Hallowed Earth
Scope
The motivation behind building Hallowed Earth
I want a world where medieval technology can exist side by side with modern technology, and which feels real and believable with it's fantasy elements. I want it to more closely resemble real world mythologies and faerie tales than generic D&D.
The goal of the project
A classic epic fantasy escapism, where the players feel like part of a different world than our own. Mixed with the suspense of horror/dread, and the wonder of an Isekai anime or Lord of the Rings fantasy.
Hallowed Earth's Unique Selling point
History past the last thousand years is forgotten. Dragons are nearly extinct. And magic is intrinsically linked to language. Cars and guns and electricity exist without taking away from the medieval feel of the setting.
Theme
Genre
Fantasy, with elements of sci-fi and horror.
Reader Experience
I want to evoke wonder and curiosity with this world. That there's always something interesting around the next corner, something more to find and explore.
Reader Tone
The tone is bright and hopeful with dark edges and corners of grim and dreadful horror.
Recurring Themes
The vast wilderness and all the archeology and science is a hopeful sign of new beginnings and a fresh start, a wide open world. But the ruins and artifacts are a grim reminder of what happened for us to get here. That there is a dark forgotten past.
Character Agency
There's a moderately high level of player agency. Some things are controlled, but the players are allowed to have a lot of freedom and influence in the world.
Focus
Drama
Dajeet is annexing it's neighbors. They allow the internal governments to remain in place, and institute provincial senate districts for representation. But gerrymandering allows ethnic Dajeeti to have unfair voting advantages.
Udor is annexing it's neighbors and forcing them to convert to their religion and caste system.
Udor and Dajeet are very nearly at war, and tensions are rising.
Orcs have been welcomed among the "civilized" races, but still face discrimination.
Ríse and Firmament have long been at war until they were both annexed by Dajeet and a peace was brokered. But still the tensions and rivalries remain. The king of Ríse secretly funds bandits who target Firmish travelers, though publicly denounces the bandits.
Some orcs turn to piracy, or join the Khanate to the southeast instead of endure the discrimination.