Tellus: On break, but not dead

Tellus is on a long overdue break. It's not dead and the setting concept is still one which appeals to me but right now my 'headspace' just isn't in an attempt to recapture fun, whimsy and the bizarre nature and charm of mostly 16-bit era JRPG. The world has become a very, very dreary place in 2020. Now to be frank I'm not part of the people most suffering from the insanity rollercoaster that 2020 has been but it has severely impacted by mood, which is why my two recent setting ideas have been the much more depressing and bleak Slay The Ascended! and Lands of Mirhne, which marinate in a morass of darker themes and ideas. This just doesn't seem to be a time conductive to bright and colorful worlds but rather one which is bleak, violent, hypocritical and/or a representation of a doomed humanity and its worst nature.

Yeah, its depressing but that's where I am right now.

Tellus: Starting Again

I've been seriously thinking about Tellus, especially the crunch. Truth be told I've been far too nice to Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. Its still the best edition of 'modern D&D' (3e, Pathfinder' 4e and 5e) but in all honesty it just doesn't suit me all too well and to be honest a lot of recent events have made me dislike the modern face and presentation of D&D to a so-called 'modern' audience. Time to start again, redoing Tellus with some Oldschool-associated core system. More importantly, this will make the game completely self-contained, further tying the setting and game mechanics together in a way which mesh with my tastes rather than relying on the work of some faceless company in the mainstream of tabletop.

Tellus is (mechanically) dead. Long live Tellus!

Tellus: More Classes from Mage Hand's Press?

Magic Swordsman class from
Bravely Default.

It's been a while since the last Tellus post. The main reason why I haven't worked on Tellus a whole lot is that I consider most of the setting to be 'complete', in so much as having nailed down all the key elements which define the world overall. Everything else would depend on the details of the campaign I'd run with it. All the key information is laid out and easy to digest both for the player and Game Master. That said...

I've got some mixed feelings about 'option bloat'. On one hand I'm all too aware of the damage it has caused to D&D over the years and created this obsession with number crunching and 'builds'. On the other hand, if judiciously used, options can certainly help define a setting a bit more. Given that it is very likely Tellus will be ran with a group that's more focused on a 'modern' mindset I have taken time to gather my thoughts on some Third Party material, namely the entirely new classes by Mage Hand's Press, whose archetypes I frequently link to.

One thing to keep in mind with Tellus is that nothing beyond the core material exist unless I deliberately use it. This is a rule I myself must respect, self imposed as it may be. Things only exist as an option to add to the setting if desired, rather than something which is retconned and crow barred in.

Binder

Should the Binder class exist then the existence of Vestiges is tied to Tellus' Afterworld as it is the domain where ancient and bygone eras of the world (or even, maybe, universe?) exist in a tangible form which is halfway between reality and a living dream. Binder would be a variant of the Warlock, albeit one which is much more rare and ill understood.

Channeler

Intended as a, and I quote, a 'Gish class' (an antiquated term for the spellblade or eldritch knight archetype, taken from the Gith of D&D) the Channeler is a base class whose entire shtick is being a hybrid between a martial and spellcasting class rather than having to rely on archetypes/subclasses or multiclassing. Given a solid point has long been made to make the human and non-human races stand out more from each others on Tellus, the Channeler makes for a good replacement to any archetype which add spellcasting to an otherwise non-spellcasting class. In a way, this could make it closer to the Elf racial class of old, where 'being an elf' was enough to define a character. Given the element focus and martial bent of this class, its quite clear: the Dragon Clans would be well suited to primarily have Channelers. The only issue here is that the class is Intelligence, not Charisma-based.

Warden

Now there's a class which seems tailor made for one of Tellus' main races, the Gigas. Originally conceived during the maligned Fourth Edition, the Warden is a 'tank' class which draws upon the primal powers of nature in ways rather different than the more spellcasting-focused Druid. Here we see a class which is perfectly suited to them: it's strong, its tough and its nature-powered. In fact I'd go as far as to say that, should I go with some racial restrictions, the Warden would be well suited to replace the Fighter for the Gigas race as a whole.

Warmage

Magic, completely tuned to the crafts of war and murder. The Warmage class would be a rather new development in the current era of Tellus, born of the intense magical research for the purpose of warfare which is so common in the Sheradilan Empire. The rare few individuals with magical talent which are found among each generation would be taken (often against their will if necessary) and molded into living weapons.

