NeoExodus: A House Divided
| Designer(s) | Louis Porter Jr., Joshua Cole, Richard Farrese, Lee Hammock, Owen K.C. Stephens |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Louis Porter Jr. Design |
| Genre(s) | Fantasypunk |
| System(s) | Open Gaming License / d20 System |
NeoExodus: A House Divided is a campaign setting originally created and supported by Louis Porter Jr. Design, for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and later updated for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The name of the fictional world were the setting takes place is Exodus. The setting was launched in April 2007 online at RPGNow.com and is known for its strong fantasypunk ties, and unusual twists on the fantasy genre as a whole.
The World of Exodus
The magical fantasy world of Exodus is a place of political intrigue, arcane wonder, deadly monsters, and dark secrets with infuses the landscape of the world. Due to several various empires at conflict with each other over beliefs from religion to magic to military, Exodus on always in the edge of falling into the abyss of death and destruction. But with all that danger there is an opportunity. There is an opportunity for certain individuals to do the right thing. More than ever, the world of Exodus needs heroes…
History of Exodus
Exodus boasts a long and turbulent history, from the rise of the Kaga and the defeat of the First Ones, to the Twilight War and the founding of the Imperial Alliance, to the present crisis that threatens to tear that alliance apart. Great heroes and terrible villains drove its march, though even in hindsight the two are not always easily separated; theirs were the titanic passions, the deep loves and hates, the burning obsessions and base treacheries, by which modern Exodus was forged and tempered.
Races of Exodus
The playable Races in Exodus differ from the traditional races in other Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. There are six additional primary races:
Cavian: Creatures of myth, whispered in legend, lost in the mists of history - and now returned, for reasons unknown to any but themselves. Such are the Cavians, a race of humanoid rodents noted for their incredible psionic abilities. The Cavians were exiled from Exodus for nearly three hundred years, and their unexplained return has made more than a few other races extremely nervous. Fear of Cavians comes naturally to those without psionic gifts, for these ratfolk can ‘see’ thoughts and emotions the way most humanoids can see color. Worse, most Cavians are scions of a racial hive mind, a collective intelligence of phenomenal power.
Cynean: Crystalline scholars of all things arcane, the Cyneans are as mighty in mind as in body. While the psionically-inclined might expect the Cyneans to share their tendencies, these beings of living crystal are masters of magic, not mentalism. On Exodus, which is both their home and their only known haunt, they can ever be found seeking some mystical secret or long-lost spell.
Dalrean: Dalreans are a race of sentient, mobile plants. If a treant is a thinking tree, a Dalrean is a thinking flower, and indeed, the spellcasters of this race are noted for their astonishing floral ‘spellbuds.’ Dalreans, who live exceedingly long lives, are closely tied to the natural cycles of Exodus.
Enuka: The most primal and barbaric of the savage humanoids have nothing on the Enukas. Enukas are ferocious creatures of the wild lands, animalistic predators blessed with humanoid form an intelligence. This combination has not softened their instincts for battle and the hunt, but it has given them a fatalistic warrior culture well suited to their savage natures.
Prymidian: Prymidians are regal, red-skinned humanoids. Their stately demeanor and formidable build impress other races, and their learning follows suit. The Prymidians are a scientifically-inclined race, dedicated to reason and intellect. Their culture seeks to know all there is to know in Exodus - and none know better than the Prymidians that knowledge is power.
Sasori: Resources wax and wane, weapons and spells become obsolete, the master craftsman of one era is displaced by the industry of the next, and even land becomes worthless with the shifting ages - information, say the Sasori, is the one commodity that is always in demand. These scorpion-like creatures are brokers of information, by turns the greatest secret-keepers and the supreme spies of Exodus. Sasori are also known for their willingness - and ability - to kill to protect their secrets.
Roots and influences
The inspiration for NeoExodus: A House Divided came when Louis Porter Jr. wished to convert and fuse non-traditional fantasy setting with science fiction roots. The NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting is inspired in tone and attitude by the following books, movies and television shows:
- 100 Bullets
- Babylon Five
- Bible
- Brotherhood of the Rose
- Crossgen Comics
- Fraternity of the Stone
- Highlander
- Legion of Super-Heroes
Xao: Island of Iron and Silk
Louis Porter Jr. Design has just recently announced they are doing a "spin-off" of their NeoExodus: A House Divided setting with their new Chinese / Indian / Southeast Asian focused setting called Xao: Island of Iron and Silk.
Grand Theft Exodus
Grand Theft Exodus is an online webcomic series written by Louis Porter Jr. This is the story about Niobe Mylona, a female human thief and her partner, Tahki Zitkata, a male Cavian psionic thief and their adventures in the World of Exodus.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible Version
Louis Porter Jr. Design announced in March 2009 that NeoExodus: A House Divided will be creating a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible version of the setting for use with the Pathfinder Role Playing Game.
References
- Joshua Cole, Richard Farrese, Lee Hammock, Louis Porter Jr. NeoExodus: A House Divided (Louis Porter Jr. Design), 2007.