Setlaar: Lore FAQ

## **Intro**

Hello! This is Cerebral Policy, and I occasionally get questions on how some of the Setlaar as a setting works alongside the primary setting of Etera, and other secondaries such as Siacros, Kandra, and others, such as why people have automatic firearms and microchips when everyone else were still using sword-and-board, or the use for such tech when magic exists. Good questions, and ones I've come up with plenty of answers to with just as much obsession and detail as to be expected from any autistic passion project.

Here's a good few below, but never be afraid to ask on our official Discord server!

### *Where did Setlaar technology come from?*

The most common question, and one that forms the basis of the Setlaar as a setting, and the answer lies with the native peoples of Eatash Alram, the Alrimal. The desert of Eatash was, until some time ago, haunted by a rogue earth elemental that discovered how to absorb life and magic, and did so especially with the pieces of itself it used to impregnate a native woman every one thousand years, birthing an entity known as a Son of Sand. Though mostly loyal, the penultimate Son went against its creator, and decided to teach the survivors of his millennial cycle on how to make use of the natural resources of their enormous desert homeland.

This allowed the natives of the last cycle of the Son of Sand to flourish without the use of magic, jumpstarted by the previous Son. Over time they learned foundational technological innovations, such as gunpowder, radio waves, the internal combustion engine, gasoline, rubber, and more. However, the Alrimal only advanced their tech as far as was needed to survive. The most modern inventions came from the actual Setlaar people of the other states, whose industrial capacity and desire to not just survive but exceed pushed the limits of known tech even further, until eventually we reach the modern Setlaar technological level.

### *Why do the Setlaar use technology anyways, when magic exists?*

Another foundational question essential to the setting. Why lighters, when fire magic is usable? Why guns, when spells of harm can be used? A complex question with a simple answer: ease of use. My idea of Pathfinder magic includes the need for many years of study and practice, and while this works for smaller populations, a confederacy of multiple states whose combined populations reach the hundreds of millions of people simply can't afford to field that many mages that quickly. If you need fire, why train a hundred mages and spread them out, when you can invest the time and gold to make a lighter, and now anyone with a few coppers can make fire in a moment?

There's also the idea of magically-created materials. How do industries such as modern manufacturing exist when an accomplished mage can snap their fingers and poof something up? Two answers: quality and complexity. The first, being that again, my personal interpretation of Pathfinder magic includes the idea that magically created materials just aren't as good as the real thing. Sure, a steel sword made by magic can slice just as well as a 'real' one, but what about steel girders? What about the construction materials that have to support hundreds of tons and last for decades? Does a chair summoned by magic feel as comfortable as one made by hand, the materials stitched and measured by an expert in his craft? In fact, in the Setlaar, materials made by magic can be detected by certain spells, and don't fetch nearly as much on the market as their natural counterparts!

The second, is complexity. A sword, generally, is a simple object. Blade, handle, pommel. But what about a modern automobile, or an appliance? Can a mage truly imagine every single component, with the necessary detail and positions needed to make it work? A microchip, for example, is a silicon chip with hundreds of layers of copper or aluminum among other materials, with one tiny mistake making the entire thing useless. Can you truly rely on casters being able to perfectly create them? And not just replicate them, as they can require very many different configurations or designs for multiple uses!

### *What's the difference between an Operator and a normal adventurer? Why are they treated as so much more powerful on average?*

Unlike the previous questions, this one has a pretty short answer: money, and dedication. If you like, you can compare the trope of the brave militiaman protecting his land, family and property, and that of modern special forces.

The former is mostly motivated by his ideals, and keeping that which is close to him safe. He may have training, even experience in conflicts before, but his life isn't completely dedicated to handling arms. He has a family, a life, maybe a business to run on the side. Most adventurers not completely mercenary in their outlook are like this, although obviously as players we mostly see the combative side of them and their lives.

Operators are the latter. They have access to a ridiculously higher amount of resources in terms of funding, equipment, and training, because their entire purpose as an individual is to fight, to follow orders. In fact, you could almost call them as less of a human being in some ways, having given over their freedom and desires to become a tool, hoping they're being pointed in a direction that benefits their countrymen. Their entire lives revolve around combat, and only recent events in the server lore have opened them up to act more as people, but there will always be a divide between a PC adventurer, and an NPC Operator.

