Record Of Lodoss War - Fantasy, System Game (Dungeon World) - CLOSED

Started by Cassandra LeMay, November 13, 2015, 04:46:36 AM

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Cassandra LeMay


The Age of Gods was closing. Eternity had come to an end. The heavens shook as the armies of Falis, the supreme God of Light, clashed with those of Falaris, the supreme God of Darkness. In the seemingly endless battle, the earth wept and the oceans trembled in fear.

The final battle between the survivors, Marfa, the Mother-Goddess of Creation, and Kardis, the malevolent Goddess of Destruction, echoed to the ends of the earth.

At the climax of their fierce battle, a continent separated, creating a land on which both goddesses of light and darkness perished like a flame and flickered away.

Several thousand years later, the land to the south of the continent of Alecrast has become known as Lodoss – The Accursed Island.



Welcome to my interest check for a fantasy system game based on the Record Of Lodoss War anime.

If the opening text rings a bell with you: The setting will be based on the RoLW OAV, not Chronicles of the Heroic Knight. The time frame is "a few years" after the events of the series. The characters from the series will still be around, but as NPCs. Your characters will be new heroes, not canon characters.

If you are not familiar with the anime: Record of Lodoss War is a "classic D&D-style fantasy" of fighters, thieves, clerics, wizards, dwarves, and elves fighting monsters, evil priests, dark knights and other villains in an epic struggle of good vs. evil. The anime series is based on roleplays by the authors, using D&D rules - and it shows. The world is a typical pseudo-medieval, pseudo-European setting. The nations, gods, and races of the Lodoss War setting are painted with a broad brush, which should make it pretty easy to get players acquainted with what details there are.

How much will the characters know about the world - and the players need to know about the setting?

Most player characters will have a general idea about the recent history and the geography of Lodoss, but unless a character has really studied his/her geography or history, that knowledge will be sketchy and could be faulty. So don't worry if you have just a passing knowledge (or none) of the world background. Your character might not be better off. I'll post a map or two at the start of the game, to give everyone a general idea, tell you a few bits of information your character can be expected to know, but discovering the world and learning about it through exploring it will be part of the game.

This game will use the Dungeon World rules.

If you are familiar with Dungeon World: I'll make a few changes to the rules, but leave the core rules and character classes (mostly) as they are. Some classes might not be allowed, some classes might be open to more races than the DW rules allow, and I am gonna hand out XP more based on my whim considered opinion than anything, but none of those changes will be really fundamental to the core game mechanics.

If you are not familiar with Dungeon World: Don't worry. The rules are pretty straightforward and easy to explain. Character creation is simple and there are a few resources available online for free that will help.

Player requirements and the GM's expectations:

  • Lieges, Ladies, and Lords are equally welcome. You don't have to play a character of your sex/gender.
  • Having taken the Oath of the Drake isn't required, but it sums up nicely the conduct I hope for from players and myself.
  • Third person, past tense writing, please.
  • This game will go into either the Light or Non Con category, but could also be placed in the Non Adult board if players so wish.
  • You should be able and willing to post at least once a week. There will be an OOC thread where you should let everyone know if your posting speed has to slow down.
  • If you discover the game is not for you, don't just slink away into the shadows. No one is gonna bite you if you quit the game for any reason. Just don't leave anyone in the dark about it.
  • Non-consensual scenes will have to be agreed beforehand by all involved parties.
  • Sex will not be a major part of the plot or the game. If players decide their characters are going to take a tumble in the sheets that's fine.
  • Characters will start at level 1 and grow through their adventures and experiences. Don't expect to beat every challenge - a hero is what your character can become, not what she/he starts out as.

What you need to know about me as a GM:

  • This will be my first time GMing Dungeon World, but I think I have a decent grip on the rules.
  • I try to tell stories about the world and the characters. There will be enough combat and dungeoneering, but don't expect dungeon crawl after dungeon crawl.
  • I tend to "front load" my games with scene setting, introducing some NPCs, and so on. This might make for a slow start to a game, so if you interested in this game you should tell me if this is a major problem for you. If it is, we might be able to either start the whole game with a bit more action than I usually do, or we could play out a small, individual scene by PM.
  • I don't mind players adding small details to the setting, perhaps introducing a shop here, a roadside inn here, a small village there, or making up a few minor NPCs. Creating a living. breathing world can - and should - be a collaborative effort.

