What would you do?

[Craig Dalrymple]

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Greetings,


I'm going to step out of lurker mode and contribute.

My question is this:=20

If given a clean slate to create a Birthright based world wherein there =
is nothing you cannot do or control, what would you do?? More =
especially, what kind of personalities would you develop. This is what =
seems to set BR apart, the identities of the peoples, places, and =
things.


To give an example, and show you how I am going to try to apply what =
comments get made:


I am developing an alternate reality based out of BR shortly after the =
battle of Deismaar. I posted a story based justification for this =
"alternate" reality at the beginning of the month. I can repost or =
forward if anyone would like.

In a small nutshell, Masela threw her people (as many as she could =
reach, plus a number of "other" people) through a gateway to the =
elemental plane of water just before the Big Bang that ended that day. =
Actually just as it happened. The force of the explosions severed her =
hand in this portal and the divine energy that blew through dropped =
these people (and the hand) on the fringes of the plane. The hand became =
the land, animals, and plants. The people then began to sort out their =
lives.


A part of this would be dealing with the loss of the old Gods. I have =
decided that the people who are now on the fringe of the plane did not =
witness the asencion of the "new" Gods. Haylen is just a warrior who led =
the Anuireans to these people. Not a God. Anduris is a God, and still =
exists. :)=20

To represent the lack of the Gods, no priest can cast a spell beyond =
third level. I remember somewhere that the first three levels of spells =
don't come direct from the deity, so that's my "rules based" =
justification. My true justification is that I think this would create =
some unique responses and perspectives from the minds of the holy who =
now are a bit less strong than they used to be.


This idea has developed into a concept of my first major NPC. "The =
Prophet". This man was Haylen's attending priest at Deismaar. This would =
make him a high ranker in Andurias' church back on Anuire. He had wide =
ranging spells and access to the higher level ones. Now he just has =
third level and below. I am going to tailor his blood abilities to =
mirror those that priests have: healing, detect lie, etc.=20

His reaction to the new environment and loss of power is that Andurias =
is testing him and his flock for the truth of their faith. Can they =
worship without the greater gifts of their God??? He is striving to =
maintain his "pure" self, not taking on a new spouse (his was left =
behind in Anuire), or falling into the sins of the flesh. his feeling =
is that if he slides into a "godless" existence, Andurias will abandon =
them all. If he maintains his purity, Andurias will eventually return =
them "home". In the course of the 100 years post Deismaar history I have =
worked on, he slowly slides from LG. to LE and builds a small nation of =
completely fanatical people. (this of course, infers his "long life" =
ability which is his justification that Andurias is keeping him alive to =
show others the "true" path)

Anyone who shows blood powers that are not "holy", uses non-priestly =
magics, or fights the "proper" worship of Andurias is put to the =
question inquisition style. Sinners or not, they eventually confess and =
then are burned, or crucified, or something else fitting and painful.

At this point "the Prophet" is still a sketch and has yet to be fleshed =
out but I am kinda geeked on using a priest of a "good" deity for evil =
purposes.


Other things I am working on for this alternate setting:

1. How various peoples are dealing with the population imbalance (all =
the people who came through were at or near Deismaar, while some women =
came across, far more men did). Some societies will cloister and protect =
their women. Others will have women in total control with "harems" of =
husbands. There will be a lot of fun things to twist up here as women =
essentially become a commodity. Their value as bearers of children will =
either elevate them above men, or turn them into property (cattle?) =
depending on the society they are in. I do not intend to use this as a =
way to be a chauvinist (as two of my players are women), but I see it as =
a logical, if somewhat extreme response to the lack of women.

2. What the Masateans are up to. They will start out at the "fingers" of =
the goddess; i.e.: island chains off the main land. They will rebuild =
their culture around these islands and seafaring and trade of course; =
but I am toying with the idea that they might eventually stumble upon =
the fact that their goddess is now the land. Via their priesthood of =
course. This would then have the potential to bring a more druidic world =
view to a sea based people. More likely than not a schism in their =
social and religious ideas would evolve I think.

3. The "true" Vos. The standard information gives off the idea that the =
entire Vos people converted to Azrai and abandoned Vorynn. I am =
supporting the idea that some of them (especially their wizards) did =
not, and these people fought with the Anuireans at Deismaar. As they are =
not mentioned in the official line, I am ruling that they all were cast =
through with the Maseteans. They would have a number of problems as they =
have to rebuild from the ground up too, and the "evil" Vos would likely =
harass them given the chance; but they would build the first tower of =
sorcery in this world, having the oldest line of wizards on the =
continent amongst them.=20

Well, I am sure this is getting long, and the information is mostly in =
sketch form (or just in my brain) right now. I'd appreciate some ideas, =
reflections, or foils to what I am doing. This might turn into a long =
term campaign setting for me, incorporating the best of what I like =
about BR with the best of my own ideas.

Either way, I'm still me:

Craigd

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Greetings,
 
 
I'm going to step out of lurker mode and contribute.
 
My question is this:
 
If given a clean slate to create a Birthright based world wherein =
there is=20
nothing you cannot do or control, what would you do?? More especially, =
what kind=20
of personalities would you develop. This is what seems to set BR apart, =
the=20
identities of the peoples, places, and things.
 
 
To give an example, and show you how I am going to try to apply =
what=20
comments get made:
 
 
I am developing an alternate reality based out of BR shortly after =
the=20
battle of Deismaar. I posted a story based justification for this =
"alternate"=20
reality at the beginning of the month. I can repost or forward if anyone =
would=20
like.
 
