Riddle78
Four Thousand Club
So,I had this RP idea in my head for ages now. I've finally gotten around to writing it down. Here's what I got,and I hope people are interested.
The World of Grandos
Geography
Grandos has four continents,and is mostly ocean. A continent lies in each cardinal direction,with the southern one inhospitable,blasted and sunken by some calamity of unknown origin. The northern continent,Canak,is a mostly snowbound land,populated by hardy flora and fauna. The people of this land are hardy and proud, having shaped a hostile land to their image. Canak structures are made mostly of hardwood and stone,and very well insulated.
The eastern continent,known as Almaz,is quite lush,home to many deciduous forests,and rolling hills,with some mountains. This continent is home to swift and agile creatures,with a wide variety of plant life,some of it dangerous. Almaz architecture is composed primarily of softwood lumber and stone structures on reinforced lumber stilts. Almaz is home to more mages than other continents. The people of Almaz are sly and wise folk.
The western continent of Bockrath is mostly barren desert,with numerous stone bluffs and maze-like canyons and ravines,with numerous salt water bodies. Life here is rough and fleeting,but those that thrive here are stronger for it. The people that live here are industrious and headstrong,and live in a very dense city around a massive long since dried salt lake bed. Bockrath construction is done primarily with dense metals and glass.
The southern continent,now called Dagnone is now a shattered and sunken ruin. Although nothing is certain,there are traces of a long since obliterated advanced civilization on the shards of the continent. What little life there is here is hostile,aggressive,and alien to our understanding of magic and science. Only fools or dead men come here,and neither last long.
In the middle of the ocean,connected to Almaz and Bockrath by rail,is a massive man-made island. This is known as Fisherman's Horizon. A megopolis with a population approaching thirty million,it has seven decks,rising to the sky. This massive city is fed by an enormous fleet of fishing vessels,plus imports. This city is a neutral place,and swears fealty to no one but themselves.
The world also has a single moon,and it glows brown-red in the night sky,casting a grim light on the night. The oceans are vast and harsh,with their depth varying wildly making travel across the sea nearly impossible.
All things on Grandos contain magic,however not everyone is born with the Spark of Magic. Without the Spark,one cannot shape and use magic. At least,not directly. Talented mechanists can make devices that emulate magic,and this has created the basis of the technological revolution of Grandos’ Mundanes. Mages,on the other hand,while few,wield near godlike power. Magic is extremely powerful,and those that wield it usually develop a God Complex,thinking themselves above the morals and machinations of Mundane people. However,magic requires three things.
First,a mage needs material to gather magic from. Anything will do,but gold,silver,and platinum are by far preferred,as they contain far more magic than any other material on the planet,and aside from other more exotic materials,are the only materials to contain a practical amount of magic. Gold contains less magic than silver,which contains less magic than platinum. These metals must be used pure,unalloyed. As such,by international law,all jewelry must be made from alloyed metal,unless the individuals are agents of the government. Also,gemstones hold a truly impressive amount of power,being akin to nuclear batteries for mages.
Second,a mage needs a method to focus the magic. Nearly anything can be used,but many mages tend to use staves,wands,or similar objects that can be pointed for effect. Even if the desired spell is a wave centered on the caster,the spell still needs to be pointed somewhere.
Finally,magic demands ritual. Every spell demands the proper movements and incantations to be performed,lest the mage risk a cataclysmic backfire. There are many established spells,and room for mages to make their own,but only after significant experimentation.
Also,neither science nor magic has devised a method to create gold,silver or platinum efficiently; the product is always far less than the input. Such experiments have been long abandoned,cited as fool’s errands. As such,gold silver and platinum have been adopted as the currency of Grandos,with gold being the lowest denomination,followed by silver,then platinum.
Recently,a blinding flash was seen across Grandos,to the south. Shortly afterward,the mages of Almaz began to grow more distant,while taking a harder line on Mundanes the world over. Mages and Mundanes alike are nervous in the other continents,with the people of Bockrath preparing for the worst.
