Interest Check: Hiptos - Sands of Fate

The Setting
The time of the god-pharoahs is long past, their once-glorious cities no more than crumbling ruins. Sorcerer-kings build strongholds upon the bones of these ancient cities, gathering power, seeking lost knowledge. Raiders roam the sands, eking out a living by preying on the weak. Warlords lay their own territorial claims - there is plenty of desert to go around. Merchant caravans, led by men brave, desperate, foolish, or all three, pass through here from Qing'lai, in the west, bearing tea, opium, and silk, to push on eastward into the barbaric land of Aksum, home of fearsome, ebon-skinned warriors, to trade in ivory, gold, and diamonds.

This is the land of Hiptos, in the heart of the Haunted Desert. Once a great nation, lost to time and the elements. Beneath the sands, fortune and ruin lie in wait for those fated to claim them.



The Ruleset
This sandbox game (no pun intended) will be run using the Dungeon World ruleset. Familiarity with the mechanics is not required, as it is incredibly easy to learn during gameplay. You'll find everything you need here and here.



Interested?
I'm looking for four active players who can post at least once every other day. Please reply to this post with an idea about what kind of character you'd like to play. There's no need to specify character class or anything, just pitch your basic character concept or concepts. Character portraits are highly encouraged. I'm looking forward to seeing your ideas!

Never played dungeon world before, but this setting seems really cool. I'd be interested in running a human fighter.

Don't worry, the system is really easy to learn.

Is your fighter a raider? Caravan guard? Soldier of fortune? Just a lone wolf trying to survive?

I'm thinking "a man with no name" type. Maybe he has a past that he's running towards (or away from).

Cool!

Given how much I'm enjoying the current Dungeon World game you are GM'ing I'd love to be in this one too.

For concept how about a...creature of some kind who has found their way to Hiptos. No one really knows where they're from whether some far off land, or emerged from the ruins of some forgotten hall; they're equally secretive about their origins, only really sharing their desire to find a way "home". I'd need to think on how to shape the character to fit a class but arcane duelist or bard look enticing for my plans.For artwork I haven't decided yet, only that I want it to look outlandish. I'll drop one that caught my eye, but it may change.



Don't think I missed that Iron Maiden artwork either.

Dwarven cleric in service to the God of the Shifting Sands. She is on a quest for her church. Rumours from the wastes have said there is a statue of the God that heals when touched. This needs to be investigated.

After reading the system I would also be interested in a halfling druid of the desert. He feels it is his duty to safely guide those not as familiar with the Shifting Sands as he is, and to open their eyes to its beauty.

Whichever is more of a party need.

Is this a sword and sorcery game? The text and images would indicate as much (which is totally my genre), though I'm seeing references to more high fantasy characters above.

It's high fantasy, awsmack.

lol, that cover of Powerslave... XD

Iron Maiden is absolutely the soundtrack for this game! \m/

What the? You can't type a backslash here?

Great ideas so far, guys! Keep 'em coming! I hope to set the actual game up this weekend.

Ok, how moralistic is this universe and/or adventure? If I were to be, say, a slave-driver, would that completely clash with the party?

Personally, I don't think this would go over well with me.

I personally have no qualms, but my ruling will depend on the group I end up accepting.

In my Qing'lai game, the PCs were hired by a brothel owner to rescue one of her girls who had been abducted by a Hiptite sorcerer.
Slavery, sexuality, substance abuse, and similar topics was discussed in Session Zero - I did my best to ensure the narrative would never make anyone uncomfortable.

Given SJoyner72's response above, if you two end up in the game, I will disallow a slave-driver PC. Unless this is in the context of someone who has turned a new leaf, and is atoning for past sins. There WILL be slave drivers in the desert, but the PCs will not be expected to aid them in any way, nor to be friendly with them.

Does that make sense?

Is there another place available ? I don't know the setting/ruleset but that only means I'll have fun reading and learning it !

I'd bring a linguist specialized in dead languages that found an old tome that belonged to an old god-pharaoh. He secretly learned some arcane secrets from it and now is hungry for more.... His sanity may have been affected by what other secrets he has learned from it...

Sounds great, deadpool! Consider playing the wizard. I'm waiting to hear more ideas from people, then will select participants and set up the game this weekend.

My thoughts are an elf ranger from a waterseeker clan. Their mantra is water is life and any that endanger or desecrate water are beyond evil.

I love it! Great tie-in with the world!