Major updates coming to Tarantellia!
Tarantellia
1253 CD
Scope
The motivation behind building Tarantellia
Magic has flooded the world, exponentially increasing the strength of nature and man. The relationship between the two varies depending on location.
Tarantellia fluctuates between terrifying and cozy. The increased presence of spiders and spider-flavored creatures has been widely attributed to Malmi's far reaching influence.
On a lighter note, I enjoy writing about baked goods and the people who bake them. Many of the relationships are steady and don't create narrative conflict.
I would say Tarantellia is for you if your reaction to Spider Sphynx Cats is, "where is my sweet baby?"
The goal of the project
Tarantellia is my playground. Regardless of what's happening in the world, I always come back to this place. I get to experience fantastical horror and sweetness. For me, Tarantellia is the cornerstone of high fantasy, horror, and cozy. Regardless of where my quill takes me, there's always a location ready to be fleshed out!
As for big picture goals, I'd like Tarantellia will become an RPG Campaign Setting and, eventually, the setting for some novels. I currently have over 100k in RPG content and several novel ideas. This year, I'd like to focus on the Compendium of Spiders and Priscilla's Potent Pastries.
I want my audience to become entrenched in magic and possibility. I want to take my players and readers on daring adventures with the promise of a hot cup of apple cider when they return home.
Tarantellia's Unique Selling point
Note to Self: I know what I mean but these feel generic.. Come back and edit this section.
The key parts of Tarantellia that are special to me:
- exploring a world that is categorically different to the world I live in.
- developing laws of magic as if they were constructs of physics. (In an every action has an equal opposite reaction way, not in a scientific paper way.)
- creating a world myth and playing with how it morphs over time.
- exploring how people in different (and similar) situations can have dramatically different beliefs and draw different conclusions.
Theme
Genre
Tarantellia has so much potential. At the moment, it primarily operates as a campaign setting for Role Playing Games (RPGs). In the future, I'd love to turn it into the setting for several novels.
Tl;dr - Tarantellia is a heroic fantasy setting. Noble-neutral or Noble-grey would best fit most of the world. However, the locations in Tarantellia where the planes of existence are accessible, the genre shifts to fit that plane of existence.
It's also good to note that Tarantellia dips into horror, cozy, and portal fantasy genres. As a TTRPG setting, it covers a lot of bases.
From an RPG standpoint there are 3 Genres to consider:
- Genre of Story: While I fully expect Tarantellia to fall under the Action-Adventure category, there are moments where other genres are explored, kind of like a beach episode or seasonal story arc. These genres include (but are not limited to): Crime, Horror, Gothic, Heist, Investigative, Pastoral, and Romance.
- Genre of Setting: Tarantellia is absolutely a Fantasy world. While an argument could be made for Science-Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Portal Fantasy and even Cozy Fantasy, I considered each of these flavors, rather than main genres.
- Genre of System: To be determined. Originally, I wanted to create Tarantellia to be compatible with both Pathfinder 2e and D&D 5e. Now, I'm thinking I'll keep it with Pathfinder and Kobold Press' Black Flag.
- Commercial Genre: As before, Tarantellia is a Fantasy world. For novels, I'm interested in exploring: Science-Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sword & Sorcery, and Hard Fantasy. I'll decide once I take some of my ideas and create a handful of outlines.
- Author Genre: Stories in Tarantellia will probably qualify as Action-Worldview stories. But honestly, I may play around with it. Again, taking my story ideas and creating outlines for each concept and finding the through-line.
- Plot-driven: Action, Horror, Crime, Love
- Character-driven: Love, Worldview, Validation, Redemption
Reader Experience
Players will notice vibrant colors, sweeping beauty, and will find pleasure in the small parts of life. There are moments of webbed horror where a player might feel a constraining pressure, but will always maintain agency. There are many types of conflict that can be explored.
- Man versus Nature: Magic pouring into the world has redistributed power across the world. When ignored or avoided, magic was absorbed rapidly into the earth creating massive changes to the flora, fauna, fungi, and landscape.
- Man versus Society: Louvenia Draegan is not a fan of old societal traditions, thank you very much. Also, Orie Country could absolutely do with a change of traditions if the Scayruns have anything to say about it.
- Man versus Technology: Magic pulses through every facet life in La Chiave a Croce. Orie Country, on the other hand, is all about that tech. There are people on both continents who despise the way things are going. That said, they also have strained relations, at least, that's what the Grecodar's propaganda suggests.
