Sometimes, people say that Godtear doesn't have much lore. I think this is unfair. Godtear has loads of lore, but the problem is that it is scattered around and woven into the game itself. It's true that Godtear doesn't have the kind of deep lore that decades old systems have built over time, but there is real story there if you know where to look.
In the hopes of satisfying folks' craving for narrative, I have aggregated all the Godtear lore I could find. I had to dig back into the old 2018 kickstarter (what a heady time) for some of it.
Do yourself a favor and scroll to the bottom. Martyboy's excellent fan lore from his site Godtears for Godfears is down there.
SFG Created
Individual champion lore is available on SFG's Webstore.
There is a blurb about each of the champions. There's a surprising amount of lore scattered around in there.
Here's a podcast interview with loremaster Sherwin about Godtear Lore.
Thanks to Dave M for pointing it out to me!
Here's the first page of the rulebook:
Our tale begins with the end of days, a time when mortals have abandoned sacred belief and wage bloody wars across a world coming unbound. Already weakened, the gods weep for the ruination of the universe at the hands of the faithless, witnessing the final betrayal and succumbing as their last worshippers abandon them.
Anguish ravages and shatters each god into a thousand pieces as they die, their demise heralded by arcane lightning on the blackened horizon. In a reverent silence, mortals come to remember their divine masters at last, but their resumed piety is too late. In the depths of their cities they cower as a rain of crystalline shards falls, crashing into the ground in great outpourings of power, liquid fire dispelling the darkness as it spirals into the skies above.
These are the godtears, crystals imbued with the essence of the gods. Their energy is so mighty as to consume most mortals who might dare to stand in their presence, only a few able to embrace their divine light. Each shard wreaks destruction upon impact, levelling mountains and shattering the earth into great chasms, water rising from the depths to consume all. Eventually all that remains of the mortal world is barren and lifeless, mortalkind reduced to a pitiful handful of survivors and little else.
Yet this cursed fate is not oblivion, but the promise of resurrection. For through the stark light of the godtears, the trials of the champions resume once more. Drawn by the lure of glory untold, mighty individuals chosen by destiny venture forth in search of these sacred crystals, their actions the birth of legend and dire portents both.
To claim such sovereignty is to step upon the path of ascension to godhood. As they absorb more godtears, champions grow in power and size, towering over mere mortals, who flock to become the first followers of these future gods. Nations and religions emerge in thrall of these rulers, their words the divine teachings of prophets, saints, and demons. For this is the rite of the immortals, when the birthright of the champions is claimed once more, and the new pantheon of gods is born…
This is from the original Kickstarter page:
Most creatures are consumed by exposure to such wild and untameable energies, their bodies destroyed in an instant. Instead the Godtear wait for the Chosen, those destined by some unknown force as heirs to the gods. These individuals have risen as mighty Champions among their people, able not only to survive exposure to the Godtear but absorb this potency and claim it as their own.
Allied with other Champions and aided by devoted followers they search far and wide for the remaining shards, each discovery one step further along the path of immortality. The wisest of their number are not fooled by such brotherhood. The ties uniting the Chosen are transient, and respect earned in battle is worth little in this world. It is well known even the most steadfast and honourable shall turn upon each other during the final trials.
For it is only the legacy of few to claim the mantle of ascended godhood…
Here is a link to Kickstarter Update #5: Grimshalla the Vile
This is now apocryphal, but it exists and it's interesting to look at even though Grimshalla became Grimgut.
Here is a link to Kickstarter Update #13: Rangosh's Backstory
I mean, no surprises here.
Here is a link to Kickstarter Update #14: Rattlebone's Backstory
It's a nice insight into Orc culture and her place in it.
Here is a link to Kickstarter Update #75 : Campaign Lore
In it, SFG's loremaster, Sherwin, take us through some of the lore of the campaign and the process by which it was conceived. It's a good read!
Here's the introduction to the Awakening Campaign:
Legends tell the Broken Plains once were a verdant sea of rich green, broken only by immense towers of metal and stone soaring skywards. But such visions belong to a previous time. All we have inherited is an endless wasteland of sand and barren stone, inhospitable to all but the most determined life. The only shadow from the unrelenting sun comes from rusted iron skeletons, the pitiful remnants of a near forgotten age.
Yet, it is from these desolate surroundings the siren call of the godtears sounds, heralded by great tremors and storms. To this place champions now race, the awakening at their fingertips—but the mighty chosen are not alone. In the shade of a ruined city stands a crude fortress, home to a tyrant of bloody deed, warden to great pits where minions dig for the sacred stone. Surely such an individual cannot hope to harness the power of the gods… but who will claim their throne, and pronounce themselves as the new ruler of this unforgiving land?
Here is a short story that SFG released at the end of December 2022.
It's an epic class between two of my favorite champions.
Fan-created
One Giant Leap - by Martyboy
This is a touching tale of the bond between Halftusk and the Froglodytes. It features some nice original artwork as well.
The Meaning of Life - by Martyboy
This is an insightful look into our Elvish champions and their differing philosophies. It really makes Finvar and Lorsann much more three dimensional as characters. I recommend it!
The Rite Stuff - by Martyboy
One fan's theory as to the lore which explains a core game mechanic.