The Day of Renewal - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The Day of Renewal

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jul 31, 2004 14:03:27 The post immediately following describes the "Day of Renewal", the holiday celebrated in Thyatis on the last day of each year, since AC 1017 in the MA timeline. It can easily be incorporated into any campaign regardless of use (or lack theirof) of Almanac timelines of any sort. It is one of the Emperor's propaganda endevors, aimed at rebuilding the Empire's spirit.
#2
zombiegleemax
Jul 31, 2004 14:05:20 The Day of Renewal (Thyatis only)

The Empire of Thyatis does not recognize the “Day of Dread”. Instead, by decree of the Senate, it celebrates a “Day of Renewal”. Emperor Eusebius proclaimed that “Thyatians dread nothing, but we commemorate the passing of the darkness that shrouded the Empire and the renewal of the Imperium of the Thyatian people.” It incorporates traditional midwinter festivities in addition to events added especially for the Day of Renewal. The faith of Solarios (Ixion) plays a central role, having managed to insinuate itself into the celebrations.

The “Day of Renewal” unofficially begins the day before. A little before midnight, the Isle of Sclaras shifts to the Ethereal Plane, where it will remain for a little over 24 hours, returning to its normal position on New Year’s day. This is done for the convenience of Thyatis’ wizards, and the enchantments required were created by them, and managed because Sclaras is not very large. They do this so that enchantments are not interrupted, wards released, and the like. This process is replicated in minature in other parts of the Empire as well, with some portions of the Collegium Arcanum, for example, going Ethereal. The entire structure does not shift, just selected areas where it is deemed important to keep magical effects functioning continuously, without interruption. Several Temples, Fighting Orders, Rogue groups, and other organizations do likewise when they desire to keep magical protections and enchantments they do not want interrupted active. Some also make use of secure Demiplanes rather than the Ethereal. The Imperial Treasury, Magistranoi, Magist Demetrion, and several other prominent Thyatians are suspected of using this method.

The Day without Magic is obviously prime time for people trying to break into areas that are normally magically protected, and most people are not able to take the above precautions of shifting vital regions and items to another plane to protect them. This then is a lucrative day for people who are hired out or otherwise engaged to break into areas that usually are magically secure. The foresightful tend to hire extra guards and put additional non-magical security in protection, however, so such endeavors are not without risk.

The official start of the Day of Renewal is at dawn. The Emperor and his entourage proceed to the Hippodrome’s Imperial Box, which is connected to the Palace. The stands are crowded, as are those of the Coliseum, where a representative designated by him (usually his Heir apparent) stands in his stead. The Emperor proclaims “by decree of the Senate, a holiday celebrating the Empire’s renewal”. As he speaks, members of the Retebius Air Fleet and the Knights of the Air take flight and pass over the Hippodrome in formation, proceeding over the Heart of Thyatis and conducting an overflight of the Coliseum as well, then winging over to return to the Zendrolion. This is done as a deliberate display, to illustrate the point that Thyatis, unlike nations that rely primarily upon skyships, maintains an aerial capability even on the day without magic.

As this happens, units of the Imperial Guard and selected Legions begin to march into the Hippodrome to the tune of martial music, to pass in review before the Emperor, who opens horse and chariot races once they are done filing through. The troops then parade through the streets to the Heart and enter the coliseum, with the Emperor and his companion guards and entourage following behind. When they reach the coliseum, the Emperor opens the games. This process is repeated in miniature throughout the Empire, with local rulers and governors acting in place of the Emperor, and local members of the Knights of the Air and soldiers performing similar ceremonies.

For the rest of the day until dusk, Thyatis has the atmosphere of a fair. While trade and commerce is generally low on the “Day of Dread” elsewhere in Mystara, in Thyatis the Day of Renewal sees brisk trading. People buy from vendors, shop, and conduct business – especially transactions they want to keep safe from magical eavesdropping.

