BC 1500: The Nithian culture climbs to its greatness in the lands today known as Ylaruam. One colonial expedition, led by the Nithian wizard-priest Traldar, travels southwest to the lands now known as Karameikos.
Traldar creates the Eyes of Traldar (the Black Opal Eye and the Fire Opal Eye), powerful divination artifacts designed to help protect his clan in their new home. Unfortunately, the Eyes were lost at Traldar’s death.
The Immortal Pflarr creates a jackal-headed servitor race he calls the Hutaaka. He uses many of them as agents, heralds, and servants throughout the world; he plants a large colony of them in the mountains southwest of the Nithians.
BC 1400: Within five generations, the Nithian Tralar settlers have suffered enormous population losses (through bad winters, animal attacks, and disease). They have lost most of the materials and time necessary to forge metal (and consequently have forgotten how), and have reverted to a pre-agricultural lifestyle. They now fall under the domination of the Hutaaka humanoid people from the northern mountains.
BC 1050: Great wizards of the Nithians, inspired by the Immortal Pflarr’s servant-race (the Hutaaka), create the gnoll race by magically blending the Black Moon horde of trolls with gnomes. However, they’ve been deluded that the results might be an equivalent servant-race for the Nithians. Gnolls rebel; they escape and head south and west towards Traldar lands.
BC 1000: Zirchev, a man of extraordinary intelligence who’d been educated by the Hutaaka, finds the Eyes of Traldar and is warned of the coming gnolls. He warns the Hutaakans, and the High Priestess sends out word to the Hutaakans living in the lowlands to return to their valley and bring all traces of the Hutaakan race with them. Meanwhile, they inspire the humans with a holy zeal to fight these invaders – allowing the humans to defend them as they bolt for safety.
A large clan of Traladarans flees west to the nation of Sind, closely followed by a horde of gnolls. Upon arriving, the gnolls abandon their pursuit and try to settle in the fertile lands. The Sindhi welcome both groups as unskilled laborers.
Seeing the response of his hated Hutaakan masters, Zirchev flees the valley and contacts the only two human leaders who could lead the abandoned people: Halav (king of the fortified village of Lavv) and Petra (queen of the more southerly Krakatos and widowed early in the gnollish wars). These three, joining forces, hold the line of the gnollish invasion at the Volaga River. By the time the gnolls retreat, the Traldar population is 20% of its pre-invasion amount. The Traldar Golden Age has ended and its Dark Age has begun.
Halav and the gnoll leader kill each other on a large hill east of the village of Lavv (across the moors) near the Volaga River.
BC 980: Rumors that Halav did not die and is, in fact, traveling among his people doing great deeds have spread like wildfire over the past two decades. A former spear-bearer of Halav (who was present at the final battle) vehemently denies the tales and establishes a sort of worship of what he calls “The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav.” He gains a few followers and they build a monastery at the place of the death of Halav. Although never widely popular, the Philosophy remains in one form or another and becomes the roots of the Cult of Halav nearly two thousand years later.
BC 975: Zirchev, as one of his last mortal acts, sets apart the first Seer of Traldar. He bestows the Eyes of Traldar upon the Seer with the admonition to watch over and protect the Traladaran people and their lands. He also encourages the formation of a wide-ranging group of assistants informally known as the Watchers.
BC 900: The formation of the Witches of Dymrak, a cabal of hags who live in different locations of the Dymrak Forest. Little is known about them as they keep to themselves and deal harshly with curious intruders. For their own mysterious reasons they keep their number at nine. When one dies, another is quickly initiated into the circle.
BC 800: Elves, led by Mealiden Starwatcher leave the Sylvan Realm via the magical rainbow. They land in the forested reaches of what would later be called Thyatis, but are driven out by the warlike humans there, and flee northward. The Callarii clan breaks with Mealiden and heads west to settle in Traladaran territory.
BC 600: The Traladarans in Sind (now referring to themselves as the Dom) never quite fit into the local culture – the Sindhi acceptance of the gnolls really didn’t’ help matters either) and as a whole leave the region and become wandering gypsies. The Darine, comprise the bulk of the Dom refugees, and are the largest of the three Dom “nations”. They return to their ancestral homes in Traladara, but never truly settle down in one place again.
BC 500: The Traldar are in the midst of their Dark Age. Communication between communities is infrequent. Local dialects begin to widely differ. The national epic of King Halav is the only thing that gives the people a sense of unity. Linguistic changes are already advanced enough that the people consider themselves no longer Nithian, but Traladaran – descendants of the Traldar, the people of King Halav.
Having preached against some of the major precepts of the Song of Halav, the followers of “The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav” are rejected and reviled by the majority of the population. Those living at the monastery never number more than a dozen in any given year.
BC 107: Elyas, a young slave of Thyatian descent is trained in magic by his Alphatian master.
