A mighty ocean spirit's grief and anger have hung over your village for generations. Every twenty-five years, your village sends one of its young to the island temple to die as a sacrifice. This generation is the first time the village has decided to send down multiple heirs as a sacrifice, with the hope that returning the Crown will help atone for your ancestor's sins. You will most assuredly fail this time, but you will learn. You will pass these memories onto your Heir, and give them a better chance. A small chance, but if you rub enough small grains of sand against a boulder, eventually that boulder will crumble.
Generations ago, your ancestors founded a village near a young low-lying forest that covered the valley between great mountains, on the coast of a lush continent.
Your ancestors prayed to the spirits of the land and sea to provide them with a pure source of water for their new village. The spirits responded by showing them visions of other good locations for their village where there was already food and water aplenty. Your ancestors knew that the forest grew valuable lumber, the mountains held valuable ore, and the sea was dense with fish; that was why they chose this site for their settlement. So they pleaded with the spirits, but the spirits would not concede. So your ancestors decided to take matters into their own hands.
There was a legend that the Deep Queen, the mightiest of all spirits, had a Temple that housed her Crown, and her Crown was said to have the ability to create water. Your ancestors knew the Temple to be on the peak of a hulking mountain that overlooked the sea. So your ancestors found that temple, and stole the Crown. The Deep Queen was frustrated at your ancestor's arrogance, but loved her creative and intelligent children, so she allowed them to take the Crown. It was only when your ancestors used the Crown that her fury became unbearable.
Your ancestors created a massive lake. Unfortunately the lake naturally flowed to the lowest point around, the forest that was birthed by the sea mist of the Deep Queen and the rich mountain minerals of the mountain spirit, Elcontra. Your ancestors drowned the forest and with it, the young forest spirit known as the Green Prince. The Green Prince's mother, the Deep Queen herself, was filled with sorrow and rage. She swore to punish humanity.
And so it began to rain, and rain, and rain. For years it rained. It rained until your ancestors had to move to the top of a nearby mountain, their original settlement washed away. That mountain is now the island you stand upon, gazing towards the Deep Queen's Temple on the horizon. You are to return her Crown or die trying. Either way, the rains will be held at bay for 25 more years so that humanity can eke out an existence on the few islands that remain, unsure of their long-term future in this flooded landscape.
A mighty ocean spirit's grief and anger have hung over your village for generations. Every twenty-five years, your village sends one of its young to the island temple to die as a sacrifice. This generation is the first time the village has decided to send down multiple heirs as a sacrifice, with the hope that returning the Crown will help atone for your ancestor's sins. You will most assuredly fail this time, but you will learn. You will pass these memories onto your Heir, and give them a better chance. A small chance, but if you rub enough small grains of sand against a boulder, eventually that boulder will crumble.
WHAT IS THIS?
This is my first Quest! I'll be running A Rasp of Sand, where you will, together, control a party of Heirs, normal folk who leave their normal lives to adventure down into the Depths of the Deep Queen's Temple, journeying to return her Crown. I will be drawing aesthetic & thematic inspiration from water temples in Zelda games, and the general vibe of Wind Waker. This is a TTRPG, using the simple rules of Knave as a base, adapted to play as a communal Quest, instead of individual players controlling individual characters. No need to read up or understand the rules; they are very simple, and I'll be explaining them as they come up. I'll also keep a quick reference at the bottom of this first post, in case you want to refer to them in the future. I'm going to shoot for updates roughly every 12-48 hours, depending on interest and in-game context. As my first Quest, I'm bound to make some mistakes or miss some forum etiquette; please let me know if I do! And if you have any questions, whether about game mechanics or just additional detail on anything in-game, please ask!
FOUR FAMILIES
Your village is composed of a handful of families, who specialize in a Trade. This is your Heir's background. It's what your family does for a living. When you choose a family Trade, your first Heir gets the apprentice level trait for that trade. Each consecutive generation that you raise gains the next trait in that Trade, for up to five generations. In between generations your family may choose to switch Trades. Your new Heir will lose the benefits of the previous Trade, but gain the first-generation benefits of the new one. If your family decides to switch back to a previously-used Trade, you will resume your former trait benefits at the level where you left off.
Which families will send forth an Heir as a sacrifice to the Depths of the Deep Queen's Temple? Choose four.
