The Godfall (Part 2 Of Pilgrims and Peoples)

 Continuing on from part 1 found HERE.  This now discusses the characters that the players are playing in the Godfall setting.

Pilgrims and The Long Road

At the center of the Faultlands is the city of Tul-Gorak. It is the single largest city in the known world that has grown rich off the strangeness of the resources found in the Godfall. It sits astride the river Gor and is one of the few places verdant with native life so close to the rotting remains of God.

It has become a place of pilgrimage for so many. Not everyone does it for purely religious reasons but none the less it is a deeply personal journey for each and every pilgrim.  The pull of the Godfall is strong to many of the restless souls in this world,  they know this is a dangerous journey, and yet regardless they press on so that they may stare upon the corpse of God.  For many pilgrims, this is a moment of apotheosis, one that will change them forever.  For others, it is a sad reminder that even the immortal must still one day die.

For each player, the prime motivation of their character is to complete the pilgrimage to Tul-Gorak so they can climb its walls and towers and look upon the body of God.  This is the glue that will bind the group together, the shared sense of purpose to reach the end of the long road.  They will initially meet together at one of the gateway towns at the edge of the faultlands, so they may seek the safety of numbers and companionship of other pilgrims.

The Long Road is the colloquial term for the pilgrimage to Tul-Gorak.  It is not a single road or pathway but rather refers to the length of the journey ahead.  It implies that grit determination will be needed to reach the end.

Peoples of The World

There are 3 civilized races that inhabit the surface of the world.  They make up its tribes, its villages, and cities.  Your first step should be to choose one of the three races that exist.  Roll twice on their tables to determine their starting abilities.

Human
Humans are a hugely diverse group.  They innovate readily, and can push their bodies to extremes.   Humans gain an additional gain + 1 to their constitution modifier or +1 to their intelligence modifier. Roll twice on the table below
Roll D10	Description
1	Adaptable: Gain 2 skill points (or the equivalent of two 1 in 6 advancements in thief skills)
2	Adrenal Surge: Once per day, for the entire combat, you gain +1 to hit bonus. You must rest for at least 1 turn afterward or gain a point of exhaustion.
3	Survivors: When bleeding out when at Death's Door your constitution is considered to be 1 point higher for the purpose of the saving throw.
4	Brave or foolish: Advantage with any saving throw Vs. a fear effect. Once per day
5	Unpredictable Foes: Gains +2 AC in the first round of any combat.
6	Endurance: Humans can push themselves to the limit and then some. Upon gaining a point of exhaustion they may make a Save Vs. paralysis (or your equivalent). If successful they do not incur the -1 penalty. However, they are still exhausted and require rest.  Once per day.
7
8	Culturally diverse society: Every-time you meet a new group of sapient peoples (be they a tribe, cult or settlement etc.) You may ask the GM one question about the. The GM will answer truthfully. This cannot reveal secret knowledge.
9	Brimming with potential: Gains a psionic wild talent.
10	Corrupted: The Rot of the decay of God has touched you.  Your body has mutated.  Find a good mutation table to roll on or negotiate a mutation with your DM.  This should give an overall benefit to the character.

