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Alder
2 Nivaire 1264 AoE
Scope
The motivation behind building Alder
The adventure in this world is not as straightforward as a simple quest. There are no "good guys" and "bad guys" - everyone here is a shade of grey. There are no demons or angels, only power. The dividing line between good and evil cuts through the heart of every person.
The goal of the project
My hope is that this world will allow for everyone to see the beauty in the flaws and the cracks of the world. This is not a story where there is an impending apocalypse which needs to be prevented, but rather a world that is simply moving forward while people desperately try to keep up.
Try. Fail. Learn. Try Again. It's our mistakes who make us who we are.
Alder's Unique Selling point
The world is changing. Threats from without and within skitter like rats in an alley. What is the cost of survival? Are you willing to pay the price?
Theme
Genre
This is a dark steampunk world where progress is marching forward but perhaps at the detriment of the world.
Reader Experience
This is a gritty world. There is a rich, fantastical past but recent events have been hard on the world as a whole. It's been almost a full human generation since the Great War, and many have forgotten its horrors and are keen to grow their power by any means necessary.
Underworld organizations fight for dominance on the urban streets, even extending to surrounding towns and cities. Smugglers are rife, skirting the overbearing trade laws of the nations. Cults worshipping the enigmatic Endless have cropped up and are recruiting those who feel they have no other options in the world. Elves and orcs are being driven from their ancestral homes to make room for new industrial centers. Back alleys are filled with rumors of sentient warforged in the wilds, abandoned after the war, who are bent on destruction of the mortal species.
The world is changing, and it doesn't feel like its changing for the better.
Reader Tone
Dark and gritty.
Recurring Themes
Exploitation
"When knowledge is limited, it leads to folly. When knowledge exceeds that limit, it leads to exploitation"
Greed
"Greed makes man blind and foolish, and makes him easy prey for death"
Freedom
"Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it"
Character Agency
Alder has been shaped by powerful organizations - an empire the spanned the continent, factions that ruled giant swathes of land, immortals that commanded armies of hundreds of thousands.
The player characters will certainly have an impact on the events of the world, but there will always be more powerful organizations seeking their power. Managing friends and allies will be critical to surviving.
Focus
Find your way!
Resources
WHO WE ARE
LEGAL
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