In the exchange, Cthulhudrew made an excellent point that, ultimately, Mystara is about the fluff and any documents designed to bring in new players needs to concentrate on that and leave the crunch (particularly retrograding the crunch to emulate classic) out. These documents would then be system neutral, and presumably good for the 4th, 5th, and 20th edition as well as 0-3.
Well if others are willing to help (and I mean actually write a page or two), then I hereby offer to head up
project: Mystara-System Neutral.
In the follow-up post I'll have a rough table of contents outlined for how these documents should be set up by page count.
For those willing to help,
1) pick 1-3 pages (you can pick more after those pages are turned in)
2) write a one page summary on the particular topic(s) (three-column,10pt font, I'll get a word count estimate later) unless the topic specifically lists multiple pages.
3) adhere only to cannon sources (i.e. no GazF, no world of Mystaros, etc.) - if you don't know the status of something write that up in your report, and if I don't know it either, I'll post it up for community help.
4) repeat steps 1-3
By my estimate, the whole project is 84 pages (including 6 Tables of Contents) plust 6 covers/back covers. Altogether they comprise 6 documents:
a Quick Reference (What is Mystara, Acronymns, Bibliography)
the Mystara World Book (with specifc attention to the Known World)
Mystara-Other Worlds (the Hollow World, Myoshima, tangential places like Ghyr and Thunder Rift, WOTI, and Variant Representations-some fan stuff here)
Mystara-Cosmology (Spheres, Dimensions, Immortals, the Planes, etc)
Mystara-Bestiary (Specific Mystaran features, common names or analogs elsewhere, etc)
Mystara-Rules (more on the intrepretation of crunch as it applies to Mystara rather than creation of Mystaran flavored crunch like regional feats; ex. which core races are less likely from a fluff standpoint (gnomes, half-orcs, tieflings, etc)), or race-class combos such as dwarven wizards.).
If 21 people work on just 4 pages each, it'll be knocked out in no time. If one person works on 84 pages, it'll be knocked out sometime after 5e :P
Additional help can come from the graphically inclined. We can use the castle-trim as in the gaz's, but this might need its own theme. also, cover art suggestions - any way of incorporating box and book-covers in a meaningful way?
-OldDawg
Suggested alterations are also welcome, particularly if I left something out.
Roger
- yeah that's it, our new "Will We Ever Surpass X?" goal.Also feel free to volunteer as an Assistant Editor or a Designer.
Color Code: Open Page in Need of Volunteer, Volunteer, Editor or Designer Reserved (front and back matter), First Draft In, 1 Editor Approval, 2 Editor Approval (Galley Proof), On Hold
The Outline
Project Manager and Editor: OldDawg
Lead Designer: open
Mystara Quick Sheet
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover:none?
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]
1-2 Introduction of Mystara and its Real World History:Cthulhudrew
3-4 Common Community Acronyms:Cthulhudrew (Notes: currently 2 pages)
5+ Complete Bibliography:Cthulhudrew
Back Cover[none? (Editor reserved)]
Mystara SN
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]
2 Introduction to the World of Mystara:open
3 A Brief History:open
4 Races of Mystara:open
5 Languages of Mystara:open
6 The Continent of Brun:open
7 The Known World:open
8-9 The Empire of Thyatis:Eldersphinx
10-11 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos:gawain_viii
12-13 The Minrothad Guilds:Eldersphinx
14-15 The Kingdom of Ierendi:open
16-17 The Five Shires:JohnBiles
18-19 The Emirates of Ylaruam:Eldersphinx
20-21 The Northern Reaches:gawain_viii
22-23 The Kingdom of Rockhome:Eldersphinx
24-25 The Ethengar Khanates:Havard
26-27 The Principalities of Glantri:JohnBiles
28-29 The Broken Lands:open
30-31 The Republic of Darokin:open
32-33 The Kingdom of Alfheim:Eldersphinx
34-35 The Atruaghin Clans:open
36-37 The Shadow Elves:open
38-39 Wendar, Denagoth, and Heldann: OldDawg
2 pages Norwold: OldDawg
42-43 Sind, the Great Waste, the Black Mountains, the Adri Varma Plateau, and The Serpent Peninsula:Eldersphinx
43-44 Hule and the Savage Coast:open
45 Borea, the Midlands, Hyborea, The Endworld Line, and the Arm of the Immortals:open
46 The Sea of Dread:open
47 Ochalea and the Pearl Islands:Eldersphinx
48-49 The Isle of Dawn:Eldersphinx
50-51 Alphatia, Qeodhar, the Yannivey Chain, Bellisaria and the Alatians:Eldersphinx
2 pages Skothar:OldDawg
2pages Davania:OldDawg
Back Cover [Editor reserved]
Mystara-Other Worlds
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]2 Introduction to the Hollow World:open
3 A Brief History of the Hollow World:open
4 Races and Languages of the Hollow World:open
5 Northern Iricia:open
6 Southern Iricia:open
7 Other Continents:open
8 The Spell of Preservation and the World Shield and travel:open
9 Myoshima and Matera:open
10 Thunder Rift, Ghyr and Karaween:Havard
11 Taymor, The Dravish and Blackmoor:open
12 WOTI and the Almanacs :open
13 Mystaran Variants:open
13 The World of Urt:open
14 Red Steel:open
15-16 Major Fan Variants (Mystaran Almanacs, World of Mystaros, GazF, Others?):open
Back Cover [Editor Reserved]
Mystara - Cosmology
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover:open
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]
2 Introduction to Planar and Cosmological Structure - The Solar System:open
3 Dimensionality and Spheres: OldDawg
4 The Elemental and Ethereal Planes:Eldersphinx (Notes: currently being checked against: WOTI, RC, Green Box, Gold Box)
5 The Astral and Outer Planes:Eldersphinx
6 The Spirit Plane, the Dimension of Nightmares, and other Locales:open
7 Immortals:open
8 Unique Planar Creatures:open
Back Cover [Editor/Designer reseved]
Mystara - Bestiary
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover:open
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]
2 Lowlife :open
3 Animals:open
4 Magical Animals:open
5 Humanoids:open
6 Monsters:open
7 Giants and Dragons:open
8 Undead:open
9 Constructs:open
10 Iconic and Inappropriate Monsters:open
11 Everything ... In its Place:open
12 (Place Holder - ideas?):open
back cover[Editor reserved]
Mystara - Rules
Assistant Editor:open
Assistant Designer:open
Cover:open
1 Table of Contents [Editor/Designer reserved]
2-3 Standard and Special Classes:open
4 BECMI RC-Challenger OD&D:open
5 1st Ed, Battlesystem:open
6 2nd Ed, KKoA, GKoM, Red Steel:open
7 3.0-3.5 Ed :open
8 4th:open
Back Cover [Editor Reserved]
Secondly, I think this is a fantastic idea!
I find the way we so easily integrate any rules system into our discussions here very unique from what I've observed elsewhere. This is a strength of our community, IMO. I like the fact that the F-Gaz series is done in OD&D even though I don't use that system. I truly hope this project exceeds all expectations.
Some of this stuff I think we've already pretty well got done, here on the boards and/or the Vaults, in particular:
2 Introduction of Mystara and its Real World History:open
Travis' various Q&As cover this topic pretty well, as I recall.
3 Common Community Acronyms:open
I've already more or less got this thing going here on the boards, so I can just port over my work on it for this project.
4 Complete Bibliography:open
Something else that I think is pretty well compiled on the Vaults at this point, but I suppose that's where we need to have someone put it all in one spot.
In any event, I'll see if I can't knock those out pretty quick and hopefully be able to do some work on some of the other areas (in particular, I'd like to do Alphatia, the Isle of Dawn, and the Clans, but obviously I don't want to overburden myself and do any stake claiming until I get these parts done.)
the Mystara World Book (with specifc attention to the Known World)
You might want to reuse the work done in the Mystara Newbie Guide, which has more or less one page for each KW nation:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/mystara_newbie_guide/
The major advantage over rewriting these from scratches is that Shawn already did most of the editing.
GP
As for font.... How about Red Hat's Liberation fonts? They are clones of Arial, Times New Roman and Courier.
http://www.press.redhat.com/2007/05/09/liberation-fonts/
I don't know if I'm in myself yet or not. I have to complete some personal campaign projects first. It will be ongoing, correct? Maybe I could snag something at a later time.
--Ray.
You might want to reuse the work done in the Mystara Newbie Guide, which has more or less one page for each KW nation:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/..._newbie_guide/
and this one
www.elet.polimi.it/upload/agosta/.private/campaignbook.pdf
the same?
Is there a "required" word processor?
Nope. Use whatever you feel comfortable with, just adhere to the word estimate below if you can. [If it seems too tight please let me know]. In fact, whatever anyone sends will be "scrubbed" of formating by doing a paste through in Notepad (unless you're a designer/editor).
I estimate 850-1050 words per page (based on my Gaz's). Ideally, I'd like to have one or more graphic elements (like shots of the old gaz covers to document) per main entry, so a little adjustment downward is in order. Consequently, not every village and creek that's been graced with a name is going to make it.
Some clarifications and switch ups(after a PM from LoZo)
3) adhere only to cannon sources (i.e. no GazF, no world of Mystaros, etc.) - if you don't know the status of something write that up in your report, and if I don't know it either, I'll post it up for community help.
Feel free to kick it around the board, too.
Maybe you could take this list and keep/reduce it in order to give a definition of "canon".
For the main atlas, the working Canon order of precendence is going to be:
A) Gaz1-13, PC4, DDA1-2
B) DoTE, CoM, PC3
C) WOTI, Gaz14
D) VOPA (inc. BH 3e installment), Grimoire
E) HW, M-C-M Known World
F) M1-5, PC1-2, Red Steel/Savage Coast
G) CM/X, B10, XS1, O2,
H) B1-9 (Super Module), B11-B12, BSOLO
I) PWA, B4, B6, HWR/A/Q, DDA3-4
J) JA and Mystara 2E, AC9, DMR2, First Quest Series
L) M-label novels, M1 (Blizzard Pass), Trail Map Info
Apochrypha
M) DA Blackmoor
N) remaining B modules, O1, XS2, IM1-3, M2 Maze of the Riddling Minotaur
O) AC series, DMR1 (Bywater exception), Box Sets, RC
P) Dungeon Adventures, 2e-3e Dragon articles (inc. BH stuff)
Q) Penhaligon Trilogy (Bywater exception)
R) XL1
S) Thunder Rift, Long Boxes, Other novels, Imagine, Polyhedron, etc
Most of the Apochrypha, which includes removed alternative settings or super-generic settings, gets shunted into the Other Worlds Book. While most magazine articles are placed in the Apochrypha group, VoPA/Grimoire are pretty much universally accepted as canon (with CoM and RS based in part on it).
- Dragons and giants page: The obvious source for this summary is the AC10 module, but a lot of interesting fluff about dragons is also in the "Dragonlord" Trilogy. Less important fluff (but interesting anyway) is also in the novel "Son of Dawn". Should these fictional books be considered part of the canon material?
I would initially write up a 3-5 sentence synopsis of the plot, including when its supposed to be taking place. Then list out each point of potential canon interest.
Ex.
"Rogues to Riches" by XXX: In 1010 AC, shortly after the Heldannic invasion of Landfall, two thieves masquerading as knights are compelled to accept a quest to rescue Erise, daughter of former governor, Lernal the Swill. They and their companions ultimately must face the Ice Witch, Frota, who seeks domion over Norwold.
Canonical Notes and/or Conflicts:
1. Lernal is not summarily thrown in jail upon Landfall's capture. He has a heretofore unknown daughter, Erise. Lernal is accorded the title of King rather than governor.
1. The King of Oceansend is Olaf Yarrvikson, and he has a young adult daughter, the ranger Mara.
2. Erise was captured five years ago (1005 AC).
3. Frota is aided by the white dragon Nievous, and her base is the Ice Tomb which is located in the mountains north of the mouth of the Great Bay.
4. Apparently (via a tavern tale) there was a well known villaness, Akra, in the past who parallels Frota. Akra's dragon companion, Quesa, is thought to still live, trapped in a placed called the Ice Cavern.
- Blackmoor: The DA modules are the first choiche, of course. Other info about Blackmoor are in the "Dragonlord" trilogy as well. And do the Dreamlands have to be considered as canon, too? Do the very first editions of D&D (which show more or less the same Blackmoor adventures from an early perspective) have to be included in canon? And so on...
DA1-4 is set aside for the Other Worlds book [incidentally, Thonia, Uther and some other things might be KW/Mystaran property not DA. Interesting research report linked at Dragonsfoot]. For the purposes of the atlas, basically all we need are: Blackmoor's rise, Blackmoor wars and trades with the elves, Blackmoor's beastmen crusades, -possibly Blackmoor's war with the dragons - and finally Great Rain of Fire. The name pops up later with "blackmoor-era" devices such as the NoS, but that's really all that's pertinent to a basic OW Mystaran atlas and history.
On your second half of the question, no. The project is tracing itself through the setting not the rule system, so we go no further back than the original blue covered X1 map of the Known World. Consequently, much of the generic AC stuff is handled as Apocrypha.
- Ghyr: Some info about Strongheart, Mercion and the other characters are also included in the appendix of AC1 module "The Shady Dragon Inn". Is it canon material? If so, you'll notice that this module speaks also about a lot of unknown (and never heard again) places (such as Wildwood, The Greate Old Woode, and so on) in the background of other characters. How do we handle them?
These Apocrypha get a mention in the Other World's book. Ditto things like Thunderdelve, Wildwood. The idea for this project is not to "fix" and nail down every loose thread but to present official OW Mystara as it was and then turning to say here are affiliated things that were never formally adopted into Mystara but are something you might want to incorporate.
- Dragon magazine and Dungeon magazine OD&D adventures: are these considered canon? ... if not, we will miss some important info (such as most of the Dravish fluff, that appears in Dungeon magazine #6-7).
Not canon, but apocryphal. You are absolutely right that we don't want to miss Dravish stuff etc. That's part of the reason for the Other Worlds book. Some things of the early history got swept aside during the evolution of the setting, and while I don't want to forcibly shoehorn it into the Savage Coast as it now is, I want there to be a record of it. Same with the Mentzer Map. At this stage its a variant.
Do you think that a single page is enough for summarizing the history of Mystara? And what about adding a page each for the old empires of the past (Oltec, Nithia, and Milenia)? I think that at least the Nithian empire deserves some lines for its own.
It might ultimately have to go to 2, but I'm looking for the super-scaled down important history. Birthdays? nope. Chandra eating a poisoned fig? Nope. Campaign to rid the Alasiyan basin of Thyatis and Alphatia - a single date range. Hopefully, you get the gist.
(2nd part)
If nothing else, they will get a mention in the Hollow World parts of the Other Worlds manual. Other lost civs (Taymor, the Dravish, and Blackmoor) were going into M-OW. Maybe that do - but on the flip side they are mentioned in the history. Nithian ruins still exist in the Basin and Thothia, Milenia will be mentioned in Davania's write up.
-OldDawg
GP is [..] and this one [..] the same?
Basically yes, but I don't remember whether I used pre- or post-editing versions, so it would be better to check the edited version at the yahoogroup.
The document linked above is just my AD&D Mystara player's handbook, which uses the Newbie Guide (as is, or as it was when I wrote that stuff) for the descriptive part.
As far as Assistant Editor work goes (and possibly Assistant Designer as well), there should probably just be a rule that says that no Assistant Editor contributes material to the document he's editing. Not much point to having an Editor position, after all, if the person doing the consistency checks and overall cleanup is the same person as wrote half the guide!
As such, I'm willing to act as an Assistant Editor for most of the documents... but specifically not Cosmology. 'Cause I wouldn't mind a chance to take a crack at some of the planar writeups. ;) I may also try to contribute some material on some of the Rules pages as well - though I see that as probably lowest overall priority, due to the fact that at least one of the pages is going to be somewhat difficult to write for until early 2008ish.
Also, as far as some of the shorter guides go, is a full page actually needed for a Table of Contents? For the Mystara SN, absolutely - but for the 4-8 page documents, it seems like all the relevant info could easily be placed in a blurb on one of the covers. That'd free up some extra pages to discuss other topics.
The Ethereal Plane
Mystara’s Ethereal Plane is composed of a formless, featureless grey fog. It serves as the gateway to the Prime Material and Elemental Planes from the Astral, and thus the rest of the Multiverse. It has no known native races, settlements or civilizations.
The Mystaran Ethereal Plane is co-existant with that of the Prime; each point in the Ethereal has a corresponding point in the Prime, which shapes and dictates the nature of Ethereal matter. In places where solid matter exists on the Prime, the corresponding Ethereal fog will be thick, dense and difficult to move through. Air and vacuum, meanwhile, are much thinner and easier to travel through. Only the presence of dense metals on the Prime will create solid Ether, however.
This state of coexistence also governs travel and transition between the Ethereal and the Prime – a mage who uses a spell to enter the Ethereal, moves about on that plane, then returns to the Prime will find himself in the location corresponding to where he departed the Ethereal plane.
Characters in the Ethereal can also travel to any of the Elemental Planes, or the Astral Plane, through use of planar nodes. Other planes are generally inaccessible, though it is usually possible to journey to a neighboring plane first, and from there to one’s destination.
