(NCE Insane Musings) Earthdawn 3E Intrest Check and Feedback Request

[Muse]

*A little angel about the size of a beer stine appears in a swirl of plum blossoms, perched atop a keg of mountain dew.* 

Come on in and have a schooner, folks, I'm hoping to get some dialouge going. 

I've had a back burner ambition for a long time to learn and run Earthdawn.  Now that their third edition is out (and better than ever before) and that my other games are on a roll and under control, i'd say the iron is hot, so it's time to strike. 

I don't want this to be a completly sexualy dominated game (much less completly non com dominated game) but i do like to have good fun with it on a fairly regular basis. 


The topic of this thread, then, is who is intrested, and what shall i base my Craft: Story check around?   

The themes I have in my head right now are Theran Sex Slave Traders and the Horrors as Tentacle Monsters. 

   *   *   *

For those of you not so familiar with Earthdawn, it is a tropical time before Earth's last ice age and the mana levels of the world are just receding from their highest point in the great cycles of magical energy.  During the highest point of magic, the Horror's half formed beings of madness and suffering ripped their way out of the Astral Plane and rampaged across the face of the fourth world.  To survive the unatural onslaught the people hid in great underground city-fortresses called Caer's for centuries.  As magic began to recede, many of the horrers fled, and the surviving caers opened so that the descendents of the original refugees could recolinize the ravaged world above. 

A hundred years later, it is a time of high adventure.  The Namegiver Races of the World have established civilizations once more, but the wild places are still filled with many an unatural thing twisted by the horrors, not to mention some horrors themselves who have yet to leave. 

   *   *   *

Dwarves are the cornerstone of civilization amongst the proud, indipendent people's of Barisaive. 

Humans, a race neither numerous nor mighty, have a gift for versatility and adaptability that grants them comfortable niche's with most of Barisaive's people. 

If human's fit in, the tiny, winged Windlings are eternal seekers of change and experience. 

The ever beauteous elves have such a love of the forest that their queen chose to scourge herself and her court with a thorns growing out of her skin so that the Horror's would leave them be besides to sup upon the ambient pain.  Those who did not choose that way have traded their pride for a bitersweet recolection of what they have lost. 

Orcs, fierce and driven by that one thing that gets under their skin, are a short lived warrior race who'se passionate nature teaches them to grab life by the throat and shake! 

Trolls, tall, mighty, and honorable (with a great pair of horns on their heads) raid the skys of barisaive in crystal-raider ships, but in other parts of barisaive have other cultures. 

'Tskrang, swashbuckling river folk, crested and scaled with long, clever tails, but don't let the lack of hair fool you, they are passionate in making love to the mamalian name givers as to their own people. 

The migthy, androgynous obsidimen, the only namegiver people born of a liferock and not a woman, are nonetheless long lived, wise, and extremly powerful. 

   *   *   *

While we all know what makes a hero, in Earthdawn the heroes we will be playing are capable as well responsible. 

What makes us capable?  Why magic, of course.  While normal people work laboriously to learn mundane skills, we Adepts follow a magical Discipline.  The Talents in that Discipline are the key to our power.  Some of them are no difrent from normal skills save that we learn them faster and easier.  Others are truly supernatural feats.  Some disciplines cast spells, Elementalists, Illusionists, Nethermaners, and Wizards.  Meenwhille Beastmasters bond with animals and master unarmed combat, Air Salors and Sky Raiders learn their adventuring trades on the ships that sail the skies, not the seas or rivers.  Archers, Cavalrymen, and Warriors form the backbone of the fighting classes, but dont' underestemate the panache filled Swordmasters.  Weaponsmiths not only forge weapons, but enchant and wield them.  Scouts, Troubadors, and Theives all bring powerful magics to bear in the Discipline they practice. 

[WyzardWhately]

Oh, my.  I thought you already had a player base.  I'm only very vaguely familiar with the rules at this time, but I'd like to put my hand in as a maybe.  The game fascinates me, and I'd like to take a shot at it.

[Muse]

Huzzh!

[WyzardWhately]

I will most likely attempt to build some kind of a Wizard, although I may need a little help from a more experienced system wonk.

[OldSchoolGamer]

I don't know anything about Earthdawn, but I'll give it a whirl.

[WyzardWhately]

Something suddenly occurred to me - for the benefit of those who are not familiar with the game, perhaps you should edit the initial post to include a capsule version of the setting?

[Muse]

Good idea, Wiz, I have updated the first post. 

[Kaya]

Hello!

I'd be interested in playing. I don't know the third edition of Earthdawn, but i've played the second one. I am not interested in demons and tentacles though.

In which circle would the characters start?

Kaya

[Muse]

*Bows*  Pleased to meet you, kaya.  (and that is a most excelent avatar.) 

