Kingdoms of the Captive Sea
Somor 16, 8735 PR, Basselt
Scope
The motivation behind building Kingdoms of the Captive Sea
I want a world where simple underlying conditions build a complicated world full of mystery, wonder, and opportunity.
The goal of the project
I am hoping to give my players the chance to go "down the rabbit hole." To explore concepts they think they want, and let them see that every action they undertake has costs, both good and bad.
Kingdoms of the Captive Sea's Unique Selling point
This is a place where great heights of power are possible, but at cost. The question you must ask is, what cost are you willing to pay?
Theme
Genre
Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Tragedy, Satire.
Reader Experience
Complex, mystifying, but familiar.
Reader Tone
This is a world that is bright on the surface, but very dark underneath.
Recurring Themes
Good and Evil in all.
The importance of family, both born to and found.
The cycles of life and death.
Character Agency
Characters level of agency depends greatly on their amount of personal power. Those changes can be fleeting or permanent, depending again on their own amount of power and the choices they make.
Focus
Drama
- The Zecrukar Empire is on the verge of civil war. The Pantheon of the Empire is publically split between supporting the standing family and replacing them with a new royal family.
- Sightings of Ofrugian raiders have appeared on the eastern shores of the Empire, they seem to be content for now to sail past the burgeoning ports, but with the empire in turmoil, how long can that last.
- The Vargonians have sent a delegation demanding the expatriation of noble houses that fled the invasion of Astaran. Many of these families have been been here two generations or more and are heavily integrated into Zecrucarian society.
- the University of Mazalu's magic library has burned to the ground. it was engulfed in nearly transparent flames that could not be extinguished by any spell or source of water. a thousand years of magical research destroyed in a single night.
- The Thurfell Mountains have experience numerous quakes and volcanic eruptions in the last five years. They seem to be centered around the Palace City of Ximatar. What forces are causing them, and what does it mean for the already strained empire?