Four Settings

 Some stuff I've thrown together. Just some summaries.

Human Species, By Ettore Mazza

1. Kith and Kin

Most common one I've posted about thus far. A stone age/copper age/very eary bronze age survival ttrpg. The focus is most often survival, but Kith and Kin is a personal setting with a lot of my own ideas thrown in, so its got some strangeness in it.

"Races" are various species of human and sometimes other things. The setting is animistic and generally speaking the timeframe of "technology" is pushed up. Things are a bit anachronistic but instead of leaning into it for comedy I'm leaning into it to show how alien the world is. Its not Earth, but it should feel somewhat familiar.

Tone varies based on location. The main broad region is two continents that form a huge sea between them (just called the Northern and Southern continents right now) which sort of act as rough analogs to Eurasia and Africa (geographically at least, I've done very little in terms of making real world cultures part of Kith and Kin for a number of reasons I might go into later). There are also rumors of more distant lands. The Land of the Turtle is a rumored land, supposedly with just as much people and variation as the two continents thus far, and there's at least two more beyond that.

I've written quite a bit about it already.

Rest Stop, 4:36 am. Source.

2. Hidden Worlds

Modern "new weird" and occult horror setting. Been a little bit underdeveloped for a while, but its essentially the real world with a lot of paranormal shit going on. People are at least vaguely aware of it but its about as distant to the average person as specific criminal organizations on another hemisphere are. This setting is less concerned with broad scale differences and more with the weird shit on a more personal level, though there is some broad scale differences regardless. Regardless this setting is best conveyed through lists of oddities, rather than descriptions of whatever broad scale stuff there is, so I'm going to save that for its own post.

3. Upon The Deathless Corpse

A planet-sized alien "deity" has "died" but the remnants of its worshippers across many worlds, internal and external fauna, divine servants and so forth have lead to an ecology forming. Where decay holds the planet might seem almost like the real world, albeit with larger mushrooms, alien skies, and an abundance of alien fauna. Elsewhere its flesh yet lives and grows. In some places its growth has gone wild and given birth to monsters and demigods, like tumors born from its flesh.

Its divine animus is indestructible, so it must take new shapes, it incarnates in the things born from its corpse. This death is more a transmutation. Its divine psyche is also indestructible, but can be splintered and fragmented. This has given rise to an astral realm, a proto-afterlife, and strange spirits. Its divine will is also indestructible, and has led to the slowly forming new gods in its psyche and corpse.

In some sense its tragic, this god is dead, but in other senses its not dead at all. The gods of this world are born from its fragmenting will and psyche, and so remember being one with it. Maybe they are still one with it?

An alternative version has this as a whole multiverse that was a corpse, the corpse of some impossible meta-being. The cosmology forged from its deathless corpse. I like that version too so I'm mentioning it, but its not the main version. 

James Webb Deep Field.

4. The Flourishing Void

Semi-Utopian Sci Fi. Skerples beat me to it but I'm still gonna post about it because its been in the works for months by now. It began when I was watching star trek and thought "wow life is so common in this, but what if they were genuinely alien?"

The feeling its meant to convey is a sort of awe. Life on earth is complex. Animals are just one branch of the eukaryotes, and don't even show up in their own category on the cladogram that shows up on Wikipedia. And Eukaryotes are just one Domain of three (Eukaryota, Bacteria, Archaea). Life is fractally complex on earth. We only see so much at once but there are 2.16 million described animal species alone, and an estimated 7.77 million total. And this changes as new ones slowly split off and evolve.

Now imagine a cosmos where life is abundant from world to world. Not "more common" than lifeless worlds but common enough. Imagine the sheer diversity of each individual world, even primordial ones that have not yet had their "Cambrian Explosion" analog. Imagine each one just as intricate and complex as our own. Now remember that alternative biochemistries exist in this cosmos and try to imagine just how much more diversity that injects into it.

The closest and longest-standing allies to humans are Crustaceomorphs, a quadrupedal species with four manipulator limbs, two for dexterity and two for crushing strength. Through sheer cosmic coincidence their biosphere is roughly compatible with our own, biochemically, and they occupied a similar niche to humans in their history, leading to a bizarre familiarity between the two. Other aliens, even ones with minds radically distinct from our own, are also allies, or at least cordial and friendly. Many have learned that cooperative tactics, symbiosis and mutualism are pathways forwards, and so tend to adhere to these principles.

There are a few "big lies" in the setting that allow for some other weird stuff. Warp Drives work, forming a distortion of spacetime in front of and behind the star ship that uses them (these might work irl but they have some problems that need to be accounted for). Certain hyper-tensile materials exist, allowing for the construction of megastructures. Most populations live in Dyson swarms around lifeless suns. Psionics exists, but has specific scientific principles that I can lay out in another post ("Mind" has a field of its own, like electromagnetism, the Higgs field, Etc.)

Part of the inspiration also came from when I saw that the federation in star trek had 350 member worlds at its peak. Sorry, what? The milky way galaxy has 100-400 billion stars. So there's a sense of scale here that I want to convey as well.

Kith and Kin: d12 Campaign Settings

 Some settings in Kith and Kin. These are all survival-sandboxes, just with a different (likely changing) status quo for each one. Some are easier to survive in than others.

1. Verdant Labyrinth

Life flourishes in the eternal rainforest, even the fires from the heavens or the monuments of great empires only scar it for a generation, before the Green closes in and reclaims what rightfully belongs to it. Tribes cautiously migrate among the tangle of life, for while the tangle feeds all equally, so too does it hide both hunter and hunted. They are not alone, as animal life surges with equal vitality to the green itself, and things far more alien dance on branches that should not hold their weight. Even the plants themselves can be dangerous, to those who lack knowledge. The berries of one tree may make a feast, while those of another may be filled with the most potent of poisons. Yet these are said to barely compare to the secrets hidden deep in the tangled green itself. Some of these hidden secrets are sure to still live, not a ruin swallowed by the rainforest, but a place in tandem with it.

2. Along the Great River

For generations many tribes have called the savannahs home, the era has been one of peaceful stagnation. Now, however, some have settled along the great river, building monuments to their revered leaders and to spirits who's names you have never heard, and who's nature is different to those you are familiar with. The spirit of the river grows restless, and thus so do all other spirits along its bank. Soothsayers see fires on the futures horizon, but if they are the fires of a warm hearth, or of a great conflagration, none yet can say. The future remains unwritten, even as some prepare for conflict, and some prepare for new alliances.

