Here be miniature giant space dragons: ready to start on characters, unless you want to play a cockatiel person.

Yes. A plannign thread. You read right.

I'm thinking something episodic and in space. Ever heard of Spelljammer? Ever seen Star Trek? Ever heard of clockpunk? Then this is for you.

The basic concept is that the planet we're all from is about to launch its first sailing ship into the Aetherous Void and find other planets to explore, trade with, and colonize. Once we get out into space (starting from drydock on the moon), the story will be fairly episodic. I intend to crowdsource many of the scenarios, which is part of why I made this a plannign thread. You get to contribute.

The technology on your home planet is essentially really advanced clockwork, with some magic (which I'll elaborate on later). Steam power is cutting edge, but nobody's figured out how to make it mobile or efficient enough to make it practical; Geomantic power and fine machinery has thus far been the most efficient way to go. As far as space travel, they've gotten good at going back and forth from the planet to the moon, but they've never ventured beyond that. At least, not before you guys.

And did I mention that your spaceship is pretty much a galleon? Like, a boat, with sails and ropes and all that cool stuff?


There will be at least a nominal hierarchy of players, relating roughly to positions on a sailing ship. There's a captain, quartermaster, navigator, first mate, carpenter, engineer, gunner, and pilot. (personally, I intend to play the engineer, so I can explain how the stuff works)

This planet has no humans on it. Elves (of the Tolkien or Elder Scrolls-esque variety) or dwarves will be the closest there is. There will be multiple other species on the planet, and not all of them will get along smoothly. Personally, I'd like to keep the species list limited, because that opens up the options for what you'll encounter later. I am open to suggestions in the meantime.

What I need right now is suggestions for encounters/episodes, things you'd like to see, and species you might like to play. The more worldbuilding I can have to start with, the better - when you're the ambassadors of your world, it helps to know what exactly you all stand for!

Definitive info starts here:

*I am naming the planet Thulai, unless someone else comes up with something better. Its moon is named Orin

General technology level on Thulai is immediately after the invention (but before the practical application of) the steam engine. There are a lot of things for which magic is more effectual than steam, so it will be pretty slow on the uptake. And you know all that cool stuff Leonardo da Vinci had invented in his notebooks (flying machines, tanks, etc.)? They have that.


The Void, the final frontier (aka, what there is and isn't in space)
There is no air in the Void. Anything traveling in space needs to bring its own air bubble.
There is no gravity in the Void. Artificial gravity tech is really expensive and newfangled.
There is Aether: the intangible medium through which heat transfers itself. In some places, it flows in currents and eddies; in others, it stays placid. Void-ships use this medium for propulsion.
Essence links stay in place throughout vast distances, but there are effects that can disrupt them (exotic geomancy, certain nebulae, etc.).

