Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 10 Sep 2003 to 11 Sep 2003 (#2003-223) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 12/09/2003, 17:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 11 messages totalling 1145 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. More on the Thiefy Plotline 2. KW AC 2000? (4) 3. Multiple moons (2) 4. I'm baaaack!!! 5. 1600 AC: The Dawn of a New Age (long, partial repost) 6. A belated re-introduction 7. KW AC 2000: Immortals and Events ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:53:31 +0300 From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Ville_V_L=E4hde?= Subject: More on the Thiefy Plotline In August I posted some notes on a thiefy plotline in Helskir. I haven't had the time to play it out yet, but I have been continuing my ruminations. So, for those who might be interested, some more. Also, some gory details of the PC's travels. Sometimes it if fun to share these things: Remember the minrothadian fence whom I mentioned? Well, as I said Yuri managed to expose his plot. He kidnapped one of his double-crossing thieves, and cut of two of his fingers. It so happened that Yuri had a Ring of regeneration (Originally it belonged to Bargle, whom Yuri assassinated during the Nomad war!) and he used it to impress the wimpering thief. Who spilled the beans about his friend of course. The "friend" was one of Yuri's "capos", Franz the Badger. Yuri organised a meeting of the guild and with a skillfull strike (Hit Roll 20!) he cut off Franz's hand from the wrist. Franz, being suitably intimidated, told that the fence "Uncle Fedja" had approached him about selling some loot to him in secret. ("Fedja" of course planned to blackmail Franz later in order to infiltrate the guild.) Yuri slipped into Fedja's house, expecting to find a simple fence whom he could mug/kill. The house was full of traps and Yuri at last found a secret tunnel to another house, where the fence (under another alias) and his cronies lived. In the ensuing battle the fence, or the minrothadian master thief, managed to escape by a teleport scroll. (And survived the trip). So, the only clue Yuri had was the Minrothad Thief Guild tattoo on one of the cronies. He doesn't know what it means though. So, where did "Uncle Fedja" go? To Oceansend or Landfall - I forget. Anyhow, the Master thief Danakhriss, whom I mentioned in the earlier plot, used to control a huge area by his guild: Wendar city, Wendar-Heldann trade route, Freiburg, Landfall and Oceansend. But a couple of years ago Yuri and his friends defeated Danakhriss at his holdout in Ghyr (north of Wendar, on the western slopes of Mengul). Later on, Yuri repelled Danakhris's numerous attacks on his holdout in the Wendarian borderlands, and finally Yuri confronted one of "Dana's" main groups in Freiburg and won. The conflict between the two guild ended in a truce. Yuri got Wendar and Freiburg, Dana had control over the Norwold scene. The situation remained unchanged until during the Nomad War Danakhris, who had some minor alliances in Darokin, succeeded beyond all expectations. First of all, Dana's allies profited handsomely during the battles over Akesoli and Akorros. Sensing defeat they stole a large amount of army property and sold it back later on to weapon dealers. Dana gained good revenues from this, since he supplied the key information. But the best was yet to come: during the long siege of Darokin, Dana and his wizard ally cracked the Merchants' Guild Hall's security and got away with a huge fortune in gems, jewelry, clocs, vital documents etc. After this Dana did the only sensible thing: he retaired (for the time being...) He actually contacted Yuri to say goodbye and wish him good luck, since Dana is a goodhearted fellow. Now, Dana's networks in Landfall and Oceansend became vulnerable. The local minrothadian thieves/agents seized the opportunity, since after the death of Oran Meditor, they had been left "unemployed". Very quickly, and in total secrecy, they gained control of the two cities. "Fedja" was asked to start a similar operation in Freiburg, since Yuri was engaged in the Nomad war. Too late, as we saw. The funny thing is, Yuri just decided that he'll go to Oceandsend "after I finish my business in Helskir". Good thinking in a way: he thinks he can gain more cronies in helskir, and with his bolstered power could take on "Danakhris's weakened network". It will be such fun when he realises what he is up against. I just hope that the Alphatian intelligence manages to gain a hold over him in Helskir. Perhaps the Alphatians offer to help him when things get tough in Norwold? For some additional favours of course. Fun fun. Ville ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:25:45 +0100 From: Colin Davidson Subject: Re: KW AC 2000? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aaron Nowack" To: Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 9:30 PM Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] KW AC 2000? > All your stuff looks pretty good based on that assumption. In fact, > save for the parts about Alphatia itself, they work pretty well even > with sunken Alphatia. > > Hmmm... but Bellisaria still need some changes, as it no longer has > Alphatia magical might to support it. Indeed; Bellisaria without Alphatia is a very, very different prospect. > Bellisaria - Despite centuries of trying, the remaining portions of the > Alphatian Empire never were able to form a new, lasting coalition. The > New Alphatian Empire, its immediate succesor the New Alphatian > Conferderated Empire, the Alphatian Confederation, the Third Alphatian > Empire, and the short-lived Empire of Norwold and Alphatia (though the > King of Norwold still claims the title Emperor of Alphatia) are all long > passed away into the dustbins of history. Bellisaria, the heartland of > many of these attempts, found its interior changed to an arid desert by > the climate change. Now, a handful of coast-clinging nations still > survive on the continent, and adventurers prowl the interior's many > ruins, searching for the lost treasures of ancient Alphatia. Over the > past few hundred years, the Bellisarian nations have built mighty > fleets, and have become trading powers, their ships traveling at times > as far east as Minaea, and as far west as Jaibul. That makes a lot of sense, assuming Alphatia sank at the end of the first Great War. > Your stuff on the other regions still holds, but what about the rest of > the Isle of Dawn? > > Kingdom of Helskir - This kingdom, taking up the northern third of the > Isle of Dawn, lives in constant fear that mighty Norwold will seek to > add it to its collection of vassals, just as it did to Heldann and the > Northern