About

Tarred Skies is a universe set in a reality similar to our own, centered on a central super city that spans the size of a country, Langhyrst. A new world of technology and ambition has gripped the city, what will happen as 1920s and Cyberpunk collide into a world of fantastic indulgence and grit, dark and suffocating, iron and steel lined with gold and silver.

Current Version: 1.5

This is currently the third iteration of the Tarred Skies universe. Each time an iteration pulls to the forefront, the resolve and clarity of the setting is refined.

0.5

Version 0.5 was the culmination of passion for old westerns and fantasy tones. It focused on humanity against a wild and tornmented world, at it's core it was simply the question, what if man had to survive opposing an insurmountable threat. This threat was deemed to be the Husk Worms that would be coined in 1.0.

Key Notes:

• Western
• Dieselpunk
• Supernatural
• Realism

1.0

Version 1.0 was the result of thrusting 0.5 into production to line up to function along side of the Dungeons and Dragon rule set and series. In this we developed complex races and relationships other than humans, introduced a fresh look on deities, both good and bad, and really locked down on the idea of using this Bug Juice from the Husk Worms as the source of all that is powerful. It also introduced the Ley Realm and the Shattering, amoung many other things. A large part of this was focusing on surveying the sands, focusing on the oceans of silicate as they revealed priceless ruins only to be taken away again, this meant I had to have such a huge scope to manage the exploration.

Key Notes:

• Fantasy, Victorian, Renaissance, Western, Cyberpuk
• Supernatural, Eldritch, Horror
• Ley Realm, Oracular Traverse
• Meta'ai and the Shattered Kings
• Diverse group of races that align well with the options in Dungeons and Dragons
• Technology and power fueled by Substance Abuse
• Corporate Nobility

1.5

Version 1.5 is an attempt to reign in the setting, to return to the roots of human focused to rely on the grit and human relation than high fantasy elements. Following the design vision of the creators of Planet Treasure, which used a theory of 70% Victorian, 30% Sci-Fi, I will be utilising a theory of 70% 1920s, 30% Cyberpunk. There will ofcourse be other elements, but this is the core aim for the setting, to reveal the rhyme between today's issues, passions and love with those of 100 years ago.

Races that felt tacked on, being a heavy point of issue and contention that distracted from the core of the setting will be reigned in. Instead of being drastically different, I will be reworking the species to be more so as if humanity developed and changed over time, a far future on another planet as they return to a point of the dawn of the ages of independence and freedom coming in conflict with the old money and the old ways.

Rather than getting worried about building the entire world, and getting lost with having to research an entire world, I will keep what I've learnt in the background and focus on Langhyrst, it's borders, it's people, it's environment, I will focus down my scope to also enhance the resolution of that scope.

Key Notes:

• 1920s (Art Deco Extravagance vs the Unionised Worker), Prohibition, Corruption
• Cyberpunk (Rampant drug abuse, technology infested, disillusionment of the common man)
• Dieselpunk (Cyberpunk in a wrapper of 1920s technology, not Steampunk Victorianism, Dieselpunk has had issues with being very all over the board so it is a risk point)
• A focus on humans and genetic variations, than a spewing of fantasy species.

Unsurities:

• To keep the super beings (Meta'ai & Shattered Kings), right now their approach feels good for this setting as than being omnipotent they walk among the people, they couldn't care less if they are believed to be gods or not, but I'm afraid if they might distract. The elements of manipulation also work with the Shattered kings, but the time scale is an issue.
• Do I keep the modified species, the Niechi and the Tohl (rodentiakin & merkin respectively), will they be understood and have a place, other cyberpunk settings have used full gene splicing elements, and various game trailers have shown this off, as well as Rocket Racoon being a popular and plausible experiment gone wrong, so perhaps it will work out ok, but they need to be something current and have a place than forcing them into the setting because 'they've been there all along'.

#ffbc12