Tellus: The Underworld or, rather, Afterworld

Its basically near mandatory for D&D-related settings to have vast underground complexes to justify all the monsters and other things found deep inside the Earth. Tellus is, of course, no different and has an Underworld. Generally speaking, knowledge of the Underworld is limited: there is mostly only folklore and myths to go off as well as concrete knowledge of particularly large caves networks inhabited by monsters. The truth is a bit stranger.

The Tellusian Afterworld

The plane of Esper from Magic: The Gathering

The mythic underworld of Tellus is best understood as being two or more layers which somewhat intersect. The surface layer itself is what one would expect: it is a series of semi-connected caves, often areas of geomantic potency. Usually these are relatively large cave complex with running water connected to underground sea and odd local wildlife. There are many 'dungeons' in Tellus at least partially connected to these, namely because generally dungeons are ruins and ancient ruins have a tendency to have been built in geomantic locations to begin with.

While Tellus doesn't quite have Outer Planes, if one goes down enough, down the deepest chasm and the oldest ruins they will eventually transition into a more pocketed dimension, which is both inside the very surface of Tellus and yet not quite. There has been a lot of mentions here and there of Tellus taking cues from many concepts found in other JRPG (which themselves derive from mythology and philosophy), such as the Lifestream. The Afterworld of Tellus is akin to a mixture of an outer plane, the past and the akashic records made manifest. This Afterworld can be the setting to an entire campaign or, more likely, the type of map which would reveal itself in the final acts of a JRPG. In there are entire domains which are the distorted perception of past eras and zeitgeists. Possible use for the Afterworld (or one incarnation of it, anyway) in a game include:

• The domain from which an ancient evil, long thought defeated, operates from. This force would be from a world that is a horrid, twisted and broken place as a reflection of its cursed desires. In this case it would be the 'trippy final dimension' where the boss is fought.
• The idyllic yet haunting manifestation of some antechamber of the dead, where the spirit of a long dead hero could be beseeches for its guidance, to borrow its ancient artifact (or find the location of its tomb to obtain said artifact.
• The Afterworld could be, at least in one specific incarnation, a secondary world brought into conflict with the surface Tellus. This Afterworld would embody either a lost 'golden age', reflecting on the current degraded state of modern Tellus. Alternatively it could be a more brutal, barbaric place filled with nothing but contempt for the current one.
• The last home of a dying race currently gone from the current era of Tellus.
• As a source of ancient, long lost and forgotten technology.
• As an alternate setting.
• Or as something as close as possible to an Outer Plane as Tellus has, but that's a bit boring.

It should be noted these echoes of the past cannot be reached through simple spells available to players. These require physical travel or artifacts to travel to and from. If these ideas seem a bit too bare bones, I won't lie that they are still in their infancy and their full potential hasn't been tapped into yet.

Tellus: Character Concepts (Sky Folks)

Leanne from Fire Emblem

At their most basic, the Sky Folks fills (parts of) the niche occupied by elves in more classic settings: They are an ancient, aloof and slowly dying/fading race. This is such a common archetype to fantasy as a whole that it has long been ingrained within JRPG, to no one's surprise.

Unlike the elves, however, the Sky Folks are much more mortal with a lifespan much closer to that of the other races compared to earlier depiction of elves having massively vast lifespans. How long exactly this lifespan is would vary between Sky Folks clan and individuals. Sky Folks age gracefully, retaining their grace and beauty for a long time but they age from hatchling to adult at the same rate as Ulma and Dragon Clans. This has allowed them to better intermingle and live alongside Ulma.

Arcane Spellcaster

Much of what is deemed 'White Magic' by the Ulma has its root in the magic and mystical traditions of the Sky Folks: they channel the power of rejuvenation, healing, stasis and light more than the chaotic and raw elemental side of magic. The Ulma have long outstripped the Sky Folks in many aspects when it come to magic: having a higher % of their population being magically gifted doesn't exactly translate to 'all Sky Folks are good at magic'. Much of their vaunted prowess is a mixture of myth and tall tale and whatever truth may have existed has long faded in this era, with their knowledge of magic having grown increasingly limited and stagnant. Nonetheless, as adventurers are (usually) gifted individuals it make sense for a Sky Folk character to display such powers attributed to the Sky Folks of old.

