earthboy
(verified ape)
- Location
- NYC
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I had the core of an idea about a setting. It's not an idea that I've seen used before in games or fiction, and think it could go a couple of different ways. I'm curious if it has been done before, and how it progressed.
The main idea is that there are three types of beings: Celestials, Fiends, and Mortals. But unlike usual, there is no single hierarchy of power. Instead, there's a metaphysical game of rock-paper-scissors.
Fiends are particularly weak to Celestials.
Mortals are particularly weak to Fiends.
Celestials ... are particularly weak to Mortals.
This set-up probably seemed like a clever balance of power to the naive creator deities (or whatever), but then maybe 5 minutes into the production release they discovered that those pesky Mortals combine great inquisitive and creative talents with greed, pride, and poor impulse control. There are a damn lot of Mortals, and they don't seem to reliably obey even their own self-interest.
The upshot is that Fiends seem to be pretty good at manipulating Mortals, and even though there's a theoretical balance of powers, things are looking kinda grim for non-Fiends.
Theory of the Fall: So once there was this Creator, right? Everything exists, so it must have been created. That's just common sense. Now, imagine you're a Celestial servant for this Creator, and everything's going along fine, until one day your boss tells you that these smelly monkey things are more beloved to Him than you. Well, yeah, I'd think about rebellion too. That's where Fiends come from, and that's why they hate Mortals so much.
Theory of Humanity Fuck Yeah: Nah, it's too convenient to think that a Creator would value mere Mortals over such obviously divine beings like Celestials, plus why would a Creator let Fiends happen if they're bad? It doesn't hold together. Here's what's probably true. The ancient Mortals and Fiends fought, and the Mortals were losing, so we got together our most potent magics and created a weapon. We called our weapon the Celestials. We didn't want the weapon turning on us, so that's why they're weak to us. I mean, it's just obvious.
IMHO the most interesting thing about this setup is that it puts Mortals front and center, right in the narrative driver's seat. Whether they're choosing to defend their Celestial allies from other Mortals, or working with Fiends for their own gain, the Mortals are the ones who have most of the choices in the setting -- and the ones who have the most to lose.
So, how bad is it? And what sorts of interesting situations & opportunities might happen? Here are a few ideas.
Angelic Isolation: Kind of a points-of-light setting where Angelic influence is concentrated in a few defensible points. Fiendish influence might be more urban in this setup, while a Celestial might choose a defensible yet isolated monastery overlooking a key mountain pass. The Celestial seeks security and tactical power, while the Fiend chooses to expand its influence -- and the Fiend can do so in relative safety, since the city is composed of Mortals who are less of a threat to a Fiend.
Nation of Evil: "If I don't vote for any of the half-fiends, then the wrong one might win the Presidency." One nation comes out as overtly controlled by the Fiends. Perhaps they offer bounties for Angelic criminals, similar to how southern states once offered bounties for runaway slaves -- they weren't too picky about whether you brought a specific one in.
Strip-Mining Heaven: "It's not like there's enough Angles left to run things up here, so we stepped in to help... and to make us some coin." Mortals are manning the controls of the Weather Bureau with predictably chaotic results. The Celestial Mountain is getting mined. What Celestial secrets are the Mortal Wizards learning from their studies of the Heavens and the operation thereof?
What game system would work for this sort of setting?
What historical era would work? Maybe Renaissance -- maybe Angles react poorly to lead bullets, and that's what tips the balance in the first place. What other period would work well?
What kind of adventures could happen here?
The Set Up
The main idea is that there are three types of beings: Celestials, Fiends, and Mortals. But unlike usual, there is no single hierarchy of power. Instead, there's a metaphysical game of rock-paper-scissors.
Fiends are particularly weak to Celestials.
Mortals are particularly weak to Fiends.
Celestials ... are particularly weak to Mortals.
This set-up probably seemed like a clever balance of power to the naive creator deities (or whatever), but then maybe 5 minutes into the production release they discovered that those pesky Mortals combine great inquisitive and creative talents with greed, pride, and poor impulse control. There are a damn lot of Mortals, and they don't seem to reliably obey even their own self-interest.
The upshot is that Fiends seem to be pretty good at manipulating Mortals, and even though there's a theoretical balance of powers, things are looking kinda grim for non-Fiends.
Possible Histories
(the Sages argue about this stuff)
(the Sages argue about this stuff)
Theory of the Fall: So once there was this Creator, right? Everything exists, so it must have been created. That's just common sense. Now, imagine you're a Celestial servant for this Creator, and everything's going along fine, until one day your boss tells you that these smelly monkey things are more beloved to Him than you. Well, yeah, I'd think about rebellion too. That's where Fiends come from, and that's why they hate Mortals so much.
Theory of Humanity Fuck Yeah: Nah, it's too convenient to think that a Creator would value mere Mortals over such obviously divine beings like Celestials, plus why would a Creator let Fiends happen if they're bad? It doesn't hold together. Here's what's probably true. The ancient Mortals and Fiends fought, and the Mortals were losing, so we got together our most potent magics and created a weapon. We called our weapon the Celestials. We didn't want the weapon turning on us, so that's why they're weak to us. I mean, it's just obvious.
State of the World
IMHO the most interesting thing about this setup is that it puts Mortals front and center, right in the narrative driver's seat. Whether they're choosing to defend their Celestial allies from other Mortals, or working with Fiends for their own gain, the Mortals are the ones who have most of the choices in the setting -- and the ones who have the most to lose.
So, how bad is it? And what sorts of interesting situations & opportunities might happen? Here are a few ideas.
Angelic Isolation: Kind of a points-of-light setting where Angelic influence is concentrated in a few defensible points. Fiendish influence might be more urban in this setup, while a Celestial might choose a defensible yet isolated monastery overlooking a key mountain pass. The Celestial seeks security and tactical power, while the Fiend chooses to expand its influence -- and the Fiend can do so in relative safety, since the city is composed of Mortals who are less of a threat to a Fiend.
Nation of Evil: "If I don't vote for any of the half-fiends, then the wrong one might win the Presidency." One nation comes out as overtly controlled by the Fiends. Perhaps they offer bounties for Angelic criminals, similar to how southern states once offered bounties for runaway slaves -- they weren't too picky about whether you brought a specific one in.
Strip-Mining Heaven: "It's not like there's enough Angles left to run things up here, so we stepped in to help... and to make us some coin." Mortals are manning the controls of the Weather Bureau with predictably chaotic results. The Celestial Mountain is getting mined. What Celestial secrets are the Mortal Wizards learning from their studies of the Heavens and the operation thereof?
Filling It Out
What game system would work for this sort of setting?
What historical era would work? Maybe Renaissance -- maybe Angles react poorly to lead bullets, and that's what tips the balance in the first place. What other period would work well?
What kind of adventures could happen here?