Ring of Brodgar, Orkney

3. Valley of Megaliths

The stones were here before all others. Great matricies and concentric circles of immense megaliths, set into the earth to ensure their lasting stability. Many are etched with strange symbols and diagrams of a nature unknown. Their very presence seems to charge the valley with a spiritual presence. Who built them, none who still live can say. As new cultures establish themselves in this strange place, the spirits grow restless. Rumors and stories of strange figures with burning eyes, wearing cloaks as black as pitch, of man and beasts with with masks that depict the other and of things far far stranger still, emerging from hidden places deep within the earth, and wandering among the great megaliths. The entire valley holds its breath, waiting.

4. The Archipelago

Humanity thrives, the islands and the sea grant bounty incomprehensible, but the spirits of the sea remain ineffable and inhuman. Each island, or small cluster of islands, holds but one tribe that lives by the grace of the islands spirit, the tribes patron. A comfortable situation, for most, as even an uncaring spirit may show kindness on a whim. But spirits that have been active for generations have grown silent, and spirits that have laid dormant for ages have begun to stir. Mountains that billow plumes of smoke and ash whisper prophecy, and things who's forms belong to no animal recognized by the islanders reach for the surface and invade the dreams of mortals. Few are unaffected, especially as strange groups have started to form, seeking to understand the mysteries of the deep.

5. The Eternal Winter

Creeping ice and snow is all that is known to the tribes who dwell here. The night, temporarily held at bay by the soft rays of the sun, laughs with glee. The dead grow restless as the dark encroaches, and spirits darker still creep between the pines. The glacial spirits of the great mountains of ice hold their court with no concern for the brief flickering flames of mortal life. Food is scarce, even between the evergreens. But still the living endure, even as things that never should be named lurk just beyond the edge of the camps, eager to snatch away what scraps of life they find. When summer comes, there is brief respite as the latest of snow melts under the brief surge in the suns strength, but when the deep winter returns, the daylight is swallowed by midnight for an entire moon.

Thorn Tree, In the Namib Desert

6. The Deserts Due

The Desert is a harsh land. Its shifting dunes and mirages confound even the keenest of senses. Yet even here, humanity endures. The hardy plants that grow here act as a source of nurturing water, their roots and berries filled with the essence necessary for life itself, and game is equally vital to the survival of those who dwell here. The great tribes that dwell here migrate between great oases, who's spirits favor may be the life or death of entire cultures. Yet even those who do not rely on the oases may survive. Spirits of illusion, flame and sand rush through the desert, and all pay their due to the great storm spirits, for when the rain comes the harsh scarcity of the desert is banished for a short time.

7. Herders of the Steppes

The mammoth steppes are a testament to the vast power and scale of the great Mammoths, for their very presence forces the spirits to acquiesce to their will. While the mammoths are hunted occasionally, the cultures here prefer to herd smaller animals. Goats, Yak, Auroch and more. This has been for millennia, but strange times are always ahead. The spirits the herders so revere have begun to recognize the presence of a few mighty spirits, who's potency and scope are said to cover the whole of the steppe, and who's wisdom is said to elevate them yet further. This new paradigm has split the herders, some of whom differ to these new mighty spirits, some of whom wish to continue the elder ways. A few, however, turn to darker things, sorcerous arts to enslave spirits, either to field against the new paradigm, or for it.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

8. Sky-Spires of the Alchemists

Great spires of earth reach for the heavens and in the forests between them people make their lives. The peaks of these great mountains are reserved for the most sacred of shrines, wisest of mystics and the spirits themselves, for few others even survive the treacherous journey. Rope-bridges and ladders make the journeys easier, but the fear alone makes even these journeys harsh. In recent years, some trained by the mystics and who possess knowledge of the stones and herbs have taken to a novel path of study, refining and studying the physical and metaphysical properties of the substances of the world. The spirits aid and hinder this path equally, and the old authority is split. Does this new path equate with Sorcery? Or Mysticism? Or is it something entirely new?

9. Endless Village of Stone

Where land meets sea at the mouth of a great river, the First City sprawls. Founded so many generations ago that none know its true origin anymore, it stretches from horizon to horizon and beyond, its great concentric walls divide it both from the outside, and the inside. The hundreds, potentially thousands, of spirits once of the land it now occupies, were granted shrines and temples to satisfy their need for a dwelling, and they have grown potent and strange off of the worship, sacrifices and environment of the city. The culture of the city is far different than you are used to, there are classes and inheritance and poverty, but so too is there strange hope and joys. Yet there are whispers of something beneath the city, that it was not the first to stand here, that the sewage system connects to deeper tunnels where things stranger than spirits dwell.

10. The Sacred Delta

Of all the lands, this delta holds the most sacred substances known. A vast delta that becomes an even vaster wetland. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of different entheogenic substances here, such that even some animal life is said to bestow visions when consumed. The great spirit of this place is not a passive occupant, like others. A many-headed serpent-crocodilian of venom and poison, who slays by simply severing the spirit from the flesh. Yet it is not an evil spirit, merely wild and protective. A necessary trait to have, for those from outside the delta sometimes seek to conquer it for its rich mystical bounty, wielding enchanted and metal weaponry, yet none have succeeded thus far.

11. Desolation

Mountains upon mountains, climbing high into the clouds. Lava flows and noxious fumes plume into the skies, and the rains carry the very hunger of the earthly spirits themselves, eating away at metal and flesh. This land is the most hostile to life of all mentioned thus far, its spirits are wild and uncaring for the living and even other spirits. Burning serpentine beasts wheel through the heavens and hungering beasts descend from the clouds of noxious fumes, riding the acidic rain itself. So few dwell here that some call it bereft of all folk. Yet there are pockets of life even here, clustered in caves and rock shelters, only daring to leave to hunt and forage when things are relatively calm.

