A riot quest in which we worldbuild a fantasy setting and create a vast Empire to rule it over 55 Votes and 1000 years of history. Starting by creating the foundational elements of a lower magic fantasy setting, we will then proceed through a thousand years of history until one single Empire reigns triumphant and hegemonic over their subcontinent.
There is a discord channel in the Wordsmiths server
Well, it's an idea that's stuck in my head and won't leave until I've run it.
More clearly, I had an idea for a pair of matched quests. The second takes an Empire at its height and tasks players with throwing it into decline by getting two votes: one regular vote to run the empire and one riot vote to throw problems at it until eventually it collapses.
However, the first quest is this quest: the goal to build a single hegemonic empire and the fantasy subcontinent it controls from the very basic building blocks and giving the region and the empire a history guided by the hand of the players. The players represent the various supernatural spirits and natural forces that are variously called "chance", "fate", "providence," "zeitgeist", "material forces" and so on.
Building this world will happen over 55 votes, which will be in the main riot voting. (All players get a vote and all votes happen, with more votes for something meaning the vote's effects are stronger)
Vote 1 will be the creation and positioning of distinct species across the map below:
Which is region of the following world, and chosen for it's relative isolation:
Vote 2 will be the creation and assigning of familial structures to the previously created peoples.
Vote 3 will be the creation of religions which will be assigned to the map and various cultural groups
Vote 4 will be the creation of urban settlements, environmental details, and mythic locations that determine local demographics
Vote 5 will be the creation of different states, organizations, and polities based on the previous votes.
Votes 6 to 55 will be the history of these groups at twenty year intervals, until finally at the end a single Empire has come to reign undisputed as the hegemon of this subcontinent.
When the quest is completed, afterwards I will run the sequel: The Empire Must Die!
Billions of years ago the universe was created, a vast material realm expanding everywhere containing everything under forces of the newly codified laws of physics. And just as long ago the forces of magic came into being spreading everywhere and everywhen.
Stranger and more wondrous than the mortal conceptions of "Order" and "Chaos" the deterministic forces of physics and the indeterministic forces of magic have mingled, separated, danced, harmonised, fought, and birthed uncountable worlds and wonders.
Operating on a logic ineffable even to gods, the universe is a place where the clockwork regularity of physics can be substituted, bent, or subverted by the force of magic which has not laws and logic but ideals and dreams.
These forces are incompatible and inseparable.
They have also produced innumerable star systems, planets, continents, and peoples.
Here, orbiting a sun in the far reaches of a spiral galaxy, on the subcontinent of a lush and fertile world, is where the story of an Empire will unfold. Its rise, its rule, its fall, and its legacy.
All Empires are composed of mortal beings, rulers and ruled. Today we begin the process of peopling the future empire by establishing the species that will inhabit this subcontinent…
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For the following vote, please format it as a single plan vote named for the species.
Each vote made by a player will be counted.
For each vote select a "Frame", a "Genus", and then select traits for that species. Depending on your combination of Frame and Genus you will have a certain number of trait points to spend as well as a cap on the number of traits you can select (Positive AND Negative). Selecting a negative trait will provide extra points that may be spent on positive traits.
Finally, please select a Hex on the following map in which the species will be present. If you have excess trait points, for each point you can select an additional Hex. If multiple people have the same vote, adjacent tiles will be populated.
The classic, inspired by Homo Sapiens Sapiens. One head, one torso, two legs, two arms
Gives Four Trait Maximum. Gives 3 Trait Points to Spend.
-[ ] Centauroid.
Self-Explanatory, part humanoid from torso to head, part something else below. (Classic centaurs, mermaids, and lamias would fall under this for example)
Gives Six Trait Maximum. Much higher calorie requirement for calories. Gives 3 Trait Points to Spend.
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Genus:
-[ ] Mammalian
Mammalian Features. You can specify details or I'll do it for you based on traits.
Trait Maximum Increased by One.
-[ ] Avian
Avian Features. You can specify details or I'll do it for you based on traits.
Gain [Winged] trait for free, this does not count towards your Trait maximum.
-[ ] Homo Sapiens
Features close to those of Homo Sapiens Sapiens. You can specify details of I'll do it for you based on traits.
Gain one free Trait Point.
-[ ] Draconic
Lizardly features, but Draconic sounds cooler. You can specify details or I'll do it for you based on traits
Take the [Warm Adapted] or [Cold Adapted] trait for free, this does not count towards your Trait maximum.
