Distilling it down: Wychwood

[Mr Darke]

Jumping off a few ideas I have had from this thread I am going to distill things down into a regional setting about 700sq miles with a small to medium sized town as the base. The town is named Greenhill in honor of the naming conventions seen in earlier campaigns (Braunstein, Blackmoor, Greyhawk). This area and one off map site will form the core of my campaign area. This area will also serve as a showcase for many of my ideas. 

Some things will be created whole cloth while others, in the spirit of earlier styles, will be 'borrowed' from other sources. Maps such as the Yggsburgh area, Blackmarsh and Rob Conley's Points of Light will be up for grabs as far as mapping and ideas go. I have always been a fan of drop in setting areas and making one of my own and using others fit my ideas quite well. And this also gives me a smaller area to work with as I design. As is usual, it will be designed for OD&D/CD&D but will also be open for use with AD&D when I run that system. 

I am working on final details of Greenhill and it's sister community of Hart's Grove and will begin posting on them soon. But for now I will give a few small details. The main area is a series of farming,hunting and crafting communities with one smallish city as the hub of trade and politics in the area. The area is filled with old ruins, burial vaults, and caves which create places to go adventuring. The area does see its fair share of adventurers and treasure hunters and most folk are used to them. For reference think the more rustic area of the Dalelands or Hommlett. 

This will be the thread for the official distillation of ideas in other threads. 

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Looking forward to the future developments as you post them Mr Darke.

[Mr Darke]

I have been working on this and have made a couple of small changes. First of all the names in Greenhill come from a part of my life that ended badly. While Greenhill town still exists I am moving locations (or just changing names) and basing it around a new town...Wychwood. Second, since I am teaching a few new players (One of them 8yrs old) I am moving to humans being the only playable race...at least for now. Most everything else stays the same.

And now for some basics.

Wychwood sits in the southwest area of a large lake (inland sea?) known as the Lake of Storms. It is part of a series of farming and crafting communities that exist in a 40 to 50 mile radius. Town sizes are somewhat small to medium with one medium city as an anchor. The area is mainly populated by the Asa people being a Celtic-Saxon cross that has formed into its own ethnic identity. The Asa are divided into clans and tribes and live in a loose confederation with the local Jarls and one High Jarl meeting a few times a year to discuss common issues. 

Most people are farmers, craftsmen, hunters or tradesmen and work in a guild structure with training being on an Apprentice-Master paradigm. Even those in so-called administrative or 'white collar' positions have a secondary trade that they are expected to practice. Classes tend to still break down between Nobles, Tradesmen and Priests as a holdover from older days. There is little in the way of tensions as each sees the other as a needed part of society. There is a Warrior class but it crosses all three of the others as soldiers are drawn from all classes. 

Magic (1), as it is, is mainly practical and natural with a large practice in superstition charms and similar. Mages tend to be a bit more schooled but still use the basic techniques. Clerics and Druids use a type of mysticism to tap into the divine to use their abilities. These techniques are sanctioned and taught by the Church and are closely monitored. 

Religion follows the Church (2) model and is basically an Anglican or Celtic tradition with some folk tradition mixed in. The practice is tolerated as are other 'Folk Churches' but is not encouraged. Texts include the Canon Bible (3) as well as The Dream of the Rood, The Heliand and similar works. Though only the Bible is officially taught many use the others as supplements. 

Like much of the Karstlands the area is filled with hills, hollows, caves and old ruins. The ruins are of an unknown civilization and are explored by a brave few. Many tell tales that these are the ruins of the now missing Dwarves and Elves. Others tell they are from a civilization that all men descended from or, even darker, nephilim ruins. Other ruins come from a series of earthquakes that devastated the region a century ago. Among these is the lost region of Marmaros that has remained both legend and extremely hard to find. 

On a final note; visitors find the people distrustful and clannish, the weather unpredictable and somewhat harsh, the wild lands dangerous and the soil unfarmable. While some of this is true to an extent these stories do have a foundation in truth. Many looking to trade dishonestly, adventure in the uncivilized areas or hunt for treasure have never returned. 



