Here are some first-fruits of the work I’ve been doing with the FATE tabletop game, trying to find a new way to discipline my world-building and story-planning work.
The idea was for me to work through character design for the leads of my partial-draft novel The Curse of Steel, and use that process (as the FATE game suggests) to do some of the world-building for the setting. So far the exercise seems to have worked out well. I know a lot more about these characters than I did before, and I have a bunch of fresh ideas about the world they live in.
Kráva the Swift
A tall, athletic young woman, well-muscled, slim of figure, trained as a warrior. Carries a number of small scars, the worst being a set of bear-claw marks on her left shoulder. Tawny brown skin, black hair with violet highlights, cobalt-blue eyes. Usually wears leather combat gear, topped off with a bear-skin cloak, with one or two pieces of jewelry to show off her wealth.
Aspects
- Headstrong
Warrior Woman
- Wielder
of the Lightning Blade
- Always
Have Something to Prove
- Everyone
Deserves a Fair Chance
- Talk to
the Fist
Skills
- Great
(+4): Shoot
- Good (+3):
Athletics, Horses
- Fair (+2):
Fight, Physique, Resources
- Average
(+1): Crafts, Notice, Provoke, Will
Extras & Stunts
- Tarankláva, the Lightning Blade: This ancient sword, made of what in another world would be called the finest Damascus steel, is the primary reason the setting is called “The Curse of Steel.”
- To use Tarankláva to its full potential, you must have the aspect Wielder of the Lightning Blade, indicating that the sword has accepted you as its owner (and as the current instrument of its revenge). The sword also costs 1 point of refresh.
- At all times, the sword grants +2 to Fight while you use it in battle.
- The sword also has two aspects of its own: See into the Hearts of Men and Slayer of Corrupt Kings. As the possessor of Tarankláva, you can invoke these aspects yourself, but they can also be compelled. The sword will “tell” you about the dishonesty and sins of the people around you, even (or especially) when you would rather not know. The sword will also push you into destroying corrupt people, especially in positions of power, the higher the position the better.
- Charioteer: +2 to overcome or create-an-advantage actions with Horses if you are driving a chariot.
- Legendary Archer: When wielding a bow, you may use Shoot to make attacks with it up to four zones away.
- Swift and Certain of Foot: +2 to overcome or create-an-advantage actions with Athletics if you are running across broken or built-up ground.
Refresh: 2.
Consequences
- Physical
Stress Track: 3 boxes
- Mental
Stress Track: 3 boxes
- Standard consequence slots
Elements of Backstory
- As a young woman, Kráva always felt that she had to prove herself to her father and their clan. On one occasion she went out hunting, alone and without backup. She encountered an angry bear, and although she managed to kill the beast, she was badly injured and had to spend weeks recovering. Her father rebuked her, but he also made sure she was given the bear’s pelt to keep.
Aspect: Always Have Something to Prove - Kráva and her father were in Verkanta when Lóka ran away from his master. Degra was put in charge of finding the runaway slave, responsible for tracking him down. Kráva spoke up for Lóka, and delayed events long enough for Kúnadan to intervene.
Aspect: Everyone Deserves a Fair Chance - Kráva and her father were in Verkanta again when Drotháno ruined the foreign trader’s schemes. When the trader tried to run to King Módran for help, Kráva and Drotháno were the ones who cornered him and beat him within an inch of his life, running him out of town.
Aspect: Talk to the Fist
Drotháno the Silent
A powerfully built young man, tall and heavily muscled.
Tawny brown skin, dark brown hair, crystal blue eyes. Always dressed in simple
but well-kept clothing, or in well-maintained combat gear. Very quiet, almost
never speaks around strangers.
Aspects
- Loyal
Warrior of the Wolf Clan
- Uncomfortable
Around Strangers
- A Lot
Smarter Than I Look
- Woods-Wise
- Always Listens
to a Tale of Woe
Skills
- Great
(+4): Physique
- Good (+3):
Fight, Stealth
- Fair (+2):
Empathy, Horses, Will
- Average
(+1): Athletics, Crafts, Investigate, Notice
Extras & Stunts
- Brawler: When
fighting a mob of nameless characters, you deal one additional stress on a
physical hit.