• The expression of the innate magic of the Sky Folks would be the Sorcerer. What Bloodline exactly can vary between aeries. Honestly I haven't found a good Origin which fit well with the Skyfolks (yet).
• The Bard class, if it exist in Tellus, would be rooted in the ancient songs of the Sky-Folk. The ancient songs of the Sky Folks were said to carry potent magic and singing has long remained ingrained in the general culture of Sky Folks as well as playing various wind instruments. Even a non-spellcasting Sky Folks singer could earn some good money purely by their singing skill and the exotic, awe-inspiring nature of their presence.
• Sky-Folks are well-suited to the Warlock class but not in the traditional depiction of the class. These 'Warlocks' are not power-hungry dabbler who sell their souls to eldritch powers but rather willing channelers of ancient spirits of great magical potency who willingly lend their aid to the Sky-Folks. The Celestial Patron is a good choice, as is The Dreamer, The Sybil (Kobold Press' Deep Magic: Combat Divination) or any Patron that isn't something ominous or destructive.
• Given their image of holyness and being very much angel-like, it make sense for Sky Folks Wizards to be Angelic Scribes (Kobold Press' Deep Magic: Angelic Seals). The 'angels' of the Sky-Folks are mixture of abstract beings, spirits of light/healing/whatever and the ascended thoughts and memories of their ancestors.

Divine-Aligned Characters

As with all races of Tellus, the religion of the Sky-Folks isn't something which has been greatly detailed and it doesn't really need to, as it is exactly one would expect: the usual about the light, ancestor spirits, protection, blablabla you get the point. However on average, the Sky-Folks have slightly more divinely-empowered champions and spellcasters than the Ulma or the Dragon Clans, if only just barely. The days of myth where their very songs summoned the Gods of old are long gone.

• The Sky-Folk Paladin is both a logical yet unexpected choice at a glance. The classic Paladin as a holy warrior empowered by the gods of justice, light and all that-other-stuff make sense with the racial connection to the forces of good and light. However a Paladin is generally a heavily armored frontline warrior, which clash with the lithe and mobile Sky-Folks.
• A Sky-Folk Cleric is very much one of the ultimate expression of their ancient culture, as they would be a divinely-inspired healer, magician and holy man or woman. Such a character would need a good explanation as to why they are not actively protecting their aerie. However this explanation could be as simple and basic as some divinely inspired youth flipping the finger to crusty elders and going off in the world to do good. Suitable Domains include: Life, Light, Protection or Solidarity.

Other Options

'Martial' characters are hardly impossible for Sky-Folks but they'd be looked at a little bit funny due to people's expectations of some graceful, almost divine magician or gifted singer with a magical voice. Sky-Folks Fighters are generally those who rely on their innate mobility and dexterity rather than frontline fighters who would risk damaging their wings. Rangers might exist too but the other classes are generally unheard of among that race.

Tellus: The (Secret) Origins of Ulma

This setting material is posted here for the sake of expanding the lore of Tellus and adding some content and context to the history of its races. It is worth understanding that this constitute a major spoiler to the world history, not to mention that such information about the true history of the world is virtually impossible to learn in-character. This is all information the players and I, the GM, would want to know to better frame Tellus' history.

The Origins of the Ulma

Art by Brother Baston

One of the first things established about Tellus (when it finally got a name and some concrete lore) is that its current dominant race are the Ulma (aka Humans). It was also stated rather clearly that, overall, the Ulma are the least magically gifted race, with a comparatively small portion of their population having a natural affinity, stated to be about 'one in several hundred'. This of course is mechanically supported by the 5e version of Tellus (currently the default unless I feel like making my own homebrew) by restricting Ulma from taking the Sorcerer class and the fact human mechanically lack any racial ability which could be constructed as magical. They are the normal, the mundane or even (to some) the boring race. But why, exactly, are the Ulma so disconnected from magic? Well it is more accurate to say that it's Tellus' own magic they haven't adapted to.

The true origins of the Ulma lie in the distant past of the Tellus universe on a planet named Phaeton, a planet very similar-yet-different to Tellus. In the ancient past of that universe, planetary travel was possible with portals, bridges of starlight and similar high magic/scifi concepts. Indeed, if Tellus was part of some long-lasting JRPG series there would be at least one entry somewhere in the franchise which would be highly controversial due to switching to scifi rather than fantasy. Such an hypothetical entry in the franchise would be the oddball of the franchise, taking place on the planet Phaeton and seemingly being disconnected from the franchise as a whole, at least on the surface. We will call it 'Game N' for the purpose of this long ramble.

