An Apology, and an Update

Greetings, fellow savages!

... So. It's been a while. For those following along, it has been nearly two years and four months since I posted about the Forged Province (a setting I do intend to continue). I believe I owe anyone who was interested in my work, a long-overdue explanation. Two days after that post, I loaded up my truck with some basic supplies, gassed up, and began what would become the most influential road trip of my entire life.

Now, this was a trip I had made several times before to see my then-girlfriend (don't worry, we'll come back to her), so I wasn't that concerned. I waved goodbye to my baby brother, put on some tunes, and hit the road. I texted my parents around the halfway mark after stopping for gas and the restroom, and then...

I don't know if I hadn't slept enough, or hadn't been eating enough, but I got tired. More tired than I usually did. And I fell asleep. I woke up briefly, as I was losing control in the median, over-corrected onto the road, and flipped my truck several times. There are vague memories in my head of covering my face as I was slammed back and forth, of lying on my back in a daze while concerned onlookers stood over me and told me the ambulance was on its way, of the long ride to the hospital, of trying to get someone to answer my constantly-ringing phone, knowing my girlfriend was getting more and more worried.

But, let's skip ahead a few months.

I was in a neck brace until the end of October 2017; getting that damn thing off was by far the best birthday present I could have gotten. My girlfriend, ever the saint, had moved into my parents' house to help with my recovery. I proposed to her that Christmas eve, and we got married this past spring.

On the gaming side of things, the supers game got put on hold until I was back home. My players ended up wrapping the series with a time-hopping adventure called Judge Fool, which proved to be a fun romp and gave the players a few good opportunities to flex their powers on a more cosmic scale (and I got to do a Joker impression, which is always a fun time). The games I was in wrapped up as well, one with a bang, the other with a whimper. I suppose you had to have been there.

I haven't been on Myth Weavers or Roll20 lately, as my schedule simply hasn't allowed me to play all that much, but I'm hoping to turn that around. All of my family members (including my sister-in-laws) have now tried out Savage Worlds, and I'm hoping to gather my brothers and their wives in the next few months to start a full-fledged Deadlands campaign, based in the Republic of Deseret.

And me? Well, my neck feels just fine, and we just celebrated our first Halloween in our own home. We're starting to save up for some little ones, as well, so here's to hoping that the love of Savage Worlds continues to the new generation.

As for the Forged Province... stay tuned.

The Forged Province 2: A Brief History

I had already created the pantheon prior to coming up with an official name for my setting, but one of the major issues I had was coming up with a rational explanation for having such a variety of biomes (cold, hot, mountainous, desert, woods) on something that I wanted to be a relatively small world by comparison (no bigger than, say, Australia).

The title of The Forged Province was not something entirely of my own design. Its inspiration came from a random name generator that I've used several times over, and something about it struck me. It makes the world seem fabricated, as if there's some dark secret hiding just under the surface. Then came the question, what about the province was "forged" and how could the existence of a fabricated land coincide with such starkly different biomes?

Thus, the history of Azurain was born.

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The Age of Creation

In the beginning of time, The Father came into existence. He existed among the nothingness for eons, pondering reality itself. After the tenth eon had ended, The Father decided to create the universe; to accomplish this, he created four children out of his own consciousness.

His first creation and only daughter, Inara, created the world of Azurain. Everything from the great continent to the trees and the rivers were crafted by her hand. After this, she set about creating the multitude of races and creatures that populated Azurain. After much deliberation, she created four major races: the agile Elves, the stout Dwarves, the strong Orcs, and the versatile Humans.

After the races had been introduced to the world, The Father decided that there should be more meaning within the cosmos. He created two sons, Baal and Ragnok. For a millennium, Baal set about creating the stars, including the large sun over Azurain. Meanwhile, Ragnok traveled the world among the races as a mortal, experiencing death in its many forms. After the millennium had passed, Baal retired to live with Inara, while Ragnok began his reign over Amortis.

As the races developed culture and spread throughout the world, The Father saw a need for morality and an understanding of right and wrong. His final creation, Melchizek, traveled the world in various guises, rewarding the good and punishing the corrupt. However, he fell in love with an Elven woman and was so blinded by his adoration for her that he forsook his job for twenty years, allowing chaos to flourish. When he finally realized his fault, he swore chastity forevermore, but the damage was done.
 

The Age of Eternal War

As corruption spread through the world, minor skirmishes between clans developed into month-long battles. Soon, races had banded into great armies, intent on destroying those they saw as inferior. Adding to this was the discovery of Wild Magic, thought to be a remnant of the gods’ power upon Azurain. Great sorcerers and witches began turning tides of battle in amazing ways.

As the wars continued and strengthened, so too did the Wild Magic. The very landscape of battlefields was forever changed; civilizations began to suffer through eternal winters, forests replaced by burning deserts, and sudden openings in the earth swallowing whole cities. Even the creatures of the forests were affected, and great beasts were born from magic.

The Father hadn’t wanted to intervene, hoping that the races would resolve things themselves, but the war became so great that the whole of existence was threatened. Much to his sorrow, he finally stepped in, banishing magic and ended the bloodshed.