- Tough as
Nails: Once per session, at the cost of a fate point, you can reduce the
severity of a moderate physical consequence to a mild consequence (if the mild
consequence slot is free), or erase a mild physical consequence altogether.
- I Can See
Through You: +2 to overcome or defend against lies with Empathy.
Refresh: 3.
Consequences
- Physical
Stress Track: 4 boxes
- Mental
Stress Track: 3 boxes
- Standard consequence slots
Elements of Backstory
- A foreign trader from civilized lands came to visit Sudavai territory, and tried to swindle the Wolf-clan out of its gold and silver in exchange for worthless trinkets. Fortunately, the trader paid Drotháno no attention, thinking him simple, and he was able to uncover the plot. He and his father tricked the trader into revealing his intentions, and the man was driven away with a fine and a beating.
Aspect: A Lot Smarter Than I Look - When Kráva went out hunting alone and didn’t come back right away, her father sent out warriors to search for her in the wilderness. Even though he was only a guest, Drotháno was one of the ones who volunteered to help. He tracked her, found her after she fought the bear, bandaged her wounds, and helped her get safely home.
Aspect: Woods-Wise - When Lóka ran away from his master, it was Drotháno who found him naked and injured in a back alley of Verkanta. He helped the older boy hide, cleaned him up, disguised him, and helped him get to Kúnadan’s hall. Lóka has been grateful ever since.
Aspect: Always Listens to a Tale of Woe
Lóka the Clever
Handsome man of average height and build. His olive-skinned
coloring is several shades lighter than usual, betraying his mixed heritage.
Has dark brown eyes and black hair. Always wearing fine clothes, often in white
or in bright colors, along with the iron torc of a low-ranking vaita. Usually carries a small harp
slung in its case on his back.
Aspects
- Ambitious
Scholar and Magician
- Too
Clever for My Own Good
- I Owe
Kúnadan Everything
- Drotháno
is My Blood Brother
- Reading
the Book of Fate
Skills
- Great
(+4): Lore
- Good (+3):
Magic, Rapport
- Fair (+2):
Contacts, Notice, Will
- Average
(+1): Deceive, Empathy, Investigate, Provoke
Extras & Stunts
- Demagogue:
+2 to Rapport when you are speaking in front of a mob or crowd and trying
to sway them to act as you wish.
- Linguist:
+2 to Lore when you are reading, writing, speaking, or translating an
unusual language.
- Trained
Physician: You can make physical recovery attempts, for yourself or others,
with Lore.
Refresh: 3.
Consequences
- Physical
Stress Track: 2 boxes
- Mental
Stress Track: 3 boxes
- Standard consequence slots
Elements of Backstory
- Lóka was born the son of a slave in Verkanta, and would normally never have been considered for initiation as a vaita. As a young man, he ran away from home to present himself at the hall of the chief vaita, Kúnadan, hoping to demonstrate his determination to learn. His former master tracked him down there and threatened to kill him, but in front of Kúnadan he challenged the man to a contest of poetry and won. The vaita took him under his wing, trained him, and initiated him.
Aspect: I Owe Kúnadan Everything - Lóka was present in Verkanta when the foreign trader tried to swindle the Wolf-clan. At first, he offered to help the trader in exchange for a cut of the profits. Later, he decided to help the Wolf-clan instead, advising Drotháno and helping him to trick the trader.
Aspect: Drotháno is My Blood Brother - Kúnadan and Lóka were visiting the Lion-clan when Kráva went hunting alone and returned badly injured. Lóka was assigned to provide medicine and healing magic. He was impressed by the young woman’s courage and had a sudden strong foresight of her destiny. He persuaded Kúnadan to arrange for Kráva to be recognized as a warrior-woman of the tribe. Kúnadan began to train Lóka as a seer and prophet.
