Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chubby2man]

Hey guys, I’m going to busy well into tomorrow, so I’m sorry to the Nature team, but here’s some more stuff for you to decide.

The History of Kantar is a long and rich one. Unfortunately neither side knows a lot about it because they were asleep. So far you are aware of 2 ages.

The Time Before: Maybe an age of peace, or perhaps one of war?
And
The Age of the First Men: Where the First Men come and subdue all before them.

There were/ are 4 other races besides the First Men on the continent of Kantar, and you will set the stage for the First Men’s arrival, and the emergence of the powers of Nature and Industry.

I would recommend assign different people to write up each section, but your team can divy it up however want! Also, while this is before the emergence of the powers, we can have some leak through, so if you want you can have your character/god worshipped by a civilization, though there aren’t explicit miracles being thrown around. Also, try not to have your civilization be 100% Industry vs Nature. But anyways, here is how we divy it up.

Nature: Write up two races and dominant civilization.
How do they respond to the First Men?
A resource, found only in Kantar. (Can be magical or mundane)
A wonder of the World

Industry: Write up two races and dominant civilizations.
How do they respond to the First Men?
General Tech level: (has to be before Industrial Revolution)
A wonder of the World: (can be a monument or something)

[micelus]

Industry is done.

Tech Level: Early Modern Era (1700s)

Spoiler: Wonder: The Earthstar (click to show/hide)

A mysterious device, constructed by the Ancients, situated under Mt. Vilay. In a gigantic underground chamber, a miniature star hangs, suspended by magnetic forces between large metallic pillars. Water is drawn up from below, into the star, fueling the eternal reaction. The Earthstar produces vast quantities of- as yet poorly understood- electrical energy. In addition, a steady stream of raw elements is ejected from the star, and channeled by a variety of esoteric machines into vast containers. Though the exact mechanisms of the Earthstar are not understood by the natives of Kantar, they know the value of the resources it produces- and some more eccentric intellectuals believe that the electrical energy may be even more valuable. ((It's a fusion reactor, in case that wasn't clear.))

Spoiler: Ratfolk (click to show/hide)

Race: Ratfolk. Anthromorphic rats generally standing at 1.6 metres with fur colours ranging from light grey, to brown and to black. Capable of surviving just about anywhere. If/When exposed to a significant source of magic (Or a powerful, non-lethal spell), They undergo a rapid transformation, becoming accomplished mages in an instant and gaining a lot of magical power to boot, but in turn become completely, utterly and irrevocably insane and turning their attentions to rapidly annihilating the surrounding area (and themselves, unintentionally), and a large stigma towards magic in general has formed in the species. GM VETOED

Unusually, the species has a large imbalance in the sexes with only 10% of the population being male leading to the females of the species consisting of the majority (Which has hurt reproduction little, given that they breed like... well, rats.), thus doing all the hard physical labour and soldiery. This in turn has led to the males taking a position of education and commerce away from the dangers of physical labour or turmoil, leading to the male families gaining prominence as upper class and erudite and females being regarded as rugged, reliable and practical. Furthermore, breeding amongst the species is conducted more as a business affair, with the males studding themselves out for a fee and paying for every son born of a union (Which, on occasion has vaulted a mother into the limelight and cost a male family a good deal of money due to several sons being born)

Generally, the ratfolk are rather empathic with friends and family, with large family gatherings a cause of celebration and feasting. Among the females especially this is apparent, where close friends are treated as part of the family

Civilisation: Enatsional'nyye monarkhii (Female-Led Monarchies) & Torgovaya/Oligarkhicheskaya respublika (Male-Led Republics). Long divided into a slew of states, the ratfolk nations have long been fraught with conflicts with one another for a myriad of reasons. Whilst generally considered lesser than the other species of Kantar, the ratfolk have consistently had the largest population of sapients on the continent, their nations larger than any other.

In war, the ratfolk rely on mass formations and numbers to primarily defeat their foes to make up for a lesser individual strength. Pike and crossbow tactics were widespread, and the introduction of firearms only increased the lethality of the formations as the supplanted both the crossbow, and with bayonets, the pike. Artillery is also used, and fairly heavily while cavalry is nearly non-existent amongst their forces.

