Post by Infynis on Jan 23, 2018 23:21:43 GMT
It is said that where mankind goes, civilisation inexorably follows. In truth however, while much of the land may be populated by man, there are few stalwart bastions of culture. The world of Urima has three such bastions, nations of scale significant enough affect the lives of each other’s citizens. Together they make up the population of The Tranquil Sea, as well as the vast majority of the population of the entire world. For the most part, the people of these great states are content to live out their lives within the borders of their land, or aboard ships upon The Sea, but as bountiful as this land is, there are some that are pulled to a different lifestyle, one rooted in ancient myth and legend, stories about the very creation of the world.
Beyond The Barrier Mountains, which encircle the land of Anbesa, at the throat of the enormous gulf that is The Tranquil Sea, is the rest of the world, known to the People of the Sea as The Wilds. These lands do not easily bear crops, nor is the terrain hospitable to settlement. Extreme weather plagues those that venture here, and their every step is dogged by vicious beasts seen nowhere else. Life in The Wilds is a constant back and forth between humankind, and nature, as each tries to vanquish the other. It takes a certain aptitude to survive in these harsh environs, and a particularly powerful drive to succeed. Those that attempt it are dubbed Explorers.
With the few exceptions of some opportunistic Lugarans, the Explorers have all entered The Wilds for the same reason, to reach the End of the World. The way the ancient lore goes, when the gods created Urima, they created The Tranquil Sea to be a paradise for humanity. It is shielded on three sides by The Barrier Mountains, and the fourth is made impassable by the border of The Rent Sea. Within this haven, life is easy. It is said though that when the gods completed their work, they issued a challenge to their mortal children, of which The Tranquil Sea is but the first of many tests.
“Seek us out!” was the command given to men. “Find the strength to leave your utopia, and trek to The End of the World! There, you will be rewarded.” But in the following five millenia, their promise has gone untested. Few that enter into The Wilds return, and those that do, do so in defeat or cowardice. No one knows how far these troubled lands extend, nor what lies in wait at The End. It is unclear if anyone ever will reach the gods, but that has never prevented attempts in the past, and it seems unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future. Maybe that anyone could be you.
The Three Nations:
Anbesa -
The most prosperous of the nations upon The Tranquil Sea, Anbesa nestles on the coast of Urima’s only continent, between the water and The Barrier Mountains. Its mining operations in The Mountains have lead to considerable technological advancement, and this nation boasts the largest standing navy of Ironsides. Its culture is boisterous, with much of the people’s resources invested in the arts. Its capital, Bellezza, is known as The City of Many Colours, as each of its gracefully soaring buildings are painted in an endless variation of rainbow hues. Despite the lighthearted inclination of its people however, Anbesa is one side of a military rivalry, and its wars with Scopra have caused its people considerable hardship.
Scopra -
On a large volcanic island on the border of The Rent Sea is the nation of Scopra. These people are ones of cool temperament and logic, as if to contrast their location abutting the endlessly storming oceans. They pride themselves on the order of their culture, and the ability of their government to provide for each and every one of its citizens. Marmur, the capital of Scopra, is a great grid upon its island’s mountainside, with perfectly straight streets, and endlessly running systems of cable cars, to access its countless pristine buildings. For reasons now lost to the mists of time, they are entrenched in a feud with the nation of Anbesa, frequently requiring the deployment of their fleet of Ironsides to combat that of the Anbesans. Though there are portions of the people that believe the wars to be senseless and exclusively destructive, Scopra is unable to attain peace, as they cannot trust Anbesa to stand down.
Lugar -
The third nation in The Tranquil Sea, in more ways than one, is the Confederation of Lugar. Unlike the other two states, Lugar is more a collection of different interest groups than a solid country. This is perhaps caused by the Confederation’s being spread over a wide archipelago toward the South of The Tranquil Sea. Lugar does not have a single capital city, but instead, each island acts as its own city-state, coming together only to form syndicates, or for mutual defence against occasional raids by the other nations. They have no standing navy, and only a handful of Ironsides, purchased from Anbesa. They are by far the most culturally diverse of the nations, with each island having its own variation on life, but there is one thing that unites almost all Lugarans: mercantilism. They do not engage in foolish wars like the people of the other nations. Instead, they plunder through trade. There is likely only one phrase that can sum up all Lugarans: business-savvy.
Map of The Tranquil Sea:
Courtesy of Vazad
Character Creation
As you’ve likely guessed, you’ll be playing as Explorers. There aren’t many limitations on what that means, except those imposed by natural laws. If you can’t survive past The Barrier Mountains, you can’t be an Explorer, meaning applicants should not be children, or extremely elderly. You can hail from any of the three nations, and don’t have to be constrained by the stereotypes of their people, though it would be worthwhile to consider what that would mean for your character in their home setting.
Players start at level 3 with a level 15 starter. Your starter must be a non-pseudo legendary (and non-legendary) underdog, with at least one evolution, and it cannot have already evolved due to the weak nature of Pokemon within The Tranquil Sea. You each begin with ₱6000 to do with as you please, as well as 5 basic balls, 3 potions, 2 enriched water, a tent, a flashlight and a lighter (which are fluffed as a handheld lantern and tinderbox). Weapons cost their low prices, as they are generally seen as necessary for adventuring beyond The Mountains. All playtests save the d20 capture rules are in use, and you have access to the core book and Game of Throhs. Alola Pokemon are allowed, and will be taken from this Dex.
Elementalists and other supernatural classes are uncommon, but not unheard of. They are often pressured into Exploring, or their nation’s militaries.
Banned Starters: Nincada, Wynaut, Pineco, Porygon, Onix, Wailmer, Dwebble, Vanillite, Minccino, Honedge, Aron
I will be accepting four applicants for this game. Additionally, there is a pregame Discord chat that you should participate in if you want to be considered. Applications will be open until February 9th at 11:59 EST.