How will you fare in a land torn by war?
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Dominion of the Sword (Original Low Fantasy GURPS Quest)
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Part 1: Origins
Underlake
Tabletop Game Nerd
- Location
- America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Lay by your pleading, law lies a bleeding. Burn all your studies, and throw away your reading. Small power the word has, and can afford us, Not half so much privilege as the sword does.
The kingdom of Caledon is locked in a state of civil war, and has been for centuries. While its neighbors eye the polity like a wolf eyes a carcass, the people of the land have splintered, a once united land fractured into warring petty fiefdoms. In such turbulent times, many have turned away from the plowshare, and instead taken to the sword, a surer way of making a fortune, some say.
In this time of strife, you are born.
What is your origin?
[x] Child of the Water
- Your father was a fisherman. With no land to call his own, he took to the rivers and sea to feed his family.
[x] Child of the Forge
- Your father was a shopkeep in a city, an ironsmith by trade. The Hammer and the Anvil were common companions in youth.
[x] Child of the Woods
-Your father was a forrester, a servant of a lord, and a watcher in the forest. He taught you the bow and the axe, it is to you to use those skills.
[x] Child of the Stable
- Your father is a liveried horseman under a lord of a castle. From a young age you have been schooled in the arts of war.
[x] Child of the Gallows
- Your father was a thief, who died when you were young. You have had to fend for yourself your entire life.
[x] Child of Destiny
-The world trembles at your passing. On the day of your birth, the sun turned black in the sky.
-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-
I'm learning GURPS, so I thought it would be a cool idea to run a quest with it, since none of my friends are interested in the crunch of it. Feel free to tell me if I fuck it up somehow. The tables for your father's trade are taken from Chivalry and Sorcery, another RPG I probably will never get to play.
If you take the last option, I'll roll one more time on the table, but you'll also get something cool out of it. Basically, you give up some control over your backstory, in exchange for some extra stuff for your character.
The kingdom of Caledon is locked in a state of civil war, and has been for centuries. While its neighbors eye the polity like a wolf eyes a carcass, the people of the land have splintered, a once united land fractured into warring petty fiefdoms. In such turbulent times, many have turned away from the plowshare, and instead taken to the sword, a surer way of making a fortune, some say.
In this time of strife, you are born.
What is your origin?
Rolling:
Choice 1: Poor Freeman
Fisherman
Choice 2: Average Townsman
Shopkeeper/Ironworker
Choice 3: Poor Bondsman
Forrester
Choice 4: Wealthy Freeman
Liveried Horseman
Choice 5: Destitute Townsman
Thief
Choice 1: Poor Freeman
Fisherman
Choice 2: Average Townsman
Shopkeeper/Ironworker
Choice 3: Poor Bondsman
Forrester
Choice 4: Wealthy Freeman
Liveried Horseman
Choice 5: Destitute Townsman
Thief
[x] Child of the Water
- Your father was a fisherman. With no land to call his own, he took to the rivers and sea to feed his family.
[x] Child of the Forge
- Your father was a shopkeep in a city, an ironsmith by trade. The Hammer and the Anvil were common companions in youth.
[x] Child of the Woods
-Your father was a forrester, a servant of a lord, and a watcher in the forest. He taught you the bow and the axe, it is to you to use those skills.
[x] Child of the Stable
- Your father is a liveried horseman under a lord of a castle. From a young age you have been schooled in the arts of war.
[x] Child of the Gallows
- Your father was a thief, who died when you were young. You have had to fend for yourself your entire life.
[x] Child of Destiny
-The world trembles at your passing. On the day of your birth, the sun turned black in the sky.
-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-
I'm learning GURPS, so I thought it would be a cool idea to run a quest with it, since none of my friends are interested in the crunch of it. Feel free to tell me if I fuck it up somehow. The tables for your father's trade are taken from Chivalry and Sorcery, another RPG I probably will never get to play.
