Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
You're still here? After all this time? I suppose that shows a certain brand of dedication. Not exactly edifying, but it's...something. Well, if you're certain you really want to do this...
Hello, and welcome to TNES VI.
Recently, I’ve found myself in Africa, which has been an interesting experience. At various points in time, between visiting hospitals or working on research, I have found myself with a lot of time to think. And I have also found myself with a 5kbps internet connection, if that, which makes me realize that a lot of the success of early NESing is from the fact that our connections were too crappy to do anything else besides make forum posts. But I digress. Time to put down the PS4 controller, cancel your Netflix account, neglect your loved ones, and play a real man’s game. Or woman’s, but, well. The goal of TNES VI is to be a lightweight, narrative-centered game that will tell a fun, mysterious, and magical story. Yes, yes, I know I've tanked countless NESes before, but when I track the moment of supreme disillusionment leading to the abandonment of every NES, it always occurred in updating stats or fiddling with a map, not working on the story. So we will try to do less fiddling, and more burning of Rome. Or however that goes.
Introduction (please read):
For a long time, I have wanted to do a mythological-style NES. However, I’ve realized that mythology NESes, (or GodNESes, as they were often called before the Great Departure) failed to integrate the political and the mystical in the way that, say, Beowulf, Mononoke-hime or the Iliad did. They are either primarily stories about the cosmic struggle in which lesser mortals only play a peripheral role, or they are traditional political NESes that have myths and magic tacked on as a likely fictional appendage to be discarded when empires have developed more sophisticated reasons to slaughter one another. (With some notable exceptions; here’s looking at you, OTP.)
This is neither of those. This is a game in which gods, magical beings, and humans have co-existed from the unknown beginning. It may not always be that way, but it is that way now. You, as the player, have the ability to be one of three things: A God, an Empire, or a Hero. Perhaps you are the type of person that simply loves to seek out new experiences without regard for the feelings of people around you. You would be a perfect God. Perhaps you are the sort who seeks to control everything in your life, out of fear of what will happen when you lose it. You would be a wonderful Empire. Perhaps you suffer from the dangerous mental delusion that your individual choices are capable of changing anything in the world. Welcome to being a Hero.
Over the course of the game, you may switch between roles on a whim, or show a monomaniacal obsession with just one. Don’t worry, either way you can blame it on your mother.
To reiterate, the thing that I believe the GodNESes and the political NESes lacked in crafting a true mythopoeia is that all of the great myths of our own cultures, be they Shinto or Semitic or Greek, had a confluence of all three things simultaneously: Empire, god, and hero cast into a shifting landscape of dark magic and adventure. And so, it will be for TNES.
There is something of a "central story" which I have provided, a serviceable big bad if you will, but much of the world is empty following a great cataclysm that scoured much of the world and killed off many of its old gods. You are free to tie into and evolve this larger story as you please, or mostly ignore it; there are many isolated corners of the world for you to do as you please. Nonetheless, it would make me very happy to see you collaborating with one another, and also murdering each other. All emotions are valid in the mythopoeia, and you must experience them all in order to feel true catharsis. Just remember, if you can dream it, you can do it! But that doesn't mean you should.
The Rules:
Because this is also a game and not simply a story, I will implement two rules: A distribution of two types of points, Magic and Civilization, and an effective little rock-paper-scissors system to guide the conflicts, which is as follows:
Gods are most effective at bringing down Empires. Empires are most effective at bringing down Heroes, and Heroes are most effective at bringing down Gods.
Not to say that there aren't exceptions.
At the beginning of the game, you will claim one of the three possible roles. You will get 5 points distributed across the 2 categories to spend or bank as you see fit in your first turn. You will then generate at least one new point a turn, and probably more, if you do something neat and/or I feel generous.