Known Thulai technology and magitech


Void-ships
The Void-ship is the pinnacle of known technology, combining traditional shipbuilding, alchemy, artifice, and geomancy. Void-ships are constructed similarly to standard water-bound boats, with a few crucial differences. First, these ships are constructed of durable ironwood, which is one of the few materials strong enough to withstand void travel. Personnel and passengers are always kept below decks to prevent accidents resulting from gravitational mishaps. Fancier ships sometimes have covered portions of the deck where wealthier lunar travelers can see outside safely. Crew on deck are always tethered to the ship at all times.
At the core of each ship is an atmosphere generator that creates breathable air for the occupants. The difficulty is that each ship requires an air-aspected manse powering it; given the limited availability of manses, some ships must be powered with alchemical reagents. This introduces a new operating cost beyond docking fees and standard repairs, but it is often the only option for captains who do not own suitable manses or cannot find patrons.
For propulsion, void-ships use aether sails made from essence-spider silk and woven jade fibers. Rather than catching the wind of air, they catch the faintest zephyrs of the aetherial wind, which drags the ship along the current. In the doldrums, the crew cannot row, so the ships have an outrigger or two that carries an aether-impeller: a large magical material screw (or series of propellers) inside a tubular casing. When set in motion by manual power or by more expensive spring-wound clockwork propulsion, the impellers catch hold of the aether and drive the ship along.
The ship always has at least three rudders, one or two for pitch, and one or two for yaw. Whichever axis has two rudders is the one that controls banking.
The typical Thulai-to-moon trip goes like this: You board the moon-ferry at the docks, along with the other ships (for void-ships land on the water, just like normal ones) and are promptly shuffled below deck after paying the requisite fees and having your luggage stowed. The captain gives you a quick safety briefing and seals the lower deck. That done, the crew rows or is towed out of the dock into open water, at which point the ship angles with the aetherial currents and drops the sail for takeoff. It accelerates slowly at first, then faster as the ship engages its vertical rudders and takes to the sky. The sky gradually darkens to black as the ship leaves the atmosphere and has to rely on its own air source. There is no artificial gravity, so passengers gradually start to become lighter, until they become weightless. When the ship reaches the moon's gravitational field, it rolls over so that the moon is now oriented down, rather than up. The ship will have reached rather terrific speeds by the time it gets close, so it will raise its sails, using the moon's gravity to pull it the rest of the way. It then sets down in one of the lunar lakes in much the same manner as it took off. The entire trip takes about eight hours.

Clockwork
If it's not powered by magic, it's probably powered by wind-up. The winding compresses a spiral spring, which unwinds to provide rotational power. Some sources are assisted by Essence power, so that the energy manually imparted to the system doesn't necessarily have to equal the energy output. Cool spinny gadgets and an insane number of gears and cogs are par for the course.

Essence
There are two pervasive intangible substances in the universe: Aether and Essence. Essence is the stuff of magic, and the stuff of which all things are made. Where there is nothing, there is no Essence; where there is Essence, there is something. Objects are a congealed amalgam of essences; living beings are essences and souls.* They respire essence as they do air, bringing it in and expelling it just as quickly. They have no conscious awareness of this, and no control. However, on rare occasion, a mage, or an unfortunate mortal living too close to an untapped demense manages to achieve such enlightenment that he can store essence for his own use; that is something that has its own story later.

Essence comes in a potentially limitless different "flavors" or "aspects," six of which are known on Thulai: Air, Water, Fire, Stone, Wood, and Orinian. It will be discovered later that certain planets favor certain Essences or have their own particular aspect, as different areas within a planet often do. Thulai favors Stone, and its moon is, obviously, Orinian. Whether or not the Orinian association is a particular feature of Orin or a common characteristic of moons is as yet unknown, and something the Reisender is tasked with finding out.
I'll fill in more about the associations of the aspects later; each player will get a hearthstone of a certain aspect.

*non-sentient beings have one soul, the lower one. Sentients also have a higher soul.

Manses and Demenses
As mentioned previously, Essence is not homogeneously distributed throughout the universe. Unlike Aether's constant flowing like a body of water, Essence gathers in ley lines, creating a network throughout the universe. Where the ley lines cross, demenses (di-mayns) form. These areas of untapped, raw power are varying shades of dangerous because they tend to warp and mutate the local flora, fauna, and people to suit its nature.* To deal with this, the natives of Thulai developed manses. A manse is a specialized building developed to take advantage of the energy in a demense and channel it into a single, condensed nexus. Demenses capped by manses no longer mutate the populace. Manses come in all shapes, sizes, and purposes, but they have one commonality: they all produce one hearthstone apiece.

*symptoms include physical mutation, insanity, and dependence on physical proximity to the manse. Credit for Essence metaphysics goes to Exalted.

Hearthstones
A hearthstone is a gem about the size of a chicken egg, made of pure, untainted essence channeled by a manse. Hearthstones provide arcane links to the manse, channeling essence to its bearer and providing him passive benefits or minor talisman powers. The strength of a hearthstone is dependent on the strength of the demense that fathered it. They are nigh-impossible to break, without the knowledge of a skilled occultist. They are most commonly used as power sources for essence-powered devices and vehicles (such as Void-ships). In addition to their usual cantrips, they also provide four charges per day for your character to cast a spell using its supplied Essence. (characters may start off knowing one spell)

Essence Weaponry

Aspect Associations
These are the concepts that are typically associated with or influenced by a given aspect of Essence. When you choose your hearthstone power, this can provide a list of ideas. Some planets will have dominant aspects, so this can also give you a good idea of things to expect. You do not have to read this before joining the RP; just reference it as you need to.

