Running With Wolves, A Fantasy/Alt.History RP: World-Building Thread

Hey there. As the title says, this is the World-Building thread, where any major conversations about World-Building for the RP before it opens should go. Below is a list of peoples and tribes that have been created for the RP, which so far include:

• The Settlers: Prim, proper, orderly, ingenious, and still steadfast in their Anglicistic beliefs in their Lord and Savior as well as their allegiance to King John, these settlers are still new to America, and don't quite understand the ways of it's native peoples. (FYI, Anglicism is like Catholicism, but with the ability to get a divorce, and the King possessing the highest religious authority instead of the Pope.) The stone walls built around the settlements might as well be a physical representation of the fear and mistrust that exists among the people. They interact with the Natives from time to time, but only when it benefits them, and otherwise keep to themselves. (Also, yes, this world's equivalent of Thanksgiving has already happened.) However, some of the settlers are wishing to further expand their territory, and the Natives might not be too willing to let the Settlers take any more land than they already have. This, combined with an ever growing sense of fear and mistrust, may well lead to dire conflict in short order...
  • Also, views and treatment of women are basically what they were in that actual real-world time-period, in that they generally aren't thought of as much, are expected to marry at a young age and just take care of the family, the women are conditioned to believe that this is how it should be, etc. Of course, like most time periods, there are some women who strive against these cultural norms, and if you wish to play as one of these woman, that is perfectly A-OK. Additionally, some of the settlers don't believe in either their Lord and Savior or King John as much as they'd like, though they won't admit it.)
  • Lastly, many of the settlers are unaware of magic, but they if they do become aware of it, most will consider it a blasphemy against God. Those who don't would do their best to keep that fact hidden, lest they incur the wrath of their fellow towns-folk. Additionally, Priests are capable of wielding 'magic', but they do not consider it as such, and instead tend to refer to it as 'divine blessings from the Lord.' It's used for healing, exorcisms, creating spiritual barriers, and the like, but isn't used for offensive purposes, and could only be used as such on the undead, not that they'll be likely to actually encounter the undead.

• Native Americanas: While there are many differences between the multitudes of tribes amongst the natives of Americana, there are still some common similarities. They are much more attuned to nature than the settlers, are less reserved and orderly, and believe in their own collection of spirits and deities, many of which are based off of the native animals of the land. While the younger natives do not hate the humans, they are still mistrustful and suspicious of their ways, and some of the older ones see the settlers as defilers of the natural order. While the elders have been able to keep the youngsters in the lines, it won't be too long before they may not be able to restrain them for much longer. (Also, like actual Native Americans, the Native Americanians live in the plains, use bow and arrows, wear buckskin depending on the tribe, etc. That's what they're primarily based off of here, so if you're still not sure what they're like or wish to create a specific, you can use them as a model.)
  • Additionally, the Native Americanisms are capable of magic, though only the Shamams, of which each tribe only possesses a few, are fully skilled in using it. Others members of a tribe may dabble in it, but they won't be as proficient as a fully-trained shaman. On top of that, they prefer to use trickery and illusion in their magic, though they can use more forceful and potent spells if the situation demands it.

• The Wolves: Compared to the settlers and the Native Americanians, the Wolves are by far most tied to nature, and live in the forests of North Americana. They possess no settlements to speak of, and live in forests and caves. They rely on their own inherent abilities, possessing strength, speed, and agility greater than any human. They are also able to switch between four-legged wolf forms, and bibedal humanoid forms that possess a humanoid shape but with fur and other wolf-like attributes as well. They live in packs, hunting and living among one another, but still believing in the rule of the strong. They tend to be instinctive, ferocious, and solitary, though they still each posses their own personalities on top of that, and some wolves show exceptions to these general traits. They do not hate the humans, but cannot afford to trust them, for the humans certainly do not trust them if the wolf-trials are any indications. The settlers believe that the wolves can turn others into their kind with a single bite, and while none of that is true, the more rational of the settlers have been unable to persuade their superstitious fellows. They also believe — like most other animalistic species — in a pantheon of Gods which govern nature, though they worship most fervently in Lobo the Wolf God, lord of the hunt, and of inner strength and resilience. They would prefer to stay out of the upcoming conflict as much as they possible, but it remains to be seen if they will be able to... (Also, unlike normal Wolves, these particular 'Wolves' live three times as long as humans, just so you know.)
  • Additionally, a few select Wolves — the equivalent of tribal shaman, not that they are given such a name — are able to enter into deep communion with Lobo. These wolves are few in number, as while most still revere to Lobo as their God who has provided the rules to live by as they were, they still prefer to live in the here and now and to rely on their own strength. But those rare wolves who prefer a more spiritual path in life are gifted magical talents at the expense of not being as proficient in their natural abilities and skills. Able to manipulate nature and conjure up minor spirits, (this making them the equivalent of D&D's Druids,) these wolves aren't always paid much attention to by the rest, but are still given respect when they are paid attention to, especially since there are times in which they can be quite useful, not that most would admit it.

