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Atlas Lost
2.7.8709
Scope
The motivation behind building Atlas Lost
I have collected a lot of ideas and they are in all kinds of different states (handwritten notes, pictures, sketches, diagrams, word docs, etc.). This is my attempt to put an order in my thoughts and ideas. Maybe something good will come out of it. Let's see.
Sidenote: You will quickly find out I'm not native English speaking, but to open the content to as many people as possible, I take the extra pains to write everything in English. Please be gracious when it comes to sentence structure, orthography, and spelling. But for everything else, let it out ...
The goal of the project
Have fun creating a world that others will like to use for their story.
Put all the ideas I had in the past into good use and this way they will not be lost ...
Atlas Lost's Unique Selling point
All worlds and campaign settings I know focus on one topic, genre, or aspect of something. Usually one huge continent with some islands, or a planet with one or two locations, etc. Getting more powerful often means just more powerful opponents, but still the same world. Sometimes with excursions into other dimensions. I like to build something that includes more than just one world, a multiverse with an overarching story that players can explore and be a part of it.
The idea is, that the world and the challenges grow with the characters. Focus less on personal Skills and Items you have collected, more on the people you call friends or business partners. What works in one world, may kill you in another. Choose sides and life with the consequences.
Theme
Genre
Sorry, no specific genre
I can't make up my mind, so I don't even try. A typical genre will not be implemented. It will be a mix. Different kinds of worlds are connected with the help of a common story. The big conflict between two parties affects everything around them and a third party that pulls the strings in the background that the war never ends. The eternal balance should keep those involved busy.
The world described should become a multiverse. In which fantasy occurs just like SiFi, or prosperous versus post-apocalyptic worlds. With and without magic or technology. The context in which everything happens should be important.
Reader Experience
The vibe ...
Each world in the multiverse should exude its own atmosphere. But over time the players should understand what is behind everything, which are forces that they will never understand. There is always someone stronger, but nobody is invincible. The players should be careful, always have to adapt to new situations, and always be on the lookout for new allies.
Reader Tone
The tone makes the music
The basic tone of the setting should be dark and also a bit cynical. After all, the mainspring behind all is a senseless war. Even where there is no open conflict, all the important things happen because of the war, in many cases perhaps even without the knowledge of the people. A world in which the war is fought as a cold war and one is only spared because of providing important resources. Not everyone has to know what exactly is happening.
Recurring Themes
It's all about WAR
The recurring element is war in all its forms. The open conflict, i.e. where entire armies collide, should only be a small part of it. In addition, there is much more: politics, trade, securing resources, espionage, crime, and much more, but (almost) always in the context of war.
Character Agency
Start small, ...
The idea is that PCs start small, in their home country, with their little problems. Not knowing what is going on out there. As they get better and rise in the ranks they will find out that there is more and the path leads them in the end to one of the three big organizations, the brotherhood, the collective, or the queen. At this point, they will have a lot of power but as part of something bigger.
Focus
Drama
The Eternal Conflict
The conflict between the Brotherhood and the Collective. Each side wants to secure as many of the Ancient's resources as possible. In doing so, they keep getting in each other's way. The irony is that the Ancients were split into two sides too and fought each other with the goal to wipe out the other side. Now that they are gone, the remaining parties have fallen to their old masters' habits and the fight continues. You could say business as usual under new management.The Queen of Roses
One thing is new. The Ancients were split into two opposing sides and none managed to gain the upper hand. Their successors flow the same path, but there is now a third force that operates from behind the scenes. A group of individuals under the leadership of the Queen of the Roses has made it their business that the war between the Brotherhood and the Collective does not end in the annihilation of all life. As the Ancient almost did. The Queen and her followers have infiltrated both organizations and are doing whatever it takes to keep the balance of power the same and to cause as little collateral damage as possibleThe disturbed flow of the Ether
The Ancient tried pretty much everything to obliterate each other. But when they found ways and means to manipulate the flow of ether and used that knowledge as a weapon, they crossed a line that almost led to the extinction of all known life. It is tragic that the fact of extinguishing all life only played a role because all life also meant their own and it was made clear to them that despite all their power they are not God-like. What remains is a disturbed flow of the ether. The magic has changed, it has become more unpredictable. The life cycle describes new ways. Life, death, life after death, transmigration of souls, etc., are no longer fixed values that follow clear laws of nature.Aftermath
The legacy of the Ancient. Their disappearance not only created a power vacuum but also resulted in many things being left unattended in a moment, with no administration or maintenance. Industrial plants, cities, research facilities, mines, military facilities, organizations, missions, religions, etc. Who knows what, how they develop, or what dangers they poseAwakened Magic
There are different stages of being between the ether and a soul. For example, if the soul of a deceased does not return to the Ether flow and is not born again, it wanders around as a spirit. The disturbed flow of ether created a state in which a new form of life could arise. The Zis. A form of life similar to a soul that has become a spirit. With the difference that it has never been part of a living body and therefore has no understanding of the concept of life and death. These beings cannot die, but they can perish by consuming their energy, for example through magic (martyrs Zis) or when they are born in a body (corrupted Zis). Not like the common reborn, the Zis born Reborn would be wrong in that context) as a person, know about their origin. It follows that the Zis reject any use of magic or technology that consumes any kind of energy and they distrust any kind of life.What else ...
New Players/Forces- Organizations
- Religions
- Hazards