Reaches in past centuries. An alliance with Redstone to the > south serves as a guarantee against that day, as do several looser > agreements with the distant Belissarian nations, which still remember > their brief time under Norwoldian rule. That all makes a great deal of sense, depending on how you view Helskir. Remember, Helskir was part of Ericalls original fiefdom, and it could be considered a matter of pride for future Norwold monarchs to re-take the city. Tension between a federation of Isle of Dawn states (built upon a combination of Alphatian and Thyatian cultural values) and Norwold, Thyatis and Thothia would make for a superb campaign, with individual city states on the Isle of Dawn all jockeying for position in a rapidly changing political climate. That works with or without Alphatia still being present. > Kingdom of Redstone - Founded by an ambitious Thyatian general during > one of that Empire's civil wars, this breakaway province has maintained > its martial traditions. It's legions are second only to the recently > revived armies of Thyatis itself. Fearing both the resurgent Thyatis > and Thothia to its south, it has entered into alliances with both > Helskir and its fellow breakaway state, the Holy Empire of Hattias. > Thoug the King still rules from Redstone Castle, the largest city is > Portage (East and West Portage having long since grown together into a > single city). Several attampts had been made to build a canal across > this Kingdom, but none have succeeded to date. How do you see the relationship between this Kingdom and Bellisaria? The strategic importance of this terrotory (providing quick trade links with between the Known World and the remains of the Alphatian Empire) is huge, and whoever gets the best access to Portage (be it Bellisaria, Thyatis, or even Ierendi) has a big advantage. I guess that makes an Isle of Dawn campaign in this era even more compelling. > > I'm toying with what would have happened to Serraine, Minea, Oceania and > > various other regions... Any thoughts? > > Serraine, presuming its still around, probably hasn't changed much. > Although, it might be interesting to have had it crash-land on Monster > Island in the Alphatia sea, and have the gnomes be building the first > true gnomish kingdom on the ruins of Alphatia... hmm... > > As for, the others... well, no ideas... yet. :) I've had a bit of a think about this now (again, assuming Alphatia not to have sunk). Going with your original suggestion of setting things in aroung 1600AC.... Serraine- After years being used alternately as a staging post for assaults by the Knights of Vanya and as a prison hulk by nefarious Nagpa, and with the increased reticence of Alphatia to become involved in the affairs of outsiders, a pressing need for strong rulership became apparent. The old Gnomish families elected as their ruling family the Skyratchets, being the oldest and most capable clan remaining in the City. Over the course of a long, successful Kingship the clan leader, Biglug Skyratchet, quested for and attained immortality in as a Dynast, his final clinching triumph being the transferral of Serraine to the Hollow World. Since that time Serraine has established peaceful relations with Oostdok, the Kogolor Dwarves (whom they respect immensely, being far more 'gnomelike' than outer world dwarves) and the Milenians. Under the protection of Ka the Preserver, and unknown to all but the chief librarian Matazumi, agents from the Lighthouse have since contacted the library of Serraine to instigate a program of protection of the irreplaceable information therein. Ka, along with the Council of Mystara and the Council of the Hollow World, see the Skygnomes (and their technological ability to travel into and out of the Hollow World) as a means to allow them to re-educate Mystarans of their lost glory, to re-spread knowledge and skills lost to the outer world in recent centuries. Minrothad- Throughout the Second Great War, Minrothad prospered by maintaining strict neutrality and trading with both sides. The fall off in trade after the droubt left them weakened, with an ultimate collapse in sea going trade, and the mysterious disappearance of most of the Sea Elves (who fled to the regions around Emerond with the other Elves, in fact providing the means of exodus of most of the Elves) leaving them open to invasion. This came in the form of Shark Kin in AC 1500, Thyatis in 1555, and the Holy Vanyan Empire in 1580. The Dwarven and Halfling populations have long since been driven out, fleeing to the Shires and into Rockhome, leaving only the city of Minrothad and the island around independent of outside powers. The seas of Minrothad are now the most dangerous in the Known World, plagued by the strongest and most resilient part of Minrothaddan culture, the Privateer fleet. Ierendi- Without so many rich, extravagant merchants and adventurers Ierendi came somewhat come back down to earth, existing for a long while as an agrarian economy. In the absence of worked metals being exported from Minrothad and Rockhome, however, Ierendian dwarves have expanded to fill this niche in the market and now bring in a large part of the revenue that keeps this kingdom alive. Ierendi city iself, formerly a beautiful city with cathedrals carved from coral, has become a bustling port with merchants from as far away as Thanegia, Bellisaria and Slagovich all jostling for trade. Ierendi has weathered countless attempts at invasion admirably well, with their mysterious smoke belching iron-clad vessels scouring the seas of invaders as and when they dare appear. However, the threat of invasion from the expanding Holy Vanyan Empire is ever present, and if rumours that the Knights of Vanya have learned the secrets the Ierendian navy are true then it can only be a matter of time before the Kingdom comes under pressure again. Hope this is of interest... More to come if I think of anything... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:24:19 +0200 From: Thibault SARLAT Subject: KW AC 2000? can you please tell me more about the "Holy Vanyan Empire"? do they still u= se their air navy? was it rebuilt? if so how? because i had many ideas abou= t this....and more generally about the HK empire... thib Message du 11/09/03 14:43=20 De : Colin Davidson=20 A : MYSTARA-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 Copie =E0 :=20 Objet : Re: [MYSTARA] KW AC 2000?=20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Aaron Nowack"=20 To:=20 Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 9:30 PM=20 Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] KW AC 2000?=20 > All your stuff looks pretty good based on that assumption. In fact,=20 > save for the parts about Alphatia itself, they work pretty well even=20 > with sunken Alphatia.