Characters you can play / rules stuff:

  • Available character classes: Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Thief, Wizard. (I don't think the Druid's shapeshifting magic really fits the setting.)
  • Races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half Elf. No dark elves, please. Where required we'll make some new moves (starting abilities) to make all character classes available to all races.
  • Starting Level: 1
  • A note on Alignment: No Evil characters, period. Also, please note that I consider the Alignment a tool for building character personality only. I will (most likely) not hand out XP for simply performing a certain "alignment-related" task. I'd rather hand out XP for what I consider good roleplaying without relying on any rules mechanics to define that.
  • A note on Bonds: The same goes for Bonds. Feel free to define them and roleplay accordingly, but here, too, I will (most likely) differ from the XP rules of Dungeon World.

If you are interested, just post here. And if you have any questions about the rules, setting, or whatnot - just ask. I am sure I have overlooked a few things that could need addressing.
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

AndyZ

Very interested but I've never seen the anime.  Found out where I can watch it, though, and got it bookmarked.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

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Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: AndyZ on November 13, 2015, 01:38:32 PM
Very interested but I've never seen the anime.  Found out where I can watch it, though, and got it bookmarked.
Good to see you interested in this.  :-)

And don't worry about unfamiliarity with the setting. I imagine I'll have to sum up at least some of the background anyway, but I'd like to wait and see if there'll be enough interest for a group (lets say, maybe four potential players), before making the effort to lay down some setting information.
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Tackyhillbilly


Sessha

 I am interested in this but I've never played using the Dungeon World rules set. I've played D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder for reference and I am familiar with the setting very much so. It's one of my favorite fantasy setting animes. Though to be honest having seen both the OVA and the TV series, while I like some of the elements of the TV series better overall I love the OVA soooo much better.

Though I do have a question. You mentioned in the races avaible about half-elves. The idea of the half-elf didn't come around till the TV series so I was wondering if you are allowing half-elves what about allowing haflings? After all Marr from the TV series certainly counts as a Halfling. It was just a clarification on my part is all. I'm still going be human anyway.
Locked, cocked and ready to rock!


Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: Tackyhillbilly on November 13, 2015, 02:02:06 PM
Count me as interested.
Counted.  :-)

Quote from: Sessha on November 13, 2015, 02:13:19 PM
I am interested in this but I've never played using the Dungeon World rules set. I've played D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder for reference and I am familiar with the setting very much so. It's one of my favorite fantasy setting animes. Though to be honest having seen both the OVA and the TV series, while I like some of the elements of the TV series better overall I love the OVA soooo much better.

Though I do have a question. You mentioned in the races avaible about half-elves. The idea of the half-elf didn't come around till the TV series so I was wondering if you are allowing half-elves what about allowing haflings? After all Marr from the TV series certainly counts as a Halfling. It was just a clarification on my part is all. I'm still going be human anyway.
Far as I understand it, Halflings (or "Grassrunners") are native to the continent of Alecrast, somewhere to the north of Lodoss, which would make them extremely rare on Lodoss. Half Elves, on the other hand, while rare, can be natives of Lodoss, making them more likely as player characters IMO.

The Dungeon World rules should be no problem for if you have played something like D&D3.5. The rules use the typical six attributes of D&D (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), each rated on a scale of 3 to 18, providing an attribute modifier from -3 to +3.
To do something you roll 2d6 and add your attribute modifier. A result of 6- is a failure, a 7-9 is a success (but at some cost), and a 10+ is a complete success. For example: To attack in melee you roll 2d6+STR. On a 7-9 you deal your damage, but also take a counterattack. On a 10+ you deal damage and don't take a counterattack OR you deal extra damage but get the counterattack in return (your choice). All in all, DW is less complex than AD&D or D&D3.0+ and more similar to basic D&D (the red box, blue box, etc.).

