Cravana (Gygax 75): Week One - Concepts
So, we're in week one of the challenge. Gary tells us this is supposed to be all done in your head and should be kept secret from your players, so they don't already know your sources and thus remove "the charm of uncertainty". I guess we're going against that advice by posting everything out in the open here then...
Ray Otus breaks Gary's (somewhat rambling) advice down into three short tasks:
Get a notebook
I'd previously bought one of those overly large Moleskine journals—lovely plain, pale cream paper, the kind you never want to defile by writing in—ostensibly this was for the purpose of RPG writing, so what better tool for the task. Ray suggests giving it a battering if you're precious about making a mistake or anxious about putting ink on paper and marring that nice stationery with the first strokes of the pen. Unfortunately, I'm fair to precious about my journals to do that, but no doubt it'll get worn in when it's lugged about all over the place in due course...
The important thing is to get something that works for you. Handwriting works for me, because I believe it helps me remember stuff. Plus it tends to be a physical object I cannot lose easily. However, you could use digital methods, like Evernote, Scrivener, or OneNote. Or even plain old Word if you fancy.
Develop the pitch
The next step is to take that lovely notebook and write down some bullet points designed to sell the world to your players. These should be around 3–7 concise points that convey the tone and expectations of your world, as well as evoke some excitement. Easier said than done, but here's what I came up with:
- PCs are Human: Elves exist in the world, but are powerful (and often malicious) Fae. The Duergar used to inhabit the land, but have long since left the world, burrowing below ground to ever deeper depths, leaving behind only traces of their passage.
- Half-elves/Fae-touched playable characters are possible.
- Dwarves will be replaced by an alternative class (spelunker?)
- Cravana forms the Kingdom's western border: It stands between the heart of the Kingdom of Elmet and the Western Wastes, into which humans drove the Jotunnar, the land's original inhabitants, after they were betrayed by the Fae. They seek to reclaim what was once theirs, whether through subtlety or more overt means.
- The land is riddled with caves: Whether carved out by Duergar hands or ancient unspeakable creatures, Cravana is riddled with caverns and cave systems that stretch for who knows how far below the earth. Some say the cavernous network stretches from one end of Cravana to the other, or beyond, and descends deep enough to reach the Caorthannach's lair, the mother of demons.
- Conflict between the Church and the old ways is rife: The Holy Order of the Light Effulgent is newly arrived to the Kingdom since the King converted. However, many still hold to the old ways, trusting to hedge wizards and wise women to provide cures and tinctures, predictions and prophecies, and protection from what lurks out in the Wilds. The Church views these beliefs with suspicion, though there are some members with a more sympathetic outlook.
- Magic is sanctioned: Those not sanctioned practitioners of the arcane, as controlled by the Church, are viewed as apostates. A zealous sect within the Holy Order of the Light Effulgent seeks to root out hedge wizards and witches, sometimes going to extreme lengths to do so.
- The Fae play mortals off against one another for their amusement: Aloof and unseen, the Fae often bring mortals into the struggles that rage between the Summer (Seelie) and Winter (Unseelie) courts, or between themselves and the Jotuunar, who have never forgiven their past betrayals. Their games range from blessings and curses to quests and favours, often placed on mortals through various guises.
- The Kingdom is at War: Threatened from the west by the Jotuunar, the Kingdom of Elmet fights a more pressing war against 'The Great Unifier" of the northern Umbrian Empire, which seeks to lay claim to the entire continent.
Sources of inspiration
I think I have some interesting bits and bobs to build off there, so we'll move onto the next step, which is to list out your sources of inspiration. These are for your own reference rather than your players and should link into the concept you've outlined. You should try and whittle it down to no more than seven entries, according to Ray Otus, but they can be anything from images, to books, films, and so on. Here's what I came up with:
- Dragon Age: The division between those sanctioned to use magic and those who are not is directly influenced by the Dragon Age video games.
- British folklore: Especially that from Yorkshire and the North of England, which will be used to inform a lot of the stuff about the Fae, giants, trolls, spirits, undead and other creatures. Books such as Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain, Lore of the Land, and Kai Roberts' Folklore of Yorkshire will provide a good grounding. Hellebore Magazine's excellent Occult Britain will also be useful.
- The Dark Ages: I want the world to be a fantasy version of the Dark Ages, rather than the medieval period, especially as much of our folklore stems from Nordic and Anglo-Saxon/Germanic myths, so a blend between the two would be apt. Games like Skyrim provide some visual reference for the type of look for the world I am going for (just without all the snow...), but references to historical and RPG books can provide further information (e.g. Cthulhu Dark Ages etc.)
- Film and literature: Books like Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell have a variety of themes , especially their portrayal of the Fae and their conflicts, that can be pulled from. Portrayal of the Fae creatures in Legend (which I watched recently) is also an influence.
- Imagery: Works by Arthur Rackham, Brian Froud, Tony DiTerlizzi and Johan Egerkrans (of Vaesen fame) provide a lot of the visual looks I want to try and hit. Somewhat whimsical, but can be dark, scary and tinged with horror.
Well, I think that provides a nice basis from which to start building out from. If you think any of this looks interesting or if you have any suggestions for other sources I should look into, then let me know! Meanwhile, I'm going to get to work on the next week's tasks—mapping... Ooo, I love a good map!