BC 77: Elyas is freed from slavery by his master’s deathbed wish. Wanting to escape human society and the guilty feelings he has because of the more poorly treated slaves, Elyas leaves for the remote lands of Traladara. There he befriends a group of Callarii elves who give him a place within their forest where he constructs a tremendous tower.
BC 27: Elyas spends his life learning the elven ways and becomes known as a great philosopher and mystic among the Callarii. He spends much time studying magic, but also meditating and praying. The Immortal patrons of his ancestors had never seemed concerned about his peoples’ slavery, but he found comfort in the worship of the elven Immortal Theleris (Terra). He founds a new philosophy in her honor, the Silent Way, which becomes widespread among the Callarii.
In the Lost Valley of the Hutaaka, the descendants of the Traldar finally free themselves from Hutaakan rule and begin warring on their former masters. This racial war is destined to go on for another 1,100 years.
BC 7: Although not Traladaran, Elyas receives the Fire Opal Eye and becomes the next Seer of Traldar.
BC 4: Elyas recovers the Black Opal Eye from the tomb of Trinkla the Black Seer.
AC 0: The Traladarans begin a period of re-growth as trade is slowly established with other peoples. Peaceable races (most notably the Highforge gnomes) settle in Traladaran territories; warlike races (goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs) do as well, in lesser numbers. Some of the hostile tribes ally with (or are dominated by) a member of the Witches of Dymrak.
The order of the “Death and Sacrifice of King Halav” ceases to exist as a formal organization. The monastery remains empty over the next several centuries with the exception of the few marauding bands of humanoids who wander through the area on their way to more inhabited regions.
AC 2: Karelena, Solorena, and Trilena, three sisters who seek great magical power, strive to become part of the Witches of Dymrak. They are driven away by the cabal and encounter a demonic incarnation of Orcus. In an unholy pact, Orcus enhances the sisters’ magical powers and gives each a demonic ally (quasit) in the shape of a black panther.
AC 3: In Orcus’ service, the three sisters settle in Radlebb forest and attempt to turn it into a dark realm of their own. The Callarii and Elyas, who used the Eyes of Traldar to learn of the sisters’ plan, thwart them. Orcus in his fury calls down a gray mountain to crush Elyas and his tower. In his final moments, Elyas is able to draw the sisters inside where he trapped them. However, Elyas himself perishes.
In his memory, the Callarii begin to build a temple on the mountain. They find and return the Fire Opal Eye to the Lake of Lost Dreams (traditional home of the Seers and current seat of Watcher council), but the Black Opal Eye is never recovered.
AC 200: The dwarven policy of colonization outside of Rockhome is well underway. The Stronghollow clan settles in Traladara among the Highforge gnomes.
A group of Stronghollow dwarves help expand the Callarii’s Temple of Gray Mountain. The temple becomes a place of quiet meditation and learning. Elves who stud there and follow the Silent Way become known as the Siswa.
AC 400: The village of Marilenev begins doing more trade business than fishing and begins a slow, gradual growth from the increasing trade. Thyatian clerics learn the “Song of Halav” and commit it to writing for the first time.
AC 500: Traders bearing the curses of vampirism, wolf, bear, and boar lycanthropy settle in Traladara’s deep woods and flourish there.
AC 550: As a response to the increasing lycanthropic “demon” presence, a large group of Traldar people, led by religious leaders, leave for the Savage Coast far to the west after hearing tales about the lands from traders coming to Marilenev village.
AC 730: Another groups of settlers leave Traladara and head towards the Flaemish lands in the north.
AC 900: The Empire of Thyatis, under Gabrionus IV, begins a new expansion policy. Marilenev is a flourishing trade village of 500 in the Traladaran lands. The Empire of Thyatis moves on Marilenev, conquers it, and claims the entire Traladara region as a Thyatian protectorate. Marilenev is renamed “Specularum.”
AC 942: A human smith along the Savage Coast discovers red steel.
AC 948: Stefan Karameikos III is born in Thyatis.
AC 950: A traveler from the Savage Coast befriends the Seer of the Lake of Lost Dreams. After hearing stories of Trinkla the Black Sage, the lost Black Opal Eye and its legendary dragon claw pedestal, he takes the Fire Opal Eye of Traldar and mounts it in a dragon’s claw setting fashioned from red steel that he had brought with him.
AC 970: Stefan Karameikos III sells his ancestral lands to the Emperor of Thyatis for independent rule of the Traladara region, which is renamed the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. Duke Stefan sails to and takes possession of his duchy, then begins parceling out land and titles to his Thyatian followers, including giving land near the Five Shires border to his cousin Ludwig von Hendriks. Duke Stefan begins building roads across the Duchy and a strong military to protect it. A minor rebellion and several assassination attempts follow his move to Specularum.