=20 > =20 > Hmmm... but Bellisaria still need some changes, as it no longer has=20 > Alphatia magical might to support it.=20 Indeed; Bellisaria without Alphatia is a very, very different prospect.=20 > Bellisaria - Despite centuries of trying, the remaining portions of the= =20 > Alphatian Empire never were able to form a new, lasting coalition. The=20 > New Alphatian Empire, its immediate succesor the New Alphatian=20 > Conferderated Empire, the Alphatian Confederation, the Third Alphatian=20 > Empire, and the short-lived Empire of Norwold and Alphatia (though the=20 > King of Norwold still claims the title Emperor of Alphatia) are all long= =20 > passed away into the dustbins of history. Bellisaria, the heartland of=20 > many of these attempts, found its interior changed to an arid desert by= =20 > the climate change. Now, a handful of coast-clinging nations still=20 > survive on the continent, and adventurers prowl the interior's many=20 > ruins, searching for the lost treasures of ancient Alphatia. Over the=20 > past few hundred years, the Bellisarian nations have built mighty=20 > fleets, and have become trading powers, their ships traveling at times=20 > as far east as Minaea, and as far west as Jaibul.=20 That makes a lot of sense, assuming Alphatia sank at the end of the first= =20 Great War.=20 > Your stuff on the other regions still holds, but what about the rest of= =20 > the Isle of Dawn?=20 > =20 > Kingdom of Helskir - This kingdom, taking up the northern third of the=20 > Isle of Dawn, lives in constant fear that mighty Norwold will seek to=20 > add it to its collection of vassals, just as it did to Heldann and the=20 > Northern Reaches in past centuries. An alliance with Redstone to the=20 > south serves as a guarantee against that day, as do several looser=20 > agreements with the distant Belissarian nations, which still remember=20 > their brief time under Norwoldian rule.=20 That all makes a great deal of sense, depending on how you view Helskir.=20 Remember, Helskir was part of Ericalls original fiefdom, and it could be=20 considered a matter of pride for future Norwold monarchs to re-take the=20 city. Tension between a federation of Isle of Dawn states (built upon a=20 combination of Alphatian and Thyatian cultural values) and Norwold, Thyatis= =20 and Thothia would make for a superb campaign, with individual city states o= n=20 the Isle of Dawn all jockeying for position in a rapidly changing political= =20 climate. That works with or without Alphatia still being present.=20 > Kingdom of Redstone - Founded by an ambitious Thyatian general during=20 > one of that Empire's civil wars, this breakaway province has maintained= =20 > its martial traditions. It's legions are second only to the recently=20 > revived armies of Thyatis itself. Fearing both the resurgent Thyatis=20 > and Thothia to its south, it has entered into alliances with both=20 > Helskir and its fellow breakaway state, the Holy Empire of Hattias.=20 > Thoug the King still rules from Redstone Castle, the largest city is=20 > Portage (East and West Portage having long since grown together into a=20 > single city). Several attampts had been made to build a canal across=20 > this Kingdom, but none have succeeded to date.=20 How do you see the relationship between this Kingdom and Bellisaria? The=20 strategic importance of this terrotory (providing quick trade links with=20 between the Known World and the remains of the Alphatian Empire) is huge,= =20 and whoever gets the best access to Portage (be it Bellisaria, Thyatis, or= =20 even Ierendi) has a big advantage. I guess that makes an Isle of Dawn=20 campaign in this era even more compelling.=20 > > I'm toying with what would have happened to Serraine, Minea, Oceania an= d=20 > > various other regions... Any thoughts?=20 > =20 > Serraine, presuming its still around, probably hasn't changed much.=20 > Although, it might be interesting to have had it crash-land on Monster=20 > Island in the Alphatia sea, and have the gnomes be building the first=20 > true gnomish kingdom on the ruins of Alphatia... hmm...=20 > =20 > As for, the others... well, no ideas... yet. :)=20 I've had a bit of a think about this now (again, assuming Alphatia not to= =20 have sunk). Going with your original suggestion of setting things in aroung= =20 1600AC....=20 Serraine- After years being used alternately as a staging post for assaults= =20 by the Knights of Vanya and as a prison hulk by nefarious Nagpa, and with= =20 the increased reticence of Alphatia to become involved in the affairs of=20 outsiders, a pressing need for strong rulership became apparent. The old=20 Gnomish families elected as their ruling family the Skyratchets, being the= =20 oldest and most capable clan remaining in the City. Over the course of a=20 long, successful Kingship the clan leader, Biglug Skyratchet, quested for= =20 and attained immortality in as a Dynast, his final clinching triumph being= =20 the transferral of Serraine to the Hollow World. Since that time Serraine= =20 has established peaceful relations with Oostdok, the Kogolor Dwarves (whom= =20 they respect immensely, being far more 'gnomelike' than outer world dwarves= )=20 and the Milenians.=20 Under the protection of Ka the Preserver, and unknown to all but the chief= =20 librarian Matazumi, agents from the Lighthouse have since contacted the=20 library of Serraine to instigate a program of protection of the=20 irreplaceable information therein. Ka, along with the Council of Mystara an= d=20 the Council of the Hollow World, see the Skygnomes (and their technological= =20 ability to travel into and out of the Hollow World) as a means to allow the= m=20 to re-educate Mystarans of their lost glory, to re-spread knowledge and=20 skills lost to the outer world in recent centuries.=20 Minrothad- Throughout the Second Great War, Minrothad prospered by=20 maintaining strict neutrality and trading with both sides. The fall off in= =20 trade after the droubt left them weakened, with an ultimate collapse in sea= =20 going trade, and the mysterious disappearance of most of the Sea Elves (who= =20 fled to the regions around Emerond with the other Elves, in fact providing= =20 the means of exodus of most of the Elves) leaving them open to invasion.=20 This came in the form of Shark Kin in AC 1500, Thyatis in 1555, and the Hol= y=20 Vanyan Empire in 1580. The Dwarven and Halfling populations have long since= =20 been driven out, fleeing to the Shires and into Rockhome, leaving only the= =20 city of Minrothad and the island around independent of outside powers. The= =20 seas of Minrothad are now the most dangerous in the Known World, plagued by= =20 the strongest and most resilient part of Minrothaddan culture, the Privatee= r=20 fleet.