New Fantasy Setting Seeds.

[Inky]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Golden Mountain

This sounds like it might need quite a bit of history/folklore detail knowledge (specifically, lots of knowledge of 19th-century American society and folklore, both native and white, on the GM's part, and some knowledge of Asian society and folklore on the players' part) to pull off. But if you did have that, it sounds like it could have legs.

It might be useful for the magical creatures (of both sides) to have some kind of Invisibility (Except to magical creatures and magicians) ability as default, so the ones that can't pass as human don't have to hide all the time - although those that can pass as human might be able to dispense with that to save points.

I did try to stat a few yokai a while ago, but got stuck trying to work out how to stat the kappa's head-dish.

Native American folklore seems to involve quite a few of the "talking animal" type of story, actually, as does East Asian folklore, so that works out - the coyote people and the kitsunes can sort it out among themselves.

Originally Posted by ajardoor

The Certamen Circuit

This also sounds like it could have legs. Especially with PTTG's idea. With all that international prestige to play for, maybe the Soviet-expies try to cheat by binding a demon to power up their spells, and then it escapes. And just generally, even just "there is no plot, you just fight a series of magicians" might be some people's idea of a very good game, and if you want more plot than that, well, you're wizards on a road trip, it looks like there's bound to be possibilities in that.

[Astromancer]

For Us

My idea is simple. The humans are moving out to other worlds, why can't we?

Out there we'd have the space to grow. Instead of being the "Vanishing People" the fading away people of a forgotten past people don't even believe in, we could renew who we are. Besides, read some Sci Fi, they model most of their aliens in those stories on us. Either visually or in terms of behavior. We elves will make great aliens.

Basically, in what on the surface seems like a Golden Age Sci Fi setting, the Elves and other Faeries are seeking out colonies of their own. Since this is a more or less standard GASFS (Golden Age Sci Fi setting) habitable worlds are plentiful, if not always desirable.

More later I must go.

[Astromancer]

The Sky Elves

Basically, this idea is Flash Gordon (already mainly a swashbuckling fantasy) and simply making it a Fantasy.

Flash Gordon and Dale Arden become high elves. Kirkas Linna is our golden haired warrior, Laaksoon Kaanis is our raven haired investigator, and our Wizard and Alchemist is Armollinen Kuningas.

Much of the Planet Mongo remains unchanged, in fact it all works better as a fantasy realm. Each kingdom initiates it's people (at least it's people of standing) into a sodality. The initiation gives the initiate a Pact in GURPS terms.

Thus the Hawk folk get their wings and keen senses, the shark men get underwater breathing and pressure support, Baron's rangers get their elf like traits, the Lion men gain enhanced strength and endurance. The people of Mongo are one people but the sodalities make them many phenotypes.

Ming is obviously a powerful cleric/mage and the favorite of the god Tao. But Ming worships only half of his deity.

Note: Get Mango a pantheon of its own.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Sky Elves

A pantheon for Mongo.

Tao is the only deity that works as deities in a GURPS Fantasy setting normally do. Ming has allied with the worst aspects of both Tao's Yin and Yang aspects. The other gods are asleep, locked in an enchanted slumber. They can only get in contact with their followers through dreams.

These deities are...

Maat Were Tao is the god of Reality and Authority, his wife is the goddess of Justice, Society, and Order. Tao is the patron of kings. Maat is the Patroness of Assemblies and Law courts. As long as Maat is asleep, absolute monarchy is the only form of government possible on Mongo.

Toirneach and his brother Gherian are the Storm and Sun warriors. Both brothers are gods of battle. Toirneach is the god that brings the rains. He wields the thunder weapon. He is the patron of nomadic tribes and herders. He inspires Bards and Skalds. Gherian is the chariot driver of the Sun. His spear is the lightning. Gherian is the patron of farmers and settled people. Gherian inspires poets and musicians.

Gaelach is the moon queen. She rules the largest and brightest of Mongo's moons. Sister to Toirneach and Gherian. She sails the moon. She is patroness of fisher folk, and those that farm the sea. She is the navigator. She is also the keeper of secrets and Lady of the hidden powers of the world.

Ilargia is an old lady. No one knows where she came from. If Gaelich is the Queen of the brightest moon, Ilargia is the old lady that tends the furthest and darkest of Mongo's moons. She is the Patroness of witches, potion makers, shamans, and the mad. She is the most active of the sleeping gods.

Odol Gorria is the warrior of the red moon of Mongo. She is the youngest sister of Toirneach , Gherian , and Gaelich . She is the goddess of battle and strategy. Her siblings are mighty warriors, she is the cunning warrior.

Nyx and her husband Itzala (night and shadow) pre-existed Tao and Maat. Nyx and Itzala rule the night and the underworld. They guard the spirits of the dead and the cycles of death and rebirth. They keep the houses of purification where the recently dead are cleansed of sin and degradation and readied for rebirth.