12. Islands Woven by Hand

In the open ocean, life is lived by boat or by island. The seas bring bounty that cannot be measured, but so to does it bring doom and hardship. Most of the open ocean live by the sails of their great ships, pausing briefly at islands and beseeching the spirits of wind and storm to aid them in their travel. Yet a new innovation has arisen. Certain sea plants can be forced to grow upon other structures, anchoring too them. It was first used by those nautical nomads, to cultivate food as they travel, supplementing their diets, stabilizing their ships (albeit slowing them down a fair bit), and acting as a lure for aquatic game. However, some island cultures have learned to use it to artificially expand their island homes, weaving vast nets of tough sea-plant anchored to cliff-faces, coral reefs and other tough shallow places. Thanks to this innovation, the population and power of these island-tribes has boomed. Yet the sea may not tolerate much more intrusion into its dominion, and though these floating villages are hardy and flexible, they have yet to become fully immune to the ravages of the great storms.

Inspiration List

Verdant Labyrinth is inspired by how some rainforests, if given the right infusion of soil-repairing nutrients, can transform a very deforested and lifeless zone into more rainforest in just a decade or two.

Along The Great River is basically proto-Egypt or proto-Mesopotamia. Any "river valley leads to sedentary culture" case really.

Valley of Megaliths is inspired by the various megalithic sites around the globe, and the notion of living among the remnants of a much older culture.

The Archipelago is mostly inspired by, of all things, the How To Train Your Dragon books, but its mostly my invention. If it lines up with any real cultural stuff that'd be neat, but I kind of doubt it.

The Eternal Winter is basically circumpolar land meets a bunch of undead, dark spirits and ice-fairies.

The Deserts Due is mostly just inspired by how desert forager cultures live, with little else. The spirit description is probably inspired by Djinni and similar concepts though.

Herders of the Steppes is inspired by some of the history around the Proto-Indo-European cultures, the idea being that this is before even them, the "Gods" are new in this one.

Sky-Spires of the Alchemists is inspired a little bit by Avatar: The Last Airbender (with mystics living on the top of spire-like mountains), but is mostly an excuse to have the emergence of Alchemy (neither "western" or "eastern", ideally an invented tradition) in this setting.

Endless village of stone pulls a bit from City of A Hundred Gods, but also from pretty much every other fantasy metropolis.

The Sacred Delta is an old setting of mine (initially for Pariah), and probably has these floating in the rivers and wetlands (but more in line with pariahs entheogen format).

Desolation is inspired by "The Great Dying", the worst extinction event that has occurred thus far on earth, but also by the Siberian Traps, which are the result of the volcanic shit that caused it.

Islands Woven By Hand is one of my favorites of these, but I think I need to write out a full post before I'm actually satisfied with it. The seaweed-net stuff is cool, but I think I'll need to go into detail about it before I'm fully fine with it. Inspiration-wise I'm unsure.

The places where its harder to survive have less "plot" going on since the likely focus is going to be "survive." Not that I wouldn't put some shifting status quo in the background...

Anyways, I'll probably have more of these locked and loaded sooner or later. These being both settings and lists/tables like this.

Some Spirits

 System agnostic and/or FKR. Your pick. Even if I was making them for OSE, I wouldn't give them stats. Spirits aren't mortal, and you aren't going to be able to hit them hard enough to do anything permanent to them. You don't get that luxury.

(That isn't to say you can't physically punch a spirit. It might be possible, especially with those who have very material manifestations, but its not going to do much more than buy some time.)

CW for the "Skindog" entry. Body horror, mutilation, (both specifically around skin and eyes), desecration of the dead, and a fucked up fantasy disease (like hypothermia on sterioids).

The others are nicer I promise.

Great River Spirit

It is the spirit of the river that fuels all life at its banks, and the savannahs beyond it. A serpent covered in green fur, or perhaps river-algae, nine paces wide and of a length that cannot be estimated. Some say it winds forever, slithering through both the material and immaterial worlds.

Around its head, the "fur" forms a great mane, like that of a lions, though green as the rest. It has the face of a human, androgynous and breathtakingly beautiful, though its ears are pointed, furred and swivel like those of a deer. A bulls horns sprout from its head, a crown one is truly born with. It opens its mouth and there are great fangs as long as scimitars, rows and rows and rows that seem to open to eternity. Its eyes are like great black pearls set into its face, with rings of glowing gold set in as irises.

Though its manifestation is great, it is not a showy spirit. It manifests infrequently, more often as a mere premonition. Ripples in the river that go against its flow, impossibly. A glimpse of its fur, the glint of gold in the silt. These glimpses are held by the wise ones to be signs of its favor, or its displeasure. Though most often it alternates between passive disinterest and cautious curiosity.

It is a spirit that comes and goes as it pleases. Only the truly mighty and skilled could ever hope to summon, bind or exorcise it. And even then, it likely would not stick...

To channel a fraction of its power grants one a measure of control over the currents and flooding of its river, and a degree of influence over any river one may encounter, as their spirits would instinctively recognize the favor of their kin.

It is said to be able to teach one the arts of the serpents, to strike empty handed and yet leave venom in your foes blood, to twist and flex in impossible ways, and to take upon the very form of a serpent, but if so it has not shared this secret in generations.

Mushwisps

They dwell beneath the soil of forests of many kinds, though they favor those that grow the sacred mushrooms. They are spirits of connection, of mutualism and symbiosis, and so it is kindness and aid that can bring their favor.

Their appearance is preceded by the sprouting of sacred mushrooms, typically in circular, spiraled or networked patterns. This is a gift they give willingly and freely, as the mushrooms would have to sprout regardless.

They do not often manifest, but one can see them if they partake of the sacred substances. They look like glimmering cobwebs, dancing on winds that do not exist. The "cobwebs" flicker and glow with different colors, dancing between them all at once. Other sorts of spirits, unique or common, may dance among them, as they are an easy companion to make.

They often congregate in great numbers, for individually they are little more than a flicker of power. They are never alone, even when they are not congregating, and they will favor those that seek companionship and help, as well as those who give it, drawing them together.

All spirits are difficult to channel, but these ones require little in the way of convincing. However one cannot channel only one of them, and it is very difficult to convince only a few of them to, for they are reluctant to part individually.

If one succeeds, they find that they grow luckier in opportunities for mutualistic relationships, in forming relationships, and if they are learned in the Arts they will find that sympathetic magic gleefully springs to their fingertips. However, the host will come to find that perishables that remain in their presence for more than a day are prone to sprouting mushrooms. These will often be common ones, but occasionally rarer ones may emerge...

Lunar Owls

They are meddlers, and prefer to manifest, rather than simply observe. They are preceded by the sight of blood diffusing in waters that are illuminated by a full moon. This is a major component of rituals to summon them, which must be conducted under the full moon.

