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Old 10-12-2020, 01:53 PM   #11
jason taylor
 
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Caithness sounds like it is the sort of place that has budget problems. Is thinking of canals practical however desirable it is to have one?

Of course you could find a mage who knows an earthmoving spell. Something you couldn't do on Earth. That might make a good quest, especially if it starts as a canal emissary and turns into something more epic.
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Old 10-12-2020, 03:21 PM   #12
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

There's been some discussion about whether having one language cover a huge area is realistic vs. playability, i.e., do you want PCs to have to spend 20 points on language just to fully function?

Good points. But there's a couple other major factors.
  1. Humans came to Yrth from another world. There are other types of intelligent beings here. On that basis, I think it's quite reasonable, even in a realistic sense, for humans to "stick together," including having a common language that spreads further than it would have otherwise.
  2. These societies primarily began at TL 3, not TL 0. They formed a few hundred years ago, not tens of thousands of years ago, so there's bound to be less change. And long distance communication generally becomes more important the higher the TL.
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Old 10-12-2020, 05:40 PM   #13
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Here's another possibility, have ships from south of Arraterre come up and discover Ytarria. I think that another continent, mainly settled out of Africa, would be fun/exciting. You could take elements of real African societies and create a distinctive and vibrant fantasy setting.

I think that I'd want the people who discover Ytarria to be Christian Ethiopians who in this world control several sea ports.



By the way it's allowed to post ideas on this thread which have nothing to do with a language debate.
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Old 10-12-2020, 05:41 PM   #14
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Caithness sounds like it is the sort of place that has budget problems. Is thinking of canals practical however desirable it is to have one?

Of course you could find a mage who knows an earthmoving spell. Something you couldn't do on Earth. That might make a good quest, especially if it starts as a canal emissary and turns into something more epic.
A clever twist.
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Old 10-12-2020, 07:38 PM   #15
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Vague idea that could do with some expansion:

It is 2010, and the Megalan Civil War has begun: an ambitious cousin of the Emperor has accused the sitting Emperor, Diophrates XII, of being a demon that replaced the real Diophrates. What evidence he gave is reported in a number of contradictory ways, but it convinced enough of those present for the war to begin, though the Emperor and most of his guards were able to escape. Eastern Megalos is still largely under the control of Diophrates XII, while Western Megalos mostly follows his cousin, who styles himself 'Emperor Honorius VII' - there are pockets within each region that follow the other Emperor, of course, along with many lords and regions that attempt to play both sides, or that don't give notable support to either. Some ambitious lords seek to break away entirely, and both Araterre and Cardiel have officially decided to make no move 'until the situation is clarified.'
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:52 PM   #16
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

So, I've thought a lot about Yrth as a campaign setting in the past, not the least of which was an entire thread started 11 years ago on the subject: http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=54684

Although I've since had different, new ideas, like moving Sahud off of Ytarria and making it part of a separate, but nearby Eastern continent that also includes other Asian nations, including an Indian empire. And another Continent further south, serving as Africa to Ytarria.

Another idea I had was creating more ancient ruins, dating back to the dawn of Elven civilization, and perhaps older still, with the suggestion that the Elves are the last remnant of a far older Magi-Tech civilization, who may or may not have been human spellcasters (in a nod to the old Pyramid Magazine Elves: a study in Transhumanism.)
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Old 10-13-2020, 01:21 PM   #17
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
Here's another possibility, have ships from south of Arraterre come up and discover Ytarria. I think that another continent, mainly settled out of Africa, would be fun/exciting. You could take elements of real African societies and create a distinctive and vibrant fantasy setting.

I think that I'd want the people who discover Ytarria to be Christian Ethiopians who in this world control several sea ports.



By the way it's allowed to post ideas on this thread which have nothing to do with a language debate.
Now that is a good idea. Where are you going to put them?
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Old 10-13-2020, 05:05 PM   #18
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Here's an idea to try, let the Maelstorm develop a new and steady pattern. Several weeks each summer have the Maelstrom move far to the south allowing regular easy passage west of Al-Haz.

1) You can have the rest of Ytarria clash with the Djinn lands.

2) Place a new culture in the western lands. Perhaps a Hindu Empire or a Pagan Rome.

3) Try a society of lost people from Western Europe and North America in the 19th and 20th centuries who have managed to create a TL6 society that is becoming a TL7 society, Elves, Halflings, and Orcs, are integrated into this society as equals. There are mages among these people but they use a syntactical magic system rather than normal Ytarrian Magic.
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Old 10-14-2020, 06:12 AM   #19
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Default Re: Ideas for Yrth

Things I do with Yrth...

I change the magic around. My usual choice is RPM without the ability to improvise spells: you have a spell book/ list of spells you know and while you can freely research and learn a new spell without spending points or that much money really, it still takes time.

In my multiverse, Yrth is the home world of the dragons, who once used a form of travel not unlike astral projection to dominate a cross-world empire. The banestorm was derailed by a small band of conspirators from its orginal purpose to lock the dragons on a single world.
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Old 10-14-2020, 12:49 PM   #20
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Another possibility for Yrth would be the death of the Demon Emperor. Let this lead to a struggle to rule and reform Meglos. This could lead to anything from civil war to reformation. The PCs should play important nobles who'd be in a place to make a difference for good of ill.
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