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Hostile V posted:
Does it still have a Gundam? It would be a shame not to have a Gundam in those troubled times. Also, the setting stuff seems kind of light on hooks so far. There's a few things that might be good for one session's worth of creepy poo poo, but mostly it doesn't seem to have much that'd make a good horror movie or a good Ghost in the Shell episode. Am I missing something, or is it just kind of... tourist brochure-y?
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Sep 5, 2017 08:53
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What are Core Earth 2: Core Harder's set of World Laws like? And is it still "the way things are set up mean the entire place should be a pure zone but we kinda didn't realize that"?
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Sep 5, 2017 08:59
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chiasaur11 posted:Does it still have a Gundam? It would be a shame not to have a Gundam in those troubled times. It is pretty light on details and I'm trimming them down even further. Each section has around 4-10 paragraphs in the general environment of the district, the people you'd see there and then the places of interest have a paragraph each. I am including each of the places of interest (albeit pared down in content) but not really the full details of each district, those are being slimmed down and yeah I agree, they offer...very specific hooks that are generally just, like, "oh, okay" details. Lady with healing hands? Alright, probably just the prosthetics. Biohazardous entombed nightclub? Well there's no way in, that's just kinda neat and also awful I guess. They really just try to set the mood more than they try to provide things that you can jump off of. And a lot of them will never be addressed with the premade missions and such. They really are just negligible flavor details. But yeah you're not missing much outside of me fully transcribing something so you can see exactly what was written because sometimes that's important.
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Sep 5, 2017 09:55
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Zereth posted:What are Core Earth 2: Core Harder's set of World Laws like? And is it still "the way things are set up mean the entire place should be a pure zone but we kinda didn't realize that"?
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Sep 5, 2017 14:14
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Those sound much more meaningful than stuff like Tharkold's "this world is AGGRESSIVE so you get +2 when using the Full Attack option."
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Sep 5, 2017 19:09
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For reference, these are Tharkold's:
I haven't really talked about the cosm cards yet, but these are basically a third deck. At the start of an act, each player gets dealt one card for the cosm they're in. They either give a benefit when played, or grant possibilities in exchange for something bad happening.    That's how the more narrative World Laws come into play. Oh, and that "cyberpsychosis" card is the only cyberpsychosis rule in the entire game. e: I think this may be my favorite cosm card, though. 
Evil Mastermind fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Sep 5, 2017 |
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Sep 5, 2017 19:18
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Evil Mastermind posted:e: I think this may be my favorite cosm card, though. It took me a while that "odd" and "even" were references to dice numbers. So my brain was shortcircuiting trying to read the card. 
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Sep 5, 2017 20:37
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PurpleXVI posted:It took me a while that "odd" and "even" were references to dice numbers. So my brain was shortcircuiting trying to read the card. My short circuit there is whether all Storm Knights gain 1 Possibility only on the even result, or regardless of the die result.
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Sep 5, 2017 23:33
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The Guide to Glorantha: Ride Any Beast That Walks On Four Legs Except Horses The Praxians are animal-riding nomads found in the land called Prax and the Wastelands that surround it. They are an ancient and quite widespread culture, who are extremely proud of their way of life and extremely distrustful of outsiders. They have a large range of territory, which they use to tend their herds, fight each other and so on. They lack much in the way of raw materials to advance their technology, but know their land better than anyone. The politically dominant groups are the Five Great Tribes, who descend from the original settlers of Prax, who emigrated from the Spike with Storm Bull. Four of these tribes are humans, known as two-legs, who ride beasts, known as four-legs. These are the Bison, High Llama, Impala and Sable tribes, named for the beasts they ride. The fifth tribe is the four-legged Morokanth, who keep the two-legged but unintelligent herd-men. Because Praxian beasts eat different things, the tribes can often coexist. Bison prefer green and moist grass, while impala prefer dry and brown grass. High llamas primarily eat leaves of bush and scrub. Herd-men can eat anything but mostly eat roots. Sable antelope, however, eat everything. Together with all the greater and lesser tribes, it is estimated there are just under 500,000 Praxians. The Bison Tribe are currently outcasts in Prax proper. The Lunars are not actively hunting them, but their allies, the Sable Tribe, are working to exterminate their long-time rivals. Now, the Bison are found only in Vulture Country or beyond when not raiding. They tend to be brown-skinned and dark-haired, and men always wear beards. They are big, thick people who are slow to move but very powerful, like their mounts. They travel in large clans, sometimes more than a thousand strong, with huge herds. Their leaders, or khans, often have multiple wives, as can other famous men. They tend to rely on the strength of their bisons to defeat their foes and see use of the bow as unmanly. They prefer bison-hide armor, heavy lances and swords. The High Llama Tribe did not actively oppose the Lunar invasion of Prax, in the belief that the Lunars were essentially harmless. Since then, they have found the Sable Tribe are trying to crowd them out of the River of Cradles, and that the Lunars have shifted the balance of power in their favor. The High Llama people are tall, olive-skinned and have black hair and eyes. They typically shave themselves bald, male or female, save for a ponytail. They dress lightly, sometimes only in a loincloth, and rarely travel in groups of more than 40 except in wartime. They are the smallest but most powerful of the Great Tribes, as their steeds are taller and faster than any other, and they are very skilled with long spears and axes. The Impala Tribe are small, called pygmies by the Lunars. They and the Bisons opposed the Lunar invasion, and like the Bisons they've been driven to the far reaches of Vulture Country. Since then, they have raided constantly into Sable lands, and are currently being hunted actively and mercilessly. Their adults are generally under five feet tall, often much less. They are dark-skinned, and typically shave their heads completely. They wear the least clothing of any Praxian tribe, and often go into battle in a loincloth or even naked. They believe armor makes them slow, relying on their speed and that of their impalas to protect them. They are clever skirmishers, relying on range and bows to counter their foes, though they are usually far less skilled in close combat. The Morokanth Tribe are intelligent tapirs that live on the marshes and plains, herding humans. It is said that when Waha came to bring the Survival Continent together during the Great Night, the creatures all drew lots to see who would eat whom. In all but one case, the two-legs are said to have won, and that is why humans eat animals. Morokanth were the exception - they eat humans. Herd-men, specifically. The other tribes all claim the Morokanth cheated, and in turn, the Morokanth claim all humans cheated to ensure that more animals did not win. The Morokanth can stand bipedally, to attack with their claws or use tools, but prefer to walk on all fours for travel. They also lack thumbs, making them unskilled at fine manipulation. The Morokanth have magic that can turn normal humans into herd-men, who have only animal intelligence despite appearing human. They are often used to draw chariots or carry litters, as the Morokanth do not ride. No reputable human would deal in slaves to the Morokanth, but more than a few disreputable ones make a good living doing so.  