### *Can I play as an Operator? Why or why not? If so, how I can portray one properly?*

The short answer is: no. The long answer, is yes! As said in the previous question, there's a distinction between a playable adventurer is meant to be, and that of an Operator. The Setlaar's Operators are meant to be almost alien, if the combat we as players engage in really was their entire character, instead of just what we focus on. Operators are meant to be almost pitied, especially during their introduction into the lore, as essentially slaves, only recently allowed to expand themselves. Playing as an Operator would really be quite boring for the most part, as their lives revolve around fighting, training, schooling, and bodily needs. They very rarely had time for hobbies or to form real opinions, or anything else that would make them interesting to play as.

However, as with most things, exceptions can be made. One can play as ex-Operators who fled from the program, or in recent times since the latest developments in the server's overall story, as recruits fresh from training. If so, starting a character in the higher allowed starting levels is recommended, to accurately portray their more thorough training as opposed to "on the job" experience most adventurers have. Most Operators wouldn't have the best memories from their training either, with much of it being intentionally dehumanizing in order to mold a more effective soldier. However, unless they're exceptionally bitter, most would also have happy memories from spending time with their squadmates, bonding over their shared burden, as well as generally dutiful attitudes towards the Setlaar people, if not their own masters and leaders.

### *How do Setlaar characters feel about Etera, the main setting of the World of Babel, and the people from there?*

Back to the more complicated questions. Opinions vary really, with the age of the PC or NPC playing a surprisingly large role. For older characters, especially those from the cities, they would be very wary of the 'Land of Monsters', and disparaging of its medieval populace. After all, for all they knew, Etera was a cursed land, and if anybody born there left their home, they may carry that curse with them. Having a population of adventurers much like their own Operators was also a source of fear. Imagine someone capable of leveling a city block in a moment, with their use of such power entirely up to that individual's own agenda, emotions, or mental state! Now just add a good amount of government propaganda...

The younger generations though, have much more positive opinions. The newest Powers That Be in the Setlaar are much more sympathetic to Etera and its people, and the heroic actions of Eteran adventurers have only spurred a change of public opinion. Now, the worst common opinion is an almost parental attitude, that Eterans have a great potential that they must be taught to properly make use of. Most generally see Etera nowadays as a sister-nation going through the growing pains of nation-building, who can be a great partner in security and trade.

#### *Why do you insist on capitalizing 'Bandits', and what makes them different from ordinary outlaws and the like?*

The 'B' in Bandits is capitalized exactly to mark them as different from ordinary street gangs or pillagers. It can be argued that some criminals enter the life of an outlaw due to sympathetic reasons. Maybe they're taking revenge on someone for some tragic past, perhaps they've tried and failed to integrate with society repeatedly. There can be any number of explanations why. Bandits are a different breed.

Whether it's the Engineers' disregard for life in the face of advancement and experimentation, the Nagas' ruthlessly cruel ambition, or the sheer psychopathy of Saws, there is little in the way of sympathy to be had for these animals; it's quite easy to excuse the adventurer habit of mass slaughter against enemies like these. Not to mention, they're a way to help elevate the threat level of 'normal' mortals to the point that PCs beyond the power of everyday outlaws can still be threatened by them. Every Bandit Horde has a trick or gimmick to make them strong enough to take on adventurers who've yet to reach the pinnacle.

### *What languages do each of the Setlaar states speak? And are they just real countries copy-pasted into Babel?*

A common question, with a slightly embarrassing answer. To help give players the 'vibe' or general idea of each state, their language and culture were tied to that of real countries. So the state of Patrie, inhabited by human Soigner, heavily resemble the French or Italians. This way, a player can immediately guess that cuisine, art, and elegant manners are all important at first glance. They and other states are of course deeper than this lore-wise, and they shouldn't be mistaken for simple excuses to transplant real life cultures into the setting, but I personally find it the quickest and easiest way to give the right impression, leaving further lore for deeper interaction.

The languages of the Setlaar and their real-life counterparts are as follows: