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O.K. Here it goes. I thought that I would put forth the rest of the history that the Azchirgnoth are just a part of . I will use the names that I originally used because that is familiar to me (there were a few posts that discussed the crazy names of some game worlds but to explain who and what things are each time I mention them becomes a bit tedious).

The curtain opened on a golden age, the first age of mankind’s remembered history. This was an age of myth and legend and I left it intentionally ambiguous. The People were an eldar race of man that I called the Shea, or elves (yes elves, but this name could easily be dropped, I liked the reference to totally over the top unrealistic heroes. This age was supposed to be a little corny). These Shea were mighty builders, sorcerers, and warriors who lived life spans of hundreds of years. They taught culture, particularly writing and magic, to barbaric mankind. The Shea were one part Tolkien’s elves, one part Biblical antideluvians, one part Greek myth and legend, with just a dash of unrealistic D+D feel. They were to the fourth age (the age of PC adventuring) what the Homeric heroes were to the Classical Greeks.

The opening legend was a great battle between the Shea and the Orms. The Orms of course were Dragons. The Shea were mighty, particularly in magic, but they were few. They aligned themselves with the numerous race of man for this struggle. Together they forged three crystalline blades of incredible magical power. With the help of these powerful blades the Shea-man coalition defeated and slew the Orms at horrible cost. Very few Shea remained. The men and Shea formed a great council, and the world was at peace. The united kingdoms were called Perosia.

Diversion: One important event here was the gifts of dominion that the Shea gave to the kings of men. One was the Crown which signified wisdom and authority, One was the staff or rod which signified justice, building and culture, the third was the sword which signified skill at arms. The three were common symbols on architecture, ruins as it were, and based on myths, there were certain choices that rulers needed to be made between the three. Kings even in the fourth age had three advisors: the Crown bearer, staff bearer and sword bearer.

At this point Koru-Su was banished from the council for digging into forbidden knowledge. I mentioned him in the other post. He gathers a couple Shea, but many of the new race of men and flees to the mountains and builds a fortress called Terracull and is forgotten. Years pass and then out of Terracul come the Lesh: they are the first of the Kraechedd (kra-sheeth) or the created. Koru-su has learned knowledge from the gates… yada… yada.. and messed with the very nature of life itself and created these creatures. (Do to suggestins from players the Lesh have changed a good deal from the original concept). They are expert hunters and trackers and immune to any form of magic. There bodies are covered with tattoos. The tattoos kind of writhe around on their skin. A couple of proto ideas here are that the Tattoos are the Lesh themselves and they act as a kind of parasite on the creatures they kill, animating them for a short time. The other is that the tattoos can form into shapes and make the lesh look like anything they want kind of like doppelgangers.

Anyway, the lesh sneak into the groves where many of the remaining Shea had retired to and begin to slaughter them (Azchirgnoth ruins often have depictions of this event in sculpture and frescos ) (I love this death of D+D type elves and embellish it when I can. It is very fun to explain this event to ex d+drs). The second time the gates of Terracull open the Chilops, or Gorfekus come out. They are a twisted bat-goblin but they are Kaechedd and not really natural Trogod. They are not powerful by the standards of that time period but there are thousands of them, they multiply rapidly and they carry diseases. Well they wear down the men and surviving Shea who hunt them vigorously.

Then for the third and final time Terricull opens its gates. This time Koru-su himself comes out at the head of his generals and sorcerers, the Azchirgnoth. They are leading an army of ogres. Ogres are not the Gloranthian type but rather huge quite intelligent brutes who can wield magic. They are kind of like very evil mistress race trolls. This powerhouse army joins with several barbaric tribes of men and blasted into the weary lands of the Shea-man coalition. Several legendary battles were fought and the Persosians are shattered. From here they run to the corners of the earth and go into hiding. One great stronghold is left at the gates into the mountains called the Thule Dunnan. Koru-su returns to Terra-cull leaving his Achirgnoth Generals to mop up. One Azchirgnoth army sieges Thule Dunnan, but cannot break the defenses. The others scatter and begin to conquer various remaining kingdoms throughout the lands.