A Morokanth. The final Great Tribe is the Sable Tribe, who are currently politically dominant due to their alliance with the Lunar Empire. They intend to keep it that way, forever. Their leaders are considered unbearably arrogant even by their Lunar allies, and other Praxians do not trust them at all. They have black hair and dark eyes, and typically clothe themselves in pants and a cloak, with fancy headdresses denoting wealth. Their Herd Queens are more important to them than their khans, and have equal say even in matters of war. They practice polygamy, but it is the women who choose their shared husband, rather than the husband choosing hsi wives. They ride sable antelope, also known as lunar deer due to their crescent-shaped horns. Their tactics vary by clan. Besides the Five Great Tribes, there are a number of smaller independent tribes in Praxian lands. The Baboon Troop are a tribe of giant, talking baboons. It is debated whether they were, like the Morokanth, winners in Waha's game, or instead men cursed to become baboons for betraying Waha. The Basmoli Berserkers are a Hsunchen tribe that are accepted as Wasteland Praxians, having once controlled a large empire in Prax until their Lion God was slain during the Gods War by Tada. The Bolo-Lizard Folk ride on large, six-footed reptiles. The Cannibal Cult are a group of fanatics that know how to steal the power of those they eat, and so are greatly feared. The Men-and-a-Half, or Agimori, are from Pamaltela originally and are considered the best infantry in Glorantha. They are extremely tall, require far less food than most humans, and wield long spears that allow them to hold off even the Bison Tribe, despite not riding any beast at all or even herding animals. The Pavis Survivors are the remnant of an ancient city, Pavis, who ride a powerful zebra-like horse. While horses are taboo to Praxians, the Pavis Zebra is considered acceptable due to its stripes. They are mercenaries who live by a strict military code. The Rhinoceros Riders are...well, nomadic rhino-riders who are renowned for their strength, but are very few in number. The Pol-Joni are the final independent tribe, and the others despise them. The Pol-Joni, see, are Orlanthi from Sartar who came to Prax 200 years ago, and they still ride horses and generally flout the traditions of Prax, taking in outlaws and generally being nuisances. Despite this, no one is strong enough to get rid of them. Partially, this is because the Praxians are neolithic-tech, and the Pol-Joni have the bronze weapons of Sartar. Any metal the other Praxians have is imported, making most of their tools from leather, wood and bone. They say they can survive in areas others would never be able to because their gods taught them the way to do so in the Great Darkness, and they'd pretty much all be dead without their herds, which provide them both food and raw materials for just about anything except weapons. Praxian class is determined by amount of animals owned, as animals are wealth and fame - either raised or captured. The tribes raid each other constantly for beasts and slaves, though the slaves are rarely treated more harshly than anyone else - largely because conditions are harsh enough to make doing so impractical in the extreme. The family is the basic social unit, with the gender-segregated tasks of Praxian life forming the core of the family bond. Personal leadership ability is the key factor in leading a clan, with rich or famous men and women attracting followers by showing they are wise and skilled. There are no formal bonds of fealty beyond this. Families usually travel together as clans, but change their organization by the needs of the moment. The clan's Herd Queen leads in peacetime, and its Khan during war, and traditionally, each has absolute power within their sphere. Tribes, meanwhile, are grouped by traditional beast rather than bloodline, and have no formal structure at all. Several magical societies cross tribe and even clan lines, providing those with skill an outlet for their ambition if clan leadership is impossible for them. Each jealously guards its secrets, and these religious societies form the core of inter-clan or inter-tribe cooperation.  A High Llama rider (left) and a Sable Herd Queen (right). Praxians are staunch traditionalists and usually quite conservative about changing their ways. Courage and knowledge of tradition are the primary virtues in Prax. Honesty is also valued...among one's tribe, or to a lesser extent with other Praxians. Outsiders can be lied to freely, as they are not people. Hatred of Chaos is also valued, and showing any mercy or compassion towards Chaos is usually punished with death, as the ultimate moral failing. Women are also encouraged to be good healers, either of people or beasts, and men are encouraged to learn combat skills. Praxian marriage is often polygamous - and that can go either way, with multiple wives or husbands or both. Marriage is simple, divorce even simpler. Gender roles are strictly divided, with a loose division of women being in charge of the skills of life, and men being in charge of the skills of death. Women own the tribal herd, the living tents, the tools and the cookware. They tend the herds, raise the kids and heal the wounded. Men own captured animals, tools of war and travel tents, and are responsible for herding the animals, butchering them, protecting them from raiders and raiding others. Men typically marry outside their clan, as women inherit all animals. Bachelors often travel in large groups, often parallel to but separate from a clan. They raid to steal animals to give to women they would marry, and they rarely fear danger much. Cooperation between genders is extremely important, and men respect women (and vice versa) rather more than they respect each other. Male and female Praxians live separately from the age of ten, and boys partake in all activities of adult men except for the fighting of Chaos, which must only be done after proving oneself to Waha and the tribal founders. Girls are considered to be women-in-training from birth, and the initiation of girls during puberty is hidden from sight via a magical dance, which causes the herds to surround the women entirely. A newly initiated female is known as a girl-woman until her first child is born, after which she is a full woman and can own animals. All Praxians speak the same language, via different but mutually intelligible dialects by tribe, often with many loan words from nearby cultures. There is no written script, but Praxians do use ceremonial rope knots to record information for rituals, stories, mapping and trade. Law