Commandment - Prelude Age

Talked to Skerples and he seemed to be supportive of me riffing off his idea, so here we go. Check out his two current blog posts to get caught up. Basically, Dark Souls meets our Ancient History.

So, to start--

Sea People

AN AGE TOO LONG

Ozymandias chained the sphinx. With spear in hand, he tortured it until his answer was given. The Sea Peoples would burn them all. Pyramids would topple. The powers of the East would burn just as the powers of the West had. The age was at an end.

Ozymandias did not care. He told his brother to go and find another answer. He did. A clay tablet on which Laws had been written and signed with the blood of old heroes and greater gods. Ozymandias, knowing that he was a god himself in blood and in name, polished the face of this tablet and wrote something new.

Ten Commandments did he usher. And then, with his own life, he named Five Kings to enforce them, and each of the Five were given two Commandments, and these Five Kings enforced those two well. Sleep they did, these Great Five, but barbarians stir in the Great Green to the East, and so they stir now in their dreams. On barefeet they come to take down those whose slippers are silk.

FIVE CITIES

Skerples is doing 5 cities with a time-of-day theme. I like that theme, but in true Dark Souls fashion, I'll go with something else I think. But the Times of Day have to be there somewhat. One of these cities the PCs have to start in. In the future, this is Cordoba--but that may be a place of too much peace. I think I might start the players off just outside the ruins of some place the Sea Peoples have just reached, and they have to follow them. Luckily these end up being the same places.

Names below will be changed from their historical names in most cases. 

Pylos - the Sunset City, Seat of the Commandments of Art & Lies

Ruled by the Two Oracles, one of the Sun and one one of the Horizon. A place where divinations could be found, enscribed onto literally everything--pottery, architecture, paintings, into plays. Largely destroyed already by the Sea Peoples.

Pi-Ramesses - the Evening City, Seat of the Commandments of Conspiracy & Authority

Ruled by the son of the God-King. Locked in battle with the Sea Peoples eternally. Many ruins, and virtually everything is now dedicated to war. Culture thrown away in favor for Iron Weapons, which poison the minds of those that wield them with lust for authority.

Asur - the Noon City, Seat of the Commandments of Ancestry & Trade

Ruled by Semiramis, whose magic brought her from a future age. A place of Omens, Stars, and grand trade. Tyranny is in practice too. The most powerful of the 5 Cities, for its army is the most tested, and its walls the furthest away from the Barbarian tide.

Israel - the Morning City, Seat of the Commandments of Slavery & Truth

Ruled by Solomon, the King of Demons & Angels. A place of miracles, where they are all recorded and repeated for the purposes of great magics and greater futures. INstead of human slaves, angel and demons both are the foundation of this City.

Babylon - the Sunrise City, Seat of the Lost Commandments

War with Asur has stripped this place of its Commandments. Ruled by Marduk the Dragon God, who is enslaved by Semiramis. On the cusp of embracing Iron, and thus Barbarism, to throw off these yokes.

Other Cities

Libya, which was the first destroyed. As well as its mother-state, Syria, which also now lies in ruins.

The Denyen Isles, mythic home of the Sea Peoples greatest powers.

The Great Green, which is Skerples Land of Darkness. The vast Mediterranian sea, and the Black Sea which invaded and corrupted it, and whatever mysticisms lie north of that.

The Steppes. Same as Skerples.