This thread will serve as an open topic regarding "world building efforts" in and around the framework as presented in the Fates of Fortune,Fates of Fortune - Prelude, and other threads related to the adventures involving Nyx Shyndyn and Cayrimisa Ettelennya. It will also serve as a "collection point" for all of the 'broad stroke' ideas I have had in the past months/years which I have yet to thoroughly hash out with Meri... and as she is my chief collaborator and muse in all of this, things are subject to change as she provides input (since I made many of these 'broad strokes' at a time when both she and I were "taking a break" from our little world and the tales spun therein).

Anyway... forthcoming are my initial thoughts on Drasnia and the world which surrounds her... the basics of slavery's history and tradition, and much, much more... If you are a fan or lurker of/in the "Fates of Fortune" and related threads, stay tuned... hell, chip in.... there'll be lots more information to come and to discuss as we go.

Next up: The origins of our little world and where Meri and I have taken it since those early days... or, if you prefer, "How Nyx and Cay Became Such an Item at the Inn."

Stay tuned, faithful readers... there is sooooo much more on it's way... and a good deal of it will give those of you who have been following along a nifty little glimpse and, perhaps, the opportunity to contribute to, the world in which Nyx and Cay operate.

Swimming in Fates? More like drowning in it... happily!

So a quick question to start things out. Mith'ganni... what are the capitalization rules on this word? Always capitalized, only at the beginning of a sentence or when talking about the tribe vs. a person...?

M.

I hadn't really decided, yet, to be honest... It seems to me though, right off the top of my head, it should be always capitalized or, at the least, capitalized where race vs individual... Whadda you think?

Oh... and speaking of basics...

I have imagined that the world on which these tales take place is most commonly (and generally) referred to as "Corelaari" by its inhabitants. Humans may have started referring to it as "The Earth" or, even more simply, "The World" but, for the ost part, the place is still referred to by it's original elvevn (or is it early draconic?) designation. To this point, I've imagined the world with a single, yellow moon, and a current total of five continents:

1. Crownspire (or "Old Ellis"... the origination point for the human race)
2. Greater Ellisia (a relatively large continent conquered early on in the Braudian Empire's history)
3. Tuu'Palurin (the largest continent on the planet and, on the west coast, the location of Drasnia).
4. Gabonsa'a (a marshy, murky land thick with lizard folk and a common slave raiding and colonization sight for the Braudians)
5. "The Waste" (another relatively large continent that was rendered all but useless in the very early expansion attempts of the Brauds... rumored to be the home of Corelaari's last remaining dragons.

I also imagined five oceans and/or seas on our little world of Corelaari... and named them (or not) as follows: Oceans/Seas:

1. Sea of Daranjaya
2. The Yara'Maskan Reach
3. The Cauldron Sea
4. Fortunes Finger
5. ...?

I wanted to "adjust the races" in accordance with the predominant feel on the planet during the timeframe of the events surrounding "Fates" and, to that end, Im began constructing the following list ... Note that "halfling" in most cases, here(and the following entries, at least for now), does not refer to the hobbit-like/ D&D style halfling with which we are all so familiar. Instead, in the world surrounding Drasnia, "halfling" is a somewhat derogatory term used to refer to any individual of any mixed heritage, be it elf/human, human/dwarf, etc...

1. Humans (Braudians, "Brauds")
2. "Elves"
   
   1. Mith'ganni ("Twilight Elves")
   2. Dur'mani ("Wood Elves")
   3. "High Elves"
   4. "Snow Elves"
3. "Dwarves"
   
   1. Chaks
   2. Gnomes
   3. Hupaks
4. "Lizard Folk"

((Note: Much more to come on races as I imagine there are many more "sentient" beings on the face of our little world (i.e. I know from compliling Mith'gannis history that therm are gnolls (or at least gnoll-like creatures on the plains of Shanurdir)... also, I have recently been asked about the existence of "true" hobbit-like halflings on Corelaari and, as I have yet to truly discuss this possibility with Meri, I truly don't know the "official" answer... sooo... stay tuned. Additional Note: As always, it bears mentioning that Tek is the original creator of the Mith'ganni race - as well as the term Dur'mani where it applies to Wood Elves - and graciously allowed me to 'hijack and/or modify' the breed as it is presented in the Fates tableau. Also, many of the racial 'names' listed above are simply 'placeholders' or designations 'borrowed' from other/existing sources until such a time as more 'world-centric' monikers can be thought up... More to come.)