(1) In game terms it all plays the same but the flavor is different. There are a number of spells for home protection, general luck and so on that would not be listed among the spells of adventurers. Treat them as level 0 to 1 spells or incantations with minor effects. 

(2) Tensions between the Orthodox Churches and the Asa Folk Churches are actually high. However, in order to keep the peace the Church is overlooked. The nature of the Trinity is also left open which has caused a fair amount conflict. 

(3) Basically the Catholic, Orthodox or Anglican Bible. However the names of God do not follow other translation methods. God is commonly referred to as Shaddai ( in the meaning of Destroyer) or Adonai ( Possibly a throwback to the Pre-Christian days of Odinism). 

[Mr Darke]

Humans as the only race

A bit of history as I understand it: 

In the early design process of D&D humans were to be the only playable race. Gygax was rumored to negatively comment on people wanting to play anything but human and if it wasn't for the popularity of LOTR at the time; no other race would have been added. Given the nature of the fantasy that inspired the game it is no surprise that this was the mindset. 

History of the humble writer of this post: 

I was never a fan of fantasy in my early gaming days. Instead I read legends and mythology. Arthur, Robin, Perseus, sinbad and so on were my introduction and still remains my go to (This should serve to explain part of my inclusion of Abrahamic religions as well). The only reason I really care for Middle-Earth is due to its connection to Saxon and British legend. The closest I got to actual fantasy was through Conan and the like. 

When I came to D&D/AD&D I was more interested in human characters and the odd dwarf. Reading settings like Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk saw me skipping over the demi-humans and reading the human kingdom and race entries. In short, I find the whole of humanity more interesting than that of any demi-human; of course the common play of them as human stereotypes doesn't help. 


The idea as a whole: 

Myth, legend and early fantasy had humans being threatened or encountering creatures that were not human in many places. However, these encounters were not wholly benign. The minotaur sought to eat men, the cyclops had the same idea, harpies were never a good thing and lets not get started on the fey and their alien motivations. Arneson, Gygax and others drew from this and I believe this was and is more true to their vision. True medieval fantasy. 

With the Karstlands and Wychwood, the idea of humans being threatened by monsters is intriguing. I think of how movies like The 13th Warrior, Conan, and both versions of The Time Machine handled this. Of course there are books that cover this as well and many other tales. As well, it allows for more exploration of the culture around the setting. 

While some, like my girlfriend, can be leery of the idea; the full height and breadth of human culture is quite fascinating. From physical differences to cultural differences the dynamics of culture can make for interesting characters. A good DM can play this off well with a bit of study of history and some research into this type of fantasy. 

This also fixes a typical problem with those that play demi-humans. Dwarves are played off as either hard drinking Norsemen or Scotsmen, Elves are played as starry eyed hippies or tree huggers, Halflings are played as pranksters or farmers and so on. They are basically human stereotypes with no hint of the alien culture or morality that these races would have. Mechanically, nothing really changes. Though you could have cultural abilities for each race (Elder Scrolls does this well). 

I will reiterate that the original setting was built with this idea in mind and adding in demi-humans was an afterthought. Not only do I now have a practical experiment on what D&D could have looked like with Demi-Humans not being a part, I also have the setting as it was meant to be. 

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Loving these updates & you earned an exalt Mr Darke.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Apr 3, 2019 16:45:40 GMT -5 Hexenritter Verlag said:

Loving these updates & you earned an exalt Mr Darke .

I concur and have another exalt!

[Mr Darke]

Apr 3, 2019 16:45:40 GMT -5 Hexenritter Verlag said:

Loving these updates & you earned an exalt Mr Darke .

Thank you so much. I did keep a door open to bring demis back in should the idea not work. Consider that they may still be there but in hiding or very very rare. On another site I read an article about how class may have been designed to work and why D&D and AD&D may have had so many classes coming in after the original publishing. 
 
If I understood correctly this was based in the idea of troop types in wargames. So what you had was the basic types that were to be later expanded. You could read it that the later 'class bloat' was actually by design; much like OD&D was planned to have expansions and supplements. 