Again, in addition to these three major peoples, you can introduce others if you so choose. However, the primary conflict is between the settlers (who are united, large in numbers, posses superior technology, and can call upon backups from across the sea if necessary,) and the Natives, (also large in numbers, but vastly divided; they know the lay of the land and are skilled in natural ways and medicines, but their technology is outclassed by the settlers.) So long as you keep that in mind, feel free to come up with a new tribe of Native Americanians, a new species, etc. Just make sure it's approved by me before it's used in the RP.

That should do it for now. If you have any more questions concerning the setting, please ask. Additionally, you can also read through the tread, as we have already done quite a bit of world-building, so some of the questions you may ask may already have been answered. Also, in case you came to this thread first, here's the Sign-up thread.

edited 11th Sep '15 7:00:01 AM by kkhohoho

Is there magic and if so how does it work? Are the Wolves a race or the product of a disease because their ability to turn others makes it look like the latter. I would advise ditching it myself. It's not compatible with the idea of them as a people and it makes them too powerful.

You have a point. Outside of an RP, there might not be as much a problem with the wolfbites, but in a RP, that could be considered overpowered. I'll remove it for now, though if I can think a less OP substitute, I might add that in. Perhaps a blood transfusion? Also, while a wolf's bite won't actually turn others into wolves, it won't stop the superstitious settlers from believing that it can, hence the wolf-trials. (This world's version of the witch-trials, FYI.)

As for magic, I'd like it to exist, but like with the wolfbites, it was possible that this ran the risk of being OP. Native Americanians would also be the primary users of it, with such magic being limited mainly to shamans, though certain other races could also have their own specific forms. I'll leave the latter up the players, (though such magic would still need to be GM approved,) but I think that adding in magic won't be much of a problem so long as it's kept relatively low-key. For example, you want to make a ball of fire? That's A-OK. However, if you want to create, say, a giant beam of energy, that's not so OK for this sort of Low Fantasy setting, and it shouldn't be overly prominent. I'll go into a bit more detail, but yes, after some thought, magic will be included. Thanks for bringing it up.

edited 4th Sep '15 6:19:08 PM by kkhohoho

Some interest on this.

Expressing interest in this, but I'll wait to see how many others there will be before making my character sheet. Already got an idea for a character, but it might be a bit wonky.

Essentially, I'm thinking of playing a warlock-like character that's basically a backwater hooligan who whacks people with a banjo/banjo-like instrument. I can elaborate on why he would have such a thing if necessary.

Also, around what equivalent year is this RP taking place? I'm assuming sometime within the 17th century but I just want clarification.

@Year: Yup, early-mid 17th century. I thought it was pretty evident given the American Colonialism scenario, but I'll make it more clear in the first post just to be safe.

@Banjo-whacking character: Not sure about this character, as I'm not sure 'backwater hooligans' even existed yet in the time and place this RP is based off of. Then again, this is still a separate universe which just happens to be similar in some ways to our own, so who knows? Why don't you type up a character sheet? That way, we can see how he might look in the actual RP, and then we can tweak him as need be.

Just a bit of world building on the magic front, feel free to reject it or modify it as you will:

Settlers: I'm thinking that maybe some priest, maybe a specific order do have magic but other than perhaps healing and blessing they mainly use it to counter "unholy" (aka not their) magic like exorcism.

Maybe some of the Wolves also have magic granted by their god. Basically I'm looking at a Religion is Magic system with only a relative handful of shamans/priests/whatevers wielding it although shamans might take theirs from nature rather than a specific deity.

Anyway, I offer these thoughts from my head to you, do with them what you will.

Hm...

{Gives the matter deep and serious thought}

Seems legit. But seriously, I like it. I'll get to work on adding that into the first post soon enough. Thanks for mentioning it.

