Will to Power - Lands of Otan
This website was created by Will to Power Games. It is a free introduction to the primary setting of the Will to Power game and novel series; The Lands of Otan. Players and game masters alike can use this guide to preview the lore and legends of Otan.
Will to Power Games
Will to Power Games is an emerging creative studio born from a deep-seated passion for tabletop role-playing and the unforgettable sagas that unfold at the gaming table. Within the Will to Power Universe, we nurture two distinct fonts of storytelling. The journey begins with the Will to Power book series, anchored by our groundbreaking debut novel, Will to Power: The Sorrows of Hedgewind.
Our most ambitious endeavor, however, is the Will to Power Role-Playing Game. This genre-crossing system invites players to fully immerse themselves in a meticulously crafted multiverse. Under the guidance of a Game Master, players will forge their own destinies, striving for influence and mastery as they navigate the richly populated and dangerous worlds of Otan and beyond!
Our Setting
The Lands of Otan
The saga begins on the grand continent of Otan, a land where the drive for dominance is woven into the very fabric of existence. Our story follows Hedgewind Jalinbeti, a man who finds his life lacking in substance and quality. Seeking to better himself, he ventures beyond the familiar, only to uncover dark secrets that threaten his home and the fragile stability of the entire continent.
As the series progresses, our heroes are thrust beyond the borders of their reality. They find themselves in alien worlds where everything is different—where the Will to Power is no longer a universal law. How will they survive in a universe where their very thoughts and instincts no longer serve them?
Will to Power: The Novels
A Trilogy in Four Parts
Book 1: The Sorrows of Hedgewind
In the high-stakes world of Otan, Power is not merely an ambition—it is the fundamental currency of existence. From the high-perched Usatin Rogues to the soul-shattering blades of the Sogis Grendel, every strain of humanity is locked in a relentless climb toward dominance.
Hedgewind Jalinbeti, a man weary of the constant struggle, begins to ask the one question forbidden by the natural order: Is there more to life than the acquisition of power? As he uncovers the dark history of the Great Erasure—a period that wiped the memories of all strains, including the aesthetic-obsessed Aelfes—he realizes that the "Universal Truth" may be a gilded cage. His "sorrows" begin when he discovers that questioning the Will to Power doesn't just make him an outcast; it makes him a target for the very gods who designed this world of strife.
Book 2: The Fourteenth Rose of Karakat
The journey takes our heroes beyond the known maps of Otan to the mysterious continent of Sewoch. Here, the laws of the Will to Power are replaced by a new, alien philosophy: The Value of Experience.
The inhabitants of Sewoch do not seek to rule; they seek to feel, to know, and to be. Yet, our heroes quickly learn that a lack of ambition is not a lack of strength. When the "Experience-seekers" are forced into conflict, they defend their way of life with a terrifying, calm lethality that defies Otan’s traditional combat logic. Amidst rising tensions, Hedgewind and his companions must decide if they can truly abandon their thirst for power, or if they are simply bringing the infection of Otan’s greed to a pristine world.
Book 3: Transcendence of Chitin
On the continent of Ukele, the physical world itself is viewed as a temporary husk. While the Aya Qurilissi of Otan find divinity in the flexible wood of their own bodies, the people of Ukele seek a "Freedom from the Bonds" that transcends flesh and bone entirely.
As our heroes encounter these "Transcendentalists," they are faced with a disturbing mirror: if the Will to Power is the ultimate expression of the self, what happens when the self no longer wishes to exist in the physical realm? The conflict erupts into a war of ideologies—the raw, industrial Will to Power of the Dweorges and humans pitted against the ethereal, soul-shifting magic of those who seek to leave the world behind.
Book 4: Justice of the Divine
The survivors of the multiversal trek finally return their gaze to the source: the Gods of Otan. Legends say Woden the All-Father created the Aelfes and scattered them to find their own "preferences," but the truth is far more clinical.
If the desire for power was hard-coded into every human strain by divine design, then the gods are not just creators—they are jailers. Hedgewind and his remaining allies must now face a harrowing choice: seek justice against the divine for a world built on suffering, or accept that the Will to Power is the only thing that can challenge a god. The final installment asks the ultimate question: If you kill the gods who gave you your Will, what is left of you?
Lead Archivist’s Note:
I’ve ensured that the "Will to Power" concept remains the central philosophical anchor for all four books, contrasting it with the "Experience" of Sewoch and the "Transcendence" of Ukele to highlight the "genre-crossing" nature of your universe.
The Lands of Otan
Otan is a wide and complex world of fantasy from the mind of Robyn Blaber. Otan was originally created to be notes for a series of fantasy novels, the first of which is currently underway. Meanwhile, these notes are serving double duty, creating a repository for a fantasy role-playing game of our design.
Through our game, nearly two dozen people have experienced life on Otan firsthand, a number we hope to grow. These players and their characters have been traveling between countries, encountering strange new creatures, and meeting the people of faraway lands. While Otan is a great setting for low-level parties, it is a phenomenal setting for high-level parties, with intrigue around every corner.
Welcome to the Wiki
This wiki was created both to manage the fantasy world of Otan, while sharing lore about Otan with players in our games. In the future, this site will provide an excellent resource for both players and game masters alike as they learn more about this unique setting. Official Otan rules for our game series, with complete gaming stats, will soon follow.
Of course, elements specific to other games will likely not find their way into the Otan novels, but there may be a crossover in any future published rules to make the lands of Otan compatible with other RPG systems. Our gaming system is planned to become available to the public early next year... and may involve a Kickstarter campaign.
Player's Handbook
From detailed descriptions of Otan's player races to the latest advancements in adventurer's gear, it can all be found here in Otan's
Player's Handbook.
Encyclopædia Otanica
All things in Otan will eventually be recorded in the Encyclopædia Otanica. Archivists from around the globe have contributed to this colossal work.
Atlas of Otan
Every good map leads to another. Navigate from Otan to a country, a province, a city, and even what's beyond the waves using the Atlas of Otan.
Heroes of Otan
Four brave sets of adventurers have set out for riches and glory in the Lands of Otan. Learn about their richly described and illustrated adventures here.
Featured Articles
Start Here: Guide to Otan
The world of Otan is vast, some 19 countries containing 370 settlements each with its unique characteristics from race to religion, from government to culture. Each has a local tradition and history. Each has unique and interesting characters and each has aspirations for the future and the future of Otan. Here are some of the most visited pages:
- Ortalyk (country)
- Karagay Province (region)
- Karagay (provincial capitol)
- Balagash (settlement)
- Koboldy Rock (keep)
- The Stuffed Kobold (inn)
- Karagay Province (region)
- Altinqor (dragon country)
- Kara Aydahar Region (black dragon region)
- Kara (capitol city)
- Kara Aydahar Region (black dragon region)
Far Away Lands
Exploring Sewoch
Like most things Otan is part of something bigger. While the Otan continent occupies the northern hemisphere of it's world, the southern hemisphere is occupied by East and West Sewoch. There is little about Sewoch that a traveller from Otan would find familiar, not the people, cultures, politics or religions. Take a look:
- Sewoch (continents)
- (region)
- (settlement)
- (region)
Exploring W'q'le
Other Dimensions
Exploring the Nether World
Exploring the Heavens
OtanWiki currently has 476 articles.
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