They sometimes simply take the form of an owl, albiet one in impossible shades and sizes. Like the owl, they fly silently and hunt with absolute precision, but this is not why they are summoned.

More often, they take a theriocephalic form. They appear as nude figures, of any gender or combination, albeit lacking genitalia and nipples. They have an owls head with eyes like the full moon, dextrous birds-feet with great talons for feet and hands, and either great wings with a wingspan of six times their considerable height, or a cloak of owl-feathers.

Their skin is extraordinarily smooth, like that of a baby, or like silk, and so pale as to almost be luminescent under the moonlight. This gives them their most common euphemism, "Ghost-Owls."

They deal in memories, blood and secrets, and they will exchange these with a subject. They are not hunters, despite their skill, they "partners" and "patrons." They will exchange much for blood, and when it is agreed to be given their beaks will open, and a long spiny tongue will emerge to swiftly swipe away their payment.

It is said that there are very few of these spirits who descend to the earth regularly. They are prideful and find the mortal world to be beneath their interest. Those that do offer arcane and sorcerous secrets in exchange for blood, but the blood required to learn such things is far to much for just one to bare. This concerns them little.

They can be warded with certain herbal smokes and ritual chants, protective circles, as well as by the coming of the dawn, and by lunar eclipse.

To channel their power, one must regularly offer blood. The source is irelevant, but they enjoy variety. Do this, and they will grant you their ability to see through illusions and lies, to move silently, and to move through the air impossibly. Please them especially well, or provide genuinely enthralling entertainment, and they may offer arcane secrets for very little or even no blood. However, to host their spirit is to take upon their thirst, and while normal food and drink will sustain you, nothing with match the rush of fresh blood.

Skindogs

Conjured by sorcerers of a darker disposition, these spirits make a dangerous, though valuable, reperitore of servants. Native to the darker pits of the Lands of the Dead, these spirits coagulate from bloodshed, venom, defilement and hatred that persists beyond death.

Their unmanifest presence can be ascertained by the clotting of blood, the unforeseen worsening of the effects of venoms and poisons, and the nervousness of animal life, which will become quiet as they move through the world.

They are horrifying when manifested. Imagine a dog that can walk upright as a man, imagine it can hold tools and weave delicately with its hands, imagine it stripped of all its skin, with its eyes left as pitch black pits in its skeletal face. Imagine it may laugh a pitched laugh and descend upon its victims with claws and fangs dripping with dark malice. Imagine what act must be performed to bring such a thing into this world.

Their claws and fangs are not venomous in the way a snakebite is. They carry a dark curse, rather than a physical venom. Victims will find themselves with a horrific fever, that slowly gives way to a dark chill. Unlike freezing to death, there is not the mercy of an eventual warmth as your body ceases to be able to recognize the cold. This curse will force the chill to grow impossibly deeper.

In the terminal stages, visions assail the victim. They can glimpse the world of the dead. Far more unfortunately, the Skindog will be able to track the victim so long as the curse exists in their veins.

Those unfortunate who fall victim to them will perish, but the Skindog may yet inhabit their corpse, driving it to further horrors. The spirit will tend to mutilate the body ritually, stripping away skin and eyes.

They are summoned by a defiling blood rite. A corpse must be ritually prepared, for the spirit to emerge from, and a bowl of blood must be mixed with a toxic substance of some kind. The resulting mixture must be poured over the body and its eyes and lips (at the very least) must be removed. If successful, the creature will inhabit the corpse, and may yet emerge from it.

If channeled, they allow you to infuse your weapons, bites and magic with their accursed venom, though you will suffer from constant pain that you will never, never grow completely used to.

Binding it is a different matter. Exorcisms involve salts, healing herbs, spices and incense, all of which drive the spirit to a destructive fury, yet force that fury inward. Though not guaranteed to succeed (unless an impressive amount of each substance is used), the spirit will likely appear to tear itself apart from sheer rage. The spirit has in fact, died. However the spirit was already dead, and may yet be summoned again. Similar treatments can purge its curse from its victims, and must be done so before or after its death, for if the victim does die in the later stages the spirit can use them as a way back into the land of the living.

The Thing That Fell

Of all the spirits presented thus far, this one is most associated with a physical location.

As you approach it, the rainforest grows more and more tangled, and more and more active, until you are fighting against actively coiling vines and swaying trees to get through. They hold no malice, they do not even realize you are there. Cutting through will only cause them to grow more tangled, as they supernaturally burst with yet more vitality. Move with the plants, and you will find passing through a simple (though drawn out), process.

Eventually you will emerge from the tangle, into the crater itself. The plant life refuses to move or grow into the crater itself, forming a wall of sorts.

The crater is enormous. A kilometer wide and half a kilometer deep, and there at its heart, that which fell from the heavens.

Once you come within a quarter of a kilometer of the great thing, the sky will change. Regardless of the time, it will be lit as if it were twilight, and stars will be visible. Strange stars you have never seen, in colors that stars never are.

It will be like the night sky completely unblemished by light that would interfere with you seeing it, yet alien. No milky way, but spirals and networks and contorted globular formations. All alien. All beautiful.

Reading this sky may reveal many things, but this is beyond the scope of this post.

The object at its heart is impossible. A glossy black geometric object of uncountable and ever-shifting sides and vertices, etched with constantly shifting glyphs and sigils. It is ten meters wide, and when coming within tens of meters of it, reality will seem to become more fluid. You will find inconsistencies in how you percieve the earth beneath you, the rainforest beyond and even the dimensions of space and time. The sky will remain unchanged, and the fallen things position and properties will be unchanged. All else will seem inconsistent.

Making contact with the object will allow you to channel its power if you possess the necessary skill, otherwise you will fall into a trance and find yourself outside of the crater, having lost several hours of time. If you succeed it will grant you some strange property or ability which defies the rules of creation. What you gain is not consistent. Perhaps you can find faster ways between two places than a straight line, or perhaps you can impose a bit of its destabilizing nature on the world around you, or perhaps you learn the secret to some strange new form of sorcery.

When you dream, you will dream of the Fallen Thing and the alien sky. You will dream of strange places that you've never been. You will dream of other skies as well, all alien, many with objects you do not have names for. When your mind wanders, the sky will seem to warp into these alien skies.

