Design Malarky 1: Intro to Bore-Na

Well it's the end of the first week for my blog and I'm a touch surprised I managed to get everything out and the general positive feedback I've recieved about the content and general state of the blog. I will continue to make improvements but this is a hopeful start for me.

Well less gushing and more typey typey. This is the first of a series of articles delving into stuff I'm currently working on and shiny things you can take away and either play, help me develop or use in some other way. This is partly to help me finish things, partly to show off my skills to potential interested parties and partly an ego trip so I hope you like what you see.

This article is an introduction to Bore-Na a short lived campaign world I created at the start of the academic year which sadly never got beyond the first game for various reasons. Currently I have a basic outline of the first 4 or 5 adventures and the framework of the world that it all fits in.

Before I go any further the cover blerb for Bore-Na is thus:
"The world of Bore-Na is centered around the struggle between the lesser and higher races along with the fading of the fantastic from the world."

please note: when my scanner starts behaving some art will be uploaded to enhance this article.

Setting Overview
The world in which the players live is an old one, life sprang forth long long ago and for ages the higher races, which were crafted in the form of the gods themselves, have strived to create wonders and empires. While the lower races, each twisted and cursed by the gods, have dragged upon this greatness and ruined these things.

In times past there was great magic, wonder and heroics in the world but those days are long gone. The world is fading, peoples of all races are slowly dying out, children are stillborn or never concieved as the world slowly dies.

The players are The Last Heroes, who were told of in prophecy since times immortal, who will be the ones to be the worlds saviour; or dammnation. They have each been raised to be great heroes and every step has been taken according to the prophecy. The heroes will now stride forth to do their duty.

Basically the players are the last of the fantastic in the world. It makes them special from the get-go and allows for greater help or hinderance depending on the GMs whims.

Higher and Lower Races
The higher races are up to GM fiat but for the most part they are any non-savage or normally evil race. They are the rulers, the merchant princes, the law makers and anything of importance. It's not to say that there aren't poor or down-trodden peoples of these races but for the most part they are born with inherant advantages.

The lesser races are anything else pretty much. I included any non-organic race in this group as well due to the strangeness of their physiology. The members of these races can never rise very high within the civilised society of Bore-Na. They are labourers, cannon fodder, slaves and worse. They usually hold no lands or rights within the world and have to struggle just to live.

The Plot
The area the players begin in is the great city of Lahan where amidst great secrecy the players are given their first task from the Garwurdu Council as the last heroes.

Just over a weeks ride from the city is the Alchera Valley where, according to ancient legend, all life sprang forth from. A large group of the lesser races have begun major excavations within the valley and the Garwurdu Council think that this would be the perfect proving ground for the players.

The City of Lahan Overview
The city of Lahan is considered to be the last bastion of culture and enlightenment, all races live and work within its walls and the council declare that all races are treated equally with its walls. This is certainly not the case but it is a salve for the concience of the more liberal members of the population.

The city itself is divided into 4 quarters each containing an even mix of industry and housing. Each quarter consists of old stone buildings which were built during the last golden age of civilisation and newer wooden structures in which the poorer and less illustrious members of the city live.

The Gold Quarter contains largely banks and merchants of a finer stripe. Slaves can also be bought from this quarter, primarily trained slaves in whatever aspect their master may require. There are guards on patrol day and night within this quarter and crime is of a more high handed nature. While thugs may not jump you in an alley the lord you insulted last week may well have you poisoned.

The Stone Quarter contains the masons and builders of the city. The houses are well built and maintained and the people of the quarter tend to be kinder to those of lesser races. Slaves are often in evidence here carrying loads or repairing structures and while the number of guards are low the kindness the average master treats his slaves with means that the area is largely self policing.

The Water Quarter cointains the majority of the merchants and places of learning for the city. The streets are narrow and twisting and while the guards are in evidence who their loyalty lies with is always in question. Slaves in this quarter typically fall into one of two types, Thugs and Literate. Literate slaves copy scrolls, sift through paperwork and do simple mathematics for their masters, while Thugs are hired muscle to keep the peace for whoever pays the most.

The Loud Quarter was originally called the Fire Quarter until the number of blacksmiths rose to the point where the hammers drowned out most of the sound in the area. This is as close to a slum as you will find within Lahan but still there are guards on the streets. Slaves are worked hard and perform all the most unpleasant tasks within this quarter and are often just viewed as fuel for the forges. The prison for the city, the Slump, can be found dug underneth much of this quarter.

Within the center of the city is the council chambers where members of the elected council, their families, retainers and guards live. There is everything a member of the council could wish for within the chambers and so gaining a seat on the council, and holding it, is the dream of many a person.

If a council member is unlucky enough to lose his seat, either through a vote of his peers or simple misfortune, he is required to leave the council chambers with all of his possessions and retainers within one month. Failure to do so is met with death for the counciller in question and imprisonment for his retainers. Fortunatly a majority vote of some 600 councillers is required before a member can lose his seat but there are other exceptions that can cause this, such as selling of secrets and being found drunk at a council meeting.

The players were raised within the bounds of the city once they had been identified as the children of the prophecy. Their old lives were discarded from that moment on and each has lived towards their chosen place within the Last Heroes. Willingly or otherwise.

The Journey
Due to the effects of the fading vast areas of the world are now uninhabited. While the land around the Alchera Valley is lush and perfect for farming once more than a couple of days outside of Lahan the country side is deserted except for the abandoned farms and villages that occasionally dot the countryside.

The climate of the area is near mediterranean but with a higher rain fall, so while the area is warm the vegetation is still lush and green.

The Alchera Valley
The Alchera Valley is a mile long cleft into the earth at the top of a gentle rise with lush grassland surrounding it. Within the valley the air itself smells of verdant growth and the air is humid and close. The valley itself has become a large scale acheological dig where hundreds of members of the lesser races, and the odd higher race, are working to uncover something.

Over the years many scholars and academics have explored and excavated the area hoping to find some hint as to why each race has a legend of life beginning in this place, other than a few ancient carvings and hints nothing had really been found.

As the players near the site a large contigent of the lesser races are seen leaving to the north carrying wagons full of something in great haste and leaving the site apparently lightly guarded.

I will detail the adventure itself in the next couple of weeks but I will slowly be expanding the lands of Bore-Na along with justification for my design decisions in the future.