At the dawn of the Azchir age, the second age, the Azchirgnoth begin quarrelling. Various surviving magicians and heroes slip through the Azchir kingdoms and secretly gather outside the gates of Terricull. They are very few in number but among them are the most powerful remaining sorcerers and warlords of the Shea. In brilliant Hollywood manner that becomes the subject of song and legend they storm the fortress and attack Koru-su. With them they brought the remaining Chirifalis sword (one of the three crystal swords I mentioned earlier. I forgot to mention that it was important to Koru-su that he gained the three swords. He gained the first two in earlier battles. The third one was believed to be trapped in Thule Dunnan which Koru-su thought would soon fall). With this remaining sword Koru-su was finally hacked down. Only a couple of the heroes survived and they were sorely wounded. They took the remaining chirifalis sword and vanished into myth.

Since most of the heroes who were protecting Thule Dunnan had left to assault Terricull it quickly falls to the Azchirgnoth. Instead of consolidating their victory the Azchir are quickly at each others throats. Many set up kingdoms throughout the world. This is an age of horror. The Azchir age is rife with slavery. The Trogod are enslaved as is much of humanity. Many of the Azchir delve into the forbidden magics of necromancy as well as the creation of new creatures to fill their armies, others mutate existing creatures. These later Azchir Kraecheedd are not as powerful as the originals, many are sterile and horribly mutated. Other things are called from the Gates, diseases are flung at one anothers kingdoms. In their wars with one another the Azchir squeeze out the most they can from their dark arts and drain themselves.

Onto the stage from the far reaches of the north come the Thurons. They are barbarian horsemen who crash into the sorely depleted Azchirgnoth kingdoms. Surviving strongholds of men, leftover from the Perosian age, rise to the call and aid the Thurons. It was thought that they have developed magics that protect them from the powers of the Azchir. Through divinations the Azchir realize that their time is at an end and they begin building tombs. They seal themselves up along with many of their followers in these tombs to awaken when the world is again ripe for their conquests. This is the end of the second age.

Well as I have a habit of digression and this post is way bigger what I originally intended, I am going to end here for now. I do not know if this history is palatable or whether it works with other peoples ideas. Hopefully though it will lead to some discussion. There is more but as it gets closer to the fourth age( the age of adventuring) the stories begins to have profound effects on how individual writers may envision their lands.

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From a point in the "RPG Twilight" thread, about calls to ban human-killing games, maybe SharedWorld should have no Humans... ;)

That's actually not a bad idea.

We could put a notice on our supplments:;)

"Not one human, real or imagined, was harmed during the playing of this adventure".

Hold up until someone drops his dice and knocks his head on the underside of the table. :shocked:

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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Here is a short list of the races that have been mentioned until now.

I have no doubt that I did forget some, and that some of the connec-

tions I made are wrong.

So, please tell me what to change, and I will edit this posting accor-

dingly.

Akershule ( = Azchir = Ancients ?) [extinct / undead]

- created / opened the Gates ?

Ashuli ("octopoids", very rare) [deep sea]

- came through one of the Gates

Humans (barbarians, corsairs, Freelings, etc.) [everywhere]

- Nifara [The Green, trees]

Kraecheeth (summoned creatures, many sub-species) [wherever summoned]

- possibly chaos mutations created through the Gates ?

Lizard People ( = Troodon = Dinosauroids ?) [The Green]

Mamprusi ("swamp apes") [The Green]

Orms (including Naga and Dragon Brood) [The Green]

Tree Kraken [The Green]

Trogod (Goblins) [The Green, surrounding mountains ?]

- Grulk (Hobgoblins / "Orks" ?)

- Karee ("Elves" ?)

- Kweeg

True Elves ( = The Shea ?, very rare) [The Green or undead ?]