Perhaps there are spirits you will find in these dreams, in these alien lands and skies.

If the Fallen Thing can act, it never does. If it can think, it shows no signs.

The Books Were Wrong: Gnolls

 Sort of a play report, I suppose.

The Books Were Wrong is a "Sourcebook-Altering" game. Dan did a thing for it here, about Kobolds. Since its basically a game about empathetic fantasy anthropology, I think it was inevetable that I would do this at least once.

I choose Gnolls because their entries read like either the most heinous propaganda you've ever read, or like a report using only said heinous propaganda as sources.

Using the monster manual entry from 5e. Maybe I'll do the volos guide to monsters one later, but that ones long as shit. I'm still calling the author "Volo" out of spite though.

This can be said to be a part of my Kith and Kin setting, but but the only "canon" parts are the ones that don't contradict other things.

On Gnolls

Gnolls are feral humanoids that attack settlements along the frontiers and borderlands of civilization without warning, slaughtering victims and devouring their flesh.

Volo states that Gnolls attack settlements on "frontiers" and "borderlands" which would be the most notable element of this opening, if the entire thing were not one of the most egregious examples of demonization that I have had the misfortune of encountering.

The culture Volo was part of was a particular Youngfolk culture native to the northern coasts of the southern continent. While several centuries prior to this document this culture had been relatively confined to these regions, it rapidly expanded through both violence and diplomacy, establishing a wide territory, which lasted until a few centuries ago, with a total "lifespan" of aproximately 500 years, give or take two or three centuries based on a few ambiguities of what constitues a direct successor-state.

Volo appears to be referring to Gnoll retaliation against forces which were encroaching on traditionally Gnoll-held savannahs and rainforests at the time, characterizing this retaliation as offensive, rather than defensive. While the aggressive expansionism would be more than enough to suspect this, consultation with Gnoll oral historians appears to confirm this, and provided insight into some unexpected elements of this document.

This is characterized as "Feral" in this document, which is such an egregious example of dehumanization that I must conclude this document was intended as a propaganda peice to further galvanize military action.

Demonic Origin. The origin of the gnolls traces back to the time when the demon lord Yeenoghu found his way to the material plane and ran amok. Packs of ordinary hyenas followed in his wake, scavenging the demon lord's kills. Those hyenas were transformed into the first gnolls, parading after Yeenoghu until he was banished back to the Abyss. The Gnolls then scattered across the face of the world, a dire reminder of demonic power.

Appears to be a garbled version of a cosmogenic tale common to gnolls. While gnolls do possess distinct cultures, this tale appears to be common among the majority of the ones I had the pleasure of interacting with, though certain details differ. This is notable due to the distance these cultures had with each other (in some cases, essentially on opposing sides of the southern continent itself).

The most consistent features of the cosmogony that are relevant to this document is that some entity that embodies primordial instinct is loosed upon the world shortly following its creation, devours a vast amount of food, and then mates with itself to produce the first bands of Gnolls. The typical Gnoll conception of most divinities is that of neutral and impersonal forces which are responsible for the creation and persistence of coherent reality, which differs from the Imperial conception of divinity as "Ideological Paragons." Reverence for the spirits is seen as a direct way to empower and sustain these forces, which contrasts with the Imperial policy of binding, banishing or enslaving spirits that did not submit to them.

"Yeenoghu" appears to be a mangled mistranslation of a Hyena spirit reveared by some savannah gnolls, which was then conflated with this "Instinctual creator." Notably Volo uses this to characterize Gnolls as originating from hyenas themselves rather than addressing their status as one of the Kith, though admittedly I am unsure if Volo was aware they more closely resemble tall, bipedal baboons than Hyenas. I suspect he may have never left the central territories of the Imperium throughout his entire life.

Notably the Gnoll sources I consulted on my travels did not object to the idea of the cosmogenic entity being a "demon" as the morality of this entity is both nonexistent and irrelevant to Gnoll religion. It is revered, but mostly as an embodiment of instinct and animal wisdom, and frequently plays second fiddle to local spirits.

Nomadic Destroyers. Gnolls are dangerous because they strike at random. They emerge from the wilderness, plunder and slaughter, then move elsewhere. They attack like a plague of locusts, pillaging settlements and leaving little behind but razed buildings, gnawed corpses, and befouled land. Gnolls choose easy targets for their raids. Armored warriors holed up in a fortified castle will survive a rampaging gnoll horde unscathed, even as the towns, villages, and farms that surround the castle are ablaze, their people slaughtered and devoured.

The majority of this appears to be complete fabrication. I can find no official Imperial sources or Gnoll histories of them "razing buildings, gnawing corpses and befouling land." Even the statement armored warriors holed up in fortifications is inaccurate, as if one was at war with a Gnoll band, they would most likely be more than capable of scaling fortifications.

This appears to be pure propaganda, characterizing Gnolls as slaughterers of civilians, which is immensely hypocritical of Volo as Imperial forces are well recorded as having targeted noncombatants for terror purposes, which Volo would be aware of if he were half as informed on military exploits as he claims to be. Of course, the propagandistic nature of this text means that it is likely that Volo was outright lying for political purposes.

Gnolls rarely build permanent structures or craft anything of lasting value. They don't make weapons or armor, but scavenge such items from the corpses of their fallen victims, stringing ears, teeth, scalps, and other trophies from their foes onto their patchwork armor. 

Verifiably untrue, even Imperial sources contemporanious to Volo mention fearing the bone-hewn spears and blades of Gnolls, and making mention of Gnoll encampments in locations clearly altered and shaped for maximum comfort and habitability. The trophy hunting is, however, attested by modern Gnoll practices, oral historians and imperial sources. Make no mistake, Gnolls are warriors, but the trophy hunting is seen as a way to honor ones enemy, and is a variation of the relic-keeping funerary rites common to both Gnolls and the Broadfolk of the north (though this appears to be coincidence). The Gnolls repelling imperial aggression at the time this document was written did engage in this practice, which suggests that they felt the need to honor their fallen enemies in death despite have every justification to simply leave them to rot.

Thirst for Blood. No goodness or compassion resides in the heart of a gnoll. Like a demon, it lacks anything resembling a conscience, and can't be taught or coerced to put aside its destructive tendencies. The gnolls' frenzied bloodlust makes them an enemy to all, and when they lack a common foe, they fight among themselves. Even the most savage [Wild-Folk] avoid allying with gnolls.

