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| Ferox by Cos Koniotis |
What follows are a partial list of the core assumptions of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting and the world of Illythria. Serving largely as personal notes, setting forth the setting core assumptions in this manner allows me to work within semi-rigid boundaries that allow all of us involved in this mammoth project to exercise creativity while cleaving closely to the vision of what we want the Wyrmshadows setting to be.
Heroes are the Exception to the Rule
The folk
of Illythria, whether human or otherwise, have and live according to basic
needs, desires, pleasures, customs, mores, traditions, attachments and
aversions appropriate to their race and culture. Most folk aren’t heroes or
crusaders. Most are relatively unconcerned and uncommitted to anything greater
than the survival and well being of themselves, their families, their
communities or nation. Most people are bound to their time and culture in such
a way as to never truly rise about the circumstances of their birth.
In a world
were relatively few individuals travel more than a few miles from their place of birth, those who
would actively seek adventure are seen as, depending upon the circumstances, fascinating
curiosities, honored heroes or a potential threats to be carefully watched.
Whether
they are wandering freebooters seeking their fortunes, mercenaries seeking gold
and glory, fierce buccaneers, noble knights questing for the sake of their
faith, or explorers seeking the arcane secrets of long dead civilizations, the
players’ characters stand apart from the common folk of Arvanor by merit of
their ability to choose.
Beyond the
will of the dread rulers of The Void, the distant and inscrutable gods, the ancient
and fearsome Wyrmkings, the hero chooses her fate and in the process becomes
more than an actor jostled by the forces of history; instead she becomes the
creator of history. In the Wyrmshadows setting, it is ultimately mortals who move the world. From time
to time greater than mortal agencies act in Illythria but even though their
immortal might may be greater than the power of any single mortal agency, the
history of the world bears witness to the reality that a small band of heroes
can, if they are smart, strong, courageous and fortunate, thwart even the will
of powers far greater than themselves.
In the Wyrmshadows
RPG Setting, heroes come with varied outlooks, Sometimes the hero of one
culture’s tale is the villain of another’s. Sometimes those who become heroes
don’t start out that way. Sometimes heroes become villains and sometimes
villains become heroes seeking redemption. Allow your players’ characters the
opportunity to evolve and change in accordance with their experiences. Some
would-be heroes, once exposed to the horrors that lie beyond the periphery of
civilization, deepen in that their heroics become less concerned about seizing
personal glory and more interested in serving an ideal greater than themselves.
Others who face the darkness and cruelty of the world harden their hearts becoming
cynical, having realized that no one person or group of people can completely
change the world. And then there are those that tread too closely to the edge
and become the very monsters they once did battle against.
Faith Matters/Faiths in Conflict
The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting does not support our modern world’s postmodern viewpoint in regards to matters of faith and religion. For the peoples of Illythria, the truth of their faith is an unquestioned reality. Whether the more distant gods of the Great Church, the divine immanence of the Wyrmkings or the fearful reality of The Fallen, the supernatural world is as real for Illythrians as the Mortal World in which they live.
Unlike
many fantasy gaming settings, the gods, generally speaking, do not make
personal appearances, though in the past they have, according to legend, been
known to do so. Instead, the gods are known through the faiths that act in
their name, through visions, omens, oracles and the sacred scriptures penned by
great prophets in ages past. For most believers, the words of the ancient sages
as written down in the sacred texts or conveyed within their oral traditions
are as much divine utterance as if the god itself had spoken.
The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting assumes that
individuals find hope and strength in their faith and that the gods are more
than merely creatures of great power that exist to challenge powerful heroes or
villains. The idea of actually doing battle with and slaying a god is utterly
alien to the inhabitants of Illythria and outside the boundaries of the
Wyrmshadows setting’s core assumptions regarding the nature of divinity. There are
apocryphal tales of mortals doing battle with the gods, but most consider these
stories nothing more than blasphemies. Just as in our world, Illythria is a world of myriad spiritual and metaphysical ambiguities and mysteries. One priest's myths are another's fundamental spiritual reality. The Wyrmkings and gods may know, but for the most part they dole out "truths" as it suits their needs and desires.
The folk
of Illythria know the gods as inscrutable even if they believe that most of
them have the best interests of their worshippers at heart. The simple fact is
that the ways of the gods are not the ways of mortals and that though mortals
can apprehend some portion of divine will, the fullness of that knowledge is
ever elusive to all but the gods themselves. Many are the legends of mortals
who thought to presume upon the gods and suffered for it. Just as many tales
exist of mortals who have been blessed by the gods for some grand purpose of
their choosing. Either way, the point of these tales is to teach mortals that
the gods choose whom they will and any attempt to force a god’s hand ultimately
leads to disaster.
The vast
majority of Illythrians believe in an afterlife, though the nature of the
afterlife is as varied as the many faiths of Illythria. Some faiths teach
reincarnation, other teach eternal reward or punishment, while others speak of an
afterlife entirely different from what one might expect. On Illythria, the
afterlife is a matter of faith even if the reality of the spiritual is not.
Due to the complexity of Illythria’s spiritual landscape, the faiths of Illythria, from that of the Great Church, that of the various Wyrmkings, that of The Fallen, the animistic faiths of various tribes, etc. often find themselves in direct conflict with one another. Due to the ancient rivalries between Wyrmkings and the gods, even faiths that share a similar moral or ethical outlook can, at times, be implacable enemies. The reality of Illythria’s religious conflicts is rooted in the ancient history of the elder gods Ankhara and Beherim, the War of the Gods, and the birth of the Wyrmkings as divinities in their own right. Even though the various faiths may have a different spin on these events, all are certain of their ultimate reality. These beliefs, as well as the political and cultural power of the various priesthoods, assure that there is always some manner of conflict simmering under the surface of Illythria’s interfaith relations.
Just as in
our own world, the faiths of Illythria can accept certain practical realities
despite their differences and can, at times, work together for a greater good
that transcends theology. In rare
instances, the faith of the dominant Wyrmking and that of the Great Church are
practiced side by side. More commonly, relations between the Great Church and
the faiths of the Wyrmkings are more strained but don’t boil over into
violence. In the most religiously oppressive lands of Arvanor, those not
submitting to the worship of the local deity are viewed as dangerous heretics
and are hunted down and slain if captured.
(...More working core assumptions to come next post)