You can find pretty much everything you need in the Dungeon World SRD: http://www.dungeonworldsrd.com/ The DW "play sheets" are also a good summary of the basic actions ("moves") you can take during play and the character classes and their abilities: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3269630/dwdotcom/Dungeon_World_Play_Sheets.pdf
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

wander

Very coyly pokes my head in to show interest, whilst GMing Dungeon World is a large load for me, I do love to play. ^^;

Zenkai

Very interested. It has been more than a few years since I last saw the oav though  ;D. Do we post potential character sheets here as well?

Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: wander on November 13, 2015, 04:52:55 PM
Very coyly pokes my head in to show interest, whilst GMing Dungeon World is a large load for me, I do love to play. ^^;
Welcome aboard, Wander.


Quote from: Zenkai on November 13, 2015, 07:24:37 PM
Very interested. It has been more than a few years since I last saw the oav though  ;D. Do we post potential character sheets here as well?
I watched the OVA again this weekm and it's not like it explains all that much about the world. It gives a good first impression of the world, but it is fairly light on details. As long as you still remember the general mood and such, that's fine.



Given that we should have enough potential players for a group now, here's how we'll (slowly) get this started:

As for character sheets - yes, I think we can work on the characters in this thread, but lets not rush that. Some people aren't familiar with the setting, others might need help with the rules. Right now my plan is to first post a bit of world information, to give everyone some foundation to base a character on, before we worry about actual character sheets.

In the meantime, every player, please post here the following:
(1) Your preference for your character's race. Don't worry about the rules or world just yet - pick something that sounds interesting to you. (Non-human characters don't get any significant bonus or malus in Dungeon World anyway.)
(2) Your prefered character classes. List two or three in order of priority (highest to lowest). Normally there should be only one character of each class in a DW group, so having more than one option in mind can be a good idea.

I'd like to get at least some rough idea where this group might be heading, before we start bothering about some details.

ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Tackyhillbilly


AndyZ

Just to make sure, is the OVA a full 13 episodes, or is that the series?
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

Ons/Offs   -  My schedule and A/As   -    My Avatars

If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: AndyZ on November 14, 2015, 02:09:14 AM
Just to make sure, is the OVA a full 13 episodes, or is that the series?
The 13 episodes series is what we are talking about here as background. *nods* Just don't be surprised  by the first episode - it's actually something that happens in the middle of the story. They just took that episode out of continuity to see how well the series would be received (I think).

Quote from: Tackyhillbilly on November 14, 2015, 12:34:11 AM
Dwarf.

Ranger, Fighter, Paladin.
What I forgot to ask you, Tacky (if I may call you that?) is how familiar you are with both the DW rules and the Lodoss setting?
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Tackyhillbilly


wander


Zenkai

Human, cleric, barbarian, thief

I'm acquainted with dw via its srd document.

AndyZ

Elf.  Fighter, wizard, not entirely sure for the third.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

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If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

Tackyhillbilly

I should mention, while I don't know this system, I play a lot of system games. This is just a new system.

Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: Tackyhillbilly on November 14, 2015, 03:05:34 AM
I should mention, while I don't know this system, I play a lot of system games. This is just a new system.
Then it shouldn't be much - if any - trouble for you to pick up the rules. DW is pretty streamlined, more concerned with cause and effect than intricate mechanisms that cover every detail of the how, why, and what.




Character preferences look pretty good, so far.

Zenkai: Human cleric shouldn't be a problem. I'll go into the religions and their precepts a bit when I post some world information sometime later today.

Tacky: Dwarf ranger sounds good to me.

AndyZ & Wander: Fighter for Andy and Thief for Wander - so noted, but... could one of you imagine perhaps playing a human instead of an elf? Elves are pretty rare as adventurers in this setting. If you both really want to play an elf that's okay with me, but neither would I mind another human in the group.
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

AndyZ

I'd like to go Elf, but if Wander doesn't want to swap, I will.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

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If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

wander

Quote from: AndyZ on November 14, 2015, 03:18:24 AM
I'd like to go Elf, but if Wander doesn't want to swap, I will.

