Dark Urth though still not ready for production is ready to be played. And in my desire to see it played I am running it through yahoogroups. This is a chance to get in on effecting the playworld that the first edition will have listed as the official world history. To become the legend that is current discussion, the heroes that the PC's are reading about when they are turning the pages of the printed game book. Become the backstory, and now Prehistory...
Urth was settled by the twelve known races of men. THere was a time (before the Magi) when man had to struggle against the elements of Urth. Metals poor, there was no iron or steel to found the basis of industrial revolution, for centuries man struggled with handtools against the Urth. But one day the first fleshbender found his trade, telekinesis so refined that he could manipulate genes he and ones like his as they learned the skills of fleshcraft (through some frightful trial and error) were able to manipulate the genetic structure of things to make palm leaves as hard as steel for plows, and smaller leaves so sharp they could be used as razors. Inventiveness made all manner of modern advancement, but eventually the fleshcraft was bent to changing men, one race became twelve as people followed a fashon by personal choice or breeding. One day industrialized man realized that a slave bred for the task is better than the work of their own brow. The Ourocks were fleshbent from prisoners genetically lobotimized to become willing labor for the fields and new factories. This was thought to be a perfect system until one day the Ourocks rebelled until then no one thought about their numbers, they were allowed to breed amidst themselves when such "desires" arised until their numbers were usually 2 to 1 compared to the common folk. The Ourock threw off the chains of their masters and waged war against them, in one day they decimated population centers where they were commonly found. Such brutality had before never been seen. The remaining peoples of Urth turned to the Magi for help before the Ourock became the only peoples on the whole of Urth. THe Magi had been working on perfecting each of the races that Humaniti was evolved into, resistance to aging, disease, and even physical damage. Thirteen were created including one "perfect" Magi this cabal of Heroes was sent out to do one thing "destroy the destroyers of mankinds civilization" and though it too years they were able to stand unfailing against the Ourock hordes and drive them into the Northern Seas. These 13 heroes died countless times in the battles to "save Humaniti" from its failure of foresight. They were worshipped by the people as Gods... Gods of War. Over countless centuries the peope of Urth worshipped the Gods of War, made sacrifices, and served them. Eventually the populations of Urth grew so that all the peoples celebrates and worshipped images of the Gods, then after a few more centuries people had forgotten the Ourock, and the Pains of the Ourock Rebellion, and the millions of people that died. They turned back to their own petty squabbles,and began to make war to settle disputes. And after a few centuries of numbness the Godsof War became enraged and brought war to the very people that they saved eons before, the myths had awakened. In a desparate hour when once again War, and Death were ravishing the peoples of Urth they turned to the Magi. The Magi had feared such a day would come when they would have to put ther perfect sons to rest, and so they did when the Gods of War returnd to their homes for the season of rest (some would call Winter) the Magi sent emmesarries to broker a peace with the peoples of Urth. Knowing the Gods of War as they did peace would not be in them, and they lashed out at the emessaries and in the process killing themselves. Only one had the force of will to run from his throne room before the plague consumed his flesh from his bones the one who called himself Ourock-gannesh (Ourock destroyer) the perfect Magi. Death swallowed the Gods of War but the plague also consumed hundreds of thousands of others.
Centuries have past, peace has returned to the lands, War has been outlawed, the Magi have withdrawn to some ivory tower somewhere in the ocean. Storms are brewing, now political and border disputes are now settled by gladitorial games. As young men and women will you rise to the call of a new age, the needs of a new age... lets make history.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/darkurth_aohPeace,
Michael "Animal" Conway
Illuminarchy Press
