This is a dark time for Dalaya. The world is more religious, paranoid, and xenophobic than ever. Years of war and climate upheaval have taxed the world’s resources to the breaking point, and while the threat of Kaezul appears to be gone, the people are barely able to cope.
Thirty years have past since we last adventured together…
The war with Kaezul raged for two decades, but the raids of kaezulian forces on the old world slowed and eventually stopped, and the military forces in Ikisith withdraw to more entrenched positions in the interior of the continent. No one was able to effectively counter the mist, but the council of innovation and seekers together developed methods to detect and avoid it. Over time, it became apparent that the mist was a finite resource whose use could not be sustained indefinitely. Slowly the once feared tendrils drew back, and the allied forces of the old world and the rebellion were able to encircle Kaezul’s innermost positions. Things ground to a stalemate for several years.
Around this time, climate shifts started to greatly affect the continents – famine set in and a great numbers of people perished. The lands themselves began, and, in many places, the weather itself seemed alive with dark magic.
In this period a faction of dark elves emerged that promised to rebuild the greatness of their traditional society. The [Ebon Order] were organized, motivated, highly militaristic – and bent on taking revenge on Kaezul and his Baldakan allies. Motivated by the loss of their homeland, combined with the difficulty in living in the old world, nearly all of the living dark elves of the era flocked to the cause as a promise to return their race to glory. They amassed a huge army and set sail to Ikisith just as Kaezul’s troops began to fall back. Thanks to a combination of infiltration, bribery, and a lack of support by the Kaezulians, Baldakos the Betrayer was himself betrayed, by an iksar servent from the rebellion, and he was assassinated by a faction of his own men. Following this event, most of the dark elves on Ikisith abandoned Kaezul and pledged themselves to the new order. The [Ebon Order], already a major force along the coast of Ikisith, soon conquered Ikild and enslaved the local Iksar population, all the while massing for a final assault on the interior of the continent. The remnants of the original rebellion were never fully accepted or rewarded for their efforts, and they now exist in an uneasy symbiosis with the dark elves – often acting as enforcers, diplomats, and infiltrators for the [Ebon Order] as they interface with the rest of the continent – which is still populated with goblins, gruplok, kromtor, and orcs – who have reverted to tribalism in the leadership vacuum that followed the death of Warchief Rujik Moktar years earlier.
In the old world, the [Silver Crown], through superior planning and logistics were able to weather many of the emerging hardships, and eventually overwhelmed and defeated a starving and logistically inferior blackscale order. The leaders were put on trial and publically executed in a series of show trials. The ruling humans, erudites, and high elves, set up a base of operations in new Freeport, which had by then been purged of undead. These races hold the bulk of the political power within the [Silver Crown] with the dwarves, gnomes, and halflings working in the mercantile and artisan positions; together they share an uneasy alliance, but one that exists by necessity, both to maintain what is left of their societies, and to act as a counter to the military might of the emergent [Ebon Order].
Together, these groups tightly controlled access to the resources of the world and kept the traditional nobility and class guilds on a very tight leash. While the peace was uneasy, for a few years at least, there appeared to be a veneer of stability in this system.
Then, roughly five years ago…
Kaezul disappeared – along with all of his remaining inner circle. His forces withdrew into their strongholds at Rhegrat and the Burning Eye, and when the gates were opened, not a soul was to be found. Shortly thereafter, the changes in the climate of Dalaya erupted in a series of cataclysms that tore much of the land asunder. Huge swaths of terrain around sites of magical concentration were warped by the waves of raw magical energy.
The ruins of Nagthilian were transformed into a vision of hate, the entire island of Odus sank into the sea, and many of the key military sites of Kaezul’s empire transformed into different places entirely. Remnants of the old lands of magic have sprouted around the strange terrain of Haegra Malath. But the cataclysm was greatest around the heartland plateau, where primal magics erupted and transformed the entire badlands into a mountainous hellscape unlike anything ever seen on Dalaya. It was only after direct intervention of the Four themselves, that the world was able to be stabilized.
While the key cities of the [Silver Crown] and [Ebon Order] remained intact, many of the people of Dalaya’s interior had dramatic upheavals in their way of life. This is especially the case for the more primitive races.