At dusk the Emperor leads a procession of his court, entourage, and companion guards to the High Temple on Imperial Hill, the former site of the Imperial Palace. It is somber, conducted with an atmosphere of resolve rather than celebratory, and this too is replicated in miniature throughout the Empire, with processions from the Praetorium to that community’s main temple. At the High Temple, the Prelate of Solarios presides over a service which has as its theme the need to fight the forces of darkness, decay, decline, and entropy, to be vigilant against their agents and to the danger they pose to the unwary and decadent. It is emphasized that Thyatis, from its heritage and history, is more keenly aware of these pitfalls and the need to be “watchful beforehand” against them than other nations and peoples are, who believe themselves immune to these influences and somehow exempt from the impact of entropy. Thyatis thus, he says, has a special mission, and while others dread Thyatians renew their resolve to combat the darkness. Unawareness and complacency are entropy’s greatest weapons, and Thyatians must not fall into that pitfall, as it nearly brought the Empire low.

This temple service does much to pat Thyatians on the back as somehow exceptional, but its main purpose is to remind the Thyatians, keep them focused as a precaution against it. It extends the efforts of Thincol Torion, who reversed the Empire’s invisible decline (see DotE DMSB, History of Thyatis section) until immortal intervention set it back again (see WotI, Book II). Thyatis has rebounded since the “Final War with Alphatia” and undergone a renewal under Emperor Eusebius, in part because of efforts to reinvigorate the spirit of Thyatians, which the Day of Renewal is a cornerstone of. The “Day of Renewal” serves not only as a commemoration of Thyatis’ recovery, but a reminder of the time of troubles from which it is recovering. Since obviously not everyone in The City can fit into the High Temple, similar services are conducted in other Temples throughout Thyatis. This service, and the one the following day, are the one time when nearly everyone attends (except those who are on duty somewhere, such as guard duty).

After the service there is a torchlight procession down Emperor’s Hill, through the Heart and back to the Zendrolion. Thyatians jump over bonfires on street corners to burn out whatever ill-luck and worry that remains from the past year and then return to their homes to eat, feast, and reflect on the past year. Firemen watch over these bonfires to insure they do not spread and are not unsafe.

At dawn the next day the Imperial Court and guards proceed again through the streets of The City to the High Temple, where another service is conducted, again led by the Chief Prelate of Solarios. This one emphasizes the victory of the unconquered son, waxing in strength over the forces of darkness and entropy, just as the empire defeated its foes outside the walls of the city. The congregation sings song of life and renewal, emphasizing perseverance in the face of adversity and the entering of a new and brighter era.

After the service ends, the Imperial Court, Senate, and the Emperor’s companion guards conduct another procession back down Emperor’s Hill, through the Coliseum, the Heart, and into the Hippodrome. Brocaded rugs hang from windows along the route and flower petals are showered down on the parade. Cheering throngs crowd the streets. Lesser nobles in the procession toss out handfuls of copper pieces, higher nobility silver, members of the Senate electrum Justicars, members of the Imperial Family gold, and the Emperor and his wife throw out platinum pieces. The Retebius Air Fleet, Knights of the Air, and several Thyatian Skyships conduct an overflight of the procession.

When the triumphal march reaches the Hippodrome, the Emperor gives a speech memorializing the Thyatians who gave their lives in the Empire’s service over the preceeding year, the sacrifices they made, heroic deeds done, and how they aided the Empire, and emphasizing the “virtues of Thyatis” that are the reasons why such sacrifices are worthwhile. He concludes with remarks on the State of the Empire, and again announces a holiday and opens games. But this time, it is the New Year’s holiday, and the Day of Renewal is officially at an end.
#3
havard
Jul 31, 2004 16:25:31 Some cool ideas for the Day of Dread err... Renewal there!

I still don't really like the Day of Dread, but at least this way it becomes more than a more annoyance.

I especially like the part of how Sclareas shifts into the Ethereal Plane. I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further?

Havard
#4
Hugin
Jul 31, 2004 18:22:52
by Havard
I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further?

*lol* The PCs (lvs 4 - 5) IMC just escaped being ship-wrecked on this island. They didn't interact with any of the island's inhabitants, but the fear in them while they helped to repair the vessel they were traveling in was awesome! :D

I too think this island is under-developed, but Sclareas IMC isn't as densly populated as the canon island (I run a lower magic campaign then normal thought).
#5
zombiegleemax
Aug 01, 2004 10:19:43
Originally posted by havard
Some cool ideas for the Day of Dread err... Renewal there!