Air: wind, lightning, storms, thought, sound, language, cold, motion, precision, invisibility, ethereality, travel, openness, academia, manual dexterity, sky, birds, memory for detail, pale colors, logic, philosophy, puzzles, independence, pride, sapphire, tin, blue jade
Stone: rock, sand, architecture, toughness, ritual, tradition, internal, reliability, stillness, claustrophobia, dwarves, civilization, tools, training, dedication, eternity, landmarks, white and brown, faith, mountains, goats, small furred animals, burrows, serpents, caves, cities, farms, assorted gems, white jade, lead
Fire: passion, heat, light, agility, animation, pain, danger, renewal, change, specialization, consumption, orange, quickness, awe, conflict, sun, desert, volcano, reptiles, lions, sacrifice, purification, instinct, great cats, desert snakes, violence, ruby, red jade, steel
Water: intrigue, rain, subtlety, emotional memory, flexibility, acceptance, dark colors, manipulation, unpredictability, unexpected force, persistence, instinct, logic, philosophy, ice, storms, sailing, deception, grace, fish, versatility, depth, essential natures, purity, usefulness, mazes, complexity, calm, frogs, fog, health, waves, turquoise, pearl, coral, black jade, silver
Wood: plants, animals, seasons, growth, poison, birth, death, cycles, love, forests, green, brown, simple governance, joy, pleasure, spirit, gods, thorns, flowers, lust, reproduction, drugs, parties, predator-prey relationships, emerald, amber, green jade
Orinian: moon, night, silver, moonsilver, purity, evolution/change, spirit, cycles, feminine, beauty, honor, nurture, defense, strength, battles, wisdom, awareness, wit, responsibility, love, simplicity, healing, destruction, reflections, mysticism, insanity, rage, claws, heartbeats, bodies, fluidity, white and gray


Thulai Species

Dwarves
Based on: Dwarves. No shit, sherlock.
Description: Four and a half feet is tall for a dwarf, and three and a half is relatively short. They're built like brick walls, and they're about as sturdy. Their faces are humanoid, save for generaly larger noses, and smaller eyes. Their skin is generally pale from lack of sun. Their hair can be white, black, navy blue, dark (nearly black) green, or brown, depending where they were born. Their hair color basically corresponds to the color of the nearest large jade deposit. If they weren't born near any, their hair is brown. That has been a big anti-status symbol in the past, because it generally means your were born on the surface or you were just plain poor. Such dwarves have been known to occasionally go bleach-blond. With an increasing number of jobs that need to be done above ground though (many ship-production related), that's becoming less important, but it's still a stigma. There have been rumors of silver-haired dwarves being born on the moon, since the establishment of the first moon colony eighty years ago. Just like every other dwarves, they never cut their beards. In this idulgent day and age, it's not uncommon to get impractically artistic with one's beard. Natural or the three-strand braid is the norm, but the crown sennit (pic) is in fashion lately. Dwarves favor linen or wool tunics and tight-fitting pants, all with ornate trim. The trim around the sleeves indicates familial heritage: left sleeve is the father's family colors and weave, right is the mother's. Think of it like a tartan. Given their preferred environments, they usually favor hats over hoods. Photosensitivity is common among dwarves, so they often use darkened goggles to compensate on sunny days.
General disposition: Dwarves have a racial tolerance that comes from realizing that everyone is stuck on a world together, and things will generally go smoother if they don't kill each other. This doesn't mean that they necessarily like everybody, but if there's anyone they hate outright, they usually keep it under wraps. Their attitude towards the Rivitar varies from acceptance as distributors of dwarven goods or leeches who never make anything for themselves.
Important cultural info: Dwarves live primarily in vast underground caverns. They are the most numerous race on Thulai, although nobody quite knows why. The most everyone knows is that there are ancient five and a half foot tall statues of dwarves that predate pretty much anything similar found by any other cultures. Dwarves are first and foremost craftspeople, being experts on smithing, stonework, glassblowing, and legendary clockwork. Farming isn't so much their thing. Isolated dwarven communities have been known to pray to powerful artifacts in their village, powering them by prayer, rather than geomancy.
Favored aspect: Stone