-[ ] Aquatic
Have some ocean dweller features. You can specify details or I'll do it for you based on traits
Gain the [Water Breathing] trait for free, this does not count towards your trait maximum. Can only be placed in coastal, lake, or riverine hexes. Species gain optimum use of water resources.
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Traits:
-[ ] Keen Senses
On average members of this species have better senses than other species.
Costs 1 Trait Point.
-[ ] Giant
Members of this species are on average proportionally 25% larger than baseline species, and are stronger than other species and require a higher caloric intake
Costs 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Small.
-[ ] Small
Members of this species are on average proportionally 25% smaller than other baseline species and are both weaker than other species but have a reduced calorie requirement.
Costs 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Giant.
-[ ] Hermaphroditic
This species is one where all individuals produce both male and female gametes. (Feel free to specify if sequential or simultaneous)
Costs 1 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Eusocial
-[ ] Parthenogenetic
Members of this species reproduce asexually (Feel free to specify if this is the primary means of reproduction or if asexual reproduction is in addition to sexual reproduction)
Costs 1 Trait Point.
-[ ] Nocturnal
This species prefers to operate during the night, and has slightly better senses to facilitate life in situations of reduced light.
Costs 1 Trait Point.
-[ ] Magnetoreceptive
Members of this species are able to sense magnetic fields and are capable of navigating via the instinctive use of an internal compass.
Costs 1 Trait Point.
-[ ] Prehensile Tail
Members of this species have a tail which can be used to manipulate objects independent of their limbs.
Costs 1 Trait Point.
-[ ] Strong Constitution
Members of this species are harder to kill via poison or physical trauma, and can consume a wider selection of foodstuffs
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Weak Constitution.
-[ ] Long Lived
On average members of this species live 50% longer than baseline and senescence sets in much closer to death.
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Short Lives.
-[ ] Muscular
Members of this species naturally find it easier to build and maintain muscle, though the species also has slightly higher caloric requirements.
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Delicate.
-[ ] Magically Sensitive
On average members of this species have a natural affinity to the forces of magic and the supernatural.
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Magically Inert.
-[ ] Intuitive
On average members of this species make leaps of logic and creativity more readily than other species.
Costs 2 Trait Points.
-[ ] Prolific
On average members of this species have more offspring and have easier childbirth.
Costs 2 Trait Points.
-[ ] Spiritual Senses
Members of this species have senses beyond the natural, and are more perceptive of the forces of magic and the supernatural.
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Magically Inert.
-[ ] Efficient Metabolism
Members of this species are able to get greater nutrition out of less food.
Costs 2 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Inefficient Metabolism.
-[ ] Cold Adapted
This species is adapted to thrive in much colder climes than the average.
Costs 2 Trait Points.
-[ ] Heat Adapted
This species is adapted to thrive in much hotter climes than the average.
Costs 2 Trait Points.
-[ ] Autotrophic
Members of this species can supplement or replace much of their nutritional needs via the absorption of ambient energy in their environment (Such as sunlight or magic) that converts atmospheric carbon into useful products. They will still need to consume rarer materials however.
Costs 3 Trait Points.
-[ ] Water Breathing
Via some magical or mundane method, members of this species are capable of breathing in water.
Costs 3 Trait Points.
-[ ] Winged
Members of this species possess wings that allow them to be airborne or glide for brief periods.
Costs 3 Trait Points.
-[ ] Telepathic
Members of this species can communicate with other members of their Species or Genus who are aware of their presence via direct mind to mind communication over short distances
Costs 3 Trait Points.
-[ ] Chosen People
I assign traits at random from this list. (This means all can be negative, or all can be positive, or break rules regarding trait maximum or trait costs) These people also have a powerful supernatural patreon.
Costs 4 Trait Points. Cannot be taken along with Hermaphroditic.
-[ ] Short Lives
On average members of this species live 50% shorter than baseline and senescence sets in much closer to death.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Long Lived.
-[ ] Delicate
On average members of this species have weaker bones and find it harder to build and maintain muscle mass.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Delicate.
-[ ] Weak Constitution
Members of this species die more easily to illness, and are allergic to a wide variety of foodstuff.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Strong Constitution.
-[ ] Magically Inert
Almost all members of this species are unable to use magic, no matter the circumstance. They do however, possess a slight resistance to supernatural forces.
Gives 1 Trait Point, Cannot be taken along with Magically Sensitive.
-[ ] Obligate Carnivore
This species requires the consumption of over animals to survive, reducing food sources. Otherwise the default assumption is that a species is omnivorous.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Herbivorous.
-[ ] Herbivorous
This species primarily digests plant matter, reducing food sources. Otherwise the default assumption is that a species is omnivorous.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Obligate Carnivore.