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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I have several in the oven, but was waiting to see how these first ones kind of turned out. Lizard men and Elves are still kind of loosely floating about. I do not mind them as you have them here (I very much like your lineup, a lot of them are familiar, yet just different from the norm), but others may have Ideas.

The other unbroached topic is the presence of chaos. I have alway thought chaos very cool, but again very, very overdone. Is there a different twist on the whole matter to make our little creation a little unique. I have mentioned that I used to use the idea of the Created (Kraecheeth)( name could be different though, perhaps something meaning "twisted"). One of the old nasty magics along with necromancy and summonings was to mutate or genetically change creatures. This allowed for a series of malevolent, mutated, beings that could be different in different parts of the world (each would builder could add their own). Could it be something related to the gates? I have a series of creatures planned that pretty much need something like this. Any ideas?

note on the Kaecheeth: If you recall the Kaecheeth were created by the Azchirgnoth in ages past. By the time characters were actually role playing the Kraecheed had been pretty much hunted down. There was a ceremony type spell though that unscrupulous spell users could dig up that would muster Kraecheeth. A green writhing glow would kind of light the night skies like the northern lights. People would sleep poorly and have horrible nightmares for miles around. Kraecheed would begin to gather in the area around these spells thinking their Azchirgnoth masters had returned. This lent itself to some very nice roleplaying.

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Okay, I have put the Kraecheeth on the list (which is only meant to record

ideas and proposals, nothing in any way final).

The Gates could well have caused the mutations of the Kraecheeth. In a sci-

ence fiction setting the Gates could be described as disintegrating a "passen-

ger" at Point A and reintegrating him at Point B. If the process of reintegra-

tion is somehow manipulated, or the Gate is malfunctioning, the "passenger"

could well be "transformed" into something different.

If the Azchirgnoth had found a way to manipulate the Gates ...

By the way, Soltakss (I hope I got his name right ...) has just edited the

myths in the Wiki, bringing them in line with your description of the past; I

think he has done a very fine job.

And another thought (rather a question): Do you have any idea who built

the Gates ?

Edit.: Ah, I have found it, the Akershule created the Gates.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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By the way, Soltakss (I hope I got his name right ...) has just edited the

myths in the Wiki, bringing them in line with your description of the past; I

think he has done a very fine job.

God Forbid you get someone's name wrong:)

It is very cool seeing the myths come together and seeing bits and fragments of old familiar stuff wound up with the new rope. :thumb:

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By the way, Soltakss (I hope I got his name right ...)

Well, the name is Simon but Soltakss will do .....

has just edited the

myths in the Wiki, bringing them in line with your description of the past; I

think he has done a very fine job.

Thanks, copying other people's work is easy.

And another thought (rather a question): Do you have any idea who built

the Gates ?

Edit.: Ah, I have found it, the Akershule created the Gates.

Some of them, anyway.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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Just knocked down the old the old Mrq Trogod notes(only intended to see for people to see what I was talking about) and replaced them with more Green-friendly write-ups.

I am not very familiar with the organization of Wiki's and am not sure how to proceed. Should I place all my stuff for the Green under "The Green" in one long wiki post or should we have sub-catagories? Should I add ideas to other peoples sub catagories (content may not mesh perfectly) or should I create new one's?:confused:

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I am also not sure how people would prefer to handle it here, but I would

propose:

- sub-categories instead of one long posting, because they make it easier

to find and edit things,

- additions to the sub-categories in question instead of multiple wiki entries

on the same subjects.

If there are problems with contradictions etc., we could discuss them here

in the forum (or, with minor questions, perhaps even per PM), and then edit

the wiki accordingly, I think.

P.S.: I like the new Trogod notes !

I have edited the list on the previous page accordingly.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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If there are problems with contradictions etc...

When a contradiction arises, it's not a problem - it's an opportunity to create more diversity, and so make the setting richer.

Don't edit out contradictions: make up something else, that explains why the world is (seemingly) contradictory...

Britain has been infiltrated by soviet agents to the highest levels. They control the BBC, the main political party leaderships, NHS & local council executives, much of the police, most newspapers and the utility companies. Of course the EU is theirs, through-and-through. And they are among us - a pervasive evil, like Stasi.

