Realms of Twilight
Realms of Twilight is a complete setting for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and published by Silver Crescent Publishing.
By Daniel Marshall
Welcome to the seventeenth Designer’s Diary, a regular column where designers are given the opportunity to take readers on an in-depth ride through the design and development process of their system, setting, or product.
Designer’s Description
Relistan is a world born of cataclysm; the sun is eternally eclipsed by the magics of a long-forgotten race and the blood of demons and celestials infect the lands from battles that few now living can recall. Ruins are scattered across the darkened landscape, with only fragments of ancient legends remaining to speak of their majesty. There are places where civilization has risen from the perpetual darkness, but true empires are few and far between. Much of the world is savage and dark, adventure lurks around every corner and danger is not far behind.
Purpose
There were no firm reasons or grand designs in the creation of the campaign setting. Simply put, we wanted a new and unique place for players to explore. We believed the concept of a world with no sun would be an interesting and exciting place. Like most things do, once the writing started, the idea took on a life of its own, blossoming into dozens of places across five continents, more than a score of deities and a great many intriguing characters.
Influences
Inspirations for the many facets of the world of Relistan were drawn from a wide variety of sources. Countless books and movies, as well as the ideas of a large number of people, influenced the in-depth world the Realms of Twilight setting has become.
Research
For the actual content of the book, there was very little extensive research. A few items needed to be explored to ensure that the ecologies of the various continents functioned, and we made sure to find ways that plants could survive in a world with no sun. Most of the research conducted dealt with the layout of the book, ensuring rules balance and format for sections dealing with prestige classes and spells, as well as investigating general world creation guidelines found in Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks.
Art Direction
The artwork provided throughout the campaign setting helps to bring the world of Relistan to life. We are fortunate to have a wonderful artist on staff who aids us in producing visual representations of the many amazing places to be found in the Realms of Twilight setting. It is thanks to such illustrations that the crystal pyramid of Illuria, the floating Aerie of Shiran, and many other legendary locations become places players are eager to experience and adventure through.
Gaming Experience
The Realms of Twilight setting is designed to create a dark and engaging experience. This world exists in a state of perpetual twilight, immediately bringing even veteran players outside of their normal environment. There is no shortage of dungeons, ruins, and grave sites for adventurers to plunder or explore and the interplay between nations and the legends of the past give Game Masters the necessary tools to weave immersive and epic tales for their players to participate in.
Comparison
The setting was written with an emphasis on legends. For example, each chapter begins with a tale woven about that continent or area. It is a world whose history is as complex and earth shattering as the wilds are dangerous. What truly makes the Realms of Twilight setting stand out is that, not only is it a detailed world complete with brief descriptions of the interactions of gods and nations, from the very beginning you get a glimpse of the events that shaped the world into what it has become today.
Development Process
For a project of this size, it is easiest to separate it into smaller sections. We started with a single continent, developing cities, nations, and cultures one at a time. If particular stories relating to those areas came up in the development process, we wrote them down and set them aside for later. Those tales are what have become the legends that can be found at the beginning of each chapter. Next we determined how each society would view the others, and how those viewpoints would clash. Finally, we fashioned the surrounding lands to support the nations we had created, filling in the terrain, bringing the wilds to life, and crafting several potential adventure sites in the process. We play tested a number of aspects at every stage, and then repeated the same process for each of the different continents.
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