Grimwell, Cerilian
09-15-1999, 10:18 PM
I sent this direct to Adam first, and he gave it his approval. :) Now I'll
share it with everyone here. Comments welcome.
The first real metaphysical question I developed about the Shadow World was
this: Before the Shadow came, what was it, why was it, who made it, etc.
This is what I worked out for an answer that works for me.
The Shadow World was originally more akin to a Faerie Realm as described in
some mythologies. The creatures there were mostly benign when they held
sentience, and mostly normal when they were animals.
The only dominant race that was on the plane was that of Halflings. Yes,
there was an odd assortment of Pixies and other members of the Fae, but by
and large the race that "controlled" this plane were halflings.
Where did they come from? How did they inherit (what I interpert as
being...) such a paradise and come to make it their own? If this was the
creation of some God(s), why are there no competing races, as is common to
other worlds??? Simple, direct, and valid questions. Not from the Cerilian
point of view, but from a designer/context feel.
My answer was this: What is now called the "Shadow World" was originally a
demi-paradise vision of Cerilia created by Yondalla (mother goddess of
halflings) as a way to reward certain special members of her favored race.
Yondalla was able to manipulate some kind of
universal/metaphysical/astronomical/magical twist that was linked to the
fact that Cerilia/Abernis has no Crystal Sphere, or other "normal" planar
contact as found on other worlds. Cerilia seems to be isolated in it's own
small universe and does not abide by the rules of other known worlds.
Yondalla was the first "other Universe" God to discover the small pocket
universe that held Cerilia, and she found, in it, a good way to create a
special place for members of her faith who had yet to break their mortal
coils.
In short effect: Yondalla was able to mirror Cerilia and make a special
paradise to bring her people to when they were threatened with genocide on
other worlds. She made a safe place to hide them and protect them. How long
this went on as so, I have yet to wager a guess. It's just a nice little
paradise for the living faithful of Yondalla, from worlds where they might
not have thrived.
When the time of Shadows came, the essence of Azrai spread easily over
Yondalla's mirror plane, and broke many holes between it and Cerilia.
Azrai's corrupting essence completely defiled Yondalla's creation, and the
shadows that rose up began to oust her people. In short time the entire
demiplane that is the Shadow World had been completely corrupted, the plants
and animals either took on aspects of the Shadow, or died out entirely. The
creatuers of Fae fled or died as the Shadow crawled across this plane.
The halflings, being the most populous, took the brunt of the effect of the
Shadow over the land. They were put on the run, fleeing the hordes of
undead, and worse, that swarmed over their plane. Many died in flight, but
over time, a few others escapted through portals into the "light". This is
what brought halflings into Cerilia.
These halflings, as a result of the Shadow's corruption, took on new
abilities and traits that made them different from Yondolla's pure stock.
Thus their Shadow abilities. In the course of this change, and their flight,
all traces of Yondolla's religion were lost. Initially, some halflings
rememberd faint ideas of a mother goddess protecting them, but these
memories slowly faded as the halflings remained on Cerilia and began to be
dominated by Cerilian Gods.
Why? Because a part of what made Yondolla able to mirror Cerilia initially
also prevented the intrusion of her, or any other offworld God from fully
entering the world of Cerilia. Add in the effect of the coming of the
Shadow, and her memory was entirely lost. Note that even Goblin deities have
a hard time making any headway agaisnt the native Cerilian gods.
What impact did this have on the halflings? Driven from their homes,
loosing their goddess, being corrupted by the Shadow... It was not a good
one. All halflings have a "hole" in their soul. One that was once filled by
Yondolla. As they approach their teen years (similar to bloodlines) this
hole becomes felt intuitively by halflings. They begin to yearn for
something more, fufillment. In some ways, this yearning is akin to the
"wanderlust" of a Kender on Krynn. It's primary difference is that it's not
a desire to get out and see more; it is, instead, a feeling of a void, a
lack of purpose, that must be filled.
All halflings go through this. They have a period of soul searching wherein
they dig down deep into their essence and lives and try to find something to
make it all worthwhile. They can acutely feel this void, and unless it is
filled, it usually ruins a halfling.
Now then, how does a halfling fill the void? Well, finding a lifelong
vocation is the usual method. One of my major halfling NPC's in Roesone is
a brewer. He runs a very successful brewing house in the northern provinces
of the land. If he were a PC he'd have a Guild level 0. The ales and drinks
of Stout Ur'Quelle are in high demand on the Southern Coast.
Not all halflings need be this successful. Some find joy in the simple life
of farming, weaving, or shepharding. After a time of search, the halfling in
question finds some kind of satisfactin and fufillment in the taking on of a
particular lifestyle. When they find this "filler" for the hole in their
soul, they go at it with tenacity unseen anywhere else in Cerilia. Often,
halflings are among the best of whatever vocation they take on. There is no
such thing as good enough, and the halflings appear almost manically driven
at persuing their life's vocation. To them, this is natural, second nature,
and right. To others, it is an impressive amount of drive. Pity that most
Cerilians don't bother to look down at the halflings and see how good they
are at some things.