I'll go Human. I'd prefer to later go Half-Elf through an advanced move anyway. ^^

Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: wander on November 14, 2015, 03:22:09 AM
I'll go Human. I'd prefer to later go Half-Elf through an advanced move anyway. ^^
Works for me.  :-) And good for you that I don't stick to the rules too much. If I did I would notice that the Half-Elf move belongs to the Ranger class and that the Thief doesn't get any multiclass moves that I can see, to pick up that Ranger move.  ;)
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Tackyhillbilly

Well, the Dwarf isn't a viable choice for Ranger by the rules anyways. It will amuse me that our Tree Hugger is a Dwarf and not an Elf. Thinking my Animal Companion will be an Eagle. Thinking he's less a Lowland friend of nature type, and more a hard bitten hermit type. I've been doing a brief scouting of the setting (it's been a long time since I watched the OVA) and am thinking maybe from the Kingdom of Stone. Though that might only have been mentioned in the series we aren't using.

Cassandra LeMay

Quote from: Tackyhillbilly on November 14, 2015, 04:08:47 AM
Well, the Dwarf isn't a viable choice for Ranger by the rules anyways. It will amuse me that our Tree Hugger is a Dwarf and not an Elf. Thinking my Animal Companion will be an Eagle. Thinking he's less a Lowland friend of nature type, and more a hard bitten hermit type. I've been doing a brief scouting of the setting (it's been a long time since I watched the OVA) and am thinking maybe from the Kingdom of Stone. Though that might only have been mentioned in the series we aren't using.
Rangers don't have to be "tree huggers". I think a "rugged mountain man" type character is juuuust fine.  :-)

There is a dwarven kingdom in the north-east of Lodoss, near the main temple of Marfa and close to the cave of the white/silver dragon Brahmd. Ghim was brought to the temple of Marfa for healing after an accident in the mines. That's when he met Laylia, according to the OVA. Given that the dwarves of the White Mountains would have some contact with the clerics of Marfa and, most likely, some human traders from Alania, a dwarven scout/ranger/lookout character who spent some time above ground to keep an eye on the roads and mountain passes would make sense.
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Cassandra LeMay

#23
This turned out to be juuust a bit longer than I expected, but perhaps it's better to post a bit more about the world than not enough. Should be enough to get even those completely unfamiliar with the setting started, but if there are any questions - just ask and I'll try my best to answer. Anyways, here we go:


History of Lodoss


After the Age of Gods had come to an end in the final battle between Marfa and Kardis, for two thousand years chaos reigned on the island continent of Lodoss. Kingdoms and empires rose and fell, monsters from the dark island of Marmo invaded, burning and pillaging villages and cities. But then a mighty empire arose – Kastuul, the Kingdom of Sorcery, and united all the lands under its banner. For centuries the sorcerer kings and queens of Kastuul ruled all the lands of Lodoss, their power steadily rising till their magics rivaled even the gods. But in the end even Kastuul fell, consumed in a civil war fought not just with the might of arms, but also terrible magics that left little in their wake but a few ruins.

It took five hundred more years of chaos and strive for greater kingdoms to rise again and unite at least a few corners of Lodoss under their banner. Valis, the Kingdom of Light founded by king Fahn, Alan, a kingdom that prizes knowledge and learning above all else, Moss, the Dragon Kingdom ruled by prince Jester and his Dragon Knights, Kanon, a peace-loving nation dangerously close to Marmo, the dark island off the southeastern coast of the mainland, where monsters rule under an eternal cover of dark clouds.

For a time it looked like peace and prosperity could finally take hold in Lodoss, but it was not to be, for on Marmo a great Demon King arose from the mad dreams of Kardis, the goddess of chaos whose soul lies in eternal slumber deep under the dark island Marmo. After uniting the denizens of the bleak island under his rule, the Demon King began his conquest of Lodoss and no human army could stand against him. It was in this time that six heroes stood against the demon king, driving his dark troops back wherever they found them, freeing city after city, and finally confronting the Demon King himself. In the end, the Demon King was slain by the great knight Beld, but the demon's blood tainted Beld and forever blackened his soul. Those six heroes of legends were Beld, the knight, Fahn, king of Valis, Wort, the sage and wizard, Neese, priestess of Marfa, Fleve, the king of the dwarves, and a sorceress whose name was never told.