So 'Game N' happen and is generally seen as weird by the hypothetical fans of the hypothetical Tellus franchise due to being much more rooted in science fiction than the typical fantasy fare of Tellus. The truth however, be it at the time or decades after via retcon, is that 'Game N' is a prequel. Phaeton is the original world of the Ulma. They are alien to Tellus and the reason they appeared out of nowhere on Tellus, being the sapient mammal race of the world is that they are were not originally native to it. What 'Game N' showed as an unconnected setting was, in fact, the true home of the Ulma. Their birthplace.

Geomantic Attunement

The reason why Ulma are less potent with magic is simply that the Ulma of Tellus are the unmodified, unadapted strain of the race. Their race first arrived on Tellus in truly ancient times, in some long-last age of the prequels or something along those lines. These ancient Ulma, or the 'Ancients' for the sake of clichés eventually adapted to the various geomantic forces which saturated Tellus. This true origin was hinted at in the possible optional races of Tellus, as written here and here. The Ancients ceased to exist as a race because their descendants became different races, infused with and connected to their adopted home. However as Tellus underwent many cycles of geomantic changes, ebb and flow many of these races faded into myth as these races were dependent on Tellus' magic to sustain their existence. In times when these energies ceased to flow freely, more and more of their descendants reverted to their base state.

When the second batch of Ulma arrived from Phaeton much later, they intermingled with these slowly dying races and their unique traits, already on the decline, faded away to become mere anomalies within certain bloodlines. It is unclear on how or why the second wave of Ulma never adapted to become adopted children of Tellus. Perhaps they arrived during a time where the world was particularly hostile to them and saw fit to reshape Tellus to their own needs rather than adapt to it. In time, entire clan and nations of these strange, magically-deficient yet hardy aliens arose and spread across Tellus. Such was their numbers, might and cunning that perhaps no one ever really felt the calling of the planet. They remained (mostly) true to their original nature and not once did they ever really question the why of their disconnect.

Tellus: The Dragon Khanate

The Dragon Khanate is on the decline, yet its power remain nothing to sneeze at. In the current age of Tellus it is the main rival to the Sheradilan Empire when it come to sheer scope and might, yet the Khanate is also very much a different beast altogether from the Empire. It is also the last great world power to be primarily ruled and populated by non-Ulma, namely the people of the Dragon Clans. The Dragon Clans are not a dying race by any mean, certainly not in term of numbers (barring a world-spanning genocide, they won't be gone anytime soon), at least not within the next few centuries. However it is safe to say their territories and overall might has severely declined in the current age which is Ulma-dominant.

The Dragon Khanate

Art by Charlotte Kuger.

The Dragon Khanate operate primarily from the southern continent and various smaller islands around it. Its heart is the aforementioned southern continent and the various, disparate populations and clans of the Dragon-blooded men and women living on it. Some clans are mercantile, some are pirates and some are purely warriors with a few composed nearly entirely of mystics of some stripe or another. It has allies and tributaries all across the southern seas, spanning many cultures including many offshoot of the Ulma which are far removed from the mainline culture of the other continents, such as the tropical islanders and mariners or the mysterious people of the far eastern lands.

In theory all those are vassals to the great Dragon Khanate, last great power on Tellus not controlled by Ulma. In practice it is a little more complicated, as the Khanate  is nowhere as strong or as unified as it used to be. Without a strong leader, the various clans have returned to their bolder, more independent ways as the boundless energy and pride of the Dragon Clans are hard to contain. In older times, the Dragon Clans could raise great armies composed of Dragon-men, tamed giant beasts, war-mages and more while calling upon the seafaring skills of the islanders to help them raise great fleets of dragon-prowed boats. In the current age, they are an increasingly disparate people and the great armies of old are nowhere to be seen. Not that it stopped them from kicking the Empire's ass multiple time, as inferior numbers and infrastructure hasn't stopped the Khanate warriors from trying to fight, casualties be damned. After all, the Dragon Clans are notorious for fighting their hardest when cornered.