Rivitar
Based on: Some form of reptile; I don't honestly remember any more. I guess the closest thing you're going to find is the Argonians from The Elder Scrolls series.
Description: Rivitar at their shortest stand a six feet tall; at their tallest, seven and a half. Unlike the Argonians in TES, their ankles or whatever are higher up, resulting in what almost looks like a double joint in their legs; this also gives them superior mobility in the desert, as they can quickly run over the dunes. They have clawed hands and feet, which generally means they aren't going to be wearing gloves or boots (not that they would really need them, since they have rather tough scales); these claws can range from anywhere to ivory to almost obsidian in coloration. Scales are muted colors (you aren't going to find a lime green one anywhere), and cover almost their whole bodies. Their faces are expressive like the other races', despite the close kinship to lizards. The insides of their mouths reveals that, despite most being primarily meat-eating, they are omnivorous. They do, in fact, have five fingers on each hand, and I guess a cool little feature is on their feet, where they have that cool raptor-style hook blade talon thingy. The typical dress for the desert-dwelling Rivitar is style rather basic, consisting of a rough cloak with a hood, a simple shirt made out of the same uncomfortable material (not that it matters to them), and close-fitting pants (again made out of the same material as the cloak and shirt). Outside of the desert, though (and yes, you will find them in other places), they can be found wearing much fancier hooded cloaks (they usually forego shirts outside of the desert), some lower garments that allow their tail to poke out the backside. One thing found among almost all clothing that the Rivitar wear? They have a love for jewelry, and will often wear numerous necklaces and rings, some even wearing bands on their tails, arms, and legs. They prefer hot places, although they can function normally in cold climates, despite popular belief among the other races. Generally speaking, the closer one lives to a desert, one will think of Rivitar as bandits and ruffians, and the closer one lives to a city, one will think of them as shrewd businessmen or thieves. The average Rivitar can live anywhere from 75 to 110 years, although some manage to live longer. Unless, of course. They get killed before that.
General disposition: Most Rivitar view the other races as just being there to create fine items for their own gain, although there are plenty who think otherwise, obviously. They generally are greedy to a fault, which leads them to either thinking up crazy business plans or resorting to just stealing and killing to get what they want.
Important cultural info: ... *looks up* Umm. GREED. Business people, thieves, bandits... Oh, they make good assassins and bounty hunters... Really, they just like opportunities to get rich quick.
Favored Aspect: Fire