Aspect: Reading the Book of Fate
Worldbuilding Notes
The setting for The Curse of Steel is a gritty swords-and-sorcery world, set at an early Iron Age level, reminiscent of pre-Roman Europe, Middle-earth in the Second Age, or the Hyborian Era. The initial set of characters will all be members of a barbarian culture, technically sophisticated but organized along tribal lines, on the fringes of the civilized world.
The Setting’s Big Issues
Corruption in the King’s Hall – The Sudavai tribe has a new king, and he is already showing signs of being a very bad king indeed. He favors his own family and clan at the expense of others, he breaks the law and steps all over people to grab wealth and power, and he’s starting to imitate the hypocritical manners of civilized kingdoms.
A God of Iron and Fire – Far away, several of the civilized kingdoms have come under the sway of a dark and terrible god. This god seeks to conquer and rule the world, eradicating all his ancient enemies and stamping out every vestige of freedom. Although this threat to the Sudavai people isn’t immediate, it’s already influencing events.
Faces & Places
King Módran – The new king of the Sudavai, a relatively young man who fits the tribe’s image of the “good king” (handsome, brave, a good fighter). Has the aspects Gold Sticks to My Fingers and Smooth-Talking Liar.
The Dark God’s Envoy – A mysterious figure who acts as the Dark God’s agent among the Sudavai tribe. At the beginning of the story, no one knows who this is, or even that he or she exists.
Kúnadan – The old chief vaita of the kingdom, the king’s advisor and one of the few men in his hall who hasn’t been corrupted yet.
“The Foreign Trader” – A traveling merchant from civilized countries, who sometimes tries to make a profit by swindling the tribesmen. Carries a very bitter grudge against our heroes. I don’t have a name for this individual yet, and may need to do a bit of constructed-language work to derive one.
Verkanta – The settlement (basically a small fortified town) where King Módran keeps his hall, the largest owned by the Sudavai tribe and the effective capital.
Some Timeline Notes
- 23 years ago – Lóka is born.
- 22 years ago – Drotháno is born.
- 20 years ago – Kráva is born.
- 7 years ago – Lóka runs away from his master and is taken in by Kúnadan.
- 4 years ago – Kráva goes hunting alone and is badly injured by a bear.
- 1 year ago – Drotháno prevents a foreign trader from swindling the Wolf-clan.
Skills
The Drive skill is replaced by a Horses skill, which covers both horseback riding and driving a chariot. All other skills are as in the default list.
There is a separate Magic skill, used by everyone in the setting who might have magical powers.
Magic
Several magical styles may appear in the course of the story, some of them quite flashy. For now, there’s a common “hedge magic” style shared by almost every human culture in one form or another. In the tribal culture where Kráva and her friends live, this low-key style is practiced by the vaitai or “wise ones,” a professional class who provide a variety of services.
Extra: Common Magic
- Permissions: One aspect indicating that you’ve been trained as a magician.
- Costs: Skill ranks invested in the Magic skill. This form of magic costs no points of refresh, as it’s largely a matter of flavor.
- Characters trained in Common Magic can use their knowledge to perform supernatural effects, including the following actions:
- Overcome: Use Magic to prepare and perform magical rituals properly, or to answer questions about arcane phenomena.
- Create an Advantage: Use Magic to alter the environment with magic, or to place mental or physical impediments on a target. Characters can defend against this with Will.
- Attack: Use Magic to directly harm someone with magic, either through conjuring of physical force or through mental assault. These attacks can be made up to one zone away. Targets can defend with Athletics or Will, depending on the nature of the attack, or Magic if the target also has magical training.
- Defend: Use Magic to defend against hostile magic or other supernatural effects.
A note about vaitai: membership in the college is ranked, so that a vaita can be referred to as having a specific “degree.” First degree vaitai are the most advanced and powerful, whereas seventh degree vaitai are just starting out. To estimate the degree of a vaita, add up their ranks in the Lore, Magic, and Will skills, and subtract the total from 16. It’s not possible to be higher than first degree, and anyone who is below seventh degree is simply considered a “novice.” So for example, Lóka the Clever is a seventh-degree vaita, still apprenticed to a more experienced professional.