The Hirurak the three preceded Nyx and Itzala. The first spins, the second measures, the third cuts. They don't judge, it is of no interest to them. They spin lives, souls are other people's concern.

The realm of Night and the Dead is an island. Peleks is the ferryman who brings the dead across to the island. How long he has done this is unknown even to Nyx and Itzala . Even the Hirurak claim not to know how long. Only that his sins aren't yet forgiven.


More later.

[lugaid]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

A pantheon for Mongo.

I was completely unable to prevent myself from reading this in the cadence and tones of "candygram for Mongo".

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by lugaid

I was completely unable to prevent myself from reading this in the cadence and tones of "candygram for Mongo".

What you lack in mental health you make up for in insight and wit. Or that's what I say to myself.

How do you like the parts of the pantheon I whipped up?

[lugaid]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

What you lack in mental health you make up for in insight and wit. Or that's what I say to myself.

I think you might be half-right about me.

How do you like the parts of the pantheon I whipped up?

They seem all right, though I confess that I'm pretty tired of "Moon Goddess" as a type of deity, perhaps especially when using an Irish word as Her name (the available evidence seems to indicate that the Irish understood the Moon as a masculine figure, and also the Sun as a feminine one, much as do the Germano-Scandinavian and Slavic peoples). That said, I'm interested to see what you do with the Red Moon, and how you plan to keep players from associating Her with the Gloranthan Red Moon Goddess—I presume that it will be by leaning into the white/black/red scheme of the three moons, tying that to something like the Indo-European color scheme that implies. If you do that, though, there's a whole lot more that gets further implied there, from the threefold structure of society to the structure of the cosmos (and since you've already conflated some of the Indo-European deity types, particularly the three kingly ones into something like a god/goddess pair, it doesn't look like you're intending to do that). You could potentially subvert that by adopting the indigenous American Medicine Wheel colors and adding a yellow moon, but I don't know enough about that to offer any advice.

[Astromancer]

New Neighbors

When I went through the new mountain pass I came to a strange new land. The crops were grown in artificial swamps. The people wore cotton and silk.

The people were the color of honey. They all had black hair and brown eyes. Their eyes were shaped like almonds.

Basically, two fantasy kingdoms have been placed next to each other. There is a high mountain range between the two kingdoms with a few good passes through. So war is wildly impractical but trade is possible.

The Kingdom west of the mountains is a fairly normal Anglo-Celtic fantasy kingdom with an "Merry England" vibe and plenty of Irish traits (or should I say "Oirish") thrown in. The Kingdom east of the mountains is Chinese, but very much a "Willow pattern plate" highly romantic "print the legend" take on China.

The two kingdoms are friendly but lack any clear understanding of each other.

As both kingdoms have been placed in a new reality there are plenty of adventures to be had beyond their borders. A perfect chance for mixed groups of heroes to adventure together.

Alternatively, you could do "Mulan the Giant Killer." Jack could learn martial arts and fight hopping vampires. Robin Hood could team up with the Outlaws of the Marsh. Faeries could consult with Chinese supernaturals.

Play it your way.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by lugaid

They seem all right, though I confess that I'm pretty tired of "Moon Goddess" as a type of deity, perhaps especially when using an Irish word as Her name

On the other hand, I think having kind of boring gods just like every other set you've ever encountered is actually a pretty useful feature in a swashbuckling fantasy sort of setting.

If you need more than a minute to describe the gods well enough for the PCs to decide if they should risk their lives to defend the temple from the approaching monsters or loot it themselves before they run, you've probably overdeveloped your pantheon.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

For Us

My idea is simple. The humans are moving out to other worlds, why can't we?

Out there we'd have the space to grow. Instead of being the "Vanishing People" the fading away people of a forgotten past people don't even believe in, we could renew who we are. Besides, read some Sci Fi, they model most of their aliens in those stories on us. Either visually or in terms of behavior. We elves will make great aliens.

Basically, in what on the surface seems like a Golden Age Sci Fi setting, the Elves and other Faeries are seeking out colonies of their own. Since this is a more or less standard GASFS (Golden Age Sci Fi setting) habitable worlds are plentiful, if not always desirable.

More later I must go.

It's later.

I'd make the general setting a TL6+3^ or a TL7+2^ one. Most Fay should have a couple of powers Magery should be rarer. And only a few of the most powerful Fay should have realm magic.

Having the Faeries meet "real" aliens should be a blast. It might be best if the "real" aliens were just faeries that left Earth long ago. The Nordics could be elves. The Greys could be some sinister Dwarf varient. While the Reptiloids could be somehow related to dragons.

Having the Faeries realize that humanity is being controlled by a conspiracy of wizards and sorcerers could work too. Especially if the faeries decide this time they're the heroes and stage a rescue.