Race: Sqamik
Based on: Turtles
Description: Sqamin are between four and five and a half feet tall, depending on the breed, with five being something like the norm. They are atypically wide because of their sturdy elliptical carapaces. Their shapes vary by geography; coastal Sqamin more resemble sea turtles, while ones near the edge of the marshes and on the islands frequently resemble tortoises. Their skin colors are earth tones and deep greens, with the occasional pale yellow and bright markings. The amphibious Sqamin lifestyle is not conducive to clothing - spending equal time in and out of the water, most fabrics weigh you down - and as such, it isn't especially common in native Sqamik territories (though visitors are generally expected to adhere to their own cultural standards; Sqamik are hidden my their own shells). In other areas, they tend to wear clothing that leaves their back carapace exposed, revealing their complex shell tattoos, which denote status, lineage, etc. It is usually made from fibers of aquatic plants or specially oiled fish or eel leathers that do not become waterlogged. Here we have a Sqamik of reasonable achievement wearing a simple bandana; since it is purple, he is probably from a wealthy family. link
General disposition: Their way of dressing and agricultural tendencies have given them a mild stereotype of being naked barbarians, but nothing could be farther from the truth. They are very culturaly sophisticated, but mostly in ways that other races wouldn't catch onto as much. They are just as capable of complex professions as anyone else, but they tend not to get many jobs in technical fields without sacrificing a lot of their cultural identity. The dwarves are mostly just the people who buy their food; delicate machinery functions poorly underwater, and magitech that would work better is expensive. Outside their particular areas, they tend to find jobs in ports and as deckhands on mundane sailing ships.
Important cultural info: To those who know how to read them, a Sqamik's shell tattoos are like a personal history, a resumé, and even a criminal record. Even the uninitiated know that the tattoos are additive starting from the center, so the more tattoos one has, the more accomplished he is. Some especially important ones have tattoos that wrap around to their front. The tattoos are also more or less permanent, since they are not so much tattoos, but something akin to a ceramics glaze that is painted on, then fired to create a glass coating. Stripping of markings sometimes occurs in extreme cases, such as banishment (the family and region marks will be chipped off) and divorce (the spouse's name will be removed). This leaves a shadow where the tattoo used to be, so it is even then not entirely removed. The one thing that is never recorded is the subject's name; the name is mutable; the past is not. The left third of the shell is for family matters (where the heart is); the right third is for business (let the your word and a handshake be your bond); the bottom third is for civic and military achievements (for one's foundation is in the community). They come in any color except red, which is solely used to denote crimes. (Some suspicious families have been known to use purple).
Sqamin are one of the primary food producers on Thulae, specializing in various forms of aquaculture. They live primarily in and near lakes and marshes. The tropical Sqamin live in one area that goes from ocean to rainforest to river, with an island out at sea, and the northern ones live in a partially submerged forest, where enormous sequoias tower out of an incredibly deep lake.
Favored aspect: Water

Species name: Homo mutata "Permian(s)"
Based on: Monkeys

Appearance: I did have a picture of the specie, but it's not with me and I have no scanner at the moment. Permians are basically omnivorous monkey people. These monkey people, when standing are their full height are statistically speaking about 5'8" most of the time. They are rather unique for having two tails that share a base by only two or so inches, and having two legs with four extra arms up top, completely separated from each other. Their eyes are also different. They're black and beady and each side of the face has three black marble looking eyes, so that would make six eyes all together. With these traits, other species appropriately nicknamed the Permians "spider-monkeys". They are most often seen having shades of grey with white being the most common. There are also grey Permians, black Permians, and the occasional brown one. Their face and skin (hands and feet) however are always pink and their faces are long. Like a hunting dog, their fur is thick and they have a lot of skin so that if they were to be grabbed, they wouldn't be too harmed. Unlike a dog though, it isn't just around their scruff but everywhere on their body except on their face, hands, feet, and tails. The tails do have a little extra skin however, but nothing noteworthy. While they do have nails, they are not long or strong enough to be considered as weapons, and are mostly used to pick off ticks and other parasites.

Abilities/Traits: They are extremely intelligent and cunning and even during their early creature phases, they were able to pick up sticks or stones and use them as tools to get food. They are really fast on the ground, but not enough to outrun, say, a greyhound, but they are the best climbers in all of the forests. With two tails and four upper arms, they rarely ever fall from a tree and move through the trees with amazing agility .They have very good eye sight and are able to spot food from the thickest of trees and would be able to see a predator coming from nearly a mile away if they were on flat ground. They have managed to develop their own form of communication.

Culture/Disposition: While the Permians aren't a tribe, they are close to being so. A single pack works together obediently, and there is a type of caste system in a pack. It is determined by the color of one's coat. Black coats were of the highest respect to put it simply. A black coat would be the leader of a pack and other black coats would act as another pack member would take whichever duty they choose, but when the leader dies, one of them are allowed to step up. Be it a battle to the death, or that all but one refuse the position. All coats must be present to witness the new leader. Grey coats basically guard the pack and the camp of said pack. Brown coats are the hunters of a pack and bring back fresh kill for the pack. Brown coats are among the stealthiest of a pack being stuck with their position. They may choose whether or not to lay down scent markers which tells others that they're in their territory. White coats are the lowest one can get, and probably the most common. They gather fruit and vegetables, put down scent markers, do things for the camp, et cetera.