This is the state of the Khanate today: it is still very much alive and very much a raging fire, but it is not a unified bonfire and more akin to a thousand smaller torches. Some of their ports remain open to strangers for trade, large and lively exotic bazaar which deal in so many odd curios. Small fleets of pirates and/or merchants prowl the oceans. However, should the Dragon Clans fail to unify their fire will slowly fade as the Ulma overtake them....

Tellus: The Sheradilan Empire

Art by Naranbaatar Ganbolt.

The biggest, most common cliché of JRPG from the 'classic' to the 'modern' era has always been the mandatory Evil Empire out to conquer the world, usually uncovering or abusing some ancient power source and/or ancient evil which may or may not hijack its apparatus. It's been there in Final Fantasy since the second game with the Palamecian Empire and its still going strong in the series to this day with the Garlean Empire of Final Fantasy XIV and Niflheim of XV. Now while the term used is 'Empire' (presumably because it evoke power and expansion) they don't really have to be an Empire in the actual definition of the term and many of the common and famous examples may not have a political structure which match the most famous historical Empires: the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire (the king of oxymoronic names!) and the British colonial empire.

Being 'an evil Empire' in these games is more of a state of mind and of role it plays within the setting and plot: Shinra Corporation from Final Fantasy VII is a mega-corporation but its pretty much plays the token Evil Empire role in the early game. The 'Evil Empire' exist to provide waves of militaristic, expendable mooks to throw at the players, evil commander/generals/whatever to act as named minor antagonists and often a few doomsday threats to the world. Their predominant colors are red and black more often than not, possibly to evoke the Nazis (in spite of those guys not really ruling anything for an extended period of time and collapsing fairly quickly, compared to the Romans). Often these Empires don't...really make sense to be quite honest,  being cartoonishly evil and seemingly so unstable as to collapse as soon as the Emperor is killed by a teenager. Historically, Empires weren't so easily clear cut even if they would certainly appear as the aforementioned all-conquering force of evil to those on the wrong end of their war machine.

In Tellus, the token 'Evil Empire' is the Sheradil Empire. However because I realize my game will not be confined to the railroad plot of a classical JRPG there is a very strong possibility this empire may end up playing a different role or end up explored in ways not intended which would require me to flesh them out beyond being a mere caricature.

The Sheradilan Empire

The Sheradilan Empire is the greatest military power in Tellus. Of course, this isn't really saying much in the current era of the world, as the last centuries have been generally on the decline overall. While currently there isn't an explicitly detailed timeline for Tellus its safe to say that the last few centuries have been that of re-growth following the collapse of older powers. Overall the Ulma have spread across the world even more, growing in power and number in spite of their great nations of past centuries having grown in size, collapsed and grown again. Of the current world order the Sheradil Empire stand at the top as the most powerful.

It was not greed or a desire for conquest which forged what would become the Empire but a simple need for survival. Tellus can be a notoriously wild place, filled with all manner of monsters and odd geomantic locales. There was strength in unity and such a place was fertile ground for someone to unite disparate people. The Sheradil Empire is made of the original union of three city-states:

• Sheradil, the military and (former) political powerhouse. It is Sheradil which used to provide the military might, with its ancient orders of knights populated by its various noble houses while the common populace enlisted willingly. The leader of Sheradil (the city) is also the leader of the Empire's military, the Lord Marshall.
• Zerim was a small enclave formed by mages united by a common cause (survival of their research, their secrets and their lives in that order). While the smallest of all three original city-states it is the most powerful in modern Sheradil's politics as it formed the basis of the magical research & development which fuel the Empire's growth. The Grand Magus of Zerim is the most powerful spellcaster in the Empire and, possibly, the most powerful Ulm in the world. He's also quite, quite mad.
• Phelmus and mercantile networks and ports fueled the Empire's economy and navy. It is ruled by mercantile guilds which are heavily intertwined with the research and development of Zerim. The Guildmaster of Phelmus may very well be the richest (and most corrupt) man in the world and his greed knows no bound.

Together these form the Triumvirate which rule directly below the Emperor, who is always drawn from the various noble houses of Sheradil. While in practice this meant (in ancient times) that Sheradil held the most power in the Empire this is increasingly less true, with the last few Emperors having often been either inept puppets of one or more member of the Triumvirate or madmen all too eager to fuel the expansion of Sheradil's resources. A few well-meaning idealists and noble rulers did exist but these are increasingly rarer and tend to conveniently die to 'clean up' the line of succession.

