Annexed Mod Team (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
modaccount) wrote2021-09-23 10:25 pm
modaccount) wrote2021-09-23 10:25 pm
Setting & Locations
World & History
The Broken World is the remains of two planets that aeons ago crashed into each other. Slowly, the two planets settled into a stable orbit with some semblance of an atmosphere, particularly in a honeycomb of massive caverns that are partially open to the sky. At some point in the distant past, the newly habitable planet became popular as a space port for a time and acquired a regular population of people from a wide variety of species and walks of life. Eventually, the port fell into obscurity and everyone interested in traveling to other places departed on the last of the space ships, leaving behind a population completely content with their way of life and a level of technology that wasn't focused on space travel.
The surface of the planet is survivable in small doses, but there isn't much there and so not much reason to go. Most of the population lives in several sprawling cities in the larger underground caverns. The style of the architecture is variable but ranges between ultra-modern and sleek with lots of technology, large screens, and neon in some areas to almost steampunk with magitech and steam-powered devices in other areas. This is consistent across all settlements on the Broken World. While the major cities exist in larger underground caverns, there are plenty of smaller settlements in smaller caverns and there are connections between most of the populated caves that are relatively open and easy to traverse. Travel between cities and settlements usually happens by train or on foot.
It was about 100 years ago when the Sylphid appeared. No one knows where they came from, but they are known to be a parasitic alien species that are incapable of reproducing or surviving without taking the life of others - the Sylphid, who must hollow the sense of self out of another in order to implant the seed of their own offspring. Beyond just a biological need, it became an obsession, the Sylphid intent on creating more of their kind. It took only 5 years for the Sylphid to overtake the largest city on the Broken World, Phadence, which they renamed Zephyr, with a combination of magic and technology that was almost unstoppable. The only survivors were those who were...incompatible, who would kill the Sylphid if they tried to take their bodies and souls. The incompatible comprised around 70% of the population, and those people were implanted with chips that tracked their every move and suppressed their abilities and magic, while they were used as servants to keep the city running while the Sylphid lived at their leisure. It didn't stop there, though, and while the Sylphid are working on invading Bastion, the other largest settlement in the known world, a stronghold unlike the first city they invaded, their hunger wasn't sated. After working to spin their strongest magic, they've conjured a complicated magitech device that pulls in people from other worlds, other universes into a sort of magical pocket universe to test for compatibility before drawing them permanently into this one.
⇅ Witches Camp ⇅
The Witches camp is a settlement founded in an abandoned mining town about a four days' walk from Zephyr, and was founded by the first rebels who managed to escape Phadence's initial annex, led by a powerful magic user and tech genius known generally as The Witch. It is speculated that The Witch, a near-immortal alien being, was at first a collaborator with the Sylphid, as her knowledge of their tactics, technology, and magic is what allowed the Witches to escape and set up their hidden camp in the first place. This means that most members of the rebellion trust The Witch implicitly, and it is why the group is named after her.
The Witches Camp itself is a sprawling city-sized settlement with architecture that is decidedly less advanced than the towering skyscrapers of Zephyr. Mostly comprised of low-to-the-ground houses and shopping areas, the Camp is less a city than it is a spread-out bastion of civilization interspersed with the native jungle, which serves as excellent camouflage, and has a warm, humid climate. Much like the rest of the settlements on the Broken World, it has an architectural mashup of futuristic almost cyberpunk areas as well as almost steampunk magitech areas. The Camp is separated into several districts - The Magitech, The Mage's Sector, and The Electric Heart.
This is a sort of neutral ground where a magic and technology have blended together, in some cases seamlessly and in some cases very haphazardly, to create a space where people who do magic and the tech heads can come together to live, work, and plan the next move against the Sylphid. This sector is where most of the residential areas are, and most civilian residents of the Camp live and work here.
Central Command: The Magitech sector is home to the Central Command, where the Witch lives in a well-guarded private apartment and leads the rebellion. The largest building in the Witches' Camp, Central Command, contains emergency housing for those in need, board rooms for planning moves against the Sylphid, and many resources and amenities that residents of the Camp may need, including computers, magic tutoring classes and practice rooms, barracks, a food bank for those in need, and a swimming pool. Almost anything that characters may need can be found for free at Central Command.
Central Command is where characters initially live in the Camp, with each resident being offered a small furnished studio apartment with a main living/sleeping area, a desk, kitchenette, bathroom with shower stall, and a walk-in closet for storage. Characters are welcome to continue living in these accommodations for free, as long as they're part of the resistance, but are also welcome to move out and rent their own space in the city, in whichever sector they wish.
Infirmary & Hospital: For all residents of the Witches Camp, there is free medical care, which is provided at the Infirmary and Hospital. The Infirmary is a sort of primary care facility, where characters may go with colds and flus, minor injuries, or other similar concerns. The Hospital is where serious injuries and other conditions are treated. The medical care is very highly advanced and seamlessly melds healing magic and medical science, so the facility can save people from some very serious injuries. Generally, if someone is on death's door and you manage to get them to the Hospital before they expire, they are pretty much guaranteed to survive. Seriously injured people may be subject to a short hospital stay, though.