Fahn returned to Valis and ruled that kingdom for another thirty years, Beld, his soul tainted by the demon crowned himself emperor of Marmo and ruled the dark island. Wort, the sage retreated to a lone tower deep in the mountains of Moss, where he still lives. Neese became high priestess of Marfa and resides in the great temple of the Mother Goddess near Tarba. The unnamed hero has never been heard from since the final battle against the Demon King, while Fleve, the dwarven king died in that last battle.

For thirty years, Lodoss was at peace, and another kingdom was founded in the north, when Kashue Arnarge, the "Mercenary King", united many tribes of the Storm And Fire desert under his banner and became king of Flaim. But then another great invasion came from Marmo, this time led by emperor Beld, whose large army of men, dark elves, goblins, kobolds and ogres swiftly overwhelmed the defenses of peace-loving Kanon and the southern fortresses of Adan. King Fahn of Valis marched against his old comrade Beld, with troops from Valis and Flaim, and aided by the Dragon Knights of Moss. As the grand armies clashed, Fahn and Beld faced each other in single combat, both perishing in this clash of legendary heroes.

With the death of both leaders the war came to a halt, but Lodoss was not to find peace just yet. Soon after the "War of Heroes" ended, the ancient fire dragon Shooting Star attacked the villages of Flaim, while on Marmo the monsters became restless and a great fright hung over the dark land as the ancient black dragon Narse stirred deep under the temple of Falaris. In the end, King Kashue – aided by a small band of brave adventurers who had already performed some mighty deeds during the War of Heroes – slew Shooting Star and led another army of troops from Flaim, Valis, and Moss in an invasion of Marmo, for it had become known that on Marmo attempts were made to resurrect the goddes of chaos, Kardis herself.

While in the skies above Marmo Mycen, the gold dragon who had been Marfa's steed in the Age of Gods, battled Narce, the ancient black dragon who had fought at Kardis' side in ages past, a small group of heroes went deep into the bowels of Marmo, to stop the rebirth of the dark goddess.

What happened in the ancient temples and caverns below Marmo is the stuff of legends – and not all legends agree on what truly transpired, but before the day ended, Narse, the mightiest of evil dragons was killed by his ancient rival Mycen, and the ritual of awakening was stopped, Kardis's resurrection averted at the last minute.

The heroes who fought in those days have become legends themselves: Parn, whom they vcall Knight of Lodoss, but also the free knight, for he serves neither king nor kingdom but only the greater good of all Lodoss, Deedlit, the elf and Parn's companion, as skilled with the rapier as she is with the elemental magics of the elves. Slayn the mage, who they say is as wise and powerful as the ancient sage Wort. Etoh, priest of Falis, strong both in the arts of healing and in banishing evil spirits, and, as many believe, bound to one day marry Fianna, the daughter of King Fahn and now queen of Valis. And with them on the fateful day when Lodoss's future was decided stood: Leylia, priestess of Marfa, daughter of the high priestess Neese, now married to the mage Slayn. Orson, berserker and mercenary, stronger than ten men when his anger boils over, and Shiris, the redheaded swordmaiden, a mercenary also, like her partner Orson.

And this is the history of Lodoss as it is told in legend and song. But evil never rests in the land they call the accursed island, and soon a new band of brave souls will be needed to defend the land of Lodoss and its people. New legends will be told, new songs will be written.


The lands of Lodoss

As you can see from the map, maybe half of Lodoss belongs to one kingdom or another, while the other half of the land is made up of thinly-settled wilderness (primarily the Central Mountains, Steel Mountains, Fire Dragon Mountains, and the lands east of Moss and west of Flaim and Valis (an area usually called the Wildlands)). The map shows the capitals of each kingdom as a square, some other settlements as circles. The latter are by no means all the towns, villages, or fortresses of Lodoss. What the map shows are locations people may have heard about because they are important stops on major roads or have some historical significance.