 More propaganda. These are all verifiably untrue, and Gnoll bands frequently trade, ally, intermarry and share resources with Wild-Folk either native to the same area, or simply passing through. The rest is simply more demonization that doesn't even meet the minimum requirements for burden of proof to be necessary.

The culture of Gnolls is not a pacifist one, and does involve a degree of competition, but its to a similar degree that Imperial culture was, merely performed differently. The hypocrisy here is almost a tangible substance.

The alpha of a gnoll pack is the pack lord, ruling by might and cunning. A pack lord earns the best of a gnoll pack's spoils, food, valuable trinkets, and magic items. It ornaments its body with brutal piercings and grotesque trophies, dyeing its fur with demonic sigils, hoping Yeenoghu will make it invulnerable.

A mischaracterization of the leadership of a Gnoll band. The leader is typically one that is selected by the population of a band for being an exceptional leader, warrior or wise person. The ornamentation is not worth commenting on, and they tend to simply be in charge of distributing resources, rather than actually being in possession of them. While the position has been claimed by violence or underhanded methods and been abused in the past, the scale to which they can enact injustice is lower than that of imperial leadership, and comparable to other nomadic cultures that Volo was perfectly willing to sing the praises of.

The specificity of the last sentence leads me to believe he was mischaracterizing a specific wartime ritual, likely a form of reverence to a specific spirit or "god" in exchange for patronage. It is difficult to say for sure though, as despite the specificity of the ritual itself, Volo seems to be scant on details, though notably it does resemble a variation of the rites done before hunts in Gnoll culture. These rites are less in-depth than Volo describes, the fur is painted but with no "sigils." I believe the ritual described here to be a wartime variation, and thus more solemn and in-depth.

Gnolls celebrate their victories by performing demonic rituals and making blood offerings to Yeenoghu. Sometimes the demon lord rewards his worshipers by allowing one of them to be possessed by a demonic spirit. Marked as Yeenoghu's favorite, the lucky recipient becomes a fang of Yeenoghu, the chosen of the Gnoll Lord. In much the same way Yeenoghu created the first gnolls, a hyena that feasts on a fang's slain foe undergoes a horrible transformation, becoming a fullgrown adult gnoll. Depending on the number of hyenas in a region, a fang of Yeenoghu can lead to a startling increase in the gnoll population. Finding and killing the fang is the only way to keep that population in check.

As standard for this document, Volo describes vaguely defined cultural practices as "demonic." The blood offerings comment is interesting, as it may describe a form of ritual sacrifice (animal or human, Gnolls are as variable as any other culture group) enacted in celebration of a victory. The most interesting element is the description of a Gnoll being possessed by a so called "demonic spirit." This seems to be a demonization of the traditional Gnoll spiritual practices in the area, where they would invite a spirit to temporarily inhabit their own body as a way to channel their power and wisdom. The descriptions of the rapidly increasing population and "keeping them in check" grimly conclude Volos views on the Gnolls.

Having previously established the creation myth Volo described as being essentially of his own invention (albiet taking minor features from Gnoll creation myths) the details about the supposed "Fang of Yeenoghu" being able to supernaturally increase the Gnoll population is likely a misunderstanding of fertility rites that Gnoll holy folk lead, being then framed in a way to justify supression of Gnoll culture, or ousting from their traditional lands.

End Document

Sitovi Guild (Glog Class): The Undying

Congrats, you died, but you figured out how to survive anyways. People probably think you're nasty and more than a little bit cursed (if you're a carrier for diseases then they're arguably right) but the perks more than make up for it. Probably.

This is a little bit incomplete, theres no list of prosthetics for example. When I make a list of those I'll either include them here or make another post.

You may notice that the higher levels are a bit broken. They rely on a resource you need to take time to harvest, however, and if you're a greedy motherfucker who hoards all that life force then you deserve to be able to flip the table and punch the fucker giving you shit at least once.

1. First Level 
1. Undying: You cannot die from blood loss or feel pain. Or rather, you can feel pain but it's numbed. What kills you must be the “instant death” effects on the death and dismemberment table. Slow death effects will render you catatonic with pain (despite your normal immunities) for 1d12 hours before you recover (assuming you are not killed in the meantime). 
2. Macabre Prosthesis: You get “Prosthetic Slots.” These are either designed or salvaged body parts. You can only have up to twice your undying level at once. However, you get “free” slots if you are missing body parts. Essentially, replacing a limb does not take up a slot, but adding them does. 
2. Second Level 
1. Undead: You are undead (though you were likely considered one already). This means that you no longer take damage from poisons or diseases (previously they could interfere with the channels of life energy in your body, or outright damage your cellular structure). You can still act as a “carrier” for these things, however, so be careful. Furthermore, you do not require food to survive, but may eat to recover hit points. Similarly, you do not require water or air to survive. 
2. Revenant: When parrying, if you succeed you deal damage to the opponent equal to your undying level. You may choose to waive this for whatever reason. If you succeed you may optionally choose to take the damage anyways, in exchange for a free attack/gambit. 
3. Third Level 
1. Hungering: You may harvest life force. A corpse is always viable to harvest, but the total amount of life force you may extract is reduced by one die per day it has been dead. This may not apply in certain cases however (preservatives, or extremely difficult to kill entities). Life force dice are expended when used, but using too many at once can put a strain on your body. 
2. Overcharge Prosthesis: You can expend life force to “overcharge” a prosthesis, the exact effects of which depend on the prosthesis in question and how many Life Force dice you spend. The maximum amount you can spend at once is equal to twice your undying level. 
4. Fourth Level 
1. A Third Way of Being: You now count as “alive” when it would be beneficial to you and “dead” when it would be beneficial to you. This means you can heal normally again, and retain the immunities of undeath. 
2. Life Force Mastery: You may now spend life force dice to heal, or to attack others directly with it. When you spend the dice to heal, roll the dice you spent. Their Sum is how many hit points you heal. Damage works similarly, but you may split the sum between further attacks, or release them as a single ranged attack. 

Prosthesis Format 

• Prosthetic: [Name/description] 
• Slot: [Where it goes, what it replaces. If it's not replacing a lost part, it takes up a prosthetic slot]
• Ability: [What it does with no modification. Can be passive, active, or whatever.]
• Overcharge: [What happens when you force life force through it.]