I still don't really like the Day of Dread, but at least this way it becomes more than a more annoyance.

Yah, I'm not fond of it either and it'll probably get phased out IMC at some point. But there is adventure-potential in a Day Without Magic.

I especially like the part of how Sclareas shifts into the Ethereal Plane. I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further?

Havard

I have some stuff but it's not written up online yet, and a lot of it is scattered. I'll try and write stuff up. The way I look at it, each of the Estates on Sclaras is prolly akin to a "Castle Amber" - not as big, prolly ("Castle Amber" is very large, as large as, well, the Palace of Versailles upon which it is based; I doubt any of the buildings on Sclaras are that big, though many are more than two stories high), but in the sense of being unique & bizzare, with excentric mages and their excentric family members & servators, guardians, odd rooms & features, and the like.

I also imagine that each Estate is somehow sectioned-off from the others, by hedgerows and/or a line of trees, probably with some sort of defenses (primarily detection stuff, to provide an "alert" when someone crosses the boundary of one estate to another). Entrances are probably gated (iron gates & fences at gaps in the hedgerows). I prefer the hedgerows thing to walls as such.

The prime properties are ones along the coast, with a "beach", but the island itself rises above the sea, with cliffs on all sides (except a small low area, a few acres in size, which functions as a harbor/port for the isle, with docks, and is a "common area", a port of entry for visitors - who, of course, must be invited by one or more of the residents. This area is also where some trade is conducted. The best analogy I can think of at the moment is Skullport in Waterdeep, though not *quite* as seedy and illicit). The rest of the island is: a narrow beach, probably 30 meters/yards or so in width, forming a ring around the isle. Beyond that the island rises sharply, with chalk-white cliffs. Atop those are the estates proper. The seas around the island is riven with reefs and rocks and other things hazzardous to navigation, and the wizards aren't beyond "seeding" the waters with dangerous critters as a deterent to interlopers. This isn't done in any coordinated fashion, each wizard does whatever they want when it comes to this, and it can lead to the critters put in place by one wizard getting into bloody fights with those of another, eating each other. This is often an occasion for "sight-seeing" among the population of the island, when a particularly good "bout" starts (another expression of the Thyatian proclivity for gladiatorial combat). Strange, often enchanted, fogs surround the island beyond a few miles, limiting visibility for ships sailing to it. The area immediately around the isle is almost always clear, but there is a "donut" (or begel) of fog with the island in a "hole" in the middle.

The skies are also dangerous, as all the wizards are keenly aware of the possibility of trespassers coming in via this route. Indeed, each Estate tends to be protected multi-dimensionally: surface, air, underground, and trans-planar, especially from Ethereal infiltration & observation.

None of the Estates are huge, but with 160 acres (aproximately) they aren't tiny, either. The current inhabitants aren't the only Wizards who have lived here - remember, Valentia is said to have been the first Estate-holder here, almost a thousand years ago. So there has been a milenium of development and cross-development on the Island. Many Estates have not only the villa/tower/whatever-the-heck-they-want-as-an-abode of the current inhabitant, but those of previous inhabitants (when the current or some prior occupant decided not to use that one, but to build their own instead). Some of these have been torn down or are in ruins, but usually not everything has been removed. The Wizards themselves often stumble upon enchantments or dangerous areas, especially underground chambers, left abandoned and lost by previous residents. They often don't want to be bothered with "clearing" these themselves, and so will hire outside agents (Our Party of Adventurers) to do the job.

The Wizards also often need specific items for their experiments & researches, and so will hire agents to procure it. Many are also involved in feuds and rivalries with their neighbors. Almost always, these are not deadly, but involve "liberating" property or "counting coup" against them in some fashion. Adventurers are hired as security against such efforts, and also to perform such feats. Some of these can be very bizzare, the rationale known only to the people involved, not to those hired by Wizard N to, say, plant a pair of neon-green bloomers in the bedchamber of Wizard X. Things can escalate to the point of fabricating research, sabotaging research, stealing this or that item, and other things intended primarily as embarassement. Assassinations, however, are almost unknown on the Island - by tacit agreement, as all the Wizards are aware (from sad experience, it must be said) of what can happen if scores of powerful Wizards engage in blood-feuds.