I started this gae with a call for discusion for a reason.  ^_^  What sort of legend point total would you like to start with? 

[Kaya]

Hello Muse and thanks!

My question was rather intended to find out your view, as I can work with anything you throw my way. I'm not looking for power. It really depends on what you want to GM, so it should be your decision. What I can tell you is that I will probably play a female elf, not of the bloodelf kind (that's too icky). I don't know about the discipline yet, that would depend a bit on the starting legend points.

Kaya

[Muse]

Groans!  i hate the evil blue E!  I SO want Firefox to work on my lap top again! 

(just lost a post again!) 

Kaya, I think I'm going to give us some legend points so that I'm comfortable breaking us up into smaler groups when not everyne is comfortable with a given scene. 

[Muse]

All right, here is a potential story line. 

The Theran Empire is advancing into Barisaive and has conquered a city state on the border.  We begin as amazone gladiator slaves in that border city state.  In arena battles, we learn the combat system, and when we loose, well, this is Elliquiy, naughty things happen.  Once we've had our fill, we escape into the countryside, have some adventures, and eventualy join the rebellion. 

Any thoughts? 

[Kaya]

Maybe I am misunderstanding, but I would suggest not to limit the game to female characters. While I surely can play a female that is forced to fight in an arena (and dressed very scantily, gotta entertain the audience), there should also be room for male characters.

Apart from that I think that would be a good start!

[Chelemar]

ok, i will try it, but .. I know nothing of the world and will need to do some research. 

[Muse]

*chuckles*  A few guy charecters in the game are all right with me, I guess.  ^_6

[WyzardWhately]

Indeed, I hadn't noticed any mention it was a females-only game.

[Muse]

*Chuckles* 

No problem, Wiz. 

I had sugested 'Amazone Gladiators' sugesting all girl carecters, but i'm perfectly comfortable with guy charecters. 

[WyzardWhately]

*Chuckles* 

No problem, Wiz. 

I had sugested 'Amazone Gladiators' sugesting all girl carecters, but i'm perfectly comfortable with guy charecters.

I was referring to the original pitch post...I've missed it somehow, and can't find it.

[Muse]

*nods*  Probably wasn't in there.  ^_^;; 

[Muse]

you might notice, Wiz, my pitch post wasn't a pitch post, it was a 'let's disuss' post. 

[Muse]

   In the Throal Mountains, a good distance from the more settled portions of the rich kingdom of Throal, due north of Barter Town across the mountain range on a crag overlooking the serpent river stands the city of Aurum.  Seventy years after the Scourge, the dwarven prospecter Aurum discovered an ancient coin in these hills and took it as a lucky piece.  He worked hard and found such rich strikes that five years later he was married into the noble house that sponsored him and governer of a growing minig town. 
   Twenty-five years later, it was clear that the mines were prosperous.  Aurum had been expanded through careful planning into a full fledged city made with room to grow. 
   At the begining of the 101st year after the Scourge, with Throal's king politicaly deadlocked by the opening gambits of a civil war, the people of Aurumn were plauged one night by disturbing yet erotic dreams from which they could not wake.  Those who worked by night fell asleep in spite of themselves.  When they woke, they found the flags of the Theran Empire flying over gover Aurumn's pallace.  Governer Aurumn's head was on a pike next to the heads of half of the citties strongest adepts, while the rest of the citty's strongest adepts had vanished in the night.  Thera's legionaries marched the streets, declaring Aurumn a Theran province.  All citizents were to report and register for taxation and potential conscription.  Many properties were ceased inculding weapons of war.  Those who could not pay taxes were enslaved for the mines.  In spite of these things, for many, life went on as usual, for the citties Adepts, even the visitors, everything changed that day as they were enslaved the moment they were found and siezed for the arenas.

[Muse]

To learn more, come to my world. 

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=47227.0

[Muse]

And a link to an OOC thread as well: 

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=47234.0

[Muse]

Though I'm moving slower than usual thanks to the itchies, things are starting up, but i could use a few more players. 

[Muse]

The Horrors. 

Before the ice age, they came to our world at the height of a time of magic.  They tainted our spells, destroyed our empires, devoured our children, violated our graves, drove us into hiding in deep underground Caers, then burrowed after us relentlessly throughout the centuries of our long hiding.  Human fear and suffering is their meat and drink. 

One hundred years ago a miracle happened.  As we huddled in the darkest corners of the earth, livig in eternal terror of that wich might come for us from generation to generation, the world's magic began to dwindle.  It was ever so slight, but our arcane tools measured it and the wise knew what it meant. 

The Horrors were loosing their grip on the world.  The mightiest of them were loosing the strength to manifest and slipping back to thier distant hell. 

It was time to take back the world. 

It was time to fight.