Florian
Florian are humanoid life descended from plants. They are often tall and green of skin adorned with petals and leaves. Like humans they are a diverse group of people, although they are rarely found in the far north where the sun's rays are weaker. They need sunlight or sugar water to live. Florian's gain an additional gain + 1 to their dexterity modifier or +1 to their intelligence modifier. Roll twice on the table below
Roll D10	Description
1	Kin of nature: +2 to bushcraft
2	Commune with photosensitizers: You can tap into the diffuse consciousness of the plant life around you. You may freely converse with them. However their experiences are limited so many concepts will be alien to them. During this time you will be in a trance-like state and will be unable to defend yourself.  Once per day.
3	Thorns: Any time an enemy rolls a critical failure while within melee range of you (it does not have to be Vs. you) they are caught on your thorns and take 1D4 damage). This is applied before other consequences.
4	Perfume: You can choose to emit a scent that is either pleasing or disgusting. Once per day you may mimic the scent of any one smell you are familiar with (up to 1 turn per level).
5	Toxin Resistance: Once per day you may roll with advantage for any save Vs. poison.
6	Deadly extracts: You produce 1 dose of neurotoxin per day. If a target is wounded with a weapon coated with it or ingests it they will take 1D8 damage. A saving throw Vs. poison will half the damage is taken.
7	Take Root: The florian may automatically pass a check or save that would cause them to be moved or knocked prone. However, they may not move for the next round.  Once per day
8	Innate magic: The ground is filled with magical potency and many florians draw this into their own bodies. You gain a single 1 first level spell as a daily innate.
9	Plant craft: You can manipulate the growth and decay of plant life around you. With a little concentration you can: Cause flowers to bloom around you. Leaves to fall. Seeds to sprout. plants to wilt and decay. Vines to slowly coil. You can do many other things. These processes are usually subtle and gradual and do not have a massive impact. However with concentration you could perform feats like growing fruit in a matter of hours.
10	Corrupted: The ancestry of some florians tred a darker path than others they can devour the bodies of other living things, like the venus fly trap they can dissolve the flesh of others in their bellies. The florian may choose to ingest an unrotten corpse. In doing so they will recover 1d4 hit points. It take 1 hour per hit point recovered. This increases to 1D6 at level 3, 1D8 at level 5 and 1D10 at level 10.

Mycellian
Be a Mycellian Mycellian's are humanoid life descended from fungus. They are stout and thoughtful people but also frighteningly strong. They take the form of humanoid mushrooms and are incredibly diverse. They are also natural psionic users. Mycellian gain an additional gain + 1 to their strength modifier or +1 to their wisdom modifier. Roll twice on the table below
Roll D10	Description
1	Natural Psionic: Gains a psionic wild talent
2	Stout: Once per day gains an advantage to any save Vs. paralysis.
3	Choking Spores: Once per day you may release a cloud of choking spores at an enemy within 10 foot range. They must save Vs. poison (minus your WIZ modifier) or be stunned for 1d3 rounds.
4	Tough Body: +1 AC
5	Toxic: Any creature that bites you must save vs poison or take 1D6 damage.
6	Psionic Defense: Once per day upon taking damage you may mentally lash out at the attacker dealing 1D6 psychic damage. Additionally, they must save Vs. paralysis or be repelled 10 foot.
7	Decay: Once per day you may rot any non-metal item up to the size of a chair instantly, it collapses apart into mush. If used in combat a successful non-damaging strike must be made against an opponent.
8	Telepathic Message: Can send a telepathic message to a single person within 120 feet whom you know or can physically see. This may be no more than a single sentence long. If the target has any form of psionic ability they must respond in kind.
9	Gestalt memory: +3 to any one skill check once per day.
10	Corrupted: Gains the ability Create fungal servant You may imbue a corpse with insidious controlling spores. This turns the corpse into your faithful unintelligent servant. It takes one hour for the spores to take effect and raise the servant.

The Pilgrim's Kin

The most common wayof life for most people in the world is either home in a small settlement no lager than a hundred of so people, or in nomadic tribes.  The pilgrim's kin or lack of will inform how they interact with others and how they see themselves in the world.  Choose from below or roll.

