Strife Warrior Gear Knight (Mekton campaign setting WIP)

THE SETTING:

The game takes place on the planet of Aestras, a distant planet on the edges of the Milky Way galaxy.

 

 In the planet's distant past, the planet had been colonized by Imperium Consistorium, a space-farring empire established sometime in Earth's 23rd century. Aestras was considered a 'viable' planet for its resources and its remote-location from Earth, and eventually became a key battlefield in an intergalactic civil war.  This civil war, between the Earth-based Imperium and the space-based Coalition of United Colonies, broke out like wildfire across the Milky Way. Believing that the Imperium's control of the colonies was corrupt, the Coalition rebelled against the Earth empire on Christmas day of 0089 IC (Imperial Calender), launching mass-scale attacks on the bases of the Earth government.

 

This conflict, dubbed the Great War for Independence, introduced a new weapon to warfare: the Strife Warrior, a titanic multipurpose machines, used in both space-based and planet-based conflict. These mecha became the primary weapon for the war and every war since. Aestras was the first planet to be used to develop Strife Warriors for the Coalition, becoming a key planet in the war.

 

Though the war dragged on for five years, and with heroes on both sides, ultimately the Imperium had won the war- at the cost of having to greatly restrict its power over its colonies.

 

As years turned into decades, and the decades into centuries, the once-great civilization had fallen into ruins across the galaxy. Contact between planets lost, the disappearance of key political leaders, and  other activities plunged the colonies into chaos. The Imperium had fallen, and had taken more than of the colonies with it.

 

Unable to sustain itself any longer, and with connection with other colonies lost, the civilization of Aestras fell within a few years. Its great feats of engineering becoming buried in the sands of time, with its history becoming legend to a new civilization centuries later.

 

Our game takes place quite some time after this, in the land of Aestras. Having returned to a feudal period, the planet is divided into various kingdoms and empires. Tales from its distant past have turned into legend and superstition. However, in recent years, more and more countries are discovering the ancient Strife Warriors, changing warfare once again...

 

THE PLAYER RACES:

The player races of the setting are all descended from the colonists in the backstory.

 

Man: Born under the loving guidance of Tearst, the god most commonly worshiped by them, mankind is the most prominent of Aestras' races. (Descended from the majority of colonists, who were primarily Earth humans with minimal/no genetic modifications. Their god, Tearst, is basically Earth itself and their mythology based on tales and heroes from the Imperium Consistorium's history. Add a bit more flavor text, too?)

 

Elfin: Long lived and beautiful, the elfin race is split into three races- the earth-loving Wood Elves, the blue-skinned Sky Elves, the graceful High Elves, and the crossbred Half-elves. Born in the images of their gods- Wyawl of the Earth, Saons of the Sky, and Easgon of the Heavens- Elves are considered an 'elder' race compared to Man, owing to their magically long lives. Often times live isolated from the other races, though kingdoms tend to have a small, but noticeable, population spread across towns.  (Descended from genetically altered colonists, which is why there are different 'types' of elves (high elves, wood elves, sky elves). Long lived from a mix of their ancestor's genetic modifications, as well as experimental 'immortality' drugs that've settled into the soil of their territories.  Their religion is polytheistic and loosely based on stories of the Coalition, as well as the colony's own history, maybe?)

 

Dwarven: The short, pale race of the mountains. The Dwarven race live in dark caves, crafting their wears from the finest of metals, including those found from ancient times. This is not to say that dwarves are uncultured- they are a people who pride themselves on their intricate arts, as well as often times being accomplished musicians, and are a fairly religious type. However, unlike the religions of Men and the Elfin, theirs is a religion where the deities are hands-off, creating the world and letting it run itself. The Dwarven race believe themselves to be born from the Earth itself, to which they will eventually return. (Also descended from altered colonists. Live underground in the mountains, with their pale complexion resulting from generations underground. Short stature results from generations of being hunched over work tables, crafting weapons and creating steel works. Not sure on religion- possibly atheist, maybe?)

 

OTHER SPECIES:

The other species of the setting are native lifeforms or otherwise 'alien' to man.

Dragons: One of the native life forms, likely mutated from aquatic reptiles and fish. Beasts of the seas, they travel in schools deep under the ocean. These beasts are noted for being primarily-herbivores, feasting on undersea allege and plants, but attacks on sailors (while rare) aren't unheard of. Less Smaug, more Loch Ness Monster

 

Goblins: What would have been the dominant lifeform of the planet, had it not been colonized by Earth. When Earth colonized the planet, Goblins were ran deep underground in order to survive terraforming. The years spent deep underground have turned the Goblin into horrific, blind creatures with semi-hivemind tendencies. Think naked mole rats but way bigger and much more dangerous.

 

Kobold/Gnolls: A species created by the Imperium as semi-intelligent pets. Originally small, rat-like creatures with moderate intelligence, the creatures have evolved into, well, what they are today. They're large, resembling short men in long, shaggy fur- think a Wookie, only about 4ft, 2in- and sharp teeth. They've also evolved into carnivores over time. They're intelligent enough to speak Common tongue, but are still comparatively dim. Think something like the Rat Creatures from Bone.

 

THE KINGDOMS OF AESTRAS:

 

Kingdom of Casner: (A kingdom of man, based loosely on medieval England)

Elfland: (High elf kingdom; loose Celtic theme maybe?)

[Other countries eventually]