[HoneyBadger]

Ok, this is a challenge to all you creative writers out there to come up with a clear, consise, descriptive, involved, interesting, convoluted, chaotic, realistic, fantastic, and/or whatever other adjectives, explitives, and other grammatical terms I haven't employed since the 5th grade or so, History for the Dominions setting.

Here are the rules:

1, the events have to fit on a timeline, somewhere, that we'll all be using. Everyone uses the same timeline. We'll have to agree on one first, ofcourse, and that will be the hardest part.

Alternative timelines/settings ARE allowed, but to use them, you have to do 2 things, 1: let us know upfront that it *is* an alternative timeline or setting or viewpoint, etc. from established canon or the main timeline, and 2: give a reason why the timeline or whatever split off.

2, Everything has to agree with and follow along with the known Dominions canon-aka you can add to what we know, but you can't take away, without express permission from the Devs. So, what's presented in the three Ages happened in that order, and so forth.

3, Once you've entered something into the History, it's there for everyone to use-and for the Devs to overwrite/veto/etc-but I'd strongly suggest you get permission first before you use it

4, Everything entered should follow along with the themes presented in Dominions-that means a basis in A: real-world religion, history, philosophy, technology, etc. B: a real-world mythos that is within the public domain (Cthulhu mythos, Jules Verne, etc.), or C: you either make it up yourself, whole cloth, or change it enough that it is far enough removed from the original source that nobody can sue.

5, 3, Be Responsible. Do your research, know your canon (or ask), do your best not to step on the toes and feelings of others, and don't plaigerize. Also, the Devs have final say over everything, period. This should be obvious, but I feel it should be said.

I will be more than happy to personally help anyone who asks, to the best of my ability, whenever I have time to do so (which isn't always a lot, but please always feel free to ask, and I will help everyone I can, as much as I can), with any kind of research or editing or whatever.

6, No events that would change the Dominions setting into something radically different, unless presented in such a way as to make this a natural progression. Thus, you are allowed to have aliens land on the Dominions world, as a nation (aka R'lyeh), but not in massive UFOs, unless/until such time as the idea of UFOs would seem to fit in with the current direction the Age you're working on is going in-so, at the very least, not until Pseudo-Victorian times, if such exists.

This rule is primarily to prevent any "power-tripping" or "immersion-breaking" events, nations, etc. It's not there to harm anyone's creativity-so if you can make up something that wouldn't objectively seem to fit, but you can shoe-horn it in, in such a way that it makes the game more fun for everyone, then by all means do so. Just try to do it with tact and moderation, and the consideration that others may follow in your footsteps.

7: Any technology which has been invented or could be invented is allowed. This means yes to gunpowder, yes to internal combustion engines, yes to whatever, BUT: magic exists, it works, it's powerful, and it is every bit as possible to innovate with magic as it is with technology, and humans aren't the only ones with access to it.

For that matter, for the purposes of the History, consider magic and technology to be the same thing, and the "differences" to simply be a matter of perspective by way of Arthur C Clarke, excepting that, instead of magic simply being highly advanced technology, it's a resource/powersource that can be harnessed and utilized from the beginning, through certain methods only available to the beings living within the Dominions setting.

Just remember that others may follow in your footsteps-once guns are in the game, they're in, and they're not coming back out again, so I'd suggest the community be wise about what goes in when and how and to what extent.

8, No events shall circumvent the basic theme of Dominions-by this I mean that no, the Pantokrator was not an elf, etc. etc. etc.

9, No Pantokrator-yes, there is a Pantokrator within Dominions, and yes, that being did influence certain events, but the events associated with the rise-and supposed fall-of the Pantokrator are to be assumed to be what is being simulated whenever you begin a new game.

Thus, whoever wins the game *IS* the Pantokrator, and as such, the Pantokrator is outside time and space, and the capacity of this History, except where utilized by the Devs.

The exception to this-and this should be kept to a minimum-is that the Pantokrator may act upon the world to the extent of your average Urban Legend-by this I mean rumors, superstitious, and suppositions that an all-powerful being may be acting upon the greater timeline in some fashion, but no concrete fact, unless stated by the Devs. This should not be on the level of a major or even minor religion. More along the lines of say Mothman or Batboy.

The other exception to this is that the Pantokrator may figure into the backstory of a Pretender, since Pretenders can sometimes find themselves outside of time and space, as well.

10, No matter how far in the future or past you choose to go with Dominions, magic shall remain a major influence on events. Astral magic-atleast-exists at every point in time, and the other magic paths should be assumed to exist as long as there is a reason for them to exist. Other paths may be added (if you can get the Devs to do so) but magic never totally disappears. It should be viewed as a cycle, with magic being very powerful and "physical" in one age, fading or changing in another age (or through several), but with the potential to grow stronger and more direct-or different, or simply easier to work with-in ages to come.

This is mainly to keep things interesting, and to prevent arguments against someone's chain of events that happen to include strong magic where others might suppose it to be weak or non-existent.

Lastly, and this is just a suggestion, but it would be very nice if things were steered away from a Humanocentric viewpoint. One of the best things about Dominions, in my opinion, is that you've got a whole great variety of cultures, races, traditions, etc. and humans are not on top. We're already on top on Earth, and we are a major race/factor in Dominions, that's enough for our egos.

So, if you want to play in a world with just humans, I suggest go join a bowling team.

Let's all consider taking a walk on the wild side and keep things fluid where species dominance-even our own-is concerned.

Now, as to why I feel we need such a timeline and History?
I'll present my reasons below, so this thread doesn't become unreadably long. [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif[/img]