Aviontix
Aviontix is designed to be an "ancient kingdon" to be inserted into a game world as history. However, you can make it a current game world, if you want.
Aviontix is designed to be an "ancient kingdon" to be plopped into a game world as history. However, you can make it a current game world, if you want.
Aviontix is templated off the Egyptians, with a different slant, so bare with me.
The key ideas:
The lands of Aviontix are mostly desert now, with several small rivers running through it. At the time of the Kingdom, it was naturally greener and lusher. This was enhanced by waterworks allowing canals, and irrigation. However, these massive waterworks have fallen to the weight of time since then.
Long ago they build great cities, and monuments, and water works. The Aviontix never seemed to do anything on a small scale. That is why so much of their society (via ruins) has survivied to the modern era.
Where once there was a thriving urban peoples, there are just nomadic herders, who are expert riders. The only link to the Aviontix, is that they are known far and wide as the best hunting bird tamers. Every male of age has one (if not more). Some people whisper of magic that allows them to be bound to their birds. They even call the land Aviansis, (wings of sand... referencing the wind).
In the land of Aviontix there are ruins. A lot of ruins. There are many sand buried cities, king's tombs, and huge statuary. However, Aviontix was a kingdom so long ago, that everything has been looted. (Figure there has been a whole historical epoc or two since then) There might be a hidden tomb or something somewhere in the lands, but it is unlikely. This does not stop people from selling maps to them all the time.
They were the first humans to develop magic without the assistance of an elder race (like elves). They laid down the basics of magic still used today by Human peoples. They also created the sciences of mathematics, architecture, agriculture, and the written word.
Nothing comes directly from them. Their language has been lost of the sands of time, but many ancient texts reference their works as foundations.
They were a very religious people, focused upon their leaving to the afterlife. They associated magical spirits/ gods with birds. It is difficult to determine if this was metaphorical or actual. Their gods are shows as fully human, human with a bird head, or as large birds. In fact, the names for their Gods have become the "common name" for most birds.
Given their beliefs, bird motiffs are everywhere among Aviontix artifacts and ruins. If you find a really old magic item, it will have a bird motiff on it... given that it came from Aviontix. While Aviontix was a very magical place, very few of their items have survivied the "sands of time". Many have been broken, but most are lost or unable to be recharged.
In addition, it seems that Rocs (huge birds) and Pheonixi/ Firebirds were either created by or bred to their present form, by the Aviontix.
Now I forsee some reincarnating historical figures and a few NPCs with historical ties to Aviontix....
The Hawkstar: A hero that keeps coming back to undo Evil done by man in the world. He is a warrior that uses ancient weapons and can summon a pair of wings (if desired). Current manifestation has him fighting a corrupt theocracy....
Master Destini is one of the world mages, those who are responsible for sheparding the world. Destini is an Avatar of Divine Order. Destini became this avatar twelve centuries ago when he became the wielder of The Destiny Helm (Sort of a stylized Hawk's Beak, and flaring tops... more gryphon than bird). This artifact is the actual Avatar, granting the ability to perceive order and chaos, and shift wild chaos towards order and unyeilding order towards a gentle randomness.
Fate's Tower: Almost not a material location. Only those who have have a heroic destiny (Will be heroes, are heroes, or are heroes that have lost their way) can actually find it with any regularity. (It is impossible to see from the sky) It is a forty by forty foot square tower about 90 feet tall, with castly like ramparts at the top. There is no door, and only one window about 75 feet up. You will find it impossible to climb or enter it without permission from Destini.
Golvek: A master work golem that could ascend to Godhood if it wanted to. It was created to mimic any skill, power, or ability that came within 100 feet of it. It was designed to be the ultimate creation, then used in a bit of fury as an ultimate weapon. Golvek is now trying to determine its place in the universe.
Dove and Hawk: These spirits guide pairs who must maintain the balance between the violence and peace to maintain order. Those so endowed gain great strength and durrability.