The Permians as a whole aren't too aggressive to other species, but they are very territorial, especially around the main camp of the pack. The camp isn't so much of a camp, but the general area where all the Permian rest and sleep and shelter themselves, which makes this place the most valuable to them. When faced with a predator too large, they all join up together, flex their arms and stick out their tails wide. The numbers and suddenly becoming larger often scares away most predators. If they don't leave within the next few minutes, they attack in overwhelming numbers. They would use anything as a weapon and would like hit them with a stick or smash them with a large rock. Speaking of which, they aren't the strongest thing around, but they're stronger than you would expect and could move a small boulder using all the strength in their four arms. Permians are very thankful to the forest for the gifts of life and while they do sometimes tear off branches, sticks, and leaves and flowers, if they see creatures acting trying to damage the forest or trees, they can get pretty pissed.

The race is as ancient as Thulai itself, but due to their reluctance to advance and happens to prefer sticking to The Old Ways, the dwarves had managed to out speed them into dominance. At first, the Permians were hunted for their fur, skin, meat and eyes (pretty much everything), which caused a long term disdain for the dwarves. But as time went by, the dwarves acknowledged them as a super-intelligent species like themselves, and all reports of hunting them were then classified as murder. Some of the Permians joined Dwarven society while others continued to hate the race. Still, most Permians refuse to either live outside their village or live in an actual city, since they have a dislike for change and cannot stand living outside their primitive life style. Obviously though, this does not apply to all, and some are even participating in the colonization program, and are completely capable of understanding modern technologies.

Miscellaneous info: They don't like water too much, but are able to tolerate it. So if they suddenly fall in a river or some body of water enough to actually get them wet (excluding puddles) without expecting so, they will freak out. This includes being forced into water, or accidentally falling in it. They also react badly to something scaring them, so jumping out of the bushes is probably a bad idea. Like most species, they're very protective of their young.
Also, fun fact. Venom in insects such as bees, ants, or spiders won't really affect them and the most they get out of it is getting high. So they often times eat them and when they find it, spider webs as well! Webs are considered to be a candy-like treat in their culture.

Cockatiel people

Species submission sheet:

Race:
Based on: (if any; if you based it on a familiar species, like cats or dragons, tell us so we have a frame of reference. If you obviously named it for the species it's based on, don't bother here)
Description: (guidelines for how they look, dress, etc. along with lifespan, preferred clime, and other important info one would need to know)
General disposition: (how they tend to view other races in general)
Important cultural info: (any cultural quirks, etc. As for religion; just know that there's a ton of gods out there over basically anything and everything. Just so long as each god corresponds to one thing, it's cool. Everyone agrees who the gods are, but different groups worship different ones. There also least gods presiding over individual objects, and it's possible to pray to them too.)
Favored aspect: (Air, water, or wood. Species will favor environments that correspond to their particular aspect. Associated talents and magics will come more naturally to them, and such magics will have a slightly diminished effect. For instance, desert-dwelling Rivitar are predominantly fire-aspected. They are resistant to heat exposure, and presumably good with fire magic.)

Character sheet:

Name:
Gender:
Species:
Rank and position: (there can only be one of anything; there are the standard naval ranks and positions, plus an engineer. Engineer is taken by me)
Description: (show me some detail)
Backstory: (a couple paragraphs)
Beliefs: (3; See https://rpproject.rpg-board.net/t234-a-new-theory-substitute-for-personality )
Instinct: (1)
Hearthstone: (this gives you a moderate power or passive benefit according to aspect of the hearthstone. For instance, a strong air hearthstone, at the upper level of what I'd let someone have to start with, could give you resistance to all mundane sources of cold damage and let you refrigerate things by touch (but not enough to cause harm to someone). There's a list here: link Any of the second-edition terrestrial hearthstones are available.)
Starting spell: (this is a second little trick you can pull a few times a day. Pretty much just a cantrip.)