This "hole" also explains the number of halfling adventurers. Having found a
life of wandering to fill the hole, or still being in search of some
purpose, many halflings take to the roads and see what it brings them. Those
who have taken this on as their fufillment are usually quite cheery and
enjoy visiting new places and trying new things. Those who are wandering and
in search are often somewhat darker and troubled. Because of this
wanderlust, the halflings, in general, are amongst some of the most well
travelled people in Cerilia, seeking out new thrills all over the continent
(and beyond where possible). These halflings sometimes resemble Kender, but
are often far more practical and understanding of the concept of property.
So what happens to the halflings who can't fill the void?? Those who find no
meaning, purpose, or fufillment in life???? They tend to be amongst the
darkest, and most troubled souls of Cerilia. Alcoholics, murderers,
psychopaths. The empty feeling in their soul leaves them with no value, no
remorse, nothing. They are cold shells that bring no light to the world.
Instead they usually bring malice, hatred for those who have purpose, and
evil. In essence, they are as if they have given themselves completely over
to the Shadow. Their soul is lost before they have died. These halflings are
amongst the most despicable people in the world.
As an extension of this, I have a concept of some "Shadow Hunters" who are
halfling adventurers who foray into the Shadow World for fufillment. They
feel the void acutely, but also feel that the answer is in the Shadow World,
and quest there, seeking this answer. They have become quite skilled at
fighting the undead and manipulating their abilities to get between the
worlds. It's something I have yet to really work out, as I have yet to have
a halfling PC.
Finally, the key to filling this "void" and becoming normal for any
halfling is to find Yondolla. Note that a few thousand years have gone by,
and nobody has. There is, in my Shadow World, one altar to Yondolla that
still stands. If a halfling were to find this altar, and come before it,
Yondolla would be able to make contact. This will only happen to a PC, so it
has yet to have a chance to work out. In effect, it could become a campaign
to take back the Shadow World; one that would almost be cursed to failure
from the start, but a fun one to try none the less.
Well, there you have it. My take on the reason the SW exists, and what it's
current situation has done to the halflings. I am not obsessed with
halflings mind you, I just have a penchant for taking things too far when I
get an idea. Please do comment some. I have my first halfling PC coming in
when I start my next game, so it's something I will begin to hint at (but
plan on having many campaigns slowly get the parts to. It will take YEARS to
really uncover this for my players).
>
Grimwell, wizard of Cerilia
The Birthright Revival is NOW! :)
When you've had the best, why buy the rest?
__________________________________________________ ____
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.comTo unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com
with the line
share it with everyone here. Comments welcome.
The first real metaphysical question I developed about the Shadow World was
this: Before the Shadow came, what was it, why was it, who made it, etc.
This is what I worked out for an answer that works for me.
The Shadow World was originally more akin to a Faerie Realm as described in
some mythologies. The creatures there were mostly benign when they held
sentience, and mostly normal when they were animals.
The only dominant race that was on the plane was that of Halflings. Yes,
there was an odd assortment of Pixies and other members of the Fae, but by
and large the race that "controlled" this plane were halflings.
Where did they come from? How did they inherit (what I interpert as
being...) such a paradise and come to make it their own? If this was the
creation of some God(s), why are there no competing races, as is common to
other worlds??? Simple, direct, and valid questions. Not from the Cerilian
point of view, but from a designer/context feel.
My answer was this: What is now called the "Shadow World" was originally a
demi-paradise vision of Cerilia created by Yondalla (mother goddess of
halflings) as a way to reward certain special members of her favored race.
Yondalla was able to manipulate some kind of
universal/metaphysical/astronomical/magical twist that was linked to the
fact that Cerilia/Abernis has no Crystal Sphere, or other "normal" planar
contact as found on other worlds. Cerilia seems to be isolated in it's own
small universe and does not abide by the rules of other known worlds.
Yondalla was the first "other Universe" God to discover the small pocket
universe that held Cerilia, and she found, in it, a good way to create a
special place for members of her faith who had yet to break their mortal
coils.
In short effect: Yondalla was able to mirror Cerilia and make a special
paradise to bring her people to when they were threatened with genocide on
other worlds. She made a safe place to hide them and protect them. How long
this went on as so, I have yet to wager a guess. It's just a nice little
paradise for the living faithful of Yondalla, from worlds where they might
not have thrived.
When the time of Shadows came, the essence of Azrai spread easily over
Yondalla's mirror plane, and broke many holes between it and Cerilia.
Azrai's corrupting essence completely defiled Yondalla's creation, and the
shadows that rose up began to oust her people. In short time the entire
demiplane that is the Shadow World had been completely corrupted, the plants
and animals either took on aspects of the Shadow, or died out entirely. The
creatuers of Fae fled or died as the Shadow crawled across this plane.
The halflings, being the most populous, took the brunt of the effect of the
Shadow over the land. They were put on the run, fleeing the hordes of
undead, and worse, that swarmed over their plane. Many died in flight, but
over time, a few others escapted through portals into the "light". This is
what brought halflings into Cerilia.