The Threefold City

Art by Volodymyr Shvacko

The three original cities which formed the early Empire are no more, having merged together in one mega-city which span the entire peninsula where the three city-states laid. The Threefold City (also called the Imperial City) is gigantic marvel whose sheer scope and level of advancement has not seen since the days of myth. There are massive 'garden' spanning between its major districts: some are major geomantic points which have, for whatever reasons related to their harnessing, not been turned into churning magitek factories. Others are parks and domains for the various noble houses to enjoy greenery and the traditions of hunting while others are magically-attuned farmland, drawing energy from the nearby geomantic points to renew themselves and provide food to the city.

Such level of advancement come at a price, however: for one thing, the Empire's resources to maintain such a massive city are dwindling. Law enforcement is also a concern and there are many horrid slums and other terrible places to live, where squalor and thievery are common. Some speculate the city just can't sustain itself forever and this has spurred the Empire to conquer more lands and acquire their resources. Others speculate that Mages guilds are slowly accidentally corrupting and polluting the city with their experiments, unsettling the geomantic energies and causing spontaneous unstable phenomena. Others say they are even releasing their experiments in the city sewers but this has yet to be proven.

The Imperial Army

Even today, with Sheradilan patriotism slowly on the wane (since a lot of people feel they're less fighting for their city/nation and more for the Guilds), Sheradil maintain a large volunteer army. Joining the army is a good way for one to improve their lot in life and this remain true even today. The army is large, well organized and well-equipped and offers some pretty decent opportunities for a commoner to rise through the ranks all things considered. Others volunteer to avoid prison and there are quite a few regiments raised entirely from criminal and slum rats. A few have even risen to the rank of general purely from their merits and ruthlessness, which is insulting to the commoners with a clear record and the nobles alike. In truth these ruthless bastards come from the ranks of those whose talents are well suited to the Guildmaster and Grand Magus' plans. If the game ever call for a General to be a ruthless and almost stupidly evil individual, it would be one of those.

In addition to the rank infantry and the nobles (who form elite corps, often armored cavalry and/or command), the army boast a fairly large navy and, much more importantly, elite corps of battle-mages. While magical talent remain rare among Ulma, the Magus have long studied the phenomena and produced many training regimen which could help foster some weak or even dormant potential. While these individuals might never rise to a high level of power, even the weakest of spells is an important asset. There are also rumours of the Grand Magus attempting to magically imbue and mutate individuals but this too is unproven. What is more common is the (relatively) new corps of war mages, trained exclusively in spells designed for battlefield use. This ruthless, purely scientific and pragmatic approach to magic is utterly devoid of any spiritual aspect and focus exclusively on getting results: namely bigass fireballs and spells designed to enhance or weaken multiple individuals at once.

Dissent from Within?

One generally expect an 'evil Empire' to have some rebellion going on, possibly because of how famous Star Wars is. In truth, right now I have not written down anything which cement the who and the what of any rebellion. It is, however, accurate to say that there are plenty of people within the Sheradilan Empire with a reason to hate the status quo, such as:

• Nobles tend to be either battle-hungry elitist assholes or people lamenting the loss of nobility of their caste, who are now reduced to being either bloodthirsty conquerors, pencil-pushing bureaucrats or petty politicians. Sheradil noble lines were founded from the great heroes who battled under the banner of the Empire's founder. They fought monsters. They protected people. This idealism was lost over time.
• Sheradil's various religious orders have been long-deemed obsolete. Symbolic, at best. Whatever complex faith these people had has fallen by the wayside and the spiritual is increasingly neglected, with the magical and divine being more and more seen as a tool for greed and conquest.
• Some Generals have grown dissatisfied with the many wars they have waged and which ended in a stalemate in spite of Sheradil's great power. Often the simplest solution to win a conflict was rejected by the highest echelon because doing so would harm the schemes of the Grand Magus or potential future assets for the Guildmaster. Entire regiments have been lost to protracted campaigns which could have been more easily resolved. In some cases, the peaceful surrender of the enemy was told to be ignored.
• The sewers and slums are full of people living in abject poverty. It is also possible that a population of cast off 'mutants' may exist down there, eager to destroy the Empire which made them suffer.

