History TabletopGame / WorldTreeRPG

* NayTheist: True atheists are very rare in the World Tree -- it's a difficult view to hold when the seven creator gods are visible in the sky at all times and there are multiple reliable historic records of the twelve lesser ones interacting with civilization throughout history. Instead, atheists tend to take the view that, real as they may be, the gods aren't inherently better or more "divine", whatever that may mean, than anything or anyone else -- they're just bigger and more powerful. The sourcebook notes this to be a defensible position.

* IdealIllnessImmunity: Primes, though this because natural diseases simply don't exist for them. There are the exceptions of the four versions of "Mircannis' Gentle Slumber" and the occasional broken off bit of extra Corpador that gets in someone's nose.

* IdealIllnessImmunity: Everyone, though this because natural diseases simply don't exist on the World Tree. There are the exceptions of the four versions of "Mircannis' Gentle Slumber" and the occasional broken off bit of extra Corpador that gets in someone's nose.

* IdealIllnessImmunity: Everyone, though this because diseases simply don't exist on the World Tree. There are the exceptions of the four versions of "Mircannis' Gentle Slumber" and the occasional broken off bit of extra Corpador that gets in someone's nose.

** Hezarion is deep red and very ductile. It's favored by Herethroi, who use to make inlays on their exoskeletons.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: While many politicians and bankers and such wield their own sort of power, high-ranking members in many of the guilds that rely on magic are, by definition, potent mages. Especially notable are the Smiths' guilds and the Healers' guild.

* NayTheist: True atheists are very rare in the World Tree -- it's a difficult view to hold when the seven creator gods are visible in the sky at all times and there are multiple reliable historic records of the thirteen lesser ones interacting with civilization throughout history. Instead, atheists tend to take the view that, real as they may be, the gods aren't inherently better or more "divine", whatever that may mean, than anything or anyone else -- they're just bigger and more powerful. The sourcebook notes this to be a defensible position.

*** Hren Tzen, goddess of Sustaining magic, is an adequate fit for her portfolio. Zie's more of an artistic sort than anything, but zir creations are also very well-crafted and made to endure through the ages. The most notable is zir Prime species, the Zi Ri, which zie made to be ageless and everlasting.

*** Hren Tzen, goddess of Sustaining magic, is an adequate fit for her portfolio. She's more of an artistic sort than anything, but her creations are also very well-crafted and made to endure through the ages. The most notable is her Prime species, the Zi Ri, which she made to be ageless and everlasting.

* CosmicHorrorStory: "Here," god of Space, appears as a skeletal Herethroy carapace with shifting holes revealing unspeakable things. Elementals of position can be all the more terrifying for not having even ''that'' much personhood in their structure, UncannyValley notwithstanding. Creatures from outside the universe sometimes break in, like a miles-long killer slug.

* TheMagnificent: When two Gormoror are called the same, they keep themselves distinct by attaching a moniker after their names. This is generally either a physical descriptor or, by preference, something grandiose and bombastic.

The game exists as a [[http://world-tree-rpg.com/about.phtml paperback sourcebook]] and an [[http://www.world-tree-rpg.com/marriage.phtml in-game novel]] plus the semi-canon, in-character [[http://sythyry.com/ diary of "Sythyry"]] written by one of the authors (which [[http://stickseed-doom.livejournal.com/ inspired]] [[http://calamitous-cani.livejournal.com/ several]] [[http://mharreff.livejournal.com/ imitators]]).

** Mind magic is treated as this in the eyes of Prime civilization. This is due to the generally intrusive or controlling applications it's put to; there are legitimate uses, but even then it's considered suspicious, and "mind mage" has the same ring as "necromancer" in other settings. The negative reputation is played up more in some in-character journals than in the sourcebook; in the book, merely being good at mind-magic generally won't get you shunned, so long as you don't use it (in however benign a manner) on anyone but yourself. Given that Birkozon's stated ambition is total, if indirect, control over the Tree, anyone who meddles in mind-magic (Birkozon's domain) may be thought some degree of stupid, but so long as you keep it to yourself, everyday people have better things to worry about than your personal damnation. (Though there ''are'' those - in the Healers' Guild and knightly orders - who are more vehement about it.)

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: A Zi Ri is known to have once blasted the goddess of animals with the spell "Grand Inferno", [[spoiler:with no effect]].
* PersonalityPowers: Justified, since the same gods designed the primes to their liking and gave them a knack for particular magic elements.
* PhysicalGod: Many of the world's creator gods appear in physical form on the titular World Tree with some regularity. Some of them blatantly reveal their identity and openly display their omnipotence (indeed, some of them lead guilds and other organisations, and one of them in particular, Birkozon, the god of telepathy and mental magic, rules an entire realm on the Tree). Yet others prefer to stay hidden, walk in disguise, or not get physically involved much with the world they created at all.