If you take the last option, I'll roll one more time on the table, but you'll also get something cool out of it. Basically, you give up some control over your backstory, in exchange for some extra stuff for your character.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Child of Destiny
[x] Child of Destiny
Spawned beneath the dark star, not ready yet, still a spawnling of great purpose, but will one day march forth into this chaotic world and make papa proud
(If our biological father or whoever raises us isn't nice, we'll just find someone of a parental disposition and make them be our dad)
Spawned beneath the dark star, not ready yet, still a spawnling of great purpose, but will one day march forth into this chaotic world and make papa proud
(If our biological father or whoever raises us isn't nice, we'll just find someone of a parental disposition and make them be our dad)
- Location
- Centro Italia
[x] Child of Destiny
[x] Child of the Forge
[x] Child of the Forge
- Location
- France
[X] Child of the Water
[x] Child of the Woods
[x] Child of the Woods
This choice probably gives the most freedom to the character. It also opens up the most important skills for any adventurer in GURPS who doesn't have a proper party already - as in perception related skills. Combine with some weapon skills and being able to forage it's a good way to support yourself and a useful skill in most armies.
I wouldn't ever choose Child of Desiny because we don't really know what kind of Destiny it is exactly. Dying in ironic manner immediately after becoming king is very much in line with the description.
This choice probably gives the most freedom to the character. It also opens up the most important skills for any adventurer in GURPS who doesn't have a proper party already - as in perception related skills. Combine with some weapon skills and being able to forage it's a good way to support yourself and a useful skill in most armies.
I wouldn't ever choose Child of Desiny because we don't really know what kind of Destiny it is exactly. Dying in ironic manner immediately after becoming king is very much in line with the description.
Seems kinda nihilistic to assume it'll be bad, but I can understand your worry, the sun turning dark may feel SLIGHTLY ominous
Counterpoint, if it's a good destiny then YAY, if it's bad we can do some classic fight against fate stuff
My problem is mostly with the fact that Destiny will screw you over if you try to work against it. It doesn't matter if its good or bad. Let's say the character is destined to be king of Caledon, and the we find out that there is another much more official heir to the throne. And he is actually a decent guy and we like him and it all doesn't matter - he is dead man walking or worse.
I don't know how you're sure destiny works like that in this setting, but I cannot deny that we're dealing with fate itself and it's a common thing in stories for it to be an apathetic yet railroading asshole
But to be fair we've got very little information on that destiny, I'm just willing to risk it on being part of fate's tapestry for better or worse, you're trying to ensure our character and or anyone they like makes it to an old age, which I will not deny is a commendable effort and if the path you picked wins the vote then I'll probably just have to make a very convincing plan on how to get our woodsman's boy into some shenanigans
Ideas for shenanigans for each path
Child Of The Water
- Try to catch the biggest fish ever (Or at least convince everyone that you did)
- Try to become one with the sea, become the crazy mermaid wannabe
- Master using a fishing rod for combat, rip a man's eyes out with a simple flick of your pole
Child Of The Forge
- Craft a sword made of swords and use it all the time
- Create weapons of the highest quality, but give them all silly names and incorporate stupid things into the designs
- Start worshipping your own forge like it's a god, hopefully start a blacksmith cult
Child Of The Woods
- Become basically robin hood, but wear attire that makes us look like the animated disney robin hood, with a fox mask and tail
- Try to befriend any and all animals that we can
- Carve wood into fancy little statues and try to woo any handsome knights that come through our forest
Child of the Stable
- Name all the horses we tame after my little pony characters, sing songs to them about friendship
- Try to get a horse into a position of political power
- Put a bunch of horses into a giant wooden man to sneak them into enemy territory
Child of the Gallows
- Become a crime boss wearing a noose necktie
- Become a powerful hitman wielding a gibbet (Wooden stand that nooses hang from when outside) like a weapon, noose still on it of course
- Become a priest praying for departed criminals, collect bits of their bodies and build little shrines to them, pray that the afterlife may give them rest or if they were truly evil a chance to do better
Child of Destiny
- Fuck with fate
- Become the struggler
- Follow your destiny, but only in a technically correct manner, like becoming king but we're only a puppet king following the advice of our best friend who is more qualified
Because it's what written in the GURPS book.
"Be aware that this advantage gives the GM absolute license to meddle with your life - the GM must make the Destiny work out!"
I did not read gurps, I actually don't know why I joined this quest, probably was hankering for some swords and sorcery, thanks for the info
Not knowing GURPS shouldn't be a problem for Low Fantasy. Just making decisions that would work in a fantasy story should be okay.
Part Two: Early Childhood
Underlake
Tabletop Game Nerd
- Location
- America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Child of Destiny
The day you are born, the sun turns black, and the sky darkens. Birds cease to sing, and it is said that the world itself halts.