Frogloks and vah became close allies, and currently engaging in expeditions to the re-emerging lands of magic where they are trying to establish a permanent foothold in what remains of their ancestral homelands. The trolls and ogre populations are loosely associated now, and are more dispersed. Trolls are no longer allied with the Iksar and have been forced by the dominant political forces to eliminate the parts of their culture which were seen as evil and uncivilized. Some maintain their original settlements, but many are employed as bodyguards and mercenaries to the other factions outside their traditional territory. With the destruction of Kelethin, wood elves have returned to their roots and become more feral. Aside from druidic gatherings, they no longer maintain formal settlements in most cases. They appear in small wild encampments and occasionally imbed with the other wild races. The barbarians, already existing on the fringes of society, are more isolated than ever. They can no longer depend on the governments in Newport and beyond to trade with them and have grown increasingly hostile to outsiders. They eventually found common cause with the shadow dwarves of thurgadin and share an uneasy alliance in the cold and hostile north. What loose interaction occurs with other races occurs primarily through trading with wood elves as hunters and trappers. Iksar society is divided primarily by class. Warriors, Shadowknights, Necromancers, and Rogues live in the Iksar quarters of Ikild – in the [Ebon Order]’s territory, while Shamans, Beastlords, and Monks are dispersed throughout the frontier of both the old and new world.
Within this context, a new faction has emerged. The [Brotherhood of the Lost] is made up of those seeking common cause in a world that is increasingly divided against itself. They strive to help those who are most marginalized, both among the savage and the civilized races. Its members include examples of both, and they are one of the few groups that frequently interface with both the major cities and the interior settlements. They attempt to remain neutral towards the other factions. While not completely trusted by the other groups, their sheer numbers and prevent the other factions from waging open war on them – neither the [Silver Crown] nor the [Ebon Order] have the political will to engage in conflict with a group that has such broad popular support.
Which brings us to today…
Many of the members of the Council of Innovation and the Seekers were killed in the cataclysm – owing especially to their proximity to the magics that were the source of the chaos. The remnants have joined together under the banner of the Reformed Seekers. They now operate in the open trying to uncover the true nature of what happened during the cataclysm and how the ripples of magic are continuing to shape the world today. Though they are a small group, they offer a path of advancement and discovery for members of all three factions.
Lady Shaina has stepped aside from leadership, but still maintains a strong involvement in the organization as she plots her own course. Rumor has it, she knew more about the nature of Kaezul and the mist than she ever let on to the first group of seekers, many of whom, as decorated veterans of the great war – rose to positions of power in the new world order.
Though the world no longer faces the threat of Kaezul, gods and men vie to rule the ashes left in his wake. Just as quickly as they came together to stabilize the world, the four have gone their separate ways and vie for power over each other once more. Mortal alliances too have come and gone, but all people of Dalaya are now caught up in the waves of changes that have swept the world. Some search for answers in the darkness, while others are simply trying to survive. Huge regions reshaped or torn asunder entirely. Great new territories have been colonized in the aftermath of the cataclysm, but these new lands are wild and full of fearsome magic – and not even the gods know its true nature.
Key Points of the Lore:
· Where is Kaezul? Why did he abandon the war, his own people, and all of his territory?
· It appears that the mist was a form of primal magic – a form that preceded division into the four elements. How it was ever manipulated remains a mystery even to The Four, and now that it is gone, both gods and men are scrambling to uncover the truth.
· Despite his absence, the legacy of Kaezul remains – his use of the mist was the ultimate cause of the natural disasters that ravaged the land. And the combination of war and climate change were directly responsible for the emergence of the new political and religious orders.
· There are massive numbers of refugees due to decades of war, famine, and climate upheaval. Players begin their journey in various refugee camps around both Ikisith and the old world, and do not come to the cities until they begin to explore their personal identities. The idea is that the world at the start is much bigger than the player ever is, and they aren’t important at all until they become a small part of a larger struggle.
· Along with refugees, colonization of the new territory is crucial for both player and nonplayer factions. This includes traditionally landlocked groups like the scale alliance and the stormhammers.
· There is a sense among the people that they were never told the truth about what was going on during the war. The seekers knew more than they let on, and the gods probably did as well, and there was no open intervention until things got out of their control. This mystery is viewed differently by different factions, but it is central to the narrative of the main quest lines.
· Again, religion, class, race, and faction play a larger role in defining characters than in SOD.