God: A great supernatural being. The font of magic power. These are creators, destroyers, beings that are beyond physical constraints. Their boons and curses are as capricious as they are merciless, or they are so perfectly merciful that they are self-sacrificial beyond all rationality. They do not adhere to your world, mortal. How could you understand them? It does not need to call itself a god. You will know what it is, because you will feel it in your blood.
(Choice 1: 0 points civilization, 5 points magic) (Choice 2: 1 point civilization, 4 points magic)
(NOTE: Importantly, gods in this NES are not ‘Frosty, God of Winter’. Don’t try it. Gods are complex beings. They may have a portfolio of powers, or their power may be completely uncategorizable. But they are fundamentally mystical. They are not superheroes. We do have those, though.)
Empire: The civilized world. Technology, rulership, law, wealth, and caste. A frequently human enterprise, although not inherently so. Empires often have unhealthy symbiotic relationships with gods and heroes; they worship them, and occasionally are ruled by them. But it is an uneasy alliance. Empires cannot exist without rules, and gods and heroes are beyond rules. The prayers and praises that empires whisper to gods and heroes, are they chains? (They are.) But only Empires can offer safety, and most people crave this. That is why they exist.
(Choice 1: 5 points civilization, 0 points magic) (Choice 2: 4 points civilization, 1 point magic)
(NOTE: An Empire refers to any type of civilization. You need not be large, or even imperialistic, to qualify. But come on, this is a NES. We know you will be.)
Hero: The intermediary between our world and the world of gods and magic. Humans or other mortals touched by magic, or gods touched by humanity. These are inherently wandering beings, ranging from warrior to hierophant to artist to courtesan. They are often touched by a quest that defines or consumes them. Heroes can be produced by gods or empires, but so often they arise at the fringes of the world. Heroes, however, having one foot in each world, are inherently unpredictable. They bring ends and beginnings; heroes are forces of change.
(Choice 1: 3 points civilization, 2 points magic) (Choice 2: 2 points civilization, 3 points magic)
(NOTE: Heroes usually spawn from an existing Empire or God. You can work with another player, but you do not necessarily need their consent to do this if the relationship is adversarial. Heroes can ‘belong’ to Empires or Gods, but they can also be free agents. You can control heroes as another faction, but can you, really?)
Each turn, you will generate magic and/or civilization points, depending on your nature and actions. You can then spend your magic and civilization points to do great things. You can also use any holdings (people, artifacts, etc.) and Heroes you have gathered. Writing stories or worldbuilding will generate bonus points. It is incredibly beneficial if you just name and describe things; I will give bonus points to people who do this a lot.
The cost of points is halved when used against one’s “natural” foe – God vs. empire, empire vs. hero, hero vs. god.
You may store points out of greed, or use them defensively to foil your foes, that is, if you choose to be ruled by fear. But isn’t that also a kind of death?
Here are some things you can do with your points:
Magic
1 magic point: The memory of a distant god.
1 magic point: The making of a prophecy. (Careful.)
1 magic point: The occasional favor of a cohort of magical beings.
2 magic points: The creation of a magical artifact.
2 magic points: The enlistment of a race of magical servants.
2 magic points: A caste of magicians, to obtain through esoterica what they may not through might.
2 magic points: The destruction of a mundane mass of foes or their homes.
3 magic points: The birth of a demi-god, or a Hero.
3 magic points: The casting of a great blessing or a great curse.
3 magic points: The breaking or making of a great feature of the world.
3 magic points: Try to wound a god; perhaps if you are lucky it will break them. Or unlucky.
4 magic points: The birth of a god, or a new race of magical beings.
4 magic points: The breaking of an empire.
5 magic points: Attempt a deicide.
6 magic points: Wreak a great and lasting change on the bones of truth.
7 magic points: Complete the prophecy.
Civilization
1 civilization point: A court, guards, weapons, a village, farms, a tribe. Trappings, workings, makings.
1 civilization point: Diplomacies and emissaries, spies and intelligence.
1 civilization point: Enjoy life! (Sometimes it helps.)
