Wolds in the Shared Universe

[Trifletraxor]

For those of you you plan to contribute worlds to the shared universe, what worlds/settings are you planning?

Do you plan to have functional gates or dormant gates on your worlds? (the rumours or history behind the creation of the gates is one thing we have to decide on together for the shared universe)

SGL.

[rust]

Science Fiction, human colony on a remote water world, planet with some
ruins of installations of the aquatic "Builder" race, one (currently still undis-
covered) Gate in one of those ruins, Gate is damaged and malfunctioning,
leads to devastated and abandoned homeworld of the "Builders" - and per-
haps to worlds of the shared universe ...

[Puck]

I have a fantasy world that has been decades in the making that I partially resurrected when RQ was re-released. There is enough written for a small book (a hundred pages or so), but it is spread out between several game systems and much of it is fragmented, mish-mashed and only half edited. The other problem is that in order for it to work as written it would need a lot of geographic space. Where Glorantha is really a God/Cult centric world, this world was really based on its history (if that makes any sense) and the history must be on the entire world stage for it to work. I believe there are some good ideas though and with the talk of this common world stuff I thought about cannibalizing the world for ideas and offering them up on the common altar. But…… with all the talk of all the gated world stuff I started thinking in a different direction …..something much smaller, easier and hopefully a lot of fun….

THE GREEN

A fantasy dragging ideas in from Larry Niven’s Intragrel Trees, Endor and the wookie world from Star Wars, and particularly Arboria from Flash Gordon. (Also hugely influenced just by watching squirrels or ants climbing trees while I was sitting in a deer blind and wondering what it would be like if…)
The whole idea would be that the relatively limited setting would be overshadowed with vast trees. The canopy would be a world of its own complete with strange races, both intelligent and bestial and adapted to their verdant environment. The Branches would be huge and easy to walk on.. at least to a point. Much of the magic would be based on manipulating and influencing the ubiquitous wood and growing things. Beneath this green world is the dark, swampy root world where other less wholesome critters dwell.
Into this world more civilized humans are making inroads to trade for the valuable, woody magical and medicinal goods of the Green. In trade these foreigners bring metals strange magic (and possibly even primitive black powder technology like wheel-locks or something). Many of these humans are entering the forest from a road-tunnel in the great cliff-face that hems in the green. I was thinking that this massive cave might lead to a world gate or right through the mountains or both. Other human invaders are pirates coming up the rivers and swamps and retreating into the Green to hide from their pursuers from the outside world (lots of possibilities of outside contact).
Anyway I already have a good part of a notebook filled with sketches and notes since the talk began about gated worlds and such. Problem is I do not have BRP yet so I can only do conceptual stuff until the fated day arrives when I can really take the saw to the branches.

[tedopon]

Takes place after humans leave earth poisoned and broken for the stars. Some don't go for various reasons: poverty, sickness, or personal choice. Thousands of years later, humans (who are basically post
apocalypse barbarians, ie "magical" red fireaxes and ox drawn UHauls)
live in a world where Nature has reasserted itself.
Natives of the planet live in ancient ruins of civilization. The world is decidedly low tech, but I've already decided that in addition to the evolved flora and fauna that rose up from the waste of human progress there will be other spooky things like heads in jars and roving tribes of slave herding cannibals. The original idea had a satellite orbiting earth with hibernating humans aboard ala Dr Who, so the many worlds concept (and all of the outside influence that comes with it) is a welcome addition.
Basically a world of cavemen and ferocious wildlife, a mostly toxic environment, and infrastructure in ruin. The natives have a well developed mythology that is an absolute distortion of all the bits and pieces of knowledge passed down over the centuries via word of mouth.
I am developing a set of supernatural mechanics for the setting. Of course, some of this is technological, some biological and some "spiritual", so right now it's basically a hodge podge of contradiction.
I'm looking forward to this project a lot.

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by Puck

THE GREEN ... The whole idea would be that the relatively limited setting would be overshadowed with vast trees. The canopy would be a world of its own complete with strange races, both intelligent and bestial and adapted to their verdant environment. ... Beneath this green world is the dark, swampy root world where other less wholesome critters dwell. ...