[ ] ACADEMIC - You can always spot an academic by their distinctive tall hats. From chroniclers of knowledgeto researchers of new technology, Academics are well known for their eternal search for knowledge. [ ] COOK - Known for carrying everything and the kitchen sink, cooks are an integral member of town. Cooks can forage, butcher, and some have even been known to impart abilities through the dishes they serve. [ ] ENTERTAINER - Musicians, artists, poets, actors, and more. Entertainers are experts at keeping morale up and distracting the beasts of the deep. [ ] FISHER - The tarp-clad fishers traverse the dangerous waters off-shore. They are well-known for raising Dotters1 as hunting companions and using massive harpoon guns to hunt tuna, whales, and seals. [ ] MAGICIAN - Magicians sway the forces of reality by inscribing arcane sigils onto massive pearls and enchanting items with Sand2. [ ] MERCHANT - Masters of commerce and trade. The Merchants are adept at communication and getting the most for their Sand2. [ ] PRIEST - Spiritual leaders of the town. These mystics follow one of the six continental gods, wielding the powers their god commands. [ ] SAILOR - Master navigators and guides. Sailors are adept at avoiding the dangers of the Deep. Easily identifiable by their trusty Eku3. [ ] SLUG RANCHER - Slug Ranchers work tide pools. They farm potent sea slugs for all sorts of purposes. They are identified by their waders and hats. [ ] SMITH - Workers of metal, wood, leather, and more unusual materials. They create works of art, tools, weapons, armor, and even the boats the village uses. [ ] SMUGGLER - Some see them as scoundrels, others see them as useful scavengers that dive down into the depths to find valuable items lost to the seas. [ ] WARRIOR - Guards, jailors, and bounders. Warriors are professional soldiers. They protect the village and slay any monsters that threaten its shores.
1Dotters are dog-otters. Pretty cute. 2Sand is a bit of a complex topic, and will be explained more later. Essentially, in this game, it's both XP and currency, in the form of fine pearlescent grains of Sand. 3A weaponized oar of Okinawan origin.
No idea about the system but I am willing to try my luck. Let's see, warrior for fighting, priest for casting/healing, sailor for mobility and cook for support. Cook is negotiable for now but this seems like a passable team for me.
This should be an interesting motley crew..
Academic should fill the role of mage with the tech and be useful dealing with the systems in the Temple. Fisher is ranged support and forage, with Dotters to scout. Smuggler to provide the role of rogues in fights and smuggling know-how to survive in the Temple. Merchant, because Sand is intriguing and dynamics with the Smuggler will be hilarious. Also we need a Face for the team for talky bits.
[x] SAILOR - Master navigators and guides. Sailors are adept at avoiding the dangers of the Deep. Easily identifiable by their trusty Eku3. [x] SLUG RANCHER - Slug Ranchers work tide pools. They farm potent sea slugs for all sorts of purposes. They are identified by their waders and hats. [x] SMUGGLER - Some see them as scoundrels, others see them as useful scavengers that dive down into the depths to find valuable items lost to the seas. [x] WARRIOR - Guards, jailors, and bounders. Warriors are professional soldiers. They protect the village and slay any monsters that threaten its shores.
[x] SMUGGLER - Some see them as scoundrels, others see them as useful scavengers that dive down into the depths to find valuable items lost to the seas.
[x] WARRIOR - Guards, jailors, and bounders. Warriors are professional soldiers. They protect the village and slay any monsters that threaten its shores.
Votes are in! Winners are ACADEMIC, SAILOR, and a three-way tie between WARRIOR, PRIEST, & SMUGGLER, of which I will randomly select 2. I will randomly generate these first Heirs; expect the next post within 24 hours.
Actually, because the tie-breaker resulted in the SMUGGLER & the PRIEST, we have a mini-vote to tide us over until the next update tomorrow. The lore in this game is loosey-goosey; some of these gods have been mentioned already, some of them can be learned about in play, some are blank canvases for us to fill in together. The choice of which God our Priest will follow will decide their starting weapon; you can infer what you will from that.
Which God will our Priest follow?
[ ] The Deep Queen (Harpoon) [ ] The Green Prince (Hatchet) [ ] The High Lord of Elcontra (Cudgel) [ ] The High Lord of Foltoran (Sickle) [ ] The High Lady of Frigil (Sword) [ ] The Yellow Princess (Sling)
It's better to go with someone who has ranged support to even things out.. [X] The Yellow Princess (Sling)
Can we vote for two options?
I like the team roster, there could be good synergy with Sailor and Smuggler. Interaction between the Academic and Priest could be interesting as well.
It's better to go with someone who has ranged support to even things out.. [X] The Deep Queen (Harpoon) [X] The Yellow Princess (Sling)
Can we vote for two options?
I like the team roster, there could be good synergy with Sailor and Smuggler. Interaction between the Academic and Priest could be interesting as well.
Another thing occured to me. Smugglers specialize in retrieving lost artifacts. Academics would have their lore to draw on to figure out what the artifacts are and how to use them. This could be very useful for us..