-[ ] Inefficient Metabolism
Members of this get less nutrition out of the food they eat.
Gives 1 Trait Point. Cannot be taken along with Efficient Metabolism.
These ferocious predators with feline features hunt on the northern steppes, their high calorie requirements keeping their numbers low, and requires them to always be on the move, moving from hunting ground to hunting ground. Though their strong constitutions, keen senses, and muscular anatomy also means that they make excellent scavengers being able to locate animals that have been brought down and driving off anything else that wants to eat the corpse.
In this case the combination of Humanoid and Mammalian leaves me with 3 Trait Points and a Trait Maximum of Five.
Taking Obligate Carnivore and Magically Inert, while taking up two slots from my trait cap allow me to spend five points to purchase Muscular, Strong Constitution, and Keen Senses. This spends all my points and brings me up to the cap. Then I decide where I want them to start and put that hex in the vote. Finally I throw in a little detail to flesh out where I'm going with the idea and voila! I'm done
An all female species that reproduce asexually when no suitable partner is found, they make use of their size and strength to track down and strike big game from above with their sheer mass as they descend in packs.
[X]- Multicellular Life Was A Mistake, RVTRN TO CORAL
--Frame: Centauroid
--Genus: Aquatic
--Aquatic (Free)
--Hermaphroditic (-1)
--Autotrophic (-1)
--Telepathic (-3)
--Spiritual Senses (-2)
--Weak Constitution (+1)
--Hex: 342
In the shallow lagoons and coastlines of this world is a most singular being. A colony of single celled, telepathic organisms similar to coral and other sessile fauna found on other worlds, have managed through long years the creation of a body capable of complex tool manipulation via their secretions. Living in close proximity, these beings approximate complex neural structures through a mystical telepathic network-computer, formed of billions and billions of single celled organisms. They exchange information both genetic and cultural via the exchange of the chunks of their own bodies.
Description: Large (roughly Albatross sized) Carnivorous Psittacines who have evolved tool use, language and full sociality. Apperance varies somewhat based on location, genetics, magical alteration and a communities favoured prey species but is usually vivid contrasting colours that never the less provide some camoflage in their area. They use magic to both assist in prey capture and to self modify via magical epigenetics to better catch prey, deep forest ones being better at manouvering through trees while seaside dwelling communities are superior at cracking open shells and catching fish for example. Due to their arms being dedicated wings they must use their beaks and feet as manipulators. Based on these "Dragons" by Jay Eaton.
The Magic of the world was often a fascinating force, with many species able to feel it to an extent, one of the ones with the most skill in this sense is a small Turtle like race dwelling in the sands of the north eastern section of the suspected area where life began, using this sense the Turtles would begin to create the basics of society following what the magic and supernatural of the world showed them. Natural wanderers in this day and age, they live a nomadic style of living, endlessly following the signs of what Magic and the world tell them.
Living on the edge of civilization on the desert steppe, these lizardkin1 embrace a nomadic pastoral lifestyle (not unlike our own Mongols). Despite their small stature (their average height is around 5'2), and their widespread inability to utilize magic directly, they have a hardy, muscular, scaly constitution, one needed to survive in their environment. Reptilian in biology yet almost human in appearance (excluding their tails and their hollow horns in place of ears), the Gurvel are a unique species ready to take on the world ahead of them and conquer a vast matriarchal empire for themselves.
[1] so I may have stolen the Au Ra FFXIV aesthetic lmao
I actually had a beta reader bring this up, I'll allow an instance of it.
Same mechanical features as Centaur and you get [Giant] and a modified form of [Prehensile Tail] ([Prehensile Trunk]) for free from your Elephant genus (Doesn't count towards cap)
These carnivorous draconic beings with live near the boreal coasts, relying on fishing, and hunting to sustain themselves, with their adaptation to the icy environment and use of primitive magic allowing them to thrive in the usually hostile environment. Their sense for the arcane and the spiritual has given them a deeply religious outlook in life.
I think elephant could be made with the humanoid and mammalian stuff. Same as I made parrots with humanoid and avian. at the end of the day its still only 4 limbs. i guess quadropod and hexapod might be better? but then that might confuse people without a bipod option
These people resemble humans in many regards, but with feathery hair and lighter frames. Though physically frail, they are naturally skilled with the mysterious forces of magic which permeate the world, even being capable of naturally absorbing these forces as a source of energy in lieu of food, to an extent. Their wings allow them to travel long distances in search of sources of magic, natural and otherwise.
discord.gg
#eternal-glory-kiaraels-empire-quest