is based on the teachings of Waha, the Praxian culture hero, and remembering the rules is the job of shamans. The harshest thing a tribe can do is banish someone. The banished may not eat their tribal animal, speak their secret tribal words or speak to other tribe members, under penalty of spirit curse. War is a common part of Praxian life, between the monsters of the wastes and raids. Praxians especially love to raid outsider neighbors, who have metal to steal. They also fought constantly with the Pentans to the north, who ride horses. Horses are taboo, and most Praxians will refuse even to touch a horse, save to kill it, and will not eat horsemeat, nor that of ponies or donkeys, though they will eat other lesser beasts such as cattle. Certain other plants and animals are forbidden, either always or in certain circumstances. The exception is the cult of Storm Bull, who are permitted to break taboos in the name of fighting Chaos. A bullman is not required to kill any horse they meet, though they still can if they feel like it. Praxians know they had many gods at one point, but they were destroyed by Chaos. All existence would have been, but for the coming of Storm Bull, the Rage Bellower, who defeated Chaos and keeps the universe intact. Eiritha the Herd Mother is Storm Bull's wife. She was trapped under the earth long ago, but sends out herds of free animals from a secret cave, which no living being can find. This bounty is what keeps the Praxians alive. Waha the Founder is the culture hero of Prax, who found the way of life that would let the Praxians survive. He is the son of Storm Bull and Eiritha, born at the end of the Gods War, after Storm Bull killed the Devil and Eiritha was hidden below the earth. Waha freed the people from the Darkness, tamed fire, and taught people to kill and practice the right customs. Minor deities of the Praxians include Babeester Gor, Daka Fal, Foundchild the Hunter, Helpwoman, Humakt, the Lightbringers, Seven Mothers, Yelmalio and Yelorna. Praxian religion is led by shamans and medicine men, who lead the Praxian spirit societies. Their greatest festivals are during the calving time, when raiding slows massively except among the very desperate. Other ceremonies are held as needed and vary by clan and tribe. Many outsiders believe the Praxian medicine men make things up as they go along. The only standing temple of Praxian religion is the holy Paps. They laugh at the idea of temples, particularly in the city of Pavis, and see them as a joke maintained solely for exiles. Ceremonial places are set up by shamans as needed. Permanent holy places do exist in some oases or ruins, mostly in Prax proper rather than Wastes. Next time: The men whooped with Orlanth and drank the Six Known Drinks.
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Sep 6, 2017 01:37
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Joe Slowboat posted:There's a difference between 'subtext' and 'you will literally get two different settings if you read this text assuming the author is trying to help you understand the setting, or trying to trick you.'
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Sep 6, 2017 14:37
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Mors Rattus posted:The Guide to Glorantha: Ride Any Beast That Walks On Four Legs Except Horses This is Bolo Lizard and Ostrich Clan erasure.
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Sep 6, 2017 14:53
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e: I'm stupid.
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Sep 6, 2017 14:55
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Evil Mastermind posted:Each realm now has three Laws; two that give a mechanical benefit and one that's more narrative. Core Earth's are: So what are the Cyberpapacy's? Given that it's changed so significantly I'd guess there would be a corresponding world law change.
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Sep 6, 2017 19:11
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MJ12 posted:So what are the Cyberpapacy's? Given that it's changed so significantly I'd guess there would be a corresponding world law change.
Really, the Cyberpapacy hasn't changed too much beyond them being used to the tech they have and Malraux trying to pretend he's not a High Lord.
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Sep 6, 2017 19:31
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The storm has a name... - Let's Read TORG Part 20a: The Land Below  A group of explorers run through a jungle, pursued by a beast from another time who sees them only as food. They're heading for the ruins of a temple in hope of shelter...and in further hope that there aren't traps for the unwary in it. A phalanx of Nile Empire troops escort a truck of supplies down a tunnel deep into the Earth. What they do not know is that their path will take them through the hunting grounds of ancient Egyptian demons that devour the souls of the unworthy. A Storm Knight in Nippon Tech evades his pursuers by running into old forgotten subway stations. In his rush, he doesn't realize how far underground the stairs and stations go...until he finds himself in a rusty sub-basement that seems like it's been abandoned for decades, except for the fresh blood on the walls. As above, so below. Legends of the Underworld The Land Below is very, very difficult to summarize, because there's really no central idea there. This isn't an invading reality. There's no High Lord, no stelae, no long-term plans or agendas. Yes, technically it's a realm and as such has its own axioms and World Laws, but really more than anything else it's just...there. It only really has one effect on the metaplot (admittedly, it's a major one, but still it only really impacts things once). The Land Below, as presented in the majority of the book, is a lost world, a straight-up Hollow Earth style jungle full of strange beasts, lost tribes, and forgotten ruins. It's also a universal "Underworld" for every reality it touches. And it touches all of them, tendrils of reality reaching up and forming into each realm's image of the darkness below the world. That last part is the most interesting bit. It's also the one that gets the least attention. The Land Below was actually the brainchild of Baruk Kaah and Dr. Mobius. They allied with each other at the beginning of the war, and needed a way to move people and supplies back and forth. Of course, being on opposite sides of the planet would make that tricky, especially since technology wouldn't work in the Living Land so it's not like you could fly stuff in. To get around this, Kaah and Mobius had their respective Darkness Devices communicate with each other to form an underground tunnel between the Living Land and the Nile Empire. Surprisingly, the Devices agreed and began twisting reality to form the tunnel. But large-scale works like this are tricky, and can have unexpected consequences. As the tunnel created by the Khefertiri Idol extended, it "absorbed" the Egyptian concept of the Underworld from the minds of the people it was draining Possibilities from. On the other side, Rec Pakken's end of the tunnel carried with it the natural forces of the Living Land; branches and sub-caves formed like weeds, splitting off from the main branch. Creating a sub-reality takes a lot of energy, and as the tunnel neared completion the energies of all the realities began to leak into the tunnel. After all, every culture has some sort of legend or mythos about an underworld of some sort, be it a place where the "damned" go, or just a shadowy reflection of the real world. And when the tunnel was completed, these legends bled into the sub-realm. Or maybe it was the other way around. It's always hard to tell. Regardless, now