Ethereal demiplanes, para-elemental and quasi-elemental planes, and similar locations such as the Plane of Shadow do not exist in the established Mystara canon. Certain aspects of these planes may exist, however, in exotic locations within the four Elemental planes, or as alternate dimensions accessible through dimensional nodes found in distant reaches of the Ethereal.
The Elemental Planes
Mystara has four Elemental Planes – Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each is a universe in its own right, fully as large and varied as the Prime Material Plane.
Mystara’s Elemental Planes have cosmologies, structures and cultures broadly similar to the Prime – with planets, continents, stars, nations and empires. The main difference is that where the Prime blends together many different kinds of matter and energy into a vibrant whole, the Elemental Planes each base their existence off variations of their single element. On the Plane of Earth, atmospheres are made up of gaseous, breathable dust and oceans of liquefied soil; the worlds of the Plane of Air are built on solidified, motionless cloudstuff. Matter from a different element – or from a source outside the basic elemental structure – is alien, and must survive on its own without the help of the world surrounding it.
Free-willed elementals make up the dominant race of these four planes, filling much the same role as humans. They are fully as intelligent and wise as humans, and build cities and craft works of art as complex as anything found on the Prime. Elementals constantly grow as they age; the larger the elemental, the older and wiser it is. Elemental rulers are among the mightiest of their kind.
Many other races besides elementals reside on the Elemental Planes. The djinni, the haoou (known to some Prime clerics as ‘aerial servants’) and the sshai (commonly called ‘invisible stalkers’) reside on the plane of Air; the enigmatic kryst and the voracious horde on the plane of Earth. Efreeti, helions and sollux call the Plane of Fire home, while the Plane of Water has both the mischievous undines and the sadistic hydrax native to it. Each of these races maintains empires upon its home plane, and are generally at peace with their elemental kindred – though wars have been fought in the past.
Elemental Dominance
The four elements exist in a delicate balance within the Mystaran cosmology. Each is dominant against one of its neighbors, weak against another, and in opposition to the third. The elements do not mix or mingle well, in their pure forms; they continually conflict with one another, until a clear victor emerges.
Dominance and weakness are simply the inverse of each other; if Earth is dominant over Air, Air is weak against Earth. Attacks by a dominant creature, or with a spell or ability invoking a dominant element, will prove exceptionally effective, causing increased damage and proving to be difficult to defend against; attacks from a weak creature, or using a weak element, will do less damage and be easier to avoid or shrug off. The circle of dominance is as follows: Earth over Air, Air over Water, Water over Fire, Fire over Earth.
Elemental opposition is a less physical and more philosophical matter. Two creatures in elemental opposition will be fundamentally inclined towards hostility and conflict with one another; establishing any sort of peaceful relationship is often the next best thing to impossible. This has led to deep-running enmities between the djinni and the efreeti, as well as many other lesser-known conflicts.
Elemental Magic
Elementally-oriented forms of most common spells exist. A damage-inflicting windball might exist on the Plane of Air, and flame to stone on the Plane of Fire.
I would love to see something like this. I have finished some major real-life projects so I should have a bit more time on my hands this year than I did last year so I would like to help out.
The Thunder Rift/Karawenn article is something I would like to write. Also, I'll volunteer for one of the KW countries. Let's say Ethengar since it was one of the two first gazetteers I bought. I might help out with more later, but I guess I'd better write these two before taking on more. Besides it would be nice to get everyone involved in this project
PS: Have you thought about art yet? Any chance of getting the FGaz artists to do some illustrations for this project?
Heck, even reusing art wouldnt be so bad IMO. TSR did that all the time...
Havard
Basically yes, but I don't remember whether I used pre- or post-editing versions, so it would be better to check the edited version at the yahoogroup.
Unfortunately, I don't Yahoo
. Unless, some knows of differences between the two, I'll just use your guide as our starting point.As far as Assistant Editor work goes (and possibly Assistant Designer as well), there should probably just be a rule that says that no Assistant Editor contributes material to the document he's editing.
Well, if there is an assistant editor, that mean's two set's of eyes are looking at everything during the review (the other set, obviously, is mine).
The Thunder Rift/Karawenn article is something I would like to write.
I had a feeling you might, Havard.
-OldDawg
Unfortunately, I don't Yahoo
Ah, well, I can send you the files by mail, if that's the problem.
Heck, go ahead and cite the page #. It'll be easier to fact check and find missing sources during the edit process.
Eldersphinx, since you are our first entrant, do you mind appending that info?
-OldDawg
Ah, well, I can send you the files by mail, if that's the problem.
I'll send you those files OldDawg, I have the latest version. And I'll close down the Newbie Guide group then, if it's all going to be used here.
As people send in or post things, go ahead and list which sources you used in the write up.
Heck, go ahead and cite the page #. It'll be easier to fact check and find missing sources during the edit process.
Eldersphinx, since you are our first entrant, do you mind appending that info?
-OldDawg
No problem. Primary reference is Wrath of the Immortals Book I, pages 119-121. I'm considering the WotI information to trump anything listed in the Gold Box, in passing; it's a more recent source, and probably more generally accessible. Secondary references include the appropriate monster writeups in the Rules Cyclopedia, most notably page 176 for culture and civilization of elementals. To the best of my knowledge, other references mostly just echo this material, though if there's any additional information out there I've missed I'll be happy to add it.
Also, I have a few cover possibilities... several of my own design (leftovers from my now defunct Md20 project). The best one I think, however, was really a collaberation between myself, Thorf, and Shane... but I'll clean them up and send them... first for OldDawg to pick the best (based on his vision) and the rest can be publicly voted on...
Roger
I just had a thought. What year should people use as "the present" when writing about countries and regions? Thinking about contributing in that area myself but not ready to commit just yet. I have too many other things simmering on the stove right now but in a week or so I should have a better idea about what I could do.
--Ray.
For folks volunteering as editors
please specify which book or or part of a book you want to handle. A large book can have more than one assistant editor.-OldDawg
The Hin first came to the continent of Brun from Davania around 1300 BC, co-habitating the modern Shires with the elven nation known as the Gentle Folk, who were moved to the Hollow World by the Immortals in 1000 BC. From 1000 BC to 610 BC, a series of conquerers and civil wars racked the land as the Hin struggled to find some way to defend themselves against invaders. Finally, the modern government of the Shire emerged in 572 BC, and the Hin have lived in internal peace since then, though they have had at times fought wars with their neighbors to keep their lands.
The Five Shires are, unsuprisingly, divided into five Shires, each ruled over by a Sheriff, who works with the Clanmasters of the hundred clans of the Hin to govern his shire. The council of the Five Sheriffs rules over the country as a whole, assisted by their deputies, the Krondar. The Shires have no standing army; the Krondar are more of a police force, so the clans supply milita units in wartime. Groups of pirates at sea and land freebooters, the Strikers, guard the borders, harrassing the enemies of the Shires (and sometimes robbing every non-Hin in sight). There is a small standing navy, whose main job seems to be protecting Hin pirates from retaliation.
Five Shires culture revolves around the clans; all but the rare clanless Hin are born into a clan, which effectively determines what they will do with the rest of their life. However, young Hin are encouraged to go out and see the world (this is called going on yallara). Young Hin will get into anything, try anything, and possibly be killed by anything. Older Hin, however, tend to be conservative and peaceful and will spend most of their life doing what their parents did, whether it be innkeeping or farming. Those who serve the clan well can eventually rise to lead the clan or become one of the loremasters who deal with the clan relic—the crucible of blackflame.
Every true clan has a crucible of blackflame, a mysterious substance which spills into the caves beneath the shires from other dimensions. Its discovery was a key component of the Hin finally driving out the invaders of their early history. Blackflame is a kind of anti-fire; it burns cold and causes things which are burned to reconstitute themselves. Hin loremasters, the Keepers, can use it to create artifacts or various magical effects.
The central city of the Shires is Shireton, home to 24,000 people (thus, over 10% of the population of the Shires), most of whom are Hin, but with more non-Hin than anywhere else. While peaceful, Shireton is far more boisterous and exciting than most of the Shires, from political intrigue to parties to eccentrics looking for elven princesses under your bed at 3 AM. It is a major trade nexus.
While most Hin are farmers, living in small villages, each of the Five Shires has a certain amount of distinct character. Highshire, the mountain and hill district, has much more emphasis on mining and can be dangerous due to monster raids from the mountains. Eastshire is more thinly settled and is the front for defense against the Black Eagle Baron. Southshire, in the south-western corner of the country, is very peaceful, quiet, and conservative; it was the first area settled by the Hin. Heartshire, located along the southwestern end of the mountains, was once a mining area but is now deeply rural with lots of forest. Finally, Seashire is the densely populated southern coast of the nation, home to three ports including the capital, mostly deforested and rainy.
The Shires are at peace with their two major neighbors—Darokin and Karameikos, and are friendly with Ierendi. However, the Black Eagle's raids are worsening relations with Karameikos and they have on-going problems with the Minrothad Guild, Thyatis, and especially Glantri. Glantrians are hated because they like to experiment on Hin; as a result, wizards, though not forbidden, face much prejudice.
(My source for all this is Gaz 8, the Five Shires)
Thanks and keep up the good work! just to help facilitate things a bit, I'm going to post up tomorrow example pages for the different sections so people will have an idea of how to group things.
The nation pages are going to resemble how I broke down the individual areas in the Western Alliance.
RW Inspiration: ex. Medieval Romanian-South Slavic Bundespracht
Overview: ....
Holiday: ex. Festival of Kings, New Years, etc.
Population: (type and size, Ex. [100,000] The Karameikan population is divided into the native Traladarans, first and second generation Thyatians, and individuals of mixed ancestry)
Languages: Ex. Traladaran, Thyatian, Elvish (Callarii, Vyalian), Gnomish (Highforge), Dwarvish
Faiths and Philosophies: Ex. The Church of Traladara, The Church of
Settlements: (large only)
Personalities: (ruler, 1-3 important NPCs)
Economy: (coins, production)
Relations with other Nations: just the alliances and hostilities
Other Notes: ex. Glantrian laws against clerics, dwarves, and halflings
Military, Race, and Faith particulars are appendical to the main entry. I haven't figured out how to work this yet, but it doesn't go in the above.
Also, if things work out, I intend to put a quick reference bar graph on each page to indicate to people the power curve of the setting, and a box to indicate types of adventures. So please estimate what you think of the setting.
Power: four categories, essentially BECM, to measure monsters, NPCs, and the scope of adventuring (ie. Epic), Scale in each category is 0 to 5.
Adventure Type: (D)ungeon, (W)ilderness, (C)ivilization, (P)lanar
So Karameikos might have a power curve of 5-4-2-0 and an Adventure Type of 5-4-4-0 while the emirates might have an adventure curve 3-5-2-2 (jaunts to EPoF)
-OldDawg
On a separate topic: should the page currently labeled 'placeholder' in the Bestiary doc maybe be used for quick descriptions of Extraplanar creatures? Between elemental beings, Nightmare denizens, Immortal creations and similar there's likely more than enough room.
The Five Shires is a nation of 210,000 halflings (and 10,000 or so other kinds of sentients), who call themselves "the Hin", located along the northern shores of the Sea of Dread, west of Karameikos, east of the Atruaghin Clans and south of Darokin.
The Hin first came to the continent of Brun from Davania around 1300 BC, co-habitating the modern Shires with the elven nation known as the Gentle Folk, who were moved to the Hollow World by the Immortals in 1000 BC. From 1000 BC to 610 BC, a series of conquerers and civil wars racked the land as the Hin struggled to find some way to defend themselves against invaders. Finally, the modern government of the Shire emerged in 572 BC, and the Hin have lived in internal peace since then, though they have had at times fought wars with their neighbors to keep their lands.
The Five Shires are, unsuprisingly, divided into five Shires, each ruled over by a Sheriff, who works with the Clanmasters of the hundred clans of the Hin to govern his shire. The council of the Five Sheriffs rules over the country as a whole, assisted by their deputies, the Krondar. The Shires have no standing army; the Krondar are more of a police force, so the clans supply milita units in wartime. Groups of pirates at sea and land freebooters, the Strikers, guard the borders, harrassing the enemies of the Shires (and sometimes robbing every non-Hin in sight). There is a small standing navy, whose main job seems to be protecting Hin pirates from retaliation.
Five Shires culture revolves around the clans; all but the rare clanless Hin are born into a clan, which effectively determines what they will do with the rest of their life. However, young Hin are encouraged to go out and see the world (this is called going on yallara). Young Hin will get into anything, try anything, and possibly be killed by anything. Older Hin, however, tend to be conservative and peaceful and will spend most of their life doing what their parents did, whether it be innkeeping or farming. Those who serve the clan well can eventually rise to lead the clan or become one of the loremasters who deal with the clan relic—the crucible of blackflame.
Every true clan has a crucible of blackflame, a mysterious substance which spills into the caves beneath the shires from other dimensions. Its discovery was a key component of the Hin finally driving out the invaders of their early history. Blackflame is a kind of anti-fire; it burns cold and causes things which are burned to reconstitute themselves. Hin loremasters, the Keepers, can use it to create artifacts or various magical effects.
The central city of the Shires is Shireton, home to 24,000 people (thus, over 10% of the population of the Shires), most of whom are Hin, but with more non-Hin than anywhere else. While peaceful, Shireton is far more boisterous and exciting than most of the Shires, from political intrigue to parties to eccentrics looking for elven princesses under your bed at 3 AM. It is a major trade nexus.
While most Hin are farmers, living in small villages, each of the Five Shires has a certain amount of distinct character. Highshire, the mountain and hill district, has much more emphasis on mining and can be dangerous due to monster raids from the mountains. Eastshire is more thinly settled and is the front for defense against the Black Eagle Baron. Southshire, in the south-western corner of the country, is very peaceful, quiet, and conservative; it was the first area settled by the Hin. Heartshire, located along the southwestern end of the mountains, was once a mining area but is now deeply rural with lots of forest. Finally, Seashire is the densely populated southern coast of the nation, home to three ports including the capital, mostly deforested and rainy.
The Shires are at peace with their two major neighbors—Darokin and Karameikos, and are friendly with Ierendi. However, the Black Eagle's raids are worsening relations with Karameikos and they have on-going problems with the Minrothad Guild, Thyatis, and especially Glantri. Glantrians are hated because they like to experiment on Hin; as a result, wizards, though not forbidden, face much prejudice.
(My source for all this is Gaz 8, the Five Shires)
Looks good overall! A few comments, if I may:
- What are some of the opportunities for adventure here? Why should PCs visit this area?
- Who is the Black Eagle Baron? While ol' Ludwig will definitely be mentioned in the Karameikos writeup, a few more words of detail on him here (probably including a 'for more info, see page 9' ref) would be useful to keep newcomers informed.
- What's with the hin pirates? They get one throwaway reference compared to the Shires navy, and that's all we hear about them here. Probably a good idea to explain a bit more as to how this works.
- Can we include anything on the relationship between the Shires and the kingdom of Ierendi?
- Is it worth talking about the hin Masters at all? How about the gold dragon Azem, from Dragon #171?
Hope this is helpful!
Looks good overall! A few comments, if I may:
- What are some of the opportunities for adventure here? Why should PCs visit this area?
Very good point, though I think a problem with the canonical Five Shires is that it doesn't have a lot of opportunities for adventure compared to a lot of the other countries.
- Who is the Black Eagle Baron? While ol' Ludwig will definitely be mentioned in the Karameikos writeup, a few more words of detail on him here (probably including a 'for more info, see page 9' ref) would be useful to keep newcomers informed.
Yeah, it needs a mention of where he's from and a 'more info here' tag.
- What's with the hin pirates? They get one throwaway reference compared to the Shires navy, and that's all we hear about them here. Probably a good idea to explain a bit more as to how this works.
Lack of space. If the pirates get any detail, something else has to be chucked.
- Can we include anything on the relationship between the Shires and the kingdom of Ierendi?
Again, lack of space, something else has to get chucked if there's going to be room.
- Is it worth talking about the hin Masters at all? How about the gold dragon Azem, from Dragon #171?
Hope this is helpful!
I'd like to put in the Hin Masters, but something must get chucked to make room.
Never heard of Azem, and definitely not room for him; pretty much no room in a single page to touch on any but the most important of NPCs.
You point out a lot of important stuff, but with only one page (and the above totally fills a page by the formatting guidelines), anything I add must come at the expense of something already present.
Thanks for the comments, though going by the indications OldDawg gave above, most of my work is going to have to be thrown in the garbage for space considerations to make room for the standard stuff he wants. ^^;;
And can we get more input on this project, already? I don't want to have to write forty pages of material because nobody else has the time to contribute...
The Astral Plane
Mystara’s Astral Plane is an expanse of vacuum-filled space studded with stars and planets, similar to the cosmology of the Prime Material Plane. Perceptions and magical energies are drastically twisted here, however, so that nearly all objects and creatures appear to lack a spatial dimension – seemingly becoming flat and paper-thin. Many magical effects that normally affect a three-dimensional area can be ‘sidestepped’ as a result and completely avoided, making combat here a chancy business.
