Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Seventy years ago DSMC-LXVI-Γ was just another mineral world offering up its bounty to the new frontier, an inhospitable red jewel to be cracked open and discarded. To some it remains so, if not infinitely less obliging. During that bygone ore-rush prospectors unearthed more than metal with their satellite mines and drop shafts, drawing previously unknown lifeforms to the surface. While academics still argue about proper taxonomy their extinction was of considerable relief to the universe at large.

Colloquially this 'mindflesh' surged up to ravage not only the surface but damage or destroy trade lanes and orbital installation through anomalous means. Crews were boiled alive, stations peeled themselves apart and long range bombardment proved all but useless in combating them. During the twenty seven days that would come to be known as the month of tears mankind was forced to confront hostile alien life with undocumented extranoematic capabilities. Their response was to build a better bomb.

Through trial, error and costly frontline experimentation an alloy not merely resistant but directly hostile to these energy fields was created, dubbed 'delirite' for what were mostly thematic reasons. After a few successful salvos the menace was obliterated, operations could resume and the few surviving pockets of marooned workers could be rescued, or so it was assumed. Long range scans confirmed a sort of fallout from the attack, ambient extranoematic radiation that they had no cost-effective means of dispersing. From the boardroom of an adventurecapital cruiser it was decided that the only course of action would be to wait it out, auction off parcels of land before anyone knew they were worthless then buy them back at a later date and return for stranded assets.

But those, those are the affairs of foreigners and this planet is no longer their own. It was your forefathers that survived, their bones that feed the soil and your sweat and blood that stains it. life is, was and will remain a short struggle here on Eslau, but each generation gains ground and lives fuller. You are a people of marsh tribes and tarlanders, bogfolk and tunnel nomads, inheritors of a harsh land and its secrets. You are Eslausians and this is your story.


This RP could best be seen as a tale of New new-world expansion as told by the indigenous peoples rather than its explorers, though set on an interstellar stage rather than intercontinental. What little technology you have (Which can only be maintained, not replaced or reproduced) is seventy years behind the curve; and stands out like a sore thumb amid the rediscovered pre-industrial lifestyle. But that isn't to say you aren't without certain advantages over those with designs for your world. Like all life that remains and thrives here you've adapted to the abundance of extranoematic energy and exhibit certain gifts because of it, those that hone this skill are known as Cognoscenti--but we'll discuss them later.

Playing a native demands a certain familiarity with their circumstances, which isn't nearly as bothersome as it sounds.


That out of the way it's time we discuss the different tribes and geography


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Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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I plan to include information on Cognoscenti (Those that dedicate themselves to mastery of 'the broken truths' that let them harness extranoematic energy in a similar--yet weaker--way as the titular aliens) and Doyens, as well outlining a few vaguer points I eluded to above. After that it will be detailing the foreign factions a bit, but the bare bones is thus:

X argue that mineral rights fall the the current inhabitants--as they're technically the descendants of the original colonists.

Y argue that as they've mutated beyond their humanity that likewise their human rights are forfeit

Z argue that intensive study of local phenomenon supersedes other considerations
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Sypherkhode822
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Oooh. Interested.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Glad to hear it. I'm trying to avoid tropes or embrace them in an uncommon fashion when it comes to what powers will be available. And in general the roleplay will be constantly accepting. (Filling in ranks as people die or disband, providing one shot or recurring allies/antagonists, etc.)
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Sured up the People section with the difference between a family and tribe as well as outlining the role of Braves, Doyens and Cognoscenti. I'll be adding an in depth guide to how to play a cognoscente and getting the meat of some other stuff in a bit.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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At this point I'm still trying to think up some unconventional powers to base the seven schools around, so far I've got three.

The School of the Buried Brave
The School of the Sword Eating Shield
The School of the Stranded Eye

I'm not going to give away too much on those three yet but I'm fairly pleased with how they turned out. I'll be adding them to the big board once I think up four more without having to pull the same tired powers out of the bottom of the idea bin.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Raxacoricofallapatorius
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This looks very interesting, I'm going to keep my eye on it.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Always glad to have more interest. I've been ruminating on the place of women in society for the setting lately. Personally I feel as if they'd of returned to the "Women are special and men are replaceable" mindset. Arranged marriages are common, daughters are powerful bargaining chips within families and any job that's likely to get a person killed ends up being doled out to the men. Unlike their male counterparts potential wives and mothers would almost always be welcome into other households (Though not without their own struggles for power and dominance) and a tribe could always bounce back from losing most of its men--the same could not be said for losing their better halves.
Hidden 9 yrs ago Post by Sypherkhode822
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I've got a question:
Would it be possible if a tinct, after implanting some cool cybernetic brain tech into themselves, awaken a dormant A.I? And aforementioned A.I took over the tincts body?
It would be something of a shift of what you envisioned, so I'm curious to what you think.
Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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I'm always happy to field questions:

@Sypherkhode822 - The easy answer is that tincts don't understand technology, they understand maintenance. It's a body of knowledge built up from observing the previous generation, staring at illustrated manuals they can't really read anymore and disassembling any non-functional tools they come across for spare parts. Imagine it like rediscovering magic in a fantasy setting, they don't know WHY most things work, just that the little rituals they've preserved over the years keep it working.

They're getting worse at keeping their settlements running with each year, not better. A combination of progressively more degraded machinery and that semi-literate people are rarer than albinos. Importantly critical maintenance is the domain of their Doyans, whom in turn teach other members of the community enough to keep a settlement from total collapse, meaning most are as unskilled as assembly line workers. (trained in doing just one thing adequately)

To go into a little more


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Unrelated note: I'm happy the fourth school of cognoscenti even if I'm stumped as to what to call them. I'll likely be added an incomplete section on them to the main post soonish.
Hidden 9 yrs ago 9 yrs ago Post by Beach Burrito
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Here's a preview of one of the schools while I flesh out the others:



For those wondering the remaining schools are:

  • School of the Sword Eating Shield
  • School of the Eremitic Eye
  • School of Tethered Tides
  • School of the Still Stride
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