Campaign World
Setting Overview
Welcome to the world of Kaos
From the shady politicians of society who guide the future of Allegri to the simple farmers who harvest their dinner, everyone has their own ideas about the origins of life and the entire world. Some are old folktales from before society developed ways of understanding the world around them, jumbled myths passed from generation to generation, or skewed religious rewritings of historical texts that paint the victors as divine champions. More modern theories remain focused on proven truths, digging beneath the layers of dust that hide battles long past, texts long abandoned, and heroes long forgotten.
The details are often debated and are nearly impossible to discover with any certainty. While most folk spend their entire existence with little care for the question of where we all came from, the question remains for those who seek answers.
Key Information
The Mansa is in Charge.
- Undesputed leader of the Allegran Alliance, speaking ill of the Mansa can result in serious punishment. The current Mansa isn't a tyrant and is considered a 'benevolent despot'.
- Across the continent of Allegri humans are the predominent civilized species by a massive margin.
- Non-humans are outwardly welcome among humans but it's not usually a warm welcome.
- Passive speciesism is common but outright violence is nearly unheard of within the walls of any city or in the light of day.
- Allegrans have worked diligently to build secure, permanent cities but beyond their massive fortifications there is no guarantee of safety from all kinds of monsters, roving kakornio, or natural events.
So what's Life Like in Allegri?
The civilized realms are a fractured lot and among them the humans, elves, dwanar and heblin all seek to establish a balance. Humans are by far the most numerous across the continents but also the most inconsistent and variable.
One thing that remains consistent are the ruins and ancient catacombs that every living civilization is built on. Debris of past homes, cities, and civilizations can easily be stumbled across and most are not mapped or identified simply because there are too many for adventurers to explore and outside the protection of the capital cities it's much too dangerous for the average scholar to investigate.
Arcana, Science, and Physics
The physical laws of Kaos are very similar to those you'd find on Earth; objects are affected by gravity in the same manner, the seasons and weather occur in the same manner (although the calender itself is different), and most forms of plant and animal life from Earth are also present in some form on Kaos. If it isn't stated specifically it's safe to assume anything naturally occuring in real life also has a place in Kaos Rhythm.
Now that's out of the way, let's get to the differences.
Within every sentient creature there is a spark of powerful willpower. There are nearly as many theories about where this comes from as there are applications and variations of this power. Human scholars, fey philosophers, and even the god-like primis themselves all have their own ideas but what remains is the ever present Arcana that saturates all aspects of life on the planet.
The Tone of Kaos
Kaos Rhythm is a grim\dark setting where gritty reality exists side-by-side with fantastical settings and horrible monsters. The world is as dangerous as it is colourful. The people that live in this world are not wide-eyed and hopeful, or at least not for long - either they become jaded by their harsh existence or don't live long enough to become properly disillusioned.
But fear not! Hardship can shape even the most unlikely scoundrel into a hero of legend, or at the very least serve as a warning & lesson to others. Above all else remember; this world has it's own rules and your character is likely only slightly better at navigating it than you are!
The world of Kaos is ancient and locked in a cycle of perpetual growth, glory, stagnation, and destruction. The setting combines many classic fantasy elements with a dark and severe atmosphere. The world has a rich history shaped by extrordinary events, cataclysmic disasters, and lost knowledge that seeks to be uncovered by brave heroes once again.
Among the unique aspects of the setting, magic and technology have a special relationship. Primarily called Arcana on the continent where the current narrative is assumed to take place. Often working alongside traditional sciences, arcana is commonplace within the big cities and provides many benefits and amenities similar to those of the real world back in the 1800s. Due to the presence of arcana, many scientific discoveries came much later in human developement and technological innovations were created with very different puzzle pieces from those we know.
Adventurers appear in all forms, all classes, and members of all species find reasons to take that first step towards a life of danger, exploration, and glory. That being said, Kaos is a rough place to live if you aren't human. The long-lived elves, nomadic heblin, and even rarest half-orc don't always have the same rights as humans in Allegran communities due to a turbulent and violent history of betrayal and war. Humans no longer trust easily and cling tenaciously to the scars that now prevent other species from moving past their bygone misdeeds.
The World As It Is...
Chaos is everywhere and the meager factions of civilized folk bicker and squabble among themselves while beastly outside influences scheme to destroy them all. The only truly stable points of safety are the massive capital cities, where humans maintain powerful walls to keep their enemies at bay.
The human homeland, Allegri, is fundamentally a vast plain with numerous mountain chains along the frozen northern border and many burried ruins of past civilizations from before the modern cities existed. Of the three capital cities, Etude is the largest and like the other two, is primarily occupied by humans. Although there are many types of demi-human species and cultures across the surface of Kaos, humans are the great majority in Allegri and view non-human species as outsiders, and commonly as lesser-than.
The civilized realms are a fractured lot and among them the humans, elves, heblin and dwanar all seek to establish a balance. Despite their tumultuous and sordid histories, humans, with their comparitively short lifespans they remember the multitude of failed alliances, wars, and conspiricies. Humankind is by far the most prevalent species across the planet but are also the most varying in disposition.
One thing that remains consistent are the ruins and ancient catacombs that every living civilization is built on. Debris left by past species, cultures, and entire civilizations can be found nearly everywhere. Most aren't mapped or identified simply because there are too many for explorers to investigate and are often much too dangerous for average explorers.
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