Tide World of Mani afterward

Alright music buds, you may wanna skip this one. I’ll be breaking down some ideas about a recent segment of a long-running Mothership TTRPG campaign using Joel Hines’ Tide World of Mani. After 9 sessions, the Crew finally departed Mani. I can very easily say this was some of the most fun I've had running a module. The writing is stellar, and like Desert Moon of Karth, it really provides everything a Warden needs to run a campaign. You can also pick it apart, and put your own spin on things.

I tried to respond to the things my Crew dug into, and elaborate on some of the ideas Joel touched on. For instance, they ended up in the prison, so I pulled some from Wages of Sin and some from other media to create something the group could interact around more. Later, one of the folks they helped inside vouched for them on the outside allowing them access to a secretive location. On the other hand, outside of a brief interaction with an NPC, they hardly interacted with the guilds at all.

This isn't at all a criticism of what's included in the book. I think part of what I enjoy about Joel Hines' modules is the ease with which you can build around and onto what's presented in the writing. I highly doubt any two runs of TWoM have turned out quite the same.

One of the few disclaimers I'd give is that the horror isn't the usual fare aliens and monsters. I ended up monster-fying the Land Baron NPC, but aside from that the horror was more in the exploitation of the lower classes within the world of Mani than any single threat. Another disclaimer would be that the book really rewards multiple reads before running it. You CAN absolutely dive right in (heh) and a capable warden could run the module. However, you may find yourself jumping around to sort out the connections between the various factions.

The hook that brought my group to Mani was a larger campaign goal of destabilizing corporate control, and the governments of their allies. Much like the series Andor, the Crew were to assess the players on Mani, and determine whether they should be assisted in their goals. With that in mind, I thought for the sake of the players themselves, and the characters, I'd provide an "intel packet," with much of the content coming right from the Tide World of Mani book. You can read it below:

PROBE SCAN DATA...
Atmosphere: Breathable
Circumference: 24,901 miles
Average Temperature: 62 degrees F
Gravity: 1.1 G
Day Length: Endless. Tidally locked, no rotation. Eternal twilight in habitable ring.
Signs of Organic Life: Introduced flora and fauna, humans
Population: Est. 5,000

