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Shared world races:


Puck

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Race possibilities

I have a few suggestions for races. I know that this was discussed and consensus seemed that there would be no races but the decision was still up in the air. I had worked on a number of races for my homebrew world and thought that I would put them up on the sacrificial pyre of the Shared world.

Years ago I tried to create a world with races distinctly different than Glorantha, but wanted to have much of the same feel. I liked the way high fantasy races that people were familiar with were taken, given different names, and then fleshed out in unique ways. I did not want to use the same races Glorantha used though, and wanted them to be unique. The problem was Glorantha had somewhat muddied the water and used many of the high-fantasy type names and races already: trolls, elves, dwarves. Orcs are far too Tolkienish. What that left me with was Goblins (I know the name was used in Glorantha but not seriously fleshed out the way the other races were). I then stretched this race name as far as I could and used goblins as my major non-human race. I always envisioned them as more realistic than fantastical more like Frazetta than animie.

Well, I called the race Trogod, goblin is simply the human slang term for the race. Trogod evolve very quickly based on their environment and there are a number of different subspecies (different parts of the shared world can have different types of Trogod as fits the writer, originally I had trolls as species of Trogod). The premise is that by nature goblins tie themselves to different animal totems and their features and magic are all highly influenced by the totem they adopt. This would leave a lot of options available for writers while keeping to a single racial theme.

In my world many of these Trogod were gathered up and enslaved by a group called the Azchirgnoth (more on them later, but basically Rurik’s Akershule gone bad), (I was shocked by the similarity of the names) these slaves lost many of their totemic ties and live on the edges of human settlements. Others ran to the hills and forests to hide and adapted to their environment.

Anyway, I began writing up the Trogod races for mrq. I am going to attempt to post them on the wiki as it is a little long to put in posts here. I am hoping it can be easily modified or deleted from there as it is just a suggestion and only in rough-draft, mrq, and totally unfinished form. (Much of the later stuff is just notes and random musings). Also, the first bit was written to tie the Trogod into my homebrew world but I left it in as it may inspire ideas in others. If the entire bit is rejected out of hand I will understand as a purely human world has its charms.

Goblin notes here:

http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/sharedworld-wiki/419-goblins-trogod.html

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While the Trogods doubtless are a very fine fantasy species, I doubt that

they would do well in a science fiction setting. In my opinion they are too

much like humans to make a convincing alien species, like for example the

Puppeteers or the Trinoc of the Ringworld RPG. Even if you would give them

a very alien culture and technology, they would still look more like some

strange human sub-species than like aliens, I think.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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No races? I think odd species would be just gr8.. I'd suggest you also describe Trogods in different tech levels.. how would they work in a SF game..

As they were really created for a very specific fantasy world I never really gave it much thought. I am not even sure they will really work with the common fantasy world.

That is the nice thing about this forum though. Hopefully people can take ideas and go with them. I would be open for any suggestions to make them a better sci-fi fit.

In my opinion they are too much like humans to make a convincing alien species, like for example the Puppeteers or the Trinoc of the Ringworld RPG.

The Goblins following Peruth(the cat) would not be too much different than Kzin; maybe a little smaller and less agressive. I guess it would depend on the type of sci-fi. I couldn't see them working with very realistic techy sci-fi, but with a little work they may fit into space opera or fantasy based scifi like Star Wars.

Again

they are too much like humans

I am very glad you percieve them this way. I was afraid people may read them as kind of cartoony. In the end though they will can be whatever people want to make of them. I believe I will need some help and advice to port them over to sci-fi and would like to get my hands on the actual Brp book and read the sci-fi stuff before I try.

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In a Fantasy Setting, I don't mind standard RPG species, as long as they have their own cultures and background. Elves, Orcs, Trolls, Goblins and Giants all have their place, as do Minotaurs, Centaurs, Satyrs, Fauns and whatever other creature you want to include.

Make them rare if you want, forced to the fringes of the world, but don't ban them completely.

In a Sci Fi Setting, I don't subscribe to the idea that all alien races have to be completely non-humanoid. There is the idea of Seeders - ancient alien races that seeded developing worlds with their own DNA and that influenced evolution to favour similar (bipedal humanoid) species. That would be an explanantion why a lot of alien species are bipedal humanoids with common genetic traits.

Of course, there's always space for some completely inhuman/non-humanoid intelligent creatures, but they should be rarer. If you have several Seeder species, you have the possibility of several types of non-human species families with different degrees of inter-relation. You could also have isolates - species that are not related to others.

