The Known World of Dracopolis
by Lance DuncanFor now I'm using The Known World of Dracopolis as a working title for my version of Mystara. Dracopolis because our early adventures were all about the founding of the dragon city(Dracopolis) and then the legacy of that, and my planned political future for the area will be hugely influenced by the dragon city; The Known World because that how we always referred to the whole planet(based on the master set map), and I learned of the name Mystara long after we had been playing in and established the world.
For some basis on the early campaigns that shaped the world, I did a series of interviews with my father in podcast form. I'm treating these as the primary source for the setting.
Following our original campaigns I'm considering the these sources in order in primacy:
2) X1 and other modules or rulebooks written by Cook, Moldvay, Mentzer
3)The recently revealed OKW documents and map and interviews on dragonsfoot, the piazza, etc of Schick, Cook, Marsh, Mentzer, Rasmussen, et al.
4)The Gazetteer line and other modules explicitly set in Mystara
5)stuff that I think is interesting(the HR books, fan content produced by the community here on the piazza or the vaults, etc)
So to start off, I'm going to provide a summary of the main human ethnic groups in the known world area(the continental map). I'm posting this in full here and on my blog.
The Doulakki
The beginning of time starts with The Great Rain of Fire which nearly destroyed humanity. Out of the ashes emerged the people of Taymora with their great city of Taymoraz. The Taymora people built many great cities and mastered bronze, waging war on those without this technology. The Taymora were scattered and destroyed in The Great Cataclysm, a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which broke apart the land and sunk much of taymora into the sea. The people that survived became the Doulakki, a people who are bound together by a mutual heritage and shared many cultural traits though they differ in many social practices and government from place to place. The Doulakki became a great seafaring people and shrewd merchants, dominating the sea of dread and the surrounding islands. When the Thang Empire rose to power the Doulakki were a vital part of it, both culturally and militarily, being the best sailors in the empire. After the fall of the Thang Empire, a Doulakki empire rose in the vacuum spearheaded by the great city of Thyatis which has dominated the sea of dread fro the last few hundred years.
Cultural Analog: The Greeks
Domains: Grand Duchy of Karameikos (Ducal Lands), Kingdom of Ierendi, Minrothad Guilds, Grand Duchy of Terentias, Duchy of Machetos, Duchy of Thyatis, County of Lucinius, County of Hattius, Duchy of Mositius, Protectorate of Borydos, Protectorate of Sclaras, County of Actius, Protectorate of Carytion, Duchy of Retebius, Duchy of Kantrium, Kingdom of Alasiya, City of Ctesiphon, City of Tameronikas, Barony of Biazzan, Duchy of Tel Akbir
The Thasians
After the Great Cataclysm many Taymorans migrated north far from the sea, being fearful it would swallowing up the land. They drove out the local inhabitants of the land and eventually settled int he Streel River basin. From here they founded many great cities and formed a mighty republic which contended with the other great power of the age, the Nithian Empire. The Thang Republic became the Thang Empire after the defeat of their long rivals and the empire stretched its domain across the sea and land. After many centuries of power the Thang empire succumbed to internal divisions, revolts of subject peoples, and barbarian invasions. For a short time the barbarians ruled the Thang empire, but this soon collapsed and each Thasian city became its own petty kingdom. Over time a new religion took hold of the Thasian people, and the Patriarchs of this Church began to wield equal or more power than the Kings. Through force and coercion the patriarch of Darokin began to dominate the other partiarchs and a new Holy Empire was formed. In the short life of this new empire it has expanded rapidly, subjugating the Kingdom of Alasiya, the traldar Kings, the isles in the sea of dread, the empire of thyatis, and pushing into the territory of the barbarians.
Cultural Analog: The Italians
Domains: City of Darokin, City of Akorros, City of Akesoli, City of Athenos, City of Specularum, Barony of Kelven, Barony of Vorloi, Patriarchate of Threshold, Estate of Penhaligon, Estate of Dmitrov, Estate of Marilenev, Estate of Sulscu, Estate of Vandevicsny, Estate of Rugalov
The Gwynish
Following the Great Rain of Fire, sea levels were much lower allowing a land bridge to form between the Isle of Dawn and the current Northern Reaches. At the same time as the Taymora were rising in the south by the sea, many of the ancient Dunhalian people native to the Isle of Dawn migrated across the land bridge and settled the four countries which they named Gorllewin(Glantri), Canolbarth, Carnuilh(current day Ethengar), and Dwyrain(the northern reaches). The great kings of Corunglain ruled over the canolbarth plains(before the elves arrived) and contended with giants of Grondheim while Taymora was at its height. Following the Great Cataclysm the Kings of Corunglain waned in power and were conquered by either the Thang Republic in the south and the Nithian Empire in the east. During the fall of the Thang Empire, the Gwynish territories revolted and formed a shortlived Carnuilh Empire with Corunglain as the capitol. This zenith was shortlived however, as the same barbarians that toppled the Thang empire also toppled the Carnuilh Empire and killed or drove off the Carnuilh people claiming the land as their own. The only remnants of the once great Gwynish people survive in the lands around the Canobarth forest desired neither by the Elves or the Thasians, in the mountain country of rockhome tolerated by the mountain gnomes, and in the highlands of Gorllewin where petty kings and princes rule and fight each other for minor causes, oblivious to the outside world.