The large multi-generational homestead of the Sielo family welcomes the influx of Thyatians. The head of the family, for his own private reasons, persuades the Duke’s men into a military presence in the region. The homestead is renamed Sielo’s Fort. Neighboring communities are at first resentful until the greater protection the fort provides them is proven.
AC 979: Duke Stefan marries Lady Olivia Prothemian.
AC 980: Lady Adriana Karameikos is born.
AC 982: Lord Justin Karameikos is born.
AC 985: The rise of a hobgoblin warlord named Vlack. It becomes his desire to build a Great Horde and take the mystical (among the humanoids in Dymrak at least) title of “The Dymrak Dread.”
AC 986: Lord Valen Karameikos is born.
AC 989: Large numbers of Traladarans fleeing the Black Eagle Barony prompt Baron von Hendriks to invade the Shires without the permission or knowledge of Duke Stefan. Three successive expeditions from Fort Doom are annihilated by the hin ere Hendriks turns his attention elsewhere.
AC 990: An expeditionary force launched from Sielo’s Fort reacts to the growing threat of humanoid organization. They enter the Dymrak Forest and are victorious over several humanoid strongholds. Vlack escapes.
AC 991: Realizing the roadblock Sielo’s Fort is to his Dymrak Dream, Vlack plots ways to destroy it. He discovers the ruins of the Halav monastery on the hill across the river from the Fort. Although dangerous by proximity, Vlack begins to rebuild his horde right under his enemy’s nose.
AC 993: A young cleric of the Church of Karameikos named Elwyn is seduced by the promise of power and joins with an evil temple located in the remote wilderness mountains of northeast Karameikos. They help fund construction of an outpost halfway between the temple and Elwyn’s home in Specularum – only a few days travel from Sielo’s Fort.
AC 995: Wholly converted to evil, Elwyn steals a holy relic from a shrine in Specularum and flees to her sanctuary. She is captured by Vlack, but negotiates her freedom in return for an alliance between Vlack’s horde and the evil temple.
AC 998: A female black dragon begins to lay eggs in numerous places across the nation of Karameikos. Trying to avoid as much attention as possible, she keeps to the waterways and steers clear of most human settlements. While traveling up the Volaga River, she fins an underwater tunnel leading to a cave perfect for her brood. The only downside is Sielo’s Fort across the river. The dragon spends a few days scouting the Fort from the hilltop. There she meets Vlack and Elwyn. An alliance is made:
1) Vlack is to protect the eggs until they hatch
a. The dragon sees the humanoids as a food source for her hatchlings
b. Vlack, being smarter than that, banishes a rebellious goblin family to the dragon caves and then ignores them
2) The Dragon is to destroy Sielo’s Fort aided by forces led by Elwyn
a. Vlack sees the opportunity to destroy the Fort with no loss to his own Horde
b. The dragon is confident in her ability to destroy the under garrisoned fort. It will also remove a danger of her eggs being discovered
c. Elwyn plans to use the chance to get a hold of black dragon eggs. She is aware of a large force coming upriver headed to Castellan Keep. They should keep the dragon busy enough for Elwyn’s force to steal the eggs
Late AC 998: The black dragon attacks Sielo’s Fort. The dragon is killed, Elwyn is only able to steal one egg, and Vlack (who accompanied the dragon to gloat over his victory) becomes aware, too late, of Elwyn's betrayal and barely escapes with his life. He loses an eye to a human child (a lucky hit).
Early AC 999: The Duke’s men investigate the dragon attack, but determine the dragon was not native to the area and acted alone – it is not a cause for further concern.
Three black dragon eggs hatch – two beneath The Hill and one at Elwyn’s Sanctuary.
AC 1000: Millennial Celebration. A young group of humans at Sielo’s Fort enjoy their Shearing Ceremony and prepare to explore the surrounding region.