=20 Ierendi- Without so many rich, extravagant merchants and adventurers Ierend= i=20 came somewhat come back down to earth, existing for a long while as an=20 agrarian economy. In the absence of worked metals being exported from=20 Minrothad and Rockhome, however, Ierendian dwarves have expanded to fill=20 this niche in the market and now bring in a large part of the revenue that= =20 keeps this kingdom alive. Ierendi city iself, formerly a beautiful city wit= h=20 cathedrals carved from coral, has become a bustling port with merchants fro= m=20 as far away as Thanegia, Bellisaria and Slagovich all jostling for trade.= =20 Ierendi has weathered countless attempts at invasion admirably well, with= =20 their mysterious smoke belching iron-clad vessels scouring the seas of=20 invaders as and when they dare appear. However, the threat of invasion from= =20 the expanding Holy Vanyan Empire is ever present, and if rumours that the= =20 Knights of Vanya have learned the secrets the Ierendian navy are true then= =20 it can only be a matter of time before the Kingdom comes under pressure=20 again.=20 Hope this is of interest... More to come if I think of anything...=20 ********************************************************************=20 The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp=20 The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/=20 To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM=20 with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:00:21 -0700 From: Tech Support FaenWorks Subject: Multiple moons Hey all! It is official...we have indeed become compatible with multiple moons = YAY!... I promised I'd let y'all know when it was updated... we've gone = from version 1.1 to 1.34 of Kami's Weather Generator. Those of you who might have gotten it before have a free upgrade. To = all of the rest, it's been reduced in price to only 9.99 and the trial = is available on our site. =20 I haven't gotten ay feedback on the mystara world though for us to = create a mystara template for use with the Kami's Weather Generation = template... Let us know what locations and such belong there and what = they're like so that we can make it. Alright!! Keep Gaming!! ____________________ Patrick J D Newnan FaenWorks www.faenworks.com Gaming Utilities by Gamers for Gamers ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 13:45:20 -0400 From: Dan Eustace Subject: Re: Multiple moons Patrick, For Mystara, the best thing to do, IMO, is to start with a template for the Known World area (comprising 14 or so nations), and then add more templates for other Mystaran regions (Savage Coast, Serpent Region, Norwold, Alphatia, Isle of Dawn, Belissaria, Davania, Alphatia Sea, etc.). Actually, I may have made a rough template a few months ago when I was 1st trying out your program. I'll check to see if I still have it. If not, I will send info on the various regions. There is some good weather data in several sources, probably in the Vaults of Pandius (official fan site), too. http://www.dnd.starflung.com/index.html Later, Dan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tech Support FaenWorks" To: Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 12:00 PM Subject: [MYSTARA] Multiple moons Hey all! It is official...we have indeed become compatible with multiple moons YAY!... I promised I'd let y'all know when it was updated... we've gone from version 1.1 to 1.34 of Kami's Weather Generator. Those of you who might have gotten it before have a free upgrade. To all of the rest, it's been reduced in price to only 9.99 and the trial is available on our site. I haven't gotten ay feedback on the mystara world though for us to create a mystara template for use with the Kami's Weather Generation template... Let us know what locations and such belong there and what they're like so that we can make it. Alright!! Keep Gaming!! ____________________ Patrick J D Newnan FaenWorks www.faenworks.com Gaming Utilities by Gamers for Gamers ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:39:06 -0500 From: Aaron Nowack Subject: Re: KW AC 2000? Thibault SARLAT wrote: > can you please tell me more about the "Holy Vanyan Empire"? do they still use their air navy? was it rebuilt? if so how? because i had many ideas about this....and more generally about the HK empire... > thib I believe what Colin refers to by "Holy Vanyan Empire" is what I called the "Holy Empire of Hattias" - a breakaway part of the Thyatian Empire. The Heldannic Knights, now the Knights of Vanya, are now based there, as Heldann itself is a vassal of Norwold. Hmm... let's see... The Free Kingdom of Heldann - Norwold and the Heldannic Knights fought many back and forth wars after the conclusion of the First Great wars in 1009 AC. The darkest hour for Norwold came during the seige of Alpha in 1186 AC, but the tides of war soon shifted, and Norwold was able the secure a temporary peace, though they were forced to make many concessions to the Knights. During the second Great War, Norwoldian armies led by King Ericall III, regarded by many as the greatest military mind of the war, soundly defeated the Knights. In 1204 AC, Freiburg was sacked, and the Heldannic Knights ceased to exist as a nation, though as an army they were still feared, soundly defeating the Darokinians at the Battle of Corunglain. Today, though the King of Norwold is nominally the High King of Heldann, Heldann for the most part governs its own internal matters. Over a dozen baronies, counties, and duchies make up the land. Though mostly independant, they all owe fealty to and pay tribute to Norwold. Holy Empire of Hattias - Hattias broke away from Thyatis during the civil wars following the Second Great War, aided by the veteran, refugee Heldannic Knights. Now called the Knights of Vanya, they form one of the three main powers in Hattias's government. Another is the Church of Vanya, the sole permitted religion in modern Hattias and its military arm, the Storm Soldiers. The third, and weakest, is the Emperor himself and the regular army of Hattias. Hattias seized nearby Minrothad twenty years ago, and no doubt is eyeing further conquests. For the moment, though, it seems far more likely that Hattias will be invaded than invade, as the resurgent Thyatis's legions swell. -- Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ (for now) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:51:29 -0500 From: Aaron Nowack Subject: Re: KW AC 2000? Colin Davidson wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Aaron Nowack" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 9:30 PM > Subject: Re: [MYSTARA] KW AC 2000? >> Kingdom of Helskir - This