Cultural Analog: The Welsh(Gorllewin), The Britons(Canolbarth and Dwyrain)
Domains: Kingdoms of Gorllewin, City of Corunglain,
City of Llyntref, Canolbarth Highlands, Klintest Lowlands, Stahl Lowlands
The Iasuli
During the time of ancient Taymora, the ancestors of these people were enslaved by Morgreth, an empire of the greatest evil. After the Great Cataclysm the people built the great city of Nithus; teh people of Nithus were the first to discover the secrets of Iron. Nithus quickly rose to power enslaving many of the Doulakki of Ierendi and Minrothad, and establishing colonies far and wide over the great seas. Yet the Nithian Empire was soon challenged by the republic of Thang and in desperation turned to the worship of dark demons; One great hero arose during this time preaching of the strange doctrine of a one true god; this man led his followers far away to a promised land in the west (modern Atruaghin). When the Nithians turned their back on their sacred Immortals, their doom was sealed; with the blessing of the Immortals the Thang Republic triumphed and completely destroyed Nithia. Legends of the city of Nithus and its empire is lost to the sands of the desert and the mists of time. The remnants, the Iasuli tribes were first subjugated by the Thang Empire, and then the Kingdom of Alasiya, and then the Empire of Thyatis and the Heldann raiders. It wasn't until the great leader Suleiman Al-Kalim united the Iasuli tribes that they were able to throw off the yoke of oppression and free themselves of all outsiders. Al-Kalim established the Emirate of Ylaraum which has only grown in power and wealth under the rulership of his successors.
Cultural Analog: The Moors of Al-Andalus(Ylaruam), The 12 Tribes of Israel(Atruaghin), Kush(Thothia)
Domains: Emirate of Ylaruam, Barony of Biazzan, Duchy of Tel Akbir, Atruaghin Clans, Kingdom of Thothia, Kingdom of Ierendi, Minrothad Guilds
The Ethengar
For ages after the Great Rain of Fire these people roamed the great plains of the continent to the west of the known world. A great chief by the name of eastwind envied the wealth of the Thang empire, and seeing the weakness of its leaders, led a great invasion and completely destroyed the legions of the empire in the battle of Ariton Vale. Eastwind had himself crowned the Thang Emperor. His legacy did not last long however, within a century the Thasians overthrew his weak successors and the empire split into fractured kingdoms and city-states. Despite the fall of the eastwind dynasty many Ethengar people remained in the plains and grasslands of the known world. For a time the Kingdom of Alasiya was ruled by Ethengar kings. Most of the present day people of Ethengar dwell in the ancient country of the Carnuilh.
Cultural Analog: The Mongols
Domains: Ethengar Khanates, Makistani Khanate, Krondahar Khanate, Kingdom of Alasiya, City of Akesoli
The Goths
While Eastwind was fighting the Thang Empire in the west, The Gothic people of the northern mountains and forests descended on the the old country of Dwyrain. The old Gwnish people, long subject to the Empire, called for aid and received none. Some fought the invaders, some fled to hills and mountains. Eventually the Gothic tribes won out and settled the land of Dwyrain, establishing many petty kingdoms. They called the low coastal land Vestland and the nearby islands off the coast Ostland. The Gothic Kings only ruled for a short time in this land before they too were conquered by another people from the north, the Heldann.
Cultural Analog: The Anglo-Saxons(Vestland), The Dutch(Ostland)
Domains: Kingdom of Vestland, Kingdom of Ostland, Kingdom of Ghyr, Nordharatar Defense League, Vestland Jarls, Black Eagle Barony
The Heldann
These northern barbarians share an ancient ancestry with the goths dwelling on the lowlands near the coasts in the north country. A few centuries ago the Heldannic people began conducting ever more daring sea raids on the Gothic Kingdoms, and even further south targeting Thyatian shipping in the Sea of Dread. Eventually raids led to conquest; Ostland was the first to fall, from which the other other Gothic Kingdoms were easily isolated and targeted. For a time Heldanic raiders even established some colonies along the coast of the desert until they were driven out by Al-Kalim. The Heldannic Kings and Jarls continue to ply the waters of the Sea of Dawn and the Sea of Dread as sometime traders and sometime pirates.
Cultural Analog: The Norse
Domains: Heldannic Freeholds, Kingdom of Vestland, Nordhartar Defense League, Vestland Jarls, Kingdom of Ostland