In addition to more mundane objects, Astral space also has many planar nodes to different Outer Planes within it. These planar nodes take the form of a visible membrane; merely touching the surface of this membrane will activate the planar node. Often, multiple nodes will be part of the same membrane, meaning that travelers may end up in different locations of the destination plane depending on what part of the membrane they touch. Controlling such passage requires prior knowledge of a plane’s nodal structure, or else powerful magic.
The Astral Plane has few native species; its worlds are mostly empty and lifeless, with only rare outposts established by travelers. Common inhabitants include the flickers, sentient ribbons of rainbow light, and the enormous, enigmatic and alien draeden. Other beings found on the Astral are mostly transients en route to other planes.
Since the Astral borders on both the Ethereal Plane (and through it, the Prime Material and Elemental Planes) as well as many different Outer Planes, it is commonly visited by the Immortals. These beings, unlike most other creatures, appear in a fully-fleshed three-dimensional state while on the Astral, as do their artifacts, spell magics, and other powers. It is speculated that if other beings of a power level equivalent to that of the Immortals were to visit the Astral Plane, they too would appear in full three-dimensional form.
The Outer Planes
The vast majority of planes in the Mystaran cosmology are Outer Planes. These places can be home to the most bizarre and alien of creatures, environments and other phenomena, for the laws governing physical and magical events, or even the passage of time, are potentially different in each one. Many of the Outer Planes have been reshaped by the Immortals to suit their needs or whims; others exist in a state that not even the Immortals can predict.
Outer Planes can range in size from merely a few feet in diameter to billions of light-years across. While many are accessible from the Astral Plane, no small number of Outer Planes can be reached only within another Outer Plane – making them ‘pocket universes’. Such planes are often used as laboratories, refuges, or prisons by those who control access to them.
Mystaran Outer Planes are not associated with any single alignment, or organized by belief in any way. Instead, each of the Outer Planes is associated with one of the five Spheres of Immortal power – Matter, Energy, Time, Thought or Entropy. Though this association does not directly impose any physical or magical conditions onto the plane, it may serve to attract Immortal residents of the Sphere in question, who are likely to shape the nature of the plane to suit their preferences.
The state of physical and magical laws can be extraordinarily flexible on the Outer Planes. Gravity, time, physical growth and decay, access to and use of magic can all vary depending on the plane. Such laws are often closely related to the associated Immortal Sphere – in the Thought-associated plane of Mirage, a character’s surface thoughts are projected in visible form for all to see, for instance – but need not exactly match.
A wide variety of races and creatures exist across the Outer Planes. The range of potential ecologies and societies is staggeringly broad – in one Outer Plane, a human or near-human civilization might exist, while in another strange and alien monsters with motivations unknowable to mortals exist. In the more expansive Outer Planes, many different cultures and species can easily coexist.
Noteworthy Outer Planes
The planes of Brynn, Draesten, Entrem, Mirage and Pyts are among the best-known of the Outer Planes, as places where many Immortals make their homes, meet and interact with one another and with worthy mortals. Each of these planes is associated with one of the five Immortal spheres – Brynn with Matter, Draesten with Energy, Entrem with Time, Mirage with Thought, and Pyts with Entropy – and its landscape, native inhabitants and physical and magical laws reflect this link.
Old Alphatia is the plane from which the humans of the Alphatian Empire originated. Most of the plane is lawless wilderness, and has been ever since the destruction of the old Alphatian empire, but adventure is still possible here.
The Pits of Banishment was established long ago by the Immortals as a prison plane for the malevolent Carnifex. It is a dreary place, occupied only by the massive castles constructed by the Carnifex during their time of exile.
I'm editing the stuff put up so far in the example packet. - Soon.
-OldDawg
Okay, so tomorrow = 2 weeks in OldDawg days. :embarrass
I'm editing the stuff put up so far in the example packet. - Soon.
-OldDawg
Can you give us the full format desired for country pages? As I'm willing to do a good number, but I want the final format for it before I do any more writing.
Attached to this link is a sample mock-up of some of the parts that have been submitted so far.
the material is in various states of edit, and the individual parts go into different booklets, but it gives an idea of how things shake out.
The specs are: basic font Times New Roman, 10pt, emphasis fonts Benguiat Bold 10 in line or 12 header, margins top and bottom 1", sides .5", three columns spaced .2 inches. Paragraphs justified, with a .1" first line indent. Items with a hanging indent are set at .2".
Now to the head scratching stuff. JohnBiles's Five Shires is our test case for the how things shaped out in regards to layout (hope you don't mind being a guinea pig :D ). His initial material was supplemented by the write up included from the Mystara Newbie guide, and I tried to fill in some parts that he had consciously omited out of concerns for space.
there are four versions of the Shires entry included in the sample, with variations in text
A) begins on numbered page 6 - this is the one-patch treatment without any graphic elements
B) on numbered page 7 - this is the bare bones treatment with a single graphic element (which eats up 3" of column space)
C) numbered pages 8-9 - this is a four-column treatment (which means nations share pages in the larger booklet). It uses the graphic element and 6" of additional text that can go into extra items such as specialty creatures and personalities.
D) numbered pages 10-11 - this is an incomplete 2-page treatment. It uses multiple graphic elements such as gaz covers, important maps, and notable modules.
The benefits and draw backs of each type are:
A) best information per page count, but nothing visually attention-grabbing
B) graphical feel for either the locale or its place in the world, but is a tight editing and writing constraint
C) Get the benefit of the graphic with additional information, but pages will be split between nations with some increase in page count
D) Get the most information and graphic impression, but at the cost of extended page counts and file size (from the extra graphic elements).
My hope was that we could do this in the style of B. Some parts of geography could be lumped into the Known World entry, while some cultural parts could go into the Races entry. That doesn't look like its going to be feasible for some/most/all Known World entries.
So what's your impression of the matter?
-OldDawg
Oh, BTW, the two boxes in the upper right are the quick reference for the power level of the setting (basically BECM) and the style of adventure (Dungeon, Wilderness, Civilization, Planar). Scale is 0 to 5.
Also, I have a few cover possibilities... several of my own design (leftovers from my now defunct Md20 project). The best one I think, however, was really a collaberation between myself, Thorf, and Shane... but I'll clean them up and send them... first for OldDawg to pick the best (based on his vision) and the rest can be publicly voted on...
Roger
Look forward to seeing the designs. PM me or post them up when you are ready.
-OldDawg
Okay, guys sorry for the delay.
Attached to this link is a sample mock-up of some of the parts that have been submitted so far.
the material is in various states of edit, and the individual parts go into different booklets, but it gives an idea of how things shake out.
The specs are: basic font Times New Roman, 10pt, emphasis fonts Benguiat Bold 10 in line or 12 header, margins top and bottom 1", sides .5", three columns spaced .2 inches. Paragraphs justified, with a .1" first line indent. Items with a hanging indent are set at .2".
Now to the head scratching stuff. JohnBiles's Five Shires is our test case for the how things shaped out in regards to layout (hope you don't mind being a guinea pig :D ). His initial material was supplemented by the write up included from the Mystara Newbie guide, and I tried to fill in some parts that he had consciously omited out of concerns for space.
there are four versions of the Shires entry included in the sample, with variations in text
A) begins on numbered page 6 - this is the one-patch treatment without any graphic elements
B) on numbered page 7 - this is the bare bones treatment with a single graphic element (which eats up 3" of column space)
C) numbered pages 8-9 - this is a four-column treatment (which means nations share pages in the larger booklet). It uses the graphic element and 6" of additional text that can go into extra items such as specialty creatures and personalities.
D) numbered pages 10-11 - this is an incomplete 2-page treatment. It uses multiple graphic elements such as gaz covers, important maps, and notable modules.
The benefits and draw backs of each type are:
A) best information per page count, but nothing visually attention-grabbing
B) graphical feel for either the locale or its place in the world, but is a tight editing and writing constraint
C) Get the benefit of the graphic with additional information, but pages will be split between nations with some increase in page count
D) Get the most information and graphic impression, but at the cost of extended page counts and file size (from the extra graphic elements).
My hope was that we could do this in the style of B. Some parts of geography could be lumped into the Known World entry, while some cultural parts could go into the Races entry. That doesn't look like its going to be feasible for some/most/all Known World entries.
So what's your impression of the matter?
-OldDawg
Oh, BTW, the two boxes in the upper right are the quick reference for the power level of the setting (basically BECM) and the style of adventure (Dungeon, Wilderness, Civilization, Planar). Scale is 0 to 5.
My personal preference is for style D, at least in cases where we have the graphics available. Thorf's maps are some of the best fan resources on the Internet IMHO, and convey information about a country in a single glance that might take hundreds of words to explain in pure text form. I'm not too worried about the increase in file size, personally - data's cheap. (Though publishing two documents in parallel - one with full graphics, one plaintext and with a gray-hued header and footer for easy printing - might be a nice thing to offer.)
Sidenote - section authors may want to think about what images/artwork would be useful to include with text, to save editors and designers the need to hunt stuff down. I can propose cover art for module M1 to go with the Outer Planes section, and (potentially) the Gold Box cover art to go with the Ethereal/Elemental Planes writeup.
Okay, guys sorry for the delay.
Now to the head scratching stuff. JohnBiles's Five Shires is our test case for the how things shaped out in regards to layout (hope you don't mind being a guinea pig :D ). His initial material was supplemented by the write up included from the Mystara Newbie guide, and I tried to fill in some parts that he had consciously omited out of concerns for space.
Fine by me. I just want to know what to do the next time
there are four versions of the Shires entry included in the sample, with variations in text
My hope was that we could do this in the style of B. Some parts of geography could be lumped into the Known World entry, while some cultural parts could go into the Races entry. That doesn't look like its going to be feasible for some/most/all Known World entries.
So what's your impression of the matter?
-OldDawg
Oh, BTW, the two boxes in the upper right are the quick reference for the power level of the setting (basically BECM) and the style of adventure (Dungeon, Wilderness, Civilization, Planar). Scale is 0 to 5.
1) 'English countryside during the time of the Armistice': Do you mean at the time of the Armada? As the only big armistice I can think of is the one at the end of WWI and that doesn't really match the Shires.
2) I am thinking D is probably best, as having the maps would be very, very useful to people. And having more space so that descriptions don't have to be extremely trimmed down.
--Ray.
Looks really good so far. One suggestion offhand (I'll have some more comments when I have a chance to look further at it), but maybe the Acronyms (and the sources list, when I finish it) should go at the back of the book, like an Appendix?
The Sample document is a composite work. So the Acronyms (thanks for doing them by the way
) will ultimately go into the quick welcome booklet, while Eldersphinx's planes stuff will be in the cosmology booklet, and the JohnBiles's Shires will be in the World book.Go with 'D'. Of the four types that one made me think, "Wow! I want to read this!"
That seems to be the consensus. Okay, at least for the KW countries, writers have a 2-page spread, which with graphics is probably 1600-1800 words.
In addition to the categories in the sample, if there are peculiar things for the locale (like Blackflame in the shires, or circles in Glantri) add a section for them. Also add military/churches, etc. as appropriate.
If you run against the word-count, but you think something needs to go in, it's better that you write and leave it up to the editor(s) to thin it out. [But if your'e pushing three pages without graphics, yeah some preliminary editing on your behalf is called for ;) ]
1) 'English countryside during the time of the Armistice': Do you mean at the time of the Armada? As the only big armistice I can think of is the one at the end of WWI and that doesn't really match the Shires.
No, I meant the Armistice between the World Wars. Despite the masters, etc., Gaz8 -at least for me - never shook the "hobbitsy" feel, and that was England before WWII. Since you are heading up the shires, though, what would you say is the correct inspiration?
And what is your opinion on the power/adventure ratings for the shires (consider "straight-out-of-the-box" shires.)
Also, please correct, amend, or append anything to our working version "D". There is some room for personalities now, and a best direction for adventures section.
-OldDawg
No, I meant the Armistice between the World Wars. Despite the masters, etc., Gaz8 -at least for me - never shook the "hobbitsy" feel, and that was England before WWII. Since you are heading up the shires, though, what would you say is the correct inspiration?
And what is your opinion on the power/adventure ratings for the shires (consider "straight-out-of-the-box" shires.)
Also, please correct, amend, or append anything to our working version "D". There is some room for personalities now, and a best direction for adventures section.
-OldDawg
AHH! You see, as a British historian, I associate the 1918-1939 period with things like:
The Lost Generation (Poets, painters, writers who stared into the face of meaningless death in WWI and it stared back, breaking them to a greater or lesser extent)
The Grand Strike of 1926
The Collapse of the Liberal Party and Rise of the Labor Party
Women getting the right to vote
etc.
I think the term I would use is "The Myth of the English Countryside," as articulated by Tolkein. Tolkein's hobbits live in a rural England of the 17th-18th century as it existed inside Tolkein's nostalgia more than how it existed in the Armistice period. Frodo is an eighteenth century gentry man as seen through the eyes of nostalgia. Also, the pirates fit in well with 17th-18th century England rural nostalgia as it's the time of massive smuggling and piracy.
Hmm, without other examples, it's hard for me to judge the scales. My gut is to say that you have it pretty well for the BECMI scale; I might tick Civilization down one step because canonical Hin cities are mostly pretty quiet without a lot going down, except for Shireton, whereas a rating of 4 is more like what I'd give for Civilization adventures in, say, Thyatis.
The scales are so tiny you can't read them too easily, though.
I will see about writing up amendments and adding them to a later post when I don't have lectures waiting to be written, so hopefully late tonight or tomorrow.
AHH! You see, as a British historian, I associate the 1918-1939 period with things like:
The Lost Generation (Poets, painters, writers who stared into the face of meaningless death in WWI and it stared back, breaking them to a greater or lesser extent)
Yeah, I knew the Lost Generation had its State-side and Continental representatives, but never really thought about the era affecting Britain in quite the same way.
So, the Shires are more 17th-18th century, okay.
As to the power curve icons, a larger explanatory one will be giving in the intro section. I'll drop the Shires's civ rating down like you suggest.
-OldDawg
Yeah, I knew the Lost Generation had its State-side and Continental representatives, but never really thought about the era affecting Britain in quite the same way.
Tolkein, Virginia Wolfe, the Bloomsbury set and Economist Meynard Keynes were all British examples of the Lost Generation.
Britain loses 700,000 dead and 1.6 million wounded. BIG impact on the British.
(The US, by contrast, only loses 117,000 dead and around 200,000 or so wounded)
Quote:
Originally Posted by gawain_viii
Also, I have a few cover possibilities... several of my own design (leftovers from my now defunct Md20 project). The best one I think, however, was really a collaberation between myself, Thorf, and Shane... but I'll clean them up and send them... first for OldDawg to pick the best (based on his vision) and the rest can be publicly voted on...
Roger
Look forward to seeing the designs. PM me or post them up when you are ready.
-OldDawg
I can't seem to find my artwork (they must have been on my old HD) and the images I had originally posted are no longer valid--so! I will attempt to describe the different covers I had...
1-BECMI Covers (I have all 5 color variants), with Thorf's logo replacing the "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" text, the book title was in Baldur or Solemnity font--there was no room to list the author (but the descriptive text below the picture can be replaced with author name), center image was replacable, the TSR logo was replaced with the Vaults' banner.
2-Gazetteer covers, with Thorf's logo replacing the Gaz logo, text in Baldur/Solemnity, author below the title, tsr logo replaced with Vaults banner. (BG/image could be made to be interchangable, but picture selection will have to be carefully made.
3-Monstrous Compendium cover, 2e logo retained, title text was Solemnity, author was below the title. Image was interchangable... TSR logo was replaced by Vaults banner centered on the bottom.
4-3e FRCS inspired: I scanned the cover of "The Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights"--basically just plain off-white/tan flax... I "burnt" Thorf's color rendition of the Mentzer world map onto the top of the flax. Thorf's logo centered on the top, title in Baldur below it, author below that. VoP banner at the bottom. No central image (aside from the map in the b/g)
I'll try and get new samples put together if the description is not enough.
Roger
If another four weeks go by without anyone besides me, John, OldDawg and Cthulhudrew actually contributing text, though, all bets are off. :P
Jaervosz Dustyboots: Jaervosz is the Sheriff of Seashire. He leads the Shires armies and is a powerful fighter himself, noted for his skill with throwing axes. He has been Sheriff longer than anyone else.
Multhim Greybeard: Multhim is the Sheriff of Highshire. He is also in charge of the security of mines, caves, and other deep places in the shires. He is the oldest Sheriff, though not the longest serving.
Maeragh Littlelaughs: Maeragh is the Sheriff of Eastshire. She sternly acts as chief justice, fair but with little mercy. She is ruthlessly willing to do anything to protect the beauty of the Shires, no matter how many outsiders die in the process. She is an expert archer.
Delune Darkeyes: Dulane is the Sheriff of Heartshire. She keeps herself busy maintaining the roads and forests of the shire. Indeed, she's noted for getting down and dirty assisting those working in such tasks. She has many male admirers due to her beauty, but doesn't seem to be striving in that direction. Indeed, she is rather demure...at least on the surface.
Sildil Seaeyes: Sildil is the Sheriff of Southshire. Hot-tempered and brave, she has taken the Shire navy under her wing and at times leads it on raids. She is considered most likely to succeed Jaervoz as leader of the Shire military.
