Introduction to the Moonpsalm campaign setting
Many have asked what my cosplay is from, and many know by now that I am cosplaying my D&D/Pathfinder character. A half elf ranger named Tobias Wren. Freelance adventurer. A few have gone further to ask what kind of setting is he from? Like Golarion, Forgotten Realms, a home brew campaign setting? It's the latter of course. I have been working on my own setting for like seven years now. So much so that I need somewhere to plop it all down for any future games so that my players look upon it and get an idea of what kinda world I've prepared for them to drop their characters in. Oh, and for those of you with medieval OC cosplays that want sort of a greater collective to belong to, I wouldn't mind meeting you at a con and interacting with a character who lives in my own world. Anyways, here are some of the key themes I like to keep in mind when it comes to capturing the tone of the world of Moonpsalm. Hopefully it's useful when designing a character for it.
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Also, keep in mind that I do not own any of this artwork. I'd love to change that some day. (As in commissioning artists to draw stuff more unique to the setting.) Till then, its just me sifting through artwork and trying to find things that have a representation of how I kinda imagine it.
The look and feel.
Think more "A lost age", than "a dark age".
The Moonpsalm setting is a world of chaos. Do not misunderstand, however. This setting isn’t a world uniformly embroiled in strife and discord. It’s not a world where monsters are descending into cities by the hundreds and burning entire nations to the ground left and right. Nor is some great demon king threatening to conquer and/or destroy the world if no chosen heroes rise soon. Parts of the world may have such things, but not the world as a whole. No, this is a world of chaos because fate, destiny, karma, and all other forces which once shaped the flow of events in the world, no longer exist. Such metaphysical systems died with the world goddess. Save for a few lingering songs imbued into the very nature of the world, and a new god offering his guidance and a reason to continue, the people of the lands now perceive their world ending with a whimper. As old social constructs decay in the wake of a changing world, so does that which the world goddess breathed into the world. It is not a world without hope. Merely a world where hope and wishes are no longer sponsored or answered, but self made. The rest is up to entropy.
Think more "Grimgar", than "Sword Art Online"...
No, I don’t mean that the setting is inherently iseikai, where in people from our world get dropped into a fantastical setting. (Although that could be a good idea for a campaign.) But I digress. Despite being an anime inspired world, the setting of moonpsalm isn’t akin to a power fantasy where a hero can effortlessly roflstomp his way through hordes of undead, with a harem of six scantily clad women worshiping every step he takes. Nobody in the moonpsalm is born or destined to be a hero. Adventurers may strive to be heroes, but those who have survived long enough to consider themselves “experienced” know that victory, even against weaker monsters, is never guaranteed. The world is dangerous, and adventurers at times need to take even the mundane tasks slowly. While I don’t intend to build a bleak, hopeless, and gritty atmosphere like berserk or goblin slayer (Although certain places in the world may reflect such tones, but with less rapey goblins), let’s just say that adventurers exist for a reason. Even the weakest of monsters carry weight in their presence. They are dangerous to people. And only a fool would go into a dungeon alone. But use your head, think strategically, and operate well with those in your party, and you may just survive the next day. This doesn’t mean that monsters are inherently stronger in this setting, merely that your characters should be thinking about their mortality every time they pit themselves up against another being. For even monsters have a strong will to survive. And adventurers are a threat to them, which many have adapted strategies for fending off.
Think more "Romanticized Medieval" instead of "Generic Fantasy".
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Do you remember the first time you found yourself enamored with medieval times? I'm not really talking about the modern hollywood depiction, where everything is grimdark and edgy, and everyone is really miserable all the time, and game of thrones-y. I mean the classic romanticism of knights, kings, castles, and maybe a dragon. The stuff you find in Renaissance festivals, before medieval fantasy got oversaturated and thus less... Classical romanticized medieval and more generic D&D. Well, that's actually kinda the feeling I wanted to channel into Moonpsalm.
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When you step into the setting of Moonpsalm for the first time, remember that you are not just stepping into a generic fantasy world, but rather a medieval society that is still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Your character has a life in this world. Where they came from, what class they were born into, what their family’s trade is, and what their race is. These all greatly affect your character’s responsibilities in life, and how hard it is to leave it behind in pursuit of a very new, and very dangerous occupation. The kingdoms of Estellon have yet to see the longterm ramifications that moderate access to magic and adventurers will bring to their world. No longer is the art of dungeoneering restricted to the knightly and noble classes. Now any may take up the trade, be they a peasant, a noble, a clergyman, or in some cases, even an outlaw. The rise of guilds has both facilitated and regulated this changing world. But not every change is welcome. As with any society amidst rapid sociological change, there are those who grow increasingly frustrated or fearful as the things that were once fringe and radicle start to become normal. Especially those who have status to loose, or those who have always been suspicious and superstitious of magic. An adventurer’s place in the world is under scrutiny. Yet the rewards hidden away in the dungeons and ruins of the land are tantalizing, even to those who have reason to resist the change. The Fosterin church has yet to take an official stance, although many within the church have loudly voiced and debated on both sides of the argument. Some lords, barons, and even kings have embraced and disdained adventurers and the scholastic magic movement. Many still argue that fighting should still only be in the hands of the noble class, and that adventurers sully the honor and chivalry of knights and their lifestyle. And yet many errant knights welcome the chance to join an adventuring party, regardless of where their companions came from. The amount of freedom adventurers have depends greatly from kingdom to kingdom, or even fiefdom to fiefdom. All aspiring adventurers tread tricky ground. Whether that be in ancient ruins, or at home, their way of life is to always be on their toes.
But they are a spectacle, nonetheless. And normal people don't sit as idly as they would in other settings, when a party takes a quest or puts a claim to a dungeon. They want to become part of the story. Thus many in nearby communities will gather at the foot of the dungeon, pitching tents and treating it like a fair. Merchants set their stands, eager to get their hands on what the brave adventurers may bring back to the surface, or provide and temporarily sponsor the party with discounts on useful potions or other gear. Millers, barkeeps, bakers, healers, and such may keep the adventurers fed, rested, healthy, and patched together, while the local lord stations guards at the front entrance to make sure no monsters escape when the adventurers are inside, or follows them out while they rest. And adoring fans, await the next story, with bated breath, eager to feast and drink with them. The bigger the deed, and the bigger their name, the more people they will gather, and the more opportunities will fall into their laps. When making your characters, just remember one thing. To your character and everyone around them, this sort of stuff is all new to them. It hasn't been done a billion times before, and it hasn't gotten old yet. To them, it's still like the first time you found yourself embroiled in a fantasy story. So channel that energy, and remember the first time you found yourself loving the romanticism of medieval times. Because all that, the chivalry, the romance, the heroic deeds, classical villainy, and even the wonder of magic, is still alive in this world.
Now layer anime aesthetics over that world. Killer rabbits and giant snails locked in combat with brave knights included.
I hope you are beginning to see the world from Tobias's Eyes now.