kingdom, taking up the northern third of the >> Isle of Dawn, lives in constant fear that mighty Norwold will seek to >> add it to its collection of vassals, just as it did to Heldann and the >> Northern Reaches in past centuries. An alliance with Redstone to the >> south serves as a guarantee against that day, as do several looser >> agreements with the distant Belissarian nations, which still remember >> their brief time under Norwoldian rule. > > > That all makes a great deal of sense, depending on how you view Helskir. > Remember, Helskir was part of Ericalls original fiefdom, and it could be > considered a matter of pride for future Norwold monarchs to re-take the > city. Tension between a federation of Isle of Dawn states (built upon a > combination of Alphatian and Thyatian cultural values) and Norwold, Thyatis > and Thothia would make for a superb campaign, with individual city states on > the Isle of Dawn all jockeying for position in a rapidly changing political > climate. That works with or without Alphatia still being present. Yeah, it does seem to be shaping up to be an interesting region. I had forgotten that Helskir was part of Ericall's fiefdom - that makes Helskir's fears all the more urgent. In fact, quite likely what might have been the immediate cause of the breakup up of the "Empire of Norwold and Alphatia" might have been a failed attempt to take Helskir... >> Kingdom of Redstone - Founded by an ambitious Thyatian general during >> one of that Empire's civil wars, this breakaway province has maintained >> its martial traditions. It's legions are second only to the recently >> revived armies of Thyatis itself. Fearing both the resurgent Thyatis >> and Thothia to its south, it has entered into alliances with both >> Helskir and its fellow breakaway state, the Holy Empire of Hattias. >> Thoug the King still rules from Redstone Castle, the largest city is >> Portage (East and West Portage having long since grown together into a >> single city). Several attampts had been made to build a canal across >> this Kingdom, but none have succeeded to date. > > > How do you see the relationship between this Kingdom and Bellisaria? The > strategic importance of this terrotory (providing quick trade links with > between the Known World and the remains of the Alphatian Empire) is huge, > and whoever gets the best access to Portage (be it Bellisaria, Thyatis, or > even Ierendi) has a big advantage. I guess that makes an Isle of Dawn > campaign in this era even more compelling. Relations with the Bellisarian nations are probably cordial, but distant. I imagine that Redstone tries to avoid showing favoratism in trading matters - being seen to favor one nation would be as much as inviting an attack by the others. Redstone's legions are well trained, but small, and by no means up to the task of handling an attack from an allaince of most of the Known World's trading powers. > I've had a bit of a think about this now (again, assuming Alphatia not to > have sunk). Going with your original suggestion of setting things in aroung > 1600AC.... [snip] All your stuff continues to look good. Hmm... I think it's time to compile and edit some of this together into a single document... > Hope this is of interest... More to come if I think of anything... I look forward to it. :) -- Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ (for now) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 23:57:54 +0100 From: jason o'brien Subject: I'm baaaack!!! Hi Guys, been away for a short while, having trouble with my e-mail. I think I am currently subscribed with three mail addresses. assuming this one is working properly I will be cancelling my subscription with the other two, as neither seems to be able to get list mail any more. I will still be reachable on the old address if anybody wishes to contact me personally. Mortus. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 19:50:55 -0500 From: Aaron Nowack Subject: 1600 AC: The Dawn of a New Age (long, partial repost) This is a compiled, and somewhat edited, collection of some of the ideas being thrown around in the "KW 2000 AC?" thread. A great deal of credit goes to Colin Davidson for much of this. Parts of his work have been changed or left out, not for any deficiency in the material, but rather to suit my own personal vision. He, of course, is welcome to do the same to my own contributions to this in return. That said, here goes! 1600 AC: The Dawn of a New Age The Last Six Hundred Years Though, obvously, more events than any chronicle could tell passed in the six centuries between the Thyatian Millenium and the present day, the job of the historian is to narrow this unknowable torrent of history to the few, epochal events that continue to shape the Known World today. This historian feels that they number three: The First Great War Well known to any student of history, the First Great War shattered the previous order in Knonw World. From its beginnings in 1004 AC, it lasted five years and dealt the mighty Empires of Thyatis and Alphatia blows from which they could never recover. Alphatia sank beneath the waves, never to be seen again, and Thyatis was left teetering on the edge of collapse. The Heldannic Knights began their meteoric rise to becoming one of the Known World's great powers, and Darokin and the Master of Hule clashed for the first time. The first decades after the war were chaotic and eventful, but eventually an uneasy peace settled over the Known World. The Spell of Separation Unknown now to any but the Immortals, the immediate aftermath of the First Great War saw frequent contact between the Inner and Outer Worlds of Mystara. Alphatia, reborn in the skies of the Hollow World, reestablished its contact with the portions of its Empire on the surface, and the Heldannic Knights and others made the reverse trek, eager to dominate a new world. Worried by this contamination and fearing the societies the Hollow World was created to protect would be destroyed by the contact, the Council of the Hollow World requested that the Five Reigning Hierarchs intervene, as they had with the Spells of Preservation and Obliteration. After over a decade of debate, in which the problem worsened, the Regning Heirarchs unanimously voted to act. The Spell of Separation wiped all knowledge of the Hollow World from the Outer World, and vice versa. Furthermore, wardings were placed over the polar gaps, so that none who could not defeat the Immortal magic could pass through them. Though powerful adventurers might still be able to travel between the world, it would be only with great difficulty. The Second Great War The Second Great War was sparked when the Hulean govenor of the Sayr Ulan province (formerly Sind) wass