Adventures in Valerick TTRPG
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The Laws of Adventures in Valerick TTRPG
So much of the natural laws as we are aware of them are the same or similar. Gravity is close enough, as is orbit and seasons and all that fun stuff. Where things get more fun of course, is the nitty gritty. Magick and how that effects technology, the 'laws' of physics and many other aspects.
Magick is generated from the Void, from pure madness, ruin, destruction, but as it comes through the holes in reality, it seperates into eight...currents if one will. Some like to call them Winds. Others Pulses. But the....destructive and ruinous energy of madness and insanity somehow...refracts, seperates and is formed into stable (ish) flows of energy that can be harnessed by those with the ability, though if you are not licensed........well that's considered high treason. That's execution.
These energies however, do not simply remain invisible and soar through reality doing nothing. We all interact with them, they are us, we are them. The world would not exist without these primordial energies. Indeed, the most fabulous of gems, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Opal, Diamond, Onyx, Topaz, and Amethyst, are pure, crystalized and stable magick. This substance gives these currents and pulses their other name. Manna.
Such gems are rare, exceedingly hard to find, and even more impossible to mine safely (baring dwarves, whom seem to suffer no ill effects), but they offer incredible power.
Magick of course breaks rules, BUT this comes at great risk. Should a Magister try and weave an incantation, drawing in the manna, but not manage to handle it properly, the consequences can range from the annoying to the apocolyptic.
Magick is generated from the Void, from pure madness, ruin, destruction, but as it comes through the holes in reality, it seperates into eight...currents if one will. Some like to call them Winds. Others Pulses. But the....destructive and ruinous energy of madness and insanity somehow...refracts, seperates and is formed into stable (ish) flows of energy that can be harnessed by those with the ability, though if you are not licensed........well that's considered high treason. That's execution.
These energies however, do not simply remain invisible and soar through reality doing nothing. We all interact with them, they are us, we are them. The world would not exist without these primordial energies. Indeed, the most fabulous of gems, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Opal, Diamond, Onyx, Topaz, and Amethyst, are pure, crystalized and stable magick. This substance gives these currents and pulses their other name. Manna.
Such gems are rare, exceedingly hard to find, and even more impossible to mine safely (baring dwarves, whom seem to suffer no ill effects), but they offer incredible power.
Magick of course breaks rules, BUT this comes at great risk. Should a Magister try and weave an incantation, drawing in the manna, but not manage to handle it properly, the consequences can range from the annoying to the apocolyptic.
Cosmology
The world of the day, reborn, reclaimed, revitalized, and reshaped, came about because of an event known as the Sundering. No one knows how long it lasted, or how many were lost. What is known is whom brought the sapient species out of it. The Ascended. These nine, their leadership, their bravery, their willingness to put aside differences, and work together, to lead, to fight the Avatars of Ruin, and their Abominations and Nightmares, to push the Beasts of the Blackness back across the Nor'westor Sea, and risk their lives on a final march to break the power of the Norwyns, saved the entire world of Tariek, much less the continent of Valerick. The Ascended died on that journey, none made it home. But they rose, accepted by the Mother herself to act as the new guardian powers, the new gods for these new rulers of her world. The descendants of her children, the Primordials. None know if any of their kin, any true dragons, survived the Sundering. For it was them that the Beasts of the Blackness came to wage war on.....
Each ascended are tied to one of the nine countries, and races. Each nation founded by their descendants. Suranth to the Dwarves, Depenwood to the Woad Elves, Valewyr to the Skye Elves, Raechin to the Koltani, Rohara to the Hogols, Mora to the Renarii, the three very distinct lineages of mankind. Susma to the halflings, Kang-Chorath to the Tantors and Waston to the Gnomes.
Each ascended are tied to one of the nine countries, and races. Each nation founded by their descendants. Suranth to the Dwarves, Depenwood to the Woad Elves, Valewyr to the Skye Elves, Raechin to the Koltani, Rohara to the Hogols, Mora to the Renarii, the three very distinct lineages of mankind. Susma to the halflings, Kang-Chorath to the Tantors and Waston to the Gnomes.
Principal Geography & Features
Valerick is a world that one can explore many biomes in. The Tundra Realms, of mountains, ice, pine forests, and glacial lands. The Depen, a bountiful garden forest teeming with life. Savannah, desert, marsh, jungle, you will find a variety in on the three continents that make up the known world.
Initial Active Setting
So far that camptain is now wonderfully deep, near its conclusion and has really brought a region of the world, and tangentially an entire nation, to life. I cannot wait to do a wider scope, more open ended game with less rails or plot. This one I very much had an overarching plot and brought players backstories in to varying degrees. Next time I wanna come in with but a singular small (2-3 levels) adventure and hook to get them started but really build the campaign itself to be long, epic and much more heavy on exploration, on leaning into bringing places and ideas and character archs, full blown ones for my players, to life.