KEY POINTS 
+ Mani is mostly water. The only land is the small ring of the Last Atoll. Aside from humans and some bird species, the fauna are mostly aquatic. E.g. whales, hagfish, horned norca whales, glowie sharks and more.
+ The Last Atoll is the only population center. The lives of most of Mani's inhabitants start and end in the same square mile ring of land. Space is the biggest commodity here. Every inhabitant might not know everyone else, but they definitely know someone who knows them. The Land Barons enjoy decadence in the converted generation ship, while the lower class is packed into teeming tenements. Many live on boats, and construction material is limited, often salvaged.
+ Weapons and technology are limited. Modern telecommunications equipment and weapons from offworld are strictly controlled by the Land Barons. No Manian is allowed to leave, but visitors and Sharpe Co. employees can come and go. Credits are not used here, but rather Baronial chits, which can be exchanged with Sharpe Co.
+ Aurora diamonds are worth buckets of credits. The mining megacorp Sharpe Co. came to Mani in pursuit of aurora diamonds, carbon-based gems with flickering, undulating traceries of green and pink light inside them. These are scientific and aesthetic marvels that Sharpe Co. is making bank exporting.
+ Faith is important. The majority of the population are ocean revering Mareists, who view the Sea as an animstic spirit that requires homage and respect. Faithful start each morning by dipping a hand into a seawater basins or directly into the ocean, and sprinkle it upon their heads to affirm their connection to the sea.
+ There is currently a split within the Mareist religion. Orthodox Mareists, who preach a gospel of prosperity and abundance through obedience to the Sea-spawned wisdom of the Land Baron for material matters, and to the High Priest for matters of the spirit. Revival Mareism is a recent schism, aimed at returning the Mariest faith to it's perceived roots, as accessible and equal to all. Deacon Nakae started Revival Mareism, and both he and his followers were excommunicated and banished from the Last Atoll for their beliefs.
+ Revolution and unrest are brewing. The Storm's Eye Theater burned down two months ago, resulting in the deaths of 230 mostly working class Manians during a packed performance. The Land Barony blames radical followers of the Revival Mareist Tide Priests, while the Tide Priests claim it was a false flag operation. Everyone on Mani has an opinion. Tensions have been building to a breaking point, and protests and crackdowns are rising dramatically.
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MANI FACTIONS 
+ The Landed Nobles: The ancestral rules of the Last Atoll since the taking of the generation ship 500 years ago. They primarily stick to the Landed District and the generation ship turned Ship Palace. Baron Tet Jörgessen IX currently holds the throne.
+ Sharpe Co.: Shifty mega corp. Definitely not the Crew's ally or to be trusted. They specialized in mineral extraction across several sectors, but Mani is their prize gem. They maintain a large Aurora Diamond Facility about a week's sail from The Last Atoll. The person in charge on Mani is Regional Manager Steven Crake.
+ Tide Priests: Exiled from the Last Atoll for the radical preaching of Revival Mareism, they claim those closer to the Sea's truths should sit at the Ship Palace instead of those blinded by indulgence. Most reside within the Sacred Grotto, about a day's sail away from the Last Atoll. Led by Deacon Nakae.
+ Holy Divers: Mutant people with gills and slick, grene skin. Despised by the Landed Nobles and seen as abominations. The Tide Priests see them as blessed children of the Sea, the chosen people of the waves. The Makhno Network has been unable to make contact or locate the faction, although many are being held within Folly Rock Prison.
+ Atoll Guilds: The Guilds of the Last Atoll control most labor, and constantly clash amongst themselves, yet they offer some protection from the abuses of the Landed Nobles. They're concerned about Sharpe Co. and the risk of Chromefolk labor competition. Guildmaster Yona speaks for the Guilds to the Landed Nobles.
+ Chromefolk: The descendents of those who came on the generation ship 500 years ago. They are treated as second class citizens, and identifiable by their silver metallic iries. They maintain the culture and customs of the generation ship they've been exiled from. Groups of households are still organized into long-lost ship section evacuation groups, and follow other mostly-forgotten vestiges of generational shipboard tradition, like emergency drills. Chromefolk Pirates are seen as folk heroes, regardless of their brutality, and ballads about them are some of the more popular songs on Mani.
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TIMELINE 
1050 ya: An unknown, inexplicably advanced human civilization known as the Dawnseekers seeded the biosphere of Mani and established a colony.
500 ya: Resupply ships stopped appearing with no warning. Dawnseeker society fell. The Mareist faith began.
200 ya: A lost Dawnseeker colony ship landed on the Last Atoll. It's silver-eyed crew were immediately overwhelmed. Their conquering leader became the first Land Baron. The surrendering colonists were displaced offshore to Floatholm and became the Chromefolk.
10 ya: Sharpe Co. made first contact and concluded negotiations with the Landed Nobles, establishing a compound and beginning aurora diamond mining operations.
5 ya: The creed of Revivalist Mareism began to spread. High Priest Tanaka of the Orthodox branch of Mareism excommunicated the heretical preachers, and persuaded the Land Baron to crack down, arresting and exiling any collaborators, although they were unwilling to crack down completely and create martyrs for the Revivalist cause.
2 months ago: The burning of the Storm's Eye Theater caused the deaths of 230 working-class Manians. The Landed Nobles blame the Revivalist Tide Priests, while the Tide Priests claim it was a set up by the Land Baron. The open flames of rebellion were kindled.

I’ve shared them previously in the newsletter, but I also created a couple of smaller-scale NPCs that the Crew took to: Roth the Holy Diver and Castusk the Chromefolk Pirate.

Download the NPC card for Castusk HERE.

Download the Roth NPC card HERE.

Next newsletter will have a new playlist, so don’t despair. I should also have some more news about writing projects. Thanks for reading!

<3 / Joshua