assassinated, and all evidence pointed to Darokinian agents. Great Hule invaded the Republic in response, and the war soon spread to many fronts. It ended with no overall victor, as fighting in what was once the Canolbarth Forest caused the ancient weather magics that formed it to go out of control, resulting in a world-wide drought. The horrible famines that followed ended the war more effectively than any army could. The Master of Hule soon vanished, and his massive empire tore itself apart in his absence. The elves, their numbers vastly weakened by the warfare between the Shadow Elves and their surface kin, soon vanished from the pages of history. The borders of Rockhome, closed during the war, have yet to reopen. [More detailed timeline to go here.] The Modern World In the one thousand, six hundredth year after the crowning of the first Thyatian Empire, the world of Mystara is still recognizable, but vastly changed, from what it was six hundred years prior. It is far beyond this historian to provide a comprehensive atlas of the modern world, but below is his poor effort at providing a cursory intoduction to the nations that shape the world as it is now known, and several others besides. The generous reader will forgive his unfortunate lack of attention to detail, as well as his occasional focus on matters of interest to the adventuring classes, rather than issues more concerning a historian. To better organize the text, the known portions of the world shall be divided into four regions. The territory comprising the southeast of the continent of Brun, stretching from Darokin to Thyatis, and from Ierendi to Glantri, shall be referred to as the Old World. Parts north of this area, but east of the Adri Varmu Plataeu, shall be called the Great North. The islands, large and small, off Brun's eastern shore and stretching to Skother's west, will be called the Alphatian Sea, that term more accurately applies to a far smaller region. The remainder of Mystara's surface is simply to be called the Regions Outside the Known World. The reader will, in his well known kindness, forgive this artificial, arbitrary division. The Old World The Darokinian Hegemony - This nation still claims an unbroken line of political descent from the old Republic, though that claim is widely considered suspect, given the uncounted number of coups and military quasi-dictatorships that litter its history. Despite the long-ago climate change, an excellent irrigation system still keeps its heartland one of the most fertile regions in the Known World. It's trade, damaged in the Second Great War, has long since recovered, and the nation grown into perhaps the most powerful in the Old World. It covers, in addition to most of the old borders of Darokin, the grassy plain that was once Alfheim and the Five Shires. Empire of Thyatis - This empire has long since passed its better days, having never quite recovered from the First Great War, much less the Second. It's overseas possesions are long lost, and it was unable to prevent Hattias from breaking away as well. Still, its new, young Emperor has breathed new life into the decrepit "Old Man of Brun". The Legions of Thyatis are once again becoming famed as the mightiest army in the world, and mercenaries from the Ylari City-States flood the streets of Thyatis city. The only question seems to be where and when they will march, not if. The Protectorate of Traladara and the Duchy of Karameikos - The fledgling brotherhood between Thyatian and Traladaran is long ago sundered, and for centuries the dark woods of Karameikos have been watered with the blood of armies. Half the region, centered on Kelvin, has been absorbed by Thyatis as the Duchy of Karameikos. The remainder, centered on Mirros, is the Darokinian-supported Protectorate of Traladara. With Thyatis beginning to stir from its long sleep, war seems likely to once again blemish the pages of this region's history. The Principalities of Glantri - Considering thier oft chaotic politics, it is somewhat surprising that the Principalities of Glantri have weathered the centuries relatively unaltered. Yet, the winds of change blow hard, and now, pressed hard by the humanoid kingdoms surrounding them on all sides the Principalties have been forced to become more strongly united than ever, as well as to enter into a close alliance, almost a vassalage, with the Kingdom of Wendar. Holy Empire of Hattias - Hattias broke away from Thyatis during the civil wars following the Second Great War, aided by the veteran, refugee Heldannic Knights. Now called the Knights of Vanya, they form one of the three main powers in Hattias's government. Another is the Church of Vanya, the sole permitted religion in modern Hattias and its military arm, the Storm Soldiers. The third, and weakest, is the Emperor himself and the regular army of Hattias. Hattias seized nearby Minrothad twenty years ago, and no doubt is eyeing further conquests. For the moment, though, it seems far more likely that Hattias will be invaded than invade, as the resurgent Thyatis's legions swell. The Minrothad Isles - Throughout the Second Great War, the Guilds Minrothad prospered by maintaining strict neutrality and trading with both sides. The fall in trade after the war's disastrous conclusion left them weakened and open to invasion, particularly as the Sea Elves dwindled in numbers and power. For centuries, they managed to survive mainly intact, the delicate balance of power in the Sea of Dread preventing any one nation from daring to conquer more than token portions of the islands. Thier seaborne trade never recovered though, their role soon taken by the expanding Darokinian merchant fleet and traders from far off Bellisaria. Twenty years ago, the Holy Empire of Hattias attacked the isles. The strike was well-timed Thyatis, then lead by an aging, weak Emperor, made only token protests. The Darokinan Hegemony was embroiled in political crisis, with mounting calls for the reigning Chancellor to resign. Only Ierendi intervened, but too little and too late. The seas of Minrothad are now the most dangerous in the Old World, plagued by pirates claiming to fight for Minrothad's independance. Republic of Ierendi - After the Second Great War led to the sudden collapse of the fledgling tourist trade, Ierendi was left devestated, the monarchy and Council shattered, and for a hundred years was little more than a backwater. However, in the absence of worked metals being exported from Minrothad and Rockhome, Ierendian dwarves have expanded to fill this niche in the market and now bring in a large part of the revenue that keeps this kingdom alive. Ierendi was reborn as a trading power, a republic in the old Darokinian style. Ierendi City iself, formerly a beautiful city with cathedrals carved from coral, has become a bustling port with merchants from as far away as Norwold, Bellisaria and Slagovich all jostling for trade. Ierendi has weathered countless attempts at invasion admirably well, with their mysterious smoke belching iron-clad vessels scouring the seas of invaders as and when they dare appear. However, the threat of invasion from the expanding Holy Empire of Hattias is ever present, and if rumours that the Knights of Vanya have learned the secrets of the Ierendian navy are true then it can only be a matter of time before the Republic comes under pressure again. [More countries here: the Ylari City-States, the Northern Reaches, possibly Atruaghin in sonme form, and likely some others I'm forgetting.] The Humanoid Kingdoms - Last and least, one must mention the lands of the humanoids, perpetually a threat to civilization. This squabbling collection of empires, kingdoms, khanates, tribes, clans, principalities, hordes, and even, last the historian was aware, a republic or two stretches from the Great Crater, through the Broken Lands and Orclands, north across the Desert of Ethengar, as well as reaching into the borders of Rockhome. Their oft-changing numbers, compostion, and politics are impenetrable to any human. The Great North Kingdom of Norwold - If Darokin is the most powerful nation in the Old World, it is only because Norwold lies outside that region. The climate change was kind to this region, granting it warmer summers and shorter winters. Wise rulers have carefully shaped the once barbarous, frontier quasi-colony into a mighty nation. Adventure still abounds in the vast, untracked inland areas. Norwold's southern border is now marked by the lands of its vassals in Heldann and the Northern Reaches. The Free Kingdom of Heldann - Norwold and the Heldannic Knights fought many back and forth wars after the conclusion of the First Great wars in 1009 AC. The darkest hour for Norwold came during the seige of Alpha in 1186 AC, but the tides of war soon shifted, and Norwold was able the secure a temporary peace, though they were forced to make many concessions to the Knights. During the second Great War, Norwoldian armies led by King Ericall III, regarded by many as the greatest military mind of the war, soundly defeated the Knights. In 1204 AC, Freiburg was sacked, and the Heldannic Knights ceased to exist as a nation, though as an army they were still feared, soundly defeating the Darokinians at the Battle of Corunglain. Today, though the King of Norwold is nominally the High King of Heldann, Heldann for the most part governs its own internal matters. Over a dozen baronies, counties, and duchies make up the land. Though mostly independant, they all owe fealty to and pay tribute to Norwold. [More countries here: Wendar, Denagoth?, others?] The Alphatian Sea Bellisaria - Despite centuries of trying, the remaining portions of the Alphatian Empire never were able to form a new, lasting coalition. The New Alphatian Empire, its immediate succesor the New Alphatian Conferderated Empire, the Alphatian Confederation, the Third Alphatian Empire, and the short-lived Empire of Norwold and Alphatia (though the King of Norwold still claims the title Emperor of Alphatia) are all long passed away into the dustbins of history. Bellisaria, the heartland of many of these attempts, found its interior changed to an arid desert by the climate change. Now, a handful of coast-clinging nations still survive on the continent, and adventurers prowl the interior's many ruins, searching for the lost treasures of ancient Alphatia. Over the past hundred years, the Bellisarian nations have built mighty fleets, and have become trading powers, their ships traveling at times as far east as Minaea, and as far west as Jaibul. [More detail on the various Bellisarian nations here.] The Empire of Thothia - Thothians have long since ceased revering Alphatian ways. With the destruction of Alphatia and the failure of its successors, the Thothians have been forced to look to their own defences. By effectively filling the power vacuum left over much of the Southern half of the Isle of Dawn left by the two Empires they have done so superbly well. But already the signs of the old 'curse' on this culture shows signs of resurfacing, with doomsday cults to dark Immortals, and perhaps worse things, becoming more prevailent in Thothian society than for millenia. The Alatian and Pearl Islands, and Ochalea- These islands largely survived untouched by the drought, but subsequent raids and invasions have left these former colonies in disarray. The slow death of Alphatian and Thyatian power in this distant region left them open to attack: first by by the Thothians, later by pirates from as far afield as Ierendi, Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, and recently by the Knights of Vanya. The last have only launched a hanful of raids, but without external support for the islanders, it seems now inevitable the Holy Empire of Hattias will occupy much of what was the southern part of both Empires. Kingdom of Helskir - This kingdom, taking up the northern third of the Isle of Dawn, lives in constant fear that mighty Norwold will seek to add it to its collection of vassals, just as it did to Heldann and the Northern Reaches in past centuries. An alliance with Redstone to the south serves as a guarantee against that day, as do several looser agreements with the distant Belissarian nations, which still remember their brief time under Norwoldian rule. Kingdom of Redstone - Founded by an ambitious Thyatian general during one of that Empire's civil wars, this breakaway province has maintained its martial traditions. It's legions are second in skill only to the recently revived armies of Thyatis itself. Fearing both the resurgent Thyatis and Thothia to its south, it has entered into alliances with both Helskir and its fellow breakaway state, the Holy Empire of Hattias. Though the King still rules from Redstone Castle, the largest city is Portage (East and West Portage having long since grown together into a single city). Several attampts had been made to build a canal across this Kingdom, but none have succeeded to date. Esterhold - Of all regions of Mystara, it was perhaps Esterhold that suffered the most. The full scale of the drought in this inhospitable region did not become apparent elsewhere until it was far too late to do much to save the majority of the populace, even if any nation had been willing or able. The rulers in Skyfyr and Faraway failed either to know or care about the plight of the Jennites. Effective Alphatian rule did not last long into the drought in any case, save for a small region around Skyfyr. The native