Homebrew DnD Setting Pt. 2
Okay! So, I had the opportunity to keep writing a little for myself. And there is plenty I'd love to gush over. It was pretty difficult to figure what area of my world to focus on for this post so here are a few more 'general' things that mostly was inspired from recently watching Gundam.
Let's start with something that would be familiar if you have read the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. There are titles given to extraordinary people in this world. These titles replace a person's name as they are no longer that person. This would be titles like Athena, Zeus, and Hermes. These are names that are inherited in some way. When a person inherits or gains a title like these, then they gain all the memories of the previous peoples who held that title before. They are legion. If a PC (Player Character) ever gains a title like this, they are no longer playable as they are beyond what a Player can do with them. Kinda meta, huh?
"Ruin is what populates the horizon. Less to hope for the further from home you go. You can see the worlds our ancestors have built. But they themselves sought destruction. The weight of our past is what keeps us here. And the dust in our trails only shows us ghosts. We will always be haunted be lost futures"
-Prometheus, once ruler of the Western Lands
How about a faction in this world? I'll start with one of the first I wrote down. Knights of Endra. A once prominent order of knights, now seldom seen. They serve the Queen of Endra, a ruler who's mind is bent on conquest. These knights are dignified by preserved pink roses, pinned above the left breast. They adorn dark green armor, trimmed with gold. These knights are known to be helpful to the common people. Win them over with kindness. But are ruthless in carrying out the Queen's order.
I was mainly inspired by Gundam when I wrote this. I think if you have seen the season where a particular person carries a pink rose, you would know what I am talking about. This will not be the last Gundam reference in my setting. Funnily enough, I think there is a lot you can pull to put in a DnD setting.
For example, there is a scene that inspired me to write as a hex location.
Lakes of Luna:
Rounds lakes dot the country side, mirroring the craters of the moon above. It is said that this land was once home to thousands. Now home to ghosts.
History - In the last apocalypse, bombs were dropped and destroyed a large city here. There might yet be valuables in the rubble long forgotten.
Could this hex be gameable? Sure! I'm sure you could fit a dungeon or faction conflict here. Maybe there are people that live in the old ruins and need help. Or this place is forbidden to people so only monsters reside here. Leaving it vague helps keep things open to change and adapt to the campaign.
Another thing I am pulling from Gundam is Jaburo. In the show it is a whole underground complex. Multiple passageways to enter and a vast cave system to explore. This is perfect for a 'mythic underworld' or a megadungeon. You might even consider that a whole campaign could take place here! I have it down as an explore-able area. Most likely forgotten and a low chance of rumors about the place. But, a campaign could start where the party has to travel through a thick jungle with many rivers to find the entrance to this ruin. And the meat of the campaign begins when traveling underground. I'd imagine this is a mid to higher level area. I wouldn't think this a level 1 starting zone. Or if introducing in the middle of a campaign, set it up where rumors of people never returning from this jungle and promise of treasure must be in there.
I have more areas of focus I'd love to talk about. I'll get those written on their own posts. But for now, I hope you enjoyed this read and the little glimpse it provides to my brain child. Be safe out there y'all!