this new pocket dimension brushed against all the realities involved in the Possibility Wars. This was a surprise bonus to the Darkness Devices, because this new realm also had its own people. Tribal, violent, warlike people. People who could very easily be molded into new High Lords. quote:As the war dragged on and Baruk Kaah and Mobius enjoyed ever greater victories, both Devices agreed that their High Lords were too concerned with the trappings of personal power. They were not creating enough destruction to suit Rec Pakken and the Kefertiri Idol's desires. After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  The idea of "pocket dimensions" crops up in Torg from time to time, usually in passing. The most obvious example is the GodNet, which is both the actual physical internet of the Cyberpapacy and at the same time a pocket dimension. Through the Inifniverse updates, there would sometimes be new sub-realms that crop up and can be slotted into a campaign. There were realms based on myth (such as Atlantis, Olympus, and Avalon), there were realms that tied into the backstories of NPCs (such as the home of Sabathina, one of the Gaunt Man's servants), there was even a "cartoon" realm that was the Torg writers' attempt to do comedy. But the Land Below was the only one that got its own book. Most of the book details Merretika, a large domed underground jungle populated by savages and peppered with strange prehistoric beasts and ancient lost ruins; a world full of ancient wonders thousands of years old...only they were just created last year. And I know what you're thinking: "that sounds kind of like the Living Land." And you're right; it's very similar. In fact, the Living Land in Torg Eternity, the new edition, has more in common with the Land Below than the original Land as presented in the core and its own book. In fact, you'd be justified in thinking that the Land Below was designed to fix the Living Land by replacing it. Except that the Land Below was hinted at in the early books, which just makes the Living Land redundant, even though it actually came first. On the plus side, since there's not much here, we should be able to get through this book relatively quickly.  Well, there's somethin' you don't see everyday. There's no High Lord for me to bring up, but I'm still going to get into the axioms and World Laws. And it's important to note that while the Land Below does have its own axioms and Laws, they only apply to the parts of the realm that don't touch other realms. Those areas operate under the axioms and Laws of the realm they're part of. For example, where the Land Below pushes up into Aysle, there are old-school dungeons, mines, and caves populated with the sorts of beasts you'd expect. In those caves, the Laws and axioms of Aysle hold sway, but once you leave them into the "proper" Land Below, you move to those axioms. Anyway, the axioms are: Magic: 12. Slightly above Core Earth's, just below Orrorsh's. Spellcasting is possible, but doesn't see much use in the jungles. Most sources of magic are the ruins that dot the landscape, many of which are only possible because of magic. That said, there are a lot of natives with inborn magical talent; they tend to position themselves as shaman. Social: 8. At one point above the Living Land's, the social axiom allows for multiple distinct tribal societies, but not much else. This axiom is low not so much because the inhabitants haven't advanced much, but because there simply aren't enough native dwellers to create a larger society. There is a rudimentary justice system in place, complete with the idea of eye witnesses, but the harshest punishment is usually banishment rather than a straight death penalty. Spiritual: 17. This is the highest axiom down here. While there are multiple religions in Merretika, they tend to exist only to one tribe and are either monotheistic or based around a handful of "protector spirits". Miracles are possible, but there aren't many unique miracles. Technology: 10. Unsurprisingly low; the tech axiom does allow for better weaponry than the Living Land (such as bows and metal blades) as well as rudimentary medicine. That said, hunting and gathering is still the main source of food, but since you can't swing a spear without hitting some sort of game most of the tribes have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle. Only one tribe has actual writing and what we'd consider scientific research. The land below has three World Laws, but one of them is the Law of Action, which is identical to the Law from the Nile Empire, so I'm not going to reiterate that here. Of the two new Laws, the one that holds the most sway is the Law of Savagery. This law states that the Land Below is a harsh one; survival must be fought for day-to-day, there are no guarantees. Cunning and intelligence will only get you so far, what matters is who's left standing when the blood settles. The Law of Savagery has two mechanical effects. First off, players cannot play cards for non-physical actions in combat. You can still taunt or maneuver, but you can't use cards to get bonuses to those actions. Second, when "attack" is an approved action, you only get to draw a card when you perform an All-Out Attack. This Law also has some narrative effects. To start, characters who act more savagely are rewarded with an extra Possibility at the end of the session. The second effect is that your clothing will be destroyed, in a tasteful PG-13 manner. Thorns will snag on fabric, natives will want to trade your interesting clothes for supplies, and every attack will rip something on someone. Characters will never end up naked, though; there's always just enough left to cover your naughty bits. Actual armor fares better (in that it doesn't just fall apart), but no matter what armor will never provide more than a +4 bonus to Toughness. There are a few more things the Law of Savagery does, but they only apply when you're in a Pure Zone or if you're a native. quote:Male characters will find that their body hair grows at an alarming rate. Beards are grown in a few days and chest hair will become thick within a week. Female characters will find that their scalp hair grows at this incredible rate and after a week, their hair will reach their waists or even their ankles if their hair was already long. The new hair growth can be cut or shaved normally if the tools are at hand, but the hair will quickly grow back again. quote:The other physical side effect of the Law of Savagery is that physical attractions become heightened as the animalistic effects of the law take hold. Members of the opposite sex will appear more attractive to one another and latent love interests will flare to bold passion. Characters who play a romance subplot while adventuring in the Land Below receive one extra possibility point at the end of each adventure act. Also, any Charisma-based test involving a member of the opposite sex receives an automatic +3 to effect (as if a Presence card had been played).  The final Law is the Law of Wonders, which is what allows the creation of buildings and temples and such beyond the limits of the Tech axiom. This Law allows the Nile Empire engineering skill to be used in the Land Below, and even then it's only used by one tribe. Which is to say, this Law does nothing. This all combines to create a world reminiscent of old pulps, Tarzan, Tomb Raider, or the beginning Raiders of the Lost Ark; a huge jungle full of superstitious natives, trap-laden ruins, and lost treasures just waiting to be discovered. It's also a world on the other side of eight different realities' concepts of Hell. But you know what they say; getting there is half the fun. NEXT TIME: The darkness below your feet is reaching out.