EDIT: And done. Thanks again.

edited 5th Sep '15 4:27:20 PM by kkhohoho

Interest. I'm thinking of making a new tribe based on the Shoshone natives, called the Sosoni or something similar. They'd be similar to the Wolves, in that they can shapeshift, but rather than wolves, it's snakes of all different varieties. If more fleshing out is necessary, I'd be happy to oblige.

Right now am torn between making one of those magic wielding priests or a tribe of Bears loosely based on and much less powerful than the Gurahl of World of Darkness

edited 5th Sep '15 7:23:24 PM by tricksterson

Interesting idea, and yes, some more fleshing out would be nice. You don't have to write an essay's worth on them, but you should at least give a general idea of what their culture's like; their beliefs, their traits, their usage of magic, (if any,) where they currently stand in terms of the looming conflict and culture-clash, etc. Once you've done that, I can put it up in the opening post so that others can look it up and use it if they so choose. Once that's done, you can just go ahead with your character sheet. (Although alternatively, you can wait until you type up your character sheet to flesh out your tribe. Your choice.)

That'll be up you, though a bear-tribe certainly wouldn't hurt.

edited 5th Sep '15 7:39:55 PM by kkhohoho

Declaring my interest (Especially if my RP doesn't get off the ground).

My main idea I have is to either make this campaign set in Roanoke, Jamestown or Plymouth. The first three colonies of the English empire. I think was a given though.

I have one question about it though: If the Native Americans either have magical powers or live with magical beings, what of the Aztecs, Incas and other Central and Southern American Peoples? Surely they'd have Magic and Magical Creatures, too?

In fact, a Campaign involving Cortez battling Huitzilopochtli and various other Aztec Gods could be a fun idea! The Aztec Religion could also be a parallel to the Lovecraftian Universe, with Tenochtitlan being Ry'leh, for example. That might be something you could do in a later campaign?

@Jamestown: For all intents and purposes, that's where the campaign is based around, (or at least it's AU equivalent,) though there will have been a few more settlements built in North American in this universe, as the Empire continues to expand it's reach on the continent. They'll all still be within several miles of each other, however.

@Magic in other lands: Quite possibly, yes. However, this RP isn't really concerned with South America(na), so that's not really going to factor into this RP either way. Maybe for a later RP though...

edited 5th Sep '15 9:29:19 PM by kkhohoho

Quick question: How much ground is this rp going to cover? Like, what's the scope? Just Jamestown?

Here's a nother idea: If we're making them Puritan folks real against magic, why not give them a bunch of Solomon Kane badass "Witchhunter S?"

edited 5th Sep '15 10:47:21 PM by TroyandHawk

Actually they're Catholics and the GM agreed, I think, to have an order of priests who use magic, mainly for healing and anti-sorcery purposes so that would fit (is that official Koko?). Of course if you want to create a Solomon Kane type feel free to make him.

... Why would the British be Catholic? By this point, most of England and Wales was Anglican, and Scotland was mostly Presbyterian.

Was the Pope's magic more powerful then King Henry the VIII's? (Actually, that could be a neat idea...)

As I said, in this universe, there have already been several settlements built other than Jamestown, though it usually doesn't take much more than a few days by horseback to get to another settlement either. Just now, they're mainly holed up in the north-east, but they are ever expanding their reach in all directions, which is partly what is causing the native peoples of this land to be so concerned.

Regarding Catholicism/Puritanism, I was going to use Puritanism before I realized that I knew jack-diddly-squat about how Puritanism actually worked, and I don't think a simple Wikipedia check is going to fully cover me. On occasion, I've been accused of Critical Research Failure, and if not here than elsewhere, and I don't want to make that mistake here. So Catholicism it is, though the line ' their own brand of Catholicism... ' in the opening at least alludes to the general idea of Puritanism without having to fully delve into it. I'll try to bring the key aspects of it into the RP, but we won't have to know it like the backs of our hands either.

Lastly, I actually had an idea for a group of Bad Ass hunters in my head when starting this RP. Clad in black cloaks, and wearing fiendish masks that one would see at a masquerade ball, they would basically be the 17th century equivalent of a Black Ops group, launching small-scale yet lethal strikes against the native peoples of North Americana even before any sort of full-scale war breaks out. They might even plan to try and it start it themselves. As for adding in Solomon Kane aspects, giving them some old-fashioned religious fanaticism would be a nice touch, I'll admit, and would also give them a decent motivation. All we need is a suitably kickass name for them. Perhaps 'The Inquisitors'?