This also gives me a way to bring in and differentiate with classes like Druids, Assassins, Paladins, Knights and so on. Since they would be considered troop types beyond the basics, prime requisites would make more sense as they are more specialized and therefore more rare. You could consider classes beyond the basic four ( do consider the thief as a fundamental archetype) as special forces of a sort. 

One way of including some Demi-Human ideas would be to retool the elf* as a fighter-mage or mystic knight of sorts, the dwarf as a type of tunnel fighter and halfling as a fighter-thief hybrid. Since I use the RC/Mentzer this would take a bit of work as I would have to decide on whether or not level limits or extra abilities like low-light vision would be part of the class. But it is doable. Also remember that most campaigns end before level limits take effect so they are less a factor as is often argued. 

Of course much of this is theoretical and I may not get to test it as I am teaching a few younger players and they need to know the full on basics. However they did all choose human classes so I may still yet get the chance. 

On a final note: human culture, especially in a speculative or fantasy arena, is diverse so forest dwelling humans, somewhat underground dwelling humans, shorter rougher hillfolk and agrarian farmers with a love of tobacco and ale and a knack for thievery also fill the gaps of demi-human culture. 

I may open this up for discussion on another board to get ideas. 

[Mr Darke]

* Forgot the footnote:

Certain elf abilities like secret doors and later additions such as stealth type abilities could be parted out to make a more 'White Box' Thief and end the percentage chances.

[Mr Darke]

God, gods and Immortals

This will be one of the last posts for awhile on the religious beliefs of the area. What is presented here is the view of the divine kingdom as the people understand it. It has been compiled over the centuries and is confused and contradictory in some places. While it is close to the truth; it is a flawed theory and only a handful of sages and priests know the full truth. 

The divine hierarchy

At the top is, of course, God. Call him Deus, Shaddai, Adonai, Allah or whatever this is the final authority. God is not fully knowable nor has He ever fully revealed himself. There is a theory of the Godhead that evolved in the deserts that places God as the head of a divine family. In this theory He is known as El (Shaddai is sometimes added) and is married to Ashera who remains in the background. Ashera is sometimes known as the personification or full manifestation of Wisdom. The final member of this family is a being known as the Logos who is considered the son of El and Ashera. The Logos is a mystery but is considered the prince of Heaven. 

Heaven is seen as the ultimate royal court with a King, Queen and Prince forming the ruling body of the universe. If there is a kingdom the thought is that there must be those that help run the kingdom. Thus the first tier of government are what is known as the Archangels or, in old terms, the gods. Note that this is with a little 'g' which is the signifier that they are subservient to God. Each Archangel has a sphere of influence given to them and those under them that execute commands and duties. The true number and names of the Archangels is not known but it is suspected there are 7 to 10 not counting the guardians of the throne. 

The next tier can be considered 'gods' but are more commonly seen as Angels or Malachim (the second being preferred in higher texts). The Malachim are broken into several orders and divisions and serve the Archangels. Ranks follow the what is seen on Earth in human affairs. There is a set hierarchy that is very ordered, organized and efficient. The Angelic orders form one half of the servants of the kingdom. The other are the Immortals. 

Immortals are ascended from the mortal races (Demi-humans are included in this) and have taken positions in the divine kingdoms. Some serve alongside the Angelic orders with two having positions almost equal to the Archangels. Immortals tend to work in what is considered the Lower Heavens tending to affairs on Earth or with certain families, priests and so on. Immortals have been mistaken as angels adding some confusion when trying to map the Angelic orders. The naming difference between Immortals and the Malachim is that the Malachim names end with the suffix '-el'. 

Immortals also can and have served the roles of what is known as ancestor spirits. It is thought that each family or clan has at least one patron ancestor that is an Immortal. This Immortal is taxed with guiding the families in day to day life, carrying prayers and delivering blessings. The Church has ruled that veneration of the patron Immortal is allowed but under certain rules. 

Under all of this are what are considered spirits. Nature spirits, elementals and some fey are ranked here and their organization is confused at best. Their existence is acknowledged with some light veneration but the Church has increasingly been disapproving of the practice. However this has not changed that the people still do it. 

