New Reality Seeds

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by PTTG

Homeline recognizes crosstime meddling when it sees it. But who and why here?

And perhaps most importantly, what happened to the meddlers given they were operating about 50 years before Centrum?

[PTTG]

Originally Posted by TGLS

And perhaps most importantly, what happened to the meddlers given they were operating about 50 years before Centrum?

Making it even trickier is that it's a no-mana worldline. It's also way too big, probably, for a lone psion.

The adventure, therefore, is to get in, investigate this world's history, and do so with no backup. If there is a centuries-old force still at work on this world, we don't want to give them the crosstime coordinates of homeline.

[ronwit]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"While history progressed much the same as in OTL until the 1500s, the European powers found it impossible to establish colonies in Asia, though they were able to establish enclaves and factories through the continent to facilitate trade."
OK, first of all, isn't that largely what happened historically until about 1750 and a chaotic situation in India let Clive and Dupleix start building the large colonial empires? It's not as if the Portugese sent a huge navy and conquered Macau.

Second, Asia's HUGE. Given that it contains all of Mesopotamia, surely all of history would be totally warped, with society outside of Asia being a sort of backwater relative to the ultra magical societies in Asia.

Moving the dividing line between India and China solves most of these problems. Western interference with China and Japan was a lot less than in the rest of the world.

Though, just having binge watched GATE last night; those poor people when they run into modern military technology.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by ronwit

Moving the dividing line between India and China solves most of these problems. Western interference with China and Japan was a lot less than in the rest of the world.

Though, just having binge watched GATE last night; those poor people when they run into modern military technology.

GATE didn't give fantasy nearly enough credit. The Empire inexplicably didn't have any weaponized wizards or magic monsters. They were just there to be punching bags. The JSDF as Mary Sue.

[AlexanderHowl]

A magical Asia would have likely not changed too much history before the 15th century. The vast majority of the human population on Earth right now believes in supernatural phenomena of some sort, and that belief was only stronger in the past. When Europeans encountered supernatural creatures on their journeys to Asia, they would have likely just avoided them.

The rise of Christianity and Islam would have likely caused the magic users of West Asia to retreat into seclusion until they were needed by the local rulers. As for supernatural creatures, Islam historically accepted the ability of djinn to convert, so supernatural creatures would have found acceptance (or at least tolerance) under the rule of Islam. In fact, they would have likely found more acceptance under Islam than under Christianity.

Imagine a Persian dragon who converted to Islam during the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. By 1900, they would have been a follower of Islam for over twelve centuries and would have likely advised dozens of rulers of Persia. It would have likely claimed Qeshm Island as their high mana home, allowing the local humans to live in peace.

The reason for the 1500s is because Vasco de Gama arrived in India in 1498. He would have reported the existence of the magicians of Kerala to the Portuguese Crown. The Portuguese used their ships to conquer a number of small islands, especially in the Persian Gulf, in order to gain control over the spice trade. If they were incapable of gaining control over the Asian spice trade, the Portuguese would have invested more of their attention on Africa and South America.

An interesting consequence would have been the inability of the Europeans to gain control over Maritime Southeast Asia due to the islands being high mana. While ninety percent of the benefits could have been obtained through trade, Europeans would have lacked control unless they had recruited their own magicians (probably from the local population). Recruiting local magicians would have likely been done quietly due to potential disapproval from the religious authorities, though enterprising Europeans may have recruited female magicians through marrying them.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

A magical Asia would have likely not changed too much history before the 15th century. The vast majority of the human population on Earth right now believes in supernatural phenomena of some sort, and that belief was only stronger in the past. When Europeans encountered supernatural creatures on their journeys to Asia, they would have likely just avoided them.

The rise of Christianity and Islam would have likely caused the magic users of West Asia to retreat into seclusion until they were needed by the local rulers. As for supernatural creatures, Islam historically accepted the ability of djinn to convert, so supernatural creatures would have found acceptance (or at least tolerance) under the rule of Islam. In fact, they would have likely found more acceptance under Islam than under Christianity.

Imagine a Persian dragon who converted to Islam during the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. By 1900, they would have been a follower of Islam for over twelve centuries and would have likely advised dozens of rulers of Persia. It would have likely claimed Qeshm Island as their high mana home, allowing the local humans to live in peace.

The reason for the 1500s is because Vasco de Gama arrived in India in 1498. He would have reported the existence of the magicians of Kerala to the Portuguese Crown. The Portuguese used their ships to conquer a number of small islands, especially in the Persian Gulf, in order to gain control over the spice trade. If they were incapable of gaining control over the Asian spice trade, the Portuguese would have invested more of their attention on Africa and South America.

An interesting consequence would have been the inability of the Europeans to gain control over Maritime Southeast Asia due to the islands being high mana. While ninety percent of the benefits could have been obtained through trade, Europeans would have lacked control unless they had recruited their own magicians (probably from the local population). Recruiting local magicians would have likely been done quietly due to potential disapproval from the religious authorities, though enterprising Europeans may have recruited female magicians by marrying them.

Christianity was less hostile to magic than determined to have a monopoly over magic. Read The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe. In a magical world, Christians would have either recruited magicians or only Priests, Monks, and Nuns would be allowed to openly be magicians. Between Protestantism and contact with Asia, the Renaissance would see the return of secular mages.

[AlexanderHowl]

An interesting point, though I am not sure how accepting either religion would have been of magicians. An order of nuns devoted to the practice of magic would have been interesting though.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

An interesting point, though I am not sure how accepting either religion would have been of magicians. An order of nuns devoted to the practice of magic would have been interesting though.

I've always said the Bene Gessert were witches disguised as nuns.

[AlexanderHowl]

Even with the knowledge of magic though, the low mana of Africa, Europe, and the Americas will likely make it uncommon compared to Asia, though it may be worthwhile to have islands in those regions being normal mana. In that case though, the British Isles would likely be the most magical place in Europe and Madagascar would be the most magical place in Africa. In the Americans, the Caribbean would be full of practicing magicians, with the stereotypical necromancers being everywhere.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Even with the knowledge of magic though, the low mana of Africa, Europe, and the Americas will likely make it uncommon compared to Asia, though it may be worthwhile to have islands in those regions being normal mana. In that case though, the British Isles would likely be the most magical place in Europe and Madagascar would be the most magical place in Africa. In the Americans, the Caribbean would be full of practicing magicians, with the stereotypical necromancers being everywhere.

I'd totally pepper the islands of the Mediterranean with magic, just for that Odyssey/Circe vibe. Plus then you get a nice church vs. magic precursor before the Europeans encounter the actual high magic of SE Asia, and I like foreshadowing.

This does have the possibly undesired consequence that magicians who've become competent in low-mana Europe or Africa will become very powerful in Asia, which seems counter to the theme of the setting; I would lean on aspected mana, I think, and emphasize that Asian magic tends to be flashy and powerful (because they can harness all this magic) while non-Asian magic has to be subtle and efficient. Maybe non-Asian magicians have trouble handling the extra power and risk burnout or backlash in regular or low-mana areas.

Edit to add: Obviously, the best timeframe for a campaign here is the early 16th century as the age of exploration begins and you can be swashbucklers in the Indian Ocean, dealing with magicians, warlords, spice merchants, extant trade networks, clashing religions, and so on. (also, then you don't have to work out the ramifications of a magical power imbalance quite so much)