JD Edmond's Bloodworld

INTRODUCTION
“By now, you should already know the tale, but I am going to tell it anyways.

“It was two millennia ago when the gods went to war. It began with Sectus, lord of magic and primary deity of the elves, and Dhaar, lord of innovation, whom counted many of the dwarves among his worshipers. In the history of the gods, these two had never seen eye-to-eye, but something; a factor lost to the annals of history; set off an outright war between them. Soon enough, the other gods chose sides and the heavens raged with the Godwar. When deities became casualties of this war, the world itself trembled and began to tear itself asunder.

“Still, Sectus and Dhaar would not relent. Eventually, they met in final battle. After days of conflict, Sectus finally gained the upper hand and thrust his scimitar through the heart of the dwarven god. However, Dhaar yet had some strength left in him and, with his final breath, he shattered the skull of the elven deity with hi

s gun-hammer. The pair met their end locked in battle and fell to our world. When their lifeless forms struck the ground, the planet, itself, bellowed and a great cataclysm erupted. For centuries the world shuddered and changed.

“Finally, the rage of this world was ended. Those who survived knew not what the world had been called before, thus now it is known only as Scar. We know little of what lay beyond the area in which we live. To the East lies a massive Continent, dangerous and horrific with the massive Scar Mountains preventing passage deeper into the land. To the West lies the Endless Sea. Many have sought what is beyond the Sea and been lost forever. Those that have returned tell tales of massive sea beasts who demolish vessels, indiscriminately. To the South lies the raging heat of the Boiling Ocean. None can survive the raging inferno of the waters beyond. Finally, to the North sits the Unbreachable Glaciers. Unrelentingly cold and dangerous, few have even attempted to journey beyond and, like the Endless Sea, few who have so tried have returned.

“So we are left in our Lost Ocean for the rest of time. The many races of the world seemed to all be deposited in this area and, over two-thousand years, we have learned to live and trade together. The centaurs and the other woodland races maintain the grand forests of the Continent. They trade wood for various goods and the wood, in turn, is used to build massive sailing vessels. These vessels allow the other races; the humans, goblins, orcs, fey, giants, and the rest; to travel the Lost Ocean and ply their wares. Among the reefs and the dozens of tiny islands, nearby, live the elves, having adapted to a life at sea faster than any other race, they offer a measurable quantity of food to the cycle, as well as their constant study of magic. The dwarves, secluded in their volcanic island chains, make little trade with the outside world, although rumors persist among their brethren whom have been separated by the ages that they build sea beasts of metal with which to control the Lost Ocean.

“Other forces gather to etch fear into the hearts and souls of the beleaguered cities. Across what remains of the Continent, in the shadow of the Scar Mountains, armies of the dead are rumored to gather and wait. Beneath the oceans, the civilizations that have managed to thrive through the worship of ancient and horrifying monstrosities from the deepest crevasses in the ocean thrive and prepare to feed. In the blazing hot Southern Sea sit the citadel hives of the Insect Men, unified and inscrutable. On the seas, on massive juggernaut vessels larger than anything that could be built by other civilizations are the Blood Wizards; relentlessly seeking slaves with which to perform their wicked experiments and torturous sacrifices. Above us fly the dragons.

“The Gods are no more, their names whispered in reverence in hidden conclaves scattered about the Lost Ocean. In their place are the Aspects; powerful, capable, and dangerous mortals granted a fraction of godly power and a dose of freakishness thanks to the mutating divine energy within them.

“Survival is the only commodity worth having in this dangerous and hopeless world. Freedom is offered only to those who can afford to pay for it and wealth is granted only to those who are strong enough to take it. With the rarity of metal, the armor and weapons of the ancient past have given way to martial traditions that specialize in hand-to-hand combat. Warriors no longer can be found as unstoppable dreadnoughts with massive blades with which to cut a swathe through the lines of the enemy, but, rather, as lightly armored, acrobatic fighters capable of moving and reacting quickly enough to remove themselves from a sinking vessel if necessary.

“Magic is highly revered. The elves willingly share their arts with the rest of the mortal races in exchange for goods and services they may need, themselves. Many are the practitioners willing to take on a young and eager apprentice who will, one day, do the same. The Blood Wizards draw their magical power from the stuff of life, itself through arcane rituals understood by only them. Others; dragons, the Aspects, the Beneathers; have magic that we have little seen and of which we have no understanding.

“And thus, here you sit, listening to my tale, knowing that, with little doubt, your death will be horrific and terrible and committed by forces which may, if you are very fortunate, notice you as they strike you down.

