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After a creative break, I've started working on Urbis again. Today I have completed the 900th wiki entry - the Land of Sudden Fires.


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Re: New Milestone by jhubertjhubert, 03 Feb 2011 19:58

I have a huge collection of notes and ideas for Urbis material, but my problem always was of actually writing them down and adding them to the wiki. To reverse this trend, I've started a thread over at RPGNet - I've decided that I would post at least one new wiki entry every day.

So far, this has worked nicely. And today, I've reached my 800th wiki entry (as you can see with the counter in the side bar) - The Vanisher, a major figure in the criminal underworld of Nimdenthal.

Enjoy! And have a look at the other new entries, too…


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New Milestone by jhubertjhubert, 25 Oct 2010 18:31

Just read Abaino. That is a very, very good plot seed. One I'll be using, I might add, that's a really cool idea. The Faerie reflection of the First City is a great idea!

So, If I'm goign to have 7 Crystal Skulls, where to place them? I know one will be near Sirenzo. One will be on the Far Coast, and I think the last one will be in Abaino.

SO where to put the last 4? I want cool locations. I was thinking one in the Gawaris Desert. Hmm… any ideas?

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 07 Oct 2010 16:56

Hehe, I guess it's my subconscious cringing at the fact I know I'd be a little perturbed if someone did this to my campaign setting. :P

Well, my dice should be here soon, so hopefully we'll get to play soon.

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 07 Oct 2010 16:07

I can sense you cringing <.<

Why should I? After all, widely changing around material to suit one's campaign is a hallowed tradition since the earliest days of gaming!


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 07 Oct 2010 06:21

So, at this point. It's hard to call my campaign a traditional Urbis campaign….
So, I realize I'm kinda making sweeping changes, but I appreciate all your help. Rothea is a great world to springboard my wild story from, and I hope you don't mind all that I'm doing, heh. I pretty much do this to all campaign settings, take the history, geography and like, and add my own "flavor" to them. :P
But, non-canon is non-canon, eh?

The next thing I did on my changes was strike off the Far Coast being uninhabited, and put the homeland of the vampires there… vampires which are now not true undead, but blood-sucking experiments of the Ancients who where left there after they disappeared.

I can sense you cringing <.<

But hopefully you get good ideas somewhere from me. :)

I'll continue posting my wildly non-canon story when it starts. Hopefully it will be an entertaining read.

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 07 Oct 2010 02:28

Now, Gods. What do I do about gods? I know the Ancients, some of them live on, in memory, as gods. BUt do actaual gods exist?

Take Warcraft for example, they have both. The Titans are space aliens who created some of the races, then you have Elune and the Loa who are real gods. And since I've established gods don't grant power, it's not really needed. Of course, I was thinking of going all WoD and proposing a spirit world, of sorts. Where spirits exist, and some of them are worshiped as gods. Of course, the Astral realm is very "Spirit World"

Of course, I have to ask, whats your take on the world's religion?

Oh, bright idea! So the question comes; How did the mortal races face a technological, higher level, and much more deadly foe, their creators? Answer, they had help. From the spirits. Which were being subjugated by the Ancients as much as the mortal races. So some of the god's are memories of the Ancients, mixed with myth. Some of them are spirits. Or something. I'm just thinking of things and taking a shot in the dark, see how you like it. >.>

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 05 Oct 2010 19:43

Oooh, interesting. I think I found what the races where created to mine. (which is cool, cine the Annuaki theory says humans were created to mine gold, I think magic gold is just that much more interesting.)

Thanks! I'll be posting in the Actual Play.

Oh, you ever play KoTOR II? Well if you haven't, the main character is special because she can use the Force to subtlety influence people around her to change their alignment towards hers. I'm thinking of giving her character that power, so Gavin will be her good voice of reason, but if she keeps going the evil route, eventually Gavin will stop protesting less, and by the tiem she's completly evil, Gavin will be evil to. Vis a versa for other members that stick around.

I have a feeling the game will feel much more like a computer RPG, with the picking up of part members through the story. Not that that's a bad thing. :P

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 04 Oct 2010 14:07

Sounds good, and I'll be looking forward to hearing about how it goes. I've created an Actual Play forum for this purpose…

Oh, and I've created a new entry for Orichalcum which you might also be able to tie into all this somehow…


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 04 Oct 2010 11:13

Hm. Originally my intent was to merge the concepts into one, but why not make two distinct characters. An Ex-Myrmidon, and then a martial artist. Maybe have her get to know them, and then throw in the hard choice where she can only save one of them. -devious smile-

Oh, oh. real good idea. Maybe Gavin serves as the voice of light, and the Ex-Myrmidon (maybe "Sirrus" is a good name?) is more pushign her towards evil?