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Sep 6, 2017 19:46
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The Land Below shouldn't be The Egyptian Underworld. It should be THE HOLLOW EARTH!!!, full of pulp monsters, savage cults, molemen and dinosaurs. It fits both the Living Land and Nile Empire. E: which as I read further it mostly is, what's up with the underworld poo poo
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Sep 6, 2017 19:58
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so the Law of Savagery turns every woman into Raquel Welch from 1 Million years BC
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Sep 6, 2017 20:08
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Mors Rattus posted:The Land Below shouldn't be The Egyptian Underworld. The problem with the Hollow Earth stuff, as we'll see, is that it treads a lot of the same ground as the Living Land. The Land Below has humans instead of edenios and Tomb Raider-y ruins all over the place, but that's drat near the only difference. (in Torg Eternity, the Land Below has pretty much been folded into the Living Land. LL gets those World Laws and slightly higher axioms so you actually have a reason to go there now.)
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Sep 6, 2017 20:08
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Torg Eternity is better for it and I suspect large portions of the Living Land are underground, in the HOLLOW
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Sep 6, 2017 20:10
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You barely touched the world below, and already you can think of more things to do than the entirety of the Living Land
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Sep 6, 2017 20:14
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Mors Rattus posted:Torg Eternity is better for it and I suspect large portions of the Living Land are underground, in the HOLLOW Probably. There's not a lot of hard detail, but since the Law of Wonders exists in the Living Land you now have space for all kinds of lost tribe/ancient temples/crashed UFO shenanigans. I'm just going to say this here and now: I actually think Torg Eternity is good! It's addressed a lot of the problems I had with the old stuff, and it's changed up the setting enough that it feels familiar yet different at the same time. I'm actually excited to run it! What kind of topsy-turvy world have I fallen into? 
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Sep 6, 2017 20:15
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How will you be running it? Live? Online?
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Sep 6, 2017 20:16
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Hopefully live with my Wednesday group. I printed out the cards and need to cut them out and sleeve them for temporary use until my hardcopy arrives, plus I need to go over the system and setting with them, so if they're up for it it'll probably take a week or two.
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Sep 6, 2017 20:18
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Evil Mastermind posted:It's both. You get the impression that they couldn't decide if they wanted to go "dark underworld of every reality" or "Hollow Earth" and decided to sort of split the difference. There are, in fact, molemen, but they barely get a page of info. your intro description seemed like it was kind of taking a turn into silent hill / saw / human centipede style horror Evil Mastermind posted:A Storm Knight in Nippon Tech evades his pursuers by running into old forgotten subway stations. In his rush, he doesn't realize how far underground the stairs and stations go...until he finds himself in a rusty sub-basement that seems like it's been abandoned for decades, except for the fresh blood on the walls. I'm not sure if your description was you embellishing, or if it was actually printed that way, but I'd rather see that than just "the living lands, but marginally less inimical to ever having an adventure there" I know orrosh is supposed to be the overt horror themed cosm but bram stoker / mary shelly / et al style Victorian horror doesn't do it for me edit: a cosm that operates entirely like a silent hill 2 "other world" where the part of earth it invades doesn't look outwardly different, but there's this sinister mirror universe that you can cross into without even realizing it would be loving sweet. I feel like all the cosms are so on-the-nose, having one that wasn't immediately apparent how hosed-up things were would be an interesting change of pace Freaking Crumbum fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Sep 6, 2017 |
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Sep 6, 2017 21:08
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IMO horror is just stupid hard in RPGs in general and impossible in poo poo like TORG.
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Sep 6, 2017 21:09
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Mors Rattus posted:IMO horror is just stupid hard in RPGs in general and impossible in poo poo like TORG. oh for sure, I just meant that if TORG was absolutely going to have a horror themed cosm, consequences be damned, the van helsing style Victorian horror takes way more effort for me to suspend my disbelief than more contemporary horror genres. I think it's because vampires and werewolves and zombies and demons are so ubiquitous in our fictional settings that they fail to evoke the desired response at all. for me it's hard to pretend to be afraid of fighting another dracula, but it's a lot easier to be creeped out by silent hill style wrongness.
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Sep 6, 2017 21:14
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Freaking Crumbum posted:I'm not sure if your description was you embellishing, or if it was actually printed that way, but I'd rather see that than just "the living lands, but marginally less inimical to ever having an adventure there" Where the Land Below touches other realms, it creates "underworlds" based on that realm's beliefs. So in Aysle, it's a terrible dungeon. In the Nile Empire, it's an Egyptian sort-of-afterlife. In Nippon Tech, it's rot and urban decay. I admit I did embellish a bit, but that's because (as we'll see next in the next part) they didn't really get off the ground with these ideas. The main focus of the book is the Hollow Earth type stuff, and these underworlds don't get anywhere near as much attention. Personally, I would have preferred if the Land Below was a series of interconnected multiversal hells. We already had the Living Land, why just do the same again?
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Sep 6, 2017 21:51
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Evil Mastermind posted:So here's the thing. Yeah, I could see the Cyberpapacy's Land Below being Hell. Or maybe merged into the Tharkold and become some sort of cyberdungeon megastructure like in Megumi Tensei or BLAME!
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Sep 6, 2017 22:52
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Tharkold kinda is the cyberpapcy's vision of hell.
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Sep 6, 2017 23:03
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Robindaybird posted:so the Law of Savagery turns every woman into Raquel Welch from 1 Million years BC And every man into Doc Savage, presumably.
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Sep 7, 2017 02:17
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Young Freud posted:Or maybe merged into the Tharkold and become some sort of cyberdungeon megastructure like in Megumi Tensei or BLAME! in an ironic twist, the darkness devices decided that tharkold's "hell" would be the platonic ideal of heaven, with angelic choirs and pearly gates and you literally can't inflict violence against any other entities and there's no more rape slaves and everything is just sublime
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Sep 7, 2017 02:59
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e: I'm an idiot!
Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 15:13 on Sep 7, 2017 |
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Sep 7, 2017 15:04
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E: wrong thread TWICE, even
Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Sep 7, 2017 |
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Sep 7, 2017 15:08
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That's awesome, actually, and makes a lot of sense. Most Kindred would just want to settle down in a place where they can acquire a stable and pliable Herd without attracting attention, that isn't also a lovely place to live with a shrinking population. A cosmopolitan bastion in "flyover country" is perfect. Charlottesville is sort of like this even thought it's in the Mideast, so I get it. Halloween Jack fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Sep 7, 2017 |
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Sep 7, 2017 15:14
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Now I'm sorry I missed that.
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Sep 7, 2017 15:36
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Freaking Crumbum posted:in an ironic twist, the darkness devices decided that tharkold's "hell" would be the platonic ideal of heaven, with angelic choirs and pearly gates and you literally can't inflict violence against any other entities and there's no more rape slaves and everything is just sublime Funny. The other thought I would have is that Tharkold's underground would be home to the Race and the Free Nations (especially now in the Torg Eternity timeline) They've gone full The Matrix Zion or something like the Reese's flashbacks to the Future War in The Terminator (which would be appropriate) and bidding their time in their own Land Below.
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Sep 7, 2017 19:56
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Freaking Crumbum posted:in an ironic twist, the darkness devices decided that tharkold's "hell" would be the platonic ideal of heaven, with angelic choirs and pearly gates and you literally can't inflict violence against any other entities and there's no more rape slaves and everything is just sublime
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Sep 7, 2017 20:37
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Evil Mastermind posted:Sadly, Land Below came out before Tharkold, so heaven will not be a place on Core Earth.  and they say in Tharkold, love comes first
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Sep 7, 2017 21:05
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Starting school and work are really putting a hamper on my Hams writing. So I thought I'd share someone who doesn't have a sourcebook of their own, but shows up in the Career Compendium and Corebook as a starting Career: The Estalian Diestro. They are highly scientific (the latest, most modern!) swordsmen (and women) from Not-Spain who follow the dueling styles of the great Master Figuera, the first man to add math to swordfighting. His theory was that a warrior who is well trained in geometry and calculus would be able to make the most efficient of movements and develop a science of stabbing. He was also blindingly fast and a masterful swordsman, so he founded an entire school of martial arts based around mathematical and scientific analysis of movement and fencing. Diestros are expected to explain in mathematical and dramatic terms why they are going to win a fight as they fight it, should they be in a formal duel. They're actually pretty badass for a starting career, getting a second attack and up to +15% WS, and they're both agile and reasonably well educated (they get Academics: Science and can read and write!). Also one of the only careers that can start with Swashbuckler (letting them jump around and disengage out of combat quicker by leaping and acrobatics). They are completely ridiculous, silly swashbucklers dumped into grim, perilous not-Germany because they come north to test their swords and theories against real evil and terrible monsters. They do not bring any armor or heavier weapons to start with. This can get ugly. I just love that you can start out as a vivacious, energetic spanish swordfighter with ridiculous ideas about mathematic perfection and wanted to share that while I work on the longer posts.
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Sep 9, 2017 17:34
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Guide to Glorantha: Plains Vikings The Orlanthi are widely known to outsiders as the Theyalan culture, the name given to them by the God Learners. It comes from Theya, the goddess of the Dawn, because the Orlanthi were very important in the Dawn Age. Most are farmers and herders who plow small fields and raise cattle or sheep. Their cities tend to be few and small, with a few glaring exceptions, and most are illiterate outside of the cult of Lhankor Mhy. They originate in parts of Genertela known as Dragon Pass and the Holy Country, and the Orlanthi from those regions also call themselves Heortlings after a Silver Age hero. In the First Age, they expanded heavily into parts of Peloria, Maniria, Ralios and Fronela. The level of organization their societies hold varies by location. All Orlanthi are part of a clan. However, clans can come together temporarily or permanently to form a tribe, and tribes can come together to form a kingdom. Orlanthi groups also have a history of mixing with others or splitting in variant beliefs. Today, several live under the yoke of the Lunar Empire. Others add the Invisible God, Malkion, to their pantheon. In Esrolia, in the Holy Country, Ernalda is chief of the gods rather than Orlanth. Orlanthi tend to be olive-skinned people with brown, black or red hair. Blond is possible but quite rare. Their eyes tend to be green, brown, grey or orange, and they all wear their hair long. Women braid it elaborately, and men have extensive facial hair. The Orlanthi mix farming and herding to survive, with land given to each free farmer by their clan in small strips. A free farmer is expected to use a plow pulled by 4 to 8 oxen, to be guided by the farmer and, typically, their spouse or child. A farmer's fields will be scattered through the clan's lands, marked out by small stone walls. Clans also often have orchards or vineyards in the care of chosen families. Sheep are grazed in hilly land and cattle in lowlands. Horses are also raised, and especially prized. In Dragon Pass, the Holy Country and parts of the Lunar-controlled regions of Tarsh or Peloria, Praxian beasts are also raised. Rather than dogs, the Orlanthi raise a large cat known as an alynx or shadowcat, which is used for herding and hunting in the same ways dogs could be. They range in size from a housecat to a large dog. Orlanthi are also renowned as craftsmen, particularly of metal, weaving and pots. They learned how to work metal from the dwarves via their god Gustbran the Redsmith. It is estimated that, across the world, there are about 11.2 million Orlanthi in total. They recognize the existence of five different levels of social status within a clan. These are not determined by wealth or property for the most part, but their role in the clan. (Wealth doesn't hurt, however.) The highest rank are Nobles, those that lead. Nobles are ranked - lowest is a clan chieftain or clan high priestess. Above that is the tribal king, and above that, the kingdom king. In most clans, only two noble families exist - the clan chief's and the high priestess's. Below the nobles are the thanes. Thanes are those with leadership roles of some kind or who have unusual responsibilities. These might be the heads of households, the chief's bodyguards, the local cult leaders, the best of the merchants or crafters, or members of the clan council. Thanes do extra work for the clan, so they get extra status and wealth from the clan. The word is derived from an old Orlanthi word meaning 'horse man'.  