The Age of Rebirth

When the war finally ended, the world was in tatters. Great regions of the world had become nearly uninhabitable by all but the hardiest individuals, and though the war had ended, the great races were still in conflict. The Father instructed Inara and Baal to create four children together, both to help heal the world and to create proxy deities for the races to worship (each of the gods at this point had no distinguishing race; The Father felt that having a god that resembled them would help the races be more compelled to honor them). And so, Inara and Baal had four children: Xydros, a Human; Mara, an Orc; Ignis, a Dwarf; and Talie’sin, an Elf. Each child was given command over one of the four elements and was instructed to use it to create some semblance of peace.

Their task was great; due to the great wars and the spread of Wild Magic, the world had been unnaturally divided into seven different provinces. These included mountainous regions that were never touched by sunlight, deserts of sand and ice that extended for hundreds of miles, hot jungles where goblins ruled and unholy creatures stalked the night, and even great flooded regions where inhabitants had to contend with sea monsters as much as storms.

Realizing that changing the whole landscape would only cause further chaos to those who had grown to survive such conditions, Ignis and Talie’sin worked together to carve out a new province in the center of them all. Within its borders, the world was as close to normal as it could be, and at its very center stood the Othalla Mountain, upon whose nigh-unscalable peak the gods made their home. Though the new province was given the name of Etria, many within and without its borders would come to call it “The Forged Province.” Meanwhile, Xydros and Mara decided that the races were too dangerous to trust. They created great storms in the ocean surrounding Azurain so that, should another great war arise, it would be kept from contaminating the oceans and beyond.

The Age of Illumination

Over the next several centuries, many of the cultures stayed to the outer provinces, but some members of the races entered and settled within The Forged Province. New cities were built, communities made up of the various races working together, which soon grew to kingdoms. Governments and trade routes were established. It was during this time that the minor gods Iliadora, Esme, and Atheon were created, as well as Mar and Yiet, whose creation pioneered advancement in education and the arts.

Near the end of the Age of Illumination, those who sought knowledge began to learn to control the arcane, and a number of individuals were found to perform it instinctively. Prayers to the gods were suddenly answered with real power. Without warning, magic was upon the world of Azurain once more.

The Age of Adventure

As things stand now, Azurain is full of fantastic things beyond imagination. Adventurers from within The Forged Province yearn to explore the dangers of the outer provinces, while others outside of its borders wish to scour it for hidden truths left behind by the past. A multitude of secrets are begging to be uncovered: the fate of early civilizations, buried deep underground, or the long-forgotten rites of Wild Magic. Perhaps even the nature of godhood can be found, if one looks hard enough…


Thanks for taking the time to check this out. This is a work in progress and may change over time. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them!

 

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David tried the 9 to 5 grind, but it didn't suit him. He devotes his time to a start-up literary magazine, and he somehow finds time to review board games and run Savage Worlds for his friends and family. He even hooked his devoutly religious mother on the system!

The Forged Province 1: The Pantheon

The Forged Province is a fantasy setting I've been toying around with for some time. The first major idea for the setting was in regards to the arcane (my first Savage Worlds character was a shaman in Deadlands, the second was a magician from King Arthur's time - seems I've got a thing for magic). And no fantasy world would be complete without a pantheon of gods for clerics and paladins to draw their powers from!

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The five great gods are not known to have specific races. Rather, each race makes them in their own image, with physical similarities to differentiate them from one another. 

Simply called “The Father,” the god of time and destiny is believed to be the first of the gods to enter existence. His appearance varies wildly, with his major distinguishing mark being the third eye on his forehead. His true powers are unknown, as only the gods and long-dead priests have ever spoken to him directly, but it is believed that he is all-powerful. Very few temples to him exist in the world; it is inferred that this is because he prefers to not be worshiped. Rather, he lets his children watch over the world while he travels the land in various forms.

Inara, goddess of the world, is considered to be the mother of all races. She is a figure with skin and hair as white as crisp snowfall. The firstborn of The Father and his only daughter, Inara is naturally a very curious and creative goddess. She was tasked with creating the land and the inhabitants therein.

Baal, the god of the sun and the stars, was tasked with the creation of the heavens above. This included creating and naming the constellations. He was born alongside his brother Ragnok, though Baal argues he was born first. He is well-built with dark hair and tanned skin – what many would consider the ideal form.

Ragnok, the god of death, was born at the same time as his brother. To truly understand the task he would undertake, the Father had him live his first thousand years of life alongside the creatures of the world, living, dying, and being born again several times over. After this time, he took on the role of the overseer of Amortis (the afterlife), watching over the souls who have passed on. He is thin and tall, his skin is a light gray, and he has no hair to speak of. Despite this unnerving appearance and unfortunate role, he is quite warm and even humorous.