I'm not a major history buff, but one of the advantages of taking place in a seperate universe is that we don't have to always follow actual history to the letter. (Plus, it's been twenty years since the first settlement, and the Puritans would migrate over soon after anyway. I think we can allow a bit of leeway here.) Besides, like with Puritainism, I'm not that familiar with the other religions you just mentioned. That doesn't mean we can't incorporate certain aspects, but for the sake of making sure I actually know what I'm talking about and keeping things simple, Catholicism it is.

edited 6th Sep '15 8:42:19 AM by kkhohoho

Well, I'm kind of a History Buff, so if you want, I could help you with understanding Puritanism/Anglicanism/Catholicism.

That'd be great, thanks. Keep in mind though that we even if end up incorporating those religions, the RP may not be 100% accurate, and may not delve into the nitty-gritty concerning them. It should be an enjoyable RP first and foremost, and shouldn't be too dependent on being a historical reenactment. But again, trying to be generally accurate doesn't hurt.

Update in Opening Post: Thanks to Dingo Wally informing me about the different churches and what-not in the early 17th century, Catholicism has promptly been replaced with Anglicism, which was one of the (if not the,) dominant practiced religion in the English Empire at the time, which is the real-world equivalent of our Britannia. It's actually pretty similar to Catholicism, but with at least two major differences: A)You can get a divorce, and B)The King is has the greatest religious authority, not the Pope. For all intents and purposes, you can still treat it as you would Catholicism, but keep said differences in mind, particularly the latter one.

Also, Puritanism may show up later in the RP depending on if the PC's go to any settlements other than Jamestown, as said settlements did practice religions other than Angelicism. (Like Puritanism.) But we'll cross that road when we get to it.

Great!

Now I'm debating with myself on whether I want to be an Anglican Priest or a Wolf-man Shaman. Which one of those two would be better?

Also, are the Wolf People going to act like the Powhatan Natives? Or do they have a distinct culture all of their own?

Keep in mind that this is an Alternate History so if you wanted to make Pastafarianism the dominant religion you could. In any case the impression I got was that the Catholics came here to be allowed to practice their religion in peace, much as the Puritans did. Keep in mind that that was the original purpose of the Maryland colony although in our world it didn't work out that way. Also a history nerd.

However the case may be is an order of mage-priests still okay?

edited 6th Sep '15 7:57:22 PM by tricksterson

Jamestown is Virginia, and it was founded to be a Miner's Paradise; Most of the Original settlers were Miners and Smiths. Due to them not knowing how to grow crops, combined with the Diseases of the Swampy land they settled, and the lack of any valuable metals in the region, most of them died. If it wasn't for the 2nd wave of Migrants, Jamestown would be a ghost town like Roanoke.

So, Anglicanism would be the dominant faith here. He told me himself that the RP wasn't going to be defined by the past, but it doesn't hurt to be somewhat historically accurate. I mean, Britain is still settling Jamestown, after all.

Long Answer: Again, I don't know that much about Puritanism, but I think I'll keep the 'went overseas to pratice religion' angle, though I won't specify a specific one in the opening post. After all, not everyone sent over did so to practice a specific religion. However, the dominant religion of Jamestown will still be Angelicism, as it apparently still is just Catholicism with a few differences, so we might as well have it be that, though different settlements may practice different religions. (Like Puritism. Which, as I understand it, is a tad more complicated than Anglicism, so that's another reason for it to be the dominant religion and not Puritism.)

Short answer: Yes, mage-priests are still okay.

While this may not be the case with cultures created by other players, the Wolves are not based on any specific culture, as theirs is all their own. The opening post lays down the essentials, though no doubt we'll get more into the nitty-gritty as the actual RP goes on.

edited 6th Sep '15 8:12:07 PM by kkhohoho

So, seeing as we haven't been getting that many Sign-ups or interests, I've planning on trying to promote the RP a bit. Well, sort of. Basically, this thread has really just been a world-building thread, so with that in mind, I'm going to try and contact a mod to rename it as such. Once that's done, I'll make a new thread exclusively for Sign-ups. Maybe that will help get some new players in.

edited 10th Sep '15 12:05:40 PM by kkhohoho