Darkmoor my Setting for DCC

[Devil Swine]

So I was creating a setting on the fly and wanted something different. Less standard fantasy and more swords and sorcery. I came up with Darkmoor by taking Blackmoor(the first setting for rpg's) and turning it inside out. Adding in a lot of Elric and Conan and a little bit of the lord of the rings.

Darkmoor is a new kingdom on the edge of a old evil empire in decline(Koshian Empire). 30 years ago the current Kings father (Duke Vellheilm Darkmoor took advantage of a weak Empire already at war and forged a new Kingdom.

Castle Darkmoor,long the seat of power in the Dukedom and home to Mad Wizard Dukes as well as other dark powers for centuries, fell to otherworldly horrors from within its depths thirty years ago. Now it stands under guard at the edge of Darkmoor city,mostly only fools or worse dare to inter its depths. A large contingent of guardsmen are needed to patrol around it in order to keep the monsters and horrors from becoming a worse blight on the land.

The New Darkmoor Keep is being built on the other side of Darkmoor city and is the only real source of income for many of the cities people.

The Current King is Ranthur Darkmoor and although he is a evil tyrant he does at least treat his people as a valuable resource and protect them for the most part. Heavy Taxes are felt in every part of the Kingdom however and with the mines to the north of the city not safe to work any longer and even the harvests turning poor most are on the edge of poverty and famine. Those just now coming into adulthood are finding little work and steep taxes and are being forced out in order to make room for younger children. Many have joined the Black Dragon Legion(the Dukes army) but many more are turned away.

The wildlands to the west team with strange creatures and most who wander past the heavily patrolled areas simply disappear.

The Ulls Witch claims Grimwood and Far to the southwest the nation of the Necromancer King enslaves all that lives.

The Elves(The Ancient Kingdom of Meldubone) South of Darkmoor still claim that the humans stole these lands centuries ago and no human is safe past the town of Two Rivers. There is no logging done in two rivers since last year when 26 of the woodcutters were slain and impaled on spears at the edge of the Greenwood. Fishing is becoming the main livelihood in the town now but there are dark undercurrents in Two Rivers and talk of vengeance.

To the northeast are Darkmoors six villages and two towns. Each one suffering in these dark times in different ways. Greenlee is the largest and the one doing the best but there have been no births in Greenlee for man or animal in five years and the townspeople believe they are under a curse uttered by a condemned man just before he was put to death. The man maintained his innocence of the murder of his own wife even though he was found with the bloody knife used to kill her still in his hands.

To the east lay the Dragonsmaw and none leave or enter that land since the Entire Sixth Legion entered it and never returned three hundred years ago.

To the far southeast sits the Northern province of the Koshian Empire.

Add to all this the mysterious and sinister being known as the Orb of Chaos who only recently started to lurk in the area. Refugees arriving from across the river to the north by the hundreds speaking of savage barbarians who are ravaging those lands,and a cold Deep Fog that has suddenly started to seep up from the ground and cover the lands during the early mornings.

The entire town of Bludg was destroyed by some sort of army of shadowmen last month and only the brave men and women who stayed behind to hold off the shadows slowed the attack enough for most of the people of the town to escape. Only a few survivors from the holding action live but those few have sworn to get to the bottom of it and now have the Dukes blessings to bear arms and seek out whatever foul foe killed so many innocent women and children.




Well thats what I have so far. Note that the Orb of Chaos can be a patron for those needing a path to power.

[Devil Swine]

The reason I bring this up is I wonder what the average setting for you guys is? Are we all defaulting to a D&Dish setting or should we try for something further off the beaten path with DCC?

[GnomeBoy]

In my head is a setting that's more Post-Apocalypse-meets-Cthulhu than Fantasy... but without opportunity to play, it's just in my head (so far).

[jeff]

I'm toying with a setting with a "Dying Earth" vibe.

[Ducaster]

Great write up I thought. Just one thing stands out.

Are ALL elves hostile? If so how will Elven PC's fit in? As rebles/spies perhaps or did I misread something

[joela]

The reason I bring this up is I wonder what the average setting for you guys is? Are we all defaulting to a D&Dish setting or should we try for something further off the beaten path with DCC?

I'm probably looking at the PoL supps, especially Golden Shores.