* PointsOfLightSetting: The titular World Tree has many branches, and is constantly growing. Civilization tends to gather atop the newest and best-sunlit branches, in handfuls of mighty cities and smaller villages, each normally surrounded by powerful and deadly magical walls. This is because outside of these areas are many monsters and dangers deliberately created or encouraged by the gods to populate a world of adventure, while the geography of the Tree encourages civilization to exist as long series of cities strung out along the (relatively) narrow branches, which makes it very difficult to enforce any kind of large-scale rule. While there are old and broken cities deep within the shadows of the lower branches, some possibly with treasures worth entire new cities, they might as well not exist anymore once the monsters take over.
* PowersAsPrograms: "Pattern Magic" acts like this, but it's only one of several known methods of working with the inherently unpredictable force of magic.

* TreeTopWorld: The entire setting exists in the highest reaches of a single, mind-bogglingly large tree floating in space. The ecosystem there is friendly and well-suited to intelligent beings; lower reaches are progressively less explored and more perilous until the lower trunks become a full-on DeathWorld. Cities are mostly strung out along the upper surfaces of branches -- the sides of branches and the trunk, called the Verticals, are mostly home to flying monsters -- and metal and stone are very scarce and mostly obtained from certain plants that deposit them in their leaves and fruit.

* Khtsoyis (Destruction): Sloppily-designed, floating heptapods (that is, seven-tentacled octapi) who pound things with [[DualWielding triple-wielded]] clubs.

* Khytsoyis (Destruction): Sloppily-designed, floating heptapods (that is, seven-tentacled octapi) who pound things with [[DualWielding triple-wielded]] clubs.

* BeastMan: With a few exceptions, the Prime species all look like anthropomorphic animals of various sorts. The degree of anthropomorphism varies between species -- Cani resemble furred humans with dog heads and tails, Rassimel have the bodies of bipedal raccoons but also have human hair, and Gormoror are simply upright bears with opposable thumbs.

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: A number of monsters on the tree seem to have very odd senses of right and wrong; the most notable (albeit not really native to the tree) are the locador elementals, creatures of space incarnate. The god they're associated with, "Here", may qualify as well.

* FantasticRacism: Prime society is ''fantastically'' racist. Sleeth and Khytsoyis can expect to be routinely denied entrance into guilds and high society, and for that matter much in the way of respect -- a Khytsoy archbishop and duke was expected to feel honored for being allowed to sit among the day laborers at her own retirement banquet. Non-primes get it even worse, and are lucky when they're treated as second-class citizens and allowed to enter cities without being lynched -- more commonly, they're considered monsters or non-entities whom the primes can conquer, displace, rob and kill with little consequence.

* GodIsEvil: Some of them, some of the time. Even kindly Virid (Creation) made a small percentage of her species into mixed-gender people (A fourth gender; they have three naturally), [[RuleOfDrama and made the rest instinctively or dogmatically hate them]].

* IntelligentGerbil: The Sleeth, for all intents and purposes, are panthers that can talk and do magic.

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: A Zi Ri is known to have once blasted the Goddess of Creation with the spell "Grand Inferno", [[spoiler:with no effect]].

** The Cyarr are highly militaristic, expansionistic and devoted to their personal ideals of honor. They're in a state of constant war, either hot or cold, with the primes, for the sake of honor, revenge for past slights, and territory, and are ruled by warrior-nobilities who hold themselves to incredibly strict moral standards. This lifestyle presents something of an issue for them, however, as they have no access to healing or metal-shaping magic, which gives them serious disadvantages in protracted battles and campaigns -- the associated gods plain don't like them and deny these gifts to the Cyarr.

* WickedCultured: Nendrai, large reptilian monsters greatly feared by primes, thoroughly enjoy the benefits of civilization and surround themselves with the best creature comforts that they can. Their floors are covered by fine rugs, their libraries hold all the classics, and their cellars are stocked with rare vintages. They're personable and educated as well, and can be engaged in perfectly pleasant conversation, as long as the other party can convince the Nendrai that it wants a chat more than it wants lunch or a new slave.

* TranslationConvention: Employed by the rulebook. As the foreword notes, the in-universe names of the magical skills are based on the names of the gods (Viridoc, Accanoc), but for ease of use, are rendered based on Ebglish words (Viridoc is Creation, so Creoc; Accanoc is Destruction, so Destroc).

* CallASmeerpARabbit: A lot of World Tree creatures are given the names of Earth animals with similar social roles for the sake of expedience. Horses, for instance, are named such because they're domistacated for use as pack and riding beasts despite actually being nine unrelated genera of animals, some possessing claws and feathers or bony plates or the like.

* WickedCultured: Nendrai, large reptilian monsters greatly feared by primes, thoroughly enjoy the benefits of civilization and surround themselves with the best creature comforts that they can. Their floors are covered by fine rugs, their libraries hold all the classics, and their cellars are stocked with rare vintages. They're personable and educated as well, and can be engaged in perfectly pleasant conversation, as long as they can convince the Nendrai that it wants a chat more than it wants lunch or a new slave.