Please keep in mind that this map shows a fairly accurate picture of Lodoss. That's the sort of knowledge a well-educated, or well-traveled person might have. The average person has a somewhat more vague idea about the geography, often consisting of no more information than "a large forest some days journey south of here" or "just follow the road to the west and you'll eventually reach it". Personal knowledge for the average person goes only as far as one's feet can carry them in half a day or so.

How large is it? Lodoss isn't all that large. A traveler on a good horse might be able to make the journey from Tarba in the northeast to Dragon Breath in the southwest in three weeks, if the weather is on his side. I'm not going to put any exact figures on it, but Lodoss is perhaps about the size of the British Isles. (Which would make Marmo... perhaps the size of Corsica or Cyprus.)

Valis

While Valis suffered heavy losses to Marmo incursions during the War of Heroes, it is still said to be the most powerful nation of Lodoss, and is strongly allied to Flaim. Moss is also an ally of Valis, but Moss tries to keep to its own devices. In times of major trouble Valis can rely on Moss, but during times of peace their ties are more economic than political or military.

Queen Fianna, daughter of the late king Fahn, rules Valis from the capital city of Roid, having been crowned queen two years ago. (After the death of king Fahn, king Kashue of Flaim ruled Valis as regent till Fianna turned nineteen.)

Addan sits at the crossroads of the mountain passes that lead north through the Central Mountains and south through the Steel Mountains. The final battle of the War of Heroes (where Fahn and Beld killed each other) took place not too far south from Addan. Lesmoa has declined in importance over the last few years. Once it was an important trade town at the coastal road to Kanon, but after the Marmo invasion commerce declined. Nowadays quite a few refugees from Kanon have settled in, and around, Lesmoa.

Valis is noteable for the Holy Knights, an order of knighthood said to have the strongest knights anywhere in Lodoss, and the high temples of Falis and Myrii are located in the capital of Roid.

Kanon

A peace-loving nation that grew complacent after the Demon King was slain by the Six Heroes and so became easy prey for the invading armies of Marmo. Kanon is still occupied by Marmo, its once great libraries and academies plundered and burned by the invading armies. A military governor resides in the capital of Shining Hill and sometimes sends out raiding parties to test the defenses of Valis and Alan, but for a few years now the Marmo seem content to hold on to Kanon and exploit its resources and population for their own gain.

Alania

Another peace-loving nation where knowledge and learning are highly valued, Alania is the oldest of the human kingdoms on Lodoss. It was only spared conquest by Marmo because emperor Beld was more interested in marching against Valis than conquering the north-east of Lodoss. Still, Alania lost several villages and border fortresses in its south, between the Forest of No Return and the coast, the largest of them fortress Myse, Alania's southernmost fortress. Only very recently has king Kadmos VII sought the help of troops from Flaim and mercenaries to take back the lands lost to Marmo during the war. Right now Alania's territorial integrity has been restored, but the southern border fortresses are still in bad shape.

Alania is home to the great temple of Marfa (home of the high priestess Neese) just north of Tarba, the mountain home of the ancient silver dragon Brahmd (close to the temple of Marfa), and the only dwarven kingdom in Lodoss (also in the White Mountains and close to Tarba).

Flaim

Flaim only became a true kingdom in its own right less than twenty years ago, when Kashue Arnarge, said by many to be the greatest swordsman of his generation, rose from humble origins and united the tribes of the western Storm and Fire Desert and took control of the towns and villages west of the desert. Staunchly allied with Valis, the troops of Flaim marched fearlessly against the invading armies of emperor Beld, the ancient dragon Shooting Star, and were instrumental in the fight against Marmo during the attempted resurrection of Kardis. All these fights took their toll on Flaim's troops and some question if the proud desert warriors can still make a difference if another great war should come over Lodoss. The god of War and Virtue, Myrii, is strongly revered in Flaim and his temple in Blade rivals the main temple in Roid in size and importance.