Roll	Community	Description
1	A small farming community	Probably less than a hundred people live here. Life is hard but it is secure. However each Village is well guarded.
2	Nomadic herders	You herd your flock of milk crabs or pylon sheep across the wilderness. Life is unpredictable but it is usually peaceful as your people tend to know the hidden paths that allow expeditious retreat from more unpleasant foes. Non the less your flock does tend to attract predators.
3	Nomadic traders	Your people know all the great places of the world. They have travelled to the smallest of hamlets to the handful of great city states. You have a sense of culture that few others grasp. You know a few more mysteries than most. However rich traders attract bandits and you have seen a lot of bloodshed in your life.
4	Resource Miners	Your community mines/gathers a valuable resource. It attracts many people, traders and the curious. You have become a skilled negotiator and excellent administrator. Unfortunately your the value of the products of your home is attracts unwanted attention and you are raided frequently. Usually by desperate bandits who are just as frequently slaughtered.
5	Sorcerer's Enclave	With magic at their disposal many sorcerers have built unassailable positions. This often generates a following of those seeking their protection. This mini fifes are as varied as the lord's temperament. It is likely if you had any talent in the arcane arts you would end up here. Many fools try to rob this place, few survive. Fewer still dare to storm it.
6	Ex-Slave	The world lacks any unified governments and thus many people are easy pickings for the roaming slavers. Your life for so long has been a brutal grind of work and misery. You have developed a deep grit and drive that few others could hope to meet. When you got your freedom the catharsis drove you to weep.
7	Wanderer	You have been alone for so long. Drifting from place to place, town to town. There a sweetness to the freedom but this world feels empty and so vast. Along with the pangs of loneliness is an existential horror of how insignificant we all are. You have leant to slink away from trouble. Or when you have had to face it you face it head on.
8	Jungle Tribe	Life in the tribe is one of developed cunning acquired alertness. For you and your kin every step here could be fatal. You are curious but cautious. You stalk your prey rather than charge it. Your shaman's eye glint with deeper knowledge, maybe you served them?
9	Glacial Hunters	The frozen north is almost entirely free of civilisation. Yet a few stubborn tribes of hunters remain. These communities hunt vast and powerful prey. Only through the cooperation of the entire tribe do they bring these beasts down. You value allies and find the notion of warring tribes an anathema.
10	Nomadic Scavengers	Few dare to tread onto the tombs of the old world. These are dangerous places but the treasures here are undeniable. Your community dared to take that risk, driven by desperation maybe? You have seen death, scavengers who are slow witted rarely last long. You have also seen horrors, things that should not be. You have glimpsed at what my be behind the veil.
11	Bandit Tribe	Bandit communities are rarely happy ones. They are nearly always driven by desperation or madness rather than greed. You were either forced into this life or were driven into it by misfortune. It has left your soul scarred. You have seen so much death. When you found a way out you seized it like a whale gasping for air.
12	City state	Civilisation at its truest and most cosmopolitan. A handful of booming cities across the world. This is where most of the innovations and cultural growth happens. However where-ever there is wealth and growth there is also crime and deprivation. Not every city state is ruled justly and not every justly ruled city state is ruled competently. But life here is rich and varied. There opportunities that wont be found else where.

The Pilgrim's Motivation

Each player will play a pilgrim on who has taken the road to Tul-Gorak.  Not everyone takes this journey goes purely for enlightenement (though some do).  The player should choose from one of the motivations (or roll)  for the journey below.

Roll	Motive	Description
1	Revenge	Someone or many people you transgressed against you or your kin. You know where they are. You will find them at the end of the long road in the city of Tul-Gorak, where the pilgrims gather. You will have your revenge.
2	Atonement	You have a stain on your soul. A crime you committed has gnawed away at you and for the sake of your conscience you will make the pilgrimage to Tul-Gorak and speak you deed to the corpse of God.
3	The final wish of a dear one	Someone you loved/respected or were duty bound too died and in their final breath they wished their ashes to be scatted at the end of the long road by the corpse of God. You carry their Urn with you.
4	Enlightenment	It is said that journey on the long road changes you. For the longest time you have felt a hollowness inside of you, where this is true or not you have left your home seeking answers. You are daring to find out something about yourself through this perilous journey.
5	Rite of Passage	For some communities the pilgrimage is a necessary part of life. No one can truly say they have become until they stood upon the walls of Tul-Gorak and stared upon the body of God.
6	Banishment	You commit a taboo in your people's law and of such you were banished from their lands, never to return. Alone and aimless you have sought the long road to Tul-Gorak in hope of finding new kin and drive.
7	Power	There are things at the end of the long road or even the journey along it that you desire. You wish control and influence, for ill or for good (that is for you to decide).
8	Shame	The memory of your actions make you feel sick and filthy. The shame drives you forward, not only do you want to forget what you did but you want to find other memories to take its place instead. Surely the sight of God will do this for you.
9	Refugee	You flee from the violence of the past and seek a new home elsewhere. You know this journey is dangerous and long but the promise of stability and security call strong.
10	Adventure	You are restless and life has posed little challenge for you. The open world called and you ran to it willingly. Surely there is not greater adventure than to travel to the Godfall?
11	Knowledge	There is a great library at the end of the long road, there are sorcerer's of great power and disciple. There are also master's of crafts and warriors without peer. All to learn from. There are also other forms of knowledge to be found. More esoteric and potentially forbidden knowledge.
12	Solve a Mystery	You need the answer and the only place you will find it is at the end of the long road.

