History TabletopGame / BlueRose

* CureYourGays: As of Second Edition, the Theocracy of Jarzon is running "emendating camps" in an attempt to "save" young [[{{Transsexual}} laevvel]] from their non-gender-conforming ways.

* {{Transsexual}}: Gets a cursory mention in the First Edition as a possible character option. In the second edition they are given considerably more space, as ''laevvel bran'maur''[[labelnote:♥]] "beyond the loom of Braniel and Maurenna" - a catch-all term for people with atypical gender identities[[/labelnote]] are believed (rightly or wrongly) by many people in-setting to possess souls that are close to enlightenment and to have a special relationship with the spirits because of it. Also, in Second Edition, [[GenderBender gender-reassignment magic]] is no longer [[BlackMagic sorcery]].

* ApocalypseHow: Aldea fell victim to a Class 1 through Magical Civil War. The Sorcerer Kings helped Usurp the Old Kingdom, then divided it up and made war on each other to take the dead Empress' place. When they started running out of living warriors, they resorted to summoning undead and demonic soldiers. And when that didn't do the trick, more than one FantasticNuke was employed (see: the Veran Marsh). And when the remaining living people had had enough, the Great Rebellion added even more corpses to the world until all but [[BigBad one]] of the Kings was destroyed. Then the victorious rebels got to work building a better world rather than descending into a Medieval MadMax society.

* MagicKnight: The system makes this a very easy character build. Even your standard Warrior can gain access to a Shaping Arcana or two during an extended campaign. In particular, the Knights of the Pure Flame train warrior-adepts as a

* MagicKnight: The system makes this a very easy character build. Even your standard Warrior can gain access to a Shaping Arcana or two during an extended campaign.

* {{Transsexual}}: Gets a cursory mention in the First Edition as a possible character option. In the second edition they are given considerably more space, as ''laevvel bran'maur''[[labelnote:♥]] "beyond the loom of Braniel and Maurenna" - a catch-all term for people with atypical gender identities[[/labelnote]] are believed (rightly or wrongly) by many people in-setting to possess souls that are close to enlightenment and to have a special relationship with the spirits because of it. Also, in Second Edition, [[GenderBender gender-reassignment magic]] is no longer [[BlackMagic sorcery]].

* SoiledCityOnAHill: The original homeland of the Roamers, Faenaria, once rivaled the power of the Old Kingdom itself. As the Shadow Wars and the Great Rebellion raged and consumed the world, their politics became corrupted with shadow magic and covert assassinations, all to keep their nation's borders closed and secure. Their Empress used Shadowgates to summon armies of Darkfiends to hold on to her power and repel the other Sorcerer Kings. When the armies of the Great Rebellion arrived, she used the Shadowgates to try and create a barrier that would kill any living thing that entered her territory. [[ExactWords It went]]
[[EarthShatteringKaboom as planned.]]

* TheGoodKingdom: How does Aldis fit this trope? Let us count the ways. EternalSexualFreedom? Check. Its capital is a ShiningCity surrounded by GhibliHills? Check. Ruled by a ReasonableAuthorityFigure? Check. An army of BadassBureaucrat agents who patrol the land with the express mission of helping the common folk and defending the realm? Check.

* BalefulPolymorph: A common form of BlackMagic, known as Flesh Shaping. VoluntaryShapeshifting exists but is much more difficult.

* BigBad: [[EvilSorceror Jarek]], the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]] [[EvilOverlord King]] of [[{{Mordor}} Kern]].
** And now, his Seven Lieutenants in Second Edition.

* BondCreatures: Any rhydan -- intelligent, telepathic animals -- can form this kind of psychic bond with a compatible human. (It's not explained why this happens, or why it's only with humans.)
** As the rhydan species are playable races, you can also play a rhydan PC who has a ''[[InvertedTrope human]]'' Bond Creature.

* TheDarkArts: Sorcery in Aldis; all forms of magic unless practiced by a licensed priest of the [[CorruptChurch Church of Pure Light]] in Jarzon.
** The restrictions on sorcery have been relaxed in Aldis under Queen Jaellin. (Specifically, you still can't ''practice'' sorcery, but it's no longer illegal to study the theories ''behind'' sorcery.) The ramifications of this policy decision have yet to be shown.