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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@ Puck:

Yes, you have a point there - in a Star Wars-like space opera I would pro-

bably prefer the Trogod to one of those races who look completely different

from humans, but act and talk like the people next door.

If you think of space opera, it should not be too difficult to adapt the Tro-

god. In the end you would only have to replace their magic (they could

still believe that it works, so it could become their religion ?) with techno-

logy and "modernize" their culture, I think.

@ soltakss:

The idea of the Seeder races ... it would be a possibility, but I have to ad-

mit that I do not like it. Our DNA and our entire biochemistry are closely lin-

ked to all the other parts of our planet's biosphere. The Seeding could only

work if the Seeders would seed entire biospheres, because otherwise the

"humans" on other worlds could not even eat native plants and animals, be-

cause a different biochemistry would either prevent them from deriving nou-

rishment from them, or would kill them off immediately. And if the Seeders

would indeed seed entire biospheres, all the inhabited worlds would look mo-

re or less the same ...

However, I am one of those "Hard SF" guys (at least most of the time) and

therefore have a sad tendency to spoil space opera fun - you may just as

well ignore my "grunts" in such cases.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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I've never understood Hard SF.

No FLT Travel, No Jumps through Hyper Space, no HyperSpace, no weird alien species, no immortals, no Psionics, just slowly moving through space to some asteroid or acelerating for months until you reach near-light sped, decelerating until you reach a planet, then going home the same way to find that your baby's grandchildren have grown old and died.

Not my idea of fun, to be honest.

But, there again, I liked Car Wars :)

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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Well, my SF is not that "hard" ... FTL drives and hyperspace tunnels do exist,

since astrophysicists do not rule them out completely (at least some do not),

and weird aliens also do exist - although they usually have to be very alien

to be believable. As for immortals and psionics ... sorry, no.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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Gr

eat work Puck! I'm also in favour for different races to play.

Thanks!, gives me energy to keep going.

An other idea for race, or really a background story, are the Azchirgnoth (Azchir to make it easier to remember). This again is just a proposal. I think with some nipping and tucking they could fold into Rurik’s Akershule. I will descibe them as I originally conceived them here, but of course a lot of edited or adjusting may be necessary, and of course welcome, to make them fit other people’s world ideas.

In the distant mythic past the Akershule I will use Rurik’s now familiar name) had one among them named Koru-su who lusted for power, and was not content with his normal allotted life span. He started messing with things that were forbidden (possibly the gates). Eventually Koru-su was ousted from the council and banished along with a number of his followers. Hundreds of years passed and then when many of the original banishers had died or grown very old Koru-su re-emerged.

In his exile he had made secret pacts with things from the gates and they whispered secrets to him whereby he could become like the gods. Druaga, Lord of the Undeath taught him the secrets of the immortality (not what he imagined though, in order to become truly immortal Koru-su had to become undead). Kosharo, the Mutant Twister of Life had taught him how to create creatures of his own to fill his legions. Although he could not create his races from scratch, he could crossbreed, twist and form others to his liking as well as force them to submit to his will. These creatures are called Kracheeth or simply the created.

Koru su defeats his old nemesis’ and sends his generals and sorcerers, the Azchirnoth, out to conquer the world. To make a long myth short several surviving members of the Akershule sneak though the Azchirgnoth armies and his guards and Slay Koru-su. The Azchirgnoth who have been sent out with armies to conquer and enslave the world set themselves up as independent kings. Immediately after Koru-su’s demise they begin vying for power. Vast wars are fought between the Azchirgnoth. Sorcerers begin trying to create(or possibly summon) nasty kracheeth of their own to throw at one another, they also create diseases to ravage one another's hosts. Though an era rife with slavery and warfare the Azchirgnoth wear each other down.

Finally, much like in Rurik’s Portal, a hoard of northern, horse-riding barbarians arrive on the scene. Through divination, the remaining Azchirgnoth witch kings realize that their time is at an end, their empires are fated to be crushed by the barbaric hoards. (Now here is the important part) Instead of succumbing to their fate, the Azchirgnoth begin to build tombs for themselves hidden in the back countries of their kingdoms. There they deposite ritches and vast libraries of knowledge. They hide and protect these tombs with traps both clever and magical. They too have learned Duaga’s secret of immortality and they lock themselves and their servants up in these tombs and go into the deep slumber of the undead hoping that someday the world will again be ripe for their rule.

