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Quiche Lisp · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:04 pm Post subject:

Hello all,

I've recently acquired the Midgard Campaign setting volume and other Midgard related books, and I just wanted to share my delight with this new (for me) campaign world.

I like the gritty feeling of the setting, and the humour, but what makes me very enthusiastic about it is the sense of late medieval "realism" mixed with fey wonder which pervades it.

As much as I like the "outré" fantasy settings (like Golarion, for example) it had been some time since I yearned for a setting which was, to me at least, a little more believable, historically speaking.

Okay, I realize we're speaking about a world where there are dragons, witches and (out of the way) elves, and other monsters of various ilk, but somehow Midgard satisfies my yearning for historical make-believe.

It has all to do with the earth-grounded folklore, I think, and also the Renaissance feeling of the setting. Zobeck, with its gearforged, clockwork tower and ghetto, evokes for me a very believable 15th century eastern european town - in a fantastic sort of way, of course.

The social aspects of the setting are also very important to me in their sense of "realism". Here we have a city which fought against noble oppressors, won and declared itself free. It reminds me of Earth cities which had similar trajectories.

In a sense, I get the feeling that by relying on medieval eastern european folklore and societies, Wolfgang Baur, the original creator of the setting, and the later contributors, have managed to go back to one credible source of medieval roleplaying game, putting aside the self referential stuff that had accumulated over the years in various D&D settings (Forgotten Realms comes to mind).

Don't get me wrong: I played in the Forgotten Realms, and I love playing in Golarion right now. It's just that with the Midgard setting, I have this feeling that I've just been invited in the timber-thatched house of a magyar (sorry, magdar Wink

) cousin of mine, a very friendly fellow I hadn't had the good fortune of meeting yet, and who is eager to show me the at once fey and down-to-earth world he lives in.

By the way, I absolutely love the art of the Midgard line of books, particularly the Campaign Setting book. With some illustrations, I can imagine I'm looking at oil paintings of the Renaissance period. Please, Midgard art director person, whoever you are, keep it that way ! I have also spotted what I think are drawings made by the creator of the "Artesia" series of books - which I find terrific as well (anecdotically, I think that this guy can draw armors better than anyone else).
I especially like the way minotaurs are portrayed - minotaur society is no longer on oxymoron for me.

Well, I've been writing a scenario for my own (and my players') foraging in the Crossroads region for some days. Better that I get back to it now Very Happy

!

Thanks for this newly hatched world, M. Baur et alumni, and cheers to everyone !

Kobold Courier