These halflings, as a result of the Shadow's corruption, took on new
abilities and traits that made them different from Yondolla's pure stock.
Thus their Shadow abilities. In the course of this change, and their flight,
all traces of Yondolla's religion were lost. Initially, some halflings
rememberd faint ideas of a mother goddess protecting them, but these
memories slowly faded as the halflings remained on Cerilia and began to be
dominated by Cerilian Gods.
Why? Because a part of what made Yondolla able to mirror Cerilia initially
also prevented the intrusion of her, or any other offworld God from fully
entering the world of Cerilia. Add in the effect of the coming of the
Shadow, and her memory was entirely lost. Note that even Goblin deities have
a hard time making any headway agaisnt the native Cerilian gods.
What impact did this have on the halflings? Driven from their homes,
loosing their goddess, being corrupted by the Shadow... It was not a good
one. All halflings have a "hole" in their soul. One that was once filled by
Yondolla. As they approach their teen years (similar to bloodlines) this
hole becomes felt intuitively by halflings. They begin to yearn for
something more, fufillment. In some ways, this yearning is akin to the
"wanderlust" of a Kender on Krynn. It's primary difference is that it's not
a desire to get out and see more; it is, instead, a feeling of a void, a
lack of purpose, that must be filled.
All halflings go through this. They have a period of soul searching wherein
they dig down deep into their essence and lives and try to find something to
make it all worthwhile. They can acutely feel this void, and unless it is
filled, it usually ruins a halfling.
Now then, how does a halfling fill the void? Well, finding a lifelong
vocation is the usual method. One of my major halfling NPC's in Roesone is
a brewer. He runs a very successful brewing house in the northern provinces
of the land. If he were a PC he'd have a Guild level 0. The ales and drinks
of Stout Ur'Quelle are in high demand on the Southern Coast.
Not all halflings need be this successful. Some find joy in the simple life
of farming, weaving, or shepharding. After a time of search, the halfling in
question finds some kind of satisfactin and fufillment in the taking on of a
particular lifestyle. When they find this "filler" for the hole in their
soul, they go at it with tenacity unseen anywhere else in Cerilia. Often,
halflings are among the best of whatever vocation they take on. There is no
such thing as good enough, and the halflings appear almost manically driven
at persuing their life's vocation. To them, this is natural, second nature,
and right. To others, it is an impressive amount of drive. Pity that most
Cerilians don't bother to look down at the halflings and see how good they
are at some things.
This "hole" also explains the number of halfling adventurers. Having found a
life of wandering to fill the hole, or still being in search of some
purpose, many halflings take to the roads and see what it brings them. Those
who have taken this on as their fufillment are usually quite cheery and
enjoy visiting new places and trying new things. Those who are wandering and
in search are often somewhat darker and troubled. Because of this
wanderlust, the halflings, in general, are amongst some of the most well
travelled people in Cerilia, seeking out new thrills all over the continent
(and beyond where possible). These halflings sometimes resemble Kender, but
are often far more practical and understanding of the concept of property.
So what happens to the halflings who can't fill the void?? Those who find no
meaning, purpose, or fufillment in life???? They tend to be amongst the
darkest, and most troubled souls of Cerilia. Alcoholics, murderers,
psychopaths. The empty feeling in their soul leaves them with no value, no
remorse, nothing. They are cold shells that bring no light to the world.
Instead they usually bring malice, hatred for those who have purpose, and
evil. In essence, they are as if they have given themselves completely over
to the Shadow. Their soul is lost before they have died. These halflings are
amongst the most despicable people in the world.
As an extension of this, I have a concept of some "Shadow Hunters" who are
halfling adventurers who foray into the Shadow World for fufillment. They
feel the void acutely, but also feel that the answer is in the Shadow World,
and quest there, seeking this answer. They have become quite skilled at
fighting the undead and manipulating their abilities to get between the
worlds. It's something I have yet to really work out, as I have yet to have
a halfling PC.
Finally, the key to filling this "void" and becoming normal for any
halfling is to find Yondolla. Note that a few thousand years have gone by,
and nobody has. There is, in my Shadow World, one altar to Yondolla that
still stands. If a halfling were to find this altar, and come before it,
Yondolla would be able to make contact. This will only happen to a PC, so it
has yet to have a chance to work out. In effect, it could become a campaign
to take back the Shadow World; one that would almost be cursed to failure
from the start, but a fun one to try none the less.
Well, there you have it. My take on the reason the SW exists, and what it's
current situation has done to the halflings. I am not obsessed with
halflings mind you, I just have a penchant for taking things too far when I
get an idea. Please do comment some. I have my first halfling PC coming in
when I start my next game, so it's something I will begin to hint at (but
plan on having many campaigns slowly get the parts to. It will take YEARS to
really uncover this for my players).
>
Grimwell, wizard of Cerilia
The Birthright Revival is NOW! :)
When you've had the best, why buy the rest?
__________________________________________________ ____
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.comTo unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com
with the line