* EvilChancellor: Lord Sayvin of Aldis, whom everyone expected to be chosen as the next king; he's not actually evil ''yet'', but he's increasingly put out about the whole thing.

* FantasyGunControl: No actual guns, but there are crystons, which are basically a {{Magitek}} equivalent of flintlock pistols. The one big difference is that they only affect living tissue, and can only ever bring someone to unconsciousness, not kill. Cryston warfare, as a result, is far less bloody and deadly than one based on firearms.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Unicorns and Gryphons are explicitly listed as incorruptible- just as players will never find a good Demon, they will never find an evil Unicorn.

* KnightTemplar: The Church of Pure Light employs a few as a matter of course. Their Knights of the Pure Flame can be encountered as allies or enemies, depending on the GM.

* {{Mordor}}: Kern, the one remaining nation still ruled by a SorcerousOverlord.

* NoTranshumanismAllowed: Flesh-Shaping, which the Sorcerer-Kings used for genetic engineering, is sorcery. The book mentions that it can be used for good purposes, but it's still inherently a sin against nature and causes TheCorruption in its users.

** While unmistakably unfair to the victims, the reason for the [[StayInTheKitchen disregard for women and gay people]] in Jarzon comes right down to self-preservation. Aldis' war against the Shadow is mostly over- they have natural defenses that have allowed them to rebuild their society. Jarzon's war never ended. Their border with the Shadow Barrens is wide open- they've never ''not'' been fighting for their survival, and new children are needed to carry on their society and the defense of their nation.

* ApocalypseHow: Aldea fell victim to a Type 2 through Magical Civil War. The Sorcerer Kings helped Usurp the Old Kingdom, then divided it up and made war on each other to take the dead Empress' place. When they started running out of living warriors, they resorted to summoning undead and demonic soldiers. And when that didn't do the trick, more than one FantasticNuke was employed (see: the Veran Marsh). And when the remaining living people had had enough, the Great Rebellion added even more corpses to the world until all but [[BigBad one]] of the Kings was destroyed. Then the victorious rebels got to work building a better world rather than descending into a Medieval MadMax society.

''Blue Rose'' aims to emulate the genre of fiction the game's writers describe as "romantic fantasy" -- that is, FeministFantasy of the sort published by authors like Creator/MercedesLackey, Creator/TamoraPierce and Creator/DianeDuane. The setting is the world of Aldea, which superficially resembles a MedievalEuropeanFantasy setting but is actually [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]], the world having been devastated by wars between rival [[SorcerousOverlord Sorcerer Kings]] a few centuries back. Player characters are usually agents of [[BigGood Queen Jaellin]] of TheKingdom of Aldis, defending queen and country against threats both internal and external.

* BigGood: [[TheHighQueen Queen Jaellin]] of [[TheKingdom Aldis]].

* TheKingdom: How does Aldis fit this trope? Let us count the ways. EternalSexualFreedom? Check. Its capital is a ShiningCity surrounded by GhibliHills? Check. Ruled by a ReasonableAuthorityFigure? Check. An army of BadassBureaucrat agents who patrol the land with the express mission of helping the common folk and defending the realm? Check.

''Blue Rose'' aims to emulate the genre of fiction the game's writers describe as "romantic fantasy" -- that is, FeministFantasy of the sort published by authors like Creator/MercedesLackey, Creator/TamoraPierce and Creator/DianeDuane. The setting is the world of Aldea, which superficially resembles a MedievalEuropeanFantasy setting but is actually [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]], the world having been devastated by wars between rival [[SorcerousOverlord sorcerer-kings]] a few centuries back. Player characters are usually agents of [[BigGood Queen Jaellin]] of TheKingdom of Aldis, defending queen and country against threats both internal and external.

* BlackKnight: The Knights of the Skull.

* DanceBattler: The Spirit-Dancer specialization wears this as its hat. The player may enter a "Battle Dance" mode that allows them to increase their defense or attack traits. Any character type- Adept, Expert or Warrior- can become a Spirit Dancer provided they have a certain Arcanum and a Focus in Acrobatics. Grants SuperSpeed at higher levels.