- Man versus Man: I mean this is a setting for tabletop roleplaying games, so yes. Probably lots of that.
- Man versus Self: Depends on the player, but sure. I'm all for character growth at my tables.
- Man versus Reality: There's a dream dragon and night mares, so... Yeah. There might be some questioning one's reality going on in this world.
- Man versus God: There are many religious groups in Tarantellia. A few are actively trying to prevent Basi from rising.
- Man versus no god: Not really. But a player may lose access to their deity depending on the scenario.
- Man versus Author: Not yet, thankfully. I have my "backspace key" ready, just in case.
Reader Tone
The tone is neutral. There are definitely dark moments but there's always hope.
My writing used to have a Stream of Consciousness feel to it. After spending eight years in a science-based setting, my writing has become more detached and informative. I'm hoping that I can strike a balance.
Recurring Themes
Weaving Stories, Life & Death, and Technology vs. Magic are the main reoccurring themes. Plot devices, goals, and such for each theme may be added in the future.
Weaving: webs & spiders, stories, tapestries and other textiles, sutures, lies, fate. Weaving can be seen as a fulfilling, healing, or manipulative tactic. The goal is not to judge whether these tapestries are good or bad but they are purposeful. The purpose and planning that goes into a marvelous tapestry is going to be different than random things strung together. While both are beautiful, they exude different kinds of beauty. One is the beauty of intention, the other is beauty of intuition. Neither is better or worse than the other. Both are important and have their place.
Life & Death: Where does healing end and reanimation begin? Who can say what's appropriate? Everyone has an opinion but where does the line cross from divine to demonic? Does it ever? These topics will be analyzed and delved into relatively deeply.
Technology versus Magic: Tarantellia is a morally gray world. There are people who use technology and/or magic for healing. Do people with ill intent make these innovations evil? Where is the line drawn?
There's a lot of "where is the line drawn?" in Tarantellia.
Character Agency
For TTRPGs: The players will feel as though they can have an impact on the world as long as they are motivated to do so.
For future novels and novellas: If a character has the motivation, they can change the world in a lasting manner.
Focus
Drama
Uncontrolled Magic
Geysers of magic energy broke through Tarantellia’s surface one century ago. The magic has mutated the land and its inhabitants. The cause is still unknown but everyone has their own theory. That said, it’s far enough in the past that most people just accept it as the way life is. Few, barring the long-lived species, pay it much mind.Who's Running Things
The four major families are seizing control across the Claw Continent. Organizations like the Den of Papyrus and the Weaver’s Guild are taking sides. Other groups have tried and failed to successfully breach the same level of power. The Tarrenbrooks earned their power through money and trade. The Silverswords through religion and manpower in the form of militias. The Clearsparks own and operate magic schools and research centers, seeking to understand and control the power of the magic geysers. The final family and most mysterious family, the Whispershadows. This ‘family’ is the only family neither operating through a matriarch nor patriarch.War - huh?
Don’t you know there’s a war going on!? Neither do the citizens of the Claw Continent. But, oh boy, is Orie Country mad and continuing to prepare for war.Lich Boss
The Rise of the Lich. Bitch Boss. Cue the song “You should see me in a crown” by Billie Eilish for the mood. Super secret and no one knows yet, shhhhh. I love me a lich, but let's make them slay.I can Sleep when I'm...Wait a Minute...
Oh, and the Plane of Slumbers is conscripting random people from this world (...and others) to participate in their war. But it’s so far and few between no one notices. It sure would be strange if they started pulling people from the same town, leaving behind a town of people passed out in their beds, unaging. Some of them randomly die from wounds they couldn’t have acquired from sleep… But that wouldn't happen...right?Pay No Attention to the Deity Decaying behind the Curtain
While major dramas for my world building, here’s some of the behind the curtain machinations that keep Tarantellia spinning.- There is an on-going battle ensuing between the deities. Basi is attempting to wake up again and they are pissed. Malmi not only trapped them in the center of the world, she has kept them suppressed.
- Basi’s followers have already unlocked some of the seals, keeping them trapped.
- This battle is not known by the public. If mentioned, it’s considered an old tale for scaring children, old wives’ tale, etc. Perhaps at levels 15-20, some of the stories seem less like stories and more like facts.
- Malmi’s vessels of knowledge are the Strum Sisters.
All maps and images are self-made with watercolor, photoshop, or OtherWorldMapper. The current theme is under construction. For premade themes check out WA's Learn Guide.