Steven B. Wilson
• Becomes the remains of the post-Beastman War/pre-Immortality stronghold of Halav (Rogahn), Zirchev (Zelligar), and Petra (Melissa)
B2 – Keep on the Borderlands
• Change the Keep to just the military portion (according to Gaz1)
• Move town portion to become Sielo’s Fort
• Connect evil temple with Elwyn
• Connect evil temple with Orcus
B5 – Horror on the Hill
• Explains history of monastery
• Change pagan monastery to Halav monastery
• Change Guido’s Fort to Sielo’s Fort
• Explains presence of hobgoblin horde near fort
• Change red dragon under The Hill to two black dragon hatchlings
• Change kobolds under The Hill to goblins (no kobolds in Karameikos according to Gaz1)
• Change dragon's exit tunnel to an underwater one
• Make sure hobgoblin king (Vlack) escapes to have his revenge in B10
B7 – Rahasia
• Gives more background to Elyas
• Introduces Black Opal
• Connects him to the Seers and thus to Zirchev
• Connects sisters to Orcus
B9 – Elwyn’s Sanctuary
• Explains why Elwyn has a small black dragon in her fortress
• Connect Elwyn with Orcus
• Connect Elwyn with evil temple
B10 – Night’s Dark Terror
• Gives location of Sielo and surrounding communities
• Future destruction of PC’s home
• Connects Vlack (Golthar’s hobgoblin lieutenant) to other hobgoblin personalities thus creating a reoccurring villain (even if not fully known to players)
• Adds motivation for Vlack to ally himself with the Iron Ring
DDA3 – Eye of Traldar
• Introduces the Seer
• Gives description of Eye of Traldar in red gold dragon claw pedestal
• Change name to Fire Opal Eye
• Change red gold to red steel
DDA4 – The Dymrak Dread
• Introduces the name “Dymrak Dread”
AC2 – Treasure of the Hideous One
• Gives description of Essence-Orb in dragon claw pedestal
• Introduces name of Trinkla the Black Seer
• Possible nature of Trinkla and vampiric legacy in Rosentos
• Change Essence-Orb to smaller, more portable Black Opal Eye
Bards
• Gives reason for bard presence in Karameikos (Darine)
(IMC bards are a subculture of the Traladarans - Thyatian entertainers, such as those in Specularum, are usually just that, entertainers. Most do not have the abilities of the bard class)
Rangers
• Gives reason for ranger presence in Karameikos (the Watchers)
(IMC rangers will have an actual purpose other than just "taking care of the wilderness" - that's for the druids. True, this makes them a little more Tolkien-esque than some would like, but oh well. I like the idea.)
Other Connections to Explore:
Orcus vs. Zirchev
Witches of Dymrak and the green dragon Argos
Witches of Dymrak vs. Seer
Witches of Dymrak and Orcus
Orcus and Leptar
More info on Sielo's Fort and it's major NPCs itself to follow...
Steven B. Wilson
I love how you have incorporated many of my own ideas into the timeline, like the Seer and the Witches of Dymrak, and your own interpretations of those again are really neat!
As you probably know, I love rewamping old modules, and the way you have placed the B-series modules properly into the Karameikos framework takes those modules from being rather uninteresting dungeon crawls to become essential parts of Karameikos and even expand upon our current understanding of that country's history.
* Traldar: I created this character from the idea of the name Eye of Traldar. I considered renaming him Traldaros, to separate him from the name of the people, but then the name of the Eye wouldnt make sense. I see lots of further ideas about this guy. Other magical items may be created, like the Staff of Traldar fo instance. I also suggested that Haven was originally his realm, a sort of Traldar Camelot, later becoming more of a Traldar Camelot. I have lots of Arthurian elements in my version of Karameikos.
* The Black Seer. I havent read AC2 in years and never realized this rather obvious connection. Your interpretation is really cool. this character is really fascinating, with lots of potential. Imagine "The Return of the Black Seer". Nice adventure just there.
* Elvyns Sanctuary: again, I havent looked much into the B modules with the exception of Rahasia and B10, but I will get back to this one now. I like the tie-in. How does Leptar relate to Orcus? Is he a servant of Orcus? I also like the idea about the Dragon Eggs .
* Vlack: This character is interesting. In case he should be killed during B10, it might be a good idea to introduce a second-in-command for Vlack so we can extrapolate on what happens to the hobgoblins after those events. Will they move out of Xitaqa now that their lair becomes known? Or will the Knights of Penhaligon have to drive them out?
* Rangers: I like the idea about the Order of "The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav". I might not be so keen on limiting all the rangers to be part of the order, but I will definately use it as an origanization IMC. A prestige class might be created for them aswell...
* Darine. Always loved those guys, happy to see them included.
Other thoughts:
1) Taymora connection to the region. I have quite a few ideas here
2) Hutaakan cities. There may easily be other Hutaakan sites than those mentioned in B10.
3) Dymrak Dread. IMC I had the Witches be allied with the Unseelie Court (see other thread), and in fact the entire forest had connections to a part of the Spirit World that was controlled by the Unseelie Court.
4)The Penhaligon Trilogy. Although hardly canon, and not much of a story either, I found that many of the characters and creatures may be incorporated in the setting. The storyline needs to go though.
Whew, I'll stop here. I have lots of more ideas on this subject though. More later.
More info on Sielo's Fort and it's major NPCs itself to
follow...
Looking forward to seeing it! I'll be away for a few days, but I am looking forward to returning to this discussion when I get back.
Havard
Originally posted by havard
* Rangers: I like the idea about the Order of "The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav". I might not be so keen on limiting all the rangers to be part of the order, but I will definately use it as an origanization IMC. A prestige class might be created for them aswell...
Whoops. I wasn't too clear on that one. The rangers are associated with the Seer - his assistants in helping protect Traladara. The Order of "The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav" is the roots of the Cult of Halav. No connection (at least not yet) between the rangers and the Cult.