Cyborg: Located in the heart of the Magitech Sector is a coffee shop by day and a pub by night called Cyborg, where characters may go to listen to live music, use computers, and have a nice cup of specialty coffee or a few drinks depending on the time of day. Every morning they serve a very cheap but quite luxurious brunch from a small menu with mimosas and lattés as drink options. A great place to meet up or go for a date.
The Open Markets: Most of the shopping in this sector can be done at the Open Markets, which comprise a large swatch of the downtown area of The Magitech. Surrounded by residential blocks, the Open Markets are like a mashup of a department store and a Farmer's Market, with booths set up selling everything from meat, fruit, and vegetables to street food to clothing to housewares and decorations. There are a variety of stalls selling limited magic supplies and technological goodies here and there throughout the Markets. While most shops are set up in outdoor stalls, there are also buildings with shops inside that can range from grocers to boutique clothing to places to send packages to other areas of the city. The clothing available in the Market tends to be in a wide variety of styles, from futuristic and modern to steampunk Victorian.
This is an area of the city where magic users tend to congregate. The architecture in this area tends toward Victorian steampunk and more medieval styles. While there is some residential space in The Mage's Sector, it is mainly focused on the study and practice of magic, featuring a wide variety of resources for those who wish to do so.
Magic Markets: Very similar to the Open Markets in layout and style, the Magic Markets are focused on supplies required for the study and practice of magic. Here, characters can find potion ingredients, tomes of spells, cauldrons, and other accoutrements of the practice of magic. There are also stalls with street food and clothing, mostly in Victorian or medieval styles.
The Hare & Hammer: A medieval-style pub nestled in the center of the Magic Markets, the Hare & Hammer is the oldest building in the Witches' Camp. Built from the ruins of an ancient settlement, it's a charming structure built of stone and wood that houses a large bar, tables and booths for socializing, and a stage where bards and comedians can perform for tips. The bar features excellent beer, a variety of simplistic mixed drinks, and some food, including the massive turkey legs that the Hare & Hammer is famous for. You won't find a better turkey leg on the Broken World!
Silken Apothecary: Operating out of the back of the Hare & Hammer is a separate business called Silken Apothecary. Once you enter the seemingly small unit, however, you will experience a moment of disorientation before realizing that it is far, far bigger than initially anticipated on the inside. Row upon row of shelves with tiny drawers stretch through the large space, each hand-labeled in spiky writing done in fountain pen. The Apothecary offers herbal ingredients, potion components, and various rare elements in small amounts that can't be found anywhere else.
This is an area of the city where the more technologically inclined tend to congregate. The architecture in this area tends toward cyberpunk and ultra-modern sleek styles. While there is some residential space in The Electric Heart, it is mainly focused on technological wonders, featuring a wide variety of resources for those who wish to work with and understand computers and their applications.
Robin's: At the center of The Electric Heart is Robin's, a nightclub that features a rave every Friday night. Completely cyberpunk in design, it features dark corners, a long bar without stools accented with LED lights, and two levels of dance floors where patrons dance the night away to techno and rave music. Robin's is known for their specialty cocktails which have a variety of effects - specifically, euphoria, relaxation, and energy - available in a variety of flavors.
Xin Night Market: Open every night after sundown, the Xin (pronounced "shine") Night Market is a bustling Market that offers a wide variety of objects. A combination of thrift store and discount outlet, the Night Market is more of a bargain hunter's paradise than the other markets in the city, with plenty of gems to be found among the general junk. The Xin Night Market also offers some of the most unique and alien street food in the city, so those with more adventurous palates will certainly enjoy the array of strange and alien foods available at the Night Market. In fact, for those who really search, there might just be a favorite from home available among the gaggles of street food vendors...
VR: As might be obvious by the simple name, VR is a virtual reality simulator similar to a holodeck - a variety of programs are available, from visual novels to fighting simulators to training rooms for a wide variety of things from sports to martial arts to musical instruments. There's also a very elaborate setup for laser tag!
⇅ The Troop ⇅
Just to the northeast of the Witches Camp, almost blending into the edges of the jungle terrain that weaves its way through the Camp, there is a relatively large forest of oversized mushrooms, ranging in height from a few feet tall to several stories tall. These mushrooms are non-edible, and are in fact poisonous if ingested. Some scientific study has been done on The Troop and it was discovered that most of the mushrooms in the forest are connected at the root, making The Troop one very large entity, perhaps the largest living thing on the Broken World.
For all that The Troop is strange and beautiful, not many people travel there. This is for various reasons, the primary one being that the mushrooms that comprise The Troop release spores near constantly (though more prolific in fall) that have a hallucinogenic effect on sentient beings. These spores can cause people traveling in The Troop to become disoriented and confused, experience vivid auditory and visual hallucinations, and become permanently lost. However, the spores can be blocked out by wearing face masks into the area.
