Hey Game Fans, we’re taking a look at some world building ideas and concepts for the home setting i run. If you’ve checked out my other world building articles, this is the setting that focuses on Lakeport and the larger world around it. Today i’m going to take a look at one of the more unusual gods for the setting, Lucky Tenfingers, the Lord of Halflings. Before i get started on Lucky himself, let me give you a little background for the gods of this world.
Broadly speaking, the gods divide themselves into a variety of groupings and factions, but the grouping i am concerned about today is the old gods and the new gods. The Old gods predate one of the most important conflicts of the setting, the Fey War. These are the gods that originally found this world and shaped it to their designs and interests. They shaped the great forests and mountains, and populated the world with creatures in their own image. The first Gods to walk the world were the gods of Giantkind, the Fey themselves, and the three Elder Wyrms. A few other gods would appear after this first establishment, most notably Ahrimaius, the God of Creation. These are the Gods of antiquity, and they made the world the way it was, for good or for ill.
The Fey War began as internal issue between a small fey enclave and their neighbors. It spiraled out of control to a level of violence and bloodshed that would haunt the old places of the world forever. At the darkest point of the war, when the Me’Ah’Chin hordes looked ready to take the fight to the Gods themselves, the eldest of the Fey Gods, Grandfather Oak, cast the most powerful magic anyone had ever seen. He summoned heroes and champions from across time and space to the Garden where Oak had planted his first seeds. He made them a simple offer. If they would turn back the tide of darkness and save the world, he would bestow upon the seeds of godhood, and make them the new gods of the world.
Heroes to the end, most of these people died during the war to liberate the world. Heroes from thousands of worlds and cultures fought, bled, and died in a distant land to save it from the most terrible monsters they had ever encountered. When the last battle had been fought, and the dead tallied, less than fifty of the thousands of heroes and champions were still standing. A few would succumb to lingering injuries sustained in the war, and their number would be diminished even further by a tragic incident.
The survivors returned to the Garden, and Grandfather Oak kept his word. Each hero or champion became the living embodiment of an idea or a race. One by one, the new Gods and Goddesses organized themselves, and set about the work of trying to heal the lingering damage the war had caused. Some places were never completely healed, and there are distant parts of the world that still think that ancient war rages….but that’s a story for another time.
Lucky Tenfingers, The Chairman
History
Before the War, Lucky was a hard living Halfling explorer. He cut his teeth in some of the trickiest, ugliest dungeons the world had ever seen. Eventually he was able to turn his expertise into a job securing castles and other expensive places rather than digging through ancient death traps. He spent his money well, and by the time Grandfather Oak called for him, he was set for life. Rather than staying to enjoy his wealth, he put his creative mind to work deciphering a new series of puzzles and problems.
During the War, Lucky spent most of his time hanging around Ace. Ace was very clever for a human, and had a mind for tactics. They became inseparable allies during the war and saved each other’s lives on multiple occasions. When Ace finally put his hammer into the last of the Me’Ah’Chin foundry complexes and destroyed the last of their great processors, Lucky made sure the parts were destroyed to keep them from rising again.
After the War, Lucky, Mourne, and Seramesh acted quickly to bring the Giants down and free the Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings from their bondage. Lucky brought Ace with him on this last trek before they ascended, and the great temple of the Halflings in Brandenport is named in Ace’s honor. Lucky took up stewardship of the Halflings, and helped turned their minds to more creative pursuits while keeping them honest about the wealth they had acquired over the years of servitude.
Relations with Others
Lucky spends very little time with the rest of the Pantheon. He prefers to spend his days in the mortal world, keeping a watchful eye over his people, and secretly watching for signs of his old friend. He’s sure that when Ace finishes his Apotheosis, Lucky will be right there to bring back the good old days.
Relations with Servants
Most of Lucky’s servants are tasked with keeping eyes on the pace of the industrial revolution the Halflings are about to kick off. Some of his oldest and most faithful servants advise the Banking Clans themselves, but there are rumors of at least one Halfling roaming the back alleys of Brandenport watching over the down and out.
Relations with Mortals
Lucky is a force of ingenuity and creativity. He encourages his followers to try new things and sometimes you have to be a little reckless to make progress. His clergy embrace the role of caretakers and watch over the members of Halfling Society that have no other place to go. They frequently operate homes for the very eldest of their kind while educating orphans in the ways of the world.
Unusual Sayings
“Money can buy you a lot of things, but you’re going to need the things it can’t buy eventually.” Halflings as a culture are a little obsessed with material goods and lose sight of their original purpose part of the time. Lucky likes to remind them it’s not all that far of a fall into the gutters, and having reliable friends can get a hard luck case back in the game.
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