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When a contradiction arises, it's not a problem - it's an opportunity ...

Of course, you are right, and that is what I meant: To discuss the contradiction, find an interesting explanation, and edit that into the wiki.

Bad wording by me, sorry.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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Reader friendly

When a contradiction arises, it's not a problem - it's an opportunity

I have attempted to do this, I hope somewhat successfully, by allowing for a western corner of the Green,where I can kind of muddle around with my own ideas, and a greater common or eastern Green that is closer to civilization (the Green of Soltakss' excellent peoples of the Green article). The two may eventually become one, as ideas co-mingle with others.

Where I was in a bit of a quandary was where I should place the new stuff I was writing, knowing that it may vary somewhat from Soltakss vision and description.

- sub-categories instead of one long posting, because they make it easier to find and edit things

I will attempt to do this.

The other thing to keep an eye on is that it remains somewhat reader friendly for other people who come to the shared world wiki to see what is going on.

BY the way if anyone has any ideas for different names for races or places please let me know. Sometimes I have just used place-holders so I can go on. Also if I have made confusing grammatical or word choice errors on the wiki please feel free to change them to prevent my embarrassment.

Right now I am particularly trying to find a cool name for Tree-alchemists or resin-tappers, who work with tree resins, potions, poisons and stuff. I just cannot think of a fitting name that rolls off the tongue.

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Right now I am particularly trying to find a cool name for Tree-alchemists or resin-tappers, who work with tree resins, potions, poisons and stuff. I just cannot think of a fitting name that rolls off the tongue.

They work with resins ... what about "Resineers" ?

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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They work with resins ... what about "Resineers" ?

HMMMMMN.

Great for a sci-fi version, for the fantasy version I was thinking of something more ... magical. May still work though as I let it sink in a little. It has a nice ring to it.

This is were the two concepts diverge a little. I was thinking that the Fantasy version would have secret magic means of boiling and transforming the gums, resins, saps and such, whereas the sci-fi version would of course have more chemical, scientific processes. Alchemy vs. chemistry. The products could work identical in both worlds though.

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Something more fantasy-like ... "Masters of the Trees' Bounty" ... ah, no ...

fantasy obviously is not my field.

As for the way the products are made and work, I fully agree.

P.S.: I have added the Nifara to the list. I have also moved the list to the

wiki, so that it is more easy to find, and others can edit it, too.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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Where I was in a bit of a quandary was where I should place the new stuff I was writing, knowing that it may vary somewhat from Soltakss vision and description.

Put it in the Green and I'll edit Peoples of the Green accordingly. After all, the Green is yours and I was just proposing some ideas.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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What do people think about the Steppe? Assuming, of course, that we have a large area of steppe/savannah, who should be in it?

We have horse-riding barbarians from the Portal writeup coming from the north. The nothern steppe seems the obvious place for them.

What about other riders? We know about the Beast Riders of Prax (Glorantha) and something similar might be interesting. In the real world, we have camel-riders, reindeer-riders, buffalo-riders and elephant-riders and I think that many of these would fit quite nicely.

In the far north you could have reindeer-riders/herders and even mammoth-riders, Wooly-Rhino-riders or musk-ox-riders roaming the tundra. On the steppe proper you could have something similar to the Praxian Beast Riders. Where steppe turns into desert, camel-riders would be more natural.

Unlike Prax or Pent in Glorantha or the Eurasian Steppe in the real world, I wouldn't give these the same culture. Sure, they are animal riding nomads but they wouldn't worship the same gods, wouldn't have the same heroes and wouldn't share the same customs.

I'd even have different types of horse barbarians, some fully nomadic, some semi-nomadic and some sedentary, in different areas of the steppe.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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After all, the Green is yours and I was just proposing some ideas.

