Okay, so I had a crazy idea pop into my head. This actually happens a lot, but I try not to let myself get to taken by them. Sure, I probably could make an excellent dread overlord, but I am unwilling to spend time making the robot army of Pippi Longstockings. Think of the overhead!
Where was I?
Oh right! Crazy idea.
So, my crazy Idea was for a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting. I am a fan of post-apocalyptic settings in general and I love the fantasy variants even more. Thundarr the Barbarian is the best and I am willing to fight anyone who says otherwise.
Given that, I present the following. I am calling it God Thrones for now for lack of a better name. I am not in love with that name, and am open to suggestions.
Note: People reading this will probably pick up that I am thematically picking up a lot from Jack Kirby. That is deliberate and I will not apologize for it.
6 true things about God Thrones
- Nine titanic Gods sit silently on thrones scattered around the world. The disaster that befell the earth is due to their appearance and their influence on the world. Magic, odd races and monsters are all due to their presence warping reality.
- The world before the gods arrived was a science fiction future setting. Its artifacts are often found scattered around the world. Sometimes these may be found and used, but most lay dead as hints to a greater world.
- Magic is a new thing. Arcane or divine magic has developed in the last 200 years give or take. There is no ancient tradition to call on. The people exploring magic are discovering things as they go along. It is largely not trusted by most people.
- The Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, and most other fantastical player races are actually humanity altered by the presence of the Gods. There are no ancient Elven civilizations or evil creation myths for Orcs. (For what it is worth, Orcs may have some anger management issues by nature but are not bad guys beyond that. ) Humanity barely survived the apocalyptic coming of the Gods and only in the past 200 years have they begun to bounce back and build cities again.
- Much the past is a mystery to humanity. They can see evidence of the past all around, but there are few things actually known. By the time the Gods came, humanity had moved a to a largely digital information society. With the collapse, much of that information was lost. Finding pre-collapse physical books is exceedingly rare.
- The knowledge of what is going on around the world is hard to come by. Naval vessels and even air ships do exist but travel is still expensive and dangerous. There are no large and prosperous nations yet to finance large scale trade expeditions. The few people who do it are taking great risks and hope for great reward. They do sometimes bring tales of the different parts of the world they have seen.
The History
The setting is around 800 years in our future. By the year 2217 we had explored the solar system and colonized Mars and the Moon, and even some colonies in the belt and beyond. (The level of the Expanse is what I am thinking.) Then one day, without warning, the Gods appeared. Each stood miles high and wearing full suits of armor. The sudden existence of being that massive caused immediate environmental issues. Shockwaves of their appearance shattered buildings, and their tread triggered earthquakes. One appeared in the Atlantic and cause a massive tsunami. The Gods, because that is what they would be called, altered reality around them. Radio signals seemed to be blocked. The sky would occasionally tear open and other stars could be seen beyond.
The major powers tried to respond. Nuclear weapons were unleashed on a God striding through what was once Russia. More explosive power than was released in all the wars ever fought was directed at a single being. Resulting wasteland had nothing that survived…except the God.
Humanity died by the billions due to the disaster. The sky burned and for hundreds of years it seemed the time of man was done for good. Only in recent years has the world begun to settle down and humanity has begun to recover. The 9 Gods are still there, but they stopped moving centuries ago. Each formed a throne from the earth and sit silently. They still affect the world around them. Their presence in the world changes it.
The 9 Gods have never spoken and no one knows their names, but they have been named by the survivors.
The Dark King
In the Altai Mountains sits the Dark King. His armor blackened by nuclear fire, he emits only death. At his feet wander an army of undead waiting to be lead against the living.
The Wild Mother
Though gender is hard to make out in the Gods, and may be meaningless, the notion of the Wild Mother being female relates to old Gaia myths. The presence of the Wild Mother in South America has cause the Amazon Rain Forrest to regrow. Her presence also seems to have created the Elves.
The Burning Lord
The Burning Lord burned much of central North America and the resulting smoke blotted out the sun for many years. Now he sits in what was once Kansas and chaos reigns around him.
The Ocean Queen
The Ocean Queen rests in the Atlantic. A vast maelstrom swirls around her and many terrible creatures fond in the deep are due to her. The few ship captains that brave the Atlantic say that sometimes dreams will call you to her throne. No one has yet returned from such trips.
The Machine God
On the mountain of Kilimanjaro sits the shining form of the Machine God. Men no longer live in the lands near him. Instead uplifted beasts and their robot children rule here. They do not travel often and only rumors exist about their civilization.
The Frozen God
The Frozen God sits on upon his throne on Mount Erebus in Antarctica. Giants and hardy creatures have come to live on the fringes of his lands. The lands are too harsh for most humans but rumors persist of hidden treasures form the golden age of man.
The Lost God
There is, hidden in the islands of the Pacific, a throne for the Lost God. No one living knows where. It is said the God may hide its throne in a deep ocean trench, or in a volcano. There are signs the God is there. Many strange things live in the islands. Many things simply disappear.
The War God
In the Fjords of northern Europe, the throne of the War God stands. In the gods hand is a spear, the only weapon the gods ever seemed to wield. Anyone who approaches the War Gods realm begins to feel a constant rage. The Orcs are often attributed to the War God, though many dispute this. Every generation or so, a mix of races sweep out of the north on long ships and spread destruction to all they can reach. This is not war of conquest or raids for goods. It is burning bleeding violent battle for battles sake.
The Dreaming God
On Uluru sits the The Dreaming God. The outback of Australia is a place where the walls of reality are thin. Dreams can become real, fey creatures walk the streams, and nightmares stalk the waking.
What will PC’s will do?
The basic starting assumed setting location would be a costal city state of New Durham. They would often be sent to raid old ruins for lost technologies or histories. They might be hired by ship captains braving the Atlantic to trade with Cymru reborn. They could face the followers of the Dark King, or try and solve the mysteries of where the gods came from. They could face the newly powerful sorcerer who tries to conquer New Durham with his army of ancient robots.
So, what do you think? Is this a setting worth exploring?