The two important things a background like this could offer would be Kraecheeth (unknown horrors created or summoned from a past age that still inhabit the backwaters of the word), and a reason for undead guarded tombs and such. Each writer/contributor could create Kaecheeth that hid is his area of the world or borrow from some-one else if they like. They could come up with stories about the particular Azchirgnoth of their territories as well. Or, of course, they could ignore the thing all together as the Azchirgnoth overlooked or never invaded their part of the world at all. I realize the names are kind of nutty, but they can be changed as well from territory to territory.

….Just and idea to hopefully keep people thinking.

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This is one of the best fantasy backgrounds I have seen for quite a while.

It gives a very good explanation both for the existence of strange monsters

and the existence of dungeons of varying degrees of danger and protection

(the tombs of the Azchir and those of their more or less powerful servants),

and it gives the entire world (or at least the parts once ruled by the Azchir)

a fascinating ancient history that is connected to the Gates.

Please continue, I am looking forward to reading more of your ideas.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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I've never understood Hard SF.

No FLT Travel, No Jumps through Hyper Space, no HyperSpace, no weird alien species, no immortals, no Psionics, just slowly moving through space to some asteroid or acelerating for months until you reach near-light sped, decelerating until you reach a planet, then going home the same way to find that your baby's grandchildren have grown old and died.

Not my idea of fun, to be honest.

But, there again, I liked Car Wars :)

Actually, if you do the Hard ci-Fi with enough hard science it can be interesting. The whole time dilation thing actually makes the times much less pronounced, assume you can get enough fuel. With enough fuel, even at only 1g, you could reach the limits of the universe within your lifetime. So a setting where the "Space Patrol" was viewed as a bunch of immortals (since for an outside view you would age normally, while they would stay young), and somewhat detected from the 'dirters" until it was time to retire, could be interesting.

And there is always a "local Level" SF idea. For instance image what fun could be had with "just" the solar system. We could have people terraforming Mars, mining the ateroid field between Mars and Jupiter, or epliring the other planets and moons. Hard Sci-Fi isn't any more boring that, say, modern day settings.

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

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Finally, much like in Rurik’s Portal, a hoard of northern, horse-riding barbarians arrive on the scene.

Hey, don't forget the horde of southern, moa-riding barbarians arriving at the same time... (Yes, nice one.)

And there is always a "local Level" SF idea. For instance image what fun could be had with "just" the solar system. We could have people terraforming Mars, mining the ateroid field between Mars and Jupiter, or epliring the other planets and moons.

Or even half the solar system - which would fit in the Dyson Sphere - might provide enough fun, especially if the 'gods' had put a Jupiter-like planet inside as well, with it's plethora of moons. Maybe if the Sphere radius was a little a bit more than 1AU, and a planet just like Earth was also in the sky...

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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That's "desert" - unless you're suggesting these amazonian lizard-women live in a morass resembling, say, strawberry yoghurt... ;)

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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That's "desert" - unless you're suggesting these amazonian lizard-women live in a morass resembling, say, strawberry yoghurt... ;)

Amazon women. In yoghurt. Wrestling. Hmmm ......

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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Gr

Thanks!, gives me energy to keep going.

An other idea for race, or really a background story, are the Azchirgnoth (Azchir to make it easier to remember). This again is just a proposal. I think with some nipping and tucking they could fold into Rurik’s Akershule. I will descibe them as I originally conceived them here, but of course a lot of edited or adjusting may be necessary, and of course welcome, to make them fit other people’s world ideas.

In the distant mythic past the Akershule I will use Rurik’s now familiar name) had one among them named Koru-su who lusted for power, and was not content with his normal allotted life span. He started messing with things that were forbidden (possibly the gates). Eventually Koru-su was ousted from the council and banished along with a number of his followers. Hundreds of years passed and then when many of the original banishers had died or grown very old Koru-su re-emerged.

In his exile he had made secret pacts with things from the gates and they whispered secrets to him whereby he could become like the gods. Druaga, Lord of the Undeath taught him the secrets of the immortality (not what he imagined though, in order to become truly immortal Koru-su had to become undead). Kosharo, the Mutant Twister of Life had taught him how to create creatures of his own to fill his legions. Although he could not create his races from scratch, he could crossbreed, twist and form others to his liking as well as force them to submit to his will. These creatures are called Kracheeth or simply the created.