2 civilization points: A city, a modest castle, or a network of towns.
2 civilization points: An ideology or religion that people may not forget after you are gone.
2 civilization points: A new innovation, well aren’t you clever.
2 civilization points: Raise an army, or an elite band.
2 civilization points: Create a new caste of specialists in your society.
3 civilization points: A tributary or alliance with neighbors that brings them into your system, for now.
3 civilization points: A humbling sign of obeisance that placates gods or rivals enough to keep you around.
3 civilization points: The execution of a mortal, or semi-mortal, foe.
3 civilization points: The production of a great ruler, leader, prophet, genius, or Hero.
4 civilization points: Something truly wondrous: A hundred ships, a glorious legion, a towering fortress. A reasonable kingdom.
5 civilization points: An empire of glories.
6 civilization points: To dare that which mortals should not.
7 civilization points: Make a gambit for world empire, to bring the very gods to their knees.
7 civilization points: Apotheosis.
Note: You can also do things that aren’t listed here; tell me what it is and I’ll give you an appropriate cost.
Alright, I think that is it. As I mentioned, the rules are simple and flexible, and this is really about the story that we tell together. You're welcome to switch between roles and try new things as the game continues.
The Players, such as they are:
Lord Iggy: The Moiety of Haadulf / Wheel of Leaves
thomasberubeg: Iphu / The Dreamers
Jehoshua: Elaadi / The Court of Summer
Shadowbound: High Kingdom of Carns
The Meanest Guest: Shadur / Kotzal / Servants of the Moon
inthesomeday: Tribes of the Oshkum
Danwar: The Republic of Sommos
Seon: Emanon, The Boundary
ork: Those of the Stag
azale: Wokiko's Empire
terrance: The Maelish Queendom / Hm.
jackalgull: City-State of Xtri
The Updates, Your Desperate Nourishment:
Update 0 - The Swallowed Past
Update 1 - The Unremembered Sea
Update 2 - The Bonfire of Spring
Update 3 - The Tyranny of Land
Hello, and welcome to TNES VI.
Recently, I’ve found myself in Africa, which has been an interesting experience. At various points in time, between visiting hospitals or working on research, I have found myself with a lot of time to think. And I have also found myself with a 5kbps internet connection, if that, which makes me realize that a lot of the success of early NESing is from the fact that our connections were too crappy to do anything else besides make forum posts. But I digress. Time to put down the PS4 controller, cancel your Netflix account, neglect your loved ones, and play a real man’s game. Or woman’s, but, well. The goal of TNES VI is to be a lightweight, narrative-centered game that will tell a fun, mysterious, and magical story. Yes, yes, I know I've tanked countless NESes before, but when I track the moment of supreme disillusionment leading to the abandonment of every NES, it always occurred in updating stats or fiddling with a map, not working on the story. So we will try to do less fiddling, and more burning of Rome. Or however that goes.
Introduction (please read):
For a long time, I have wanted to do a mythological-style NES. However, I’ve realized that mythology NESes, (or GodNESes, as they were often called before the Great Departure) failed to integrate the political and the mystical in the way that, say, Beowulf, Mononoke-hime or the Iliad did. They are either primarily stories about the cosmic struggle in which lesser mortals only play a peripheral role, or they are traditional political NESes that have myths and magic tacked on as a likely fictional appendage to be discarded when empires have developed more sophisticated reasons to slaughter one another. (With some notable exceptions; here’s looking at you, OTP.)
This is neither of those. This is a game in which gods, magical beings, and humans have co-existed from the unknown beginning. It may not always be that way, but it is that way now. You, as the player, have the ability to be one of three things: A God, an Empire, or a Hero. Perhaps you are the type of person that simply loves to seek out new experiences without regard for the feelings of people around you. You would be a perfect God. Perhaps you are the sort who seeks to control everything in your life, out of fear of what will happen when you lose it. You would be a wonderful Empire. Perhaps you suffer from the dangerous mental delusion that your individual choices are capable of changing anything in the world. Welcome to being a Hero.
