feedback sought for non RL worldbuilding

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ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
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Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

feedback sought for non RL worldbuilding

Post by ewancummins »

How is this for a world building ‘hook’?

The world has recently been ravaged by a terrible pandemic, which killed over three fourths of all people [maybe more like 9 in 10 in some regions]. Clerical healing was able to blunt the impact of the plague in some settlements, but the disease spread far too rapidly for it to be stopped by prayers or potions.

The world has grown grimmer and and more dangerous. The undead haunt the ruins of many once-proud towns and castles. The great forests have grown again in size, swallowing whole towns and many acres of farmland. Monsters long believed extinct have returned. Brigands, necromancers, and evil cultists seem to have flourished in the wake of the plague, like carrion eaters after a great battle.

Although things may seem very grim, hope yet remains. The pestilence has largely burnt itself out. Many of the survivors seem to have developed at least some resistance to the scourge [those who were exposed but lived]. There exist several small realms that have survived the plague, whether by dint of quarantine, godly favor, or through desperate resort to the necromantic arts. None of the modern realms are as large or potent as were the kingdoms of three generations past, but there are nonetheless some zones of relative safety and order left in the world. These pockets of relative order and stability provide bases from the brave [or foolhardy] men and women who launch forays into the wilderness and ruins; battling monsters, seeking lost treasures, reopening old roads, and reclaiming lost settlements and fortresses.

Note- This would be for an AD&D homebrew setting. The common tech level would probably be late medieval European, with perhaps a few anachronisms and also some technological backsliding. It's not a super high magic setting. I would be using some Ravenloft concepts with the world- but not the actual mists, darklords, demiplanar stuff,etc. .
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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