The Pilgrim's Former Occupation

Who were they before they set thier ambitions on the Long Road?  This will add a little flavor to thier start.  Roll or choose from below.

Roll	Occupation	Description
1	Farmer	10 additional rations. A hand drawn cart (adds +10 slots). Question: Farmsteads are often raided. How you did you defend yours?
2	Town Guard	A weapon of your choice (not firearms) A suit of re-enforced leather (AC14) A sheild Question: It is often the case that guards of any town are to stop contraband. Did you hold fast and stop the flow. Or did you get rich off bribes and backhanders?
3	Hunter	X 2 bear traps. Each trap inflicts 1D6 damage and 1 point of damage per round for 1D4 rounds. Requires 1D4 +1 (minus your STR modifier, to a minimum of 1) rounds to free yourself from it. Question: You have hunted all kinds. What is the one that got away?
4	Herder	1D6 + 1 herding creatures of a similar size and temperament to a goat. The animals will generally flee violence but will defend themselves. However they will respond to your call. Question: Your animals are often prey for all kinds of slavering beasts (even civilised ones occasionally). What happened the time you couldn't save all your herd?
5	Merchant	100GP Question: You have travelled the remains of the world. Spoken to many people. What was the most intriguing secret you were ever told over a drink by firelight?
6	Miner	A lantern and 10 hours worth of fuel. A pickaxe that can be used as a medium weapon (1D8) or to hack away at rocks. Question: Once you dug too deep. What did you unearth?
7	Scavenger	A minor trinket of wonder. Question: You have dared walking into the ruins of the world before. What did you see that made you weep for what was lost?
8	Engineer's Apprentice	A flintlock pistol A pouch of ammo (1D12) Question: Health and safety is really important when messing with stuff, especially when it has moving parts. Who was it you saw getting blown up/mangled/dissolved by their own experiments?
9	Blacksmith's Apprentice	A blacksmith's hammer, heavy and dangerous. 1D8  A blacksmith's apron (AC13) Question: Blacksmithing is hard. A long road of learning. What was your first failure that allowed you to develop and grow?
10	Herbalist	A bag of assorted herbs. (1D6) Can be used medicinally to heal 1D2. Or can be distilled into healing potions. Question: You have been searching for one certain rare plant/fungus for a long, long time. What are it's properties? What are you going to use it for?
11	Soothsayer	A small bag of animal knuckle bones and a ritual dagger. You can use this to perform a ritual to attempt to divine the future. Question: When did you predict the future correctly? And why was that a terrible thing?
12	Artisan's Apprentice	Specialised tools for your chosen trade. 3 x worked trinkets of your choice. Each is worth 3 x 3D6 in SP due to their craftsmanship. Question: There was one creation that you made that proved your skill in your trade. Unfortunately it was lost. Stolen maybe? How was it lost? What was the outcome?
13	Shaman	A staff with a skull on top. It's eyes can glow red and it contains the spirit of an ancestor. That might be useful? Question: Shaman are usually tied to the fate of their tribe. Yet you are not longer with them. The question begs, why did you leave? Did you go on a quest? Commit a taboo?
14	Outcast	A ragged set of hides (AC13)] A makeshift Spear 1D6 A make shift sling 1D4 or a mutation. Question: It is rare that someone is cast out from their home and kin. It must have been a terrible crime or prejudice that forced you out. What was it?
15	Packmaster	1 x beast of burden The creature is in a similar manner to a horse. It has side saddles to hold extra load. 15 slots. Question: It is was your job to care for the pack-beasts. One day you saw another harm your creatures. What was your response? What was the outcome?
16	Thief	A stolen trinket of wonder. Question: The first rule is don't get caught. When did you break that rule?
17	Philosopher	A rare and valuable book, it might contain secret knowledge. Question: Of all of the questions that life has demanded that you answer. One beyond all else escapes your grasp. What is it? Why did god fall? What is everything? Why are you conscious?
18	Sorcerer's Apprentice	You have a broom. It animates and cleans up the area for you. If it is destroyed as long as you save at least a splinter of it you can regenerate it. Question: Your master was wise, possibly awful at times. But what power did they possess did you covert more than any other?
19	Witch's Apprentice	A small cast iron cauldron that can be used a weapon in a pinch (1d6). Excellent for cooking stew and possibly contains traces of potions brewed in it. Question: All witches have secrets. What was it that you discovered that would be considered a great trespass on morality? Did you disprove? Is it now your secret too?
20	Seer	Focusing Crystal, with enough focus and time you think you can see things in far off places. Question: There was a vision, so cruel and awful you swore yourself off your path. What did you see?

The Godfall (Part 1 Setting Overview)

 This is the world and setting for the current campaign I am running.  So feel free to read, borrow or steal.  Convert it to whatever system you want or just cherry-pick ideas.  Overall I just hope it's good brain food and helps inspire your own stuff.

The Godfall: The Elevator Pitch

Countless generations in the past, the peoples of the world had built great empires that matched their endless ambition.  Their cities gave home to millions and their agriculture fed times of times that.  It seems there was no feat that the learned and arcane could not perform at this time.  Evidence of their once-great mastery over the mysterious arts can be found everywhere in the ancient ruins of their world, and their strange machines can be found here and there humming away with unusual purpose.

Those who lived in the old world did truly live in a golden age.  Therefore the question begs, how were they not able to stop it?

One day God or a god (or something else grand and vast as a god) crashed into the world.  The body of this being is so vast that the crater formed from the impact stretches from pole to pole.  The impact of this being striking the planet caused nothing short of armageddon. A shock wave burst outwards from the impact site that broke the world.  The tectonic plates of the land were thrown up and new mountain chains were built.  It also broke civilization, it broke the cities and the people within.  The dust from the sky smothered the world in an era of darkness from which only the very strongest survived.

An untold number of years has passed. The world has forgotten its ancient past, the remains of the ancient cities and great works are either consumed by the jungles or stand defiant seemingly as permanent as the mountains. The body of God lies in its crater, rotting, the juices from its decay mutating the earth and breeding new horrendous life.

It is a time of disparate tribes, dangerous wanderers, and malevolent sorcerers who wield terrible power. There are a few fitful starts of civilization, some even a few places like the city-state of Tul-Gorak can actually claim to wield real power.  However this is a place and time where things plot against the rebirth of civilization, things from other worlds stir and stare greedily at its inhabitants.  The world below begins a long march and ancient, powerful forces are about to be unleashed.

Overview

The Godfall is both the name of the event and the place.  This happened approximately 10,000 years ago, although for even the most astute historian of this world that timestamp has been almost impossible to lockdown due to the chaos after the Godfall.

Godfall (the event) was a cataclysm where some being as tall as the world slammed into the side of the planet.  It is assumed this is God or a god, simply because what other than a god could be of that stature?  It destroyed the old world much like the meteorite wiped out the dinosuars.  At its height, the old world saw advanced magi-tech and had a level of societal progression similar to enlightenment era europe.  It was a world of new innovation and ideas slowly pushing aside old prejudices and concepts.

The world now sits in the shadow of the old.  The architecture of the old world was built to last, the spires and ruins of this lost time can be seen everywhere, they are as much a part of the scenery as the mountains and jungles.  Your average person sees the ruins as a unique type of environment in the same way you and I would distinguish between swamps and grasslands.

Civilizational spread is sparse indeed.  People cluster around arable land or valuable resources and their numbers rarely exceed a few hundred.  This means that there are often great distances between larger settlements and nomadic lifestyles are common.

There are however a handful of city-states.  Places with the resources and organizational know-how to effectively manage people in the 10s of thousands are indeed more.  The largest of all of these is the great city of Tul-Gorak.

The Godfall (the place) is the crater where the corpse of god lays.  It is a great tear in the ground and its faultlines stretch all the way up to the north pole to the south.  Without mystical transportation, it is almost impossible to traverse.  Due to the depth, darkness, and the fact, there is a rotting corpse of God to traverse.

