D&D General Building a New Mystara

[Indagare Nogitsune]

To prefix, there's nothing wrong with the old Mystara, though I know folks hope it'd get updated. What I'm going for here is basically a world building exercise with some parameters for anyone interested:

0) This is supposed to be fun. Please respect one another.

1) The world is Earthlike in almost all ways except the continents and how the moon is marked (it still appears silvery most of the time, but the marks that create a pareidolia of a face or rabbit or similar create other patterns instead), and the presence of real magic.*

2) Much like Mystara, a region should be based on a real-world culture but changed to fit a fantasy world. For purposes of this, actual humans and their cultures were transposed onto this world. This resulted in a duplication, so the folks both stayed on Earth and existed here. Most of the time it didn't take too long for them to realize something was off.

3) Also like Mystara, mixed fantasy elements are encouraged. Skyships, submarines, strange whatevers. I would only ask you make sure they either fit in with the culture/area or get explained (while 'just appeared one day' is a valid explanation, it's not very satisfying).

4) One post, one culture. You can go into great detail about how the Alt Roman Empire adapted to this strange, new world, but please keep it to that until more people post (I want cultures folks decide neighbor one another to interact, but first they need developed).

5) The Hollow World: yes, the inside of this world is basically like Journey to the Center of the Earth but with more stability. There can be some 'lost civilizations' within it. There would be light from crystals within the planet that wax and wane to create a sort of day and night effect. Getting in and out isn't hard, but it's not entirely easy either. Any species that tends to create underground settlements of some depth (like dwarves) will have safe, easy ways in, though harder, natural ones also exist.

6) The Deities. For functional purposes, you are the deity that decided to bring in the culture you're describing for your own inscrutable reasons. That said, you don't have to take complete responsibility for it: as part of the lore you can create a specific deity or pantheon that decided the culture was interesting and wanted to observe what would happen and, maybe, even guide it.

7) Other realms: Part of my contribution (with the overall rules and set-up). There are no Outer Realms per se, but there is a Spirit World that lies adjacent to the Physical World. When someone dies their soul generally goes there unless they have some strong tie that allows them to linger as a ghost. The Feywild also exists, but that realm is more like an Alpha Test of the Physical World (which is why going there tends to be a bad idea). Moreover, it is the source of a lot of the more fantastic species (things coming from the Feywild can cause varying degrees of trouble, though after several generations on the Physical World they fit in). If you want something like Tieflings, Aasimar, Elementals, Dragonkin, or so on, they come from here (keep in mind beings like the dullahan are fey--so even "undead" can come from here).

Thoughts?

*Added the 'almost' and 'magic' bits to make clear magic is real and does work as well as reconcile things like the Hollow World which wouldn't work with a world exactly like Earth.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Pre-revolutionary colonial Americans, transplanted to this fantasy world.

Their initial advantage of gunpowder and 18th century scientific knowledge isn't as much of an edge as one would assume, as they quickly learned that scientific principles generally remained true, but the details have changed in this new universe. They've only recently discovered the new formula for gunpowder, for instance, and have discovered that a lot of the materials they need aren't in areas they control and the areas where the ingredients are present are held by robust civilizations they can't just steamroll over. So they need to exercise careful diplomacy and tradecraft without revealing exactly what they're up to.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin and others are delighted to discover that "magic" works here. It's viewed as another field of scientific study, and their innovative take (which other countries view as bizarre) has led them to discover new magical effects unknown by their neighbors.

Another thing they brought from Earth, slavery, quickly fell apart, because there's no Triangle Trade to rely on. Faced with a hostile new world, the colonists ended up freeing their former slaves, viewing them as more natural allies than the elves, dwarves and others they found themselves surrounded by.

The Age of Enlightenment has turned out to be a powerful cultural force in this new world. The notion of democracy in particular has been sending ripples through the nations surrounding the colonial Americans, with some nations embracing the idea, others cracking down on it as a dangerous challenge to existing power structures, and other nations grappling with it.

