Foundation of Ekozia

What if the industrial revolution happend - but with magic and existing gods thrown in the mix?

MOTIVATION

The world Ekozia is created for wordbuilding with potential role playing groups in mind. It is also meant for self-improvement in writing and worldbuilding based on the experiences collected when building Tovedorp and Skeigham.

GENRE

High Magic Steampunk-Fantasy: Magic System follows rules similar to physic's concept energy exchange and energy transformation. The era is dominated by rapid technological (and mago-technological) advancement, opening up new possibilities or avenues for the mortals.

SCALE

• For the initial writing - approximately during 2020 and 2021 - the full scope is a single nation on Ekozia: Caramiza and to a smaller degree the direct neighbours.
• For the focus, global concepts, descriptions outside of the nation as well as common history will be written from the viewpoint or with the scope or focus of this nation.
• The detail-depth of worldbuilding can and will go down to individual points of interests on the level of a building within a settlement or an odd cave within a forest.
• Considering detail-breadth, this will not be uniform. Larger areas will be described only broadly, while select, specific areas (like a settlement and its surroundings or the player's home) will be developed more in-depth

MOOD

The average character has only small amount of agency but is striving to gain more. The current systems in place dictate a lot of the accepted or allowed behavior. The people higher up in power are constricted by the traditions and peer pressure as well, lacking agency as well. Still, there is space for individual expressions in science, art and crafts and a large part of constricting rules are mostly part of a social contract. Living outside the system is possible.
On the Grim-Noble scale, the world is overall Neutral with a slight tendency to Bleak.
The existence of magic in this world creates many additional dangers for the people living in it. Occasional pockets of uncontrolled energy allow for the rise of dangerous creatures or the empowerment of malicious people. These dangers are not so abundant that life is brutal everywhere but a significant danger exists when leaving the populated areas. Additionally, the existence of magic lends people more tools to create more oppression of others. As such, the fate of an average person can change with a moderate chance relatively sudden to the worse.
On the Dark-Bright scale, this world is grey.

THEME

The overall themes in this world can be described as "Blind Excitement for Progress" and "Old versus New".
"Blind Excitement for Progress" encompasses the many possibilities discoveries in technology, medicine and magic bring with all their social benefits such as developement of media, rising literacy and longer lifespans - while the progress on one hand sometimes sacrifices or endangers the well being, health or even life of the people.
"Old versus New" deals with the difference between the traditional systems and the radical new ideas that are forming in society. Existing Ideas like political systems or religion are suddenly challenged by a spirit of individual freedom and the rule of technology. Old settlements are being abandonned in search for new opportunities, old rules are being questions with new concepts, old relationships with other nations are reconsidered in a new perspective, and old monsters are now regarded as new possible partners.

CONFLICT

• Man vs. Society: The current political system in the nation is beginning to be questioned and unrest against the perceived oppression is forming.
• Man vs. Nature: Some magical creatures just have it out for the mortal people and there are some larger evil forces orchestrating a campaign against all mortals.
• Nation vs. Nation Not all diplomacy is successfull and the nations, big or small, see small scale conflict as a valid way to settle conflicts. As such, politics is sometimes more aggressive.

Quick Overview

Motivation

Simple Worldbuilding with PnP Option, Self Improvement in Worldbuilding

Genre

High Magic Steampunk-Fantasy

Scale

Single Nation

Mood

Neutral/Bleak-Grey

Themes

"Blind Excitement for Progress", "Old vs. New"

Conflicts

Brewing Revolution; Monsters of Evil; Diplomacy and War

SOME DRAMA

New Factories are being built all over the land, making more products available for the people. But a dangerous work environment leads to accidents and deaths that the factory owners try to cover up. (Blind Excitement for Progress)

Incoorporating technology and new metals and materials in common appliances and fashion is becoming a rising trend in the nation. However, this has effects on people's health and damages the environment as well. (Blind Excitement for Progress)

Newspaper and printed products distribute more easily and help radical ideas to spread more quickly. People start to question the system while the established government tries to learn how to indluence and control this spread of dissent. (Old vs New)

The discovery of old ruins on the lands is the topic of the nation and many curious people are swarming to the site. With damaging consequences for the ruins and danger for the visitors, due to wild magic and traps laying dormant. (Old vs New)

The Church is taking a harsh stance against the frivolous lifestyle some people are taking up when demanding more rights and opportunities. (Old vs New)

Some sects of the church are adapting the claims from faraway lands that the evil god is about to return, as his shackles are weakening from declining faith. Some sects work piously to avoid that while others really want to benefit themselves with helping the god return. (Old vs New)