** The Lar'tyans are about a 50/50 blend of Indian and Polynesian culture, with Matriarchy thrown in.
** The Roamers are obviously the UsefulNotes/{{Romani}}.

** While unmistakably unfair to the victims, the reason for the [[BarefootAndPregnant disregard for women and gay people]] in Jarzon comes right down to self-preservation. Aldis' war against the Shadow is mostly over- they have natural defenses that have allowed them to rebuild their society. Jarzon's war never ended. Their border with the Shadow Barrens is wide open- they've never ''not'' been fighting for their survival, and new children are needed to carry on their society and the defense of their nation.

* OnlyThePureOfHeart: Only the pure of heart get to be nobles in Aldis (and there's a magical artifact that makes sure...though nothing stops them from turning evil ''after'' they've passed the test) or rhy-bond with Unicorns.

* TheResenter: Lord Sayvin thought he was destined for the crown of Aldis, but the Golden Hart had other ideas. Sayvin is not happy about that. [[spoiler: He takes it one step too far in Second Edition, allowing the Lich King to invade Aldis in an attempt to unseat Jaylin.]] It doesn't end well for him.

* {{Transsexual}}: Gets a cursory mention in the First Edition as a possible character option. In the second edition they are given considerably more space, as ''laevvel bran'maur''[[labelnote:♥]] "beyond the loom of Braniel and Maurenna" - a catch-all term for people with atypical gender identities[[/labelnote]] are believed (rightly or wrongly) by many people in-setting to possess souls that are close to enlightenment and to have a special relationship with the spirits because of it. Also, in second edition, [[GenderBender gender-reassignment magic]] is no longer [[BlackMagic sorcery]].

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Jarzon as a whole. It's a far harsher land than Aldis, and the Church of the Pure Light was originally an underground religion of resistance that formed around the sacred hearth-fires. Their war against the Shadow continued for a generation after Aldis' ended, and they must still contend with the Darkfiends and insane Elementals that attack from the Shadowbarrens. Seeing what the madness of Faenaria wrought in the Barrens through the use of magic, the Church's suspicion of sorcery has extended to all arcana not practiced by their clergy (though healers get a pass), and the importance of the hearth-fire (which symbolizes family and heterosexual love) has led to a rather ugly prejudice against homosexuality.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A few references are made in the rule books to a land across the great seas, with explorers from Aldis making the journey to meet the inhabitants found there and returning succesfully. Nothing has been made of these references- no cultures, maps, plot points, or anything, has been described.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Compared to a lot of other fantasy settings, Aldis has very few people who are outright ''evil''. There are ''monsters'' who are inherently evil, but those are basically demons - they just can't help be anything else. People, meanwhile, are most often either misguided or simply very selfish, and few are beyond redemption. Sayvin may secretly detest Jaellin but this due to a combination of honestly believing he would have made a better King for Aldis and plain, old, all-too-human jealousy. Jarzon may be extremely prejudiced against gay people but their position becomes far more understandable (even if one doesn't agree with it) once you realize their people have suffered such losses during the war that they're all but at risk of ''extinction'' and can't afford people to be in relationships that won't produce children. Even the Lich King gets a motivation that is presented in a fairly human fashion with his lust for knowledge and power. Nobody's simply "bad".

** Rezeans are Mongols with a side of Plains Indians.

* FantasyPantheon

* FortuneTeller: The Roamers specialize in this.

* GiantFlyer: Gryphons and wyverns.

* GreenAesop: Respect for nature is similarly a Good Thing. An entire Kingdom has been devoted to this in Second Edition: The Kingdom of Wyss. Its people grow their homes from trees and live in such harmony with nature, even the Aldins [[UpToEleven find it a little weird.]]

* HasTwoMommies: Entirely unremarkable in Aldis.

* HellHound: Shadow Mastiffs.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Unicorns and Gryphons are explicitly listed as incorruptible- just as players will never find a good demon, they will never find an evil Unicorn or Gryphon.

* IntellectualAnimal: Rhydan are intelligent, telepathic animals; in Aldis they can even be citizens.