Add this section:
Adventures in the Five Shires
The Shires are a peaceful place for the most part, a haven from the world's worries and dangers. Only along the borders is travel dangerous, so the Shires aren't much use for wilderness adventure, except along the eastern border and the mountains (or under the mountains, where strange things like the Glaurants dwell.) However, those seeking naval adventures can find plenty if they can convince a Hin pirate gang to take them in. Or if they start their own.
Eastshire does face constant trouble from the Black Eagle Baron, a western Karameikan nobleman, who has been known to raid the Shires to the point that Rollstone Keep exists specifically to thwart him. He is a classic medieval robber baron, aided by his personal wizard, Bargle the Infamous. More detail can be found in the Karameikos section.
Dungeon and Urban adventuring, however, is more fruitful. Thousands of years of invasions and migrations have left behind a variety of underground sites delved by Orcs and Dwarves. Loktal Ironshield's treasures still await some lucky soul and the deep caverns of the Glaurants hold mysteries yet to be discovered. Shireton is the site of many intrigues as well as parties, weirdos, and strange creatures in Shireton Port.
Glantrians like to use the Shire as a source of raw materials, so while rare, Glantrian raids for experimental subjects may happen at any time, requiring the aid of adventurers.
The Empire of Thyatis
The ancient and powerful Empire of Thyatis rules over the southeasternmost tip of the continent of Brun, as well as large territories in the lands overseas. Though the mainland Empire is small – not much larger, apparently, than its neighbors – its power is great and its influence profound.
While the core of the Empire of Thyatis is on the mainland, its subjects among the Ochaleans, the Nuari people of the Pearl Islands, and the Alphatians of the Isle of Dawn do affect its traditions and culture. More information on these lands can be found on pages 47-49 of the Mystara-SN document.
History
The history of the Empire of Thyatis stretches back more than a thousand years. The mainland Thyatian territories were first settled by barbarian tribesman from the southern continent of Davania, then later conquered by the wizards of the distant Alphatian Empire. The Thyatians continued to value their heritage and their past independence, however, and during the thousandth anniversary of the Alphatian Empire staged and carried through a revolution that won them their freedom.
Thyatis has held its imperial status ever since that first struggle for freedom. Its territories in Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, claimed as possessions from the defeated Alphatians, have remained within the Empire since its inception. Other holdings once claimed by Thyatis include the islands now comprising Ierendi, part of the lands that now make up Ylaruam, and the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.
Thyatis has seen both triumphs and periods of decline in the thousand years since its inception. Much of the empire’s attention has been focused on competing with and opposing its neighbor and rival, the Empire of Alphatia; the struggle between Thyatis and Alphatia partly explains why neither nation has expanded even further, to rule over most of the world. Many of the other nations of the Known World speak the Thyatian language as their common tongue and follow many Thyatian traditions, a legacy of past rule by the Empire – and dislike the Empire itself even in the modern day, due to the way the Thyatians of the past behaved when they came as conquerors and overlords.
Culture
Thyatian culture has much to recommend it. The Thyatian people are cosmopolitan, urbane and interested in new things; they also prize efficiency in all things, and dearly love their heroes. Anyone who can help the Thyatian people improve or strengthen their empire, or delight and entertain its people, will be welcomed here. Thyatians quickly assimilate lands and peoples that they have conquered into their empire, granting new subjects all the rights and duties of citizenship. The Thyatians have learned that they must always be ready to improve themselves if they are to thrive.
Thyatis does have its downside, of course. The favor of its people is fickle, with yesterday’s heroes being quickly forgotten – if not openly scorned and vilified, should they manage to misstep. Thyatians can also be bloodthirsty and callous. They are one of the few nations remaining in the Known World to practice outright slavery, and consider the gladiatorial arenas to be a classic form of entertainment. Many of Thyatis’s gladiators are freemen, fighting willingly for the prospect of prize money and renown, but some are convicted criminals, and others are slave-warriors. Finally, Thyatians are often quite treacherous and conniving – willing to betray acquaintances, business associates and even close friends for short-term gain. When dealing with a Thyatian, it is said, it’s best to keep one hand on your sword-hilt and the other on your purse.
Locations
The imperial capital of Thyatis City is the heart of the Empire – so much so, in fact, that its residents often refer to the city itself as ‘Thyatis’ and the rest of the mainland empire not at all. It’s home to the Imperial Palace and Senate, the headquarters of the armed forces, the mansions of the wealthy, and miles upon miles of lower-class workshops and tenements.
Kerendas is the second great city of Thyatis – located on the western plains, and home to some of the best horse-tamers in the Known World. The lands of the Vyalia elven clan, along with the dwarven barony of Burohur, are also located in the western part of Thyatis.
Tel Akbir is located on the eastern coast of Thyatis. It’s unusual in being mainly populated not by native Thyatians, but by Alasiyans – relatives of the natives of the Emirates of Ylaruam, to the north. Despite their heritage, the Alasiyans of Tel Akbir consider themselves fully Thyatian. Eastern Thyatis is also home to the city of Retebius, home base for the Empire’s fleet of flying-monster cavalry.
The island county of Hattias is the largest single territory in mainland Thyatis, and also one of the poorest and least well-regarded. The Hattians are racial supremacists, considering themselves superior to every other tribe and culture within the Empire; in their ideal world, they would rule Thyatis and evict the Alasiyans, Ochaleans, Nuari, Alphatians, and all demihuman races. They are not well trusted or liked by the other inhabitants of the Empire. Other islands include the penal colony of Borydos and the wizards’ refuge of Sclaras.
Notable NPCs
Thincol I Torion is the current Emperor of Thyatis. A self-made man, Thincol was born in the town of Oceansend, in Norwold, but had become one of Thyatis City’s most beloved gladiators at the time of the Alphatian Spike Attack forty years ago. After rallying a force of gladiators and leaderless military soldiers to defeat the Alphatian attack, Thincol managed to marry the late Emperor’s only surviving daughter and crown himself Emperor. He’s ruled Thyatis ever since.
Demetrion Karagenteropolous is Thincol’s court magist and one of his principal advisors. A wizard of supreme talent, Demetrion is also – unusually enough for Thyatis – a fundamentally honest man who tries his best to quietly thwart the more self-serving and ignoble plots emerging from the snakepit of the Thyatian court. He often disguises himself magically and hires unattached adventurers to achieve his ends, as his position and title require him to be circumspect in such matters. Still, he considers his work to involve more good than harm.
Anaxibius is the foremost gladiator of the Thyatian Empire – for today, at least. In addition to being an exceptional fighter, Anaxibius also maintains an air of chivalry, honor and heroism that makes the mob adore him and results in huge purses whenever he wins a match. Anaxibius’s lifestyle off the arena sands is no less hectic – in addition to conducting a torrid affair with Emperor Thincol’s oldest daughter Stefania (an accomplished warrior in her own right), he is presently working to (illicitly) bribe the Thyatian Senate into making him heir to the western Duchy of Machetos.
Adventure Hooks
Thyatis is a good place to run urban-oriented adventures, as well as adventures in which political double-dealing, deception and treachery play a major theme. The many cultures and powerful individuals present in Thyatis mean that it’s often difficult to know who to trust.
(Proposed ratings - B3 X5 C4 M5; D3 W1 U5 P3. The high power-level of Thyatis makes justifying low-level starting adventures somewhat difficult - though not impossible - to justify. Thyatian efficiency also limits the number of traditional monster-infested dungeons and unexplored wilderness locations... but makes urban adventures a snap.)
References
Dawn of the Emperors boxed set
DDA 1 Empire of Thyatis and DDA2 Legions of Thyatis modules
The Kingdom of Alfheim
Within the depths of the Canolbarth Forest lies the land of Alfheim, the heart of elven culture on Mystara. For almost two millennia the elves have dwelled in this mysterious and wonderous forest, ever deepening and strengthening their subtle magics and defending their lands from those who would corrupt and twist it.
History of the Elves
The elves are one of the oldest races dwelling upon Mystara. Their history stretches back more than five thousand years, to a time when the very shape of the planet was different. A disaster caused by the technological experimenting of the humans of Blackmoor caused the axis of Mystara to shift, changing climates drastically and placing the elven homelands near the planet’s South Pole. Only a small number of elves survived, under the leadership of Ilsundal the Wise.
The followers of Ilsundal founded a new homeland, called the Sylvan Realm, on the northwestern coast of the continent of Brun. The Sylvan Realm prospered for more than a thousand years, but eventually came into conflict with hostile humans living in the surrounding lands. Another elven leader, Mealiden Red Arrow, led the people of the Sylvan Realm on another migration to the south and east, to the barren steppes that today make up Alfheim.
In order to make their new homeland suit their needs, the wizards of Alfheim began weaving powerful magics to shape the very weather itself and encourage the growth of a deep forest. The very existence of the Canolbarth is a result of elven spellcraft; without continued work, the rains that keep the forest alive would dry up, and the trees would wither and die.
Elves have lived and prospered within Alfheim for the last eighteen hundred years. Some past struggles have occurred with the humans of the neighboring lands of Darokin – once rivals, now steadfast allies – with orcs and other malicious humanoids, and with the enigmatic, covetous shadow elves, but all have been overcome. At present, the future of Alfheim looks bright.
The Elven Clans
Seven great elven clans, and many smaller ones, dwell within the lands of Alfheim. The largest and best-known clans include the Chossum, expert merchants and negotiators; the Eryndyls, crafters, artists and shapers of beautiful things; the Feadiels, recent escapees from the Sylvan Realm who maintain elven tradition and study history and the ancestral magic of the elves; the Grunalfs, foresters and lovers of woodlore who do much to maintain the growth of the Canolbarth; the Long Runners, devotees of magic in all its forms; the Mealidels, who appreciate music, literature, and all expressions of culture and learning; and the Red Arrows, who are the most martially-inclined elves of Alfheim and make up the core of its army.
Culture
The lives of the elves of Alfheim center around their forest. They seek to both nurture and emulate it, living for the moment and prizing the simple joys to be found in each new day. The vast majority of elves are not ambitious, curious about the outside world, or intent on achieving any great power or making their mark on the world. They merely seek to exist, timelessly, in the same way as the trees around them.
A few elves do choose to wander in the outside world, learning about humans and other races and testing their skills in combat and magic. These elves, though often honored by their kindred for their daring and heroism, are also disdained and misunderstood. Successful wanderers often become leaders within their clans, due to being among the few who can successfully deal with humans and the wider world. In spite of this capability, though, they are rarely trusted or understood.
Elven Magic
The elves of Alfheim have many forms of magic unknown to those outside the forests. Some of these take the form of spells and studies that any mage could potentially learn. More fundamental, though, are the Trees of Life – living artifacts with many powerful uses. Each of the major elven clans has just one Tree, and its Treekeeper is one of the most respected clan leaders, with centuries of training and experience.
A Tree of Life can both invoke powerful spells in its own right – curing illness and injury, or driving off the undead – or be used to craft magical items. These include both magical weaponry and elven cloaks, and also elven lightships – long, thin boats that hold ten passengers each, and are able to fly in sunlight.
Locations
The largest settlement and most common meeting-place within the elven homeland is Alfheim Town, home to about 15,000 people and mostly non-elven. Alfheim Town is not a center of government or a holding of any elven clan; instead, it exists as a place where humans and other foreigners can come to visit and do business with Alfheimers without disturbing the rest of the forest. While not directly focused on elven affairs, Alfheim Town is still a useful place to make inquiries or find needed expertise or craftwork.
Most elven clans maintain a clanhold, a mostly-permanent settlement that serves as the hub of clan culture. These clanholds never have more than a couple of thousand residents.
Twelve magic points also exist at places deep within the Canolbarth. These strange places can often amplify or reshape magical spells cast within, generally in unpredictable ways; elven mages have long tried to understand what causes these magical warpings, but to no avail. Most of the magic points are reasonably beneficial or benign; at least three are known to be highly dangerous, however, summoning monsters or corrupting those nearby.
Elves Outside Alfheim
Other elven clans exist outside the kingdom of Alfheim. These elves often share some secrets of elven magic, such as use of the Trees of Life, but otherwise are independent of Alfheim rule.
The Callarai clan of Karameikos and the Vyalia clan of western Thyatis are very similar to the elves of Alfheim. They likely possess at least one Tree of Life, and often cooperate with their Alfheimer brethren.
The magocracy of Glantri is home to two elven clans. One, the elves of Erewan, are a recent offshoot of the Erendyls of Alfheim and maintain close relations, though they jealously guard their independence. The other clan, the Belcadiz elves, are unrelated to the elves of Alfheim.
Two elf clans can also be found in the islands of Minrothad. The Verdier elves are forest-dwellers, but not closely tied to Alfheim; they follow a different magical tradition. The second clan of Minrothad, the Meditor, are sea-dwelling elves even more distant from Alfheim.
Elven clans also exist in the kingdom of Wendar, north of Glantri, and in the distant lands of Norwold.
Notable NPCs
King Doriath is the current monarch of the kingdom of Alfheim. A stern and solemn ruler, Doriath is a former adventurer who spent several centuries in the lands outside Alfheim before taking the throne. He can relate quite well with other adventurers and risk-takers, and often calls upon such to undertake special missions for the good of Alfheim.
Arloen Treehands acts as the senior representative of the rulers of Alfheim within Alfheim Town. He is gracious, charismatic and lofty, but well aware of his true loyalties. Outsiders coming to Alfheim will have to convince him of the justice of their cause before being able to contact Clanmasters or other elves dwelling deeper within the forest.
Gilfronden is an old colleague of Doriath, a notable warrior and the current General of the army of Alfheim. Though the post is mostly ceremonial, Gilfronden is still greatly respected and has significant influence among the warriors of the nation.
Urgath the Quiet is one of a few hundred ‘reformed’ orcs dwelling within Alfheim Town. He and his fellows serve as laborers and porters, and are quite civilized and respectable folk. Urgath often discreetly reports on plots by other orcs to invade the elven woods.
Adventure Hooks
Alfheim is a good place to run wilderness adventures and plots that deal with strange magic or monsters. While the forest depths are generally safe enough, it’s always possible for an unexpected enemy or miscast spell to cause problems for the elves.
(Proposed ratings - B3 X4 C4 M2; D2 W5 U1 P4. Alfheim is a great place to visit for wilderness adventures, or the occasional mix-up with a Bad Magic Point or similar mishap that sucks the party into Whoknowswhere. Other adventures are somewhat limited, though, especially by the need to 'graft' a cleric or thief onto a mostly-elven party for solid long-term play.)
References
GAZ5 Elves of Alfheim
D&D Rules Cyclopedia
CM7 The Tree of Life module
The Minrothad Guilds
The people of the Minrothad Guilds are seafarers, explorers, and merchant traders par excellence. Theirs is a nation full of seeming contradictions – a populace separated into strict social classes, yet one where the ambitious and successful can rise to the ruling classes on sheer merit; a land home to beings of many different races and heritages, yet very wary of outsiders of any stripe. It’s perhaps best to accept the Minrothad Guilds as simply not quite like anyplace else.
People of the Guilds
The dominant race of Minrothad are the water elves – seafarers and explorers who are considered strange and unsettling by the elves of other lands. Many of the ship captains, merchant-princes and weather wizards of the Guild are water elves.
Humans, dwarves, halflings, and wood elves also reside in the Guilds. Humans and halflings are more often involved in barter and trade of goods, wood elves and dwarves in fine craftwork for others to sell, but all aspects of the merchant’s life have their representatives among the races of the Minrothad islands.
The ‘guilds’ that govern Minrothadder life include not only professionally-oriented organizations, but also the five ‘family’ guilds. While each of these five guilds focuses on a single area of craftwork, they all have very broad membership, interests and influence. The leaders of the family guilds have all the authority, prestige and ambition of any high noble of neighboring lands.
History
The islands of Minrothad have been settled by humans and elves for thousands of years. Up until about seven hundred years ago, the inhabitants of each island lived mostly unaware of one another; once this changed, though, the modern history of Minrothad began. Traders and seafarers began cooperating with one another, building larger ships that could travel to distant lands and carry heavier cargoes on their voyages. Goods of all kinds found their way into these ships – including, notably and regrettably, halfling slaves.
The overseas trading expeditions also resulted in vampires and lycanthropes making their way to the Minrothad isles. They spread like a plague among the populace, and quickly became a great enough threat to evoke an all-out response – the Silver Purge, a war to the knife between uninfected settlers on one hand and nightgoing monsters on the other. The humans and elves won, but at a terrible cost in blood; to this day, Minrothadders are wary of outsiders and the hidden curses they may carry.
The Silver Purge did destabilize Minrothad to the point where the halfling slave population was able to stage a successful revolt, and emigrate to the lightly-settled Open Isle. They reside there to this day. Other ports and cities – most notably the elven settlement of Verdon and the great city of Minrothad – were also founded in the wake of the Silver Purge, as the survivors of the struggle sought to rebuild their lives.
Over the next few centuries, this need for mutual defense and support grew, and Minrothad became not just an alliance of traders but a unified nation, governed by its guilds. Dwarven refugees fleeing the wizard-princes of Glantri were welcomed to the isles, but few other immigrants were; in fact, an Isolation Act barring most foreigners from the isles was made law only a century ago, and has only recently been rescinded. Today, Minrothad is still a strange and somewhat mysterious land, with many opportunities for the brave and adventurous but many dangers as well.