On the other hand, the colonists have also brought with them the idea that, in our world, would come to be known as Manifest Destiny in the coming centuries, and the colonists are already looking at "vacant" (or lightly defended) neighboring areas that they can claim and make into new states.

In the meantime, the colonists have carved up the area they initially arrived at, making them into several states, formed a federated nation state, complete with a constitution and a presidency, about 10 years before their counterparts on our Earth fought the War of Independence.

 

[Tonguez]

From the green terraces of the uplands to the bustling harbours of Adulis, Axum is a realm of splendour and ambition, where incense and gold flow freely, and every stone whispers tales of glory.
When the Empire was swept into this new world, it brought a grand civilization of merchants, priests, warriors, and scholars and a royal dynasty claiming descent from Makeda, the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon the Wise. They found themselves in a lush highland region broken by deep river valleys and ancient forests, and, with the wisdom of their ancestors, they quickly subdued their landscape, rebuilt their cities in stone and gold, raised stele to the heavens, and sent expeditions down unknown rivers and across misty hills.

The Axumites explored, their scholars carefully gathered knowledge of this world's strange plants, its shifting stars, it's strange beasts and its unpredictable magic, weaving these findings into the existing tapestry of Axumite philosophy. Axumite caravans, laden with salt, spices, textiles, and prayer-bound amulets, reached out to the markets of neighbouring realms and cultures. Diplomacy became their blade and shield, but Religion remained the bedrock of their society. The Negusa Ezana, glory of the House of Solomon and Sheba, was declared "First Light of Two Worlds," the living bridge between Axum's ancient glories and the uncharted future.

It was the priest of Axum who were the first to discover the true blessed glory of their relocation: their ancient prayers stirring true divine miracles, their relics blazing with newfound power; certain confirmation that the world was, and had always been, a place touched by the divine hand of the Most High.

And the Axumites proved supremely adaptive. They tamed the beast of their realm, blessing their war elephants and tri-horns to resist sorcery and carry armor that shimmered with protective talismans. Their engineers, used to building across steep, rugged terrain, rapidly adapted new techniques that mingled magic with engineering — mighty aqueducts and towering castles, terraces that rippled with blessed abundance and stele inscribed with ancient mysteries and divine knowledge.

Though they moved with the patience of empire-builders, not colonists, Axum's influence began to spread like the slow but inevitable advance of a tide, washing over valleys, climbing foothills, whispering into the courts of its neighbours.

Rayi Makeda, Commander of the Nine Winds, stood atop the broken tower, her lion-cloak snapping in the dusk wind. Below her, the valley stretched wide and wild, dotted with fires — some friendly, some not. She laughed, a sound like distant thunder. In this new world, conquest was not a matter of iron and blood alone; it was a tangle of shifting treaties, grand feasts, and carefully chosen skirmishes. She drew her curved sword, enchanted by the priests to sing with the voices of the storm, and pointed it toward the distant mountains. "Forward," she commanded her warriors. "We will chart these lands and write our names into their bones."

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

Pre-revolutionary colonial Americans, transplanted to this fantasy world.

Their initial advantage of gunpowder and 18th century scientific knowledge isn't as much of an edge as one would assume, as they quickly learned that scientific principles generally remained true, but the details have changed in this new universe. They've only recently discovered the new formula for gunpowder, for instance, and have discovered that a lot of the materials they need aren't in areas they control and the areas where the ingredients are present are held by robust civilizations they can't just steamroll over. So they need to exercise careful diplomacy and tradecraft without revealing exactly what they're up to.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin and others are delighted to discover that "magic" works here. It's viewed as another field of scientific study, and their innovative take (which other countries view as bizarre) has led them to discover new magical effects unknown by their neighbors.

Another thing they brought from Earth, slavery, quickly fell apart, because there's no Triangle Trade to rely on. Faced with a hostile new world, the colonists ended up freeing their former slaves, viewing them as more natural allies than the elves, dwarves and others they found themselves surrounded by.

The Age of Enlightenment has turned out to be a powerful cultural force in this new world. The notion of democracy in particular has been sending ripples through the nations surrounding the colonial Americans, with some nations embracing the idea, others cracking down on it as a dangerous challenge to existing power structures, and other nations grappling with it.

