In the previous article, I introduced my setting for Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells (Ss&Ss from now on). Thing is, I introduced it to myself too, since it's still growing and I don't honestly want to draw a complete canvas. Still, I want to provide you (and myself) with enough meat to feel comfortable and ready to go, same feel I have whule reading and re-reading the rulebook.
As Nogueira states in his masterpiece, let me paraphrase him, Ss&Ss is a simple but yet concrete project, which doesn't fall apart in the OSR ocean, bringing in an adult and smart old school spirit design.
"Fragments" is not intended to be particularly low magic, as it is usually intended. It is a world full of crystal like structures where fragments dusts of many colors dot the landacape, often hiding their raw and dangerous nature behind the chromatic havok.
Here we go with a few design notes about Fragments, crystals and all the hell going on with colours.
Raw Fragments, Crystals and Moondust
As I've aalready pointed out, Fragments represent key aspects of the world.
The horizon is twisted, as if the far boundaries of the region I'll describe in the next few articles were there to hide... something.
Each fragments seems to bring a small piece of reality in it: would it be heat and fire, would it be air and breath, would it be memories and intellect, Fragments are the quintessential material of the known world.
Grab enough pyro-fragments and you'll be able to generate heat worth a whole winter or two; find a rare memory-fragment and you'll discover bits about the mysterious past of the world.
Nice. Trouble is: raw fragments are like wild beasts and fragment refinement is not something the crystal eyed blind monks of the Crystal Tower would share with ease (in fact, their main motivation is keeping that arcane knowledge and techniques far from the talons of commoners or, worst, the guys of the Crimson Realm, where feared Blood Mages recklessly struggle for power to survive their own practices.
Ironically enough, the Crimson Realm found most of the weird machineries and implements to apply those secret techniques.
They are at silent war, where the former keep the secret of fragment refining and the latter hide the secrets to achieve it.
Again, in between this shadowy and silent conflict, Corsairs and other guilds (private seekers aside, let's leave them there for now) slowly aquire some of those secrets, forming a third front.
Another thing is: as wild beasts, Fragments don't like to be tamed. This means that the first thing you should care about after finding a preciousssssss piece of raw cryo-fragment is not to die with ice springing from your skins, eyes and mouth. Yeah, shit happens in fragments-land.
The other side of the coin is that time and events often "tame" fragments on their own and common miners often put their hands on crystals or moondust, small portions of the almighty power hidden inside fragments themselves.
Moondust and crystals as small as little stones dot the land, waters and mountains, giving life to the awesome mirages you can witness at sunrise and sunset or even during the short days and looooong nights.
I mentioned two moons: for now, just remember that they are the "eyes of the sky" and the sun, their pale brother, is just the shadow if the power it once was.
It is said that sun and moon are the last gods standing and that fragments are just huge shards of their original will. Being trapped "on earth", fragments represent an enormous power trapped and suffocated, continuously trying to "shine".
Or, at least, this is one of the most famous stories.
In game effects and... complications!
Oh, we Ss&Ss guys/girls love complications. Be sure you'll find tons of 'em in Fragments.
No, I'm not an evil guy. I'm actually pretty fair, to be honest.
While I'm still workin' on this and I'll get any help you will offer, I'm sure I want Ss&Ss Fragments based games to be dreamy and tough.
You will wield immense powers, but you must be ready to pay for it. Would it be months of hard work or (literally) "life and blood", you will pay.
I feel like danger is a nice "balancing factor", taking any premise into account: high risk/high reward ratio is the way to go.
I want to insert a few mechanics to reptesent both power and sacrifice, even if the Ss&Ss rulebook and Addendum already include tons of references. I want to exploit the game's potential while introducing some refreshing material, like the Fateweaver Archetype (more on this soon, you can find an early draft on the game's G+ page) or fragment-based items and goodies.
Fate plays a huge role in Fragments: past and future are twisted branches of the same tree, growing day after day in an intricate weave. Spot the right memory-fragments and you will find answers about the crystal barriers at the horizon's edge... or other insidious truths, like a way to leave this land and explore what that faery and colorful horizon hides.
The exciting thing here is the strong contrast between the astonishing views and endless aurora and the horrific secrets hidden in their nature.
While I won't put much details on many cities or other "zoom INs", I will work hard to represent and share the sense of emotional conflict and instability this incoherent landscape provides.
Shiny Knights always hiding their faces in silver helms, wielding shiny swords with creepy twisted blades...
Humble looking blind priests talking about what they "see" while staring at nothing with an evil smile...
Fierce Blood Mages killing themselves to hunt and report secrets for eternity...
Silent Assassins infiltrating the Crimson Realm to uncover a huge machine which is said to control the mind of their users...
Proud borderline warriors fighting to regain some honor before turning into moondust in the Last Night.
Wonders and adventures awaits, as well as billions of unsaid words and enigmas below piles of shiny crystals and precious elemental shards.
Shadows made their move.
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