The World
Serendipitously similar to Pepper and Carrot.
Timeline
Age of Exploration casts off the typical dark ages fantasy setting, Opting for a brighter world, during the age of discovery. No longer confined to old-world dungeons and catacombs, most of the game takes place outdoors and in foreign cultures. Characters can join a caravan transporting spices or silks from the East. Sail west to the new world and delve into ancient jungle temples or seek the legendary golden city. They can excavate the sandswept pyramids to the south seeking lost knowlege of vast fortunes. Renaissance cities of art and technology to the north create artifacts whose power rivals magic. The technology for firearms exists, but gunpowder comes from the opposite side of the world, meaning both of them are rare and expensive. Hot air balloons and caravels are the most speedy forms of travel available, but both are dangerous in a world where dragons pillage the skies above and sea monsters lurk in the fathoms below.
If you're familiar with Pepper and Carrot, it might be easier to imagine the game world as the one that Pepper and friends role play in, rather than the world where they're living. Age of exploration has been in development for 7 years and I only recently stumbled upon Pepper and Carrot. The similarity of their world's is a truly lucky coincidence.
Dragons
Dragons come in many colors and have adapted to different environments.
All dragons breath fire. The color of their fire is tinged by the color of their element and applies elemental properties. They can be any alignment but at their core, dragons are always self-interested, and ultimately dangerous. Young dragons are playful and curious about humans. Giant dragons are ancient and wise. They didn't live hundreds of years by making risky descisions. Typically they aren't hostile unless something threatens their power, domain, or their treasure. It's the dragons in the middle that are the most dangerous. Arrogant, greedy, and hungry for power; they too often see humanity as too weak to protect the things a dragon would love to take from them.
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Green Dragons live in forests. Their emerald fire does not burn living wood.
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Red Dragons seek volcanos as lairs. If an active one is not available a dormant one will do.
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Frost dragons breath icy white rimefire. They inhabit arctic tundra and snow covered mountain peaks.
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Brown dragons of the element earth breath fire that is infused with stinging hot sand. They live in rocky deserts.
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Blue dragons live on the coast. They are excellent swimmers and love to eat fish, squid, and sharks.
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Purple dragons love gems and live in jungle or cavernous grottos. The thunderclap from their violet electric pulsefire will deafen those in its breath.
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Orange Dragons throw really fantastic dinner parties and sometimes don't eat the guests.
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Metal Dragons hoard weapons and armor and their silver-lined firey breath burnishes them to a shine.
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Gold Dragon's breath is a bright burning sunfire. They are worshiped in many cultures, and the golden dragon will protect people who provide offerings of meat and gold.
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Black Dragons live in swamps and subterranian catacombs. Their jet black shadowfire emits no light and is invisible in the dark.
Places
Instead of defined countries, imagine a world of city-states peppering the continents. Each city has its own identity; culturally, and politically.
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Komana, The Skytree- A floating island city shaded by an enormous tree.
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The Vulcanforge- Sun elves built a massive forge on a volcanic island to harness the natural heat of the lava. It is the birthplace of many magical weapons and armors.
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The Academie - An entire city deticated to the study of magic and arcane history. It's home to many Djinni, who consider arcane study to be fundamental knowledge, with many devoting their 1000 year lifespan to it.
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The Greatforest - Here trees grow so large that streets are built down each branch with rows of houses and shops either side.
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Atlantis, city between worlds - An island city built both above and below the water. Here, the Naiad people facilitate trade between aquatic races such as mermaids and the terrestrial ones.
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Qualicity, City of automation- The world's technological capital, home of automatons, and flying machines.
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The Shrouded Veil- Perpetually hidden in a misty valley among the world's tallest mountain range, the homeland of the winged Sonyo people, sometimes called Shangri-la, is a religious city obsessed with enlightenment and assencion.
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The Mushroom Kingdom - a Fuedal empire, only recently opened to the outside world, inhabited by a myconid race, called Kinoko.
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The Draconic Monastary - Studies all aspects of dragons, drakes, and wyverns. How to speak their language, how to tame them, and naturally how to slay them.
Languages
Common- Humans, everyone.
Fae- Elves, Dryads, Fauns,
Aquatic- Naiads, and (Mermaids)
Sandscript- Sonyo, Naga, Rakshasa, Djinn
Eastern- Oni, Tanooki, Kinoko (Kappa)
Binary - Automatons
Draconic - (Dragons, Drakes, Kobolds)
Goblin - (Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Trolls)
Spurred by Human's technological advancement and global exploration efforts is an emerging universal language. Simply called "Common" or "The common tongue," this language is spoken fluently by all player characters, and most NPCs. Isolated indigenous groups might only speak their native tongue, and others may simply prefer it. Speaking a merchant's native language might earn a character a better price; multilinguals may be able to overhear and understand things being shouted on a shipping dock or whispered in a temple. There are a number of languages spoken in the world, but knowing them isn't so much about communication as it is cultural understanding. (Parenthesis indicates NPC race)