The Infernal Realms

Much has been written on the Infernal Realms but it is restricted information. It is known that some are a reflection of the Divine Kingdom with similar order. Others are more chaotic in nature. Still others are wholly alien realms that cannot be comprehended. The common person usually just knows of evil spirits, demons, ghosts, dark fey and so on. 

On a final note of the Infernal Realms is a different belief on Satan and The Devil. Satan (The Adversary)  is seen as a sort of trickster entity that serves as Heaven's prosecutor and acts to strengthen believers through trouble and obstacles. He is not seen as evil and as doing a hard but needed job for the kingdom. 

The Devil is wholly different. He/It is an ancient being that fought God at the creation of the world and lost. Swearing vengeance He settled in Hell and gathered a kingdom of Arch-Devils, demon lords and such to fight an eternal war with heaven. The Devil's true form is that of an ancient serpent or dragon whose name is hidden in scripture. His name is rarely spoken by those who know who he truly is...the great destroyer, the serpent of old, the dragon of perdition...Leviathan. 

The Source Documents

I will get into this in the final post but there is a source document for the knowledge. It is a text that dates back tens of thousands of years. Only 3 original copies are known to exist with only a few true copies that are locked away. This volume of texts detail the first civilization, the creation of the world and the original religion of the people. It tells of a time that God and man walked together, It tells of the fateful fight with the great serpent at the creation of the universe and how humans and demi-humans destroyed their homes. It tells of the surviving two tribes meeting in one of the last living places on the Earth and starting anew. 

The volumes also lay out what would be the foundations of all the desert religions, the mysticism that would become the Hebraic Kabbalah texts and the Egyption Hermetic texts. It contains the seeds for what would become all western thought and philosophy and, if entirely correct, shows what the true religion at creation was. 

[Hexenritter Verlag]

Another exalt for you Mr Darke, truly brilliant & inspiring. Please keep up the good work.

[Mr Darke]

The Source

 Myth and legend has to come from somewhere. Nothing exists or comes from a vacuum. Thus is the case for any religion, set of myths or even tall tales. That is not to say that myth, legend or religion are the same. Rather that they can have similar origins. In the world of the Karstlands this is very true and is supported by a text that details this history of what is considered one of the first (if not the first) civilizations and religions. 

 Found in the ruins of an ancient city the first copy was moved to Alexandria Egypt for translation and study. Over the course of 30 years it was carefully translated, copied and preserved. The copies were distributed to Ephesus, Corinth, Rome and Venice (in this world each of these held renowned libraries.). 

 The tales  an rituals in them were compared to ancient Greek, Egyptian, Sumerian, Persian and Hebraic texts and striking similarities were found in all of them. Even the Vedic texts of the Indian Subcontinent showed similar stories. Scholars, religious leaders and philosophers all studied the texts and found the roots of Western Civilization and thought contained therein. It also seemed that other copies had existed (or still do) that minds like Plato, Hermes Trismegistus, Da Vinci, St. John of the Cross and others could have drew from. 

However the codex has seen suppression as it would change and challenge too much in society and cause too many questions. Unfortunately for the suppressors parts of the texts have leaked especially in some religious and magical circles. Full suppression has never happened to the chagrin of the top leaders of many factions. 

Contents and Histories


The Codex is organized into several volumes. Volume I details the history of the ancient world from the appearance of humans to the end of their crowning civilization. Volume II details the first encounters with God and his Kingdom and the nature of the relationship. Volume III details many of the rituals, meditative and mystic practices and has an appendix on the organization of Heaven, Earth and Hell. Volume IV (Appendix I) serves as a full Appendix to the text and details additions based on further research. The final Volume is actually a second appendix detailing the survivors migration to Khemet (Egypt), India and Ethiopia as well as the transformation of the first religion to the new ones. A final,later addition (Appendix III in some copies) contains essays and, some say, prophecies of the coming Logos of God who will restore the First Kingdoms. 

Volume I

The history of the First Civilization or Eden retells creation from a more Hermetic point of view. Man was voluntarily comes to Earth to care for it. They establish Eden and their knowledge of God, who is with them in the form of the Logos, forms the first religion that is mystical in nature. The wonders that were created are spoken of and a few inventions detailed.

