Rumors of the New World, what are you favorites in fantasy?

[PatriciaRodriguez]

talk about the treasures and mysteries of the little-explored "New World" in the context of people from the "Old World." That is, the sort of rumors and legends--often wrong--that people in the Old World come up with to describe what's beyond a horizon few have crossed.

How do you handle rumors/treasures of the "New World" in your RPG settings? For example, I'm thinking of stuff like the legendary red dye of the ancient Aztecs (cochineal) that the Spanish conquistadors lusted after in Europe (see "A Perfect Red" by Amy Butler Greenfield).

So tell me about your favorite New World myths in RPGs! How do you get your players interested in exploring the lands unknown?

 

[Kes]

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[AfroKat]

New world just had to be something big, maybe not huge. But enough to get alot of people heading over there yesterday.

My favorite iteration is probably Dark Souls series, where the Ashen one, the unchosen, the undead whatever. They all leave to go to this one place that suppasablt has the cure

 

[Marsigne]

Doing things in new ways

 

[watermark]

It's probably built into our genetics that if we haven't seen a place, then of course someone has to go see it. Which makes a patch of dirt in the middle of a danger filled smelly cave more interesting than even the most beautiful cathedral.

How people who talk about the "New World", which honestly, nobody knows about (that's why they're sending YOU.), depends on their motives.

An official who wants you to go conquer those lands for him may make it sound like an easy journey where you simply have to go plant a flag there.

A loved one who doesn't want you to go may tell you all the tales of horror she knows.

A bored patron in a bar might make up grand tales based on tidbits he heard from travelers just so he can impress the people. This is a good way to get players interested too: make up grand stories based on some kernel of truth. And then turn that truth into an unexpected twist to give players satisfaction.

You could also go with the Internet formula, which states that 90% of what you see on the web are lies, but 10% are absolute truths.

 

[Darkanine]

Ah sweet, my setting actually revolves around a "New World".

My main character is a cartographer who ends up sailing to a continent south of her home island based heavily off South America, with the dominant forces being an empire heavily inspired by the Inca. They end up befriending a bunch of the residents there, but are tricked to revealing the location of their home and so the empire, being an empire, sails to conquer her home and add it to their growing state.

At least, that's the plan so far, I'm working on a less ambitious title so I can work myself up to that.

As for local treasures, I haven't really given it much thought aside from cultural stuff. For example, the main characters being amazed by how much more writing and texts this civilization has (all based off Quipu) and how much more urbanized their cities are.