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 03 Oct 2010 20:48

Yes. I meant devil. Specifically, it's basically a flaw that has the devil sit there and whisper to her, and when she takes her Damage Threshold in damage, she goes into a rage where the demon manifests. What it does do for her…. is open up the Spell Akuma prestige class, where she can learn to control the demon, and use it for awesome, awesome magic juice. :)

On the DMPC; Indeed for the Myrmidon thing that was what I was going to do. And I wasn't going to turn him into a world destroying monster, keyword there was based off of, I'll probably be tweaking his story. It's basically do I want the DMPC to be a Fighter /w magic powers, or a cleric/Fighter. The DMPC is there to be a "help button" and to offer a side story…. and make her feel like there's a person to help, either way, both concepts for the character have side stories to explore, that's what I really want the DMPC for. He'll start more powerful than her, but she'll gain levels faster… meet him, then exceed him. But he'll still be there to help as a party member. Not so much a mentor.

Oh, and the "Stored consciousness" Idea is bloody brilliant! I love it!

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 03 Oct 2010 17:49

You know a thought hit me, I was intending for the Ancient's goal to be true Apotheosis, to be able to ascended to the Great Beyond and become True Gods. So, the Ancients had ways to keep their conscious around if they died (Which is why the people of Valetta can get consul from the Ancients) and what if the main Ancients are the ones who orginally made Sheol when they died? And their spirits are now the devil lords of Sheol.

Hmmm…

Maybe Sheol started out as a repository for their consciousness - but in the process they accidentally created (or attracted) some astral parasites which evolved into the devils of today. And the devil lords are fighting over the entrance to the power source in the interior, where the consciousnesses are located…

Hrm. So, I want to ask your opinion about something (considering your the only one I've told about my game….) Should I stick with my plan as having the DMPC be more of a Cloud-like soldier suffering from Magic addiction? Or should I do more of a more faithful Goku-ish port, as of, using the DMPC as a saiyan who is supposed to be the vanguard for the eventual invasion force (Which I am going to do a alien invasion after the initial arc…) And if I do him a full blooded saiyan, any ideas on how to make him more unique, than just a DBZ rip (though, as she's never seen, watched or heard of Goku, she'd be oblivious… >.<)

Hmmm… I'd start with the Cloud-analogue. In a proper Hero's Journey, mentors exist so that the hero can grow past them, and that's easier to do with a former super-soldier with a crippling magic addiction than with someone who has the potential power to destroy worlds. Ultimately, the story should be about the player character, not the NPCs surrounding her.

You also said that he can serve as a "help button". How about this: Whenever he uses his myrmidon powers and Saves The Day, he gets bad post-combat shakes which persist until he can inject some mysterious substance into his vein with a syringe (the raw azoth, of course). And every time he activates those powers, the pain and the shakes grow visibly worse. This way, he can use his powers in an emergency - but the heroine of the story should also be strongly motivated not to let it come this far once she witnesses this. Thus, she gets to feel that what she does matters.

(Oh, and I had an idea… offer her forbidden power… wit ha price. The classic mage lure. Thinking of a demon that offers her power, and if she accepts… it posses her. For the impetus to this, I was goign to give her a mini-rival who is her master's colleague's apprentice who she almost catches in the act, and her and the rival square off with her more than likely losing since the rival has been dabbling in dark magic… and she learns combat mechanics, and is helped out by a NPC, to in which the NPC and her converse and then she goes to look what he was actually doing… to meet a summoned devil in a magic circle! Who offers her the deal… Seeing how she plays a warlock in WoW, she might actually take it. Hehehe )

Hmmm. Be careful of outright permanent possession, or your wife will be upset with you that you are running her character for her. ;)

It's better if the devil (and I assume you meant devil, as offering pacts is their shtick]]] instead of demons) is lurking in her subconsciousness and whispers suggestions to her from time to time. Also decide what kind of devil offers the deal, as that will shape the kind of suggestions it will make…


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 03 Oct 2010 17:30

Hrm. So, I want to ask your opinion about something (considering your the only one I've told about my game….) Should I stick with my plan as having the DMPC be more of a Cloud-like soldier suffering from Magic addiction? Or should I do more of a more faithful Goku-ish port, as of, using the DMPC as a saiyan who is supposed to be the vanguard for the eventual invasion force (Which I am going to do a alien invasion after the initial arc…) And if I do him a full blooded saiyan, any ideas on how to make him more unique, than just a DBZ rip (though, as she's never seen, watched or heard of Goku, she'd be oblivious… >.<)

Gah, I'm torn. Both options have their merits.