When the first men came, the various nations reacted differently. Some traded with them, and some warred against them, with success initially. Though as the mantide rises, the majority of ratfolk nations are beginning to be swept away from the surface, opportunistic neighbours seizing the chance to conquer and take control of the subterranean portions of their rival nations. But the storm is yet to hit, and the ratfolk begin to dig in their heels for a long, bloody and horrific campaign. It would take a Kantsler or Tsarina of great power and strength to truly unite the ratfolk in their war against men however...

Spoiler: Elves (click to show/hide)

Race: Elves. You know, tall, slender, pointy ears, long lifespans. Some elves prefer forests. Not those found in Kantar. The majority of Kantari elves belong to the Zitadellefolk- only weirdos live in the woods.

Civilisation: Zitadellefolk. The Zitadellefolk, or Zita, are not a united people. Rather, each citadel-state is its own political entity- alliances are common, but so is war. Only in the face of a great external threat do all the citadels come together.
The vast majority of citizens living in a citadel are elves, though other races are technically allowed to become citizens. However, they have to prove themselves worthy, which requires undergoing rigorous testing of intelligence, craftsmanship, and knowledge of Zita history and traditions.

Zita civilisation is defined by the titular citadels. Bastions of civilisation, rising up from the land, projecting their influence far and wide. With a core of solid stone, outer areas are frequently built of brick, or occasionally wood. They rise in tiers, growing narrower as they rise, the population going from the very poorest living in the vast (but neatly laid-out) city at the base of the citadel, to the richest- noblemen, priests, and the very best craftsmen living in marble-clad houses a dozen stories above ground level.
The citadels are laid out with geometric precision, with public squares and gardens strategically located, the streets laid out by master planners to ensure traffic flows efficiently.
Many citadels are gleaming white, with light touches of colour for variety. Marble facades, faux pillars, and statuary are popular decor.

The Zita value craftsmanship highly, and especially precise craftsmanship. Their goods are highly sought-after amongst the 'lesser races', for anything made by the Zita is sure to last a lifetime, and do so in impeccable fashion. The best craftsmen have a high status amongst the Zita, with the best being equivalent to minor nobles- if they are not already nobles, for unlike in many civilisations, working as a craftsman is considered a noble profession.

In war, the Zita employ highly drilled soldiers wielding the best equipment- they may have less quantity than their opponent, but they make up for it in quality. The majority of their troops are armed with muskets, but a substantial portion use (still muzzle-loading) rifles. They also employ iron cannons and large warships, but do not have large quantities of cavalry.

The Zita worship a wide pantheon of gods, although gods of crafting are elevated. 

When the first of the First Men came, the Zita taught them to craft, and were delighted to find eager pupils. They were less delighted when more and more men showed up, and decided that they would teach the men no more of their secrets... but once man has tasted something, he will not rest until all is consumed- and the Zita find themselves growing outnumbered by the comparatively rapidly-breeding humans.

[chubby2man]

Nature Traits:

Magical: Some forces of Nature are outside the realm of what can be measured or maybe even perceived. Not everything makes sense, or maybe it makes sense in some arcane way that won't hold up to scrutiny. Whatever the truth, nobody can deny the existence of strange creatures and people causing wondrous things to happen in the world.

Adaptation/Evolution: Nature is flexible. It learns from its mistakes and tries something else when it fails, until finally it finds a way.

Both teams may now pick their counter traits. Nature should also post their two races, their natural resource, and wonder here.

[chubby2man]

Industry: Representing the cold march of progress. It is Order, Greed, Automation. Industry derives power from all intelligent races and the tools they wield. It will win over nature when cities cover the world, and the air is clogged with ash. Only then will the force of Industry be absolute, and be able to create its utopia.
Traits:
Arete: Mental excellence and determination.
Mass production: Favors quantity over quality
Design: the adaptation to the future.
Antimagic: in cities, magic becomes weak and frail, though technology becomes prone for malfunction in forests and nature rich areas.
Order:

Nature: Representing the feral past. It is Chaos, Lust, Personal. Nature derives power from all life, though only dimly from intelligent races and none if they live near heavy machinery. It will win when trees and grass cover the earth, and mortal races abandon their tools and cities, or die. Only then when Nature is absolute will it be able to create its utopia.
Traits:
Evolution: the adaptation to the moment.
Magical: supporter of users of the hidden energies of the world.
Craftsmanship: favors quality over quantity
Fitness: Physical excellence.
Chaos:

Races: Gnomes, Moonkin, Elves, and Ratmen
Wonders: World Tree: a giant otherworldly tree. Not a servant of nature, it serves as a connection between worlds. Sometimes creatures crawl up through the tree and into your world.
Earthstar: Crafted long ago when the world was young. It is hidden deep within the mountain, and only the wisest of the races know of it. It’s purpose is unknown, even to the forces of Nature and Industry. Perhaps it’s power could be claimed....