“This is the way of life.

“This is the Bloodworld.”

BACKGROUND
The massive stretch of ocean that makes up what has become known as the Lost Ocean and the stretch of the Continent until the edge of the Scar Mountains has become known as Bloodworld to many of the inhabitants. The reason behind this is simple: fear drives the motivations of the inhabitants of the Lost Ocean. Although there are civilized and reasonably secure cities and, to some extent, nations, no one is completely safe from the various forces that would use others for their own dark means. The necromancers residing in the shadow of the Scars need the bodies of mortals to build their dark armies. Those beneath the waves, known as Beneathers, seek mortals for slaves in their massive atmospheric domes deep in the ocean. The Blood Wizards, literally, need their very life essence.

It has become an accepted fact that, should one venture from the relative safety of the various communities, one will likely find only a painful and torturous death. Bloodworld is the name for what life is in the Lost Ocean. That said, there are still those willing to fight, if only thanks to the very nature of mortalkind. Those willing to do battle with the forces that would conquer, kill, and consume them are rare, but do exist. These brave individuals are necessary for the trade to continue between the various island settlements and the Continent. They allow the people of Bloodworld to survive and offer the hope that, one day, the forces that see them as nothing more than a resource to be exploited might be swayed.

In the setting of Bloodworld, four key factors should be taken into consideration whether acting as the Gamemaster or in the creation of characters.

Survival
Those that live on or around the Last Sea face every day prepared to deal with the rigors of the world around them. Death can come from many sources and survival become a constant struggle. Characters should be built with this in mind. Knowing how to find and prepare food and water, as well as fight. Players should build their characters with this in mind. While there are those that live the pampered life, they are few, far between, and immensely wealthy. This level of wealth should be beyond the scope of what the players may start with.

The GM should also consider survival when developing scenarios. Well-equipped bands of adventurers crawling through dungeons and able to retreat to a nearby town to replenish resources and rest works in many fantasy games, but such is not the case in Bloodworld. Often, the heroes will be dealing with foes who are vastly more powerful than they are and will be forced to run or, at best, find some tactical advantage that allows them the upper hand.

Dungeon-crawling should be a rarity, but if and when it occurs, the event should be far more deadly than it would be in other settings. Intricate traps and well-established guardian monsters should be almost unknown. In the world after the cataclysm and millennia of neglect, anything that would resemble a dungeon should have challenges based on failed masonry and beasts that have taken up residence.

Unity
Without the politics of the governments of the past, the races of the Lost Ocean have little choice but to join together against the threats which they face. Although there are some exceptions (noted in the racial descriptions), the various species of sentient creatures have unified against their enemies. It is not uncommon to see humans, elves, orcs, goblins, gargoyles, ogres, and even dwarves banded together in order to fight Blood Wizards or the undead.

Very few settlements, with the exception of the elves and dwarves, are exclusively one specific race. Although it is sometimes complex for some species to get along with others and there are, of course, the occasional issues, the overwhelming need to unify against the evils of the world has led to some unusual situations, to say the least.

In fact, it is not unknown for intermarriage between differing species. Most species are genetically incompatible and no children result from these unions, but there are the rare cases where half-breeds are born, especially between elves and humans, orcs and humans, and gnomes and halflings. In any of these cases, the offspring are notably sterile.

Sea Travel
With the exception of excursions into the Continent, much of a Bloodworld campaign will likely take place traveling across the ocean. Being capable of journeying across the sea should be something that both the GM and the players should take into careful consideration.

The GM should be familiar and aware with the rules surrounding sea travel and the possible dangers that can occur during sea voyages. The judicious use of these perils will challenge the players without forcing a GM to create “random encounters”. However, one must be careful. It may be tempting to have a massive storm or other disaster occur on every voyage, but to do so would eventually dilute the danger that these events would otherwise impress.

For players, the idea of sea travel should, at least in part, shape some aspects of the character design. If they aren’t specifically sailors, they should at least be comfortable on a sailing vessel. Thus, a fear of the ocean or motion sickness would be inappropriate disadvantages unless the player is willing to deal with the character’s constant discomfort. Many adventurers in Bloodworld learn sailing skills that compliment their other capabilities.

Martial Arts
In Bloodworld, metal is hard to come by and fairly rare. For this reason, finding metal weapons can be an expensive venture and many have taken to using hand-to-hand combat techniques rather than relying on the availability of capable weaponry. Over the last five millennia, martial arts traditions have come to be seen as vitally important to survival. However, one must not overlook the importance of both the discipline many styles of unarmed combat emphasize, nor the fact that these traditions have become as important, in many ways, as the need they filled.