Despite the fact the spores can be avoided quite easily, there is something of a taboo about going into The Troop. It is the subject of many and varied urban legends, with some legends saying that it's haunted and others saying that it's somewhere people go to die or that the souls of the dead live there, or even that it grows on the bodies of all the people who've died there. Generally, most people avoid The Troop for the most part, with only occasional scientific expeditions into it and possibly every now and again a gaggle of teens daring each other to stay the night there.
As of the arrival of the first extradimensional arrivals, the characters in the game, this reputation as being a place tied with death will only become stronger, as this is where deceased characters will find themselves awakening with no memories of being on the Broken World. Characters who awaken in The Troop will find themselves disoriented, naked, and about a 15 minute walk from the edge of The Troop. They will have to make the short hike back to the Witches Camp themselves, and will be given clothing upon reaching the guard outposts.
⇅ Zephyr (Phadence) ⇅
Zephyr, previously known as Phadence, is the most major city on the Broken World, with a population of approximately 4.5 million. Laid out in a roughly circular shape with major roads set in concentric circles, broken up by large canals that run in concentric circles spanned by massive bridges, Zephyr is the most advanced city out there and is the current stronghold of the Sylphid, who annexed it approximately 90 years ago. The central part of the city is where the Government Buildings are, and where the majority of the Sylphid live in comfort and luxury, while the further from the center you travel, the more rundown and poor the area becomes, mostly housing those that are incompatible with Sylphid reproduction. These people are allowed to stay in the city at the cost of having a chip implanted that keeps track of them and feeds their biosignals and location back to the Sylphid command, in order to keep the city functioning and provide the Sylphid with a comfortable life.
More information on Zephyr will become available as the game progresses, but for now there are a few well-known locations that are available.
Babushka's: The single rebel outpost in Zephyr, Babushka's appears to be a humble café and diner near the outskirts of the city, a tiny bit run down in the way that all the best diners are. It has a reliable regular clientele, most of whom are completely unaware that in the basement there is a room where stealthy members of the rebellion who live in Zephyr meet to plan strikes or coordinate and share information they've gathered. This network of rebel spies runs through the heart of Zephyr, with spies placed in various locations living life as normal chipped residents of the City incompatible for reproduction, from the outskirts all the way to one or two who are placed in the Government Buildings themselves.
Government Buildings: Set in the heart of Zephyr, the Government Buildings are where the Sylphid run their empire, the Central Command of Zephyr, and directly in the center of the largest population of Sylphid on the Broken World. This is the brain of the enemy's empire, and thus they are very well-protected. As of yet, no rebel has been able to touch it with violence, though there are a couple of spies who've worked their way into the Government Buildings as low-level office staff.
Broken World Research: The firm that is responsible for the complex device that brought the extradimensional visitors to the planet, Broken World Research has multiple facilities stationed throughout Zephyr, where new arrivals show up sporadically and must be rescued. These facilities will be the focus of small monthly missions to rescue new arrivals. There are more new arrivals than there are characters in the game - the characters in play are simply the ones that the rebellion was able to rescue.
⇅ Bastion ⇅
Bastion is a very well-guarded and militaristic city that is about a six-day walk from the Witches' Camp. Not much is known about it, as Bastion is very insular and has closed its borders completely since the annex of Zephyr. More information about Bastion will become available as the plot progresses.
⇅ QUESTIONS ⇅
Have a question about the setting or locations? Check out the answered questions database below. If it's still not answered, post a comment and once your question is answered it will be linked here for posterity! If your question is related to the game setting, locations, game mechanics, or other gameplay, please go to the Player Handbook or World Guide pages as appropriate and ask your question there if it isn't answered yet.
⇝ How would the Troop feel on a psychic level?
⇝ Could the Troop be influenced with mental control techniques? Are there themes/patterns to the Troop's hallucinations? Does the Troop have emotions?
⇝ Is the internet available on the Broken World?
⇝ What kind of flora and fauna exist on the Broken World, familiar or alien? How much warning do new arrivals get about the Troop? Are there horses here?
⇝ Is there a library in the Witches Camp, and can characters find fiction books from home there?
⇝ What is the shape of the Witches Camp and where are the sectors situated?
no subject
I would be comfortable with players making up herbs, mushrooms, spices, or other plant life for threads as they see fit, though I can ponder and come up with a mini-list of plants and herbs and mushrooms if you'd like. Just let me know.
Information about the Troop would have been included in the orientation speech new arrivals get, just to be safe.
Finally, horses do exist in the Witches Camp and are widely used as a method of transportation alongside more modern methods of transport. They're actually seen as one of the more stealthy and efficient ways of moving through the jungle, and stables where horses can be bought or rented are quite common.
no subject
Just one follow-up question - would there be much of a market for selling various foraged plants and mushrooms in the camp? Or for selling game meat?
no subject
There would be a market for selling foraged goods in the markets for sure. It might require a small start-up cost for a table and space in the market, but would be quite profitable once that hurdle was reached. In the meantime, to make some start-up money, he could sell his goods to the existing stalls that sell that type of goods.