This isn't to say there aren't (occasional) duels among the Wizards, but they tend to be kept to a minimum, and in those cases people are not hired to perform the job - they do it face-to-face. These duels are almost never to the death.

Wizards being Wizards, some residents have been around since the early days of the Empire. So they have long memories and are often seen as a source of information. The Wizards aren't really patient with outsiders, though. If and when they want to meet with "the general public", they'll travel to Thyatis City (for example) or elsewhere. Visitation is by invitation only, and uninvited guests "sleep with the fishes". If you don't hear back from someone who went to Sclaras uninvited, don't bother asking anyone who lives there about their welfare and whereabouts - you won't get an answer. Some are killed outright, a possibly merciful death, while some are put to other use (they being seen as "finders keepers" property by some mages who want experiment subjects). Merciful wizards might just wipe their minds of memories of the isle and deposit them on another Plane with a warning to never return again, as they might not be treated so kindly.

As for the Estates themselves, as mentioned, they are as varied as the Wizards who inhabit them. The hedges & tree-lines are used to provide privacy. Each Estate might have a "atmosphere" far different from another, and some are very artistic in establishing a "theme" for their estate. Some are dark, foreboding abodes, others are sunlit and park-like. Several are forested throughout, some being maintained in a tropical, others sub-tropical, and still others in a temperate climate. Some do not have man-made structures above-ground, others have "traditional" towers, many have villas that, from the outside at least, are not unlike those of wealthy Thyatians on Carytion or in the Duchy of Thyatis. Before the Week Without Magic, there were even some that could only be maintained magically (floating towers, parts of buildings that were connected only thinly to the ground with magic being used to support the structure, odd-shaped buildings that likewise needed magic to keep them from collapsing, and the like), but these didn't fare well on that day and for the most part haven't been rebuilt in that style. With 250 Estates, only one's imagination limits what any given Estate and its inhabitants might be like.
#6
spellweaver
Aug 02, 2004 11:47:40 Cool writeup - both on the Day of Renewal and the Island of Sclaras!