Martial artists should be remarkably common in Bloodworld. Players should want to take this into consideration when creating a combat-based character. Purchasing a particular style or styles should be just as it is presented in the GURPS Martial Arts book. Some examples of styles that have been renamed are in the Martial Arts section of this document, but suffice to say, any martial arts that do not have an English name (Special Forces Training, Professional Wrestling, etc.) should have a name translated to one suitable for Bloodworld. For example, Jujutsu becomes Throw-Fighting or Paankamp and Armatura becomes Blood Soldier Training.

It should be noted that any skills regarding Philosophy or Savoir-Faire should usually be renamed as well.

Many foes should utilize martial arts when in combat against the players. The GM should have a working knowledge of several techniques for each enemy he intends to have combat his players. In this way, they can seem more exotic an deadly. This will also help to personalize NPC characters. If the players are facing two thugs that know Paandrok (Shotokan Karate) and one of the thugs concentrates on kicking techniques while the other concentrates on hand strikes, they will feel as though they are facing very separate foes, even if they have the exact same characteristics. GM’s should endeavor to concentrate on martial arts enemies over foes that have better technological capabilities (read: lots of metal weapons) as any well-armed NPC that is defeated adds to the arsenal of the player characters.

It should be noted that several groups are innately well-armed. The Blood Wizards, relying on slave labor to excavate their various mines, keep their soldiers well-armed, although sailors are often less so. The undead forces of the Continent maintain mines through the use of undead labor and are, so, well-armed. The Beneathers utilize weaponry made from a special coral-like material that quickly loses its coherence when not kept completely wet. However, only when facing these and similar foes should players expect to deal with foes armed with metal (or the equivalent) weapons.

Character Creation
Characters for Bloodworld are created with 200 points, a maximum of 100 points of Disadvantages, and 5 points of Quirks. In addition, all characters must

Characters may be of any of the noted available races, but any marked with an asterisk (*) have an Unusual Background cost of 10 points. This is usually due to the fact that they reside on the Continent and the campaign takes place on the Lost Ocean. In the case of dwarves, this is the fact that they are outcasts. Often, the cost of Unusual Background replaces some advantage that the race receives.

All characters, with the exception of of dwarves, are considered Illiterate by default. Literacy is a requirement of most forms of spell-casting, although there are very rare exceptions.

Characters with Average Wealth begin with 250 cc (ceramic chits) worth of wealth. A ceramic chit is worth the equivalent of $1 in regards to pricing, thus characters may purchase $250 worth of equipment. Note that metal is incredibly rare and any object containing metal has the base cost doubled. Items that would normally use metal often have replacements in other materials, which vary from item to item, but generally reduce the durability by 25%. Wealth levels affect ONLY the starting wealth. All other money must come from in game sources. This means that a character may eventually have the equivalent of Multi-Millionaire wealth without having to pay the points. No starting character may begin with Multi-Millionaire.

Characters may choose any of the Martial Arts styles in the GURPS Martial Arts supplement. Many of these should have alternate names (and some do, see below). However, I do not have the time or desire to rename every Style detailed in the Martial Arts book. The player should feel free to come up with an alternate name that one thinks is appropriate in a character’s common language.

Bloodworld is a cinematic campaign, meaning that characters with the Advantage “Trained by a Master” may utilize Cinematic Skills and Techniques. Character may have multiple Martial Arts Styles, as well. When purchasing Martial Arts Styles, remember that each style includes a point for the Style Familiarity Perk for that Style. In order to learn additional styles, a character must first study that style (thus, learning Style Familiarity) before gaining access to techniques. In order to gain Cinematic Skills and Techniques from the new style, the character must locate a “Master” in game, although a character does not have to purchase Trained by a Master more than once.

Due to the cinematic nature of the campaign, both Hit Points and Fatigue may be purchased higher than normal. A character may have up to double the related attribute for Hit Points and Fatigue. Characters may purchase fatigue for spell-casting up to double this number. There are exceptions to these limits, most notably the practitioners of Blood Magic, but this should not affect characters at the time of creation.

Characters start able to speak one language at native rank. For many races, this will be Wavespeak, but some races have their own racial language and some may have learned one or the other, depending on the circumstances of the character’s childhood (raised primarily among other of his kind or among a number of races). This is detailed with each race, but can vary from the standard.