The slow turn from the original bodies to the ones we know now causes corruption to enter. The kingdoms of the underworld play this corruption off to their ends and Eden begins to fracture. Finally, two tribes discover a forbidden knowledge and set themselves against the rest of Eden. The of the war closes with the betrayal of the Ablien (Abel) tribe that is destroyed by the Kainen (Cain) tribe. 

Tales of fire created by men, whole cities destroyed and the creation of inhuman monsters and the near eradication of life on Earth pepper the stories. Life does begin anew when a man takes what appears to be genetic material (The seeds of life) on a mobile vault (Ark) to rebuild the planet with three other tribes of men. 

Volume II

The tale is retold from the perspective of Heaven and is attributed to the Angel Raziel. It tells of God sending the Logos to be his herald and governor to help the people and of the rise of the Kingdom of Men. God is pleased until the Watchers betray Heaven and teach secret and forbidden knowledge to men. 

Hell reveals itself as the architect of the betrayal and helps fuel the war between men and fights Heaven itself. They are instrumental in the destruction of Eden and the end of the first covenants between Man and God. However, Heaven counter attacks with a plan to save humanity and God withdraws the Logos from Earth. 

The most controversial part is that God was surprised by the rebellions around Him. 

Volume III

A catalogue of the first rituals and mystical practices to remove the corruption of man and the path to achieve theosis. This forms the basis of Divine and Arcane 'magic' and also has many similarities to early rituals of the religions of Sumeria, Egypt, Israel and others of the Middle and Near East. 

There are also a few essays that are philosophical in nature and a catalogue of inventions and scientific knowledge and practice. Unfortunately this is very fragmented which has led to interesting and destructive results. 

Volume IV/ Appendix I


 Herein are commentaries on the texts, reasonable attempts to fix the fragmented knowledge of Volume III and the discovery of what could be the Kingdom of Eden. It also compares Solomon's Temple and the Egyptian Temples to later finds of the texts and the rise and fall of the worship of Atun to the early accounts of the worship of the God of the Codex. It also questions the nature of Israel as the chosen nation of God. 


Appendix II/Volume V

While possibly apocryphal it does contain truth. The migrations of the survivors have been proven and the narrative is sound. However, it details more survivors than Volume I and changes that God was surprised by the rebellion of both man and angel. The rise of Khemet seems fanciful and places it as the only true successor of Eden. 

The final notes are of an expedition to the southwest across the ocean to a land of jungle and stepped pyramids that have similarities to some of Eden's structures. This is considered pure myth. 

Appendix III/ Volume VI

A much later addition is pure commentary and essay. It considers the evolution of the early mysticism and religions from Monotheistic to Polytheistic and back to Monotheistic. Some texts are similar to those of the Hebrew Bible and also talks of the corruption of God's Laws. The author or authors postulate that the Logos will return to set things straight and unify the fragmented religions. 

Newer rituals are written that are similar to the rights of The Church which has led to the belief that this was an early Church addition to the texts and may be a forgery. 


Final Notes

It is obvious why this text has been suppressed. Power can be lessened and corrupted power gained. It conflicts with established beliefs and can undo and rebuild society as a whole. However, the text is out there and many have read it. There are also forgeries and corrupted translations so one must be careful. Other volumes or complementary texts may exist and, if proven to be true, would add to the narrative. 

As you can see the narrative stops at the Indian Subcontinent. This has been done on purpose as the Chinese and other areas of the Orient may have different texts or no access. If you want to include the more eastern areas, consider Eastern Philosophy and religion possibly more on the mystical side of things. Also the Southwest expedition would have been from China and not Europe placing the Chinese in South America at one point. 

If you use this idea in your game use it how you want. Part, none or all may be true. For disclosure this is based on my own personal theories, ideas for narratives for the game and/or stories, and ideas have been heavily borrowed from sources; especially the Assassin's Creed series of games. 


Outside of a couple religious orders that will come later this is pretty much it on religion for awhile. I will possibly revisit and revise it at some point as it is a draft. As always questions and comments are welcome.