Multiple Settings Bronco's Scifi Fantasy Brainstorm Mix: Actual Title Pending

[Bronco]

Welcome team, here's the beginning of our brainstorming thread. Thanks for the turn out, real happy that there's actually some interest bubbling up for something like this!

I figured we'd start with a basic, and admittedly more fun, subject. Before we discuss the histories, cultures, and technologies of our setting's factions they need to actually exist first. Therefore, I propose we get cracking on establishing the races/civilizations that will populate our galaxy. I'll start us off with a generic set of races that most fantasy/scifi settings include, from there feel free to sound off with any ideas you may already have to flesh them out. I'm going to list some characteristics under the subjects of this initial list right off the bat, just to provide an initial direction in which to take these races. That being said, if you think it'd be beneficial to alter the tone of a race, please please please don't hesitate to let it be known. The same goes for wanting a race included that is not currently listed. There's going to be plenty of room in this galaxy, they will probably fit in somewhere.

Humanity
- Attributes: curious on how to counter their new neighbors, suspicious of the newly discovered races, quick to judge/generalize the new races, always thinking ahead, in constant competition with their own factions (multiple spacefaring human factions), humanity first mindset

- Advantages: resourceful, varied mindsets, a wide range of military assets, spirit of endurance, ever evolving strategies

"Standard" Elves
- Attributes: observant of the galaxy's affairs, heavily reliant on magic, strict code of loyalty to their deities, cling to tradition, feel an obligation to "gatekeep" the magic capabilities of other races

-Advantages: best arcane weaponry, well studied in most galactic history, swift, time tested combat doctrines

"Dark" Elves
- At a loss here, maybe we start with these guys and the other elves

"High" Elves
- same situation as above...

Halfling-Gnome Race (but more alien somehow)
- Attributes: adventurous merchants, always looking to spread the influence of their businesses, also in constant competition with each other (even sometimes coming to violence), socially shrewd, adhere to a caste system (more on that later), tend to place opportunities for social/monetary profit over ethics

-Advantages: tie themselves to more powerful factions they do business with, stubbornly relentless in efforts for profit, excellent negotiators and diplomats

Dwarves
- Attributes: fiercely prideful of their own holds but tend to isolate from the rest of their species (barely united), all holds are apart of a mandatory socialist federation that keeps holds in check (ensures one hold doesn't get too rich or powerful), All work is accomplished for the hold's standing not the dwarf's

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Work In Progress....​

 

[Bronco]

Just a quick update. Despite the WIP notice, suggestions from the player base are still very much open. I’m kind of stuck on some of these factions anyways, so if anyone has any ideas please feel free to toss them in.

 

[Viper Actual]

The Elves/The Aelwthyr
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Spoiler: History

Cast in the fires of evolution long ago- even though they prefer to view themselves as descendants of the stars themselves- the Aelwthyr people spread far and wide with their domain spanning across thousands of worlds.

Driven by their curiosity, much like Man, the Aelwthyr ruled as benevolent conquerors for millennia until their drive and their spark began to fade.

Comfort, vast opulence and riches had made the Elves lazy and weak. One century at a time their empire began to crumble and break, fragmenting into isolated but independent worlds.

Most Aelwthyr withdrew farther back into their own territories but eventually the Great Divide occured, splitting the Elves into three people whom all view and interact with the galaxy in different ways.

Spoiler: Aelwthyr-na-Aurin

Translating to both 'Children of the Stars' and 'People of Aurin', Aurinian Aelwthyr- also known as Aurinian Elves or 'High Elves' is a faction of traditionalist Elves maintaining and abiding by the ancient ways of the Aelwthyr.

Rarely venturing beyond their own borders, the Aurinian Elves guard their planets fiercely and show little love for outsiders and trespassers, though sometimes they have been known to travel among the stars in search of lost riches and ancient relics hailing from the great Aelwthyr Empire.

Spoiler: Aelwthyr-na-Morith

Translating to both 'Children of Shadow' and 'People of Morith', the Morithian Elves- also referred to as 'Shadowfolk' and 'Dark Elves' is a small, isolationist and often openly xenophobic faction of the Aelwthyr.

Militaristic in nature the Morithian Elves openly combat outsiders and trespassers alike and have been known to enslave those they deem 'lower' to work as laborers and servants.

Most people in the galaxy will never come across the Shadowfolk- leading to many myths and legends- though every now and then the Morithian Elves venture past their secluded strongholds in search of new spoils or artifacts tied to Morithus, their founder and ancestor.

Spoiler: Aelwthyr-na-Aelwthyn

Translating into 'Children of Children' or 'the People's People', the Aelwthyn are Elves of neither Aurinian or Morithian descent, but rather descendants of Elves that have bred with other people (or sometimes slaves and servants), making it more of an umbrella term and description than an actual race of its own. Aelwthyn are spread out among the stars, living among both their own and other people while engaging in various different activities.

Spoiler: Language

Aelwthyr-rin-Taeltharn- translating into 'Tongue of the People'- is the main language of Aelwthyr and split into three forms;
- Taeltharn-na-Aurin, a formal and ancient form of Taeltharn spoken primarily by the Aurinian Elves. It is considered to be the language of Elvish royalty and scholars.
- Taeltharn-na-Aelwthyn, an 'everyday' and much more simplified form of Taeltharn, spoken by the equally simplistic Aelwthyn and a number of foreigners and traders as well.
- Taeltharn-na-Wraethin, the 'Writ of the People' is a general term for the many written forms Taeltharn which includes both dialects and much more rare sub-languages such as Morithian and Aurinian Taeltharn.

Spoiler: The Aelwthyr Empire

Disbanded long ago, the Aelwthyr Empire was a vast interstellar civilization with the planet Aurin at its heart. Projecting its power across thousands of planets the Aelwthyr-na-Aurin ruled their subjects and vassals with a firm but just hand.

At its peak the empire enjoyed both peace and the riches of galaxy-spanning trade until the Emperor turned soft, slowly losing his grip of his people.

The royal blood of the Aurinian Elves became weak as rulers mingled with slaves and concubines, creating impure offspring. At the same time dissidents and rivals of the Emperor sought to expand their own influence, creating long-term turmoil which eventually doomed the Aelwthyr Empire.

 

[Bronco]

Viper Actual Hey nice idea for the high elves! There’s plenty to work with and expand in just those blurbs provided! I’ve currently been trying to design the “look” of the faction forces, either through reference art or kit bashing equipment in Arma 3 of all places.