* KnightTemplar: The Church of Pure Light.

* LightIsNotGood: The Church of the Pure Light is not ''evil'' per se, but they're a hotbed of misguided, bigoted [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]].

* MagicAIsMagicA

* {{Matriarchy}}: The Matriarchy of Lar'tya, an archipelago south of the main continent, is ruled by the female humans through a FantasticCasteSystem. While there is open disregard for the rights of men, its women also view non-human species like Sea-Folk as quaint and undeserving of full rights. Their views of Aldin's egalitarian society run the gamut from confused to hostile.
* MedievalStasis: Strongly averted. It's got the trappings of a medieval world, but Aldis actually has mundane technology at around the level of TheCavalierYears, and if you count magic and magical artifacts, in some ways it's as advanced as the modern world. Politically, the government is closer to a constitutional monarchy than a medieval one.
* MindOverManners: Psychic ethics are a big deal in Aldis, where about one in ten people have some kind of psychic power. Reading emotions is okay, reading thoughts is very much not.

** The second edition eases back on the restriction by stating that Flesh-Shaping is not sorcery when used on a willing subject. The more advanced applications of it are still lost arts, but changing appearance [[GenderBender or even gender]] is fine now.

* OnlyThePureOfHeart: Only the pure of heart get to be nobles in Aldis (and there's a magical artifact that makes sure...though nothing stops them from turning evil ''after'' they've passed the test).

** In regards to Jarzon, the game appears to take its cues from one of its inspirations, Mercedes Lackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, where Valdemar's rival country Karse is portrayed with sympathetic aspects (in Karse's case, its problems came from a CorruptChurch).

* {{Precursors}}: The vatazin, and the whole civilization of the Old Kingdom to some extent.
* PsychicPowers: One of the main kinds of magic.
* PureIsNotGood: Subverted. The Church of the ''Pure'' Light is one of the main antagonist factions, [[KnightTemplar zealots]] out to eradicate everything that they believe represents corruption. However, the point is made that their fanaticism has [[FightFireWithFire caused them to make use of morally iffy methods]] such as sorcery, meaning that they are actually [[CorruptChurch less morally pure]] and [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans more pragmatic]] than the Aldins, who are much ''less'' inclined to think that the ends justify the means. Also, many of the things that the Church of the Pure Light condemn (e.g., [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Night People]], gender equality) are actually harmless or even beneficial, and the problem with the Church isn't that it goes too far in opposing them but that it opposes them in the first place. Pure ''is'' good in Aldea, but not everyone who claims that they're pure necessarily are.

* TheResenter: Lord Sayvin thought he was destined for the crown of Aldis, but the Hart had other ideas. Sayvin is not happy about that. [[spoiler: He takes it one step too far in Second Edition, allowing the Lich King to invade Aldis in an attempt to unseat Jaylin.]] It doesn't end well for him.

* ShiningCity: The city of Aldis.

** An entire setting is based around this trope in Second Edition, "The Wedding Planners" requires the players find and bring together couples in love throughout Aldis, then use their powers to put on a show-stopper wedding.

* SoiledCityOnAHill: The original homeland of the Roamers, Faenaria, once rivaled the power of the Old Kingdom itself. As the Shadow Wars and the Great Rebellion raged and consumed the world, their politics became corrupted with shadow magic and assassinations. Their Empress used Shadowgates to summon armies of Darkfiends to hold on to her power and repel the other Kings. When the armies of the Rebellion arrived, she used the dark fuel to try and create a barrier that would kill anyone that entered her territory. [[EarthShatteringKaboom It did not go as planned.]]

* {{Unicorn}}: They're rare and fairly reclusive, but they exist. They don't care about physical virginity, but they will generally associate [[OnlyThePureOfHeart Only With The Pure Of Heart]].

