

Should your Avatar be killed, that is not necessarily the end. Your creatures will likely be thrown into chaos and slaves all escape unless you have good Constructs to keep them in line, and your Dungeon operations will likely be crippled, but Keepers don't die that easily. Provided your Heart is intact, you are able to resurrect yourself and rebuild your Avatar in the Heart. This process is slow and will take a while, so in that time you just need to hope that your enemies don't come in to finish you off. However, if you die and your enemies have destroyed your Heart, then things go from bad to worse. Your armies will be dead or scattered, your Dungeon assimilated into your enemy's own domain, and resurrection will be difficult. Should you choose to stubbornly persist, you would be back to square one, as if you had come fresh out of the Void.

[Cyclone]

I'd mention the possibility of a few loyal creatures and slaves escaping. Stating so surely that they will be back to square one if they lose will sure encourage people to play nice. Too nice.

Anyways, any thoughts on my nation so far BBeast?

[BBeast]

I'll tweak that a bit, then.

Your nation is good. That's some ominous and challenging terrain.

Here, a new section.

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Rogue Beings:

If you choose not to be a Keeper, you can instead be a Rogue Being, also known as Rogue Constructs. Rogue Beings are powerful entities. They can be things like dragons, sorcerers, elementals, demons, monsters, ex-Constructs, etc. You have a diverse range of opportunities to be a unique and creative Rogue Being. The power of Rogue Beings lies between that of a Construct and a Keeper. While you are a fearsome force in any battle, you would struggle to overpower all but the weakest Keepers, and you lack the creative powers of Keepers, such as creating creatures or changing your physical form like Keepers do.

It is recommended that you find a Keeper to submit your services to. Most Keepers are quite familiar with the usefulness of Rogue Beings. Not only does that provide protection from anyone who might otherwise want to kill you, it also grants you access to the resources and forces of that Keeper. Of course, they'll want you to work for it, fighting in their wars and defending their Dungeon and so on, but that just adds to the fun.

If you are playing as both a Rogue Being and a Keeper, your Rogue Being may not partner up with your Keeper.

[DR_TRAPEZOID]

Looks good.
I suppose this time around, I'm going to abstain from making a rogue being. Even with plenty of time, I'll be tied up in my nation and keeper.

[BBeast]

Here's a section on the NPC nations we have. It is just a summary. The complete information, which you have all provided, shall be included also.

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NPCs:

In Cyprus, there are five nations and races of especial interest, The largest of them is the kingdom of the Cypriots, with the capital city of Amplus in the centre of Cyprus. The Cypriots, named so because they lay claim to ownership of this whole land, are mostly ordinary humans (by the standards of Cyprus, anyway), ruled by a monarchy. Their kingdom covers most land which is not held fiercely by the other races, and has been maintained by a combination of technological superiority, a greater population, and a mysterious absence of any political unrest. Quite likely your first forays as a Keeper will be into the villages of the Cypriots, and while it will be a challenge to penetrate deeper into their territory, if you can successfully conquer their kingdom you will definitely be the strongest Keeper in the land.

To the West, nestled in the mountains on the border of Cyprus, is the grand city of Monolith. In the centre of Monolith stands an artefact of great power, Providence, which powers the many untiring golem Workers which are the city's inhabitants. The Workers used to be people, drawn by the prospect of immortality and transformed into these beings, at the cost of never being able to leave the city and having to toil continuously. Watching over the city, and capable of travelling elsewhere, are the Travellers, who are more powerful. Monolith is a centre of manufacturing, and is a source of many of the weapons and tools of the Cypriots. While the Workers can not simply be captured as slaves to take back to your Dungeon, to capture Monolith would be to hold the greatest hub of manufacturing on Cyprus, and to cut critical supplies from the Cypriots.

To the South in the jungle are the Dragon Riders, a nomadic race of people who live in a symbiotic relationship with giant, poison breathing, flightless lizards, often referred to as Dragons. Little is known about them, for they do not have settlements or language. Instead, they are spread across the jungle, adding to the dangers already lurking there. The intelligence and trap-making skills of the Riders, combined with the sheers strength and power of the Dragons, makes them dangerous opponents to face on their home turf. While they are dangerous, they are in no way organised or united. To conquer the jungle would be to control the greatest source of lumber in Cyprus, as well as the greatest concentration of biodiversity. Who knows, you might even be able to find a use for the Dragon Riders.

To the North in the mountains is Kythnos, a frigid icy wasteland of unnatural cold locked in eternal snowfall. They are inhabited by the ice witches, who are actually ice demons in a thin disguise, and who have gathered a significant cult following. A jagged, crystalline city of ice twists through the mountains, but the majority of the city lies underground in ice caves. Save for the storms and the magic of the ice demons, the mountains are also defended by sheer cliff faces and pits leading to crystalline spikes. While this land is unpleasant, the ice demons may be useful allies in your quest for conquest. And if not, they have been storing up power for quite some time, which lies locked within the ice.

Just East of Kythnos is its polar opposite, the Ashlands, a land of volcanos and poisoned by ash. Few dare enter, for any water is toxic and the ground itself is treacherous. However, deep inside the Ashlands are the towers of the Warlocks, humans who have been shunned by the rest of humanity for their practise of necromancy and other dark magics. They are highly aggressive, sending out soldiers to raze settlements and capture slaves from the borders of the Ashlands. Aboveground, their settlements are quite dreary, save for their magnificent towers. However, they have made extensive use of subterranean caves and caverns to house slaves, fungal farms and so on. While the land is dangerous to enter, it is for this reason that the towns of the Warlocks are quite poorly defended, so if you can brave the Ashlands with a proper army you should find easy pickings of slaves. Alternatively, you could make allies with the Warlocks, perhaps taking advantage of the unrest rising among their ranks.

There can be other lesser races inhabiting Cyrpus as well, in the corners of the land where the other races won't have wiped them out or assimilated them. However, they obviously wouldn't have the same level of influence as the aforementioned five.

For further information on each of these races, read the following entries kindly contributed by the people who shall be the primary controllers of those races.