Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Twenty Questions About My Campaign - World of Georic Edition

This time last year I completed Twenty Questions About Wargaming. Not much has changed on that over a year, so I began to look into new gaming questions. What I found was a great post by JRients. It's a great educational post that covers some of the basic questions that a player/character can bring up at the start of a campaign. For poop and laughs, I decided to go way back to my homebrew World of Georic, run from 1990-2008.

Everything is based on the world of Georic, continent of Talashia, Kingdom of Crosedes, Barony of Athelstane, Village of Dechie, the Year 1142

1. What is the deal with my cleric's religion?If you're the most common cleric across the continent, you worship Akana, God of Light and Order. A few offshoot cults have given your god a bad name. Most of the faithful are helping the poor (as well as maintaining a huge bureaucracy and keeping allied kings on the throne).
Of course, Dechie does have a large minority population that worships the Guya, goddess of nature, as well as Challon, God of Piegons. There are a considerable number of pigeons in Dechie, many different breeds, and some are raised for food.


2. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?There is a trading post in the village. Been through a lot of owners who didn't have much business savvy. Wouldn't be surprised if the Touchberry clan is in charge of it now. Torm was a half-elf who stayed in town during the race wars around 1060, and his actions and demeanor help change human perceptions about elvinkind. He probably retired as either Captain of the militia, or a special part of the Baronial Guard. There's a good chance he's probably bought the trading post at least twice, then sold it to pay of debts, until he saved up enough to buy it from the next guy who failed.

3.Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?Good freakin' luck with that! Some of the metal workers in the capital of Hydincall might be qualified, but it would probably require a trip to the older civilizations: The Dwarves of Skyforge, the desert kingdoms of Khemmet, or perhaps one of the aged masters hiding in the forests of Ras- Prythax. Expect to pay double "book" value.

4. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?Despite the claims of the wizards of Emron, the mightiest "active" wizard of Kannex, the dreaded Red Mage of Anon-Maxis. His magic is completely different than traditional wizardly, but does not obey the rules of sorcery either. The mere threat of his involvement has sent armies retreating, and he has stopped wars just by demanding the two sides negotiate.. There may be higher level wizards, if they could be compared to Kannex's unorthodox style, but none are so overt in their influence upon the world.
Dechie has never had more than a local hedge mage in it's surroundings, despite the name of the local inn, The Blue Wizard. Of course, there is the local story of when the Red Mage of Anon-Maxis came to town, but most believe that to be the stuff of legend.


5. Who is the greatest warrior in the land?Despite baronial knights, and adventurers using the village as a home base, Torm Touchberry (12th level thief), is regarded as the greatest warrior. He has survived too many wars, trained too many men in the militia, and is rumored to have fought alongside the Red Mage on that fateful day when the Baronial wedding was interrupted. Part of the legend says that whatever tried to stop the wedding was defeated, but not entirely vanquished , and hides in the Nightwood Forest across the Pathfinder River from town.

6. Who is the richest person in the land?Baron Zogby D'Echellon, despite only being 22, controls a large swath of land that has been in his family since before the D'Echellon's were given the land in 1064.

7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?The Churches of Akana, Guya, and Challon all offer magical healing for a sizable donation.

8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?The three churches above cover most of those. The trading town of Omsjik may be able to handle lycanthropy and polymorph, althought the Magic Unversity in Hydicnall, my be able needed for significant cases. Only the Church of Akana has a high enough level cleric to ressurect, and Challon does not deal well with undead.

9. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?The Magic University in Hydincall is the closest thing to a magic guild. Other nations do have elaborate guild systems, but are ridiculously hard to get into.

10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?There may be an alchemist in Omsjik, but there is a notable collection of sages and experts on the natural world in secluded estates in and around Dechie. Most charge exorbitant fees, probably because they value their privacy more.

11. Where can I hire mercenaries?Well trained mercenaries are hard to come by in Dechie, although you can hire a number of conscript-level swordsmen cheap. Mercenary companies operate within the capital, some also partaking in the legal gladiator fighting.

12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?Outside of the peace-bounding of weapons, and some racial prejudice for elves due to a number of slights from hundreds of years past, Crosedes is not to restrictive. Other countries are a bit more oppressive.

13. Which way to the nearest tavern?The Blue Wizard Inn. Established 915. Rebuilt after fire 1062.

14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?Rumors of a goblin city within the Nightwood Forest would justify the small raids on the village that are usually repulsed by the well-trained militia. Troglodytes in the swamps to the east.

15. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?Unless you wish to find the goblin city and instigate a fight, Dechie is free from full fledged war. Within the Kingdom, the Gran Duchy of Sworin is always attempting to escape from the clutches of the crown, and hires it's swords well for what could be described as suicide missions.

16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?The arena in Hydincall is the largest, and most famous gladiator arena in the world. Their Grand World Tournament is a week-long affair that bring the finest fighters in all the land to Crosdes, but also offers common folk a chance at fame. Be warned, the crowds in the arena are just as dangerous as the competition you'll be fighting.

17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?The cult of Baraxus is mentioned in whispers. No one knows what they do. The armies of the Dread Lord will terrorize smaller communities at random, sometimes killing dozens for no reason, sometimes just stealing a keg of ale. And of course, the Order of Apotheosis, a discredited branch of Akana, as always looking for new converts for their cause.

18. What is there to eat around here?Dechie hosts traditional European farming and hunting. Better to spend a few silvers and be amazed at the food than hunt and prepare it yourself.

19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?The Temple of Alasku was where adherents of Yotia, God of Magic, worshipped. It's rumored to be full of ancient artifacts for both clerics and magic-users.
Legends have a remote kingdom at the headwaters of the Pathfinder River, somewhere in the midst of the Skyforge Mountains, but away from the greedy hands of the Dwarves. Rumors say that the palace is host to a ruby the size of an ogre's fist.

20. Where is the closest dragon or other gigantic monster for Type H Treasure?The last confirmed sighting of a dragon was the slaying of a young red dragon outside of Lansluck, roughly 80 years ago. Children's stories still mention a large black dragon, living in the center of the Nightwood.

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