The Raven: This one does not appear as a bird based villian/ hero. However, the god sends out avatars from time to time to create death and chaos for him to feed off of. Currently the Raven is a high Bishop in the Corrupted Theocracy, only a few steps from the HighOne.
Everyone needs ancient enemies
The Sarethians.
This is another early mostly human society. It was Stone, moving into the Bronze, age society. As with all early societies, it was harnessed under the yoke of religion, with temples being the central unifying focus. They built in adobe and clay, with only a minimum of stone. That is why few of their temples or cities survive.
The Sarethian's deities were serpentine in nature, as the Aviontix were avian. It was not an Evil Society, as most people assume snake worshipers are. It was a mixed back of good, kind of good, and kind of selfish dieties. There are more records of Sarethian society, as their written language formed the earliest foundation of written modern Human languages. That is not to say there is a lot of records, just some. Very little survives of their culture except for a few scrolls of exceptional poetry and magical theories, and their entire legal system (which was draconic at best - mercy not being a big quality for the Sarethians).
If one pays attention to those records, Sarethians were said to have immense healing powers and to have healthy long lives associated with it. They had skills in mind and illusion magics, but little else. Most of what they had was meditation based, with a few things stolen from the Aviontix.
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? Responses (8)
WOW!!!
I just saw that this three post thread has been viewed 2400 times on Strolen Version 1.0. That is more than the Arth Main thread. I was stunned by it, until I realized how many threads and settings and characters I had linked to the Aviontix. Then it sort of made sense, or at least seemed possible.
Having an 'ancient' civilization to harken back to is handy. It allows you to create things that you would never want a 'modern civilization' to be able to do (that keeps the players from just going out and buying such things or making them themselves). Having its basics fleshed out, but not detailed is great. Everyone can take their own spin on the subject AND since the history itself is vague there is a lot of story wiggle room.
Ancient lands allows you to build up stories (and back stories) because you can start your piece up from Times Before Time. Would Scarobmontus be as cool if he came from somewhere else? Possibly. But he has ties to an ancient land and peoples. (He has also Merideth to draw upon).
Think of your ancient land as a foundation. Sure you may never see it, but it is there supporting your work.
What I am wondering is would anyone want to see more of it. Do you want details on anything, or should I just keep posting the general and vauge ideas associated with it. Or should I just leave it alone, It is done.
Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster. Generating Content is fun. One should be a useful poster.
Very useful-every imaginary world needs it's history.
I like the combination of all these things. It is a cool place to bury in you world.
As with all the rest of this, I love it. This is so obvious of a thought I'm surprised it hasn't been posted before now. I now wonder if MH cares about someone adding their thoughts to it. 5/5
Anyone can add their thoughts to it. It is how things build and grow here.
Do you enjoy reading DC comics, bu any chance? I see some similarities (some larger that others) between some elements here and some comics characters.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy cross genre adaptations.
I plan on adding this kingdom to my world's history.
Wow Tauric, you are right.. there is a lot there "adopted" from National Comics. I was thinking upon the results of an ancient people who follow bird spirits (with an Egyptian vibe) and what would be passed down from them. (Check the Aviontix Gods post) I was patterning these in a pulp format which was fitting for the time I was doing it, but it seems my unconcious was running rampant that day.
Hawkstar being the inspirational point and the one I borrowed semi-directly. He needed an eternal opposition (and the mythology had one) so we got our villian. Golvek was a rift on a Hebrew myth, a legacy of history. Every campaign needs a world mage and they need their "tower". It seems that was Fated. Hawk and Dove were natural extentions of bird spirits charged to do things. Until mentioned, I had forgotten about their existance in comics. Those last few mentions are more rifted upon than I realized at the time (now that you pointed out).
Still they are somewhat seperate and fit the world set.
This is very good. I like the mythic feel of it and the whole super-ancient bird worship, as well as various avian monsters having this type of origin. Helps to tie those creatures to your world.
Nicely done!