Trade and Government
The Minrothad Guilds were built on the strength of their sea-trade. From as far west as the distant Savage Coast to as far east as the Empire of Alphatia, Minrothadder ships take on cargoes and sell their wares. The merchants of Minrothad will deal in almost any type of good – nothing is too common or exotic for them to take an interest in. In addition, the ships of Minrothad are always available to transship another merchant’s goods from port to port, acting as a go-between – for, of course, a reasonable fee.
In Minrothad, government is quite literally a business – run by the guildmasters and merchant-princes to better their trade and increase their profits. Most of the titles and positions of government service are associated with various guilds – the head of state, Oran Meditor, is the ‘ruling guildmaster’ of Minrothad, and the nation’s army is a branch of the Mercenary Guild. Most functions of government are contracted out to one guild or another, which provides the service to the populace in exchange for tax revenues.
As one might guess, factions and intrigue are prevalent in Minrothad’s government. Guilds scheme against one another to gain contracts for different government services (and the revenues that come with them) as well as seeking to gain more control over the guildmaster and his powers of government appointment. Oran Meditor is the first ruling guildmaster in a long while to be a truly independent ruler over the Minrothad isles – a situation that many of his colleagues hope to change…
Locations
The capital city of Minrothad (population 25,000) is located several miles inland on Trader’s Isle, the largest island in the Minrothad Guilds. The city is built on a small volcanic island in the middle of the Lithwillow River; a large underground harbor lies below the city streets, accessible by the largest ships. Minrothad is both a city of crafters and a center of trade, and almost impregnable to conventional attack in times of war.
Seahome is the second-largest city in the Guilds, being home to nearly 20,000 water elves. At first glance, it seems like a small and rural place, merely a collection of gracefully-built mansions and fortresses rather than a city. This is deceptive, though, as the majority of the city is underwater or within cave-grottoes worn from the seaside cliffs around which the city has been built. Seahome is a wealthy and prosperous city, maintaining its own navy for defense and home to many powerful water-elf wizards and magical relics.
The dwarven city of Stronghold (pop. 10,000) on Fortress Island is aptly named; its city fathers have ringed it around with traps and defenses that are likely to maul any enemy that attempts to approach. Siege engines, avalanche-traps and other weaponry line the sides of the narrow bay that connects Stronghold to the sea. While these devices have never been needed, their mere presence emphasizes the locals’ commitment to their security. Stronghold's population is mostly dwarves, but also includes humans and water-elves who deal with harbor matters.
Notable NPCs
Oran Meditor is the current ruler of the Minrothad Guilds, and is a sharply intelligent, insightful and forceful water elf. He seeks to reform the Guilds and lessen the ability of other guild masters to put their own interests ahead of that of the nation. Oran’s reform attempts have made him the target of several past assassination attempts. He is currently trying to recruit capable and discreet agents from foreign lands to counter his enemies.
Rewen Verdier is a leader of the wood elf clans, and the keeper of their most powerful relic – an item called the Carven Oak. The Carven Oak is a powerful artifact, able to grant wishes and other powers to its user, but is also dangerous to use. Rewen currently is plotting to find a way to use the Oak’s power safely, so that he can dominate the Guilds.
Saroso Elsan is a successful sea-captain and merchant-prince, who journeys across much of southeastern Brun conducting trade and adventuring. He is a powerful weather-wizard, with access to many spells unknown outside Minrothad, and is a strong supporter of Oran Meditor. Saroso may try to recruit adventurers into the guild master’s service, or his own.
A former leader of the Mercenary Guild, Marden Bailey is also secretly a devil swine lycanthrope. He is currently being blackmailed by ambitious members of the Verdier elf clan into serving their interests. He acts to spread lycanthropy in the capital, and conducts assassination attacks on suitable targets.
Adventure Hooks
The Minrothad Guilds allow for both swashbuckling adventures upon the high seas, and for adventures dealing with subtle intrigue and political machinations. Minrothad can also serve as a jumping-off point for voyages of trading and exploration to distant lands.
References
GAZ7 The Minrothad Guilds
X7 War Rafts of Kron and
X8 Drums on Fire Mountain modules
The Kingdom of Rockhome
The land of Rockhome is the dwarven homeland on Mystara. A landlocked kingdom of high, craggy mountaintops, sheer-sided valleys and icemelt lakes, Rockhome is a beautiful if stern land, well-appreciated by the dwarves that call it home. In addition to its surface beauty, the mountains of Rockhome also feature many subterranean caverns and veins of precious minerals.
History
The first dwarves were created by the Immortal craftsman, Kagyar the Artisan, to embody the qualities of his ideal race. Strong-willed, robust, possessed of a keen artisan’s eye and the fire to see a project through, the dwarves were made to embody Kagyar’s desires and granted the mountains of Rockhome as their patrimony. Though other colonies of dwarves have settled elsewhere in Mystara in the centuries since, Rockhome remains their first and greatest home.
The first king of the dwarves was called Denwarf – a powerful, clever, patient, and tireless dwarf who steadily guided the dwarves out of their infancy as a race and solidified their hold over the Rockhome mountains. After four centuries of rulership, the unaging Denwarf named his successor, set off to explore caverns and passages deep below the mountains, and was never seen again – though he may yet return in a time of need…
With the strength of Rockhome established, the dwarves began to spread out into the rest of the world, establishing colonies and trade links with their neighbors. Dwarves with kin in Rockhome can be found today in the lands of Thyatis, Karameikos, the islands of Minrothad and the distant lands of Alphatia, among other places. The nations of Ylaruam and Darokin, though they don’t have sizeable dwarven populations, also appreciate dwarven trade and maintain strong ties with Rockhome.
The dwarves aren’t friends with everyone, however. They have an almost instinctive distrust of the elves of Alfheim, born from the two races’ very different values and ways of looking at the world; elves and dwarves are not enemies by any means, but do often harass and belittle one another. A worse enmity exists between Rockhome and the wizards of Glantri. Dwarven attempts in the past to mine the Glantrian mountains have been rebuffed in the past, with the dwarves being captured and used as experimental subjects to examine their inborn resistance to magic. The memory of these deeds has been recorded forever as the “Years of Infamy”, and continues to exist as a rallying cry by the dwarves against the wizards of Glantri.
Locations
Several dwarven cities have been founded in the mountains and around the lakes that form the center of Rockhome. These cities are uniquely, obviously dwarven – built as much below ground as above it, and on a common, standardized plan in which each block varies little from the one nearby.
Chief among the cities of Rockhome is the capital of Dengar. It’s home to 55,000 residents, a couple thousand of whom are human specialists, and fully a third of its expanse is aboveground, on the slopes of the mountain below which can be found the rest of the city. In addition to the king’s palace and the council hall of the dwarven Senate, Dengar also has many craftshops and warehouses, and several active mines. Strongholds for several of the dwarven clans can also be found in this city. Each clan stronghold includes a Forge of Power, a dwarven relic able to help create magical weapons and other items of power, as well as the dwarven rockboats.
Other major cities in Rockhome include Stahl and Smaggeft. Stahl is a trade and agricultural seat in addition to a center of industry, while Smaggeft is a sooty, smoky place full of smithies, metal refineries and engineers’ workshops.
The ruins of Jhyrrad lie in the unsettled mountains of western Rockhome. It has been abandoned for more than a thousand years, ever since its population inexplicably vanished in the middle of a season. Explorers found blood and other signs of battle, but no bodies or signs of invasion from outside, and the area has remained abandoned since then as unlucky and possibly haunted. The lack of any good mining prospects in the surrounding mountains help contribute to this, but the empty mine shafts and abandoned buildings also provide many places in which monsters can lair.
The Dwarven Clans
Seven major clans exist among the Rockhome dwarves. Most notable, perhaps, are the Everast clan, managers, diplomats and administrators who have taken it upon themselves to run the nation of Rockhome in the most efficient and effective way possible. The Everasts make up a majority of the nobility of Rockhome, and are the clan of the current dynasty. Fairly closely tied to the Everast clan are the Buhrodar clan, led by clerics and the philosophically-inclined, and the Torkrests, strong warriors who make up a large proportion of the officer corps of Rockhome’s standing army.
The Skarrad and Syrklist clans make up much of the ‘middle-class’ of the kingdom of Rockhome. The Syrklists are miners, traders and craftsmen – wealthy and successful, but not interested in political power or high stature for its own sake. The Skarrads, meanwhile, are engineers, scientists and inventors, forever seeking new ways to approach craftwork, architecture and defense. While they are viewed as somewhat eccentric by other dwarves, their inventiveness and industry can’t be denied, and many Skarrad creations have improved the lives of Rockhome dwarves as a whole.
The last two clans exist on the fringes of Rockhome society. The Hurwarfs are there by choice – they are isolationists, believing that Rockhome should be shut away from the outside world and allowed to prosper on its own merits. Despite their suspicion of nondwarves, the Hurwarfs are tolerated by their fellows for their mining and engineering skills. The Wyrwarfs, by contrast, have banded together out of need. They are descendants of criminals and outcasts, and hold their position mostly by working as farmers for the other dwarves of Rockhome. While the need to grow food is seen as a distasteful necessity by dwarvenkind, the Wyrwarfs have become as efficient at it as any normal dwarven task, and maintain their niche in Rockhome society with a simple, unspoken threat – “Treat us fairly or go hungry”. So far, this position has worked.
Notable NPCs
King Everast XV is the present ruler of Rockhome, a capable monarch who is well-suited to statecraft and politics. His approach to potential trouble or disturbances is often to squelch it with the minimum of risk to the people and prosperity of Rockhome; he thus often seeks to dispatch younger dwarves, or non-dwarven adventurers, to deal with potential threats so that the lives of valued craftsmen and elders are not endangered.
Thoric Redhand is a scion of the Budrohar clan, and an accomplished dwarf-cleric and scholar. He presently serves as the Minister of Histories in King Everast’s court, and may offer advice or counsel to visitors needing aid. He is gregarious and outgoing by dwarven standards, easily making friends with others who share his standards of intelligence, honor and courage.
Morur Blackheart is an engineer and traps-crafter. He also secretly runs the Underside, a crew of dwarven and human criminals and psychopaths that prey on the population of the city of Dengar. While Morur’s little gang is neither as large nor as focused as thieves’ guilds or criminal enterprises in human cities, they’re still a problem to be dealt with by adventurers with the time and will to do so.
Irena Piotrev is a mage originally from the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, who has recently finished her apprenticeship and come to Rockhome as a wizard-for-hire. Her youth, insecurity in her abilities, and shyness are taken as a quite proper modesty and reserve by the dwarves, and she’s thus quite well-regarded in Rockhome.
Adventure Hooks
Rockhome allows for both dungeon-crawling adventures and exploration of the mountain peaks and unsettled wilderness on the frontiers of Rockhome. Orcs, giants, and many other creatures that consider dwarves to be enemies might seek to invade Rockhome, and need to be fought off with adventurers at the forefront.
References
GAZ6 The Dwarves of Rockhome
D&D Rules Cyclopedia
I'm the only one who still pays this topic any attention, aren't I? Is anyone else interested in seeing this happen? Anyone?
I'm here, but I'm also basically Mr. Sick Man in RL right now.
I'm here, but I'm also basically Mr. Sick Man in RL right now.
I'm keeping an eye on this thread as well. It's useful for fleshing out my campaign. Once the stuff has been captured onto Pandius, I'm gonna paraphrase some of it onto my site for my players.
I'm the only one who still pays this topic any attention, aren't I? Is anyone else interested in seeing this happen? Anyone?
I certainly want to see this happen. Writing isn't that intuitive to me so it would take me ages to come up with one of these articles (but if I had ages to spend I would). At this point all I can do is encourage you guys that are working on it. (To make matters worst, I do 90%+ of my postings here from the office...
)thank you for taking up the slack. You've done a great job, and everyone else who has helped, too.
Just as soon as I finish the Oceansend gaz in the next two weeks, I'll get to editing the SN booklets.
-OldDawg
The only problem I see is that you are raising the bar so much by your excellent work that I'm worried about joining in now that you have set such high standards... ;)
One small comment:
The Callarai clan of Karameikos and the Vyalia clan of western Thyatis are very similar to the elves of Alfheim. They likely possess at least one Tree of Life, and often cooperate with their Alfheimer brethren.
Not sure if it is worth mentioning, but I would have included something about how the Callarii are in fact directly related to the Alfheim elves, while the Vyalia most likely are related to the Verdier and the Wendar elves...
Havard
Not sure if it is worth mentioning, but I would have included something about how the Callarii are in fact directly related to the Alfheim elves, while the Vyalia most likely are related to the Verdier and the Wendar elves...
This is mostly correct. We have published references to confirm that, during the Exodus from the Sylvan Realm, the Callarii tribe wound up in Traladara instead of the steppes of what is now Alfheim, and that they do indeed have their own Tree sapling. We do not have similar solid references for the Vyalia clan. That is not to say they don't have a similar connection--but the lack of evidence makes me assume they have a different relation (Verider or Geffronell).
However, eldersphinx said they are "similar" and are "likely" to have a tree of life... he never said they were related... IMO, keeping that vague is probably the best thing he could have done, as far as canon continuity goes.
Roger
P.S. My Karameikos and Noreach writeups are on the way, but slowly.. life and work are bogging me down a little.
We do not have similar solid references for the Vyalia clan. That is not to say they don't have a similar connection--but the lack of evidence makes me assume they have a different relation (Verider or Geffronell).
I don't have it in front of me at the moment, but the Alfheim gaz tried to account for all of the "equal to Ilsundal's original" trees of life. Both the Callarii and Vyalia had an original non-daughter copy (like all but Feadiel in Alfheim), which means the group had to have been part of the Mealiden exodus group.
DoE was explicit that each of the sub-clans of the Vyalia also had a ToL, presumably the original clan tree and her daughters.
-OldDawg
Also, I apologize for taking so long to get this in... I blame work! Regardless, enjoy, and edit to your whims!
Roger
The Grand Duchy of Karameikos
“If all the world’s a stage and the men and women are merely players then, by Halav, I’m going to be the damned director!”
–Anton Radu, leader of the Veiled Society
Inspiration: Medieval Balkans; post-classical Greece; Roman Republic.
Ruler: Duke Stefan Karameikos III
This part of the continent is a wild and unsettled land claimed by Duke Stephan Karameikos III. In reality, little of the land is under the duke’s control. Large areas are overrun by monsters and hostile humanoids.
This nation consists of roughly 300,000 humans (30% Thyatian, 70% Traladaran) and 15,000 demi-humans. It is difficult to dertermine the actual populations of this land as the elves are difficult to count and the Traladarans don’t willfully participate in the census. In addition scores of giants and an untold count of humanoid monsters can be found spread throughout the Karameikian wilderness.
The Land
Karameikos is a deep, dark land, still mostly wilderness although it has been occupied by man throughout recorded history. Karameikos sits on the south shore of the continent of Brun, west of Thyatis and east of the Five Shires; to the north, broad mountain ranges separate the nation from Darokin and Ylaruam.
Most of Karameikos is covered with thick forests, hardwoods and softwoods, and is largely unexplored. There are broad patches of rich soil, especially beside the broad Highreach River, so farming is good here.
The capital city of Specularum is a thriving and very active sea-port with around 50,000 inhabitants; other notable sites are the city of Kelvin and the town of Threshold, in the northern hill country, a haven for adventurers surrounded by wilderness inhabited by humanoids.
History
In ancient times the land of Traldar was home to a heroic civilization of barbarian-like people. Mysteriously, the Traldar evolved into a Bronze Age civilization almost overnight for unknown reasons About two thousand years ago, the Traldar people were attacked by a massive army of ‘beast-men.’ The war raged for years and spawned countless legends (chief among them the stories of Halav, Petra, and Zirchev, the later patron Immortals of Traladara); but eventually, the gnolls were driven out, leaving the glory of the Traldar heroes in ruins. The people, now calling themselves the Traladarans, then founded a nation of loosely-allied, small communities in the deep woods.
About a century ago, the Thyatians, on one of their periodic conquest sweeps, moved an army into Traladara, conquering the coastal regions and some inland communities and declaring the nation to be a protectorate of Thyatis.
Some thirty years ago, a Thyatian noble named Stefan Karameikos, III traded his vast family fortune and homeland, the Duchy of Machetos, to Emperor Thincol I for clear, autonomous title to Traladara. He moved in with his own army and followers, taking over where Thyatian governors had ruled, and began an aggressive program of road-building and fortification. Karameikos then named the old land of Traladara after himself and brought Thyatian settlers to the land. Since then, Karameikos’ throne has been somewhat unsteady, but Duke Stefan has held it.
The People
There are several distinct cultures present in Karameikos. The Traladarans, a pale, dark-haired people, have lived here for thousands of years. Energetic, romantic, artistic, and superstitious, they are descendants of the Traldar.
They are ruled by a conquering class of Thyatians brought here about thirty years ago by Duke Stefan. The Thyatians are pragmatic and self-centered, with the conquering instincts of a warrior culture. The two elements tend to dislike one another greatly.
There are also two elven clans here: the vigorous Callarii in the central and eastern woods and the mysterious Vyalia in the northern parts of the eastern forests.
