Aesthetics 2: The Feel of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting

Ferox  by Cos Koniotis

Loosely continuing my train of thought from last week's post (Wyrmkings help me I want to post more often but time can a premium sometimes) I wanted to look at a few more elements of the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting in depth. As primary setting designer, I've set my sights on a balance of High Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery. In other words I want both players and game masters who choose to utilize The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting for their gaming adventures to be able to play heroes and heroines or develop adventures that can fit either in Robert E. Howard's Hyboria or J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth...not at the same time mind you, but as the need or desire arises, without violating the aesthetics of the setting.

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)

Aesthetics 1: Sword and Sorcery vs. High Fantasy

"Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat & stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame crimson, and I am content"
- Conan the Barbarian (Robert E. Howard)


Sword and Sorcery Fiction is (according to Wikipedia) defined as...

"Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.^"

As a young fantasy fan, I cut my teeth on the works on Robert E. Howard. When I was about thirteen years old I owned a complete collection of the Ace Publishing Conan Novels. Being so proud of that collection I kept the books in pristine condition, not allowing anyone else to touch them for fear they would in some way damage these sacred relics. As a boy prone to daydreaming, I would spend a great deal of time, when I wasn't rereading the stories, simply gazing upon the amazing work of Frank Frazetta, whose art graced the cover of all twelve books.

That art took me to ancient Hyboria, and still does.

Even though I have read the works of other authors, the writings of Robert E. Howard is still, for me, the defining benchmark of Sword and Sorcery Fiction. In order for us to define anything, we have to look at it in terms of its individual characteristics. The list that follows, are a list of characteristics that are, in my opinion, necessary for S&S to be S&S. These qualities are an aesthetic, a sensibility that separates S&S from other subgenres of Fantasy Fiction. This isn't an exhaustive list of qualities I see as defining characteristics of S&S, but it is a list of the characteristics that I have found most useful in guiding me while I craft the Wyrmshadows RPG setting, the nations, peoples and overall aesthetic of the world and those who dwell therein. The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting isn't only a S&S setting, but it is strongly influenced by the overall S&S sensibility.

1.) S&S stories are personal and the motivations of S&S heroes are personal.
S&S heroes have motivations that are personal. Their goals may be no more or less noble (or wicked) than those of high fantasy heroes, but S&S heroes do not "do good for goodness sake." A Paladin in a high fantasy tale can, according to genre tropes, seek to end the tyrannical rule of the evil warlord for the sake of "goodness" or "justice" with no personal stake in the matter whatsoever other than pure motivation of "doing the right thing." A paladin in a S&S based tale may have the exact same goal, to end the rule of the tyrannical warlord, but he will be motivated to do so for more tangible reasons such as personal outrage, revenge, the commandments of his church, due to events in his past that make the crimes committed by the warlord feel like a personal affront, deep empathy/sympathy for the warlord's victims, the opportunity for glory, the enjoyment of battle, to honor his god, etc. or any number of personal reasons. The paladin may even think in terms of ending the rule of the warlord because it is "the right thing to do" but like a real, living, breathing individual, the paladin will have a deeper undercurrent of motivations for risking his life.

In the same manner as above, so it is with S&S villains. Villains in S&S stories don't conquer nations
an slaughter their enemies for the sake of  "evil" or "darkness" as one finds in less sophisticated high fantasy tales. Instead a S&S villain will do whatever he does for any number of personal reasons, reasons that may run the gamut from personal psychopathic pleasure to the delusional belief that he is doing the right thing. Just as in our own world, sometimes S&S villains believe that the horrors they inflict must be done, for the greater good.

2.) A setting strongly influenced by S&S is less idyllic and more morally "grey" than those settings dominated by high fantasy sensibilities.

High fantasy characters can tend toward angst. They are often afflicted by the consequences of what they do in a manner more akin to modern sensibilities than are S&S heroes. High fantasy presumes a more idyllic milieu both in regards to the reality of the fictional world being presented and the heroes' perception of that world. High fantasy settings tend to reflect a medieval or ancient world as we wish it would have been as opposed to how it had been. To a far lesser extent, S&S settings do the same thing. S&S settings do, at times, present an idealized reality to readers/gamers, but in an S&S setting their is always the potential of a corrupt or shady underbelly in even the most seemingly idyllic setting.

The dark underbelly needn't be a conspicuous corruption at the heart of Camelot, so to speak, but instead the often unpleasant complexities that underlie the smoothly running world presented on the surface. It's been said that, "everyone like sausage, but no one wants to see it prepared," and this is often how things are in a S&S setting. A kingdom in a S&S setting may have very little crime and a high standard of living while at the same time the laws that make the kingdom relatively crime-free may involve the abridgment of citizens' civil liberties and very harsh punishments for those involved in criminal behavior.

A game setting with S&S roots like the Wyrmshadows RPG Setting attempts to take into account the realities of a complex, albeit fictional world while at the same time not descending into dystopian nightmare of cynicism and ultimate futility.

S&S heroes are born into an overtly complex reality and see it as it is. Each individual is affected differently by his or her environment. Those of a more sensitive nature may never be at ease with the sometimes unpleasant complexities of either their world or what they must sometimes do in order to survive. Others, those of a more pragmatic nature, will be at peace with the way the world works and their place in it. The Wyrmshadows RPG Setting has room for both. Both the introspective Drizzt Do'Urden of Forgotten Realms fame and the legendary Conan the Barbarian, with his equally legendary lack of introspection, have a place on the world of Illythria. However, owning the S&S roots of the setting means accepting the reality that there are, just like in the real world, more Conans out there then there are Drizzts. Illythria is a world of many introspective, poets, philosophers and theologians but their numbers are profoundly eclipsed by the numbers of those of a more self-orientated, pragmatic, and even amoral nature.

High fantasy characters, as opposed to their S&S counterparts, can tend toward emotional or existential angst. They are often afflicted by the consequences of what they do (particularly in regards to violence) in a manner more akin to modern sensibilities than are traditional S&S heroes. S&S heroes, such as Conan for example, are products of their time and environment and because of this have very different sensibilities. To have a Cimmerian barbarian see bloodshed in the manner similar to that of this author would be a preposterous anachronism. Those for whom warfare is a constant cultural reality and for whom death by violence is an accepted, if unwelcome, possibility would likely be rather ambivalent in regards to having to commit violent acts in order to survive. Such an individual may not relish violence, however, it is very unlikely that such an individual would need to deal with much in regards to existential angst because of it. There are regions of Arvanor, such a highly civilized and diverse Arnach, where modern sensibilities in regards to the subject of violence may be somewhat understandable, if still quite rare. In other regions, like the rugged and savage Aranlands, such an aversion to violence would be as alien as pacifism and would be utterly and fatally impractical.


(....To be continued next post)