The World of Grandos
Geography
Grandos has four continents,and is mostly ocean. A continent lies in each cardinal direction,with the southern one inhospitable,blasted and sunken by some calamity of unknown origin. The northern continent,Canak,is a mostly snowbound land,populated by hardy flora and fauna. The people of this land are hardy and proud, having shaped a hostile land to their image. Canak structures are made mostly of hardwood and stone,and very well insulated.
The eastern continent,known as Almaz,is quite lush,home to many deciduous forests,and rolling hills,with some mountains. This continent is home to swift and agile creatures,with a wide variety of plant life,some of it dangerous. Almaz architecture is composed primarily of softwood lumber and stone structures on reinforced lumber stilts. Almaz is home to more mages than other continents. The people of Almaz are sly and wise folk.
The western continent of Bockrath is mostly barren desert,with numerous stone bluffs and maze-like canyons and ravines,with numerous salt water bodies. Life here is rough and fleeting,but those that thrive here are stronger for it. The people that live here are industrious and headstrong,and live in a very dense city around a massive long since dried salt lake bed. Bockrath construction is done primarily with dense metals and glass.
The southern continent,now called Dagnone is now a shattered and sunken ruin. Although nothing is certain,there are traces of a long since obliterated advanced civilization on the shards of the continent. What little life there is here is hostile,aggressive,and alien to our understanding of magic and science. Only fools or dead men come here,and neither last long.
In the middle of the ocean,connected to Almaz and Bockrath by rail,is a massive man-made island. This is known as Fisherman's Horizon. A megopolis with a population approaching thirty million,it has seven decks,rising to the sky. This massive city is fed by an enormous fleet of fishing vessels,plus imports. This city is a neutral place,and swears fealty to no one but themselves.
The world also has a single moon,and it glows brown-red in the night sky,casting a grim light on the night. The oceans are vast and harsh,with their depth varying wildly making travel across the sea nearly impossible.
Magic & Technology
All things on Grandos contain magic,however not everyone is born with the Spark of Magic. Without the Spark,one cannot shape and use magic. At least,not directly. Talented mechanists can make devices that emulate magic,and this has created the basis of the technological revolution of Grandos’ Mundanes. Mages,on the other hand,while few,wield near godlike power. Magic is extremely powerful,and those that wield it usually develop a God Complex,thinking themselves above the morals and machinations of Mundane people. However,magic requires three things.
First,a mage needs material to gather magic from. Anything will do,but gold,silver,and platinum are by far preferred,as they contain far more magic than any other material on the planet,and aside from other more exotic materials,are the only materials to contain a practical amount of magic. Gold contains less magic than silver,which contains less magic than platinum. These metals must be used pure,unalloyed. As such,by international law,all jewelry must be made from alloyed metal,unless the individuals are agents of the government. Also,gemstones hold a truly impressive amount of power,being akin to nuclear batteries for mages.
Second,a mage needs a method to focus the magic. Nearly anything can be used,but many mages tend to use staves,wands,or similar objects that can be pointed for effect. Even if the desired spell is a wave centered on the caster,the spell still needs to be pointed somewhere.
Finally,magic demands ritual. Every spell demands the proper movements and incantations to be performed,lest the mage risk a cataclysmic backfire. There are many established spells,and room for mages to make their own,but only after significant experimentation.
Also,neither science nor magic has devised a method to create gold,silver or platinum efficiently; the product is always far less than the input. Such experiments have been long abandoned,cited as fool’s errands. As such,gold silver and platinum have been adopted as the currency of Grandos,with gold being the lowest denomination,followed by silver,then platinum.
Recent Happenings And Your Place In The Plot
Recently,a blinding flash was seen across Grandos,to the south. Shortly afterward,the mages of Almaz began to grow more distant,while taking a harder line on Mundanes the world over. Mages and Mundanes alike are nervous in the other continents,with the people of Bockrath preparing for the worst.
d