I think things can work pretty well together though. Right from the start I was making the Green as a small place, about the size of Dragon Pass with an open ended southern part for future growth. On the world map the Green was much much larger than I originally imagined though. That allows plenty of space for it to grow into details. The volcanos and the more developed areas fit there very nicely. I will kind of focus with variable ideas on the northern-west corner which is futher from civilization. :thumb:

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What about other riders? We know about the Beast Riders of Prax (Glorantha) and something similar might be interesting. In the real world, we have camel-riders, reindeer-riders, buffalo-riders and elephant-riders and I think that many of these would fit quite nicely.

Wew! Big big question there. I think it is extremely important for the shared world. Riding strange creatures is a staple of high fantasy worlds. It was one of the first things that caught my eye with Runequest and I have never lost my love of the Praxian nomads. It is important to make sure ours are somehow different though, perhaps here more than anywhere.

I thought of people riding large almost monkey-like creatures in the Green and then shied away. Seemed a little to much like the Star Wars thing in Jabba’s basement ( I think the novels had people riding them in swamps or jungles). Instead I think those hippo-like water lizards may work the best: (humpback lizards). When I get a chance I will write them up.

I like the Mammoth rider idea.

One idea for barbarians would be to ride Rams (I think they are actually called big horn sheep). They are very sure footed in the mountains and look cool.

Another Idea is to have people ride land dragons( natural creatures, not real dragons or orms), big, long, drawn-out, tailed, camel (for lack of a closer animal) looking lizards, with legs down for striding rather than splayed like a real lizard. Two or three people could ride them and they could strap all their living essentials to them. These would work well for plains type nomads or even merchants and caravans.

Possibly the same as above, but a hairless mammal with skin like a rhino or elephant instead of a lizard.

I have always liked the idea of a bipedal lizards as a primary mount.

Side note: I never found many details on the bolo lizard people in Prax. Are there any pictures of them anywhere?

I agree that how we present these mounts and wrap them into culture is just as important as what they look like physically. Weird beasts would not have to be reserved for barbarians either. For instance, we could make the lizards, bipedal and land dragon, the preferred mount of civilized people, horses or mammals could even be uncouth barbaric beasts.

When inventing new creatures, it sure would be nice to have a good artist doing concept sketches. When I am reading stuff like this in game-books one good inking will sell me hook line and sinker.

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In the Traveller universe the Syleans once used to ride eight-legged lizards,

looking somewhat like a brontosaurus (long tail, long neck, small head), but

with a head more like a pterosaurus (long "beak", sharp teeth). Such a beast

(named a "poni" - misunderstandings programmed ...) was about 8 Meters

long, from (outstretched) head to (outstretched) tail, with the body half of

the length, and could probably carry at least two humans.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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I like the idea of mammoth, woolly rhino and musk-ox riders. And camels, certainly. I think I mentioned Moa-riders before (you know, the now-extinct giant flightless birds from New Zealand), or possibly Giant Dodo's? Continuing the prehistoric (but post-dinosaur) theme, maybe sabre-tooth tigers, similar to the wargs from the LotR films (easy to find figures!). And of course, various types of frogs... :)

PS: For realism's sake, maybe have mammalian ones from one continent, and reptilian from another?

Britain has been infiltrated by soviet agents to the highest levels. They control the BBC, the main political party leaderships, NHS & local council executives, much of the police, most newspapers and the utility companies. Of course the EU is theirs, through-and-through. And they are among us - a pervasive evil, like Stasi.

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Hows this for a wacky thought (just poo-poo me away if I am getting too off kilter here ;)) - Intelligent riding beasts who are the masters of their riders. They are smart and possibly have magical/psychic abilities but alas have no opposible thumbs, so use humans (or another race) to do things like construct things like armor and shelter and ride on their backs and shoot arrows and use long spears.

Help kill a Trollkin here.

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Well, why not ?

With a really good description this could make a very interesting combination

of races, somewhat like dragons and dragonriders in other game worlds.

I would not consider it off kilter, only rather difficult to describe in a way

that makes it plausible and convincing.

However, if you have the necessary ideas: Please do it !

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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