Ooh! Ooh! Can the space pirates be gnomes?

That they could.

Ji be interested.

Gnome pirates? They clearly have the advantage of a lower center of gravity, don't they?

And hacking together cool stuff from other stuff they find.

All the best equipment is makeshift, video games have infact taught me everything, why do you ask? Anyway, obviously we will have to face a clockwork menace far more powerful than mere gnome pirates.

If you find a baddie like that, it will probably be

Spoiler:

You tease.

Anyways, has there ever been any record of having encountered previous lifeforms alien to Thulai? Or should we freak the fuck out when we actually do get to meet one? Although a good start is trying to figure out what race we all want to be in the first place.

Maybe two dominant races of Thulai in the same populace?

This is the sort of thing that I was hoping we could talk out.

What I'm thinking is that nobody's seen alien life specifically, but nobody's quite sure whether it really exists. Thulai can muster decent telescopes, so they can see that there are other planets out there; there's just no conclusive evidence for what's on them.

As for the religious issue of whether or not an alien would have a soul, Thulai is generally pretty tolerant on the issue; with multiple sentient species around and common polytheism, their religions are okay with the possibility of something else having a soul.

I was thinking three to five races, so we can have a pretty strong amount of player diversity. Also, any beast race will be anthropomorphic, just to make the ergonomic issues work out. Hands are a must, at the very least.

Alright, this is cool. The religious aspect is a good bit of knowledge to be aware about. As for the races, what kind of planet is Thulai? If there's a lot of land and a surplus supply of oxygen and shit like that, then the creatures are going to be rather big, which is why the insects back then were so large. Though I'm just expecting it's going to be like a modern day earth environment, or 1360's. Whatever. The environment would be about the same in either era. but you get my meaning.

What kind of races are you looking for?

It's pretty much earthlike; think Renaissance-era Europe. Population density is starting to get high for what a barely-industrial* society can handle, so colonization is one of the reasons you're heading out. They're trying to colonize the moon, but it's pretty barren, so they're having a hard time of it.

In all likelihood, none of us will be setting foot on Thulai during the RP - we'll be starting in spacedock above the moon, so we shouldn't put too much thought into it beyond the bare bones ecologically. Social dynamics will be the main thing, so that we have a firm base to RP from, and a lot of that will come once we get races set up.

Land ownership will be the most important factors for status; if you own land, you're somebody. If you own land with a manse on it, you're potentially important. With a good manse, you're probably aristocracy.


For races, I'd like to stick to a theme. If we're doing fantasy critters, let's stick to those and avoid basing races on mundane animals. Likewise, if we're going with straight-up furries, let's lay off the dragons and save them for later. This will make it easier to theme other races and encounters later.

Ideally, we should have races that have definite common features, but wide adaptability. the Elder Scrolls' Khajit are a good example; they're cats, but in theory, there's a Khajit breed for every kind of cat that ever existed. Or gryphons: mix and match halves, and you can get pretty much anything to suit your tastes.

We also need to pick one or two human-esque races, like elves or dwarves, or halflings, or whatnot, if we want them.


*They have factories, but they're not especially efficient, and they're directed towards high technology far more often than consumer goods.

What about once we leave the planet? Will we encounter other alien races, and what will they be/do? Or is that what the RP is about discovering.

I am actually very, very interested in this, considering that it's a ship and sailing so yeah. Will there be characters on the crew, like bow-watchers and jib-handlers? Because I totally dig all these cosmo-nautical things.

Also for races, maybe put all of the small humanoid creatures into one group? Halflings, dwarves, and the like could simply be known as Small Folk or something and do that groupy thing you suggested.

Maybe keep the races less...flashy than what the aliens might be like? You know, nothing too weird like "holy crap blue tentacle birds with spikes". So I would be cool with keeping the fantasy races 'til later.

