Game Overview
While the Guidebook covers everything you need to know for the "out of character" side of things, the Game Overview below will go over the key in character details including setting, features, character creation opportunities, and more!
Getting Started
The World
- Our game is set in the world of Kinship. This world was originally created by the Primordial Gods as a neutral ground for their divine children to settle disputes without harming populated worlds.
- Some deities used the world as a testing ground for various experiments while others began "borrowing" lifeforms to fight on their behalf; some actually abducted individuals/groups from their homeworld, while other lifeforms were recreated using "blueprints".
- All native life, including flora and fauna, stem from these early transported and created populations; as such, the wildlife is often a peculiar blend of familiar and alien.
- Kinship's history of divine meddling has made it a cultural patchwork of different eras and worlds -- remnants of ancient dialects and futuristic argots pepper everyday conversations while songs, stories, and names carry echoes of both familiar and foreign origins.
- On Kinship, magic and technology intertwine in surprising ways. Wands and laser pistols are common tools. Mystical ruins hide behind force fields, while magic imbues mechs and motors. This blend of swords and sorcery, ancient and futuristic, creates a world where the mystical and mechanical complement one another.
- Kinship's kaleidoscope of cultures means social mores and material goods vary wildly between realms. A wizard may wear mythril robes and dwell in a tower topped with astrolabes in one country, while a cyborg bounty hunter dons graphene armor in the minimalist skyrise of another. People's views span the spectrum from mystical to pragmatic, traditional to progressive, fatalistic to ambitious.
The Island
- The island of Ognos is the primary setting for our game. For centuries, it was an isolated nation preoccupied with internal conflicts and wary of outside influence. This changed when a divine war between Ognos' patron gods, and the arrival of a new deity, began to wreak havoc on Kinship, decimating Ognos and forcing its inhabitants to desperately evacuate.
- With their homeland destroyed, the surviving Ognoshu became refugees. Some integrated into foreign realms that took them in while others chose to remain nomadic, living permanently aboard ships and vessels either solo or in wandering fleets.
- After some time, the Primordial Gods became aware of what was happening on Kinship and personally made a visit to Ognos to intervene; unfortunately they were unable to completely repair the damage done to the world -- the many layers of ancient divinity already present in the land were too complex even for them the massive weight of their presence was enough to cause a time dilation
- Many Ognoshu still yearn to reclaim their ancestral island one day. Ognos now lies largely abandoned, dotted with crumbling ruins and roamed by dangerous beings.
- For example, for some a few months to a few years may have passed, while others may be from an entirely new generation (up to 20 years).
- No one -- not even the Primordials -- were able to fix everything he'd messed with due to the many complex layers and ancient magics that were already present in the land, however, they were able to make the island liveable again. The island is forever changed, and it will take a long time for all of the secrets, dangers, and transmutations to be discovered.
- The first town has been built and everyone has been welcomed back. All characters will be new arrivals in the town, typically returning refugees though people from other countries or places/times may also come. Most characters will be adventurers, crafters, etc. who are here to help remap, rebuild, and resettle Ognos.
- Strong emphasis will be put on adventuring, exploration, and discovery.
Races
- Players can join characters from one of our two primary races, Valka and Humans, for free.
- Some characters and Astrofel may be transported to Kinship from other places or times, typically after stumbling across ancient traps or tools left behind by the gods on their homeworld. Upon arrival, they will always become one of our core races unless the appropriate purchases are made from the Marketplace.
- Residents of Ognos, regardless of race, are called "Ognoshu"; this term can be used for things that apply to both/all races, or when discussing a group consisting of individuals from multiple races.
Humans
This versatile core race may allow some new players to more easily immerse themselves in our fantasy world; they provide a comfortable starting point to learn the mechanics and stories of the game before venturing into more complex options.
Other Races
Additional races and unique core race lineages may be purchased from our Marketplace; while anyone may buy access to them, they are often better suited for seasoned players who want to go beyond the basics of our setting. We suggest playing a character from at least one of our core races for a bit before taking the leap with a new race, so you can fully engage with and immerse yourself in their unique traits and backgrounds.
Valka
Valka are shapeshifters with two base forms: a True Form and a human form.
- A Valka's True Form is typically a single ordinary Earth animal.
- Valka in their human form may have 0 - 2 carryover traits, appearance-only features that are based on their animal form. A wolf Valka might have canine ears and a wolf tail, for example.
- Additional traits may be purchased or earned as rewards from mini-game participation.
- Valka are able to use magic; this is an innate connection with the natural world that can be channeled in many different ways.
- A character's magic will usually develop between the ages of 8 and 10; once their magic develops, they can choose to specialize in a specific type of magic.
- Races: Brief descriptions and traits of playable races
- Astrofel: Explain companion familiars and their role
Core Features
- Plot: Teaser about main in-game story and conflicts
- Progression: Explain levels, skills, abilities
- Rewards: Overview of prizes, coppers, mini-games
World of Kinship
- Magic vs Tech: How they coexist in this realm
- Environments: Types of areas to explore
Character Creation
- Character Creation: Brief instructions to start playing
Deeper Dives
- More Details: Links to full guides on each topic
Next up...
You can check out the other Essential Guides using the links below!
- Guidebook - a brief look in to game setting & mechanics
- Getting Started - your character creation companion
When you've read everything over, you can get going by joining your character here.