Left: An Esrolian priestess of Ernalda with expensive clothes and makeup. Right: A warrior thane of the kingdom of Aggar. Under the thanes are the carls, or 'cattle men'. They are the most common, the free farmers of the clan, and have the widest range of responsibilities and rights. To be a carl, you must have a plot and a full team of oxen to pull it, and will be given as much land as you can plow in two seasons, called your 'hide'. Carls are also expected to own a minimal set of combat equipment to help defend the clan if needed. Below them are the cottars, or 'sheep men'. They live in small cottages and make their living herding sheep and tending to small gardens. The lowest class is the thrall, or slave. A thrall is legally considered property rather than a person in Orlanthi culture. Among the Dragon Pass Orlanthi, while the thrall is still a recognized part of society, thrall-taking is discouraged and looked down on, as the Orlanthi of Dragon Pass emphasize love of freedom as their primary virtue. Most thralls are debtors, criminals or war prisoners. A thrall's children are born free, as members of the clan that owns the child's mother. The clan is the basic social unit. Individual households or bloodlines come and go, as do tribes or kingdoms. The clan survives. It prospers or shrinks but it does not die or change its definition of itself. Orlanthi always refer to themselves first as members of their clan when introducing themselves. Clans own the land they work, not any member of those clans, though individual may claim rights based on past usage of land or via clan decision. Orlanthi tend to be highly active in the social, political and religious customs of their clans, and choosing not to vote during the ritual of Weapon Taking is nearly unheard of. In this ritual, all adults must present their tools of labor and adulthood for inspection to qualify for voting as full members of the clan. Clans range in size between 500 and 2000 people, organized into various bloodlines, with decisions made by the clan ring, a council of 20 to 30 members, seven of whom sit on the Inner Ring. The council is permanent, with positions held by various members as need arises and with structure varying by clan. The council is responsible for adminstering justice, negotitions with outsiders and finding wives for men of the clan. The chieftain is the leader of the clan, speaking and making decisions for all members, particularly during emergencies. Both the council and the clansfolk have means of removing a chieftain they dislike, however. While the chieftain or his delegate handles all negotiations with outsiders, clan internal politics are managed by the entire council. Common sense in an area under dispute holds a lot of weight, so warriors are bowed to in military situations, while grandmothers hold sway in matters of the harvest. A clan's membership in a tribe is always voluntary, though it is not unknown to force "volunteering" by conquest. The tribal organization mirrors the Orlanthi pantheon's divine council, and most tribal councils have 13 positions, each representing an Orlanthi deity. First, of course, is Orlanth, chief of the gods. Seats 2 to 5 belong to four or Orlanth's kinfolk - typically Humakt, Urox and two of the various Thunder Brothers. Seats six to nine belong to Orlanth's thanes - Issaries, Lhankor Mhy, Chalana Arroy and Elmal. Seat ten belongs to Ernalda, queen of the gods and wife to Orlanth. Seat eleven belongs to Ernalda's mother, Asrelia, and seat twelve to her daughter, Voria. The thirteenth seat is that of Eurmal, the Trickster. The tribal officers are chosen by the chieftains of the tribe's clans. The king chooses a number of candidates, as do the chieftains, and a selection is made between them. It is rarely a surprise - tribes aren't usually that big. When no outside force exists to keep the tribe together, such as an enemy, tribes often dissolve into their component clans. More permanent tribes tend to exist in areas of more permanent dangers and pressures. Kingdoms, likewise, are entirely voluntary, formed by multiple tribes...and again, 'volunteering' by conquest is not unknown. The Lunar Empire in particular is known for weakening local tribes and forcing them to swear allegiance to the provincial kings the empire controls, with varying degrees of success. While most Orlanthi leadership roles are open to any who qualify, kingdom rulership is usually restricted to only those who can trace paternal ancestry back to Orlanth. However, kingdom governance varies wildly. In Sartar, the kingdom council is just a more glorious version of the tribal council, while in Lankst, the House of Warriors must approve all royal policies, and in Malkonwal, governance resembles the forms used by the Westerner cultures. Orlanthi consider there to be six known virtues: Courage, Wisdom, Generosity, Justice, Honor and Piety. However, there is an unstated belief in independence as a major virtue as well. The Orlanthi believe that a person is responsible first to his clan, then himself, and after that to whoever he wants as long as he maintains personal responsibility. Orlanthi believe strongly that the genders are different but inseperable. While the society is male-dominant to most appearances, women have great social and personal power. All adult women have the same right to speak to the clan as any, and during a Weapon Taking, any meat cleaver, spoon or cookpot used for at least three meals qualifies as a tool of adulthood for women, as do sewing kits. Men, however, must have a sheild, a knife, either a long spear or a sword, and a "strong hat" (definition varies). Gender roles are still, however, divided up. Men do most physical labor, save for the harvest, which everyone does. Women raise children and care for households, as well as perform astrology. However, the Orlanthi are very open-minded about switching your presented gender. They know historically of many women devoted to martial gods or goddesses. Orlanth even has a female aspect, Vinga. Likewise, there are gods of women represented by men, and at least one man, a cook named Geo, has become a minor god in his own right over what is traditionally a woman's role. Men are considered to be passionate and unpredictable, while women are believed to be more calm and calculating. Emotional expression is common in both genders, but moreso in men, who are expected to have emotional outbursts frequently, while women are shown in the poem Orlanth's Wooing of Ernalda to be calmer, with Ernaldo manipulating Orlanth to ensure women receive proper rights. Both genders frequently wear rune tattoos representing their chosen deities, cults and ancestors. Each clan and tribe has their own tattoo, which new adults are given during initiation along with their personal and god runes. Tattoos mark changes in profession and