Rhapsody

1. Rhapsody

   #1

   This is a world I had a concept for, given that I am a barely post-adolescent music/fantasy junkie, and I wanted to run it by everyone here. In this world each people group and/or continent corresponds to a given art style. Not necessarily music, but also film, books, and painting. For example, the gnomes correspond to modern punk/alternative music, given that they have a wild, carefree attitude, they buck the high authority, and they want to be completely unique, each unto themselves. Clashing bright colors, pink, green, orange, typify this culture. The high authority, the Landeskonsil, has a very film-noir feel, with quiet discussion, contemplation, and continual racial and ethnic tension. Black and grey dominate here. The continent of Ballar, an island slightly larger than Texas, is designed to have a baroque feel, with people wearing high ruffs, and gorgeous architecture, with gold and red in predominance.
   
   The word Rhapsody defines a musical piece that flows from one style or theme into another, so I borrowed that concept for this world. Tell me what you think, give me some more ideas.

2. Rhapsody

   #2

   Dude, that sounds cool. An interesting way to seperate cultures. I like where this can go.
   
   So, my main question is: Why are the cultures seperate? Most cultures mingle and absorb others, look at the greeks and romans. One conquered the other, but changed the names of their gods to keep the population from resenting the rule.
   
   Could there be a kind of harmony in the world, one based on the location, that keeps the lives of the people there in tune? If someone from a different culture came in, they would be and feel out of tune and off balance. Just a passing thought.
   
   I like this idea and look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on it.

3. Rhapsody

   #3

   Most world creators are described as almighty, all-knowing, etc. Perhaps the creator of this world was an artist. A true artist, and something of his emotions and mind was imprinted into the world. I think not only buildings and clothes etc., but also the very nature could reflect this. Or are only the intelligent beings sensitive to it?
   
   Travelling elsewhere would make you 'off balance' indeed. The merchants and other travelling folk could adopt more styles, as they adapt to the lands they cross. Some could theoretically LOOSE their style entirely, and become homeless, out of tune with any land...
   
   
   Campaign: a new fashion is spreading. While this does not look too dangerous, the sages and folks that know the ways of the world are alarmed. Anyone would, when the 'cosmic balance' is threatened. Time for the intrepid heroes to find out what is going on. Is someone sucking large amounts of world's magic in, for whatever purpose? Or some villain has found a way to change the local harmony, in effect the mentality of the locals?
   
   
   Oh, and magic. Is it influenced too? It does not have to limit the PCs too much (don't know local rythms=no spellcasting!). Maybe the colours differ in every corner. Cool, a black-and-white fireball! ;)

4. Separation of Cultures

   #4

   The cultures and politics of this world are not intended to remain completely separate. They do bleed over into each other. The general feel of the world is supposed to be like a less "horror" version of Ravenloft, with more cultural differentiation. The idea of separation of cultures is fairly easy. There are "outcasts" who belong to neither house or school. They are the Merchant's Guild, who have no real culture, but are nearly as powerful as the Landeskonsil or the College Board. The College Board is based on the feel of the Ivy League schools around the turn of the century. It is the council of the deans of the major colleges of thought, and a few of war. College examples to follow.

5. Rhapsody

   #5

   I like where this idea is going too! I like that it doesn't have to be in a given genre, it can be easily modified to fit any type of game.
   
   I like the harmony idea and is pretty much the key factor of the world. Without that power then the intermingling would surely happen.
   
   Can other cultures besides the merchants 'change clothes' and go into different cultures or is it a skill of only the merchants to overcome the harmony?
   
   If they can't change clothes then is there a discomfort (besides simply being different) for them being in a different culture?

6. Rhapsody

   #6

   Can other cultures besides the merchants 'change clothes' and go into different cultures or is it a skill of only the merchants to overcome the harmony?
   
   If they can't change clothes then is there a discomfort (besides simply being different) for them being in a different culture?

   
   
   Surely, anyone can visit another cultures, it is just... they are so different, and their style is strange, and everything is different, and ...
   
   There is a certain sense of discomofort, it just needs a little travelling. The most 'adaptable' people in this way would those from the 'border zones', where the cultures/styles meet. But this is just a generalisation, people vary.

7. Harmony

   #7

   Well, obviously there are other adaptable peoples, especially the adventurers, and people DO move from culture to culture without significant feelings of displacement, but the people around them, especially if they are not well traveled, would feel uncomfortable with a foreigner there. Try it sometime. Have someone play a piano piece, and then start playing "Heart and Souls" on the other end of the keyboard. Your piece will sound normal, theirs will sound messed up. It tends to create animosity towards foreigners, because they tend to hold their own patterns no matter what. That is why the Merchant's Guild and trade fairs (Jazz themed setting) are so important. That is the only way Gnomish pistols and body armor can reach humans without having to have an enclave in a human (so varied it isn't even funny) realm, and the only way Dwarvish (Have you ever heard the Russian National Anthem? If not, watch The Hunt for Red October) blades and jewelry can get to the elves (I still haven't come up with a theme for the elves. They are intended to be evil, but not depraved. Give me any ideas) without the dwarves having to leave their mountains. Oh, and this world's inception was for D&D, but it probably is adaptable to any game that can handle an early renaissance setting

8. Rhapsody

   #8

   Finally! Somebody with elves who are evil but not Drow!
   I suggest a sort of aristocratic theme, y'know, classical music, gaudy outfits, for the elves.