But that matters little to you, for you are born a slave.
You never knew your father. Perhaps he was another enslaved man, sold on to the highest bidder. or perhaps he was a free man, dallying with your mother, and leaving the two of you in bondage. Whatever the case, you grew up sitting by the hearth fire as your mother cooked. She would sing you the songs of her people, and teach you her tongue, as you learned the language of the masters as well.
The man that owned your mother was Aelfric, A dyer, and the master of the guild of dyers in the city of Kaldeen, in the southern reaches of Caledon. The city was crowded, full to the brim with people, but you were kept away from the hum and din of wider humanity, for the most part. As when you were a youth, your master determined that he ought to get some use of you, and thus began your training. Long gone were the day of singing the songs of your mother's people, now, you were to learn a trade.
What trade were you given to?
[x] The Scribe's Pen
-The scent of ink, the scratch of quill on paper. Knowledge is power, and you can read to gain it.
[x] The Way of the Blade
-In the southern reaches, many slaves are marched to the death at the orders of their masters. Perhaps you shall join their number.
[x] The Horseshoe and Tack
-The stablemaster is a kind man, but stern. He teaches you to care for the animals, and for them to care for you in turn.
[x] The Hammer and Anvil
-The Swordsmith of the house is an old slave, one that barely remembers his own name on the best days. You are to learn all he can teach.
[x] The Hands of Fate
-An ancient practice. Lots are drawn to determine what you shall do in life, while an augur watches on
-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-
This is honestly hilarious to me. You can only randomly start as a slave if you roll a natural 1 on a d100. You have a higher chance to be born a member of the nobility, yet somehow, you all have beat the odds to end up with the worst socio-economic background. congratulations, you have destiny, and were born a slave.
Like with the child of destiny option, if you select the Hands of Fate option, you'll get a bonus at the end of character creation, and I'll roll randomly on the table for you to see what trade you're given. Otherwise, you can pick one of the trades
While you begin a slave, you may not stay a slave forever.
The day you are born, the sun turns black, and the sky darkens. Birds cease to sing, and it is said that the world itself halts.
But that matters little to you, for you are born a slave.
You never knew your father. Perhaps he was another enslaved man, sold on to the highest bidder. or perhaps he was a free man, dallying with your mother, and leaving the two of you in bondage. Whatever the case, you grew up sitting by the hearth fire as your mother cooked. She would sing you the songs of her people, and teach you her tongue, as you learned the language of the masters as well.
The man that owned your mother was Aelfric, A dyer, and the master of the guild of dyers in the city of Kaldeen, in the southern reaches of Caledon. The city was crowded, full to the brim with people, but you were kept away from the hum and din of wider humanity, for the most part. As when you were a youth, your master determined that he ought to get some use of you, and thus began your training. Long gone were the day of singing the songs of your mother's people, now, you were to learn a trade.
What trade were you given to?
[x] The Scribe's Pen
-The scent of ink, the scratch of quill on paper. Knowledge is power, and you can read to gain it.
[x] The Way of the Blade
-In the southern reaches, many slaves are marched to the death at the orders of their masters. Perhaps you shall join their number.
[x] The Horseshoe and Tack
-The stablemaster is a kind man, but stern. He teaches you to care for the animals, and for them to care for you in turn.
[x] The Hammer and Anvil
-The Swordsmith of the house is an old slave, one that barely remembers his own name on the best days. You are to learn all he can teach.
[x] The Hands of Fate
-An ancient practice. Lots are drawn to determine what you shall do in life, while an augur watches on
-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-{}-
This is honestly hilarious to me. You can only randomly start as a slave if you roll a natural 1 on a d100. You have a higher chance to be born a member of the nobility, yet somehow, you all have beat the odds to end up with the worst socio-economic background. congratulations, you have destiny, and were born a slave.
Like with the child of destiny option, if you select the Hands of Fate option, you'll get a bonus at the end of character creation, and I'll roll randomly on the table for you to see what trade you're given. Otherwise, you can pick one of the trades
While you begin a slave, you may not stay a slave forever.
[x] The Hands of Fate
HELL YEAH MORE GAMBLING
HELL YEAH MORE GAMBLING
[x] The Hands of Fate