In a small nutshell, Masela threw her people (as many as she could =
reach,=20
plus a number of "other" people) through a gateway to the elemental =
plane of=20
water just before the Big Bang  that ended that day. Actually just =
as it=20
happened. The force of the explosions severed her hand in this portal =
and the=20
divine energy that blew through dropped these people (and the hand) on =
the=20
fringes of the plane. The hand became the land, animals, and plants. The =
people=20
then began to sort out their lives.
 
 
A part of this would be dealing with the loss of the old Gods. I =
have=20
decided that the people who are now on the fringe of the plane did not =
witness=20
the asencion of the "new" Gods. Haylen is just a warrior who led the =
Anuireans=20
to these people. Not a God. Anduris is a God, and still exists. :) =

 
To represent the lack of the Gods, no priest can cast a spell =
beyond third=20
level. I remember somewhere that the first three levels of spells don't =
come=20
direct from the deity, so that's my "rules based" justification. My true =

justification is that I think this would create some unique responses =
and=20
perspectives from the minds of the holy who now are a bit less strong =
than they=20
used to be.
 
 
This idea has developed into a concept of my first major NPC. "The=20
Prophet". This man was Haylen's attending priest at Deismaar. This would =
make=20
him a high ranker in Andurias' church back on Anuire. He had wide =
ranging spells=20
and access to the higher level ones. Now he just has third level and =
below. I am=20
going to tailor his blood abilities to mirror those that priests have: =
healing,=20
detect lie, etc.
 
His reaction to the new environment and loss of power is that =
Andurias is=20
testing him and his flock for the truth of their faith. Can they worship =
without=20
the greater gifts of their God??? He is striving to maintain his "pure" =
self,=20
not taking on a new spouse (his was left behind in Anuire), or falling =
into the=20
sins of the flesh.  his feeling is that if he slides into a =
"godless"=20
existence, Andurias will abandon them all. If he maintains his purity, =
Andurias=20
will eventually return them "home". In the course of the 100 years post =
Deismaar=20
history I have worked on, he slowly slides from LG. to LE and builds a =
small=20
nation of completely fanatical people. (this of course, infers his "long =
life"=20
ability which is his justification that Andurias is keeping him alive to =
show=20
others the "true" path)
 
Anyone who shows blood powers that are not "holy", uses =
non-priestly=20
magics, or fights the "proper" worship of Andurias is put to the =
question=20
inquisition style. Sinners or not, they eventually confess and then are =
burned,=20
or crucified, or something else fitting and painful.
 
At this point "the Prophet" is still a sketch and has yet to be =
fleshed out=20
but I am kinda geeked on using a priest of a "good" deity for evil=20
purposes.
 
 
Other things I am working on for this alternate setting:
 
1. How various peoples are dealing with the population imbalance =
(all the=20
people who came through were at or near Deismaar, while some women came =
across,=20
far more men did). Some societies will cloister and protect their women. =
Others=20
will have women in total control with "harems" of husbands. There will =
be a lot=20
of fun things to twist up here as women essentially become a commodity. =
Their=20
value as bearers of children will either elevate them above men, or turn =
them=20
into property (cattle?) depending on the society they are in. I do not =
intend to=20
use this as a way to be a chauvinist (as two of my players are women), =
but I see=20
it as a logical, if somewhat extreme response to the lack of =
women.
 
2. What the Masateans are up to. They will start out at the =
"fingers" of=20
the goddess; i.e.: island chains off the main land. They will rebuild =
their=20
culture around these islands and seafaring and trade of course; but I am =
toying=20
with the idea that they might eventually stumble upon the fact that =
their=20
goddess is now the land. Via their priesthood of course. This would then =
have=20
the potential to bring a more druidic world view to a sea based people. =
More=20
likely than not a schism in their social and religious ideas would =
evolve I=20
think.
 
3. The "true" Vos. The standard information gives off the idea that =
the=20
entire Vos people converted to Azrai and abandoned Vorynn. I am =
supporting the=20
idea that some of them (especially their wizards) did not, and these =
people=20
fought with the Anuireans at Deismaar. As they are not mentioned in the =
official=20
line, I am ruling that they all were cast through with the Maseteans. =
They would=20
have a number of problems as they have to rebuild from the ground up =
too, and=20
the "evil" Vos would likely harass them given the chance; but they would =
build=20
the first tower of sorcery in this world, having the oldest line of =
wizards on=20
the continent amongst them.
 
Well, I am sure this is getting long, and the information is mostly =
in=20
sketch form (or just in my brain) right now. I'd appreciate some ideas,=20
reflections, or foils to what I am doing. This might turn into a long =
term=20
campaign setting for me, incorporating the best of what I like about BR =
with the=20
best of my own ideas.
 
Either way, I'm still me:
 
Craigd

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[Hadricon@aol.co]

In a message dated 5/25/99 10:04:45 PM Central Daylight Time,
craigd@mediaone.net writes:

>

My first thing would be to add more then one non-white culture... maybe a
Zulu like tribe, or some of the great Oriental Civilizations.

[Solmyr]

>

I've converted my own game world to BR. It is roughly portrayed after
medieval Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, with appropriate
cultures. You can find it at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/Enothril/ebr.zip

- --
******************
Aleksei Andrievski
aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Azure Star
aka Azure Star Dragon
solmyr@kolumbus.fi
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html

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[Kenneth Gauck]

>If given a clean slate to create a Birthright based world wherein
>there is nothing you cannot do or control, what would you do??

I am working on converting France c. 1300 to BR mechanics.

Kenneth Gauck
c558382@earthlink.net


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