Moss


Moss was once just a collection of small, independent holdings, but the golden dragon Mycen ruled a good portion of the central Gold Mountains together with the Dragon Riders allied with him. Over time many smaller domains joined under his protection and guidance to form the country now known as Moss. Not a kingdom in any real sense, Moss is more a confederation or commonwealth of independent baronies, duchies, and independent cities. What central authority there is is exercised by Prince Jester, the leader of the Dragon Riders, from the city of Dragon Breath.

Moss is allied with both Valis and Flaim, and does a lot of trade with Valis, most of it passing through the coastal town of Dragon Scale on the Great Bay. Before the War of Heroes, Dragons Scale was also doing trade with Kanon and some refugees from that land have made it across the Great Bay and settled in, or around, Dragon Scale.

Marmo

The dark island is home to many goblins, kobolds, ogres, and creatures even these humanoid monsters fear. It is also home to humans tainted by the miasma of darkness that hangs like a shroud over the island that truly deserves the title "accursed" more than the rest of Lodoss combined. Here only strength matters, might makes right, and weakness means eternal servitude.

Marmo rules its lands with an iron fist – including the conquered kingdom of Kanon. But who rules Marmo? These days no one is really certain. When emperor Beld died, his second in command, Ashram, claimed the throne, but he, also, perished during the failed resurrection of Kardis. Nowadays rulers and warlords claiming the throne of Marmo seem to come and go every other day and anarchy rules the island under the dark clouds.

Other locations

There are many other locations in Lodoss that could be mentioned, but of those, perhaps the lands of the elves and dwarves deserve the most notice.

The one, and only, domain ruled by dwarves lies deep beneath the White Mountains, where the dwarves mine, play, laugh, and live. They keep to themselves for the most part, but enjoy cordial relations with Alanian traders who prize dwarven wares, and the priests and priestesses of Marfa who have their main temple near the dwarven kingdom and will treat everyone with equal friendship and hospitality. Once there was also a dwarven kingdom in the Gold Mountains, but it has long been abandoned, its great tunnels fallen in disrepair and now occupied by foul creatures.

The Forest Of No Return is the home of the High Elves – and it is not a land to be entered by anyone else. The forest is alive, and inside its borders time passes much faster than in the world of mortals. If someone is lucky enough to ever leave the forest they will find that in the few hours they spent inside the forest, years, maybe decades have passed in the world outside. Their children will be old men and women, villages and towns will have changed beyond recognition, and no one will remember the traveler who thought he had disappeared for only a few short hours. Do not enter this forest without an elven guide, and even then pray that the gods smile on you, for if not you will soon find out that this forest truly deserves its name.

The Forest Of Mirrors is the home of most of Lodoss's Wood Elves. They live in seclusion from the world around them, protected by elaborate illusions that lead wanderers astray, but they do sometimes mix and mingle at least a little with the humans living at the edge of the forest and sometimes from such an encounter a Half Elf is born.

Gods of Lodoss

Falis The supreme god of light, Falis embodies law, justice, and enlightened civilization. All priests of Falis undertake their novitiate in the church's grand temple in Valis. Priests of Falis are welcomed in all civilized lands as healers but also mediators and adjudicators. Most priests of Falis are be either good or lawful in alignment.

Marfa Where Falis represents law and civilization, Marfa embodies the virtues a good and just society should be founded on: Compassion, empathy, and understanding. While the priesthood of Marfa does not exclude men, women are far more common as priests of Marfa. Priests of Marfa are renowned for their peaceful ways, but they will take up arms to defend the helpless.

Myrii The god of war and virtue does not encourage conflict but rewards those who fight diligently and proudly in the course of good – but only if all other means have been exhausted. "Battle with heart, not blade" is a common saying for those who follow Myrii's path and only when an enemy leaves them no choice are priests of Myrii supposed to take a life.
Priests of Myrii must uphold the Seven Virtues of Light: Honesty, Humility, Charity, Compassion, Justice, Valor, and Prudence.