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Jarzon as a whole. It's a far harsher land than Aldis, and the Church of the Pure Light was originally an underground religion of resistance that formed around the sacred hearth-fires. Now, however, the Church's suspicion of sorcery has extended to all arcana not practiced by their clergy (though healers get a pass), and the importance of the hearth-fire (which symbolizes family and heterosexual love) has led to a rather ugly prejudice against homosexuality.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A few references are made in the rule books to a land across the great seas, with explorers from Aldis making the journey to meet the inhabitants found there. Nothing has been made of these references- no cultures, maps, plot points, or anything.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Compared to a lot of other fantasy settings, Aldis has very few people who are outright ''evil''. There are ''monsters'' who are inherently evil, but those are basically demons - they just can't help be anything else. People, meanwhile, are most often either misguided or simply very selfish, and few are beyond redemption. Sayvin may secretly detest Jaellin but this due to a combination of honestly believing he would have made a better King for Aldis and plain, old, all-too-human jealousy. Jarzon may be extremely prejudiced against gay people but their position becomes far more understandable (even if one doesn't agree with it) once you realize their people have suffered such losses during the war that they're all but in risk of ''extinction'' and can't afford people to be in relationships that won't produce children. Even the Lich King gets a motivation that is presented in a fairly human fashion with his lust for knowledge and power. Nobody's simply "bad".
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Sorcery powers can be downright game-breaking. Too bad your brain and body start melting when you use them repeatedly.

** As of Second Edition, Jaellin has grown much more comfortably into her role after [[spoiler: surviving Sayvin's treachery, nearly losing control of the Kingdom, leading the attack on the Lich King's throne room, and marrying one of the leaders of LaResistance in Kern.]]

''"For Aldis! For the Queen!"''

* CoolHorse: Rhy-horses.
* CorruptChurch: The Church of the Pure Light has a bit of a problem with this in the upper ranks, as the high priests are often chosen more for political ability and connections than for their ethics. The lower ranks of the church are mostly [[GoodShepherd Good Shepherds]], however.

** The restrictions on sorcery have been relaxed in Aldis under the current monarch. (Specifically, you still can't PRACTICE sorcery, but it's no longer illegal to study the theories ''behind'' sorcery.) The ramifications are yet to be felt.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Vata'sha and Night People are dark-skinned results of Sorcerer King experiments, but they're no more or less evil than humans. (Most shadowspawn, however, really are naturally evil.)

* DefectorFromDecadence: Aldis gets a lot of defectors from [[KnightTemplar Jarzon]] and [[{{Mordor}} Kern]].

* DoomTroops: The Kern [[BlackKnight Knights of the Skull]], who go into battle wearing black armour and skull-shaped silver helmets.

* TheEmpath: Heart Reading is another standard power. (Heart ''[[CharmPerson Shaping]]'', on the other hand, is...widely frowned upon.)
* TheEmpire: The utopian [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas Old Kingdom]] was taken over by the [[EvilSorcerer sorceress]] [[TheEmperor Delsha Artanis]], forming the Empire of Thorns.

* ExoticExtendedMarriage: The game has "star marriages", where all the participants are considered to be the spouses of all the other participants, even if they are not sexually involved with each other. They are quite common in the islands, uncommon in Aldis and almost unheard of elsewhere.

* {{Familiar}}: Anyone with magic talent can have one.

* GodCouple: Two god couples actually. The summer goddess Maureena and the family god Leonoth serve as a model for heterosexual love, marriage and faithfulness while the gods [[YaoiGuys Braniel and Hiathas]] represent same-sex couples. Anwaren, Goia, and Aulora count in as a [[{{Polyamory}} poly]] godly relationship.
* GreenAesop: Respect for nature is similarly a Good Thing.

* TheHighQueen: Jaellin. While she started out bookish and shy, she met thwarted betrayal, invasion, and spearheaded the attack that killed the Lich King. People may be grumbling about her government policy now, but no one can question her capability and kindness.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Embracing Corruption often leads to this, as mentioned above.
* SwampsAreEvil: The Veran Marsh, the border between Aldis and Jarzon. There's only FOUR known safe roads through it; any other path generally leads to a horrifying death. And whatever you do, ''[[SchmuckBait do NOT try to use shaping magic there to create your own path]]''.

* UnusualEuphemism

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity

----

* AfterTheEnd: Aldea only ''looks'' like a medieval fantasy world; it's actually very much post-apocalyptic. Aldis has spent three centuries rebuilding a nation worth living in after the dystopia and tyranny of the past was overcome, but there is ''still'' work to be done. Which is where you come in...