In a large ocean rests an island. On the northernmost hill of the island lies the largest village on the island. Manawa. Home. Reaching out into the sea from the village is an ancient pier. The pier has been there as long as anyone can remember, and is engraved with geometric runes and pictographs. On a clear, starry night like tonight, the bioluminescent algae that has settled into the pier's engravings begins to glow a pale, celestial blue. First the runes glow, and then the waves themselves, as they break against the pier. At the end of the ancient pier, rocking gently back and forth in the cerulean glow of the ocean, is a boat. It, too, has been there as long as the pier, as far as the people of Manawa can remember. Next to its moorings is a tablet, written in the ancient tongue. It reads, "Good fortune to those who cross the New Sea, and willingly give the Perfect Gift to the Deep Lady so that the others don't have to. Peace be with you."
It is here, tonight, at the foot of this ancient pier, where the Old Families of Manawa have chosen to come together. Everyone in the village is here, old and young alike. The mood is solemn. There has not been a gathering like this for twenty-five long years. But tonight is different. Tonight, instead of sending a lone sacrifice to appease the Deep Queen and hold off the rains, the Old Families have each chosen an Heir to send instead. Four Heirs in total, each one young and untested, both grateful and afraid for the honour bestowed on them, the impossible task for which they embark upon this night. The collective eyes of Manawa watch them now as they march down the ancient pier, holding the Deep Queen's salt-encrusted crown, their faces and footsteps underlit by the ghostly glow of the pier's runes.
With reverence, the Crown is loaded onto the small boat at the end of the pier. The village sighs. The proud parents of the Old Families clench their fists, wipe tears from their eyes, and mutter prayers under their breaths. The Heirs unmoor their vessel, and take one last, longing look at the only home they have ever known, the only friends and family they have in this watery world. It is for them that this task must be done. The Crown must be returned. The boat pushes off into the glowing waves, toward the Deep Queen's Temple.
The dawn is just beginning to light the sky when the Heirs make it to the entrance of the Deep Queen's Temple, a small bay that was once the peak of a mighty mountain, now drowned under the eternal rains of the Deep Queen's sorrow. The Crown hums, as if it is eager to be returned. The Heirs look around, confused, before glancing down into the bay beneath them. There it is, sitting proudly beneath the waters. The Deep Queen's Temple. A moment passes.
"Well...how do we get down there?" whispers Wendy, her voice hushed as if in a church.
As if hearing her, the bay is suddenly alight with roaring water and frothing foam, as the waters drain rapidly. Within moments, the Heirs' small boat is stranded on a patch of wet stone at the bottom of the bay. The Heirs find themselves at the foot of the Deep Queen's Temple. Bertram turns his head, looking at the entrance of the bay where they came in, now high above their heads, and inaccessible unless the water fills back in. He mutters a prayer to the Yellow Princess under his breath, and adjusts his humble priest's robes, smoothing them out after the long boat ride here.
The Heirs stride forth into the Deep Queen's Temple and find themselves in a large staircase spiraling down, surrounded by damp stone, the smell of salt hanging in the air. After two flights down, they emerge into a large circular room. It is surprisingly well-lit down here with bright light dancing along the ceiling, as if refracted through ocean waves. The burbling of water is audible everywhere, and channels of saltwater run everywhere, from the walls to the floors. Some channels are small, only a finger's width, while others are large, like small streams. Bertram flinches, stepping out of an ankle-deep channel and flicking his shoe dry. The channel glows a very dim blue-green, as if in response.
There are 3 exits to this room, not counting the stairs back up.
What do you do?
[ ] Go east.
[ ] Go south.
[ ] Go west.
THE MAP
THE PARTY
Some aspects of gameplay I want to touch base on, before things get spicy, hehe.
There is no leaving the dungeon. There is no way out, only forward. There will be opportunities to rest and heal within the dungeon, if you carve out safe spaces in which to do so.
Once an Heir dies, your quest has failed. The dungeon will flood, and all remaining Heirs must evacuate immediately. The waters outside the temple will rise, and all surviving Heirs can go back to Manawa and retire, sending their own Heirs to try again in 25 years.
Sand. When a living creature dies, they leave behind their memories and experiences as fine pearlescent grains of Sand. Sand is incredibly valuable, and most folks carry a sack of diluted Sand as currency. Diluted Sand is Sand that has been mixed from many different creatures. Pure Sand, from a single individual creature, may be ingested to experience the life of the creature it came from. There are rumours that ingesting Sand from certain creatures can cause you to take on the traits of that same creature. Mechanically, Sand functions as both XP & Currency.
Inventory. You can see that the characters have a number of item slots equal to their Constitution score/defense. Because there are no classes in this game, item slots are the key to character customization. Want a tank? Load that guy up with armor. Fighter? Give them heavy weapons. Spellcaster? Give them all the scrolls and spell pearls you find. Most items take up one slot, but same bulkier weapons and armor take up multiple slots, as you can see above. The Deep Queen's Crown is abstracted and doesn't take up a slot, and we can assume that the party is carrying it between themselves.
