Thoughts on Mystara post Gazetteers
by LoZompatoreHere are my very personal (and somewhat radical) preferences:
1) A more detailed world map: a merged of Mentzer / Hollow World map with: some extra major rivers and tributaires; several more lakes; polar ice; sea abyssal depths; several more islands especially on the oceans; jungles with their own icon with respect to forested areas; extent of shallow coastal water.
2) An overall reshuffling, dispersion and enlargement of several countries/cultures; most of the Known World nations will be placed in other parts of Brun. In detail:
- Broken Lands moved to Borea; every clan is an independent nation
- Ethengar in north central lands of Brun surrounding Borea; the Land of Black Sands moved somewhere in the plains east of Borea
- Atruaghin to the Yazak Steppes / Dry Flats / Great Northway Lands. Every clan is an independent nation
- Ierendi to the eastern and western Thanegiot archipelago - concept of Safari Island and the whole tourism thing moved to Gaity in the Alatians
- Minrothad to Ostland
- Ylaruam to the Great Waste; ancient Nithia was also in the Great Waste before its fall; Cynidicea also buried somewhere in the desert, possibly close to the Salt Swamp of Sind
- Ostland to the islands in front of Oceansend
- Oceansend to Landfall
- Landfall to the swamps of Oceansend
- Alfheim to the Forest of Midlands, with the Sylvan Realm in the very center and the Shining Islands floaitng in the sky above. Every clan is an independent nation
- Graakhalia in the underground of the stretch of land between the Forest of Midlands and Borea
- Rockhome and Modrigswerg dwarves to the whole mountain range from Denagoth / Heldann to Frosthaven. Every clan is an independent nation
- The Five Shires to the western coast of the Arm of the Immortals / Trident Bay
- Soderfjord to the lands north of Heldann
- Vestland to the Norwold peninsula east of Landfall
- Shadow Elves and Shattenhalfen Elves in the subterranean part of Northern Brun / Borea, as refugees of the Blackmoor Cataclysm unable to return to the surface due to the harsh climate conditions and humanoids
- Kara Kara in the Pearl Islands
- Sind in the current location but with an explicit connection to the Dravish lands of the Dry Flats, which were abandoned by the Sindhis in the ancient past
- Thyatis in the current location encompassing also the (now empty) lands of Ylarusm, Minrothad, Soderfjord, Vestland and eastern Rockhome. There is no desert in Ylaruam
- Glantri in the current location encompassing also the (now empty) Broken Lands and western Ethengar
- Darokin in the current location encompassing also the (now empty) Alfheim, Atruaghin, western Rockhome and eastern Ethengar
- Karameikos in the current location encompassing also the (now empty) Five Shires and Ierendi
- Caerdwicca merged with Helskir
- Castle Furmenglaive to Karameikos
- Yanifey and other similar indigenous people still living in mainland Alphatia and Bellissaria under the harsh rule of the Alphatians
- Ochaleans also living in the southern Isle of Dawn (Caerdwicca, Furmenglaive and other lands south of the Great Escarpment
3) No Hollow World; all cultures moved to the Outer World on faraway "Lost World" areas of Davania and Skothar where technological level is lagging with respect to Brun. The only exception being the Nithians who live in their own Pocket / External Plane and are prevented by the Immortals to reach Mystara (the opposite travel is possible anyway).
Other placements:
- Blacklore elves are moved in a secluded polar valley of southern Davania, as well mostly prevented by the Immortals to interact with the rest of the world (the opposite travel is possible anyway).
- Merry Pirates moved in the islands and swamps of the Dhiki Namazzi in the Serpent Peninsula
- The Ligthhouse is placed in an almost inaccessible location in the middle of the Brasol Range
- Alphatian Neatharum is absorbed by the Alphatian colony of Faraway in Esterhold and the Neathar tribes are scattered in the whole peninsula, partially free and partially enslaved by the Alphatians
- Jennite in the Steppes of Jen
- Tanagoro in the Tangor Peninsula
- Azcans in Izonda
- Milenians in Southern Davania / Vulcania
- Antalians in Norwold, especially north of the Great Bay; the barbarian tribes of Norwold are Antalians
- Beastmen in Hyborea
- Krugel Horde in the cold expanses od Brun between Midlands, Hyborea and Borea
- Kogolor Dwarves in the Denagoth Plateau as an independent dwarivsh nation (the dominion of the Shadow Lord is moved to the Adri Varma plateau instead)
4) The Empire of Thyatis would be the place in the world where martial arts are most exalted. Weapon Mastery-wise, for all kind of wapons, mainland Thyatis and Thyatis City will gather most of the Master and Great Masters available on Mystara. As Alphatia is the best choice for wizards to specialize and Thyatis is the same for warrios, possibly Sind could be the same for clerics and Ne'er-Do-Well for thieves.
5) I would keep the basic plot of WotI as it is, but providing the players with a reasonable possibility to prevent the sinking of Alphatia and ending the great war with diplomacy / heroic deeds against the agents of Entropy
6) Way more details about the other planets and moons of Mystara's solar system, possibly inhabited by non-human / non-demihuman races and reachable through airships / voidships