Over the course of the game, you may switch between roles on a whim, or show a monomaniacal obsession with just one. Don’t worry, either way you can blame it on your mother.
To reiterate, the thing that I believe the GodNESes and the political NESes lacked in crafting a true mythopoeia is that all of the great myths of our own cultures, be they Shinto or Semitic or Greek, had a confluence of all three things simultaneously: Empire, god, and hero cast into a shifting landscape of dark magic and adventure. And so, it will be for TNES.
There is something of a "central story" which I have provided, a serviceable big bad if you will, but much of the world is empty following a great cataclysm that scoured much of the world and killed off many of its old gods. You are free to tie into and evolve this larger story as you please, or mostly ignore it; there are many isolated corners of the world for you to do as you please. Nonetheless, it would make me very happy to see you collaborating with one another, and also murdering each other. All emotions are valid in the mythopoeia, and you must experience them all in order to feel true catharsis. Just remember, if you can dream it, you can do it! But that doesn't mean you should.
The Rules:
Because this is also a game and not simply a story, I will implement two rules: A distribution of two types of points, Magic and Civilization, and an effective little rock-paper-scissors system to guide the conflicts, which is as follows:
Gods are most effective at bringing down Empires. Empires are most effective at bringing down Heroes, and Heroes are most effective at bringing down Gods.
Not to say that there aren't exceptions.
At the beginning of the game, you will claim one of the three possible roles. You will get 5 points distributed across the 2 categories to spend or bank as you see fit in your first turn. You will then generate at least one new point a turn, and probably more, if you do something neat and/or I feel generous.
God: A great supernatural being. The font of magic power. These are creators, destroyers, beings that are beyond physical constraints. Their boons and curses are as capricious as they are merciless, or they are so perfectly merciful that they are self-sacrificial beyond all rationality. They do not adhere to your world, mortal. How could you understand them? It does not need to call itself a god. You will know what it is, because you will feel it in your blood.
(Choice 1: 0 points civilization, 5 points magic) (Choice 2: 1 point civilization, 4 points magic)
(NOTE: Importantly, gods in this NES are not ‘Frosty, God of Winter’. Don’t try it. Gods are complex beings. They may have a portfolio of powers, or their power may be completely uncategorizable. But they are fundamentally mystical. They are not superheroes. We do have those, though.)
Empire: The civilized world. Technology, rulership, law, wealth, and caste. A frequently human enterprise, although not inherently so. Empires often have unhealthy symbiotic relationships with gods and heroes; they worship them, and occasionally are ruled by them. But it is an uneasy alliance. Empires cannot exist without rules, and gods and heroes are beyond rules. The prayers and praises that empires whisper to gods and heroes, are they chains? (They are.) But only Empires can offer safety, and most people crave this. That is why they exist.
(Choice 1: 5 points civilization, 0 points magic) (Choice 2: 4 points civilization, 1 point magic)
(NOTE: An Empire refers to any type of civilization. You need not be large, or even imperialistic, to qualify. But come on, this is a NES. We know you will be.)
Hero: The intermediary between our world and the world of gods and magic. Humans or other mortals touched by magic, or gods touched by humanity. These are inherently wandering beings, ranging from warrior to hierophant to artist to courtesan. They are often touched by a quest that defines or consumes them. Heroes can be produced by gods or empires, but so often they arise at the fringes of the world. Heroes, however, having one foot in each world, are inherently unpredictable. They bring ends and beginnings; heroes are forces of change.
(Choice 1: 3 points civilization, 2 points magic) (Choice 2: 2 points civilization, 3 points magic)
(NOTE: Heroes usually spawn from an existing Empire or God. You can work with another player, but you do not necessarily need their consent to do this if the relationship is adversarial. Heroes can ‘belong’ to Empires or Gods, but they can also be free agents. You can control heroes as another faction, but can you, really?)