On the other hand, the colonists have also brought with them the idea that, in our world, would come to be known as Manifest Destiny in the coming centuries, and the colonists are already looking at "vacant" (or lightly defended) neighboring areas that they can claim and make into new states.

In the meantime, the colonists have carved up the area they initially arrived at, making them into several states, formed a federated nation state, complete with a constitution and a presidency, about 10 years before their counterparts on our Earth fought the War of Independence.

Do you see the region they are transposed in being similar to the one the colonies were in in terms of size, geography, and climate? How do they view their neighbors? Do feelings of alliance with Britain remain strong since the later resentment never developed?

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

From the green terraces of the uplands to the bustling harbours of Adulis, Axum is a realm of splendour and ambition, where incense and gold flow freely, and every stone whispers tales of glory.
When the Empire was swept into this new world, it brought a grand civilization of merchants, priests, warriors, and scholars and a royal dynasty claiming descent from Makeda, the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon the Wise. They found themselves in a lush highland region broken by deep river valleys and ancient forests, and, with the wisdom of their ancestors, they quickly subdued their landscape, rebuilt their cities in stone and gold, raised stele to the heavens, and sent expeditions down unknown rivers and across misty hills.

The Axumites explored, their scholars carefully gathered knowledge of this world's strange plants, its shifting stars, it's strange beasts and its unpredictable magic, weaving these findings into the existing tapestry of Axumite philosophy. Axumite caravans, laden with salt, spices, textiles, and prayer-bound amulets, reached out to the markets of neighbouring realms and cultures. Diplomacy became their blade and shield, but Religion remained the bedrock of their society. The Negusa Ezana, glory of the House of Solomon and Sheba, was declared "First Light of Two Worlds," the living bridge between Axum's ancient glories and the uncharted future.

It was the priest of Axum who were the first to discover the true blessed glory of their relocation: their ancient prayers stirring true divine miracles, their relics blazing with newfound power; certain confirmation that the world was, and had always been, a place touched by the divine hand of the Most High.

And the Axumites proved supremely adaptive. They tamed the beast of their realm, blessing their war elephants and tri-horns to resist sorcery and carry armor that shimmered with protective talismans. Their engineers, used to building across steep, rugged terrain, rapidly adapted new techniques that mingled magic with engineering — mighty aqueducts and towering castles, terraces that rippled with blessed abundance and stele inscribed with ancient mysteries and divine knowledge.

Though they moved with the patience of empire-builders, not colonists, Axum's influence began to spread like the slow but inevitable advance of a tide, washing over valleys, climbing foothills, whispering into the courts of its neighbours.

Rayi Makeda, Commander of the Nine Winds, stood atop the broken tower, her lion-cloak snapping in the dusk wind. Below her, the valley stretched wide and wild, dotted with fires — some friendly, some not. She laughed, a sound like distant thunder. In this new world, conquest was not a matter of iron and blood alone; it was a tangle of shifting treaties, grand feasts, and carefully chosen skirmishes. She drew her curved sword, enchanted by the priests to sing with the voices of the storm, and pointed it toward the distant mountains. "Forward," she commanded her warriors. "We will chart these lands and write our names into their bones."

Have the priests of Axum seen any deities or their representatives and, if so, what do they make of them? What do they make of their non-Human neighbors? What sorts of trade have they made in terms of technology and culture? If one of their neighbors joined, how would the people be treated?

 

[Tonguez]

Have the priests of Axum seen any deities or their representatives and, if so, what do they make of them? What do they make of their non-Human neighbors? What sorts of trade have they made in terms of technology and culture? If one of their neighbors joined, how would the people be treated?

The Persian Prophet Mani had once declared the Kingdom of Axum one of the four Great Powers alongside Persia, Rome and China, and indeed Axum had a cosmopolitan society home to the local Cushitic, Egyptian and Sudanese peoples as well as wider Semitic, Greek and Indian influences.

