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| The Continent of Kyrcera. Click, if you dare. |
This, is the world.
And this, is an overview.
Of Land
A continent the size of Europe situated in the middle of a flat world, dominated by a vast ocean. From its edges flows an immense waterfall rumoured to flow directly into the deepest reaches of the underworld. The land is characterised by large homogenous biosphere - huge expanses of mountains or plains unheard of in our world.
Of Culture
The continent comprises of nearly 30 million humans of variant racial descendance. Unlike most RPGs around today, there are no elves, dwarves, halflings etc. Physical characteristics vary, from tall wide-shouldered mountaineers to emaciated swamp dwellers, but the fact of the matter is the core distinction is a cultural one.
Of Politics
The world is divided into three factions. One is a monotheistic theocracy with benevolent beginnings, whose cultural norms would remind one of a medieval Europe with bits of renaissance aesthetics. Its structure follows a more strict, post Schism, Roman approach which lately has degraded to include a few feudalistic elements. The second, a polytheistic group of nation states, sharing a common army whose lack of resources and inferior weaponry forces it to compensate with more supernatural means. A land where Gods and their children walk amongst mortals giving these disparate kingdoms a more ancient mythic feel. The third and final faction, a group of Imperial secessionists organised into a consortium of Artisan and Merchant guilds dominating world trade. Their main unifying factor, an antitheist view of the world that stems from their very ability to circumvent the need for divine patronage and produce magical effects of their own.
Of History
Originaly the world was governed by a colossal empire called the Dominion, precided over by a representative of the Gods. The last representative’s administrative inadequacy brought the world to its heels. A revolution ensued, culminating with a divine intervention that resulted in deicide. A God had fallen at the hands of another and this escalated in a theological conflict that fractured the world to the factions we have today.
Of Theology
The eight Gods of Kyrcera have shaped its people since the dawn of time. Each God is the representative of a philosophy, an abstract idea rather than a physical concept (earth, water etc). In the myths the various cultures share with one another it is said that in the first age the Deities walked among them until some sin or slight caused them to depart from the world and issue an edict of non intervention. From then on, the world would be ruled by a sole demigod, a representative of the deities. Upon the demigods demise another would take their place, each the earthly embodiment of a single patron deity. The passing of eight, one for each God, was named the Great Cycle, and the demigods themselves, Sih Saelle.
Of Myth & Magic
Magic in Kyrcera follows, in general, a ritualistic approach, is more widespread than run of the mill fantasy, but at the same time it’s less vulgar and directly destructive. For example, a seaside village sacrificing a calf on a new moon to bring divine wrath on the pirates who raided their village might have the pirate ship end in the middle of a raging maelstrom. On the other hand the chances of encountering a wizard that can reroute meteoric trajectories are slim to none.
In a similar vein the monstrous element bears a more mythic role than that of a straightforward antagonist. Monsters are unique; There might exist a hydra, one , and if so, it will have a reason and a myth supporting it; unlike what adventurers will tell you, it’s not born as a chunk of delicious XP. Confronting it would change the world, and one could conceivably interact with it in a non violent manner if so inclined (then again, it’s a bloody hydra).
Moving into more in-setting matters, all magic comes from the Gods. That itself, is the reason that the Antitheist faction accessing magic on their own is an event of world shaking significance. Flamboyant magic is more prevalent outside the monotheists Empire, as the inquisition keeps a tight leash on the more dangerous effects.
Of Feel
Ennead is a heroic fantasy setting with elements of dark fantasy, attempting to invoke a feeling of a heroic journey, a saga of sorts, drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. It tries to downplay some fantasy elements to attain verisimilitude, something we felt other settings were lacking*. In particular, you will encounter two distinct feelings. A more low fantasy approach inside the domain of the monotheists; A mythic feel in the nation states.
Of Mechanics
Ennead utilises the Fate system by Evil Hat productions, chosen for being streamline and mechanics light. It helps tell a great story without being impeded by a sea of numbers or a heavy arcane ruleset that acts counter to the task at hand; that is, the storytelling itself. We felt our world was complemented by such an abstract system as it doesn’t lend itself to a dungeon crawling, battle strategy approach. Instead, a more theatrical, improvisational way that drives the story forward and helps character growth is more in line with what we conceived as Ennead.
*But not the Classic World of Darkness. Seriously, go buy it. Now.
