I am really quite liking this book so far. It appears to be a bit Arabian Nights, a bit Ottoman, a bit Persian and a whole chapter on the pseudo-Jewish state. It's interesting that the special thanks from the developer describes the real world analog of the region as Western Asia, since she grew up in Southeast Asia.
There are two notable new mechanics:
- Mass Battles - In some ways it's treating an army like a simple ship, very few stats, but a number of edges, which can be gained as the army fights succesful battles. I could imagine expanding on it more, if the campaign is going to be a war.
- Poetry Duels - very cool. I think someone could take the ideas from this and apply it to sword duelling
One point of note is that some of the sorceries are available to people from a particular nation or following a specific religion. I could imagine a couple of the existing ones being attached to religions as well.
The Jewish analogs are pretty damn cool. Almost like reading a variant of the history of the Torah and the people. Very authentic representation.
TAJ-07: Technopriest And Justicar Of 7thSea2e
Given the history of the Jewish community as a stateless nation in European history, not a particular religious strain within local nationalities, I'm inclined to use the Sarmion cultural mechanics (such as their Sorcery) for Yachidi people in Theah as well. The amulet aspect works nicely for a Castillian Eclipso with it's overlap with the idea of Fetichismo.
As I understand it, Chozeh is explicitly available to anyone of the Yachidi religion, like the Art of the Second Prophet is available to Dinists and Kahesh-ahura to Yasnavans. One thing that I would do is possibly expand the religious sorcery rules a bit. Allow Mystikoi to any Pantheon-worshipper and Kap Sevi to, um, Kap Sevites(?). I might want to suggest the Foreign-born advantage for people where there are no natives of the religion.
Poetry Duels...I am flashing back to the film Dangerous Beauty, one of the original inspirations for the game. Give us a month and someone will convert it to Epic Rap Battles in Theah.
So before the Third Prophet showed up, what religiously divided the al-Din from the Vaticine? Just the authority of the church ala the post-Third-Prophet Vaticine and Objectionists?
I think it is worse than that...the Third Prophet created the Vaticine Church, unless I am mistaken. The difference would be even the nominal authority of the Caliph was rejected.
No the Church existed before that point. The Third Prophet moved it to Castille from Vodacce.
So i did a bit of reading in a couple of places about this. It's a bit complicated, but I think I understand now.
In the beginning was the Yachidi faith, from which sprang the First Prophet. When the First Prophet died, nine of his followers each set up their own "Church of the Prophet". One of these was Arsenjy, who took his sect west into Theah (some consider this to merely be a way to be amongst the powrful in the Numan Empire). Another was Elohim, who mostly stayed in the Crescent area. The other 7 are un-named, and it says that the other existing orthodox sects descend from them. I would not be suprised to hear that one or more of these also left the Crescent, in different directions, since Dinism is said to exist in Ifri and Cathay, and we don't have a Coptic equivalent yet.
Anyway, in the 7th century, along came the second Prophet. His teaching broke of a new branch from the Church of the Prophet in the Crescent, which became al-Din. Then he went west into Theah as well. At this point Arsenjy's sect splits in two - the Ussuran Orthodox Church of the Prophet and the Vaticine Church of the Prophets. Meanwhile, in the Crescent, a small group reveres the Second Prophet's daughter as a Third Prophet, and becomes the Anasheed heresy of Dinism. From now we have the 3 major religions: Vaticine in Theah, Dinism in the Crescent and Orthodoxy spread about the place.
When we reach the 13th century, a person is identified as the Third Prophet by the Vaticine Church, but is seen as a violent conqueror by everyone else. Thus we have Orthodox, who accept 1 prophet, Dinists who accept 2 [if we ignore the Anasheed] and Vaticine who recognise 3.
The other 2 big religions are Ahurayasna and east Thean Paganism, who may in fact be worshipping members of opposing sides in a war between supernatural beings.
Yeah, I got that history. I'm just wondering before the Third Prophet came, what theologically separated the al-Din and the Vaticine as they both followed the first two Prophets. I'm wondering if they have different holy texts, with the al-Din having poetic esoteric writings they attribute to the Second Prophet himself, while the Vaticine believe in the Second Vigil being a straight narrative written by a follower of the Second Prophet of his life and teachings in Theah, and blaming the peoples of the Crescent for his death.
I just got back from a family vacation, so I've only begun to dig into the preview. Do we have anything close to this detailed a history of Théah?! I thought they were trying to avoid that level of detail in the setting this go around. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it. In fact, I want my Théan history section, too!
I think so, but it's spread over 3 or 4 books.
To my understanding, history is less important than the stories the characters make.
Inconsistencies in history are always wonderful roots to conflicts and disagreements between nations.