Transing your Gender (But in the stone age)

 Just having some fun with it. D12 table of stone-age ways to trans your gender. These will vary based on the culture and area, but there is generally no overwhelming transphobia, though modern terms might not apply to a few of these. Some of these will not address dysphoria, while others may exclusively address that.

If none of these fit with how your character desires to transition, other possibilities exist. In fact, what is possible outnumbers what is impossible Infinity to one.

1. Socially transition. Nothing else is required, as there is no division of labor, ritual or role between genders or sexes here.
2. Deep in the stranger groves in the forests of the world lie herbs with mysterious and impossible (perhaps unique to that grove) effects. These areas are often guarded by spirits, but so long as you address them properly and do not take more than you need, you should be fine.
3. Sorcerers and Healers of every kind exist throughout the world. Speak to one, and they are certain to have at least one answer.
4. Why rely on some other Sorcerer for aid? Learn magic yourself and develop a ritual of your own. Such a ritual will only last [Sum]+[Dice] days, at least until you learn how to bind a permanent effect to a person. If you are only making subtle changes, these may be permanent, allowing for gradual attainment of your ideal.
5. While rare herbs can produce sudden and dramatic effects, a mixture of common herbs can produce a slower, but no less dramatic, change. It will take some time, experimentation and skill with herbalism, but with time boundaries can fade to nothing.
6. Spirits possess power that might be termed "magical" by those who do not understand. Whatever the case, a deal, a quest, a trial, a request or even the simple personal favor of a spirit can grant you what you seek.
7. Take upon the social role of that which you truly are. In time, your old role will be forgotten. If your desires transgress the boundaries, you may have to distance yourself from your old society, but you would not be the first. There are others like you out there.
8. Magical artifacts exist in the world, and are either formed by the hands of skilled sorcerers, the machinations of spirits or the natural processes of the world. You have heard stories of one that can grant you what you seek. Sifting the truth from the rumors may take some time, but will be worth it.
9. Tricksters and underdogs are valued by many Kin cultures. If you trick a malevolent spirit into "cursing" you with what you desire, you may not just receive what you want but be whispered about as something to aspire towards.
10. Journey deep into the, or a, spirit world and speak to an intelligence of vast and indescribable potency. A risky proposition, but such a request is as trivial as any other wish to them. You will require preparations and significant mystical skill (or someone willing to do so for you).
11. Request a new name from either your parents, grandparents, leaders or Mystics of your tribe. Refusal may be grounds for challenging them, depending on your culture.
12. Mutation. Probably the riskiest option here. Honestly you should just go on some quest rather than try to do this one.

More are possible, I just can't think of any right now. Lmao.

Sympathy: "Real" Magic

 One of the details of my own game that I have changed from its inspiration is moving away from the idea that "All magic is a spirit" or "spells are alive."

That isn't to say those are a bad way to treat magic, it just doesn't quite fit with my game.

I was initially frustrated with how magic would work (both mechanically and in-universe) in Kith and Kin.

Then I found this video about "Sympathetic Magic." No need to watch it if you really don't want to, I'll summarize the points here.

European "Poppets." Used to curse, communicate, heal, protect and more.

The Principles Of Sympathy

There are more details to these, but the three main points of Sympathetic magic are as follows.

• Similarity: That which is alike something else may act upon it at a distance. An effect will resemble its cause. 
• Contagion: Things which have acted upon each other in the past continue to act upon each other from that point forward. A part of something can be used to affect the whole of it.
• Relevance: Concerning Contagion, the effectiveness of the magic is reliant upon the relevance, scale, intensity and frequency of the contact. Concerning Similarity, the effectiveness is reliant upon how similar the alike objects are.

Combining the principles is not only possible, but frequently necessary.

Magic takes the form of "Rituals" in my game, with physical and narrative components depending on the desired effect. A simple example would be using an effigy and a lock of hair to effect someone at a distance, and ritually destroying representations of eyes, to cast a blinding curse upon someone.

Mechanically though, how does this work?

"Voodoo doll." Voudou does not actually use them. The dolls nailed to trees
serve as guides to benevolent Lwa.

The Nitty Gritty

Some details about my system are necessary for this next part to make sense.

• Ability checks, skill checks and saving throws are all the same thing. This is because the things used in them can be improved.
• If the DC is equal to or below the ability score used, its auto-success.
• If the DC is above the ability score used, roll a skill dice and add the entire stat. Ranging from 1d4 (unlearned), 1d6 (beginner), 1d8 (trained), 1d10 (skilled), 1d12 (expert), 1d16 (master) and 1d20 (legend). You have to roll over DCs to succeed, and a roll of 1 is always a failure.
• No classes and no levels. I use the "X" based improvement as created by Meandering banter for "Die Trying" and adapted by Sofinhos "Pariah."
• Characters have differing sizes for their Hit Dice (d4s, d6s, d8s or d10s). Characters with higher hit dice can take and dish out damage better. Characters with lower hit dice start with more skills and are better at magic.
• Hit dice can be spent to do some things. They return to you when sleeping.
• Magic is mostly freeform, the effects determined by the [dice], [sum], magical skill and ritual performed, as determined by the ritual caster (and approved by the GM).

Okay with the relevant stuff out of the way, the mechanics.

To perform magic, the sorcerer must perform a ritual lasting at least one exploration turn (10 minutes). The sorcerer describes the magical effect they desire beforehand (which determines the ritual they need to perform), and chooses how many magic dice (d6s) they want to attempt to conjure (0 or more). This determines the DC of the magic check. At the conclusion of the ritual the Sorcerer makes a check using their Knowledge (intelligence) stat and the relevant magical skill. If they succeed, they cast the spell at the magic dice they choose. If they fail, see the failure section.

Another ability score may be used under certain circumstances, but will usually be Knowledge and always be a mental ability score (Knowledge, Charisma or Willpower).

This is mostly compatible with GLOG spells, but ideally these should be a bit more powerful, as you're casting them over longer periods of time, taking more resources to do so and probably in anticipation of a threat. Curses may last for several days (unless its bound to something with another ritual). The [dice] and [sum] are the important values still, just liable to provide more. Things may last for hours, days or even weeks depending on how subtle or blatant the magic is.

