World of Gothica perliminary work

[Shadowking]

Gothica: A World under Shadow
Core Ethos Statement

Gothica is a world standing on the brink of Destruction and fighting for its survival against overwhelming odds. The malevolent power of entropy known as the Darkness gathered power over the many Eons and through mortal foolishness managed to breach the World and corrupt nearly a third of it, transforming the once-mighty Empire of Isafan into the Godless Lands. Only the power of Human faith and unity might have a chance at stopping the rising Darkness, but Humanity is at its weakest, blinded by greed, denial of the threat that stands at their very doorstep and petty power-mongering. Gothica as a world is dark, low-magic, human-centric and grim. Cultural level in the Republic (the main region for adventurers to come from) is early Renaissance.

Who are the Heroes?

Heroes in Gothica are those seemingly cut from a different cloth, willing and able to make a change in the World. Adventurers are common in the atmosphere of uncertainty and intrigue which pervades the shattered Empire, but they most commonly serve a Patron from amongst the power-groups of the Republic- freelancers without a Patron's protection are most often viewed as criminals, trouble-makers and a challenge to the local ruler's authority. If a hero survives to reach higher levels, he proves that he is not one of the Many- the faceless mass of ordinary people- but one of the Favored, a person marked by the Prophecy and destined to change the world in some way, for good or evil. His fate from then on is literally pre-determined (though few heroes are aware of it), deciphered in the Holy Codex and the Scrolls of the All-Knower, and those who know of the Prophecy either embrace their destiny- or fight against it.
A note to DMs: the Prophecy is a plot device, meant to give focus to the campaign, mystery and a tragic atmosphere of an inevitable fate. It has many lost parts, loopholes and opportunities for choice so a hero who proves himself to be a Favored does have some manner of choice- although some parts are pre-determined and cannot be avoided.

Organization such as the Republican Senate, the Church of the Three, the Holy Inquistion, the Brotherhood of Wrath, the Emerald Masks, the Daughters of Queen Ophelia, the Thousandth Legion, the Brotherhood of Cog and Wheel, the Shadow Academies and the Seekers of the Hidden Path might become allies and Patrons to the PCs. Though the goals of these organizations are generally benevolent, heroes must remember they usually possess ulterior motives and may use and sacrifice them as pawns for the greater good. Thus, heroes can generally only rely on themselves.

What do they do?

Will the heroes be investigators in the service of the Holy Inquisition, fighting a secret war against the rising Darkness in a world that doesn't understand and views them as dangerous and deluded fanatics? Will they be scholars, delving into the pages of the Holy Codex and the Scrolls of Arturius to find the means to bring Salvation to the world? Or discover who controls the spread of Vitae through the foggy streets of Lyr, a highly addictive drug which turns its users into bloodthirsty monsters?
Will they travel to Justice Mound and join the intense power-play at between the Senate, the Church and the great Houses, as the future of Celenor hangs by a thread? Will they travel the Farthest Reaches to free the people from the yoke of petty tyrants and alien gods? Will they enter the House of Many Doors and the Planes to forge pacts with the Outsiders and gain more power for themselves? Or will they join the House of Darkened Blades, damning themselves to eternal darkness and sowing terror in the Free Lands of the West as they serve the whims of an inhuman Mistress.

At the highest levels, as they follow or fight their determined path in the Prophecy, heroes become true movers-and-shakers- able to fight back the tide of Darkness from where it emanates- or betray their own kind and embrace its destructive power…

Threats, Conflicts, Villians

The foes the heroes face can be divided into two major groups: mundane and supernatural. Mundane foes include greedy Senators, misguided Priests, power-hungry Generals and savage barbarians, who seek to claim the fertile lands of Celenor and escape their hellish existence in the Godless Lands.

Supernatural foes include the Undead, madmen and mutants warped in strange ways by the Darkness, merciless Fey, the Outsiders who seek to make pawns of Humanity, Bogeymen who hunt the Children of Man and canny, disguised predators such as Dopplegangers, Vampires and Lycanthropes.

There are also villainous organizations, including the Favored Sons of Dorimus,
the White Lilies, Rogue Legions, the Brotherhood of Steely Salvation, the Cainite Hierarchy, the Cult of Miracles and the House of Darkened Blades. Above them all in sheer power, destructive potential and influence stand the Cult of Darkness and its countless minions, those who worship and serve the semi-divine power which will unmake the World. Such corrupt groups most often serve as rivals to the heroes, but offer much power to the heroes who would give up their ethics for their hollow lures.

Nature of Magic

Magic springs in Gothica springs from the collective essence of the World, the life and imagination of millions of living souls. Dark Magic is born of the diseased dreams of the Undead, the collective hate of Demons and generally the Darkness' corruption of the World. Magic- both Arcane and Divine- is very rare but incredibly powerful, and the common masses view it with suspicion, fear and disbelief. It is also one of the major sources of corruption for heroes. Magic inevitably marks its wielders in some way and magic-users nearly always hold key positions in the Prophecy.

What's new, What's different?

Gothica has many variant rules meant to enrich and focus on its unique themes. They will be detailed in further posts.

What do you say? Anyone willing to contribute to the idea?