The Leyden Nexus
Scope
The motivation behind building The Leyden Nexus
To build a medieval magitech setting where science, technology, faith, magic, and truth are interwined in complex relationships and conflicts with eachother.
The goal of the project
A flexible setting that is built by passion that offers a foundation for telling complex and dynamic stories to players who can easily and with open arms define their own truths and paths-forward along their adventure and personal experience of the world.
The Leyden Nexus's Unique Selling point
Many other settings push much of the information about their world without multiple perspectives, counterarguments, or interpretations. This often reads as certain information is an established truth in the world regardless if it is or not. This scenario of abundant apparently established truths across a world often makes it intimidating or uncomfortable for players and storytellers to act against or evolve. Instead, this world is written and designed purposefully so that storytellers and players experiencing this setting will not feel like their creativity and passions are bounded by an abundant amount of established truths.
In this world, gods indirectly intervene rather than many worlds' approach of having gods that are far more tangible and directly involved. In those worlds, the close involvement of gods often presents challenging and restrictive truths. Instead in this world, the influence of the gods is indirect by channeling through their congregations. This influence is witnessed, analyzed, and interpreted from many viewpoints. Therefore, very few unarguable truths of the universe restrict the players and storytellers of this world. This allows players to delve deeper into their characters and define THEIR OWN truths rather than having a truth pushed on them that is challenging to debate or act against. The ability for characters to not have their expressiveness uncomfortably challenged by established truths allows for interesting and unique characters and ideas to blossom.
Additionally, the magitech application of high magic fantasy presents a more grounded relationship between the world and the magic that surges across its lands. The beneficial complexity of this relationship then leaks into and improves the relationship between faith and science. Additionally, this grounded relationship with magic actually creates a worldly relationship with faith that is far MORE interesting compared to other worlds. Because of the complexity that this close relationship with magic adds to the interplay of faith and science, science is now as flexible, powerful, and influential as faith and vice versa. This is a refreshing power dynamic because it is common for either faith or science to be vastly more dominant than the other in many settings.
Theme
Genre
The world focuses on the genre of Magitech which lies on the spectrums between Science Fantasy, Medieval Fantasy, Steampunk, Magical Realism, and Sword and Sorcery. The world's technology is mostly beyond an Age of Discovery and Age of Sail but hints of those ages remain. Primarly, the world's technology is experiencing a blend of the Industrial, Machine, and Information Ages but with a abundantly arcane twist and a blurring with medieval fantasy.
Reader Experience
The world intends to feel exciting, innovative, connected, and lively while still having unstable, unknown, mysterious, poorly studied, and unexplored elements that make the path of adventuring exicting and riddled with potential stories to share at the next tavern stop. Most of the world is set to be bright and charming, but plenty of dark and noir elements can be found around every corner if you seek them. As a campaign setting, the world intends to be welcoming to any genre of story that you wish to tell.
Reader Tone
The tone of the world is one of excitement and wonder. People are in a repeated state of amazement at the incredible feats of magic and technology that they see on a daily basis, and there is a sense of limitless possibility. At the same time, there is also a sense of danger, as people have to be careful when using magic and technology together, as it is unpredictable and potentially destructive. This blend motivates a mastering tone of adventure and discovery, as people explore the boundaries of what is possible as magic and technology collide.
Recurring Themes
1. The blending of magic, technology, society, and culture
2. The struggle for power and control
3. The power of the individual
Character Agency
Agency is at the forefront of this worlds design. Characters should have the freedom and agency to attempt to alter the world in any fashion, by any means, and to any degree that they wish. That being said, with this freedom, characters should beware of the reprecussions that will come when things do not go according to their plans.