...to the "Basics - The Planet" post above.

Map could use some work, still... addition of cities,towns, villages, landmarks,etc... but it's in a decent enough state as is to provide a general idea, anyway.

There's a bit of a 'ring of fire' going on around that Cauldron Sea there... looks like quite the dangerous vacation resort

Certainly answers why it's called that name, which I was wondering when I first saw the list.

Is this RPG completely original, or is it based on anything (book, show, movie ect)? Do I need to be familiar with the thing it's based on if I'm to join (if it is based on anything that is)?

As it exists, now, this particular world/setting is pretty much "original" per the vision that Meri and I shared as we were crafting our tales surrounding Nyx and Cay. That said, it should be noted that, when I originally played Nyx, it was for a game called "Beneath a Shadowed Sky." That game was GMed by an Innmate called Tek and was set in a world of his own creation called Baelona. Tek, also, is the original creator of the Mith'ganni race but has given me permission to take his idea(s), give them a tweaking of my own, and migrate them to this particualr world.

Also, the city of Drasnia, was originally the creation of an Innmate named Capn Lou, and it was in his game "A Shadow Over Drasnia" in which Nyx started to "evolve" into the character he has become and, more importantly, the first time he met Cay (played by Merideth). It was that meeting of characters and the "chemistry" between the two, that led Meri and I to expand what we'd done in A Shadow Over Drasnia and set us off on writing "The Fates of Fortune" (and it's various offshoots/spinoffs).

Okay, so, if an active game set in this world were to become available, there's not a great deal that you'd need to familiarize yourself with, to be honest. The clinchers are as follows:

1. The world is dominated by the Braudian Empire (humans)
2. Non-humans are typically slaves or, at least, servants. Those that aren't have either been such and have earned their freedom in one way or another, are actively supporting the Empire and its ambitions (via treaties, etc), are considered outlaws, or may be "halflings." Whatever the case, the Empire considers non-humans "second class" at best.
3. Dragons have not been seen in centuries. They did exist, at one point, and most elves believe that the world was created by them. The last known dragon was Yarra'Maskan.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but if you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. I have TONS of notes, scribblings, and other such stuff I can dig out.

I would love to roleplay in this!
A few questions:
1) Is there an active roleplay on this currently?
2) Are elves considered non-human and are they therefore slaves/former slaves etc?
3) Is it possible to play as a dragon or at least half-dragon?

The setting has a special place in my black little heart.

To answer your questions:

1) Not currently as both of my biggest collaborators are on extended leave from the Inn. That's not to say there can't be, though.

2) Correct! If your character is a sentient being but isn't human, you are technically considered to be a second class citizen, at best, or a slave, at worst. Just because you're not human, though, dosn't necessarily mean that you are/were a slave. There are plenty of "free" elves and such roaming about but, in human cities, they're not often treated with kindness.

3) As I said in my last post, Dragons haven't been seen in this world in hundreds, possibly thousands of years and are pretty much believed to be extinct. These creatures were extremely powerful (both physically and magically) and were thought to have created the world and many of the peoples on it. Is it possible to play a dragon or half-dragon? Hmmmmmm... It'd certainly make an interesting story to tell but given the current status of dragons as "ancient history" your character would likely be "the plot" or a HUGE key to it, anyway. I'd have to think about it.

Please let me know when you've decided!

Just out of curiousity, Drasnia is a city out of David Eddings' Belgariad series. Does this have any relation to that?  I was only wondering because of the name.

Magickman

...In the Belgariad, Drasnia was an entire country, actually. In this world, it's basically a major port in the Empire's far reaching domain. I'm sure that, when Capn Lou was originally conceptualizing it, Drasnia was likely named after the country from which Kheldar/Silk hailed, but, beyond the name (and perhaps intrigue) that's where the similarities end.

Over the years that Meri, Celeste, and myself have developed this particualr world, I've thought more than once about changing the name of Drasnia to something else (due to the fact that the name is so well known and has been used in such an epic tale before) but haven't really come up with anything that I like... yet... Really, I guess, "Drasnia" can be considered a placeholder of sorts until I do.