These cosmopolitan sensibilities were continued in the new world and made the Axumites more accepting of the new peoples they encountered even where they deviated far from the Humanity they knew. The elves were initially seen as mystical and difficult to fully comprehend, but their philosophical nature and love of aesthetics gave some common ground for respect. The Dwarves were valued for their craftsmanship, their knowledge of engineering and architecture providing a strong basis for trade. Other races would be judged by their degree of humanity and affiliation with the blessings of the Most High.

As it expanded its influence the empire was happy to accept other nations and peoples into its markets, temples and academies offering protection and prosperity in exchange for loyalty, guaranteed through diplomacy, marriage alliances, hegemony and where rebellion stirred the use of military force. Goblins and Saurians have been encountered along the coasts and swamplands and some beastmen are known but scholars are yet to determine if they are truly people with souls or merely strangely formed animals.

While the Church of the Most High is the state religion of the Empire and its rulers, it is acknowledged that The Queen of Sheba had been a polytheist before she had accepted the religion of Solomon, so there was some tolerance for wider beliefs amongst the empires communities, provided they remain under the hierarchy of the Temple of the First Light and acknowledge the supremacy of the Most High. Even non-Humans are accepted into the Church of the Most High who the Axumite Faith holds to be the one true source of Divine Power standing amongst the assembly of gods, even as the Negusa Negest stands amongst the assembly of mortals as the King of Kings.

The Sun and the Moon are also worshipped as Royal Ancestors in the line of Sheba and are attended by a blessed Oracle who serves amongst the towering Stele of the Ancestors and speaks with their voice. The Nine Winds are also invoked in prayer and are said to manifest the Wrath of the Most High when they go forth to punish wickedness. The Axumite Military and the Empires Paladins dedicate themselves to the Nine Winds and serve as enforcers for both Church and State.

Other gods, spirits, elementals, fae and deamons are acknowledged as influencing mortals but are not held worthy of official worship by the Priesthood. Those that do invoke those unworthy spirits may be considered foreign pagans, misguided heretics or even dangerous cultist.

QUESTION: What non-human peoples can we be expected to see in this world? The full Mystara list (Lupin, Rakastas, Gnomes)? The 5e List (Tieflings, Aarakocra, Dragonborn?)

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

The Persian Prophet Mani had once declared the Kingdom of Axum one of the four Great Powers alongside Persia, Rome and China, and indeed Axum had a cosmopolitan society home to the local Cushitic, Egyptian and Sudanese peoples as well as wider Semitic, Greek and Indian influences.

These cosmopolitan sensibilities were continued in the new world and made the Axumites more accepting of the new peoples they encountered even where they deviated far from the Humanity they knew. The elves were initially seen as mystical and difficult to fully comprehend, but their philosophical nature and love of aesthetics gave some common ground for respect. The Dwarves were valued for their craftsmanship, their knowledge of engineering and architecture providing a strong basis for trade. Other races would be judged by their degree of humanity and affiliation with the blessings of the Most High.

As it expanded its influence the empire was happy to accept other nations and peoples into its markets, temples and academies offering protection and prosperity in exchange for loyalty, guaranteed through diplomacy, marriage alliances, hegemony and where rebellion stirred the use of military force. Goblins and Saurians have been encountered along the coasts and swamplands and some beastmen are known but scholars are yet to determine if they are truly people with souls or merely strangely formed animals.

While the Church of the Most High is the state religion of the Empire and its rulers, it is acknowledged that The Queen of Sheba had been a polytheist before she had accepted the religion of Solomon, so there was some tolerance for wider beliefs amongst the empires communities, provided they remain under the hierarchy of the Temple of the First Light and acknowledge the supremacy of the Most High. Even non-Humans are accepted into the Church of the Most High who the Axumite Faith holds to be the one true source of Divine Power standing amongst the assembly of gods, even as the Negusa Negest stands amongst the assembly of mortals as the King of Kings.

