Topic: History: how does this work?

[dutch206]

In our world, humans have been what I would call "sentient" for roughly 15,000 years.  I am going to estimate that humans have had some form of written communication for the last 5 millenia, and that accurate records go back 2 millenia.

On Kulthea, however, there is over a hundred thousand years of recorded history.  How do you convey this sense of age to your players?  It boggles my mind just thinking about it. 

The "archaeology nerd" in me wants to know more about the Worim, the Tarranians,and some of the other lost cultures of the Interregenum. (An adventure set in an ancient ruined city would be incredible.)

[RandalThor]

I think the best you can do is have them meet someone who has lived a long time or to find things of such age. I am not sure either will work, but you can give it a try. This is something like horror and romance - very hard to do in an RPG as those feelings need a personal connection to come across accurately.

Other than that all you can do is try to put it in our timeframe. Something like: "If this was Earth, that would have happened while sabretooth tigers still roamed the planet." Or another reference like that.

[Walt]

On Kulthea, however, there is over a hundred thousand years of recorded history.  How do you convey this sense of age to your players?  It boggles my mind just thinking about it. 

I think it?s important to distinguish between the GM knowledge and the Players knowledge. If you in the first few sessions already give away the knowledge about the K?ataviirs or the Interegium, the Loremasters and the Unlife, the whole story is fastly coming down to one of many overpowered settings.

I only use a recorded history of the Third Era, the Wars of Dominion are ominous, everything before the WoD vague and uncertain. And even before that, there?s only myth. The only knowledge about the First Era anybody has, is that there must have been a First Era before the Second Era. And for each piece of information I gave away there are three false ones.

We also made 15 years ago an agreement: only the GM reads any books about Shadow World. Because it never does when you?re players are knowing some of the backround.

[dutch206]

Come to think of it, the Nomikos Library does say that the Wars of Dominion did pretty much wipe out civilization in western Kulthea.  Add to that the 1000 year 'dark age' which followed, and that gets it down to about five thousand years.  much easier to deal with! 

[Walt]

Not only much easier, at least in my opinion also generating much more flair - and the "dark" feeling I like so much at SW. But that?s a personal opinion, for sure their enough GMs where Andraax history is well known, Laser Pistols are used for the Rhakhaan Kingsguard, and longlived Elvish Kings whistle away all the secrets of the past.

Difficult is still, like discussed in another thread, the position of Nomikos or other sources of knowhow surviving though the WoD.

[dutch206]

Oh, yeah....The Nomikos Library in Shadow World.  I was talking about Vroomfogle's website.

The Nomikos Library in Shadow World is a great place....if you can read a rare millenia-old language nobody has ever heard of. (Enris-Sokal)  I guess that's what keeps the scholars there in business.