Things for Consideration
Tech Level - Most of the Lost Ocean is tech level 3, all around. Despite the lack of readily available metal, knowledge of how to work metal has not been lost. However, the avilability of metal items has doubled the price for any item that uses metal. Many items that may have used metal in the past rely on a different, more readily available substance, instead.

The dwarves have a higher level of technology, hovering between tech level 3+2 and, even 3+3, to some extent. Their technology ranges well into the higher levels of the Steampunk category. However, dwarves are innately xenophobic and their lack of connection with other races generally means that this higher technology has yet to fully disseminate to the rest of the Lost Ocean. The newest generation of dwarves is beginning to question the attitudes of their people towards the other races and, as they face their fear and begin to venture forth and explore the cultures of the world, the level of available technology might begin to slowly improve.

Mana Levels - For the most part, Bloodworld has Normal level of Mana. However, certain areas differ. Much of the city of Wyrmspire is High with concentrations of Very High in the palace and surrounding areas. The Lodge of Mystics keeps a very close eye on magic users, however, and tries to guard the secrets of magic from those who lack the ability to cast spells through natural talent. The Continent is mostly Normal, but High to Very High near the mountains, where the undead kingdoms lay.

Sex - In the world of Bloodworld, the various common roles between males and females have become things of distant legend. If one can do a particular job, that individual is expected to do it, with no regard for being male or female. In addition, sexual orientation is not questioned as folks tend to find what little happinesses that they can in Bloodworld. Child-bearing, however, is extremely revered and females who are pregnant are protected and treated well. Some women do not abide by this and seek to never be with child, but others enjoy the life of an expecting matron.

Common Races
Those people that live and work on the Lost Ocean are considered to be of the common races and species of Bloodworld.

Dwarves
Reclusive and xenophobic, the dwarves hide in beneath the archipelago of Bolthold where they have built an advanced civilization relying on the many resources they have been able to unearth beneath the chain of dormant volcanos they have chosen for their homes. Dwarves are uncommon among the other races of the world, but not completely unheard of. See more information on the Dwarf page.

Elves
Friends to all those who survive on the surface of the Lost Ocean, the elves swim the ocean, carefree and lighthearted. Their homes are the reef-covered shoals of the Shallows, but they can be found all throughout the Lost Ocean. There are some cultures that are mistrustful of the elves, but most people find them to be helpful and unobtrusive. The elves are sworn enemies of the Blood Wizards. More information can be found on the Elf page.

Gargoyles
Reviled by many, the appetites of gargoyles is such that they can provide an important service to communities by consuming any organic waste and keep the streets free of waste. Gargoyles have strange traditions, but can often be struck by wanderlust. More information can be found on the Gargoyle page.

Giants
The power of a giant cannot be denied and they are fully integrated into societies for this reason. More information can be found on the Giant page.

Gnomes
Having an innate knowledge of making things work, gnomes are not as advanced as dwarves due to both the integration with other races and the lack of resources. However, gnomes are useful in dealings with the dwarves. More information can be found on the Gnome page.

Goblins
The even-tempered goblins have reputations for either being fun-loving or studious and are one of the integrated races. More information can be found on the Goblin page.

Halflings
Integrated and perfectly at ease with the way of the world, halflings often seek to make life better for those around them but expect the same in return. More information can be found on the Halfling page.

Hobgoblins
Meaner than both the goblins and the orcs that they may, or may not, be distantly related to, hobgoblins seek to fight and cause trouble. More information can be found on the Hobgoblin page.

Humans
The most populous race, by a narrow margin, humans can be found on almost any terrain. They are fully integrated and are varied in personality and motivations. More information can be found on the Human page.

Minotaurs
Integrated, but barely, the minotaurs work with the other people of the Lost Ocean, begrudgingly. More information can be found on the Minotaur page.

Ogres
Ogres like to foster the reputation that they have as uneducated barbarians, but they have actually integrated quite well. More information can be found on the Ogre page.

Orcs
Orcs have integrated into societies, not because they are willing or accepted by others, but because they can barely stand the company of each other. More information can be found on the Orc page.

Reptilians
Strange and inscrutable, reptilians have strange ways and unusual customs that are inborn in them. More information can be found on the Reptilian page.

Troll
Integrated, trolls are considered the most fearsome of the races in common society. More information can be found on the Troll page.

People
Located on the Bloodworld Characters page.

Locations
Located on the Bloodworld Locations page.

Things
Located on the Bloodworld Miscellany page.