The Sun and the Moon are also worshipped as Royal Ancestors in the line of Sheba and are attended by a blessed Oracle who serves amongst the towering Stele of the Ancestors and speaks with their voice. The Nine Winds are also invoked in prayer and are said to manifest the Wrath of the Most High when they go forth to punish wickedness. The Axumite Military and the Empires Paladins dedicate themselves to the Nine Winds and serve as enforcers for both Church and State.

Other gods, spirits, elementals, fae and deamons are acknowledged as influencing mortals but are not held worthy of official worship by the Priesthood. Those that do invoke those unworthy spirits may be considered foreign pagans, misguided heretics or even dangerous cultist.

This is really great and interesting! Do you have more ideas for them or want to branch out to their neighbors?

QUESTION: What non-human peoples can we be expected to see in this world? The full Mystara list (Lupin, Rakastas, Gnomes)? The 5e List (Tieflings, Aarakocra, Dragonborn?)

The non-humans, who are also PC-playable species, include (but are not limited to): Aarakocra, Aasimar, Centaur (and variants like Actaeons, Gnoats, Ha'pennies, and Wemics), Dragonborn, Dwarves, Eblis, Elves, Genasi, Goliath, Gnolls, Gnomes, Goatfolk, Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears), Harengon, Halflings, Jorries, Kenku, Kobolds, Lizardfolk, Locathah, Lupin, Minotaurs, Orcs, Owlins, Saurians, Tabaxi, Tiefling, and Tortles.

I would like any non-human peoples to be able to also be playable. Therefore they should able to work with other species as easily as against (Elves and Orcs working together is just as possible as them warring, for example) and not be limited by Planet of the Hats ideology (Orcs and Goblins could be librarians and scholars; Dwarves could be sailors or farmers, etc.). Basically Players should be able to create the Character they want without lore causing massive issues.

Because the world is fairly large this means that the various PC species can also vary in cultures and frequency across the world, though the Most Frequent (outside Human) are Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Goblinoids, Halflings, Lupin, Orcs, and Tabaxi.

After those are Aarakocra, Aasimar, Dragonborn, Genasi, Goliath, Kobolds, Lizardfolk, and Tieflings.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Do you see the region they are transposed in being similar to the one the colonies were in in terms of size, geography, and climate? How do they view their neighbors? Do feelings of alliance with Britain remain strong since the later resentment never developed?

I think it's more interesting if their arrival point is somewhat smaller, although they can easily reach biomes that resemble the original 13 colonies.

And having to start over in the New New World, I suspect their spirit of independence and going at it alone has been heightened. If Britain from the same period is transposed to this world, they probably would feel some kinship. But a Britain of a different age entirely? Probably not, assuming they even recognized them as being the "real" Britain at all.

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

I think it's more interesting if their arrival point is somewhat smaller, although they can easily reach biomes that resemble the original 13 colonies.

And having to start over in the New New World, I suspect their spirit of independence and going at it alone has been heightened. If Britain from the same period is transposed to this world, they probably would feel some kinship. But a Britain of a different age entirely? Probably not, assuming they even recognized them as being the "real" Britain at all.

That's cool. I wasn't sure since the Colonies covered a wide area and them all ending up in a smaller area (as opposed to folks from a particular area ending up there) could lead to some interesting interactions, especially since there were already some cultural differences in the Colonies overall.

One of the more interesting possibilities with this setting is that the transposing can happen at different time periods, which means that there could both be a Britain of their age and a Britain of a future (or past) age co-existing. However, that's yet to be established.

Do you see them forming a united country or more like a confederacy (developing something closer to the Constitution or something more like the Articles of Confederation)? Do you think that they could reach those biomes without interference from natives or how would they try to deal with them?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Do you see them forming a united country or more like a confederacy (developing something closer to the Constitution or something more like the Articles of Confederation)?

I think being transplanted to a New New World would initially make them cling together much more closely for security. There's no Britain or France that they can naturally ally with if they run into trouble. Even the other human nations are likely to be from different eras in history and they'll have little in common with them.

Likewise, I think the former Floridians, for instance, wanting to head south to a New Florida (with a real Fountain of Youth this time) would be a lot more interesting if there were capable civilizations standing in the way of that, human or otherwise.