An Update to Descent

Descent, Made Anew

 It certainly has been a while hasn't it? I wish I could say I've been busy working on development, but that would be an unfortunate lie. In truth, I have been working on the accursed burden that is real life responsibilities. However, in the few snatches of respite that I get, I have not been satisfied with Descent as a concept. Indeed, while I am delighted by the idea of the setting, I feel as if there are a few inconsistencies that I will endeavor to correct as time marches on. The first of these issues is the world map, such as it is. The issue with the last of humanity living in a single city beset by extraterrestrial enemies (besides being a ripoff of Destiny) is that that city would need to be really, really big. As such, I have created a new map using this generator here. (It's a fantastic tool in any worldbuilder's arsenal, I cannot recommend it enough.) 

Awash with Possibility

However, a new map is not the extent of the renovations. That body of water to the north of the city? That is what's known as the Unknown Sea, and for good reason. Those who sail too far out are never heard from again. Mariners can peer over the railing of their steamboats and gaze upon the absolute and terrifying darkness beneath them, all the while getting the uncanny feeling that something is gazing right back. Surely it's nothing, right? 

Freaky Blinders

While the larger-scale story is something I've done in the past, I feel Descent functions best when it's focused on smaller, character-driven narratives. The stories that can be told in a crime-ridden hellhole at the end of the world are many and varied, but one aspect in particular will likely be true in any story: there's some really weird gangs out there. Take, for example, the Green Ribbon Syndicate, identified by a green silk sash worn around the waist. Their main criminal enterprises include dogfighting, armed robbery, protection rackets, and the theft and ransoming of precious memories. This is just one of dozens of gangs that wield as much influence as the Bluebacks, the Church, and the office of the Lord Mayor.

The Horrors of the Mundane

Descent is a strange place to live. Indeed, to anyone to whom such things are not commonplace, it is likely a life fraught with terror at every turn. While many comparisons can be drawn to cultures, technologies, and ideas on Earth, I will endeavor to both emphasize and understate the strangeness. Yes, there are mole people and predatory flocks of parasitic muttonchops. Must be Tuesday.