Heroic Details of the Maelstrom

 Last time I used the 20 quick questions that Jeff asks. I enjoyed writing that so I'm going to do the same thing with the world building questions from Paizo's Pathfinder Gamemastery book.You know, just for fun.

1. What's my base of operations?

Generally, it will be in a Sanctum. This is mainly because life outside the Sanctums are generally dangerous, violent, and short. The specifics within the Sanctum can vary, but it's usually a bit crowded and often somewhat desperate. You can try to make a base outside a Sanctum if you like, good luck.


2. Do I look different from everybody else?

Maybe. Humans are, by far, the most common species in the Maelstrom. They are not in charge, but common. Some Sanctums are more cosmopolitan than others. Skin tones in Aesir tend to be lighters, in Sheol and Mageddon they are darker. In Eden and Shinto they tend to be in the middle with tan skin tones. This tends to be true across species.

3. How do I make a living?

This is likely linked to why you go into the underworld to begin with. Times are desperate and resources are limited. How you survive in a Sanctum is often difficult. Surviving outside one is heroic. Most Sanctum will pay good money for things brought up from the ruins of the Land-That-Was.

4. Have I been doing this long?

Are you still alive? Yes? Then probably not. Adventurers and Dungeon Delvers usually don't live very long.

5. Are we at war or at peace?

Most Sanctums are at a general level of peace with each other. That's rarely a stable or even honest condition. There are a few Sanctums who are in essentially constant war scattered across the islands. Depending on where you are, you likely won't have to ask.

6. What am I doing with these others guys?

You wanna go into the demon-infested wilderness alone? Beyond the absolute need for companions outside the Sanctum (hell, in the Sanctum) it's really up to you. In some Sanctums you may be caste-mates or just a random bunch who met in a tavern and got drunk enough to think leaving the Sanctum in search of fortune and fame was a good idea.

7. How are lives affected by magic?

Well, mages (and psions, who most people just think are a different kind of mage) are usually not trusted. Most people think they had something to do with the Reckoning. Clerics are usually revered as the only thing keeping Sanctums from complete disintegration. Force-users are so mysterious to most people, they are usually just feared and watched.

Magic items, on the other hand, are almost worshiped as the salvation of society. Especially if that item somehow makes life easier (anything that provides food, water, healing, energy, etc.)

8. How are lives affected by religion?

Deeply. The seven Malakhim are often central to a society and entire species can develop their sense of identity based on a single Malakhim or set of Malakhim. Some Sanctums revere one Malakhim and reject all others, or openly accept the entire pantheon. There is no doubt in the Maelstrom of the divinity of the Malakhim...but that does not mean they are understood. Clerics are seen as those who have a special connection to the Malakhim.

9. Who or what is going to try to kill me?

In a Sanctum: The starving, desperate, or greedy. There are some infestations of demon or devil worshipers who will kill anyone who tries to strengthen a Sanctum. There is always the threat of creatures from the Far Realm finding an invisible crack in reality. Finally, an offended Dragonkin can kill you for no other reason than being offended.

In the Wilderness and Underdark: All manner of horrors and wild beasts. Certain species are often limited to a specific island or group of islands. But, demons, devils, undead, and other worldly aberrations are common mortal-hunters.

10. Where can I sell this loot?

Most Sanctums have an office of Antiquities and Archeology (or something similar). Sometimes, it's just the local magistrate in the less civil Sanctums. It's rare that a Sanctum will not make an offer on anything from the Land-That-Was. If they don't make an offer (or buy it), it's either worthless or you may want to sleep in shifts.