The First Men came over the Sea. They brought machines and guns, and tamed the east portion of Kantar. None of the races were able to stand against them. The Ratmen who fought were effective, but they paid a terrible price in blood and fire. The elves were strong for a time, but treaties collapsed and they were forced to flee to far away citadels, and Men kept their ancient strongholds for their own. Moonkin were treated as a curiosity, and taken as slaves for wizards. Gnomes were pushed from ancient barrows, and taken to serve in factories, their nimble hands forced to work in the depths of machines.
The races soon adjusted to the status quo, and one can find all races in the cities, some rich, many working hard for the next meal.
But the First Men, one of their greatest Kingdoms, would one day fall. But the first battle doesn’t take place there...

The divine force of Nature and Industry awoke with the coming of the First Men, and the disruption they caused. Both Nature and Industry saw the opportunity to overturn the stalemate that had existed for so long, and so the war began.

To gods, time has less meaning. The past, the future, it is the same to you. Some moments shine brighter than others, that give you more power, others darker and less meaningful. A wise and strong king can have more impact than a dozen of his descendents.

Spoiler: How this works (click to show/hide)

 The two teams fight over the overall direction of history though battles. Each battle has several arenas in which to perform an act. Each act costs a certain amount of points determining its power.

Each team has 20 points at the start. In each Event you may do one action, using as many points as you wish. General point costs are below.
1: Influence a single person, sending dreams, visions, unclear imagery. Sicken a single person. Cause a gust of wind.
2: Speak directly to a single person, influence multiple people, give a single person a serious disease, cause a strong wind, minor ground shaking.
3. Command a single person, Speak to multiple people, influence many people, cause a sickness in town or city. Directly kill a person. Minor natural disaster. Send a minor servant.
4. Command multiple people, speak to many people, cause a disease in a town. Kill multiple people, Create a divine shield around a person. Natural disaster. Send several minor servants, or a divine warrior.
5. Command many people, cause a plague, kill many people, shield around multiple people. Send a platoon of divine warriors.
6+: Escalates in power from here, check with Gm first about potental power costs.
The more points you spend, the greater your chance of sucess though sheer force. However, it is not only the points that that matter. Your plan in each situation will also have a great impact on how sucessful you will be. I will keep any rolls and modifers hidden, with rolls mostly taking place when a contest could go either way, or when random chance chance plays a roll. Generally, the more points you spend, chance will be less and less likley to play a factor.

Quentin Auturo was fated to become one of Kantar’s greatest pastry makers, his name used for centuries after his death to recognize culinary magnificence. It began with an idea for strudel, an all consuming passion to make strudel and sell it to the world. But how should he do it? Should he make each one individually with love and care, or find a way to make as many as possible as quickly as possible? The forces of Nature and Industry were drawn to this internal conflict, and the war between these two powerful forces began.

Battle over the soul of First Men’s greatest pastry chef.
1st Arena: Quentin Auturo’s mind.
2nd Arena: Quentin’s friends and family. He has a mother, father, a brother and 2 sisters. Several friends. Please add details if you influence any of his friends or family
3rd Arena: The rest of the world.
Winner: History; determines why a city becomes the greatest city of the First Men. Also receives the Golden Strudel, a divine strudel that will allow to command one person for free (used once).
Loser: History; determines how that great city falls into ruin.   
Teams have someone post actions in this main thread. 24 hours after one team’s posts, I will be free to update the game, and if your team has not posted here the posting team will be unopposed and almost certainly win the battle.  In this turn I will probably not update until after Christmas so there is no rush.
Consider this a tutorial battle, so the stakes are not too high. Feel free to ask questions and stuff. Balancing corrections may take place. Links to the teams pages may be found in the OP.