Outside of magical items, I would avoid directly-damaging magic. Unless its bound to an object

DCs are a base of 20 for a 0 dice "cantrip-like" effect, with the DC raising by an amount equal to the size of your magic dice for each magic dice you add. Thus a 2 magic dice effect would be either a dc of 28, 32, 36 or 40 depending on your hit dice size.

However, depending on what is used in the ritual, you gain bonuses to this roll. A roll of 1, regardless of bonuses, is a failure. This incentivizes you to improve your skill with the magical skill, and to also perform more complex rituals.

Bonuses as below. Not comprehensive, but it does cover a lot. "Relevant" means its associated with the effect through the above laws of sympathy. If you wish to affect someone at a great distance, a Taglock is required (an extremely good effigy, a lock of hair, etc). This is a lot but its not that hard to remember I think.

• +1 for a relevant Physical Components
• +2 instead if many of the same component is used (a sack filled with one type of flower for example), and +3 for truly ridiculous   
• For magical items used as ritual components, an additional +1 is used for every magic dice stored within. 
• +1 for each type of major action taken as part of the ritual (Dancing is one. Singing is another. Major means it happens across most of the ritual time).
• Additional participants of the ritual may add bonuses as above.
• Scaling bonus for additional time taken for the ritual.
• +0 For 10 minutes (base)
  
• +1 for 30 minutes.
• +2 for an hour
• +3 for 3 hours.
• +4 for 6 hours.
• +5 for 12+ hours.
• For each HD you spend in the casting, +1 (Hit dice return as normal when sleeping).
• For each HD of animal sacrifice in the ritual, +1.
• Scaling Bonus for altered states (ignore penalties).
• +1 for mild altered state.
• +3 for strong altered state.
• +6 for overwhelming altered state.
• Ingesting an entheogen (similar to altered states, but biased and doesn't require a roll except to avoid side effects).
• +2 for low dose (+3 instead if associated with magic being performed).
• +4 for powerful dose (+6 instead if associated with the magic being performed).
• Performing at sites dedicated to entities associated with the magic being performed.
• +2 if at a shrine.
• +5 if at a temple, megalithic circle or other impressive site.
• +9 if at a grand temple, immense megalithic complex or other extremely impressive site.

Oh Fuck Its a Wizard

I like this rule. So im adapting a version of it.

Magic doesn't always look magical. Certain spells will always be subtle, and certain ones will always be blatant, but if not otherwise specified by the sorcerer, spell or GM, then this scale can help out. Numbers are the amount of Magic Dice. 

• 0: Difficult to impossible to recognize as mystical, except to one who has used magic or can see auras or something similar.
• 1: So subtle that one might not even be able to tell magic has been cast.
• 2: Relatively meager and subtle, but noticeably magical. 
• 3: Obvious and somewhat impressive. People may be stunned for a moment.
• 4: Magnificent and impactful. Morale tests required by most. 
• 5: The area may seem to quake with their power for a moment. Even lesser spirits may hesitate for a moment.
• 6+: The area heaves as a mighty power forces itself into creation. The sky may darken in the area for a time, Major spirits will be impressed, and greater spirits may take notice.

Failure

Failing the check results in the magic dice instead being wild dice.

Roll the wild dice and check for doubles, triples etc to determine the type of failure. 0 or 1 magic dice effects obviously won't cause higher types of failure. Multiple doubles, triples etc count together, adding one less than their tuple to the largest one rolled (so two doubles counts as a triple, two triples counts as a quintuple, three triples counts as a quadruple, a triple and a double count as a quadruple etc).

Failures are as follows.

• Singles: Spell simply fails.
• Doubles: Spell rebounds in some way.
• Triples: Spell rebounds in some way, and the caster develops a superficial mutation.
• Quadruples: Spell rebounds and caster develops a mutation.
• Quintuples: Spell rebounds, caster develops a mutation and gains a curse template
• Sextuples+: Spell rebounds, caster develops a mutation and gains a curse template. Also reroll for another chance at failure.

Magic Items

Magic items come in two main types. Lesser magic items contain magic dice, until they are interacted with in a specified way (or destroyed), at which point they unleash their magic dice in a specific spell effect, either on the one interacting with it or to be used by the one interacting with it (as specified by the item and on creating them). These are essentially "potions" and "scrolls."

Greater magic items contain magic dice and either have a passive effect based on the number of magic dice within, or allow you to access the magic dice to create spell effects spontaneously. These are magic items, wands, staves etc. When rolling the magic dice bound to such a device, they return to the device except on a "6." When out of magic dice, they are still magical items, but can only create 0 dice "cantrip" effects. Rituals can be used to add magic dice back to them at this point. 

Binding magic dice to an object is effectively a ritual performed after the ritual used to conjure the magic dice. The caster must state beforehand that they are summoning the dice to bind them, and weather they are creating a lesser or greater magic dice. Ill post more details about that in the next post, which will give examples of rituals/effects.

Some magic items are created by spirits, or simply naturally occurring. These might be altered by human hand, but not too significantly. (Thanks GURPs ice age for the idea, even though you're outdated as hell).

Magic Skills

Non-comprehensive list of magical skills.

• Binding: Magical restrictions. Creation of magic circles, magic items etc. Binding spirits to things or people. Rendering effects permanent, or conditionally permanent.
• Charms: Beguiling the mind. 
• Conjuration: Pulling things from elsewhere. Summoning spirits. Can't be used to generate endless food or water.
• Divination: Reading randomness to gain true information.
• Dream weaving: Sleep, Dreams, Traveling through dreams, manipulating the dreams of others, inducing or preventing nightmares.
• Flames: Manipulating fire, creating, destroying, protecting against or divining with it. 
• Heavenly Arts: Weather manipulation, conjuring lightning, rain, sun or wind. Atmospheric effects.
• Illusions: Befuddling the senses.
• Necromancy: Power over life, death, undeath. Raising corpses as servants. Healing. Summoning and contacting spirits of the dead. Decay and entropy.
• Spiritualism: Channeling, Contacting, Exorcizing and Banishing spirits. Interacting with them in ways other than Summoning and Binding.
• Transformation: Becoming something else. Transforming someone else into something else.
• True Language: Being heard from great distances. Being understood without words. Understanding and being understood by animals. Does not necessarily convey details or important information that mundane means would.

Next up, a post with some examples of rituals, and some possible effects.