Steve
Whoops. I wasn't too clear on that one. The rangers are associated with the Seer - his assistants in helping protect Traladara. The Order of "The Death and Sacrifice of King Halav" is the roots of the Cult of Halav. No connection (at least not yet) between the rangers and the Cult.
Aha, sorry. The idea of a Ranger organization working for the Seer is pretty cool!
Havard, back from Easter Skiing.
Originally posted by havard
Havard, back from Easter Skiing.
Lucky you...
Lost, still in the middle of Pesach (Jewish Passover) family-affairs.
I've spent so much time with the NPCs of Sielo's Fort that I'm not sure how to present them all - some are more fleshed out than others (some don't even have names yet). This, however, will have to be my starting point. This is the Sielo Family (alive and otherwise).
The #1's are the first generation, 2s are their children, and 3s (also in green) are the grandchildren (and are great PC possibilities - in which case ignore the NPC class/level). Numbers in parenthesis are the ages.
1 – Female (66, Provisioner, Commoner lvl 2) = (dead – old age – spouse)
.....2 – Female (46, Commoner lvl 1) = (dead – dragon attack – spouse)
..........3 – Female (26, Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Female (24, Commoner lvl 1)
1 – Blacksmith (Sielo’s Fort founder, murdered) = (murdered Darine spouse)
.....2 – Gospodin (44, current head of family, Fighter lvl 3) = Ecatrina (42, Aristocrat lvl 1)
..........3 – Alyosha (18, Aristocrat lvl 1)
.....2 – (dead – disease – female) = (dead – goblin raid – spouse)
.....2 – (dead – dragon attack – female) = Trader (Thyatian, Commoner lvl 2)
..........3 – Male (20, Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Male (18, Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – (dead – avalanche – male) = Female (Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – Kolya (36, Barkeep of the Lion's Den Tavern, Expert lvl 2) = Female (Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Male (16, Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Female (14, Commoner lvl 1)
1 – (dead – old age – twin male, sorcerer)
1 – (dead – old age – twin male, sorcerer)
1 – Natalya (60, Innkeeper, Commoner lvl 4) = Female (Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – Female (40) (missing)
.....2 – Male (38, Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – Female (36, Commoner lvl 2) = Armorer (Expert lvl 4)
..........3 – Male (16, Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Male (14, Commoner lvl 1)
..........3 – Female (12, Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – Male (34, Commoner lvl 1)
.....2 – (dead – dragon attack – male)
..........3 – Illegitimate Female (12) (missing)
1 – (dead – horse accident – male) = Female (Commoner lvl 1)
Again, this is just the Sielo family. This particular list does not include the Fort personnel, soldiers, etc. I think I'll put up the descriptions of the family members next and then move on to non-family members.
Steven B. Wilson
This is really a case of over-developing a setting...
*lol* no kidding!
Again, this is just the Sielo family. This particular list does not include the Fort personnel, soldiers, etc. I think I'll put up the descriptions of the family members next and then move on to non-family members.
Okay, looking forward to seeing the discriptions. It may be easier to offer constructive criticism to those than for this list. Thanks for posting it though!
Havard
Some of these are based on NPCs from the town part of B2. Again a lot of this is overkill - let it be a warning to DMs who put more emphasis on NPCs than on the PCs.
Gospodin Sielo (Traladaran; 3rd level Fighter; age 44)
Became head of the family when his father (who helped establish the Fort at the Sielo homestead) died. Doesn’t have the force of personality of his father and doesn’t have much say in the running of the Fort. Spends most of his time traveling to nearby homesteads visiting friends and foes alike in an attempt to increase friendship between the Thyatian Fort and the Traladaran communities.
Ecatrina Sielo (Traladaran; 1st level Aristocrat; age 42)
Wife of Gospodin. A near fanatic when it comes to religion and a strong ally of the Curate. Although a rough woman, she tries to bring up her daughter as a proper lady – it’s hard to tell if she has been successful or not.
Alyosha Sielo (Traladaran; 1st level Aristocrat; age 18)
Daughter of Gospodin and Ecatrina. Wants to be Sheared and go on adventures because she things it’s glamorous. She has been disgusted with the appearance of all adventurers (who she refers to as “drunken louts”) who have come to the Fort so far. She loves the good life too much to ever leave. Doesn’t care for Relkin, but he’s okay to have around when other soldiers or visitors to the Fort try to get a bit too friendly.
Natalya Sielo – (Traladaran; 4th level Commoner; age 60)
Gospodin’s uncle. Father of Armorer’s Wife. Owns and runs the Traveler’s Inn with his wife and two unmarried sons (ages 38 and 34).
Armorer – (Thyatian; 4th level Expert)
Married Gospodin’s cousin. Runs blacksmith shop.
