Continuing from Part Five...
Having nothing against Fantasy Eurasia as a concept, I chose to hie myself West for inspiration. It seemed the road-less-traveled at the time. It felt like the Land of the Free, since no one else was really building there - as far as I knew. At the time, I just wanted to explore a New World.
The Premise: what if colonists came to the New World, clashed with the indigenous peoples they found there, escalated the conflict into full-scale war - and lost.
Once that premise was set, I was free to improvise and fill in the gaps. That required some attention to the landscape - something I'd neglected in my drawings. Maps were one thing, but actual landscapes were evocative in an entirely different way. Enter: Rodney Matthews.
At just the right time in my development, the bold and fantastical landscapes of Rodney Matthews burst into my life. So many possibilities. So much fun.
The gloves were off. My eyes were open wide. I was ready to push the limits of verisimilitude. I wanted to craft a world in my image.
I wanted to give my players encounters that would be memorable - not just for the challenging monsters and glorious rewards, but also for the stunning settings and immersive environments.
Some of the best writing advice I'd received was to "show - not just tell." Take that to heart? Yes I did. I wanted players to feel like they were a part of this world.
So, I listened. And I watched. I encouraged them to question everything. I encouraged them to try anything. I took all of that and incorporated it into my setting framework. A metagaming scaffolding of sorts. Inspired by the players and developed by the DM - to the benefit of all.
I'll explain in the next installment.
Having nothing against Fantasy Eurasia as a concept, I chose to hie myself West for inspiration. It seemed the road-less-traveled at the time. It felt like the Land of the Free, since no one else was really building there - as far as I knew. At the time, I just wanted to explore a New World.
The Premise: what if colonists came to the New World, clashed with the indigenous peoples they found there, escalated the conflict into full-scale war - and lost.
I imagined humans coming to this entirely new land (for - reasons) and encountering the natives, which happened to be Fae. These first humans were grudgingly welcomed, but not yet trusted. Seeming primitive and ignorant to the human leadership, the Fae were treated much like children. Eventually, things went pear-shaped and descended into conflict. The Fae (being Fae) had deceived the humans far more than the humans had tried to deceive them. Also, the Fae had the native Elementals of the land on their side. In time, the land itself rose up against the invaders. It was how I imagined the colonization of America - if the Native Americans had the spirits of nature to fight for them. Still, the resulting conflict was terrible for both sides and Nature itself was forced to intervene. In the end, the humans lost the war. Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood stories helped set the tone, if not the stage.
The gloves were off. My eyes were open wide. I was ready to push the limits of verisimilitude. I wanted to craft a world in my image.
I wanted to give my players encounters that would be memorable - not just for the challenging monsters and glorious rewards, but also for the stunning settings and immersive environments.
Some of the best writing advice I'd received was to "show - not just tell." Take that to heart? Yes I did. I wanted players to feel like they were a part of this world.
So, I listened. And I watched. I encouraged them to question everything. I encouraged them to try anything. I took all of that and incorporated it into my setting framework. A metagaming scaffolding of sorts. Inspired by the players and developed by the DM - to the benefit of all.
I'll explain in the next installment.
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