That sounds really good to me, and refreshingly different. I'm not quite clear - are you offering it up as part of SharedWorld, or just giving us a glimpse of your own GatedWorld? I think The Green would be a fine addition to SharedWorld.

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by tedopon

Takes place after humans leave earth poisoned and broken... post apocalypse barbarians... ancient ruins... heads in jars and roving tribes of slave herding cannibals... a mostly toxic environment... supernatural mechanics... technological, some biological and some "spiritual"... a hodge podge of contradiction. I'm looking forward to this project a lot.

Me too. Sounds wonderfully nasty. I can see people visiting and then fleeing in horror back through the gates... if they can!
BTW, I'm all for 'hodge-podges of contradiction'. If possible - can you leave it that way?

[tedopon]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Me too. Sounds wonderfully nasty
BTW, I'm all for 'hodge-podges of contradiction'. If possible - can you leave it that way?

You know, I've been throwing around bits of this world here and there to friends on emails, and they've mostly said the same thing, which is great, because that's the way I've been wanting it to stay as well. Thanks for the positive reinforcement.

[Puck]

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Originally posted by Frogspawner
That sounds really good to me, and refreshingly different. I'm not quite clear - are you offering it up as part of SharedWorld, or just giving us a glimpse of your own GatedWorld? I think The Green would be a fine addition to SharedWorld.

Thanks Frogspawner

I thought that it could really be either a gated world or part of the shared world. For that matter someone could use it for a sci-fi setting but I wouldn’t plan it as such. The reason I was afraid that it would not work with the shared world is that there was talk that there should not be intelligent races other than mankind on the shared world. This type of setting really lends itself to new types of races though. It would be a tough stretch, but I could work it up without some of the races I was thinking of.

I planned on the Green being on the western edge of a continent very much the shape of the inner cusp of west Africa, pinned between very high mountains (the Skysheild) to the northeast (to catch the rainfall) and the Sea to the southwest. To make it seem real, the inner part of the continent, just past the mountains, should probably be a nasty desert. (The clouds dump their moisture into the Green as they rise over the mountains leaving an extremely dry place on the other side. This desert would be a very fun project as well).

The Green would connect with the rest of the shared world through two routes: The mountain gates/ tunnels through the mountains and the corsairs, pirates and explorers. The Pirates could themselves come from other writer’s portions of the world or at least be running from the authorities from other parts of the world. The vast slow moving rivers, deltas and swamps of the green make great havens, hiding places or even strongholds for less reputable seamen.

The Green could offer other parts of the world rare medicinal and magical herbs and spices as well as beautifully wrought leather, bone and possibly ivory products. Also strange animals(for gladiatorial games and such). In return the Green would require metal tools, weapons and armor. Metal is very rare and valuable.

So in short the answer is: yes, I would love to help out the shared world if it will fit. I am very interested in the final decision on the inclusion of other races as well as this will affect a lot of what I am about to put together. I am also very open for suggestions, the Green may fit into the common world in other ways.
Thanks again for the interest. That goes a long way toward pumping me up to tear into this.

[rust]

The Green really is a most interesting idea. I have no doubt that in a shared
science fiction universe my water world colonists would love to visit your
The Green to trade for its natural treasures.

[Puck]

Thanks Rust
I never really had much experience role-playing in or writing for a sci-fi world. The concept is to make it primarily for a fantasy world, but if I can do it right, the Green should be a good place to drop into for an adventure or two for any kind of setting with a little adjustment. Space ships or gate-crashers could bop in for an adventure or two and then go to some other wild planet or setting people are writing up. I plan on writing up specific tree and swamp magic stuff and that may be a little trouble for some more realistic sci-fi adventures, but hopefully that can be left out if a GM chooses.
If this thing really goes off it might be handy to write a page or two appendixes to each world explaining how they could be adapted to other peoples creations. That would be good fun.
On a different note your water world sounds really cool, but the post is tantalizingly brief. It seems like you have a lot of ideas you can go with. Do people/ other races breathe water or do they need devices? Are you going to have underwater vehicle rules? Underwater combat rules? Do people live in domes, caves or something else? What kind of weapons do they use underwater? Like the big tree concept, many movies, books, and comics have toyed with this thing, but to my knowledge it has never been truly explored in a unique game world. Good luck, I am looking forward to reading more about it.