Brief Interruption
/Hi
First and foremost, welcome, we appreciate your curiosity!
The following is an introduction to “Memories from the Manta”, a collection of stories born in a post-apocalyptic spec-fic setting, made true through the support and engagement of a curious community.
As creators of this world, we want you to feel equipped with everything necessary for exploring and enjoying the experience. While immersion is our intent, we are aware that not everyone wants to be thrown into a world without first being properly prepared.
So this is for those that’d like a little clarity and background as to what this even is. (no worries, we got you!) The following sections are here to help you traverse the trenches of terminology, assist in accessing the Manta’s atmosphere, and provide a place to parley with other people.
Terminology
There are a few terms that are important to the foundation of this setting, so we’ve presented them here in an effort to control and correct any confusion.
“The Manta” is a title used to describe those born into and affected by this setting. It is also a title used to describe where everything takes place.
“Madjic” is the ability to manipulate natural reactions through the force of will. It was named this due to its connection to the madness. You will find that some believe madjic to be an extension of madness.
“Madness” in this setting is believed to be the state of being possessed by unknown madjic resulting in involuntary reactions or separation from a known existence. It is mainly meant to describe one of two things:
The state in which someone or something is acting in a way that is uncharacteristic of its usual behavior.
The state in which someone or something is affected by an involuntary transformation due to excessive use of madjic.
Madness in this setting is not intended to be used as a replacement for “crazy”, “insane”, or any other related term, nor is it meant to be used to insinuate someone is “less than” or in a way that alienates the affected. However, there may be characters in this setting who use the term in such a way; this is done purely for the purpose of pointing out character flaws and/or development.
“Woken” is a term used to describe sapient beings that survived, or have overcome, the madness. It can be considered equivalent to “human” in an abstract sense taking into consideration that woken are a species of varied physical traits some of which not entirely “humanoid”.
“Afflicted” is a term used to describe those that are unable to, or have not yet, overcome the madness.
“Memory/Memories” These terms are used to describe one of two things:
Something seemingly stored in the mind.
An event or account that has been bound to a physical object with madjic, of which, is only able to be recovered and/or revealed by means of madjic.
There are many more terms to learn as you explore the Manta, but knowing these should help you feel a bit more immersed.
The Manta
So, what is “the Manta” exactly? Well, the Manta can be many things. A group of people, ideas, and adventures. A domain filled with life and laws, left behind, neglected, and unnoticed. A memory or state reached by intimately immersing in imagination, a detour that time took, where fiction and fantasy flirt with truth and history. We like to think it represents the “forgotten”. A forgotten people, place, point in time… all sitting in an expanse waiting to be explored.
“Memories from the Manta” is an exploration of a realm in which a cosmic event bled madness throughout. It explores the lives of those that survived who discovered the ability to evoke madjic, a term later used to describe the unexplainable manipulation of natural reactions. These survivors also find themselves in a strange world due to unknowingly losing their memories. What was once civilization and structure is now lost to fear and entropy. Technology, culture, and philosophy now buried along with memories untold. Here, survival is a currency worth obtaining and knowledge a worthy investment.
The planet you will be exploring is known to its denizens as Naphar, which shares familiar structures and landscapes with that of Earth, except reclaimed by unfamiliar nature, eroded by madness, and evolved by the madjical things birthed from it. Madjic is a prominent source of alteration and adaptation. Everything on Naphar has some form of madjical characteristic whether active or dormant due to the residual effect of madness.
The “current” period of time for those in the Manta involves the beginning of civilization, development of settlements, and an introduction to the technology that birthed it, such as simple agriculture and irrigation systems. It is a mix of primitive and ancient societal ideology placed in an apocalyptic alternative modern age. The reason technology and civilization aren’t moderately more advanced is due to same reason they are stunted and barely survived extinction… the madness.
The world of Naphar is full of madjical creatures, conscious beings, and sapient monstrosities all trying to survive and obtain dominance across wondrous, yet treacherous landscapes. Although the event referred to as the “Moment” has come and gone, the madness still continues to spread, fighting for survival itself.
A key component when creating immersion is perspective. From our perspective on Earth, the Manta is a place lost to time only able to be explored and reached through the memories left to us in relics. At least, as far as we know.
All of the content we provide, the information you receive as the audience, is considered a memory from the Manta. Every creature, character, object, and/or idea is a memory. All of these memories are bound to a relic and these relics are uncovered by you, the audience.
Are these memories a part of our history? ...part of a world in parallel to ours? …maybe manifestations meant as meals to fill the extensive emptiness that is escapism? Whatever perspective you choose is yours to keep, the more memories you uncover, the more you learn about the Manta and the realms within.
A Little Backstory
Alright, so you know what the Manta is, but why is it even a thing?
This all started when a group of friends wanted to get into a ttrpg. One of us took on the mantle of “GM” and hosted a couple of sessions. We had a blast, but life kind of happened and it kind of fizzled... or so we thought!
Long story longer, our overachieving GM created a world from scratch to make sure the experience was interesting and refreshing. They soon realized that the world being created wasn’t going to work well with the system being used due to a number of obstacles. So they decided to create some system mechanics and try their hand at some amateur game design.
This is it. A concept a few years in the making, ready to be shared with those interested. For now, our intention is to share our role-playing experiences through digital content, with the ultimate goal being to one day share this world as a ttrpg.