The fluids from the decay of the corpse have unique properties.  They change and mutate whatever they touch.  This means that a vast alien ecosystem is flourishing in and around the Godfall, a place that contains rich resources but great danger.

At the Eastern Edge of the Godfall is Tul-Gorak.  It has grown rich and powerful off the strange resources it gathers from the Godfall.  It has gained a reputation as a site of pilgrimage.  Folk from across the known world come here to climb the Walls and towers of the great city so they may view the corpse of God with their own eyes and mourn its loss.

Regions of The World

The Frozen wastes of the North:

Eventually, where the Godfall tapers thin, the snow falls thick. Rumour has it that before the Godfall these lands sat at the equator, that once it was a rich steaming jungle, thick with life. Now it is a cold death. Here ancient the jungles have been petrified with ice, and the air cuts so cold that in some places it snatches the breath from your lungs.

Here is found the Singing Mountains, which are a great chain of lost cities whose spires touch the skies and dare to reach the heavens.   Was it the hubris of the denizens of these places that caused god to fall?

Life grows thin here but the life that is found here is ferocious and cruel. There are treasures here if you can somehow brace against the cold and against the winds.

Things to find:

• The great frozen and almost untouched ruins of the Singing Mountains.
• Creatures of epic size and epic ferocity.
• Small groups of hunters that work together to take down said, epic creatures.

The Endless Jungles of Hunger:

Life thrives in this thick ribbon of greenery. It is a vast home of astonishing biodiversity and awful horror. The spirit of competition amongst the creatures here has created the perfect crucible for an evolutionary arms race.

Only the most fearless, driven or those promised the most fantastic treasure dare venture into the jungles. Beware its howling cannibals and skulking horrors.

Things to find:

• Overgrown almost untouched ruins.
• Nest of creatures.
• Cannibal encampments.
• Tribal villages.
• Shaman Hideaways.

The Godfall:

A great poisoned fault in the earth. That stretches all the way from pole to pole. It is a place where the corpse of It (god?) lays. Here it rots and the fluids and miasma from its decay change the land around it. You see the rot has the power to change in the most profound of ways. The things that come from here are unlike anything in all of the world's history. There are intelligent beings within the Godfall, nearly all are averse to all other civilized life.

The land inside is sheltered from the glare of the sun and always feels like being in perpetual dusk. Even when it is night, the bioluminescence from the strange plantlife ensures a constant low-level illumination.

It is a strange and alien landscape. Harvesting the plant life and hunting the creatures here brings back trade goods of great value.  But it is dangerous. Things lurk here, like the hateful Maw and the relentless Cacospider.

Things to find:

• Ancient almost demolished ruins filled with magic twisted by the rot of It.
• The wretched villages of the Maw.
• Forgotten grottos of forgotten beasts of eldritch power and mind.
• The deep trench from which no one returns.
• The remains of flesh, bone, and mucus of the fallen god.

The Faultlands:

The land around the Godfall is a corona of change. The impact shattered these lands, created apocalyptic earthquakes, and broke the metropolises of the old world. Nowadays it is a dangerous and varied place.  Life is verdant here, thick with forests, swamps, and other stranger biomes. The land itself is a series of faults, uplifts, and canyons. It is an uneven place full of hidden places between the crags and mountain ridges.  It is through these lands that pilgrims to Tul-Gorak make their journey.

Things to find:

• Ragged towns and villages making the best where they can.
• Bandit encampments.
• Trader caravans.
• Twisting ruins from another age, overgrown with plant and fungal life.
• Fungal Groves.
• Mutant hovels.
• Traveling obelisks and their occupiers.

The Repugnant Deadlands:

The tombs of the old world cites of ancient men and women laid low for eternity.  These are petrified remains of the old world.  These lost and broken cities are full of the riches of the long past. They would also be looted clean if it was not for the things that haunt these lands.  The shambling corpses named "Mostly Dead" are but only one of the horrors found here.  For in these places things from other worlds and times make their nests

Things found here:

• Hordes of almost dead, mockeries of humanoid forms.
• Treasures of the old world.
• Dread sorcerers in there high towers.
• The dark and eldritch monstrosities, which are better left forgotten.