Koru su defeats his old nemesis’ and sends his generals and sorcerers, the Azchirnoth, out to conquer the world. To make a long myth short several surviving members of the Akershule sneak though the Azchirgnoth armies and his guards and Slay Koru-su. The Azchirgnoth who have been sent out with armies to conquer and enslave the world set themselves up as independent kings. Immediately after Koru-su’s demise they begin vying for power. Vast wars are fought between the Azchirgnoth. Sorcerers begin trying to create(or possibly summon) nasty kracheeth of their own to throw at one another, they also create diseases to ravage one another's hosts. Though an era rife with slavery and warfare the Azchirgnoth wear each other down.

Finally, much like in Rurik’s Portal, a hoard of northern, horse-riding barbarians arrive on the scene. Through divination, the remaining Azchirgnoth witch kings realize that their time is at an end, their empires are fated to be crushed by the barbaric hoards. (Now here is the important part) Instead of succumbing to their fate, the Azchirgnoth begin to build tombs for themselves hidden in the back countries of their kingdoms. There they deposite ritches and vast libraries of knowledge. They hide and protect these tombs with traps both clever and magical. They too have learned Duaga’s secret of immortality and they lock themselves and their servants up in these tombs and go into the deep slumber of the undead hoping that someday the world will again be ripe for their rule.

The two important things a background like this could offer would be Kraecheeth (unknown horrors created or summoned from a past age that still inhabit the backwaters of the word), and a reason for undead guarded tombs and such. Each writer/contributor could create Kaecheeth that hid is his area of the world or borrow from some-one else if they like. They could come up with stories about the particular Azchirgnoth of their territories as well. Or, of course, they could ignore the thing all together as the Azchirgnoth overlooked or never invaded their part of the world at all. I realize the names are kind of nutty, but they can be changed as well from territory to territory.

….Just and idea to hopefully keep people thinking.

I too see a lot of similarities between the Akershule and your ideas. I'll upload my history of Portal to the Wiki. All of this of course is open to reconcilliation. The Akershule were not expansionist in my original concept, though they could well be one enclave of a race that in fact is in many parts of the world (connected by gates) or some such.

I completely envisioned them as coming back as undead in my original campaign storyline.

Good Ideas, keep it all coming! :)

Help kill a Trollkin here.

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I too see a lot of similarities between the Akershule and your ideas.

Thought so but without confirmation I was not really sure. One Major difference that may have an impact is time. I originally had them older than a couple of hundred years. I was thinking in terms of a closer to a thousand. (I am always stunned by the fact that the pyramids were as old to Caesar as he is to our time). Would this mess up anything you have planned? That gives plenty of time for people writing there own histories to add past empires and do some history of their own.

I'll upload my history of Portal to the Wiki.

Seriously looking forward to it.

The Akershule were not expansionist in my original concept, though they could well be one enclave of a race that in fact is in many parts of the world (connected by gates) or some such.

This could still work very well! The Azchirgnoth could take on a slightly different character and history in each setting. We could also say they only took some areas of the world (this of course leaves people the ability to leave them out of their land completely). Some could be powerful sorcerers, others great generals and Conquerers (giving for different types of undead). They could even specialize in different type of magic or monster creation(kaecheeth) as the individual writer would have it. Lot of raw canvass availible under a common idea.

Good Ideas, keep it all coming!

Thank you very much :) I deeply respect your opinions.

Please do me a favor and let me know about the items and ideas that will not work with your worlds and ideas. Also let me know if anything starts to get a little corny or stupid. I have a tendancy to get a little carried away with this stuff when I get fired up. It is an awful lot of fun right now though.:thumb:

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Or even half the solar system - which would fit in the Dyson Sphere - might provide enough fun, especially if the 'gods' had put a Jupiter-like planet inside as well, with it's plethora of moons. Maybe if the Sphere radius was a little a bit more than 1AU, and a planet just like Earth was also in the sky...

A brighter star could support life out to a farther distance. If we really wanted a bigger Dyson Sphere it could be done. We could also have a smaller sphere if the sun is dimmer.

Just don't tell Rurik the sun in dim. :P

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

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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... ;)

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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Bad luck ... the law proposed last year by the current head of state of Bava-

ria included violence against "human-like creatures" as well, and demanded up

to two years in prison for anyone owning such a game - in fact it treated so-

called "killer games" exactly like child pornography.

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

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Darn. Looks like Bunnies & Burrows might be in for a renaissance in Bavaria, though... :)

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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