:-) Jesper

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 31, 2004 14:03:27	The post immediately following describes the "Day of Renewal", the holiday celebrated in Thyatis on the last day of each year, since AC 1017 in the MA timeline. It can easily be incorporated into any campaign regardless of use (or lack theirof) of Almanac timelines of any sort. It is one of the Emperor's propaganda endevors, aimed at rebuilding the Empire's spirit.
#2 zombiegleemax Jul 31, 2004 14:05:20	The Day of Renewal (Thyatis only) The Empire of Thyatis does not recognize the “Day of Dread”. Instead, by decree of the Senate, it celebrates a “Day of Renewal”. Emperor Eusebius proclaimed that “Thyatians dread nothing, but we commemorate the passing of the darkness that shrouded the Empire and the renewal of the Imperium of the Thyatian people.” It incorporates traditional midwinter festivities in addition to events added especially for the Day of Renewal. The faith of Solarios (Ixion) plays a central role, having managed to insinuate itself into the celebrations. The “Day of Renewal” unofficially begins the day before. A little before midnight, the Isle of Sclaras shifts to the Ethereal Plane, where it will remain for a little over 24 hours, returning to its normal position on New Year’s day. This is done for the convenience of Thyatis’ wizards, and the enchantments required were created by them, and managed because Sclaras is not very large. They do this so that enchantments are not interrupted, wards released, and the like. This process is replicated in minature in other parts of the Empire as well, with some portions of the Collegium Arcanum, for example, going Ethereal. The entire structure does not shift, just selected areas where it is deemed important to keep magical effects functioning continuously, without interruption. Several Temples, Fighting Orders, Rogue groups, and other organizations do likewise when they desire to keep magical protections and enchantments they do not want interrupted active. Some also make use of secure Demiplanes rather than the Ethereal. The Imperial Treasury, Magistranoi, Magist Demetrion, and several other prominent Thyatians are suspected of using this method. The Day without Magic is obviously prime time for people trying to break into areas that are normally magically protected, and most people are not able to take the above precautions of shifting vital regions and items to another plane to protect them. This then is a lucrative day for people who are hired out or otherwise engaged to break into areas that usually are magically secure. The foresightful tend to hire extra guards and put additional non-magical security in protection, however, so such endeavors are not without risk. The official start of the Day of Renewal is at dawn. The Emperor and his entourage proceed to the Hippodrome’s Imperial Box, which is connected to the Palace. The stands are crowded, as are those of the Coliseum, where a representative designated by him (usually his Heir apparent) stands in his stead. The Emperor proclaims “by decree of the Senate, a holiday celebrating the Empire’s renewal”. As he speaks, members of the Retebius Air Fleet and the Knights of the Air take flight and pass over the Hippodrome in formation, proceeding over the Heart of Thyatis and conducting an overflight of the Coliseum as well, then winging over to return to the Zendrolion. This is done as a deliberate display, to illustrate the point that Thyatis, unlike nations that rely primarily upon skyships, maintains an aerial capability even on the day without magic. As this happens, units of the Imperial Guard and selected Legions begin to march into the Hippodrome to the tune of martial music, to pass in review before the Emperor, who opens horse and chariot races once they are done filing through. The troops then parade through the streets to the Heart and enter the coliseum, with the Emperor and his companion guards and entourage following behind. When they reach the coliseum, the Emperor opens the games. This process is repeated in miniature throughout the Empire, with local rulers and governors acting in place of the Emperor, and local members of the Knights of the Air and soldiers performing similar ceremonies. For the rest of the day until dusk, Thyatis has the atmosphere of a fair. While trade and commerce is generally low on the “Day of Dread” elsewhere in Mystara, in Thyatis the Day of Renewal sees brisk trading. People buy from vendors, shop, and conduct business – especially transactions they want to keep safe from magical eavesdropping. At dusk the Emperor leads a procession of his court, entourage, and companion guards to the High Temple on Imperial Hill, the former site of the Imperial Palace. It is somber, conducted with an atmosphere of resolve rather than celebratory, and this too is replicated in miniature throughout the Empire, with processions from the Praetorium to that community’s main temple. At the High Temple, the Prelate of Solarios presides over a service which has as its theme the need to fight the forces of darkness, decay, decline, and entropy, to be vigilant against their agents and to the danger they pose to the unwary and decadent. It is emphasized that Thyatis, from its heritage and history, is more keenly aware of these pitfalls and the need to be “watchful beforehand” against them than other nations and peoples are, who believe themselves immune to these influences and somehow exempt from the impact of entropy. Thyatis thus, he says, has a special mission, and while others dread Thyatians renew their resolve to combat the darkness. Unawareness and complacency are entropy’s greatest weapons, and Thyatians must not fall into that pitfall, as it nearly brought the Empire low. This temple service does much to pat Thyatians on the back as somehow exceptional, but its main purpose is to remind the Thyatians, keep them