So I gathered together all of the things I'd love to incorporate into my game, and figured I should create the world itself, the world in which the story would take place. So I came up with a few story tenets I wanted to adhere to; the main, and most broad, vague "background." I threw them together under "esoteric" and "meaningful" titles, and put them in an order sort of like a preview for a movie, if you can imagine. Remember, I have no idea yet where I want my main characters to be from, who they even are, etc. I just wanted to put together the most "meta" background. Let me know what you think!
Would you play this game?
Ancient Wisdom
“The Angels left behind six crystallized manifestations of their power when they departed the world they had created; we understand all of them almost fully. What we do not understand, however, is the power of the Breath of Life bestowed on the world when the Angels left, nor how to return it to those who have lost it.”
Religion
“The Gallanian Empire exists as a political means to express our spiritual unity and interests on a global scale. Since Areus the Redeemer walked the treacherous path from Drell to Gallae to extol the True Glories of the Lord 1000 years ago, our many peoples have fought to be united under the marvelous Gallanian banner in the Name of the Lord. Even here in Bruman, far from Gallae, we feel the benevolent influence of Areus’ Successor. But other nations do not believe the way we do. Follow the Wandering Bridge to the far southeast and the princes of Velaria worship the Sun and Moon. Across the western Fillian Ocean, the heathens of Oturmak heed only science.”
Archaeology
“Dozens of digsites across the globe all report that a fine layer of what can only be described as Fire particles infused with both Light and Dark covers half of the planet, all found in strata dating back about 12,000 years. You might ask why this is important—Fire particles on this planet are never infused with Light and Dark particles simultaneously. It’s almost as if the particles ‘snowed’ down from outer space onto just half of the planet. What type of astronomical event could have caused this?”
Military Politics
“This war has nothing to do with religion: the development of steam technology has dramatically increased our need for pure Fire materials, and it is in the best interest of the people of Velaria that we control access to Mount Karsis. The Gallanian Empire is simply in the way…tenuous spiritual ‘ceasefire’ be damned.”
Hidden Culture
“We know very little about the Naryam Caravan due to their secretive nature and strange language. Unheard of before 800 years ago, the Naryam suddenly appeared after the Avian War reached the steppes of the Haral Valley. Had it not been for the mysterious diplomacy of the Naryam, Velaria and the Gallanian Empire would have decimated one another. Since then they have traveled about, continuing their diplomatic missions through the keen trade policies of their merchantocracy.”
Astrophysics
“We believe that the other three planets in the Heavens also have elemental mediators; nevertheless, the existence of these mediators here on our own planet is still purely conjectural. What we do know is that absolutely everything here seems to be constituted by no more than six pure elements. Why should the rest of Creation be any different?”
The Truth
“We have existed as the planet’s mediators for millennia. We remained silent and hidden entirely until we had to send out the Naryam to prevent the destruction of the Crystal of Earth, threatened by the warring Avian Kings centuries ago. Why fear the Crystal’s destruction? If it had shattered, grass would stop growing. Crops would die. When food stores were consumed, there would be nothing left until the Crystal regenerated—a process that would take tens of thousands of years. That the Crystals have remained hidden this long is a miracle.
“There exists a Seventh Crystal, known only to the highest echelons of our society. It is this Crystal, of Memory, or Sentience, known as the Breath of Life, from which all life on this planet comes, and to which all life must return. But if any of the other Crystals should come under duress—or be destroyed—this Life Crystal will emit a scream of need which can be heard only the Angels. But the Angels have left…continued on to other, better endeavors, and this safety mechanism lies abandoned by its Creators. But one Angel has remained. A scavenger, following behind the Angels of Creation. Death. Destruction. Apocalypse. Whatever its true name is may never be known, but it will devour any Life Crystal it hears is unprotected, utterly ending life on that planet. We believe this happened to the distant planet known as Minia almost 12,000 years ago.”
“The Angels left behind six crystallized manifestations of their power when they departed the world they had created; we understand all of them almost fully. What we do not understand, however, is the power of the Breath of Life bestowed on the world when the Angels left, nor how to return it to those who have lost it.”
Religion
“The Gallanian Empire exists as a political means to express our spiritual unity and interests on a global scale. Since Areus the Redeemer walked the treacherous path from Drell to Gallae to extol the True Glories of the Lord 1000 years ago, our many peoples have fought to be united under the marvelous Gallanian banner in the Name of the Lord. Even here in Bruman, far from Gallae, we feel the benevolent influence of Areus’ Successor. But other nations do not believe the way we do. Follow the Wandering Bridge to the far southeast and the princes of Velaria worship the Sun and Moon. Across the western Fillian Ocean, the heathens of Oturmak heed only science.”
Archaeology
“Dozens of digsites across the globe all report that a fine layer of what can only be described as Fire particles infused with both Light and Dark covers half of the planet, all found in strata dating back about 12,000 years. You might ask why this is important—Fire particles on this planet are never infused with Light and Dark particles simultaneously. It’s almost as if the particles ‘snowed’ down from outer space onto just half of the planet. What type of astronomical event could have caused this?”
Military Politics
“This war has nothing to do with religion: the development of steam technology has dramatically increased our need for pure Fire materials, and it is in the best interest of the people of Velaria that we control access to Mount Karsis. The Gallanian Empire is simply in the way…tenuous spiritual ‘ceasefire’ be damned.”
Hidden Culture
“We know very little about the Naryam Caravan due to their secretive nature and strange language. Unheard of before 800 years ago, the Naryam suddenly appeared after the Avian War reached the steppes of the Haral Valley. Had it not been for the mysterious diplomacy of the Naryam, Velaria and the Gallanian Empire would have decimated one another. Since then they have traveled about, continuing their diplomatic missions through the keen trade policies of their merchantocracy.”
Astrophysics
“We believe that the other three planets in the Heavens also have elemental mediators; nevertheless, the existence of these mediators here on our own planet is still purely conjectural. What we do know is that absolutely everything here seems to be constituted by no more than six pure elements. Why should the rest of Creation be any different?”
The Truth
“We have existed as the planet’s mediators for millennia. We remained silent and hidden entirely until we had to send out the Naryam to prevent the destruction of the Crystal of Earth, threatened by the warring Avian Kings centuries ago. Why fear the Crystal’s destruction? If it had shattered, grass would stop growing. Crops would die. When food stores were consumed, there would be nothing left until the Crystal regenerated—a process that would take tens of thousands of years. That the Crystals have remained hidden this long is a miracle.
“There exists a Seventh Crystal, known only to the highest echelons of our society. It is this Crystal, of Memory, or Sentience, known as the Breath of Life, from which all life on this planet comes, and to which all life must return. But if any of the other Crystals should come under duress—or be destroyed—this Life Crystal will emit a scream of need which can be heard only the Angels. But the Angels have left…continued on to other, better endeavors, and this safety mechanism lies abandoned by its Creators. But one Angel has remained. A scavenger, following behind the Angels of Creation. Death. Destruction. Apocalypse. Whatever its true name is may never be known, but it will devour any Life Crystal it hears is unprotected, utterly ending life on that planet. We believe this happened to the distant planet known as Minia almost 12,000 years ago.”