9. Rhapsody

   #9

   Well, the Ballar Court has that feel. What do you think about a kind of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves feel?

10. Rhapsody

    #10

    Too fruity. I thought you wanted them to be evil?

11. Rhapsody

    #11

    Well, yeah, but not evil in a devour your soul sense. More evil in an I love me, but not anyone else, so they can go to hell.

12. Rhapsody

    #12

    when are you going to mention the "special" races and character classes

13. Rhapsody

    #13

    All right, all right. Let me introduce my co-creator Vlad. At his insistence we added Vampyrs and Werwolves as player races. The unique classes for each race are interesting as well. If anyone plays d20 and wants numbers for the above then I will drop you a line for them. The race unique classes are these:
    Vampyr: Hunter
    Werwolf: Stalker
    Human: Negotiator
    Gnome: Artificer
    Dwarf: Engineer
    Elf: Spearman

14. Rhapsody

    #14

    Give the elves a Goth style with black lipstick and everything ;)
    
    I am still trying to justify the harmony in my mind. If it is just comfort thing then that is easily overcome by certain groups of people. There would be 'underground clubs' and such of different cultures where those that are visiting/trapped/moved to a different culture can go and 'be themselves' for awhile.
    
    But my thoughts stem more towards the actual mingling of societies to the point where differences wouldn't be so distinct. I feel there still needs to be something more powerful allowing the cultures to remain unique between each other instead of absorbing each others ideas. A power that keeps that harmony when it feels like it will be overbalanced, something.
    
    Another people that could come from this type of setting is those that take all the best ideas from each culture and create a unique, elite society. This could make them more powerful than any other. They could be an underground society hidden or even the ruling society of all the lands.
    
    I really like this overall idea.

15. Rhapsody

    #15

    I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I think that even if elves are surly, go-to-hell-cuz-I'm-fine types, that doesn't necessarily make them evil.

16. Rhapsody

    #16

    i beleve that we actually have 2 clans of elves one good and one BAD i do like the ideas for the elves though sadly it may be too close top the vampyr look the vampyr look consists of a modern goth/aingst look (man i hope i typed that correctly)

17. Rhapsody

    #17

    What about a celtic feel for the elves, so that they don't necessarily need to be evil, just very violent and selfish?
    
    Oh, and Strolen, in case you haven't read it, HERE's why there are cultural separations, in addition to geographic limitations.
    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=13228#13228

18. Rhapsody

    #18

    hey thats a great idea man see why i have you focus on the big picture while i work in detail

19. On the beat

    #19

    Might I suggest you stick to styles and substyles of music for each region. Story (Movie/Book) genre has such different "cuts" between them than musical genres and subgenres (also known as styles). This will create odd similarties and some bizzare differences, discordence to use the musical term.
    
    Sticking with that, you should flesh out which genres/ styles you want on your world. (There may be styles you want for the people of another contient that does not have active contact with the known world, or for people of the pirate profession). Once you have that, assign species or cultures/groups to each one.
    
    (I do like the Trader's guild being Jazz. Certain religions will also have their own genre as well).
    
    Keep in mind that certain musical styles/ genres grew out of others, so those group should "evolve" from the base group. Keep in mind that new people could take up their tune. l the original people of a given area evolved from the base group. Example: from the classical elven folk, the opera elven folk split off. Given the dynamics of the genre, they would adopt humans and other races into their group (given the variations on opera). Lets say the Elven folk die off, leaving everyone else. This makes the humans (and goblins and et al) cultural heirs to the Classical Elven Folk, though there have been no Elves in their lands for
    
    Using this "seed idea", you can grow each culture. Your world's back history can be based on the evolution of music (given you a cheap way to determine the flow of history). The style of the participants becomes the style of the people.
    
    Question?: What happens when a given style "dies out", like Western has from Country Western Music.
    
    
    So lets generate a list... and create the timeline of when a certain type of music first entered in the conciousness... thus you can figure out your history and who came from who.

20. Rhapsody

    #20

    OK so you guys spent so much time creating this world and we played in it on Friday and I'm sorry to say it but it was the general concessus that it blew!!! I cant believe you only gave us 1000 XP for a dungeon crawl + defeating a dragon!!! I feel cheated. Penguin wants more shinnies!!!
    Also, Nitouken, at the rate I have been playing I will level up again really soon like maybe Friday.

21. Rhapsody

    #21

    What?
    Are you complaining about the world or the way the world was run?

22. Rhapsody

    #22

    It sounds like he's more bothered about gaining XP than being interested in the intricate worlds his GM has created...Never heard of that before! :wink:
    
    ephe!

23. Rhapsody

    #23

    You mean 'she'.
    Careful, nitouken. She sounds a little munchkin.

24. Rhapsody

    #24

    First, yes I am a she! Second, we were in the world for maybe an hour or so and it was the same as every other place we have been. I dont know weather it was just the fact that we didnt give it enough time to develope. Never the less it was, for all the "hype", kinda "suckie". Also this is the only way I can get a hold of Nitouken and since I haven't seen him in a while I figured I'd nag him through here. Plus we're really good friends and he knows I don't meen anything by it.

Setting Forge · All categories · Guildhall