focused as a precaution against it. It extends the efforts of Thincol Torion, who reversed the Empire’s invisible decline (see DotE DMSB, History of Thyatis section) until immortal intervention set it back again (see WotI, Book II). Thyatis has rebounded since the “Final War with Alphatia” and undergone a renewal under Emperor Eusebius, in part because of efforts to reinvigorate the spirit of Thyatians, which the Day of Renewal is a cornerstone of. The “Day of Renewal” serves not only as a commemoration of Thyatis’ recovery, but a reminder of the time of troubles from which it is recovering. Since obviously not everyone in The City can fit into the High Temple, similar services are conducted in other Temples throughout Thyatis. This service, and the one the following day, are the one time when nearly everyone attends (except those who are on duty somewhere, such as guard duty). After the service there is a torchlight procession down Emperor’s Hill, through the Heart and back to the Zendrolion. Thyatians jump over bonfires on street corners to burn out whatever ill-luck and worry that remains from the past year and then return to their homes to eat, feast, and reflect on the past year. Firemen watch over these bonfires to insure they do not spread and are not unsafe. At dawn the next day the Imperial Court and guards proceed again through the streets of The City to the High Temple, where another service is conducted, again led by the Chief Prelate of Solarios. This one emphasizes the victory of the unconquered son, waxing in strength over the forces of darkness and entropy, just as the empire defeated its foes outside the walls of the city. The congregation sings song of life and renewal, emphasizing perseverance in the face of adversity and the entering of a new and brighter era. After the service ends, the Imperial Court, Senate, and the Emperor’s companion guards conduct another procession back down Emperor’s Hill, through the Coliseum, the Heart, and into the Hippodrome. Brocaded rugs hang from windows along the route and flower petals are showered down on the parade. Cheering throngs crowd the streets. Lesser nobles in the procession toss out handfuls of copper pieces, higher nobility silver, members of the Senate electrum Justicars, members of the Imperial Family gold, and the Emperor and his wife throw out platinum pieces. The Retebius Air Fleet, Knights of the Air, and several Thyatian Skyships conduct an overflight of the procession. When the triumphal march reaches the Hippodrome, the Emperor gives a speech memorializing the Thyatians who gave their lives in the Empire’s service over the preceeding year, the sacrifices they made, heroic deeds done, and how they aided the Empire, and emphasizing the “virtues of Thyatis” that are the reasons why such sacrifices are worthwhile. He concludes with remarks on the State of the Empire, and again announces a holiday and opens games. But this time, it is the New Year’s holiday, and the Day of Renewal is officially at an end.
#3 havard Jul 31, 2004 16:25:31	Some cool ideas for the Day of Dread err... Renewal there! I still don't really like the Day of Dread, but at least this way it becomes more than a more annoyance. I especially like the part of how Sclareas shifts into the Ethereal Plane. I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further? Havard
#4 Hugin Jul 31, 2004 18:22:52	by Havard I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further? lol The PCs (lvs 4 - 5) IMC just escaped being ship-wrecked on this island. They didn't interact with any of the island's inhabitants, but the fear in them while they helped to repair the vessel they were traveling in was awesome! :D I too think this island is under-developed, but Sclareas IMC isn't as densly populated as the canon island (I run a lower magic campaign then normal thought).
#5 zombiegleemax Aug 01, 2004 10:19:43	Originally posted by havard Some cool ideas for the Day of Dread err... Renewal there! I still don't really like the Day of Dread, but at least this way it becomes more than a more annoyance. Yah, I'm not fond of it either and it'll probably get phased out IMC at some point. But there is adventure-potential in a Day Without Magic. I especially like the part of how Sclareas shifts into the Ethereal Plane. I've always felt that this island has alot of potential beyond the DotE description of it being an island full of retired 36th level mages. Have you done anything more to develop the island further? Havard I have some stuff but it's not written up online yet, and a lot of it is scattered. I'll try and write stuff up. The way I look at it, each of the Estates on Sclaras is prolly akin to a "Castle Amber" - not as big, prolly ("Castle Amber" is very large, as large as, well, the Palace of Versailles upon which it is based; I doubt any of the buildings on Sclaras are that big, though many are more than two stories high), but in the sense of being unique & bizzare, with excentric mages and their excentric family members & servators, guardians, odd rooms & features, and the like. I also imagine that each Estate is somehow sectioned-off from the others, by hedgerows and/or a line of trees, probably with some sort of defenses (primarily detection stuff, to provide an "alert" when someone crosses the boundary of one estate to another). Entrances are probably gated (iron gates & fences at gaps in the hedgerows). I prefer the hedgerows thing to walls as such. The prime properties are ones along the coast, with a "beach", but the island itself rises above the sea, with cliffs on all sides (except a small low area, a few acres in size, which functions as a harbor/port for the isle, with docks, and is a "common area", a port of entry for visitors - who, of course, must be invited by one or more of the residents. This area is also where some trade is conducted. The best analogy I can think of at the moment