status, as well. These can be placed anywhere on the body as long as they are visible in some way. Both genders also tend to wear lots of jewelry and makeup. However, only women wear earrings, and only men wear arm rings. The Orlanthi language family is known as Theyalan, and all share three alphabets, the Sacred Scripts of Lhankor Mhy: Murnulvretan (or Cat Scratching), a flowing script favored in Dragon Pass, East Ralios and the Holy Country. Kanvulvretan (Dog Scratching), an angular script favored in Peloria, Fronela and Ralios, and Elasa Secrets (or Stone Scratching), used only for magical spells and not actually corresponding to spoken Theyalan. Orlanthi law is derived from the traditions of Orlanth in ancient times. It holds that clans are the root of all rights, and lays down the required rituals of life. Orlanth and Ernalda, in the period before Time, decided that clans own the land, and laid down the crimes for which execution may be done - rape, secret murder of an Orlanthi, consorting with Chaos, being a Trickster, that kind of thing. They also laid down two sacred laws. First: violence is always an option. Second: there is always another way. Combat by champions is a popular method of solving interclan disputes and is considered binding, but alternatives to dueling to the death are encouraged. Generosity and diplomacy are seen as more praiseworthy than a violent solution, but a violent solution is always at least acceptable. The local Lhankor Mhy godspeakers and cultists are responsible for maintaining the oral tradition and laws of the clan. Orlanthi tradition also holds that all adult men are warriors. Some, the housecarls, are full-time warriors, and among them, the cults of the death god Humakt and the Storm Bull Urox are popular. Clans choose their leaders for combat, and the war leader then choose who joins a battle or campaign. Everyone uses the best arms and magic they can get. Typically, that's a bronze-tip spear, a bronze axe and a shield, maybe with a sword, a helmet or bronze armor. For ranged options, bows, javelins and slings are common. Swords are highly valued, and well-made ones often receive names. Armor, especially metal armor, is rare and highly valued, and helmets are often highly decorated. The Orlanthi, as might be expected, follow the Orlanthi pantheon. This is led by Orlanth, the Storm God, Men's God and King of the World, and his wife Ernalda, the Earth Goddess, Mother Goddess and Women's Goddess. Other major gods are Humakt, the God of Death, War, Honor and Swords, Issaries, the God of Speech, Communication, Travel, Merchants and Trade, and Lhankor Mhy, the God of Truth, Knowledge, Writing and Law. Minor gods include Asrelia the Grandmother, Babeestor Gor the Axe Goddess, Barntar the Plowman, Chalana Arroy the Healer, Elmal the Sun God, Esrola the Goddess of Life, Eurmal the Trickster, Heler the Rain God, Maran Gor the Destroyer, Ty Kora Tek the Goddess of the Dead, Urox the Storm Bull, Voria the Goddess of Spring and Yinkin the Alynx. Orlanthi religion follows two major myth cycles - the Gods War and the Lightbringers. The Gods War tells about how Orlanth and his brothers conquered the world, and then how Orlanth conquered his brothers, and also talks about how the world was formed and how society was made by Orlanth and Ernalda, as well as the heroism of Orlanth's son, Vingkot the Victorious. The Lightbringers' Quest is the major creation myth defining the Orlanthi culture, which shows what is expected of all members of society and the tragic or hilarious consequences of breaking those expectations. It always features all deities important to the region and all the great figures of cosmology. The Orlanthi look back on the Gbaji War as a war on Chaos, speaking of Nysalor, who tricked Orlanth for a while, until Arkat Swordhand, Son of Humakt, freed Orlanth's vision. While Arkat defeated the foes in Dorastor, Orlanth overthrew the Pelorians that fueled the evil empire. The greatest hero of this period is Harmast Barefoot, a simple farmer who successfully performed the Lightbringers' Quest twice to fight Gbaji. Later, both the Empire of Wyrms Friends and the God Learners are remembered as foes. The EWF was a mistake that fooled even Orlanth for a time, until the exploration of dragon ways became too much, and even Orlanth was defeated by the Inner Dragon of Arangorf, until Alakoring Dragonslayer came and slew Drang, founding the Orlanth Rex subcult. The God Learners, meanwhile, were evil sorcerers from the far-off West, to whom Orlanth never submitted or lost, though they tried hard. Famously, this was the time when Gorangi Vek found the Hero Path to tame the Sky Bull of Stormwalk Mountain. In Fronela and Umalthela, the ruling nobles are quite Westernized, and also recognize Malkion, the Invisible God. They require clans to give them oaths of loyalty and bands of warriors, and they practice sorcery, viewing the Invisible God as the best (but not only) god, though most commoners remain traditional Orlanthi. In Umalthela, the worship of Malkion is most prevalent on the coast. In the Holy Country, specifically Esrolia, Ernalda is dominant and women control most of society, while men have a wider range of gods to follow, as several have been adopted as husband-figures, such as Yelmalio, though Orlanth is still Ernalda's favorite husband. In Caladraland, in the Holy Country, a gigantic volcano exists, and the local Orlanthi primarily worship local gods and practice slash-and-burn agriculture rather than ox-and-plow, but remain otherwise Orlanthi in culture. In Lunar-controlled lands, the worship of Orlanth is suppressed and temples are often destroyed when the Lunar authorities discover them. Orlanthi ceremoneis are typically done outdoors - Orlanth is a god of the wind and sky, and the greatest of his followers are able to fly on massive columns of wind, though not particularly far or particularly well, much of the time. While the Orlanth Rex subcult likes to make temples in cities, even these are kept open to the sky, and Ernalda's earth rituals are also held outdoors. All monthly ceremonies are held on Windsday of Movement Week, the luckiest of all days in the month. Regular rites of Ernalda are also held each season. Ritual dramas to recreate the myths are commonly seen, drawing on the faith and awe of the viewers to transport the initiates into the God Realm to take part in mythic quests. Shrines and temples are common in Orlanthi lands, ranging from buildings made for the gods to open and holy places on hilltops. Most clans have two or three shrines - one to Orlanth, one to Ernalda, and typically a third god, while tribes will often have small temples to subsidiary gods and a major temple to Orlanth and Ernalda. Cities often have several temples. Air and Reversed Air are common rune symbols among Orlanthi male initiates, and Earth and Life runes for women. Lhankor Mhy initiates in particular always wear grey, usually robes, even in the most primitive clans, and all must have beards. False beards are common, both among men and women in the cult. All initiates of Chalana Arroy wear white gowns or pants, and are seen as utterly sacred people by all Orlanthi. Torcs and golden neck rings may be worn only by chiefs and kings. Next time: The Pelorians. Or Solars. Whichever you like.
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Sep 9, 2017 22:24
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