* AfterTheEnd: Aldea only ''looks'' like a medieval fantasy world; it's actually very much post-apocalyptic.

** Played straight in that, while nobles are able to pass the tests of the kingdom by holding the Scepter of the Blue Rose (a magical detect evil/corruption artifact), they can and do fall into corruption AFTER passing the test.

* CharmPerson: Heart Shaping.

* EnemyCivilWar: The state of Kern as of the second edition. The Lich King is gone, and his top lieutenants are feuding over who gets to replace him.

* TheFairFolk: Make their debut in universe in Second Edition.

* FantasticRacism: Lots of it to go around, mostly aimed at [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Night People]].

* FeministFantasy

* FishPeople: Or maybe more OurMermaidsAreDifferent, since the Sea Folk are much less repulsive than your average Fish Person. They've got legs, but they have webbed hands and feet, blue-green skin, and can drink saltwater and hold their breath for an hour or more. They can also live on land (though they need more water than humans, so they're usually found on the coasts) and interbreed with humans. They're a playable race.

* TheHighQueen: Jaellin.

* ImmigrantPatriotism: Aldis has perpetually open borders with all of its neighbors, welcoming anyone who can cross into their borders (mostly out of altruism, but also because the world is post-apocalyptic). Whether an adventurer encounters a Caravan of Roamers, Jarzoni religious dissidents, former Kernish slaves, or men fleeing from the Matriarchy of Lar'trya, they all tend to love their new homeland.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Unicorns and Gryphons are explicitly listed as incorruptible- just as players will never find a good demon, they will never find an evil Unicorn.

* TheLostWoods: The Pavin Weald.

* MagicKnight: The system makes this a very easy character build.
* {{Magitek}}: The Old Kingdom was a heavily Magitek based society, and Aldis has recovered a lot of their techniques.

* {{Matriarchy}}: The Matriarchy of Lar'tya, an archipelago south of the main continent. It's got a FantasticCasteSystem to boot.

* ModestRoyalty: Aldin monarchs often come from humble backgrounds.

* TheNecrocracy: Kern.

* TheOldGods: The Gods of Twilight, Selene, Braniel, Maureena and Anwaren, who created the world and rule over natural forces.

* OurGryphonsAreDifferent

** Given a further emphasis in the Knights of the Rose in Second Edition. The fluff establishes that many Knights often choose to form Polyamorous relationships with at least two other knights they work with regularly. Mechanically, this invokes ThePowerOfFriendship mechanic listed below.

** An entire setting is based around this trope in Second Edition, "The Wedding Planners" requires the players find and bring together couples in love throughout Aldis.

* ShroudedInMyth: The Old Kingdom.

* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Embracing Corruption, as mentioned above.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Unicorns, as well as the Golden Hart.

* TheKingdom: Aldis.

* UnfortunateImplications: While the First Edition of Blue Rose was hailed as being inclusive and LGB positive, the use of the Sorcery Flesh-Shaping Arcana to [[UsefulNotes/Transgender change one's body to align with one's gender]] still required a corruption test.
** Updated in Second Edition: Trans characters are now included in the lore and fluff offers many ways for a character to change their sex/gender.

* {{Transsexual}}: Gets a cursory mention in the first edition as a possible character option. In the second edition they are given considerably more space, as ''laevvel bran'maur''[[labelnote:♥]] "beyond the loom of Braniel and Maurenna" - a catch-all term for people with atypical gender identities[[/labelnote]] are believed (rightly or wrongly) by many people in-setting to possess souls that are close to enlightenment and to have a special relationship with the spirits because of it. Also, in second edition, [[GenderBender gender-reassignment magic]] is no longer [[BlackMagic sorcery]].

* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: Very common in Jarzon for terrible crimes (by their standards), such as, for instance, [[ValuesDissonance being gay]].

* EveryoneIsBi: This is an expectation in Aldis; monosexuals exist and are accepted, but it's also acceptable to see if you can get one to [[IfItsYouItsOkay switch teams]]. Also, mechanically in Second Edition, the Flirt stunt takes no account of a character's stated sexual orientation.