(Oh, and I had an idea… offer her forbidden power… wit ha price. The classic mage lure. Thinking of a demon that offers her power, and if she accepts… it posses her. For the impetus to this, I was goign to give her a mini-rival who is her master's colleague's apprentice who she almost catches in the act, and her and the rival square off with her more than likely losing since the rival has been dabbling in dark magic… and she learns combat mechanics, and is helped out by a NPC, to in which the NPC and her converse and then she goes to look what he was actually doing… to meet a summoned devil in a magic circle! Who offers her the deal… Seeing how she plays a warlock in WoW, she might actually take it. Hehehe )

Edit: Sorry if I annoy with all my chatter. Just excited about the game, and bouncing ideas off a intelligent individual is quiet fun. And my lack of sleep, yeah, that probably doesn't help either.

Re-Edit: Oh man!… crazy idea… what if I made Goku a real monk! He's a holy man in addition to a martial artist? (and my working name is Gavin Sol (Sol = Sun, Gavin = a cook G-name to Goku)

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 03 Oct 2010 00:13

More thoughts on the Ancients;

You know a thought hit me, I was intending for the Ancient's goal to be true Apotheosis, to be able to ascended to the Great Beyond and become True Gods. So, the Ancients had ways to keep their conscious around if they died (Which is why the people of Valetta can get consul from the Ancients) and what if the main Ancients are the ones who orginally made Sheol when they died? And their spirits are now the devil lords of Sheol.

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 02 Oct 2010 09:47

The normalcy starts with her training. She gets to see the high-life in Sirenzo, meet people. And then… Something makes her Master… cautious, but alls well again, another day, another assignment or errand. She'll meet her hired help (DMPC) then shit hits the fan.

And yes, I did see that. I'm betting they'll need to go there on their way to the Ancient ruins. It was a nice moment. Obviously we were thinking along the same lines. o.o

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 01 Oct 2010 18:07

Sounds good.

So, what are you planning to do to establish the setting in her mind? It's always good to establish some sense of "normalcy" first to make a setting seem more "real" before introducing all the weirdness. What kinds of people, institutions, and organizations will she interact with early on? What kinds of role-playing opportunities will there be?

(Oh, and on another tangent - since you are starting in Sirenzo, you did read the entry on Veletta, right? More "mysterious wisdom from the Ancients"…)


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 01 Oct 2010 17:56

Hah, after reading the article, make it a reference of Dragonball… collecting all 7 Crystal skulls summon a creature, one of the spirits of the Ancients. Which could provide some information. But, if the Knights get it, they can use the power to telepathically control the slave races. And since they think they have an Ancient to use with a potion that gives you powers of them (in reality they don't have an ancient to use to distill their potion… it's really a saiyan) they won't be affected by the telepathic control of the human race, and they control the world.

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 01 Oct 2010 17:27

You say "artifact" and you say "crystal", and this reminds me of the Crystal Skulls. Which also hint at an ancient race that is "not quite human", as it happens…


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 01 Oct 2010 17:21

Right, right. Which brings me to the present. I'm going with a Dragonball-esque search for artifacts. I"m thinking that they need to get them before the Knight's do. Hm… maybe a type of Coalesced Azoth-crystals and some other reagents made by the Ancients that the Knights aim to collect to cast a powerful ritual intended to influenced all Descendants of the Ancients through their blood relation, sympathy has always been a great force in magic, and blood is thicker than water….

Now, What are the rest of the reagents? Or maybe they are pieces to create a staff….

I do know for certain how the first few sessions will be presented. And that the first piece will be located in a 'dungeon' near Sorenzo.

Re: Very, very impressed by DreamingGodDreamingGod, 01 Oct 2010 17:05

Well, I think you have a good outline for the backstory there. I think it's a good idea to now concentrate on the early stage of the campaign - what the character might do and encounter in the first campaign arc. It's always possible to make things more complicated later on, but the first few sessions are vital in making a campaign memorable. Especially considering that your wife has never played an RPG before…


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Re: Very, very impressed by jhubertjhubert, 01 Oct 2010 16:55
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