Gameplay Mechanics that Differ from Current SoD:
· The [Silver Crown] and the [Ebon Order] exist in a cold war now over who will rule in the new era. Under certain circumstances, skirmishes could erupt which result in faction-based PVP events.
· Instances can be used as a means to fulfil objectives with a mini mission system. This could be to control territory which can unlock faction specific rewards based on resources available to a faction.
· Rather than holding territory, the [Brotherhood of the Lost] seeks to ease suffering and promote peace. They may have fewer faction-specific rewards, but they will have greater freedom of movement and access throughout the world.
· Players start on a default path toward [Brotherhood of the Lost] membership in the camps but can chose to become a part of the [Silver Crown] or [Ebon Order] as they advance in the game.
· While some skills are taught at a trainer, certain spells or skills are faction specific and can only be obtained by advancing within that group.
· Because of changes in their societies, some race / class combinations might be different than in current SOD – for instance, Iksar can be Rogues, and Vah can be both Paladins and Shadowknights.
· Religion also plays a much stronger role in this world. Many quest lines are deity specific, and they can grant unique spells and abilities as rewards. This is particularly important for priest classes. However, there are trade-offs, followers of some deities may be hated or even attacked on sight.
On Tradeskills:
· In my opinion, a robust tradeskill system can add a lot to a game. Crafted gear should be on par with equal tier dungeon gear, but require a significant amount of work to make. As I see it now, a lot of the tradeskill items seem like filler. I would rather there be fewer items that are harder to make, but usable – than many items that exist only for skilling up. Additionally, (possible engine limitations) I think a large number of the items should only be available after finding a recipe, completing a quest, or obtaining a required level with your faction. Resources are more scarce in these times, and someone’s bank alt should not be able to sit in town and become a master of a trade without world experience.
Some thoughts on zones and the world.
Many of the old zones are poorly laid out and ugly. A cataclysm, along with thirty years history gives us a chance to ditch many of the old zones, rework some of the existing ones, and insert new ones in creative ways. The area around Freeport could use the new versions of that zone, along with the new remakes of the desert of ro and commonlands – refitted as needed to fit with the needs of the Dalaya.
Other areas are either too isolated (the entire continent of Odus), or too empty (the badlands) to be of much use. Since the primary sites of change were areas with a great deal of magical energy, we could reasonably see huge changes emanating out of places like the heartland undercaverns, erudin, or the valley of erimal. Particularly massive changes in the Heartland could allow the badlands to be changed into a completely different kind of landscape, allowing for the possibility of new zones in the interior of the old world that are directly linked to the magic-based climate changes.
Other Points to Note:
· Tribute could be made to old SOD players by having some of their characters appear as NPCs.
My motivation for this wall of text...
SOD has a lot going for it, but (As Taryth correctly pointed out) because so many people worked on it, while some factions felt fleshed out, others felt paper thin. There is a lot of great content, but the depth to the lore of say Yclist vs. The Shadowdale pixie bosses is night and day, and that difference in depth makes some encounters seem rich while others seem cheap. Additionally, as more zones were added, many, even the good ones, felt tacked on and not part of a cohesive world. This is an opportunity to sweep away the clutter and make a world that befits the aftermath of the war in Ikisith. Many factions will no longer exist. Those that do will be more fleshed out.
For me this means that player races, religions, and factions have a greater impact on the development of a character long-term. In order to create a living world, it is necessary that these things exist more than to prop up a dungeon or two – rather they have to be something that draw in and empower characters. The easy example of this would be deity specific spell quests, especially for priest classes – but it could also mean faction specific tradeskilling, alternate forms of travel, or limited access within a faction for members of an outside race. Again, these are only examples of what could be done.
So from here, I want to say that in this world magic is powerful, primal and scary. With all the talk of how powerful magic is in Dalaya, it never seemed to do that much to change the way things were except for in the few zones with the mist. The idea that Kaezul was playing with a power so great that it could remake the world, and that perhaps, it got away from him – is something that intrigues me. So the idea that using the mist was what created the cataclysm and that the gods had to step in to stop it, is the starting point for establishing changes to the landscape and a new importance for religion in the world.
Let me know your thoughts!
-Alarcon
(WTB Mirror Image, Knock, and Skull Trap!)