is Skullport in Waterdeep, though not quite as seedy and illicit). The rest of the island is: a narrow beach, probably 30 meters/yards or so in width, forming a ring around the isle. Beyond that the island rises sharply, with chalk-white cliffs. Atop those are the estates proper. The seas around the island is riven with reefs and rocks and other things hazzardous to navigation, and the wizards aren't beyond "seeding" the waters with dangerous critters as a deterent to interlopers. This isn't done in any coordinated fashion, each wizard does whatever they want when it comes to this, and it can lead to the critters put in place by one wizard getting into bloody fights with those of another, eating each other. This is often an occasion for "sight-seeing" among the population of the island, when a particularly good "bout" starts (another expression of the Thyatian proclivity for gladiatorial combat). Strange, often enchanted, fogs surround the island beyond a few miles, limiting visibility for ships sailing to it. The area immediately around the isle is almost always clear, but there is a "donut" (or begel) of fog with the island in a "hole" in the middle. The skies are also dangerous, as all the wizards are keenly aware of the possibility of trespassers coming in via this route. Indeed, each Estate tends to be protected multi-dimensionally: surface, air, underground, and trans-planar, especially from Ethereal infiltration & observation. None of the Estates are huge, but with 160 acres (aproximately) they aren't tiny, either. The current inhabitants aren't the only Wizards who have lived here - remember, Valentia is said to have been the first Estate-holder here, almost a thousand years ago. So there has been a milenium of development and cross-development on the Island. Many Estates have not only the villa/tower/whatever-the-heck-they-want-as-an-abode of the current inhabitant, but those of previous inhabitants (when the current or some prior occupant decided not to use that one, but to build their own instead). Some of these have been torn down or are in ruins, but usually not everything has been removed. The Wizards themselves often stumble upon enchantments or dangerous areas, especially underground chambers, left abandoned and lost by previous residents. They often don't want to be bothered with "clearing" these themselves, and so will hire outside agents (Our Party of Adventurers) to do the job. The Wizards also often need specific items for their experiments & researches, and so will hire agents to procure it. Many are also involved in feuds and rivalries with their neighbors. Almost always, these are not deadly, but involve "liberating" property or "counting coup" against them in some fashion. Adventurers are hired as security against such efforts, and also to perform such feats. Some of these can be very bizzare, the rationale known only to the people involved, not to those hired by Wizard N to, say, plant a pair of neon-green bloomers in the bedchamber of Wizard X. Things can escalate to the point of fabricating research, sabotaging research, stealing this or that item, and other things intended primarily as embarassement. Assassinations, however, are almost unknown on the Island - by tacit agreement, as all the Wizards are aware (from sad experience, it must be said) of what can happen if scores of powerful Wizards engage in blood-feuds. This isn't to say there aren't (occasional) duels among the Wizards, but they tend to be kept to a minimum, and in those cases people are not hired to perform the job - they do it face-to-face. These duels are almost never to the death. Wizards being Wizards, some residents have been around since the early days of the Empire. So they have long memories and are often seen as a source of information. The Wizards aren't really patient with outsiders, though. If and when they want to meet with "the general public", they'll travel to Thyatis City (for example) or elsewhere. Visitation is by invitation only, and uninvited guests "sleep with the fishes". If you don't hear back from someone who went to Sclaras uninvited, don't bother asking anyone who lives there about their welfare and whereabouts - you won't get an answer. Some are killed outright, a possibly merciful death, while some are put to other use (they being seen as "finders keepers" property by some mages who want experiment subjects). Merciful wizards might just wipe their minds of memories of the isle and deposit them on another Plane with a warning to never return again, as they might not be treated so kindly. As for the Estates themselves, as mentioned, they are as varied as the Wizards who inhabit them. The hedges & tree-lines are used to provide privacy. Each Estate might have a "atmosphere" far different from another, and some are very artistic in establishing a "theme" for their estate. Some are dark, foreboding abodes, others are sunlit and park-like. Several are forested throughout, some being maintained in a tropical, others sub-tropical, and still others in a temperate climate. Some do not have man-made structures above-ground, others have "traditional" towers, many have villas that, from the outside at least, are not unlike those of wealthy Thyatians on Carytion or in the Duchy of Thyatis. Before the Week Without Magic, there were even some that could only be maintained magically (floating towers, parts of buildings that were connected only thinly to the ground with magic being used to support the structure, odd-shaped buildings that likewise needed magic to keep them from collapsing, and the like), but these didn't fare well on that day and for the most part haven't been rebuilt in that style. With 250 Estates, only one's imagination limits what any given Estate and its inhabitants might be like.
#6 spellweaver Aug 02, 2004 11:47:40	Cool writeup - both on the Day of Renewal and the Island of Sclaras! :-) Jesper