Heirs. The characters have been randomly generated, everything from their stats to appearance, and starting inventory. The family Trade you voted on gave them set starting items and a special trait, and every character starts with 2 day's worth of rations and a torch. Everything else you see was rolled up. The images in the character sheets are not representative of that actual character, but are the illustrations from the book representing that Trade. I thought they looked nice, so I threw them in there.
Advancement. Every 1000 XP, an Heir will level up. Stronger Heirs produce stronger Heirs. Gain XP by doing stuff adventurers do.
Depths. The Deep Queen's Temple has 5 floors or levels, called Depths. You are currently on the first one, called the Pelagic. Your goal, roughly, is to get to the bottom of the Temple and return the Crown. Expect things to get darker and more dangerous the deeper down you go.
Note: Our Sailor, Morgot Edevane, was lucky enough to start with 2 two-handed weapons, and a shield! She can carry all that, but obviously can only wield 1 of the two-handed weapons, without the shield. I'll default to her using the 2-handed hammer, because it has higher damage potential, but if y'all wanna give one of the weapons and/or the shield to another party member, just let me know. I also cheated a bit with her inventory: most items are supposed to take one slot, but she rolled a Sack as one of her bonus items, so I threw in some odds and ends that she didn't technically have room for in there. What's the point of an empty sack, right?
Any further questions, don't hesitate to ask! Will probably leave a 48-hour voting window for this post.
I question giving the shield to Bertram though.. if they're at the back sniping they wouldn't have much use for the shield.
Rather sailor should keep the shield and maybe switch out the hammer for the smuggler's mace? Or give them the shield..
Edit: Actually, The Smuggler favours their Dex.. So maybe the Priest's Sling should go to them?
Priest has the highest strength so they would be able to make the best use of a two-handed weapon..
[x] Go east. [X] Sailor keeps the shield, switches out with Smuggler for his Mace. Smuggler switches to the Priest's Sling for Dex damage. Priest switches to the Hammer to take advantage of their strength.
Sorry, I know this first decision is a bit boring due to the lack of information. All the exits appear to be gently curving tunnels, so you can't see what's in the next room without committing to going down one. In the future there'll be more information to factor in, but likely going into new rooms will still be stepping into the unknown, at least for this first generation.
Also, in these mechanics, ranged attacks use the Wisdom bonus and not Dexterity like other d20 systems, presumably for balance reasons due to the lack of skills, just so you know. Equipment trades probably won't be treated as a formal vote, but I'll roll randomly to break ties.
[x] Go North.
[X] Sailor keeps the shield, switches out with Smuggler for his Mace. Smuggler switches to the Priest's Sling for Dex damage. Priest switches to the Hammer to take advantage of their strength.
Then why did you make it so? I do not intend to be mean here, just offer constructive advice. You are the QM here. Why didn't you offer more information about the paths? What you say there implies its because these characters aren't experienced enough. Is that really worth making the first vote after character creation boring?
Wis for ranged does kinda make sense, cause you know the mental aspect to making judgement calls and aiming.
Actually, the sling should go to the Sailor then. They have a passion for Marksmanship! The priest still should use the the Hammer cause he has the highest strength.
I'm not sure who should get the shield though.. The Rogue will do acrobatics they might not need the shield. The Priest cannot use it due to the hammer.. That leaves the Sailor but they'll be at the back on account of the ranged attack.. Perhaps the Academic? But he despite the spear has an Int focus and we won't be sending him to aggro..
How about this then?
[X] Sailor trades the Hammer to Priest for the Sling, accounting for their Marksmanship.
Smuggler trades the Spear from the Academic for Piercing damage. And takes Sailor's shield.
Then why did you make it so? I do not intend to be mean here, just offer constructive advice. You are the QM here. Why didn't you offer more information about the paths? What you say there implies its because these characters aren't experienced enough. Is that really worth making the first vote after character creation boring?
Fair criticism, thanks. I grappled with this - in the end I decided against it, largely because of how roguelikes influence the mechanics behind this dungeon. Each room is randomly generated as you walk into it. Once on a floor, a die is rolled to determine how many rooms must be traversed before the exit appears. Those two factors together make it difficult to fully generate an entire floor, since the path the characters travel potentially influences the layout of the floor itself. I thought this would be an okay compromise, because once the game gets going, there will be many more interesting decisions than 'which direction do we go' - this very first entrance in the dungeon notwithstanding. What I will say is that, in future, going into new rooms is always going to be a step into the unknown; that being said, the what, who, and whys of the room will be less obtuse.
Anyways, thanks for the advice, and feel free to keep me on my toes going forward if you see anything weak or problematic. Always looking to improve!