Melchizek, the god of justice, is the youngest son of the Father. He has extremely dark features. At his birth, he was tasked with watching the inhabitants of the land and taking their actions into account. He does not act upon this information; rather, he passes it along to the respective deities via the fey that help him gather information. After an encounter with a beautiful Elven woman who nearly caused him to forsake his task, Melchizek took a vow of chastity of his own volition so that he would never again be tempted or swayed from his tasks. While he rarely interacts with the races, his fey do occasionally reward or punish those who work for or against true justice.

Following the Eternal War, Baal and Inara were tasked by The Father to have four children together. Each child was given the appearance of one of the four major races, and each was tasked with control over the four major elements.

Xydros, god of the seas, appears as a lithe and light-skinned human. He is one of the most difficult gods to contact (second only to The Father). His reign is over everything from the great ocean to the smallest lakes and streams. Sailors and fishermen pray to him in times of dire need.

Mara, goddess of the wind, appears as a well-built, barrel-chested orc with deep green skin. She controls the weather, the winds, and storms in conjunction with Xydros. Due to her fearlessness and her thirst for victory, she is also often hailed as the goddess of warriors. Some goblin clans fervently worship her as a surrogate god.

Ignis, god of fire, has domain over the burning core of the planet, as well as man-made fire. He appears as a stout dwarf with a singed black beard and soot on his fingertips. As he also looks over the fires that burn in forges, craftsmen of all kinds often pray to him.

Talie’sin, goddess of earth, appears as a beautiful, dark-haired elf. She watches over nature, its creatures, and the hunters that keep it in balance. It is also believed that her domain reaches deep into the great caverns beneath the earth, though others argue that this belongs to Ignis. Occasionally, she will recruit sentient creatures to assist her in keeping the delicate balance of nature.

As the years passed, minor gods and demigods were born or made. Though their powers and their domains may be smaller, they are no less important.

Iliadora is the goddess of healing and prosperity. She was born after Talie’sin, disguised as a mortal, nearly lost her life on a pilgrimage, only to be saved by a human medicine man named Praedith. They began a love affair, and from their time together, Iliadora was born. She has qualities of both her father and mother and is worshiped by healers, farmers, and those who simply hope for protection. As the child of the elf goddess and a mortal human, she is considered the goddess of half-elves.

Esme is a celestial being most often associated with love, fertility, and virility. No one ever expected Ragnok to fall in love, especially not with Iliadora, the goddess whose job prevented the races from entering his realm. But love is rarely ever so straightforward. The two had a child together, a creature of pure love. Esme is portrayed as an androgynous fey and is prayed to by those seeking true love or hoping to conceive a child.

Mar and Yiet are the literal product of Inara’s mind. After creating the world and its inhabitants, Inara’s intellect and creativity were in such constant conflict that it eventually became overwhelming and threatened her very existence. The Father feared that she had taken too much of his life force when he created her, and to save her, he pulled a portion of her mind out of her. This mental energy formed into two separate figures. Mar, a dark-skinned male, is the god of knowledge. Made of Inara’s wisdom and intellect, he is worshiped and prayed to by scholars and those who seek out knowledge. His sister, Yiet, has much fairer skin and is the culmination of Inara’s creativity. She is the goddess of the arts, dance, and storytelling, and is worshiped by artistic types and especially bards. The two are also the gods of duality.

Atheon is a trickster god, the product of Baal’s tryst with a human female. His form is something between a halfling and a gnome, and he is often considered the god of both races. Though not accepted by many of the gods (most notably Inara), he was nevertheless tasked with being the messenger of the gods. Highwaymen and rogues rarely find themselves praying to the gods, but when they do, it’s to Atheon.


Thanks for taking the time to check this out. This is a work in progress and may change over time. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them!

 

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David tried the 9 to 5 grind, but it didn't suit him. He devotes his time to a start-up literary magazine, and he somehow finds time to review board games and run Savage Worlds for his friends and family. He even hooked his devoutly religious mother on the system!

A Brief Introduction

Hello, fellow Savages!

My name is David Jensen, and I am a comparatively inexperienced but avid Savage Worlds player and GM. I got hooked roughly a year ago when a long-time friend brought me into a Deadlands: Reloaded campaign. After a chance encounter on Roll20 shortly thereafter, I met the Star City Savages and was thrust into game after game of fast, furious fun. Now, I'm running a Superhero game on Roll20 and playing in two others, running the odd play-by-post game on Myth Weavers, and I'm designing and planning future game ideas every day.

Like many creative types, I suffer from procrastination pretty heavily. I've learned over the years that showing my stuff to others forces me to keep working. And so that's what I plan to do here! Whether I'm presenting bits and pieces of setting ideas, the "Savaging" of established media, or even just fun recaps of recent games, I'll be sure to share it all with you. And hopefully, if nothing else, someone might find something useful that they can integrate into their own games!

Be on the lookout for your first taste of content, wherein I'll introduce an entire pantheon of gods. Go big or go home, right?

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David tried the 9 to 5 grind, but it didn't suit him. He devotes his time to a start-up literary magazine, and he somehow finds time to review board games and run Savage Worlds for his friends and family. He even hooked his devoutly religious mother on the system!