Armorer’s Wife – (Traladaran; 2nd level Commoner; age 36)
Gospodin’s cousin, daughter of Natalya. Has two sons and one daughter.
Kolya Sielo – (Traladaran; 2nd level Expert; age 36)
Gospodin’s younger brother. Owner and barkeep of the Lion’s Den Tavern. Occasionally travels to local communities with Gospodin.
Kolya’s Wife – (Traladaran; 1st level Commoner)
Has one son and one daughter. Takes care of Grigori the Pot Boy.
Grigori – (Traladaran; 1st level Commoner)
Mentally handicapped. Abandoned at birth at the Fort – informally adopted by Kolya’s family.
Provisioner – (Traladaran; 4th level Commoner; age 66)
Gospodin’s aunt. Oldest living member of the Sielo family. Runs equipment shop (with daughter and two granddaughters) in the Fort and is a major supplier of trade goods to local communities. Very strong friendship with local Guildmaster (does not know of Guildmaster’s association with the Veiled Society).
Trader – (Thyatian; 2nd lvl Commoner)
Gospodin’s brother-in-law. Wife died in dragon attack two years ago. Runs trading post with two sons. Gets along well with Provisioner, but keeps to himself most of the time.
---
Steven B. Wilson
Curate (Traladaran; 5th level Cleric)
Possibly the most influential Traladaran in Sielo’s Fort. He distrusts the Traveling Priest who visits the Fort regularly.
Guild Master (Traladaran; 7th level Expert)
Member of the Veiled Society. His job is only information gathering, for now. He is well regarded by both Thyatians and Traladarans, and Fort personnel will often reflect his favor or dislike in the treatment of others.
Gelpas Tarquin – Captain of the Watch (Thyatian; 3rd level Fighter; age 42)
Military leader of Sielo’s Fort. A tight wad who is frustrated with his two sons (Vasil and Bergil). He has some hope for Vasil – if only someone had the time to teach him.
Marya Tarquin (Thyatian; 2nd level commoner; age 37)
Wife of Gelpas. Only loyalty is to her husband and her sons, Vasil and Bergil.
Vasil Tarquin (Thyatian; 1st level commoner; age 19)
Son of Gelpas and Marya. “In love” with Gabriela, but really only wants sex and marriage. He will follow her if she leaves. Almost too old to learn how to fight. Works in the stable.
Bergil Tarquin (Thyatian; 1st level commoner; age 17)
Son of Gelpas and Marya. Works as a stablehand. Has no ambitions other than getting drunk and having sex. Would have raped Gabriela by now if it wasn’t for Vasil who beat him up for mentioning it.
Relkin Octavius – Corporal of the Watch (Half Breed; 2nd level Fighter)
Fairly laid back, but can be rather grouchy at times, with his low charisma, but he admires outspoken, brave fighters and is easily taken in by a pretty girl. He will let a lot of things go by if they don’t do serious harm to anyone – but will still grumble about it a lot. Likes Gospodin but can’t stand his daughter’s attitude sometimes – even though he escorts her a lot (love/hate thing)
Brilman Vispania – Sergeant of the Watch (Thyatian; 2nd level Fighter)
A graying member of the old Karameikan guard who was practically born in Thyatian army boots. He knows what he likes and isn’t afraid to tell anyone about it.
Traveling Priest – (Traladaran; 2nd level Adept)
Very fine companion and an excellent listener. He does not press his religious beliefs upon any unwilling person. He is outspoken in his hatred of evil. He is at the Fort in an attempt to learn about a forgotten monastery that the Cult believes belongs to ancient Halav worshippers.
Banker – (Traladaran; 3rd level Fighter)
Retired adventurer.
Banker’s Clerk – (Traladaran; 2nd level Wizard)
Retired adventurer.
Jewel Merchant – (Gnome; 4th level Expert)
Frequent visitor to the Fort with his wife – usually for the few weeks prior to the annual gnome caravan.
Hadrian – (Thyatian; 2nd level Expert)
Ducal Taxman
Arius – (Thyatian; 3rd level Warrior; age35)
Proud to be a soldier in the Duke’s army and works hard at becoming the best. Loves his family and taught his daughter (Gabriela) how to defend herself – wants her to marry.
Berenice – (Thyatian; lvl 2 Commoner; age 34)
Wife of Arius. Worries about the safety of her daughter around Bergil whom she dislikes greatly.
Gabriela – (Thyatian; lvl 1 Commoner; age 15)
Daughter of Arius and Berenice. Helps take care of the horses at the Fort. Inspired by her father and wants to become a fighter. She has great contempt for Alyosha.
Wanderer – (Traladaran)
Possible mentor for any Druid or Ranger characters.
Arkadi – (Traladaran; lvl 2 Warrior)
Still fairly young and is secretly in love with Alyosha. Because he doesn’t know her very well, he is headed for a major heartbreak. Never talks to her – wants to look professional.