Cha Za The god of trade and commerce stands first and foremost for Honesty, Charity, and Prudence. A trade done following those virtues and truly in Cha Za's name will profit all parties and disadvantage none. But while they will follow those virtues, Cha Za's priests also understand that some people will do dishonest business in their gods name. Those should be punished, but punishment can take many forms. While they do not condone theft, priests of Cha Za acknowledge that tricking a trickster can be a valid way to spread their faith.

Rada The god of wisdom and knowledge should be mentioned here, but the priests who serve the patron of arts all take a vow of non-violence that might make them rather ill-suited as player characters.

Wait a minute. Weren't these gods all killed when the Age Of Gods drew to a close and Marfa and Kardis had their final fight? Yes – and no. The physical forms of the gods were all pretty much destroyed in the battles between Light and Darkness, but their spirits very much exist without a physical form. For gods there is a big difference between being killed and no longer existing. But if you doubt that's possible you are welcome to visit the temple of Falis in Roid, where the priests will be happy to enlighten you. They are used to questions like this.

Races of Lodoss


Dwarves are shorter and heftier than humans, people of great strength and stamina that prefer to live underground, but suffer no penalties in daylight or under an open sky. Of the civilized non-human races of Lodoss, dwarves are the most common, but outside their kingdom in the White Mountains of Alania they are still a rare sight – but a welcome sight also, for dwarves may have a reputation as gruff and grumpy people, but they are also valued craftsmen and blacksmiths.

High Elves are not available as player characters. While their flesh and bones are just as vulnerable to stick and stone as a human's, their natural life span is truly unlimited. High Elves fought on the side of the Gods of Light in the war between the gods, but when the age of gods came to an end in the final battle between Marfa and Kardis, the High Elves retreated deep into their woods and hid in another dimension where they still reside. Encountering a High Elf in Lodoss is exceedingly rare, and when one does encounter a High Elf they are easily mistaken for a

Wood Elf. Wood elves share the lithe build, fair hair, pale skin, and long pointy ears of their High Elf cousins, but not their unlimited life span. Neither have they retreated as far from the mortal world as their cousins. As long as they are left alone they do not care much about the affairs of humans, but while they keep their distance they also keep a close eye on anything that could intrude on their lives.

Races in game terms:

As all allowed classes will be available to all races, some need extra Race Moves. If you play a Dwarf or an Elf, pick either the Race Move available for your class, or one of these:

Dwarf:

  • Unmovable: When you Defy Danger using WIS you take +1 forward if you try to stay a course you have set for yourself in pursuit of a personal goal
  • Strong Back: Your Load increases by +2

Wood Elf:

  • Light As A Feather: When you don't wear armor, carry no shield, and are below your Load, you get +1 forward when you Defy Danger using your DEX
  • Swift Parry: When you don't wear armor, carry no shield, and are below your Load, you get +1 armor.

Half Elf:

  • Pick a Human or Elf Race Move at the start of the game. When you reach second level you can pick a Race Move from the race you haven't already covered, but only when reaching second level. Either it's in your genes and it will show soon, or it's not. You will still share some physical features from both parent races, but when it comes to the game rules you'll have to make up your mind at 2nd level.

Edit: A note on Elven magic:
All elven magic is elemental in nature, no matter the class of your character. Elven magic ususally summons the aid of the Spirit of Air (Sylph) or the Spirit of Water (Undine) and only extremely rarely the aid of Fire or Earth spirits. As far as the rules are concerned that makes no difference (it's the outcome of spellcasting the rules are concerned with, not the "special effects") but you should still describe elven magic accordingly.
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wander

Quote from: Cassandra LeMay on November 14, 2015, 03:37:45 AM
Works for me.  :-) And good for you that I don't stick to the rules too much. If I did I would notice that the Half-Elf move belongs to the Ranger class and that the Thief doesn't get any multiclass moves that I can see, to pick up that Ranger move.  ;)

Heh, well I did list Bard and Ranger, it's been a bit since I've read the Thief profile over, though it's cool... I wouldn't want to change classes as every party needs a thief for them pesky traps and you're allowing the option there anyway. ^^