population may take generations more to recover. Presently the Jennite people of Esterhold are divided and scattered, with multiple warlords too busy fighting amongst themselves for dominance to eliminate the last remnant of Alphatian rule. Regions Outside the Known World Sind and the Plain of Fire - The drought made the desert even less hospitable, and Sind was never reformed as a nation. A handful of small cities survive along the trade routes to Hule and Slagovich, but nothing else remains but monster-infested ruins. Hule - The Hagiarchy of Hule did not long survive the Master's disapperance. Today, Hule is a patchwork of city-states, kingdoms, and empires, almost all claiming to be led by the Master's true successors, and as a result, constantly at war with one another. [Stuff needed for, among others: the Hinterlands on Davania, the Savage Coast, Minaea, other parts of Davania and Skothar.] [And likely more stuff I haven't thought of yet, for good measure.] -- Aaron Nowack "Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis." http://www.geocities.com/anowack/ (for now) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 20:08:50 -0700 From: Ramses Ramirez Subject: Re: A belated re-introduction Chris you are from Florida?!? That's very interesting I didn't think I would find another Floridian on this forum. Where in Florida? I live in Casselberry which is right outside of Orlando. Hello Aaron! I have read some of your stuff online.. I am much newer than most coming in probably around 2000 I think? Lancer Chris Cherrington wrote: > Is this for all of us? If not, ignore the rest. I am from Florida, USA. I play any roleplying game to have fun, but since I have been playing for 26 years, I am most familiar with OD&D. I have always DMed in Mystara, and played in Waterdeep (this way we never knew eachother's DM only information). My favorite characters have changed through out all these long years. I love the Forester, Elf, and Ranger classes, but my most memorable character was a Paladin that dual classed as a Cleric when he reached 20th level. The character retired from play when he reached 22nd level as a Cleric (this was not munchkin play, but a 12 year campaign, my character sacrificed his Holy Sword to the church when he decided to take the path of an acolyte, and later the only magical weapon he would use was a dagger that had light cast on it). Wish it was in OD&D, could have had him go for immortality. I keep him around as an NPC in Norwold. ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:47:46 -0700 From: Rodger Burns Subject: KW AC 2000: Immortals and Events Thought I'd toss a bit into this whole brainstorm, looking at Immortals and their games rather than just the mortal-side political picture: - Sphere of Energy: The Sphere of Energy has been on a decline for the past few centuries, due to the damage done to Alphatia as well as the elves of Alfheim. (They may have also lost the Nucleus, though I'm not about to speculate on the fate of that particular artifact.) Some Immortals of Energy spend time trying to cultivate magecraft and Paragons in the Darokinian Hegemony (which may in part account for some of the coups and government shifts it's seen in the recent past) while others start exploring ways to encourage Paragons to step forward from non-wizardly sources. - Sphere of Time: The Sphere of Time, on the other hand, has been on an upswing. The destabilizing of the power structure caused by the Great Wars left many openings for potential Dynasts to step forward and build kingdoms; probably at least one High King of Norwold achieved Immortality this way. They do suffer from an uncomfortably close link to the Sphere of Entropy, though - it's sometimes not clear whether the ruler of an up-and-coming realm is a wise ruler seeking to be a Dynast, or a tyrant embarking on the entropic Path of the Conqueror. - Sphere of Entropy: This sphere has also been improving itself - a strong undercurrent of darkness was left in the Holy Empire of Hattias by Thanatos in his guise as Heinrich Osterhaus, and other Entropics stepped in to further weaken the Thyatian Empire in the guise of 'strengthening' the Thyatians against their breakaway cousins. Hule also provides a breeding ground for Entropy, as do many other nations that have suffered unrest or turmoil over the past few centuries. - Sphere of Thought: With Entropy's rising, Thought has diminished somewhat, as the Epic Heroes it sponsors have had to face tougher opposition. On the other hand, the opportunities and challenges available have meant that those who succeed are the very best. The Immortals of Thought have also started looking for ways to create new frontiers and links between societies in Mystara - one project includes a way to establish reliable (though probably infrequent, at least initially) contact between Mystara and nations beyond the Skyshield. - Sphere of Matter: This sphere has gone on pretty much as always. With the rise of war in the Known World (never healthy to the minor races that Matter so often attracts as candidates), most attention of Matter Immortals has gone elsewhere - in particular, to the Hollow World. Some immortal candidates do arise out of the growing lycanthropic population, which is beginning to become larger beneath Thyatis (wererats) and in the lands that were once Karameikos (werewolves and wereboars, assisted by expatriates from Malinbois in Glantri). Also, one other idea for another world power to make things interesting: The Serpent Confederation is a large, flexible nation to the south of what was once Hule, a unification of the nations of Yavdlom, Ulimwengu, and the city-states to their north. This nation was hammered together as a mutual-defense alliance against the growing power of Hule in the late 11th century (there are some indications of an immortal alliance between Time and Thought to make this happen) which then grew into a stronger nation once Hule was defeated in the Second Great War. The Serpent Confederation is quite powerful, though its distance from the other major players of Brun lessens its influence. It has successfully 'rescued' several of the southern and eastern provinces that once were Hule, and sometimes sends soldiers on expeditions further into old Sind; these war parties can be armed with a very eclectic assortment of weapons, magic and equipment. Naval patrols from the Confederation also regularly patrol the western Sea of Dread. "The best lack all conviction, While the worst are full of passionate intensity." - W.B. Yeats, "The Second Coming" Rodger Burns ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 10 Sep 2003 to 11 Sep 2003 (#2003-223) ****************************************************************