In the north is the gnomish community of Highforge, which is shared with a single clan of dwarves, Stronghollow.
There are many frictions between the Thyatians and Traladarans, but increasingly they are coming to think of themselves as a single nation. Despite the exploitative nature of many Thyatian nobles, who see the Traladarans as a work resource to be used for maximum profit, Stefan has enforced many laws to ensure Traladaran equality.
Government & Religion
Karameikos is formally a Grand Duchy for political reasons, but is effectively a kingdom. Stefan Karameikos, the ruler (and effectively king), chose to be only (Grand) Duke instead of King as a political signal to other nations that his nation had retained its ties to the Thyatian Empire, and that to invade Karameikos would therefore be to invade Thyatis. The nation also has several semi-autonomous baronies.
In the western part of Karameikos, on the Gulf of Halag facing the Five Shires, is one of several semi-autonomous baronies: the Black Eagle Barony. This area is ruled by Duke Stefan's black sheep cousin, Baron Ludwig von Hendriks. Von Hendriks’ minions have raided into Karameikos, Darokin, Ierendi, Minrothad, and especially the Five Shires, wherever they could slaughter and rob for the greatest profit. Nominally protected by Duke Stefan’s inability to believe such horrid stories of one of his own relatives, Baron Ludwig acts with impunity in this part of the world.
The patron Immortals of the Traladarans are Zirchev, Petra and Halav, the heroic leaders of the Traldar war against the ‘beast-men.’ They are worshipped under the auspices of the Church of Traladara.
Thyatians for the most follow the Church of Karameikos, founded by Thyatian priests about thirty years ago.
Influential Organizations
Church of Karameikos: This church is the dominant faith of the Thyatians. Similar to, but separate from, the Church of Thyatis, this church is led by Patriarch Oliver Jowett and his rival Alfric Orderby.
Order of the Gryphon: This is the militant arm of the Church of Karameikos.
Church of Traladara: This is the faith of the native populace. It is very much hero-worship, in that the Traldar heroes Halav, Petra, and Zirchev are venerated as Immortals. The church is led by Aleksyev Nikelnivech.
Cult of Halav: This is a minor faith amongst Traladarans. Cultists believe that the Immortals have resurrected their hero-king Halav in the form of Duke Stefan to lead the Traladaran people back to their former greatness. Many look upon the cultists, especially their leader Sergyev, as insane.
Traladaran Families: The Radu, Torenescu, and Vorloi clans, three vastly influential families, are all heads of merchant guilds, each vying for greater power.
Kingdom of Thieves:Thieves’ Guild and fence organization led by the mysterious King of Thieves, ‘Flameflicker’ out of Specularum. They deal mostly in elaborate and expensive burglaries, but earn more than their fair share of credit for the crimes committed.
Veiled Society: An organized crime syndicate that terrorizes officials and businesses alike all across Karameikos.
Iron Ring: This fierce organization of thugs operates mostly out of the Black Eagle Barony. Their focus is primarily illegal slave trade.
Settlements
Specularum: The capital city of Karameikos has a population of roughly 50,000. It features a great deep-water bay through which much shipping moves, the well-defended royal palace of the Karameikos family, a foreign quarter, a dangerous slum called “The Nest”, several merchant districts, the walled-off Duke’s Park, and much more.
Black Eagle Barony: This area of the Duchy has been given to Baron Ludwig ‘Black Eagle’ von Hendriks. The central town is Fort Doom, a forbidding structure whose dungeons are rumored to be filled with those who have displeased the Baron, an extremely cruel and unpopular man. The Baron may have connections with evil slavers and mercenaries. He keeps a garrison of 200 troops, using them freely to stifle dissent and crush attackers. Fort Doom has a population of 10,000.
Luln: This village is populated by those who have fled the Black Eagle Barony, merchants who have come to trade with the Baron, and some non-humans who have left the wilderness. Luln is near to the Haunted Keep of the Koriszegy family and the surrounding land. This town of 5,000 is rather lawless and poorly defended, relying on the good will and forces of both the Baron and the Duke for its defense.
Threshold: This northern city is a thriving frontier village of 5,000 permanent residents plus over 1,000 other regular visitors. It is a logging and farming community surrounded by untamed wilderness. The main business of Threshold is to supply timber to the Capital. Threshold is ruled by Baron Halaran (also known as Patriarch Sherlane, a priest of the Church of Karameikos).
Foreign Relations
The Grand Duchy is formally neutral to all of its trading partners, and only nominally allied with the Empire. However, the efforts of the Black Eagle have strained relations between Karameikos and the Shires.
Economy
Karameikos’ economy is primarily based on the trading of furs and lumber gathered from the local communities, as well as fish harvested from the major seaports.
Taxes are assessed to the population’s income at 25% quarterly as well as a 5% sales tax on all goods. Typically there is also a 10% exchange rate on coin.
Karameikos does accept coin from all of their trading partners, however only gold royals, silver cronas, and copper kopecs are minted within the country’s borders.
Personalities
Duke Stefan Karameikos III: blah
Baron Ludwig von Hendriks: blah
Bargle the Infamous: blah
Baron Desmond Kelvin II: blah
Baron Sherlane Halaran: blah
Aleena Halaran: blah
Lord Oliver Jowett: blah
Alfric Orderby: blah
Aleksyev Nikelnevich: blah
Servgev: blah
Anton Radu: blah
Flameflicker: blah
Retameron: blah
Lady Halia: blah
Adventuring Opportunities
Blah blah blah.
1562 words. 1-5/6 pages without graphics. I've tried to cut it down, but there's just so much information. Not to mention that this is my favorite nation, so I'm biased and think everything is important. This means, that there is need for serious editing... and I couldnt even fit the personalities and adventure oportunities...
Also, I apologize for taking so long to get this in... I blame work! Regardless, enjoy, and edit to your whims!
Roger
I'm glad to see this! Getting more input on all the articles is absolutely a good thing.
As far as length is concerned, I can offer two suggestions. First, only say something once - the nastiness of the Black Eagle Barony gets referenced in 'Government & Religion', 'Settlements' and 'Foreign Relations', and probably would get touched on in 'Personalities' if that section existed. ;) Rather than revisiting the same point over and over, figure out what you want to say as a single brief paragraph, drop it into place in your writeup, and move on.
Second, don't talk about everything. These articles are introductory only - they're meant to get the reader interested in the setting, not provide encyclopedic detail. If a place, person or detail isn't important or exciting, leave it out. Even if it is, consider just dropping a name or phrase that'll make the reader curious, and then move on. (To toot my own horn in this instance, Retebius and Sclaras get about one sentence each in the Thyatis writeup, calling out the one thing in each case that's likely to attract adventurers. Kantridus and Actius, which are not as exciting, don't get any attention at all.) In this vein, remember that a Thorf map will provide a whole mess of geographical and location info - so feel free to skimp on the words for that section.
I'd say that the Karameikos article you've established here could be fairly cleanly broken down into 250-300 words on Introduction and History, 300-400 words on People, Government and Influential Organizations, 200-250 words on Settlements, and 300-400 words on a few key NPC Personalities - picking just four or five interesting names for the last part, rather than talking about everyone. Remember, this doesn't have to be a comprehensive guide to Karameikos - just interesting enough to get the audience to pick up GAZ1. :D
Hope this helps!
The Kingdom of Sind
The Kingdom of Sind lies in the harsh lands west of the Republic of Darokin and the Principalities of Glantri. Though it has been a civilized kingdom for hundreds of years, it still is somewhat alien from its neighbors, strange and mysterious.
The lands that make up the kingdom of Sind are stark and unforgiving. Though they possess a harsh beauty, they are also mostly infertile and difficult to farm – steppe and scrubland, rugged mountain terrain, or outright desert. Only the valleys surrounding the salty and silt-ridden Asanda River, along with a few other fertile patches of land, are suitable for farming. It’s within these areas that the major cities and towns of Sind have been founded.
Though Sind has been populated for thousands of years, it has been a unified kingdom for only a few centuries. Wars with orcish tribes dwelling to the east of Sind, decadence introduced by shapeshifting monsters, and internal strife and civil war kept the Sindhi people weak and divided for much of their history, as well as creating an elaborate system of caste and title designed to subordinate some Sindhi to others.
About three centuries ago, though, the first Maharajah of all Sind – a noble named Narendra ul Nervi – united the many city-states in and surrounding the Asanda river valley into a single kingdom. Though the resulting nation was not truly unified, with many of the subordinate rulers of its cities guarding their own privileges and Narendra’s successors sometimes finding their throne usurped by individuals who then claimed to be illegitimate descendants of the first Maharajah, Sind has remained intact and prosperous in the centuries since.
Sind’s culture and customs are shaped by its caste system. Five castes exist within the nation. Three of these are small and select, with the privileges and powers accorded to nobility in other nations. The other two castes are less favored, and must handle such tasks as farming, craftsmanship and servitude for their betters.
Several cities exist in the kingdom of Sind. Sayr Ulan (pop. 30,000) is the capital of the kingdom and the home of the ul Nervi family; it lies in the middle of an otherwise inhospitable desert, its croplands watered with clerical prayers. Jahore (pop. 18,000) is Sind’s major port city, often visited by traders from the east. An attempt by the nearby magocracy of Jaibul to introduce a slow poison into the city’s water supply was only recently foiled by the Alphatian prince, Haldemar of Haaken. Karakandar (pop. 10,000) is in the north, on the shores of Lake Hast. It is a center of mining efforts, as well as some trade with Glantri.
Chandra ul Nervi is the current rajadhiraja of all Sind, and an accomplished cleric as well as a capable ruler. Though he is capable of great wisdom and justice, he is also inclined to see the best in everyone he meets and to quickly forgive faults. This habit may prove to be dangerous – his brother Kiritan plots to take the throne, his treachery furthered by Chandra’s generous nature.
Ultman Srinivasan is the rajah of the central province of Azadgal, and a cunning and ruthless man. He is continually plotting against the neighboring province of Jhengal, to the west. Deposits of gold and gems are commonly found in the badlands that form the border between the two provinces, and Srinivasan is determined to claim them for Azadgal.
The Black Rajah of Jaibul is a wizard known only by his title, who rules as an absolute tyrant over the small, independent nation of Jaibul, southwest of Sind. He is the most powerful wizard of the nation, and a paranoid maniac; on the death of each previous Rajah, all other wizards of the nation compete to claim the vacated position.
The Adri Varma Plateau
This barren, highland region exists to the north of the kingdom of Sind and the northwest of the Principalities of Glantri. No intelligent beings are known to live here, though it is home to many unintelligent monsters that sometimes trouble neighboring lands.
The Great Waste
This desert lies to the west of the Kingdom of Sind, and is a formidable barrier to travelers, traders and settlers alike. Though the terrain here is actually fairly diverse, covering everything from stark salt flats and gravel plains to twisting sand dunes and jagged badlands, all of it shares one key feature – extreme lack of water and consequent inhospitability to life.
Unbeknownst to almost all visitors, a unique culture does make its home in this region. The nation of Graakhalia, an alliance between gnoll tribesmen and nomadic elves, dwells in the natural caves and lava tunnels found underneath the part of the Great Waste called the Plain of Fire. These two races cooperate with one another out of necessity, pairing elven magic with gnoll muscle and hunt-cunning to master their harsh home; the trust between them has been hard-learned, but seems likely to last.
The Black Mountains
This forbidding and treacherous mountain range serves as a natural border between the Known World region and the secretive theocracy of Great Hule. This area is a true wilderness, barren and without any resources of interest to civilized beings. Passes through the Black Mountains are few and far between, as well as being difficult and dangerous to traverse.
Monsters dwelling here include savage goblins, orcs and ogres, as well as mountain giants and three-armed athatchs. Flying monsters also pose a threat to travelers braving these mountains – manticores, wyverns, griffons, chimeras, and even the occasional red dragon can strike at mountaineers from above. Natural hazards include freezing cold, snow-covered chasms, rockfalls and avalanches.
The Serpent Peninsula
South of the deserts of the Great Waste lies the Serpent Peninsula, a sizeable outcropping of land accompanied by a long island archipelago. Hot, muggy, and waterlogged, the Serpent Peninsula is covered by tropical swamps and thick jungles, and much of its interior remains an unexplored mystery.
The dominant nation on the Serpent Peninsula is the Divinarchy of Yavdlom. Centered on the large southern island of Thanegia, the Yavdlom divinarchy has a unique form of government – rule by those prophesied to do so. Powers of precognition and truth-seeing are common here, though weak and unreliable in all but a few gifted souls, and used by the priesthood in their rituals and worship. Each child in Yavdlom has their destiny scried in their life by the clerics, and their profession and position within the nation is based upon this decree.
What’s more, those Yavdlomites whose lives are determined to ‘matter’ by drastically affecting the lives of at least a thousand other people are granted noble title and status. The more people a noble’s life affects, the greater his prestige and authority – but his titles only persist up until the critical event required by his forseen destiny. Once a Yavdlom noble has successfully discharged his destiny, his previous title and position is retired, and he returns to a more commonplace position in society.
While such a method of government might seem odd, it’s worked to date for the people of Yavdlom. This may be due to the fact that while the nobles who ‘matter’ rule, the priests and judges who are skilled in prophecy advise from behind the scenes and provide legitimacy. Priests and diviners are barred from holding noble office, and work to prevent corruption or power-hunger among the kingdom’s secular nobles.
Several cities and many coastal towns exist in Yavdlom. The largest, Tanakumba (pop. 25,000), is a vast and thriving metropolis built over the ruins of a much older city. A trade center and seaport, Tanakumba receives merchant vessels from Sind and Minrothad to the east, the western city of Slagovich and even some of the nations along the coast of the Davanian continent.
Though Yavdlom is the dominant nation of the Serpent Peninsula, it is not the only culture present. The tribes of the Karimari can also be found in the northern rainforests, living apart from the outside world yet well aware of it. Most who know of the Karimari generally consider them to be savage primitives, noteworthy only for their skill as elephant tamers. The truth is somewhat different – the Karimari are highly educated, possess powerful magic and carefully keep their true strength secret from outsiders.
Adventure Hooks
Sind, the Serpent Peninsula and the surrounding wilderness make good places for adventures of exploration and survival. Travel to this region can also challenge a party by exposing them to foreign lands with alien customs.
References
Champions of Mystara boxed set
I'm also thinking of writing a short "Design of..." article, in which I briefly talk about the decisions I made in putting together the Kingdom of Sind writeup and the goals I worked for. Is that of interest to anyone?
Very much so! Look forward to reading it!
Editing on the Intro and World Book will start after Thanksgiving, so if anyone has contributions to get in, the next two weeks is probably the best window.
-OldDawg
OldDawg: I will see if I can get the Ethengar article out soon (maybe tonight). From what I understand the Blackmoor, Thunder Rift and Karawenn bits arent due just yet are they? I imagine those will be easy to write, but there is still the matter of sitting down and doing it ;)
Havard
Geography
Ylaruam is a desert land, pure and simple. Grassy scrublands lie in the west of the country, rocky highlands line its northern and southern borders, and the eastern coast is a mix of salt flats and rare fertile plains. All are alike, though, in being dry, hot, and only sparsely covered with life – plant, animal and human alike.
The existence of such a dry and desolate region in the otherwise temperate climate of the Known World is a puzzle to many scholars, and several theories have been advanced to try and explain it. Some claim that the lands of Ylaruam are in a mystic conjunction with the Elemental Plane of Fire. Others believe that the weather magics of the Alfheim elves draw away rain that would otherwise fall on Ylaruam. Magical disasters caused by long-dead civilizations and Immortal curses have also been proposed. Whatever the cause of Ylaruam’s desertification, the boundaries and culture of the Emirates have been inescapably molded by it.
Culture and Religion
The people of Ylaruam have been shaped by their land in many ways – some admirable, some not so. They are a proud people, scornful of weakness and delicate dependence on others, yet also possessed of a strong sense of honor and respect for honesty and courage in others. Though many natives of Ylaruam despise all foreigners and outsiders, all Ylari place great stock on hospitality and reputation – obeying the proper forms to treat with any invited guest. This last has resulted in many a brave and determined outlander receiving the chance to prove his true worth to a suspicious and untrusting host.
The tribes of the Emirates of Ylaruam are united by their religion, a faith created almost two hundred years ago by the legendary prophet Suleiman Al-Kalim. Before Al-Kalim’s birth, the desert tribes were fragmented, warring against each other as often as outsiders, and much of Ylaruam was ruled by colonial governors loyal to the empires of Thyatis and Alphatia. Al-Kalim united the scattered tribes into a single army, liberated towns and territories from the Alphatians and the Thyatians, and united the tribes of the Emirates into a nation to be reckoned with.
Though Al-Kalim’s valor is noteworthy, his most lasting legacy proved to be his wisdom. Al-Kalim’s piety and vision brought forth the Way of Eternal Truth – the religious doctrine that remains the official faith of the Emirates to this day. The Way of Eternal Truth teaches proper conduct, diligence and honor, methods of hospitality and spiritual enlightenment, and promises the Dream of the Desert Garden – a future in which bleak desert has been transformed into a fertile parasise. More than anything else, the Way of Eternal Truth and the Dream of the Desert Garden is what unifies the proud tribes and peoples of the Emirates of Ylaruam, and makes them a single nation.