Marcus – (Thyatian; lvl 2 Warrior)
A good fighter. Distinguished himself during the dragon attack 2 years ago.
Makar – (Traladaran; lvl 1 Warrior)
Almost too nice to be a soldier. He doesn’t mind being in the army, but is looking for something more in life.
Clovis – (Thyatian; lvl 1 Warrior)
A big, healthy man who has taken a liking to the quiet Makar, and looks out for him in a big brother sort of way. He is making plans to convince Makar to leave the army with him and start a business somewhere else.
Varus – (Thyatian; lvl 1 Warrior)
Joined the army because he was bored – and will probably leave when he tires of it. He is overly confident of his abilities.
Fyodor – (Traladaran; lvl 1 Warrior)
A meathead. Almost always drunk and mean. Loves to bully folks around and is very close to being thrown out of the army and into prison. He and Bergil are drinking buddies despite the age difference.
Vilana – (Callarii Elf; lvl 1 Warrior)
Spent a long time trying to get into the Duke’s Elvenguard but never quite made the cut and is paranoid about it. He thinks Gelpas hates him so he tries to follow his orders to the letter - which makes him more paranoid when no one commends him on it.
---
Steven B. Wilson
This is interesting because, as you say, these are typical characters who can be encountered in any traladaran setting. Looks like your players are going to have a swell time hanging out with these NPCs!
Havard
Originally posted by havard
Cool. Keep these coming.
This is interesting because, as you say, these are typical characters who can be encountered in any traladaran setting. Looks like your players are going to have a swell time hanging out with these NPCs!
Havard
Now just imagine their shock when the entire fort, the people, and pretty much all the surrounding communities are destroyed when we get to B10. I think that with so much invested in it, the players will never think that I'd throw it all away. But if it goes well, it will motivate the players far beyond what I could do otherwise. It would also give the characters a real reason for leaving Karameikos and go explore the wide world in the X-series modules...or...give the characters a reason to seek out the Seer - help protect the people from tragedies like this...
Lots of possibilities
Steven B. Wilson
Originally posted by SB Wilson
Now just imagine their shock when the entire fort, the people, and pretty much all the surrounding communities are destroyed when we get to B10. I think that with so much invested in it, the players will never think that I'd throw it all away. But if it goes well, it will motivate the players far beyond what I could do otherwise. It would also give the characters a real reason for leaving Karameikos and go explore the wide world in the X-series modules...or...give the characters a reason to seek out the Seer - help protect the people from tragedies like this...
Sounds like they will have a swell time. OTOH, if you find it appropriate, you could have some of the NPCs survive and appear at a later point, although that would reduce some of the dramatic effect you describe.
Cheers!
Havard
Bump to bookmark for future reference.
Some excellent ideas on this thread.
Bump to bookmark for future reference.
I use most of the events in this timeline IMC aswell. Also, I have added some events that appeared in the Thunder Rift thread that tie in with Karameikos:
AC 1002 The Tainted Sword
Abelaats appear in Penhaligon. The dragon Verdilith wrecks havoc on Bywater, also destroying Artisticles’ Red Granite Tower on the way. With the help of Johauna Menhir, Sir Fain Flinn regains his honor at the Penhaligon court and sets out to kill his nemesis, the green dragon Verdilith. (Detailed in novel The Tainted Sword, effects can also be seen in Escape from Thunder Rift.)
Some Abelaats find their way into Thunder Rift. (non-canon).
AC 1003-1009 Wrath of the Immortals
Wrath of the Immortals: Conflicts between the Immortals sets the Known World in turmoil, changing its face forever. Thunder Rift seems unaffected by these events.
AC 1003 The Dragon’s Tomb
Johauna Menhir learns more about the Abelaats who plague Karameikos. Johauna slays Verdilith. Fain Flinn is ressurrected and embarks on the path to Immortality with the aid of Braddock, the dwarf. A gate is opened to the Abelaat homeworld into Karameikan Armstead. Karameikan Armstead destroyed. (Detailed in the novel the Dragons Tomb)
AC 1004 The Fall of Magic
Massive Abelaat invasions of Karameikos. Penhaligon destroyed. Baroness Arteris barely escapes. With the help of the Immortal Flinn, Johauna Menhir stops the invasions. (Detailed in the novel The Fall of Magic.)
AC 1005
Johauna Menhir discovers the gate to Thunder Rift and enters the Valley, believing all her friends back in Karameikos to be dead. She takes up hunting down the Abelaat who made their way into the valley, and spreads the faith of the Immortal Flinn and the code of Chivalry to Thunder Rift’s inhabitants. (non-canon.)
Reconstruction of Penhaligon begins. (Extrapolation from The Fall of Magic and K:KoA.)