Tellus: Quick Towns, Settings and Gimmicks

Its a bit of a JRPG staple that every town is different from the other. This is part of the fun, the exploration and the drive to see more as one continue through the game's plot (and endless grind). As game budget and technology increased, it became more and more common for each town or city in a specific game to feature increasingly more unique architecture, colors, style and of course a unique catchy musical theme which helps define the town. Pokémon in particular, while very different from the JRPG I strive to emulate, is pretty good at this.

Tellus has plenty of monsters, that much is true. Being mostly composed of semi self-sufficient city-states in lands where monsters and wild beasts are commonplace, most if not all settlements in Tellus are protected somehow. Towns and cities in Tellus are often bizarrely placed or built to protect from monsters and make the location more isolated.

d12	Town Defense/Fortification
1	The town is built around/inside or on top of massive trees, thanks to the proximity of a nearby stream of life-giving energy which make trees grow faster and larger. Has a very woodland elves vibe.
2	The town is built on large stilt made of petrified wood and stone which connect with nearby hills and rocky formations, meaning very little of it touches the ground proper.
3	The town has been carved entirely out of stone on a steep cliffside and has a lot of bridges and towers as later additions and are used as entrances and guard towers. Be careful to avoid falling down.
4	The town has been built/carved at the very top of the mountain, which was flattened and carved out, presumably by magic, in ancient times. Great stairs lead up to the town.
5	The town is on an island in the middle of a river, using the simple and natural environment to its advantage to keep monsters away. Sometimes, simple is best and the town has beautiful bridges beyond the guard towers.
6	Most of the town is underground, and/or built at the bottom of a crevasse, with only the fortifications and farms poking out, with living spaces and markets away from exposure to the sun and predatory sky-beasts.
7	The town was built at the bottom of a now-inactive volcano, its fire having died down as the geomantic energies of the Tellus naturally flowed away from the area, leaving but a caldera.
8	The town was built from/on top of ruins of a lost age and these cyclopean stone constructions and/or ancient magitek, dust-filled constructs are enough to keep external threats away. Internal threats, however...
9	The town was built on a hot spot of fiery energy, meaning its full of lava and flame, usually with an inhabited (and much less flammable) zone aside while the rest of town is nothing but molten metal and industry.
10	The town was carved out inside of an iceberg floating in the cold sea, possibly reinforced by geomantic magic. This setup alone discourage monsters.
11	The town was built around/on top of a now destroyed and useless gigantic city-sized airship, its carcass providing a ‘shell’ for the city.
12	The town is a floating town, made of of boats and flotsam strewn together.

d6	Main Colors	Architecture Style
1	Pale beige, pale blues and pale greys	Faux-Medieval
2	Light pastel colors	Baroque or Gothic
3	Warm reds and oranges	Greco-Roman
4	Cold blues and light greys	Ancient Asia
5	Natural shades of green	Mesopotamian
6	Greys and metallic colors	Middle Eastern

Tellus: Quick Ulma Names

Given they are, well, humans it is no surprise that Ulma names are rather normal. This is a fairly quick and simple post to generate some Ulma names should a player need some simple inspiration. Obviously there is a bit more variety in-universe but this should apply for most Ulma.

Uma Names
d20	Male	Female
1	Abraham	Adina
2	Adrian	Ariel
3	Albert	Agnès
4	Daniel	Anna
5	David	Dina
6	Eckart	Doris
7	Erdmann	Eleonore
8	Eugene	Flora
9	Falk	Frauke
10	Fabian	Gabi
11	Florentin	Katarin
12	Gerald	Karla
13	George	Hanna
14	Johann	Hanne
15	Kai	Hedy
16	Loic	Ilsa
17	Maël	Leona
18	Paol	Lulu
19	Winoc	Nina
20	Yannick	Valeria

If a player (or, you know, me the GM I guess...) is in need of additional names, especially those beyond the simple list there is a quick table to generate an origin for a name and then go on Behind The Name (and its Surname version) and grab one from the list or a variant of it. That should give some basic ideas.

Uma Names
d10	Name Origin	Surname Origin
1-2	German	Anglo-Saxon
3-4	Breton	Judeo-Christian Mythology
5	Galician	Celtic Mythology
6	Greek	Greek Mythology
7	Celtic	Words that sound cool to Japanese people
8	Historical Figures	Meteorological Terms
9	Anglo-Saxon Mythology
10	Biblical