The Emirates
Several distinct emirates, each with its own tribes and settlements, can be found within Ylaruam. The largest and most dominant of these is the Emirate of Alasiya, located in the center of the nation. Home to many tribesmen and lost wonders, Alasiya is also home to the capital city of Ylaruam (pop. 20,000), a center of industry, commerce and learning and home to the fabled Eternal University.
To the east of Alasiya is the coastal Emirate of Abbashan, whose natives are more close-minded and disdainful of the outside world than their kin to the west. The leaders of this land believe that they, as the blood descendants of Al-Kalim, should rule over all Ylaruam, in place of the Preceptors who inherited Al-Kalim’s religious stature and currently advise the Sultan.
In the west of the nation are the grasslands of Makistan; the people here are horse-herders, related to the nomads of Ethengar to the north, and far more cheerful and irreverent than other tribesmen. The Emirate of Nithia, in the northern highlands, is a strange and sinister land, filled with starving peasants and vicious bandits. A strange ancient civilization, of which little is known, apparently once existed in the lands of Nithia, and illicit archaeology and tomb-raiding is common here.
Dysthenia and Nicostenia can be found along the southern border of Ylaruam, near the border with Thyatis. Much trade still occurs between these emirates and their southern neighbor, and the town of Tameronikas (pop. 4,000) is a sizeable port and trading center.
Foreign Relations
The people of Ylaruam may distrust outsiders, but their central position in the Known World means they have no choice but to do business with them. Fortunately, most of their neighbors are friendly.
The Emirates’ closest allies are the dwarves of Rockhome, to the northwest. The two peoples agree on much – honor, valor, diligence, reverence towards one’s Immortal patrons, and the importance of speaking one’s mind. Rockhome weapons and craftwork are common exports to Ylaruam, in return for herd animals and trade goods from elsewhere in Mystara.
Trade also occurs between the Emirates and the Republic of Darokin to the west, though this is more a matter of business rather than true alliance. More than one sultan has looked greedily at the rich trade city of Selenica – but for now the two nations remain at peace.
Relations between Ylaruam and the Empire of Thyatis are cool at best, and often strained. Thyatian colonial rule over the Emirates has never been forgotten, and Thyatian arrogance is responsible for much of the present distrust of foreigners.
Better relations exist with the duchy of Karameikos. Though the only common border between Ylaruam and Karameikos is impassable mountains, the two nations have cooperated in the past to hunt giants and goblin tribes dwelling in those mountains, and earned a healthy respect for each other’s valor. This may lead to further cooperation in the future.
Prominent NPCs
The Emirates are not a land where established heroes and potentates hold much sway. Rather, it is more a place of both danger and opportunity – where a new hero can arise from the trackless desert in one year, sup in the halls and tents of the mighty the next, then disappear as quickly and suddenly as he came. However, a few noteworthy individuals do exist.
Mohammed Al-Kalim is the current sultan of the Emirates, though his position owes more to the strength of his understanding of the Eternal Truth than his bloodline and ancestry. Though a capable and insightful ruler, Mohammed Al-Kalim is fairly distrustful of foreigners and might manage to endanger his nation by offending a powerful ambassador, or refusing needed aid that came from beyond the borders of the Emirates.
Yasir al-Achmed is a brigand chieftain originally from the northern highlands, whose raiders can be found troubling many of the smaller settlements of the Emirates. Though a godless blasphemer and outlaw, Yasir is not without redeeming qualities – great personal charisma, generous towards his men, and an excellent warrior and horseman. In addition to common swordsmen, Yasir’s band is rumored to include several wizards trained in the alien fire-magic of the civilizations that once existed in the hills of the Emirate of Nithia.
Little is known about the sorcerer named Barimoor. He is thought to have come to Ylaruam long ago, from the distant empire of Alphatia, and works ceaselessly and subtly towards some hidden goal – perhaps the achievement even of Immortality. Whatever his desires, his methods are not kind towards the peoples of Ylaruam – he hides beneath the sands, working to suborn warriors and steal unborn souls, and no doubt many other kinds of less visible mischief. Few know of his existence, and fewer still can oppose him and hope to survive.
Adventure Hooks
Ylaruam allows for many different kinds of adventures – wilderness exploration through the untrodden desert, dungeon-crawls through buried tombs and lost cities, and even the occasional jaunt to another plane of existence. Adventures can also involve conflicts between native believers in the Eternal Truth and foreign heretics – with neither side, perhaps, being wholly in the right.
Ylaruam is, I admit, not my favorite location within the Known World. Nor is it necessarily the most detailed - its GAZ goes arguably in a much different direction than similar projects, detailing small-scale information rather than a sweeping big picture. So going for a two-page summary was, arguably, kind of a challenge.
I went into the project knowing that I wanted to cover a few near-mandatory topics - Geography, History, Locations, NPCs, and Adventure Hooks being chief among them. I also wanted to hit a few unique topic points to help illustrate what makes Ylaruam unique. Religion was tops on my list here; Neighbors (which have been a large part of defining Ylaruam, as central as it is), Secrets, Customs and Hospitality, and Special Military Orders were also on the list. I knew I didn't have space for everything, but wanted to get what I could in.
I browsed my copy of GAZ2 only briefly before I started writing. An in-depth read wouldn't have done much for me, just leaving me focused on details and unable to summarize well. I do my writeups, BTW, directly into a Word document that I've tried to set up in a three-column format, and that I've dragged Text Boxes into to simulate image frames. I think it gives me a better sense of how much word count I have remaining, and how well my paragraphs and sections are flowing, than trying to type up a standard manuscript with a word-counting function.
First section to type up was Geography. I used the opportunity to talk a bit about what some of the in-universe justifications are for "an Arabian desert right next to the Norse fjords" that has caused more than one gamer of my acquaintance to abandon the Known World entirely as too unbelievable. Hey, if you got it, flaunt it.
Next section up should have been History - but I was pulling a writer's block here, and wrote Religion instead. About halfway through my description of Al-Kalim I realized that his life story basically hit all the high points of Ylari history, and quietly axed History in favor of telling Al-Kalim's story only once. As a side note, cultural details weren't actually here in my first draft - I added them in to make a better bridge between talking about the Ylari desert and the faith of Al-Kalim.
Discussion of the Emirates and Locations is pretty straightforward - throw off a list, two to three sentences per paragraph, group a couple of smaller Emirates into a single para to keep the word count down and reader interest steady, move on. Next step in the actual writeup was Adventure Hooks - often last on my list to take the chance to sum up everything possible, but written a bit earlier here in an effort to get past some writers' block.
Taking the proper approach to the NPCs section was tough. The original GAZ2 didn't have one, at least not for characters beyond the village of Kirkuk, so I punted and pulled Mohammed Al-Kalim out of the Poor Wizard's Almanac. Then added Barimoor, then out of desperation added Yasir al-Achmed. It's my belief that you should always try to talk about three NPCs, minimum, in any writeup - just one gets your readers too narrowly focused, two gets them drawing contrasts, but three is enough to make sure everyone gets some attention. So for better or for worse, a bandit chieftain from the frontier gets a name writeup in the Mystara-SN. (And hey, he is an F24 in GAZ2...)
Talking about Foreign Relations provided more perspective on Ylaruam and a chance to tease at adventure hooks. It also ate up all of my word count, and I didn't even talk about Soderfjord and the Northern Reaches! Ah, well. Can't have everything.
Anyways, that's how a summary of the Emirates of Ylaruam got out of my head and onto the page (or rather, computer screen). Feel free to toss in any questions or comments you might like, or use this as something of a gude for writing up your own contributions to the Mystara-SN!
The Empire of Alphatia
Centered on an island-continent lying east of the Known World, the Empire of Alphatia is one of the oldest nations – and perhaps the most powerful empire – of any that currently exist on Mystara. The Alphatians glorify arcane magic above all else, and are ruled not just by an Emperor but by a Grand Council of Wizards – a full thousand individuals who have achieved absolute mastery of the magical arts. Chaotic, fractious, impulsive and playful, the Alphatian Empire is yet one of the most successful nations on the face of Mystara.
History
The Empire of Alphatia is incredibly ancient, and originally not even native to Mystara. The original Alphatian race arose on a planet far distant in both time, space and the planes of existence, quickly rising to dominate their homeworld through magical arts. Their prowess in this area almost proved their downfall, however, as a great civil war powered by arcane magics broke out between factions of the old Alphatian Empire. City-destroying infernos and continent-spanning windstorms caused untold devastation, eventually destroying the Alphatians’ very homeworld – but not before some survivors were able to open a series of magical gates to allow part of the populace to escape to the world of Mystara. This ‘Landfall’ happened some two thousand years ago, and marks the beginning of the modern Alphatian Empire.
During the first millennium of Alphatia’s existence on Mystara, its wizards expanded their reach as they saw fit, first dominating their home continent, then conquering neighboring islands and coastal territories. Most of the lands absorbed into the new Alphatian Empire were unpopulated wilderness or primitive tribal holdings, though the eccentric Thothians in the west and the Minaean cities of the east both proved more formidable.
The group that ended Alphatian expansion, though, proved to be neither the Thothians nor the Minaeans, but a tribe of barbarians called the Thyatians. These savages first came to Alphatian attention as pirates and nuisances, and were initially subjugated and added to the Empire, but quickly learned the tricks of civilization and Alphatian war-magic, and rose up in a rebellion that not just established Thyatian independence but stole away much of the Alphatians’ empire. Since that time, a thousand years ago, Alphatia and Thyatis have been foes and rivals.
Today, the Empire of Alphatia is either a mature nation or a decadent one, depending on who you ask. It has little interest in martial prominence, economic superiority or cultural evangelism, instead turning its focus inwards and following the whims of its ruling wizards. Some believe the glory days of Alphatia are long past, while others claim that a brighter future is being prepared for. Whether either is true remains to be seen.
Law and Culture
Alphatia is a nation dedicated to glorifying spellcasters – primarily mages, but also priests, paladins and other individuals able to use magic. Those able to invoke magical energies automatically form the empire’s Aristocracy – they receive social and legal privileges, the opportunity to achieve nobility, and similar distinction and recognition. Those who cannot use magic are permanent second-class citizens in Alphatia – servants and sometimes even slaves, who may achieve great wealth and accomplish heroic deeds yet remain bound to bow and scrape before someone able to use the simplest spell.
Use of magic to improve or replace craftwork is common in Alphatia, and has produced many benefits for the people of the nation – farms that are much more efficient than in other countries, buildings and towers raised through construction-spellwork, and airships and armies used to project both magical and military might. However, not all magic in Alphatia is used for such sensible and efficient ends. The Alphatian love of wizardry and arcane experimentation has lead to much use of the Art that is extravagant, frivolous, wasteful, and sometimes outright dangerous. Everything from the construction of gaudy airships for the amusement of the idle rich to creation of tawdry art-pieces to the making of fierce magical beasts and spell-curses is fair game in the Empire.
Kingdoms of Alphatia
By law and long tradition, Alphatia is a true empire – with one supreme ruler, but also many independent kingdoms with the right to make their own edicts and govern themselves. A few of the many kingdoms within mainland Alphatia are listed here.
Vertiloch is the Imperial Kingdom, in the center of Alphatia – its king is, by long tradition, the Emperor of Alphatia himself, so that the Emperor can also have the title and powers of a king. Its capital, Sundsvall (pop. 500,000) is sometimes called “The City Built By Magic” – with more towers, sculptures and statuary, and other monuments constructed by spellcraft than any other city on Mystara.
The small kingdom of Floating Ar is a land unique in all of Alphatia, with hundreds of airborne islands magically suspended above the ground hovering high over the surface of the landscape. These islands serve as estates and towns for the local aristocracy and are the site of much research into air magics and the breeding of flying beasts. The groundbound common folk eke out a more mundane existence through farming, herding and fishing.
Alphatia is home to nonhumans as well as humans. Shiye-Lawr is an elven forest, home to a clan of reclusive tricksters; Stoutfellow can be found in the western Kerothar mountains, and is home to dwarves and gnomes – ruled by clerics and similar savants – who provide solid craft-skill to the rest of Alphatia. Limn, meanwhile, is a haven for monstrous spellcasters of all types – everything from tribal shamans to faefolk druids to ogre magi can be found here, accorded the privileges of Alphatian aristocracy.
Notable NPCs
Eriadna the Wise is the current empress of Alphatia, and a quite capable ruler – her personality blends the irreverent free-spiritedness of Alphatia’s best wizards with a cool, calculating mind that is well aware of the consequences of a monarch’s decisions. Eriadna has had many paramours and lovers – the latest of which is her personal bodyguard, General Torenal. Torenal is an amazing fighter, strong and fit with a cat’s agility, and incredibly devoted to his Empress. His complete lack of any magical ability makes him a second-class citizen in Alphatia, though, for all his talent with a sword.
Hugorth the Misanthrope is the king of the haunted realm of Blackheart, a refuge for those wizards who wish to practice necromancy, dabble in the forbidden and practice dark arts. Like his subjects, Hugorth is antisocial, cruel and arrogant, and completely without empathy or morals when it comes to furthering his work.
Lodun the Doomed is a wizard and actor who portrays great and histrionic tragedies on the stage, invoking both magical skill and natural thespian talent to enrapture his audience. For all his charisma, though, Lodun is fairly reckless – he’s currently simultaneously romancing several ladies of the high nobility, none of whom are likely to take his two-timing well.
Bellisaria
Bellisaria lies southeast of the main Alphatian continent, and was the Empire’s first overseas acquisition. No trace of any native people or civilization remains from before the Alphatians’ arrival, and the continent today is a loyal territory of the Empire.
The kingdoms of Bellisaria are large, sparsely populated, and almost uniformly dull. People here are farmers, miners and other producers of raw resources for use by the mainlander Alphatians, not mighty heroes, bold innovators or other troublemakers. Exile is a common punishment for many crimes in Bellisaria, whether petty or outrageous.
A couple of the kingdoms of Bellisaria are more than simple farmsteads, however. The nation of Meriander is one of the larger centers for magical research in the Empire, with several universities in its capital city of Alchemos (pop. 10,000). Further south, the nation of Surshield serves as Alphatia’s main defense against the raiders of Minaea, and its laws and customs reflect this. Surshield’s capital, Spearpoint (pop. 50,000) supports a sizeable fleet and garrison to patrol the eastern waters, and is the only place in the entire kingdom where law of any kind reaches – the rest of the land is expressly subject to anarchy, to free soldiers from having to chase after bandits or patrol unsettled wilderness.
Qeodhar and the Yanniveys
A few small islands can be found within the cold northern oceans north of the Alphatian mainland. These islands have been conquered by the Alphatians and made part of their Empire, but in practice are too poor and remote to receive much civilizing influence.
Qeodhar lies on the largest and westernmost of these islands, and is home to a surly population of whalers and fishermen as well as a few Alphatian nobles. Though its King seeks to rise to prominence in Alphatian politics, most of Qeodhar’s neighbors pay it little mind. The Yannivey Islands are different – small, scrubby wilderness pillocks in the northeastern ocean, uninhabited save by illiterate savages and outlaws that have fled Alphatian justice. No one comes here unless they are manic, crazed or desperate.
Esterhold
The peninsula of Esterhold lies northeast of Alphatia, and is the Empire’s sole holdings on the continent of Skothar. Though Esterhold is sizeable, most of its land area is either dry steppeland and desert or else barren, inhospitable mountains, fit neither for man nor beast. Jennite raiders from the east frequently raid these lands, and the Alphatians have become cruel and grasping in response. Many people of Jennite blood – captives or the descendants of captives – are slaves within these lands, and anyone unable to use magic is likely to be abused and ill-treated if they remain here long.
Adventure Opportunities
Almost any adventure imaginable can be placed somewhere in the Alphatian Empire. Hijinks with strange magical occurrences and conflicts with self-centered aristocrats are particularly appropriate here. Certain parties may also find Alphatia’s love of spellcasters, and relegation of non-spellcasters to second-class citizen status, to provide ample fodder for adventures and escapades.
Located in the ocean waters east of the continent of Brun is the Isle of Dawn, a sizeable landmass that has long been the main battleground for the unending conflict between the empires of Thyatis to the west and Alphatia to the east. A place of uncertainty, excitement and opportunity in times of peace, and of danger and strife in times of war, the Isle of Dawn may be unique in the known world as a place where two great nations come up against one another, struggling against and mixing with one another - and possibly, in the process, creating something greater than either could on its own.
The geography of the Isle of Dawn is best described as hilly and wet. Though the lands of the island are by no means prime agrarian land, neither are they uninhabitable wastes, and forest, marsh or scrubland are commonly found in the wide reaches not settled by civilized man. In places that have been cleared for farming or herding purposes, the land is sometimes unforgiving but on the whole liveable.
The primary obstacle to extensive settlement here is the eternal tension – rising sometimes to open conflict – between the Thyatian and Alphatian governments which uneasily share the Isle of Dawn. Raids and similar cross-border strife is by no means unheard of between one part of the island and another, and when the empires as a whole go to war against each other every city and dominion on the island is forced to take sides. Such a prospect is not one that encourages enthusiastic colonization, and many abandoned villages, shattered fortresses and lost battlefields exist in forgotten corners of the Isle of Dawn, waiting for adventurers to explore their secrets.