AC 1009
Reconstruction of Penhaligon is completed, but it loses its baronial status, and is now once again only considered an estate. (Extrapolation from Penhaligon Trilogy and K:KoA).
AC1010
The present
Håvard
Some excellent ideas on this thread.
Bump to bookmark for future reference.
Y'know, I may be in the minority here... but I generally consider a sixteen month bump for personal reference interest to be a bit out of line. Stick the URL in your Favorites, or contact Shawn asking to have the material archived on the Vaults (in fact, a quick search indicates that it already is on the Vaults), or save a copy to your local HD. But don't clutter the boards with a bump, please. If nobody's cared enough to go looking for it for six months now, further interest will be minimal at best.
But don't clutter the boards with a bump,
WOW!!! We've finally reached the point that CLUTTER is an ISSUE on these boards! There was a time when a bump could be all there would be to read here for days!
If you don't know about the Vaults of Pandius click the link and you'll find yourself in a Mystaran's Paradise.
Thank you,
GW
I'm gonna Yoink some of this for my setting materials.
Thank you,
GW
Well I'm glad somebody appreciated me bumping this thread. ;)
Actually I was recently reading module B10 'In Search Of Adventure' and I don't really see how the storyline for the 'Journey To The Rock' scenario fits into the timeline of Traladara/Karameikos.
I'm thinking of having the amulet that the wizard Lirdrium Arkayz is after either tied in with the Cult of Halav or the remaining Hutaakans in the region.
If you don't know about the Vaults of Pandius click the link and you'll find yourself in a Mystaran's Paradise.
Thanks for the link Hugin, much appreciated.
Actually I was recently reading module B10 'In Search Of Adventure' and I don't really see how the storyline for the 'Journey To The Rock' scenario fits into the timeline of Traladara/Karameikos.
I'm thinking of having the amulet that the wizard Lirdrium Arkayz is after either tied in with the Cult of Halav or the remaining Hutaakans in the region.
I think a lot of people have connected this adventure to the Taymora culture. Being an anthropologist by trade, I altered some religious text to come up with this: http://pandius.com/arch_dig.html (Which I don't think is linked to my authors page on the Vaults).
I think a lot of people have connected this adventure to the Taymora culture. Being an anthropologist by trade, I altered some religious text to come up with this: http://pandius.com/arch_dig.html (Which I don't think is linked to my authors page on the Vaults).
oops good catch Steven
I use most of the events in this timeline IMC aswell. Also, I have added some events that appeared in the Thunder Rift thread that tie in with Karameikos:
Håvard
To be honest Havard I'd never heard of Thunder Rift before.
I like your timeline though, another I'll probably be using when developing any future campaign.
Thanks.
To be honest Havard I'd never heard of Thunder Rift before.
I like your timeline though, another I'll probably be using when developing any future campaign.
Any time
The Thunder Rift products have their weaknesses, but also alot of potential in them which I'm trying to expand upon.
I think a lot of people have connected this adventure to the Taymora culture. Being an anthropologist by trade, I altered some religious text to come up with this: http://pandius.com/arch_dig.html (Which I don't think is linked to my authors page on the Vaults).
I hadn't noticed or forgotten about that one Steve. Thanks for reminding us. Sounds like a pretty good explaination to me!
Haven't seen you around here lately by the way, good to see you are still around!
Håvard
Haven't seen you around here lately by the way, good to see you are still around!
Håvard
I still check in every now and then, I just haven't had time to devote to new material. I'm going to assume it will be like normal - take a few years off then have a huge burst of creativity, then another fallow period.
It's funny, I've been in love with Mystara since I was a little kid (early 1980s) and no matter how my life changes and what Real World adventures I go through, I still always come back to Mystara. Nothing else (besides my family and my religion) has had that kind of pull on me. I have loads of "Mystaran memories" that have probably shaped my life (and definitely my career). Life is good.
I'll stop being nostalgic now ;)
Now what did I do with that Rum-n-Coke?It's funny, I've been in love with Mystara since I was a little kid (early 1980s) and no matter how my life changes and what Real World adventures I go through, I still always come back to Mystara. Nothing else (besides my family and my religion) has had that kind of pull on me. I have loads of "Mystaran memories" that have probably shaped my life (and definitely my career). Life is good.
I'll stop being nostalgic now ;)
Nothing wrong with a little nostalgia!
And yeah, it is weird. I have played and GMed a large number of games and settings, but I always come back to Mystara too. In addition to Mystara being a superior setting, I think the fan community plays a big part in that.
The whole Karameikos mythology keeps growing though. I am trying to tie in the exisiting ideas with both the Callarii history that grew out of DM's Immortal's thread as well as the Thunder Rift project, which has alot of ties in its origins to the Hutaakans as well as the recent events of the Abelaat invasion. Hmmm...I suspect I need to get Arik more involved with that whole scenario...
Suggestions for any of this? Anyone?
Håvard