Each turn, you will generate magic and/or civilization points, depending on your nature and actions. You can then spend your magic and civilization points to do great things. You can also use any holdings (people, artifacts, etc.) and Heroes you have gathered. Writing stories or worldbuilding will generate bonus points. It is incredibly beneficial if you just name and describe things; I will give bonus points to people who do this a lot.
The cost of points is halved when used against one’s “natural” foe – God vs. empire, empire vs. hero, hero vs. god.
You may store points out of greed, or use them defensively to foil your foes, that is, if you choose to be ruled by fear. But isn’t that also a kind of death?
Here are some things you can do with your points:
Magic
1 magic point: The memory of a distant god.
1 magic point: The making of a prophecy. (Careful.)
1 magic point: The occasional favor of a cohort of magical beings.
2 magic points: The creation of a magical artifact.
2 magic points: The enlistment of a race of magical servants.
2 magic points: A caste of magicians, to obtain through esoterica what they may not through might.
2 magic points: The destruction of a mundane mass of foes or their homes.
3 magic points: The birth of a demi-god, or a Hero.
3 magic points: The casting of a great blessing or a great curse.
3 magic points: The breaking or making of a great feature of the world.
3 magic points: Try to wound a god; perhaps if you are lucky it will break them. Or unlucky.
4 magic points: The birth of a god, or a new race of magical beings.
4 magic points: The breaking of an empire.
5 magic points: Attempt a deicide.
6 magic points: Wreak a great and lasting change on the bones of truth.
7 magic points: Complete the prophecy.
Civilization
1 civilization point: A court, guards, weapons, a village, farms, a tribe. Trappings, workings, makings.
1 civilization point: Diplomacies and emissaries, spies and intelligence.
1 civilization point: Enjoy life! (Sometimes it helps.)
2 civilization points: A city, a modest castle, or a network of towns.
2 civilization points: An ideology or religion that people may not forget after you are gone.
2 civilization points: A new innovation, well aren’t you clever.
2 civilization points: Raise an army, or an elite band.
2 civilization points: Create a new caste of specialists in your society.
3 civilization points: A tributary or alliance with neighbors that brings them into your system, for now.
3 civilization points: A humbling sign of obeisance that placates gods or rivals enough to keep you around.
3 civilization points: The execution of a mortal, or semi-mortal, foe.
3 civilization points: The production of a great ruler, leader, prophet, genius, or Hero.
4 civilization points: Something truly wondrous: A hundred ships, a glorious legion, a towering fortress. A reasonable kingdom.
5 civilization points: An empire of glories.
6 civilization points: To dare that which mortals should not.
7 civilization points: Make a gambit for world empire, to bring the very gods to their knees.
7 civilization points: Apotheosis.
Note: You can also do things that aren’t listed here; tell me what it is and I’ll give you an appropriate cost.
Alright, I think that is it. As I mentioned, the rules are simple and flexible, and this is really about the story that we tell together. You're welcome to switch between roles and try new things as the game continues.
The Players, such as they are:
Lord Iggy: The Moiety of Haadulf / Wheel of Leaves
thomasberubeg: Iphu / The Dreamers
Jehoshua: Elaadi / The Court of Summer
Shadowbound: High Kingdom of Carns
The Meanest Guest: Shadur / Kotzal / Servants of the Moon
inthesomeday: Tribes of the Oshkum
Danwar: The Republic of Sommos
Seon: Emanon, The Boundary
ork: Those of the Stag
azale: Wokiko's Empire
terrance: The Maelish Queendom / Hm.
jackalgull: City-State of Xtri
The Updates, Your Desperate Nourishment:
Update 0 - The Swallowed Past
Update 1 - The Unremembered Sea
Update 2 - The Bonfire of Spring
Update 3 - The Tyranny of Land
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