Several nations exist on the Isle of Dawn. The northernmost of these is the city-state of Helskir, a chilly, rough-and-tumble place whose inhabitants work mainly as fishermen or hardscrabble farmers. Some sea-trade is also conducted with Helskir’s northern neighbors, including the kingdoms of the Northern Reaches and the city of Oceansend. Helskir’s strategic position has resulted in it being a main bone of contention in the rivalry between Thyatis and Alphatia, with the city alternately being bribed, cajoled, threatened or outright annexed by one or another of its larger neighbors. Currently, Helskir is an independent city, beholden to neither empire, but it’s impossible to say how long that situation might last.
The Grand Duchy of Westrourke is the largest and strongest Thyatian dominion on the Isle of Dawn, with several formidable castles and fortresses as well as smaller farming towns and villages. Though the inhabitants of the duchy are almost all native Thyatians and strongly loyal to the empire, the ruling duke is both a headstrong and ambitious man, and reportedly harbors plans for greater autonomy and possibly outright independence. Tensions are high on all sides, though, and no outright break has been made with the Thyatian empire… yet.
The marshy bogs and lowland moors of the northeastern Isle of Dawn are home to the Confederacy of Dunadale. This Alphatian-ruled land is home to a couple of sizeable towns as well as many rural farmers and herders, and is somewhat unusual in its method of government. In deference to Alphatian customs, wizards and other spellcasters are given ruling titles and prestige here… but the actual decisions are made by elected officials, usually competent warriors and rogues, with their nominal superiors kept as attention-grabbing figureheads. To date, such an odd and outlandish method of governing a border territory appears to have worked.
The towns of West Portage and East Portage lie near the center of the Isle of Dawn, in a place where the width of the island narrows to little more than a hundred miles across. Both towns exist for a single purpose – to allow merchant captains a chance to put in at one port, load their trade goods onto wagons, and cross to the other side of the island in a matter of days rather than taking weeks to sail northwards or southwards around the coast. Thyatian-controlled West Portage is a den of corruption and iniquity; Alphatian East Portage is slightly more prosperous, though this is more due to its catering to a higher class of ruffian rather than any outright improvement in moral standards.
Ekto and Trikelios are two sizeable city-states on the eastern coast of the Isle of Dawn, south of East Portage and very close to the Alphatian mainland. Both cities were originally settled, more than a thousand years ago, by Alphatian colonizers, but have absorbed something of Thyatian customs and morals despite being thoroughly under Alphatian rule. The most obvious example of this is the sizeable underclass and criminal element present in both cities, and accompanying graft and government corruption. Despite this, both Ekto and Trikelios are fairly prosperous – Ekto is a center of research and learning, with a College of Metallurgy and smithcraft, while Trikelios has one of the largest harbors and shipyards in the known world.
The southwest of the Isle of Dawn is known as the Shadow Coast, and is a mostly lawless and unsettled area of wilderness home to many monsters and strange mysteries. Though the Thyatians claim rulership over this region, their dominion extends little past the towns of the area, and even the local nobility is more independent and less constrained to follow Thyatian law than one might expect. The pirate-barony of Caerdwicca and the grim and haunted county of Furmenglaive can both be found here.
The kingdom of Thothia, a longtime subject nation of the Empire of Alphatia, is located in the southeast of the Isle of Dawn. A nation of austere spiritualists and reclusive and unworldly mystics, Thothia has existed since before the coming of either the Alphatians or the Thyatians – its natives are the last remnants of a now-lost civilization. The Thothians are willing to accept the Alphatians as rulers and trading partners, the better to shelter Thothia from the outside world, but are dismissive of all other foreigners. Many strange ruins and alien magics are said to exist here, both in the lowlands of the kingdom itself and atop the great highland plateau that rises west of Thothia along the center of the Isle of Dawn.
Adventures on the Isle of Dawn can include wilderness exploration and dungeon-crawls through forgotten ruins or burnt-out border outposts, but can also feature tension, conflict, or outright warfare between the empires of Thyatis and Alphatia. PCs may be involved in either sparking conflict, seeking to win clashes or battles for one side or the other, or working to prevent warfare or restore peace.
- Ten documents, for a total of about twenty pages of text, have been submitted.
- Participants have offered to contribute to the Northern Reaches, the Ethengar Khanates, the Principalities of Glantri, Wendar, Denagoth and Heldann, and Norwold. Some followup from the interested parties - whether either to submit some draft text, or simply to gracefully bow out of the project - would probably be a Good Thing.
- If writing keeps going at its current pace, first draft for all documents in the main SN document will not be completed before June of next year. This is... meh. Having a first draft in place by the time 4E comes out would be a very nice thing.
Specific locations that are totally unclaimed include:
- Ierendi
- Darokin
- The Broken Lands
- Atruaghin
- The Shadow Elves
- Hule and the Shadow Coast
- Western Brun (1 page)
- The Sea of Dread (1 page)
- Skothar and Davania (1 page)
Any takers? I don't want to have to (and probably shouldn't be allowed to) write this entire product myself!
thank you for being taskmaster on this project.
I'm in the process of editing the posted stuff right now, plus I've got Skothar written up, and Norwold and the Near North (W/D/H) in half shape.
I should have a new sample up Friday night.
One of the problems I'm facing at present is the graphics, size wise. I'm currently attempting to resize and resave Thorf's maps in a different format to ease the burden.
In addition to the main World Book, we need that intro booklet complete.
-OldDawg
Again sorry about my lack of participation with this so far
Havard
I plan on using at least part of the several-hours-on-a-plane over the upcoming holidays to try and write about Ierendi and the Broken Lands, if I can...
Ochalea, the Pearl Islands, and the Alatians
The Isle of Dawn isn’t the only island east of Brun contested between Alphatia and Thyatis. Ochalea, the Pearl Islands, and the Alatian archipelago are also overseas territories split between these two empires. Though none of these islands are as cosmopolitan as Thyatis or Alphatia, they each have their own strengths and are vital players in the contest between empires.
Ochalea
This large island can be found off the southwest coast of the Isle of Dawn. Though sizeable, it’s only sparsely inhabited, with a dry and rocky interior. Most of the Ochalean population lives in small farming and fishing villages scattered along the coast. Travel and innovation are rare.
The people of Ochalea are distantly related to the Alphatians, but have a very different philosophy and outlook from their kindred. They are reserved, cautious, and place great store in manners, ritual and proper behavior. They dislike arcane magic and subterfuge, preferring to trust in honorable combat and divine favor for their protection. These traits have made Ochalea a strong part of the Thyatian Empire, though the reserved nature of the Ochaleans means they’re often overlooked.
The only city of any size in Ochalea is the capital, Beitung, on the island’s eastern coast. Home to many ancient palaces as well as ornate and well-used temples, Beitung is one of the few places in Ochalea that outsiders frequently visit, and so is prone to more excitement than the rural towns. Foreigners asked to help Ochaleans might be asked to meet their sponsors here.
The Pearl Islands
The Pearl Island archipelago runs eastward into the ocean between Ochalea and Bellisaria, and is composed of many small islands, covered with tropical jungle and volcanic highlands. Though the terrain is not very suitable for farming or city-building, it hardly needs to be, where its native people are concerned – the island coasts feature many good natural harbors, the climate is excellent, and the fishing grounds prosperous.
As might be expected from such bounty, the people of the Pearl Islands are extraordinarily successful. They call themselves the Nuari, and their appearance is distinctive – darkened skin, tightly kinked hair, and broad facial features. Their cultural precepts are just as unique, with each Nuari ceaselessly striving for personal achievement and expertise in all things. Despite the lack of large towns and monuments – the only city of any size in the Pearl Islands is the Thyatian-maintained naval base of Seagirt – the Nuari maintain an excellent tradition of scholarship and learning.
Visitors to the Pearl Islands might find any number of ancient ruins or forgotten treasures within the depths of the island jungle, or buried beneath old lava flows, on islands too small to be noted on any map. The challenge of winning the trust of a key Nuari elder, scholar or warrior-chief might also prove vexing to even a skilled adventurer.
The Alatians
The Alatian islands, east of the Isle of Dawn and south of Alphatia, are not very remarkable on their face. Each is a sandy, low-lying hump of land, suitable for subsistence agriculture and not much else. They’re noteworthy mostly as attempts by a past Alphatian emperor to conduct social engineering projects, a few hundred years ago.
As one might expect from Alphatian enthusiasms, these projects were a mixed bag. Each of the four islands had a different focus. Two, the scholarly center of Aeria and the grand resort of Gaity, were successes, and their work continues to this day – wizards can study wind-magics and similar arcane work at the University of Aeria, and idle rich from across the Alphatian empire seek out diversion in Gaity’s magnificent Rainbow Park.
The other two locations, though, were less fortunate. Attempts to turn Aegos Island into a preserve and breeding ground for monsters and magically-created beasts failed horribly. The present-day inhabitants practice agriculture once again, though now with the added spice of knowing that some strange creature that survived in the inland hills might wander down for a snack. The fourth island of Artesia, meanwhile, was supposed to be an artisan’s paradise, but similarly failed; its survivors turned to thievery, turning their homeland into a haven for burglars, smugglers, cutthroats and traders in rare and illicit goods. Now named Ne’er-Do-Well, this island is a haven for scoundrels and the desperate – but useful enough to certain prominent Alphatians to be allowed to prosper.
As a location strongly influenced by Alphatian culture and whims, yet apart from the Alphatian mainland and less subject to Alphatian values, the Alatian islands can prove interesting places to visit. Each of the islands has its own opportunities to offer to new arrivals, and its own problems to be solved.
Is anything happening on this project, or has it ended up mostly dead?
No, but I nearly did last weekend
Life kinda got in the way, but I finally got the individual items I was responsible for done (Norwold, Near North, plus Skothar and Davania), and I've been able to edit a few of the other entries.
Here is the current pdf of about 20 pages.
If someone would like to make a once-over and list the things that need fixing, it'd be appreciated.
I should have another 2 pages (1 country) done per night this week, making much use of Eldersphinx's hard work.
I've had to rethink the graphic elements as Thorf's PNGs are just too large. A sizeable chunk of the download in the link is the 5 Shires and Norwold maps. mah9's have converted to reduced gif's nicely, though.
And of course, we have the Newbie Guide whose pdf was just released.
-OldDawg
GP
I do have a question though - What are the little graphs in the top right hand corner of the pages? If memory serves correctly, I think we talked about giving indications of adventure levels for regions or something related to that. Is that what they are for?
This is promising to be a very foundational work for Mystara campaigns of every kind.
Great work!--Ray.
I love how this one looks! I will print it out and give you some proper feedback, but a couple of comments so far:
1) Where is the Isle of Dread mentioned? It might be there, but I couldn't find it.
2) For Pelatan, maybe you could mention it being rumoured to be populated by warrior women? It should be fairly incontroversial.
3) Will you be adding artwork for the Alphatia setting? Since you have already used the cover from DotE, maybe one of the M-series covers could be used?
4) Have you made a cover for the book? If not I just came up with one that seriously needs to be used for something.
Havard
Word (2007 Vista) generated a "recoved" text file that was nothing but "?". There was no other backup and no pdf output that contained all of the updated information.
I will see what I can gather from the existing pdf sample, but given the amount of time it took the first go around to edit everything into place, I am uneasy about attempting to do so again.
Sincerely,
OldDawg
I've still got the 20-odd pages of draft text I wrote up as contributions to this project. If there's an interest in archiving or using the raw text, I can stick a file online somewhere.
Do post it, Eldersphinx: at some point in the future, people might continue your work. Also, even if a work is incomplete or unedited, it doesn't mean it can't be useful or interesting.
GP
It is with great sadness that I must inform you that this project is likely dead. Much work had been done since the last sample proof was posted. Unfortunately, while saving the latest version to a memory stick (its normal storage site) something freaky occurred and the file was wiped off of the stick.
Word (2007 Vista) generated a "recoved" text file that was nothing but "?". There was no other backup and no pdf output that contained all of the updated information.
I will see what I can gather from the existing pdf sample, but given the amount of time it took the first go around to edit everything into place, I am uneasy about attempting to do so again.
Let's not give up yet. If all of the contributors can find their information then the project should be able to get back up and running. Is everything posted here on this thread? If not, let's have everyone (re)post it. Does anyone still have a copy of the selected sample? I remember looking at that and drooling over it.
OD, Do you still have that Castle Wall border?We don't have to have a professional looking document here. All we really need is an effective document that looks good.
EDIT: I remember that you were having a problem putting the maps into the document. Maybe a separate map pack would be the way to go. ...Especially for maps of the larger countries.
--Ray.
I will see what I can gather from the existing pdf sample, but given the amount of time it took the first go around to edit everything into place, I am uneasy about attempting to do so again.
If it's OK with everyone, I could take the reigns as far a layout and PDF design. I have extensive knowledge in graphic design and I could probably find a few artists (myself included) who could do some original art.
I have the preview sample and it looked sweet! I agree, we really shouldn't give up yet. If we could pool our resources we should be able to compile something useful
I know I haven't done what I signed up to do so who am I to talk, right? But this project is just too good to give up on... Havard
Let me know what you think.
While tinkering around with a layout preview, I decided to take a break and design a Mystara Logo.
Let me know what you think.
That's pretty cool. Could be a good logo for a sea-oriented regional sub-setting within Mystara.
Salvaged intact: Brun, KW, Thyatis, Karameikos, Five Shires, Minrothad, Near North, Norwold, Alphatia+Bellisaria+Alatians, Skothar, Davania
90% recovered (functionally restored but not the original final version): Alfheim, Graakhalia, Ulimwengu
80% recovered (2-versions back, not yet functionally restored): Black Mountains, Great Waste, Serpent Peninsula, Adri Varma
70% recovered (2-3 versions back): Sind, Yavdlom
25% recovered (4+versions back, basically a wash): Rockhome, Ylaruam, Ierendi, Savage Coast/OHP/AoI, IoD
Lost Entirely: super-condensed timeline from pre-dawn to 2 BC
Was still in the Hopper: Northern Reaches, Ethengar, Glantri, Darokin, Atruaghin, Broken Lands, Shadow elves.
All graphic elements and layout specs still exist.
So where I am now: trying to restore the Sind/GW/Serpent group and Ierendi.
ETC: April 1
Then IoD (April 6), SC-AoI (April 14), Rockhome (Apr 20), Ylaruam (Apr 27).
If you signed up to do those in the hopper (or haven't yet), by the end of April perhaps?
-OldDawg
It's actually just a place holder design. I'm working on one that looks a bit more hand drawn.
I can see how the symbol may seem nautical in nature, but there is reason to the madness. It is actually an abstract diagram of Mystara itself.
Ahhh... That's rather cool. Though I agree a hand drawn looking one would be really ideal.
This is by no means an attempt to step on anyones toes (OldDawg). I put this together over a couple of hours when I thought the project was going under.
As for the layout, I know it lacks images but the point was to find the proper fonts and layout. I went with a 2 column design because it's actually easier on the eye for most people. I'm interested in comments from everyone. If OldDawg picks up his layout again, I'm still open for providing artwork.
Edit: Added an image of Thyatian soldier.
--Ray.
Kenshi: I like the logo! The color scheme is excellent. I found the symbol really fascinating. I am looking forward to seeing the finalized version. The samle you put out looks really nice too. I can't decide if I like that one better than OldDawg's though. If your design isn't used for this project, maybe we could use it for something else?
Havard
I like that layout and design. It has a nice modern look to it.
This is by no means an attempt to step on anyones toes (OldDawg). I put this together over a couple of hours when I thought the project was going under.
Don't worry, the ego is only lightly bruised :P
I agree with Ray that it does have that modern look (and I really like the image rip of Thincol, more below) - it could easily be grouped up with the current ed splat books or web suplements. On the other hand, I'm trying to emulate the older books' appearance, including denser text blocks. I don't know
What would be the total page count if you took the existing pdf of my version and did what you did to the two Thyatis pages - including the images except for the castle borders. (I'm assuming the image files are recoverable out of the pdf)
In terms of the artwork:
1) could you put up a black and white and an unlabelled color version of the Mystara "Atlantis" glyph? I'd like to use that as part of the Ransarn project.
2) Assuming the world book is ever finished, one of the intended followups was an other-worlds and cosmology books. Could you put together collages using, for example, the covers of WOTI and the M and IM modules?
-OldDawg
Layout is great! Modern, updated, looks good and easily readable. Also, as much as I love the Gazetteers, I think the Gaz layout, with the castle borders and the 3-column text should be reserved for Gaz-type material. Also, that design is, I think, peculiar to 0e--and this beting system neutral, we would want to stray from that.
On the logo design: The first thing I thought when I first saw it is "OA! OA! OA! LONG LIVE ANIME AND THE ASIAN EMPIRES!"
Then, after it was explained, it makes more sense and less oriental... but thinking of potential newbies, what might their first reaction be?
Admittedly, I am biased toward Thorf's Gaz-inspired logo.
Ok, I think that's two kopec worth. Until next time,
Roger
I can grab and manipulate any of the images from any of the books that you may need. I've got mad Photoshop skillz. :D Just let my know what you need.