Game overview

The following information is drawn from the material shown to the focus groups at the end of 2011 and provides a simple overview of the Empire setting. Much of the detailed material is still being created, so everything described here is potentially subject to change, but the core ideas are now well developed and significant changes are relatively unlikely. For that reason we are now publishing here so that everyone who is interested can find out more about the game.

Introduction

The game is set in a powerful Empire that is surrounded by hostile barbarians on all sides. The Empire has grown in power and size for centuries but has experienced a decline in recent decades with territories along the borders being over-run by barbarians. Around a fifth of the territory the Empire controlled at its height has been lost to a series of incursions that an Empire focused on internal politics was ill equipped to repulse.

The Empress has recently been slain, leaving the collective player base as the most powerful individuals in the Empire. Their challenge is to restore the Empire to its former glory by regaining the lands that have been lost and to secure its future.

The Empire is divided into nine culturally distinct nations. The game setting will describe the geography, culture and dress of these nations. The Empire encourages a degree of rivalry and competition between nations, but forbids outright conflict. The players are all part of this Empire, competing with each other to be the most capable servants of the Empire in defeating their barbarian enemies.

Events represent meetings of the Imperial court. These are times when characters can take the bold actions that determine the future of the Empire - there will be votes in the Senate, opportunities to practice powerful magic and battles to be fought that will determine the outcome of the Empire's military campaigns.

Look and Feel

The inspiration will be drawn from the late Byzantine period to the Renaissance era. We will actively prohibit costume from later periods, like frockcoats and tricorns. The Lord of the Rings movie, the Assassins’ Creed computer games, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game from Games Workshop, HBO Borgias, the Game of Thrones television series, the Starz Camelot series and even the BBC Merlin series have all thrown up images we are keen to develop. The Imperial setting is one of “high culture” so we are excluding costume for players like the Huns or the Mongols that has a barbaric feel to it.

The game is not a historical setting, however, so the periods described are only the starting point for our costume and culture. Each Nation has a distinctive look. The game will encourage players to wear the costume that fits the created setting and their part within it. We want to exceed the level of costume standards that Odyssey achieves, using a fantasy world inspired by costume, dress and armour from the relevant periods.

The Nations of the Empire

The Empire is divided into nine culturally distinct Nations. Nations are not politically independent, the Empire has a single set of laws, but they have a cultural identity that is identifiable and reflected in their dress, customs and attitude. Each Nation will have three or four senators.

Nations exist to provide the players with their primary source of identity - in the way that players in other fest systems are Malathians, Greeks or Lions. The game will be organized logistically along Nation lines, with camps laid out for each Nation. Nationality will have no rules impact on a character’s skills or abilities. We want to encourage players to choose these factors purely for their aesthetic and setting considerations.

The Senate

Political control of the Empire will be through the Senate. Initially there will be around 40 senators, all drawn from the player base. The debates and business of the Senate will be facilitated and administered by our NPC Civil Service and Speaker. The Speaker’s role will be to chair and officiate meetings of the Senate.

The point of the Senate is to provide a focus for much of the political conflict between players in the game. It gives PCs the levers to control the Empire - but in uptime, rather than in downtime. We are designing an impressive set for the intense political roleplay to take place in.

At present, in the absence of an Emperor or Empress, the Senate is in charge, with the Senators voting on motions put before them. Creating an Emperor or Empress is the responsibility of the Senate, but is not easy. We do not envisage it happening in the early part of the campaign - becoming the supreme ruler of the Empire will be a long-term goal for players to pursue!

The Synod

The Synod will be a meeting place for the faithful of the Empire with powers laid down by the Imperial Constitution. Membership of the Synod may be open to all priests, but there will be one or two prominent clergy for each of the seven paths, representing appointment as an Archbishop of a great Cathedral.

The Synod’s legal powers to constrain the Senate will be limited but important. They will be able to veto by majority vote any constitutional changes and up to one bill each event. In addition, they will be able to order Imperial Citizens to come before the Synod to answer questions, to allow it to serve as the moral conscience. They are also the only body able to intercede with the Judiciary to plead for clemency for convicted criminals.

The Bourse, the Conclave and the Military

The Bourse will be a political arena for characters who are heavily engaged in trade and commerce. A position in the Bourse will be associated with great wealth and characters involved in the Bourse will be able to influence the economics of the Empire.

The Conclave will be a political arena for the powerful wizards in the Empire. Positions in the Conclave will be associated with magical prowess and power and characters involved in the Conclave will be able to shape the magical destiny of the Empire.

The Military will be a political arena for characters who are engaged in war and conflict with the Empire's enemies. A position in the Military will give a character influence over the wars the Empire fights as well as the battles that take place at each event. All three of these political structures will rival the power of the Senate and the Synod.

The Civil Service and Judiciary

The Empire has an efficient and orderly civil service; these will be primarily played by our crew. Their job is to support the game by making the game systems run more efficiently (e.g. managing meetings in the Senate, holding trials for accused parties). The Civil Service will make it possible for us to recognize what players are doing, and ensure that their actions and decisions are reflected in the game world. The Civil Service will allow us to have a wide range of logistical functions carried out by NPCs, without having those NPCs be in charge.

The Judiciary will exist to enforce the law. This will allow us to present a body of Imperial law to the players (which they change through the Senate). It will also make breaking the law meaningful and credibly dangerous, as well as keeping the resulting trials short and interesting. Trials are notoriously dull in LRP, and law enforcement is usually arduous at best. PCs will be involved in the legal process, gathering evidence and arresting suspects but trials will be conducted and judged by our NPCs.

Eternals

The world of Empire is known to touch six other planes of existence. These are home to powerful magical entities called Eternals who are interested in the human world. Players can meet the Eternals in the Hall of Worlds, and negotiate and deal with them there.

The Eternals are powerful but they are not gods. Their power is themed. Their role in the game is to make the game world feel more magical and fantastic; to provide dramatic non-combat moments for players by interaction in the Hall of Worlds; and to act as a source of plot through their machinations. Magical characters will bargain and deal with the Eternals, and their actions may well be significant in the Conclave.

Lineage

Human PCs may choose one of five different lineages. Lineage represents Eternal blood in a character’s ancestry. The degree of Eternal blood varies, the more obvious and dramatically non-human a player’s phys-rep then the more Eternal blood they have.

Each lineage will have a list of roleplaying and physical “Trappings”, to give guidance on how to play the lineage. The more of the Trappings the player adopts for their character the more “Eternal” and less human their character is. Lineage has no impact on a character’s skills or abilities, but will affect the way other Eternals interact with a character.

Barbarians and Orcs

The role of the barbarians is to serve as opponents to the Empire. There will be several distinct Barbarian powers: tribes, nations or kingdoms as appropriate. The primary requirement of barbarians is to look cool in massive numbers in battles, to provide immersive, exciting, dramatic combat encounters, whilst allowing for a full range of interaction when it is appropriate.

Most of the Barbarians powers that surround the Empire are orcs, not humans. Other species exist in the world. Players will encounter representatives of these powers over time.

Players will be able to play Imperial Orcs. Imperial orcs are orcs who have been brought into the Empire decades earlier; as such, they are completely politically assimilated and are totally loyal to the Empire. Imperial orcs have their own unique culture, effectively they are a nation of their own, although they do lack territory and the political power that the Nations wield.