But I love blue tentacle birds with spikes

That's why you're exploring. You could run into a few scattered races, or a lifeless void, or some sort of interstellar empire. Who knows what's out there? I sure don't yet. Except for gnome space pirates, and maybe giant space hamsters.

Crew characters will be fine; they'd probably mostly be NPC's and whatnot, since they wouldn't have nearly as much authority as officers.

For human-group races, those I'd like to keep narrowly-defined or nonexistent. One of the things I know for certain is that the absence of humans (something that is fairly unusual OOC but a non-issue IC) will be some sort of a plot point.

I'd be fine with less flashy races, personally.

I think I now have the scientific underpinnings part of the OP basically done.

By the way, you misspelled planning.

Intentionally. Multiple times.

Oh. I see. Well then. You spelled plannign right. Bravo.

Yay! I aim to please.

Okay so umm. Yeah. I don't know if anyone remembers them, but... The Rivitar. They were those sort of badass lizard folk (tails and bipedal and shit) that I came up with that one time? Yeah. Well. I wasn't sure if you'd like to use them, because they're, you know. Crazy lizard folk (okay, not actually crazy; I just don't even know what I'm doing here).

Let's see... They are primarily desert dwellers, they've got not... prehensile... tails, scales, lizard heads, and... Shit, you know the Argonians in TES? Yeah, that's about right. Except without horn hair or leaves on their scalps or whatever the hair options are.

Sounds about right. I'll add them to the OP. I should probably also post some sort of race sheet, shouldn't I?

That would be good.

Done.

Race: Rivitar
Based on: Some form of reptile; I don't honestly remember any more. I guess the closest thing you're going to find is the Argonians from The Elder Scrolls series.
Description: Rivitar at their shortest stand a half foot over the average human (dunno how tall that is and I guess it doesn't really matter?); at their tallest, one and a half. Unlike the Argonians in TES, their ankles or whatever are higher up, resulting in what almost looks like a double joint in their legs; this also gives them superior mobility in the desert, as they can quickly run over the dunes. They have clawed hands and feet, which generally means they aren't going to be wearing gloves or boots (not that they would really need them, since they have rather tough scales); these claws can range from anywhere to ivory to almost obsidian in coloration. Scales are muted colors (you aren't going to find a lime green one anywhere), and cover almost their whole bodies. Their faces are expressive like the other races', despite the close kinship to lizards. The insides of their mouths reveals that, despite most being primarily meat-eating, they are omnivorous. They do, in fact, have five fingers on each hand, and I guess a cool little feature is on their feet, where they have that cool raptor-style hook blade talon thingy. The typical dress for the desert-dwelling Rivitar is style rather basic, consisting of a rough cloak with a hood, a simple shirt made out of the same uncomfortable material (not that it matters to them), and close-fitting pants (again made out of the same material as the cloak and shirt). Outside of the desert, though (and yes, you will find them in other places), they can be found wearing much fancier hooded cloaks (they usually forego shirts outside of the desert), some lower garments that allow their tail to poke out the backside. One thing found among almost all clothing that the Rivitar wear? They have a love for jewelry, and will often wear numerous necklaces and rings, some even wearing bands on their tails, arms, and legs. They prefer hot places, although they can function normally in cold climates, despite popular belief among the other races. Generally speaking, the closer one lives to a desert, one will think of Rivitar as bandits and ruffians, and the closer one lives to a city, one will think of them as shrewd businessmen or thieves. The average Rivitar can live anywhere from 75 to 110 years, although some manage to live longer. Unless, of course. They get killed before that.
General disposition: Most Rivitar view the other races as just being there to create fine items for their own gain, although there are plenty who think otherwise, obviously. They generally are greedy to a fault, which leads them to either thinking up crazy business plans or resorting to just stealing and killing to get what they want.
Important cultural info: ... *looks up* Umm. GREED. Business people, thieves, bandits... Oh, they make good assassins and bounty hunters... Really, they just like opportunities to get rich quick.


WHEE FAILING